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+Prologue
+"The Monologue of Yosuke Hirata"
+To me, my classmates are important existences.
+...No, that's not quite right.
+To me, my class is the important one.
+I know very well the contradiction within that statement.
+To protect my important friends, I have to protect the class.
+If I can protect the class, I can protect my friends.
+The class is a gathering of several students. There are as many different ways
+of thinking as there are the number of people. They start fighting each other
+over the most insignificant things.
+That's why I have to protect them.
+Eventually, protecting my class became my duty.
+However— that's not my true self.
+I was never the center of my class originally. Instead, my existence was that
+of a shadow.
+Using Class C as an example, I may have been similar to Ayanokoji-kun
+perhaps.
+That's why I sometimes see him overlapping with my previous self.
+But I changed.
+After that incident, there was no way I wouldn't.
+When I was little, I had a very good friend. A friend who was together with
+me from kindergarten to middle school. He was being bullied without me
+noticing and ended up attempting suicide.
+No, the fact that he's still alive is pure coincidence.
+Him dying wouldn't be strange at all.
+That day.
+From that day on, my life began to change.
+I began to think of how to get rid of bullying.
+But I failed.
+The class was being pinned down because they were making the wrong
+choices. The fights within the class itself have disappeared, but at the same
+time, so did the smiles. And then, yet again, the same thing was about to
+happen right in front of me. I cannot let the same mistake repeat itself. That
+was the single answer I reached.
+The only way to protect this class.
+That is—
+The scene spreading out in front of me was filled with my classmates
+watching me with surprise on their faces.
+"Horikita... can you shut up a bit."
+Words containing no signs of intelligence.
+Vulgar and full of violence. My own words.
+A voice far from anger or sadness.
+My classmates, including Horikita-san, look at me strangely.
+That doesn't matter.
+At this stage, it doesn't matter anymore.
+At the very end of this worst special exam.
+***
+Chapter 1: The Calm Before the
+Storm
+Introduction
+It was finally the first of March, a few days after the end-of-term exams.
+Monday, the day where everyone was anxiously waiting for the results to be
+announced.
+After all, in the case of a failing grade, the only option left was expulsion.
+"Sensei, are you gonna announce the results now! ?"
+Unable to sit still any longer, Ike practically fell out of his seat as he waited
+for the homeroom teacher, Chabashira, to respond.
+"Calm yourself. You'll know in a couple of minutes."
+Chabashira, with practiced movements, spread out a large piece of paper she
+brought in on the blackboard.
+This school would usually release our grades digitally, like on our cell phones
+or on the online forums. However, when it comes to the exams where
+expulsion was at stake, the teachers would display the results to us like this.
+"Are you feeling confident, Ike?"
+"O-oh well, yeah, I studied pretty hard, but..."
+"You studied hard, huh? Yet you're still so uneasy?"
+Chabashira must have found his reply more amusing than surprising, as she
+gave off a slight smile.
+For Ike, who usually gets low scores, it was only natural that he would feel
+anxious no matter how much he studied.
+"Sudo, you always seem to be in the running for the lowest score, so how are
+you feeling?"
+It wouldn't be surprising for Sud6 to be the most anxious student in the
+classroom.
+Considering the previous tests, it was no exaggeration to say that Sudo's
+scores were some of the lowest in almost every subject. Chabashira was
+probably expecting a reply similar to Ike's, but his response was something
+far more unexpected.
+"...1?'m confident at the very least. I absolutely won't get a failing grade."
+"Oh?"
+Despite the fact that physical prowess was Sudo's only redeeming quality, his
+expression and tone of voice still managed to hold a distinct air of
+confidence.
+Of course, I suppose he would still be anxious about the results, just like Ike.
+However, thanks to the effort he's put in to overcome that anxiety and the
+experience he's accumulated, he's been able to establish confidence.
+This was what Horikita's repeated study sessions had burned into his head. It
+was different compared to what he was capable of back when his entire
+strategy for academics consisted of superficially cramming the information
+the night before. Little by little the seeds of knowledge had begun to grow.
+As the teacher who guided Sudo's studies, Horikita's face remained
+unclouded.
+Well, she did seem somewhat displeased with how Sudo was getting ahead of
+himself.
+"Hmm... It's pretty interesting to see how you kids have grown. There's no
+way to figure out just what you'! accomplish next, and you've all easily
+surpassed my expectations. Now, I suppose I'Il announce the results of your
+end-of-term exams."
+Chabashira began posting test results onto the paper on the blackboard.
+And after this, she would draw a red line across the results.
+Anyone whose name falls below that line would be forcibly expelled from
+the school.
+"The results this time-"
+With a red pen in hand, Chabashira pressed the tip against the paper and drew
+a horizontal line.
+The red line of fate.
+And the number of students whose names fell below it was... zero.
+In other words...
+"Everyone successfully passed the exam. These have been your best results
+so far."
+Chabashira revealed that everyone in Class C passed.
+"All right!"
+Ike was the first to cry out.
+It seemed like he was pretty afraid to hear the results. After all, Ike had the
+lowest score in the class.
+"Well, that wasn't too hard. Hahahaha... That was close!"
+Ike spoke, his attention concentrated on his name and the red line directly
+under it.
+"T only studied a little bit the day before and I still managed to pass."
+Yamauchi said as much, yet his name was listed right above Ike's.
+"Don't lie Haruki, you were studying every day in desperation, weren't you?"
+"Is that so? Wahahaha!"
+At any rate, both Ike and Yamauchi had successfully managed to pass the
+exam, so nobody had any complaints.
+Chabashira watched over such a scene with a gentle gaze.
+Nevertheless, the results were surprising.
+Ike came in last, with Yamauchi coming up right behind him. They were
+followed by Hondo, Sato, and Inogashira.
+Sudo's name was right above Inogashira's.
+Considering Sudou's results so far, it could be said that he's seen some
+substantial improvement.
+"Sudo. This past year, you managed to improve your grades better than
+anyone. You seemed confident that you'd pass as well. I'm looking forward
+to seeing how you'll succeed in the future."
+Chabashira appeared to share my feelings on the matter.
+"Heh. It's nothing special."
+Despite saying that, he looked pleased with how well he did.
+On the other side of things, the students taking the positions at the top were
+pretty much the same as usual.
+Coming in first was Keisei, and second place was held by Koenji. Keisei had
+been getting good grades from the start, and with how diligent he is with his
+studies, it was only natural that he'd outrank the rest of the class. However,
+Koenji was still as much of a mystery as ever. He was never studying, and he
+didn't interact with anyone else, either. If he utilized the full extent of his
+abilities, then he just may have the potential to surpass even Keisei. Because
+of all the small fluctuations in KOenji's test results so far, it's possible that,
+depending on the exam, he's slacking off when he doesn't think it's worth his
+time. Horikita was ranked third. She usually trailed a bit behind in English,
+but this time she scored much higher. She had probably gotten a lot better
+thanks to the time she spent tutoring Sudo.
+"Sensei, how did the other classes do?"
+"They've all pulled through just like you did. In terms of the average score
+per class, Class C came in 3rd."
+There was no reason to ask which class came in first, second, and fourth
+respectively.
+"As I thought, it seems we'll have to aim higher if we want to overtake the
+upper classes."
+Without a hint of complacency, Horikita started writing down everyone's
+scores.
+The students at the top were just short of perfect scores, so further
+improvement wasn't an option. In fact, the only option they had left was to
+focus on improving the scores of the students at the bottom.
+"Good job with Sudo. I'm impressed."
+"Tt's the result of his own hard work after all. All I did was thoroughly break
+down each of his weaknesses until he started to see success."
+Just like Horikita, SudO's weakest subject was English, yet he was still seeing
+quite a bit of improvement with his scores.
+This improvement clearly showed that the two of them had focused their
+efforts on English during their studies.
+"T wonder if he's capable of bumping up his score a bit higher next time. Of
+course, it all depends on whether or not he can continue to concentrate."
+That was a pointless thing to worry about. After all, as long as Horikita was
+around, Sudo would continue to give it his all.
+He was probably beginning to get the hang of studying by now.
+He might even be able to squeeze into the upper half of the class soon.
+"Tt looks like Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun still have a bit of space between
+their scores and the red line. It was probably the right decision for us to
+routinely hold study sessions. If a certain you-know-who next to me would
+actually put in the smallest amount of effort, our class's average score might
+go up a little bit more, now wouldn't it?"
+"This is my limit."
+As usual, my scores were neither good nor bad. This time, I came in at 18th
+place.
+"I'm not going to accept that. One day I'm going to make you take this
+seriously."
+"T'll try my hardest in order to live up to your expectations."
+In any case, it was great that everyone was able to overcome the exam this
+time as well.
+The students who had just barely managed to pass the exams were all clearly
+relieved that they were over. Ike and Yamauchi had even already begun
+joking around with each other.
+Chabashira watched over her homeroom class with a tender gaze.
+"T have to hand it to you guys. It may be a simple thing to say, but well
+done."
+It was usually pretty rare for Chabashira to praise her own class, but it
+seemed like it had been occurring more often recently. She probably had a
+hunch that everyone would pass the end-of-term exams in the first place.
+"We did it!"
+"Nevertheless Ike, you're getting a bit too excited. Special exams aside, at an
+academic level, it's only natural for you to pass an exam like this one. And
+besides, this exam wasn't nearly as difficult as other national-level exams."
+Compared to the written exams we had taken so far, the difficulty of this
+particular exam was definitely higher.
+However, the school sets the difficulty of the exams close to the student's
+current skill level. It seems like it's all for the purpose of maintaining
+appearances.
+"Well, it can't be helped, but now that the good news is out of the way..."
+Chabashira cut into the cheerful atmosphere that had been filling the
+classroom, immediately replacing it with something much heavier.
+It was the usual display.
+"Most of you were probably already aware of this, but just because you've
+finished this end-of-term exam doesn't mean that testing has finished for the
+year. There will be a particularly important special exam soon, and as in
+previous years, it's scheduled to begin on March 8th."
+Chabashira explained what we should expect moving forward.
+Speaking of March 8th, that's next Monday, isn't it?
+We had just finished with the end-of-term exam, so a final special exam
+taking place so soon afterward wasn't unreasonable by any means. After all,
+it was the last thing left on the school's schedule for the year.
+Furthermore, third-year students would apparently have to take yet another
+exam in tandem with the one next week.
+"Everyone. This next special exam will be the last one this year. Let's all
+work together and try our best. If we do, our class should be able to aim for
+class A without anyone being expelled."
+Hirata's encouraging words seemed to spread amongst the class, with many
+students speaking up to show their support.
+Chabashira watched over the scene, revealing a vaguely relieved smile.
+"The way things have been going recently, I'm starting to think that all of
+you might just be able to graduate together two years from now."
+With these parting words, Chabashira dismissed class earlier than usual.
+"Having sensei give us a compliment like that feels out of this world, doesn't
+it?"
+Ike and Yamauchi began laughing cheerfully.
+"But don't get too cocky. Your last exam is only a week away, and by no
+means will it be easy."
+Chabashira spoke up again just before walking out of the classroom, leaving
+us with this one last reminder.
+Part 1
+There was only a little time left for us as first-year students.
+I used the time between classes to take a quick bathroom break.
+On the way back to class, I happened across two familiar upperclassmen in
+the midst of a deep conversation.
+The first was the current student council president, 2nd-year student Nagumo
+Miyabi. He was accompanied by his predecessor, 3rd-year student, Horikita
+Manabu.
+It was probably by sheer coincidence, but Nagumo spotted me immediately.
+The moment he waved at me, it seemed like I had lost the opportunity to
+pretend I hadn't noticed and head back to class.
+"Yo Ayanokoji. Did you manage to pass the end-of-term exam?"
+In contrast to Nagumo's direct question, the elder Horikita just calmly looked
+in my direction.
+"Somehow."
+He had engaged me with a meaningless conversation.
+"How cold. I don't think that's the right attitude to have when the student
+council president is right in front of you."
+"Is that so?"
+I straightened up a little bit. I wasn't sure if it was enough for him, but it
+should be somewhat less objectionable.
+"Well, whatever. You've come by at just the right time. There's something
+I've been wanting to ask you."
+Before he continued, Nagumo let show a delighted expression, as if he was
+glad that the three of us were alone.
+"Tn order to divert attention away from the slander that had been going
+around about Ichinose Honami, it seems that someone went and posted a
+bunch of rumors about various first-year students on the school forums. Now,
+I wonder, just who would do such a thing?"
+He was testing me with his words. No, it was entirely possible that he had
+already seen right through me.
+It didn't matter how much information he had, my attitude wouldn't change.
+"Well, I have no idea. But at the end of the day, they've caused me nothing
+but trouble."
+"Oh yeah, you were a victim too, weren't you? What happened with that
+again...?"
+"The school's announcement made it pretty clear that we shouldn't be talking
+about that. I don't think even the student council president is an exception to
+that."
+Due to the warning, this sort of inquisitive behavior should be avoided.
+"Tt's as AyanokOji says, Nagumo. You should refrain from saying anything
+too carelessly."
+With the elder Horikita backing me up, Nagumo immediately backed down.
+It didn't seem like he was particularly interested in touching on the subject.
+"So, what have you two celebrities been talking about?"
+"Just having a little discussion with Horikita-senpai. Ain't that right?"
+Seeking confirmation, Nagumo looked to the elder Horikita, who responded
+with a simple nod.
+I was slightly concerned about the location they were holding their
+conversation. The two of them had gathered in the hallway near the first-year
+classrooms, so there was a lingering feeling that something was out of place.
+"Tomorrow, a step ahead of the other school years, the third-year students
+will begin a decisive battle that will determine whether Horikita-senpai will
+successfully graduate from Class A or not. So I wanted to hear about it from
+him personally. Are you interested too?"
+Unlike the rest of the student body, the third-year students still had to take
+more than one special exam.
+The fact that it was starting so soon wasn't that surprising.
+I didn't know what Nagumo wanted me to say, but I responded to him
+honestly anyway.
+"1'm not particularly interested. Ultimately, I don't have the time to be
+worrying about my upperclassmen."
+Toward my complete lack of interest, Nagumo let show a somewhat
+dissatisfied expression.
+"How cold. You're acting like that just because you're Horikita-senpai's
+favorite, aren't you?"
+I couldn't remember ever being particularly favored by him.
+In fact, over the past year, I could probably count the number of times I had
+gotten involved with him on one hand.
+"Don't delude yourself, Ayanokoji. All that preferential treatment doesn't
+make you special. You just got lucky with the environment you were placed
+in. That's right... It's all thanks to that watchful, anxious classmate of yours
+right over there."
+Confused, I looked over my shoulder and saw the figure of Horikita,
+watching us from a distance.
+It was too much of a coincidence for this selection of people to have gathered
+here by chance alone.
+"Are you the one who called her here, Nagumo?"
+"Tt's only natural for me to reach out to the younger sister of my senpai. I' Il
+be leading the younger generations as the student council president next year,
+after all."
+Somehow, Nagumo seemed to have orchestrated everything in order to get
+both of the siblings to show up here.
+I seemed to be the only person who was present by mere coincidence.
+"Come here."
+Nagumo bluntly called out to the younger Horikita.
+".,. The one who sent me this email... Was it you, president Nagumo?"
+"Well, not exactly, but close enough. You're Horikita-senpai's little sister,
+right?"
+"Yes... my name is Horikita Suzune."
+Due to her older brothers presence, Horikita was reserved with her response.
+"T didn't expect my predecessor's little sister to get placed in Class D after
+enrollment. I was surprised."
+"What's your goal here Nagumo?"
+Without so much as a glance at his sister, the elder Horikita pressed him for
+an answer.
+After all, Nagumo probably had a reason for why he called them here in the
+first place.
+However, Nagumo simply shook his head, as if to claim he had no ulterior
+motives.
+"T just wanted to meet with you and your little sister."
+His objective here was probably to evaluate her.
+Coming to the same conclusion, the elder Horikita took the initiative.
+"T'll say this now just so we're clear, but you had better not be thinking that
+you can use my sister to force a concession from me."
+"Concession? Certainly not! Do you really think that ''d ever make a move
+on her? Such a cute underclassman and moreover my senpai's precious little
+sister?"
+"For the sake of getting what you want, I think you'd do anything."
+Nagumo didn't affirm the elder Horikita's cold words, but he didn't deny
+them either.
+"Even so, you don't have to be so distant do you? If only you had told me
+about your sister earlier. If you had, I would've been able to invite her to the
+student council much sooner."
+"What?"
+Hearing something unexpected, both siblings were surprised.
+"Tf it's my senpai's little sister, I can have her take over as the student council
+president after I graduate. The fact that she's the sister of a man who's done
+so much for our school makes her more than qualified enough."
+"Don't use blood relationships as a means to evaluate somebody's
+capabilities. My sister has nothing to do with how well I performed as
+president."
+"_,.That's right. I am not fit to be a member of the student council."
+Horikita rejected Nagumo's invitation to join the student council. She just
+didn't have the self-confidence to be a part of it, given how her older brother
+had also dismissed the idea.
+After all, when I had alluded to her about joining the student council in the
+past, her reaction had been just as negative.
+Nagumo seemed to see something in Horikita's humble attitude.
+"This meeting is just for introductions. I'll invite you again another day."
+Whether or not Horikita actually wanted to join the student council was
+another matter. It was as if Nagumo was declaring that he would be actively
+involved with Horikita moving forward. By doing something so disruptive,
+he was probably searching for her brother's weak points.
+"',.Well then, um, ['m-"
+Horikita attempted to get out of the conversation. Rather than wanting to get
+away from Nagumo, Horikita seemed as though she wanted to get away from
+her brother.
+"The third-years aren't going to be here for very much longer, you know.
+Don't you think it'd be nice to be spoiled a little?"
+"T'm sorry. If you'll excuse me."
+Horikita, judging that any further conversation would be uncomfortable for
+her brother, quickly hurried back to the classroom. Given Horikita's
+reactions, anyone would've been able to see how bad a relationship the two
+siblings had with one another.
+"Tt seems the two of you have a wonderful relationship, don't you Horikita-
+senpai?"
+"Are you Satisfied, Nagumo?"
+No matter what scheme Nagumo was up to, the elder Horikita didn't seem
+concerned.
+"T would cherish the time I have left with my little sister if I were you."
+Even though Nagumo was partially trying to get a reaction from him, it was
+true that Horikita had come to this school to follow after her brother, and yet
+she had only been able to meet with him a couple of times so far.
+"Anyways senpai. Please, do your best to instill a feeling of presence in the
+student body by graduating as a member of Class A. If you just so happened
+to demote down to Class B before graduation, even you won't be able to
+laugh it off, if you know what I mean?"
+If that were to happen, he would probably be thought of as a failure. One who
+betrayed the expectations of the school and the students around him.
+He was probably under quite a bit of pressure... No, he isn't the type of man
+who would be concerned about such a thing.
+The elder Horikita sensed that the conversation had reached its conclusion
+and left without saying another word.
+"Good grief. Of course this isn't enough to get him to take me seriously."
+It seemed that Nagumo intended to obsess over his predecessor until the
+bitter end.
+"Ts it really so important for you to compete with the former president like
+this?"
+During the training camp a while back, in order to deal with the elder
+Horikita, Nagumo had opted for a shameless strategy that dragged in the rest
+of the third-years as well.
+"Of course. Taking down Horikita-senpai is the only objective I have left at
+this school."
+After all, there are effectively no opportunities for second and third years to
+face off against each other.
+Yet, it seemed that he intended to make it happen regardless of what forcible
+means he had to come up with.
+"Well, what I do will depend on the details of the exam and Horikita-senpai
+himself."
+It seemed that no matter how many enemies he makes, Nagumo intended to
+make things clear with the elder Horikita before graduation. Despite claiming
+otherwise, Nagumo would surely be deeply involved no matter what the
+details of the exam turned out to be.
+After all, there was almost no time left for him to settle things with his
+senpai.
+"Will there be any problems with next week's special exam on your end,
+president Nagumo? I wouldn't expect the second-years to have it easy
+either."
+"Well, I wonder. Just carry on, hoping for my inevitable failure."
+As the break was about to end, Nagumo wrapped up the conversation and
+took his leave.
+Shortly after I returned to the classroom, my neighbor Horikita looked over at
+me.
+"President Nagumo and my brother... what were they talking about?"
+"Tf you were interested, you should've stayed until the end."
+"That's..."
+Well, it was a difficult conversation for her. She becomes docile and meek
+like a lamb when she's in front of her brother, after all.
+"Tt's unusual that you stuck around and listened to their conversation in the
+first place. You've sure become someone who's attracting attention from all
+sorts of people, haven't you? I wonder if it's thanks to that relay race you had
+with my brother at the athletics festival?"
+Her words were beautifully laced with a sarcastic irony. To be fair, it's not
+like I'm able to predict the future.
+Everything doesn't always go the way I expect it to.
+"Tt doesn't seem like there were many chances for you to get closer to your
+brother this past year."
+"..S0 what?"
+Horikita's mood got worse as soon as I brought up her circumstances with
+her older brother.
+That being the case, it would've been better if I didn't get unexpectedly
+dragged into Nagumo's conversation.
+Her concern about what had been discussed earlier with Nagumo was written
+all over her face.
+"Don't you want to try and face him at least once before he graduates?"
+"You don't understand anything. There's no way that my brother would look
+after me. Going out of my way to approach him when I know I would be
+treated cruelly is just plain stupid."
+So you enrolled in the same school, satisfied with just watching over him
+instead?
+"If my brother's interested in anyone... it's unpleasant, but he's only
+interested in you."
+I was about to tell her that she was wrong, but I ended up stopping myself.
+At the moment, Horikita wouldn't believe me even if I were to go into the
+details.
+More than anything, it would be meaningless if she didn't have the courage
+to face him herself.
+"Really? Well, maybe you're right."
+I responded, cutting the conversation short.
+While I think Horikita still had complaints, she didn't say anything else.
+Chapter 2: "The Class Vote"
+Introduction
+The next day, Tuesday March 2nd.
+Morning homeroom.
+Chabashira walked through the door shortly after the bell rang.
+It was the usual scene that unfolded every morning.
+The class was enveloped in an air of relaxation.
+It was announced yesterday that we had all passed the end-of-year exam
+without any problems. There were still a few days to go before the start of the
+final special exam for the first-years on March 8th, so it was no surprise that
+there wasn't a hint of nervousness in the room.
+However, Chabashira's expression as she stood behind the podium was more
+grim than usual.
+She projected a tense, stinging aura that spread to the students as well.
+"Um, did something happen?"
+Hirata, always prioritizing the stability of the class, took the initiative to
+speak up.
+Chabashira didn't answer right away, instead choosing to simply remain
+silent.
+The impression she gave off made it seem like she was reluctant to say
+anything.
+Up until now, no matter how serious things had been, she would beat her
+explanations into us without mercy. So, it didn't take very long for the class
+to realize that this situation was abnormal.
+"_,. There's something I have to tell you all."
+She spoke heavily.
+Her expression was as stern as ever, but the sound of her voice made her
+seem like she was struggling.
+"As I told you yesterday, the final special exam for the first-years will begin
+on March 8th. After this special exam, you will advance to the second year,
+as per the general convention of our school."
+Chabashira turned around, picked up a piece of chalk, and reached for the
+blackboard.
+"This year, however, the situation is slightly different from previous years."
+"Different... How?"
+Hirata asked in return, having felt a sense of danger.
+"Not a single student in your grade dropped out this year, even after the end-
+of-year exam. Getting this far without a single dropout has never happened
+before in the history of this school."
+"We're pretty awesome when you put it like that, aren't we?"
+I thought about how we shouldn't be getting ahead of ourselves, but Ike cut
+in to do just that.
+If it was the usual Chabashira, she'd have probably warned him not to get too
+carried away.
+"That's right, and the school thinks so too. Normally, this would be
+something to celebrate. Even we, as faculty of the school, hope to see as
+many students graduate as possible. However, it needs to be said that several
+problems arise when things don't turn out the way we expect them to."
+The way she spoke was strange. Hirata and Horikita both seemed to feel
+something out of place with her choice of words as well.
+"Tt's as if you're saying you're bothered by the fact nobody's dropped out
+yet."
+"Tt's not like that at all. But, sometimes things happen that go beyond my
+expectations."
+Even though she was saying something she should be happy about,
+Chabashira's words were heavy.
+In order to dispel that heaviness, Horikita continued to speak.
+"Are you implying that there's something wrong with us?"
+The content of what Chabashira had to tell us wouldn't change, no matter
+what questions Horikita might ask. She wasn't the person making the choices
+here. She was just the employee who had been given the duty of relaying
+instructions.
+"On the basis that there haven't been any expulsions among the first-years,
+the school..."
+Chabashira paused for a moment.
+Then, she squeezed out the words that had been stuck in her throat.
+".,..has decided that, given the extenuating circumstances, you will be
+undergoing a supplementary improvised special exam starting today."
+She wrote down today's date, Tuesday March 2nd, along with the words
+"Supplementary Special Exam" on the blackboard.
+"Eeeh!? What the heck!? Another special exam!? That's so unfair! The
+school's acting like a stubborn little brat just because none of us dropped
+out!?"
+Chabashira simply glossed over Ike's complaints. Students didn't have the
+right to refuse.
+No, maybe she was the one who didn't have that right. Chabashira was
+looking less composed than usual today. She didn't seem to be trying to
+frighten us, so it was highly likely that this really was something that the
+school decided on in a hurry.
+"Tt seems a little different from what we've done so far..."
+Horikita muttered softly, having realized that there was no point fighting
+against it at the moment.
+"Only the students who manage to pass this supplementary special exam will
+be eligible to take the special exam on March 8th."
+Having given a small explanation, Chabashira paused for a moment.
+"T never agreed to this! I can't believe we have to be the ones to take another
+exam!"
+"Your dissatisfaction is completely justified. After all, the school has gone
+and implemented a special exam without any prior notice. Although it's only
+one more exam than in past years, it will still inevitably be a burden on the
+students. It's a truth that I, as well as the other teachers, have been taking
+seriously."
+A truth other teachers have been taking seriously? In other words, even
+though the teachers had been taking it seriously, the school itself had not. The
+way She had phrased it made it possible to arrive at this sort of conclusion.
+Piling up extra special exams would certainly be tough on the students at this
+point.
+For instance, if it's a written exam that tests academic ability, students would
+have to re-apply themselves to their studies. Even in the case of a physical
+exam, they would need to work out potential countermeasures.
+There would be a lot of pressure on the students, no matter what kind of
+exam it was.
+That said, even if several students were to express their dissatisfaction, the
+special exam wouldn't just disappear.
+Chabashira resumed her explanation.
+"The content of the special exam is extremely simple, and the dropout rate is
+fairly low at less than three percent per class."
+A dropout rate of less than three percent.
+From what I could infer, it certainly seemed low.
+But perhaps, this supplementary special exam was different from the exams
+we' ve had up till now.
+There was no reason for her to expressly bring up the dropout rate.
+She had never brought up that piece of information in the exams we had
+taken before.
+The students who noticed this harbored even further suspicions.
+When I briefly directed my gaze toward the girl in the seat next to me, our
+eyes met by chance as she had already been looking at me.
+"What's the matter Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"No. Nothing."
+"Tf you keep looking at me without saying anything, it'll just make me feel a
+bit creeped out, you know?"
+".. Yeah."
+I turned away, deciding to look out the window for a bit.
+In such a confined classroom, I could hear everything that was being said, no
+matter where I was actually looking.
+"T wonder what kind of exam it will be? What will it ask of us?"
+"You seem to be feeling anxious about that point in particular, but it's
+nothing you need to be worried about. This supplementary special exam will
+have nothing to do with things like academic or physical ability. When the
+time comes, you'll just be expected to do something so simple that anyone
+should be able to do it, like writing your own name down on the test paper. If
+there's ultimately only a three percent chance of dropping out of school,
+that's definitely low, wouldn't you agree?"
+Throughout all of this, she had been trying to avoid touching on the true
+nature of the problem: the content of the exam.
+"_..If difficulty is unrelated, then that three percent is pretty scary for us."
+"Certainly, it's as you say, Hirata. It's not like I can't understand how you're
+feeling. However, whether or not you'|l be able to lower that percentage will
+be based on the preparations you make before the official exam comes to
+pass. As you've probably already imagined, the results of the exam will
+change depending on your actions."
+"Where was this dropout rate derived from? Based on what you've told us, it
+sounds like we're just drawing lots. Is that the case?"
+The chance of someone in this class dropping out of school wasn't laughable.
+Although Chabashira had understated the dropout rate, the burden it placed
+on the students was greater than anticipated.
+Hirata, having been the first person to understand it, challenged that point
+even further.
+"Please tell us. What kind of special exam will we be taking?"
+"The name of the special exam is The Class Poll."
+"The Class... Poll...?"
+Chabashira wrote out the name of the special exam on the blackboard.
+"T'1l now explain the rules for this special exam. For the next four days,
+you'll be evaluated by your fellow classmates. Then on Saturday, you' |l
+select the names of three students you find worthy of praise, and the names of
+three students you find worthy of criticism and cast your votes for them.
+That's it."
+Does that mean that we would all be evaluating one another? Thinking about
+it objectively, students like Hirata and Kushida would accumulate a lot of
+praise, putting them at the top of the charts. In contrast, it seems like students
+who are thought of as troublemakers or are holding the class back would
+accumulate a lot of criticism and plummet to the bottom.
+We were shown a glimpse of the urgency the school was facing based on the
+fact that they were using a Saturday to hold a portion of the exam.
+However, based on everything Chabashira had said so far, the students in the
+upper and lower ranks...
+"T-that's it? That's all the exam is?"
+"Correct. That's it. Didn't I tell you it was simple?"
+"With that being the case, how does the school determine the outcome of the
+exam?"
+"T'll explain that now."
+Tightening her grip on the chalk, Chabashira proceeded to write on the
+blackboard once more.
+"The essence of this special exam is the number of praise and censure votes
+you accumulate on Saturday. The top student... that is, the student who
+accumulates the most praise votes, will be given a special reward. This
+special reward will not be private points. Instead, you will receive one point
+from a new system altogether, Protection Points."
+It was a type of point we hadn't heard anything about until now.
+Of course, it captured everyone's attention.
+"Protection points grant you the right to override an expulsion. Even if you
+were to fail a test, as long as you have a protection point, you can use it to
+cancel out the questions you had gotten wrong. However, these points cannot
+be transferred between students."
+It was no exaggeration to say that the moment she said this, a wave of
+newfound surprise spread throughout the classroom.
+"You should all be able to understand how amazing these points are. They're
+effectively equivalent in value to twenty-million private points. Of course, in
+the eyes of an excellent student with no reason to fear expulsion, they may
+not hold as much value."
+That would probably never be the case. There was no such thing as a student
+who wouldn't welcome the right to invalidate an expulsion.
+The reward was far too extravagant. No, it was beyond extravagant.
+These protection points had the potential to be an outrageously dangerous
+weapon depending on how they were used.
+And it was precisely because of this extravagance that the penalty given to
+the lowest ranked students would be even greater.
+"Does this mean that something bad happens to the three lowest ranked
+students...?"
+Hirata asked, uneasy about the answer.
+"No. This time, the penalty only applies to the student who receives the most
+censure votes in each class. Other students will not be penalized, no matter
+how many censure votes they receive. After all, the theme of this special
+exam is selecting who will take the top spot, and then deciding who will take
+the bottom.
+"What kind of penalty is it?"
+"The special exam this time is different from the ones you've had so far, with
+one point in particular being very different. Namely, that this special exam is
+being conducted to rectify the problem of there not being any dropouts."
+Indeed. The detail the students should really be worried about was the reason
+why the supplementary special exam was being carried out in the first place.
+If this exam was being held because there had yet to be any dropouts...
+"This special exam is exactly as easy as I told you it was. Even if you lack
+academic ability or physical strength, you won't be at a disadvantage. But
+even so, why would the school go out of its way to provide the special reward
+of protection points? That would be because it's probably impossible for all
+of you to advance to the second year without leaving one of your classmates
+behind."
+Chabashira turned around and looked at each of us, one by one.
+"So, the student at the lowest rank... will be expelled from the school."
+If there was a vote, there would be results.
+And if there were results, there would have to be a first and last place student.
+And then, the person in last place would be expelled.
+This outcome would be inevitable.
+It would be the same, no matter how superior or inferior the class was.
+The only difference would be who would face the penalty.
+That was the kind of exam we were dealing with.
+The school had set up this supplementary exam simply because they were
+upset that nobody had dropped out yet. After all, if the supplementary exam
+took place and no students dropped out, it would've been meaningless for
+them to implement all of this in the first place.
+Still, the face of Sakayanagi's father, the chairman of the school, crossed my
+mind. While he may not have shown me his true nature during my encounter
+with him, he still didn't seem to be the type of person who would enforce
+such an unreasonable exam.
+"T-I don't understand what you mean, sensei. T-the person in last place... are
+you seriously saying that they'll be expelled?"
+"That's right. They'Il have to face the guillotine. But rest assured, the class
+itself won't be penalized if someone drops out this time. That's just the type
+of exam this is."
+This was clearly different from previous special exams.
+Although the possibility of being expelled on an individual basis was higher,
+there was also a possibility of everyone being able to elude expulsion
+altogether. But this time, there was a system in place where a sacrifice was
+inevitable.
+This was the special case that the school had prepared for us.
+It was precisely because of their urge to force expulsions that they needed to
+offer something like protection points in return.
+Even so, the students would still be burdened with a disproportionate amount
+of risk.
+"Tt seems unreasonable, doesn't it? Well, that's what I think as a teacher. But,
+nothing can be done about it now that the school has made its decision. You
+have no choice but to abide by the rules and take the special exam."
+"Ts that really alright...?"
+Dark clouds hung over the class despite the fact that everyone had just
+overcome the end-of-year exam.
+By this weekend, one student from this class was going to disappear.
+"As there's only a short amount of time left until the day of the vote, I will
+continue the explanation of the rules. The total number of praise and censure
+votes for each student will be made publically available at the end of the
+exam. In other words, the results for the whole class will be announced.
+However, information regarding who voted for whom will remain
+undisclosed, as the vote will be taken anonymously."
+With an exam like this, they would definitely have to do it anonymously.
+Votes of praise aside, there would be problems over the censure votes for
+quite some time if the finer details of the vote were revealed.
+"Moving on, one praise vote and one censure vote will invalidate each other.
+Let's say, for example, that you received censure votes from ten people, and
+praise votes from thirty. This would be equivalent to a total of twenty praise
+votes. Additionally, neither vote may be cast for yourself, and it's also
+forbidden to vote for the same person multiple times."
+"What about abstention...? Would we be allowed to abstain from using our
+censure votes if we wanted to?"
+"Of course not. You'll have to cast all of your votes, regardless of which type
+of vote it is. Even if you're home sick on the day of the exam, you'|I still
+have to cast your vote."
+In other words, it was impossible for any of us to leave our ballot blank or
+abstain from the vote altogether.
+Several students were visibly troubled over this.
+This was a very threatening exam for students who felt like they'd amass
+censure votes.
+Students who completely rely on others to overcome these exams would also
+feel a considerable amount of pressure.
+"_..No, it's too soon to give in to despair."
+Hirata spoke words of comfort, trying to calm Ike and the others down.
+"Sensei said earlier that it was only probably impossible for everyone to
+avoid expulsion. That means there should be a loophole somewhere."
+When she explained the rules to us during past exams, the hidden meanings
+behind her explanations always managed to lead us to a way out.
+But what about this time?
+This 'probably impossible' meant that there were methods available we
+hadn't considered yet.
+"Although it's not easy, a way to prevent any of us from dropping out of
+school definitely exists."
+"W-what do you mean, Horikita?"
+"Tf the entire class unites and selects three people for the praise votes and
+three people for the censure votes, all six of them would end up with a total
+of zero votes. That way, nobody would end up in last place. Isn't that right?"
+"T-that's it! As expected of Suzune!"
+It was certainly possible if all of our classmates followed directions.
+However, if even a single person turned traitor, the students who had been
+betrayed would be pushed down the path of expulsion.
+After all, protection points would incentivize students to reach for first place.
+While people like Kushida, who hates Horikita, could be problematic, their
+influence could be accounted for by making some adjustments ahead of time.
+If Kushida was put in a position where she was expected to cast a censure
+vote for Horikita, a crisis could be avoided to some extent. That way, it
+would be possible to determine who had turned traitor after the results of the
+vote are announced.
+In short, because the traitor would be exposed, they wouldn't be able to
+carelessly betray the class.
+"What Horikita brought up just now about controlling the votes is
+meaningless."
+"Why sensei?"
+"If nobody is selected for both the first and last place positions, the special
+exam will be considered a failure. Regardless of your intentions, should the
+results of the vote be a net total of zero for every student in the class, another
+vote will be held. Put simply, the exam will repeat endlessly until you decide
+on someone to expel."
+With this, the escape path the class was frantically searching for was closed
+off.
+"Tsn't that rule strange? If we voted honestly and just so happened to end up
+with a total of zero votes on each side, the results would still be the same,
+even if we held another vote. If we forcibly distorted the results after that, it
+wouldn't feel like the students were chosen by a legitimate evaluation."
+"Horikita, your reasoning is correct. Should it just so happen to end up with a
+net total of zero votes for everyone, a revote does indeed seem contradictory.
+But, think about it realistically. Coincidentally ending up with a net total of
+zero votes for everyone in an exam where you explicitly choose people for
+both first and last place is almost impossible, right?"
+Chabashira's response was also very reasonable.
+A net total of zero votes for everyone wouldn't happen unless the vote had
+been intentionally set up that way.
+",. Then, what happens when there's a tie for first or last place?"
+In comparison, there was a fair chance of a tie actually happening.
+"In either case, there will be a deciding vote. However, even then, the vote
+might be tied a second time. If this happens, the situation will be evaluated by
+a special method prepared by the school. I'm unable to elaborate on this
+method any further at the present time."
+Does that mean she'd only tell us if it actually happens?
+Though, the chances of getting to that point were quite low.
+"There's no need to worry about it. The probability of there being a deciding
+vote is effectively zero."
+Chabashira added, appearing to share my thoughts on the matter.
+"Why? It should be more than possible enough."
+"That would be because you'll also be receiving praise votes from the
+students in the other classes."
+"From the other classes?"
+"You will all be expected to choose one student you find worthy of praise in
+another class and cast a separate dedicated praise vote for them. Naturally,
+this will count as a single, normal praise vote. In other words, in the event
+that a student is heavily disliked within their own class, but substantially
+popular with students from the other classes, it would be theoretically
+possible for that student to end with a total of around eighty praise votes,
+even after the censure votes are accounted for."
+It was unusual for more than 100 praise votes to be floating around.
+Given this new information, it was certainly true that the possibility of a
+deciding vote taking place was now considerably lower.
+With this, it seemed that we had found every piece of the puzzle.
+Supplementary Exam + The Class Poll
+Exam Contents:
+The exam consists of a class vote, where each student in each class is allotted
+three praise votes and three censure votes.
+Rule 1:
+Praise and censure votes invalidate each other. Praise Votes — Censure Votes
+= Results.
+Rule 2:
+You can't cast praise or censure votes for yourself.
+Rule 3:
+Voting multiple times for the same person, leaving part of the ballot blank,
+abstaining from the vote altogether, and other acts of this nature are
+prohibited.
+Rule 4:
+The exam will be repeated until the first and last place students have been
+determined. The last place student will be expelled.
+Rule 5:
+You are required to cast a separate dedicated praise vote on a student in
+another class.
+These were the details of the supplementary exam.
+There was no doubt that this test was extremely straightforward and simple.
+But at the same time, it was clear that this exam was the cruelest we've had to
+face so far.
+This weekend, someone in each class was going to disappear.
+However-
+"Sensei. Why did you say it was probably impossible? No matter how I look
+at it, I can't find any loopholes."
+"That's right. There aren't any loopholes. However, it's also true that there's
+room for uncertainty. You've all probably been thinking this already, but
+everything changes when you use private points."
+"You're saying we can use our private points to avoid expulsion?"
+"20 million. If you're able to prepare that many points, the school would have
+no other choice but to revoke your expulsion."
+This was the reason why she had said it was 'probably impossible'.
+The fact that there were no restrictions on the transfer of private points meant
+that negotiations that made use of them would be tolerated. If you can obtain
+praise votes with money, then obtain them. That's what the school was telling
+us.
+They' ve judged this to be a form of strength as well.
+With the help of the sheer power of your capabilities that you've shown
+everyone over the past year.
+Or with the financial power of the private points you've managed to save up
+throughout the previous exams.
+Or maybe even the power of teamwork you've accumulated through
+friendship.
+We were free to tackle this exam however we wanted to.
+"P-please wait. Twenty million points is a little..."
+"Tt's an impractical amount for you guys, even if you gathered all the private
+points in Class C. Though, if you collected points from the other classes or
+received charity from the upperclassmen, it's not impossible."
+It would certainly be theoretically possible if we went beyond our own class
+and school year.
+However, if one were to ask whether we would actually gather that many
+points in order to protect one student, it would be difficult to say.
+Even for Class A and Class B, there was a high possibility that they wouldn't
+be able to gather so many private points either. No, even if they did, it was
+questionable whether or not they would use them to protect a single student.
+It would be very risky for them to throw away all of the assets they had built
+up so far.
+"This is the only way you'|l be able to work around the rules set by the
+school. I'll say this ahead of time, other attempts to find a way around the
+rules of this exam are absolutely impossible. The rest is up for you to judge
+and decide upon."
+Chabashira finished her explanation as homeroom came to an end.
+As soon as she left the classroom, the class descended into turmoil.
+"What do we do!? What do we do!? This is a seriously terrible exam, isn't
+ithe"
+"You boys are so noisy!"
+"What do you mean noisy!? You're probably going to cast your censure
+votes for us, aren't you! >?"
+The boys and girls were tossing slander back and forth, as if on guard against
+one another.
+"How unsightly."
+One student laughed scornfully, watching over the conflict between the boys
+and girls.
+The particularly unusual existence of the class, Koenji Rokusuke.
+"There's no use panicking, is there?"
+"Do you really think you are in any position to be calm right now? Do you
+even understand how much trouble you've caused the class so far?"
+Sudo spoke up, questioning KOenji as he approached.
+So far, Koenji had certainly been causing issues within the class thanks to his
+whimsical attitude.
+"You selfishly abstained from both the uninhabited island exam and the
+athletics festival!"
+Their conversation began to draw eyes from around the class.
+At this point, the weak minded students were looking for the person who
+would become the sacrifice, all so they could avoid being expelled from
+school.
+"It is you who doesn't understand, Red Hair-kun."
+Koenji crossed his legs and stretched them out over his desk.
+_ Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Tt seems that you're under the impression that everything you've cultivated
+over the past year is the key to conquering this special exam."
+"That's exactly how it is!"
+"Wrong. This special exam has its sights undoubtedly set upon the next two
+years."
+Koenji flatly rejected Sudo's opinion, or rather, the opinion of the entire
+class.
+"Huh? What are you saying...?"
+Completely lost, Sudo probably thought of this as KOenji's usual nonsensical
+behavior.
+"Would you listen? This exam is literally a special case. Isn't it customary for
+a class to receive a large penalty when somebody gets expelled? This time,
+however, that's not the case at all. In other words, this is an extremely
+suitable opportunity for us to rid ourselves of an unnecessary student."
+"So, I'm saying that you're the unnecessary student; a total burden to the
+class!"
+"Oh no, not at all."
+"Wha? ...How can you say that!?"
+"If you want to know, it's because J am amazing."
+Koenji spoke with overwhelming boldness, as if declaring that this was the
+final say on the matter.
+Sudo faltered in the face of his complete lack of hesitation.
+"When it comes to the written exams, I'm always at the top of the class, no,
+of the entire school year. In fact, I placed second only by a slim margin on
+the end-of-year exam. Of course, had I put in any serious amount of effort, I
+would' ve easily taken first. Furthermore, in terms of physical ability, I even
+surpass you as well. You yourself should know this fact very well, don't
+you?"
+Koenji flaunted the height of his potential.
+"S-so what! That's all meaningless if you don't take things seriously!"
+"Sure. That's why from now on, I'|I turn over a new leaf. With this exam as
+the turning point, I'1l become a useful student who contributes to all sorts of
+exams moving forward. This would be a great advantage for the class, no?"
+"Wh-who would ever believe something like that!? I'm way more useful than
+you are!"
+Sudo's clamoring was also reasonable.
+Nobody in the classroom, including myself, had any reason to believe in
+Koenji's words.
+In fact, I didn't think this man would take things seriously after this exam at
+all.
+Rather, there was no real reason for him to actually change in the first place.
+It was clear that, as long as he manages to get through this exam, he would
+just go back to living a self-indulgent life.
+"Well then, allow me to reverse the question. This talk of you being more
+useful than I, is that something that everyone here can believe?"
+Koenji ignored Sudo, and instead began to address his classmates.
+"No, not just Red Hair-kun. When it comes to students who haven't helped at
+all yet, there's no guarantee that they'll suddenly become helpful in the
+future, is there? Anyone can list off empty promises, like I just have, but what
+really matters in the end is hidden strength. Without strength backing them
+up, empty promises lack persuasiveness altogether."
+The idea that students without ability had to strive to turn over a new leaf.
+The idea that students with ability should strive to turn over a new leaf.
+KOenji was saying that these two ideas were similar, but not the same.
+The whole concept of amassing censure votes and ending up as the lowest
+rank in the class, KOenji wasn't questioning anything like that at all. On the
+contrary, he seemed to be welcoming the supplementary exam itself.
+However, this didn't mean that KOenji wasn't facing any risk at all.
+Depending on the actions that the class took moving forward, he was at risk
+of gathering a substantial number of censure votes.
+For better or worse, he had said too much.
+Although, if I had to be honest, I agreed with KOenji's idea.
+If we were to think about the class as a whole, it was necessary to make a
+clear decision.
+An opportunity had come for us to carefully select an unnecessary student
+and get rid of them for the sake of the class as a whole, instead of simply
+choosing based on our personal preferences.
+In the case of the previous special exams, there were probably many cases
+where a student who had great strengths would've been expelled because of a
+couple of weaknesses. Put simply, this was the case with Sudo, who was
+arguing with KOenji. In contrast to the physical abilities he had been blessed
+with, his academic abilities were in the running for the worst in the class. In
+fact, his academic abilities almost held him back so much that, at one point,
+he was on the verge of dropping out of school. However, with the help of
+Horikita, Sudo gradually began to make up for his shortcomings, and as a
+result, started to show his value as a member of the class.
+Like Sudo, most people have both strengths and weaknesses.
+On the other hand, there's no shortage of people who not only lack strengths,
+but are littered with weaknesses and stand out in a bad way because of them.
+Everyone has the potential to grow as a human being, but everyone blossoms
+at different times, and some are simply limited by their capacity for growth.
+That was exactly why we had to take advantage of this exam.
+Unfortunately, it seems that Koenji was the only person in the class who was
+aware of this.
+"Stop nagging me Koenji. I don't think we need someone like you, and that's
+not gonna change."
+"No matter how incompetent your close friends are?"
+"Incompetent... you're calling my buddies incompetent? You're full of shit!"
+Sudo slammed his fist down on KG6enji's desk and glared at him fiercely.
+"Precisely. In any event, is that all? If this is your decision, do feel free to do
+as you please, but by then... as far as I can tell, this class will simply remain
+pathetic and inferior."
+Koenji calmly combed back his hair, without showing a hint of interest.
+His repeated provocations had set Sudo aflame.
+"You half-heartedly-"
+"Both of you relax. We should talk this out calmly, right?"
+Hirata forced his way in between the two of them.
+How many times had Hirata gone in and mediated like this?
+It was a scene that I had already gotten used to seeing, but Sudo was just
+getting more and more heated and showed no signs of cooling down.
+"What do you mean relax, Hirata? Course you're gonna be fine. After all,
+there's no way you'd ever end up in last place."
+"Hey-"
+Ike's words poked Hirata in a sore spot.
+It was true that Hirata had greatly contributed to the class over the past year.
+Generally speaking, it was no exaggeration to say that he was one of the
+safest students in this exam. In this exam where someone would inevitably be
+expelled, the words of a student who was effectively safe from danger
+wouldn't be able to resonate with others.
+"T... It's not clear what's going to happen to me."
+Even though he denied it, his words still weren't able to get through to Sudo.
+"You hear that, Kanji? Hirata just said he doesn't know what' ll happen to
+him."
+"No no, Hirata-sama is definitely safe."
+Yamauchi and Ike exchanged bitter smiles that were filled with more
+astonishment than irritation.
+This reaction was understandable.
+Nobody here had ever considered Hirata to be a potential candidate for
+expulsion.
+Even if he gathered a few censure votes, he was sure to get more than enough
+praise votes to cancel those out.
+ce bb)
+Las
+Hirata attempted to say something several times, but the words wouldn't
+come out.
+The special exam had still only just been announced.
+Given the restless state of the classroom, they wouldn't be able to calmly
+accept anything Hirata had to say.
+"Let's keep talking Koenji."
+"T have nothing more to say to you."
+"There's more than enough to talk about."
+Sudo pressed the matter further. At this point, the only one who'd be able to
+stop him would be...
+"That's enough Sudo-kun."
+Horikita spoke up, the final word for the discussion.
+"Don't get so carried away just because your grades have improved a little
+bit."
+"No, this time, it's not like that..."
+"Zip it."
+"...Got it."
+She had complete control over Sudo with just a handful of words.
+Horikita instructed Sudo to return to his seat and keep his distance from
+Koenji.
+"Horikita-san, you've been a great help."
+"Tt's no big deal compared to the trouble caused by this exam."
+Saying that, Horikita also distanced herself from KOenji and returned to her
+seat.
+I spoke up as she approached.
+"Thank you for your hard work."
+"That took a lot of extra effort."
+She let out a sigh and sat down.
+"But... things have really become troublesome. Despite all the instability and
+collusion, the class had always been able to cooperate. And yet, they come
+along and force us to kick someone out... it's far too cruel."
+Horikita lamented, unable to do anything about the chaos that enveloped the
+room.
+"Cruel, huh."
+Of course, I understood that she was just looking to complain.
+"You don't think so?"
+"There was never any guarantee from the start, ever since we first enrolled."
+"_.. Yeah. It was really just an afterthought. But even so, I still think that this
+exam is outrageous."
+"Well, it seems like revenge for the fact that nobody's been expelled yet."
+It would be reasonable to feel dissatisfied like Horikita.
+However, I couldn't afford to be a mere bystander during this particular
+exam.
+The whole class had to bear the risk of expulsion. No, as a student toward the
+bottom of the social hierarchy, I'm afraid that I would be in even more
+danger of accruing censure votes if I didn't get involved in this exam.
+To avoid that, it would probably be best to lay out the groundwork ahead of
+time.
+"T honestly can't come to terms with this exam, but..."
+Despite Horikita's grumbling, I could sense something like fierce
+determination in her expression.
+Afterward, the restless atmosphere persisted throughout the classroom until
+the end of the morning classes.
+Part 1
+During lunch break, the Ayanokoji Group decided to take advantage of the
+free time to hold a discussion at the cafe.
+"Ah jeez, this totally sucks doesn't it? Forcing someone to drop out is like,
+what's the school even thinking?"
+Haruka let out an exasperated sigh as she poked a straw into her drink.
+Keisei was the first to respond.
+"T agree. The most unforgivable thing for me is the fact that my classmates
+have to fight against one another. It's a complete 180 from how the exams
+we' ve had so far have required cooperation. It's absolutely baffling."
+"T get you. Up until now, no matter what kind of exam it's been, we've only
+had to go against the other classes."
+Akito spoke up in agreement as well.
+"Just because there hasn't been a single expulsion... it's like the school's
+deliberately trying to get at us, isn't it?"
+Throughout the morning, everyone had been restlessly passing the time in
+one way or another, unable to calm down.
+It was only natural, given that many students were dissatisfied with the
+unreasonable additional exam the school had announced. It was possible that
+the other cliques of students were talking about it as well.
+"T wonder if there's really no secret trick to the exam. Yukimuu, you're a
+smart cookie. Surely you've thought of something?"
+"No... I don't think so? Horikita's initial proposal of fixing the vote by
+spreading the votes out equally is the only strategy I can think of. But, based
+on what Chabashira-sensei told us, it's probably impossible. Although the
+additional exam is a little selfish, we can't just ignore the rules set by the
+school."
+It was no surprise that Keisei couldn't come up with a solution.
+No matter how you look at it, the way out of this exam had been sealed off.
+"T also figured the school didn't want there to be any dropouts. At least, that's
+what I used to think, but now it looks like that isn't the case."
+"... You're saying that the school really wants to see people get expelled..."
+Having still held onto a glimmer of hope, Haruka's expression turned grim.
+"That's why it'd be better not to be optimistic this time. There' ll probably be
+a harsh outcome waiting for us."
+A harsh outcome. In other words, an expulsion from our class.
+It was the inevitable future that was waiting for us.
+"_,.It's possible that one of us will disappear this weekend."
+Not having said a word for quite some time, Airi shook her head anxiously.
+Her demeanor made it seem like she was unwilling to imagine such a future.
+"Keisei. Instead of silently waiting for the exam, there must be something we
+can do, right?"
+Akito asked, hoping to hear something to dispel his anxiety.
+As if on cue, Keisei nodded once and looked at each of us in quick
+succession.
+"As Akito says, we have to be doing something to avoid expulsion. So, I have
+a suggestion. Why don't we come together and vote for each other?"
+"By vote for each other, you mean using our praise votes on each other?"
+"Yeah, I don't think any of us will rack up enough praise votes to take first
+place. But just in case, it would be better for us to work together so all of us
+can avoid coming in last."
+With the five of us working together, we'd each be able to get three praise
+votes.
+The important point is that it'd also be negating three censure votes.
+"B-but is that okay? Aren't we expected to vote for the student who
+contributed the most to the class...? Sensei also told us it would be a waste of
+time to try and control the votes like this..."
+The ever-honest Airi spoke somewhat uneasily.
+"To some extent, voting in groups like this is unavoidable. Chabashira-sensei
+and the other students should all be aware of this already. Furthermore, even
+if we don't do it, there's bound to be several other groups that will. After all,
+it's possible to use the same strategy to concentrate censure votes on one
+person. In fact, the five of us alone have the capability of casting five censure
+votes for a single person."
+"Five votes... that's... a heavy number for this exam. If you made a big
+enough group, it wouldn't be that difficult to put in ten or twenty, would it?"
+"That's exactly right. In short, those with a better standing in class will have
+an easier time with the exam."
+Indeed, this was one of the key points of the exam.
+For any given student, the higher their social status within their class, the
+more favorable their voting trend will be. Highly influential students could
+also enjoy the advantage of being able to put together a group and attack
+specific students.
+"T also agree with using our group to cover for each other. It's not like I want
+any of us to go missing."
+I seconded that opinion.
+"M-me too."
+Airi followed in agreement.
+"It's decided then."
+Keisei nodded in response to the group's unanimous agreement.
+"Wait, hold up. There's something I'd like to ask about first."
+Even though Akito had already agreed with Keisei's strategy, there still
+seemed to be something weighing on his mind.
+"Won't there be people trying to create a bigger group than ours?"
+"Of course that might happen. Rather, there's a good chance it will."
+Naturally, Keisei already knew as much and agreed with him.
+If Keisei were to suggest that we should go and form a large group, I would
+have no other choice but to stop him. It wouldn't be the best policy for this
+exam.
+"Then, shouldn't we be taking measures to reach out to others as soon as
+possible?"
+"No... Generally speaking, we have to try not to cause any trouble until the
+end of the exam. We just have to make sure that we absolutely never start
+anything with anyone in the class, no matter who it is. So let's give up on the
+idea of making a large group."
+"So you're saying... In order to avoid being targeted by others, we should try
+not to stand out."
+If you were to draw unnecessary attention to yourself, you'd be likely to end
+up as an easy target like Sudo and Koenji.
+"Besides, we're obviously not a suitable group for that kind of strategy."
+"Well, I guess so."
+Keisei concluded that we should avoid creating a large group.
+I was thankful that the entire group, Haruka included, had reached a
+consensus.
+It was nice to see that there was no longer any possibility of one of them
+getting caught up in my strategy and being put at a disadvantage.
+"However, if you're personally invited into another group, I think it'd be
+alright for you to accept the invitation. It'd be a valuable way for you to
+avoid being targeted by censure votes."
+Even though we had agreed to keep our praise votes within the Ayanokoji
+Group, that was still only three votes per person.
+It would be all the more profitable for us if we could stay on good terms with
+the other groups and avoid censure votes.
+"But won't that be difficult? One of the original reasons we grouped together
+is because we aren't able to do that sort of thing."
+Haruka seemed to be saying that we had created our group precisely because
+we weren't able to fit in with any of the other groups.
+Well, I suppose Keisei already understood this when he made the suggestion
+in the first place.
+Supposing any of us did receive an invitation, it'd be best to follow Keisei's
+advice.
+While this was the correct decision, it was also true that it came with a
+noteworthy amount of risk.
+If you were to foolishly join up with too many different groups and get taken
+as someone who's trying to be friends with everybody, you may end up
+suffering instead.
+You wouldn't be able to find a group that would be willing to take you in so
+easily.
+"With just three votes... there's... no saying for sure that we'll all be safe, is
+there? I... I'm no help at all to the class, so... maybe everyone will use their
+censure votes on me..."
+The idea of becoming the target herself made Airi even more uneasy.
+For this exam, if the entire class were to focus their censure votes on one
+person, there would be effectively no way for them to defend against it.
+Hirata or Kushida may be able to get enough praise votes to invalidate most
+of the censure votes, but...
+No, even that would be unlikely. The main focus of the exam was how many
+groups you can create to secure your votes. It would be best to assume that
+the number of students receiving votes based on proper evaluations would be
+extremely limited.
+"Don't worry too much, Airi. You'll worry yourself into the ground if you
+do."
+"Y-yeah..."
+Airi's face clouded over. Despite the encouragement, she couldn't help the
+uneasiness she was feeling.
+There were certainly numerous drawbacks to having a timid personality like
+hers in an exam like this one.
+"This is totally the worst... like, we have to be hostile to our own classmates
+and constantly be on our guard from being attacked by them at the same
+time."
+"T agree, but since it's an exam, we don't have any other choice."
+"Are you really gonna accept it that easily Kiyopon?"
+"Even if we don't want to, I don't think we have any other choice."
+After saying 'how mature' under her breath, Haruka nodded in agreement,
+seemingly impressed with my response.
+"Oh, by the way, I just noticed a little bit ago, but look at that."
+Haruka pointed behind Keisei and me.
+As I looked over my shoulder, I saw the figure of a boy from Class D.
+He was clearly at odds with his surroundings, and he stood out because of it.
+This was probably why Haruka had noticed him.
+"There's something a bit off with this whole situation, and there's something
+unusual going on with Ryten-kun as well."
+"Hah. He's nothing but a self-imposed king who put on airs before being
+exposed and stripped of everything he had."
+Keisei's tone was so cold, it made me wonder if it was because he had a
+particular hatred for people like Ryien.
+Though, it was a natural consequence, considering the strategies Rywten had
+used and the poor attitude he's had when interacting with the other classes.
+Of course, there was no way Ryiien would be feeling remorseful about his
+current situation, nor would he be feeling worried.
+"But, this exam is going to be pretty demanding for Rywen-kun, right? Or is
+that not the case?"
+Keisei nodded in response to Haruka's doubt-filled questions.
+"T think demanding is an understatement. Wouldn't it be more accurate to call
+it hopeless? He had been doing whatever he wanted for so long that there's
+no way he'|I be able to avoid amassing censure votes."
+Akito nodded as well, sharing Keisei's opinion. Haruka spoke up, adding
+onto Keisei's point.
+"Tt's kinda pitiful, isn't it? The fact that he might be forced out of the very
+class that he used to control."
+"But, isn't he too calm for that? For him to be reading a book out in the open,
+all alone... I'd probably cry if I was in his shoes."
+Airi spoke up, looking at Haruka questioningly.
+"Really? It's because he's given up. Considering the type of exam this is,
+there's no reason for friendless people who are hated by those around them to
+struggle. He probably plans to face the exam as a man until the bitter end,
+don'tcha think?"
+This conclusion didn't seem wrong.
+However, the fact of the matter was that, if Ryden didn't do anything, there
+was a high possibility he'd be expelled from the school.
+"Miyatchi, just go and ask him how he's feeling right now."
+"T can't ask him that..."
+Even though he seemed calm and composed, it didn't change the fact that his
+fangs were sharp.
+There was no way of knowing what he'd do if you went and carelessly poked
+fun at him.
+"Stop staring at him so much."
+"Okay~"
+Haruka responded to Akito's warning, lightheartedly surrendering her hands
+in the air.
+"Getting back on topic, what do you think about what K6enji said in class?"
+Akito asked Keisei about what had happened earlier this morning.
+Keisei had probably already been thinking about it, as he responded almost
+immediately.
+"You mean what he said about hidden strength? Well, I think he has a point,
+but I still think Koenji is an unnecessary student. That guy is always causing
+problems for the class. To be honest, it's kinda scary."
+If you were to look at it from Keisei's perspective, who's averse to taking
+risks, Koenji was certainly an unpredictable existence.
+"Besides... this may sound a bit heartless, but if we got rid of Kdenji, there
+wouldn't be very severe consequences. Ultimately, he's one person it would
+be really easy for me to use a censure vote on. What do you guys think?"
+"Well, that may be true. If we have to choose someone, it would be ideal if it
+was someone we could vote for without hesitation."
+"Uh... Even though Koenji-kun is a strange person, he always gets amazing
+test scores, doesn't he? As far as tests go, I think he's contributing much
+more to the class than I am..."
+In the midst of her own anxiety, Airi spoke in defense of KGenji.
+"T always think Keisei-kun and Koenji-kun are amazing every time the test
+results come out..."
+"That's no good Airi. If you can't make a resolute decision now, you'!] only
+suffer later on, you know?"
+"T know but..."
+Even so, it seemed that Airi was strongly opposed to having to vote for
+someone. Haruka spoke up as Airi trailed off.
+"Well, for the time being, J think that Koenji-kun is a solid vote."
+"T have no objections to that."
+Haruka looked to Keisei, asking him for his opinion.
+"For now, sure. Since we'|l have to choose three people anyway, we can
+make adjustments later on if the situation calls for it."
+K6enji had become one of the candidates for the Ayanok6Oji Group's censure
+votes.
+It was only appropriate for there to be various opinions on whether K6enji
+was necessary or not.
+Even from my point of view, the man known as KOenji certainly came with a
+large amount of risk.
+After all, there could be heavy consequences because of his whimsical nature.
+Still, he certainly possesses talent far greater than that. If he were to tackle
+exams and problems head-on, he'd be able to accomplish pretty much
+anything. Even if I haven't seen just how capable he is yet, he was certainly
+capable enough to make me think this way.
+"T don't hate him or anything... but it's hard to say whether Koenji's good
+for the class or not."
+This also seemed to be the reason why Akito had accepted the decision to
+vote for him.
+His presence is pronounced above the rest, or rather, his existence itself
+seems hard to measure, even after taking rumors into consideration.
+"In addition there's... Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, and Sudo-kun, right? They all
+seem like solid choices for censure votes as well, don't they?"
+"Mhm. Those four, Koenji included, all seem like the likely candidates for
+expulsion right now. However, I can't imagine that they'll all just sit back
+and wait for the day of the vote. They all probably form large groups to
+collect praise votes and try their best to take measures to avoid getting more
+censure votes."
+"We're by no means safe either."
+That was exactly right. The exam had already begun. A battle to make allies
+and establish a common enemy.
+"Given the conversation we've been having, It's hard for me to imagine
+everyone in the class having been comrades until just this morning."
+Akito let out a frustrated sigh as he imagined the things to come.
+As if something had occurred to her, Haruka once again looked at Ryten.
+"There are still several candidates to choose from. Maybe it'd be better if
+everyone had the chance to avoid expulsion, don't you think?"
+It was precisely because she understood the current state of Class C that
+Haruka was aware of the difficulties Rytien faced in Class D.
+No matter who you were, you wouldn't stand a chance if you were targeted
+by everyone.
+"Miyatchi, Yukimuu. Hypothetically speaking, what would you two do if you
+were in Ryuen-kun's shoes?"
+"T wouldn't do anything. It'd be pointless to struggle if the entire class was
+against me. I'd probably give up."
+Akito would've quickly thrown in the towel.
+Keisei pondered over her question seriously for a while before finally shaking
+his head.
+"Tt's impossible."
+"Tmpossible? What if you, like, threatened the entire class or something like
+that?"
+"That would only be counterproductive."
+There were probably several students who expected Ryuuen to do just that.
+Those who felt threatened would be able to cast their censure votes for Ryiien
+without reservation.
+"Then what about gathering praise votes by prostrating yourself to the other
+classes?"
+"Tf Ryden asked you, would you vote for him?"
+"Eh~? I don't think so..."
+"That's how it is."
+Keisei spoke in agreement, having Haruka prove his point for him.
+"Most people would come to the same conclusion you just did. After all,
+everyone already knows Ryten's usual behavior. There shouldn't be that
+many weirdos out there who'd consider helping that guy."
+"Then, how about a little bit of bribery or buying the votes from your
+classmates?"
+"Even if we assumed that Ryiien has a large amount of points saved up, it
+doesn't seem like he'd be able to buy enough votes. Oddly enough, not only
+has he made too many enemies, but he's also given off the impression of
+being a troublesome opponent. I doubt that any of his classmates would be
+willing to sell him a praise vote for a little bit of money."
+"Then, doesn't he still totally have a chance with the other classes?"
+"No, not really. From the perspective of outsiders like us, wouldn't it be
+easier to compete against Class D with Ryien out of the picture?"
+"Aah... Maybe you're right. It was scary when we didn't know what he was
+going to do next."
+This was exactly why Ryien was in trouble. If it was the case that he was
+merely a burden holding Class D back, he'd be able to collect praise votes
+from the other classes and prevent his expulsion. However, because Ryien is
+recognized as a troublesome existence by other classes as well, many of them
+would want to see him leave the school. There were very few advantages for
+any of the classes to deliberately allow such a potential threat to stick around.
+There may be some Class D students thinking about the distant future, or
+blindly believing that Ryien would become the savior of the class, but there's
+no doubt that these students would be in the minority.
+Even if Ryiien formed contracts with several other students promising to cast
+praise votes for each other, it would be difficult to prove whether or not
+they've actually carried out their contractual obligations. Because the vote
+will be carried out anonymously, as long as you receive a single praise vote,
+anyone would be able to lie and claim that they voted for you. Even if Ryden
+wanted to start a dispute over improper conduct, it'd be too late. He would've
+already been expelled.
+Furthermore, before any of this, there was still the issue of finding someone
+willing to form a contract with Ryuen in the first place.
+"So it's a complete checkmate..."
+"He's doing all he can to put up a calm front. After all, desperately struggling
+just because you don't want to be expelled would be unsightly."
+"Yeah... That'd be pretty shameful for someone who used to act like he
+owned the place, wouldn't it?"
+It was a pity, but Ryuen's expulsion was pretty much set in stone.
+Of course, if he actually had a reason to struggle, the situation would be a bit
+different, but...
+We wouldn't find the answers, no matter how much we discussed it here.
+What he thought about all this was something known by him alone.
+"Then, how about we try to find out?"
+Someone spoke up from over my shoulder, the sound of their voice ringing
+out close to my ear. It was Horikita.
+She had a plastic bag in hand with a sandwich lunch peeking out of it.
+"What do you mean by 'try to find out'?"
+Akito questioned her, feeling something out of place with her choice of
+words.
+No, it was more like he had felt something unsettling.
+"What he thinks about all of this, what he plans on doing next. We have no
+choice but to ask him to find out."
+"Stop it. Just let sleeping dogs lie."
+Nobody wanted to volunteer to approach Ryten.
+"That's fine then."
+"There's no reason for any of us, you included, to get involved with Rytien
+right now. He has nothing to do with this exam."
+"That is true, isn't it? He's certainly of no concern to the class, but he may
+prove useful to me."
+Horikita said this before pausing for a moment.
+Shortly after seeing that I had no intention of joining her, she left to see him
+on her own.
+"May prove useful to me? What even...?"
+Keisei and Akito didn't understand, as they both tilted their heads to the side
+in confusion.
+"Hey, isn't this a bit problematic? Isn't Horikita-san in danger?"
+"T think so too... Kiyotaka-kun?"
+Haruka and Airi spoke up as they passed the situation off onto me.
+"_,.. suppose. I'll go check it out for a bit."
+I didn't think anything would happen, but it'd probably be better if she had
+someone with her, just in case.
+For better or worse, Horikita wasn't one to mince her words.
+I stopped Akito from coming along and left to catch up with her.
+"What do you plan on talking about with Rywien?"
+"T just thought he may be able to provide me with some useful information."
+Useful information? I couldn't understand what she expected to find out from
+him.
+But seeing that she was taking action, she probably had a reason behind it.
+"Did Sakura-san and the others ask you to watch over me?"
+"Something like that."
+"Oh really."
+Throughout our short exchanges, Horikita's pace didn't change.
+Before long, we had reached where Ryien was seated.
+He should've already noticed our presence, but his gaze was fixed on the
+book he held in his hand. Based on the page he was reading, it appeared to be
+some sort of literary novel.
+"You're awfully composed, Ryten-kun."
+"T was wondering who it was, but it was just Suzune and her mindless little
+follower."
+He suddenly closed the book, the seal on the cover showing that it had been
+borrowed from the library.
+It went without saying, but the 'mindless little follower' he spoke of was, of
+course, referring to me. He only looked at me for an instant before averting
+his gaze and facing Horikita.
+"And what sort of business do you have with me?"
+I was curious why Horikita was even taking the risk of trying to reach out to
+Ryden in the first place.
+"T'll be blunt. This new special exam. What are you going to do?"
+"Tt's not like I have a lot of choices. I'm not going to do anything."
+"In other words... you're saying you've obediently resigned yourself to drop
+out of school?"
+If things stayed as they were, Rytien's expulsion would be inevitable.
+"T make for a good target for the whole lot. In an exam like this one where
+someone has to be expelled, nobody wants to attract the resentment of the
+poor sap who gets kicked out, but in my case, that just ain't how it works."
+Having discerned that the conversation wasn't worth his time, Ryten re-
+opened his book and continued reading.
+"The censure votes will be cast for you. While many students may feel guilty
+about it, the mental burden on everyone would still be far less than it would
+be if they voted for somebody else."
+Ryuen appeared to be seriously considering the idea of leaving the school.
+"Tf you really intend on leaving the school, I won't say a word. No, not just
+me. There are probably many people in Class B and Class A who want you to
+disappear as well. For better or worse, you went too far. Nobody's willing to
+lend you a hand."
+She outlined the reality of the situation.
+In some cases, words like these would be a powerful blow, even to somebody
+who already understood the situation.
+But, they wouldn't mean anything to Ryuen.
+He had already understood everything on his own and accepted all of it from
+the bottom of his heart.
+"That's probably right. Class D doesn't stand a chance after I'm gone. As
+students from the other classes, it would be the best and most appropriate
+judgment for you to crush me here."
+Rather than spinning it in a negative way, he spun it in a positive one instead.
+"That's an awfully high evaluation of yourself. How typical of you. But even
+with all that confidence, you've fallen to Class D because of your lack of
+capability as a leader, haven't you?"
+"Kuku. Certainly."
+Class D was able to move forward under Ryten's dictatorship.
+Now that it had collapsed and they've tumbled down to the bottom, they were
+losing the opportunity to rise back up again.
+However, Rytien's plan never had anything to do with the class rankings
+from the very start. Whether you're Class A or Class D, as long as you had
+private points, you'd be able to turn defeat into victory. This was why, even
+in the face of criticism over being the lowest rank, he had no need for
+agitation.
+Class A may be the superior class, but superiority in and of itself didn't have
+value.
+Ryuen's strategy was focused on the future. It was an interesting way to fight,
+but there were many shortcomings. He used force to hold his position, and
+didn't seek understanding from his classmates. He looked too far ahead and
+couldn't see what was happening around him. These were the reasons that
+played a part in his defeat and led him to his current situation.
+"Tt doesn't seem like we'll ever be able to understand each other."
+"So it seems. Satisfied?"
+Even though I'd been listening to Horikita's conversation this whole time, I
+still didn't understand what she wanted to learn from him...
+"Today might be the last time we'll be able to speak to each other, so is it
+alright if I ask you a single question?"
+She seemed to be getting to the heart of the matter.
+Was this the question that would lead Horikita to the information she was
+looking for?
+"You're in a more desperate situation than anyone else right now. If you put a
+serious amount of effort into tackling this exam... would you be able to
+survive and avoid expulsion?"
+She looked at him with a sharp gaze, daring him to look her in the eyes and
+respond.
+This was the reason why Horikita was talking to Ryuen, even though she had
+no reason to be concerned with him.
+She wanted to ask Ryten how he'd be able to overcome the near-certain
+outcome of being expelled from the school.
+"What a stupid question. Of course I could."
+Rywten responded without hesitation. He held the conviction that, as long as
+he wanted to survive, he would be able to.
+The look he had in his eyes didn't have a shred of uncertainty.
+"That's what I'd expect from you, even if you're bluffing. I don't feel
+anything but confidence from you."
+"Are you finally satisfied? Or do you want to hear my secret plan for
+surviving the exam?"
+"There's no need. I'm not in the same position you are."
+"Of course."
+"Thank you. It feels like I may manage to steel my resolve a bit more thanks
+to you."
+"Your resolve?"
+Horikita nodded, clarifying herself.
+"There will definitely be expulsions because of this supplementary exam. It's
+an unavoidable fate. So, it's necessary for us to correctly determine the most
+suitable person to remove. Do you understand the weight behind what I'm
+saying?"
+"Your struggling may lead you to being ostracised by the rest of your class."
+Ryuen smiled as he responded, not giving her question a clear response either
+Way.
+"Tf that's how it ends up, then that would just be the full extent of my
+capabilities."
+"How lame. So it was all just a bluff?"
+(73 +)
+nee
+Even though Horikita had been talking to Ryten calmly, Rywen had seen
+through her calm facade.
+No, rather than just seeing through it, it was more like he had broken it down
+himself.
+"You're looking for self-confidence from talking to me, but your resolve
+doesn't amount to anything."
+Ryuen's words gradually stoked a fire within Horikita.
+"Choosing who to kick out is the only remotely difficult part of the whole
+thing."
+".... can do that. I've never shown mercy to anyone who's held my class
+back, ever since I enrolled here."
+"No you can't."
+"You... what could you possibly understand about me?"
+"T've had plenty of time to keep tabs on you this past year, so I understand
+you well enough. Putting it in a way even you could understand, I can see the
+weakness you're trying to keep hidden."
+Horikita had no chance of winning this verbal showdown.
+Her half-baked, vague response of 'It feels like I may manage to steel my
+resolve a bit more'.
+That moment of hesitation before she said 'I can do that'.
+Rywten was instantly able to notice these small details that other people
+wouldn't normally be able to.
+Horikita was showing him her weakness without even knowing it.
+Their conversation was completely in Ryuen's control.
+"Your class has already made you complacent. There's no way you could be
+ruthless enough to make a choice at this point. You'd have had to avoid
+making any lingering attachments to your class from the start like me, or
+treated your classmates like chess pieces like Sakayanagi."
+Your class would feel very different after making a lot of close connections
+with your classmates.
+When Horikita first enrolled here, she always acted without hesitation. She
+was fully willing to abandon Sudo after he failed his exam. But if you were to
+ask whether or not she'd be able to abandon him now, it would probably be
+impossible for her. Her relationship with her classmates had been constantly
+changing.
+"You sound like you have it all figured out, but you don't really have a way
+to save yourself, do you?"
+"And why would you think that?"
+"Did you truly lose to a classmate, or was it done by someone outside of your
+own Class...?"
+Horikita glanced at me for a split second before immediately looking back at
+Ryuen.
+"Whichever one it is, are you just going to silently accept your loser status
+and drop out of school?"
+Horikita threw these words into his face as a provocation.
+However, Ryiien accepted all of it without batting an eye.
+"Tt's Ishizaki's reward as the one who defeated me, so I plan on sitting back
+and accepting it. It's an opportunity that you, and the rest of Class D,
+shouldn't miss out on."
+Rywten let a smile show as he spoke and once again turned his attention back
+to his book.
+"',.Oh really? Then, I'll just have to keep an eye out and make sure my
+classmates never, ever waste any of their praise votes on you. Of course, even
+if I didn't, there's no way they'd vote for you anyway."
+Horikita walked away and I followed right after her. Ryien's attention was
+transfixed on his book as we left.
+Horikita spoke up as we walked, her voice simultaneously entirely calm and
+filled with anger.
+"That guy is the physical embodiment of a liar. It's not that he's not
+struggling to stay enrolled, he's just putting on airs. It doesn't matter though.
+No matter how much he struggles, he's doomed to drop out of school."
+"Who knows. He may really have some sort of plan."
+"Impossible. There's no way for Ryuen-kun to prevent his expulsion, no
+matter how you look at it. Even if he apologized to his class and started being
+an actually decent human being for once, it wouldn't change how many votes
+he'd get either way."
+"Yeah. There's no way he'd be able to pull it off with a strategy like that."
+"Tt would be pointless for him to try and threaten or bribe people too. You
+guys were saying the same thing earlier as well, right?"
+She was right about that. She must've been listening in on our conversation.
+"Or, perhaps you've already thought of something? A way for Ryten-kun to
+avoid expulsion?"
+"Nope, not at all."
+I had been trying to think of a solution for a while, but given his situation, I
+still couldn't think of anything that would reliably save him.
+I was still missing an essential piece of the puzzle.
+"Then that's all there is to it."
+Horikita left the cafe in the same frustrated mood she had entered with.
+I turned around briefly, glancing over at Ryien.
+I imagined what it would have been like if RyGien and I had met each other
+earlier...
+"No, it's a meaningless delusion. At least, for the time being."
+There was no reason to think about a student who was about to disappear
+anymore.
+I stopped thinking about it and decided to return to the Ayanokoji Group.
+Part 2
+That night, I got a phone call from Kei.
+For the most part, it had to do with the special exam.
+"Yeah so, this exam. What should I be doing?"
+"You've started forming a group around you, right?"
+"Well, kinda. There are seven girls in my group."
+She listed off the names of the girls other than herself.
+They were all girls that Kei usually got along well with.
+"After all, everyone's totally scared of getting expelled. If I'm being real with
+you... I'm not sure how many people hate me."
+"Tt wouldn't be that strange if you got a few censure votes."
+"Uhm. Shouldn't you be telling me otherwise, even if you have to lie about
+it?"
+Kei angrily snapped back at me from the other end of the phone.
+"For now, the best course of action is to act quietly so that you don't attract
+too much attention. It's possible that you could become a candidate for
+expulsion if you stand out in a bad way."
+"Gotcha. I'll make sure not to do anything stupid."
+"Good. Also, the fact that you've already broken up with Hirata by now may
+be advantageous for you."
+"Eh?"
+"Hirata is very popular with the girls. If you were still together with him...
+some of them may have planned to use expulsion to forcibly separate the two
+of you."
+"Eep, that's spooky. Although totally possible..."
+Other students might do something impulsive purely because of the
+anonymity of the vote.
+" .. You should be fine right? You don't stand out because you stick to the
+shadows, and your grades are average too."
+In the eyes of most of the class, there shouldn't be anything to criticize or
+praise me for.
+"Keeping a low-profile can have its advantages."
+"But it's possible for you to get a censure vote from Sudo-kun, isn't it? Like,
+in order to get rid of a rival aiming for Horikita-san. Though, well, that's
+probably just what he thinks."
+"Maybe."
+Because there was no other choice but to vote for three people, everyone
+would probably get a couple of censure votes. Though, it wouldn't be enough
+to be worth worrying about.
+"Out of the whole class, I'd say that the three idiots and Kouenji-kun are all
+kinda terrible, right?"
+It appeared as though Kei's group of friends had come to a similar conclusion
+as the Ayanokoji Group.
+"They're the top choices, but we still don't know what will happen. That
+said, Kouenji probably isn't in a very good spot at the moment."
+"He's not the type of person who would make groups and coordinate votes, is
+he?"
+"Yeah."
+Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo would obviously form a small group to support
+each other.
+Kouenji, on the other hand, was helpless and alone. He also had a tendency to
+make enemies thanks to that headstrong attitude of his.
+Furthermore, on the very day the exam was announced, he had a tense
+argument with Sudo in front of the whole class.
+"So what are you gonna do? Who do you plan on using your censure votes
+on?"
+"T haven't really thought about it yet, but I plan on picking people I don't
+expect to be useful to the class moving forward."
+"How level-headed of you. But that's your style, isn't it?"
+Seeing as someone inevitably had to leave the school, this was the only way
+for me to make my decision.
+"Ah? There's no way, but... you're not talking about people like me, right?"
+"You're important to the class. There's no way I'd do that."
+"R-really. W-well of course."
+Her surprised reaction sounded just a little embarrassed.
+"Tf the class makes a decision on the students to get rid of, that is, if you
+notice that they've made a decision about who exactly they' II be using their
+censure votes on, let me know. It's difficult for me to get that kind of
+information myself."
+"Okay~"
+I ended the call with Kei.
+Even though I had told her I would pick people I didn't expect to be useful
+moving forward, that was only my personal opinion on the matter.
+Since I wasn't actively involved in the class, I didn't have any intention of
+getting deeply involved with manipulating the votes.
+Accordingly, I intended to wholeheartedly accept whatever outcome the class
+came to, no matter which groups went at each other. Of course, if I were to
+come under fire, that would be a different story altogether.
+Anyway, just as Kei had mentioned earlier, the chance of Ike, Yamauchi, or
+Sudo being expelled isn't low. Koenji as well. Furthermore, on the girls' side
+of things, the ones with poor grades like Inogashira, Sato, and Airi probably
+aren't safe either. Moving forward, however, groups would gradually begin
+to take shape. Large numbers of votes would start to move around for reasons
+completely unrelated to academic ability. Isolated people like KOoenji and
+timid people like Airi who don't have many friends would also become easy
+targets.
+"T wonder what' ll happen next."
+I just had to collect information to prepare for any unexpected developments
+and keep an eye on the trend of the vote.
+Chapter 3: The Difficulty of
+Salvation
+Introduction
+I checked my phone when I woke up the next morning.
+And, sure enough, the Ayanokoji Group's group chat had progressed greatly
+while I was asleep.
+It hadn't even been a full day since Chabashira had announced the
+supplementary exam, so it was understandably at the center of their
+discussion.
+"They're really being driven by their anxiety, aren't they?"
+Airi's concern was particularly obvious given the way she had written her
+messages.
+Things would get messy if someone in our group became a target. I wasn't
+sure just how much I'd be involving myself, and it was also true that it was a
+difficult situation to make countermeasures for. Even though I intended to
+make the necessary arrangements for Hirata and Kei, there were no
+guarantees.
+Even if you threatened someone and forced them to make an agreement, there
+was still a chance they would change their votes at the last minute. There was
+simply no surefire way to avoid expulsion if you were targeted by a large
+number of censure votes.
+In any case, everyone had to undergo at least a certain amount of risk.
+As I scrolled back through the messages, there was an interesting proposal
+from Keisei. I began reading from there.
+Keisei: [How do you guys feel about having one of us go to school early for
+the next three days to collect information? ]
+Akito: [Since we're such a small group, that might be a good idea. I'm on
+board. |
+Haruka: [That might be a good move. I am curious about what kind of stuff
+other groups will be saying. ]
+Airi: [I agree too. ]
+Haruka: [I'll do it tomorrow since I' ll be heading out early. ]
+Everyone had unanimously come to an agreement. They had discussed
+waiting to hear my thoughts on the matter, but since it usually took a while
+for me to check my phone, they ultimately decided to move forward with it
+and see what I thought about it later on.
+"T see."
+While I didn't believe that information would fall into our laps so easily, it
+was still better than doing nothing.
+As a Strategy, not only was it simple, but the potential results were well worth
+the hassle too.
+As the entire conversation had happened last night, Haruka was probably
+already in the classroom.
+Given the flow of their conversation, it seemed like the others would take up
+the role of heading to school early for the other two days, so it was probably
+fine even if I didn't do anything.
+The vote was taking place in three days. In other words, the specifics
+regarding who we were going to focus our censure votes on would need to be
+finalized by today at the latest. For the time being, it'd be lucky if the
+Ayanokoji Group could learn any valuable information in the mornings like
+Keisei planned.
+Meanwhile, as I waited to hear back from Kei about the girls in the class, I
+thought about scoping out information about the boys from Horikita, who
+was reigning in Sudo, or Hirata.
+After all, it was important to have a grasp on the information as early as
+possible.
+Part 1
+It felt like I was finally getting used to my daily life here.
+Without noticing, almost a full year had passed since I started living in the
+dorms.
+"Tt feels like time doesn't pass by like it used to."
+The passage of time would feel different depending on how much you were
+enjoying yourself.
+Honestly, when I first learned about this phenomenon, I didn't understand the
+meaning very well.
+Before I started high school, every second of my life had felt exactly the
+same. But now, it was different.
+Obviously, the days were still passing by at the same speed as always. There
+were still two years left until graduation.
+But it was strange. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like graduation
+day would come along in the blink of an eye.
+"Morning Ayanokoji-kun~!"
+I heard Ichinose call out from behind me as soon as I stepped outside. It was
+probably because we both left for school at roughly the same time every
+morning. I looked behind me and responded to her.
+"Ah. Good morning Ichinose."
+Strangely enough, as soon as I called out to her, Ichinose stiffened up for
+some reason.
+"Hmm?"
+fs
+f
+a)
+Vin
+She was standing perfectly still, frozen with her hand in the air.
+"What's wrong?"
+My question seemed to snap her out of the trance she was in as she proceeded
+to walk over. Although, her movements were still a bit stiff in some respects.
+"Wow, uhh... it's pretty cold again today, huh?"
+"TI suppose so."
+Our breath was visible in the air as we spoke.
+"Did you plan on walking to school with someone?"
+"Not at all. I'm usually by myself in the mornings."
+"Well then... do you mind if I join you?"
+There probably wasn't a single student out there capable of turning her down
+when she asked like this.
+I responded with a nod.
+Whenever the two of us had ended up alone together in the past, Ichinose
+would usually be the one to start the conversation. This time, however, the
+only sound breaking the silence between us was the sound of our footsteps as
+Ichinose walked a short distance behind me.
+So, I decided to try asking her about the exam.
+"This next special exam must be a pretty difficult thing for you and your
+class, huh?"
+In comparison to the other classes, Class B had overwhelmingly solid
+teamwork and a strong overall sense of camaraderie.
+Being forced to decide on which student to remove would probably be heart-
+wrenchingly painful for all of them.
+"Ah, well... Yeah, I think this exam is the toughest we've had by far.
+"Probably."
+I could tell as much based on her clouded expression alone.
+Ichinose, as the leader of her class, was the only one who was absolutely safe.
+Compared to Hirata or Kushida, she was in a completely different situation
+altogether. She seemed like the only student effectively guaranteed to make it
+through the exam.
+And this was why having to cut someone from the class was such a painful
+decision for her.
+She may as well stick to the sidelines and not get involved with the vote at
+all. It would probably be less stressful for her that way.
+It might've been possible for Ichinose to do something like that, but...
+"In the face of such a terrible exam... I really have no choice but to do
+something, don't I?"
+"Well, that's probably true."
+"... Yeah. I must do something."
+She walked up beside me as she said this.
+From the side, I could see a thin smile on her face.
+"Are you... thinking of dropping out yourself, Ichinose?"
+"Eh? No way. I definitely didn't say anything like that."
+She denied it, but the look in her eyes gave another impression.
+That she was fully prepared to make that choice if she needed to.
+"Just for the record, your classmates wouldn't be willing to vote for you very
+easily."
+"T told you that I never said anything about dropping out myself. But, if you
+really think so then I guess you're probably right about that."
+"The fact that you've been considering it is written all over your face."
+"R-really>?"
+Ichinose hurriedly tried to confirm it.
+Was this natural or was she doing it on purpose?
+It seemed to be the former this time.
+"Haa... Keep it a secret from everyone okay?"
+"Are you really willing to sacrifice yourself for someone else's sake?"
+"Not exactly. I just feel like I have to fight, and bear responsibility for the
+risk on my own."
+Bear responsibility for the risk on my own, huh?
+In other words, she had no intention of taking the easy way out by passively
+watching from the sidelines.
+"T don't understand. Is this your own way of paying tribute to the classmate
+who gets expelled?"
+Even though it would mean more coming from Ichinose than from someone
+else, it still wasn't something they'd want.
+Either way, I simply couldn't imagine that student leaving the school with a
+smile on their face.
+"There's not much more I can tell you. It's not something I'd like other
+people to hear about. Furthermore, you're in Class C. No matter what kind of
+exam it is, there are times where we just aren't able to collaborate."
+"That's certainly true."
+If anything, the most we were able to discuss with one another was about the
+praise votes.
+If you were able to secure Ichinose's vote, you'd be in a somewhat favorable
+Starting position for the rest of the exam.
+Be that as it may, Ichinose wasn't a student who needed praise votes in the
+first place. Even so, she wouldn't just simply hand over her vote in exchange
+for private points either. So I didn't even try to bring it up.
+Even if, for argument's sake, I bought her vote, in the end it wouldn't amount
+to anything more than a lucky charm.
+"Anywho, the school is pretty terrible, isn't it? What with making someone
+drop out of school and all. Even if you manage to get praise votes from the
+kids in the other classes, someone still has to leave in the end."
+Not everyone was welcoming this exam, especially given that they forcing
+the expulsions just as the first year was coming to an end.
+"Will you be alright, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"Well, it's hard to say... I'm not a very important student in my class."
+"Then, if you're alright with it, I may be able to work something out."
+"Meaning?"
+"Since I have a praise vote I can use on someone in another class, I could use
+it on you."
+She brought up a topic that I had intentionally decided against bringing up
+only moments earlier.
+"Though, it's only one vote, so it may not be worth very much..."
+"T'm thankful for your offer, but I must decline. Your vote would be wasted
+on someone like me."
+"That's not true at all! Rather, I honestly think it would be the most justified
+vote in the entire exam. It's meant to be for someone worthy of praise in
+another class. Yeah, I can't think of anyone more worthy than you, as the one
+who saved me."
+Her words were extremely difficult to respond to.
+"T see. Well, then, if something comes up, I'Il reach out to you."
+"Sweet. Ill remember that."
+With that, Ichinose let show a smile.
+"Good morning Honami."
+I heard someone call out to Ichinose from behind us.
+"Good morning to you, Asahina-senpai."
+"Well aren't you looking lively today? By the way, you two are in separate
+classes, right? You guys must be on pretty good terms then, yeah?"
+"Err, yes. He's a good friend..."
+Ichinose seemed a little embarrassed with her answer.
+"Oh~? A good friend, huh?"
+It would've caused fewer misunderstandings if she hadn't responded like
+that.
+"Well, whatever. Anyway, I'd like to borrow Ayanokoji-kun for a bit, is that
+alright?"
+Asahina had approached the two of us, hoping that Ichinose would take her
+leave so she could talk to me alone.
+"T understand. Well then, Ayanokoji-kun, Ill be going on ahead."
+With no particular signs of discontent, Ichinose bowed her head, following
+along with Asahina's request.
+"Sorry Honami. See ya."
+"Oh no! Please excuse me."
+I didn't sense anything abnormal about their short conversation.
+Instead, it seemed like the two shared a proper senpai-kouhai relationship.
+"She's a real good kid isn't she? Cute. Smart. Even among the second-years,
+nobody has anything bad to say about her."
+"That's true. Ichinose seems quite popular with pretty much everyone among
+the first-years as well."
+"Could it be that you've managed to gain her affection?"
+It seemed that Ichinose's somewhat unnatural behavior hadn't gone
+unnoticed.
+"NO way."
+Ichinose aside, I wanted to keep my time with Asahina as short as possible.
+It'd raise suspicions if we were to be seen by one of Nagumo's underlings. If
+she really had something to say then it'd be best to deal with it quickly.
+"Tf you have business with me, I'Il hear you out."
+"How boring. Well whatever. I happened to see the two of you acting all
+buddy buddy, so I wanted to tell you something."
+Asahina had been smiling cheerfully for a while now, but that smile quickly
+disappeared.
+"T've heard a bit about the first-years' exam. Somebody's being forced to
+drop out of school, yeah?"
+"Tt looks like it."
+It seems the news had already managed to spread to the second-year students.
+"Honami cares deeply for her friends, or how should I put it... You know
+she's not the type of person who would sit back and let someone from Class
+B be expelled, right?"
+"That should be true. I think everyone is interested in where B class is going
+to end up, even though no one talks about it."
+My response was a bit bland, but it managed to convey my thoughts easily
+enough.
+"Then, how do you think Honami will go about tackling the exam?"
+Asahina looked at me with prying eyes.
+Rather than merely being curious about my response, it was more like she
+was trying to coax a particular answer out of me.
+In which case, giving her a roundabout answer would probably be
+counterproductive.
+"Assuming that she plans on preventing the expulsion... Class B has a
+considerable amount of private points saved up. So she would just need to
+make up for the rest of the points she needs somehow and stop the expulsion
+from happening altogether. Something like that, right?"
+"Bingo. Well, that is the only logical conclusion."
+If you were working under the assumption that she would try to prevent the
+expulsion, anyone would've been able to come to the same conclusion.
+The tricky thing was, there weren't very many people who could make it
+happen.
+Managing to somehow gather together 20 million private points was
+exceedingly difficult.
+"Tt seems she's gone and asked Miyabi for assistance. Can you guess how he
+responded?"
+"He consented immediately?"
+"_,.Bingo again."
+Based on the course of events so far, there simply weren't any other
+possibilities.
+"T'Il ask just to make sure, but there's no way she'd be lent enough private
+points with no strings attached, is there?"
+Even though Class B possessed a large number of private points, they were
+still probably short by a sizable amount.
+Several hundred thousand points still wouldn't be enough.
+"Of course there isn't. Sure, it'd be a different story if we were only talking
+about a few thousand points. In that case, there'd be plenty of room for
+discussion. But once it gets into the hundred thousands or the millions?
+Nobody's gonna give away that many."
+Asahina answered without hesitation.
+"The third and second-year students have to be thoroughly prepared for the
+special exams awaiting us moving forward. Whether we'll need our own
+private points or not won't become clear to us until the very end, so there
+shouldn't be any room for charity just for a couple of first-years."
+She was probably right.
+This was also the very reason why Chabashira had spoken about it so
+impassively.
+Even if you managed to secure some private points from the upperclassmen,
+it would be nearly impossible for them to hand over a relevant amount. You
+could sweeten the deal by offering to pay it back with interest, but that
+wouldn't mean anything to the third-years who were so close to graduating.
+Furthermore, even if you managed to secure a loan from a second-year
+student, it still seemed impossible to secure such a large number of points.
+"Tf there's someone capable of meeting these expectations, president
+Nagumo's the only one who comes to mind."
+"He's gone and saved up quite a lot of points after all."
+"So what happened?"
+I asked her this, but based on the flow of the conversation, the answer was
+already clear as day.
+Even so, given that Ichinose seemed to be hesitant about something, there
+were probably conditions attached to Nagumo's cooperation.
+"Don't be so anxious. I'm in the same class as the guy, which is exactly why
+I have my doubts that he'd go and carelessly lend such a large number of
+points to a kouhai. Honami's such a cute girl, right? There's absolutely no
+way she'Il end up being expelled because of this exam, yeah?"
+"T guess so. It does seem like the strategy is to prevent one of her classmates
+from being expelled."
+"So I'm personally not a fan of her entering into this kind of deal with him.
+Of course, it's partly for the sake of my own class but... more than that I
+guess I just feel sorry for her."
+"Are the conditions he's set too harsh? Like an obscenely high interest rate?"
+"That guy... The condition he set for lending the points to her... is for the
+two of them to get into a relationship."
+"T see."
+Considering everything Nagumo had done so far, this definitely seemed like
+something he'd do.
+A relationship in exchange for a loan of private points.
+Generally speaking, this condition was anything but normal. It wouldn't be
+strange if he was turned down immediately. But, if it was for the sake of
+protecting her class, there was a possibility that Ichinose would agree to it,
+and Nagumo probably understood this as well.
+"Ts it alright? For you to be telling me this?"
+"T've already told you. It's for my class. If Miyabi lends all those private
+points to a first-year, the rest of us may suffer as a result. Furthermore, in
+exchange for protecting her friends, Honami'll have to go through something
+painful."
+"Maybe so, but why are you coming to me with this? I'm in Class C. We
+have a hostile relationship with Ichinose."
+"T dunno. But, if it's you, you'll probably be able to do something about it
+one way or another."
+"You're overestimating me. There's no way I can afford to make up for Class
+B's lack of points."
+It would be a different story if it were possible to gather up enough points
+without relying on Nagumo, but that wouldn't work either.
+"Oh really? Well, you two are rivals..."
+Actively helping out a rival class would be far too foolish when we should be
+feeling thankful for the loss of a potential threat. In the first place, it would
+require several million points, so everyone in Class C would have to band
+together to help out. It would be absolutely impossible.
+"T can't do anything about it."
+"That's okay. Even if you don't do anything, I won't hold it against you. It's
+just wishful thinking on my part either way. That said, even though you say
+you can't, I think you just might take the chance anyway."
+After giving me a slap on the back, Asahina began to leave.
+"Anyways, I've told you everything you need to know. I' ll be leaving the rest
+up to you!"
+With that, Asahina ran toward the school without saying another word.
+Based on her behavior and the way she spoke, she didn't seem to be lying.
+"Striking a deal with Nagumo, huh?"
+It wasn't very becoming of her, but it seemed that this was Ichinose's
+strategy.
+If she really ended up going through with it, she'd be able to prevent the loss
+of one of her classmates. It was a way of fighting available to her solely
+because of her united class and the huge sum of points they had saved up
+together. However, based on the way Asahina was speaking, it seemed that
+the requirement of a relationship was a high hurdle for Ichinose. After all, if
+Nagumo's condition wasn't actually weighing heavily on her, it'd be safer to
+borrow the private points before Nagumo could change his mind.
+Well, it's difficult to make a quick decision when it comes to a full-on
+relationship with someone of the opposite sex.
+It'd be fine if it was simply a matter of cooperation, but there was absolutely
+nothing I could do about so many private points.
+Class B was probably short by about four to five million points, which was
+well beyond the scope of something I was able to help with.
+It'd be more cost-effective to cut ties with your classmates, but how would
+Ichinose weigh the options if she put Nagumo's condition on the scale...?
+"Given her personality..."
+How would things turn out moving forward? It wasn't very difficult to
+imagine.
+Part 2
+The special exam was a difficult subject to talk about in class.
+There was such a bad atmosphere hanging over the classroom that it felt like
+you could reach out and feel the tension in the air.
+"Mornin' Kiyopon."
+"Good morning."
+I exchanged greetings with Haruka as I sat down in my seat.
+I couldn't feel any enthusiasm from the expressions of the students who had
+already arrived in the classroom.
+The idea of being targeted by censure votes had gotten in the way of normal
+class relations, making them impossible to maintain. This was probably going
+to continue until the end of the special exam.
+And it would probably even continue for a while after that.
+[The classroom's atmosphere is super gloomy, isn't it?]
+Haruka messaged me personally.
+[Anything unusual? ]
+[Nothing yet. Sure enough, they're all on guard, aren't they~?]
+In the classroom, it was impossible to know when somebody could be
+listening.
+No one would carelessly drop specific names about who they intended to
+vote for.
+[Here's hoping for better luck tomorrow, then. ]
+[ Yeah. ]
+After this short exchange, I put away my cell phone.
+Without standing out or causing any problems for the class, we'd simply sit
+back and wait for the storm to pass.
+If only our classmates would allow us to have such an easy way out of this.
+Part 3
+When lunch break arrived, I made my way toward the library.
+It's not that I was dissatisfied with passing the time together with the
+Ayanokoji Group; it's just that I felt that it was important that we spend some
+time apart every once in a while. Besides, in the library, there was a particular
+student who loves books just as much as I do.
+Sure enough, Shiina Hiyori had come to the library today as well. I casually
+chose a book from the shelves, and shortly after sitting down and skimming it
+a bit to decide if I wanted to borrow it or not, someone spoke up.
+"Good afternoon, Ayanokoji-kun."
+Having just entered the lunch break, there were only a few people in the
+library, so she seemed to notice my presence immediately.
+She was holding a book that was of a similar genre to my own in her hand.
+"Tt seems that you're as much of a bookworm as ever."
+"Well, the library is such a wonderful place."
+After softly asking for permission, Hiyori sat down in the seat beside me.
+Together, the two of us quietly read our books.
+Students with a natural love for the library had no need for excessive
+conversation.
+You could say that the act of reading a book was, in itself, a form of
+conversation.
+Just like that, we read our books without uttering a word until just before the
+end of lunch.
+Probably around half an hour had passed before I spoke up.
+"Tt's probably about time we head back."
+"Tt seems like it."
+After looking up at the clock to check the time, I decided against leaving just
+yet.
+"By the way, Hiyori. There's something I'd like to ask you about."
+"What is it?"
+Unsure of what I wanted to ask, she curiously looked up from her book.
+"Tt's about Ryten's current situation."
+"Ryuen-kun's situation, is it...? To be honest, it's not very good."
+"So he's Class D's top choice for expulsion after all."
+"Yes. Pretty much everybody in the class has agreed to cast a censure vote
+for him."
+"Has Ryiien himself also accepted it?"
+"T believe he has. In fact, he's been visiting the library after school lately and
+I've been able to chat with him a little bit, so I feel fairly certain of it."
+The book he was reading when I saw him at the cafe earlier had been
+borrowed from the library.
+It got me to think that he had probably been in touch with Hiyori which, after
+coming here, seemed to be correct.
+"What do you think of all this, Hiyori?"
+"Tt's a pity, but we simply can't avoid the expulsion. So, I'm ready to accept
+the fact that we're going to lose someone, potentially even me. Though, if
+Class D really wants to reach for the top again... I've been starting to think
+that we might need Ryten-kun..."
+She probably has some misgivings about Ryten, but it appears as though she
+recognizes his true capabilities.
+Speaking of which, I couldn't recall Rytien ever treating Hiyori roughly
+before.
+"Sorry I asked about it. I was just interested in the current state of Class-"
+I cut myself off, at a loss for words.
+"No... I guess I just don't want Ryiien to be expelled from school."
+I didn't need to come all the way here today.
+However, I wanted to know what was happening with Ryten, so I ended up
+coming anyway.
+"Tt's better to keep as many friends as you can, isn't it?"
+"... Yeah."
+It felt kinda strange somehow. We weren't supposed to be anything but
+enemies after all.
+"Uhm..."
+"Hm?"
+"This... I don't think somebody like me should be saying this, but..."
+Although it seemed a bit difficult to say, Hiyori continued.
+"AyanokOji-kun, please don't drop out of school, okay...? With everything
+that's been happening, I just don't want my precious friend to disappear as
+well."
+"T'Il do my best."
+I gratefully accepted Hiyori's concerns as we parted ways and headed back to
+our respective classrooms.
+Part 4
+The bad atmosphere persisted even after classes had ended.
+Whether she minded it or not, my neighbor Horikita quietly began to prepare
+her belongings just like always.
+It was difficult to tackle an exam like this one by yourself. Usually, you
+would want to think about making as many allies as possible, yet Horikita
+didn't show any intention of doing such a thing.
+Putting it optimistically, Sudo was pretty much the only person guaranteed to
+cast their praise vote for Horikita.
+That said...
+I recalled Horikita's confrontation with Ryten the other day.
+Pondering over what she wanted to gain from him and what she lacked as a
+person had allowed me to understand her strategy moving forward.
+It seemed as though she intended to handle this exam in a different way from
+everybody else, but that wasn't an easy road to take.
+However, if she could really pull it off, it'd be a wish come true as far as I
+was concerned. I'd be able to treat her strategy and mine as the same thing,
+and have Horikita take responsibility for all of it.
+I tumed and looked throughout the classroom, envisioning how Horikita saw
+our classmates.
+"Tt's rare that you haven't tried to ask me for advice yet. You're really fine
+with the exam?"
+Even though it had only been a day, I decided to confirm whether Horikita
+had changed or not.
+"Even if I asked you for advice, it's not like you'd give me a straight
+answer."
+"Certainly."
+Horikita was gradually beginning to understand that I wouldn't give out
+advice so easily.
+"Besides... This isn't exactly the type of exam where you can just go and ask
+your classmates for help."
+"Many of the other students have been forming groups in order to secure
+praise votes, though."
+"Tf people want to do that, then they are perfectly free to do so."
+Horikita finished gathering up her things and got up from her seat.
+"Then, what are you going to do?"
+"What I can."
+With these words, Horikita left the classroom.
+As I was a bit curious, I decided to follow after her.
+"What is it?"
+She stared at me with a bit of a scowl, displeased that I had followed after
+her.
+"T'm a little interested in what you're going to do."
+"You usually don't like to involve yourself with me, so why now?"
+Why, huh?
+Put simply, it was because I was looking forward to the strategy she had
+decided on.
+If she really put it into action, I wanted to fully support her.
+That said, I didn't intend to say this to her here.
+"You haven't joined a group yet, right? If you're in a pinch, I can help you."
+"Is that how it is? More or less, you're worried about my situation, aren't
+you? If I asked you for help, you're saying that you'd let me join that group
+you're a part of?
+"Tt wouldn't be troublesome for us to take in another person."
+"Even though I appreciate the offer, I must refuse. You aren't the person I'm
+looking for right now."
+It appeared as though she had already resolved herself.
+However, her resources were limited and she was still at the point where she
+was being driven by her anxiety.
+I probably wasn't the right person to make up for those deficiencies.
+"You really..."
+She scowled at me even more intensely than before.
+"What?"
+"Just leave me alone."
+She spoke harshly, stopping me in my tracks.
+If I were to continue to follow Horikita, it would only serve to make her
+angrier.
+After watching her leave, I gazed through the hallway window for a moment,
+taking in the view.
+"T guess I' ll head home for today."
+"_,..Could I bother you for a moment, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+As if he was just passing by, Hirata showed up. It made me wonder if he had
+followed behind me as well.
+Judging from the timing, he had probably been waiting for Horikita and I to
+separate.
+"Tf it's alright with you, could you join me for a bit after school? I need to
+talk with you."
+It was a rare invitation from Hirata, one which I had no particular reason to
+turn down.
+As I responded to him with a nod, Hirata let out a sigh of relief.
+After passing a full day immersed in the strained atmosphere of the
+classroom, he seemed to be the most worn out student in the class.
+Of course, I could infer this was largely related to the special exam.
+"Alright, how about meeting near the southern entrance of Keyaki Mall at
+half-past four?"
+"Sure."
+That was all we said to each other.
+It didn't seem like it was something we could talk about here.
+After all, the students heading off to club activities and returning home were
+constantly walking past us.
+I had been planning to meet up with Keisei and the others after school today,
+so I had to tell them that I was going to be a little late. Hirata seemed to be
+busy talking with his friends for the time being, so I decided to head to
+Keyaki Mall ahead of him.
+Part 5
+After leaving the classroom, I immediately headed toward the front entrance
+of the school.
+On the way, I happened to come across Class A's Sakayanagi Arisu. I could
+see Kamuro standing beside her.
+"Ayanokoji..."
+On guard, Kamuro's body stiffened up.
+However, as usual, Sakayanagi didn't show any changes. She kept herself
+composed with relaxed, calm movements.
+The contrasting reactions between the two of them were a little interesting.
+"What a coincidence. Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Indeed. Is there something you need with Class C?"
+The two of them appeared to be headed toward Class C.
+However, rather than answering me, Sakayanagi brushed off my question
+with a smile as she asked me one instead.
+"Where are you off to now?"
+"T have plans to meet up with a friend at Keyaki Mall in around half an hour."
+"Ts that so? It seems that you're living your life to the fullest. If you don't
+mind, could you spare me just a little of your time?"
+Sakayanagi took out her cell phone and checked the time.
+Had she come this way just to meet up with me? No, that would be difficult to
+imagine.
+It was still only ten minutes past four.
+Even if it took several minutes to reach Keyaki Mall, there would still be over
+ten minutes left until 4:30.
+"Are you fine with standing as we talk?"
+"Yes. Though, we'll attract attention if we talk here. How about we move
+someplace else?"
+"Alright."
+I also wanted to avoid standing out as much as possible.
+It would've been different if it was with a classmate, but Sakayanagi was the
+type to attract attention whether she wanted to or not.
+Since she was definitely aware of this herself, we began moving to a less
+populated location.
+Matching Sakayanagi's slow walking pace, time passed by as we moved
+through the building.
+"At any rate... Ayanokoji-kun, Masumi-san. Don't you think this
+supplemental exam is far too unreasonable? They've decided to force
+expulsions on us just because nobody has been expelled yet. Setting up an
+exam like this one... Thinking about it rationally, it's ridiculous."
+"Totally. Mashima-sensei's usually pretty composed but even he's been
+giving off a sorta shaken vibe recently."
+It seemed like the other teachers weren't satisfied with the supplementary
+exam either.
+Sakayanagi and Kamuro continued to talk.
+"There is a reason for that."
+"What, you know something?"
+"Tt's a personal matter that I'm a bit ashamed of, but my father was
+suspended from his position a few days ago."
+"Suspended... Your father... If I'm not mistaken, he's the board chairman
+right?"
+Having known about Sakayanagi's father already, Kamuro pressed for more
+information.
+"T haven't heard about it in detail, but it seems that quite a few unfavorable
+things have come out regarding my father. The father I know is not the type
+of person who would dirty his hands with those sorts of matters. Of course, I
+can't rule out the possibility that I, as his daughter, simply didn't know about
+it, but... it's also true that someone may have planned all of this in order to
+force Father out of his position."
+On the surface, these words had been spoken to Kamuro, but in reality, they
+were probably meant for me. If Sakayanagi's father really was innocent, it
+wouldn't be surprising if 'that man' had a hand in all of this.
+The impression I had of Sakayanagi's father may not have been a
+misunderstanding after all.
+"That said, this is something that has absolutely nothing to do with students
+like us. It's nothing but simple, idle chatter."
+It seemed that Sakayanagi didn't see her father's forced suspension as
+anything worth paying attention to.
+"Even so, what does any of that have to do with the exam?"
+"Don't you think it's possible that the school hastily prepared the exam... all
+for the sake of forcing a certain someone's expulsion?"
+"Someone..."
+Kamuro glanced over at me for an instant before immediately returning her
+gaze to Sakayanagi.
+"T've tried not being bothered by it until now, but you... Why have you been
+keeping your eye on Ayanokoji?"
+Kamuro asked as she walked beside Sakayanagi.
+"Oh? You've tried not being bothered by it until now, have you?"
+"_..Of course I have."
+Kamuro denied Sakayanagi's implications, but the look on Sakayanagi's face
+was one that seemed to fully understand everything.
+However, instead of pressing the matter any further, she returned to
+Kamuro's question.
+"T simply know him from a long time ago. Is this answer not acceptable
+enough?"
+Contrasting with Kamuro's concern, Sakayanagi answered nonchalantly.
+Considering the fact that she hadn't told Kamuro anything before, it was a
+fairly revealing answer.
+It was also possible that she was trying to gauge my reaction. If I were to
+react poorly or carelessly interrupt their conversation, then it could end up
+being exposed as a weakness.
+Well, in reality, I didn't really care.
+"So you're saying that the two of you just coincidentally reunited here?
+That's such a slim possibility though."
+"Yes. The possibility is indeed slim. Right, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"Maybe so."
+While I had never once been acquainted with her before coming here, there
+technically wasn't anything incorrect about what she said.
+Back then, our knowledge of each other was definitely one-sided.
+"Then, is he really a difficult person to handle? Sorry, but I just don't see it at
+all."
+Just as Sakayanagi had done earlier, Kamuro got straight to the point.
+In some sense, perhaps the two of them really were similar.
+"You've become quite inquisitive lately, haven't you? Up until now, I don't
+think you've ever thrown me this kind of question before."
+It appeared as though the few times I'd made direct contact with Kamuro had
+given her some ideas of her own.
+Perhaps this had sparked some kind of uncontrollable curiosity within
+Sakayanagi as well.
+"You can ask anyone and they'd probably be thinking the same thing. You've
+never been so fixated on someone like this before."
+"You came across to me as a particularly indifferent person who didn't like to
+interfere with other people's affairs. That was why I had no reservations with
+asking you to keep an eye on Ayanokoji-kun, but... you're quite hopeless,
+aren't you?"
+Sakayanagi sounded a little surprised, while also a bit delighted in some
+respects.
+I had thought she was only saying this to see my reaction, but she just might
+have been asking these mean-spirited questions because she was interested in
+Kamuro's responses instead.
+As they talked, we arrived at our destination.
+"Nobody will bother us if we talk here."
+We had arrived at the special building. It certainly was quiet, given that it was
+after school.
+"Well, Masumi-san. I apologize, but please head on back to the dorms
+without me."
+Sakayanagi apparently had Kamuro walk all the way here simply because she
+wanted a conversation partner.
+" ..Whatever."
+Sakayanagi ultimately decided to send Kamuro back home without saying
+too much about me at all.
+Kamuro turned and walked down the stairway without resisting, making me
+wonder if she knew it would turn out this way all along.
+"Was that okay?"
+"Yes. Wouldn't you have found it troublesome if I went and revealed
+something?"
+"Not particularly."
+If I showed any signs of weakness here, I'd be giving her a chance to take
+advantage of it.
+Furthermore, there was no need to give Sakayanagi any extra information.
+"T see that I've been recognized as your enemy. I suppose I'm willing to
+accept that for the time being."
+My response and the reasoning behind it were so obvious that Sakayanagi
+understood the meaning behind my words without any issues.
+"Going so far as to have Kamuro head back without you, what are you
+looking to talk to me about?"
+We had spent a lot of time coming out here, so there wasn't too much left
+until my meeting with Hirata.
+I urged her to get to the point.
+"Tt's about the promise we made with each other."
+"T agreed to face off with you during the next special exam. That is, this
+exam."
+"Yes, that was certainly the plan. However... if it's alright with you, I would
+like to put it off until next time. This supplementary exam isn't a competition
+between the classes. Rather, it's a screening process for us to evaluate our
+own peers. The only way we can influence the other classes is with praise
+votes, and we can't attack one another even if we wanted to... So wouldn't it
+be fine if we postponed our match until next time?"
+In other words, she was here to tell me that this particular special exam didn't
+count since it wasn't a befitting scene for our competition.
+"Are you willing to accept this proposal?"
+"Make whatever decision you want."
+Since I had given her the response she was looking for, Sakayanagi
+respectfully expressed her gratitude.
+"Thank you very much. I had been wondering what I would have to do if you
+didn't agree. Now, I'Il be free to focus my attention on Class A's internal
+politics. Though..."
+"Though?"
+"Because we' ve agreed to a ceasefire, I suppose I' 1] tell you something in
+order to gain your trust. For this exam, I won't do anything that would put
+you at a disadvantage. That is to say, I absolutely won't cast you any censure
+votes."
+She gave her word, restricting her own actions moving forward.
+"Tn the unlikely event that I were to interfere with Class C somehow and
+negatively impact your results... I wouldn't mind accepting my loss. It would
+be perfectly acceptable for you to refuse to have a match with me during the
+next exam."
+"Tf my classmates were to focus their censure votes on me, there wouldn't be
+a next time in the first place."
+I'd then be expelled. End of story.
+"You are certainly right about that. Either way, please have some peace of
+mind. That's all I'm trying to say."
+Her words were more than just courteous, but I guess these were the steps she
+needed to take in order to gain my trust.
+"Perhaps it's possible that your subordinates betray you before our match can
+even happen."
+"Fufu, you're quite the funny one."
+Nearly every student in Class A was part of the Sakayanagi faction.
+She was confident that the class wouldn't dare attempt to remove its own
+leader.
+"T had already decided who would be expelled as soon as the exam was
+announced."
+"You decided early on who'd be removed? Sounds like the right decision."
+Sakayanagi was able to make this decision precisely because she sat at the
+very top of her class.
+"So, when do you plan on telling your class who it is?"
+"T already told them all a long time ago. Had I waited until the last minute to
+inform them, it would've only caused anxiety in its own way. By making it
+known ahead of time, it's easier on the rest of the class, don't you agree?"
+It would be unbearable for the student slated to be forced out of the school.
+However, the rest of the class would be able to avoid falling into disarray.
+"Do you know who it is I've chosen, if I may ask?"
+"Who knows. I don't have the slightest idea."
+Despite having stated otherwise, I had a fairly good idea.
+"Katsuragi Kohei-kun."
+"A reasonable choice?"
+"He's the former leader of Class A who opposed me earlier in the year.
+There's no need for two people to stand at the top of the same class, after all."
+Katsuragi is a calm and composed person.
+He most likely understood that he'd be the scapegoat the moment he heard
+the details of the exam.
+He had seemingly accepted his fate without resistance.
+There were still some students who continued to follow Katsuragi like
+Yahiko, but they were greatly outnumbered.
+"TI know you've seen him as an enemy since the beginning, but I was under
+the impression that he had stepped back from trying to lead the class."
+Even among Class A, Katsuragi ranked high in terms of overall excellence.
+I felt it would be a pity to lose him, but it seemed that Sakayanagi felt
+differently.
+"Among my friends, many already hate him. They simply can't agree with
+his conservative way of thinking. With that being the case, I can raise morale
+by showing him the door instead."
+She appeared to be making a trade-off between losing out on combat power
+and boosting the morale of the class as a whole.
+"Ts it alright for you to be telling me this? About who you're targeting?"
+"It's not like you're going to do anything behind the scenes to protect him
+right, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+It didn't seem like I'd get any results that would make it worth the effort.
+"What are you planning to do with Class C?"
+"Who knows. I won't be taking part in it. I intend to leave all the decision-
+making to my classmates."
+"When it comes down to it... it's as simple as removing one of the annoying
+ones, or even one of the incompetent ones."
+Sakayanagi seemed to be enjoying herself as she thought about it.
+"There's no need to think about what Class D intends to do. They're clearly
+going to rid themselves of Ryten-kun."
+I didn't have any objections for her.
+For Class A, there were no particular advantages to lending Ryuen a hand.
+Class A most likely wanted to see him expelled, even if it meant giving up a
+chance to get rid of the binding contract he had made with Katsuragi.
+"Though, I have no idea what Class B will do. For this entire exam, I'm
+looking forward to seeing who gets expelled from that intimate class the
+most. Though, perhaps Ichinose-san has come up with something
+interesting?"
+"Sorry. It's about time I go."
+She was free to have as many delusions as she pleased. It's just that I would
+much rather she do it on her own.
+"You're right. We can leave our conversation here for the time being. After
+all, the next special exam begins next week."
+The distinctive noise of her cane striking the ground resounded throughout
+the hallway.
+For a split second, Sakayanagi's gaze turned to the surveillance cameras set
+up near the ceiling.
+The movement was so subtle that I wouldn't have been able to notice it if I
+hadn't been watching her closely.
+I wasn't able to determine whether it was intentional or just a random, casual
+glance somewhere else.
+"Well then, our match will be decided by the final special exam of the year,
+just as we had originally planned. It's a promise."
+I responded with a small nod before leaving the special building.
+Part 6
+There weren't very many stores that were suitable enough for meeting up
+after school.
+Usually, people would meet at the cafe in Keyaki Mall, but today was
+different.
+"Thanks for coming today."
+"Tt's no big deal, Hirata. I wanted to talk to you as well."
+"T'm happy to hear that. Anyway, how about we walk for a bit?"
+After joining up together at the southern entrance, Hirata did a quick check of
+the surrounding area before we started walking.
+"Sorry AyanokOji-kun. Do you mind if I change our plans a little?"
+"How so?"
+"Ts it a problem if we talk in my room instead? I think I'd feel better if we
+did."
+"T don't particularly mind either way."
+"Thanks for understanding."
+It seemed as though the mall wasn't a very good place for what he wanted to
+talk about.
+Looks like he didn't want anyone to listen in on our conversation.
+Hirata initiated some small talk as we walked toward the dormitories.
+"Our first year is already almost over. How did yours go, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+He let out a sigh as he looked up to the sky.
+"Between being sent to the uninhabited island and being forced to participate
+in the training camp, it was quite the tiring year."
+"Yeah. It was definitely tough, but I still had fun. Ever since enrolling here, I
+feel like I've been able to successfully build trusting relationships with the
+people around me."
+"Yeah, I think so too."
+I didn't deny it. There were still many people in the class who hated one
+another. However, I suppose the enemy of an enemy is a friend. Throughout
+the process of being forced to work together, bonds had gradually begun to
+take shape.
+"Honestly... There were never any problems until this exam started."
+A shadow loomed over Hirata's smiling face.
+"Is that what you wanted to talk about?"
+"Yep. Sorry... I'm well aware that you don't want to talk about it."
+I wouldn't actively involve myself, no matter what kind of special exam it
+was.
+During previous exams, Horikita had always disregarded my feelings and
+asked for my cooperation.
+Interestingly enough, it was the exact opposite for this exam.
+Horikita didn't turn to me for help, while Hirata did.
+It appeared as though Horikita was steadily becoming more and more mature
+these days.
+Perhaps she had come to understand that I wouldn't cooperate, as the
+frequency of her requests was also petering out, little by little.
+"This exam... I just can't think of a solution. No matter how many times I
+think about it, nothing comes to mind."
+"No matter how many times..."
+Looking closely, I could see dark circles beneath Hirata's eyes.
+It made me wonder if he had been thinking about the exam all night, unable
+to get enough sleep.
+"Tt sounds difficult. In an exam like this one, the more you think about your
+classmates, the harder it gets."
+"Eh...?"
+"Never mind, don't worry about it."
+If I were to say something careless here, Hirata would only plunge even
+deeper into the darkness.
+For now, it was probably best just to leave it alone.
+"Tf... if there's a way to save the class, please tell me."
+Because of my response, he had somehow gotten the wrong idea, thinking
+that I had an answer for him.
+"Do you really think it's impossible to save up 20 million private points?"
+"T've tried running the numbers, but it's just not possible to get that many
+points. Yesterday, I tried to casually bring it up with my upperclassmen in the
+soccer club, but they're all waiting for the special exams they' Il be facing
+after this."
+"They weren't able to spare any points, then?"
+"Yeah..."
+At the end of the day, the number of methods available to avoid losing
+someone was far too limited.
+"Sorry, I can't think of anything else. I'1l definitely tell you if I do."
+"Is that so... Well, thank you."
+It was the best answer I could give him at this point.
+Trying his hardest to smile, Hirata thanked me.
+This special exam was extremely easy, yet also exceedingly difficult.
+If you change your point of view a little bit, the true goal of this exam
+becomes incredibly clear.
+But Hirata couldn't see it.
+This was just an exam for us to remove an unnecessary student.
+From the moment Chabashira explained the rules, both Koenji and I had
+already determined the end point of the exam.
+Of course, there's no way of knowing 'who' would be expelled. All that
+mattered was making sure it wasn't 'you'.
+However, it was different for people like Hirata.
+He'd never be able to get past knowing 'who' would be expelled.
+This was why he had gotten stuck within a maze, unable to find the exit.
+"AyanokOji-kun, do you think it's fine for someone to be expelled?"
+"Tt would be nice if nobody's expelled when the exam is over. But that's
+difficult in this case."
+"',.Of course. You're right. But, there must be somethi-"
+"Haven't you had a hard time sleeping because you already know the answer
+to that?"
+I spoke up, interrupting him.
+"That's..."
+Silence came between us as we approached the entrance to the dormitories.
+This was mainly because we could see several students chatting in the lobby.
+The true problem, however, was a bit deeper than that.
+Our eyes met with a certain person sitting on one of the lobby sofas.
+"Well well well. If it isn't Hirata boy and Ayanokoji boy. What a toootal
+coincidence this must be."
+"Hey Koenji-kun. You waiting for someone?"
+He seemed to notice our gazes immediately after we entered the building.
+"Are you saying you'd be concerned if I had plans to meet with someone?"
+K6enji responded to Hirata's question with a question of his own.
+"T might think it's unusual."
+"T don't dislike your honesty, but unfortunately I am not."
+Although he had answered the question, it still didn't explain what he was
+doing here.
+Generally speaking, Kenji wasn't the kind of person to spend his time
+hanging around in a place like this.
+"Let's go."
+Hirata walked to the elevator and reached out to press the call button.
+Thereupon, K6enji abruptly spoke up from behind us.
+"Well, you'd better be doing your best to muster up the wisdom to make it
+through this exam."
+".,. You never change, do you, Koenji-kun?"
+Hirata asked, KOenji's attitude seeming to weigh on his mind a little.
+Hirata's finger had stopped just short of pressing the button.
+"There's no reason for me to change for an exam like this."
+"Ts that really true?"
+It was rare to see Hirata getting worked up like this.
+He turned around and faced K6enji. Of course, he still didn't glare at him.
+Hirata was always calm and composed, until the very end.
+"You say there's no reason for you to change, but honestly, I'm wondering if
+you're the one who needs to change more than anyone. I'm worried that...
+our classmates might single you out and make an example of you."
+This was both Hirata's way of showing concern and making a threat.
+They were words that strongly conveyed his desire for cooperation.
+Hirata was hoping that Koenji would have some interest, even if only a little.
+"Your concerns are unfounded. Rather, shouldn't you, the leader of the class,
+be the one doing something to save me?"
+Until the very end, Koenji had no intention of changing this 'do nothing'
+stance of his.
+"There are things that even I can't do. I may not be able to live up to your
+expectations."
+"Oh you definitely can."
+Despite Hirata's lack of self-confidence, K6enji piled expectations on him
+without the slightest bit of hesitation.
+I found myself wondering if he was being sincere or not, but I was unable to
+tell.
+Getting up from the sofa, Kenji approached Hirata and lightly patted him on
+the shoulder.
+"After you're done licking your classmate's wounds, please be sure to throw
+out the unnecessary trash."
+The moment these words left KOenji's mouth, Hirata firmly pushed the call
+button.
+".,.Let's go Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Yeah."
+Hirata's tone, which had been amicable up until this point, now contained
+slight traces of anger.
+There is trash among our classmates.
+Hirata probably couldn't help but feel irritated by what Koenji had implied.
+He only spoke up after the elevator door closed behind us.
+"Haa... Sorry. I let you see something a bit unseemly."
+"Don't worry about it. KOenji's opinions are troublesome."
+Hirata forced a light smile and slightly lowered his head.
+"So he struck a chord with you back there as well... Deep down, I know that
+preventing the expulsion is unrealistic. Despite everything, somewhere on the
+inside, I've already given up."
+The elevator arrived at Hirata's floor. We disembarked and headed over to
+his room.
+"Come on in."
+"Sorry for intruding..."
+This was the first time I had been in Hirata's room. Fundamentally speaking,
+the interior decor was simple, similar to my own room. There was a light,
+gentle scent in the air, similar to that of air freshener.
+Although it was a bit plain, it was becoming of him. A very well-arranged
+room.
+"Have a seat. Would you like some coffee?"
+"Yes. Sorry to bother you."
+"Don't worry about it. I was the one who asked."
+This was a relatively new experience for me, since I was usually the one
+entertaining guests.
+"As a continuation of what we were talking about a bit ago..."
+He spoke up once again as he prepared the coffee in the kitchen.
+"T wonder if there's really no way to save everyone."
+"T wonder. Maybe I just can't think of anything."
+I gave the same answer I did earlier.
+Despite knowing that this would be my answer, Hirata still seemed to be
+looking for salvation.
+I had intended for my answer to console him, but this appeared to have been
+counterproductive.
+"Tf you can't think of anything, I doubt anyone else will be able to."
+"You're giving me far too much credit."
+I had no idea when exactly he started to evaluate me so highly.
+"T've felt that you're one of the most dependable people in the class ever
+since that matter with Karuizawa-san."
+Hirata spoke as though he had seen the true nature of my heart.
+"T'm not really sure that's accurate."
+After the water finished boiling, he handed me a cup of coffee.
+"T'm being honest. Though, you're a modest person, so you'|l probably deny
+it."
+At this point, no matter what I said, it would've been a waste of effort.
+Even if I denied his claims, Hirata still wouldn't believe me.
+I began to think about how it'd be better to change the subject, but Hirata
+quickly continued, seeming to anticipate my intention to do so.
+"The fact that someone has to be expelled during this exam... I just can't
+come to terms with it, no matter how hard I try. There's no such thing as
+someone who wouldn't care if a classmate was forced to leave."
+"Tt's not like I don't get where you're coming from, but you simply don't
+have any other choice. We only have until the weekend to come to a
+decision."
+"A decision, huh? Ayanokoji-kun... Do you think somebody in particular
+should be expelled?"
+He looked at me with peering eyes.
+While they had a gentle look to them, they also appeared to contain
+something else entirely.
+"Not really."
+It may have been interpreted as an unfairly neutral statement, but it was my
+honest thoughts on the matter. Even though there were a few students up for
+consideration, nobody wanted to openly nominate one for expulsion. It would
+be better to determine who to expel with a class discussion instead.
+"We have no choice but to come to terms with it, whoever it ends up being."
+"How level-headed. Compared to someone like me, you're far more cut out
+to be the class leader."
+Hirata had taken the initiative to pull the class together earlier in the year, but
+his words were now filled with a timid uncertainty.
+There was a single, specific thing he could do to prepare himself.
+"What should I do moving forward? How exactly should I face this exam?"
+It may be a little out of line to give him advice, but Hirata was always
+frequently helping those around him.
+I wanted to do something to help him...
+"T don't want you to take my word for it, but I'1l tell you what I think."
+"Okay."
+"Let's put idealistic thoughts about 'saving everyone' to the side for a
+moment. You've been racking your brain, asking yourself 'Who should we
+get rid of?' for a while now, but you still haven't been able to come to a
+decision."
+My words were clearly troubling him a bit, but Hirata ultimately nodded his
+head in agreement.
+"In which case, how about you try doing the opposite? Instead of thinking
+'Who should we get rid of?', think 'Who should I save?' instead."
+"Who should I save...? Of course I want save everyo-"
+"Attach a priority to each student in the class. Rank everyone, including
+yourself, one at a time from most to least important. Of course, there may be
+some students with roughly the same importance, but you should still try to
+do it anyway. You can make it simple and base it on who you like the most,
+or you could base it on how much they've contributed to the class so far."
+By drawing up a ranking like this, there would inevitably be a student in last
+place.
+"That's... But..."
+It was an incredibly straightforward solution.
+However, Hirata wouldn't be able to do it. His heart was still stuck on saving
+everyone.
+He probably thought ranking his classmates like this would be an act of
+foolishness.
+"Let's say I make a ranking. The list I come up with wouldn't necessarily be
+the same as the one our classmates come up with."
+With this excuse, he continued to run away.
+At this rate, the day of the special exam would arrive and he'd be completely
+defenceless.
+"That's fine. I think you should start by coming to your own decision first."
+For now, this was the only advice I could give him.
+Moreover, whatever judgement he would make from here was up to him to
+decide on his own.
+I took a grateful sip of the coffee he brewed for me.
+It seemed to be from a different brand than the coffee I usually bought, as it
+had a somewhat potent bitterness to it.
+"Well, yeah. You're probably right... Recently I've been consumed by the
+desire to run away from all of this."
+Hirata took my advice and earnestly tried his best to come to terms with it.
+It probably wouldn't go smoothly right away. The idea may leave a bad taste
+in his mouth and end up being rejected completely.
+However, he still tried his best to accept it with an open mind.
+"Haa... Alright. Thank you."
+Hirata squeezed out words of appreciation.
+For the time being, our conversation seemed to reach a stopping point.
+"Can I ask something a bit insensitive?"
+Suddenly changing the subject, I decided to try asking about something I was
+curious about.
+"Hm? What's up?"
+"Has anyone confessed to you since your break-up with Karuizawa?"
+"Well that's an unexpected question. I never thought you'd be asking me
+something like that, Ayanokoji-kun."
+There was a mix of surprise and bewilderment on Hirata's face.
+I was interested in Hirata's potential love interests because of my past
+conversation with our classmate, Mii-chan. Before the end-of-year exam, she
+had reached out to me for advice because she was interested in Hirata, so I
+was curious about what had happened with that. I found myself wondering if
+she had already taken action.
+"Well, I won't say who, but... yes, a girl has reached out to me."
+In other words, girls were already beginning to confess to Hirata.
+Whether it was Mii-chan or not, I had no intention of pressing him any
+further to find out.
+Regardless, attractive guys like Hirata really are incredible. Girls were
+constantly throwing themselves at him, even if he didn't do anything. No,
+rather, Hirata's popularity stemmed from the way he carried himself. He
+wasn't slacking off in any way.
+"Are you going out with this girl?"
+"Certainly not. I'm not going to go out with anyone right now."
+He decisively asserted his stance on the matter.
+"Is there someone you like already or something?"
+I could understand where he was coming from if he only had eyes for the one
+his heart was set on.
+"Dating someone... is just too much for me right now. I'm unqualified."
+"Tf that's how it is for you, then it must be nothing more than a pipe dream
+for someone like me."
+In the first place, when it comes to falling in love, there's no need for
+qualifications.
+"T'm just not fit for love."
+The more capable the person, the more humble they are.
+The less capable the person, the more arrogant they are
+Ultimately, our conversation ended without either of us delving too much
+deeper.
+Part 7
+"Sorry for calling you out so late, Ichinose."
+That night, at a bit past eleven, I invited Ichinose over to my room.
+It wouldn't have been unusual for her to be on her guard and turn the offer
+down, but she didn't seem to have any issues with it.
+"Tt's totally fine! Though, it's quite rare for you to reach out to me like this."
+"Tt's because I really wanted to talk to you. For the time being, if it's alright
+with you, feel free to take a seat on the bed. The floor might be a bit cold."
+After expressing her gratitude, Ichinose sat down on the bed.
+"This... My heart's beating kinda fast..."
+"Hm?"
+"Oh. No, it's nothing. How come we couldn't talk over the phone?"
+How come, huh?
+I picked up a white cup as I set some water to boil in a kettle.
+"T wanted to confirm a bunch of stuff with you that's difficult to convey just
+by talking over the phone."
+"T see."
+"T suppose I'II cut to the chase and ask you directly. What are you going to do
+about the exam?"
+"Are you looking to continue this morning's conversation? Well, I've been
+putting a lot of thought into how to overcome the exam without anybody
+being expelled... I suppose."
+"And has anything specific come to mind?"
+I took a look over my shoulder and watched as she tried to answer the
+question.
+Of course, it was just something I had said for politeness' sake.
+We both knew that there was no other way to do it besides forking over
+twenty million private points.
+"Uhm, not yet unfortunately... There's already not much time left, so I'm
+getting a bit anxious."
+I couldn't see any signs that she was hiding something based on her words or
+behavior. I was reminded that, back during the cruise ship special exam, I had
+been impressed with Ichinose's unexpectedly adept poker face.
+"T was thinking that you might go to president Nagumo for help."
+"What kind of help?"
+If they aren't properly prepared for it ahead of time, posing a question like
+this might cause the other person to become flustered, yet Ichinose still
+returned my question as if nothing revealing had been asked at all.
+However, what I was about to say next would surely be enough to break her
+poker face.
+As the water in the kettle began to boil, I prepared a cup of hot chocolate and
+handed it to her.
+"Thank you."
+"This supplementary exam is different than the ones we've had before. It
+can't be cleared without someone being forcibly expelled, with the sole
+exception being to save up twenty million private points. No matter how
+many points Class B has saved up, there's no way you've reached twenty
+million. With that assumption in mind, you would have no other choice but to
+seek assistance from a third party."
+Ichinose eyes shifted to her hot chocolate, letting out small, steady breaths to
+cool it down.
+"Is that so? Well, Asahina-senpai also knew about it. Though, I didn't think
+she'd tell you, Ayanokoji-kun."
+She seemed to realize that there was no use in trying to hide it anymore,
+immediately making the connection as to how I knew what I did.
+"Then, I'm guessing you've also heard about his condition for lending me the
+points we need?"
+As I responded with a small nod, a bitter smile took shape on Ichinose's face.
+"Isn't it just ridiculous? In so many ways..."
+Lending out private points on the condition that she enters into a relationship.
+Furthermore, she was seriously thinking about accepting this condition.
+This was probably what she meant by 'In so many ways'.
+"Nagumo-senpai more or less prohibited me from revealing anything about
+our deal. He told me that if I did, I can forget it ever existed in the first place.
+Though, since Asahina-senpai is the one who told you, I should probably be
+safe for the time being."
+"Don't worry about that."
+"You say that, but this doesn't have anything to do with you, right...?"
+"True enough."
+It was Class B's problem, and Ichinose's decision.
+"How many more points do you need?"
+"A little over four million."
+Just by entering into a relationship, the four million points her class needed
+would be accounted for and they could make it through the exam without
+anyone being expelled.
+"Nagumo's given you quite the condition."
+"Yeah. It'd usually be impossible for someone like me to borrow points and
+go out with Nagumo-senpai. Generally speaking, since he's lending me the
+points, it only makes sense that he's in a position to ask something of me in
+return."
+As I listened to her thoughts on the matter, I got an idea of what she was
+thinking. There was no way she'd allow someone to be expelled from Class
+B. For that very reason, she was preparing to sacrifice herself.
+"Tt's pretty much the only way to save everyone in Class B."
+"Is that so...?"
+At this point, there was nothing I could say to help her.
+Private points were the only thing physically capable of helping Ichinose
+right now.
+Realistically, four million was a number that even I wouldn't be able to
+acquire, no matter how hard I tried.
+"Are... you worried about me?"
+"T'm sorry if I'm being impertinent."
+"No at all. Rather, I'm super happy."
+Despite her response, her expression was still a bit clouded.
+"But, I'm still kinda troubled honestly... I probably wouldn't have wavered
+with my decision if I hadn't spoken with you."
+Ichinose slowly took a sip of her hot chocolate.
+"_,.50 what do you think, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"About Nagumo's deal?"
+"Yep. From your perspective, what do you think about what I'm trying to
+do?"
+Ichinose's eyes locked onto mine.
+I answered her, bearing the full weight of her expectations.
+"It's a method available to you and you alone that can prevent a classmate
+from being expelled. It's available to you because you joined the student
+council and made connections with president Nagumo. Striking a deal with
+him to reach twenty million points is definitely one way to go about all of
+this."
+"You don't look down on me for it?"
+"There's no need to look down on you. Though, to be completely honest, I'm
+not sure if it's worth paying twenty million private points just to save a
+classmate."
+"_..Is that so?"
+Ichinose slowly took another sip of her hot chocolate.
+"Say, Ayanokoji-kun."
+She continued to keep eye contact.
+"Hmm?"
+"Ayanokoji-kun, are you perhaps someone really amazing?"
+For her to call me someone really amazing, I didn't know how to react.
+I had only told her exactly what I had heard from Asahina.
+"What leads you to believe that I am? Sorry, but it's not something I'm
+personally aware of."
+"Tt only makes you even more amazing if that's true. After all, you..."
+She held back the words she was about to say.
+"What is it?"
+"No, nothing at all."
+It was as if she didn't even fully understand what she wanted to say.
+As if her mouth had been moving one step faster than her brain.
+",.What is this, I wonder...?"
+Ichinose quietly murmured, seemingly asking this question to herself.
+Although it had been a bit forced, I was glad to hear about this from her in
+person.
+I could see that, no matter what happens, Ichinose would act for the sake of
+Class B.
+After all of this anxiety, Ichinose would probably come to a decision.
+That is, to enter into a relationship with Nagumo Miyabi.
+Chapter 4: Brother and Sister
+Intro
+It was the third morning after the supplemental exam was announced.
+The vote was to be held on Saturday, the day after tomorrow.
+All too soon, one person would be expelled from each class.
+Cold air seeped into my body the moment I opened the door to the hallway.
+After descending to the first-floor lobby in the elevator, I spotted Sudo
+walking out of the stairwell.
+"You're using the stairs?"
+"Sorta. Even if it's just a short one, I thought I'd get a workout in."
+From club activities to studying, Sudo was probably trying his best to lead a
+standard student lifestyle.
+Just like that, the two of us headed off for school together.
+"T may be stupid and short-tempered, but I've been making huge
+improvements recently. That's why I absolutely don't wanna be expelled."
+Instead of talking to me, it felt like more like he was talking to himself.
+"Would it be wrong for me to say that you're fine with being resented as long
+as you can stay enrolled here?"
+"Nah, that sounds about right. The strong-willed are the ones who' ll make it
+through this exam."
+"Right."
+After arriving at school, I felt a strange sense of discomfort as soon as I
+walked in the classroom.
+Sudo, on the other hand, went to his seat without noticing anything.
+The mood had changed.
+I was by no means insensitive to things like this either.
+The moment I stepped into Class C, I noticed a completely different feel to
+the classroom compared to the day before.
+The usual, everyday classroom scene was playing out right before my eyes.
+Everyone was acting as if things were totally normal.
+The room was immersed in idle chatter and standard friendly conversation.
+It was the physical incarnation of something being out of place.
+Just yesterday, everyone had been very cautious of each other, expecting to
+be kept in check by the people around them.
+And yet, today, there was a strange sense of unity.
+"Good morning Ayanokoji-kun."
+Hirata called out to me.
+"Morning."
+After a short reply, I took a moment to examine how Hirata was taking in all
+of this.
+"Hm? Is something wrong?"
+I wondered if he didn't notice anything strange about the room, or if he just
+pretended not to.
+Hirata looked into my eyes with the same expression as always.
+"No, it's nothing."
+"Really? Well, let's have a good day today as well."
+Hirata finished his greeting and made his way to the girls who were calling
+for him.
+The strange feeling that something was out of place gradually faded as more
+and more students arrived in the classroom.
+The conclusion I drew from this was that a large group had probably been
+formed in preparation for the upcoming exam.
+There had probably been a consensus on choosing not only who to protect,
+but who to kick out as well.
+There were eleven people in the classroom. Hirata aside, if the remaining ten
+combined their censure votes, it'd put whoever they targeted in a dangerous
+position.
+Out of these ten people, there were a handful of boys in a group with Ike and
+Yamauchi.
+There was also a group of girls that usually had little to do with them.
+It was possible that everyone in the classroom had united into a large group.
+Though, strangely enough, some of the girls were members of the group Kei
+was in.
+What's more, I still hadn't heard anything about this from Kei yet.
+"Good morning."
+Horikita showed up before long.
+Although her attitude was the same as usual, she did a quick look around the
+classroom.
+"_,.What happened?"
+"You feel it too?"
+"Yes. It's a little unpleasant. Though, if you're interested, why don't you go
+and ask them yourself?"
+"T'll pass. It's better to let sleeping dogs lie."
+At the very least, it wasn't something you could just carelessly look into.
+[Has something happened? ]
+I sent a message to Keisei, who had arrived at school earlier in the morning.
+[No idea. But I feel like something's different from yesterday for some
+reason. |
+Keisei didn't seem to have caught on entirely, but he was on the right track.
+[Maybe a large group was formed. Our classmates are weirdly calm. ]
+I sent a message to point him in the right direction.
+After he read it, Keisei looked around the room and then at me.
+[That's certainly true. The gloomy atmosphere is clearly gone. Good job
+noticing it.]
+[I don't have many friends, so I'm sensitive to changes in my surroundings. ]
+[Assuming a group of ten or more people has been formed, they've probably
+decided on who they're going to vote for, right? ]
+[The person they' ll be targeting will be in a pretty tough spot. ]
+[That makes me wonder who formed the group... Will we be okay? ]
+I could feel Keisei's anxiety from his message.
+As the number of people in a group increases, in order to increase the overall
+sway, students who aren't very close to the original members would
+inevitably end up joining. Leading a group like that isn't an easy thing to do.
+Since more people had arrived in the classroom, I stopped messaging Keisei
+for the time being.
+The continuation of this would have to wait until lunch or until after school.
+Part 1
+Lunchtime. I joined up with the Ayanokoji Group for some small talk.
+Although it was just small talk, the majority of the conversation had to do
+with the supplementary exam.
+Naturally, the first topic was the unusual atmosphere in the classroom that
+morning.
+Since Keisei had been the one to head to school early today, it started off
+with him telling the rest of us about how there were signs that a large group
+had formed.
+".... see. You're right that it did kinda feel more cheerful today than
+yesterday."
+"But... It's still just speculation at this point... Right?"
+"Yeah. There's no evidence that a large group has really formed, and it's
+possible they haven't chosen a specific target for their censure votes either."
+In the end, this conjecture was solely based on what had taken place earlier in
+the morning.
+"So, who should we try looking into first?"
+"That's a tough question. If we choose the wrong person, the leader of the
+group might figure out that we're snooping around. If that happens, there's a
+risk that one of us may be targeted as well."
+Keisei mentioned the one thing we wanted to avoid at all costs.
+"There's probably a reason why we weren't invited."
+When it comes to a large group, it would be fine to invite anyone other than
+the group's primary target.
+It would be ideal for 39 people to corner a single person.
+However, this outcome simply isn't realistic.
+"What if... one of us is really close with whoever they' re targeting?"
+Haruka suggested, quietly, mischievously looking between each of us.
+"_,..Or... what if one of us is the target..."
+"S-stop it Haruka-chan...!"
+Airi's fear aside, Haruka's joke wasn't exactly a laughing matter.
+"Tt's possible that they moved to make a group on the very first day and
+slowly increased the number of people they could trust from there. Then,
+today, they probably felt that it was fine to come out of the shadows."
+Keisei's deduction was reasonable. The change was quite a lot for a single
+day. In all likelihood, this group had been taking action ever since the
+supplemental exam was announced.
+"Tf they still plan on increasing their numbers, then they might get into
+contact with one of us today."
+"What if they intend to target one of us? What are we supposed to do if they
+threaten to have us expelled if we don't cooperate with them and work
+against each other...?"
+Akito inadvertently asked one of the big questions.
+"Isn't it super obvious? We' ve already decided to prioritize each other."
+"Even if... you become their target as a result, Haruka?"
+"That's... but... I don't think I want to stay in school so badly that I'd betray
+my friends. If they did something like that, I'd probably complain."
+A little timid, Haruka responded to Akito's question.
+"Same here. I'd absolutely never betray any of you."
+Despite her anxiety, Airi nodded earnestly.
+"How about you Keisei?"
+After a short pause, Keisei spoke his honest feelings.
+"_..] pretty much agree with you two. However, reality is never that simple.
+In this exam, if you really get targeted, you probably won't be able to avoid
+it. It may sound better to take an expulsion in place of a friend, but... it
+would still be really painful."
+"That's... Kiyopon, what do you think?"
+Everyone turned and looked at me.
+I felt as though, to a certain extent, I should attempt to unify everyone's
+ideas.
+"T'm against Haruka's way of doing things here."
+"That... Are you saying you'd betray us in order to get along with the large
+group!?"
+"No, cooperating with another group to kick out a friend is completely out of
+the question. However, it would be better to go along with them on the
+surface. I don't think it'd be a good idea to be uncooperative or speak out
+against them."
+It's vital to avoid letting your emotions cloud your judgement in these
+situations.
+"By pretending to cooperate with them, we can figure out how many censure
+votes they already have and who they intend to invite into the group moving
+forward. This information would be important to get our hands on, right?"
+"_,.Certainly."
+Haruka, who had been getting riled up, began to regain her composure.
+If you got riled up and turned down the large group's offer, you wouldn't be
+able to get very much information.
+At this point, we had no way of knowing who they were targeting.
+"Even if you just pretend to cooperate with them, it's not possible for them to
+find out who voted for who on the day of the vote since it's anonymous."
+In other words, we would be able to obscure what would actually take place.
+"T guess that doing things your way really would be best for all of us."
+I nodded along in agreement.
+"Additionally, the large group has been quietly expanding its influence since
+day one and have a sizable following already. The mastermind behind it is
+probably quite sharp in their own way. They've been handling themselves
+quite carefully, and furthermore, they haven't specified anything about who
+they're going to expel. It doesn't seem like Hirata and Horikita have noticed
+them either."
+Horikita may have had an idea, but Hirata hadn't seemed to notice anything
+at all.
+I had expected Hirata to take notice, yet surprisingly, it still managed to elude
+him, even during such a critical moment.
+"Hirata probably isn't being held down by a specific group because he views
+everyone from a neutral position. If they carelessly asked him for support,
+there's a chance he might try to make the group disband instead."
+"In any case, you could say that the person behind all of this really thought
+everything through."
+"You're amazing Kiyotaka-kun. I can't believe you were able to come up
+with all of this!"
+Airi clapped her hands happily, sort of as though she was congratulating
+herself.
+"That's certainly true. I wasn't the one who noticed the strange mood this
+morning, Kiyotaka was."
+"T said it before. When you're by yourself for a long time, you just
+unintentionally pick up on the small details. Moreover, there's no guarantee
+that this large group actually exists, it's nothing more than an assumption."
+There was no evidence as to whether it actually existed or not. This was just
+to push the conversation forward.
+"Still, I think it's best to be on guard."
+"Man, everything we've been talking about has been such a drag. Can't we
+talk about something a bit more positive?"
+With a sigh, Akito spoke up as he fiddled with his cell phone.
+Everyone shook their heads.
+"Talking about something positive simply isn't possible. The reality is that
+we're going to lose a classmate soon, so even if we did, it wouldn't be very
+enjoyable."
+These feelings of anxiety would continue to smoulder, regardless of how
+much we planned things out here.
+"When you put it that way, I... I really am pretty worried..."
+"You're still saying stuff like that Airi? You'll definitely be fine."
+In order to stop her from worrying, Haruka spoke up and gently patted Airi
+on the head.
+"Bubse2*
+"Between the two of us, girls hate me, like, way more than they hate you."
+"Maybe so..."
+When Akito nodded in agreement, Haruka fiercely glared at him. He spoke
+up to defend himself.
+"What? You said it yourself."
+"Tt's fine for me to say it, but don't you think it'd be annoying to hear it from
+someone else?"
+"...1 guess."
+Faced with such a sound argument, Akito gave in.
+Seeing them like this, Airi seemed to lose even more of her self-confidence.
+"Haruka-chan... You're cute... You have a good sense of humour... and
+you're smart..."
+"No no... At the very least, you shouldn't be saying that first bit."
+Although Haruka was somewhat surprised, she still consoled Airi.
+"There's no need for you girls to worry so much. There are far too many
+better targets among the guys."
+Keisei also followed-up with words of reassurance.
+"Yeah, the boys are the ones in real danger, so there's no reason to be so
+serious right now."
+"Really, compared to the girls- Hey, isn't that Hirata-kun?"
+Haruka's question sounded somewhat doubtful. The rest of us followed her
+line of sight.
+Sure enough, there was Hirata, walking listlessly all by himself.
+He was the type of guy who would always hold his head up high and never
+stopped smiling.
+Now, however, it wouldn't be accurate to say he gave off a cheerful
+impression, not even as flattery.
+"What did you expect? He's probably worried about the exam."
+"Looks like it. Kinda like he's a totally different person."
+The two of them worriedly watched as Hirata disappeared from view.
+"He looks so distraught even though he doesn't have to worry about getting
+expelled. He's placing way too much of a burden on himself."
+"Someone's going to be expelled. It's unavoidable."
+It felt like, in some respects, they were looking at Hirata with pity in their
+eyes.
+I received a text message as I listened to their conversation.
+The sender didn't seem to be someone I'd be able to disregard.
+"Sorry, I'm being asked to meet up with someone."
+"Who by?"
+This seemed to spurn Haruka's interest, as she shifted her gaze toward me
+with intrigue in her eyes.
+Airi looked at me as well, eyes filled with anxiety.
+"_..Horikita. It's probably about the exam."
+"Oh. Cool."
+Haruka lost all interest after hearing the details.
+She probably recalled Horikita's interaction with Ryuen not too long ago.
+After seeing them off, I left the cafe.
+Part 2
+The meeting spot was a rest area along the pathway to and from school,
+unsuitable for meeting up during lunch break.
+Nobody liked coming out here around this time of year, especially during
+spring and autumn.
+"Sorry for calling you out here."
+"Tt's nothing. Sorry for making you wait in such terrible weather."
+"Don't worry about it."
+The person I was meeting with was Horikita.
+However, it wasn't the younger Suzune, but rather the elder Manabu.
+"_,.Greetings."
+Tachibana bowed her head slightly.
+Despite both of them having left the student council, Tachibana still
+continued to stay beside the elder Horikita.
+It went without saying that their relationship seemed to go beyond that of a
+mere boss and subordinate.
+Tachibana usually tended to be a little abrasive with me, but today she
+seemed somewhat reserved.
+I wondered if it was because she had previously fallen into Nagumo's trap
+and had forced Class A to take action to prevent her expulsion.
+"T hear a supplemental special exam has begun."
+"News travels fast. Well, it'1l be over soon enough."
+"A few first-years have already come to consult the matter with us third-
+years. Though, there probably aren't any of us who'll be able to help in any
+meaningful way."
+"As expected, there aren't any upperclassmen willing to lend out their private
+points?"
+"Tt would be difficult. The same special exams are being carried out every
+year, but it's effectively on a set three-year rotation. This is in order to
+prevent currently enrolled students from leaking any exam information."
+It was just as I had suspected, although it was fairly obvious.
+"The special exam given to the third-years will probably be decided by the
+number of private points we have. We don't have enough to leave any behind
+for our underclassmen."
+I see. This was probably the reason why Tachibana's complexion didn't look
+very good.
+Because of her mistake, her class was forced to hand over 20 million points.
+Her reaction was understandable considering that those points would have
+been important for overcoming their own special exam.
+"T'm so sorry. If only I were more reliable..."
+Driven by her guilty conscience, Tachibana proceeded to lower her head to
+the elder Horikita.
+"You're doing something unnecessary."
+"Ah, y-yes..."
+He proceeded to scold her. I wondered how many times she had already
+apologized to him.
+"Have you heard from your little sister?"
+"Suzune isn't going to approach me."
+"This special exam has been unprecedented. There needs to be someone
+willing to advise her."
+In reality, Horikita was desperate. This was clear enough given her recent
+contact with Ryuen.
+Instead of getting anything out of him, Ryuen had shut her down completely.
+"Tf that's the case, wouldn't it be fine for that someone to be you,
+Ayanokoji?"
+"You're asking for the impossible. Horikita and I are far too different."
+"So you're saying that she and I are similar?"
+"At least more so than me."
+There was a moment of silence before I spoke up again.
+"She's expected to make the tough decisions from now on, whether she wants
+to or not. You're the only one who can guide her."
+"Even if that's true, that's something she'|l have to decide on her own."
+He wasn't wrong. He shouldn't force his younger sister to come to a decision.
+Everything would ultimately have to be judged and decided by Horikita
+Suzune herself.
+"So, what exactly did you call me out here for?"
+Having a deep, long conversation in this cold weather wasn't preferable for
+any of us.
+Since he wasn't fond of talking about his younger sister, I thought I'd move
+on to another topic.
+"Tt's about Nagumo. I wanted to know if you've noticed him make any
+unusual movements."
+"Ts that really something we had to talk about in person?"
+"Actually, I'm the one who asked for it."
+In an unexpected way, I found out the reason why this meeting had been
+arranged.
+"T want to know why you've been acknowledged."
+I could see traces of frustration in Tachibana's eyes.
+Whatever the reason, the elder Horikita had accepted her request to set up a
+meeting with me here, so he was probably interested in helping her mature.
+"T've been acknowledged? He's probably never thought of me as anything
+but disrespectful."
+"T know that."
+Hearing such a clear, decisive answer from her stung my heart a bit.
+"Still... ''ve decided to try broadening my horizons at least a little. You may
+have potential worth recognizing that I'm just not able to see."
+"What's your impression after meeting with AyanokoOji once again?"
+"Honestly, I don't have the slightest idea."
+"T thought you'd say that."
+I found myself perplexed by their conversation.
+Perhaps because of the strange, yet somewhat relaxing atmosphere, the elder
+Horikita let himself show a slight smile.
+"Tt's a Shame that we'll only know Ayanok6ji's true value after we've already
+graduated."
+"No, nothing will change, even after you two graduate."
+"T think so too."
+Tachibana gave her thoughts as well, agreeing with me.
+They had called me out into such cold weather just for this.
+Well, I suppose this was also a testament to how large the wound Tachibana
+has been carrying actually was.
+I spoke up again.
+"Nagumo hasn't shown any interest in me because of his obsession with you.
+If you want him dealt with, you might as well face him head-on, just this
+once."
+This wasn't the type of request I should be making of a man about to
+graduate from Class A.
+It was just that, one way or another, Nagumo would surely make his move.
+No, it was entirely possible that he already has.
+"_,.Nagumo-kun has been in close contact with the third-year's Class B
+recently. I think he's going to offer them his complete support, just like he
+did at the training camp."
+For the sake of defeating his long-term rival, Nagumo may have offered to
+help demote Horikita Manabu and his class down to Class B.
+"There's always something else. I just want to pass the time in peace."
+"Tf you really want to do that moving forward, this problem with Nagumo...
+You can't afford to neglect it like this."
+The elder Horikita was confident that something terrible was going to take
+place next year.
+After Horikita Manabu takes his leave and there's no longer anyone he's
+obsessed with defeating, Nagumo would start to act violently, doing whatever
+he pleased.
+That is to say, I would suffer greatly if I didn't take the necessary
+countermeasures by then.
+"T'11 do what I can."
+I gave him this answer for the time being.
+Part 3
+That evening, after I had gotten out of the shower, I checked my phone only
+to see that I had several missed calls from Kei.
+It seemed to be something urgent, given that she had called nearly every
+other minute.
+Having barely finished drying my hair, I began to dial her number to call her
+back, but I was met with yet another call from her, so I simply answered that
+instead.
+"Hello?"
+"Jeez, finally you pick up...!"
+"You seem awfully panicked."
+"No duh I'm panicked... Like, something absolutely terrible's happened
+Kiyotaka."
+"Something terrible?"
+"T have no idea who's behind it, but Kiyotaka... everyone's gonna vote you
+out of school."
+"Ts that so?"
+"That... does that mean you already knew?"
+"No, this is the first I've heard of it. Though, I was vaguely aware that
+somebody was being targeted."
+The fact that this somebody was me was something I had only just now found
+out about.
+"Why are you still so calm?"
+"Do you know how many people are going to vote against me?"
+"T dunno exactly... But, from the feel of it, it's prolly already around half the
+class. They kinda threatened that if anyone told you about it, that person
+would be the one getting expelled next time."
+Since they were trying to drive me into a comer, it was only natural that
+there'd be a couple of threats getting tossed around.
+I wondered if they had already managed to convince the majority of the class.
+If they had, even with the praise votes from the Ayanokoji Group and the one
+I'd get from Kei, it would all still be just a drop in the bucket.
+"Are you okay to tell me this, then? You could end up being targeted
+yourself."
+Of course, that would only be if I went around telling everyone I had heard
+about it from Kei.
+I didn't know who was behind it, but they had done a good job. Although the
+strategy of singling someone out and forcing their expulsion was, in and of
+itself, simple, gathering the votes needed to actually make it happen was not.
+After all, somebody who singles out a classmate would be seen as 'evil' by
+the people around them. If someone with a strong sense of justice or a close
+friend of the target was to find out about the plan, it'd be possible for the
+mastermind to be forced out of school instead. While there'd be resistance
+when it comes to judging a classmate, there'd be far less resistance when it
+comes to judging 'evil'. This was the exact reason why Haruka and Akito,
+who are both relatively sharp-tongued students in their own right, wouldn't
+take the initiative and nominate someone to expel during our group
+conversations. Ultimately, our entire group discussed the candidates and
+came to a joint decision about who to vote for moving forward.
+The mastermind targeting me wasn't afraid of becoming a target themselves.
+"You're gonna do something, right? Like, you can do something about it,
+right?"
+"T wonder. It's troublesome if half the class is against me."
+Even if I managed to gather ten praise votes, it wouldn't necessarily mean I'd
+be able to escape from such a tough situation.
+The mastermind's group would obviously distribute their own praise votes
+amongst their friends.
+I was facing a significant risk of being expelled.
+"Thanks for letting me know this."
+"It's no big deal or anything, but... For real, what're you gonna do?"
+"What will I do? P'll have to think about it for a bit."
+"You may seem perfect, but even you have flaws okay? If I wasn't here, isn't
+it totally possible you could've been expelled without noticing anything?"
+"That's exactly why you're here."
+"Oh. I see..."
+It was exactly because I had someone capable of obtaining information out of
+my reach that I was able to find out about this expulsion crisis.
+"T'll contact you again soon."
+"Gotcha."
+I ended the call.
+While I wanted to talk a little bit about March 8th next week, I dropped the
+matter for now.
+Before anything else, I needed to find out why I was being targeted.
+"Well then..."
+I grasped my phone tightly and slowly started racking my brain.
+Who I chose to contact here would greatly influence my strategy moving
+forward.
+Contacting the mastermind or one of their followers was simply not an
+option.
+That being said, the situation wouldn't improve at all if I reached out to
+someone useless either.
+"_..In which case."
+I promptly dialed a number directly from my contact list.
+I decided that, first of all, I should finish what I needed to do.
+After a while, the call connected.
+"What is it?"
+Answering the phone with his ever-unchanging tone of voice was Horikita
+Manabu.
+"T need to talk to you about the supplemental exam. It's fairly important."
+"Wait a moment."
+I heard the sound of running water from the other end of the call and waited
+for around ten seconds.
+"T was doing the dishes. I didn't want the noise to interfere over the speaker."
+"Sorry for interrupting you."
+"So, something bad has happened."
+The elder Horikita and I had met up earlier in the day.
+He probably understood that something bad had happened because I hadn't
+mentioned anything back then.
+"Something happened in my class. A large group was formed and they've
+decided on who exactly they' Il be trying to expel."
+"Given the exam, the establishment of a large group is inevitable. Who's
+being targeted?"
+Perhaps the face of his younger sister had come to mind.
+"Me."
+"That's not a funny joke."
+"T'm not joking. More than half of my class has already agreed to vote
+against me."
+"Oh?"
+"T'm in a tough spot, so I thought I'd consult with you about it."
+"Even you can't do anything about this exam? Is that what you're saying?"
+"Put simply, yes."
+Though, to be precise, I was talking to him because I was trying to do
+something.
+"What do you want from me? When it comes to this exam of yours, I don't
+think there's anything I can do to help you."
+"Well, there's only one thing I want from you."
+I offered him a proposal. My path moving forward would depend on whether
+he accepted it or not.
+"_..L see. So that's what you want."
+"As far as you're concerned, it shouldn't be a bad offer. You can use it as
+your reason."
+"Indeed. I wouldn't have agreed if that were not the case."
+"You also don't need to exert your authority as the former student council
+president, nor do anything to help me directly."
+A capable student like the elder Horikita should be able to understand what
+I'm getting at, even without me explicitly stating my intentions.
+"You were probably going to use this strategy of yours regardless of whether
+you got targeted or not."
+"Yeah. I had planned on getting in touch with you anyway. I would've
+brought it up earlier today, but..."
+"You didn't because Tachibana was there?"
+Of course, I knew she wasn't the kind of student to go and let out a secret, but
+I refrained from saying anything, just in case.
+"I'm in a tough spot' you say. You aren't in a tough spot at all."
+"That depends on tomorrow. Without your cooperation, I'd have been forced
+to change tactics, and you should be well aware that it's not beneficial for me
+to take center stage."
+"_,. Alright. We'll act tomorrow."
+"You've saved me a lot of trouble. I'll get in touch with you when I identify
+the mastermind."
+I cut the call with the elder Horikita and plugged the charging cord into my
+cell phone.
+"Now that I have that out of the way..."
+It was a strategy I'd been planning on carrying out for this exam since it was
+first announced.
+A necessary action to remove an unnecessary student.
+However, in the case where I ended up becoming the target, it was vital that I
+raise the accuracy of said strategy. I decided to call Kushida next.
+"Good evening, Ayanokoji-kun. I somehow thought I'd be getting a call from
+you today."
+"T assume you have a grasp of the situation, then?"
+"Yep. Looks like you're in quite the pinch."
+As expected, the news that I had become an expulsion candidate had already
+reached Kushida's ears.
+"Oh don't tell me that you wanted me to clue you in just because of our
+cooperative relationship, okay? If I leaked any information to you, I'd be the
+one being targeted next time, after all~"
+Of course, this probably wasn't her real reason for not telling me.
+"Who did you hear about it from? That you're being targeted."
+Kushida's interests lay in finding out who told me I was being targeted.
+"They were anonymous."
+"Hmph. Then at least tell me one thing. What did this anonymous person tell
+you?"
+What did they say, huh?
+I stayed silent since I had no intention of answering that question.
+"You're quite the smart one, aren't cha Ayanokoji-kun? You're probably
+thinking you should be careful to avoid saying anything important."
+"Whatever you're getting at is going over my head. What do you want to
+know?"
+"For example, did they tell you who the mastermind is? Or around how many
+votes there are against you?"
+This meant Kushida wanted to know the finer details of what Kei had told
+me. If she told Kei that half the class had agreed to vote for me and told other
+students the number was one third, she'd be able to narrow down who had
+leaked the information.
+"It seems we're both trying to read into each other's intentions."
+"Could it be that you're the mastermind, Kushida?"
+"Oh I wouldn't do something like that. I'll have you know that, in our class,
+I'm a symbol of complete neutrality and peace."
+However, even if she wasn't the mastermind, she had to at least be close to
+them. I moved on.
+"That's true. It wouldn't be surprising for you to target Horikita if you were
+the one behind all this."
+"Ahaha, fair enough. You knew full well that it was risky to reach out to me
+like this, yet you went ahead and contacted me anyway. I know you're in
+quite the pickle, but... What do you want from me?"
+"T want to know who the mastermind is."
+"Even if you knew now, it wouldn't help you, would it?"
+Kushida was the type to always adapt to the situation at hand, so it didn't
+seem hard to win her over to my side.
+"Please tell me."
+"You're quite upfront, aren't you Ayanokoji-kun? However, I can't just
+betray my friends... Heh."
+Kushida let slip a little devilish laugh from the other end of the phone.
+"No, it might be more accurate to say I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to."
+"Meaning?"
+"T regret to have to inform you this, but I'm the only one who knows who the
+mastermind is."
+",..[ see."
+"Indeed. You seem to understand what this means."
+The mastermind had selected Kushida as their primary confidant.
+Then, with her help, they picked out people who had no connection to me and
+recruited them into the group.
+Given the abundant amount of trust she had with the class, it would probably
+be difficult for them to turn her invitation down.
+"Tf it's you, you'll be able to find out who it is sooner or later, right? So, even
+if I don't tell you now, it wouldn't make too much of a difference."
+"No. It'll probably be difficult if I don't hear it from you. I'm guessing that
+this person also wants to try and stay hidden. Isn't that why they've gone and
+entrusted everything to you?"
+"You sure do speak your mind, don't you?"
+"That's because, knowing you, you'd probably manage to see through any
+plans I have if I didn't."
+I had a hunch that my plan to find out about the mastermind would be a
+success if I went to Kushida.
+Though, at the same time, it had also been a failure.
+"T'm surprised you decided to participate in getting someone expelled from
+school."
+"Well, kinda. I've been put into a rather difficult situation too, you know? If I
+turned them down, they'd think I wasn't willing to help, you know? I'd be
+troubled if a rumor was spread claiming I was being uncooperative, even
+though they're the one who reached out to me."
+She was definitely in a situation that called for thorough consideration.
+"Though, deciding to take action was also difficult. I don't want you to drop
+out Ayanokoji-kun, but I can't just betray the trust of a student who's asked
+for help. What's more, I think they've grabbed hold of this weakness of mine
+a little bit. If they have, it seems like I might get targeted if I do anything to
+betray them."
+Perhaps someone like Kushida would be able to maintain neutrality until the
+very end.
+But even so, I was bothered by the fact that she was deliberately cooperating
+with them.
+One explanation was that she's going along with it to protect herself. If she
+tactlessly refused the mastermind's offer, there was a real possibility that she
+wouldn't have been allowed to join the group. Alternatively, there was also
+the possibility that she would be resented, suffering as a result. That being the
+case, it was better for her to be in a position of control within the group
+instead, even if it meant taking a bit of a risk. This explanation was valid
+enough.
+The girl named Kushida personifies pride and self-importance. Despite that,
+she's worshipped and praised by others, preferring to rule over them. She was
+the type to feel delighted about people being inferior to her.
+"So, do you understand the situation I'm in? I couldn't help you even if I
+wanted to."
+If the mastermind's identity were to be exposed, the blame would end up
+falling on Kushida.
+She was being manipulated brilliantly.
+"Tn that case, I won't try to force anything out of you. Sorry for calling so late
+at night."
+"Really? You're not gonna ask anything?"
+"T don't want to trouble you. It doesn't seem like you'|l be able to help at all
+this time."
+"Do you really think you can figure out who the mastermind is without me?"
+"No idea. I'm not confident I can."
+I started backing off and showed a hint of weakness, enticing Kushida to take
+a few steps forward.
+If she didn't take the bait, there was nothing I could do about it. Either way,
+the identity of the mastermind was completely unrelated to my strategy. The
+knowledge would simply make the steps I'd have to take a little easier.
+"What to do..."
+But, rather than backing off, Kushida came to a stop.
+She had taken the bait of her own accord.
+"Well, Ayanokoji-kun is my comrade. I suppose I' II tell you."
+With that, I stopped backing off as well.
+".,.Why did you change your mind?"
+"Because I want to see how you'll handle it, or something like that. That said,
+if any of this ends up falling back on me, I won't forgive you. Are we on the
+Same page?"
+"I'm capable of distinguishing who I should and shouldn't be making an
+enemy of."
+As I said this, I had a feeling that there was a slight smile forming on the
+edges of her mouth.
+"Tt's Yamauchi-kun."
+She gave the tentative name of the mastermind.
+It was 'tentative' because there wasn't enough evidence to determine whether
+he was or not.
+"Yamauchi, huh?"
+"You don't seem surprised."
+"He's a reasonable expulsion candidate. It's not surprising that he'd take the
+initiative and make a move to protect himself."
+"_,.Are you Satisfied now?"
+She asked inquisitively.
+"Even after hearing this, there's still something I don't quite understand. I
+don't think you're stupid enough to be manipulated by someone like
+Yamauchi. I'm sure you could've successfully placated him and refused
+when he reached out to you. You're putting yourself at a lot of risk by
+covering up for him and acting as his mediator."
+"Then, why didn't I just turn him down, I wonder?"
+"Perhaps you found out that the real mastermind isn't Yamauchi, but the
+student backing him up from behind-the-scenes instead."
+Kushida had seemed to be enjoying herself, but now her tone became serious.
+"You knew."
+"Tf I'm not mistaken, Sakayanagi approached Yamauchi not too long ago."
+Just before the end-of-year exam, she had come and paid Yamauchi a visit. It
+had been quite the hot topic within Class C at the time.
+I presented Kushida with convincing enough reason for why I knew this, my
+previous direct contact with Sakayanagi aside.
+"Tt's surprising, but, yes, that's exactly what's going on. Sakayanagi-san from
+Class A seems to be the one supporting Yamauchi-kun. I'd like to avoid
+making an enemy out of her if at all possible."
+"How do you know that Sakayanagi is the one supporting him? Did
+Yamauchi tell you?"
+"No, Yamauchi-kun's been keeping it secret. But, you're aware of the
+breadth of my information network, right? I found out about it from
+somebody in Class A. That is, that Sakayanagi-san's manipulating him in
+order to try and do something to Class C."
+Everything was unfolding all too perfectly. Given the situation, the fact that
+Yamauchi reached out to Kushida first was probably also a part of
+Sakayanagi's instructions. Within Class A, Hashimoto held suspicions about
+my relationship with Kei. It wouldn't have been hard for him to warn
+Sakayanagi if their goal was to establish a group without tipping me off.
+In which case, Kei shouldn't have been invited into the group at all. I
+probably wouldn't have noticed I was being targeted until later on.
+"Is it a coincidence that you're being targeted by Sakayanagi? Or is it
+intentional?"
+"Who knows. I haven't interacted with her very much. Maybe she's just
+targeting someone who doesn't stand out."
+"Well, that is possible. After all, other than Horikita-san, Sud6-kun, Sat6-san,
+and your friends in that group of yours, there's probably not anybody willing
+to take the risk to tell you about your situation."
+Despite all of this, it was unusual that the mastermind was Sakayanagi.
+Why had she approached me and asked to postpone our face-off until the next
+special exam?
+Did she really want to defeat me so badly that she was willing to break our
+agreement?
+She had to be well aware that I'd refuse to compete against her during the
+next special exam if she started anything against me. Having Yamauchi
+gather censure votes against me was, without a doubt, a violation of our
+agreement. In other words, if I had to force some sort of meaning out of this,
+it would be that our agreement itself had been nothing but a lie.
+Saying that our competition would be postponed until next time had just been
+a distraction from her trap.
+No... From what I knew of Sakayanagi, she wasn't the type of person who'd
+be satisfied with winning that way.
+In which case, what should I make of all this?
+"You've been a great help, Kushida."
+"Be careful how you conduct yourself and make sure not to get expelled!"
+I ended the call and tossed my phone onto my bed.
+"No matter what they've got in store for me, what I have to do still hasn't
+changed."
+Now that I knew the identity of the mastermind, all I had to do was relay the
+information to the elder Horikita and get the ball rolling.
+Chapter 5: Good and Evil
+Introduction
+As I walked into class the next morning, most of the students in the room
+turned and looked in my direction.
+However, they averted their gazes almost immediately.
+Then, out of nowhere, they looked at me again. This proceeded to happen
+over and over.
+The reality was that they had already begun taking action to expel me.
+This was the true form of the out-of-place feeling I had experienced the day
+before.
+The members of the Ayanok6ji Group, such as Akito and Keisei, didn't seem
+to notice anything unusual.
+In all likelihood, none of them had the skills necessary to act like they hadn't
+found out who the large group was targeting.
+Furthermore, our opponents had done a lot of work to carefully construct
+such a large group, so there was effectively no chance the information leaked
+out to any of them.
+I also wasn't willing to make them worry about me excessively by telling
+them the reality of the situation myself.
+If I revealed my current situation to them carelessly, Kei's involvement in
+leaking the information to me may end up being made public.
+I had no choice but to deal with this on my own.
+"Good morning, Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Ah. Good morning."
+Having just arrived in the classroom herself, Horikita didn't appear to be
+aware of the situation either.
+"Vo!"
+Sudo seemed to arrive together with her, as their greetings came nearly one
+right after the other.
+"Just so you know, the timing of our arrivals was just a coincidence."
+"T wasn't asking."
+For some reason or another, Sudo sent me an ostentatious look before
+heading over to his own seat.
+He probably wasn't involved with what was taking place within Class C.
+While it is possible that he'd like to see me expelled, if he went along with
+Yamauchi's plan, it'd have a large impact on Horikita's evaluation of him
+afterward. Besides, he wasn't a skilled enough actor to maintain a poker face
+either.
+"_..By the way."
+Horikita whispered to me after Sudo was out of earshot.
+"What?"
+"What did you do?"
+"Aren't you leaving out some details? Be more specific."
+"Regarding me. What did you do?"
+Her question was still fairly abstract.
+"1 don't know what you're trying to say, but I didn't do anything. I don't
+have the time to spend looking after you."
+"You don't have the time? What are you getting at?"
+"It?s my own problem. Don't worry about it."
+Class was going to start soon.
+Based on Horikita's attitude, she still hadn't gotten in contact with her older
+brother yet.
+It was probably going to take place later this afternoon.
+Part 1
+It was lunch break on Friday and tomorrow's special exam was rapidly
+approaching.
+I, Horikita Suzune, thought back on the events that had taken place the night
+before.
+Just as I was thinking it was about time to go to bed, I received a text
+message.
+I remember my heart nearly skipping a beat when I saw who it was from.
+It was a message from my older brother.
+He had only written a single line of text.
+[Is there anything you regret? |
+This single message that seemed to be asking me a question.
+After reading it several times over, I thought about what I could do despite
+having lost my way.
+However, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
+If I let it get away from me... The next time I'd be able to hear my brother's
+voice would be during graduation.
+[Would you be willing to talk with me? ]
+Having made up my mind, I wrote out this message in response.
+Even though all I had to do was hit send, my fingers were heavy and I
+couldn't easily bring myself to do it.
+"Haa..."
+I stabilized my breathing and pressed the button. The only thing I could do
+now was wait for my brother's response.
+Around the time when my anxiety over whether or not he would reply had
+almost faded, a response came back in the form of a phone call.
+Instead of anxiety, I felt relief.
+Fortunately, he had responded with a phone call. It would've been hard for
+me to message him back with my trembling hands.
+"_,.It's me. Suzune."
+"You said you wanted to talk?"
+PALeSi ge
+"What did you want to talk about?"
+"...Uh, your message... Why did you send me it..."
+"Ts that really important right now? Is this really what you needed to talk to
+me about over the phone?"
+"N-no that's not it."
+Feeling like he was about to end the call, I quickly, frantically denied it to
+stop him from doing so.
+"Tf it's okay with you... would you be willing to meet with me in person?"
+"In person?"
+"Y-yes."
+"When you first enrolled here, I suggested that it would be better for you to
+drop out. The moment you rejected my offer, your relationship with me was
+over. You do understand that, don't you?"
+He brought up the cold, hard facts of the matter. I could only imagine his
+decision to contact me like this as nothing more than a whim.
+The relationship we had as siblings was simply that distant.
+Truthfully, I wanted to talk to my older brother about all sorts of things.
+About everything that had happened so far. About what would happen in the
+future.
+But... he would never ask me for something like that.
+"It's something I want to ask you about in person."
+He was silent. I slowly continued to speak.
+"This will be the last time... After this, I will not involve myself with you
+ever again."
+It was the only thing I could offer him.
+"Alright, I understand."
+That was the conversation that took place last night.
+I was now heading out to meet my older brother.
+To avoid being seen by others, we arranged to meet at the special building, a
+place usually devoid of other people.
+By the time I arrived at my destination, he was already there.
+Part 2
+"Sorry to keep you waiting..."
+Manabu stood there quietly. From Suzune's perspective, he hadn't changed a
+bit since they were younger.
+He was still the same person she had been chasing after all this time.
+"How long has it been since the two of us talked alone like this?"
+"_..If we don't count what happened immediately after I enrolled here, about
+three years..."
+"T see. It has probably been around that long."
+Manabu thought back to when his younger sister was in her first year of
+middle school.
+When he decided to attend Kodo Ikusei high school, he pushed her away.
+At the time, he had never even considered that his younger sister would
+follow in his footsteps.
+But, sure as day, Suzune was here now, standing in front of him.
+"You said that you wanted to talk with me, so let's hear it."
+Their conversation would be over if she said that her goal was to reconcile
+with her older brother.
+If it was the old her, it wouldn't have been surprising for her to say that.
+In which case, Manabu probably wouldn't say a word. He'd simply take his
+leave without a moment's hesitation.
+"Tt has to do with this supplementary exam. You're aware of what the first-
+years are going through, right?"
+"Mhm. Each class is being forced to expel one student."
+"Yes."
+"And?"
+He urged Suzune to get on with it.
+Suzune, who had been speaking relatively easily, hesitated to continue.
+"Tf you're asking about my own personal supply of private points, it was
+nearly exhausted back during the training camp. In which case, you're just
+wasting your time."
+"Tt's nothing like that. I had never considered asking you for that kind of
+support."
+Suzune hardened her resolve, determined to dispel any uncertainties he might
+have.
+"What I wanted to talk with you about today... Please, give me courage."
+The words came out, and after a brief pause, she continued.
+"T want to face this exam head-on. Other people are forming groups, trying to
+take control of the votes in order to ensure that they're safe from expulsion.
+But, they' ll definitely regret doing that later on down the line. That's why I...
+I want to stand up against them."
+Manabu silently looked on as she spoke, acknowledging the determination
+held within her eyes.
+At the same time, he thought back to what Ayanokoji had told him the day
+before.
+What she was trying to do was by no means easy.
+But, with her own two hands, she was trying to do something that no one else
+could.
+To resolve herself, she made up her mind and came to meet with her brother.
+"How much time do you have?"
+"T don't have any plans after this..."
+"Really?"
+Suzune was somewhat taken aback by Manabu's unexpected question.
+"Then, I'd like to ask you a few things before I hear you out. What do you
+think of this school?"
+"Eh?"
+"Are you enjoying it here?"
+"Ah. Uhm... I-I see."
+Her brother's unexpected question had clearly caught her off-guard.
+"T-I'm sorry. That, uh..."
+Manabu didn't reprimand her even though she was fumbling her words.
+"Whether or not I enjoy being here... I honestly don't know. At the very
+least, it's not boring."
+"Ts that so?"
+Suzune couldn't understand the meaning behind Manabu's question.
+After all, it had been quite a while since the last time she had a normal
+conversation with her brother.
+"Tt seems you've managed to overcome one of your shortcomings."
+"My shortcomings...?"
+"Indeed. You focused so much on yourself that you never paid attention to
+what was going on around you. By broadening your own horizons, you've
+managed to break away from spending your days in boredom."
+"You somehow... seem different today."
+In Suzune's eyes, her older brother was serious and dedicated. Someone who
+pretty much never smiled.
+Someone who would never neglect an opportunity to improve himself.
+She felt like it was impossible for him to think of going to school as
+something to be enjoyed.
+"You only ever paid attention to my academic achievements, always
+obsessed with scoring high on tests."
+"That's because... you've always been my role model."
+This was something Suzune had already said many times over by this point,
+and Manabu's face clouded over every time he heard it.
+"Role model, huh?"
+"_... understand. That it's absolutely impossible for me to catch up with you.
+But still, striving to shorten the distance as much as possible shouldn't be a
+bad thing."
+Despite being aware of her own shamelessness, she still wanted him to see
+how hard she was trying.
+Without responding to his sister's feelings, Manabu quietly closed his eyes
+for a moment.
+"What do you think of Ayanokoji?"
+",.What do I, think of him?"
+"Just tell me your honest impression of him."
+"He's an irritable classmate. Even though he's capable enough to be
+recognized by you, I don't like how he doesn't even try to make use of it.
+But, I think that, someday, I'll be able to catch up with him and, hopefully,
+surpass him."
+"Tt's unfortunate, but you'!l never be able to catch up to Ayanokoji."
+(T9 bB)
+"That said, there's no need for you to catch up with him. It's absolutely fine
+for you to grow at your own pace."
+"My own pace..."
+Manabu moved a little closer to his sister.
+If Suzune were to do the same, the distance between them would be short
+enough for their hands to reach each other.
+However, Suzune wasn't able to take that one step.
+"Are you scared?"
+tee ORS
+This sense of distance was something Suzune hadn't been able to overcome,
+even when she was younger.
+It was so short, and yet so hopelessly far.
+"To get closer, you have to be willing to take a step forward."
+"What can I do...? What can I do to get rid of this distance...?"
+"Let me help you find the answers you're looking for. So tell me, what do
+you want to put forward to your class?"
+With a nod, Suzune slowly began explaining things to her brother.
+Part 3
+After school, the day before the vote.
+Tomorrow, the decision would be made on which student to expel, and their
+seat in the class would be emptied.
+There was a lingering feeling of uneasiness weighing down on everyone, but
+even so, they still had a reassuring belief that things would be alright.
+This was because someone had been chosen as a sacrifice.
+Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would be expelled from school.
+More than half the class had already sided with this course of action.
+Many of them were probably harboring some guilt about it right now.
+And yet, that guilt was a small price to pay as long as they were able to save
+themselves.
+After a while, the guilt would fade away.
+A year from now, they would simply remember that I had been one of the
+students in their classroom.
+That being said, I felt no resentment toward them. For the sake of avoiding
+expulsion, everyone had been desperately racking their brains to come up
+with countermeasures. Ultimately, I just happened to be the target.
+After gaining pity from his classmates, Yamauchi skillfully won over
+Kushida and suggested a target for the vote based on sympathy and
+understanding.
+Kushida then roped in the classmates she could. Since the invitation came
+from a trusted friend with whom they had confided their secrets, they were
+completely unable to turn her down.
+Yamauchi's strategy wasn't bad. He took a risk and did his job well as the
+mastermind.
+It was just a pity that he decided to go after me.
+If his goal was really to avoid being expelled, he should've gone after Ike or
+Sudo instead.
+After all, the two of them wouldn't have the capacity to recover from
+something like this.
+Well, since Sakayanagi was the one actually pulling the strings, there was no
+way that was going to happen.
+In any case, since it had come down to this, I had no choice but to take action
+to remove someone else instead.
+But this time, I wouldn't be the one to do it.
+I'm just a low-profile, unimpactful student who was being targeted by
+Yamauchi. I wasn't somebody capable of making a change in this situation.
+The countenance of the girl sitting in the seat next to me had gone through far
+more change than I had anticipated.
+Her whole body seemed to be giving off a different aura than before,
+glittering as though she had been hit by a magic spell.
+"Well then, that's it for homeroom. Tomorrow is a Saturday, but there will
+still be an exam, so don't oversleep."
+Chabashira's words marked the end of school for the day.
+Everyone was ready to begin packing up their things and head home.
+There was a brief moment of total silence.
+Come on, Horikita. Move. I know you can do it.
+She pushed back her chair and stood up from her desk.
+"Could I have a moment?"
+Horikita, her voice filled with confidence, called out to every student in the
+classroom.
+It naturally managed to gather the attention of the class, curious as to what
+was going on.
+"T'm sorry, but I'd like to ask everyone to refrain from going home for a
+moment."
+Even Chabashira seemed curious about what Horikita was up to, as she had
+stopped on her way out of the room.
+"What's the matter, Horikita-san?"
+Hirata responded, reacting a beat faster than anyone else.
+He was, after all, the most sensitive to subtle changes in the class's
+atmosphere.
+"T have something to say about the special exam tomorrow."
+"About the special exam?"
+"O-oh look at the time... Well, I already had plans to go hang out with Kanji
+after this, so..."
+"Tha... That's right."
+Yamauchi and Ike spoke up, emphasizing the point that they didn't have time
+to stick around.
+"Both of you seem awfully composed. What with making arrangements to go
+play together even though one of you might be expelled tomorrow."
+When her eyes met with Yamauchi's, he looked away in a hurry.
+"That's because... there's no use, even if we struggle. We've already
+resolved ourselves for the worst."
+"Really? How praiseworthy. But I'm sorry, that doesn't mean everyone else
+feels the same way as you. There's no point in what I'm trying to do here
+unless the whole class is able to hear what I have to say, so would you please
+be willing to put up with it for a bit?"
+"Then what the heck are you gonna say?"
+"There's something important I want to tell everyone concerning tomorrow's
+exam and who's going to be expelled."
+Horikita walked to the front of the room and stood behind the teaching
+podium.
+She probably wanted to be in a position where she could see everyone's faces
+properly.
+"About who's being expelled...? What are you getting at?"
+Yamauchi began talking notably faster than usual.
+He was probably doing it involuntarily because of the combination of his
+own guilty conscience and the extraordinary atmosphere of the classroom.
+"T've been doing a lot of thinking this past couple of days. Who should be
+expelled? Who should stay? How do we come to a proper decision? Earlier
+today, I managed to find a satisfactory answer to these troublesome
+questions. So please, allow me to lay it all out for everyone."
+"Wait a minute, Horikita-san."
+It was Hirata, not Yamauchi, who spoke up to stop her.
+"Nobody in this class deserves to be expelled."
+"Ts that true? Isn't it possible that somebody does, though?"
+"S-something like that..."
+"T've had some serious concerns since the moment we were told about this
+exam. Even though it's important for us to be able to discuss things with each
+other and come to a decision about who we're going to expel, the school
+hasn't provided us with any class-time to do it. As a result, it has become a
+battle where we form into groups and try to control the outcome of the vote.
+We're running the risk that we might end up expelling an excellent student,
+even though they shouldn't be considered for expulsion at all. Can we really
+call something like that an exam at all?"
+Chabashira was the first person to look visibly impressed, shortly followed
+up by Koenji.
+"T haven't the faintest idea what's gotten into you, but you seem to me like an
+entirely different person. You've really gotten right to the heart of the matter,
+haven't you?"
+With a clap of the hands, Koenji continued to speak.
+"Let us hear it, then. What do you suggest we do?"
+"Originally, I thought we should hold a discussion with everyone in the class
+and collectively decide on who to expel. But I understand that, realistically
+speaking, that would be difficult. Therefore, allow me to nominate someone I
+think we should expel."
+Hirata interjected.
+"H-hold on Horikita-san!"
+"Sorry, but I'm speaking right now. I'Il give a proper explanation for my
+nomination later."
+Staying conscious of how much time she was taking, Horikita pushed the
+discussion forward.
+"No way. I'm against you throwing the class into chaos like this."
+Even so, Hirata refused to back down.
+It wasn't in his nature to do any differently.
+"She's at least got the right to speak. We can listen to your objections after
+she's done."
+Sudo cut in to stop Hirata from interfering.
+"Tt's as Red Hair-kun says. I've given up some of my valuable time to be
+here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from wasting it by being a
+hindrance."
+K6enji spoke up in support of hearing Horikita out as well, seemingly
+interested in the direction the discussion was heading.
+"B-but..."
+Taking advantage of Hirata's hesitation, Horikita once again opened her
+mouth.
+"For this special exam... I have decided that we should expel Yamauchi
+Haruki-kun."
+Under the watchful gaze of the entire class, Horikita explicitly stated the full
+name of her nomination.
+So far, outside of the public eye, several students had been nominated as
+targets for censure votes. However, Horikita was the first person to nominate
+a target publicly like this. One might ask, why hadn't anyone else done the
+same thing? That was because they'd immediately gain the resentment of
+whoever they nominated. More importantly, if they failed to convince the rest
+of the class, there was a high probability that they would become a target
+themselves.
+"W-why me, Horikitaa!?"
+Naturally, Yamauchi was the first person to show any sort of reaction to this.
+After all, if Horikita's reckless nomination garnered enough support, he
+would become the target for the censure votes. It was effectively a death
+sentence.
+"There's a clear reason for it. To start out with, your contributions to the class
+over the past year have been particularly low."
+"T-that's not true! My test scores have been higher than Ken's this whole
+time!"
+"He overtook you last time though?"
+"That... but, that was just a one-time thing!!!"
+"For argument's sake, let's say your academics are superior to Sud6o-kun's.
+Even then, you're still several levels beneath him in terms of physical
+ability."
+"Then isn't Kanji in the same boat as me!? He's definitely worse than me
+when it comes to physical fitness!"
+Naturally, Yamauchi desperately tried to defend himself.
+Anybody would get desperate if they were being singled out in front of
+everyone like this.
+"Tt's true that there are a handful of students who are all on a somewhat
+similar playing field. I'll give you that much."
+"T-that's right. Nominating me so seriously... Could ya please give me a
+break...?"
+"However, you're still a half-step behind, even compared to the rest of them.
+When I assigned everyone a priority by taking into account their behavior
+during lessons, tardiness and absence history, and strengths and weaknesses,
+you ended up in dead last. The runner-up was Ike-kun, followed up
+immediately by Sudo-kun. This is the conclusion I came to yesterday."
+"T... ''ma candidate as well!?"
+Panicking a bit, Sudo spoke up.
+"You've certainly improved in terms of academic ability and critical thinking
+these past few months, but that doesn't just get rid of all of the times you've
+been a burden to class. Or am I wrong?"
+".,.No, you're right."
+With the facts laid out in front of him, Sudo accepted them for what they
+were.
+Ike's expression was heavy, seeming to have come to terms with it as well.
+"Are you being serious with all this nonsense!? This is pissing me off!
+Right!? Kanji!? Ken!?"
+Yamauchi tried to bring the two Horikita had nominated as other candidates
+over to his side, but neither of them had the words to refute what Horikita had
+said.
+"Plus, I'm kinda lovable, right? At least when compared to someone like
+Koenji. That problem child totally abandoned the class during several special
+exams!"
+"Tt's true that Koenji-kun has a lot of work to do to improve his behavior.
+However, he was able to understand the significance of holding this
+discussion. If I were to put an overall worth to his abilities, the difference
+between the two of you would be so large that you couldn't even begin to
+compare. At the very least, he's not somebody we should be expelling during
+this exam."
+K6enji let show a fearless smile laced with complacency as he crossed his
+arms in front of him.
+"T can't accept this! I really just can't anymore!"
+"Then, how about I tell you the final reason why you were chosen among all
+other options?"
+Horikita pressured Yamauchi, calmly interrupting him in the middle of his fit.
+"F-final reason?"
+Horikita's unusual aura made Yamauchi momentarily shrink back.
+"There should be something you've been feeling guilty about that you
+haven't been willing to tell anyone. Am I wrong?"
+Yamauchi was overwhelmed by Horikita's confident words.
+"T don't have anything to feel guilty about..."
+"Seeing as you don't feel like saying it yourself, I'll say it for you. In order to
+protect yourself, you used Kushida-san as an intermediary to gather support
+from our classmates, all to get Ayanokoji-kun expelled. Isn't that right?"
+"Hah! ?"
+The classroom descended into an uproar.
+Even though over half the class was aware of the vote manipulation, none of
+them knew that the true culprit behind all of it was Yamauchi.
+"You were planning to have Ayanokoji-kun expelled...?"
+Ayanokoji Group members aside, Hirata was one of the people genuinely,
+visibly, shocked to hear that I was being targeted.
+Hirata was the type to always stay neutral and think about the class as a
+whole, so it made sense that he wasn't willing to accept it.
+"Yes. It's an undeniable fact. Isn't that right, everyone?"
+Kushida had gotten many students tied up in Yamauchi's plan.
+Even if they didn't make eye contact with her, they would surely feel shaken
+if they had an inkling as to what had been going on.
+This was enough for Hirata to realize that more than half the class had joined
+Yamauchi's group.
+"Hmm... Everyone seems a lot calmer than I had imagined..."
+"Your plan started out with a small group of people and you steadily
+expanded from there. If you managed to gather up the majority of the class's
+censure votes, your target's expulsion would be effectively guaranteed,
+right?"
+"T-I had nothing to do with that!"
+Despite claiming otherwise, Yamauchi made no further attempts to defend
+himself.
+"Then who did?"
+"T-I dunno, okay!? I... was just told to cast my censure vote for Ayanokoji!"
+Lying in desperation like this usually didn't result in things turning out the
+way you wanted.
+"Tf you don't know who started it, then why don't you tell me who told you
+to cast your censure vote for Ayanokoji-kun instead?"
+"That's... uh..."
+"You had to have heard it from somebody, right? You're not going to say you
+don't know, are you?"
+Yamauchi seemed nearly at his wit's end as he looked around the classroom.
+"~..Kanji! I heard it from Kanji! Right dude! >?"
+He proceeded to pin the blame on his best friend.
+"What? No! It wasn't me!"
+Naturally, Ike denied it.
+"Ts that really true, Ike-kun?"
+"No no no no no. It absolutely wasn't me. I heard it from..."
+Ike was, understandably, at a loss for words.
+After all, the person who had suggested it to him was none other than
+Kushida, and he couldn't just sell her out.
+"From your silence, I'm sensing that you're incapable of providing an
+answer. In which case, perhaps you really are the mastermind like Yamauchi-
+kun says?"
+"No, no! So, err... Kiky6-chan came to me, asking for help... She said that
+there was someone who was in a lot of trouble, so she needed me to cast my
+censure vote for AyanokOji."
+This time, Ike passed the blame along to Kushida.
+Of course, there was no way Kushida was going to sit back and let this
+happen.
+She hated the idea of being targeted more than anyone else in the room.
+"Don't tell me that you're the mastermind, Kushida-san?"
+Horikita was determined to trace down each lead until she got to the bottom
+of this.
+In a situation like this where a specific person was being targeted, it wasn't a
+very big deal if she didn't find out the identity of the mastermind. By
+questioning people one at a time like this, she'd eventually find out the truth
+either way.
+"I... well... a certain someone approached me, saying they needed my help,
+so... it was kind of hard to turn them down..."
+"And just who is this 'certain someone'?"
+Ultimately, the blame that Yamauchi had tried so hard to avoid was about to
+come around full circle.
+But Yamauchi, getting overwhelmed by anxiety, hurriedly tried to pass it on
+once again.
+"Th-that's right! I was told by Kikyo-chan! She asked me to help her get
+Ayanokoji expelled!"
+Spurred on by a single lie, there was no way of knowing when this chain
+reaction of accusations would come to an end.
+"M-me!?"
+"Everyone else also heard it from Kikyo-chan, right? Right? Am I right?"
+Kushida had indeed been the one entrusted to act as an intermediary.
+However, there was something that most everyone in the class understood.
+And that, was that Kushida Kikyo was a student who would only ever take
+action for the sake of her friends, and she would never do something to try
+and trick or frame somebody.
+The difference in the amount of trust they had managed to build up was more
+than clear.
+"You're so cruel Yamauchi-kun... I... even though I really didn't want to
+abandon Ayanokoji-kun, you came asking for my help... but, even though I
+did the best I could..."
+Kushida spoke, burying her face down into her desk, her voice filled with
+anguish.
+It was probably all that the class needed to hear to get a grasp on who was
+really telling the truth. The scene of Yamauchi eamestly begging for Kushida
+to help him was probably playing through all their minds.
+Yamauchi's predicament was steadily getting worse and worse, and it would
+only continue to deteriorate moving forward. Of course, this must've also
+been a headache for Kushida, but given the situation, there was no helping it
+if she wanted to avoid being targeted.
+After all, the absolute worst-case scenario was expulsion.
+"_..Kushida-san."
+Horikita called out to Kushida, who was covering her face.
+Everyone probably thought she was about to say something to comfort her.
+"Your actions have also been a huge mistake."
+With a strong tone, Horikita reprimanded her.
+"Tn this class, you hold influence on the same level as Hirata-kun and
+Karuizawa-san... No, your influence is even stronger than theirs. As such, if
+you nominate someone as a target, a great number of your classmates are
+going to listen to you."
+"T-I didn't want that. I just wanted to help Yamauchi-kun..."
+"Stop with the sophistry, you aren't that stupid. You should've known what
+would happen if you helped him from the very beginning."
+Facing Horikita's reproachful words, Kushida stood up from her desk,
+weeping.
+"T didn't think that far ahead! It's just, I couldn't simply ignore Yamauchi-
+kun's problem... his suffering... I had to help somehow!"
+"No, you knew. You ignored the problem at hand, knowing very well what
+the outcome would be."
+Confronted with Horikita's excessive prodding, Kushida flinched, faltering
+with her response.
+In this situation, she couldn't aggressively retort back to Horikita even if she
+wanted to.
+There was absolutely no way she would break character and take off her
+mask under these circumstances.
+There was no way Horikita didn't understand this as well.
+"This ordeal was caused by your own lapse in judgment. You should've done
+something about it much sooner."
+"That... I don't know what to do..."
+"You should reflect on what has happened here and strive to take actions that
+will benefit the class from now on."
+Horikita said the final word on the matter, turning a deaf ear to Kushida's
+excuses.
+"Be that as it may, it seems there's no mistaking the fact that the primary
+offender is Yamauchi-kun."
+Horikita dropped her temporary focus on Kushida's wrongdoings once again
+swapped her attention back to Yamauchi.
+"W-wait Horikita. I told you it wasn't me..."
+"My my, this has been quite the interesting discussion. Though, isn't it only
+natural for the boy to try and get somebody else removed from school?
+Pushing past all the nonsensical formalities, this exam is nothing more than
+the rabble of the class fighting for their own survival. Or, is there any
+particular reason why only he should be condemned, hmm?"
+Koenji made a statement that didn't appear to align with anyone, although it
+was probably going to end up working out in Horikita's favor.
+"Right you are. While assembling a group with the intention of getting rid of
+somebody else may not be the most praiseworthy thing to do, it surely
+doesn't seem fair to blame him for simply trying to survive. Well, that's only
+if that's all there is to it."
+"Oh?"
+"Yamauchi-kun. You haven't been trying to expel AyanokOji-kun just to
+protect yourself, have you?"
+"W-wait! I said to wait! I told you it wasn't me!"
+"How ugly. Everyone presently in this classroom fully believes it was, so
+come now let's hear it. Why did he target Ayanokoji-boy?"
+Horikita nodded her head in agreement.
+"He, Yamauchi-kun, has been colluding with Sakayanagi-san behind the
+scenes, taking orders and carrying them out for her."
+The truth was exposed to broad daylight.
+"That's quite the worrisome piece of information, now isn't it? Collusion
+with a student from Class A... How unpleasant."
+This was probably the reason why KOoenji had involved himself with this
+discussion in the first place.
+Koenji was still at risk of being expelled, so he was probably looking to make
+use of Horikita to avoid the danger. By revealing a truly unnecessary student,
+the class would put them to trial instead.
+Even if Yamauchi hadn't colluded with Sakayanagi or targeted someone else,
+the fact that he was the most unnecessary student in the class still hadn't
+changed. It probably would've ended up like this either way.
+It's probably fair to say that the time needed to back Yamauchi into a corner
+had been considerably reduced, thanks to the fact that he had gone along with
+Sakayanagi's scheme.
+"Oi Haruki, you've been colluding with Sakayanagi-chan...?"
+Not only was his role as the mastermind revealed, but his connection with
+Class A had as well.
+Even his best friend Ike wasn't able to take this news sitting down.
+"T-that's nonsense! There's no evidence!"
+"T wonder if you'd be willing to show me your phone, then? You should have
+Sakayanagi-san registered in your contacts."
+"That's... because we're friends! There's nothing suspicious about me
+having her registered!"
+It's true that there wouldn't be anything suspicious about it if the two of them
+really did have a friendly relationship.
+However, the fact that, recently, Sakayanagi had openly contacted Yamauchi
+was fresh in the minds of everyone in the classroom.
+Horikita had probably asked Yamauchi about his contacts in order to remind
+everyone of what had taken place.
+"Do... do you seriously have ties with Sakayanagi-chan?"
+Coming from his closest friend, Ike's question felt scornful.
+"T-I'm telling you... Why would I join up with Class A!? I'd never betray my
+friends! This is really the first time I've ever heard about this! Come on and
+give me a break already...!"
+At his wit's end, Yamauchi played the victim.
+"Wrong. Under her orders, you convinced our classmates to target
+Ayanokoji-kun. After all, she's much more clever than you are. She gave you
+clear instructions on how to get AyanokOji-kun expelled from the school."
+"N-no no no!"
+"Furthermore, there was probably also something that convinced Yamauchi-
+kun to willingly cooperate with her. Something like an invitation to start
+dating, perhaps?"
+"Agh! bb)
+Bull's-eye. As Horikita pointed out the one truth that he wanted to keep
+hidden more than anything else, Yamauchi expressed a whole new kind of
+agitation.
+This was probably something Horikita had deduced all on her own, and based
+on his reaction, it seemed that she had hit it right on the mark.
+iN
+***
+haa
+"There's no reason for the class to expel someone far superior to you like
+Ayanokoji-kun because of this stupid, worthless motive of yours. This is the
+primary reason why I nominate you for expulsion."
+Horikita spoke not toward Yamauchi, but toward the entirety of the class.
+"None of us want to lose one of our classmates. However, you betrayed your
+own class and colluded with the enemy. You even tried to target one of your
+very own friends... You are, without a doubt, the most unnecessary student
+in the class."
+"Th-That's..."
+You could practically hear the cogs turning inside Yamauchi's head as he
+frantically thought about how to get out of his current situation.
+"Tf... Even if we assume what you're saying is true... why am I the only one
+being criticized for it? Trying to protect myself by working with another class
+is a legitimate form of self-defense, isn't it!? It's not like I want to be
+expelled!"
+"T see. So essentially, you're asking 'what's wrong with trying to protect
+myself?', right?"
+It was a pitiful, stubborn excuse, but Yamauchi still wasn't willing to admit
+to it.
+"Self-preservation is certainly important. However, I don't see very much
+value in someone who's willing to throw away one of their peers in order to
+gain that protection, much less someone who's sold their soul to an enemy."
+Horikita wouldn't stand down, no matter how much Yamauchi tried to resist.
+"Y-you're just standing up for AyanokOji because you're on good terms with
+him!"
+"Not at all. This was the objective outcome of a calm, composed judgment.
+Both you and Ayanokoji-kun started out from the very same place.
+Comparing the two of you side by side, the difference between your overall
+contribution to the class is painfully clear. Furthermore, considering your
+connection with Class A, there's simply no more room for discussion."
+"No objections here. I believe that Horikita-girl's proposal is quite desirable.
+We certainly don't want to keep around someone who could potentially
+betray the class. I certainly couldn't spend time with a student who could
+potentially betray the class. She has my support."
+With that, Kenji was the first to support for Horikita's proposal.
+"Wait! I haven't betrayed anyone! I swear on my life!"
+As a last-ditch effort, Yamauchi swore on his life to prove he wasn't lying.
+It was hard to say whether or not his sentiment managed to reach his fellow
+classmates.
+"Oh! Then, why in the world is it Ayanokoji, huh!?"
+"What do you mean by that?"
+"Even if I really was somehow taking orders from Sakayanagi-chan, instead
+of trying to expel someone like AyanokOji, wouldn't it make more sense for
+me to target Someone more dangerous?"
+This was probably a lingering doubt from back when Sakayanagi had first
+approached him. Instead of Ayanok6ji, why not pick one of the central
+figures of the class like Hirata or Karuizawa?
+"I'm guessing that it's because he doesn't stand out very much, for better or
+worse. Even if she wanted you to expel a more outstanding student, you
+wouldn't be able to do so very easily. So, she chose someone unobtrusive like
+Ayanokoji-kun. As far as Sakayanagi-san was concerned, it probably didn't
+matter who got expelled. She just wanted a spy, a chess piece she could move
+however she wanted."
+There was no way somebody like Yamauchi could've resisted getting caught
+up in such a cunning strategy.
+"I'm guessing that there are some of you who aren't too happy about my
+nomination as well. In which case, please feel free to cast your censure vote
+for me. Whether you want to vote for Yamauchi-kun or Ayanokoji-kun, or
+even anybody else, just go ahead and do it. I just felt that I needed to share
+my opinion with everyone, which is exactly why I decided to hold this
+discussion in the first place. Please try to account for this as you come to your
+own decision."
+Horikita spoke confidently, resolved to put everything on the line for what
+she believed was right, and it was probably going to pay off.
+However, Sudo proceeded to chime in once again.
+"Hold up, Suzune... I think I understand the gist of the situation. I also get
+that Haruki is the one in the wrong here..."
+His expression was gloomy. This was a desperate show of resistance from
+someone who always abided by Horikita's orders.
+"But, I'm against having Haruki get expelled."
+"Well, he is your friend. I'm well aware of how important he is to you."
+However, Horikita had already anticipated that Sudo would choose to back
+Yamauchi.
+Yet, Sudo also wasn't willing to simply back down.
+"He's my friend, so I'm gonna protect him. That makes sense right? I know
+it's pretty bad that he went and did what he did with Class A and all but... we
+don't gotta expel him for that. Isn't it all good as long as he reflects and
+seriously contributes moving forward?"
+"Tf that was the case, there'd be no need to expel Ayanokoji-kun either, since
+he hasn't done anything wrong."
+"T-that's-"
+"This whole perspective of yours is flawed, Sud6o-kun."
+Horikita took a short breath, readying herself to bring forth all the courage
+she could muster.
+She stood tall, having fully resolved herself to be hated by her peers.
+"By protecting one person, you're abandoning somebody else. It follows that
+this exam isn't about sentiment. It's about theory."
+Sudo opened his mouth but proceeded to sink into silence.
+His desire to help his friend was clear.
+But in order to do that, it meant that somebody else would have to be
+expelled instead.
+Forming a group and trying to control the votes was, in and of itself, a
+mistake.
+Until today, the class had been free to take whatever action they saw fit for
+the upcoming exam. Everyone had been consumed with negative thoughts,
+thinking specific people deserved to be expelled. Thinking that there was no
+point in fighting back against something that had already seemed to be
+decided upon.
+This was exactly why it had come down to this. Everyone had realized that
+they aren't able to take action for the sake of the class and that they just
+wanted to save themselves. If Horikita had done this on the day the exam was
+announced, it probably wouldn't have been nearly as effective. More
+importantly, if she had appealed to the class before they had been forced to
+go through this special exam, her words probably wouldn't have resonated
+with them. But now, everyone should be able to understand just how difficult
+and frightening it is to take the initiative and try to expel one of your
+classmates.
+"Sorry, Haruki... I can't do anything for you..."
+Honestly, Sud6's newfound maturity was shocking. He still had a tendency
+where he'd easily lose his temper after some small provocations, so while he
+had some ways to go, he was broadening his own horizons, little by little.
+Even though it was a choice between me and a close friend, he had been able
+to put my relatively close relationship with Horikita aside and calmly come to
+a reasonable decision.
+"Looks like it's decided then, Horikita-girl."
+Koenji and the other spectators were ready to hand down their verdict.
+"Wait! Wait! Stop!"
+Yamauchi began shouting, begging for them to stop.
+"Tt'd be stupid of you to waste your censure votes on me!!!"
+"T've already made up my mind. Nobody here deserves to be voted for more
+than you do."
+"Yeah but! I've already made an agreement with everyone to vote for
+Ayanokoji!"
+"...1... take back everything..."
+"Huh?"
+Kushida spoke quietly, her eyes cast downward.
+"T made a mistake... I wanted to help Yamauchi-kun... but I didn't realize
+the gravity of the situation. I'm taking back what I asked of everyone..."
+Given the situation, in order to avoid ruining her own reputation, Kushida
+had no choice but to side with Horikita.
+"Wait wait. What're you saying!? You're breaking your own promise!!! How
+cruel!"
+"You're the cruel one here Yamauchi-kun... going as far as to betray your
+own classmates..."
+And now, Yamauchi was completely alone.
+The feeling of being targeted by many of your peers was one he should know
+better than anyone.
+"You are the weakest link in the class, and you're a traitor."
+Horikita reiterated her point with both indifference and composure.
+"That's everything I wanted to say."
+With this, she attempted to bring the discussion to a close.
+There didn't appear to be anybody willing to oppose her anymore.
+"In conclusion, I'd like to hear the opinions of everyone here. What are your
+thoughts?"
+However...
+"T want you to hold on for a second, Horikita-san."
+"_..Is something the matter?"
+A male student raised his hand and proceeded to stand up from his seat.
+If there was a sole factor that had fallen outside of Horikita's calculations, it
+would have to be the existence of Hirata Yosuke.
+"Even though I've stayed silent and let you say everything you wanted to say,
+I must object to the way you're inducing the rest of the class to vote with you.
+For comrades to come together to kick somebody out like this... it's just
+plain wrong."
+Hirata's words didn't come from a place of sentiment like Sudo, nor did they
+from logic like Horikita. Instead, they came from a place of suffering and
+resistance, spurned forward from his inability to come to an answer.
+"There isn't any other way. This exam doesn't have any loopholes. It's
+unreasonable, but somebody in our class is, without a shadow of a doubt,
+going to be sacrificed. Don't tell me you still haven't come to terms with this
+yet?"
+"How could I possibly come to terms with it? I... I don't want to lose
+anyone. It'd be different if somebody wanted to be expelled, but whether it's
+Yamauchi-kun or AyanokOji-kun, neither of them actually do."
+"Neither of them actually want it? You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who
+actually wants it. How about I raise a pointless question to the rest of the
+class? Could I get a show of hands of everyone who feels like they want to be
+expelled from the school? If you come out now, there won't be any need for
+any of this anymore. The rest of us will unanimously cast our censure votes
+for you and wash our hands of all of this."
+Not a single person raised their hand. If there actually was such a convenient
+student, they would've already announced their candidacy ages ago.
+"Do you get it now?"
+"No. There's no way I'd be willing to accept something so horrible."
+The perfect honor's student, well-versed in both sports and academics. A
+truly virtuous guy.
+But despite all of that, Hirata YOsuke's weakness was revealed.
+When the time comes and he's pressured to make a decisive decision, he's
+overwhelmed, unable to do anything at all.
+"T have faith in my decision to push forward here, regardless of whether
+you're willing to accept it or not, so let's take a vote. Here and now."
+"There's no reason for us to do that. There's no way to guarantee who people
+will vote for tomorrow."
+"That's not true. It's important to keep an eye on the voting trends of our
+classmates."
+"It's pointless. Everyone... everyone's trying to get someone expelled! I
+can't...!"
+Hirata was probably afraid that Horikita's actions would spark a fire that
+would burn out of control, causing personal information such as 'who hates
+who' to be made public.
+"Well then, everyone, let's get on with it."
+Horikita disregarded Hirata and once again attempted to take the vote.
+Nobody could stop her anymore. It was the moment of truth.
+"Horikita-san!"
+A loud, unnatural sound echoed throughout the classroom.
+Something happened that nobody in the room had even slightly expected.
+Hirata had kicked over his desk, sending it flying forward as it toppled to the
+ground.
+"Wha... Uhm, H-Hirata-kun?"
+I could hear the voice of one of the girls, reeling in utter disbelief.
+And to be fair, I was just as surprised.
+It was the type of situation that made me wonder if he had simply gotten
+carried away and his foot had accidentally made contact with his desk.
+The same was true for Chabashira.
+His unbelievable behavior was simply far too unexpected.
+"Would you just stop, Horikita-san?"
+He had lowered the tone of his voice, as though he was trying to scare her
+into backing down.
+"_,.What do you want me to stop?"
+Horikita answered with a question of her own, adjusting her bangs to help
+hide her outright shock.
+"T'm telling you, stop it with this vote."
+"You don't have the right..."
+Hirata's daunting words caused her voice to waver just a little.
+That was just how much intensity his voice carried.
+"This discussion has been a mistake."
+"Tf so, then what in the world should we be doing? It's not like you have any
+ideas. You haven't been doing anything this entire time."
+..S0 what?"
+"...50 what? I'm saying it's a problem. You haven't been making a proper
+assessment of the situation."
+"Shut up..."
+"No, I won't shut up. I-"
+"Horikita... just shut your mouth already."
+Hirata spoke sharply, coldly interrupting her. His words were far heavier than
+anything we had ever heard him say before.
+It felt as though the air within the classroom had frozen over.
+"Listen up, everyone."
+Hirata's tone had changed as he addressed the class, making him seem like a
+different person entirely.
+"Tt doesn't matter at all whether everything that's been said so far is true or
+not."
+"...It wasn't! She was definitely lying, Hirata! I'm just a victim here!"
+Yamauchi clamored to Hirata, having been forced into a dire situation.
+"Victim?"
+oa Eh Wn
+Hirata's deep, relentless gaze pierced through Yamauchi.
+"After everything that's been said, there's no way you're innocent here."
+"That Sica legs?"
+"The fact that you guys are fine with betraying one your own makes me sick
+to my stomach."
+His anger wasn't just directed toward Yamauchi, but the class as a whole.
+"It's an exam. We don't have any other choice."
+"Either way, it's wrong to manipulate the vote like this."
+"The exam is tomorrow. Are you saying that we should sit back and not do
+anything to prepare ourselves? That'd be no different from just silently
+allowing Yamauchi-kun's betrayal."
+"What's wrong with not having a plan? We have no right to judge our
+classmates."
+"What are you even saying...? Isn't that exactly what this special exam is
+asking of us? In fact, many of us actually want this."
+Horikita knew this precisely because she had been standing up at the podium,
+taking in the gazes of her classmates.
+However, Hirata wasn't willing to even try to accept this.
+".,.Aren't you the actual problem here?"
+His low, heavy voice resonated throughout the classroom.
+Even now, my brain refused to accept that this cold voice was coming from
+Hirata.
+"Tt's true that this exam is far too heartless and cruel. I'!l never be able to
+accept it. But, even so... if you can somehow get yourself to tolerate it, it's
+really nothing more than just a normal class poll. By no means is it here for
+you to pit everyone against each other like this."
+"That's unrealistic. Behind the scenes, our classmates have been forming a
+group, holding discussions about how to manipulate the results of the vote.
+Ayanokoji-kun was going to take on all of that by himself."
+"Yes. That's also deplorable. Regardless, your blatant appeal to the entire
+class is a different thing entirely."
+"Tt's the same. There's no difference. You should've stopped their plotting
+yourself if you really wanted to stay true to this hypocritical mindset of
+yours."
+Nobody could cut into their conversation at this point.
+Hirata was the on the edge of desperation, and the only person capable of
+talking it out with him was Horikita.
+"Besides, even without taking a vote here, I've already finished explaining
+everything. Don't you realize that this 'normal vote' you wanted is already
+completely gone?"
+"That's right... The die has been cast. You can't take back what's been said."
+Hirata took a deep breath before continuing.
+He regained a little bit of his composure, but there was no change in his cold
+attitude.
+"That's why I'm going to cast my vote for you tomorrow, Horikita-san. I
+won't allow you to cause problems for this class again."
+Hirata was well aware of his own numerous inconsistencies. Nonetheless, he
+gets along with everyone in the class and values peace and camaraderie more
+than anyone. Which, consequently, was exactly why he was suffering.
+"Yes. Do as you want."
+Horikita didn't seem dissatisfied. It was as if she was encouraging the class to
+do the same if they agreed with him.
+Having watched over the entire ordeal, Chabashira quietly approached the
+teaching podium.
+"Ts that all, Horikita?"
+"Yes."
+Horikita yielded the podium and returned to her seat.
+Classes had already been dismissed for the day, and this was no place for a
+teacher to interfere.
+But even so, Chabashira once again stood before her students.
+"You all may think this exam is an unreasonable, terrible thing being forced
+upon you by the school. However, once you enter society, you will definitely
+encounter a situation where someone has to be cast aside. Upper and senior
+management have to be willing to bring the hammer down when needed. The
+students who study at this school are nurtured to become important factors in
+the future success of Japan. You won't be able to grow if you perceive this
+exam as a simple means for the school to foster harassment."
+In society, people who are hindrances are fired in order to protect the group
+as a whole.
+Following this chain of logic, there are also backroom deals and vilification
+much like what had been done these past few days.
+There are certainly factors of this special exam meant to help us mature into
+adulthood. However, it is by no means kind to force a group of students, still
+immature of both mind and body, to make this kind of judgment. The exam
+may end up negatively influencing the future of the students.
+"I'm not going to provide my perspective on this discussion of yours. I
+believe everybody's participation has been valuable. I hope you all think
+carefully before you cast your votes tomorrow."
+With that, Chabashira left the classroom, having finished listening to the
+entire discussion.
+Me? Yamauchi? Horikita? Possibly Hirata? Or perhaps even somebody else?
+It was unclear who exactly people would be voting for in tomorrow's vote. In
+other words, the person being expelled tomorrow was still completely up in
+the air, and nobody would be able to find fault with it.
+That's just the kind of special exam this is.
+Part 4
+Haruka and the rest of the Ayanok6oji Group approached me immediately
+after Chabashira left the classroom.
+Horikita and Yamauchi left the classroom right away.
+"Are you free right now?"
+"Hm? Yeah."
+I actually wanted to talk to Hirata a little bit but...
+Without showing any particular sort of emotion on his face, Hirata quietly
+left the classroom alone.
+Since my situation had been made public, ignoring the Ayanokoji Group
+didn't seem like a very good idea.
+"Let's go to the cafe!"
+We collectively agreed with Haruka's suggestion and left the classroom
+behind.
+We all entered the hallway together, none of us even thinking of heading over
+to the cafe alone.
+"Ts this alright? If worst comes to worst, the rest of you might be targeted by
+Yamauchi's group."
+"Tf they want to aim for us then bring it on! I absolutely won't let somebody
+from our group be expelled."
+Contrary to her usual behavior, Haruka's anger was more pronounced and
+didn't seem to be letting up.
+"T have the same opinion. There isn't a single reason why Kiyotaka should be
+expelled."
+Keisei spoke up in agreement, with Akito and Airi nodding along.
+"T thought it was strange that we didn't find out any information, but it makes
+sense that we couldn't, what with their target being somebody in our group."
+No matter how much they investigated, they wouldn't have been able to catch
+on to the identity of the large group's target.
+Keisei seemed to understand this well enough.
+We arrived at the cafe. After everyone finished ordering their drinks, Haruka
+broke the ice.
+"T think Yamauchi-kun is a really good choice for our censure votes. Well,
+rather, I totally don't think there's any other option."
+"No objections here, but what about our other two votes?"
+"Isn't it, like, fine to vote for the people who're still supporting him?"
+"Won't there be a huge drop in the number of his supporters now that it's
+been made public that he's got connections with Sakayanagi? Even Ike and
+Sudo weren't bold enough to say anything to defend him."
+"Yeah, but since they're his friends, I feel like theyll cast him a praise vote
+out of sympathy."
+Haruka's prediction was probably correct.
+Even though he'd been branded a traitor, Yamauchi had only taken action to
+protect himself.
+From another perspective, it could be said that he had simply been taken
+advantage of by Sakayanagi. It's not like there was no room for sympathy.
+Horikita was the one who had incited all the hate for Yamauchi... Well...
+No, I had been the one behind that.
+Yamauchi was the mastermind, and Sakayanagi was the one pulling the
+strings behind him.
+I informed the elder Horikita about everything, and had him relay the
+information to his sister.
+If, by any chance, she hadn't taken action, I would have just done the same
+thing she had done myself.
+"T wonder how many censure votes Kiyotaka is actually gonna get? Out of
+the boys, there's Yamauchi along with Ike and Sudo, and beyond those three,
+Hondo, Ijuin, Miyamoto, and Sotomura all seem to be on fairly good terms
+with him."
+There only seemed to be seven censure votes from the boys in the class.
+"What about the girls?"
+"T have no doubts that Horikita-san will cast a praise vote for Kiyotaka-kun
+and a censure vote for Yamauchi-kun. I don't know what the other girls are
+gonna do though... Do you know Airi?"
+".,.Sat0-san and Karuizawa-san probably won't vote against him... I
+think..."
+"Why?"
+"T don't know why, it's just a feeling but..."
+Airi trailed off as she tried to explain it to Keisei, and Haruka chimed in.
+"Tt's a woman's intuition."
+"We can't rely on that."
+Keisei wasn't going to count these votes with this explanation alone.
+"Yes we can. It's real weird, but I think she's on the right track. Especially
+since it's Airi we're talking about here."
+"What's that supposed to mean? Sato aside, how could she possibly know
+anything about Karuizawa?"
+Unable to understand her reasoning, Keisei doubtfully tilted his head.
+"Don't worry about it. Like, let's just say we can count those two out from
+voting for him."
+"This is sloppy..."
+"However, other than those three, it's still pretty unclear what the rest of the
+girls will do."
+"Yea. There are a lot of girls who don't like Yamauchi-kun though. Even if
+they go through with their promises to vote for Kiyopon, they'!l probably end
+up casting one for him as well."
+"Looking at it from a psychological perspective, that's probably true. For
+somebody who's simply looking to get through the exam, they' Il be able to
+save themselves by casting their votes for people with the highest chance of
+being expelled. They probably see it as a one-on-one fight for survival
+between Kiyotaka and Yamauchi, and the remaining votes will probably be
+scattered among the other options."
+Keisei went into the facts of the matter based on everything he'd heard so far.
+For instance, Koenji had been a prime target for the class's censure votes, but
+even so, that mindset had probably lost some traction. Casting a censure vote
+for Koenji would mean disregarding his strengths, and since there are several
+students actively dragging their feet and holding the class back from moving
+forward, Koenji would probably end up being safe.
+"T'm sure you'll be fine, Kiyotaka-kun."
+"Yeah, thank you."
+In the back of her mind, Airi was probably still somewhat anxious that some
+of the remaining censure votes would be cast for her.
+And yet, she offered me resolute words of encouragement without letting this
+anxiety show through.
+"Anyhow, isn't Kiyopon the calmest one here?"
+"Tt's just that there's nothing I can do. My thoughts have been filled with
+uneasiness."
+"Don't worry. Thanks to Horikita, things aren't looking too bad anymore.
+Rather, it's kinda like you've been saved by her."
+If it weren't for Horikita, there's a good chance that most of the class
+would've faced the exam without knowing anything about what had been
+happening.
+Without even a second thought, they would've gone and cast their vote for
+me just to save themselves.
+An outcome like that was far too easy for me to imagine.
+"But... I wonder how Horikita-san found out about Yamauchi-kun's
+betrayal."
+Airi casually posed a crucial new question.
+"Our group is close with Kiyotaka-kun, so it makes sense that none of us
+heard anything about it, right? I thought Horikita-san would be in the same
+kinda situation as us is all..."
+"That's true... It doesn't seem like Horikita tried to go and form a group
+either."
+Yamauchi was probably frustrated about this as well. He was most likely
+thinking that someone in the large group he had created betrayed him, even
+going as far as to spill everything to Horikita.
+In the first place, he probably wouldn't have been able to notice the
+information leak, nor do anything about it.
+"T don't know who, but there must've been somebody who didn't want
+Kiyopon to be expelled, right?"
+"Probably. At least there's one good egg in the bunch."
+None of them were able to realize that this 'somebody' was both Kei and
+myself.
+Part 5
+On the way back to the dorms, we came across Hirata sitting on one of the
+benches wearing the same listless expression on his face.
+If somebody else were to see him like this, they'd probably reconsider any
+ideas to call out to him.
+After all, nobody had ever seen him like this before.
+"He looks pretty defeated."
+"Yeah... He's completely different from usual."
+Both Haruka and Akito immediately recognized how surreal the situation
+was.
+"T think [Il try talking to him a little."
+"Give it up Kiyotaka. Wouldn't it be better to just leave him be right now?"
+"Maybe, but there's something that's been bothering me."
+"Something that's been bothering you?"
+"Sorry about this, but you guys can head back without me. I don't feel like
+he'd be willing to say very much if we tried to reach out to him as a group. If
+he's going to get angry with somebody, I'd rather it be just me instead of all
+of us."
+"...Alright, but the vote happens tomorrow, so just don't do anything to rub
+him the wrong way. There's honestly no way of telling who Hirata's going to
+vote for right now."
+I nodded in response to Akito's advice and separated from the group.
+I was grateful that they were able to read the situation and head back to the
+dorms without looking back.
+Before I did anything else, I took a picture of his defeated appearance from a
+distance and sent it to Kei with a few other details.
+"Hirata."
+In order to make the most of this opportunity, I called out to him immediately
+after I hit send.
+".,. Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Do you have a minute?"
+"Yeah sure. I, uh, also wanted to talk with you."
+It was possible that he had been sitting here waiting for me.
+Otherwise, there'd be no point in choosing to sit in such a cold place.
+Furthermore, he was sitting off to one side of the bench, quite possibly with
+the hope of having someone else to sit together with him.
+I sat down in the open space beside him.
+"A warm spring will be coming soon."
+"Yeah."
+"I... believed that everyone would be able to welcome that spring together.
+No, even now, somewhere inside my heart, I still do."
+Hirata spoke passionately, even though the class had nearly gone through a
+collapse not too long ago.
+Even though everyone had witnessed his foolish, ugly behavior back in the
+classroom, this core part of his personality still hadn't changed.
+"Having to leave someone behind... I hate it."
+"There's nothing we can do about it. Whether it's me, Yamauchi, or someone
+else entirely, somebody has to be the sacrifice."
+Hirata's expression still didn't carry any hints of emotion.
+"Could I entrust it to you?"
+"Entrust what?"
+"Class C. I want you to lead everyone in my stead from now on."
+"Don't be so reckless. I wouldn't be able to do something so outrageous.
+Hirata, if you want to protect the class, you need to do it yourself."
+"That's impossible. I... just can't do that anymore."
+He was probably frustrated with himself for being unable to come to a
+decision. These kinds of thoughts were probably the only thing he had on his
+mind.
+But that wasn't everything.
+"T made the same mistake again. I even reflected on it back then, and yet..."
+Immersed in bitterness, tears began to well up in the corner of his eyes.
+I found myself wondering just how much anguish Hirata had gone through
+because of this exam.
+"T'd be able to feel at ease entrusting the class to someone like you."
+He sighed, his white breath dispersing into the cold air.
+There was nothing dazzling or enviable about the look on our class leader's
+face.
+"This special exam. Cast one censure vote for me and one for Yamauchi. It'd
+be fine for you to cast your last one for Horikita if you want."
+"So you're telling me I should leave the decision in the hands of the rest of
+the class."
+There was no need for Hirata to explicitly choose someone.
+He could choose to leave it to the other 39 students in the class instead.
+"You really are amazing, Ayanokoji-kun."
+"T'm nothing special."
+"IT was approached by both Horikita-san and Yamauchi-kun as I've sat here.
+Horikita-san told me to vote for Yamauchi-kun, and Yamauchi-kun told me
+to vote for you. They both claimed to want something different than the
+other. However, you're the only one who hasn't tried to throw someone else
+under the bus. That's not something just anyone can do."
+That was only because, from a strategic standpoint, it was better to not say
+anything.
+In this situation, it wasn't a very good idea to try and force Hirata to vote
+along with you.
+It's just that I had come to this conclusion ahead of time.
+"T'm glad I talked with you. I... I really feel like I might be able to find an
+answer now."
+"Is that so?"
+Hirata stood up.
+It seemed as though he had found his own way to get through the exam.
+But, I wasn't about to agree with his way of thinking.
+"Wanna head back?"
+At his suggestion, the two of us began walking back to the dormitories
+without exchanging another word.
+Chapter 6: "The Other Classes'
+Ideas"
+Introduction
+From the very beginning, Class D's stance on what to do hadn't changed in
+the slightest.
+Approximately ninety percent of the class reached the same conclusion when
+the supplemental exam was first announced.
+And by Friday, the day before the vote, that conclusion still hadn't changed.
+The conclusion to expel Rywen Kakeru.
+The majority of the class had already made up their minds without any prior
+discussion or planning.
+Ryiten had led the class like a dictator, ruling with an iron fist. However,
+nobody could say his actions had led the class to success, not even as flattery.
+In fact, he was the reason their class had fallen from Class C, dropping them
+down into last place.
+Moreover, many students had suffered from his rule of intimidation and
+violence. He took advantage of weak-minded students to create a situation
+where his demands wouldn't be questioned. He was the root of all evil. Many
+of the students thought that they wouldn't have fallen down to Class D if
+Ryuen hadn't been around, even if they would've never been able to rise to
+Class B.
+By the third day of the exam, a good portion of Class D had already reached
+an agreement. Namely, to make sure everyone casts one censure vote for
+Ryuen, and to spread out the two remaining votes amongst the rest of the
+class to avoid concentrating too many votes on another person. This way,
+they'd be able to ensure Ryiien's expulsion.
+Although Ishizaki truly didn't wish to see Ryuen go, he had been put into a
+difficult position as the one credited with defeating him. He had been forced
+into the important role of amassing censure votes to work against Ryiien.
+When the details of the exam were first explained, Rytien immediately
+understood the complexity of the situation Ishizaki had found himself in and
+the collective stance of his classmates.
+And so, he came to a decision. In this exam where the class wanted to kick
+him out, he wouldn't put up a shred of resistance.
+For this reason, he was going to enjoy whatever time he had left until the
+supplemental exam came to an end.
+After all, he still had to think about where he would go and what he would do
+after leaving the school.
+Hence, he didn't want to waste his time sticking around in the classroom after
+school had ended for the day.
+Ryuen left the classroom right away.
+Ibuki watched as he did, quietly thinking about how she would pass the time
+for the remainder of the day.
+In the past, Ryuen had often invited her to accompany him, but that hadn't
+happened for a while now.
+A girl approached Ibuki as she stared blankly at the door Ryuen had just
+passed through.
+"Well well, that's quite the miserable look on your face, now isn't it? Are
+you really 'that' sad to see Ryuuen get expelled?"
+"Haa... You again? You really enjoy trying to pick a fight with me, don't
+you?"
+"Not reeeally. I'm just here 'cause I'm worried about you; isn't that obvious?
+It seems to me like you've been increasingly less important ever since
+Ryten-kun lost, wouldn't you say?"
+The one saying these provocative words was none other than Ibuki's
+classmate, Shiho Manabe, a central figure among the girls of Class D.
+Ever since enrollment, the two had never gotten along well with each other.
+Manabe had butted heads with Ibuki more than just a few times, but because
+Ibuki was heavily supported by Ryuen, Manabe had been unable to complain
+about her as much as she wanted to.
+Inwardly, this had made Manabe extremely unhappy.
+Her provocations were, most likely, her way of venting pent-up anger.
+"You're gonna cast a censure vote for me, aren't you Ibuki-san?"
+"Dunno."
+"Just do it. I'm gonna vote for you, so we' ll be even that way."
+",.Huh, is that so."
+Manabe became somewhat annoyed by Ibuki's indifferent reply.
+After all, she really wanted to see her squirm and lose herself in anger.
+"Well, isn't it nice knowing that you won't be expelled, Ibuki-san? Even if a
+handful of people cast Rywen-kun their praise votes, he's still gonna get like,
+more than thirty censure votes."
+Manabe was only able to be this cocky because Ryuen wasn't in the room,
+but that didn't change the fact that many of the other students shared her
+stance on the matter.
+Ishizaki got up out of his seat.
+The supplemental exam would take place tomorrow, and once it began,
+nothing more could be done to change the situation.
+"Come with me for a bit, Ibuki."
+Ishizaki approached the two girls as they glared at one another.
+"_,.Whatever."
+Despite her unclear response, Ibuki went along with Ishizaki's request and
+proceeded to leave the classroom.
+For Ibuki, she believed that pretty much anything would be preferable if it
+meant getting away from Manabe.
+"You can act as calm and composed as you want, but know that after Ryiien-
+kun gets expelled, you're next."
+Acting as though she was the ruler of the class, Manabe saw Ibuki off with
+one final provocation.
+"So, where are we going?"
+Ibuki asked after they left the classroom, with Manabe no longer in view.
+"Nowhere in particular. I kinda just wanted to talk to you for a bit about the
+private points Ryuen-san is holding onto. What happened to em?"
+"Nothing 'happened' to them, he's still got them."
+"You still haven't gotten em? The exam's tomorrow you know? We'lIl lose
+em all once he gets expelled."
+"And just who was the one who got all worked up about not taking them,
+again?"
+"That's... I didn't care much about private points back then..."
+"Tf you want them so badly, why don't you go beg him for them yourself?"
+"T ain't gonna do that."
+Ibuki spoke sharply because she already knew that this would be his answer.
+"As far as the rest of the class is concerned, you're the one responsible for
+knocking Rytien down a peg. It'd be pretty suspicious if people were to find
+out that you had been in touch with him. People might even start to question
+your loyalty."
+For Ishizaki, being doubted by his classmates wouldn't be a terrible
+development, given that he wanted to prevent Ryuen's impending expulsion.
+However, that would only put Ishizaki at risk of expulsion in Ryiien's stead.
+Moreover, the truth behind Ishizaki's involvement in Ryiien's fall from
+power could be exposed. There was no way Ishizaki would be able to reach
+out to him.
+He was suffering from two conflicting emotions: the desire to save Ryuen,
+and the desire to save himself.
+"TI... Dammit, what should I do...?"
+"Tt's for the best to just let Ryten be expelled, isn't it? Even you should know
+that."
+"Ts that really okay? Do you really think we can win in the future without
+Ryuen-san?"
+"He expected us to praise the hell out of him even though he never produced
+any decent results. His actions were impossible to understand, and moreover,
+seemed kinda stupid."
+"He certainly took a lot of risks, but without him, reaching Class A is nothing
+more than a pipe dream."
+Even Ryien had been wary of Class A's comprehensive overall power under
+Sakayanagi's leadership.
+And then there was Class B's unwavering unity and consistent results under
+the command of Ichinose.
+And furthermore, there was Class C's Ayanokoji, who had the brute strength
+to overwhelm Ryien and an immeasurable amount of knowledge and
+ingenuity to back that up.
+The difference in power between the classes was painfully obvious, a fact
+that had left a strong impression on Ishizaki.
+In order for Class D to contend with those monsters, it was crucial for them
+to have a monster of their own.
+It was clear that Ryden Kakeru wasn't the correct student to get rid of during
+this exam.
+"Well, I admit Rytien's far from normal."
+Ibuki had her own thoughts on all of this as well.
+For some reason, even though Ryuen had been defeated by Ayanokoji, her
+own opinion of him hadn't really gone down.
+Rywten possessed a unique something that Sakayanagi and Ichinose didn't.
+A 'something' that might even be able to reach someone like AyanokOji.
+At least, that's what she thought.
+"Dammit..."
+Watching Ishizaki vent his frustrations with a sidelong glance, Ibuki began to
+think about what she could do for this exam.
+Even though Ishizaki was an unpleasant, hot-headed guy, he was still
+earnestly putting in his best efforts.
+And yet, she only thought of protecting herself. Of how it would be safer to
+just stay silent and let Ryten be expelled.
+Ibuki certainly didn't have as much leeway as Ishizaki.
+She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was disliked by the rest of
+her class.
+In fact, she knew that if Rytien disappeared, she would be targeted next.
+There was more to Manabe's statement earlier than mere harassment.
+Nevertheless, as long as she stayed quiet this time, she'd survive.
+Or perhaps in the near future, another way forward might reveal itself.
+This was the main aspect that was preventing her from taking action.
+She thought back to what 'he' had said.
+[ This exam isn't simple enough for you to be able to save someone just
+because you say you want to. J
+'He' had already seen through Ibuki's mindset, her way of thinking.
+It was why she hadn't been able to face the situation seriously.
+"Hey Ishizaki."
+"What...?"
+"You don't really want Ryuen to be expelled, do you?"
+" .. Yeah. I can't even lie about it."
+"Yeah."
+There was absolutely no way someone was going to receive more censure
+votes than Ryiien.
+"T don't really want to admit it, but I feel the same way. Just remember that
+after Ryien's gone, I'm next."
+She explicitly laid out the facts.
+"I'm going to see Ryuen tonight and recover the private points. I might be the
+only one who can."
+Those points would then be put to good use for Class D's sake.
+Ryuen's sacrifice would be used as a source of encouragement for the future.
+"So there's really no other way..."
+"It's pretty much all we can do."
+Ibuki steeled her resolve.
+She would recover every single private point Ryuen Kakeru had.
+As long as there was a chance they could benefit Class D, they absolutely
+needed to be obtained.
+Part 1
+That night, Ibuki visited Ryuen's dorm room without any prior notice.
+The dry sound of her fist knocking on his door quietly reverberated through
+the chilly hallway.
+After waiting for a bit, the door opened.
+"You?"
+".,.W-what the hell are you doing!?"
+His chest bare, Ryten had come to the door wearing nothing but his boxers.
+"Tf I told you I was doing something vulgar, would you bug off?"
+"T'd kick you in the nuts and go back to my room without looking back."
+"Kuku. I just got out of the bath, come in."
+It seemed as though he was telling the truth, as his hair was indeed still wet.
+Although she was still wary of Rytien's teasing, Ibuki stepped into his room.
+It was the first time she had done so ever since enrollment.
+Contrary to her expectations, the room was decked out with various
+accessories, giving it a completely different impression than 'his' room.
+"You're not here because you wanted to sleep with me before I get expelled,
+are you?"
+Ibuki had no intention of drawing this out by getting caught up in his teasing,
+instead choosing to just get straight to the point.
+"Y our private points. Hand them over."
+"Oh? Aren't you the one who rejected them in the first place?"
+While drying his hair with a bath towel, Ryten took a plastic water bottle out
+of the fridge.
+Though, rather than offer it to Ibuki, he popped off the cap and took a drink
+for himself.
+"There's already nothing you can do to survive the exam. In other words, the
+points are going to be wasted right along with you."
+"T suppose. As it is now, if I'm expelled, they'd all disappear."
+The secret contract he had made with Class A would be terminated, leaving
+Class D with the short end of the stick.
+"So give them to me while you still can."
+"Well aren't you shameless."
+"It's what you really want, isn't it? It wouldn't have been beneath you to go
+and waste them all if you really didn't want to hand them over, but it doesn't
+seem to me like you've done that. It's like you've been telling us to come and
+pick them up."
+Ryuen had been quietly keeping to himself over the past several days.
+It was obvious that he had used, at most, only a couple thousand points.
+"Kuku, well aren't you the smart one. Whatever, take em. They're useless to
+me anyway."
+Ryuen let show a smile as he stood before Ibuki.
+He then picked up his cell phone and started tapping on the screen.
+It only took a moment. Everything Ryten owned was transferred to Ibuki's
+mobile phone.
+"Tt went through. You've served your purpose with this, Ryuen."
+Ibuki attempted to put away her phone away as she spoke, but Ryuen reached
+out and grabbed her by the arm.
+With that, he shoved her against the wall.
+"Hey! What are you doing!?"
+Ibuki immediately let out a kick, but Ryten catches it with one hand,
+stopping it easily.
+"T don't dislike that aggressive personality of yours, you know."
+"Huh!?"
+Ibuki reacted with glaring hostility, unsure about what he was going to do,
+but Ryiien just smirked and let go of her leg.
+It was Ryuen's way of offering her one final farewell.
+"You're strong, but if you ask me, you've got plenty of weak points. You
+can't beat Suzune like that."
+"Mind your own business."
+"Goodbye Ibuki."
+Rywten turned away, appearing to have already lost interest in the
+conversation.
+He then walked over to the front door to show her the way out.
+There was a momentary silence as she put on her shoes.
+"Are you Satisfied with your time here, at this school?"
+Ibuki asked, quietly breaking the silence with her back turned to him.
+"Oh?"
+"Nevermind."
+The answer was obvious just from looking at him.
+Ryuen wasn't satisfied at all.
+As a matter of fact, he was going to quietly leave the school without ever
+being able to gain that satisfaction.
+Ibuki stood up, the cold air from the hallway flowing in as she opened the
+door.
+"Goodbye then."
+With these parting words, Ibuki left, closing the door behind her.
+There was nobody else but her in the hallway this late at night.
+A huge sum of private points was displayed on the screen of her cell phone.
+She felt nothing but emptiness as she switched to another screen.
+Ibuki made a phone call as she walked down the hallway.
+She didn't care if the person on the other end was asleep.
+If it went to voicemail, she intended to cut the call.
+However, they picked up before the tone played twice.
+"Tt's me. I've gotten all of Ryien's private points."
+She had finished her task, having reported to the person she needed to report
+to.
+From the other end of the phone, 'he' responded, stating that he wanted to
+meet up in person.
+"That's fine, but..."
+She trailed off as she thought about how she was already out and about.
+After a short pause, Ibuki agreed to his request, resolving herself to head to
+'his' room.
+Part 2
+On Friday, the day before the supplemental exam, the students of Class B
+stayed behind after school as well.
+The entire class was present.
+The one standing behind the teaching podium was not the homeroom teacher,
+Hoshinomiya, but the leader of the class, Ichinose Honami.
+"Everyone, thank you for everything you've done this past week. I'm grateful
+that you all went along with my selfish request."
+After the supplemental exam was first announced, Ichinose had made a
+request of her classmates:
+[I ask that you all continue to get along with one another until after school,
+the day before the exam. |
+It was her one request, one made without any explanation.
+She hadn't gone into any further details about the strategy for the upcoming
+exam.
+Straining the relationship between her classmates wouldn't do anyone any
+good.
+After all, the fact that somebody would be expelled during this exam was
+absolutely unavoidable.
+Even though the students of Class B naturally felt a bit uneasy about it, they
+still faithfully honored Ichinose's request.
+They trusted in Ichinose's words, because they had come to understand over
+the course of the year that she spoke for the sake of Class B as a whole.
+The class's homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya, was slightly uneasy as she
+listened to Ichinose speak. As one of the teachers who felt that this special
+exam was unreasonable, she felt guilty about the hardship Class B had to
+endure. The class was strong and dazzling because they had been able to
+unite together as one without anyone being expelled. She was worried that, if
+somebody were to be expelled at this point, it might cast a shadow over the
+rest of the class.
+"T imagine everyone is quite worried, but I'd like you all to feel at ease. I
+won't let a single one of us be expelled."
+While Ichinose spoke, traces of anxiety and suspense were held within the
+gazes of her classmates.
+She had given the class good news, but at the same time, she had also roused
+their suspicions.
+"Are you sure, Ichinose? Saying that so confidently..."
+Kanzaki expressed his concern. Given the situation, if she was lying just to
+make everyone feel better, it was probably for the best to stop her now.
+"Tt's okay, Ichinose. We're prepared for what we have to do."
+Shibata spoke up as well. Even if Ichinose didn't have a plan, he wasn't
+going to hold it against her.
+However, Ichinose spoke once again, reaffirming her certainty.
+"Tt's fine. Kanzaki-kun, you once told me that if somebody has the power to
+change things, they're nothing more than a fool if they don't make use of it,
+right? That's why I've been reflecting on what I could do for all of you."
+She was confident that none of her classmates would have to be expelled.
+"_,.. Then let's hear it. How are you going to prevent the expulsion?"
+If she couldn't provide any proof, she might as well have been deluding
+herself.
+"There's only one way to ensure that everyone survives this provisional
+exam, right?"
+"Yeah, we'd have to use twenty million points to override the expulsion."
+"That's why I'd like to ask everybody to entrust me with all your private
+points. You won't have any spending points until April, but this way,
+everyone can be saved."
+"But, if I'm remembering correctly, we don't have enough to reach twenty
+million, right?"
+Shibata questioned, looking around at his classmates, his eyes seeking
+confirmation.
+They had already discussed it several times over, but at the end of the day,
+you can't spend what you don't have.
+They were still a few million points short, a disparity that was simply too
+large to overcome.
+"So what? Honami-chan's the one asking for them, so just hand them over."
+One of the girls spoke up, dismissing Shibata's hesitation.
+Without even bothering with the details, the girls immediately began to
+transfer their points to Ichinose.
+The class routinely transferred a percentage of their points to her every
+month, so they had all already gotten used to doing it.
+"Well, I guess you're right."
+Shibata agreed and pulled out his cell phone.
+Faithfully trusted by her classmates, every single private point Class B held
+was transferred to Ichinose in no time at all.
+The total on the screen of her phone was just shy of sixteen million points.
+"Yup, just as calculated, we're roughly four million points short."
+"Now how are you going to make up for the rest? I can't imagine that anyone
+from any of the other classes would be willing to give us so many, not even
+the upperclassmen."
+Even though he had already sent over his own points, Kanzaki once again
+pressed Ichinose for an answer.
+When Nagumo presented Ichinose with the offer to borrow private points,
+she had promised not to say anything about the deal to others.
+However, now that it had come down to this, she couldn't simply keep it a
+secret from her friends.
+That was why, the day before, she had gotten permission from Nagumo to
+reveal everything, with the slight exception of the details about dating.
+"From student council president Nagumo. When I brought our situation up
+with him, he told me he'd be willing to supply the rest."
+"The student council president? Can he even come up with that many
+points?"
+"Yes. In fact, he even showed me how many he has."
+Though, there was no way to be certain until Ichinose actually received them.
+"Of course, we'll have to pay him back afterward."
+"What are the details of the repayment plan? Does the president plan on
+charging us interest?"
+"Would the answer to those questions affect what we have to do?"
+"No, not at all. Even if the interest rate is unreasonably high, I don't think
+anything can replace one of our comrades."
+Kanzaki agreed with Ichinose without batting an eye.
+However, he judged that it was still important to understand the details of the
+transaction first.
+He took it upon himself to ask the questions the rest of the class wouldn't,
+and Ichinose was incredibly thankful for that.
+To her, he was a cherished partner who spoke up on behalf of the class's
+feelings.
+"Our repayment period is three months, and there's no interest."
+"Ts it really okay for him to not charge anything...>?"
+In this difficult situation, it wouldn't be unusual for the other party to demand
+at least some interest.
+The fact that president Nagumo was lending them points without any made
+him seem like Class B's savior.
+"Because of this, I feel like I'll be inconveniencing everyone for a little
+while... Is that alright?"
+"Amazing... As expected of Ichinose-san! You absolutely have my full
+support!"
+None of her classmates showed any signs of dissatisfaction.
+For their sake, she definitely wouldn't let someone be expelled.
+That was Ichinose Honami's resolve to protect her friends.
+Part 3
+Later that evening, Ichinose called Nagumo.
+She was making one final confirmation of everything in preparation for
+tomorrow's exam.
+"Nagumo-senpai, it's me, Ichinose."
+"Honami? This is about our little arrangement, right?"
+"Yes. I brought it up with all my classmates earlier today, so I thought I'd run
+everything by you once again."
+"The conditions I gave you aren't gonna change. Just scrape together every
+private point you can get your hands on, including the ones your classmates
+have. We can't be having you get through this without sharing in the
+suffering together."
+"You're right. I think so too."
+He wasn't willing to lend them the points they needed while they still had
+points to spare for themselves.
+This was one of the conditions Nagumo had put forward in exchange for his
+cooperation.
+Nagumo had an enormous amount of private points saved up, with the
+number nearly reaching ten million.
+However, he clearly wasn't willing to lend out all of them. Furthermore, even
+if he hadn't made this a requirement, Ichinose would have taken the initiative
+to minimize the number of points she'd have to borrow anyway.
+"How many more do you need?"
+"4,043,019 points."
+"Is that so? It seems that the strain on my budget will be lower than I
+expected. That said, this will still be putting me at a considerable
+disadvantage in the exams moving forward."
+Vesna
+Nagumo was carrying quite the burden.
+He would have to take action if one of his classmates faced expulsion in the
+next special exam.
+In which case, it was more than possible he would have the carpet pulled out
+from under him because of the four million points he was lending out.
+Ichinose was painfully aware of how fortunate she was to receive this offer.
+"T'm truly sorry for making such a selfish request."
+"Tt's fine. It's quite like you to not want to abandon anyone. But, well, you do
+remember the other condition I had for lending you the points, right?"
+"... Yes. I, uh... I have to start going out with Nagumo-senpai, don't I...?"
+"Yep. [ll transfer you the private points as soon as you agree to it."
+"_.. The deadline is tonight at midnight, right?"
+"Are you really still hesitating? Don't you want to avoid losing one of your
+classmates?"
+"Of course. It's just, I'm a little anxious."
+"Anxious?"
+Ichinose swallowed her fears, forcing herself to speak.
+"Senpai... D-do you, uh... do you like me?"
+"What?"
+"Oh no, uhm... I'm sorry for asking something so rude... It's just, I always
+thought that going out means you hold those kinda feelings for someone..."
+"T wouldn't have made this a condition if I didn't like you."
+Nagumo answered without hesitation.
+Even though Ichinose was happy to hear his response, she still couldn't help
+but feel uneasy.
+"Tf you agree to it, I'1l send you the points right now."
+"Please wait. I... want to think about it."
+"Isn't that what you've already been doing these past couple days?"
+Slowly but surely, Nagumo's deadline was approaching.
+"You probably can't borrow any points from the second and third years,
+right? Furthermore, the first years are your opponents. It's even less likely
+you'll get any from them."
+Nagumo was well aware that he was the only one who'd be willing to lend
+Ichinose more than four million private points.
+However, he had no intention of forcing the matter.
+After all, it was obvious Ichinose would come to rely on him in the end.
+"Be careful. I'm a man who's fussy about keeping deadlines."
+"Yes. I'll definitely contact you later."
+Ending the call, Ichinose let out a heavy sigh as she leaned against the wall.
+To Ichinose, protecting her classmates was her number one priority.
+She felt like she should be willing to accept his conditions, given that he was
+willing to help her get what she wanted.
+But Ichinose didn't have any experience with romance or love.
+She simply couldn't imagine that it was natural to start a relationship with
+someone like this.
+And... deep down, her heart was telling her it was wrong.
+It didn't make sense for two people to go out if they didn't like each other.
+It was meaningless if the feelings involved were one-sided.
+But, it wouldn't be easy to suggest breaking up once they started going out.
+"Haa... I'm indecisive, even though I should've already made up my
+mind..."
+It was just a little after 9PM.
+Ichinose had no choice but to answer him within the next three hours.
+She let out another heavy sigh.
+She told herself that, as long as she managed to put up with it, she could save
+her classmates.
+That it was for the best. That, if there truly wasn't any other option...
+But no matter what she told herself, her heart was pushing back.
+If she really, truly accepted his condition, it felt like she would lose a part of
+herself.
+And that, was a painful premonition.
+"No. Nothing good will come out of this way of thinking."
+What good is there in changing your mind over and over again after getting
+so far?
+If negotiations with Nagumo were to break down now, one of her classmates
+would be expelled.
+"_..Alright!"
+She patted her cheeks lightly, reinforcing her change in resolve.
+"I... will protect everyone."
+All alone, Ichinose quietly smiled, having steeled her resolve.
+Part 4
+Turing back time to the very day the supplemental exam was first
+announced, long before Ichinose made up her mind about accepting
+Nagumo's condition...
+Unlike the other classes, Class A welcomed the supplemental exam with
+open arms.
+This was because they had managed to make a decision before any of the
+other classes.
+"The rest is for you to discuss amongst yourselves. Just make sure to come to
+a decision by the day of the vote."
+Class A's homeroom teacher, Mashima, finished his explanation of the
+upcoming exam.
+The remaining class time had been provided for the students to hold their
+discussion, and Sakayanagi started the conversation without even standing up
+from her seat.
+"For this exam, I think it'd be wonderful if we had Katsuragi-kun take his
+exit."
+Sakayanagi made her nomination without the slightest bit of hesitation.
+Katsuragi remained completely still; his eyes shut and arms crossed before
+him.
+***
+"Wha... What do you mean!? That doesn't seem fair
+The only one to show any form of resistance was Totsuka Yahiko, a loyal
+follower of Katsuragi.
+"Stop it, Yahiko."
+And yet, Katsuragi flatly rejected Totsuka's attempts to speak up for him.
+"B-but, Katsuragi-san!"
+"T fully intend to accept what's coming to me."
+"There don't seem to be any objections. Or rather... there doesn't seem to be
+any room for objections, isn't that right everyone?"
+The majority of Class A had already joined the Sakayanagi faction. There
+were certainly a handful of which who weren't keen on doing so, but they
+weren't so dissatisfied that they would consider rebelling against her.
+In favor of securing a safe graduation for themselves, they would continue to
+side with Sakayanagi.
+Due to his blind faith in Katsuragi, Totsuka was the only one who tried to
+oppose her.
+Such actions were meaningless. Katsuragi understood this better than anyone.
+"Well then, let's take a vote by a show of hands. Should you have no
+misgivings with expelling Katsuragi-kun in the vote this weekend, then by all
+means, please feel free to raise your hand."
+The students of Class A all raised their hands in unison.
+Excluding Totsuka, Katsuragi, and Sakayanagi, all 37 students approved.
+Mashima quietly looked away, as though he had already foreseen it turning
+out this way.
+"With results like this, it seems that the discussion is over, wouldn't you
+say?"
+"Are you really just going to accept this! >?"
+"It's fine, Yahiko."
+Even though Totsuka opposed Sakayanagi until the very end, Katsuragi
+didn't even try to speak up for himself.
+"The contract I signed with Class D is still in effect. As a result, Class A has
+been needlessly sending private points to Ryuen every month. I'm simply
+taking responsibility."
+"B-but we got class points because of that, didn't we!? It wasn't a complete
+waste! Besides, since Class D has to expel someone as well, they might end
+up choosing to expel Ryiien! If that happens, the contract will be annulled
+even if we don't expel Katsuragi-san!"
+Totsuka frantically pieced together an argument.
+"Don't go thinking that you can do anything you want just because you're the
+class's leader!"
+"Totsuka, that's enough."
+Totsuka was the only one getting heated, so Katsuragi reined him in for a
+second time.
+His tone, much stronger than before.
+"Katsuragi-san...!"
+Katsuragi strove to maintain his composure, even though he should've been
+more troubled than anyone.
+Moved by his resolve, Totsuka hung his head and returned to his seat.
+"T personally wouldn't mind if he kept going, you know? It was an interesting
+speech."
+"Tt's fine. I have no objections with the plan to expel me."
+"Ts that so? Well then, let's act in consideration of Katsuragi-kun's wishes."
+After less than five minutes of discussion, Class A had reached a consensus.
+The class then proceeded to pass its time as usual, as though the supplemental
+exam didn't exist at all.
+Excusing himself from his seat, Katsuragi made his way out of the classroom
+to be alone.
+Naturally, Totsuka went rushing after him immediately afterward.
+"Katsuragi-san, are you seriously okay with being expelled! >?"
+",.It can't be helped. In an exam like this one, influential students have an
+overwhelming advantage. Even if I put up a fight, I wouldn't be able to
+overcome the censure votes I'd get from the Sakayanagi faction."
+"B-but, there has to be some students who are unsatisfied with Sakayanagi. If
+we gathered everyone togeth-"
+"You have helped me many times so far, and for that, I'm truly grateful."
+"Katsuragi-san..."
+"That said, after I'm gone, you should align yourself with Sakayanagi. If you
+foolishly go against her, her next target will be you, Yahiko."
+Katsuragi knew this better than anyone, which was why he wanted to prevent
+Totsuka from clashing with Sakayanagi.
+"Those are the final words of advice I have for you."
+"...Dammit...!"
+Totsuka, face warped in frustration, could do nothing but frantically nod in
+agreement.
+Part 5
+That same day, after classes had ended...
+"Let's head home, Masumi-san."
+"...Fine."
+Sakayanagi stood from her seat and called out to Kamuro.
+"Tt seems that a new drink came out at the cafe in Keyaki Mall. Would you
+like to get one on the way?"
+This weekend, one of their classmates would be expelled.
+Furthermore, even though she had personally made the nomination,
+Sakayanagi's attitude was the same as usual.
+"Hey. 3D
+"What?"
+"..Nevermind."
+Kamuro changed her mind, having felt like it would've been a waste of time
+to ask.
+Sakayanagi's cold-hearted, calculating decisions were almost inhuman.
+Although, Kamuro was pretty much no different from her, so she thought it
+would be foolish to point this out.
+A phone call broke the silence between the two of them, followed by
+Sakayanagi taking her cell phone out from her pocket.
+With a thin smile, she happily answered the call.
+"How are you, Yamauchi-kun? I was just thinking it was about time I heard
+from you."
+"Talk about having strange taste in men..."
+Recently, it hadn't been unusual for Sakayanagi to engage in deep
+conversation with Yamauchi.
+They would call each other almost daily, talking excitedly about the most
+trivial things.
+"Today? Oh, that's no problem, let's meet up. Though, I have a few prior
+commitments to take care of first, so would it be alright if we meet up
+afterward?"
+Based on their conversation, it was clear that this was yet another one of
+those calls from Yamauchi.
+"1'm busy at the moment, so I' Il get in touch with you later, alright?"
+With that, Sakayanagi ended the call a few seconds later.
+"So, it seems II] be meeting up with Yamauchi-kun later tonight."
+"You... You've been talking with Yamauchi a lot recently. What are you
+planning?"
+"What can I say? He's caught my eye."
+yj
+"Caught your eye...? Do you like him?"
+"Would it be strange if I said I did?"
+As Yamauchi's physical appearance came to mind, Kamuro could do nothing
+but shake her head.
+"You're kidding right?"
+"Yes. It's just a joke."
+"You..."
+"T'm training him. To see whether or not I can use him as a spy within Class
+Ce
+"Training him... It can't be that simple can it?"
+"He's been quite easy to manage so far. Furthermore, since an amusing
+special exam has just been announced, I was thinking of having him take part
+in a little experiment."
+Sakayanagi's words were only half-true.
+Even though Kamuro was close, she wasn't somebody she trusted
+completely. Sakayanagi had chosen her words carefully in order to hide what
+she needed to keep hidden.
+"Let's meet with him today. That should give you a rough idea of what my
+goals are."
+Thinking about what would happen next, Sakayanagi smiled happily.
+Part 6
+That evening, Sakayangi and Kamuro met up with Yamauchi at Keyaki Mall.
+Given the situation, they rented a room at the karaoke parlor in order to avoid
+attracting too much attention.
+"So, uh... Kamuro-chan came along too."
+"Sorry. It's still a bit embarrassing for us to go on a date alone together..."
+"N-no it's cool, really! I'm just happy to be on a date with you at all!"
+Yamauchi put on a desperate smile, trying his best to avoid being disliked.
+In all actuality, he had wanted to confess to Sakayanagi had she come alone,
+and afterwards, they could officially become a couple together.
+Even so, Yamauchi forced his feelings aside.
+"Y amauchi-kun, will you be alright during this next special exam?"
+"Eh?"
+"Well, it'd be great if you will be, it's just..."
+Sakayanagi let her voice trail off for a moment.
+"If you got expelled, we wouldn't be able to meet like this anymore. That...
+That's the one thing I absolutely don't want to have happen."
+Even though Sakayanagi's cutesy innocent acting made Kamuro feel sick to
+her stomach, she didn't let the nausea show on her face.
+This was nothing more than Sakayanagi toying with him.
+Besides, if she were to take each and every one of Sakayanagi's games
+seriously, she'd probably lose her mind.
+"T-I'd hate that too!"
+"Tt's kind of like our feelings are intertwined, isn't it?"
+Sakayanagi gently patted her chest with a sigh of relief.
+"Tf there's something troubling you, you can always come to me about it,
+Yamauchi-kun."
+"But..."
+"You and I are certainly mutual enemies, but it's different during this exam.
+We don't have to compete against students from other classes, do we?"
+"That's true..."
+"And because of that, it may be possible for us to cooperate with one another
+instead."
+"Cooperate...?"
+Yamauchi appeared to have had somewhat of the same idea.
+"Tt's just an example, but... what if I used my praise vote on you, Yamauchi-
+kun?"
+Hearing that, Yamauchi gulped in anticipation.
+People wanted as many praise votes from the other classes as they could get
+their hands on.
+For the students at risk of expulsion, they were so desperate for these crucial
+votes that they would stoop to any level to get them.
+"A-are you seriously gonna help me?"
+"Tf you're in trouble, I'll gladly cooperate."
+Although Yamauchi kept his cool on the surface, her kind words had
+impacted him, making him happy from the bottom of his heart.
+He had never once spoken with a girl this intimately before in his entire life.
+After all, it would be embarrassing for her to realize that he had absolutely no
+experience with love.
+"To tell you the truth... It seems like people in my class are pretty jealous of
+me, and uh, I'm worried that they might use their censure votes on me."
+"Jealousy, is it?"
+"It's because I'm the only one who can meet up with you like this,
+Sakayanagi-chan."
+"That is true, isn't it? I'm not interested in other boys at all."
+He couldn't bring himself to say he was at risk of expulsion because his
+grades were bad.
+Instead, Yamauchi wanted to make himself look good so Sakayanagi would
+like him more.
+"Either way, I understand what you're getting at, so I'll give you some secret
+instructions that will help you out, Yamauchi-kun."
+"S-secret instructions?"
+"Yes. Please reach out to approximately half of your class and try to pull
+them over to your side. Then, you can target somebody else and push for
+them to be expelled."
+"But, uh... if I did that, isn't it possible that I might end up getting
+targeted...!?"
+"T suppose that's true. It's not like anybody wants to be seen as the leader.
+After all, if you end up carelessly upsetting the wrong person, you might end
+up being voted for instead."
+Yamauchi nodded in agreement.
+"That's why I'm going to help you."
+"H-how?"
+"There are about twenty people who follow me in Class A. Ill have all of
+them use their praise votes on you, Yamauchi-kun."
+"Eh!?"
+"A good number of your classmates should also be willing to give you praise
+votes, right? With their votes included, even if you end up getting more than
+thirty censure votes, the votes will pretty much cancel each other out. It's
+highly unlikely that you' ll be expelled."
+"A-are you serious?"
+"Of course. That said, even if you get twenty votes, your safety won't be
+guaranteed. That's why you need to take the reins and drive somebody else
+into a comer."
+"B-but who?"
+"Let's see... Naturally, you can't get rid of somebody useful to your class.
+Masumi-san, does anyone suitable come to mind?"
+" ..How about Ayanokoji?"
+"AyanokOji...kun, is it? I believe I've heard the name but..."
+"Oh, uh, he's the kinda guy who doesn't stand out at all. How should I
+explain it...?"
+"You can spare me the details. He sounds like he might be the perfect target.
+You two aren't particularly close, are you?"
+"Not at all! He's just a classmate!"
+"In which case, let's have him be the sacrifice."
+"But..."
+Yamauchi's desire to save himself was in conflict with his reluctance to
+sacrifice one of his classmates.
+However, needless to say, his desire to protect himself was far stronger.
+"T think it'd be painful to cut ties with a classmate, no matter what kind of
+relationship you had with them, so I'd try to avoid thinking about it too
+much. I think we've chosen a suitable target, so we just have to go along with
+1"
+Sakayanagi smiled at him with an expression that seemed to say "That way,
+your heart won't hurt as much, right?'
+"Next Monday, after this exam is over, would you like to meet up again, just
+the two of us? There's something I'd like to tell you then, Yamauchi-kun. It's
+something very important."
+cory]
+Yamauchi staggered. Her words dealt a finishing blow, completely enticing
+him.
+His imagination ran wild as he envisioned an upcoming confession of love
+from Sakayanagi.
+For the sake of turning his dreams into reality, Yamauchi would do
+everything in his power to avoid expulsion, no matter what.
+Even more importantly, if he didn't successfully carry out the strategy she
+had come up with, it was possible that she might begin to hate him.
+These thoughts were the only thing spurring him on.
+"So, let's start out by identifying people who appear to be Ayanokoji-kun's
+friends. It'd be best if we could quietly have him expelled without him
+hearing about it."
+"G-got it."
+"But before that, I have some advice for you, Yamauchi-kun."
+"Advice...?"
+"Please don't tell anyone that we're going to be voting for you. There's a risk
+that your classmates will resent you if you carelessly talk about it."
+"That's for sure..."
+They would obviously get jealous and antagonistic if they found out that
+Yamauchi was the only one safe from the exam.
+"Understood. I won't say anything."
+"Thank you very much."
+"But... U-uhm."
+"What is it?"
+"Uhm, It's not that I'm doubting you or anything, it's just... Are you really
+going to use your praise vote on me?"
+"Are you saying that you want to have something in writing?"
+"Tt's just that I'm kinda worried about it..."
+Yamauchi was worried because he lacked confidence in leaving it to a simple
+verbal agreement, something that was well within Sakayanagi's expectations.
+"Do you think that I'm going to betray you, Yamauchi-kun? Even if I wanted
+to, there's no reason for me to do such a thing. But if you really aren't willing
+to believe me... let's just forget that this conversation ever happened. If you
+really can't trust a promise from me, I suppose I' Il have to reconsider meeting
+up next Monday."
+"W-wait! I believe you! I trust you!"
+When Sakayanagi tried to back out, Yamauchi eagerly attempted to reel her
+back in.
+"T'm sorry for doubting you..."
+"Tt's fine. I understand that you're anxious."
+With a gentle smile, Sakayanagi presented Yamauchi with one final warning.
+"That said... Yamauchi-kun, if I catch you eavesdropping on me, sneaking
+photos, or secretly recording our conversations in the future, our relationship
+will be over. The two of us will become enemies."
+"N-no problem! I'd never do something like that!"
+"Very well. Then, Masumi-san, if you would, please pat him down."
+"Eh? Me?"
+"Please."
+",..Fine."
+Despite voicing her reluctance, Kamuro proceeded to frisk Yamauchi.
+"It's getting interesting."
+For Sakayanagi, this was nothing more than a game.
+In her mind, the outcome to all of this had already been decided since the
+very beginning.
+After Yamauchi left, Sakayanagi stayed behind with Kamuro in the karaoke
+room.
+"We're not going home yet?"
+It was just a little past 8:00 PM.
+The mall was only open to students until nine, and the karaoke parlor was
+going to close soon as well.
+"What do you think of this strategy I've come up with, Masumi-san?"
+"What do you mean...?"
+"AyanokOji-kun is no ordinary person. You've noticed this yourself, right?"
+"Well, I know that you've been excessively interested in him."
+"Tt's something more than that, isn't it? You've been close to him before.
+You should've been able to notice it."
+Although she wasn't certain about anything specific, he was unpleasant. He
+seemed like a student who was shrouded in mystery.
+That was the impression Kamuro had of him.
+"He's powerful."
+" ..How powerful?"
+"People like Katsuragi-kun, Ryuen-kun, and Ichinose-san wouldn't even
+stand a chance against him."
+"Really? What about you then?"
+"Hmm... Who knows?"
+"Are you being serious...? I can't believe you're saying this."
+Kamuro was surprised. She had thought Sakayanagi would say she could beat
+him without any hesitation.
+"Of course it's possible that I can beat him. That said, it's also true that I
+don't know exactly what he's capable of. Well... I suppose it's a bit different
+from that. Maybe there's just a part of me that wants him to be an opponent
+far outside of even my capabilities."
+It was a mysterious feeling that she had never noticed she had before.
+"T hope I can see him take things seriously before I have him expelled."
+It was something Sakayanagi wanted from the bottom of her heart.
+Part 7
+They had met on Tuesday. The following day, Sakayanagi proceeded to
+receive phone calls from Yamauchi with updates, as per their recent
+conversation.
+She was in the midst of playing both sides of a chess match in the dorm room
+while she relayed instructions to him on how to survive the upcoming exam.
+She picked up a piece and moved it forward on the board.
+"Really? That many people have already agreed to vote for Ayanokoji-kun?"
+There were twenty-one people in total, an impressive number that had
+exceeded her expectations.
+Yamauchi probably wouldn't have been able to make things turn out so well
+if he had done everything on his own.
+"Y amauchi-kun."
+"W-what?"
+"As I expected, it seems that asking Kushida-san to act as your mediator was
+the right thing to do."
+Kushida was the type of person to take action with her classmates in mind.
+"Yeah, I guess. It went just like you said it would, Sakayanagi-chan."
+Sakayanagi had judged that, if Yamauchi came asking for her help, Kushida
+wouldn't be able to turn him down easily.
+Moreover, Sakayanagi had also gotten her hands on some interesting
+information about Kushida.
+"When you asked her to help you, did you persuade her with tears like I told
+you to?"
+"I-I wouldn't do something so uncool!"
+Sakayanagi glanced at Kamuro, the look in her eyes saying that he had
+indeed used tears to persuade Kushida.
+"Oh? It seems your negotiation skills handled everything flawlessly, then?"
+"T guess..."
+"Anyway, I'll contact you tomorrow about who you should reach out to
+next."
+"Gotcha."
+Tomorrow was Thursday, and the important decisions would have to be made
+then.
+Sakayanagi would have to decide how Yamauchi would convince these
+students to join his faction.
+After the call had ended, Kamuro spoke up.
+"Is this Kushida person really the type who'd help get someone expelled?"
+"If someone approached her, sobbing, begging for her help, there's no way
+she wouldn't lend a hand. Be that as it may, it's important to have a way with
+words in order to get as many supporters as possible, and Kushida-san seems
+to have quite the silver tongue."
+Taking hold of her queen in one hand, Sakayanagi looked at Kamuro.
+"What do you think will happen next?"
+"Tf it keeps going on like this, Ayanokoji will amass censure votes and get
+expelled from school... but, if he's as powerful as you say he is, won't he do
+something about it?"
+"Even if he doesn't know that he's personally being targeted?"
+"He doesn't know about the strategy, though."
+"He's always on guard. Putting aside whether or not he knows he's being
+targeted, if you were to consider the reality of this exam, you wouldn't be
+able to rule out the possibility that you may ultimately be voted for. That
+being the case, you should be putting in the effort to come up with
+countermeasures ahead of time."
+"_,.What do you mean by countermeasures?"
+"Just prove to everyone that somebody else is a hindrance to the success of
+the class. Whatever the reason, the more incompetent this somebody is, the
+better the result."
+Sakayanagi momentarily envisioned the spectacle that may take place within
+Class C in the near future.
+"Yamauchi-kun, for example, is colluding with me to have one of his own
+classmates ostracized and expelled. If this were to come to light, I imagine
+that he'd fill the role perfectly."
+"So, what you're saying is that it doesn't matter to you which one of them
+gets expelled?"
+With her other hand, Sakayanagi picked up the opposing side's king.
+"No. We have to save the king for last."
+Until the very end, Sakayanagi controlled every last piece on the chessboard.
+Part 8
+It was Friday evening, the day before the exam, and Sakayanagi had gone to
+the Karaoke parlor to make preparations for it.
+"What's the situation?"
+Kamuro and Hashimoto were present, along with Kito, for a total of four
+people.
+"It seems that everything was exposed today. Apparently, Horikita-san
+caught wind of the plan and exposed the fact that I was collaborating with
+Yamauchi-kun to the rest of their class. I wonder how the information got
+leaked?"
+Sakayanagi leisurely carried a french fry into her mouth.
+She intently looked upon her classmates before one of them finally spoke up.
+"Sakayanagi, the leak came from Karuizawa. Like I told you before, if you
+wanted to make sure Ayanokoji got expelled, it would've been better to avoid
+pulling Karuizawa into Yamauchi's group."
+Hashimoto Masayoshi. He was one of Sakayanagi's closest associates, and he
+was someone who had previously taken notice of Ayanokoji all on his own.
+Throughout the course of his investigations, he had seen Ayanokoji meet
+with Karuizawa in secret, so he had previously provided input on what she
+should do this time.
+Even though Sakayanagi had agreed to refrain from pulling Karuizawa into
+the group at first, she had changed her mind yesterday.
+As a consequence, her plan had been exposed to the students of Class D.
+"Didn't I tell you that our first priority was to make sure that AyanokOji
+didn't realize he was being targeted until the exam was already over?"
+"Yes. I definitely kept your words in mind. It's true that Ayanokoji-kun and
+Karuizawa-san may indeed share an unusual relationship. That is to say, if
+she was let in on the plan, there was a high chance Ayanokoji-kun would hear
+of it as well."
+This was the very reason why Sakayanagi had decided to postpone pulling
+Karuizawa into Yamauchi's group.
+She had let Tuesday and Wednesday pass by, purposefully choosing to pull
+her into the group on Thursday.
+Then, she stepped back and waited to see what would happen next. Based on
+what had taken place today, it was quite likely that she had leaked the
+information to Ayanok6ji.
+"You messed up, didn't you, Sakayanagi?"
+The one who had asked this was none other than Kamuro, who had been
+silently listening to the conversation.
+Hashimoto spoke up too, offering an analysis on why Sakayanagi had made
+such a simple mistake.
+"Karuizawa is one of the most influential girls in her class. If we had
+managed to pull her into the group, it would've pretty much guaranteed
+Ayanokoji's expulsion. Forget twenty votes, it's possible we'd have gotten
+around thirty. You let the greed get to you."
+"T was well aware they'd carry out a class trial. It was just a matter of time."
+"But, if things hadn't come to light, Yamauchi might've had a way out too."
+Having heard each of their opinions, Sakayanagi couldn't help but feel
+amused.
+"Should it know that it's become someone's prey, even a herbivore will try to
+fight for it's life if it comes down to it. But, I find that's exactly what makes
+it so interesting. Don't you want to see what he'|I do in this time he has left?
+How he'II struggle to stay afloat?"
+"You deliberately let Karuizawa leak the information because of that?"
+"T was also able to confirm that your information about Karuizawa and
+Ayanokoji was accurate."
+"But Ayanokouji went to Horikita about it, who then revealed everything to
+the rest of the class. It made it hard to tell what'll happen next. Considering
+that Yamauchi won't be expelled because of our praise votes, there's still no
+way Ayanokoji'll be expelled anymore. I have no idea who's gonna be
+expelled at this point."
+When Hashimoto finished, Kamuro spoke up as well.
+"Wasn't it also a mistake to make contracts with the ones who agreed to vote
+for AyanokOji without getting anything in writing? How many people are still
+gonna vote for him after what happened today...?"
+There'd be a dramatic decrease in the number of censure votes Ayanok6ji
+would be getting, while the number for Yamauchi would only go up.
+However, Yamauchi would be getting 20 votes from Class A to escape this
+predicament.
+In which case, it'd be hard to guess who'd end up with the most votes against
+them.
+Having heard Hashimoto and Kamuro's analysis of the situation, Sakayanagi
+grinned.
+To Sakayanagi, the outcome of all of this was obvious.
+Kamuro, Hashimoto, and Yamauchi simply couldn't see it yet.
+She was reminded of the reason why she had done this in the first place.
+Sakayanagi pulled out her cell phone and turned off the power.
+After all, she'd receive an incessant, endless number of calls and messages
+from Yamauchi if she kept it on.
+Class A had a lot of praise votes to use during this exam.
+Yamauchi probably couldn't help but feel worried about whether or not they
+were really going to use them on him.
+"Tt seems there's something I had forgotten to tell everybody, a very
+important story concerning Yamauchi-kun."
+With that, Sakayanagi began to tell them about the encounter that she had oh
+so carelessly forgotten to mention.
+Epilogue: "The Dropouts"
+Saturday morning, the very day of the exam, had finally arrived.
+It seemed that nearly every single class had managed to come to a decision.
+Class A had chosen to expel Katsuragi and Class D had chosen to expel
+Ryuuen.
+Class B was moving forward believing nobody would have to be expelled.
+Of course, there was a possibility that none of that would turn out as planned.
+Everyone had a chance to face expulsion.
+No one would know for sure until the results were revealed.
+Even if a class were to work together to get rid of someone, it wouldn't
+matter much if they managed to gather enough praise vote from the other
+classes.
+What was important now, was what you did with the little time we had left.
+Even I wasn't one hundred percent safe.
+There were no absolute guarantees like that in this exam.
+Even though we were expected to be in the classroom at the same time as
+always, the exam was going to start a bit later, at nine.
+It was currently just half-past eight.
+Should this short time-extension be taken as the school showing us some sort
+of consideration... or was there another reason?
+Perhaps it was a trick to keep us on our toes until the very end.
+"You really didn't do anything?"
+"What?"
+"T'm asking if you really just stayed on the sidelines and didn't involve
+yourself in any of this, even though you were in danger?"
+"Does it look like I've done something?"
+"_,..Not on the surface."
+"There's your answer. I didn't do anything this time. Rather, you're the one
+who saved me."
+"Then it wouldn't be funny if you got expelled because of that."
+"Even more so if I got expelled after fighting back like you did."
+This might just be the last conversation we would have as neighbors.
+"T suppose."
+Horikita responded dismissively.
+Just like this, the class welcomed the exam in silence.
+At least, that's what I thought... At the last moment, something happened
+once again.
+"Please listen up, everyone."
+The one to break the silence was none other than Hirata. Yesterday, he had
+engaged in an argument with Horikita, but he hadn't actually done anything
+more than that.
+He had only spoken aimlessly about voting for Horikita.
+Of course, it's possible that some of the students who admire Hirata may vote
+against her.
+However, that would be too weak for a finishing blow.
+Within Class C, Horikita's evaluation was relatively high.
+Even though her frank, in-your-face way of speaking is sharp and prickly, it
+also gave off an impression of reliability.
+"After listening to what Horikita-san and everyone else had to say yesterday,
+I've come to a conclusion. The primary focus of this exam... is who we
+should cast our censure votes for, right?"
+Hirata was calm and composed as he spoke.
+"Ts... Is he still going to say something?"
+"Looks like it."
+If he wasn't, he wouldn't be trying to say something at the last minute like
+this.
+"What a waste. He doesn't have a plan. This is just him trying to delay the
+inevitable."
+No, It's hard to say for sure...
+I could see traces of new-found determination in Hirata's eyes.
+"First of all, I'd like to apologise for what happened yesterday, when I said
+that I'd vote against Horikita-san."
+Just as I thought, Hirata bowed his head to Horikita to apologize for his rude
+behavior.
+"There isn't anything you need to apologize for. What in the world are you
+doing?"
+"T decided that you are necessary for the success of our class."
+"Tf that's the case, have you thought about who is unnecessary?"
+"Yeah. I did."
+Hirata spoke definitively, causing Horikita to falter for a moment.
+".,.Could you tell us who?"
+"T'll tell you right now."
+Hirata slowly got up from his seat and stood behind the teaching podium, just
+like Horikita had the day before.
+"T love this class. I think that each and every one of you are necessary. No
+matter what anyone says, or what any of you do, that won't change. But, I
+already know that won't solve anything."
+After all his struggling, this was the answer Hirata had arrived at.
+It seemed like nothing had changed from what he had told me yesterday.
+"T want everyone to cast a censure vote for me."
+Hirata said what I thought he would say.
+"H-how could any of us do something like that!>?"
+Mii-chan exclaimed, with other girls voicing similar thoughts in quick
+succession.
+"Tt'll be fine if I'm expelled. I'm prepared to do at least that much."
+"Think about what you're saying... Have you gone insane?"
+Horikita unconsciously raised her voice, even though, given the situation, it
+would've been fine to let Hirata say whatever he wanted.
+"You're gonna sacrifice yourself just because you can't decide who to
+expel?"
+"You said it yourself right, Horikita-san? That if a student wants to be
+expelled, there wouldn't be anything else we need to talk about?"
+"That' s-"
+"So [I'm volunteering."
+"Nobody in this class actually wants to see you expelled. You act as a
+mediator to settle the class's conflicts. This is far too ridiculous."
+"Either way, I don't care."
+It wouldn't be wrong to say that Class C was on the brink of chaos.
+At this point, there were no surprises about who people would be voting
+against. The key question had changed from 'Who would get the censure
+votes?' to 'Who would get the praise votes?'.
+Without Hirata, the future special exams would probably be far more
+difficult.
+That's the risk of losing one of the class's central figures.
+"There's absolutely, totally, no way I'm using a censure vote on Hirata-kun!"
+Shinohara and the rest of the girls collectively begun to speak up to defend
+Hirata.
+Hirata's heart probably felt that much worse every time they spoke up for
+him.
+"There's no reason for you guys to stick up for me. I've already come to hate
+all of you."
+His tone was the same as usual, but the words he spoke were cold.
+"So please let me make this easier on all of us."
+"T... I'll vote for Hirata!"
+Yamauchi shouted.
+"Tf it's for Hirata, I think everyone else should vote for him too!"
+He then continued to yell things like that.
+"IT see. This is Yamauchi-kun's last stand..."
+Yamauchi had probably contacted Hirata yesterday and pleaded about how
+he didn't want to be expelled, begging Hirata to help.
+That may have been one of the reasons why Hirata had hardened his resolve
+to get expelled.
+Then, after a long silence, Chabashira entered the classroom.
+"Well then, the class vote will now begin. Once your name has been called,
+please make your way to the voting room."
+It didn't seem like we were going to be voting all at the same time in the
+classroom.
+There was no guarantee that we wouldn't be able to see each other's votes. It
+seemed that the school was doing what it could to ensure the votes remained
+anonymous.
+Now, how would it turn out from here...?
+Part 1
+Within Class A that same moming, everyone was patiently waiting for the
+results to be announced.
+The outcome had already been decided ever since the supplemental exam was
+first announced, and there were no objections to it either.
+As the bell rang, Mashima entered the classroom to announce the outcome.
+He was as calm as always. He didn't have very much of an opinion about
+what was about to take place.
+No, rather, it was more like he was simply trying not to think about it very
+much.
+It had been four years since he became a teacher at Advanced Nurturing High
+School, and he had seen many students get expelled in that time.
+"T'I] now be announcing the results of the supplementary special exam. To
+Start things out, the student who received the most praise votes... would be
+you, Sakayanagi, with a total of thirty-six votes."
+"T didn't expect that all of you would vote for me. I really must thank
+everyone."
+She responded with empty words of gratitude. Nearly everyone in the class
+had voted for her.
+"Next... I'll announce the student who received the most censure votes. I'm
+sure you're all aware of this by now, but the person whose name is called will
+be expelled. After this, they'll have to pack their bags and come along with
+me to the staff room."
+The classroom was dead silent.
+Every single student was quiet as they waited for the name to be called.
+"In last place, with thirty-six censure votes..."
+He paused for a split-second, and then...
+"Yahiko Totsuka."
+He spoke.
+The name resounded throughout the silent classroom.
+"How absurd! What's going on!?"
+Katsuragi stood up from his seat, raising his voice after the results had
+sunken in.
+"K-Katsuragi-san... Why? Wha...?"
+Totsuka looked at Katsuragi with an expression of disbelief on his face as
+well.
+He had received an overwhelming majority, thirty-six, of the classes censure
+votes, ensuring his expulsion.
+Then, Mashima revealed the total number of votes that every student in the
+class had gotten.
+Katsuragi had placed just behind Totsuka with a total of thirty censure votes.
+"What's going on here, sensei? The one being expelled should be me-"
+"There haven't been any mistakes."
+Mashima cut Katsuragi off, answering his question calmly.
+A young girl began to speak, as if to shed light on such an inexplicable
+situation.
+"Katsuragi-kun, it seems you've been given some praise votes. How
+wonderful."
+Hearing that, Katsuragi finally understood.
+This hadn't happened due to some kind of mistake. Rather, this was the
+outcome of one of Sakayanagi's schemes.
+"Wait, Sakayanagi! The one who should've been expelled was me!"
+"Expulsion? You? You weren't the target in the first place."
+She responded decisively.
+"Stop joking with me. You definitely said you were going to get rid of me!"
+"Come to think of it, you're right, aren't you? I did say I was going to get rid
+of you, but... that was just a lie."
+Without an ounce of apprehension, Sakayanagi smiled gently.
+"Why... Why!?"
+"Tt's simple. Totsuka-kun doesn't bring any benefits to Class A. On the other
+hand, you're sharp, and your reflexes aren't anything to scoff at either. This,
+combined with your calm head, makes you useful in your own way. This
+exam is perfect for disposing of somebody unnecessary, so only an idiot
+would get rid of someone who still has use left in them."
+Katsuragi winced, unable to refute her point.
+Although, that wasn't the only reason why Sakayanagi had done this.
+Originally, Totsuka wasn't the only one who sided with Katsuragi. Even
+though she intended to mercilessly make an example out of Katsuragi for
+going against her, Totsuka's expulsion would have an even larger impact on
+Class A.
+It would instill the idea that, if you sided with Katsuragi, you would be the
+next to see yourself in Totsuka's shoes.
+"Why would you do this in such an indirect way...?"
+"Tsn't it only natural for someone to do their best to avoid expulsion? There
+are a lot of praise votes floating around from other classes in this exam. If
+Totsuka-kun had gone and gathered them from the other classes in order to
+save himself, I don't believe we could've gotten him expelled."
+She couldn't know for sure that another class wouldn't just whimsically
+decide to save Totsuka.
+However, if she singled out Katsuragi from the very beginning, nobody
+would bother to use their praise votes on Totsuka.
+"Thank you for your hard work, Totsuka-kun. Be sure to take care of yourself
+after you've left the school."
+"TD-damn...! Dammit! Dammit...!"
+Totsuka curled over as if he was about to collapse. Katsuragi couldn't find
+the right words to comfort him.
+Totsuka would have normally been overjoyed to find out Katsuragi wasn't
+going to be expelled.
+But now that he was being expelled himself, that didn't matter anymore.
+Instead, he could only feel resentment as he wondered why it had to be him
+instead of his friend.
+If Katsuragi had gotten expelled, Totsuka Yahiko would've been able to stay
+in Class A. And while he would've been displeased with it, he would've
+followed Sakayanagi all the way until graduation. And then, he would've
+become successful in life.
+Even though he felt guilty for it, he had already vaguely begun to imagine his
+wonderful future as a graduate from Class A.
+But because of this sudden twist of fate, he had lost everything.
+"Saving him with twenty million points... is probably impossible."
+"Correct. Unfortunately, even if we added up all of our points, we still
+wouldn't have enough."
+"Totsuka, there's... no way to overturn this decision."
+The homeroom teacher, Mashima, spoke definitively as he buried the pain
+within his heart.
+Totsuka was at a loss for words, unable to do anything but nod in response.
+"Totsuka, please come with me to the staff room for the time being. I'1I let
+you collect your things later."
+In consideration of the young man's feelings, Mashima asked for Totsuka to
+leave the room.
+His expulsion had been set in stone, so staying in the classroom would only
+serve to hurt him more.
+"By the way, Mashima-sensei... Might I ask you something?"
+"What is it, Sakayanagi?"
+As Mashima began to leave the classroom with Totsuka, Sakayanagi's voice
+brought him to a halt.
+He instructed for Totsuka to wait in the hallway before turning to hear her
+out.
+"While it's a shame that Totsuka-kun had to be sacrificed... It has already
+been decided who's going to be expelled in the other classes, right?"
+"Tentatively. As soon as the results have been finalized, they'll be posted on
+the first-floor bulletin board."
+"Then, depending on the results, is it possible that there will be consequences
+for Katsuragi-kun?"
+"What are you talking about, Sakayanagi?"
+Katsuragi questioned her, unsure of what she was getting at.
+"T'm just asking for future reference."
+For a moment, Mashima, just like Katsuragi, didn't seem to understand the
+meaning behind Sakayanagi's words.
+He hadn't considered the possibility that she was asking about 'that'.
+However, upon seeing Sakayanagi's fearless smile, Mashima changed his
+mind.
+"_,.No matter who gets expelled, there won't be any consequences. 'That'
+doesn't work like that. If, for some reason, there were consequences, even
+you wouldn't be able to take advantage of it very easily."
+"That's certainly true. Thank you very much for answering."
+After Mashima left the classroom, Katsuragi calmly approached Sakayanagi.
+In response, Hashimoto and Kito hurriedly got up to obstruct his path in the
+off chance he resorted to violence.
+However, before Katsuragi could say a word, Sakayanagi spoke up.
+"There's no reason for you to bear a grudge against me, Katsuragi-kun.
+Somebody had to be expelled during this exam. Whether it be you or
+Totsuka-kun, the results must be taken seriously. The fact of the matter is that
+there was a vote. One in which every student in Class A participated."
+" ... understand."
+Katsuragi hadn't planned on getting violent from the start. He had only
+intended to vent his dissatisfaction to her.
+And yet, Sakayanagi had put a stop to even that.
+"That's fine then. After all, I don't want you to hold back our class moving
+forward because you become consumed by self-despair. However... If by
+chance you were to go against Class A in the future..."
+"T told you I understood. You don't have to drag anyone else into this."
+"1'm glad to see you're so sensible."
+If Katsuragi were to bare his fangs at Sakayanagi out of resentment because
+of Totsuka's expulsion, Sakayanagi was threatening that she would have
+someone else expelled next time. Sakayanagi was well aware that, as long as
+Katsuragi was obedient, he'd be able to contribute greatly to the future
+success of Class A.
+Like this, Katsuragi had given in entirely. Without any means of going
+against her, he had no choice but to raise the white flag and surrender to
+Sakayanagi.
+"Well then... I wonder how the other classes are doing right now?"
+Of course, as far as Sakayanagi was concerned, Class B and Class D weren't
+even worth thinking about.
+The only thing she cared about was what had happened within Class C, the
+class that Ayanok6Oji was in. She couldn't help but look forward to hearing
+about it.
+Part 2
+Back within Class C, the sound of Yamauchi restlessly tapping his foot was
+extremely distracting.
+"Yo, Haruki... Try and quiet down a bit."
+Ike quietly whispered a warning to him.
+"S-shut up. I know."
+"Fufufu. At any rate, it seems your defeat is close at hand, wouldn't you
+say?"
+"Huh? What are you getting at, KOenji? I'm not gonna be expelled,
+considering the other options."
+Yamauchi turned and looked at K6enji with an eerie smile on his face.
+"T think it's fair to say that, out of everyone in the class, a considerable
+number of students have voted against you."
+Ike and Sudo sat quietly, unable to help Yamauchi as Koenji fanned the
+flames. Hirata, however, interjected.
+"That's not how this will turn out. The one being expelled will be me."
+"You're still going on about that? You aren't aware of it yet, are you?"
+"_..What are you talking about?"
+KOoenji took out his cell phone with a fearless smile on his face.
+"This message was sent to me by one of the girls in our class. It reads: 'I
+believe Hirata-kun intends to sacrifice himself and volunteer to be expelled
+tomorrow. He might end up saying something hurtful about everyone or
+make himself out to be a bad guy, but those won't be his true feelings. Please,
+have faith in him and don't vote against him for it.' It seems to me like it was
+sent to everyone other than you and Yamauchi-kun."
+Hirata approached Koenji and read the message on the phone for himself.
+"Most students would sympathize with you after seeing a message like this.
+After all, it's not untrue that you've spent this past year taking action for the
+sake of the class. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to get more praise
+votes because of this, instead?"
+"No way..."
+Hirata's plan to get the most censure votes had failed.
+Of course, this negatively affected the students most at risk of being
+expelled.
+Horikita quietly turned to me and spoke.
+"You're awfully composed. It's almost as if you've already foreseen what
+will happen."
+"You probably know what will happen too."
+"Even if I did, I wouldn't sit back and watch so complacently. As long as
+there's room for uncertainty, there's still reason to worry."
+KOoenji cut in, as if responding to Horikita.
+"The only one who should be worried is him."
+Almost everyone in the class shifted their gaze toward Yamauchi, wondering
+how he would respond after hearing something like that.
+Yamauchi slowly stood up and turned around to look at Kenji.
+His expression was one of confidence, one that said he was certain of his
+chances of coming out on top.
+"...Hah."
+Yamauchi laughed at KOenji contemptuously.
+"Go ahead, say whatever you want... The person getting expelled isn't gonna
+be me."
+"Oh? And will you tell us why?"
+"Fine. I will."
+It seemed Yamauchi couldn't stand to let KOenji say whatever he wanted any
+longer.
+"How many of you voted against me? Twenty of you? Thirty? I didn't
+specifically betray any of you, yet you guys treat me like this? It's
+unreasonable! But that's fine. I'll forgive you."
+With a thoughtless smile, Yamauchi approached Ike and patted his hand on
+his shoulder.
+"Sorry Kanji. For making you worry about me so much."
+"Y-yeah."
+Completely unaware of what his friend was getting at, Ike could do nothing
+but nod.
+"There are several people here who might get expelled other than me, right?
+There's Kanji, Sudo, Koenji, and Ayanokoji, but I wonder how many praise
+votes they'!] get? I'm just so worried!"
+"From what you're saying, it sounds as if you're expecting to get a large
+number of praise votes."
+"Yep, that's right. I will."
+"Even if your friends felt sorry enough to vote for you, you'd only get around
+four or five votes, at best. Are you saying that's enough to put you in the safe
+zone?"
+"That's fine. That much would be plenty. Hahaha... Yes, no matter who you
+voted for, it's all pointless!"
+Yamauchi showily raised his arms up into the air.
+"Sakayanagi-chan promised that she would give me twenty praise votes! In
+other words, even if most of the class voted against me, I still won't be the
+one who gets expelled!"
+Having realized that there was no point in hiding it any longer, Yamauchi
+decided to show his cards.
+"That's why it doesn't matter how many of you voted against me... I'm
+protected by Class A!"
+The votes had already been cast.
+It was probably true that Yamauchi had made a promise like that with
+Sakayanagi.
+Assuming he got five praise votes from Class C and twenty votes from Class
+A, even in the worst-case scenario, he would only end up with a maximum of
+nine censure votes.
+If he was telling the truth, he could hardly be considered at risk of expulsion.
+The danger would then shift toward Koenji and I. Even Ike and Sudo could
+be in trouble.
+"Tf that's the case, then why do you look so anxious?"
+Yamauchi didn't seem calm at all. He was trembling nonstop.
+It was proof that, mentally, he was under an incredible amount of stress.
+"That's..<7
+"Since you made a promise with the enemy, you made sure to sign a contract,
+yes? It's one of the basic fundamentals of doing negotiations."
+"N-no, but that's..."
+"A simple verbal promise doesn't count for anything. Miss little girl isn't that
+merciful."
+"Of course I know that! It's fine!"
+Koenji's words simply weren't able to make it through to him.
+Yamauchi could only believe that Sakayanagi wouldn't go back on her word.
+There was nothing else he could do.
+He must have reached out to Sakayanagi many times last night to ensure
+everything would still go as he expected it to.
+"My my, you must be so reassured, then. It seems that the censure vote I cast
+for you was meaningless."
+"That's right, it was meaningless! Meaningless!"
+"Be quiet, Yamauchi. I could hear your shouting from out in the hallway."
+Just then, Chabashira arrived.
+"T've kept all of you waiting. Ill get along with announcing the results for
+Class C. Please find your seats."
+The time of judgment had finally come.
+Very soon, one student would be expelled from this class.
+Would it be Yamauchi, who was telling himself that everything would be
+okay?
+Would it be Sudo or Ike, one of the secondary candidates for expulsion?
+Would it be Hirata, who was patiently waiting for the results to be
+announced?
+Would it be K6enji, who was as inattentive as always?
+Would it be Horikita or me, as we quietly watched over the classroom?
+Or, would it end up being someone else entirely?
+"To start out, I'll announce the three of you who ended up with the most
+praise votes. In third place is... Kushida Kikyo."
+Kushida sighed with relief when she heard her name being called.
+Even though Yamauchi had targeted her yesterday, she ended up earning
+quite a lot of praise votes.
+If you take into account the fact that she's adored by her classmates, an
+outcome like this makes sense.
+"Next, in second place..."
+Chabashira began reading a little slower.
+Even I couldn't fully predict whose name she would say.
+"Tt's you, Hirata Yosuke."
+ee p>
+***
+The moment his name was called, Hirata shut his eyes and looked up toward
+the sky.
+The disgraceful behavior he showed yesterday hadn't had any significant
+consequences.
+Hirata worked hard this past year, going through thick and thin for the sake of
+the class.
+He had earned a tremendous amount of trust, especially from the girls in the
+class.
+Even if I hadn't arranged for Kei to spread that text message around
+yesterday, his ranking would've hardly changed.
+"B-but, if Hirata placed second... who placed first?"
+Since the beginning, everyone had expected for Hirata and Kushida to get
+most of the praise votes.
+It wasn't unreasonable for them to place second and third, it was just that this
+outcome meant there was somebody who had surpassed them both.
+",.As for first place..."
+Chabashira let show a slight smile before she read the name.
+I shut my eyes.
+"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."
+Everything turned out as I expected.
+"W-what!?"
+Yamauchi, the one I was supposed to be competing with for last place, was
+the first to react.
+"Aren't you mistaking him with first place for the censure vote!? Sensei!?"
+"No. There's no doubt about it. He took first place with a splendid total of
+forty-two votes."
+My classmates all seemed to be surprised. After all, I had gotten more praise
+votes than there were students in our class.
+"You. What did you do...?"
+Horikita also couldn't hide her surprise.
+"Like I said, I didn't do anything."
+Sakayanagi had done all of this by herself.
+"And finally, the student who ended up with the most censure votes, with a
+grand total of thirty-three votes. I'm sorry to say that it's you, Yamauchi
+Haruki."
+Now, Yamauchi took yet another heavy blow.
+Before he could even make sense of the situation, he was being told he had to
+leave the school.
+"T-thirty-three votes! ?"
+It pretty much confirmed that he hadn't gotten any praise votes from Class A.
+Second to last was Sudo with twenty-one votes. And coming in right behind
+him was Ike with twenty.
+It was clear that his friends were by no means in the safe zone either.
+"No! Why!? Why do I have to be expelled!?"
+Chabashira approached Yamauchi and put her arm on his shoulder, but he
+shook it off.
+".,.Haruki..."
+As his friends, Ike and Sudo could only look away.
+They had been hoping that, somehow, Yamauchi would make it through the
+exam, but the only thing they could do is wait for the results.
+And now that the results had come out, they probably realized the sad truth
+behind all of this.
+If Yamauchi hadn't placed last, what would have happened to them?
+***
+"Why, why, why! Why me!! This is such a stupid exam! A complete joke
+"While you're free to think whatever you want, the decision has already been
+made, Yamauchi."
+***
+Yamauchi shouted with every ounce of his being.
+He howled, unable to accept the reality of his situation.
+"That's right. Sakayanagi, go ask Sakayanagi! She said she'd have Class A
+use their praise votes on me! She didn't keep her promise! Is she just gonna
+be allowed to get away with that!?"
+"Do you have something that clearly proves that she made such a promise?"
+Chabashira asked.
+"She promised! At the karaoke parlor! I heard her!!!"
+"While I want to believe you, words alone aren't enough to prove anything."
+"Oh my god, why is this happening...!?"
+"Tt's time to leave the classroom, Yamauchi."
+Despite her instructions, Yamauchi didn't move an inch.
+"Get out of here quickly. Your existence here has already been deleted."
+"T haven't accepted it yet!"
+"So you plan to be irredeemably defective, pitiable, and ugly until the very
+end?"
+After Koenji's persistent provocations, Yamauchi finally snapped.
+"Grahhhhhhhhhhhhhhbhh!!!"
+He picked up the chair to his desk and charged at KOenji.
+He then lifted the chair up into the air and swung it down, aiming at Kdenji's
+head.
+If the attack had hit him directly, the resulting injury would've been
+inexcusable, however, KOenji wasn't naive enough to be hit by such a sloppy
+attack.
+Koenji casually grabbed the leg of the chair as it swung down at him and
+forcibly pulled the chair out of Yamauchi's hands.
+"You intended to kill me. You won't have any complaints if I return the
+favor, yes?"
+Yamauchi's face stiffened immediately.
+"That's enough."
+Chabashira intervened, having sensed the danger behind Koenji's words.
+Following her instructions, Koenji promptly let go of the chair.
+"Don't do any more than this, Yamauchi. For your own sake."
+From around the room, Yamauchi noticed the heartbreaking gazes of his
+classmates, their gazes filled with pity.
+And within him, something broke.
+"U-uwaaaahhbhh!"
+Crumbling on the spot, he raised his voice and began to bawl.
+Leave."
+Hearing Chabashira's words for a second time, Yamauchi lost his will to
+resist.
+Part 3
+One person was missing from the classroom.
+It was the same classroom, but nonetheless, it was distinctly different.
+The atmosphere was heavy and everyone was disheartened.
+No matter who ended up getting expelled, the situation would've probably
+still turned out like this.
+Even so, considering that someone had to disappear, it's only natural that the
+decision was made after considering all the potential pros and cons.
+To ensure the future success of the class as a whole, who is necessary? Who
+is unnecessary?
+These questions had to be answered.
+One person finally stood up from their seat and left the room.
+With that, everyone else began to follow suit without anyone saying very
+much.
+After a day off, once Monday came around, everyone would come back to
+the classroom once again.
+And when that time comes, Yamauchi wouldn't be there.
+"He's crazier than I thought."
+The 'he' Horikita was referring to was, of course, none other than Hirata.
+He was sitting motionless at his desk, as if in a daze.
+He had been like this ever since Yamauchi left the classroom.
+"Hirata-kun... Uhm..."
+Mii-chan timidly called out to him, concerned about his well-being.
+However, Hirata only slightly shifted his gaze to look at her and didn't say
+anything.
+How did Hirata feel about this class now?
+The answer to that was something only he knew. In any case, there was no
+other choice for him but to keep moving forward.
+The students who couldn't bear to see Hirata in such a state slowly left and
+headed home.
+Sudo and Ike quietly left the classroom as well.
+[ Let's just go home individually for today. ]
+Everyone in the group quickly agreed to Haruka's text.
+With my bag in hand, I excused myself and started walking to the door.
+On my way out, I stopped in front of Koenji for a moment as he was still in
+the classroom.
+"What is it, AyanokOji-boy?"
+"T didn't think you'd take action for the sake of the class."
+"Of course. Even I would cooperate with Horikita-girl in order to avoid
+expulsion."
+"That's not what I'm talking about. Seeing how you were constantly
+provoking Yamauchi, it seemed to me that you were trying to focus his
+hatred on you, and you alone."
+It's obvious that Yamauchi would come to hate his classmates after he's
+gotten expelled.
+However, since even before the results came out, KOenji persistently incited
+Yamauchi more than anyone else in the class, diverting Yamauchi's hatred
+solely towards him.
+Koenji had personally dealt with Yamauchi once he had lost all sense of
+reason after his expulsion was confirmed.
+Although, from the perspective of the rest of the class, KOenji's actions may
+have just come across as bullying.
+"Well now, I have no memory of that. I just wanted to see his ugly figure
+disappear from as close up as possible."
+"Is that so? Then I' ll just drop it."
+As soon as I was out of the classroom, Horikita quickly followed after me
+and grabbed me by the arm.
+***
+"Ayanokoji-kun. You... How much of this did you anticipate ahead of time?"
+Back when Sakayanagi proposed a temporary truce, I was a little more than
+ninety-percent certain that I didn't have to worry about being expelled. It's
+obvious that, to her, beating me with a surprise attack would be meaningless.
+If she had lied about the truce in order to force me out of the school, she
+wouldn't have been happy about it.
+But at the same time, she manipulated Yamauchi and tried to have him get
+me expelled.
+In other words, she had made a clear violation of our truce. That is to say, her
+actions were contradictory.
+To compensate for this contradiction, she would have to do whatever she
+could to invalidate any censure votes I may get because of Yamauchi.
+Namely, to have Class A cast a majority of their praise votes for me.
+That way, even if I ended up with twenty to thirty of Class C's censure votes,
+Id still end up with a positive number of votes in the end. My safety would
+be guaranteed. In which case, why would she go through all this trouble? She
+had probably done so in order to get Yamauchi Haruki expelled. By making
+him out to be a villain, she had managed to lower his standing within Class C.
+Of course, I had no way of being absolutely certain of any of this. I couldn't
+discount the off-chance that Sakayanagi was trying to have me expelled with
+a surprise attack.
+So, I instigated Horikita, using her as a means to ruin Yamauchi. In addition,
+by letting the class find out that Yamauchi was targeting someone harmless
+like me, I'd be able to get additional praise votes due to sympathy or
+protection. Although, ending up in first place was a little bit too much.
+"Didn't I say it before? I didn't explicitly take part in this exam."
+bute"
+"T'm heading home."
+"Ayanokoji-kun!!"
+As if her feet were frozen to the ground, Horikita shouted after me as I
+walked away.
+"It was you, wasn't it...? You're the one who told my brother about the
+connection between Sakayanagi-san and Yamauchi-kun, aren't you?"
+I simply continued walking without giving her an answer and descended the
+stairway.
+On the first floor, I approached the bulletin board.
+There was a statement posted that listed the results of the exam for each of
+the classes.
+Class Vote Results:
+Expulsions:
+Class A: Totsuka Yahiko
+Class B: None
+Class C: Yamauchi Haruki
+Class D: Manabe Shiho
+These are the only expulsions.
+There will be no changes to the number of Class Points because of these
+results.
+"Yahiko, huh...? I guess she really was lying when she said she'd expel
+Katsuragi after all."
+Along with who had been expelled, the names of those who had gotten the
+most praise votes were listed. In Class A it was Sakayanagi, in Class B it was
+Ichinose, and in Class D it was Kaneda. Kaneda had gotten the fewest, with a
+total of twenty-seven votes, whereas Ichinose had ended up with a stunning
+total of ninety-eight. Considering that most of Class A had used their praise
+votes on me, it was clear just how much everyone valued Ichinose.
+Behind me, another student appeared, likely to check the results of the exam
+for himself.
+It was Katsuragi, and at almost the same time, Ryuen showed up as well.
+"So you didn't get expelled either, Katsuragi."
+"_... could say the same to you. Out of everyone, I thought you'd be the one
+to go."
+"Kuku. It seems like the Grim Reaper has taken pity on me."
+"The Grim Reaper, is it?"
+"Don't worry about it. It's not like you'd be able to see it anyway."
+With a grin, Ryuen went and looked at the results.
+"Though, it seems that Sakayanagi girl did something interesting too,
+wouldn't you say? Seeing as that she went and cut down your only
+Supporter."
+While Ryien spoke cheerfully, Katsuragi's expression turned into one of
+remorse.
+"You've completely lost your fighting spirit, haven't you?"
+"T have nothing to gain by acting out any more than I already have."
+"So you plan to be Sakayanagi's obedient dog until graduation? What a
+joke."
+eocccccce
+There was a moment of silence.
+However, there was a ghastly expression on Katsuragi's face.
+Yahiko, who had followed Katsuragi through thick and thin, had been
+expelled.
+At the same time, Katsuragi had lost his status as a person who people were
+willing to protect.
+"Hoh? So you can make a face like that too, huh Katsuragi>?"
+After seeing Katsuragi's expression, perhaps Ryiien had the same impression
+as me.
+"As you are now, you could easily deceive Sakayanagi."
+".,.Don't joke with me. Putting that aside, what does a bastard like you plan
+on doing now? Your future at this school was saved by the Grim Reaper. Do
+you plan on challenging Sakayanagi, Ichinose, and Horikita once again?"
+"T'm not interested in something like that."
+Ryuen coldly responded without missing a beat.
+"The contract I made with you and the rest of Class A is still valid. To put it
+simply, I plan on sitting back and squeezing you dry as I casually enjoy
+myself for a little while. I just thought I'd meet you here today to kiss your
+ass for that."
+Apparently, that was the reason why Ryuen had come here in the first place.
+After all, from Rytien's perspective, Katsuragi's expulsion would've also
+caused the contract to be annulled.
+With that, Katsuragi left first and headed back home, leaving Ryten and me
+behind.
+"Do yourself a favor and come with me for a bit."
+Without refusing, I let Rytien lead the way as we walked around to the
+backside of the school building.
+"Since when were you such a good person, AyanokOji?"
+"T didn't do anything, but it doesn't seem like you're very willing to believe
+that."
+Ryuen should already be well aware of what I did.
+"It's not so much that I did anything, it's more like the people who care about
+you did. They're the ones that did everything."
+I looked up at the sky as I recalled the events that had taken place a few days
+earlier.
+Part 4
+The lack of an expulsion from within Class B. The fact that Ryien was still
+here.
+I had been involved in both of these two noteworthy incidents behind the
+scenes.
+It was back on the day when I had met with Hiyori at the library and invited
+Ichinose to my room.
+That night, just past ten, the sound of the doorbell rang throughout my room.
+I didn't have many friends who would come to my room to pay me a Visit.
+I considered whether or not it was Horikita, Kushida, or maybe even
+someone from the AyanokOji Group, but in most cases, they would've sent
+me some sort of notification that they were coming ahead of time.
+This time, however, I hadn't been notified of anything. That is to say, the
+person at the door wasn't anyone like that.
+In which case, who in the world had come to visit me?
+" ..Well this is a first."
+As I checked the intercom from within the depths of my room, I saw an
+unexpected duo displayed on the screen.
+They seemed like they were cold as they waited for me to answer the door.
+"Well... I suppose curfew is only enforced for the upper floors."
+As a general rule, it's prohibited for a boy to enter a girl's living quarters
+after eight at night.
+Well, even if you did break curfew, it wouldn't be a very big deal as long as
+word didn't get out. Plus, even if you got caught, the punishment wouldn't be
+very severe as long as it had only happened once or twice. In any case, there
+weren't any rules that prevented a girl from being the one to come and visit
+instead.
+"Yes?"
+After deciding to at least respond to them, I spoke through the intercom.
+Although, I wasn't exactly welcoming with how I phrased my words.
+"_,.I'd like to talk if you have a moment."
+Of the two of them, the boy began to speak, breaking the silence. He leaned
+forward and peered into the camera and a close-up of his pupil appeared on
+the screen.
+It didn't seem that he wanted to have this talk over the intercom.
+"Give me a moment."
+I walked over to the entryway and unlocked the door, and upon doing so, it
+abruptly swung open. The boy, Class D's Ishizaki, entered my room right
+away.
+If one was careless, the force at which the door had swung open could've hurt
+someone.
+"Welcome. You should hurry and come in too. It's cold out there."
+"Why do I have to..."
+Ishizaki's classmate, Ibuki, voiced her dissatisfaction at my invitation inside.
+"Who cares. Just get in here [buki."
+"Ugh."
+Giving in to Ishizaki's prodding, she walked through the entryway.
+The cold air was certainly starting to make its way in, so I hastily closed the
+door behind her.
+After thinking about how we would still feel the cold draft if we talked at the
+entryway, I invited them further into the room.
+"So, what do you need from me, so late at night like this?"
+At my question, Ishizaki immediately put his hands together and lowered his
+head.
+"Please, AyanokOji! Tell us how to prevent Rytien-san from getting
+expelled!"
+"...What?"
+These two had come barging in uninvited so late at night just to ask for such
+a ridiculous favor.
+"Did I mishear you? Could you say that one more time?"
+"T asked you to tell us how to prevent Ryuen-san from getting expelled!"
+It didn't seem like I had misheard him.
+"Just forget it, Ishizaki. There's no way AyanokOji will cooperate with you."
+Apparently, Ibuki and Ishizaki weren't on the same page. It didn't seem like
+she had come along to ask for my help.
+"That... that's probably true, it's just... I can't think of anyone else other
+than Ayanokoji who could do something."
+"Tt's not like I care. Oh, by the way, I'm only here because Ishizaki forced me
+to come along with him. He just wouldn't stop calling me..."
+With a sigh, she exasperatedly showed me the screen of her phone.
+There were more than fifty missed call notifications from Ishizaki.
+"How could I go and ask him all alone!? He's our enemy!"
+"Tt's the same even if I'm here with you. What an idiot."
+"Shut yer mouth..."
+Ishizaki and Ibuki proceeded to bicker with each other.
+"Well, it doesn't seem like you were sent here by Rytien."
+If they were acting, it would've been quite the show, but that didn't seem to
+be the case here.
+"There's no way we'd be here for that. Ryiien-san... wouldn't ask us to do
+something like this. You should understand at least that much."
+"T suppose."
+Ryten had already washed his hands of school matters by making it seem
+like he had been defeated by Ishizaki.
+In fact, it seemed like he was already fully resolved to leave the school.
+Furthermore, even if he didn't plan on being expelled, he wouldn't have
+reached out to me for help.
+There's no way he'd be willing to do something so shameful.
+"Are you sure you don't want Ryiien gone? He's done all sorts of things to
+you."
+Ibuki spoke up again, questioning Ishizaki.
+",.Well... a lot of stuff did happen... But, it's different now."
+"What is?"
+"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
+"T'm asking you what you mean by 'it's different now'."
+"I've come to understand that Rytien-san is important for the future of Class
+***
+"T don't get it. Don't you know how much we've had to go through because
+of him?"
+These two had really come all the way here to see me without being on the
+same page at all.
+Or, to put it more accurately, it was as if they were simply unable to
+communicate with one another.
+"First of all, if you're gonna argue, do it later."
+At my words, they stopped glaring at one another.
+"Ugh. I wanna go back to my room."
+However, they still didn't stop quarreling with each other. In particular, [buki
+still had a stern expression on her face.
+"Don't say that. You have to help me persuade AyanokOji too."
+"T don't wanna."
+"If you're gonna argue, go do it somewhere else."
+Seeing as how there were no signs of the conversation moving forward any
+time soon, I decided to try asking something myself.
+"Ryuen isn't very popular, even in Class C. It's just an outsider's perspective,
+but I'm not exactly wrong, now am I?"
+"Well, uh... I guess some people may hate him, maybe..."
+"What do you mean 'some people'? Almost everyone hates him. There's no
+point in lying about it."
+"Just shut it! There's nothing wrong with what I said!"
+"Ugh, you're so loud and annoying. By the way, you're spraying your spit
+everywhere while you talk, so stop shouting."
+"T thought I said to save your arguing for later."
+If they kept making so much noise in such a small room like this, the sound
+would be heard in the rooms around us.
+I spoke up again, this time with a twinge of anger in my voice, and the two of
+them seemed to calm down a bit.
+Had they realized that they were imposing on me uninvited?
+With this, we were finally able to get on with the conversation.
+"Tt would be unreasonably difficult to stop Rytien from being expelled."
+I spoke bluntly, without beating around the bush.
+I felt like my intentions would come across better that way.
+"T guess that's true."
+Having understood what I was getting at, Ibuki nodded in agreement.
+However, Ishizaki didn't seem to be willing to accept it so easily.
+"Can't you do something, anything!?"
+At the very least, his motivations were genuine. There was no doubting his
+drive to save Ryuen.
+"You really want to stop Ryten from leaving, don't you?"
+"... Yeah,"
+Other than me, Ibuki, and a few others, most students were under the guise
+that Ishizaki detests Ryuen.
+Of course, that was only a consequence of the incident between Ryien and I.
+Even so, it was true that Ishizaki had been tyrannized by Ryiien many times
+up to this point. I didn't think that he would come and bow his head to me
+and beg me to save him when he obviously didn't want to.
+This was probably also due to the emotional connection he had made with
+Ryuen over the course of the past year.
+However, nobody would be struggling if this exam was something that could
+be overcome with emotions alone.
+Ishizaki seemed to need a simple explanation as to why saving his friend was
+so difficult.
+"There are two primary reasons why I think saving him is unreasonable. This
+provisional exam will be decided by the number of censure votes being used
+in your own class. Supposing that you, Ibuki, and two or three others don't
+vote against Ryuen and cast him a praise vote instead, it's still pretty likely
+that he'll end up with more than thirty censure votes. Secondly, nobody else
+actually wants to be expelled."
+"B-but, I mean, there aren't very many people that think we can win and
+move forward without his strength, you know?"
+It's true that there were probably at least a few students in Class D who
+recognize Rytien's capabilities.
+However, by itself, that reason wouldn't cut it.
+That just wouldn't be enough of a reason to raise the possibility of getting
+expelled yourself.
+"Nobody wants to expel someone. By targeting Ryuen, the most unpopular
+person in the class, it would cause the least amount of guilt."
+It was just as Ibuki said.
+"Even if you couldn't get out of Class D, you'd still wanna graduate safely,
+wouldn't you? It's not like anyone wants to be labeled a high school
+dropout."
+Chances are, this type of discussion had already taken place within their
+class, something that was written all over Ishizaki's face.
+"Tf you're being treated as the leader who spearheaded a revolt against
+Rywten, then you've probably already heard about this, haven't you?"
+Ishizaki nodded. After all, he had probably publicly supported Ryiien's
+expulsion due to the position he had found himself in.
+"T think that other than Ibuki, Albert, and Shiina, everybody's in favor of
+expelling Ryten-san."
+"So it's checkmate no matter how you look at it, yeah?"
+"Yeah, it's checkmate."
+I responded to Ibuki's statement with simple affirmation.
+"That's why I came here in the first place. You're the one who beat Ryiien-
+san, SO..."
+"You want to know if there's a way to stop the expulsion. Before we get to
+that, there's something I want to ask you."
+"What...?"
+"Saving Ryten means that someone else from your class will have to be
+expelled instead. Do you understand that?"
+This was an essential aspect of the exam. I had no choice but to hear how he
+would answer.
+"That's... That's true, but..."
+"Tf you really understand, do you have someone else in mind to take Ryiien's
+place?"
+"N-no, not at all. I don't think I want to get rid of anyone."
+"Then it sounds like there's a problem. This exam is designed to ensure that
+someone gets expelled."
+This wasn't an exam where you could thoughtlessly talk about wanting to
+save someone.
+"Tt's just as AyanokOji said, isn't it? If you really want to save Ryuen, why
+don't you take the initiative and nominate yourself? If you ask everyone to
+vote for you instead, you might be able to save him."
+Her cold-hearted idea was pretty much the same as abandoning Ishizaki, but,
+realistically speaking, it was probably the best option he had available.
+Ryuen had accumulated a lot of hatred from his classmates. Even though he
+was talented enough to think of courageous, clever schemes that an ordinary
+person couldn't possibly come up with, once you consider that the class had
+fallen down to Class D under his leadership, the fact that he was getting cast
+aside was simply inevitable.
+"There's... really no way to prevent anyone from being expelled?"
+"That was everybody else's initial question too. In the end, they all gave up
+on trying to think of a solution."
+"_..He's right."
+Ibuki let out a short, dejected sigh.
+Rather than bothering to reach out to me for help, Ibuki had understood that it
+was unreasonable from the very beginning.
+"As I said before, this is a complete waste of time. We can't change Ryiien's
+fate."
+"Dammit...!"
+Consumed with frustration, Ishizaki punched the wall beside him.
+"T think Ryien had planned on spending the next three years without doing
+anything. But, he probably changed his mind as soon as he heard about the
+supplemental exam. He probably thought that he had no other choice but to
+get expelled. That's why he decided to quietly sit back and wait for the exam
+to finish without saying anything, isn't it?"
+Ishizaki didn't seem to think that Ryien was doing it as a noble act of self-
+sacrifice either.
+Rywten simply wasn't bothering to resist what was coming to him.
+"You have to consider Ryiien's feelings. It's your duty as someone who
+follows him."
+a a Dera
+Ishizaki clenched his fists, filled with regret.
+He really wants to save Ryuen, huh?
+No matter how many enemies you have, it's not a bad thing to have friends
+who care about you.
+He may not admit to it, but Ryiien has some good friends.
+An idea started to take shape in my mind.
+However, there were a few things that needed to happen before it could be
+carried out.
+"Tf I had one piece of advice for you..."
+"What is it!? It doesn't matter what it is, just tell me!"
+Ishizaki lurched forward, desperately reaching out for any glimmer of hope
+he could.
+But, unfortunately, those hopes of his weren't going to last for long.
+"As things are now, Ryiien's private points will disappear along with him. If
+he's been receiving points from Class A this whole time, then he's ought to
+have saved up a least a couple million points by now. Right?"
+"Yeah. As long as he hasn't used them, he should have around that much."
+"There's no guarantee that his private points will be transferred or distributed
+amongst his classmates if he's still holding onto them when he gets expelled.
+That being the case, you should transfer all of his points elsewhere before his
+expulsion is set in stone. They' |l be useful for Class D later on."
+If the points were distributed amongst Class D, they would lose their value as
+a lump sum. It would be better for them to transfer everything into their own
+pockets now.
+I was certain that Ryten would at least agree to that.
+"T-this isn't what I wanted to hear from you! I want to know how to save
+Ryuen-san!"
+"Give it up Ishizaki. There's no point in saying any more than this."
+Ibuki reprimanded Ishizaki with a light kick before turning to me and
+continuing.
+"That said, Ayanokoji. I'm not gonna go and pick up the points Ryten saved
+bb)
+up.
+She spoke definitively. Instead of going to Ryten and begging him for the
+points, she would rather give up on them altogether.
+"Is that so? What about you, Ishizaki?"
+"T won't either!"
+They seemed to share the same stance on the matter, although with slightly
+different reasons behind it.
+They were resolved to the idea that, if Ryien was going to leave the school,
+then his points would go along with him.
+No, it wasn't due to something as praiseworthy as resolve.
+"Tt's a pity, but the two of you can't save Ryien."
+6679
+Ishizaki looked at me, his expression stuck somewhere between anger and
+regret.
+"Listen carefully. The only thing you two can do now is retrieve Ryuien's
+private points. This exam isn't so simple that you can save someone just
+because you want to."
+"Don't you fuck with me! You want me to take the points from Ryiien-san
+and peace out? There's no way I could do that!"
+Ishizaki raised his fist, but Ibuki immediately reached out and restrained him.
+"T said to stop this shit, Ishizaki. This guy may look like an ordinary person,
+but he's really nothing more than a nasty monster."
+"Even if I'm no match for him, I' ll at least get one hit in!"
+"Get over it."
+Ibuki then smacked Ishizaki on the head.
+"We came here and asked Ayanokoji for something completely unreasonable.
+He didn't even say anything wrong, and yet here you are, lashing out at him
+for it. Could you stop being such a humiliation?"
+"Urgh..."
+Ishizaki had let the blood rush to his head.
+It seems difficult for him to stay composed when it comes to Ryten for some
+reason.
+Neither of them seemed to have any intention of doing anything. Millions of
+points, completely free for the taking, were simply going to disappear. If they
+were thinking about the future of Class D, those points were something that
+they had absolutely no reason not to get their hands on.
+If Ibuki and Ishizaki, Rytien's closest friends, didn't want it, then there's
+nothing that could be done about it.
+"Well, I had really wanted to see the strength of your resolve a bit more,
+DUG se
+"...Huh? What do you mean by that?"
+"Tt has nothing to do with you two anymore. After all, you guys aren't even
+willing to recover the private points from Ryiien."
+With that, I ended the conversation. However, I was somewhat convinced
+that Ibuki would get the private points from Ryiien nonetheless.
+Part 5
+At just past ten on the night before the exam, my phone rang.
+[It's me. I've gotten all of Ryiien's private points. ]
+Ibuki spoke, stating the bare minimum and nothing else.
+"Tt's a good thing you figured out my contact information, isn't it?"
+I tried questioning her, but Ibuki remained completely silent.
+I remembered that I had given Shiina my number, so she had probably gotten
+ahold of it through her.
+"Hmm. So, you've gotten ahold of the points?"
+Although I had expected her to make a move, this was pushing it until the last
+minute.
+"Can you grab Ishizaki and come to my room right now?"
+[Eh? Right now? |
+"Is that a problem? I have something to discuss with you about the points
+you've gotten your hands on."
+[Not exactly, it's just... No, I'll be there. ]
+With those few short words of consent, Ibuki said she would get in contact
+with Ishizaki right away and then ended the call.
+The two of them showed up at my door less than ten minutes later. Did they
+have some sort of premonition that something important was about to
+happen?
+Just like that, Ishizaki and Ibuki immediately stepped into my room.
+"How many points did Ryuen have?"
+"A little more than five million."
+"That's plenty. If there weren't enough, I'd have to do some last-minute
+preparations to make up for the rest."
+As IT expected, there wasn't any evidence that Ryiien had used them for
+himself.
+"What are you talking about? What are you doing?"
+Ishizaki didn't seem to have any clue where I was going with this.
+On the other hand, Ibuki had already resolved herself, so she wasn't lagging
+behind as much.
+"You're going to use these to do something, aren't you?"
+"Correct."
+"He's gonna use them...?"
+"These private points will be used for one thing and one thing only. Saving
+Ryiuien."
+"N-no wait a second. Don't we need twenty million points in order to do
+that?"
+No matter how Ishizaki looked at it, there simply weren't enough points to do
+that.
+"Before I get into that, I have something to ask you. Ishizaki. Are you
+prepared to take responsibility for this?"
+"W-what're you getting at all of a sudden? Prepared to take responsibility for
+what...?"
+"Saving Ryuen means that you have to abandon someone else. I told you this
+before, didn't I?"
+"... Yeah."
+Despite being a bit flustered, Ishizaki nodded in agreement.
+"T've resolved myself."
+"Is that so? It's nice to see you've made up your mind. So who will it be?"
+"Who..."
+It seemed that Ishizaki hadn't decided on who would be taking Ryuen's place
+yet.
+"Tf you haven't decided, I can decide for you if you want. It'd be easier to get
+rid of any feelings of guilt that way. Of course, if you think that I'd carelessly
+get rid of an important member of your class, you don't have to listen to me
+at all."
+"P-please hold on. Let me think about it for a bit..."
+"There's no time."
+"T-I'll make the decision quickly."
+Despite saying that, if he could make the decision quickly, he wouldn't be
+having such a hard time in the first place.
+"Hold up. I don't care who we get rid of, but what's the plan here? You said
+you were gonna save him with the points, but aren't we short by like fifteen
+million?"
+Ibuki cut in, and her irritation was understandable.
+Be that as it may, I had my own circumstances to consider as well.
+"Tf you want to prevent Ryiien's expulsion, you need to decide on who will
+take the fall instead."
+We would talk about the plan in detail afterward.
+"For example, how about the troublemakers in your class?"
+While I felt bad that Ibuki was dissatisfied with not getting an answer from
+me, I moved the conversation forward.
+"Troublemakers... Well, I guess there's me and Komiya, and out of the girls,
+there's Nishino and Manabe."
+"Honestly Ishizaki, as far as Ryiien's safety is concerned, I don't think it's a
+very good idea to get rid of somebody like you who understands the
+importance of Ryiien's presence in your class. If there's another exam similar
+to this one in the future, there's no guarantee Ryiien will be able to make it
+through that one either."
+Ishizaki seemed to agree with my logic.
+"So either Nishino or Manabe..."
+Ishizaki listed two names, both of whom I was familiar with. Manabe, in
+particular, was the student I had been thinking of expelling.
+Either way, he was the one who had to make the final call.
+I intended to respect his decision, regardless of who he ended up choosing.
+"Whether it's one of them, or someone else, the decision is entirely up to
+***
+you.
+Ishizaki was also aware of what had taken place between Manabe and Kei
+during the Cruise Ship Special Exam. If that incident had even the slightest
+influence on his considerations, in all probability, he would choose to get rid
+of Manabe.
+He was searching for flaws. Searching for some sort of justification where he
+could throw up his hands and say she had brought this upon herself. Manabe
+had put her hands on Kei, and by doing so, had brought unnecessary trouble
+upon her class.
+Gradually, Ishizaki would begin to think that expelling Manabe wouldn't be
+too unreasonable.
+As far as Kei was concemed, even though she had already put the incident
+behind her, Manabe's presence would always be a constant source of
+uneasiness. Resolving this issue would be enough to allow Kei to relax a little
+more. Additionally, if I were to have Kei presume that I had been responsible
+for the expulsion, her confidence in me would also increase yet again.
+However, Ibuki unexpectedly spoke up just as Ishizaki was finalizing his
+decision.
+"Ts it fine if I make the choice?"
+"Eh? You want to?"
+"Yeah. There's someone I want gone."
+"Who?"
+I asked without waiting for Ishizaki's response.
+"Manabe. It's just my personal preference though."
+"And is it alright to make the decision based on that alone?"
+"T don't have any problems with it. Are you saying I should?"
+With a single look at Ibuki's eyes, I understood immediately. She didn't have
+even the slightest bit of hesitation.
+"Tf Ishizaki has no objection to it, then it's settled. That said, there are no
+guarantees that everything will work out. By preventing Ryten's expulsion,
+the person who ends up with the second most censure votes will be expelled.
+Now, the overall goal is to reduce the possibility that that person will end up
+being one of you two. There isn't very much time left."
+"T get it... Pll tell the guys that there've been some changes and that they
+should use one of their votes on Manabe. I think they'II agree to it if I tell
+them that the plan is to scare her by giving her the second most censure
+votes."
+"That's not a bad idea."
+I approved of Ishizaki's idea.
+As long as they were under the impression that Ryien's expulsion was set in
+stone, the rest of his classmates wouldn't particularly care about who they
+used the other censure votes on.
+"_,.Well, I might be in trouble here though."
+"Hmm? What do you mean, [buki?"
+"Manabe and her friends will probably vote for me along with Ryten. It
+really doesn't look very good for me."
+"W-wait. Are you being serious?"
+"Even you should know that Manabe and I don't get along very well, right?"
+"That's, well, that's true but..."
+Ishizaki trailed off, shaken from his inability to wrap his head around the
+conversation.
+"Tt sounds like you've already steeled your resolve, Ibuki."
+Of course, if Manabe didn't get expelled, Ibuki wouldn't have any other
+option but to resign herself to her fate.
+"Tt might be a good idea to consult with Hiyori about it."
+"With Shiina?"
+"She might be able to help you with this. I think it'd be fine for you to
+contact her and tell her you want to concentrate the censure votes on Manabe
+in order to save Ryuen."
+"|,.Fine."
+With a nod, I[buki promptly sent a text message to Hiyori.
+"You're in touch with Shiina, Ayanokoji? I don't think she'd be on board
+with the plan to expel Manabe."
+"She just happened to tell me her thoughts about this exam."
+While Hiyori may be a pacifist, she also has a strong desire to respect the
+wishes of her class.
+"She told me she'd cooperate as long as it was for the sake of the class; since
+she thinks that Ryten is important for Class D, I'm sure she'|l choose to lend
+a hand."
+We would control their classmate's votes as much as possible, reducing the
+praise votes and increasing the censure votes for Manabe.
+Conversely, we'd increase the praise votes and decrease the censure votes for
+Ibuki.
+That way, the disparity between Ibuki and Manabe would be closed in one
+fell swoop.
+"Well then, tell us your plan. How are we saving him with only five million
+points?"
+Ibuki stared at me, the look in her eyes telling me to speed things up.
+I took out my phone and sent a text message to a certain someone.
+It was marked as read almost immediately, with the person responding
+shortly thereafter, saying they would come to my room.
+There were less than two hours remaining until the time limit.
+It was fortunate that this person had the patience to wait until now.
+"What are you doing?"
+"Somebody's going to pay us a visit soon. They'! be the secret weapon
+that' ll stop Ryuten's expulsion."
+"The secret weapon... that'!] stop the expulsion?"
+It didn't seem like they would believe me with words alone.
+A few minutes later, my doorbell rang, increasing Ibuki and Ishizaki's
+skepticism even more.
+"Ts it alright for this person to see us with you?"
+"Don't worry about it. Provided that you get your stories straight right now."
+In the brief period before the visitor came in, I instructed them on what
+exactly they needed to say.
+Part 6
+"Pardon the intrusion~"
+Naturally, Ibuki and Ishizaki were surprised upon seeing the visitor who had
+appeared before us.
+They had probably never imagined that they would meet this person here.
+"Seriously...?"
+"Woah."
+"Oh! I definitely thought there might've been someone else here too... Good
+evening."
+"G-good evening."
+For some reason, Ishizaki had become a little flustered.
+The person who had come to my room was none other than Ichinose Honami.
+And currently, she was sitting together with Ibuki and Ishizaki from Class D.
+Having seen Ichinose, Ibuki finally seemed to understand the big picture of
+what was going on.
+"We've got matching interests, don't we Ichinose?"
+"Tt sure looks like it, Ibuki-san."
+"Huh? What do you mean, [buki?"
+Ishizaki tilted his head to the side, still unable to put all the pieces together.
+"Ishizaki. Nobody's crazy enough to actually want to save Ryn. Even if,
+hypothetically speaking, someone were to show up and say they'd help vote
+for him, there's no way to know whether they'd really stick to their word or
+not. Although... There are exceptions to that..."
+"T-Is that so... Then, does that mean Ichinose and everyone in Class B are
+gonna...!?"
+Finally, everything clicked, and Ishizaki seemed to understand what was
+about to happen.
+"Yup. I'll appeal to everyone in Class B and ask them to cast every single
+one of our forty praise votes for Ryten-kun. In return, Ibuki-san will cover
+the private points we're missing."
+It was a sure-fire strategy that could only be used once.
+There was Ichinose, who had the intuition to stockpile her classmate's private
+points ever since the first day of school, and there was Rytien, who had
+continued to hoard private points because of the contract he had made with
+Class A.
+It was the ultimate power play that could only be put into action because of
+the circumstances surrounding these two specific people.
+"Tf you two joined forces, no one will be expelled from Class B and Ryuien
+won't have to leave Class D."
+No matter what, Ryten would only end up with a maximum of thirty-nine
+censure votes.
+With the protection of Class B, that outcome would be eliminated completely
+thanks to the praise votes he would get.
+Ibuki and Ichinose looked each other in the eye.
+When two people aren't usually involved with one another, there's no reason
+for them to enter into a relationship built on trust like this.
+However, by facing each other eye to eye, it's possible to determine whether
+or not they're trustworthy, at least to a certain extent.
+After a moment, Ichinose shifted her gaze away from Ibuki and looked at me.
+"With twenty million points, I'll save one of my classmates... Right?"
+Leaving me with that question, she then turned her gaze back to Ibuki.
+"What will you do, Ichinose? It's up to you to decide whether you accept it or
+not."
+I spoke up, responding to her uncertainty. She had the right to choose the
+outcome for herself.
+After all, she still had the option to reject Ibuki's proposal and borrow the
+points from Nagumo instead.
+"I've made up my mind. As long as Ibuki-san and Ishizaki-kun are alright
+with it, I'm willing to do what I can."
+"Are you really fine with that?"
+"Yes. I've been able to make sure that their sincerity is real."
+"You're an idiot, aren't you Ichinose?"
+"Eh!? Ibuki-san!?"
+"Even though all sorts of cruel rumors were going around about you, you still
+chose to save up all those points. I can't believe you're gonna throw 'em all
+away for something like this."
+"Well, I can just save up the points all over again. It's clearly not impossible
+to accumulate close to twenty million points in just a year. Besides, I don't
+think you're in any position to say that, Ibuki-san. You could just pocket
+those five million points for yourself right now, but you've decided to use
+them all for Ryten-kun's sake instead."
+Ibuki quietly looked away without giving her a direct answer to that.
+"You and I are different. Besides, someone else's gonna end up bawling their
+eyes out as they pack their bags in Ryiien's place. In fact, that person could
+just as well end up being me."
+"But you're still saving Rywen-kun, aren't you?"
+"Tt... It just pisses me off that he's running away before I can pay him back
+for this stupid loan I took from him, that's all there is to it."
+Ibuki would provide salvation to Ichinose, fully prepared to face the potential
+disdain from her classmates.
+And just like that, Ibuki transferred the predetermined amount of private
+points to Ichinose.
+"Confirm everything on your end."
+"Will do."
+Ichinose immediately took a look at her points, checking to make sure she
+had received the points.
+"Thank you. It arrived beautifully."
+She showed the number on her phone, proving to all of us that she had
+exactly twenty million points in her account.
+"T'll be acting as a witness to this negotiation. II] have you all know now that
+I've also been recording the contents of this conversation."
+Out of the interest of fairness, I took out my cell phone.
+"Tbuki is offering about four million points. In return, Ichinose and the rest of
+her classmates will cast their praise vote for Ryuen, for a total of forty votes.
+If there is a breach of this agreement..."
+"T wouldn't have fulfilled my end of the deal, so I'd take the initiative and
+drop out school myself."
+Of course, none of us actually thought that something like that would happen.
+In practice, the school would also take record of any transactions that
+consisted of a large number of points, so if Ichinose went against her word, it
+wouldn't be surprising if the transaction was determined to be fraudulent with
+that alone.
+However, [buki and Ishizaki knew they were making a deal with none other
+than Ichinose Honami herself, so they probably felt like they could entrust it
+to her safely.
+This was the story of the events that had taken place between Ishizaki, Ibuki,
+Ichinose, and myself.
+Part 7
+The backside of the school building was quiet.
+"You claimed that it would've been easy for you to avoid expulsion if you
+took things seriously. It was because you knew you could've done it this way,
+wasn't it?"
+"Sure. I knew that Ichinose chick was saving up her points. She goes around
+acting like such a good-natured person too. She never seemed to like me
+much, but I still thought there was room for negotiation. That said, I was
+certain [buki didn't have the wit or skill to negotiate with Ichinose using the
+points, so I felt pretty comfortable leaving them with her, it's just... I didn't
+think you'd get involved in it."
+"Tbuki and Ishizaki just happened to ask me for help, so I made use of them
+for what I could. After all, as far as I was concerned, this was nothing more
+than a great opportunity for me to build trust with Ichinose. If I had them go
+to you directly, you would've seen through the plan. I can't imagine you
+would've given Ibuki the points in that case."
+"You made the right choice not to explain anything to her then."
+If I had explained everything to her, Ryiien would've gotten suspicious and
+seen through what I was doing behind the scenes.
+"Were you the one who targeted Manabe?"
+Considering that Kei had once been the target of Manabe's bullying, it was
+only natural for him to reach that conclusion.
+"No, that was just a coincidence. You know that she was on bad terms with
+Ibuki too, right?"
+"TI see. So she made the big decision, eh? Manabe ended up miserably
+bawling her eyes out."
+I could vaguely imagine what her reaction must've been like after hearing her
+name called.
+"So you're sayin' I was saved by Ishizaki and Ibuki, huh? What an annoying
+gift they've given me."
+"T guess."
+I wasn't going to delve any further into this. If Ibuki and Ishizaki hadn't
+visited my room that day, I would've probably brought up my plan with
+Hiyori instead.
+Then, I would've had her collect Ryten's private points and do the same
+thing I had Ibuki do.
+I had done all of this in order to have Ichinose owe me a favor. At the same
+time, I didn't want Ryden to be expelled for some reason I couldn't quite put
+my finger on.
+I had carried these complicated thoughts with me throughout the entire exam.
+"What are you gonna do if there's another exam like this one later?"
+"Kuku. Who knows?"
+He didn't say that he wouldn't do anything.
+Among other things, Ryien probably felt at least somewhat thankful for what
+Ishizaki and Ibuki had done.
+Things might become much more interesting if Ryiien ends up making a
+comeback in the not-so-distant future.
+Of course, whether or not that would happen would be entirely up to him.
+My phone began to ring. I took a look at the caller ID to find that it was none
+other than Ichinose.
+Having noticed what was happening, Ryuen turned around and walked back
+into the school building without saying another word. I answered the call and
+spoke.
+"Tt seems Class B made it through the exam without losing anyone."
+[Yup. Kanzaki-kun volunteered himself to be the one everyone voted against.
+Once we did, it was announced that he'd be expelled once the results came
+back. After that, I paid the full twenty million points and negated his
+expulsion. There were some difficulties, but everyone in Class B managed to
+get through the exam safely. |
+"Is that so? The price you paid wasn't exactly cheap."
+Although it was only for the time being, Class B was now poorer than Class
+***
+Points would be redistributed again in April, but daily life was going to be
+quite tough for them until then.
+Additionally, once the second year begins, having private points readily
+available might be important.
+Though, there was no need to look into that at this point in time.
+[We've lost our private points, but we can always make them back again.
+But, if we had lost even a single person, there would've been no way to get
+them back. |
+Ichinose spoke without any indecision in her voice. It seemed as though I had
+said something unnecessary.
+It was clear that she had set her mind on graduating together with every
+single one of her precious classmates.
+[Ryten-kun might not be satisfied with this, though. It seems that Manabe-
+san ended up being expelled in his place. |
+I decided not to mention that I had just seen Ryten a few moments ago and
+simply ignored the first part of what she had said.
+"Were you close with Manabe, Ichinose?"
+[Not exactly. We've only ever spoken once or twice, I guess. It still feels
+kinda lonesome though. Class A's Totsuka-kun and Class C's Yamauchi-kun
+are also gone... ]
+She probably hadn't been able to make sense of it all yet.
+[I wonder if somebody's gonna have to leave like this again at some point? ]
+Ichinose pondered uneasily.
+"Maybe."
+People you had grown accustomed to seeing every day, suddenly
+disappearing.
+"You would just have to keep fighting, wouldn't you?"
+[Yup. I'm gonna rise up to Class A together with all my friends and
+graduate. |
+Before today, there were probably still some people who thought that
+Ichinose was a hypocrite.
+However, with this, that impression would be gone.
+No matter what, Ichinose would fight to the bitter end in order to protect her
+class.
+[... Thank you so much, Ayanokoji-kun. If you weren't here, I...]
+"Would've started dating Nagumo?"
+[... Yeah. ]
+Ichinose responded, affirming my answer.
+[I know it's stupid of me, it's just... I kept trying to convince myself that it
+would've been a small price to pay as long as I saved my classmates. But...
+once I realized that I didn't have to go through with it, I felt relieved from the
+bottom of my heart. ]
+She seemed to let out a deep sigh of relief as I could hear the sound of it from
+the other end of the phone.
+[I think I definitely would have regretted it at some point. ]
+With that, Ichinose let out a laugh.
+"Tf neither the student council president or I were here, what would you have
+done instead?"
+[...Do you have to ask that?]
+"1'm curious. There's no way you haven't thought about it, right?"
+[Yeah, I had two plans. The first was that I would leave the school myself. |
+As I had thought, Ichinose had also considered sacrificing herself.
+[But, I didn't really think that would be the choice to make. As a student of
+this school, I wanted to stay and fight to the bitter end. ]
+In which case, that would mean her other plan would' ve been her first choice.
+[The other plan was to... hold a lottery. ]
+***
+It was a simple enough plan that anybody could've thought of, but it would
+never work unless everyone agreed to it.
+"Was everyone in Class B prepared to draw lots like that?"
+[Yup, we had already discussed it. If we hadn't come up with a way to avoid
+the expulsion by the day of the vote, we would've drawn three random names
+in a lottery. We didn't bother talking about who the praise votes would go to
+and just decided the rest would play out on its own.]
+It was the only way to judge all the students equally, without considering
+their individual strengths and weaknesses.
+Even if Ichinose had been selected, the votes against her would've probably
+been canceled out by praise votes. Although, everyone would've probably
+been fine with that anyway.
+"That would've been about as fair as you could've made it, but it would've
+never happened in the other classes."
+The more outstanding students definitely wouldn't agree to a plan like that.
+[It's not like anybody actually wanted to be expelled, but nobody wanted to
+see our friends disappear either. Once I explained this to everyone, they
+agreed to the plan.]
+Class B was probably only able to accomplish a feat like that because they
+had an absolute leader like Ichinose.
+"T'm impressed."
+Despite the fact that it wouldn't be communicated over the phone, I lowered
+my head slightly as a show of respect to Ichinose.
+In and of itself, her plan wasn't particularly extraordinary.
+It was simply impressive that she had created an environment where a plan
+like that could be executed in the first place.
+[Alrighty, well, Pll talk to you later. Thank you once again, Ayanokoji-kun. |
+"T was just the middleman. If you're going to thank anybody, you should
+thank Rytien and his friends."
+Part 8
+Afterward, I found out that I had received an email on my phone.
+"Sakayanagi, huh?"
+I didn't know how she found out about my email address, but I figured I
+might as well go and meet up with her.
+I had thought that she would come and see the results on the bulletin board,
+but...
+As per Sakayanagi's message, I headed toward the special building where she
+said she'd be waiting.
+Even though it was almost past the time she had requested for us to meet, I
+figured that if I left now, we'd still be able to run into each other.
+Once I got to the special building, I immediately went to the place where we
+had talked last time.
+"So you finally came."
+"Seeing that you have my email address, you must have gotten your hands on
+my phone number as well."
+"T didn't call because I didn't think it would be much of an issue if I didn't
+get to see you today."
+"What do you want?"
+"For the time being, there's something I'd like to explain to you."
+As she spoke, she leaned forward a little bit on her cane, shortening the
+distance between us.
+"Since I had done something a little bit disorderly, I thought you might be
+somewhat uneasy, but it seems my worries were uncalled for."
+Of course, Sakayanagi was referring to how she had manipulated Yamauchi
+into concentrating all the censure votes on me.
+"When you talked to me about delaying our match, I was already ninety-
+percent certain you were telling the truth. I just didn't trust you completely,
+so I took some measures of my own, just in case."
+"I know. Though, you agree that I didn't break our agreement, right?"
+"You didn't do anything that put me at a disadvantage. You didn't lie."
+While I had been forced to endure at least some degree of mental stress, if we
+only consider the outcome, I had ended up with an overwhelming number of
+praise votes.
+No matter how I looked at it, there was no reason for me to hold anything
+against Sakayanagi.
+"Thank you very much."
+Sakayanagi bowed her head slightly to show her gratitude.
+"Incidentally... Totsuka-kun should've ended up with a total of thirty-eight
+censure votes, but ultimately only got thirty-six. You voted for him, didn't
+you?"
+"T wasn't certain of anything, but when you said you wanted to have
+Katsuragi expelled, it felt like it was just a bluff."
+In which case, I felt like the chances were higher that she was targeting
+Yahiko, Katsuragi's supporter, instead.
+Even though my vote hadn't changed anything, I had ended up casting it for
+him anyway.
+"How wonderful. As I thought, you're definitely the real deal. The perfect
+opponent."
+"So? Was all of this just your attempt to mess with me?"
+"Well... I'd be lying if I said it wasn't, but there is a reason why I said that I
+wanted to postpone our match. I mentioned something similar not too long
+ago, but this provisional exam is undoubtedly something that a certain
+someone prepared in order to have you expelled from the school. In fact, this
+someone has already happened to send me a message requesting me to help
+get you expelled."
+"A message?"
+"Yes. It was probably from the same person who had gotten my father
+temporarily kicked out of office. Originally, they had set up the provisional
+exam with slightly different rules. The votes that classes would use on each
+other were going to be censure votes, not praise votes, so there's no
+mistaking what their goal was. That would've been quite the unreasonable
+exam, don't you agree?"
+"Tf that had happened, it wouldn't matter who the student is, if you were
+colluded against by the other classes, you'd be forced out of school."
+It would've been an unreasonable exam where even Sakayanagi and Ichinose
+would be at risk if the other classes were out to get them.
+"Exactly. It seems the current school staff were vehemently opposed to it and
+managed to change that part of it. Besides, I would never cooperate with that
+person anyway. That wouldn't be any fun at all. That's why, in order to
+ensure your safety, I decided to use all of Class A's praise votes on you. That
+way, even if someone had been up to something behind the scenes, it
+would've been impossible for you to be expelled."
+"Then, why did you pick Yamauchi? Was it just random chance?"
+"Do you not remember? He bumped into me and knocked me over during the
+Mixed Training Camp. Furthermore, he was quite rude about it."
+Something like that did happen back then.
+"Tt was revenge for that."
+She had targeted him just because of something simple like that?
+For Sakayanagi, that alone might've been more than enough of a reason.
+"However, all I did was light the fire. In the end, he was burned because he
+was a burden to his class."
+"T guess."
+Even if Sakayanagi hadn't interfered with the exam, the end result would've
+probably been about the same.
+"Those were the main reasons I had asked to postpone our match. At the
+same time, I wouldn't mind seeing my father return to his position so the
+school can return to normal, but..."
+Suddenly, within the empty special building, someone new had arrived.
+"Hello hello."
+A lone man dressed in a suit appeared before us.
+"This is my first time at this school. Do either of you know where the staff
+room is?"
+"Tf you're looking for the staff room, then you've come to the wrong place.
+That said, please excuse my lack of manners, but may I know who's asking?"
+"My name is Tsukishiro. I'll be working as the acting director of the school
+for the time being."
+He waved his hand politely and gave the two of us a seemingly gentle smile.
+He was probably in his forties, somewhere around Sakayanagi's father's age.
+"Fufu, is that so? It seems that Mr. Acting Director has quite the poor sense
+of direction, seeing as how you just so happened to wander your way here.
+Or, perhaps... you had decided to pay us a visit after seeing the two of us
+meet on the security camera last time? This is the same place Ayanokoji-kun
+and I had used to meet secretly at the beginning of the exam. It wouldn't be
+very hard for you to come here if you had always been keeping an eye on it."
+As she spoke, I recalled the unnatural look Sakayanagi had given the camera
+last time we were here.
+If someone had really been watching us last time, it would've been easy to
+lure them out next time we came here.
+Not only had Sakayanagi thought of this plan ahead of time, but the person in
+question seemed to have fallen for it.
+The acting director simply smiled and ignored what she had been implying.
+"You Say very interesting things. Though, I suppose I've heard that this is
+quite the amusing school. I wonder if all the students here are like you?
+Either way, please, pardon me."
+The man proceeded to walk forward, as if he was attempting to walk between
+the two of us.
+"Since you're looking for the staff room, I suggest you go back the way you
+came. You're in the wrong building."
+With the same smile as always, Tsukishiro kicked Sakayangi's cane out from
+under her as she attempted to give him directions.
+Naturally, there was no way for her to react to something so unexpected, so
+she began to fall over.
+With an exclamation of surprise, I quickly reached out and grabbed ahold of
+her to stop her from falling, only to be immediately met with a strike from his
+elbow aimed at my body.
+Unable to take evasive measures while holding onto Sakayanagi, I was forced
+to take the blow. I resisted the impact to the best of my ability and let
+Sakayanagi down to the floor. He came at me again in quick succession,
+seizing me by the neck and pinning me against the wall with bewildering,
+superhuman strength.
+"You're not as good as rumors say, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka-kun."
+He was pressing against my throat so hard that I couldn't make a sound.
+It was hard to imagine his strength based on his outward appearance. It felt
+like it would be difficult to break free of his hold.
+"... You've gone and done something quite reprehensible, Mr. Acting
+Director."
+"TI know you were sent instructions to have him expelled, Sakayanagi."
+"So that message was from one of your associates then? Since school
+officials aren't able to explicitly force an expulsion, it's understandable that
+you would come to rely on someone like me."
+Sakayanagi smiled as she slowly got up from the floor.
+"Thank you for helping me, Ayanokoji-kun."
+It would've been impossible for Sakayanagi to avoid that given her physical
+handicap.
+There was even a chance that it wouldn't have ended with just a fall.
+"Do you believe your violent behavior against students will go unnoticed,
+Mr. Acting Director?"
+"There's no need for me to worry about it. The surveillance cameras in this
+area have been doctored to show dummy footage."
+In other words, no matter what happened, there wouldn't be any recording of
+it.
+"Now then, Ayanokoji, I have a message from your father. He has no interest
+in playing this childish game anymore and wants you to come home
+immediately. How about you blink twice if you understand?"
+I was unable to speak a single word, and furthermore, wasn't even given an
+option to refuse.
+This was really something 'that man' would do.
+"So you have no intention of making this easy for yourself?"
+In response to my complete, unresponsive silence, the acting director began
+to mumble as he got bored.
+"Why don't you show a little bit of resistance? Show me something a normal
+kid couldn't."
+His hold on my throat became even stronger.
+He was a thoroughly trained, skilled opponent that an ordinary student
+wouldn't be able to deal with.
+"There's more to you than just observation skills, right? Why don't you show
+me what else you're capable of?"
+He provoked me once again, but I still didn't show a single shred of
+resistance.
+In the end, Tsukishiro realized that I had no intention of fighting back and
+loosened his grip.
+"T officially take office at this school in April. Please do look forward to it."
+With that, the man walked out of the special building.
+"That was a wise choice, Ayanokoji-kun."
+Sakayanagi praised me for putting up with his actions and restraining myself
+from fighting back.
+"He's the acting director. Had I chosen to retaliate, I don't know how he
+would've used it against me."
+He said that the surveillance cameras had been doctored to show dummy
+footage, but there was no guarantee he hadn't recorded everything anyway. It
+would've been checkmate for me if I fought back and only his violent
+behavior was edited out from the video.
+"Are you hurt?"
+"Don't worry. I'm used to stuff like this. More importantly, Sakayanagi..."
+"Yes? What is it?"
+"Let's officially have our match in the next exam."
+As I spoke, Sakayanagi's eyes seemed to widen in surprise.
+"T never expected that you would say that sort of thing to me face-to-face."
+"Tf that man is going to be involved starting in April, I don't think I can
+afford to compete with you for very long. I'1l make it obvious to you where
+things stand and leave it with that."
+"That's fine with me. I won't need a second or third time. I will gladly accept
+the privilege of being your opponent."
+The final exam of the first year would begin soon, and that would mark the
+end of the confrontation Sakayanagi was hoping for.
+Part 9
+Monday.
+Amongst the students, at least some of them were probably wondering if
+Yamauchi would still be here.
+Wondering if the expulsion had been nothing more than a bluff.
+However, reality was not so merciful.
+Since the events of the weekend, the number of desks in the classroom had
+decreased by one.
+Yamauchi Haruki's place was already long gone.
+The smile on Hirata's face had faded.
+The smile on Kushida's face had too.
+Neither Sudo nor Ike looked particularly energetic.
+"-Without any further ado, I will now announce the final special exam."
+Just like that, the first year's Class C advanced toward their final special
+examination.
+Afterword
+Howdy! How is everyone? Happy new year! This is an inexplicable
+afterword that I wrote in the middle of the night, and I'm quite excited to
+share it with you.
+Yes. Every year that goes by, it becomes harder and harder to stay up late.
+Back when I was a teenager, it was easy for me to stay up for two days (48
+hours) straight! It's hard to believe I can boast about something so trivial.
+Rather, I've only been awake for 20 hours now and I'm already about to die,
+how did it come to this?
+Make sure you sleep at least six hours every day.
+Indeed. Oh yeah, with this volume, the first year is now over...
+It's over... NOT!
+In the previous afterword, I had said the first year would come to an end in
+Volume 10, but it's still not over!
+This is because, to tell you the truth, when I began working on Volume 10, I
+had intended to include both the provisional exam and the final exam, but the
+former ended up using far more pages than I had planned. There was no way
+to cram everything into one volume, so it just turned out this way.
+While this volume ended up thicker than I expected, the next one will
+absolutely be the end of their first year. After that, there will be a one-volume
+interval (Volume 11.5) that takes place before the start of the second year.
+My plans always seem to change after I announce something in the
+afterword, so I'm a little anxious, but... I try not to think about that.
+Unlike these light novels, this past year feels like it has gone by so quickly! It
+feels like 2018 arrived only just yesterday, and it was already 2019 in the
+blink of an eye (The year at which this volume was released). It's
+unbelievable.
+Despite wanting to increase my writing speed from one volume every four
+months to one volume every 3 months, I haven't been able to successfully
+make it happen these past several years, which is frustrating. Either way, I
+always aim for a three-month timespan.
+Last year, just like always, I was helped by both my illustrator, Tomose, and
+my editor. I'm going to rely on you guys even more in 2019 as well, so
+please continue to do everything you do!
+Therefore, to you, the reader, please continue to support both me and this
+work in the future.
+-Kinugasa
+Short Stories
+SS Ichinose Honami: Apparent difficulty
+A short distance from the dorms.
+I was standing by the shadow of a vending machine letting out a breath of
+fog.
+«It's still so cold~».
+It was morning and time to go to school. A cold morning in March was
+inviting the coming of spring. I had wanted to talk to a certain person so
+much this morning so I decided to wait until I could see his back.
+It would have been warmer to wait in the lobby but I felt it would have been
+embarrassing to ambush him. In the end I decided to lay it low hiding instead.
+«,... Being called out by my other friends would be... a bit».
+With this excuse, I had already waited about ten minutes.
+Can he come over quickly please? With these thoughts in mind, I felt my
+pulse steadily rising along with the time ticking away.
+***
+If I knew it would be like this, I wished I'd rather contacted him and asked to
+meet up in the first place.
+The thought that I should so suddenly and coincidently call out to him was a
+mistake. My bad.
+Maybe I should stop with the ambushing thing and just do it normally? Well
+then, where and when should I call out to him then?
+But...
+I wanted to meet and talk to him today, no matter what.
+Remembering the exchange with Nagumo-senpai yesterday, I felt I wanted to
+overwrite it somehow.
+Then in the corner of my line of sight, I discovered my objective walking by.
+It was Ayanokouji-kun.
+«Good morning— Ayanokouji-kun!».
+Leaving it up to flow of events I walked closer while greeting.
+«Ah. Good morning, Ichinose».
+Noticing me voice, he tured around and replied. Despite his blank look on
+his face, seeing his usual self, I...
+I stiffened up.
+«Hmm?».
+Yahoo—! A greeting pose followed with my body stiffening.
+I remembered I hadn't decided what to talk about at all.
+Usually I went with the flow or the mood when I talked with my friends after
+all.
+However, today have been the only day I thought about deciding on a topic
+beforehand.
+But that's way too late now. Having already called out to him, I just have to
+make it work somehow.
+«What is it?».
+Showing some worry from seeing me standing there as if petrified,
+Ayanokouji-kun called out to me.
+As if breaking out of a movement restricting spell, I decided to start with a
+certain template I've been using frequently.
+«Yaa, well, it's cold today, right—?»
+The topic being about the recent weather due to this March being unusually
+cold.
+«Sure is».
+The weather was somewhat weird, making it easy to mistake that one was
+living in Snow Country.
+«Did you plan to go to school with someone?»
+Wanting to confirm it, just in case, I asked him.
+«No, not at all. I'm basically alone in the mornings».
+That was a relief. If someone was going to just show up impromptu here and
+now, Ayanokouji-kun would probably be troubled.
+«Well then... Want to go together?».
+Hearing this Ayanokouji-kun nodded without hesitation.
+Ah—that went well.
+Ah— it should have anyway...
+The topic, I can't find anything! Realising how I wasn't being my usual self,
+his expression showed how troubled he was.
+I felt talking like we usually do was getting harder. There was a strange
+change going on within myself.
+As expected, deciding to talk with him proved to be the right choice after all.
+With these firm thoughts in my head, I began walking by his side.
+SS Horikita Suzune: Neighbour
+He walked past me and stood in front of Kouenji-kun. It seems they were
+talking about something in low voices. I didn't hear what they were saying
+though. I saw him leaving the classroom, seeing his back I felt something I
+couldn't express inside me. Before I noticed, I was standing up from my seat
+and followed after him. Ayanokouji-kun was walking further down the
+corridor. His walking pace wasn't especially fast, but it felt like I would
+never reach it no matter what. Rushing it, I grabbed his hand without
+thinking. I didn't have confidence my words alone could stop him somehow.
+He turned around. His pupils had no colour. But he was someone who didn't
+show his emotions at all, black nor white. During the span of one year beside
+him, I couldn't see anything.
+«Ayanokouji-kun. You... since when and how much did you know?»
+So I asked him. What I wanted to know. What I needed to know. He didn't
+seem to worry, nor did he change his facial expressions when he answered.
+«Haven't I said it before? I haven't participated in this special exam in the
+literal sense».
+No matter how much I knocked on his door, the knock coming back was the
+same as always. That's why I have been distancing myself slightly from him
+lately. Since I feared getting closer to him.
+«... But...».
+I don't know.
+I can't see the person behind Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun.
+«Ill leave then».
+After his reply, I didn't manage to hold him there any further. I could only
+watch him going farther away.
+I felt | managed to grow up a bit during this exam. But in the end, I couldn't
+grab his existence itself.
+«By the way».
+I heard a voice coming from behind me which surprised me before I turned
+around.
+It was my classmate Karuizawa-san.
+«...What is it?».
+«Nothing. I was just wondering what you were talking about».
+«Not much. It seems he isn't trusting me, that's all».
+«Hmm...»
+She then looked at Ayanokouji-kun once just like I did moments earlier.
+«It seems like he is trusting you, far more than me».
+«What makes you say so?».
+Of course I didn't have any proof.
+But, I somehow knew it from seeing Karuizawa's eyes.
+«Since it looks like you are trusting him, perhaps? I can't seem to trust him
+no matter what though».
+That was the only answer I could come up with. I wonder what she would say
+after hearing that.
+«You cannot trust someone who isn't trusting you, right?»
+«lo.»
+I flinched from the unexpected, yet precise and obvious words directed at me.
+«If I really start to trust him... One day I feel I will witness something scary.
+I feel like I will be betrayed».
+«Ah is that so? I can't understand since I no longer have anything to fear
+anymore».
+Karuizawa didn't seem scared at all.
+«I thought you were really amazing yesterday. You got a bit of my respect,
+seeing you take the initiative for the class. But Kiyotaka is a different matter
+altogether. If you are that scared, your relationship with him will never
+begin».
+Karuizawa answered before returning back and joining her friends.
+Her word would remain deep in my heart forever. Together with the
+existence of an invisible neighbour.
+SS Sakayanagi Arisu
+A space for only me and Ayanokouji was spreading before my eyes. He was
+wearing his usual poker face as always, watching me steadily.
+«To think you would even send Kamuro away first, what did you want to talk
+about?»
+It seems like he wanted to finish this conversation as soon as possible,
+pushing for a quick conclusion. As for me, I'd have liked to talk more
+leisurely, but seeing as we are enemies, that won't be possible.
+«It's about this special exam».
+«Correct me if I'm wrong, but we decided to fight it out during the next
+special exam, right?».
+«Yes. That was the plan. However... if it's alright with you, can we settle it
+during the next one? This is not a fight between classes, but eliminating
+someone from your own. Since the only thing outsiders can do to influence
+the results is by giving praising points, you can't attack at all either... do you
+mind if we postpone to the next time?».
+I wonder how he will answer my self-indulgent suggestion?
+After a brief silence, I decided to ask again.
+«Won't you accept, this deal?»
+Having reached a conclusion it seems, he replied back.
+«It's up to you».
+In other words, we will ignore this special exam and settle it during the next
+one. That's something I'm really thankful for.
+«Thank you. I was wondering what would happen if you were determined
+that this special was as good as any. I can thus freely concentrate on the
+internal matters of class A. It's just...»
+«Just?».
+Since we just had delayed our duel, there was a need to remind him of this.
+«Since this is a temporary ceasefire, I will certainly need to earn your trust,
+thus why I say this. During this exam I won't give you any minus points. In
+other words, I will definitely not give you any criticism votes».
+Yes. There is a need to clearly show that we won't fight during this exam. I
+don't think he will be caught off guard but this is an action meant to instil the
+sense of rightfulness.
+«On the off chance that any involvement of mine with class C results in any
+harm to you... I don't mind if we consider that my loss. I'm fine with you
+rejecting the coming exam too».
+«If I get most of the criticism votes this time, there won't be a next time
+though».
+«Certainly. Anyway, please rest assured, is what I have to say».
+In any case, I wonder if that may give him some peace of mind?
+However, this means I can freely use «that» without reserve.
+I can't help but looking forward to the results after the exam has ended.
+At that time, let's settle this between us, Ayanokouji-kun.
+SS Ichinose Honami: Small heartbeats
+The time crept closer towards midnight. I've been hanging around in the
+rooms of several boys from Class B before, but staying at a boy's room at
+this hour was a first for me.
+Furthermore, being alone together with a boy like now was obviously
+something I haven't experienced yet.
+We were done discussing the topic I had to talk about.
+I just have to drink this cup of hot chocolate I held in my hands before
+returning back.
+«Hey, Ayanokouji-kun».
+I stared at the cup while calling out to him.
+«Hmm?»
+He replied back with the blank face he always had, or pretty close to it, as I
+could feel a sense of composure from it.
+«Ayanokouji-kun, are you perhaps someone really amazing?».
+«What makes you think so? Sorry, but that's something I'm not aware of».
+«That's even more amazing if so. I mean, Ayanokouji-kun...»
+You saved Sakura-san. The actions you took during the special exam aboard
+the cruiser. How fast you were during the sports festival...
+Yes, that's right. There's no doubt about it.
+This person, Ayanokouji-kun is a very intelligent person.
+I can't come up with an example but... I can't come up with words to explain
+how great he seems to be...
+Isn't he a person we should be way, way more cautious of than Horikita-san
+or Hirata-kun after all?
+But if that's true...
+«What is it?».
+«No, nothing at all».
+I was assaulted with the feeling of something tightening inside me and
+averted my eyes.
+He will surely become a formidable enemy.
+And then, we will be unable to spend time and laugh together like this
+anymore.
+I have to remember this fact.
+I know. I know that this is inevitable due to the school rules. The fact that we
+are in separate classes is something we can't fight. I will prepare myself for
+that time.
+But now, only for now... I want to talk to him just like a normal girl.
+«... What's this, I wonder...».
+This, strange feeling.
+Even though I was talking to him just recently, just as usual.
+For some reason, I could feel my heart beating softly.
+Prologue
+Today is the 31th of March.
+It's the last day that person—that my brother will be at this school.
+«My face looks terrible.»
+I looked at my face reflected in the mirror. A somewhat dark and depressed
+facial expression looked back at me.
+The reason for that is probably since I almost didn't sleep at all last night.
+I wonder how much time me and my brother actually spent talking with each
+other at this school?
+That time easily surpassed a year, yet didn't reach even a few hours.
+It was such a diffuse relationship.
+It can't be helped if people ridiculed me due to that. Of this relationship that
+was even less than friends.
+An older brother and a little sister. Two existences that were so close, yet so
+far that people wouldn't think we were blood related at all.
+Page 1 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«Is it really alright to part from him like this?»
+I questioned my reflection in the mirror.
+Of course, it didn't reply back.
+There was just me, with a dark expression, looking back.
+I didn't even need to look her in the eyes to notice that she appeared to
+accuse me of something.
+There are so many things I want to talk with my brother about.
+There's no way parting like this is acceptable.
+And then a year passed by.
+In the end, I didn't manage to make time for us to talk.
+But... it's different now. I can properly face him now, so I can meet him
+without being ashamed of myself.
+I can just meet with him and bid my last farewells with confidence.
+«...no, that won't do.»
+I don't even have the qualifications to send him off as I am now.
+Of course, our relationship has changed.
+I managed to make my brother look at me.
+But...
+I wasn't able to show my brother my own growth this year, almost nothing.
+Page 2 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Even if I sent him off, he probably won't be happy about it.
+In fact, I will probably just make him worry more for this useless sister.
+I can't make him waste his glorious three years with such feelings now.
+"Wouldn't it be better to not meet him at all?' Is what I end up thinking.
+I will never let him worry about me by my selfishness...
+«No, that's not it, that won't make it better, right?»
+I asked my other self in the mirror yet again.
+I wasn't able to show anything.
+But that doesn't mean that running away is the correct answer.
+If I could confidently tell him that I was alright, everything would be solved.
+Then what should I do?
+What is the right thing to do?
+The time is running out.
+I wish I could have noticed my own foolishness much earlier.
+What if I managed to notice right after I entered this school?
+«There's no point regretting something that already has passed, no
+meaning... at all...»
+It was now over 8 am in the morning.
+My brother will depart at noon.
+Page 3 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«What can I—what should I do?»
+It would be fine just showing him this current me, I thought.
+But the current me is not me, and yet still me.
+Someone who continues to chase after him, and only him. A very foolish
+sister.
+The me in the mirror faded away and overlapped with my past self.
+«I... who in the world... am I?»
+Yes.
+The one being reflected in the mirror was me, yet not myself.
+«...An imitation.»
+Thinking about it now, the fact is that I have spent over half my life living a
+lie.
+I was hiding my real self, continuing this sham.
+A forgery of 'A sister who longs for her brother'.
+My appearance, my personality, my grades, all for my brother.
+I made an imitation to make my brother recognise me.
+I would never be approved by him with such a fabrication.
+No, that's not it. The me in those years were unmistakably definitely me.
+I can't call something like that a lie.
+Page 4 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It may have been a short life, but it was half a lifetime spent together with my
+other real self, to say.
+I won't regret who I am now.
+But...
+«What I want to show him... What I really wanted my brother to see is...»
+The only thing I want to show him.
+I feel like I've grasped it.
+«...thank you. My fake, yet without doubt, my real self.»
+I turned towards the mirror, towards myself and took a bow.
+My long hair was swaying.
+Then I raised my head and looked away from the mirror.
+I'm done facing my own past self.
+There is no time left.
+I have something someone like me, someone such as myself, have to do.
+The very last thing I have grasped.
+To give him peace of mind before his journey.
+My last gift for him.
+Page 5 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Chapter 1
+March 24th. The graduation ceremony
+To the third years, not only was this an event that marked the end of their
+high school life, but it also marked the beginning of another journey they will
+be embarking on.
+To the students enrolled here, this was merely just another event. However-
+To me, it was something worth watching.
+I was rather curious about the results of the battle between the elder Horikita
+and Nagumo.
+I was still unaware of what happened in their final battle that had lasted until
+the very end... was the elder Horikita able to graduate from Class A? Or had
+Nagumo's intervention stopped him?
+Although it should have been revealed to me yesterday, I had something that
+needed to be done, so I didn't leave my room.
+So the results would be revealed todayinstead.
+I was also interested in what a graduation ceremony would feel like.
+Whether it was the graduation ceremony or the closing ceremony,
+experiencing something for the first time would naturally be exciting.
+Page 6 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+With it almost being time for school, I locked the door to my room and
+headed out.
+"Good morning."
+Keisei, who was in the elevator with me, greeted me, and I responded quietly.
+Because there were students from the other classes with us, we didn't talk
+about anything important.
+Just like that, we quietly walked out of our dorm lobby.
+"We worked so hard to get promoted to Class C only to get pushed back to
+where we started... At least we didn't suffer as much damage as I thought we
+would."
+Keisei's murmurs quickly dissipated into the bright and cloudless sky.
+Class C's failure in the final special exam of the year will have demoted us
+back to Class D.
+Although many of the students were affected by the loss, our opponent was,
+fortunately, Class A, so it was to be expected.
+As I held the protection points, it meant that I was the commander during the
+exam as well, burdened with the duties of being a moderator.
+And so everyone would believe that there was no helping our loss and that if
+we had already tried our best, then it was already good enough.
+Even though we had been demoted back to Class D, the difference in our
+scores was encouraging.
+These were the class points in late March:
+«1131 Points for Sakayanagi's Class A
+Page 7 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"550 Points for Ichinose's Class B
+"347 Points for Horikta's Class C
+"508 Points for Ryuuen's Class D
+These class rankings would only last until the end of this March.
+Class Points were determined and confirmed at the start of each month, and
+only then would the class rankings change.
+As aresult, we're still technically Class C.
+But following Ryuuen's rise back to Class C, their Class Points are virtually
+the same as Class B's.
+If everything stayed the same as it was now, the class rankings would
+definitely change.
+But we couldn't forget that at this school, the existing class points could
+change every month due to the different situations that occur.
+Ichinose's class had a lot of diligent students, but Ryuuen's class, even if they
+could be complimented on their achievements, couldn't be labelled as first-
+rate students.
+And due to the different lifestyles each class led, the points that each class
+received would be different.
+The students of Class B might be worried about that possibility.
+But even so, the fact that Ichinose maintained Class B's ranking throughout
+the year could offer them peace of mind as well.
+That being said, the difference between Class B and Ryuuen's Class was a
+Page 8 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+mere 42 points.
+After the next special exam, there was a high chance that Ryuuen's class
+would take Class B's spot.
+Looking from that perspective, it seemed like the Class D that I belonged to
+was way behind everyone else.
+However, we couldn't forget the situation with the class points of each class
+in April and May last year.
+Last April, all the classes started at 1000 class points. Back then, the
+overwhelming advantage of Class A and the inferiority of Class D did not
+exist.
+Thinking back now, that was the best time to establish our position.
+Unfortunately, Class D lost all our class points within a month.
+The rankings back then...
+Sakayanagi's Class A 940 points
+Ichinose's Class B 650 points
+Ryuuen's Class C 490 points
+Horikita's Class D 0 points
+As aresult, the cumulative class points for the entire grade had fallen. It was
+the start of the competition between the classes, and who won and who lost in
+them.
+Think of it this way. Our class gained a total of 347 points in the entire year.
+Affected by factors such as our attitude, tardiness, absence, etc., the class
+Page 9 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+points might still decrease at the end of the month.
+But overall, we still gained at least 330 to 340 points.
+That's my point. Our class was the fastest in the entire grade when it came to
+gaining class points throughout the year, even overwhelmingly exceeding
+Class A's, the runner up, number. Class A had only received an increase of
+191 class points.
+Thinking back to spring of last year, when we dropped to 0 points in an
+instant, we already did quite well in catching up.
+However, when we become second years, the class had to become more
+proactive as a whole.
+That was the only way in which we could close the gap with the upper
+ranking classes.
+With Horikita and Hirata's leadership, as well as the growth of the other
+members of our class, the overall capabilities of our class will increase as a
+whole.
+If we could accomplish this, competing with students in the upper classes
+would become a reality.
+After noticing that there was no one around, Keisei seemed like he wanted to
+say something.
+"Don't worry about it. Most of the students don't blame you."
+Maybe Keisei felt that I was troubled due to our defeat. I certainly did not
+care about it, but I noticed something in Keisei's words.
+"Most?"
+Within these comforting words was a hole right in the middle of it.
+Page 10 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+In other words, there were still a minority of students who were dissatisfied
+with me.
+"This... 1S not a perfect situation. They're not saying that you were a bad
+commander, but they felt as if there could have been a better, more competent
+person as the commander."
+In a sense, this was also a form of blame. Humans were irrational creatures.
+Even if it had agreed on something before, to take a different stance
+afterwards was not at all uncommon.
+There would be people who thought that the reason we lost to Class A was
+because of the gap in skill between the commanders, which was
+understandable.
+"Even if someone accuses you, remember you have the upper hand. You
+were our only choice for commander since you were the only one with
+protection points..."
+Kei told me this after considering the possibility of students confronting me
+in the future.
+"Although most people would agree with that, there's also the example of
+Ryuuen."
+After I said that, Keisei smiled bitterly, and shook his head.
+"That bastard is pretty special. I reckon that his recklessness is just a facade.
+It was because of his unexpected rise, as he didn't have any protection points,
+that led to Class B's fall, suffering a crushing defeat."
+From the surface, it seemed like Keisei's words were all true.
+But in reality, it wasn't. This was all part of Ryuuen's calculated strategy, all
+for the sake of winning.
+Page 11 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The unexpected appearance was only a part of his setup.
+"...Kiyotaka, I need to ask you something."
+Just after those words were spoken, Keisei continued.
+"When I suddenly decided to try and get involved with Katsuragi to win him
+over, why didn't you report me?"
+In order to beat Class A at the end of year exam, Keisei proposed to Horikita
+that we try to win Katsuragi over to our side since he was defeated by
+Sakayangi... But Horikita reyected this due to the high risk of failure and the
+difficulty of the task.
+Despite what Horikita said, Keisei couldn't accept it. This led him to try and
+convince Katsuragi alone, which resulted in failure.
+Despite his failure, this did not have much of an impact in the grand scheme
+of things.
+Although Katsuragi was unwilling to cooperate, the actual damage suffered
+was also negligible.
+"The damage we suffered wasn't that significant, so isn't it fine?"
+For Keisei, that wasn't important.
+I knew this, but I said something comforting anyway.
+"That's because Katsuragi doesn't like to resort to underhanded tactics. If he
+were someone like Sakayanagi or Ryuuen, we would be subject to even more
+devastating attacks."
+Keisei, who felt deeply responsible due to the failure to forcefully get
+Katsuragi on our side, was worried about a future that did not happen.
+Page 12 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It sounded like Keisei told Horikita about trying to win over Katsuragi
+himself.
+"Ah. I mentioned this to Horikita. I think I should be responsible for this"
+He acknowledged his failures bluntly, with a tone of bitterness.
+"Kiyotaka, are you confident that Katsuragi won't betray Class A?"
+He then asked me directly.
+"No. Katsuragi may indeed change sides. Won't he?"
+"Maybe..."
+As for whether the possibility of it happening was 50% or 1%, this wasn't the
+time to consider.
+"T didn't report it to Horikita because I forgot to. Back then, all my worries
+were about my position as the commander tower and having to bear the
+responsibility of being one. If you think of it like that, I hold responsibility
+too. If your plan had succeeded and won over Katsuragi, I would've taken
+some blame for not being able to communicate well with Horikita and the
+rest of the class. We're in this together."
+After both sides admitted guilt, we could put this case to rest.
+"Even so, I felt that I was too naive. If I had considered the risks, I wouldn't
+have even tried to win Katsuragi over."
+Even if we couldn't erase the past, we could use it to reflect on our actions in
+the future.
+"If it were about being too naive, I would be guilty too. Because I didn't say
+anything at the time."
+Page 13 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T feel better, hearing you say that."
+During that exam, many students were passively participating. However,
+Keisei tried to do everything he could to lead our class to victory.
+"And don't you understand what happened then? A strategy like that
+would've been difficult to pull off anyways."
+You could learn a lot from mistakes.
+As for whether he could make his plans work, that depended on him.
+"Yeah, I was so focused on winning that I couldn't see anything else. Now
+that I've calmed down, I feel ashamed."
+He muttered to himself as he reflected on his actions.
+Appeasing to Katsuragi was indeed a naive idea, but the fact that he thought
+of such a plan and tried to accomplish it on his own was something worth
+praising.
+"So what did Horikita tell you?"
+"Horikita didn't blame me, but it was obvious that if I failed, I would've
+harmed the class as a whole. Not only that, but she also said that next time I
+had an idea, I had to tell her about it. She also advised me not to rush
+anything."
+It seemed like Horikita made a similar evaluation.
+People grew from constant failure. If you merely look at the results before
+reprimanding someone, then you couldn't be a leader.
+Of course, if someone continually fails without learning from their mistakes,
+then they will be abandoned sooner or later.
+Page 14 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Bluntly speaking, I'm not sure how Horikita still holds the spot as the
+class's leader. Sure, she's smart, and she's good at sports, but no matter what
+she says, she still has this condescending attitude towards people. It's hard
+for people to accept that."
+I couldn't deny the point he made. At least I couldn't now.
+She wasn't the same type of leader as Hirata or Ichinose.
+When alliances were established, enemies were bound to be created.
+"But... I'm the same too. I believe that athletics isn't necessary and look
+down on people who aren't smart. We're the same, me and Horikita."
+Just after school started, Keisei tended to look down on students with poor
+grades.
+That was because he believed that as a student, academic performance meant
+everything, for better or worse.
+"The Keisei right now and the Keisei a year ago is completely different.
+You've changed a lot over the past year."
+"Ahhh, the fact that I'm thinking like this now is incredible. Although
+academics are still the most important, I've come to understand that athletics,
+the ability to communicate, as well as friendship, are also all necessary.
+Horikita is also slowly changing. She's more reliable now than ever before,
+and that makes it easier to trust her."
+Keisei didn't really trust anyone outside of the Ayanokouji group.
+Nevertheless, he still expressed affirmation towards the aspects of Horikita
+that were worth praising. That allowed me to firmly believe that what he was
+saying was from the heart.
+"That might be the case."
+Page 15 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I agreed with what he said.
+The kind of student Horikita was had slowly been revealed after a year. Ever
+since the class vote, she had gradually become more accepted by our
+classmates. The main reason was not because of her abilities as a leader and
+tactician, but because the great wall in her heart was slowly starting to
+crumble. As long as that wall stood, she would consider students apart from
+herself to be nothing more than a burden, abandoning them without the
+slightest hesitation. In that way, she was similar to Keiset.
+"Of course, I'm not going to obey Horikita blindly. If I believe that she'd
+made some sort of mistake with her judgement, then I won't hesitate to object
+and call her out on it. Is doing that wrong?"
+Keisei replied after organising his thoughts.
+Things that are true ought to be believed, and things that create doubt ought
+to be doubted.
+"No, that's completely correct. That's how the class operated from the
+beginning."
+No matter how reliable she was, she was still just a high school girl.
+She would make mistakes from time to time as well.
+Now, if any of the students pointed out those mistakes, it was still something
+worth feeling positive about.
+We can work together as a class to solve our problems, as equals.
+Due to the authoritarian rule of Sakayanagi and Ryuuen with their respective
+classes, that approach wasn't an option to them.
+It can be said that our class was slowly turning into something similar to how
+Page 16 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Ichinose's class operated.
+Afterwards, we'll need to use our strength to close the gap.
+Page 17 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 1
+The gymnasium
+Students and teachers alike gathered together.
+Everyone lined up, watching the ceremony enthusiastically. The
+prominent figures of the school, including some people we don't see
+normally, were all present.
+This was the moment when the 3rd year students took a big step forward
+into a new beginning.
+Whether they were the ones moving onto higher education, the ones who
+were going straight into work, or the ones who had stopped, failing to find
+their way in the road of life, they were all about to stop being a child and
+gallop towards society at full speed.
+I was thinking.
+What would my position be on that stage 2 years later?
+What would I be thinking of then?
+I wanted to believe that even after deciding the route in life we would
+take, we would still be able to paint these events into our hearts.
+I wanted to believe that what we learnt in this school would be as crucial
+to survival as food is.
+"Next, I want to invite the students who, after three years of hard work,
+have graduated in Class A up to the stage."
+The host said this through a microphone.
+Page 18 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The already quiet gymnasium was cloaked in an even deeper silence.
+99
+"Class A's representative
+If the name that was called out here wasn't Horikita Manabu or one of his
+classmates...
+It would mean that the results of the final special exam had changed the
+rankings of the classes in the third year.
+Many of the students and teachers were waiting for this moment, paying
+close attention to the words of the host.
+Because as long as you were enrolled in this school, graduating from
+Class A was the greatest achievement there was.
+"Horikita Manabu, please come up to the stage."
+After that name was called out, Horikita would probably be relieved from
+the bottom of her heart.
+Although I don't know how much pressure Nagumo exerted on him, the
+elder Horikita still graduated from Class A without a hitch.
+Impressively, he stepped up to the stage, casting his eyes on the students
+and the staff.
+"Greetings. On this beautiful, blossoming spring day, I welcome you to
+this graduation ceremony."
+The elder Horikita's speech had started.
+He first showed gratitude towards the grand graduation ceremony itself.
+Then he talked about what had happened three years ago when he had first
+Page 19 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+entered the school.
+"T still clearly remember the first day I set foot into the campus of the
+Advanced Nurturing High School. I felt that there was a different atmosphere
+compared to normal schools. As I was shouldering the burden of the future, I
+vowed to make these three years a meaningful one."
+I felt some sort of warmth from the assertive and composed nature of his
+speech.
+The elder Horikita felt like a different person from the one who presented
+on the same stage as the student council president a year ago.
+I felt this change as the speech advanced.
+It wasn't just him. The students of this school had also grown significantly
+over this time.
+"Although this was a personal matter, I spoke to the Ist year students last
+year as the student council representative."
+As if he were thinking the same thing as I was, the elder Horikita said this.
+"Compared to what you were like last year, I can see how much you've
+grown with just a glance."
+A year ago, the elder Horikita's silence changed the attitude of us fickle
+first years.
+That was something many of the students hadn't experienced before.
+And now at this graduation ceremony, not one student was whispering.
+The elder Horikita's warm eyes looked upon us, as a student who was
+going to graduate.
+Page 20 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"At the same time, I hope that the students who will soon be the new 3rd
+years provide a suitable example for the new 2nd years to fully exert their
+strengths, all the while complying with school regulations, and practising
+discipline."
+After a few minutes, the speech slowly came to a close
+"T wanted to assure you that the things we learn in this school will not
+only play a role in our future lives but also become our most valuable asset."
+Horikita's brother once again stared at the students before him.
+"The person who will stand up here and speak to you next year, and the
+year after that, will be able to understand what I'm feeling.
+The person who gave the valedictory.
+In other words, the leader of the graduating Class A.
+Was Nagumo the most probable candidate for that?
+The students in the first year were still engaged in chaotic warfare. Who
+would come out on top? Horikita? Ichinose? Ryuuen? Sakayanagi?
+Or would it be another person replacing one of the current leaders of the
+classes?
+But then again, only 4 of our time at the school had passed.
+The classes would change in the future as more students dropped out.
+But even so, only the leader of the class who won the final battle would
+have the right to stand up on that stage.
+The elder Horikita slowly continued. "Thank you, all of you, for the past
+three years."
+Page 21 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Soon, it came to an end.
+After the speech to the students, he then turned towards the teachers and
+addressed them, and then finally to the school itself.
+After the grand speech, the graduation ceremony moved onto the next
+Stage.
+Page 22 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 2
+After the ceremony, we took the lead in leaving the gymnasium.
+Then we returned to our classrooms.
+Afterwards, there was to be a thank you meeting held by the graduates
+and all the teachers and their guardians.
+It was said that the ceremony held was by the students and their guardians
+to show appreciation towards the teachers.
+The rest of the students were allowed to return to their dorms, but those
+who were close to the third years due to club activities or some other reason
+were preparing to see them off after they came out.
+Maybe it was to gift them with bouquets, or perhaps a confession.
+The students seemed very anxious, and at the same time, quiet from the
+tension.
+"Okay, even though we can mention this tomorrow during the closing
+ceremony, let's briefly summarise what happened this year. "
+Once the students sat in their seats, Chabashira-sensei spoke to us.
+"First of all, during the final examination, you achieved commendable
+results despite having Class A students as opponents. The other teachers are
+also surprised at your growth."
+Although it was a defeat, Chabashira-sensei, who was usually harsh on us,
+gave us praise.
+"My impression of you guys since first entering school has totally
+Page 23 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+changed. It's honestly incredible for you to be able to grow to this point."
+"But Sensei, we're going back to becoming Class D again, so doesn't that
+mean we're still failures?
+Ike said, upset.
+"On first glance, it does seem like you've gone back to square one, but
+throughout the year, you've all grown. Don't mind the simple gap in class
+scores, your strength is actually getting closer to the other classes."
+"I'm actually scared that you're praising us like this. Sensei, what's the
+catch?"
+The fact that Sudo was expressing worry towards Chabashira's praise did
+have some logic behind it.
+Considering the suspiciously uncharacteristic tone she used, suddenly
+holding an exam right now wouldn't be that surprising.
+"That's what I truly think. This is my 4th year as a teacher. Compared to
+the previous Class D, you guys really are a step up."
+Chabashira lightly tapped the blackboard.
+"Although the closing ceremony is tomorrow, meaning there won't be any
+classes, remember that it's still a school day."
+Chabashira ended the discussion and dismissed the class.
+I didn't know how many students would go see off the 3rd years, but what
+would the girl in the table next to me do?
+She was the sister of the student who had not only served as the student
+council president, but was also the student who had delivered the graduation
+speech as the leader of the graduating Class A.
+Page 24 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Horikita stared motionlessly at the blackboard, thinking deeply.
+Even though I felt like if I carelessly poked the snake, it would bite back, I
+tried to ask anyway.
+"Are you going?"
+"What are you referring to?"
+"That... it should be clear what I mean."
+"Are you asking if I was going to see my brother? If that's it, then I have
+no plans to go."
+As Horikita said this, her gaze moved elsewhere.
+Not going... huh?
+"Have you already gotten the chance to talk with him?"
+"*.,.What has this got to do with you? We all have our own problems."
+But only you had this problem right now.
+"If you miss this opportunity, there might not be another chance."
+"That..."
+Although their relationship was slowly thawing, the fact that she still
+showed reluctance towards this important moment was proof of their
+distorted relationship in recent years.
+"T'll go see him."
+"Hmm? You're going to see your brother off?"
+Page 25 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It was because of the fact I didn't interact with people very much, that
+Horikita's expression was So surprising to me.
+"Although I don't communicate well with him, this might be the last time
+I see him."
+Well, it wouldn't hurt just to say hello to him.
+"Is tis. 2"
+"Do you have any questions?"
+"Nope. You can do whatever you want."
+My face clearly revealed my doubts about why she wanted to meet him,
+but I couldn't say it aloud.
+I stood up.
+The teachers were required to go to the thank you meeting. Even Acting
+Director Tsukishiro couldn't get away with not participating.
+"Where are you going?"
+"To kill some time. I have nothing to do until the end of the thank you
+meeting. Can you wait for me if you're going to see your brother?"
+"'..P1l think about it. How long are you going to take?"
+Although she said she hadn't planned to go, it seemed like she changed
+her mind.
+"T don't know. Maybe an hour or two."
+Page 26 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 3
+Yesterday
+The night when the event selection exam concluded, I called a certain
+person.
+"Hello, Sakayanagi here."
+It was the voice of a calm adult.
+Who I called wasn't Sakayanagi Arisu or her sibling. It was her father.
+Chairman Sakayanagi, who was confined due to a trap set by Tsukishiro.
+He certainly would not recognise this phone number.
+"Sorry to bother you this late at night. I haven't seen you in a while. It's
+Ayanokouji."
+I said that to let him know who I was.
+"Hmm? Ayanokouji?... Are you Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
+Hearing my surname and voice, Chairman Sakayanagi understood and
+continued speaking in a surprised tone.
+I had to tell him that I wasn't calling just for fun.
+"T apologise for calling you so suddenly."
+"No, no, I'm just surprised. How did you know my phone number?"
+"T asked your daughter which phone number I should dial when I wanted
+Page 27 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+to get into contact with an important figure in the school.
+On the way home after the final exam, I asked Sakayanagi this and she
+told me.
+"Tt turns out the even the Chairman would tell his daughter his phone
+number."
+Because he wasn't someone who would take sides, it seemed like he
+really did love his daughter enough to tell her that.
+Well... that's what I thought, but Chairman Sakayanagi's response was
+unexpected.
+"What? No... I didn't tell my daughter my phone number."
+Surprisingly, he denied this.
+"When and where did she find out?"
+Chairman Sakayanagi said with a forced smile. From the way he said it, it
+did not sound fake.
+"Is the number of the chairman supposed to be a secret?"
+"Of course, well, all the teachers know, and there should be records from
+information sent to relevant people..."
+In that case, it wouldn't be very difficult to get ahold of his number. It
+wouldn't be surprising if Sakayanagi Arisu saw it somewhere, and wrote it
+down. There was one thing that confused me, though. Chairman Sakayanagi
+was a man who would enforce fairness even at the face of his cute daughter. I
+didn't think that he would help whoever that cried for it.
+So why did she deliberately write down the phone number if it wasn't to
+report to him, or to converse with her father as his daughter?
+Page 28 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I remember when asking Sakayanagi for the chairman's phone number,
+she happily obliged.
+Perhaps, Sakayanagi had anticipated that I might run into trouble one day
+and ask her for the chairman's phone number.
+"So... How should I react to your appearance?"
+Compared with the method of how Arisu had obtained his phone number,
+my appearance was more important, apparantly.
+It was unheard of for students to call the chairman directly, as well as
+being seemingly unwelcome.
+"There are no rules which state that students cannot call the chairman,
+right?"
+That needed to be confirmed first.
+If what I said was rejected now, I would not be able to continue talking to
+him.
+"Actually, there isn't a rule like that, so I won't be hanging up now."
+We could advance the topic this way.
+"T personally think that the call should be ended as soon as possible. What
+do you want with me?"
+He sounded a little confused, but he didn't seem to blame me for
+bothering him.
+That was because there were no rules which stated that students couldn't
+call the chairman.
+Page 29 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Chairman Sakayanagi, I heard that you are now under house arrest for
+suspected wrongdoing. Is this true?"
+"That 1s a very direct question coming from a student. It's inappropriate
+for a student of our school to ask such things from the chairman."
+In the end, he politely avoided the question.
+But the question was directly related to the topic I wanted to discuss.
+Let's be a bit more insistent.
+"If possible, can you answer my question?"
+"*.,. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, although I don't know what your goal is, I
+cannot answer your question. I have no reason to tell you why.
+"Because it's not appropriate for a student to know, right?"
+"Yes. This matter has nothing to do with you."
+Taking into account the current situation and position of Chairman
+Sakayanagi, as well as the fact that the matter in hand had nothing to do with
+the students, such a refusal was the natural response.
+"T know this very well. However, I have my own reasons for asking."
+First of all, it was necessary to tell Chairman Sakayanagi my situation.
+"Although I don't know your reasons, you are still a student at this school.
+No matter even if it were Sakayagani instead of you, your position is the
+same. Have you forgotten this concept?"
+He explained this seriously.
+You could see that he was an accomplished man just from our short
+Page 30 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+exchange.
+"Of course, the relationship between Chairman Sakayanag and I is merely
+a student-teacher relationship, and it's nothing more than that. No, I don't
+think I forgot."
+Because this was a special situation, I couldn't have him hanging up.
+"Tf that's the case, then this call is over. I will forget whatever happened
+here toda "
+"No, if you do that, then we'll never be able to get rid of the foreign
+existence at the school."
+I'll use that sentence to send a signal to Chairman Sakayanagi, allowing
+him to understand the situation.
+"You're saying that there is a foreign object at our school?"
+"Yes. This foreign object I'm referring to is Acting Director Tsukishiro."
+I got straight to the point, as there's no advantage in taking it slow.
+"*.,..What's Tsukishiro doing?"
+The tone of the other party changed, even for just a moment.
+Because of what he associated with Tsukishiro, the connection
+immediately came to his mind.
+"During an important examination between the students, Acting Director
+Tsukishiro acted on his own to obstruct the course of the competition. Does
+Chairman Sakayanagi not know about this?"
+"T don't know what you're talking about. Tsukishiro intervened in an
+exam? What the hell is going on..."
+Page 31 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+In any case, Chairman Sakayanagi seemed to be ignorant of the situation
+on the surface.
+Because he didn't know my true intentions, this was the best response.
+"Chairman Sakayanagi was suspected of wrongdoing, and Acting Director
+Tsukishiro pounced on the opportunity. Maybe it's because you valued
+fairness too much, and as a result, you were too obstructive for what he really
+wanted."
+On the other side of the phone, Chairman Sakayanagi seemed to be
+thinking about something.
+Although we shared somewhat of a connection with each other through
+the white room, I was still just an ordinary student.
+The affairs of adults wasn't something that should be discussed with me.
+However, if all this was related to me, then it was a different story.
+Chairman Sakayanagi should have been aware of this from the very start.
+But as long as there was no visible damage, then the senior management
+of the school couldn't take action.
+"Why would Tsukishiro do such a thing? He's already a powerful man.
+He's not someone who has any reason to target someone like me on purpose.
+Coming to the school to obstruct an exam? I don't see any need for that."
+This was the final confirmation that I needed.
+The confirmation of whether he was willing to share information with me
+as equals.
+"Tsukishiro's objective is to get me expelled from this school. That's the
+Page 32 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+only reason he came here."
+Here, I spoke of what I regarded as an established fact about him.
+"If this has no basis, then I can't help but doubt it."
+"T know that, but I have no time to leisurely negotiate with you. That man
+is determined to accomplish his objective, by fair means or foul."
+This depended on how much the chairman understood my father.
+If it's only a tenuous relationship, then he wouldn't be able to figure out
+what I meant.
+But based on our previous conversation, I could roughly guess what he
+would say.
+Chairman Sakayangi understood my father's thoughts and feelings very
+well.
+"You're saying that sensei... your father's trying to retrieve you through
+this method?"
+The sentence that was just spoken could be used as confirmation that he
+was feigning ignorance.
+I haven't yet said that Tsukishiro was controlled by my father.
+Without confirming this point, he connected this situation with my father.
+This was proof.
+"You said that there was external obstruction at the end of year special
+exam, but was there any actual damage done?"
+Of course, Chairman Sakayanagi had no way of knowing the
+circumstances behind the special exam.
+Page 33 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If he knew, then he would have figured out a solution by now.
+"T will explain in detail."
+At the end of year special exam, Tsukishiro seized control of the system
+and tampered with my answers.
+To remove my protection points, he needed to snatch away 1 win from
+me.
+Although it was only one win, it was still | an action which affected the
+entire year.
+If we had that one victory, then our class would have been thrust into the
+running of the upper classes.
+As I explained things, his responses faded.
+In order to expel a single student, Tsukishiro was willing to do what he
+did. That was a definite fact.
+But it didn't end there.
+This wouldn't stop, as long as the student named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka
+was still at the school. This was just the beginning.
+"That's the situation. Will you believe it?"
+In a normal situation, there was no helping if what I said was dismissed as
+a student's prank.
+But Chairman Sakayanagi knew my father, and he knew my past.
+Naturally, he reached a conclusion. The conclusion of whether this had
+actually happened, or it hadn't.
+Page 34 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"If that's the case, I can only believe what you said. He came to this
+school with the sole objective of getting you expelled. I heard that they were
+implementing a new system, so is that connected...."
+Although nominally, the new system was for the students and the school,
+in reality, this was only another way to get me expelled from the school."
+"You're saying that in order to get you expelled, he's willing to disregard
+everything else? Now I understand why you've contacted me. To a student,
+this is a situation with no way out."
+Since Chairman Sakayagani said that, he probably understood the extent
+of the situation.
+"For you to come to me, is it because you want my help?"
+"More or less."
+I admitted this.
+An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
+Problems within the school can only be dealt with by people within the
+school.
+Also, that person should be also someone who could contact the Acting
+Director easily.
+"But before that, I would like to ask.... No, I would like to confirm
+something."
+"What is it?'
+Regardless if I could answer the question or not, I was prepared to give an
+answer which would satisfy him.
+Page 35 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Facing off against Tsukishiro, who can even intervene with special exam
+results, this will be an extremely difficult battle for you. Since you even
+resorted to asking help from me, there is no doubt that this has reached the
+level of a crisis. Yet, you are still extraordinarily calm."
+He then continued.
+"If you get something wrong, I'll correct it for you. But I don't have the
+confidence nor position to make sure your expectations are met."
+I know what he's trying to say.
+Chairman Sakayagani cannot rule out Tsukishiro.
+If I was calling him with such expectations, he was saying that I had taken
+the wrong path.
+"I'm now incarcerated for suspected wrongdoing, and I don't even have a
+way to get out of this situation. If your expectations for me in this situation
+are too high, it will only cause complications for both of us."
+I clearly emphasised the next part, so he didn't feel the slightest anxiety.
+"Indeed, if this was just a mere call for help, that would be the case."
+"What?"
+"So far, my belief is that I've been living in this school as unobtrusively
+as possible. Because I entered this school with the belief that I would live as
+an ordinary student for 3 years."
+That was the reason I came to this school. My desire, my original
+intention.
+"Tt's also the first time in my life that I've set my own goals, and sought
+Page 36 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+about accomplishing them."
+"*...Well, I know that much, that's why I accepted you."
+Although I don't know how it happened, in the end, I was still grateful for
+that act of kindness.
+"However, if I let the acting director intervene this way, then there'll be
+no guarantee of me staying in this school as a normal student."
+Tsukishiro would abuse his position to use methods that I hadn't even
+considered before.
+Sloppy countermeasures cannot counter what Tsukishiro can do as an
+authority figure.
+In other words, the position I'm in nght now won't do.
+"So that's why you came for me for help?"
+"The purpose of the call is not to ask Chairman Sakayanagi to stop
+Tsukishiro. If the opposing party makes use of rule-breaking strategies, then I
+will take corresponding actions. As a result, the school might become
+involved in the disturbance."
+"So it's like that. In other words, you called me because..."
+"Well, in the event of an accident, the existence of a supporter is
+indispensable."
+It's not that I wanted him to get rid of Tsukishiro for me, but instead, I
+wanted him to prevent the consequences that might befall me when I get rid
+of Tsukishiro myself.
+It's like this. If I use a knife to fight back an attacker, there still needed to
+be a witness to verify that it was self-defence.
+Page 37 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The school's help would be necessary at that time.
+Moreover, at that time, Chairman Sayakanagi would be my biggest trump
+card.
+As long as the doubts surrounding Tsukishiro's removal are eliminated,
+the post of chairman will be restored.
+For Chairman Sakayanagi to smoothly remove these doubts, it fact that it
+was me in this situation would be beneficial, as I do not like to resort to
+violence.
+He should be a little hesitant to put hope on a child, and so I needed to
+eliminate this hesitation.
+"But can you really stop Tsukishiro? Although it's hard to say, for a
+student, this is..."
+It was true that Tsukishiro, who had the authority of the chairman, would
+be troublesome to deal with. He couldn't be removed by failing an exam,
+which, in comparison to a student, was much different.
+Added to the fact that he didn't show himself often, there weren't a lot of
+chances to launch an attack.
+Only when he acts will we be able to deal with his fraudulent existence.
+"Since I can't make the first move, Ill keep track of Tsukishiro's
+actions."
+"But can you withstand his attacks while doing this?"
+"There are several things that must be done now. First of all, it is
+necessary to lay out the groundwork of our defence network."
+Page 38 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If it was under the instructions of that man, Tsukishiro would not take
+long to execute his plan.
+If he finally kicked me out of school after 1 or 2 long years, it would be
+meaningless. If he wanted to decisively win, the main battle would occur
+after the spring break, in April. If we win against him then, we won't even
+need to do anything else to force him into a tight spot. But after being forced
+into desperate straits, he' ll respond with even tougher measures.
+"Time constraints are that person's biggest weakness."
+But by the time that happens, Ill have already made preparations, ready
+to take him on.
+"T don't think this is something a student should say about a staff member
+of the school. If an ordinary person heard that, the response would have been
+anger... But since I know you're sensei's son, I'm able to accept that."
+"Towards people who deserve respect, I will adopt an appropriate attitude.
+But I do not intend to forgive someone who had forcefully intervened with
+our competition."
+Chairman Sakayanagi had nothing to say to that and accepted this as
+something normal he would hear everyday.
+"Although you say this is unforgivable, how do you plan to stop
+Tsukishiro's interference?"
+He wanted to know how we should expand our defensive network. I had
+already decided what needed to be done.
+To prevent Tsukishiro's wrongdoing, we' ll have to use the staff of the
+school.
+"The first thing I need is a school person who can actively fight against
+Tsukishiro. If we can closely monitor him, we can hinder his freedom, and
+Page 39 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+keep him from acting as easily as he did last time."
+We couldn't let our opponent do whatever they wanted. This was an
+action that must be taken no matter what the situation was, a strategy that
+couldn't be ignored.
+We didn't necessarily need someone as powerful as him, just someone
+who was brave enough to face him.
+"Yeah, without them, I don't think your plan could even exist."
+Chairman Sakayanagi also seemed to figure out what I was looking for.
+I didn't know the state of the school. Who to trust, and who not to.
+Out of all the people in this school, whether there was someone who was
+willing to implement justice was unknown.
+There was also a possibility that there were some teachers who've turned
+to Tsukishiro's side.
+On the other side of the phone, Chairman Sakayanagi seemed to
+contemplate his thoughts.
+The choice of our personnel determined what our fate would be, and no
+one knew that better than Chairman Sakayanagi
+"Do you know Chabishira-sensei? I asked her to take care of you."
+"Yes, she seemed to understand my situation."
+"Mhm, she seems to have a bit of knowledge towards your unrealistic
+situation."
+Of course, whether she could be used was another thing.
+Page 40 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T don't think we can ignore someone who understands the situation.
+Starting with her, we can figure out which teachers can be trusted and bring
+them over to our side. That's the best way."
+My father tried to force me out of school by forcing Chairman Sakayanagi
+to step down, and then also secretly fabricating results for the school exams.
+Trying to explain that to just anyone would be hard to do, but if Chabishira
+can confirm and elaborate on what happened, then the situation would be
+different.
+"Tf that's the case ay
+After a little thinking, Chairman Sakayanagi gave his answer.
+"Sure enough, Class 1-A's homeroom teacher Mashima-sensei should be
+the most suitable. He's the one in charge of the Ist year's examinations, and
+he's an excellent teacher who puts his students before anything else.
+"Can this unrealistic story really be accepted by him?"
+"It's hard to say... he won't believe it immediately. But once he
+understands that this is the truth, he will definitely stand by the students. I can
+attest to that. He will not succumb to power and will carry out his beliefs."
+If there was no other person more suitable than he was, I wouldn't be
+dissatisfied.
+Knowing that there's a teacher like that close to me, wasn't a bad return.
+"T have high expectations for both him and Chabishira sensei, who
+graduated from the same year. It should not be difficult to talk to them."
+"T see. It's Mashima-sensei, right? Ill first talk to Chabashira-sensei, and
+then I'1l do what I can to make sure the conversation goes smoothly."
+"This is not going to be easy. People are everywhere, and there are
+Page 41 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+surveillance cameras throughout the school. You'll have to consider the time
+and place of the meeting very carefully."
+Tsukishiro didn't watch me 24/7, but even so, it wouldn't be surprising if
+he had some sort of warning system. If he found out that I was meeting
+Mashima secretly, it would be extremely suspicious.
+I didn't know where Tsukishiro usually was, but he could freely move
+around the school. If I were to run into him into the corner now, it wouldn't
+be surprising at all.
+"It would be easier for me to act if you gave me some suggestions."
+I sought advice from Chairman Sakayanagi, who knew the staff at the
+Advanced Nurturing High School more than anyone else, who understood
+Advanced Nurturing High School more than anyone else and understood the
+duties of a director.
+"If you are to act as soon as possible... then you should do this. After the
+graduation ceremony, the third-year students and the teachers all have to
+attend the closing ceremony afterwards. According to tradition, the director
+has to attend every year as well. In other words, Tsukishiro will definitely go
+and participate. No matter if he's interested in it or not, he still has to perform
+his duties."
+"So, if he neglects his role as the chairman, he'Il definitely get in trouble
+with the school?"
+""Mhm. That's the case here."
+To gain the freedom to do whatever he wants, Tsukishiro will need to
+prove that he's a superior director compared to Sakayagani.
+In other words, his surveillance of me during this period will inevitably
+weaken.
+Page 42 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Will the first year homeroom teachers participate too?"
+"The closing ceremony lasts for around an hour, but it may run up to 90
+minutes. There won't be a problem if two teachers disappeared for about 20
+or 30 minutes. It's normal for someone to leave, and the only teachers who
+has to be present are the third-year homeroom teachers."
+In other words, the best time to hold the secret meeting would be after the
+graduation ceremony, during the closing ceremony.
+"For the location—the reception room should be fine. Because there are
+no cameras, it should be the most suitable."
+This way, there will be no record of our meeting.
+Besides, it wouldn't be appropriate for teachers to come to the student
+dormitory.
+"T have no objection to this proposal."
+I approved of the meeting venue.
+"The first step is for me to explain the plan briefly to Chibashira-sensei.
+But what you talk about in the meeting is up to you to decide. If you can't
+convince them, I think it would be best to give up."
+"This'll be quite enough."
+With Chairman Sakayanagi contacting them, Chibashira-sense1, as well as
+Mashima-sensei, would not be able to ignore this.
+That'll be my best opportunity to get some help."
+"Sorry for suddenly calling you at this hour."
+"No worries. -ah, lastly, can I ask you something completely unrelated to
+Page 43 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+this topic?"
+"An unrelated matter?"
+"I'm glad you came to this school because you dreamed of living a normal
+life. But, have you considered what you will do after graduation? Like, what
+job you want to do, where you want to go, or something along those lines?"
+Chairman Sakayanagi asked me this.
+"Although I don't know how much you know, my fate was already
+decided."
+"That means..."
+That reaction was enough.
+"After graduating, I will return to the white room and take up the role of
+the leader. That man has trained me for all these years up to now to for that
+reason."
+The moment I stepped out of this school, the walls protecting me would
+disappear. If I lived in a cheap apartment, he would attack me at night or use
+some other method to take me back to the white room.
+"So you've accepted your fate... And on that basis, you came here."
+"That's the reason I wanted to protect these three years to the end."
+In simple terms, it is like being in a rebellious phase.
+To reject my father's orders and do whatever I wanted.
+"T hope this school will become a memorable part of your life."
+"Thank you. I hope so too."
+Page 44 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After the call with Chairman Sakayanagi, I felt relieved.
+Although I wasn't sure to what extent he could be trusted, at least it was
+certain that he wasn't on Tsukishiro's side
+Furthermore, his daughter was in the same year group as me. That would
+be one of my advantages going into the future.
+Page 45 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 4
+That was the conclusion of my little talk with Chairman Sakayanagi
+yesterday.
+And now, I'm headed towards the arranged reception room by myself.
+I reached the door of the reception room. Had anyone arrived already, or
+was I the first?
+"Excuse me."
+After knocking, I entered the room and was greeted by Chabashira-sensei.
+She stood by the window and looked at me.
+"You're early, Ayanokouji. There's still 10 minutes before the designated
+time."
+"Tt doesn't make a difference. You're early as well."
+Chabashira stared at me, contemplating how she should reply.
+I could more or less guess what was going on in her mind when Chairman
+Sakayanagi told her about the situation.
+The sofa was unoccupied, but neither of us sat down.
+""Where's Mashima-sensei?"
+"T've already met up with him, but it wasn't suitable for him to come with
+me. This is a bold move, Ayanokouji. Didn't you want to live a peaceful
+school life?"
+Page 46 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Before Mashima-sensei arrived, Ill play along with Chabashira-senseti.
+"You say that, but you were the one that initially disrupted that peaceful
+school life."
+"No matter what, that isn't how you should speak to a teacher. You might
+want to correct your attitude."
+"T'd say my attitude is appropriate considering that what you've done
+back then wasn't something a teacher should have done."
+Chabashira-sensei, who wanted Class D to rise to Class A, even resorted
+to threatening me, a student, to accomplish what she wanted. Ever since, I've
+always had a sense of distrust...No, disgust, for her.
+Chabashira-sensei looked away, seemingly ashamed.
+"T can't deny that."
+Her desire for reaching Class A was too strong.
+Because Chairman Sakayanagi trusted her, she couldn't blatantly use me,
+but she could have handled it more smoothly.
+No. No matter what she did, the result would have been the same.
+Even if Chabashira tried to talk me over, my stance wouldn't have
+changed.
+But then again, my situation had changed a lot since the beginning.
+"Since you hate me, why call me here, Ayanokouji?"
+It seemed that she was surprised that I called her over in this situation.
+Although her purpose was to just get Mashima-sensei involved, I still
+Page 47 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+could have chosen to exclude her.
+It wasn't hard to find out why I didn't do that.
+"At the very least, it's true that I don't like you."
+"Tt seems so."
+No matter what my feelings were, I must use whatever I could.
+Like and dislike was a separate matter than loss and gain.
+That's because I judged that the presence of Chabashira would increase
+the chance of bringing Mashima-sensei to our side, even by a millimetre.
+I had judged that the presence of Chabashira would increase the chance of
+bringing Mashima-sensei over, and so I had chosen to involve her.
+"How much did he tell you?"
+"He asked me to prepare the meeting by contacting Mashima-sensei. He
+also said you had something important to talk about, and asked me to help
+you, but..."
+Did she know anything about the situation with Tsukishiro?"
+It seems like the Chairman intended for me to have all the power in this
+situation.
+"What's the reason you wanted to talk to us then?"
+"T'll say 1t once Mashima-sensei comes. I don't want to say it twice."
+"Although I don't know what you got yourself into, if you want my help,
+shouldn't you use a more suitable tone?"
+Page 48 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She was defiant, and that was perhaps because she was on the defensive in
+this situation.
+"As a teacher, I will obey the instructions of Chairman Sakayanagi, but
+his word isn't absolute. Do you know what I mean by that?"
+"Do you dislike my attitude that much?"
+"Heh, I hate it. Although you are an excellent student to an extent, You're
+still only a 1st-year high school student, aren't you? And although it was a
+confrontation between classes, you were defeated by Sakayanagi at the end of
+year exam. Looks like you don't actually have the extraordinary strength I
+expected of you."
+So she was disappointed that I didn't have the power she thought I had.
+"If you have the necessary ability, I will tolerate what you say and what
+you do. However, if what you've displayed up to now was the extent of your
+power, it's a different story."
+If I couldn't defeat Sakayanagi of Class A, then what Chabashira wanted
+couldn't be achieved.
+It seemed like she could no longer hold in what she wanted to say to me in
+this situation where I held the advantage.
+Although Chabashira was a teacher, what she was doing right now was
+already beyond the scope of a teacher's duties.
+Depending on the content of the conversation, she could, of course, refuse
+to help.
+Depending on the situation, she might even choose to go over to
+Tsukishiro's side.
+If I kept mentioning the fact that I wasn't in her control any longer, it
+Page 49 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+would only be counterproductive.
+I breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing that she had some kind of knowledge
+about me and my situation.
+"T understand, my attitude will change, Chabashira-sensei."
+"What?"
+Chabashira was surprised by my outspoken agreement.
+I guess she didn't expect that her defiance on that level would make me
+yield to her.
+Although it seemed like I wanted to change the topic, it was mainly
+because I wanted to leave her with the possibility that I could be tamed.
+However, despite this possibility, Chabashira still couldn't trust me
+entirely.
+She could also be thinking that I was laughing at her in secret while I said
+that.
+I intended to express the fact that I was a "positive presence' for the whole
+of Class D.
+"My way of thinking has changed. After April, I plan to seriously target
+Class A."
+"What's the joke here? Preparing this meeting as well, what are you
+thinking?"
+"I'm completely serious. I plan to break away from being labelled as
+Class D or Class C. However, because of the differences in Class Points,
+there's no guarantee to be promoted to Class A at the end of the next year.
+But I'm confident that we'll be able to rise to Class B."
+Page 50 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+For Chabashira, this was the thing she desired the most.
+Rising from Class D to Class A.
+That was something that had never happened in this school before.
+"Tt seems like you've finally come to realise...but anything coming out of
+your mouth would mean nothing if you don't actually intend to do anything."
+"That's true. But don't you want to keep your ticket to Class A?"
+Regardless if this ticket was real or fake, it was better than having
+nothing.
+"T've already said this, but you lost against Class A at the end of year
+exam. Although you held an admirable record of 3 wins and 4 losses, a loss is
+still a loss. Although the exam required a certain amount of luck, I can't let
+you use that as an excuse."
+She re-emphasized what was said before.
+"No matter who the opponent is, and no matter what the exam is, even if
+you win, it seemed like I had been expecting a little too much out of you."
+It seems like she had some sort of fantasy about me.
+"You'll learn the truth later in the meeting."
+"Learn the truth.....?
+"Listen to me until the end, and if you still can't trust my strength, you
+can do whatever you want."
+"What is this-"
+Page 51 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although Chabashira wanted an answer, a loud knocking sound blocked
+out her voice.
+"" ..Please come in."
+As soon as Chabashira replied, Mashima-sensei entered the reception
+room.
+"Tt seems like you were already here."
+And immediately after-
+"Hello."
+A student of Class A, Sayakanagi Arisu.
+She came in with Mashima-sensei. An unexpected guest.
+I didn't remember calling her, and I didn't think Mashima-sensei would
+bring her here himself.
+"I'm a student of Class A, so even if others see me walking with
+Mashima-senseli, there's isn't a problem."
+Needless to say, Sakayanagi must have followed Mashima-sensei here.
+"T received a notification from Chabashira-sensei. But Sakayanagi here
+said she was related to this incident, so I brought her..."
+Chairman Sakayanagi probably told his daughter about the phone call to
+confirm that I had contacted him through his daughter.
+But was that really related to why Sakayanagi was here?
+Was she following orders, or was this just mere curiosity?
+Page 52 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+9 times out of 10, it's the latter.
+"No problem, it's within the realms of my expectations."
+I accepted this visitor as someone I should welcome and responded
+accordingly.
+Sakayanagi nodded slightly with a smile.
+Then, without even looking at Chabashira's direction, Mashima-sensei
+closed the door to the reception room.
+It seems like Chabashira couldn't understand why Sakayanagi was here.
+Mashima-sensei was the same.
+Regardless of that, all the necessary people were in place.
+This limited amount of time must be used meaningfully.
+"You seem to have something to say to us, Ayanokouji. Making a special
+announcement through Chairman Sakayanag1, allowing us to skip the closing
+ceremony to have a secret meeting... What's the big deal? What's going on?"
+"T will explain that now."
+I first urged the two teachers to sit down.
+But Mashima-sensei told Sakayanagi to sit down first.
+"Ah, thank you."
+Mashima-sensei stood, letting the crippled Sakayanagi sit, crossing his
+arms.
+It seemed that whether if he would sit depended on the contents of the
+Page 53 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+conversation. Chabashira seemed to do the same as him.
+The three other people in the room all looked towards me.
+20-30 minutes was the maximum amount of time they could slip out of
+the closing ceremony, so time was minimal.
+Although I wanted to get straight to the point, I didn't know how long it
+would take for them to understand.
+Because the current situation wasn't something that could be easily
+understood with just one explanation.
+Time was precious, so I started with the matter of Acting Director
+Tsukishiro.
+"You might be wondering why we're meeting at such a busy time, and
+that's because of important matters relating to Acting Director Tsukishiro."
+"Important matters relating to Acting Director Tsukishiro? What are you
+talking about?"
+Mashima-sensei's face had a perplexed expression, due to my unexpected
+statement right from the start.
+Hearing a student saying such a thing, the expression that he had was
+understandable.
+Chabashira also seemed unable to keep up with this, and instead turned
+her attention to the unexpected turnup. Sakayanagi, who confronted the
+attention head first, flashed an innocent smile.
+An expression which seemed to express her superior knowledge of the
+situation.
+This cheerful expression that was on her face, that's the classic manner of
+Page 54 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Sakayanagi.
+Page 55 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"The current events are affecting the school's operations, and it has
+reached the point in which we cannot ignore it. To smoothly settle this
+situation, I hope that you two teachers can help me while keeping this case
+confidential."
+"T heard that there was something important to tell me... Is this a joke?
+Chabashira-sensei."
+While finding it very difficult to believe, Mashima-sensei asked
+Chabashira sensei for an explanation.
+"T didn't intend to make fun of you. Did you think I'm someone who does
+meaningless things like Hoshinomiya-sensei?"
+"That's what you say, but I don't understand the situation at all. Right
+now, there's also a closing ceremony going on which I should be at."
+This was originally going to be a valuable time to interact with the
+graduates.
+He showed no interest in listening to a child's imagination run wild.
+"What does Ayanokouji want to do?"
+"T don't know, even if I want to explain, I can't. Like I said yesterday, I
+just prepared this location under Chairman Sakayangi's orders. I also need an
+explanation for me to understand what's going on."
+Both teachers cast a doubtful gaze at me, but I continued to explain.
+"Tf I said that I'm the reason why Tsukishiro replaced Chairman
+Sakayanagi after being confined for suspected wrongdoing, what would you
+say, Mashima-sensei?"
+Page 57 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"What?"
+Even if we get straight into the topic, it wouldn't be easy to progress in
+this situation.
+Not only that, but Mashima-sensei's doubts are growing deeper.
+"This makes no sense. Why is it because of you?"
+Of course, this would be the natural reaction.
+He would never have thought that a student would shape the very
+structure of the school itself.
+Sure enough, we should start with the end of year exam.
+"Let me explain what happened—"
+When I wanted to bring up the end of year exam, Sakayanagi raised her
+hand.
+"Sorry, but is it alright for me to explain?"
+Sakayanagi seemed to have anticipated this would happen and suggested
+to explain it herself.
+"Sakayanagi, you said you knew about the situation right? "
+"Well, if you may excuse my rudeness, I think I understand the situation a
+little better than you teachers."
+Sakayanagi acted immediately. Maybe she thought that rather than having
+someone merely involved explain, it would be faster for someone who
+understood the situation to explain. I nodded slightly, so Sakayanagi turned
+her attention to Mashima-sensei.
+Page 58 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Are you saying that you've already heard about this from the
+Chairman?"
+"No, it's just from what I've gathered. Ayanokouji-kun and I- How should
+I say this... Simply put, we're like childhood friends."
+Sakayangi said this happily. Although I wasn't sure how the others would
+react to this, the teachers seemed surprised, at the very least.
+"T never expected you two to be... childhood friends..."
+Sakayangi explained to Chabashira what she meant.
+"It's just something similar to that. Anyways, I'll explain the situtation to
+99
+you.
+The matter of the childhood friends was glossed over by Sakayanagi, and
+she began explaining the situation.
+"Let's review what happened during the confrontation between
+Ayanokouji-kun and me as the two commander towers at the end of year
+exam held a few days ago. Back then, my victory during the final chess event
+determined the outcome of the exam."
+This was the result, which was a fact, at least as far as the school knew.
+"What happened then?"
+Of course, Mashima-sensei and Chabashira wouldn't have any doubts
+about what happened.
+"What if I said during then, someone stepped in to interfere with the
+match, which changed the outcome, and therefore had a great impact on the
+test results? Wouldn't that be a serious issue?"
+"Exams are carried out very strictly, and there was, and will be, no
+Page 59 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+problems with how they're conducted."
+"Let me ask, on what basis are you to say that the exam was strictly run?
+Neither of you were present during the exam."
+Because they couldn't serve as an invigilator for their own class,
+Chabashira and Mashima-sensei were in charge of Ichinose's and Ryuuen's
+class. In other words, they did not see our exam take place in person.
+"T was originally the loser of that chess game, Ayanokouji-kun came out
+victorious."
+"Ayanokouji won that match? But I saw the results of the match, and I've
+also seen what happened during the match."
+The first person to say something about this was not Mashima-sensei, but
+Chabashira.
+It was because of Class C's defeat in chess that led to her class falling
+back to Class D, which was why she cared so much about this issue.
+"You still don't get it?"
+Sakayanagi used that question to sound out Mashima-sensei and
+Chabashira.
+"What are you trying to say? Could it be that acting director Tsukishiro
+manipulated the results of the chess game? Sakagami-sensei and
+Hoshinomiya-sensei met up after the exam, and they didn't find anything
+irregular had happened."
+"The thing that has changed wasn't the result, but the process. It's
+impossible to see the truth if one is bound by common sense. The orders that
+the commanding tower sends out wasn't directly sent to the students. Instead,
+it was passed onto the school to review, and then after that, finally sent
+through the headphones."
+Page 60 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Did they understand now? Just like that, Sakayanagi made them slowly
+come to an understanding.
+For the first time, doubts about Acting Director Tsukishiro and the end of
+year exam exam flashed through Mashima-sensei's mind.
+"Tt was rare to have an exam that made use of such large scale equipment
+and the teachers knew that, but the fact of the matter is that Acting Director
+Tsukishiro prepared that in order to illegal intervene with the exam."
+Sakayagani subtly intertwined lies, mysteries, as well as the truth together.
+Because of how much Tsukishiro had planned out, only he would know
+the situation completely.
+Instead of confirming the facts, it was an appropriate explanation based on
+her conjectures, and she acted as if it were the truth.
+Such words will be accepted by the teachers.
+Mashima-sensei and Chabashira wouldn't be able to understand it entirely
+due to the sheer volume of information just revealed to them. As Sakayagani
+was still explaining the topic, in order to keep up with her, their minds will
+have to treat what she said as a fact.
+"That is to say that the information Ayanokouji-kun inputted and the
+information Horikita-san heard- that is, the content read by the machine, was
+different. If she had followed Ayanokouji-kun's real instructions, I would
+have lost instead. Do you understand what that means?"
+Sakayagani smiled, testing their ability to understand.
+Could they understand with just that? This restricted the answer of the
+other party to only one possibility.
+Page 61 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"You mean that Acting Director Tsukishiro-manipulated the results from
+behind the scenes?"
+"Because for him, the protection points Ayanokouji-kun holds was in the
+way of his true objective, to get Ayanokouji-kun expelled."
+The two teachers did not speak.
+But before long, Mashima-sensei asked something.
+"Was what Sakayagani said true, Ayanokouji?"
+"Yes, it's as she said."
+"Tl admit that what you both said made some sense. As I've been
+Sakayanagi's teacher for a year, I have a certain understanding of her
+personality and how she thinks. If she really wanted to lose against
+Ayanokouji deliberately, she just needed to choose different examination
+events carefully to manipulate the results to what she wanted, including the
+chess event. You couldn't gain anything by lowering yourself in order to
+elevate Ayanokouji."
+As the leader of Class A, even if Sakayagani was lying, admitting her
+defeat would have no benefits.
+It's as Mashima-sensei said. If she wanted me to win due to personal
+reasons, there were many ways to concede victory, either by exceeding the
+time limit or some other method.
+There was no need to deliberately set up something while also saying
+something of doubtful reliability.
+"But even if you do know the whole sequence of events, there isn't a way
+for a third party to confirm it's authenticity, right?"
+Chabashira replied to Sakayagani's unfounded argument.
+Page 62 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"This was hard to believe at the start....what do you think?"
+Chabashira asked the opinion of Mashima-sensei, who was intently
+listening to what was said.
+"Never mind what I think, the current situation is hard for anyone to
+accept."
+Just when Mashima-sensei wanted to step back for a bit, Chabashira
+stopped him.
+"My personal opinion is that what these two said has some kind of truth in
+it. Ever since Acting Director Tsukishiro came to this school, the whole
+school feels a bit abnormal."
+"If you believe that only because of your personal feelings towards
+Tsukihiro, then I don't need to consider what you think. It's the same as
+thinking your class can win."
+Mashima-sensei spoke sternly towards Chabashira in front of us.
+And then immediately talked to us students.
+"Do you two have any evidence?"
+"If we said we heard about the improper behaviour directly from
+Tsukishiro himself, would you believe us?"
+"* ..Of course not."
+A person who engaged in improper conduct behind the scenes would not
+reveal their behaviour.
+Even if the matter came up, that person wouldn't respond to anything.
+That was something which everyone understood.
+Page 63 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Tt's hard to believe that there is a child that wants something similar to
+what Acting Director Tsukishiro wants. To get rid of each other. Tha is what
+I truly think."
+"Tt's the truth."
+"T don't want to doubt what you students say. I also don't think that
+you're stupid enough to realize that lying right now won't do you any good.
+But this lacks any basis, as well as evidence."
+Even though he really wanted to believe it, if there were no reliable
+evidence, Mashima-sensei would not accept it.
+"What kind of person are you, Ayanokouji? Please tell me."
+It was only a matter of time before Mashima-sensei asked that question.
+Chairman Sakayanagi was confined for suspected wrongdoing, so a man
+named Tsukishiro was sent to this school.
+Tsukishiro started acting for me to drop out of school. Even if it meant
+interfering with a special exam, he had to carry out his order. So it was
+inevitable that questions would arise about myself.
+Should I explain it myself, or leave it to someone else.
+Seeing that there was no response from me, Mashima-sensei turned to
+Chabashira.
+"Do you know anything about Ayanokouj1?"
+Mashima-sensei asked Chabashira, who believed what we said to a certain
+extent.
+"To be honest... From my past experiences, I only know a little."
+Page 64 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She glanced at me. I coldly ignored her.
+There was no harm in Chabashira-sensei exposing some superficial
+information about me.
+"T looked at Ayanokouji's entrance exam results, and he scored 50 on all
+subjects, which I thought was extremely peculiar."
+"50 points for each subject... does that mean he deliberately tried to score
+half marks for every subject?"
+"If you investigate deeper yourself, you should see that it's true."
+"Hou? How intruiging."
+"But this doesn't prove anything. In general, students won't hold back
+their abilities during the entrance exam, but if you have high academic
+ability, it is not difficult to attain scores like that. In fact, the method I used to
+calculate the scores of the entrance exam was actually very simple."
+"Also, when Ayanokouji enrolled in this school, Chairman Sakayanagi
+told me that he was a special student."
+"Chairman Sakayanagi said that? Is that why you are here? Chabashira-
+sensel?"
+Chabashira-sensei nodded and began talking about what happened at that
+time.
+"He entrusted me, as his class teacher, with the duty of reporting back to
+him any inconveniences relating to Ayanokouj1. As far as I know,
+Ayanokouji's father is a very authoritative person, and he didn't want him to
+enter this school in the first place. Chairman Sakayagani had to use various
+forceful methods in order to permit him to enter the school in the first place."
+Page 65 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"So you've enrolled into this school without your guardian's permission?
+Looks like the Chairman is also someone willing to use such forceful
+means.."
+If we ignored compulsory education, every ordinary child needed their
+parent's permission in order to enter high school. The world wasn't so naive
+to let children do as they wish.
+"Because of the fact my father and Ayanokouji-kun had some sort of
+relationship, I sympathise with his unfortunate situation and will assist him
+when needed. But now, various problems have arisen because of this
+incident. The Acting Director, Tsukishiro, fabricated evidence in order to
+restrain my father on terms of dishonest behavior, and tried to get Ayanokouji
+expelled."
+That was the most important point for Mashima-sensei.
+"The father was against his child entering this school, so he sent Acting
+Director Tsukishiro here..."
+This wasn't something that an ordinary person's authority could achieve.
+"He didn't need to do all this, he just had to complain to the school itself."
+"His father had already set up a meeting between him, the chairman, and
+Ayanokouji himself after he enrolled."
+"So you're saying that his guardian had already communicated with the
+school with the wish that he wanted Ayanokouji to withdraw from the
+school?:
+"Yes. It's as Chabashira-sensei says. I once talked with Chairman
+Sakayanagi and my father in this very room. You can check the surveillance
+cameras out in the corridor to confirm if that's the truth."
+"And since that, since you're 1s still at the school, does that mean that the
+Page 66 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Chairman had rejected the withdrawal application?"
+"Yes."
+Mashima-sensei wanted to confirm that fact, so Chabashira nodded her
+head.
+"Chairman Sakayanagi respected the will of the students. Although this
+was just a temporary replacement...I didn't expect Acting Director
+Tsukishiro to be sent to the school just to get Ayanokouji expelled."
+Sakaygani jumped on what Chabashira said.
+"That isn't a surprise, it seems like Chabashira-sensei doesn't actually
+know anything about the situation."
+"It seems that you're confident of that."
+"Yes. I understand Ayanokouji-kun more than you do, Chabashira-
+sensei."
+Sakayagani always had this unnecessary aura of superiority.
+"Seeing me come here without an invitation without even objecting to my
+presence, wouldn't it be obvious?"
+Presenting indisputable facts, Sakayanagi smiled haughtily.
+"Finally, I get to understand the big picture. At least the part about the
+father that wanted his child back, I can accept that as a fact."
+Mashima-sensei had figured out what was happening in the current
+situation but still couldn't accept most of it.
+"But...although I don't know the extent of Ayanokoj1's father's authority,
+why did he have to try to get Ayanokouji expelled in this way? This doesn't
+Page 67 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+seem realistic."
+"Because Ayanokouji-kun possesses means that other ordinary people do
+not."
+"T've taken a look at Ayanokouji's exam results from the past few days. In
+terms of calculation and processing speed as well as choosing chess moves,
+he's definitely top tier. But there are other similarly outstanding students, and
+it shouldn't be enough to label him as an extraordinary specimen."
+"Mashima-sensei. I won't try to reject the method in how you've
+attempted to accept this situation. But have you actually thought about what's
+going on? From the start of school, my father had been paying attention to
+him, and then Acting Director Tsukishiro tried to use dishonest means to
+expel him from school. This 1s a fact, and the only truth."
+Mashima folded his arms and closed his eyes.
+""Mashima-sensei presumably has reached his verdict. You can look for
+evidence in the future yourself."
+After staying silent, he opened his eyes and looked at me, Sakayagani, and
+finally, Chabashira.
+"Yeah...The part about how the father was dissatisfied with his child's
+decision to enrol into the school and tried to get him expelled, I believe. And
+I don't want to help him with that. I'm sure you're clear with why."
+Mashima-sensei understood the surface of the situation we were talking
+about very well.
+"Aren't you going to tell me everything?"
+It seems that Mashima-sensei had figured out something that was kept
+secret during the conversation by organising the contents of the discussion in
+his head.
+Page 68 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But if he couldn't even decipher something on this level, then Ill be
+troubled.
+"Yeah. Even if I told you, it wouldn't be of any help... no, it would be
+meaningless."
+Even if I talked about the white room from the very start, I'm afraid the
+adults wouldn't be able to understand it.
+Even if you relied on only common sense, it was obvious that that man
+was doing something suspicious.
+And, even if I talked about the white room here, it was still difficult to
+reach the truth.
+Because that matter would have been completely covered up by now.
+That being the case, there wasn't any point in doing such meaningless
+things.
+"What if I refuse to assist you?"
+"Although I don't intend to do nothing, if you refuse, it'Il be a headache
+when dealing with Acting Director Tsukisiro. The school's events, whether
+it's a special exam or something else, would be a lot easier for him to
+intervene illegally. You can see that in the event selection exam, as it had
+already happened."
+Students alone couoldn't prevent that from happening.
+If we could convey that fact to Mashima-sensei, we could determine if he
+was a person who would turn a blind eye to that sort of thing.
+"Are you trying to feel me out, Ayanokouji? ...Fine. In future special
+examinations and tests, I will handle it appropriately, and will not allow
+Page 69 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Acting Director Tsukishiro to engage in illegal participation."
+Finally, Mashima-sensei had said that he stood on our side.
+""Mashima-sensei, you do realise that this isn't such a simple thing to do,
+right?"
+Chabashira warned Mashima-sensei, who had accepted all of this.
+"Even it's true that he did something against the rules, if we aren't careful,
+we could get fired."
+I could understand why Chabashira said that.
+Resisting against Tsukishiro would undoubtedly threaten their career.
+The opponent this time wasn't someone you could fight against with just a
+strong sense of justice.
+"Although I don't fully believe this, if what you said was true, then it'd be
+a grave matter. The school should never manipulate the course of the exam
+and change the results at will. If you're going to do this, you'Il have to do this
+thoroughly and carefully."
+"But, wouldn't it better if you just paid a blind eye towards these issues?
+You just got your wages cut this morning for violating the rules during the
+event selection exam anyway."
+Sakayanagi thought that was interesting, so she pounced on the
+opportunity.
+"Pay cuts for violating violations? What exactly did you do?"
+"I'm not going to tell you that."
+"Is it because of something that happened during Class B and D's exam?
+Page 70 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+We'll hear about this sooner or later. But if it has something to do with the
+Tsukishiro's improper acts, I think it's better to speak out now, or problems
+may occur later."
+"That has nothing to do with the current situation."
+Instead of Mashima-sensei who was not planning to explain, it was
+Chabashira-sensei that spoke up.
+"Let me explain. During the selection event of class B and D, one of the
+selected events of Class D was Judo. The student participating was Albert
+Yamada. Class B's Ichinose lost her all her fighting spirit during then, which
+resulted in her failing to select a student to participate.
+"Because the opponent was Yamada-kun, this was expected. Probably no-
+one among the first year can beat him in judo."
+"Of course, Ichinose had already decided on who was going to participate
+in the judo event. However, if the student was chosen randomly, just like that,
+what would happen? Something unpredictable would occur. You should be
+aware of this."
+Once the time was up, students who hadn't yet participated in any events
+would be automatically selected.
+Not only the boys, but girls are also no exception too.
+"Even if they had lost immediately, nothing would have happened as a
+result. But this was Class B, and they would do anything for the sake of their
+companions. The selected students will most likely go all out for Ichinose."
+No matter who the opponent was, Albert would not hold back in order to
+bring them down.
+In that case, it was likely it would have resulted in a major accident.
+Page 71 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+As a result, Mashima-sensei decided that Class B was defeated, wihtout
+even having a fight. This might have caused Acting Director Tsukishiro to
+become unhappy with him.
+Was that why Mashima-sensei wages got cut as a punishment? If I had to
+say whether this violated the rules or not, it indeed would be considered a
+violation.
+"Both these situations are connected. If something 1s considered
+dangerous to the students, I'll quickly stop it. If there's improper behaviour,
+Pll quickly see it corrected. We teach them this, so what would happen if we
+teachers don't even apply what we teach to ourselves?"
+And for that reason, even if he got fired, he would not regret anything.
+"Tt looks like I can't stop you."
+"T've always consciously done my job as a teacher."
+The words he said seemed simple, but Mashima-sensei really was an
+excellent person who was able to do what he said.
+"Your...no, if Mashima-sensei's decision is final, I will have nothing else
+to say."
+"Ts this a temporary agreement?"
+Sakayanagi asked me, and I nodded in agreement.
+Chabashira backed down, presumably because she realised that trying to
+persuade Mashima-sensei was pointless.
+"Since Mashima-sensei agreed, III help as well. Is that fine,
+Ayanokouji?"
+"An additional person on our side is greatly appreciated."
+Page 72 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Let's put an end to this discussion now. I'll keep this to myself. There's
+no problem with that right?"
+"Of course."
+After all, both Mashima-sensei and Chabashira hadn't actually seen
+Tsukishiro's wrongdoings with their own eyes.
+And if we increase the number of teachers who are in the know, the
+chances of a leakage of information increase substantially.
+Once Tsukishiro finds out that there are people who are trying to expose
+his wrongdoings, then he would naturally be more alert.
+"T also intend to stand at Ayanokouji's side at the time being."
+"Sakaygani. Even if you do know Ayanokouji's situation, if people see
+you giving special treatment to him, it will raise some questions."
+"What are you talking about? Of course I'm going give him special
+treatment. I've got the right to do so."
+Sakayanagi rebutted against Mashima's words.
+"'..What right?"
+"Well, although this school's system revolves around competition
+between the classes, the students themselves will | have various situations
+among them. Some of them might have friends or lovers in other classes that
+they' Il have to betray, and some might have relationships that revolve money,
+which can be mutually beneficial or commensal. Sometimes, one's feelings
+can go beyond the boundaries of classes, forming mutually beneficial
+relationships with people in other classes. Is the social climate of this school
+always the same? No, it's constantly changing. In that way, it's the same as
+society itself, isn't it?"
+Page 73 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It didn't matter if Chairman Sakayagani had someone he wanted to
+protect, he had no power to do anything.
+"Even if I only was able to save Ayanokouji-kun and left my classmates
+in Class A, the teachers won't have any reason to blame me. The only ones
+who can resent me will be the students I have betrayed."
+Mashima-sensei may be dissatisfied with what Sakayanagi said, but he did
+not retort.
+"But-he may find special treatment to be unwelcoming."
+"Why?"
+"Tl wait until the Acting Director is gone, but after that, things will be
+different. And if Class D obstructs Class A, I will beat them out mercilessly
+at any time."
+"Will you? That's good."
+Mashima-sensei accepted that and faced Sakayanagi determinedly.
+"Let's recap. Right now, you couldn't find any evidence to prove that
+Acting Director Tsukishiro has committed wrongdoing, 1s that right?"
+"Evidence has been erased, so it would be meaningless to investigate
+99
+now.
+He would not do something as foolish as deliberately leaving evidence.
+"Then, it seems that we can only wait for his next move."
+The teachers have a better understanding of the exams we will face after
+we become 2nd years.
+Page 74 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+As for what Tsukishiro will do, I'll leave that to Mashima-sensei to think
+about.
+"It's been more than 30 minutes, and it won't be good to be absent from
+the closing ceremony for too long. You students head out first, then we'll
+leave the room separately."
+"Got it."
+Sakayanagi and I walked out of the reception room and out to the corridor
+at the same time.
+Then the two of us walked side by side together.
+"Although it's a bold move, it's very beneficial to have Mashima-sense1
+on our side. As the person in charge of the first year, he's closer to the acting
+director than anyone else."
+"Heh. Even if it doesn't stop Tsukishiro completely, if it'1l restrain him,
+then itll be a good result."
+"But the problem of too strong a sense of righteousness 1s a little
+worrying. That should be considered one of Mashima-sensei disadvantages."
+"Yeah. Although he's beneficial, there are also situations where he can't
+be used in."
+"If he gets involved too deeply, Mashima-sensei will get fired. But since
+he's this sort of person, it will happen sooner or later anyway."
+Sakayagani said. Looking at the side of her face, it seemed like she was
+happy.
+"You seem happy."
+"T'm delighted. Aren't you happy?"
+Page 75 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"It's hard to say. The situation I'm in 1s a bit troublesome after all. For
+example, that the reason you're here is that-"
+"Yes, I'm here because this seems like fun. Did I bother you?"
+Sakayagani immediately admitted all that.
+"No. Because your appearance improved my chances of persuading
+Mashima-sense, I thank you for that."
+"Well, that's great then."
+Sakayanagi turned to face my direction and smiled.
+"T won't allow the school to repeatedly interfere with the outcome of our
+battles."
+Sakayanagi was extremely angry at what Tsukishiro did to her.
+Afterwards, she said she would face a complete battle with Tsukishiro,
+and work towards removing him from the school.
+"The enemy that's right in front of us is carelessness, and we should
+resolve that as soon as possible."
+In Tsukishiro's eyes, we're nothing more than a few high school students.
+No matter how much we try, we can't create a big enough storm to affect
+him.
+If he thought like taht, mistakes would occur.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. At the moment, please let me work towards getting rid
+of Acting Director Tsukishiro."
+"Thanks for your help."
+Page 76 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Whether she can be trusted wasn't something that needed to be considered
+as a critical issue.
+Because based on our previous interactions, I was already familiar with
+Sakayanagi's personality.
+Page 77 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 5
+After the two students left.
+Mashima openly revealed his opinion to Chabashira.
+"T still can't believe what's happening."
+"I'm the same, Mashima-sensei. But what Ayanokouji-kun said was true."
+"Interfering with the very structure of the school, all for a single student?"
+Mashima-sensei exclaimed. No matter how many people around him
+emphasised the authenticity of the situation, it would still be hard to believe.
+"You've observed Ayanokouji for a year now, Chabashira-sensei, so what
+kind of existence do you think he is?"
+"That's a difficult question."
+Because they couldn't stay for long, they left the reception room a minute
+after Ayanokouji and Sakayanagi left.
+"At first glance, he seems like a normal high school boy you could find
+anywhere, indifferent to his surroundings."
+The other teachers of the other classes would probably think of him in that
+way.
+Their impression of him wouldn't be deep, maybe it would be up to the
+point where you could barely match up the name to the face.
+"But there are two sides to him. It's unnerving. Those eyes which see
+through everything, those aren't the eyes of a child."
+Page 78 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T'm still in disbelief..."
+"Yeah. A first-year who has already reached that level..."
+"Although I've only been a teacher for a few years, I've seen a lot of
+types of students. If we focus on the past two years, Horikita Manabu and
+Nagumo Mtyabi are the ones that have left an outstanding impression of
+themselves."
+"That's true."
+Both of those students had excellent academic and athletic abilities,
+second to none throughout their respective years, as well as possessing rare
+leadership ability on top of that.
+"This year's first years gave me the impression that they are slightly
+inferior compared to those two people. Of course, some students can match
+them in some aspects, but not in every one of them. Overall, what do you
+think is the extent of Ayanokouji's abilities?"
+"Will my answer have any impact on what you do in the future?"
+"No, not at all. No matter what kind of student Ayanokouji is, I won't
+allow Acting Director Tsukishiro to do what he wants. This is just out of
+curiosity."
+"Curiosity... That's unusual for you. But I'm still trying to figure that out
+myself."
+Chabashira was also one of the people who wanted to learn more about
+Ayanokouji.
+It was true that she couldn't answer.
+"That really is a difficult question."
+Page 79 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Mashima grudgingly folded his arms.
+"Originally, the teachers were to maintain a proper working distance with
+the students and govern them like that. Forming such close relationships isn't
+the best thing to do."
+"So we just have to eliminate Acting Director Tsukishiro as quickly as
+possible."
+"But after we eliminate him-Is that really going to be the end of all this?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"Even if we expose the Acting Director, there's no guarantee that there
+will not be another person sent afterwards. In that case, Ayanokouji's
+situation will create a disturbance for the entire year... Depending on the
+situation, even the school itself might suffer from it."
+Mashima expressed his own unease.
+Of course, even having said that, he still would not abandon the students.
+"The way this situation 1s unfolding, it's like I'm sinking deeper and
+deeper into quicksand. This scares me."
+"Yeah,"
+If this continued, other students would not be able to receive a fair
+evaluation.
+This is something that the teachers must prevent from happening.
+"But I hope my hunch won't turn out to be true."
+The two teachers envisioned what would happen in the future, and prayed
+Page 80 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+that those were just groundless fears.
+Page 81 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 6
+After passing the rest of the time following the end of the conversation
+with the teachers and Sakayanagi, I went to the gym.
+Soon, the 3rd years who were in the thank you meeting would come out.
+The people around me were eagerly awaiting their arrival.
+As that time approached, the anxiety of both the first years and second
+years seemed to increase.
+Some of the 3rd years would leave directly after the graduation ceremony,
+but maybe some would stay, wanting to say something that they've always
+wanted to before.
+How many people were there in total? From what I could see, there were
+about 100.
+There was a person that I recognised, standing a small distance away from
+the main group of people.
+"You actually came."
+I greeted Horikita, who was standing in the middle of the waiting crowd,
+but only got a stare in return.
+""...What's wrong with that?"
+"Nothing, I'm just impressed."
+"Impressed? I don't know what you mean by that."
+"T was thinking that if 1t were up to the old you, you wouldn't have come
+Page 82 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+here."
+Horikita seems a bit displeased with my praise.
+"Really? I haven't changed a bit. I'm still me."
+She denied her growth. You could see that she didn't even attempt to
+reexamine herself.
+No, she just didn't want to admit it in front of other people.
+The thank you meeting held at the gym was finally over, and the doors
+opened.
+It was officially over.
+Now was the final chance for the graduates to formally communicate with
+the remaining students.
+After it ended, a stream of 3rd years came out.
+Most of them were happy, but some were not smiling.
+Was it because of the loneliness they faced having left school, or the
+failure of not graduating from Class A?
+If it was the latter, then it was weird that most of the students weren't
+distressed.
+However, even after one glance towards them, I could see that there were
+also students outside of Class A that had expressions of joy.
+"What do you think?"
+I asked Horikita for her opinion on the situation.
+Page 83 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Even if the shortcut to their dreams has been cut off, they can still use
+their own strength to make it a reality. As long as they have the strength, it
+can be accomplished."
+The path of life will continue to be trodden.
+That is to say that many students had faced reality, and had determined
+their way forward, intending to continue on their path to their dreams.
+If you look at it in another way, you could say that the 3 years they've
+spent on this magnificent stage was already mightily impressive.
+Some of the 3rd years returned to their dormitories without talking to
+anyway, but the majority of them stopped.
+The evidence of these three years the students here had endured was now
+as visible as scars.
+Former student council president Horikita Manabu was still here.
+No one had gathered around him yet, so this should be a good
+opportunity.
+If the number of people around him increases, then Horikita would find it
+hard to approach him.
+Deep within her heart, Horikita was looking forward to this, and yet she
+didn't take a single step.
+"You should go."
+"T know."
+I didn't need to say that. Horikita was only here because of her desire to
+talk with her brother.
+Page 84 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+However, her body wouldn't move.
+During her moment of uncertainty, more and more students started to
+approach the elder Horikikta.
+If I did nothing, there would be no progress, so I took a forceful
+approach.
+I pushed the hesitant Horikita's back.
+"Wait... Wait a minute-"
+"Use your privileges as his sister."
+Although I repeatedly urged her, Horikita insisted on not moving
+forward.
+"It's going to be weird if I ran to his side now."
+"Even if you mix in with the other students, it won't be weird."
+"It's definitely weird. I'll be a complete outsider."
+Horikita negatively evaluated the situation at hand.
+This reminded me when school first started.
+I remember her staring at her distant older brother while he was giving a
+speech to the first years. Even if she slowly became more mature throughout
+the year, her core remained unchanged.
+Even if one accumulated a lot of experience, there will be parts which
+would be challenging to develop.
+It was because of the timid expression on her face, which made me think
+of all that...
+Page 85 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"But don't get me wrong, I'm not scared. My brother's three years... I
+just wanted to see the culmination of these three years for him to get to this
+point."
+"I see."
+She meant that she wouldn't be satisfied with just a small chat with her
+brother.
+Not bad.
+A few more second-year students ran towards the elder Horikita.
+"Your brother is pretty popular."
+He was the student council president and the boy who've always stayed in
+Class A. Of course he was popular. I initially thought he wasn't very close
+with the first years, so I never would have thought that this many first-year
+students would have come over.
+Soon, the circle around him began to grow larger, surrounded by other
+graduates.
+He occasionally smiled and gently opened up to the younger generation.
+But at the end of that, I saw a slightly different expression.
+I sensed the atmosphere that he had been relieved from the heavy pressure
+that was on him.
+Next to me, it was like Horikita was trying to engrave this sight into her
+eyes, staring at him without blinking.
+And then-A boy appeared next to the elder Horikita.
+Page 86 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The current student council president, the second-year Class A's Nagumo
+Miyabi.
+Immediately followed by vice president Kiriyama, Secretaries Mizowaki
+and Tonokawa, as well as Asahina Nazuna.
+The atmosphere did not turn into something cumbersome, but instead, it
+developed into something unique.
+"Congratulations on graduating, Horikita-senpai."
+Dropping a sincere compliment, Nagumo approached Horikita with a
+smile.
+Horikita greeted Nagumo without any hesitation.
+"Ahhhh, you really are worthy of being called my senpai. In the end, I still
+wasn't able to threaten you."
+"It wasn't like that. To be honest, I didn't know what would happen in the
+end. If I must, I'd say the reason for your failure was because we aren't in the
+same academic year. No matter how much you interfered, in the end, you
+were still just an outsider.
+No matter how much he wanted to fight, he couldn't bridge the gap
+between grades.
+Since he couldn't directly participate in the exams, what he could do was
+very limited.
+Although, if Nagumo really wanted to bring him down, he could have
+adopted Ryuuen's chaotic and reckless fighting style.
+However, Nagumo seemed to have no intentions.
+"Yeah. Ah........, why was I born a year later than you?"
+Page 87 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+He wasn't dissatisfied, but just disappointed for not being in the same year
+as the elder Horikita.
+"Can I still shake your hand like this?"
+"Of course, I have no reason to refuse."
+The elder Horikita gladly obliged, and they shook hands.
+Page 88 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+a
+***
+7 = vy - | |
+o
+***
+A brief and pleasant silence ensured.
+Both being Student Council presidents, they could communicate and
+understand each other in certain situations without using any words.
+"There'll still be a long year ahead of you. Be sure to spend your
+remaining school life on something that will satisfy you."
+Advice from his senpai. And in those words, he showed that he didn't care
+about Nagumo running wild anymore.
+In other words, he'd given Nagumo permission to do whatever he liked
+now.
+"Mhmm. After you're gone, in that short period where I'll be the senpai,
+Ill do whatever it takes. I'Il turn this school into a meritocracy based on
+one's abilities. Because I'm prepared and determined to accomplish it."
+Horkita's brother accepted his speech openly, nodding his head.
+"You said you regretted not being a year older. I kind of feel the same.
+Not being able to see what you'll do to this school is a pity. If I could witness
+what you'll create up close, I'll surely gain a better understanding of you."
+"T won't be so sure of that. I don't think Pll be compatible with senpai."
+One who followed school rules and regulations, and one that wanted to
+destroy them
+Since their ideologies were utterly different, a confrontation between them
+is inevitable.
+"Also, it won't matter if you can't see it yourself. Don't you have a sister
+in the Ist year?"
+Page 90 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+With that said, Nagumo's line of sight seemed to focus on next to where I
+was, a bit further from the rest of the people-and started staring at straight at
+Horikita.
+Although it was only a slight change, Horikita's body language became a
+bit more nervous.
+"As long as your sister is here, she can help me spread the word to you."
+Once both graduations, the siblings will inevitably meet once again sooner
+or later.
+What he meant was that in the future, Horikita's brother would still know
+what Nagumo would have done at the school."
+"Perhaps."
+With that said, Horikita's brother and Nagumo's strong handshake finally
+ended, and their hands separated.
+"Thank you very much."
+"Likewise."
+The former student council president, Horikita, and the current student
+council president, Nagumo.
+A heavy curtain fell on the unexpectedly gentle atmosphere.
+Perhaps because he didn't want to bother the other students, Nagumo
+immediately distanced himself with Horikita's brother. Although the combo
+of the two student council presidents was exciting, it might make it a bit
+difficult for the other students to approach.
+Nagumo instead walked towards Horikita, who was observing from a
+Page 91 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+distance.
+As a fellow student of Class 2A, Asahina Nazuna was also there with him.
+The other student council members had probably left to see off the other
+graduates.
+"Did you hear what I just said? Please enjoy what I will do next year. I
+remember your name was-"
+"Horik-Suzune."
+Horikita's voice was nervous.
+If it were the usual Horikita, she wouldn't have been shaken up like this.
+This was probably the result of hearing the conversation between him and her
+brother.
+Nagumo seemed to enjoy her reaction and looked back.
+The one in Nagumo's line of sight was, needless to say, former student
+council president Horikita.
+Ignoring the risks, he had continually challenged different opponents.
+And now, he was surrounded by his underclassmen, accepting their gift of
+a graduation bouquet.
+""Suzune, your brother is a truly amazing person. You should be proud of
+being his sister."
+After the word of praise, he once again directed his gaze onto Horikita
+Suzune.
+"Yes. I am proud of that."
+Faced once more with the eyes that had turned their attention back to her,
+Page 92 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Horikita forcibly replied.
+"If you have anything you want to ask me, Ill answer it. Because I'm ina
+good mood today.."
+"Then I won't hold back."
+Horikita then asked Nagumo a question.
+"Don't you regret it?"
+"Regret?"
+"Because I don't see any hints of regrets in your eyes."
+This should be referring to the handshake and the dialogue between those
+two people just now.
+Nagumo seemed genuinely happy for the elder Horikita graduating from
+Class A.
+However, their relationship couldn't be described as simply a relationship
+between two student council presidents.
+Nagumo persistently attacked Horikita, in the hopes of dragging him
+down from Class A.
+Horikita would obviously have a sense of hostility towards Nagumo who
+did those things to her brother.
+Because of this, she was confused by the honest praise given by Nagumo
+towards the elder Horikita.
+Nagumo's painstaking attacks have been securely defended against.
+"T don't think I can beat Horikita-senpai that easily. He's pretty much an
+Page 93 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+invincible opponent, right?"
+"Well... That's true."
+"So you fully admit you lost to Horikita-senpai."
+Miyabi gently cast his eyes towards the interjecting Asahina.
+"Lost? Why do you say I lost, Nazuma?
+"Hmm? Horikita-senpai graduated from Class A, so doesn't that mean
+you lost?"
+Asahina didn't need to answer the question with another question, but that
+was how she replied.
+As for what she said, Nagumo immediately pointed out the holes in them.
+"Indeed, if you only look at the outcome, I have not prevented senpai
+from graduating from Class A. But what does that have to do with losing?"
+"Won't that be considered as losing...? At least that's what I think, am I
+wrong?"
+Asahina looked towards Horikita, who was standing beside her, for
+confirmation.
+Horikita did not answer and instead listened to Nagumo's justification.
+"T certainly wanted to challenge him to a fight. However, it wasn't for the
+sake of finding out who would win and lose. Even if Horikita-senpai really
+did fall to Class B, my fundamental evaluation of him wouldn't have
+changed. That person's strengths cannot be determined by the position his
+class is in."
+Asahina still did not seem to understand what Nagumo was talking about.
+Page 94 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Still don't understand? Then I'll ask you this. Did this incident lower
+your evaluation of me? I'm still a student of Class A as well as the student
+council president. Is there anything about me which shows that I'm a
+failure?"
+"No, but..."
+"You can't distinguish who wins and who loses in a conflict of people in
+separate grades."
+It wasn't hard to understand what he wanted to say.
+But, even knowing that he couldn't directly confront him, Nagumo
+continued to challenge Horikita.
+"T just wanted his approval... his recognition. That's why I've been
+continuously attacking senpai.
+Judging from how Horikita Manabu looked at Nagumo, he definitely
+acknowledged his strength.
+No, I should say that he had recognised Nagumo's strength from the very
+beginning.
+He just couldn't accept the way Nagumo handled things.
+Maybe Nagumo wanted Horikita to acknowledge his method of solving
+problems.
+"That felt like a young girl proclaiming her love."
+"Maybe. I've already inquired about what Horikita-senpai will do in the
+future, and I will chase after him."
+There wasn't a hint of remorse or regret in Nagumo's expression.
+Page 95 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Was he purely enjoying the contest with Horikita to the very end?
+"Even after graduation? Really? Even the path you take in life has to be
+the same as Horikita-senpai?"
+"Yes. At least that's the current me's objective."
+"Ah~ You really do like Horikita-senpai."
+"T don't have any rivals in the second year, and of course, none in the first
+year as well. I only have one thing left to do in this school. That is, to directly
+transform the structure of the school, and make this boring school more
+interesting."
+Half of Nagumo Miyabi's time as student council president had already
+passed.
+However, to this day, nothing new had been implemented.
+After Horikita graduated and Nagumo became a third-year, he would
+finally start to take action.
+As for what would happen in the future, it was still impossible to predict.
+"Speaking of which, this year, I still haven't been able to evaluate you,
+Ayanokouji."
+Nagumo's attention finally turned to me.
+Coming from the look in his eyes, 1t seems that I was "boring" compared
+to the Horikita siblings
+"There's nothing about me worth investigating."
+Because of the fact that I had Horikita-senpai's attention, Nagumo felt that
+Page 96 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+there might be an underlying connection between us.
+However, because it might just be a coincidence, it still wasn't enough
+interest Nagumo.
+Seeing that he still had this sort of attitude towards me, there was no
+reason to provoke him.
+"But this coming April, even if you don't want to, you'! still have the
+answer. After this school becomes a true meritocracy, you're going to have to
+fight even if you don't want to."
+With the graduation of Horikita's brother, the school will be entirely
+under the control of Nagumo.
+It was hard to say how much of an influence the student council had over
+the school itself, but considering how confident Nagumo was, there'll
+definitely be a notable difference at the school next year.
+"So you're saying that the competition between students won't just be
+limited to class warfare?"
+Horikita raised a question, seemingly worried about what Nagumo said.
+"If you're able to implement it, then it wouldn't be too bad, but it
+wouldn't be possible anyway. The school won't allow it."
+Nagumo shrugged and sighed.
+"But I can change the school's system which can allow me to gain more
+power so I can easily change the school itself. Excellent students staying at
+the top classes is something that should be a given, right?"
+To this point, Horikita neither agreed or disagreed, instead listening to it
+quietly.
+Page 97 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Other than that, I've also proposed to the school to mix up the students
+from 1st year to 3rd year in certain exams. If the school allows it, fighting
+against you wouldn't be impossible."
+Of course, from Nagumo's point of view, I'm not considered to be anyone
+important.
+But even so, I feel like he is instinctively measuring my strength right
+now.
+"Ah, looks like it's time to leave, huh? Don't you want to say goodbye to
+some of the upperclassmen? They'Il be going soon."
+"Yes. We can chat whenever we want in the coming year."
+And so Nagumo and Asahina walked towards the 3rd years and away
+from Horikita.
+"Haa.... it's a pain to talk with that person."
+"He's the student council president, after all."
+Although there was only a difference of a year, it seemed like he was way
+out of reach.
+"I'm going back. I've done everything that I should' ve."
+In the end, she seemed to have given up on trying to speak with her
+brother.
+"Can you do that? He's leaving school tomorrow."
+"That... you didn't need to tell me that...."
+Faced with this dilemma, Horkita retreated.
+Page 98 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Forcibly stopping her wasn't an option, so I chose to just watch her while
+she left.
+"Are you going to go back?"
+"Ah, I still want to stay here for a while."
+"Oh...Then Ill see you later."
+Although Horikita was curious about what I was doing, she still turned her
+back on me and went back to the dorm.
+I decided to take a look at the situation with Horokita Manabu and the
+other 3rd years.
+I wasn't particularly interested.
+If I had to tell you, I just wanted to engrave this scene into my eyes.
+At the same time, I couldn't help but imagine what I would be like in 2
+years, but it was impossible to see that now.
+The atmosphere was pleasant for a short period of time, but then they
+started to leave one by one.
+After the elder Horikita said goodbye to everyone, he noticed me and
+came over.
+"Youre still here?"
+He should understand that I didn't fit well into that kind of atmosphere.
+"Were you waiting for me?"
+"Yes."
+Page 99 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I didn't talk to any other of the third years, that much would be obvious to
+even a bystander standing far away.
+"This may be the last time I'Il speak to you. When are you going to
+leave?"
+I decided to hurry and inquired about the most important thing first.
+Because if he was going to leave the school immediately after this, I had
+to tell Horikita.
+"Noon on the 31st. I'm taking the 12:30 Bus."
+So a week later. Although it wasn't today, there wasn't a lot of time left.
+"Looks like Suzune went back."
+"The culmination of your 3 years in the school. She engraved that into her
+memory and then left."
+We both glanced in the direction of the dormitory.
+Of course, Horikita was already long gone.
+"Really?"
+I couldn't read his emotions from the expression on his face.
+But if the two of them didn't do anything, this situation could end without
+having them meet even once.
+I didn't think she would be this afraid of this...
+"If possible, please pass on this message to Suzune. I will be waiting for
+her at noon on the 31st near the main entrance.
+Page 100 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Isn't it better for you to tell her yourself? Even if you go now, there's
+still time."
+It would be simpler if they both just had the intention of meeting up.
+Horikita might rush here immediately if he did.
+"Even so, she may not be very open to that. That's why I hope you're able
+to convey the message to her."
+"It may be counterproductive. If I tell her, she may not come."
+This was because of her stubborn attitude.
+"Tf that's the case, then it's Suzune's own choice."
+"Can you really leave it to me?"
+After I repeatedly warned him about this, Horikita answered without
+hesitation.
+"Yes, I'll leave it to you."
+Well, there's no reason to refuse. As long as I'm not the one taking
+responsibility for this.
+Besides, if Horikita was to hear about this, she would most likely agree to
+come to see him off.
+After all, their relationship was gradually getting better.
+"T wanted to talk to you more, but I have an appointment afterwards."
+It seems that many of his underclassmen had invited him for a gathering.
+Today, he just wanted to forget about the matter relating to his sister, and
+Page 101 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+spend time as an ordinary student.
+"Besides, you're not one to engage in long meaningless conversations,
+right?"
+"That's true."
+No matter how much his popularity declined, the previous student council
+president would be still present in social gatherings and situations.
+"If possible, on the 31st, I hope you come to see me off."
+"I'm not good at speaking in front of others."
+"Don't worry. I don't plan to call anyone else over other than you and
+Suzune.
+Since it wouldn't be a problem, I gently nodded and agreed.
+"Sorry.
+Leaving behind that one word, Horikita Manabu left.
+Once he left, I had nothing to do, because he was the only third year I
+talked to.
+I guess I'll go back then.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. If possible, can we head back together?"
+Suddenly, Hirata spoke to me.
+Just now, I saw that he was talking to a bunch of third years away from
+where I was.
+"You're done settling things already?"
+Page 102 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Yes, although the graduation ceremony was today, many of the
+upperclassmen will stay on campus for a few more days. I heard that some
+underclassmen are holding a farewell party for them."
+Since it was Hirata, he should've received several invitations to these
+occasions.
+The third-year students could stay until the 5th of April at most.
+Of course, students who planned to leave earlier were also allowed to
+leave.
+Because their time left was limited, they were preparing for their school
+life to end.
+And because I had no reason to refuse him, I returned to the dormitory
+along with Hirata.
+Page 103 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 7
+I was walking with Hirata, and after walking past the convenience store,
+Hirata glanced at me.
+Then, as if nothing happened, he faced forwards again.
+Hirata had repeated this action several times in the past few minutes.
+It was as if Hirata was waiting for an opportunity to start a conversation.
+Soon after, Hirata made up his mind and started to speak.
+"Actually-Ayanokouji-kun, I want to talk to you."
+Hirata hesitantly said.
+For a moment, I thought he was going to speak about the end of year
+exam, but he did not give me that sort of feeling.
+"Is there anything you wanted to discuss?"
+"Yeah... Well, I really want to talk about this with you."
+After thinking a little, Hirata admitted that.
+"Well, ''m not sure if I'll be of any help, but Pll do my best."
+Having Hirata depend on me for a change didn't feel too bad.
+It's just that I couldn't predict what the topic of the discussion would be.
+Although he was depressed when Yamauchi dropped out, that matter had
+already been resolved.
+Page 104 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Even if there were certain feelings he wasn't able to let go of, 1t wasn't
+worth consulting me.
+That matter should have been resolved to the extent that the rest of the
+problems would fix itself.
+"You might find this unexpected of me..."
+Starting with this sentence, Hirata continued.
+"T, just, it feels like I can't be bothered with relationships and love
+anymore...I'm not sure about myself."
+That was an unexpected start.
+I didn't think that Hirata would come to me to talk about love.
+"You're not sure?"
+Let's clear some stuff up first.
+I pressed him to continue.
+"T think I might have never have liked a girl in my life..."
+Hirata confessed, embarrassed.
+"So you're saying that you've never dated a girl before?"
+"Other than the agreement with Karuizawa, never."
+Maybe this isn't so unexpected, but it's still surprising.
+Hirata treated boys and girls equally, so I would have thought he
+experienced love at least once or twice in his life.
+Page 105 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although you couldn't really count the relationship between Hirata and
+Kei.
+Pretending to be lovers, all to protect Kei from being bullied.
+But if he said he never liked a girl before...
+"So you're saying that you've never liked a girl before? Even now?"
+"Yeah..."
+Although one of his merits was the ability to treat everyone fairly,
+including the girls, this was still a bit unbelievable.
+"Then what about the situation with Mii-chan?"'
+Mii-chan really hoped for progress with her relationship with Hirata,
+showing that she clearly had feelings for him.
+"T can't see myself in a relationship with her, but I can't tell her that."
+Miui-chan said that she wanted to start with being friends.
+After that, of course, she looked forward to the chance for them to
+develop into lovers.
+But since Hirata didn't have that desire, 1t would be difficult for her to
+make any progress.
+And there's no reason to avoid her, so dragging on like this wouldn't do
+her any good.
+So that's the situation.
+This was the source of Hirata's uncertainty that he wanted to discuss with
+Page 106 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T think it's best to just say this directly to her. But I can see how that
+would be difficult."
+To make her realise without hurting her was a difficult thing to
+accomplish.
+"So we have contrasting views again. I kind of expected this."
+"Yeah.
+It was because of Hirata's kindness that he was always involved with
+situations like this.
+"But, that's just the situation now, and who knows what will change in the
+future?"
+The feeling of love wasn't something you can control.
+It could quietly sprout at any time.
+...At least that's what I think.
+"Sure, I don't know if that's a possibility. But..."
+However, Hirata didn't want his relationship with Mii-chan to progress
+any further.
+In terms of Mii-chan's appearance as well as personality, there was
+nothing that Hirata could be dissatisfied about.
+But of course, love wasn't just determined by those factors.
+"T can assert to you that... won't have those kinds of feelings, even in the
+future."
+Page 107 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although he wasn't entirely sure, Hirata still insisted on his answer.
+If that's the case, then I have only one thing left to say.
+"It's better to tell her, because Mii-chan still has hope that her relationship
+with you can progress."
+I looked into Hirata's eyes while I said this.
+If the answer to that question was kept to himself, Mii-chan would keep
+waiting and waiting.
+So, it would be better to clear things up as early as possible.
+If Mii-chan continued to like Hirata even after that, then that would be her
+own choice.
+But Hirata avoided my gaze.
+"Even...if, 1t would hurt her?"
+"Having the answer but instead choosing to delay it would only cause
+more damage, right?"
+I once again looked into Hirata's eyes and said.
+After our eyes met, he quickly diverted his gaze elsewhere.
+"Yes, yes, right, that's right..."
+He nodded two or three times as if he was admonishing himself.
+And then he came to a conclusion.
+"Thanks for talking about this with me, Ayanokouji-kun. I have the
+Page 108 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+courage now to admit that in this situation, keeping this to myself to avoid
+hurting her is the same as running away. "
+He seemed to have successfully found the answer.
+"So are you able to explain your feelings to her clearly?"
+"Although I don't know if this is the best way to go about doing this, I do
+understand that the other way would really hurt her. "
+Hirata considered both approaches.
+He was silent, with his thoughts being conveyed on his face.
+Hirata understood that the second option would be better for Mii-chan,
+and so he was no longer conflicted.
+If he were the old Hirata, he would be constantly worried about the
+situation, and would waste a lot of time in finding the answer.
+He would be obsessed with the notion of "not hurting others", and would
+be lost inside the maze of his feelings and emotions.
+After his worries had been resolved, Hirata still seemed like he had
+something to say.
+"What is it?"
+I asked.
+"Oh, err... from now on...Can I call you Kiyotaka-kun?"
+"Eh?"
+I was wondering what he would say, but this turned out to be very
+unexpected
+Page 109 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Well, if it's okay with you, you can call me by my first name as well... is
+that fine?
+Page 110 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Is this a step forward for our friendship?
+My friendship with Hirata had progressed even further now, just like with
+Keisei, Akito, Haruki, and Airi.
+"Why not, if you think it's okay."
+Seeing how I agreed so willingly, Hirata smiled from the bottom of his
+heart.
+"Really? Can I really?"
+"You mean calling me by my first name? Don't you have experience with
+that sort of thing, Hira- Yosuke?
+Although from my memory, Hirata generally used surnames to address
+both males and females, calling people by their first name wasn't an unusual
+thing to do.
+"Well, before that happened, it wasn't rare for me to call people with their
+first name."
+He was talking about that incident, during Hirata's middle school days
+when his friend was bullied, which led to his attempted suicide.
+"Since then... I've always been afraid to get closer to people. I'Il treat
+everyone equally, but I wouldn't get too close."
+It had been 2 years since then, and it seemed like Hirata had only used
+surnames to address others.
+Speaking of this, Hirata treated everyone in the class the same way.
+This held true even when the whole class unanimously chose to drove out
+Page 112 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Yamauchi from the class.
+But it seems that yet again, he was able to break out of that shell.
+Hirata's development was also quite significant, even compared to the
+other students who have also grown throughout the year.
+"That's why I thank you... Kiyotaka-kun."
+His gaze that was avoiding me from the start came back. That look
+conveyed all he was feeling at that moment.
+"I'm flattered, really."
+Although I got some sort of sappy feeling from all this, I still accepted it
+open-heartedly.
+Page 113 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Chapter 2 - Date Hivori
+Intro
+After the graduation ceremony and the closing ceremony went off without
+a hitch, the spring break finally started.
+The students forgot about the competition between them and enjoyed a
+short break.
+Although the students weren't allowed to leave the campus, it wasn't
+particularly inconvenient for them.
+The main reason for that was the existence of the Keyaki shopping mall.
+For both the students and the staff, the mall was an essential facility.
+I won't go into detail, but there are coffee shops, a home appliances store,
+and even a karaoke place. All the necessities are available.
+If there were other things that you might want, all you had to do was to
+order it online after gaining permission.
+You could live a life of indulgence, as long as your private points allowed
+it.
+Fortunately, there wouldn't be any starving students in the first year due
+to a lack of points.
+Even the students of Class D would receive tens of thousands of yen in
+Page 114 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+pocket money at the start of April.
+There's a clear difference between that and the amount of money that
+normal highschoolers get throughout the country.
+However, there are still students who encounter trouble.
+However, there were still students that had encountered some difficulties.
+Speaking of which, I'm one of them.
+In my contract with my classmate Kushida, I had to hand over half my
+private points to her every month.
+Although that contract had a purpose at the start, the situation was
+changing now.
+The contract with Kushida, no, my relationship with her from now on,
+will all be decided during this break.
+Should I proceed as previously planned, or go with another option?
+I say that, but I'm not the one who has the power to make that choice.
+Well, spring break had just begun.
+There's no need to panic.
+I put on my casual clothes and get ready to head out.
+I planned to spend most of my break in my room relaxing, but today I was
+meeting up with a certain person.
+I didn't expect it to be this quick, as I thought setting it up would take
+some time.
+Page 115 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But after getting in touch with that person, I contacted another person.
+"Ts this the final confirmation?"
+Because it's the first day of spring break, I'll need to adjust some things,
+but that's fine.
+The person I contacted would turn out to be very important.
+But this importance wouldn't be for today, but instead for the end of the
+spring break.
+Page 116 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 1
+In late March, the temperature began to warm.
+As we neared the season for the blossoming sakura, news of it seemed to
+be everywhere.
+Although I went there early, when I arrived, the person I was meeting
+today was already there.
+"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun."
+I met with Hiyori, who was smelling fresh and was wearing casual clothes
+at Keyaki mall.
+"Good morning."
+"T was the one who called you out here, so I couldn't keep you waiting."
+After I said that, Hiyori smiled slightly.
+"Sorry I agreed on such short notice for it to be today."
+"I've got nothing to do over the break, so there's no need to apologise.
+Let's go-"
+"They finally added new books to the library yesterday."
+Hiyori showed me what she was carrying, letting out another small smile.
+It seemed like this was an even happier smile than before
+Class C's Hiyori Shiina. She was a girl who loved books more than
+anyone else.
+Page 117 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T wanted to share some information with Ayanokouji-kun as soon as
+possible."
+The books of the author both me and Hiyori liked were hard to get ahold
+of at the convenience store and the bookstore in the mall.
+And since digital versions weren't available, we could only borrow them
+from the library.
+Page 118 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although you could borrow it from the library, it would have been seen
+by many before.
+So I cherish the opportunity to be able to talk about a book like this with
+someone else.
+"There are more people than expected."
+The tables of the cafe were filled with students.
+This was expected, being spring break. Whether the cafe was full or not
+depended on the time of the day.
+Fortunately, there still seemed to be some seats left, and we walked over
+there together.
+"We haven't met up like this during a holiday before, so it's kind of
+refreshing."
+This was true that we never met up on non-school days, so this was a rare
+occurrence, seeing Hiyori outside her school uniform.
+"That's true."
+We talked to each other, and a fresh mood overcame us.
+"Let's not waste any time... I brought some books, do you want to have a
+read?"
+She happily took the book out while saying that.
+Suddenly, her hand stopped moving, and she raised her head as if she just
+remembered something.
+Page 120 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Oh, that's right, before we start talking about the book, can we discuss
+something else?"
+Just when she was about to continue, a loud voice came from behind.
+"How annoying. As expected, it's crowded. Are there no seats left?"
+A familiar voice emerged nearby, complaining about the situation of the
+crowded cafe.
+"Are these seats fine?"
+"Yep, that's fine."
+After a bit, those two students took the seats beside me.
+I turned my attention to the voices of the two students, and it turned out to
+be my classmates, Ike and Shinohara.
+They were busy talking about something, so they didn't notice me and
+continued on with their conversation.
+Not long ago, I noticed they started getting closer, and it seemed like this
+was continuing.
+"That's... Ike and Shinohara, right?"
+Hiyori asked me this at a volume which would not be noticed by them.
+The distance between us made it impossible for them to hear us whisper.
+"You seem to know them."
+"A year has already passed, so I know a lot of people from the other
+classes."
+Hiyori's eyes were sparkling, and she looked proud of that fact.
+Page 121 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+We stood silent, and listened in to the conversation between Ike and
+Shinohara.
+"So our monthly private point income has decreased to about 30,000
+points."
+"There's no helping it. With Class A as our opponent, we had no chance
+of winning. "
+"Maybe so. But we'll be back to Class D next month, right? That
+sucks..."
+As if finally remembering that we had lost during the end of year exam,
+Ike scratched his head.
+"But do you know the reason for our loss?"
+"What, whose fault was it?"
+Was he going to say that it was my fault as the commanding tower? I
+thought he was going to say that for a moment, but...
+"Tt's me, it was my fault."
+Ike made a startling statement which left Shinohara stunned.
+"No, I'm serious, I think that I was one of the reasons that we lost. To be
+honest, we could have won if our class was more unified. Class A is
+powerful, but we got some pretty good results against them.
+"Hmm, that's how you see this, huh? You saying this is really surprising
+to me, Ike."
+"Don't use my first name, Shinohara."
+Page 122 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"You use my first name, so this way it evens out."
+Although they occasionally spoke about mundane topics, they returned
+back to reviewing what happened this past year in the end.
+"Next year, I want to try harder. In both academics and sports."
+"Seriously? I don't think you can do this."
+"T won't be able to do it perfectly, but I really do want to."
+It seemed like he really had put some thought into that statement.
+"T just wanted to ask, why?"
+"Because of Ken and Haruki."
+Until recently, a trio of friends known as the "three idiots" were in our
+class.
+I remember when I first came to this school, I was close with that little
+group, but left soonly afterwards.
+A more suitable description of events would be that I was kicked out by
+them.
+"Ken's obviously not suited for it, but hasn't he been studying a ton
+recently? He's been listening in class, and I thought he was just pretending
+but has he actually turned into someone who has half a brain?"
+"His grades have improved as well."
+"Yeah. His grades have been getting better and better,
+and he's already great at sports. I already know that I can't win against
+him in any category."
+Page 123 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Weren't your grades better than his at the start?"
+If you compare Ike with the current Sudo, in both academics and athletics,
+Sudo would have the upper hand.
+"That guy... he's probably going to get even stronger next year."
+On one hand, he was happy because of the growth of someone close to
+him, but on the other, he was scared of the possibility of being left behind.
+And the biggest reason for this fear was....
+"If I go on like this, the next candidate to be expelled will be me."
+"Tke..."
+The lower your grade was, the more likely you would be the next to drop
+out.
+After seeing Yamauchi, who had his own fair share of problematic
+behaviour, drop out, he began to realise that he might be next.
+"Don't laugh, it's not like me to say these kinds of things."
+"Although I'm not compatible with you...I1'm the same."
+Shinohara wasn't someone with excellent grades, nor was she a person
+with great merit.
+Although their gender separated them, they both had a similar status.
+"T don't laugh at guys who want to work hard."
+Shinohara nodded her head resolutely towards Ike while saying this.
+"T'll work harder next year. I won't lose to you!"
+Page 124 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"I'm not even afraid of losing to you."
+You could say that Ike and Shinohara's relationship has made some
+progress here.
+In the future, they might even inspire other students to work harder.
+If someone walked ahead, the others would follow. Making use of this
+mutual relationship was important.
+"Look, Shinohara."
+"Hm?"
+Ike, who was sitting next to me, suddenly turned serious.
+"This- look, I have something to tell you, so will you listen to me?"
+"What's this, why are you being so serious?"
+"Err, how do I say this... Our relationship right now is kind of like friends
+who constantly argue with each other, but....umm..."
+Hiyori and I looked at each other.
+It was precisely because this wasn't our business that we had a better
+understanding of what those words meant than she did.
+Maybe a new couple will be born here.
+That would be the most obvious development based on what was
+happening right now.
+"Will you-"
+Page 125 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Ah!"
+Shinohara loudly interrupted just when Ike was about to say it.
+Although this was an open area, the campus was a small place. No matter
+where it was, there were still going to be people that were watching.
+Shinohara, who was looking at Ike's direction, finally noticed we were
+here.
+Ike turned his head towards the source of Shinohara's shock.
+And he jumped up in surprise as soon as his eyes met mine.
+"Ahh, Ayanokouji!"
+Because he was about to confess, his reaction to seeing me was pretty
+exaggerated.
+"You, you... you've been here the whole time?"
+"What?... Why can't I be here? Is there a problem?"
+"Even, even if there's nothing wrong with you being here, you should
+have still said hi to me! You didn't even say anything, you're too sneaky!"
+No, in this situation, greeting him would have made things worse.
+He also said I was sneaky... but we were here first.
+"Were you listening to our conversation?"
+"What were you two talking about just now?"
+I reversed the direction of the questioning and asked Ike a question of my
+own, who hurriedly looked away.
+Page 126 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+""No-nothing."
+Shinohara, who was listening to us, changed the subject.
+"... Hmm, are you and Hiyori-san on a date?"
+It seemed like I wasn't the only one who could ask those sorts of
+questions.
+Of course, after seeing the two of us here alone drinking coffee, such a
+question isn't a surprise.
+"Tt isn't like that. What about you?"
+"No, no, I don't have that sort of relationship with Ike."
+Shinohara quickly rejected that notion.
+Ike quickly intervened, perhaps not liking what she said.
+"Yes, yes, Ayanokouji, don't misunderstand, okay? Who would want to
+date someone as ugly as her!"
+"Huhh?? Who's the ugly one here?!"
+"It's you, obviously!"
+No, no, no, why are they arguing now?
+The two of them stood up, ruining the pleasant atmosphere the cafe had
+before, and glared at each other.
+"Argh...! You're pissing me off."
+"That's my line. I'm the one who took the time to hang out with you
+Page 127 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+***
+today
+"Huh? Huh? Huh? I had no other choice, so I asked you."
+"What! That's disappointing....!
+I thought the two of them would sit down eventually, but somehow I had
+lost sight of them after they went somewhere else, arguing all the way.
+I thought the two of them would sit down eventually, but somehow I lost
+track of where they went as they continued arguing.
+This was so close to being the birth of a new couple, but there was a plot
+twist.
+"We don't need to worry...right?"
+Hiyori was also slightly affected by how suddenly the situation had
+changed from just now and said that quietly.
+"T don't know..."
+They could only blame themselves for sitting next to a classmate.
+I'll hope that they reconcile as soon as possible, and maybe after that their
+relationship will go further.
+"What were you saying just now?"
+"Oh that, yes, yes. Although that was an...adventure, it's similar to what
+they were saying just now."
+Similar? I was taken aback when she said that.
+Was it related to how Ike was going to confess? Such thoughts flashed
+through my mind, but they were immediately rejected.
+Page 128 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T have something to ask you regarding the end of year examination."
+Ike and Shinohara did indeed talk about the end of year exam.
+"What do you want to ask me?"
+"T apologise if I'm wrong, but I'll ask this bluntly. Are you the one who
+changed Ryuuen?
+Hiyori stared at me with her innocent and curious eyes.
+Thinking back to when we first met, she always had a keen insight.
+"If you're serious when you ask this, then I'll have to ask something from
+you first. What do you mean by that?"
+Pretending to have nothing to do with this was the best route I could have
+taken.
+But her eyes had such conviction in them, so I didn't take that route.
+"Yes. But, since it's you I'm asking, I don't think I need to elaborate on
+it."
+Changed Ryuuen.
+Generally speaking, most people after hearing that would just shake their
+heads.
+The people who didn't have that kind of reaction either had some sort of
+understanding of what happened, or was the one who caused the change.
+"Why do you think that?"
+I asked Hiyori what her reasoning was instead of denying it.
+Page 129 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I needed a clear answer for why she believed that was the case.
+"T just put the pieces of the puzzle together. Ryuuen-kun had always
+targeted your class. But he suddenly stepped down from his position during
+his targeting of Class D. Apparently, this was due to Ishizaki-kun's taking
+him down, but no matter how I think about it, it still seems like a cover-up.
+After I tried contacting Ryuuen-kun's close associates, Ishizaki-kun and
+Ibuki-san, about Ryuuen-kun himself, I became sure of it."
+Hiyori seemed to have conducted an investigation behind my back.
+And during that, she became suspicious of Ryuuen's actions.
+"If this upsets you, I apologise. I've been nervous this whole day because
+I had to reveal what I knew to you. Because I'm afraid that getting too
+involved with this would anger you. No matter what the truth is, one glance
+at you tells me that you don't want to talk about it."
+"So you reveal this to me after gaining an understanding of the situation."
+This was entirely different from the everyday gossip you hear. It's a
+decision made after careful consideration.
+"If we can't be friends after this... Pll definitely regret it. If I can't talk to
+you like this anymore, I will definitely regret what I did."
+If that was the case, she should have kept this to herself.
+But, even so, she still said what she said.
+"T think that if you don't look into this any deeper, there won't be any...
+further developments."
+"What kind of developments?"
+Page 130 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After hearing that, Hiyori replied, with a hint of surprise in her words.
+"Yeah... I don't really know what I'm saying myself."
+Hearing that, Hiyori had a puzzled expression.
+"Can I ask... if you've heard about the battle between Class B and our
+class?"
+"T just know the results."
+I didn't know the details of what happened.
+Hiyori changed the topic and started talking about how they got the win.
+"Tf you look at it as an outsider, the way we won would have been
+considered a bit problematic."
+"That's true, Ryuuen's style of fighting raises many questions. But it was
+a necessary evil for your class to get promoted. Do you think it's a crafty
+approach?"
+"T can't deny this, at the very least."
+Even if it couldn't be praised, and even if it was criticised behind their
+back, it still brought victory to their class. People like that were needed in
+society. If you were going to fight in a way that was going to be looked down
+upon by everyone else, you had to have an indomitable mental strength.
+"Tt's just that this approach is equivalent to crossing a very dangerous
+bridge. Class B would have their suspicions. However, I don't think they can
+find any concrete evidence since they should have taken measures dealing
+with the surveillance footage already and still haven't taken any action."
+This school was equipped with many surveillance cameras.
+Page 131 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It wasn't only the school building, Keyaki mall and its surroundings were
+also under surveillance.
+But that didn't apply to everywhere. Toilets, dormitory rooms and the
+karaoke rooms don't have surveillance cameras, of course.
+If Class B had doubts about what happened in the previous exam, they
+would already be investigating it. However, they would probably not find
+anything of use and would be hard for them to investigate further.
+"Those were 5 beautiful wins, so can't you consider it a perfect strategy?"
+"Beautiful? I don't think so. Actually, I think it's better to call that
+strategy extremely flawed."
+"What do you mean? That it was possible to get 6 or more wins?"
+"5 wins is already really good. Actually, I think we were too greedy.
+Because Ryuen-kun had to adopt a very dangerous strategy to get those
+wins."
+Hiyori reviewed and analysed her class in the last exam.
+Then she also told me how they won.
+"Although it's fine to place continuous pressure on Class B students,
+targeting their bodies to weaken them is a clear violation. Although this
+method was used because Class B had so many kindhearted students, even
+they would not tolerate this."
+After hearing that, I felt the same as Hiyori did.
+I knew that this girl lived a completely different life from me.
+Our existence should have nothing in common.
+Page 132 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+However, there were some similarities in our thoughts and our ideas.
+Because of this, doubts started to creep up.
+"So before Ryuuen employed his strategy, you already had knowledge of
+it, and you didn't try to stop him?"
+"Do you think he'II listen to what I say?"
+Compared to Ishizaki or Ibuki, Hiyori's suggestion may hold more value
+to Ryuuen, but it would probably not be listened to anyway.
+He would not listen to the suggestions of others, instead only sneering at
+them and ignoring it.
+"True. So, how do you think Ryuuen can be stopped?"
+I wanted to know how she thinks and acts.
+Perhaps Hiyori already understood that just by sensing it. That
+understanding was why she decided to act today.
+"By someone similar in power to him... No, by the criticisms from
+someone even more powerful than him."
+Ryuuen will not take advice from anyone. However, if this advice was
+coming from someone Ryuen acknowledged and approved of, then it was
+another matter. So that's why she was telling all this to me.
+"Hiyori, can you help me pass on a message?"
+I decided to not answer her directly.
+Because I reckon I didn't need to. This was enough.
+If it was another student, then this was a different story. But Hiyori wasn't
+Page 133 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+the kind of person to use this situation to make things difficult for me.
+Because she understood that there was a reason why Ryuuen, who
+identified me as the leader of Class D, didn't expose me publicly.
+"What is it?"
+Hiyori, with her unchanging attitude, gently looked at me.
+"Tell Ryuuen that if it were me, I would have been able to secure more
+than 5 wins, using a better method. Please pass that on to him."
+"Okay, I understand. I've memorised your message, and I'll pass it on for
+99
+you.
+As if she was expressing gratefulness, she held her hands together, closed
+both her eyes and smiled.
+pl0s
+It seems like in addition to Ishizaki and Ibuki, Ryuuen also had other good
+allies.
+If Hiyori were able to easily control those 3 people from going out of
+control, then she would become an even more dangerous opponent.
+And just like this, Htyori ended the conversation about the end of year
+exam.
+"So 99
+Normally, we would already have left, but the most important thing would
+come after this.
+"If you'd like, please take the book and read it."
+She opened her bag again and took the book out.
+Page 134 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+We originally met up to talk about that book.
+"Can I? The book's borrowed under your name though?"
+"T've already gotten permission from a teacher. Although it's not ideal,
+it's fine as long as I returned it on time."
+Because Hiyori was a top student who always went to the library, it
+wasn't surprising that she got special treatment.
+And after we've discussed everything there was to discuss about the book,
+drank our tea and said our goodbyes...
+"Tt seems that I should change my evaluation of her."
+Until today, I've only regarded her as a student from the same year.
+Maybe if I went further, she was a friend with mutual interests.
+Soon after Hiyori left, I saw Kei, who was also at Keyaki mall.
+"...What do you want?"
+Kei, who appeared in front of me, looked quite unhappy as she spoke.
+"How about sitting down first?"
+I urged her to sit on the seat which Hiyori had sat on, but Kei refused after
+just glancing at it, looking at it as if it were trash.
+"Rumours about us would circulate if anyone saw us sitting together and
+drinking tea."
+She said this while looking into the distance.
+Even if a third party was looking at this scene, 1t wouldn't look like we
+Page 135 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+were talking.
+"Ts there a problem with those rumours?"
+"That's a huge problem! If you just casually interact with the opposite
+sex, rumours will start immediately, shouldn't you know this already? You
+don't understand this situation at all."
+Put simply, this was precisely what I'm doing now, casually interacting
+with the opposite sex.
+"So, what do you want?"
+"Sorry, I forgot. Pll contact you when I remember."
+I had already done what I needed to do with Kei.
+"What the hell? This is such a mess. I'm going back..."
+After sighing in disbelief, Kei turned away.
+I watched her walk away without attempting to stop her.
+It's not hard to see why she was in a bad mood.
+Because I deliberately upset her.
+Page 136 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Chapter 3 - Lost Lamb
+Intro
+As the spring break passed by, the 30 days of April would inevitably
+arrive.
+I didn't do anything in particular during these past days, as I mostly just
+spent my time in my room, enjoying the holiday.
+I wanted to welcome the new school year carefreely, just like this...
+I woke up just before 8 and noticed I had received a text message on my
+phone.
+It was from one of Class B's students, Ichinose Honami.
+It was an invitation to meet sometime during the spring break.
+It seemed like the rest of the break wouldn't be as uneventful as it had
+been up to now.
+The date was still in consideration, and she also wanted Horikita to come
+along.
+From that, I could guess that Horikita was the main event, and I was just
+in the undercard.
+I could roughly predict what the contents of the conversation were going
+Page 137 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+to be.
+It should be about the final examination of our Ist year, the event
+selection exam. Although Ichinose would have collected some information
+about it already, she would want to know the details of our own 3 wins and 4
+losses against Class A.
+The topic of becoming 2nd-year students will also come up.
+It would relate to the cooperative relationship between Ichinose's class
+and mine. Would it continue? Or would it end? She should want to confirm
+and decide what would happen to it.
+The conversation was probably going to be a mixture of those two topics,
+rather than only one of them.
+Especially about the latter topic, discussion on that should take priority
+during this spring break.
+"Has Ichinose recovered from what happened yet?"
+I thought about the girl who I haven't seen at all during the spring break.
+It seemed like the results of the end of year exam were still weighing on
+Ichinose's heart.
+They got 2 wins and suffered 5 losses, a miserable defeat.
+Although we fell back into Class D, the differences in the scores were
+shrinking.
+A change in the class ranks due to a new special exam was now very
+likely to happen. Class B and the classes below it were now evenly matched,
+so sooner or later, we had to discuss what our classes would do in the future.
+The cooperative relationship established in the first year between our two
+Page 138 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+classes wasn't bad for either of the classes.
+If we were to continue this cooperative relationship, it would reduce our
+mental burden by a bit.
+But in the future, the fact that this relationship would eventually become
+detrimental to both classes had finally crossed the mind of both parties.
+And when the situation escalated, we would have to dissolve the
+relationship forcefully.
+Which would make us seem dishonourable if it came to that.
+Basically, the situation was that the lower ranking class didn't need to do
+anything, as it was the higher ranking class that needed to decide what their
+plans were for the future.
+If Horikita knew about Ichinose's invitation for a talk, she would be able
+to figure out as much as J had.
+This wasn't going to be a simple conversation. Instead, it would be an
+important point of divergence which would consider what the future held for
+the two classes.
+Even if Ichinose wasn't planning to talk about that, Horikita would
+probably bring that topic up herself.
+Essentially, this conversation was going to happen, no matter what.
+Then there's the issue of time. I was available all day today, but what
+about Horikita?
+Horikita's brother said that he would leave on the 3 Ist.
+And deep down, Horikita should still be eager to want to talk to her
+brother.
+Page 139 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If they wanted to do something together today as siblings, it wouldn't be
+surprising.
+As for whether her brother would be willing to do it, and if Horikita had
+the courage to go meet him, that was a separate matter.
+I'll send a message to Horikita first.
+I also added another line, [Are you ready to talk to your brother? |
+I simply wrote up what Ichinose wanted to do and sent it to her, so itll be
+read after a few seconds.
+She didn't take long to reply.
+[I'm available at any time. ]
+That was her answer. No, you're not available at any time.
+As I said that within my heart, I wanted to know what her response would
+be if the time was set to be tomorrow. But deliberately poking at things she
+cared about would prove troublesome for me.
+Her reply had ignored everything to do with her brother leaving.
+[So how about April 2nd?]
+Pay attention to that day, and leave your thoughts of today and tomorrow
+behind.
+[I'm free today. |
+Her immediate reply had a sort of commanding manner to it, meaning that
+I shouldn't be sticking my nose in this.
+Page 140 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although admitting that she wanted to spend time with her brother was
+hard for her, all she needed to say was that she was busy.
+Even if I said I had plans myself, it would be tough to convince her.
+[ Yes. I want to deal with the troublesome things first. ]
+It would be troublesome to go against her now, so I decided to go along
+with it.
+After the meeting ended, she still would have enough time to meet with
+her brother if she wanted.
+[... That would be difficult]
+It seemed like those two would not meet any time before the scheduled
+meeting they had tomorrow.
+I replied to Horikita, agreeing to meet with Ichinose today.
+After confirming it with Ichinose, it was decided that our meeting would
+occur at 10 in the morning, at the cafe on the 2nd floor of Keyaki Mall.
+Page 141 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 1
+As we approached April, the temperature gradually rose.
+It was just after 9:30 in the morning. Although it was sunny today, the
+weather forecast said that it was expected to rain at noon. We decided to meet
+up earlier, so then we could avoid the rain.
+There was still plenty of time left before the meeting, so I decided to go
+and walk around the mall first. I pressed the button to the elevator.
+Since it was the holidays, I would see many students of the school on the
+way to the mall.
+Of course, this included the students of the same grade as me as well as
+some of the 2nd year students.
+Even though I didn't know that many people, as long as I walked around
+for a bit, I would encounter some familiar faces.
+It's just that the presence of the graduating 3rd years were decreasing day
+by day, and now, there were virtually none to be seen around.
+And when the first of April rolled around, only the first and second years
+would remain. I'm guessing the next few days would seem pretty desolate
+after the third year's left.
+As I was thinking about that, I bumped into a familiar girl from the same
+grade on the elevator.
+"... You again..."
+The first-year student who was keeping her distance and speaking to me
+with a displeased tone was Ibuki from Class D.
+Page 142 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I felt that the way she spent her holiday was pretty similar to how I did.
+She was probably also thinking the same thing.
+It was an elevator, so we were in an enclosed space together.
+"T don't see this as particularly strange, bumping into you, especially
+during the holiday."
+"You say that... but I don't want to have anything to do with you
+anymore."
+"T know."
+She seemed to hate coming into my room last time.
+If Ishizaki didn't force her to come, she wouldn't have.
+Even though she hated me, Ibuki went with Ishizaki for Ryuuen's sake.
+This showed that she thought Ryuuen was an integral part of her class.
+I entered the elevator that Ibuki was already in, as there wasn't much
+choice.
+"It's not going to break down again...?"
+"Now that you say it, that really has happened before."
+This reminded me of summer vacation again, during which, Ibuki and I
+got stuck in an elevator together.
+Although we were both alert in case something similar happened, such
+improbable accidents don't happen twice.
+Page 143 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After arriving at the lobby on the first floor, Ibuki immediately stepped
+out of the elevator.
+It seems like Ibuki was also heading in the direction of Keyaki mall.
+"Are you fine with this? You're walking at the same pace as me."
+She could have walked faster or run to quickly leave my presence.
+"Why does it have to be me? Why don't you walk faster then?"
+Although she couldn't stand me, it seemed like she did not want to be the
+one taking the initiative to leave.
+This seems like exactly the kind of thing Ibuki would do, not being able to
+accept defeat.
+Having said that, it would seem weird for me to walk faster just to get
+away from her.
+As far as I'm concerned, walking next to her wouldn't be a problem,
+although it would waste some of my energy.
+And as a result, neither of us backed down, and we walked side by side.
+My destination should only be 5 minutes away from the dormitory. We
+would be separated soon enough.
+"It's great that Ryuuen was able to come back."
+"You're annoying. Shut up. Don't speak to me."
+I couldn't even get a sentence in. I better not say anything unnecessary.
+I wasn't afraid of the silence, so I decided to match her and shut my
+mouth.
+Page 144 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+And so we walked together within this fiery, tense atmosphere.
+***
+"Yo, Ibuki, wait for me-
+After walking with this tense atmosphere for a good while, a loud voice
+came from behind us.
+The voice was from Class 1D's Ishizaki.
+As one of Ryuuen's close associates, he often acted together with Ibuk1.
+Maybe it was because of the fact we've accidentally come into contact
+multiple times, that we've been able to talk to each other normally recently.
+Ibuki didn't look back, and her expression didn't change, and she just
+continued walking forward. It couldn't be because she hadn't heard.
+"Hey, wait! Hey!"
+"Shut up, you're noisy."
+"But that's because you didn't respond-oh? Ayanokouji's with you, huh?
+What are you two doing? Could it be... a date?"
+Ishizaki ran over to where we were and said this, so Ibuki kicked him in
+the knee immediately after he said it.
+"Ow! What are you doing!"
+"You know why you got kicked. I'm not going to say anything else, so get
+away from me."
+"What, there's no point in doing that. We're going to see each other later
+anyway."
+Page 145 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It seemed like Ibuki was meeting Ishizaki at Keyaki Mall.
+"Is Ryuuen coming?"
+"Yea-No...umm..."
+I casually asked that, and Ishizaki accidentally answered.
+"Stupid-idiot."
+It seemed like these two were going to meet up at Keyaki Mall for some
+reason.
+From the reaction Ishizaki made when I asked about Ryuuen, it wasn't
+hard to guess what that reason was.
+It also seemed like the meeting was supposed to be a secret.
+"Forget it, it won't matter anyway, right? It's useless to try to hide it from
+Ayanokouji in the first place."
+Although Ishizaki quickly bounced back from his mistake, Ibuki was still
+serious about it.
+"It won't matter now, but we're still going to have to take this bastard out
+to climb up the ranks."
+"Tf you put it like that..."
+Why are they talking about this when I'm right next to them?
+Although I was doubtful about whether Ryuuen would indeed return, after
+seeing this, it seemed like it was true.
+It was a secret meeting because Ryuuen had not actually officially come
+back yet.
+Page 146 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+For Ryuuen, who had already stepped down once as the leader, his
+classmates would not be able to accept his return so quickly.
+Ishizaki also faced a dilemma, as he was the one who took the credit for
+bringing Ryuuen down.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji."
+4 'Hm?' 9:
+As I was sorting these bits of information in my head, Ishizaki spoke to
+me.
+"Tn order to rise to Class A, I've devised the ultimate strategy. Want to
+help?"
+I didn't know how I should answer, as what he said was too surprising.
+"Let's hear this first. Your ultimate strategy."
+""Heh!" Ishizaki patted his chest and said this proudly. "You, come to our
+class. That way, we can definitely reach Class A."
+"Huh? What the hell are you saying so suddenly?"
+"If Ryuuen and Ayanokouji work together, theyll be unstoppable. Not
+even Sakayanagi and Ichinose will stand a chance."
+So this was the ultimate strategy that Ishizaki came up with.
+Ibuki rejected the notion of this strategy ever working. "Impossible,
+impossible, absolutely impossible."
+Joining forces with Ryuuen....
+Page 147 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T don't think it's a bad strategy."
+"Are... you serious?"
+Ibuki shot a disgusted glance towards the two of us.
+"Yeah, yeah, if you're willing to partner up with us, well welcome you
+with open arms. I think you and Ryuuen would be an unexpectedly powerful
+combination. I think Albert also likes you because whenever you come up in
+a conversation, he gets a bit excited."
+This was the first time I've heard that Yamada Albert liked me.
+Was it really appropriate to use the word "like" to describe his feelings
+towards me...
+I haven't interacted with him much. In fact, the only time I really talked to
+him was on the rooftop.
+Did he come to like me after our fight?
+For me, I would have thought that the fight would only create resentment
+towards me.
+"He didn't say this explicitly, right?"
+Ibuki also seemed to have questions about this, and so she asked Ishizaki.
+"Men can feel these kinds of things physically. It's intuition, I tell you,
+intuition."
+Really unreliable intuition.
+It also seemed like if I really did join Ryuuen's class, Albert might try to
+fight me.
+Page 148 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The more Ishizaki thought about it, the more excited he became
+I needed to thank his good intentions, so I answered seriously.
+"It's impossible to achieve. How are you going to get 20 million points
+for the transfer?"
+Although they beat Class B at the end of year exam, they couldn't have
+accumulated that much money.
+"That, well, Ryuuen will definitely do something about that."
+"He won't go out of his way to do something like that."
+"Are you sure? | think that if you're willing to join us, Ryuuen will
+cooperate."
+"He definitely won't help."
+In that regard, I agreed with Ibuki. That person wasn't someone who
+would go out of his way to satisfy other people's demands to make them
+happy.
+He won't rely on me just for the reason of reaching Class A.
+His pride as a man wouldn't allow it.
+No, I wouldn't want him to be someone who would resort to something
+like that either.
+"T'm happy that you invited me, but I'll have to refuse. It's more fun
+being opponents than allies anyway."
+That took precedent, even before the issue of having enough private
+points.
+Page 149 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Really? Damn, I thought it was a great idea."
+"You're weird. Why are you happy about going up against him again?
+Ibuki laughed grimly without even looking at me.
+"Well, I'm looking forward to how he's going to attack me."
+I answered honestly, in which Ibuki responded by making a disgusted face
+at me.
+Although I didn't want to act myself too much, if the opponent was
+Ryuuen, I wouldn't mind having a rematch.
+But for him to match me, he needed to develop even more.
+He needed to show me that he could win against Horikita, Ichinose and
+Sakayanagi.
+Not long after, we reached Keyaki mall.
+"Sorry Ayanokouji, let's end it here. It would be a problem if anyone saw
+us together.."
+Although I didn't know where they were going to meet later, exchanging
+ideas like this wasn't bad.
+I accepted Ishizaki for looking out for me like this, something he usually
+didn't do.
+I parted ways with Ishizaki and Ibuki, and headed towards the mall
+entrance.
+When I first met Ishizaki, I never thought that I would be able to hold this
+sort of conversation with him.
+Page 150 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although my relationship with Ibuki might've regressed, it was still at
+least a change.
+"Tt's been a year already..."
+The circumstances around me had changed drastically over the year.
+I could even hold conversations with Ryuuen and Sakayanagi.
+Not to mention the many other students as well.
+It may have only been one year, but it was a whole year.
+This was evidence that time was indeed passing.
+I didn't really get it before, but I feel like 've gained an understanding of
+the concept of time passing.
+Speaking of which, this reminds me of what happened last year.
+The time before I came to Advanced Nurturing high school. To prevent
+anyone from finding out about what I planned to do, I quietly got on with life.
+I experienced small tastes of feelings I had never felt before. Especially
+when trying to not provoke that man... I tried my best to hide it from that
+person.
+Because I knew that if I was discovered by that man, he would definitely
+stop me.
+I got off lucky due to various factors. If he had been around me more, he
+probably wouldn't have let me run off that easily.
+But that man rarely came home, as he was a busy person.
+Although there was a so-called caretaker who was supposed to supervise
+Page 151 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+me, he spent around 70-80% of his time that year living in a hotel.
+And for me, I wasn't even that familiar with the place I called home, even
+though I lived there.
+The white room was where I spent most of my time. For me, that home
+was just a temporary residence in which I've stayed in for no longer than a
+year. It felt no different from a hotel.
+"The white room, huh."
+That man hasn't given up yet.
+I've already felt his intense desire to get me out of here.
+I didn't know much about what happened during this past year, but I was
+certain that the white room would have restarted its activities.
+And as long as the white room needed me, I would return.
+This would happen in the not so distant future, 2 years later.
+But... I still had 2 more years left of this school life.
+It didn't make sense to be thinking about this now.
+Basically, I was in a situation now that I couldn't have imagined would
+happen a year before.
+And these irreplaceable memories had definitely been engraved in my
+heart.
+I arrived at the north entrance of Keyaki Mall, where we were going to
+meet.
+Normally, the stores would open at 10 every morning on weekdays, but
+Page 152 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+some stores would open at 9 during the holidays.
+The cafe on the second floor where we were going to meet was one of
+those stores.
+"This is the life."
+Doing whatever I liked, freely living my life as a high school student.
+Talking with classmates with my phone as well as doing hanging out
+together sometimes.
+Living a life like this, it always did seem a bit unreal.
+But saying this life was unfulfilling would be a lie.
+Of course, the campus had its own fair share of troubles.
+A lot had changed from the past few months.
+I had become more comfortable with the company of the multiple girls I
+was growing closer to.
+Yeah... I seem to have turned into a real person on the surface.
+I temporarily stopped thinking about it and turned my attention to the
+other issues for now.
+I'll put my focus on the conversation that was going to happen.
+"You're here early. There are about 20 minutes until the meeting time.
+Don't you have other things to do?"
+Horikita, who was wearing casual clothes, said that as she looked at her
+phone.
+Page 153 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"You say that, but aren't you also as early as I am?"
+It was like we were confirming that neither of us had nothing to do during
+the spring break.
+We didn't discuss the topic immediately, as we went up to the second
+floor first.
+"You should be clear on what the topic of discussion is going to be about
+today."
+She seemed to think that was the case. Maybe because she thought that
+since I didn't ask her about it, I must have known.
+She was correct, but I'll try to confuse her a bit.
+"What are you talking about."
+"You clearly know what I'm talking about, so stop pretending."
+"No, I don't know what you're talking about. What's Ichinose going to
+talk to us about?"
+I wanted to forcefully push the topic, and confuse Horikita, but...
+"You really don't know? If it turns out you do, then I won't let you off
+that easily.."
+"...Well, you should first calm down a bit."
+I looked at Horikita and decided to stop messing with her, as she looked
+like she was about to bite me.
+"T can guess what itll be about. It's not difficult."
+"Tt's not hard to just say that, so stop misleading me like this."
+Page 154 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She rudely told me.
+Seems like using this kind of method to try to figure out what Horikita
+was feeling would be useless.
+"Were you trying to see how much I knew?"
+"You're thinking into it too much."
+"Am I really, though?"
+Rather than say that she's become keener now, she probably just got used
+to the way I did things.
+Simple response patterns like that would not work on Horikita anymore.
+If I was questioned again, I might get attacked, so I decided to avoid the
+issue.
+"Anyway...let's go."
+I saw Ichinose waiting at the entrance of the cafe, so I changed the topic.
+It was still 10 minutes before the appointed time, but Ichinose seemed to
+have arrived already.
+"Ichinose seems just as busy as we are now."
+I don't think she just arrived. How long had she been waiting for?
+"She can't have as much free time as we do. Judging from this situation, I
+think she just simply wanted to arrive on time. She probably just hates
+making people wait. "
+Maybe it was as Horikita said.
+Page 155 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"So that's what you think of Ichinose."
+"At first, I thought she was a hypocrite who acted like a good person."
+She might have overthought that a bit too much, as well as being a bit too
+quick to judge from her initial thoughts of her.
+"But after a year, my thoughts of her has changed completely. She really
+is a good person."
+Many people disguised themselves as good people, and it was difficult to
+find one that truly did have a good heart.
+Many people had ulterior motives.
+As she was one of the genuinely kindhearted people, there would not be
+anyone who labelled Ichinose as a hypocrite.
+"What kind of life did she live before, being such a kind-hearted person."
+This was the only thing I didn't understand.
+"Being kind-hearted is a weapon she possesses, but at the same time, it's
+also her weakness."
+While walking towards the destination, Horikita praised Ichinose and
+sighed, as if she was worried for her.
+The more kind-hearted a person was, the easier it was for bad people to
+use them.
+"Do you think it's better not to be that kind-hearted?"
+"Being kind-hearted would be great if you were living in the mountains,
+surrounded by nature. But in order to survive in this competitive society,
+Page 156 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+being kind-hearted would be a disadvantage."
+=LSec:"
+"But going by her personality, she'Il never stop being a kind and good
+person."
+Horikita was saying that Ichinose would continue being a kind-hearted
+person, even if it were disadvantageous to her.
+"Even so, Ichinose knows how to distinguish between good and evil. If
+something were to happen that would endanger her classmates, she would be
+willing to do anything.
+"Tf that's the case then it's fine, sure, we should end this boring
+conversation here."
+To get ready for the conversation that was about to occur, Horikita's
+expression became serious.
+I also stopped talking and called out to Ichinose.
+"Ichinose, you're really early. How long have you been waiting for?'
+"Good morning Horikita-san, Ayanokouji-kun. I just arrived."
+That line was very cliche. Although she said that, when did she really
+arrive?
+Ichinose, who wore casual clothes, greeted us with her usual smile.
+"It's a lot easier to get seats early in the morning."
+The students already in the cafe were spread out, making it look like there
+were available seats everywhere.
+Page 157 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Okay, order whatever you want to eat, I'll treat you."
+She lightly tapped her chest with a clenched fist and said that she was
+going to settle the payments.
+"This won't- be for the sake of gaining an edge over us during the
+conversation, right?"
+Because she had an experience using her own cooking to gain superiority
+over a situation, Horikita immediately raised her suspicions.
+"She's not you, she won't do that."
+"T don't like what you said but... you're right."
+Just as Horikita noted just before, the other person here was none other
+than Ichinose.
+She wouldn't use such a method to gain an advantage in the conversation
+like this.
+And even if she really did gain an advantage in the conversation from
+that, Horikita should be able to wrestle it back.
+"If so, thank you very much."
+"Of course. No problem, Horikita-san, you can start ordering first."
+Urged by Ichinose, Horikita went first and ordered.
+I was worried about Ichinose, so I closed the distance with her to speak to
+her quietly.
+Although it was subtle, I could smell the citrusy scent on her today again.
+"Ichinose, will there be any problems with your private points?"
+Page 158 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although I was grateful for her treating us, her private points should be 0,
+as she used them all to prevent one of her classmates from getting expelled.
+Although as the invitee, it was normal to treat your guests, I was still a bit
+worried about her financial situation.
+"Ah, um, after paying here, I should still have about 3000 points. There's
+no problem."
+April was approaching.
+With that much remaining in her balance, she should have enough money
+to overcome this crisis.
+But her private points should have been down to 0 for a while now.
+Maybe after noticing my doubt, Ichinose added this:
+"T got this money after selling my hairdryer to Class A's Nishikawa-san. I
+needed to do it so I could survive in March. The others also had to resort to
+this."
+Although the school had a system in which one could survive without
+money, you still needed funds in hand sometimes.
+If an item was being sold cheaper than it was priced in the store, it was
+common for people to buy from 3rd party sellers.
+"So Ayanokouji-kun, you don't need to hesitate. Come on, you can order
+99
+now.
+Ichinose, who was now behind me, gently pushed my back while saying
+that.
+Indeed, if I was too modest, Ichinose wouldn't be too happy.
+Page 159 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After Horikita ordered, I went and ordered a cup of coffee.
+Then the three of us grabbed our food from the pickup area and left the
+counter to sit on the seats in the corner of the cafe.
+Taking advantage of the fact that there weren't many people here yet,
+Horikita immediately went straight to business.
+"Are we going to talk about the end of year exam? Or is it going to be
+about the agreement between our classes April?"
+Without talking to me in advance, Horikita was able to predict what the
+conversation with Ichinose was going to be about.
+"Ahaha, so you've seen through it all."
+Ichinose, who was smiling as she said this, also had a serious look in her
+eyes.
+This was proof that they both knew that this conversation would be
+extremely important.
+"Am I troubling you guys?"
+"No, I also felt like we had to talk, so it was a big help that you were the
+one to initiate it. After all, you're a popular person, it's hard for us to talk to
+you alone like this."
+"Tt's not like that nowadays. I'm not busy at all during this spring break.
+You can talk to me anytime."
+As she replied, Ichinose had a slight smile.
+From the expression on her face, it seemed like she was trying to hide
+some kind of bitterness.
+Page 160 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It was probably because someone tried to ask her on a date, and she
+refused.
+And as for the reason for that, Horikita should have noticed.
+"The end of year exam seemed to take a toll on you."
+Even though it wouldn't be a very appropriate way to start the
+conversation, I said that to Ichinose.
+It was because even if we deliberately beat around the bush not to reopen
+the wound she had from it, we would eventually get there anyway.
+And if that was the case, bringing it up earlier would be better as Ichinose
+would recover faster from it anyway.
+Because she didn't want to start with that topic, Horikita had a stiff
+expression for just a moment.
+Even so, she realised what I was doing and adjusted.
+"Ahhhhh, umm, I lost. We were completely defeated by Ryuuen-san's
+strategy."
+She seemed to have remembered something, sighing deeply, and shaking
+her head. Then she said that with certainty.
+Drifting fretfully, Ichinose seemed to constantly sigh at her failure.
+"We still don't know anything. What was the reason for the loss?"
+"The reason we failed is obvious. It's because I lack the ability."
+Ichinose did not blame her opponent or her classmates.
+Page 161 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She replied without hesitation, that the reason for the failure was because,
+of course, of her own failure as the commanding tower.
+"Although we didn't see the exam take place, it's hard to imagine you
+making big mistakes."
+"You flatter me. Well, back then, I think I might have lost my head over
+fear..."
+Ichinose humbly rejected Horikita's praise.
+No, it was probably true that she panicked back then.
+She would have been troubled due to Ryuuen's surprise appearance,
+which affected the outcome of the scores.
+"At the start, we thought that the commanding tower was Kaneda, and
+when it was revealed that he wasn't, it messed up our rhythm."
+"That's understandable. Ryuuen should have already stepped down from
+as the leader, and he didn't have any protection points, so he couldn't have
+been the commander. That's what we all thought, but it was all part of
+Ryuuen's plans."
+That's right. Even Sakayanagi and I didn't expect Ryuuen to reappear.
+For Ichinose, who was to be his opponent, it would be impossible for her
+not to be shaken.
+If he lost, he would be expelled. Noone apart from Ryuuen would be
+willing to carry out such a high-risk plan.
+"T wasn't able to fix my frame of mind at the end, so I'm responsible for
+our loss. This fact won't change."
+While thinking about how they would fight against Kaneda, Ryuuen
+Page 162 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+suddenly appeared.
+Although it wasn't my problem, I still felt sympathy towards Ichinose.
+The things that the commanding tower could do were extremely limited.
+But during that free speech event, Ryuuen would have completely backed
+Ichinose into a corner with his abilities with words.
+"T heard that your class achieved excellent results in your battle against
+class A."
+Ichinose praised us in response.
+Now, a problem had arisen. Back then, I asked Ichinose to let us fight
+Class A.
+Horikita didn't know this, as she had instructed me to target Class D. It
+didn't go as planned during the lottery, so we drew against Class A.
+Depending on the direction of the conversation, things can get a bit tricky
+if something contradicted what Horikita thought was true.
+It might be better to discuss this with Ichinose first, but the problem was
+that I told Ichinose it was Horikita who wanted to target Class A.
+Ichinose thought that Horikita was the one who requested to fight Class A.
+And Horikita thought I lost the draw, which resulted in us having to fight
+Class A.
+Both sides were at a position where they didn't know the real truth.
+It wasn't impossible to avoid the topic if the conversation continued.
+If I were the usual me, I would have made preparations beforehand.
+Page 163 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Or enact temporary measures to deal with these emergencies without
+anyone noticing.
+After I thought for a while, I decided to expose myself.
+As for the reason I did not act up to now.
+It was to see to what extent Horikita had grown.
+"A loss is a loss. I remember that I asked you to give me the right to fight
+Class A. If Class B was against Class A, the results might have been
+different."
+After hearing this, Horikita's gaze turned to me immediately.
+I didn't need to explain what she meant by that.
+"What do you mean, asked her to fight Class A" was what her gaze
+meant.
+But because I conformed to the flow of the conversation by saying that,
+Horikita decided to let it slide.
+But because the look she gave me seemed natural and was faint, Ichinose
+did not notice it.
+She understood I was saying that this wasn't the time to discuss it.
+If she were the Horikita from before, she would definitely question me
+right there, also causing Ichinose to develop doubts.
+Even if it didn't reach that extent, it would still have made Ichinose waver
+a bit.
+Her ability to understand and her judgement had significantly improved.
+Page 164 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+No, I should say that she's become more astute.
+Through Horikita's patience, Ichinose decided that Horikita was the one
+who chose to target Class A.
+Because of this, my presence would be further diminished from the
+perspectives of the other classes.
+"Because of my request, it resulted in you having to fight a tough battle.."
+To support what I was doing, Horikita apologised to Ichinose.
+"It's my responsibility, so there's no reason for you to apologise."
+Class B going against Class D was a bad matchup, which resulted in Class
+B only winning 2 and losing 5.
+Which then resulted in Class B losing a lot of class points at once.
+"That's a hypothetical situation anyway. The winner of the lottery was
+Kaneda anyways, who chose Class B, so it didn't matter anyway."
+Of course, this was indeed the case after looking at the outcomes now.
+The battle between Class B and Class D was inevitable, even if they made
+prior preparations for it not to happen.
+"That's not something you need to reflect on, Horikita-san. I... I need to
+figure out a more stable strategy that can lead us to victory. I'm the one who
+needs to deeply reflect on this.
+Although she was enthusiastic as she said that, whether her mentality had
+adjusted was another matter.
+"Tf it is possible, can you explain what the strategy you used was? Of
+course, in exchange, we will also explain our battle with Class A to you in
+Page 165 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+detail."
+Horikita must have heard some of the rumours of what happened already.
+But only the commanding towers knew what happened between them.
+Ichinose nodded her approval towards the proposal.
+The events that Ichinose chose and the events that Ryuuen chose.
+The order of the events, what events were chosen, and how Ryuuen went
+about doing them.
+Where she won and where she lost. Ichinose revealed the answers for how
+she had failed without concealing it.
+Ryuuen's Class D adopted a style of brute force when doing the events.
+To the Class B students, this exploited one of their glaring weaknesses.
+"They adopted a fighting method that plays to their strengths. Ill give that
+to them."
+"If so, we don't stand a chance against them."
+"Yeah... even on the boy's side, only Sudo-san could win. No, if his
+opponent is Yamada-san, there's no guarantee of victory."
+If Koenji was serious, he might be able to win as well, but even if so,
+Horikita couldn't say that aloud.
+As for the girls, outside of Horikita, I didn't think anyone else could put
+up a fight.
+"Class A might be able to win against Ryuuen's methods."
+Page 166 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T agree with that."
+It all depended on luck. If even a bit of luck was on Ryuuen's side, he
+would be able to defeat every other class.
+If you look at all their battles, their win rate was the highest against Class
+***
+That would be proof of his intention to attack Class B from the very start.
+"But, you also chose a few of your own events, so how did you lose on
+two of them?"
+Although Ryuuen's methods were powerful, it all depended on luck one
+way or another.
+Class B chose 4 events, so Ichinose still could have won in those.
+"... Ummm."
+Horikita didn't know anything about this, and I was the same. So we
+listened to her attentively, without prior knowledge anything that happened.
+What exactly did Ryuuen do? Ichinose told us everything.
+He didn't do anything to the students directly. Instead, he attacked them
+mentally.
+He forcibly contacted and pressurised Class B.
+There's also the issue in which several of the competitors in Class B failed
+to exert their full strength due to sudden physical discomfort on the day.
+After mentioning that, Ichinose added this.
+"T lost at the event that I was supposed to excel at, and I wasn't able to
+Page 167 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+adapt to the situation. That's all my fault as the commanding tower's."
+She didn't blame Ryuuen and instead said that it was her own fault.
+"Many of your classmates had abdominal pain and showed symptoms of
+mental instability..."
+Of course, Horikita recognised that this was all part of Ryuuen's plan.
+"I'm sure that this was part of Ryuuen-san's trap. I heard from the
+students that felt unwell on the day that they bumped into Ishizaki-san before
+the exam when they were at the karaoke place."
+Karaoke, huh? That was one of the places that students were rarely
+monitored.
+It would be an extremely high-risk plan if they really did poison them
+there.
+"Shouldn't you try to report this to the school?"
+The exam had already ended for a week now.
+The student's food and drinks have, without a doubt, been disposed of.
+You could trace the purchases of the drug they used back to the pharmacy,
+but there will still be arguments that Class D didn't use those drugs.
+"There's no harm in reporting this to the school. Even if it yields no result
+this time, the report you make now might play a role in the next incident. If
+they continue doing things like this, the school will be more strict on them."
+If it was found out that Class D really were behind this, it would be a
+severe issue, and the school would have to take action.
+"Maybe. But it doesn't matter, I won't report this to the school."
+Page 168 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Ichinose rejected the proposal. In the week after the exam, her classmates
+would all have advised her to appeal to the school multiple times, and yet she
+still didn't.
+"Why? Are you just going to submit to this humiliation? This is a serious
+incident that can change the results of the exam, and all you need to do is to
+reveal these details."
+The evidence wasn't impossible to find, that's what Horikita is saying.
+Depending on the situation, Class D might be subject to disciplinary
+action.
+The longer the delay, the harder it would be to appeal.
+"T will assist you if you wish."
+If it were Horikita, she would have never given up on this. Because she
+was like this, she offered to help Ichinose.
+"Thank you, Horikita-san. But I still don't want to complain. There still
+isn't any concrete evidence now, and... I want to use this incident as a
+lesson."
+"Lesson? What do you mean?"
+Ichinose did not submit to Horikita's persuasion.
+"T think I'm lucky."
+Ichinose, who had a resigned expression just now, regained some life in
+her eyes.
+It was like a broken-down engine desperately trying to ignite.
+Page 169 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T don't know what would happen if this happened again during the
+crucial periods of the 2nd and 3rd years, but now, there's still room for
+recovery."
+Ichinose nodded her head strongly, her eyes brimming with power.
+Perhaps I was the only one who could understand her brilliance at that
+moment.
+"Our whole class is taking this defeat seriously, and we've decided to
+make good use of this failure, and not repeat the same mistakes in the future."
+"Well, I'm not in your class so I won't say anything more."
+"Alright then."
+Class B had now finished telling Class D what happened on their end.
+We had finished listening to the details of the battle between Ichinose and
+Ryuuen. It was our turn now.
+Horikita glanced at me, conveying her thoughts through her eyes.
+[Are you going to talk in the perspective as the commander tower? | is
+what she wanted to ask.
+As a commander, just like Ichinose, we had the same duties in the event
+selection exam.
+But the details of what we did as commanders were rather bland and
+ambiguous.
+What events we took part in, how we won the ones we won, and how we
+lost the ones we lost.
+Of course, I won't mention anything unnecessary, like how I answered
+Page 170 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+that one question in the mental arithmetic test.
+"T already know the results of your battle, but it's still a great showing by
+your class."
+"Even so, we still lost to Sakayagani during the 7th match at the end."
+Chess was just a game. As long as I said that I was confident enough to
+win in chess, it shouldn't be investigated any further, and since I've lost to
+Sakayagani, they will think that I was weaker than her anyway.
+"The only good news... well, you can't really call it that, but we only lost
+30 points. But it's still not ideal as the gap between the classes has been
+opened up again."
+"Your classmates are slowly getting stronger, so we can't take you as
+lightly anymore."
+Even to a future rival, Ichinose still praised us straightforwardly.
+"Yeah. Our class will only get stronger."
+After hearing Horikita's confident words and seeing them in her eyes,
+Ichinose nodded her head.
+"T have something to say to you that relates to the conversation, ok?"
+"Mhm."
+This was the start of the next half of the conversation. The beginning of
+the real conversation.
+It was Horikita who brought it up instead of Ichinose.
+"Bluntly speaking, I want to cancel our partnership next year."
+Page 171 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Horikita made an unexpected proposal, but Ichinose was already mentally
+prepared for this.
+"T thought you would say that."
+"We lost against Class A, and we're Class D again. If you purely look at
+the rankings, you could say that it was a loss for us, but if you think about the
+big picture, we didn't exactly lose. You could even say that we've closed the
+99
+gap.
+"That's true. Considering that you were at 0 points at the start of the year,
+your class was the one that gained the most points throughout the year. And
+since your results against Class A were 3 wins and 4 losses..."
+After a bit of calculation, Ichinose noticed something.
+The difference in those numbers was so small that it wouldn't have been
+surprising if we emerged victoriously in that battle.
+Although Tsukishiro's interference could have affected the results, it was
+cancelled out by the fact that we had enough opportunities to win.
+"But, can't we still maintain this cooperative relationship?"
+Ichinose did not readily agree to Horikita's idea to cancel the partnership
+between the classes.
+"Let's discuss this again when the differences in class points reduce some
+more."
+"T'm thankful that you still want to continue this. But I still think it would
+be best to dissolve this cooperative relationship."
+There were 2 conditions required to maintain this cooperative relationship.
+The first condition was if the class point difference was so large that
+Page 172 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+catching up in terms of class points would be impossible.
+The other condition was that if both parties were able to establish and
+maintain a stable relationship.
+Last May, the difference in the class points was 650 points, and Class B's
+points remained static throughout the year. Because of this, we were able to
+maintain our relationship without any problems.
+However, those 2 conditions no longer apply. Class D gained 300 points,
+while Class B's total class points were declining, which significantly reduced
+the gap.
+In other words, the conditions were no longer fulfilled.
+"Next year, I will definitely lead our class to Class B or above. And in
+order to defeat Class A, I plan to obtain all of the class points possible."
+In the face of Horikita, who had established such a resolute goal, Ichinose
+seemed to shake a little.
+"ws Ohe yes'
+What she was saying was that our class must also defeat Ichinose's Class
+***
+Of course, if that's the case, then the cooperative relationship couldn't
+continue.
+Horikita judged the unfledged relationship to be nothing more than a
+stumbling block now and refused to allow it to continue.
+"No objections? Ayanokouji-san."
+"Of course, I agree with you. This is the right move that would lead us to
+Class A."
+Page 173 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Horikita asked, and I nodded. Her judgement wasn't wrong.
+Ichinose closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.
+"I'm grateful to you, Ichinose, having proposed a cooperative relationship
+with us when we were at our weakest. But... even if you resent us now, we' ll
+still be enemies in the future."
+Ichinose quietly accepted what Horikita had said with conviction.
+"How can I hate you? We were enemies from the start, and we only had a
+temporary truce. I thank you very much for this as well."
+Finally, Ichinose slowly opened her eyes and looked towards Horikita and
+me without a shadow of any bitterness in them.
+"From the start of the 2nd year, we'll be enemies."
+"Yes."
+Horikita firmly shook Ichinose's outstretched hand.
+Horikita had to be thinking about certain things at this moment.
+Class B's weaknesses and how we could exploit them.
+And Ichinose must also be calculating the strength of our class now.
+I'll have to think about how to prevent that information from leaking now.
+And that was the end of our brief conversation.
+Starting in April, our battle with Class B would officially begin.
+Page 174 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 2
+Although the meeting was over, Ichinose wanted to stay there for a bit
+longer.
+After her defeat and the breakdown of our cooperative relationship, she
+probably wanted to sort out her feelings.
+So we left the cafe first. Shortly after, we reached the stairs and I was just
+about to descend.
+"Wait a second."
+I was about to head back, but I was stopped by Horikita, whose voice
+came from behind.
+Horikita stopped me and said this.
+"T need to talk to you about something now, so just listen, and don't turn
+this way."
+I did what she wanted me to do.
+In the face of her serious tone, I didn't turn back, a sign of my consent.
+"What's this?"
+"So everything is suddenly fine again? Don't you have something to say
+to me?"
+An angry voice came from behind.
+"T don't know what you're talking about."
+Page 175 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+As I expressed my confusion to her words, Horikita did not hesitate to get
+straight to what she meant by that.
+"You negotiated with Ichinose in order to challenge Class A, didn't you?"
+"That is indeed the case."
+"If I didn't match your words during the conversation, wouldn't it have
+been troublesome?
+"But you cooperated flawlessly."
+"That's because- I thought it would create unnecessary trouble if I didn't.
+Please explain why you've done that."
+"Ichinose already said it. Kaneda won the lottery, and decided to choose
+Class B. Basically, no matter what I did, the end result would not have
+changed."
+"T want to know this: why would you try to challenge Class A without my
+permission?"
+"Because I thought our best chance of winning came from opposing Class
+***
+"But wouldn't fighting against Kaneda or Ryuuen would give us better
+odds?"
+"If we were drawn against Class D, the probability of us losing like Class
+B did would be very high. We only have Sudo and you who can put up a
+fight against them."
+"That's only because you know the outcome now. No matter what, Class
+D was the best choice at the time."
+Her voice seemed closer now, as she took a step towards me.
+Page 176 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But she didn't get too close.
+"Was anything I said wrong?"
+"No. Indeed, drawing Class A was the worst outcome. I can't deny that."
+"Let's put aside the fact that you completely ignored my orders. What was
+your reason for wanting to fight against class A?"
+Even though she knew that I acted alone to get us to fight against Class A,
+she still didn't know the reason.
+"What do you think? Why would I go out of my way to set this up, can
+you guess?"
+I tried to ask back. Although this was a question which she wouldn't be
+able to correctly answer.
+She didn't know about my relationship with Sakayagani, and she didn't
+know anything about the white room. There was no way she could answer
+that.
+"If I go by the data and try to reach an answer through that...then the only
+answer would be what you said, the "best chance of winning" was against
+Class A. But what about Class B and D? Why were they ruled out? Well, we
+can exclude Class B first."
+Even if we didn't deliberately plan out our moves with them, we still had
+a cooperative relationship with Class B.
+The probability of Ichinose betraying us and targeting our class in the
+exam was extremely low.
+"The problem is Class D. Normally, Class D would be the most obvious
+pick... But in this case, Class B lost badly against Class D, because they were
+Page 177 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+caught in Ryuuen's trap. If we were forced into fighting against them, there's
+no telling how it would end up."
+We might have been evenly matched or even at a disadvantage against
+Class D.
+"Everyone thought that Class D would be the easiest opponent. And so
+because of that, you had some doubts about it."
+I'm afraid that this was the limit to her deductive reasoning.
+"So in other words, did you predicted Ryuen's sudden return in the final
+exam?"
+"Maybe. That's why I used Class B as a sacrifice."
+"Tf this 1s true, you should've discussed this with me beforehand."
+"Sure."
+I did not deny it and chose to accept her words.
+But that wasn't a good explanation of why I acted without her permission.
+"But-is that really the reason?"
+"What?"
+"During the class vote, you came in first because you received a lot of
+praise votes from Class A. And then once you got your protection points, you
+decided to target Class A, without the risk of dropping out if you lost. It's
+like... you and Sakayanagi planned this out in advance..."
+Although what she just said had some accidental truths, she started to
+notice my relationship with Sakayanagi and the background behind it.
+Page 178 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Forget it... this is absurd. Most importantly, there isn't any evidence
+backing what I said, just forget what I said."
+Saying that... Horikita withdrew her statement.
+"T want to know what you're thinking. Are you planning to work to reach
+Class A?"
+"T just said it..."
+"Sure. But I don't know if you're telling the truth. From the start of the
+school year up to now, you've always seemed reluctant to want to work to
+that objective."
+"People can change. Even you changed, and it makes me feel like I've
+misread you from the very start."
+As a matter of fact, I had already started to think about moving to the
+upper classes. But it wasn't unreasonable to suspect that I was untrustworthy.
+Especially to Horikita, as I wasn't always cooperative with her.
+From other's perspectives, it's no surprise if they feel uneasy about my
+existence.
+"Yes, people will grow... and perceptions will change."
+Although she was still slightly dissatisfied with the answer, Horikita still
+somehow convinced herself.
+However, the conversation did not end there.
+"Our class is growing, and it will continue getting stronger. But that's still
+not enough to reach Class A.
+"What are you trying to say?"
+Page 179 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"So far, you've been half-heartedly participating, in both athletics and
+academics. You've been just an average student who isn't a burden, but also
+hasn't contributed anything."
+These words hurt to hear. However, on the surface, it did seem like I
+haven't contributed at all.
+"Will you free yourself from these restrictions? From today onwards, I
+hope that you will do everything you possibly can do. Only then can you
+prove to me that you truly want to reach Class A."
+This isn't the same as a threat or a request.
+This was to probe out what my thoughts were. Of course, the fact that she
+said that in such a thorny way was understandable.
+"T refuse."
+"As expected."
+Instead of being surprised, she laughed bitterly.
+"You're all talk, you don't actually want to help me reach Class A."
+"At least that's the case for now."
+I retaliated against Horikita and reversed the flow of the conversation.
+Horikita will soon understand what I meant by that.
+"What? For now?"
+Previously, she thought I would have never cooperated with her.
+However, I think that the me right now would be able to cooperate to a
+certain extent.
+Page 180 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"There's a reason I'm conservative with this. If I suddenly went all out
+right after the break, there'll be rumours within the class, no... the entire
+year. I wanted to avoid this situation if possible."
+"T acknowledge that you truly are an excellent student, but even for a self-
+evaluation, you speak highly of yourself. In terms of academics alone, even
+students in our own class such as Yukimura and I, as well as students in the
+other classes such as Ichinose and Sakayanagi, are on the same level. There
+are others as well, specialising with their own subjects. Can you compete
+with those people?"
+Horikita said this with disbelief, she didn't think I could compare to those
+people.
+"Although suddenly showing a huge difference in your ability would
+garner negative attention, as long as your grades are stably in the top 10 to 20
+per cent, you'll slowly be accepted as one of the excellent students. After all,
+it's not unheard of for students to suddenly achieve outstanding results in a
+short period of time."
+After considering it, Horikita reached that conclusion.
+If her evaluation was correct, maybe we could stop here.
+But if that wasn't the case, this conversation would not end just yet.
+"Sorry, Horikita. I don't think anyone in the year is on the same level as
+99
+me.
+Apart from the students who hadn't reached their full potential yet, or
+hadn't seriously used their abilities.
+"... You're really going to say something like that! Unbelievable!!"
+Horikita didn't agree with my claim and retorted.
+Page 181 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Although my brother acknowledges you, that doesn't prove anything.
+You still haven't shown the true extent of your abilities yet."
+"Couldn't you see it throughout the year?"
+"Can you prove that you're the best in terms of academics? How about the
+things outside of academics?. If you want others to recognise your bold
+claims, you'll need to be able to overcome everything. Even though you
+consider chess to be one of your best talents, you still lost against
+Sakayanagi. I admit it was an extremely high-level battle, but you still lost.
+And you still dare claim that you have no equal."
+"You can think about it as much as you like, Horikita. I could also be
+bluffing right now."
+"At the end, you're still running away from this again. You're nothing
+more than a swindler."
+"Feel free to call me that, if it makes you happy."
+Faced with that response, Horikita stayed silent.
+If what is needed to satisfy her was for her to stop being so angry, I' Il stop
+the conversation here.
+And as I was about to take a step down the staircase-
+"-Let me test you."
+She spoke with an unyielding tone.
+"Test what?"
+"Your true strength. Although I know that you're smart as well as
+physically capable to an extent, you're still a mystery. I still don't know your
+Page 182 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+true abilities."
+Did she want to measure me with her own methods?
+"T want to know if your strength is something worth hiding."
+"Are you sure you can measure my strength accurately?"
+"I'm confident I can beat you in the written exams if I get serious."
+Indeed, throughout the year, Horikita's scores had always been better than
+mine.
+I also understood that Horikita thought that even though males had the
+superiority when it came to physical ability, when it comes to strategy and
+tactics, she could take the advantage.
+But actually, Horikita fought admirably against Ibuki while under poor
+health conditions herself.
+And she also saw me having a tussle with her brother.
+And based on what she understood from those incidents, she confidently
+said she could beat me in an exam.
+"So, how do you want to test me?"
+"As many as you want. Whether it's something I'm good at or you're
+good at, we'll use a written test to decide the winner."
+She didn't allow me to turn backwards to face her to avoid any contact
+other than sound.
+Just by looking at someone else, you could figure out what they were
+thinking or feeling.
+Page 183 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She judged that to be unfavourable in this situation, so she stood behind
+me.
+She didn't want to wage psychological warfare against me, so she was
+vigilant.
+"T can accept that, but I have nothing to gain from this, especially if
+you're the one choosing the event."
+"Ts this really a question of loss or gain? I know about your strength that
+you keep so secret. If you don't accept my challenge, I will spread your
+secret around. You've been gaining some attention recently, and if I do that,
+there's no way you can cover it up, is there?"
+It's too weak a threat. As long as she understood that spreading it
+wouldn't have any benefit in the future, Horikita wouldn't do it anyway.
+However, since Horikita has grown, it may be better for me to
+compromise with her.
+Horikita quietly waited for my answer as I thought for a while.
+"How about this. In our next written exam after April, let's decide on a
+subject to compete for the highest score. But if that's what we're doing, if I
+get 100 points, you could just accuse me of desperately cramming for that
+subject."
+And if the scores on the other subjects weren't very high, this was a
+perfectly acceptable reason.
+"Although using this method to measure strength isn't enough...wouldn't
+battling it out in all the subjects in the formal exam be better?"
+"You can think about that if I lose to you. If we do that, Pll have to get
+top scores on all the subjects, so it's better to narrow it down."
+Page 184 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Fine, I'll agree with your plan. But how are you going to decide on the
+subject?"
+"It's up to you. You can decide any time you want. In addition to that, you
+can tell me what subject you choose right before the exam starts, I won't
+care."
+"T see... So you intend to win even without prior knowledge of the
+subject, so studying all subjects would be the minimum requirement. This
+way, even if there is only one subject that mattered, your true strength will be
+displayed nevertheless."
+If it's like this, Horikita should be able to accept it to a certain extent.
+"Tf I win, Pll judge that your abilities are only at that level, and in the
+future, I want you to do everything you can and work towards Class A, is this
+fine?"
+"Yes. But if I win, you'll grant me one wish."
+"Sure, this is a one-sided agreement anyway. What do you want?"
+"T don't know yet. PI] think about it."
+"',.Aren't you being a bit unreasonable here? If I agree, then I might have
+to accept some strange requests."
+"Are you already worried about the consequences when you lose? I
+thought you were more confident about this."
+"Are you seriously saying this..."
+"There's no need to force yourself. If you don't have the self-confidence,
+you should just ignore the outcome of the battle, it won't matter anyway,
+because I' Il win."
+Page 185 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If I say that, Horikita could no longer back down.
+"Fine, if I lose, you can ask anything of me. Happy?"
+"That's enough. So it's settled."
+So this was how a clash between Horikita and me in the written exam had
+been decided to take place after school started.
+Horikita stepped forward and stood next to me.
+Then she took another step, went ahead of me and started walking down
+the stairs.
+"T'm looking forward to direct confrontation with you."
+Of course, Horikita will adopt all possible measures to challenge the
+exam.
+Well... Pll just act as usual.
+I stood there and watched the determined Horikita's back until it was no
+longer visible.
+"Now, what should I do next?"
+I planned to go straight home, but I changed my mind slightly.
+I'm a little worried about Ichinose's condition.
+Although she asked us to go back first, what was she thinking about now?
+Just as I was thinking about this, I saw a man looking at my direction.
+As if invited by his gaze, I descended the stairs.
+Page 186 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 3
+On the same day, 11:30am.
+At the 2nd-floor men's toilet of Keyaki mall.
+Two men stood there, conversing.
+One of them was Ryuuen Kakeru, who once stepped down as a leader, but
+returned to the front stage once again.
+And the other student was Hashimoto Masayoshi, of Class A, the class
+that had maintained its leading position for the entire year.
+They did not meet by accident, Hashimoto contacted Ryuuen, and they
+chose this secluded location to meet up.
+"So? What kind of prank are you trying to pull on me, calling me out
+here?"
+"Calling it a prank doesn't sound very good. I just wanted to summarise
+what happened this year."
+Hashimoto nonchalantly replied.
+Ryuuen didn't necessarily hate this type of mysterious and unpredictable
+person.
+However, he didn't necessarily like it as well.
+Muscle-bound idiots like Ishizaki and Ibuki were easier to understand, and
+they gave more of a favourable impression.
+Of course, Hashimoto didn't trust Ryuuen, nor did he think Ryuuen
+Page 187 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+trusted him.
+Their relationship was based on mutual interests.
+However, both of them knew that in some cases, these kinds of
+relationships might develop into something more stable.
+"You defeated Class B in the final exam of the year. Can I interpret this as
+your complete return?"
+"Who knows. Maybe it's just a whim."
+Ryuuen casually replied, raising his arms and flashing a cocky smile.
+"A whim? If that's the case, what a terribly frightening whim. I cannot
+take it if you're aiming for Class A on a whim!"
+Hashimoto gently raised his hands to show that he didn't want a fight, as
+if he were raising a white flag.
+"Are you that cautious of me?"
+"You, who once retreated back into the shadows, showed up once again in
+front of everyone. Being cautious of you is normal."
+People always paid special attention to others who might obstruct them
+from accomplishing their objectives.
+"Are you here on Sakayanagi's orders?"
+"Unfortunately, this isn't an easy question to answer."
+Although Hashimoto was vague, Ryuuen knew that he wasn't doing this
+on Sakayanagi's orders.
+To understand the situation, Ryuuen purposefully threw Sakayanagi's
+Page 188 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+name out there to gauge Hashimoto's reaction.
+"So, now what? What do you plan to do in the future?"
+"Do I have any plans?"
+Ryuuen approached Hashimoto with a sneer.
+Hashimoto, who stiffened up, went into a defensive stance, just in case.
+Although Hashimoto chose this place himself, it was still an inaccessible
+toilet.
+There were no surveillance cameras that could provide any kind of
+protection in case something happened.
+Although if Hashimoto had known earlier that this was going to happen,
+he would have used his phone camera to record all this, but if he was
+discovered, his relationship with Ryuuen would be destroyed.
+"Don't think you can win just by wandering in the middle of the two sides
+as a double spy."
+Although he was smiling, the pressure he exerted was not something that
+could be from an ordinary person.
+"Ha! Even after getting defeated and coming back, you're acting superior.
+How bold!!"
+Although Hashimoto felt a bit anxious, he still felt a bit happy at the same
+time.
+Although Class A's current position was stable, this could change at any
+time due to Sakayanagi's whims.
+And if their ranking dropped, there was a high probability Ryuuen's class
+Page 189 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+would be the one to replace them as the new Class A.
+Therefore, preemptively taking action would be the best action he could
+take.
+Because of this, Hashimoto pointed out what was wrong with what
+Ryuuen said.
+"Sorry, Ryuuen. I don't plan on saving myself by just relying on two
+classes."
+"Oho, what does this mean?"
+"Although it's a bit early-"
+Hashimoto took his phone out and showed Ryuuen what was on the
+screen.
+While proving that he wasn't recording the conversation, he called
+someone. Soon, the other person picked up.
+Ryuuen quickly realised that the other person was waiting for his call.
+"Come here. It's the place we talked about in advance."
+After that short message, the call ended.
+"Who do you think that was? Ryuuen."
+"Who knows."
+"It's Ayanokouji."
+"Ayanokouji? Ah, for a moment I thought it would be him."
+Ryuuen didn't seem to be affected by Hashimoto mentioning that name.
+Page 190 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Hashimoto's hopes of trying to gain whatever information he could
+unexpectedly fell through.
+However, he felt it was too early to give up, and stubbornly continued to
+pursue what he wanted,
+"Can you think of a reason why I called Ayanokouji here?"
+"No."
+Ryuuen bluntly replied, and then quickly continued.
+"Did you really call him over? I don't think you did."
+The original objective was to feel him out, but now, Hashimoto was being
+felt out himself.
+"',.Really! It seems like vague lies won't work on you."
+Hashimoto tried to test Ryuuen by saying Ayanokouji's name and seeing
+if it would bring out a reaction from him.
+But Ryuuen acted as if he heard nothing at all, and was being a bit
+troublesome.
+"What you're talking about is a complicated and chaotic situation. Do you
+have an inside story about it, Hashimoto?"
+Instead, he asked the suspecting Hashimoto if he had gotten any
+information from an insider.
+Ryuuen wasn't putting on an act, saying those words.
+Even so, it didn't eliminate the doubts that Hashimoto had around the
+situation with Ryuuen and Ayanokouji.
+Page 191 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It was because there was no way the all-powerful Ryuuen could be easily
+defeated by Ishizaki and the others.
+He could also see Ayanokouji's shadow behind Sakayanagi's actions.
+If he had just one more clue, his doubts on the matter could be removed.
+"The one who's really coming is—."
+The sounds of footsteps approached the second-floor toilet, and then a
+male student appeared.
+ag
+"Ah? Looks like you called out an interested person, Hashimoto
+Appearing in front of Ryuuen and Hashimoto was first-year Class B's
+Ryuji Kanzakti.
+These three people who normally didn't exchange words came together.
+"He said he really wanted to talk to you. So I acted as a middleman to
+bring you two together."
+"So? What do you get in return?"
+"Isn't it obvious? Of course, it's a cooperative relationship with Class B."
+"Sayakanagi framed Ichinose. In other words, they're enemies. Do you
+really think Kanzaki could accept it?"
+"He'll accept it. Right? Kanzaki."
+"T won't trust you, Hashimoto. But you're of value."
+"You heard him!"
+Page 192 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Hashimoto showed Ryuuen that as long as their interests were the same,
+even he and Kanzaki could cooperate.
+Then, Hashimoto put his hand on Kanzaki's shoulder while laughing out
+loud.
+"Listen to what he wants to say, do it for me."
+"So that's it. You don't plan to save yourself with only 2 classes.
+Until now, Hashimoto had only been interested in Ryuen's class.
+But after Ryuuen stepped down, he seemed to have expanded his
+connections.
+"Ah. I intend to plant my seeds in Ayanokouji's class too."
+Hashimoto declared his intent to save himself, no matter which class came
+out on top.
+But Ryuuen's attention had moved from Hashimoto to Kanzaki.
+"You're not going to bore me, are you?"
+"Although I don't know what you're expecting from me, I'm not going to
+say anything which will please you."
+Kanzaki continued without fear of Ryuuen.
+He came here to say these very words.
+"The end of year exam. That's what I want to talk about."
+"Are you going to recount your feelings after suffering that crushing
+defeat?"
+Page 193 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"I'm sorry Ryuuen, I don't think we lost to you."
+In response to his resolute statement, Hashimoto whistled.
+"You played dirty to steal the win from us. Don't forget this!"
+Kanzaki's complaints were not hard to understand.
+It was because he had the confidence that he could beat Ryuuen in a head
+to head confrontation, but the victory was snatched away from them due to
+Ryuuen's despicable strategy.
+"How boring. Did you come here today to specifically talk about that?"
+In Ryuuen's eyes, there was no difference between a clean and a dirty
+Strategy.
+A victory was a victory. And Kanzaki's defeat was something that would
+never change.
+"Anyways, what dirty strategy are you talking about? Is it about me being
+the commander?"
+"Don't act stupid! I'm talking about the stomach ache and your mental
+attacks on my class on the day of the exam.
+Hashimoto, who didn't know much about the details of their exam,
+applauded happily.
+"No wonder he's that angry. What a beautiful attack, Ryuuen!"
+"T'll say this now, this kind of despicable behaviour will not work against
+Class B in the future."
+"Hahaha. Do you think Ichinose can defend against my attacks? Or do
+you intend to cry and complain to the school?"
+Page 194 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"No, she shouldn't be able to do anything about it."
+Kanzaki immediately denied it. Because this was not something that a
+kind-hearted person like Ichinose could do.
+"Then who can prevent it?"
+"T will."
+Facing off against Kanzaki without hesitation, two conflicting thoughts
+emerged in Ryuuen's mind.
+Was he just bluffing, or-—
+"But as Ichinose's follower, what can you do by yourself?"
+Ryuuen tried to feel out what Kanzaki meant by saying those words.
+"Throughout the year, I stood by Ichinose to support her as her assistant.
+But that's because at the moment I came to this school, I decided that her
+leadership skills were superior to those from the other classes. That's it. My
+trust in her hasn't wavered yet, but she lacks the ability to deal with these
+emergency situations. She also has a huge weakness in being unable to
+abandon the weak."
+"Hou? I thought this was going to be a bore, I didn't expect you to be this
+interesting. Who would have thought that someone from Class B, valuing
+cooperation and friendship and all that, would have such thoughts."
+But Ryuuen was not at all worried.
+"But you're all talk. Even a dog can yell out empty threats."
+"Watch me. Ill prove it."
+Page 195 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Hashimoto only helped Kanzaki in order for him to establish a
+relationship with Class B, but now his evaluation of Kanzaki had changed.
+Maybe he was more capable than he initially thought.
+"Sure. If you wish, I'Il beat you down even harder next time."
+"T don't know what dirty trick you still have up your sleeve, but I'm not
+the same as Ichinose. I won't show mercy. I hate that we lost in our own
+territory, so [ll fight with everything I've got."
+"Then let me look forward to when your class isn't so shit."
+Ryuuen laughed half-heartedly and started to relieve himself.
+Hashimoto, who wanted to continue talking, walked towards where
+Ryuuen stood.
+"It's getting interesting, Kanzaki. If anything ever happens, you've got to
+talk to me about it."
+Hashimoto thought that Kanzaki would leave after his declaration, so he
+left him with a parting message.
+Instead, Kanzaki walked towards Hashimoto, and ended up next to him.
+Page 196 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+***
+Page 197 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com | =
+He exerted a pressure that was felt by everyone present, to show that he
+had no intention of losing to them.
+After finishing off his business, Kanzaki once again spoke with
+conviction.
+"Remember what I said, Ryuuen."
+He left the toilet after saying that, a step ahead of the other two.
+"Hehehe. How scary!"
+"So are you going to completely destroy Class B now?"
+"Who knows."
+Ryuuen laughed as he avoided the question, and then remembered
+something completely unrelated.
+And that was the conversation involving Hashimoto and Kanzaki, which
+happened about an hour ago.
+Page 198 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 4
+After leaving Ichinose and Horikita, I was torn about whether I should go
+back or not.
+However, I bumped into Ryuuen, who led me to a deserted corner in
+Keyaki Mall.
+We kept our distance, so if someone saw us, we could just pretend to just
+be passing by each other as well.
+"Did you hear this from Ishizaki? Me being at Keyaki Mall, that is."
+"Yeah, I was looking for you."
+So he talked with Ishizaki and Ibuki for about an hour? Or did it end
+earlier?
+In any case, Ryuuen's eyes had more spirit in them than before.
+"You know my contact details. Wouldn't talking on the phone be easier?"
+"T wanted to talk to you and look at your senseless, severe face at the
+same time."
+Well, I'll listen to what he had to say for a bit.
+"What's that supposed to mean?"
+"That'- would be referring to the message I told Hiyori to pass on to him.
+I would have gotten more than 5 wins using a better strategy. I told her to
+tell this to Ryuuen. It seems like she had done her task well.
+Page 199 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After hearing my message from Hiyori, it led him to try to find me, was
+probably how this went.
+"T meant what I meant. I would have done a better job if it were up to
+99
+me.
+"I'm free to use whatever means necessary."
+"T don't want it to end like this. If you continue with your reckless
+strategies and get expelled as a result, I might even feel a bit lonely."
+I said those words naturally, but it didn't seem to affect Ryuuen's frame
+of mind.
+"Ahaha, what a joke. Losing to Sakayagani and you're still this calm!"
+"Our class did indeed lose to Sakayanagi. And since I served as the
+commander tower, I can't be excused from the responsibility of failure. But is
+Sakayanagi stronger than me? Fight her, and you'll find out."
+"Ha- are you underestimating me?"
+Ryuuen's smile disappeared as he approached me.
+"You, who have defeated even me, can't be weaker than Sakayanagi."
+It seemed like he was trying to provoke me, deliberately saying such
+demeaning words towards her.
+"Although I'm grateful for you trying to cheer me up after losing, but
+even if it's me, I can't possibly be lazy and not go all out during an exam,
+right?"
+"Sorry, I don't believe it at all. Rather than believe that you were serious
+during the exam, it's more believable that you didn't care about winning or
+losing from the start... it may also be because of the school arranging it to
+Page 200 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+make Class A win to save face. That's more believable to me."
+Although it wasn't the correct answer, it was close to the mark.
+Only Ryuuen had such a ridiculous comprehension ability in the whole
+school.
+Because he had previously battled against me, he had absolute conviction
+on this.
+""So...? What do you plan to do after your return, Ryuuen?"
+"Don't say I've returned without my permission. I intend to enjoy the
+holidays for just a bit longer."
+Ryuuen meant that he wouldn't officially participate in the battles
+between the classes for a while.
+"But... If I get tired of this, ll destroy Ichinose and Sakayanagi as a
+warm-up."
+"What an extreme change of heart!"
+"Kukuku, indeed. I'm shocked myself. I didn't expect to be able to get
+revenge on you so soon. I'm getting pumped up."
+"So that's how it is."
+The snake was about to wake up from hibernation.
+If that happens, neither Class B or Class A could ignore Ryuuen.
+Although it might be exactly what Sakayanagi wanted, it wouldn't be
+strange to see either class come out on top.
+"Td be grateful if you did that. If you're able to destroy Ichinose and
+Page 201 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Sakayangi, it'd be a great help. As it would allow us to accomplish our goal
+of reaching the upper classes without a hitch."
+Having the upper classes fight each other was essential for us in order to
+rise in the rankings.
+"T thought you weren't interested in the battles between classes."
+"Tt's a little different now. My class will be ranked near the top next year,
+even if I'm not here next year."
+** Ah?"
+"Even if I'm not here". Ryuuen seemed to be surprised by that.
+"Maybe I'm being targeted right now from a distance. If that's the case, it
+wouldn't be strange if I suddenly dropped out, right?"
+If Tsukishiro really intended to do this, some unavoidable situations will
+occur on my part.
+This would be the case even if I took unyielding measures to try to defend
+against them.
+Of course, I'm not going to make it any easier for my opponent.
+"Relax. The only person who can get you expelled is me."
+Ryuuen said in his characteristic confident style.
+"But-"
+Ryuuen, who was about to speak, suddenly disappeared from my field of
+vision.
+He attacked suddenly, going for my face without the slightest hesitation,
+Page 202 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+his sharp fingertips poised at my eyeballs. I had no choice but to dodge.
+""Aha!!"
+Ryuuen used the momentum to spin around and attempt to kick me with
+his right foot, but 1t was just a feint, and passed right over me.
+The real attack was from his left leg, using the force of the spin to make it
+even more powerful.
+I dodged it again, and distanced myself from Ryuuen.
+"Ha, you can even dodge like that after a surprise attack. How much of a
+monster are you!"
+"And you still dared to attack me first."
+Although it was just me and him, there were still a lot of surveillance
+cameras around.
+However, if the students in question didn't cause any problems, they' ll
+turn a blind eye to these small things. This was what allowed Ryuuen to go
+ahead with his characteristic brazen behaviour.
+"My instincts are telling me that I should eat you alive."
+Even in hibernation, snakes eat their prey by instinct.
+"Why aren't you attacking?"
+"T wanted to avoid the risk of fighting with you here. Besides, it's not the
+right time yet."
+"Haha. So this is the so-called calmness of the strong? You seem to be
+genuine about this, and it's making my skin crawl."
+Page 203 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+His eyes were shining like it had been before. No, this was even brighter.
+This wasn't the Ryuuen who had been lurking under the water for the past
+few months.
+"You've got a chance. Because of it, you'd better grow even stronger,
+Ryuuen."
+Maybe he didn't like the fact that I said it in a very patronising way, so he
+punched the wall.
+"Grow even stronger? Who are you, my teacher?"
+"I'm telling the truth. You're willing to use any means necessary, even
+relying on despicable, criminal means in order to achieve victory. I don't
+have any problem with that, but try not to be so obvious about it."
+** Ah?"
+"T've heard from Ishizaki that you used laxatives. Drugging them in the
+Karaoke room was a good idea, but if the food and drinks were kept as
+evidence, it would have been over for you. That's an act that will get you
+expelled without question. Even if what you did was ignored, peculiar
+behaviour during the exam will deepen the school's distrust of you. Your
+only salvation was that Ichinose didn't seem to want to complain about it."
+"Ichinose being a pushover was taken into consideration in my plans."
+"Tf that's the case, it's nothing more than a naive consideration. You' ll
+never surpass me like that."
+"... You really said it now."
+Ryuuen approached me once again.
+But it wasn't like before, as he didn't seem to want to attack me.
+Page 204 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Even if he was just suppressing his attacking intent, he wouldn't be too
+hard to deal with anyway...
+"You don't have to listen to my advice. But-fighting me now is
+impossible."
+Would Ryuuen accept advice from his enemy? This could determine
+whether he had a certain ability or not. Ryuuen seemed to calm down and
+took his fist off the wall.
+"T'll accept your garbage advice now. But one day I' defeat you."
+"That's not a bad motivation, Ryuuen. If I get expelled because of you,
+that wouldn't be so bad."
+Although he was angry, Ryuuen listened to what I said.
+And as a result, Ryuuen's future strategies would become even more
+ingenious.
+The competition we faced in the second year was now getting harder to
+imagine.
+Would Ryuuen sweep Sakayanagi out of the way and ascend directly to
+Class A, or would Sakayanagi stop him?
+Or would Ichinose come back even stronger in the future?
+Faced with the three-pronged attack, how deep would Horikita plunge into
+the battlefield?
+The battlefield would be a lot different than what it looked like during our
+first year, and it wouldn't be long until we were able to witness it first hand.
+Page 205 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 5
+That was what happened before the situation in the toilet.
+Glancing sideways at the leaving Kanzaki, Ryuuen said this.
+"Return to battle. Although I flashily defeated Class B as an opponent,
+there are still places to reflect on."
+Ryuuen admitted this. In order to defeat Ayanojouyji, he needed to admit
+what needed to be admitted.
+"How admirable. And I was thinking about what kind of dirty method
+you'll use next. Are you going to fight fairly like Kanzaki told you to?"
+"Ha! Who said I would do that?"
+"Huh?"
+"Although exploiting Ichinose's naivety was a good move, it left them too
+many opportunities to take advantage of it. That's why that small fry dare
+confront me."
+"*...90 that's what you mean."
+It wasn't the use of his despicable methods that needed reflection on.
+Instead, it was how he gave the game away by being not as careful as he
+should have been.
+"Next time, Ill destroy them even more perfectly and beautifully."
+No matter what kind of statement Kanzaki put out, Ryuuen would not act
+blindly during this period.
+Page 206 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If he really had hidden his fangs, Ryuuen would immediately know.
+"You've grown this year, Ryuuen. Establishing a relationship with you
+early on really was a good decision. It seems like I even have to consider the
+possibility of Sakayanagi being defeated by you."
+Hashimoto carefully observed Class B as he approached.
+In order to succeed, he had to graduate from Class A no matter what.
+Page 207 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 6
+It became noon and it started to rain heavily as if someone had up-ended a
+bucket full of water. The precipitation exceeded 30mm.
+I don't know why I didn't want to return to the dormitories, but I decided
+to stay in Keyaki mall by myself.
+It was convenient for almost anything and everything to be located on
+campus. This meant that even if it started raining heavily, I would have no
+problem getting back to the dorms because students were allowed to borrow
+an umbrella temporarily.
+As long as it was returned before the specified time, it was free. This led
+to many students using this service.
+There were some students who went out in the morning and didn't bring
+an umbrella. This was done to reduce the amount of things they had to carry.
+That being said, today was slightly different.
+Since it was raining this hard, an umbrella wouldn't have made a
+difference. You would've still gotten wet.
+"Tt shows no signs of stopping today."
+As predicted by the weather forecast, it would rain from about noon till
+tomorrow morning.
+My phone occasionally vibrated due to the Ayanokouji group.
+They discussed various topics, ranging from the rain to other causal
+topics.
+Page 208 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"What should I do?"
+I didn't feel like joining the conversation, so I'll just leave it alone. This
+way, the messages won't be displayed as "'read"'.
+I blankly stared at the screen as I loosely paid attention to the conversation
+in the group chat.
+And as if I suddenly remembered something, I repeatedly stared at the
+rain outside the window to pass the time.
+I'm not productive at all, wasting time like this.
+But doing this occasionally wasn't so bad.
+I did not return to the café.
+Instead, I randomly sat on a bench to kill time.
+That being said, I couldn't just continue doing this for hours.
+After listening to the rain for 20, 30 minutes, I decided to head back.
+I picked up my student ID and rented an umbrella from the machine.
+Even if I borrowed an umbrella, my lower body, especially below my
+knees, would still be soaked by the rain. However, it was better than nothing.
+I initially decided to head straight to the dormitory from here, but after
+taking one step out of the exit, I spotted a familiar student. Ichinose, amid this
+torrential rain. She was not holding an umbrella.
+It seemed like she had stayed in Keyaki mall ever since our conversation.
+There was no sign of her hanging out with her friends, and she was alone.
+Page 209 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She must have stayed and thought about a lot of things after parting with
+us.
+"She's been sorting out her thoughts ever since, huh."
+However, judging from her appearance, it didn't seem like she was very
+successful.
+If she headed back without an umbrella, there was no doubt that her whole
+body would get wet.
+I maybe thought she was waiting for a friend with an umbrella, but that
+did not seem to be the case.
+It might be an act of kindness to leave her alone... but I was a little
+worried considering that Class B has just suffered a complete defeat during
+the last exam.
+I hurried back to borrow another umbrella.
+As I returned a while later, I saw Ichinose walking forward in the rain,
+embracing the fact that she would be soaked.
+Ichinose wasn't walking towards the direction of the dormitory, but
+instead walked in the opposite direction, towards the school.
+Moreover, the raindrops bombarded her as she didn't have an umbrella.
+Although I could just watch her walk away—
+I still took the umbrellas, and chased after Ichinose.
+Due to the rain being too heavy, she couldn't seem to hear my footsteps.
+Even if I called out to her with my normal voice, she wouldn't be able to
+hear me.
+Page 210 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Ichinose continued to walk along the path towards the school. The school
+was within our line of sight.
+In the pouring rain like this, there would be no one around.
+Ichinose stood still and started looking at the sky, minding her own
+business.
+It seemed like instead of avoiding the rain, she wanted to be drenched by
+it.
+What were you feeling? What were you thinking about?
+It wouldn't be difficult to guess.
+Although I didn't mind letting her stay in the rain for as long as she
+wanted, she would definitely catch a cold if she stayed any longer.
+And if she caught a cold, she would become even more mentally fragile.
+That would be somewhat cruel to Ichinose in her current condition.
+"You'll catch a cold if you keep standing in a place like this-"
+Raising my voice slightly, I greeted Ichinose as I approached her.
+"... Ayanokouji-kun."
+As she didn't expect anyone to be nearby, Ichinose was a little surprised,
+but then she glanced at my direction.
+"* .. Yeah."
+She whispered softly, but didn't move an inch.
+Page 211 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She looked up into the sky once again, without fear of getting soaked.
+"You should go back first. I...would like to be soaked a little bit by the
+rain."
+Ichinose said to me, when I was close enough to hear her soft voice.
+"*"Lsee."
+It didn't seem right, using a "little bit" to describe the heavy rain.
+If I left her alone, Ichinose might stay in this rain for an hour or two.
+Page 212 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Even if I tried to persuade her, she wouldn't listen while in this condition.
+So, to make her listen, it seemed like I would have to use slightly tougher
+means.
+There was a particular method that worked on Ichinose in situations like
+this.
+I lowered my umbrella, closing it.
+And in an instant, the rain seeped into my body.
+"Aya-ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T thought I'd join you."
+Ichinose couldn't ignore my peculiar actions.
+"Why...?"
+"Occasionally, I enjoy standing in the rain and being soaked for no
+reason."
+This formed a clear contrast to Ichinose, who had a reason for wanting to
+get soaked.
+Though I had two umbrellas, the two of us were absolutely soaked.
+This was quite the strange experience.
+"Won't you catch a cold?"
+"T can say the same to you."
+Page 214 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T don't mind. Or rather, it would be good if I caught a small one."
+So that's the case. Standing in the rain and getting soaked would indeed
+be the best way to catch one.
+"Then maybe I'Il do the same."
+Of course, my answer would leave her confused. After all, she herself
+wouldn't say anything like "let's catch a cold together!" or something.
+"No way, Ayanokouji-kun. You should go back. After all, you have an
+umbrella."
+"Tt won't make much of a difference anymore."
+Everything under my clothes was already soaked, and it had penetrated
+my body.
+"Oh... honestly!"
+"Sorry about that."
+If Ichinose didn't go back, I wouldn't go back as well. Ichinose seems to
+have succumbed to my threat.
+"....1 get it now. Let's head back."
+"Tf so-'
+I wanted to pass the umbrella to her, but I didn't in the end.
+"We're already wet, so what would it matter if we use that!"
+"Haha, true."
+It would take a few minutes to get back to the dormitory.
+Page 215 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It wouldn't make much of a difference if we used an umbrella or not.
+As we got soaked by the rain, we took our first steps.
+Although I was fine with staying silent while we went back, Ichinose
+sighed soon after.
+"Ahh, ''m always showing you my weak sides... I'm so lame..."
+"Your weak sides? Maybe that's true."
+A while back when Sakayanagi was playing with Ichinose, she had once
+lost herself as well.
+"In front of others, I thought I could be more decisive and capable, so why
+is this happening?"
+"People can only show their weak sides to the people they trust. That's
+what I think anyway."
+At the very least, you don't want to show any weaknesses to the people
+you hated.
+Even if it were a lie, they still have to act strong. Only when they were
+alone would their weaknesses come forth.
+"That was conceited of me, forget what I said."
+"No... I think it's true. I think you're a trustworthy person. So that's why
+I always end up letting you hear my complaints. But... why does it feel like
+you're always by my side when I'm depressed?"
+"Well, those are all coincidences."
+"I'm really sorry."
+Page 216 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"There is no need to apologize. Besides, I don't think this is bad. But if
+the other students knew about this, they might get angry."
+Ichinose was a very popular girl in this school year.
+If ordinary boys hear this, they will definitely be envious.
+"Tf it's okay, you can complain to me all you want."
+"That—"
+With a look of anxiety, Ichinose shook her head from side to side.
+"No... 'm not okay with showing my weakness like that, it's way too
+lame. "
+Although it was slowly getting warmer, the temperature was still low.
+In the godforsaken heavy rain devoid of any people, we finally reached
+the dormitory.
+We were about to step into the lobby, but once again, Ichinose stopped
+moving.
+"T think you'd better go back first yourself, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"What are you going to do, Ichinose?"
+"T want to stay here for a bit, I... I don't want to go back to my room yet."
+Ichinose refused to go back and said that.
+This time however, there was a lot of willpower behind her refusal.
+"Even so, itll be better if you just went back."
+Page 217 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Having been continuously soaked by the rain, it might have distracted her
+from what she was feeling.
+But the rain was just that, a distraction. It wouldn't solve the fundamental
+problem.
+I didn't want to yield to Ichinose's resistance.
+"Even so... I don't want to go back... at least not right now."
+"Really? Then Pll stay here as well."
+Ichinose seemed to be surprised and confused by my unyielding attitude.
+"If I'm alone in my room, thinking, I'll just get depressed... So I don't
+want to go back."
+Ichinose would not go any further, even if we had continued to stay in the
+rain.
+If that's the case, then I'll have to use another method to get her moving.
+"You want to come to my room then?"
+"Fh?"
+Receiving an unexpected response, Ichinose attentively stared into my
+eyes.
+"If you have someone to talk to, then you won't be so depressed."
+"But...1?m all wet..."
+"Well, I'm just as wet as you are. If you don't want to come up, then [Il
+stay with you here, for as many hours as it will take."
+Page 218 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"You're unexpectedly stubborn."
+"Perhaps."
+And so we dragged our wet bodies into the dormitory.
+It was a relief that nobody was in the lobby at that time.
+And just like that, we took the elevator, and went up to my room on the
+fourth floor.
+"Please come in."
+"Are you sure?"
+"Uh-huh."
+".. sorry, thank you."
+I let Ichinose in my room and made her sit down.
+Sitting on the cold floor would only make your body colder, though.
+And wearing wet clothes wasn't good for the body either.
+I turned on the heat function of the air conditioner so that Ichinose would
+not get any colder.
+Then I took out a towel from the cabinet and handed it to her.
+"How about we talk about it?"
+"Talk... about what?"
+"Talk about what you're thinking about, and what you're worrying about,
+Page 219 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+and everything related to that."
+"That... But... But I... I can't!"
+Ichinose refused, seemingly confused.
+"T've always been relying on you recently, Ayanokouji-kun. I've received
+more help than anyone else. If I say this audaciously... No, I can't say it, it's
+too unsightly."
+Ichinose Homani was just a weak little girl
+And yet she had always maintained her composure as a leader.
+That was an ability a leader had to have.
+That composure was necessary to make the others feel that following their
+leadership was okay.
+The person leading had to show this to the people they were leading.
+"Ayanokouji-san, you already understand me very well."
+"Yeah, I'm very aware of your situation. But that's only limited to you as
+a person. I'm not aware of your troubles as Class B's leader."
+"You're even going out of your way to do this..."
+Ichinose covered her face with the towel, unable to be honest with
+herself.
+It's as if she's refusing to let me read her expression.
+"You can't trust me?"
+Page 220 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Fh?"
+Ichinose responded, still covering her face.
+"Tf that's the case, then you don't have to force yourself to speak. Rather,
+It's a mistake to let others hear it at all."
+"No... That's not it. I probably trust Ayanokouji-kun more than anyone
+else now..."
+As to whether that was a lie or the truth, it didn't matter here.
+Because whichever it was, I had intended to follow up with my next
+sentence anyway.
+"That's an honor, but how can you say that so easily? You don't know if
+I'm just taking advantage of your openness. Although it might just be a
+rumour, you told Sakayanagi about your past... right?"
+That event should still be fresh in her memory.
+The crime she committed during middle school, and how she wanted to
+keep it a secret.
+Although she shoplifted for the sake of her little sister, she still told this to
+Class A's Sakayanagi, her enemy.
+Although this was something that was hard to talk about, even to your
+very best friend, she ended up telling it to her enemy anyway, even if she was
+manipulated to.
+Even for a good person, this was rather excessive.
+"When you don't exactly know what your relationship is with the other
+person, you normally wouldn't spill your own secrets."
+Page 221 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Of course, if there was a reason for your actions, then it would be another
+Story.
+But what Ichinose did was meaningless.
+No, she knew she would regret it, but still did it anyway.
+"What will you do if the same thing happens again?"
+"Well, even for me, I don't want to see it happening again."
+With that said, Ichinose touched her bangs which were glossy from being
+wet.
+"T see. That's good. Now that you've become more aware of your
+situation, I won't discuss the topic further."
+"Ah, no. I definitely... won't suffer a crisis again for the same reasons as
+before. But Ayanokouji-kun is different."
+"T'm not your classmate. I'm still your enemy, and that won't change,
+right?"
+"T don't want to use that word so easily."
+"Even if you don't want to say it, it's the truth."
+"esebUtese*
+Unable to accept it, Ichinose rephrased her sentence.
+"Although you're not an ally... You're a trustworthy person."
+Through conveying it like this, the word "enemy" had been removed.
+The water I prepared before started boiling.
+Page 222 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T only have coffee, milk coffee, and hot cocoa."
+"Then... I'll have the cocoa."
+I nodded to Ichinose, who responded with a smile, and poured the cocoa
+into the cup.
+Drinking hot drinks could warm up your body.
+Soon, the rain subsided, and the sunset glow began to pierce through the
+clouds.
+Ichinose looked at this scenery for a little bit, then turned to me with a
+faint smile.
+After a while, Ichinose slowly started to talk about her feelings.
+"When I was assigned to Class B and met my classmates, I was confident
+in victory. People say I might have been too conceited, but I was blessed with
+excellent companions. That feeling hasn't changed."
+As if she were confirming it again, Ichinose said this.
+"Yet, the only miscalculation was me as the leader. If I took better action,
+Class B would definitely have more points than now."
+"T don't think so. I always considered you as an extraordinary person."
+Shaking her head, she refused my praise.
+"After speaking with Horikita-san today, I really felt that she has grown a
+lot as a person this year. The same is true for Sakayanagi-san and Ryuuen-
+kun. No matter which class it is, their leader is getting stronger."
+Unlike those who were constantly showing growth, Ichinose wasn't able
+Page 223 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+to see her own growth in the past year.
+Because of that feeling, she had lost confidence in herself.
+As she felt like she was losing herself and her self-confidence, she also
+had the impression that the others were leaving her behind.
+"Will... Will I be able to win in the future?"
+"Will you be able to win in the future, huh."
+"If I said that I wanted to hear your opinions, would you answer me
+honestly?"
+"Tf that's what you want, I guess I could."
+My answer wasn't necessarily right.
+However, Ichinose wanted an answer now.
+But this was not something that can be clearly answered now.
+The future had not yet been determined, and there were endless numbers
+of possibilities.
+I know that Ichinose wasn't the type of student to give up so easily here.
+"We're about to be in our 2nd years soon. That is to say, the new year is
+coming."
+Teal."
+"Throughout the year, no matter what, you'll have to fight together with
+your classmates. During then, you might experience happiness, sadness, and
+sometimes hardships as well, but even so, you must never stop advancing."
+Page 224 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Ichinose Honami has done her role as Class B's leader to the best of her
+abilities up to now.
+The only thing Ichinose Honami can do as the leader of Class B right
+now, was to recklessly continue to live her life as she has done up until now.
+She needed to trust in her comrades, and fight until the end. That was the
+only option she had. This was the weapon that only Class B was allowed.
+"And then... will this...be my answer...after a year, I wonder?..."
+She was talking about herself one year later.
+Surely she must be feeling extremely uneasy.
+"T'm afraid. I'm afraid to find out... what you will tell me in a year...."
+Starting off at Class B wasn't bad in the Advanced Nurturing High
+School.
+Ichinose spent a year with her classmates, and protected that position.
+Surrounded by many companions, her school life had been smooth
+sailing.
+However, if you weren't paying attention, even for just a moment, you
+might find that the gap between the classes behind was closing.
+Defeat had finally caught up to Ichinose, and it was staring into her eyes.
+ne) (eek
+"T understand. It's hard to accept that as an answer."
+Ichinose turned her gaze away.
+Page 225 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I couldn't answer her question regarding whether she would win in the
+future. No, there was no need to answer that.
+Judging from the current situation, a large gap between the classes in
+terms of combat ability was growing.
+If you objectively analyse the current situation, the class at the bottom
+next year would probably be Class B.
+That was what made Ichinose feel so uneasy.
+It wasn't the cold but instead the fear that was penetrating her body and
+made her tremble slightly.
+"What should I do... What can I do..."
+She looked so weak. Ichinose certainly would not allow any other
+students to see her like this.
+Especially her classmates.
+It's a simple task to say tender words to the Ichinose who had opened her
+heart out to me. It also wouldn't be much harder to whisper gentle and sweet
+words, delivering them right through the gap in her heart.
+It might even be possible for me to touch her skin hidden beneath her wet
+clothes.
+I moved a little, as Ichinose reacted excessively and lifted her head to look
+at me.
+I moved to Ichinose's side and sat down, maintaining my position, and
+tightly caught her gaze, which looked like it wanted to escape.
+"A-Ayanokouji-kun...?"
+Page 226 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I stretched out my right hand and touched Ichinose's wet hair, then I
+lightly stroked her cheek.
+There was a cold and soft sensation.
+Next was the faint, enveloping warmth, which spread from my fingertips.
+Then, I moved my thumb, and gently caressed her lips
+By doing that, her body's trembling lessened and soon her trembling lips
+had also calmed down.
+Under normal conditions, this kind of action would be rejected by anyone
+and they will try to run. However, Ichinose didn't run away.
+"It's so strange... You really are a mysterious person... Ayanokouji-
+kun..."
+"Perhaps."
+After ending the conversation, I stared at Ichinose. Nothing more, nothing
+less.
+"Now, Ichinose, will you meet up with me again next year on this day?"
+""...What do you mean?"
+She did not try to escape the touch of my palm, as she stared at me with
+her moist eyes.
+""T meant what I said. I want to meet you again next year. No one else,
+just us."
+This may sound like some kind of confession.
+Page 227 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But, this would end now. I gently moved my hand away from Ichinose's
+cheek, stood up, and distanced myself from Ichinose.
+"Tn the coming year, don't feel trapped by confusion and uncertainty, just
+keep moving forward. Then, talk with me again next year. Can you promise
+me this?"
+"That..."
+She hesitated for a moment.
+"But what if...I at that time... our classes..."
+"It doesn't matter. I just want to see the Ichinose a year later."
+Ichinose closed her eyes and nodded slightly.
+"T will convey to you then what I wanted to tell you now, that's a
+promise."
+"Yes. Thank you... Ayanokouji-kun."
+Some kind of brightness had started to return to her eyes, devoid of
+energy.
+"T will also promise this. I will fight with all my strength and overtake
+Class A this year."
+Ichinose let out the brightest smile she had all this time.
+We made a promise to meet again one year later.
+If both of us survived, then this promise would be fulfilled.
+Class B, led by Ichinose Honami.
+Page 228 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+What would happen to them in the future?
+There were a lot of factors I'm pessimistic about, but the future wasn't set
+in stone.
+However... If she does fall during the second year, then I will be the one
+to finish her off.*
+TL note:*Original Japanese used is "Kaishaku'', it refers to the act of
+beheading someone who has committed seppuku, to make them die more
+quickly and without pain.
+Page 229 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Chapter 4 - From a Brother to a Sister
+Intro
+The second day, 31st of March.
+For me, this was a special day that had finally arrived.
+That's right, it was the day when the elder Horikita embarked on his next
+journey.
+We agreed to meet at noon. I was early, as usual, and reached the main
+entrance of the school.
+He seemed to have kept his word and hadn't told anyone else that he was
+leaving then. There was no one around, except for me.
+My eyes were drawn towards the figures of the students who were headed
+to Keyaki Mall as I quietly waited for his arrival.
+A year ago, I came to this school through this very entrance.
+Although you might hang out near here occasionally, this was not a place
+people went to often.
+If it was a club activity or a special exam, you could take the bus that
+passes through here. Still, if you wanted to walk out of the entrance, it had to
+be because you graduated, or you were expelled.
+Page 230 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Since you couldn't repeat a year, one of those two situations would
+inevitably occur within the 3 years.
+"T've been thinking about this a lot recently."
+It was almost the start of the second year.
+I reflected on my own change in attitude, and it was like I turned into a
+different person.
+Just 20 minutes before the agreed time, Horikita's brother finally arrived.
+After confirming it was me, the elder Horikita lightly looked at the area
+around me. It was obvious what he was looking for.
+"Unfortunately, your sister isn't here yet."
+"That seems to be the case."
+The time now was 11:40 AM.
+It wasn't too late. But considering that there wasn't much time left, she
+should really have arrived earlier.
+I thought about the talk with Ichinose yesterday.
+I remembered what Horikita looked like as she did what she needed to
+during then.
+Was there something going on?
+"Pll call her."
+I suggested this. If it was me who was calling her, the elder Hroikita
+would agree to it.
+Page 231 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although, that was what I thought...
+"That's alright, there's no need."
+The elder Horikita gently stopped me with his hand, stopping me from
+doing so.
+"If she wasn't feeling well, she would have contacted me in advance."
+"She might just be oversleeping."
+Although that was unlikely, I still mentioned that possibility.
+"Tf that's the case, there's no need to wake her up."
+He was saying that if she had overslept on such a momentous occasion,
+then she wouldn't be worth acknowledging.
+Even though it was his last day, his attitude was the same as ever.
+"Oh well! There shouldn't be a problem. After all, there's still time."
+She might be nervously staying in her room until the last moment,
+because of the fact that it was her brother that she was going to meet.
+"Let's not talk about that for the time being. I didn't expect you to come
+so early."
+"T thought that you would come early as well."
+We agreed to meet at noon.
+There was more than enough time before the bus departed.
+But for their final farewell, I expected the Horikita siblings to have a long
+talk here.
+Page 232 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+And so unsurprisingly, the elder Horikita came 20 minutes early.
+What both of us did not expect was that the younger Horikita, who should
+have been the central character here, had not arrived yet.
+Anyways, since she hadn't arrived yet, we could only talk about things
+relating to both of us.
+It was just a waste of time if nothing was said, and if we just waited for
+the time to pass.
+After thinking a bit, I mentioned something that I started to care about
+recently.
+"Sorry. If only I could have done more for you when you were on the
+student council."
+The elder Horikita had discussed with me how to stop Nagumo from
+doing whatever he wanted.
+However, at that time, due to my wish to live a peaceful life, I did not
+agree to his request.
+Although he introduced me to Vice President Kiriyama, our relationship
+ended there.
+As aresult, Kirtyama still had no plan to act to this day.
+"That was my responsibility. It was my fault to impose it all on you, so
+don't mind it."
+For the elder Horikita, this school was now a thing of the past.
+What the school would look like later, Horikita did not need to care.
+Page 233 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"But even so, I'll give you this last piece of advice. I've always adopted
+an assured attitude towards the rules of the school. Although it's a
+meritocracy, the lower-ranked classes still have a chance for victory. It's by
+no means an easy fight for any class."
+"T don't think that's very reasonable considering the fact you've stayed in
+Class A for three whole years."
+"Yet, I think most of the students haven't noticed the essence of that fact.
+Of course, many things can be improved on the school's side. But you just
+need to look at the past to understand that no matter if it was the unmanned
+island test or the end of year exam, there is always an opportunity for the
+lower classes to beat the upper classes."
+Competence was needed not only in written exams, but also in special
+exams.
+In the unmanned island test, as long as we were united, defeating Class A
+and B wasn't difficult.
+The same was true at the end of year exam. Although luck was a factor, it
+was also proof that a lower class might take wins.
+"Luck largely determines victory or defeat for the immature first years in
+the lower class to defeat the upper class. But... it's also difficult for the upper
+classes to accept that. That's one of the elements that's irritating."
+If the school was too considerate for the lower levels, the upper levels
+would be dissatisfied.
+Without mentioning the method of using 20 million private points to
+move up, the system at the school was based on the classes fighting as a
+whole in order to move up the rankings, and as such, was a structure that
+didn't ignore the students with low abilities.
+No matter which class, there were outstanding students, as well as
+Page 234 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+students on a lower level than them.
+Nagumo, who had experienced a year of these examinations, came up
+with an idea.
+That was to create a system that favoured the powerful, allowing people to
+with their own personal strength.
+The strong would keep climbing, while the weak would keep falling.
+"Perhaps what Nagumo wants to do isn't necessarily wrong."
+There would be people who would be dissatisfied by it, but there would
+also be a lot of students who would approve.
+Most of the current 2nd years would agree with it.
+Of course, not everyone actually agreed from the heart.
+Driven by their surrounding trends, the number of students who agreed
+because they had no other choice would not be small.
+If every person had strong abilities, then all the classes would be engaged
+in fierce competition.
+"Ts there a big gap between the 2nd years? I mean in terms of class
+points."
+"There is. Nagumo's Class A had 1491 points in March, Class B had 889,
+Class C had 280, and Class D had 76 points."
+Considering there was only one year left, Class A was already in a stable
+situation.
+And so under those circumstances, Nagumo was bold enough to go
+forward with a proposal to help the lower classes.
+Page 235 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+With only 76 points to their name, Class D's situation would be
+impossible to reverse.
+"There are a lot of people who agree with him. If they can't win with the
+whole class, people who want to go to Class A can only hope for a system
+that would allow them to win with their own power."
+"That might be the case. But Nagumo's approach would leave many
+people misfortunate."
+If you become too powerful and individualistic, your classmates would
+become overly suspicious towards you.
+And then everyone around you would turn into enemies.
+The elder Horikita, no, Horikita Manabu still believed that the cooperation
+within the system known as a class was still necessary.
+This was the type of system that had been selected after clearly
+considering what the future would hold.
+"Isn't it the same with the current system? The three classes outside of
+Class A are all unfortunate."
+What Nagumo's ideal system would be, we could only imagine.
+If the system of personal victory was implemented and successfully
+established, it may be beneficial for classes that didn't have 40 students in
+them any more.
+"Exactly. So it's like-"
+As soon as I started speaking, the elder Horikita cut in.
+"Using the collective private points of Class B and below, and use them to
+Page 236 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+gamble on who gets the right to move up to Class A."
+As he had the same thoughts as I did, I nodded.
+If we ignore the expelled students, there were 120 students from Class B
+to D.
+If they pool up their personal points, they would easily exceed 20 million
+points.
+It was even possible to reach 40 or even 60 million private points.
+Of course, not everyone would agree to participate in that gamble.
+Although I don't know how the system had changed now, we were able to
+cash in these private points at graduation until recently.
+Even if you were in Class D, as long as you had enough cash in hand after
+graduating, there would exist some students who didn't care anymore.
+If there really were people with money who met the conditions, 1t would
+be better for them to choose participation.
+Anyway, if the class's victory couldn't be achieved, gambling with the
+points as a last resort wasn't a bad thing.
+It would increase the number of students getting into Class A.
+For the academic year that had the largest gap between Class A and the
+classes below, this was realistically the last chance to achieve that dream.
+"Didn't that happen in your year?"
+"Tt would be a bit deceptive if I say that this idea didn't arise. But it didn't
+happen. Because Class A and B were constantly competing, Class C and D
+didn't gain enough points."
+Page 237 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I thought about the time I came into contact with the 3rd year Class Ds
+just after I enrolled, when they were in an awkward position in terms of
+points.
+If a class lost continuously, it would get harder and harder to gain
+personal points. It wasn't good at all to spend several months with 0 personal
+points.
+"Tf it's only to this extent, it won't have that much of an impact. However,
+if Nagumo's plans mean that even his own Class A will be affected by, his
+classmates will also be at risk."
+This way, students who lacked strength in Class A had the risk of falling
+behind. This was the obvious risk.
+In Class A, if only Nagumo was within the safe range, then the
+meritocracy wouldn't be supported by his own classmates.
+All classes should be treated fairly, whether it was Class A or Class D.
+"Although I don't know what he intends to do, it's a decision that requires
+courage."
+"That bastard is bored with what it takes to win as it is now. That's
+probably the reason for all this. Joming the student council was probably just
+to kill some time."
+Noone would have the right to express any dissatisfaction towards him
+and his ability which was the foundation for him gaining support.
+"A class is a community with a shared destiny. I don't think this system
+should be broken."
+"So you don't agree with Nagumo's approach."
+Page 238 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Although he did not nod in response, the elder Horikita accepted what I
+said just like that.
+Although I understood what he wanted to say, neither side could be
+considered correct. However...
+"T plan to observe what Nagumo wants to do. If he really plans to change
+the entire grade, no, the entire school into a meritocracy, I'll have to witness
+it first before making any judgements."
+I decided to tell him about my future plans without hiding it.
+"So that's it, huh. You're advancing to a higher level than me."
+"You flatter me."
+It just meant that I had no intention to stop Nagumo, as well as having no
+means to stop it.
+It wouldn't be so bad if I merely observed what Nagumo would do to this
+school.
+After all, the elder Horikita's efforts in defending against Nagumo's
+attacks in his final year had already cut deep in his body.
+"T'm not the person you think I am."
+"No, I'm sorry, but I don't think so."
+Facing my modesty, the elder Horikita strongly rejected it.
+"In any case, it seems like your evaluation of me won't drop."
+"If my evaluation would drop, it would already have done so."
+Speaking of this, the elder Horikita hadn't changed his evaluation of me
+Page 239 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+for about a year now.
+No matter what he knew and what he didn't, his evaluation didn't change.
+"T can't seem to understand. What part of my body, what essential factor
+of it that allowed me to gain your approval."
+Why did he think I was different from other students?
+The elder Horikita had data, which was my joke-like score from my
+entrance exam, as well as the brief confrontation we had when I tried to
+intervene to save his sister.
+In addition to those encounters, my running speed had been revealed to
+this man when I ran against him in the relay race.
+But in reality, he didn't know the true extent of my academics and
+athletics.
+"T think that using my own perception and intuition, I can figure out the
+skill of my opponent to some extent."
+Rather than say this was specific, this was more of an abstract way of
+expressing it.
+It was amazing that I could be judged to this extent through that method.
+"Relying on what you call perception, what do I look like? I want to hear
+your answer, as a parting gift."
+Because this was interesting to me, I decided to ask him.
+In fact, I wanted to find out how similar his evaluation of me was to my
+own self-evaluation.
+The elder Horikita probably would answer honestly.
+Page 240 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Yes. In my eyes..."
+After a pause, Horikita recalled what he thought of me during the previous
+year.
+"You have greatly surpassed my prediction based on my experience in life
+so far. There are no flaws in your strategies. Aside from your strategic
+ingenuity, you are not someone I can beat in terms of physical strength. Of all
+the opponents I faced, you are that one person I don't want to fight."
+Another exaggerated evaluation. If this were just his perceptual evaluation
+of me, then it would be truer.
+"So you're saying that you concede defeat to me?"
+"That is a different matter. Even facing a perfect opponent, there are still
+chances to win.
+I felt relieved after hearing the elder Horikita's response.
+"Not to mention that the students compete along with their classes. No
+matter how outstanding the individual is, there must be a limit.
+"Yes. This is the exact reason I find it interesting."
+"Ayanokouji. What kind of environment did you grow up in? These
+abilities are certainly not inherently possessed. Even if you were educated
+thoroughly by your family, it's not an easy task to reach that territory."
+"Didn't you grow up in an unordinary family environment as well?
+An elite capable of even being president of the student council should be
+able to understand how the climb upwards worked.
+"No matter what it was, nothing would be given to you, just like that.
+Page 241 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+There was also a period of time when I was distressed, because I was making
+no progress. However, I've made unremitting efforts to overcome all of this.
+No matter if it's from childhood to now, or from now to the future. "
+He stood on top of all of his accumulated efforts. That was what the elder
+Horikita was saying.
+"Based on your theory, I should've put in more effort than how much
+you've put in.
+io ESE.
+To beat a hardworking person, more effort was needed.
+Although this was not all, it was still an answer.
+Horikita took out his phone and showed me the screen which displayed a
+phone number.
+Then he switched the screen to show another number.
+"Remember these two numbers. One is mine, and the other is
+Tachibana's. If you have any problems after you graduate, you can always
+talk to us. If you can't remember these numbers, you can save it now, but it
+has to be deleted later."
+Contact with people outside the school was prohibited. If I noted the
+number down carelessly, it would only hurt me.
+I nodded slightly to indicate that there was no problem, and saved the 11-
+digit number in my brain.
+Although it was impossible for me to imagine a day where those numbers
+were needed, I wouldn't lose anything just by memorizing them.
+"T haven't asked you yet, where do you plan to go afterwards?"
+Page 242 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Because he told me Tachibana's number, I now knew that they would
+keep in touch after graduation.
+"About that-"
+Horikita, who was about to speak, stopped after confirming the time on
+his phone.
+"T'll tell you about it after you graduate, it's almost time."
+It was almost noon.
+In other words, it was the appointed time to meet the younger Horikita.
+However, Horikita was nowhere to be seen. Even if the elder Horikita's
+expression was the same as usual, I felt a little lonely.
+"T'1l contact her."
+I don't think that that person would go against her feelings and not show
+up now.
+If she hadn't overslept, it is more realistic to think that she was involved
+in some sort of incident.
+"No, that still isn't necessary."
+Even if an incident did occur, the elder Horikita had already prepared in
+the case that she didn't show up.
+Although I understood that he did not hate his sister from the events that
+had happened up until now, but this was a bit...
+"There's no need to be so stubborn, there's no harm if you sometimes be
+the one to initiate contact."
+Page 243 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"I'm afraid that temporarily showing emotion could hinder my sister's
+growth. It's fine if she was late because she was caught in some sort of
+accident, but if she decided that she would experience growth by not seeing
+me here, then that's even better. If that's the case, my behaviour here will
+only be an obstacle.
+"Just by avoiding you, she'll grow? Is this what you think your sister
+believes?"
+""Suzune will decide on that."
+This was not something that an outsider could make thoughtless remarks
+about. The elder Horikita said that, allusively.
+"T haven't seen you indulge her at all."
+"T was just judging on what situation in which I should indulge her."
+I think that this was the right situation for him to do so.
+A minute had passed after reaching noon.
+I thought that he would immediately head towards the main gate, but he
+did not start walking.
+Although it didn't seem like he indulged her by doing so, this could be
+considered something like that.
+"T also have something to confirm with you. I also want you to answer
+me, as a parting gift.
+The elder Horikita looked at me and said that.
+I nodded my head, going along with the very last time he was going to
+show this side of his.
+Page 244 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Tt's fine if you can't answer this fully."
+After this exchange happened, perhaps the elder Horikita would finally
+head towards the main entrance.
+"Why do you hide your abilities?"
+Although I wasn't surprised, this really was a question that got straight to
+the point.
+"T simply just don't like attracting attention to myself."
+"Even if you truly want to conceal your true self, is this something you
+can stick by?"
+"How do I say this, I haven't thought of that."
+I wanted to enter this school and live a normal student's life.
+But having been asked this question, I had a bit of doubt creep up on me.
+"T decided to live the life of a normal high school student that you can find
+anywhere. I had to solve some problems by myself to keep that life a reality.
+"Do you plan to continue doing this in the future?"
+"Tt's hard to say. There's been an increase in things that attracted my
+attention. I won't have to get serious for most of these things, but it's still
+more than before."
+To be honest, there were still many parts I wasn't sure about, so I bluntly
+told him what I was feeling now.
+Hearing that, what kind of answer would the elder Horikita have?
+Page 245 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"What I accomplished at the school, and what I couldn't. I've been
+thinking about those things recently."
+With that said, the elder Horikita looked in the direction of the school for
+a while.
+"Have I completely shown my strength, did I still have room to grow,
+those kinds of things."
+In other words, he lived in almost completely opposite circumstances to
+mine.
+It was for this reason that he climbed to the position of student council
+president.
+"Do you really think that continuing like this will have any meaning in the
+future?"
+"Tf you look at it from my perspective, wanting to live a comfortable life,
+I'd say that has meaning."
+"Maybe so. But don't you want to leave something here while at this
+school? If that's the case, then I think the question "Do you really think that
+continuing like this will have any meaning in the future?" 1s something you
+should think about carefully.
+"Leave something behind... that's something that only someone that
+stands out as much as you can do."
+I denied the possibility, but the elder Horikita did not agree with me.
+"If you can't imprint your legacy at the school itself, you just need to do it
+to the students. Let the student known as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka be carved into
+the minds of the students, and they will not forget your existence."
+Carve my existence into someone's mind. I've never thought of doing
+Page 246 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+such a thing.
+"I'm very grateful to you for helping my sister to grow. You have hidden
+your great power, and throughout the year, I have come to fully understand
+that. You are not a man who would stop at just this level. And that's why...
+don't disappoint me."
+This was a strong piece of encouragement from the former president of
+the student council of the Advanced Nurturing highschool.
+"If you are truly going to pursue yourself despite the restrictions, then in
+these three years, you will be an existence that will be remembered by
+others."
+"Becoming an unforgettable existence? It's still possible for me to be
+expelled during the second and third years."
+"Even if you were involved in some number of incidents these three years
+and face the fate of dropping out, you will still remain in the memory of
+others. As long as there are students looking back at the three years and
+thinking that "The existence of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is truly great," I think it
+can already be considered a success."
+The elder Horikita said it once more, and I felt his words slowly sinking
+into my heart.
+"T understand....yeah. I will think about this more carefully."
+That was the best answer I can give right now.
+"That's alright. The answer to this question is not something I have to
+reach, it is something you, Ayanokouji, have to figure out yourself."
+No matter if it was about issues of the student council led by Nagumo, the
+younger Horikita, or the school itself.
+Page 247 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The final decision was mine.
+This world was full of ingredients which would allow growth. Wherever it
+is, there are always reminders to improve yourself.
+This was also the case with the elder Horikita. Even if I spent my school
+life silently, there would undoubtedly be something I left behind.
+I wanted memories.
+Random memories which could make me feel happy.
+At the beginning, I was satisfied with what I was. So in the past year, 've
+tried my best to live a quiet life.
+But this might not be the correct answer. There had to be a meaning for
+me to come to this school. And so because of this.
+"For our final moments, I spoke about a lot of weird stuff. Sorry."
+"No, I think these are the most meaningful words an underclassman has
+spoken to me."
+You leaving, it made me feel a bit lonely.
+I swallowed this sentence as soon as it reached my lips.
+'""Ahh... It seems like we've both seen a side of each other we hadn't
+before."
+We both understood the distance between us, allowing us to talk to each
+other.
+Moreover, some things can be understood even if they were not expressed
+in words.
+Page 248 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"It's almost time to go."
+The elder Horkita was probably saying that he didn't think the younger
+Horikita would show up after 12:10.
+He then reluctantly looked towards the school, in the direction of the first
+year's dormitory.
+The sister who should have arrived didn't. Noone expected it to be like
+this.
+Was that your answer? Horikita. I couldn't help but ask that.
+I admit that the relationship between those two siblings was indeed a bit
+different.
+However, you had suffered for many years in order to break this
+relationship.
+And now it was almost time for the final answer to be revealed.
+I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. I'll use forceful methods
+if I had to, if it meant getting her here.
+Even if it was just for a moment, even if it was just a glance, as long as
+this can serve as food for Horikita's psyche, then being forceful...no-1t would
+only be counterproductive.
+It might even create a rift between this relationship between siblings that
+had just begun to heal.
+It didn't matter if I wanted the meeting to happen or not, in the end, it was
+based on the thoughts and feelings of those two people.
+It wasn't something that an outsider should interfere with.
+Page 249 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T'm really sorry. My sister is still causing you trouble at the very end."
+As if he saw through my feelings, the elder Horikita quietly apologized.
+"Tt's not like I've lost anything from this."
+As he turned around, the man who was at the forefront of the school for 3
+years prepared to leave.
+"T can say that these three years, I have continuously walked at the
+forefront of the school itself."
+This was his conclusion. The elder Horikita's final words after reviewing
+his past 3 years.
+"Halfway through, I've lost a lot of classmates. Other students in other
+classes have the same experiences."
+The elder Horikita didn't show joy in graduating from Class A.
+Even so, he was not pessimistic. Just a solemn reflection of past events.
+"There were 24 dropouts before our graduation. There were 13 in our 3rd
+year alone."
+I didn't know if that number was particularly large compared to previous
+years.
+In Nagumo's 2nd year, there should be 17 dropouts in the winter
+semester.
+"In your first year, only 3 have dropped out so far."
+It wasn't difficult to imagine that as the school years passed, the situation
+would become more and more serious.
+Page 250 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Of course, students who cannot complete a task will be expelled."
+"True. The students who get left behind are the ones with low-level
+abilities. However, sometimes, an excellent student gets left behind as well."
+In order to protect someone, or being trapped by a more powerful
+opponent.
+How an excellent student could get expelled wasn't hard to conceive.
+"Now, I also have some doubts about how the school approaches this. But
+I'm still thankful towards the school."
+Occasionally, fellow classmates would drop out unexpectedly, but the
+elder Horikita did not criticize the school's way of doing things.
+"The students of this school are educated for the future of Japan. In a
+hundred people, not all of them will be able to adapt. The same is true for
+finding a university or finding a job in a company."
+It was not only about passing or failing, but there could be various
+influences which decided whether a person was qualified.
+"I've come to understand this concept. I can feel it from my skin, after
+leaving this place, I won't fail in any future selections due to any tactlessness
+or impulsiveness."
+It seems like he had achieved this amount of growth. How many students
+in the same year have reached the same heights?
+"Let's call it a day here."
+The main entrance. Elder Horikita looked at the main entrance, which was
+a few meters in front of him. Then-for the last time, he looked back at me.
+"Although this is a one-sided request, I'Il leave Suzune in your care."
+Page 251 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+While saying this, elder Horikita stretched out his hands toward me.
+"Can I shake your hand?"
+"Sure."
+I shook the hand he held out.
+Shaking hands was the act of gripping the other's hand with my own
+hand.
+The elder Horikita's grip contained incredible power.
+Afterwards, both hands naturally let go.
+"Until we meet again, Ayanokouji."
+After leaving this farewell message for me, the elder Horikita headed
+towards the main entrance.
+If he was going to leave now, then no one can do anything about it.
+The shortest time would be 2 years until I could see the elder Horikita
+again, or if I took the path of dropping out.
+But I will never see this man again.
+1°?
+"Brother.
+A shout came from behind me.
+As for whose voice it was, there was no doubt it was that person.
+After hearing this voice, the elder Horikita stopped walking.
+Page 252 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It seems at the very end, she was able to catch up.
+Noon had passed, and the elder Horikita was a few steps away before
+leaving this place.
+If she arrived even a minute late, she wouldn't have been able to see his
+face.
+When elder Horikita turned around, he had a surprised expression which
+I've never seen before.
+Was it his sister's arrival which surprised him?
+This was, of course, a possibility.
+Although that's what I thought, that didn't seem to be the case.
+No, it should be said that's not the only reason.
+I immediately found out the real reason the elder Horikita was surprised.
+***
+Arriving after the appointed time, Horikita Suzune hurriedly stood to my
+side as she panted.
+But right now, to Horikita Suzune, there was no difference between me
+and the background.
+I was not in her field of vision.
+She took a step towards her brother while catching her breath.
+"I'm sorry, I'm late...!"
+She apologized to her brother with her head down.
+Page 253 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But why were you late?
+That was the question everyone had on their mind.
+"No-
+But this time, she did not need to answer that question.
+Just once glance towards her would tell you the reason behind her
+lateness.
+Confusion. No, pure amazement.
+Because the Horikita I was looking at now was a lot different from the
+one I saw yesterday.
+So that's what happened.
+This was why right after she entered this school, the elder Horikita was
+able to immediately understand why she was unable to grow.
+The elder Horikita stared blankly at the condition of Horikita.
+I was the same.
+I had fully understood on the day of her brother's farewell, Horikita came
+here, fully aware of her lateness.
+The elder Horikita could never find fault with having such a sister.
+"You've changed."
+The elder Horikita, who after seeing his sister felt relieved, said softly.
+"T've...changed?"
+Page 254 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"No-let me correct myself. You've returned back to your own self,
+Suzune."
+This wasn't a new beginning, but instead a return to one's roots.
+"One year, No... many years have passed."
+As Horikita adjusted her breathing, she slowly answered her brother's
+questions.
+"What couldn't I return to my past self earlier... Pve always felt regret
+over that."
+With one step, Horikita closed the distance with her brother.
+"What is the current you thinking about now?"
+"What is it... honestly, I'd be lying if I didn't say my heart was all over
+the place right now."
+Horikita's face was full of perplexment as she stumbled over her words.
+The elder Horikita looked at her gently while waiting for her to sort her
+words out.
+"But, the only thing I can say for certain is this. The old me...always,
+always just followed your shadow, but I'm no longer that person anymore."
+Horikita Suzune had only thought about her brother's affairs, and
+therefore had only lived for her brother so far.
+It was all about learning more and getting more athletic to gain approval
+from her brother.
+"Then I ask you this, to you who has finally stopped chasing after me.
+Page 255 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+How will you live in the future?"
+The brother raised this question.
+Horikita got her breathing under control and chose her words carefully.
+"T'll no longer chase the backs of others, so I' have to find my own
+path."
+The Horikita now had just got rid of her confusion.
+She had just become able to see her surroundings as they were.
+Even so, she wouldn't just stop there.
+"And then-"
+Walk on her own path.
+What seemed like a simple task here was actually extremely difficult.
+But just by letting him see this, it was already the perfect farewell present
+for the elder Horikita.
+However, Horikita didn't seem like she's going to be done with just that.
+"After that, for my classmates, Ill walk ahead of them."
+Becoming a role model for the people around you, guiding them to
+***
+That was an important element to becoming a leader.
+"And in order to find my own way, I will learn together with my
+companions at this school."
+Page 256 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+When I met Horikita a year ago, I didn't expect her to grow to this extent.
+A bit better than ordinary people, a little arrogant top student. We were
+just neighbours who sat next to each other.
+For better or worse, it was her own personal strength that made that
+impression.
+"That's it. You've finally... returned to the past. This is the past you that I
+remember, lurking in the corners of my memories."
+Only the elder Horikita had seen this before, unlike me.
+He was someone that knew and believed in the potential of his sister more
+than anyone else.
+The elder Horikita put down his luggage and walked towards his sister.
+The emotional distance between them was finally realized, but they were
+about to be separated.
+The siblings have reached the distance where if you'd just extend your
+hand, you could reach the other.
+"Do you know the biggest reason I pushed you away?"
+".... don't."
+Perhaps Horikita didn't know what her brother was thinking now.
+She had just been freed from her chains known as the past.
+It was like forcibly breaking open a locked treasure chest.
+Meaning that she had not yet found the 'key' to the answer.
+Page 257 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Why did the elder Horikita always refuse his sister?
+Why did he push her away with such a severe expression?
+"T've always considered the affairs concerning you to be very important."
+"ym
+As if telling her what that 'key' was, the elder Horikita gave her his final
+gift.
+"And, when you were still a child, I sensed great potential in you.
+Although not yet mature, I saw an unpolished diamond. I was looking
+forward to seeing that rough stone getting polished, gaining a power
+surpassing me."
+The elder Horikita took the last step.
+The distance already reached the point where you just needed to raise
+your arm to touch the other.
+"However, you were trapped in an illusion. You decided that you were
+inferior to me, and gave up because you thought it was impossible to surpass
+me. And you chose to abandon the space for your own personal development.
+I just can't forgive such a thing."
+She just wanted to pursue her brother's shadow, and be on the same level
+as him.
+That wasn't a bad thing.
+It could even be considered to be a grand goal.
+But in other words, her goal is to be on the same level as her brother.
+Basically, that would be the endgame.
+Page 258 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The sister who wanted to be on the same level as her brother, and the
+brother who wanted his sister to surpass him.
+This was the reason for the huge rift between the siblings.
+"You must become even stronger, and even kinder than everyone else."
+The brother hugged his sister gently.
+As the elder brother, the Horikita that had done all he could while
+standing, hugged her tightly.
+Horikita's short hair fluttered in the wind.
+"Brother.
+"You're all good. I'm sure of that now."
+I can't say anything aloud.
+This has turned into a place where words were forbidden.
+"There's something that I've kept quiet about in the past few years, so I
+need to apologize to you."
+"Apologize?"
+Not knowing what it was, Horikita asked, while still hugging her brother.
+"So far, our relationship hasn't been the best, and one of the reasons was
+because of me."
+"What, does that mean...?"
+Horikita asked in a low voice.
+Page 259 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"In the past, I said I liked your long hair. That was a lie that I told on
+purpose."
+"Eh? Is, is that so!?"
+Horikita, who didn't know about this, spoke in a surprised tone.
+"Back then, you, who liked keeping your hair short, listened to my
+opinion, lost your character, and kept your hair long. I did that in order to
+confirm it."
+In other words, Horikita decided to keep her hair long in order to match
+her brother's preferences.
+So when they met again at this school, the elder Horikita immediately
+understood.
+That Horikita Suzune hasn't changed at all.
+Facing the younger sister only chasing after her brother's silhouette, the
+elder Horikita welcomed her with disappointment.
+There was even not a need to confirm whether her academic or athletic
+ability was good enough.
+'"-Excuse me for lying."
+"«',. That was excessive, brother."
+"T won't make any excuses."
+Page 260 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I suppose the elder Horikita intentionally did not reveal this lie up until
+now.
+He sensed it, and so he firmly believed that one day, his sister would incur
+a change.
+"ll forgive you for lying. Because that lie made me what I am now."
+Horikita also recognized this fact, so she laughed and forgave him.
+The elder Horikita gently placed his hands on his sister's shoulder, and
+looked straight at her face.
+And Horikita spared no effort as she showed her smile to her brother.
+After seeing that smiling face, the elder Horikita also let loose a smile, as
+if he were taking off a mask.
+He wasn't a person that never smiled.
+But it's also the first time I've seen him smile so tenderly.
+This smile, I' never see it again.
+Having one year.
+If I could spend 1 more year on this same campus as him,
+Then I would become even closer to the man named Horikita Manabu.
+And I might even incur some change because of it.
+This really was a pity.
+Page 262 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Suzune, 2 years later, I'll be waiting for you outside the main entrance.
+Let me see you all grown up then."
+"Yeah. I will do my best...until the very end."
+The obstructions to Horikita's growth have already been removed.
+From now on, Horikita would turn towards the front and never look back.
+"Ayanokouji, I look forward to when we meet again."
+The elder Horikita and I had the same feelings about that.
+"Likewise."
+Despite knowing that would never happen, I strongly agreed with what
+the elder Horikita was feeling.
+"Tt's almost time."
+It was almost half-past twelve.
+If you listened closely, you could hear the bus approaching.
+The two slowly distanced themselves reluctantly.
+"Well meet later."
+The elder Horikita crossed the main entrance, leaving that as his last
+words.
+And so a man walked into the distance.
+Horikita stared straight at his back, constantly watching, cherishing every
+last moment.
+Page 263 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+This scene was as if Horikita Manabu and his sister was leaving me a
+roadsign.
+Page 264 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 1
+Even though the elder Horikita had disappeared from our sight, we still
+looked at that direction for some time.
+But we couldn't just stay immersed within this downhearted atmosphere.
+So I used my words to get rid of the resolute unbudging state of Horikita.
+"So you're alone now."
+haa ¥ Call,"
+Although it wasn't the last time they'Il see each other, for the next 2
+years, she won't be able to hear his voice, let alone see his figure.
+But Horikita's face tightened, and a severe expression appeared.
+"Thank you, Ayanokouji-san... you've really helped me a lot today."
+"Really? I feel like I'm just getting in the way of you two."
+"That's not the case. If you haven't talked with my brother, I wouldn't
+have been able to catch up. Thank you very much."
+Horikita expressed her gratitude to me who really shouldn't have been
+here.
+But her line of sight didn't reach me, and she looked away.
+"And this was the day my brother embarked on his journey. It would have
+been sad if no one but me came to see him off..."
+Although this was her brother's decision, it would indeed feel a bit lonely.
+Page 265 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+There should have been more people seeing him off originally.
+The fact he didn't do that must be because he was trying to make it easier
+for his sister.
+In order to make it easier for Horikita to come and talk to him, he decided
+to send away the other people.
+This was probably all part of the elder Horikita's calculations.
+"Your brother and I have a sort of relationship together, so I just wanted
+to talk to him again."
+Although I wasn't too close to him at the start, I now wanted more
+opportunities to talk with him more, but it's too late for that now.
+The two of us walked back to the dormitory.
+"About your hair, you really decided to cut it, huh."
+Considering how she was acting normal yesterday, as well as her lateness
+today, it's not hard to believe that she suddenly resolutely decided to cut her
+hair this morning. It must've been a last-minute choice.
+"T've always liked this hairstyle. But it feels a little weird."
+Even so, if she just randomly cut it, ruining the wonderful stage her
+brother prepared for her was not a good thing.
+If you wanted to dress up nicely to see him off, there was a risk of arriving
+late.
+But in the end, the gamble paid off.
+"But, wouldn't it be better to have just talked to me first? If you were
+Page 266 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+afraid of not seeing your brother, you could've used me to stall and increase
+the chances of seeing him."
+As long as I knew that she would come, I would definitely help.
+If it meant talking more to stall the time...
+"Would you help me if I asked for your assistance?"
+"Today, no matter what, Ill help you."
+"T wasn't sure... 1s what I'd like to say, but I was planning to ask for your
+help back then."
+Horikita replied in this way, but when I looked at my cell phone, there
+was no record of anything.
+"Because I was too anxious back then, I left my phone in the dormitory
+before leaving to cut my hair, but when I finally realized I didn't have it on
+me, my hair was already being cut. Really! My thought process is too slow."
+In other words, she felt helpless at that time. Rather than returning to the
+dormitory to retrieve her phone, she decided to run straight to the main
+entrance.
+"Way too stupid."
+Horikita said as she laughed at herself.
+"Tt also tells me that the firm resolution you had this morning was
+extremely important to you, Horikita."
+It was a bit funny, imagining what Horikita looked like as she rushed into
+the shop right after they opened.
+But it was because Horikita always acted according to plan, it was
+Page 267 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+understandable that making simple mistakes like that would shake her up.
+"Cutting my hair was a way to differentiate myself."
+"What your brother liked, did you think about it then?"
+"Of course. I wanted to go back to becoming the old me, and it coincided
+with wanting to catch up to my brother, that's all. In another sense, it was the
+best way to convey my feelings."
+So this strategy was just all a coincidence.
+Because I was used to looking at her long hair for a year now, I had strong
+feelings about this change.
+"How does it feel, returning to yourself after all these years?"
+"Even if you asked me that, I have no idea how to express it. Sure, I liked
+this short hair when I was a kid, but I've been used to having long hair for so
+long. My feelings now are quite complex, to tell the truth."
+The short hair that she liked, and the long hair that she'd come to accept.
+The past and the present self. No matter which, they were still both
+Horikita Suzune.
+"Now I feel, no matter which version of myself, I can accept it."
+As she said that, Horikita touched her short hair with her fingertips.
+"So I want to think about this from the start. The me right now should
+have something I haven't seen before. For the next two years, should I leave
+it to grow, or should I not? If I do leave it to grow, then it'll take around 2
+years for it to grow to the length that it was before...just in time for when we
+graduate."
+Page 268 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Both her past and present self have been accepted by Horikita.
+"What I can understand now, is that it has nothing to do with how long
+my hair is, as I'm already able to straightforwardly face my brother already."
+I looked forward to how this short-haired Horikita would develop in the
+future.
+In Horikita Manabu's final moments at the school, he left his sister with
+many assets. Before, I'd always thought that I needed to help Horikita for her
+to grow, but it seems like I've judged wrong at the end.
+"Are you still feeling unwell?"
+To be honest, an hour-no, even if you gave me a day, I wouldn't be able to
+say what I wanted. There was so much I wanted to say these past years, that I
+wanted to say, but I couldn't, that 1t could be piled up as high as a mountain.
+"There... there's no helping that.
+Horikita nodded, accepting that.
+"Besides, the wall obstructing my brother and I had already been
+removed. I just need to complete these next two years, and then I can talk to
+him as much as I want, right?"
+"That's true. After all, he said he'll be waiting for you when you
+graduate."
+After graduation, she should be free to get into touch with the outside
+world.
+And by then, she would be able to meet her brother again, and speak
+without any limits.
+"It's been a rewarding day today, but let's not be too greedy, or it might
+Page 269 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+come to bite us."
+Her attitude changed too quickly.
+That's right, she seemed to have switched over again on the surface.
+And in her mind right now, she was probably doing everything she could
+to pretend to be calm, wanting to switch over to that state.
+But switching attitudes just like that wasn't that simple.
+"But- it's fine if it's just this."
+Horikita, who stopped and did not turn around, said this while standing
+still.
+Her face wasn't facing me.
+No, it was more accurate to say that she couldn't face me.
+"What is it?"
+Although I understood within, I pretended to ask anyway.
+If it was the usual calm and collected Horikita, she would have noticed
+that I was playing dumb.
+But, today's Horikita couldn't see through my facade.
+"I... I want to walk around a bit before going back."
+She had an expression that basically said she secretly wanted me to go
+back to myself without her first.
+"Walk around?"
+Page 270 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I asked her where she wanted to go, but she couldn't answer.
+"No, I want to go, take a walk or something."
+There was a slight trembling as she vaguely answered.
+"Should I come with you?"
+"There's no need."
+As she spoke those vague words, Horikita stepped away from me.
+Not towards the Keyaki mall, or the convenience store.
+She was trying to find a place where she could be alone.
+If she walked to the dormitory with me, it would probably be too late.
+I caught up with Horikita in this state.
+"Why... are you following me?"
+Horikita didn't look back as she whispered that at me.
+"Yeah, I wonder why."
+"Tf there's no reason, don't follow me."
+Despite the rejection from her, I wasn't planning on going back.
+Because during this one year, she's done some undesirable things to me
+many times.
+"Then let me explain why. It's because I wanted to tease you."
+"*.,.What are you saying, I don't understand."
+Page 271 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Oh, so let me tell you then."
+"You really don't need to."
+"No, I insist."
+I opened my mouth slowly, in order to break that resolute defence of hers.
+"When you're sad, you shouldn't suppress those feelings. Wouldn't it be
+better to just cry?"
+I only said that one sentence.
+"... You, didn't you hear what I said?"
+"T heard. Aren't you happy you were able to reconcile with your brother?"
+"Yes. That's why I'm satisfied. Where, where can you see any sadness in
+me?"
+"There's no way you're satisfied. It's true that you finally can talk to each
+other after 2 years, but humans aren't creatures that can be so easily satisfied.
+The girl who dreamed of that day had no choice but to endure 2 more
+years.
+Although it wasn't like she wouldn't have any happy feelings, this
+couldn't be just it.
+"T'm... satisfied. I'm satisfied."
+"If that's the case, would you mind turning this way to face me?"
+Horikita still had her back to me.
+Page 272 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+She didn't listen to my request, and shook her head from left to right.
+"T refuse. Why must I do such a thing?"
+"Yeah. I wonder why."
+Faced with Horikita who was walking fast and trying to escape, I said that
+to her from behind.
+"It doesn't matter if you want to cry."
+After 2 years she reunited with her brother, only to be rejected.
+Fighting alone with a high fever on an uninhabited island.
+Becoming the object of hatred because of the Class Vote.
+But even at those times, Horikita did not cry.
+i Dn reg
+She stopped walking forward.
+After working so, so hard, she finally was able to communicate her
+feelings with her brother.
+If tomorrow came, then they would certainly return to talking and
+laughing with each other.
+However, the elder Horikita had already passed through this gate, starting
+a new journey.
+The next meeting they'Il have would be in 2 years.
+"Don't... Don't want..."
+Page 273 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Horikita's voice started to tremble slowly.
+During these 2 long years, Horiikta would have no choice than to fight,
+here at this very school.
+"But, isn't there no other way...!"
+Within the unyielding Horikita's eyes, something that was held back for
+so long finally flowed out
+Now, she thought about her brother that had just left.
+"But——!"
+"T finally...finally realized the errors of my ways...!"
+Horikita collapsed, and fell to her knees.
+Both hands covered her face, trying to hold back the tears that kept
+flowing out.
+***
+"Yet I've separated from my brother again...!
+If it was possible, Horikita would definitely want to walk out of that
+entrance together with her brother.
+The sister that solemnly saw her brother off silently.
+"Yeah. You'll be alone now."
+""Alone...Alone...!"
+Page 274 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+The loudly weeping girl was like a child.
+Letting the tears flow out, but even so, Horikita wanted to endure.
+If it weren't for the school, Horikita would follow her brother to the ends
+of the earth.
+They could see each other, and talk to each other whenever they wanted.
+"Now, you just need to cry as much as you want. After that, you'll need to
+show your brother in the future how much you've grown in. From now on,
+nothing is restricting your growth."
+There was no need to worry. There were still 2 years left, and during then,
+Horikita will definitely grow tremendously.
+Her brother had to be looking forward to it.
+"So that's it....Manabu."
+My voice, which could no longer reach him, was sucked into the blue sky
+which ushered in the spring.
+Page 276 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 2
+Shortly after pouring out her feelings, Horikita stopped crying.
+However, because she had not yet recovered her strength, she was still
+sitting on the ground. I stood by her, quietly waiting for time to pass.
+It was extremely fortunate that there was no one nearby, so no one else
+witnessed this scene.
+That's great."
+"What's great about that. You seeing me like this, it's extremely
+humiliating to me..."
+Originally, I planned on comforting her a little, but that wouldn't be so
+simple.
+"Well, maybe so."
+That's why she wanted to stay alone before. If I wasn't here, then nobody
+would see her crying.
+"Since you 've already seen it, I'll just face forward."
+"Face forward?"
+"'.. You seeing me like this is a great thing. That's what I've decided."
+Horikita felt relieved from the bottom of her heart and let out a sigh. This
+was not an expression that looked like she wanted other students to see it
+unnecessarily.
+"So I'm going to share this scene with Keisei and the others then."
+Page 277 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I took out my phone and pointed my camera at her.
+"Do you want me to kill you?"
+After seeing the bright red eyes that were glaring at me, I immediately put
+my phone away.
+"Tm just kidding."
+"Seeing that you made such a boring joke, I seem to need to teach you
+what TPO is."
+TL note: TPO states for "time, place, occasion."
+Seeing how she can still talk this much, there shouldn't be a problem now.
+"... This feels like, last year, a similar situation occurred."
+"Maybe it did."
+Although the location was different, I remembered a certain night when
+we had a conversation between the two of us. Horikita, who had just reunited
+with her brother, had sunk into a state of loss. Today's situation was clearly
+the opposite, but there was an unexplainable sense of Deja Vu.
+"T wonder why I always make blunders when I'm with you. I even sit next
+to you."
+She was saying that since the beginning of school, we had some sort of
+incredible predetermined relationship. It seems like no matter if that was the
+case, Horikita wasn't too happy with it.
+"Why not let me see you when you make blunders?"
+Horikita lamented the unfairness of her fate.
+Page 278 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"A blunder. Didn't you see it already? I lost against Sakayanagi in our
+chess match."
+"That's not a blunder, that's just simple defeat."'.
+It seemed like this wasn't acceptable to her.
+"Well, you should look forward to it after we become 2nd-year students."
+"Tt seems like that's the only choice. Pll carefully add it to my list of
+events I'm looking forward to in the future."
+It seemed that no matter what, she wanted to get revenge on me for seeing
+her cry today. But even so, it was still extremely shocking, thinking about
+how Horikita cut her hair short.
+"If they saw you, everyone would be surprised."
+There would be students who wanted to slowly change their image, but
+they wouldn't go as far as doing this.
+"They can be as surprised as they want, I'm fine with it."
+Horikita said the opinions of other people didn't matter, and there was no
+need to pay attention to it. Sudo will probably immediately be the first to talk
+about this. There were only a few days of the spring break left, and rumours
+would probably spread during this time... No, if there were witnesses
+already, it may have already spread.
+"Talking about this might be a bit eh, but do you still remember the battle
+we decided on yesterday?"
+"Of course."
+"About my request for you if I win, I've thought about it."
+Page 279 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Hey... I thought you would bring this up later. To try to attack me
+mentally."
+"No, I didn't think about it too much, I simply just hadn't thought about it
+before."
+Horikita urged me to quickly tell her what I wanted, even though she was
+a little suspicious about it.
+"If I win, you will join the student council."
+"*... We've talked about this matter before."
+Previously, I had already asked Horikita if she was interested in joining
+the student council. Even though I had called the elder Horikita during then,
+he allowed me to make my own decisions. But in the end, she ended up
+refusing.
+"Mhm. Will you accept my request?"
+"Although I'm not interested in joining the student council....Fine. As
+long as I win, there'll be no problem."
+Horikita said that if she won there would be no problems, and agreed on
+it.
+"But I won't guarantee that I'Il be allowed to join the student council,
+okay?"
+"Don't worry. Nagumo is the type to welcome anyone in."
+He was very different from Horikita Manabu, who rejected the
+overwhelming majority of applicants. In addition, since Suzune was
+Manabu's sister, there is no way Nagumo would flat out refuse.
+Page 280 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Can you tell me why you want me to join the Student Council."
+"That's a secret. Ill wait until you lose."
+"This is making me uncomfortable, would it even matter if you told me
+now?"
+"You're thinking about what will happen when you lose again?"
+"*.,.Of course not. Because I'll definitely win, I just wanted to ask in
+advance. And besides, you won't tell me because you know you'll lose."
+Deciding on the outcome of the battle, I didn't tell the significance behind
+my reasoning.
+"Your brother has been concerned about the matter of Nagumo. That's
+why I'm doing it."
+"So you're saying you want me to monitor the student council president?"
+"Exactly."
+"So brother requested you to do this."
+Horikita looked at me with a bit of discontent.
+"Because his relationship with you back then wasn't so good, so he was
+forced to request it from me."
+If their relationship was good, he would have told Horikita this from the
+beginning.
+"Don't act modest. My brother paid the most attention to you out of
+anyone in this school. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have called you here
+today when he set off on his new journey. Really... why is it always you?"
+Page 281 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Horikita stood up slowly, complaining about this.
+"T better not think about this. I'll try to think about something else."
+If she didn't do that, her body would be overwhelmed, so Horikita cast it
+to the corners of her mind.
+"Horikita, there's one last thing I wanted to confirm with you."
+"What else do you want, don't tell me you're going to say something
+strange again?"
+"Tt's about Kushida. Let me briefly explain my thoughts and the current
+situation."
+Hearing this kind of statement she didn't know anything about, Horikita
+frowned, her face flabbergasted, eyebrows knit.
+"Current situation?"
+In order to prevent Kushida from going out of control, I signed a contract
+with her. The contents of the contract said that I had to give her half of the
+personal points I received each month to protect myself from her. That way,
+I'll be able to remove myself as one of her targets."
+"Are... you stupid? Recklessly signing such a contract?"
+"T did it to gain her trust."
+"Even so, this is way too stupid, half of your points every month is way
+too much."
+"Because I wouldn't be able to change Kushida's feelings if I hadn't done
+so. That being said, because you exposed her in public, the trust is gone."
+Rather than say she was dissatisfied with me, she'd probably reentered a
+Page 282 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+state of suspicion again.
+"Really... I'm even starting to doubt whether you're actually powerful or
+not."
+Although I understood she was in no mood to speak, this topic wasn't
+over yet.
+"And so, why did you tell me this?"
+"Because I believe that signing this contract will not affect me in the
+future."
+"So repeatedly giving away half your points won't affect you?"
+"Because if Kushida drops out of school, the risk would be reduced to 0."
+Hearing what I just said, Horikita's hand froze. Then she looked at me,
+her eyes still slightly red.
+"Just then, you just calmly said something extremely serious. Is that a
+joke?"
+"T was planning to get Kushida expelled before. No, even now, I think it'd
+be best for her to be expelled."
+"You're not...joking?"
+"Yeah. This summer, I was thinking I would eliminate Kushida."
+In reality, it wasn't like there were no opportunities to get rid of her.
+"But Since you told me about it, that means that the situation has
+changed, right?"
+"Mhm, I wanted to leave the decision to you."
+Page 283 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I hadn't decided yet, and instead left the decision to Horikita. That's why I
+told her about it now.
+"Are you not clear with this. I don't plan to expel Kushida. Actually, I
+don't plan to expel any classmate that negligently."
+It seems that this ideal of hers was getting increasingly set in stone.
+"But I don't intend to have naive thoughts like Hirata-kun does. There are
+indeed classmates that stand on the dividing line of being sacrificed. Of
+course, future contributions might allow for these people to be replaced by
+someone else."
+In other words, she would make the decision on who will get expelled if
+something like the Class Vote happened again.
+"What if Kushida contributed the least?"
+"Then, of course, she will be the candidate for being expelled."
+It seems that she wasn't lying.
+"But the possibility of her falling to the bottom of the class is very low."
+"TI know that. Because from what can be seen, Kushida is contributing a
+lot."
+She was capable academically and physically, and she also stood in the
+position as a necessary figure in the class. Although she took a certain
+amount of damage after Yamauchi's dropout, the effect was not fatal on her.
+"T believe that I can leave this to you, that's why I told you about this.
+However, as you grow and become the core of our class, Kushida will
+become a troublesome existence."
+Page 284 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Knowing about the past Kushida, I couldn't just erase it from my
+memory.
+"So you want to get rid of her in advance?"
+"Yeah, that's what I want. After all, she won't be naive enough to
+cooperate just because by simply persuading her to.
+"T can't deny that as well. I've already understood that half-heartedly
+trying to persuade and talk to her is meaningless..."
+Knowing that, she still intended to accept Kushida? Before, I would think
+that she was being naive, but not anymore.
+"Tn that case, then I have nothing more to say."
+"You!... Were you planning to set Kushida up during the Class Vote?"
+"That would only make a hash of things. Although she assisted Yamauchi,
+our classmates still trusted her a lot."
+"That, that is true. There's no indication that you're going to move as
+well...but since you've told me, it's safe to say that I have total control over
+the matter of Kushida, right?"
+"Mhm. I promise to not do anything."
+Ill have to leave it to Horikita to decide what choices should be made in
+the future.
+"The reason for you telling me this, is it because you've already overcome
+that obstacle?"
+"Unfortunately, I'm not that optimistic. I'm still in the process of figuring
+out how to get rid of Kushida."
+Page 285 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Yes, but why?"
+After being asked by Horikita, I had no choice but to consider the reasons.
+"Haven't thought about it?"
+"Yeah... What I'm doing now is not efficient."
+If the future was taken into consideration, silently expelling Kushida
+would definitely be the correct decision. However, I didn't do it. Instead, I
+left the decision to Horikita. The reason for this was...
+"T want to see how you're going to overcome that obstacle....I guess."
+I wasn't confident with the answer I racked my brain to produce, but there
+was no other reason.
+"Maybe."
+"T thought so. Being sceptical of what you say seems to be better."
+Horikita, who had fully recovered, took a step forward.
+"T'm heading back, how about you?"
+"T want to stay here for a while."
+Horikita simply said goodbye and went in the direction of the dormitory.
+Perhaps she'll remember what happened today and cry during the middle of
+the night. But for the time being, this wouldn't be a problem.
+I thought about yesterday's conversation with Ichinose, the existence of
+Sakayanagi, and the growth of Ryuen and Horikita.
+I looked forward to it, a confrontation between the four classes.
+Page 286 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After another year passed, how would it change?
+There was a large number of things that could make them grow.
+The words left to me by Horikita Manabu still remained in my heart.
+Becoming a student remembered by other students.
+"What a terrible parting gift..."
+The things I could do to remain in the other students' memories. That
+would be to assist other students, and allow them to grow.
+Then let these students who had grown compete against each other, and
+aim towards a higher position as the goal.
+As I imagined myself in a scene standing in that position... that's right,
+you can say it would make my heart beat faster.
+I've always felt that this was interesting.
+Involuntarily analysing the strength of other classes and having it pop up
+in my mind.
+The results that could be seen after 1 year. Regardless of which class, they
+were all seeking growth. The weakness of the strong. it created feelings of
+excitement within me. But on the other hand, I felt my heart rapidly cooling
+down.
+"What I seek is to live peacefully day by day...that was originally the
+case."
+Today was the first time I noticed there was a filter around/installed in my
+heart/mind. The existence known as my heart had indeed grown beyond
+expectations during the past year. No, it's still growing now.
+Page 287 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I have to confirm it myself. I asked myself. But it doesn't work. As if my
+own convictions didn't connect with myself.
+My own superficiality was being shredded to pieces and coming off, or
+was that all?
+I can't help but sense a black substance, something similar to unease.
+Will I-——
+Will I still be at this school the same time next year?
+The pitch black darkness I couldn't quite describe Wrapped around
+Page 288 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Chapter 5 - Matsushita suspicion
+Intro
+On April 3rd, as the spring break was coming to an end, I, Chiaki
+Matsushita, decided on something.
+"Sure enough, this interests me."
+Starting from the end of year exam up to now, this feeling had been stuck
+in my heart.
+That was caused by the existence of a classmate named Ayanokouji
+Kiyotaka.
+Recently, I started to pay close attention to him. Still, if I told anyone else
+about it, they would probably say it was love, or a crush or something.
+This was definitely not the case.
+I could declare right here that 1t was definitely not love or something
+similar.
+Instead, I started to be vigilant towards Ayanokouji-kun.
+If I said that to any of my classmates, they'd probably tilt their heads in
+confusion.
+But I'm already in the process of using my own method to obtain the
+Page 289 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+answer.
+To let you understand what I was feeling, first, I'll need to introduce
+myself and talk about what kind of person I am.
+I was born in a moderately wealthy family, and my parents were very kind
+to me and brought me up in an environment with no restrictions on my
+freedom.
+They would buy whatever I desired, and in return, I also achieved
+outstanding results in school and tuition classes.
+We established an excellent relationship with each other, as I respected
+their excellence, and they respected mine.
+Moreover, I was blessed with an attractive appearance, although me
+saying that isn't too good.
+If someone else knew about all this, they'd probably be envious.
+Growing up, experiencing various romantic relationships, and eventually
+marrying a financially capable man.
+Although my life might not be the best, 1t would be considered a very
+lucky one.
+Also, I had many outlooks for my future life.
+Although I had considered various options, I reckoned working as a flight
+attendant at an international airline or in a major company wouldn't be so
+bad.
+However, since I managed to enter this school, I had to aim higher.
+Studying abroad in a prestigious university, then working at an embassy,
+and then in the UN...I could gradually see that happening.
+Page 290 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+My life was going smoothly, and there was already a paved road ahead for
+a life without failure.
+However, my first miscalculation was after I entered this school. Only if I
+graduated from Class A would I be able to have my desired future higher
+education and employment opportunities.
+In other words, graduating from Class B or below would have no value.
+Of course, I was pretty confident in my own abilities to secure the path
+towards my desired future.
+But... graduating from Class B or below would prove to be an obstacle.
+And it would be very likely that I would be labelled as "a student who has
+failed to graduate from Class A", a label which would be a headache to deal
+with.
+The large difference between the advantages and disadvantages of its
+impact in the future was a negative for me, who sought stability.
+The next miscalculation was not being assigned to Class A. Instead, I've
+been assigned to Class D. This meant that I carried a very heavy disadvantage
+with me.
+I wasn't very worried when I first entered the school. However, it was that
+negligence which led to my downfall.
+Within a month, our class points got depleted, and we immediately sank
+to the bottom of the rankings.
+"Thinking about this calmly... there was still a chance back then...?"
+Yes. Although we were initially placed in Class D, the starting point was
+the same for all classes.
+Page 291 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If we had understood the situation during the first month, then we
+should've been able to rise to the upper classes.
+Although it may be a terrible start, after one year, the class points have
+also increased.
+There was a time where we even reached Class C. It was still possible to
+aim for the upper classes...
+"No, that's impossible."
+Even though I'd realized it from the beginning, the difference in base
+ability between the classes was even larger than I'd imagined. Sooner or later,
+the gap would inevitably widen.
+It just so happened this year went so well. The gap in the abilities of my
+class compared to other classes was too large. If that fact didn't change, the
+chances of reaching Class A were very close to 0.
+Although I didn't want to keep repeating this, I was confident that I was
+one of the top students in this grade.
+If we looked at it from the bigger picture, I should be within the top 10%
+of the year. Despite that, I didn't make a name for myself in Class D. Instead,
+I was somewhere near the middle of the hierarchy, only because I decided to
+hide my strength.
+Of course, I wouldn't hold the class back when it was important, but I
+didn't like to stand out too much. In addition, my friend group consisted of
+people with considerably low abilities.
+Half of the students in Class D belonged to the bottom 10~20% of this
+academic year.
+If I carelessly showed my true abilities in that environment, others might
+Page 292 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+start to feel jealous. I might also be excessively relied on, which would lead
+to all kinds of annoyances. This was something I wanted to avoid.
+Moreover, even if I suddenly went all out for the class, our situation
+wouldn't change by much. For better or worse, I was just an excellent
+student, but not a genius.
+Besides, I wasn't the type to act like someone who would take the
+initiative in things.
+Only that...
+Although I wasn't expecting to reap what I didn't sow, I still really
+wanted to graduate from Class A.
+If that was possible, I wanted to follow an easy route which led to a stable
+future.
+In order to accomplish that, I needed to make all the students of Class D
+work twice as hard...
+Looking back at the past year, I already reckoned it would be impossible,
+and half given up.
+Indeed, there were some talented students in my class.
+Like Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, and Kushida-san. There were also smart
+students like Yukimura-kun and Mii-chan.
+But this was not enough. In fact, most of the students were holding us
+back. If you added it up, our class would still be in a negative state.
+if there were just 2 or 3 more students on a similar level to the ones I
+mentioned earlier...how frustrating!
+Yes That was correct.
+Page 293 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I was tormented by that thought until Ayanokouji-kun appeared right in
+front of my eyes.
+Although this was just a one-sided conjecture, I suspected that
+Ayanokouji-kun might be the same type of person as me.
+I've always felt, from the beginning that he just wanted a life that
+belonged to himself, which was the reason he entered this school.
+Even compared to me, he did not have as much of a desire for success,
+and he didn't care for the categorizations of Class A or Class D.
+But despite that, he held great power.
+If my guess was right...
+Including me, Class D would have 2 more cards to play.
+If that's the case, depending on how active we were, it would determine
+whether if it was possible to aim for the upper classes.
+Recently, these thoughts have been circling around my mind.
+Why did I think he was that type of person?
+Rather than say it was based on evidence, there were some things about
+him which stuck out.
+Sometimes, Karuizawa-san would try to catch Ayanokouji-kun's gaze, as
+well as there being a slight distance between them.
+At first, I thought I was overthinking it, but right after, she suddenly broke
+up with Hirata-kun, which confirmed my suspicions.
+She was attracted to Ayanokouji-kun.
+Page 294 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Karuizawa-san, who thought dating a good man was a sign of high status,
+chose Ayanokouji-kun.
+Why? Was it because he was handsome? No, I don't think it's that simple.
+If that was the case, it would've been more convenient for Karuizawa-san
+to maintain her relationship with Hirata-kun, who was more popular.
+So was it because Ayanokouji-kun had enough strength to make up
+for his lack of popularity?
+That was the conclusion I reached.
+If that's the case, various things would astonishingly start to fall into
+place.
+Ayanokouji-kun had a sort of relationship with the class leader Horikita-
+san, as well as one with Hirata-san. There was no doubt that both students
+thought highly of him. In addition to that, he also seemed to be close to
+Ichinose-san.
+And previously, during the sports festival, there was his intense race
+against the student council president Horikita, now that I think of it, it was
+indeed strange.
+In addition to that, Sakayanagi-san organized the entirety of Class A in
+order to give him protection points.
+We thought he was randomly selected for Yamauchi-kun to be expelled,
+but after that when he took on the role of the commander tower and
+participated in the competition like that, calling it a coincidence to explain it
+would be way too lazy.
+With so many of these pieces connected, the mysterious existence of
+Ayanokouji-kun should have been understood by everyone.
+Page 295 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+However, most students were not aware of this.
+But that's understandable because he basically never showed his true
+power in public. Although being able to run fast is an outstanding ability,
+with just this ability alone, only in primary school would he be able to climb
+up the hierarchy of the class.
+For high school students...No, as you moved towards adulthood,
+communication skills would become more and more important.
+Most students who held a high status often had both outstanding abilities
+and communication skills.
+Lacking one of those skills would change completely change the
+impression you made on others.
+He was just a student who ran really fast but had a weak presence. That's
+the impression that many people had of Ayanokouji-kun.
+If he also had good social skills, Ayanokouji-kun would be in a relatively
+higher position in the class.
+Although it depended on his personality, he could've been, along with
+Hirata-san, one of the twin jewels of the class.
+But this was nothing more than a hypothetical situation, or rather,
+complete nonsense.
+It was like saying that if Sudo-kun is smart, or easy to get along with, or if
+Yukimura-kun had high athletic ability, those were things that could only
+happen in another dimension.
+The highest priority for our class was "scholastic ability", followed by
+"physical ability."
+Page 296 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It was very likely that Ayanokouji-kun met both of these requirements.
+Moreover, Ayanokouji-kun's abilities in those two categories might have
+even surpassed Hirata-kun's, a buried treasure waiting to be dug out.
+Of course, this thought was based a little on what I wanted him to be.
+If he really was like that, then he would become a significant force which
+would be able to improve the class.
+In reality, even if he was on the same level as me, I wouldn't complain.
+The reason I became attentive of Ayanokouji-kun was because of his
+influence over the end of year exam.
+There was a question I wasn't able to solve during the mental arithmetic
+event, but Ayanokouji-kun answered it correctly.
+This was one of the decisive hits which I've received that gave me
+confidence in this.
+I want to understand the mystery behind his strength.
+And if his strength is true —— there's no reason not to make use of it.
+Both his scholastic ability and physical ability were similar to mine, I was
+sure about that point.
+Judging how he had been living behind the scenes for a year, he may not
+be persuaded by ordinary methods.
+However, I had confidence in my ability to assess others, and my ability
+in psychological warfare. Because of this, I had the upper hand.
+Make him think that I wanted to get in touch with him due to curiosity,
+draw out his true nature, and then make him cooperate.
+Page 297 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+And it will act as a signal to our counterattack next year.
+"... Just kidding."
+The thought of rising to Class A was appealing. But the reason I'm acting
+now wasn't only because of that. Boredom was a factor as well.
+I wasn't not just looking for stability, following along the tracks of life, I
+wanted to experience the thrill of life as well. I want to pursue this mysterious
+factor which other students did not have. This was the main reason I want to
+establish contact with Ayanokouji-kun.
+I changed my outfit, as I was meeting up with my friends at Keyaki mall
+today.
+These days, I would focus on the disorderly crowd, in search of
+Ayanokouji-kun's figure.
+However, the possibility of an accidental encounter with him on school
+grounds was considerably low.
+I didn't see him at all during the first half of this spring break, a waste of
+time.
+I wanted to get clues.
+Curiosity and desire drove my gaze through these days without my
+permission.
+Page 298 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 1
+""Matsushita-san! Here~"
+"Morning~"
+11 o'clock
+I met with Shinohara-san and Sato-san, the usual group.
+During the spring break, we idly met up every day, to chat happily about
+various innocent topics.
+Although I didn't hate this, I did feel a little bored. I've been acting as a
+good student for the past year already, and I was seeking excitement.
+As a result, I decided to bring up a more interesting topic with them.
+"Shinohara-san, have you made any progress with Ike-kun?"
+I intended to get rid of this boredom by poking her a little.
+"Wait, ehhh!? Nonono, with him!?"
+Shinohara-san hurriedly denied it, but this couldn't conceal that she was
+shaken.
+Sato's gaze had a surprised "you really want to start this topic?"
+expression, mixed with a bit of excitement, was also very interesting.
+It was evident that Shinohara-san and Ike-kun had gotten closer in the past
+few months, as rumours like this had already spread.
+Although they tried to hide it, the school was a tiny place.
+Page 299 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+If a couple went on a date, they would be easily seen by others.
+"T just thought that it was about time you told us, right?"
+"T, I told you that it was impossible... Look, it's Ike we're talking about-?
+He's the model for a typical loser!"
+The words Shinohara-san used when denying this were indeed true. Just
+by looking at his attributes, he belonged in the lower ranks.
+He was short, struggled academically, and he lacked communication
+skills. From my point of view, he was a person with an endless number of
+flaws. However, love couldn't be measured from those factors.
+There was always a possibility that a person would be attracted to a
+useless man, it was like unexpectedly finding yourself in the middle of a
+traffic accident.
+And considering the status of Shinohara-san in the class, they might even
+be suitable for each other, and they're not quite as different as she said.
+"This isn't so good, you like him, but he knows nothing about this."
+Sato-san's eyes brightened at the fact we were talking about love, smiling
+towards Shinohara-san.
+"Like I said, It's not like that."
+"There's no need to deny it, I just wanted to hear your true thoughts on
+this, right?"
+Facing Shinohara, who wasn't willing to admit it, I then used Sato-san to
+egg her on.
+"Yeah, I'm also super interested! Tell us, tell us!!"
+Page 300 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+At times like this, it was convenient to get Satou-san to do what I wanted
+just by giving her simple hints. She wasn't the type of person to think deeply.
+Needless to say, this had a negative effect on her academic ability.
+Although it was a very harsh evaluation, I didn't necessarily hate her.
+Both Shinohara-san and Sato-san were close friends, and they were
+indispensable girl friends.
+If they ever felt troubled, I would help them out and listen to them.
+Of course, if they had the same ability to match me, then it would be even
+better.
+Shinohara-san, who was completely unaware of what I was thinking,
+started to talk about her relationship with Ike-kun.
+"Recently, ve always been arguing with him about stupid things. So
+honestly, there really isn't much progress."
+Shinohara-san shook her head, sighing.
+However, she never said that there was absolutely no development.
+"After all, you both have personalities that aren't so straightforward If
+the same thing were to happen again, there's going to be a change."
+Although they were a good match, there was always conflict between
+them regarding weird things.
+I feel that as long as they turned past that, the relationship between the
+both of them would immediately be better.
+"Enough about me, what about you, Matsushita-san? Do you like
+anyone?"
+Page 301 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Me?"
+Shinohara-san asked such a question, just as I expected.
+It would be more accurate to say that I led her to ask me this.
+"You told us before that if you were to date anyone, it would be a senior."
+Looking as though having just remembered something, Sato-san jumped
+in on Shinohara-san's question. No matter who was the subject of the
+conversation, as long as it was about relationships, it would be welcome.
+Girls were like that.
+"Yeah. However If he meets a certain condition, it's fine even if he
+isn't a senior.
+Controlling what both of them would be thinking, and slowly leading the
+conversation into the direction I wanted. However, it's not as hard as it might
+look. This happens commonly in everyday life. It was just about whether we
+realized it or not.
+"Obh
+, SO you've changed your mind?"
+Sato-san, obviously wouldn't let go of this topic, as it was her first time
+hearing about it.
+"My standards haven't lowered or anything. Both his appearance and
+personality should be first-class. And... his family background as well. I also
+want his parents to have received a high level of education and
+accomplishment."
+No matter how great their child's achievements are, as long as their
+parents failed to live up to it, then they didn't meet my standards.
+"Someone who has a good family background... could it be someone like
+Page 302 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Koenji-kun, or the sort?"
+Shinohara-san asked, dubiously.
+"Ehh~? Although his looks are certainly not bad, isn't he a little...?"
+After hearing Koenji-kun's name, Sato-san became a little hesitant.
+Koenji-kun's evaluation within the class is considerably low. The reason was
+very simple, mainly because of his strange existence which is a nuisance to
+the class. However, you could say that there's a big difference between his
+status within the class and outside of it.
+From the perspectives of outsiders, Koenji-kun's evaluation would be
+flawless, no matter if we were talking about his appearance or his
+background. He also had a very gentlemanly side. So it's not surprising that
+girls across the school years are interested in him. In terms of academic
+ability, even though he didn't take it seriously, you could still see the depths
+of his true power. You could say that he was a very rare person who met all
+my previously listed conditions. I think that Koenji-kun is ranked first within
+our class, if we're talking about just ability.
+However, other things are also clear when it comes to him.
+He was not the type of person who could be persuaded to take action by
+other people.
+A weirdo beyond imagination.
+Since the beginning, I knew that trying to talk to him was useless, and
+futile.
+In this case, compared to Sudo-kun and Ike-kun, he was even... No...you
+could say that he was the biggest burden to the class.
+"Koenji-kun, not a chance. Speaking about this, I don't consider him a
+human anymore."
+Page 303 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After hearing my evaluation of him, the two burst into laughter.
+"If he gets serious, he will definitely surpass Hirata-kun in popularity, but
+I know that he definitely won't get serious."
+This was my evaluation.
+Shinohara-san and Sato-san wholeheartedly agreed with me.
+He was the rare specimen who taught me that even if someone had just
+one flaw, their evaluation could go from 100 to 0 points.
+Starting from the relationship between Ike-kun and Shinohara-san, to my
+ideal man, I proceeded to the next stage.
+"Speaking of which, Sato-san, what about you and Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Eh...? Why, why ask me about this?"
+After being asked an unexpected question, Sato-san stiffened.
+Shinohara-san, who looked as if she had just remembered something,
+turned her gaze at Sato-san. During the winter break, Sato-san told us
+something. At that time, she told us about her love for Ayanokouji-kun, and
+wondering whether she should confess to him. Back then, just like with Ike-
+kun and Shinohara-san right now, I planned to just enjoy watching them
+progress, while supporting from a distance.
+"Tt's... it's not like..."
+Wanting to deny it, Sato-san then hesitated.
+And when I noticed, Satou-san had come to an abrupt stop when talking
+about Ayanokouji-kun.
+Page 304 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Of course, with regards to what this meant, Shinohara-san and I did not
+approach this topic, knowing clearly what it meant.
+He probably rejected her, or had a change of heart. In short, as long as
+Sato-san didn't intend to speak, we had to be careful to not talk about this
+topic.
+However, if I wanted to know more about Ayanokouji-kun, this wasn't
+something I could avoid.
+"Can... Can you two keep this a secret?"
+She spoke.
+Shinohara-san and I, sure that we were going to hear something extremely
+interesting, each patted one of her shoulders.
+"Of course!"
+Page 305 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 2
+And just like that, we moved to a cafe to listen to Sato-san's troubles.
+We also then took preparations to allow her to express her worries freely.
+This preparation between us girls was necessary to allow the other party
+to think it over.
+Unlike boys, who rush directly to the solution, we girls start by seeking
+affirmation.
+This wasn't a bad way to approach situations.
+"Actually... I.... 've already confessed to Ayanokouji-kun..."
+After hearing this, I, along with Shinohara-san, almost spit out the tea we
+were drinking.
+"Eh? Eh?! Re, really? Since when?!"
+Shinohara-san, who thought she was ahead in terms of relationships with
+|boys, couldn't help asking.
+Although I already assumed something had happened between them, I
+never thought that they would have made so much progress.
+But on the other hand, the outcome of that was clear.
+If the two of them were dating, she would've definitely told us.
+Even if she was too shy to tell us, I would've definitely noticed.
+Since that was not the case, that meant...
+Page 306 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T was rejected."
+From the looks of it, it had been some time since she was rejected. I
+couldn't sense any signs of anxiety, or any wavering in her words.
+That should be the result of crying many times, as right now, she looked
+like she wanted to just move on.
+If that was the case she probably confessed during the winter break.
+However, this could have been because we pushed her to confess
+prematurely. If that was the case, we truly have let her down.
+"Seriously! Ayanokouji-kun, is he stupid!?"
+A confession from a girl, especially from a girl as impeccably good
+looking as Sato-san.
+Shinohara-san seemed to be shocked and furious by the fact Sato-san had
+been rejected.
+"Why? Why were you rejected?"
+""... It was simply a problem with his emotions. He said he didn't like me,
+and couldn't date me.
+Shinohara-san placed a hand on her forehead, incredulous.
+"Is that because he has someone he already likes? Maybe its someone like
+Horikita-san."
+When I tried to confirm this with Sato-san, she shook her head.
+Whenever Ayanokouji-kun was mentioned, Horikita-san's shadow was
+always lurking.
+Page 307 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But recently, his existence had become more and more prevalent in the
+class.
+There were rumours that Ayanokouji-kun and Horikita-san were keeping
+close contact. Those kinds of rumours had been circulating for a while now.
+However, because there was no evidence, people eventually stopped
+talking about it.
+"He said the same applies to Horikita-san and Kushida-san."
+Unsurprisingly, the two of them did not seem to be that close.
+"Nonononono, wha-?"
+Ignoring Horikita-san's name, Shinohara-san was shocked to hear that
+Kushida-san was mentioned.
+"So we can confirm that, he's a blockhead with no interest in love at all...
+This creeps me out..."
+I could understand how she came to that conclusion. However, Sato-san
+did not seem to agree.
+"If he isn't attracted by cute girls... then that means he already has
+someone he likes, right?"
+I said this while looking directly at Sato-san, but she averted her gaze and
+nodded.
+Towards the person you liked, you paid attention to them more than
+anyone else.
+The person who best perceived Ayanokouji-kun should be Sato-san.
+Page 308 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"I'm guessing that Ayanokouji-kun... likes Karuizawa-san."
+Sato-san said this while looking away.
+"You're joking, what? Is this true? Hu-huh? Seriously? Karuizawa-san?!"'
+Shinohara-san and I exchanged glances once again.
+If someone unsuspecting heard about this, they would definitely think that
+this would be an extremely unexpected pair.
+I pretended to be shocked. However, deep down, I had already accepted
+that as a fact.
+This was because my guess was entirely identical to Sato-san's.
+"Yes. In fact... Karuizawa-san probably likes Ayanokouji-kun too...
+That's what I think."
+"Could it be that Karuizawa-san's breakup with Hirata-kun 1s related to all
+this?"
+Regarding my question, Sato-san, who wasn't entirely sure herself,
+nodded.
+This meant that she personally thought so too.
+"From dating Hirata-kun to Ayanokouji-kun? This-, sorry, but I can't
+understand it."
+I don't think this was something that Shinohara-san, who picked Ike-kun,
+could say.
+"Tt's not that unexpected. I... I also think that Ayanokouji-kun 1s better."
+"You still like him...?"
+Page 309 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T really want to forget about this, but no matter what I do, I just can't
+look away from him..."
+She realized this after she found herself looking at Ayanokouji-kun day
+after day.
+Although I felt a little sorry for Sato-san, her words were a good reference
+for me.
+"Speaking of which... I keep hearing Ayanokouji's name recently."
+Shinohara-san could not help but raise such a question.
+"Like when he became our class's commanding tower. Ah, also when
+Sayakanagi-san gave him the protection point."
+Sato-san, was thinking the same thing, also brought up the fact that
+Ayanokouji-kun was in the centre for these situations.
+"T really can't seem to understand. Why does it have to be Ayanokouji-
+kun? Although according to Horikita-san's statement, it may all have been a
+coincidence."
+I also found that to be hard to believe.
+However, even if I had a conversation with these two, I doubt that we
+could come to a conclusion.
+"Well, now that I think about it, it's a really clever strategy. Just by giving
+him protection points, he would automatically be chosen as the sacrifice in
+situations similar to the end of year exam. If this was Sakayanagi-san's
+intention from the beginning, then it makes sense."
+I gave an explanation that made sense to an extent and changed the topic.
+Page 310 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+""Abh, so that's the case...!"
+If Sakayanagi-san chose Ike-kun over Ayanokouji kun, it would definitely
+be much easier to win.
+Of course, there was the possibility that she wanted to face someone
+unexpected, and as a result, chose Ayanokouji-kun.
+Anyways, for now, it's better to leave this matter aside.
+Karuizawa-san liked Ayanokouji-kun, and Ayanokouji-kun liked
+Karuizawa-san.
+Just by learning that, I could say that I had gained a lot of information
+today.
+Using this as a way to break through, I should now be able to consider
+ways to approach him.
+"T thought that Karuizawa-san's standards for a man were the same as
+mine."
+"So you're saying, Ayanokouji-kun, is really strong?"
+"He can only run fast, right?"
+"But, rather than saying he is smart, don't you feel like he knows
+everything?"
+Sato-san asked us.
+"Nope, I don't feel that."
+Shinohara-san immediately denied it, but I decided to side with Sato-san.
+"Indeed, he's doesn't seem like the other weird boys, he gives off a
+Page 311 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+reliable impression."
+Since Shinohara-san did not agree with Sato-san, I decided to take her
+side.
+"Yeah, yeah!"
+Sato-san, who was supposedly rejected, was still very happy when she
+heard Ayanokouji-kun being praised. Happy enough that her eyes were
+sparkling.
+It seemed that she still liked Ayanokouji-kun.
+"Isn't that just because he doesn't like to talk?"
+"Tke-kun is the complete opposite, he doesn't stop talking."
+"Right, right, even if I tell him to calm down, he still continues talking.
+Although Shinohara-san said she's dissatisfied with him, it didn't look
+that way.
+"So, if 99
+Just as Sato-san was about to start speaking again, my gaze caught the
+figure of Ayanokouji-kun.
+They were too absorbed into the conversation and didn't notice.
+"Ah, sorry. Can I go make a call?"
+After asking for their permission, they both agreed cheerfully.
+"It might take quite long, so contact me if anything happens."
+After saying this, I pretended to make a call, while walking away.
+Page 312 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Not long after, I saw Ayanokouji-kun's figure.
+As they say, strike while the iron was hot.
+While still in Sato-san and Shinohara-san's line of sight, I couldn't act
+hurriedly, so I followed Ayanokouji while pretending to be on my phone.
+I felt a bit of unease about whether I would be able to follow someone
+while remaining unnoticed.
+How much space needed to be between us for it to be considered safe, or
+unsafe.
+If | was caught following him, he would definitely be alert, so I wanted to
+pretend that it was a coincidence.
+If I miss the opportunity this spring break, I probably wouldn't see him
+until we start school as second-year students.
+If I was able to get in touch with him early, of course, I would seize that
+opportunity.
+Fortunately, there was no one around Ayanokouji-kun.
+Just as I was about to greet Ayanokouji-kun... I immediately hid because
+I saw someone approaching him.
+1?
+"That person seems to be... the new director
+For some reason, that person seemed to be conversing with Ayanokouji-
+kun. What an interesting combination. Perhaps new information could be
+obtained by being here.
+If their topic was about "strength", being able to listen to their
+conversation wouldn't be a bad result.
+Page 313 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"His conversation with the new director is taking a while..."
+It has already been 10 minutes. If they were just exchanging pleasantries,
+this would be considered too long.
+Could it be that Ayanokouji-kun and the director were acquaintances?
+They seemed to be close, but Ayanokouji-kun was expressionless as usual.
+"T don't understand..."
+Maybe they were acquainted, but it also seemed like this was the first time
+they met, talking about many things.
+Just from their movements, there didn't seem to be any history between
+them.
+If I were to move a little closer, I should be able to hear the contents of
+their conversation. But that would be quite dangerous.
+Although I could just pretend to be a passerby, that would leave me no
+way to hide myself, so 1t seems the best choice was just to stay here.
+After observing them for a while... their long conversation abruptly came
+to an end.
+From the looks of it, the director seemed to be going back to the adults at
+the pharmacy not too far from here.
+What would Ayanokouji-kun do... He began to move.
+As if nothing had happened, he started walking in a certain direction. I
+had hoped to gain some clues from his conversation with the director.
+But it seemed like that was in vain... I've already given up on my original
+plan to talk with Ayanokouji-kun.
+Page 314 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+***
+il
+Goldenagato | mp4directs.co
+Page 315
+I should wait until I was better prepared before doing anything.
+Pll follow him for a little longer, and if I don't find anything, then I' Il
+return to where Shinohara-san and Satou-san was.
+While catching up to Ayanokouji-kun who'd just turned the corner, I
+started thinking about my next move.
+Page 316 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 3
+On that day, I came to Keyaki mall alone.
+As it was nearing the end of the spring break, and closer to the new
+semester, I planned to buy some new clothes and other related things.
+That's what I originally planned to do, but the situation had changed.
+The first abnormal change came from behind me.
+Right after that, another change struck me from the front.
+"Can I take a little bit of your time?"
+This started from me deciding where I should shop, to suddenly
+conversing with four adults.
+Three of them looked like construction workers from their clothes,
+holding a clipboard.
+However, the other person was Tsukishiro, who wore a suit and was
+clapping as he approached me.
+After I stopped walking, Tsukishiro looked back to the three people
+behind him.
+"About the construction work, just follow the plan we established earlier."
+After Tsukishiro gave these instructions, the other adults walked away.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, it seems like you're enjoying the spring break, just like
+everyone else."
+Page 317 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I originally thought that he would speak to me mildly, but as he opened
+his mouth, sarcasm poured out.
+"Do you have business with me, Acting Director Tsukishiro?"
+"Oh no, it seems like I am not welcomed."
+Tsukishiro obviously knew that, but deliberately spoke a little louder.
+Although it was not loud enough for a passerby to hear, it was enough to
+show that it was deliberate.
+"It's because chatting with the director would attract unwanted attention. I
+think that a powerless student like me should lurk in the shadows."
+I want to find out what his intention was as soon as possible.
+At the same time, I was also concerned about the situation with
+Matsushita-san, who was following me from behind.
+"Tl ask you again, what business do you have with me?"
+Although, at this distance, she shouldn't be able to hear the contents of the
+conversation. But it might still cause her to speculate on this needlessly.
+"Regarding what my business is, I'Il tell you when I want to. You might
+find it hard to accept, but please try to endure. Do you mind?"
+It's impossible that Tsukishiro actually cared about my feelings.
+It's better to say that he deliberately wanted to stall our conversation, as
+this was a location where crowds came and went.
+"T understand. Take your time."
+"Okay. Let's start by talking about the weather."
+Page 318 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Clap. Tsukishiro clapped as he said this, but immediately squinted his
+eyes afterwards.
+If this was done to see my reaction, it seemed too superficial.
+It wasn't possible to affect me just by that.
+"Just kidding. I have something to do right after so I'll get straight to the
+point."
+Tsukishiro was quite clear about this.
+It was very obvious that he deliberately tried to provoke me.
+However, it looked like he indeed had something to say.
+The school and the student. No matter what, their position cannot be
+reversed.
+As long as I was still a student, I would not be able to rebel against him.
+Tsukishiro showed me this.
+"How about this? Return to your father with this spring break being your
+last holiday."
+Tsukishiro didn't care about the location in which we spoke, even though
+the contents of the conversation would be quite in depth.
+However, even if this conversation was heard by the other students, it was
+not a problem for him.
+Although it might be bad for me, it would not cause any harm to this man.
+That being said
+"You must want to just ignore me and walk away. However, you'd better
+Page 319 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+not. I have my position as director to withhold. If you treat me coldly, I will
+change my manner to correspond to that."
+As if he was reading my thoughts, Tsukishiro smiled.
+"Unfortunately for you, I have no intention to drop out of this school
+voluntarily."
+"Do you dread going back to the White Room that much?"
+"I'm enjoying my life here at this school, and I want to graduate from here
+as a normal student. There's no other reason for my behaviour."
+"This truly is a good school. With the huge subsidies allocated by the
+government, they even built a shopping mall like this. Hundreds of millions
+of yen are spent here every year, used like water from a tap. But most of this
+country's citizens are stupid, after roughly hearing that these funds were
+being used to educate children, and agreed rashly."
+Tsukishiro sighed, and ran his eyes over the interior of the Keyaki mall.
+"Because of this, I have countless things I have to deal with. I'm the
+director of this school now, and that's why I'm so busy."
+Tsukishiro had to act as a competent Chairman on the surface, so there
+were many things he had to do.
+"Coming back to this- that girl following you, isn't that Matsushita Chiaki
+from your class?
+Tsukishiro said this quietly, as he maintained his gaze on me.
+"Although it was only a moment, I saw her hiding behind the wall. It
+seems like you're pretty popular."
+Although Tsukishiro's gaze shouldn't have been on me just then, he was
+Page 320 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+still observing very carefully. That is to say, that even while he was talking to
+the other adults, he still paid attention to his surroundings.
+"T didn't expect you to memorise the names of the students in my class so
+quickly."
+"Since she's your classmate, it's nothing special."
+It seems like his way of attacking me was to shake my psyche up.
+"T'm betting that this stems from the fact that she saw you give that
+answer in the mental arithmetic event. Aren't you feeling more and more
+restrained? You clearly want to spend your life at this school as an ordinary
+student, but it's getting harder and hard to do so now."
+It felt like he was trying to force the impression of hating school onto me.
+"T can endure it, 1f your attacks are only on this level."
+"To be honest, I don't care about what you do. Rather, I'm pretty annoyed
+at how I'm wasting precious time dealing with such things."
+"In that case, why don't you just pack your bags and give up? Noone's
+forcing you."
+"Because your father doesn't allow it. If I disobey him, I can't survive in
+this world. After all, I want to climb up the social ladder as well."
+Tsukishiro did not leave the conversation at that, and instead continued
+talking about the topic.
+"Don't look at me with such a surprised face. You wanted my excuse, so
+you got it, eh?"
+"Well, that's true."
+Page 321 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T've seen what you achieved in the White Room. You truly are an
+extraordinary child. You're just over 16 years old, but your ability is
+definitely abnormal. Even the adults around you can't match you in mind,
+body or skill. You're out of reach for them."
+Tsukishiro shortened the distance between us, and a kind smile appeared
+on his face.
+"Anyway, you spent a year at this school without many problems. Why
+not just let it go? That's the mature decision."
+He meant that I should take my memories of the past year and go back to
+the White Room like that.
+"Tm still a child, after all. I don't plan to let go of this so easily."
+"Heh, do you really think you can escape from me?"
+"T plan to resist until the end."
+"There's an old saying, about how the frog in the bottom of the well
+doesn't know the ocean. You seem to have a tendency to overestimate
+yourself, so even though I gave you a chance, you fail to appreciate my
+kindness."
+Tsukishiro spread his arms lightly.
+"Although I don't know how it is at this school, you are definitely not
+Number 1. Among the students of the White Room after you, there have been
+several students who are equal, or even more powerful than you. You should
+understand that you're just another mass-produced person."
+"Tf that's the case, there's no need to pay attention to me right?"
+"If you were not the son of that man, that would be true. Your father
+really wants to bring you to a higher domain. Even if he looks like a cold
+Page 322 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+person, that man is still your father. He firmly believes that you are an
+existence that can become a model, and lead the masses.
+Tsukishiro did not conceal his dissatisfaction towards that man, but that
+was to show me the extent of his power and position right now.
+"About the existence of the White Room, what do you think about it,
+Director?"
+"What do I, think of it?"
+"Your thoughts on whether the White Room's existence is necessary or
+not."
+Since I was not going to bend my knee in this position, I wanted to make
+him tell me this.
+"T am not obliged to answer."
+"After hearing your answer, my thoughts may change after this."
+"This is only my own opinion, but fine. If this 1s all it takes to change
+your mind, it'll be too easy."
+Despite knowing that I was most probably lying, Tsukishiro still agreed.
+"If you want to talk about that facility, it is necessary to understand its
+history. Did you know that the White Room was built 20 years ago?"
+"Of course. After all, I am part of the fourth generation."
+"Yes. As you know, the White Room started from the first year of the first
+generation's life, with new generations being formed annually. Each
+generation is educated under different leaders, and receives the corresponding
+education. Then, it is verified which group had the most effective education.
+Although only 19 generations have been nurtured due to last year's
+Page 323 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+interruption... Hundreds of children have been trained under the White
+Room's education system."
+Children of different generations wouldn't have seen each other. Although
+they were in the same facility, they did not know the appearance and names
+of anyone else.
+"Tt seems like you're quite knowledgeable about the White Room."
+"Just a bit, just a bit."
+Tsukishiro was a figure closely related to my father, this conversation
+made that obvious.
+He must have said it in order to make me understand that.
+Sometimes, it seemed as if he was a small, irrelevant person. But if you
+changed your perspective, you would see that he was an important person.
+He could change himself accordingly, according to the situation.
+It was for this reason that he was given the heavy responsibility to be a
+Spy.
+"All children can grow to a certain level. However, trying to exceed that
+level has never been possible. The evidence is in this facility, which has been
+operating for nearly 20 years, and not a single child has been able to reach the
+target. That's true for everyone except you, but that was only 2 years ago."
+Just how much money had been invested into the White Room?
+A few hundred million yen should not be enough.
+It turned out that I was the only one who reached that target. I couldn't
+help but feel that this project was a waste.
+Page 324 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"How about the people who turned talented? What are these kids doing
+now?"
+The part which I knew nothing about.
+What were the people of my generation doing after having left, that was
+something I had no idea about.
+Tsukishiro appeared to be a little surprised, but immediately understood.
+"Sure enough, it's impossible for you to know where the children who left
+the facility went. Those children grew up beautifully and contributed to
+society: if that had happened, that's a thing to be grateful for. But so far,
+most of the children raised in that facility have their own problems, and so
+they cannot be put to good use. They will not last in that environment, their
+hearts have already been damaged.
+Tsukishiro continued, adopting a helpless look.
+|"Receiving a complete education straight from birth. If this can be
+achieved, Japan would experience growth the world has never seen before.
+However, this is not that simple. Under the influence of various mysterious
+factors, people's growth varies greatly. It is impossible to cultivate success by
+using the same method on everyone. But even so, we have managed to
+produce tangible results. Let's take the fifth and sixth generation as an
+example, among those who survived until the end, there are some with the
+potential of producing great results. All that is left is to perfect the system,
+and after that, the White Room may be an indispensable asset in the future.
+Your father's plan is very stupid And also very frightening."
+After Tsukishiro talked in a roundabout way, he finally came to a
+conclusion.
+"In short, this is how I feel about the White Room. It's both stupid and
+frightening.
+"Thank you for that long speech, I have benefited greatly from it."
+Page 325 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"The demonic fourth-generation. With all of the students dropping out due
+to its excessively harsh education, there turned out to be only one surviving,
+the student who managed to pass the final course easily. I also see you as a
+valuable sample. In order to not discredit that shining record, I think it'd be
+best for you to return home."
+Tsukishiro took out his phone, and handed it to me.
+"Call your father now and say you want to drop out. This is the best
+method to protect your ego, and will also act as repayment to your father's
+love for you."
+"Acting Director Tsukishiro, what you've said contained no lies, you have
+made the truth perfectly clear."
+Whether if it was about the White Room, or about me.
+And just like that, Tsukishiro let out a smile.
+"My own depiction of you, Acting Director Tsukishiro, is that you're a
+man that hides his emotions by donning an iron mask. However, from today's
+conversation, I felt like you've taken off that mask.
+In other words, he deliberately manipulates other people's impressions of
+him to give off a sense of authenticity to the contents of the conversation.
+Therefore, his words were not credible. Instead, they were something like
+lies.
+On the level of that man, there was no need to mix the truth with lies.
+It should be easy for him to swear black was white, and swear white was
+black.
+That is to say, even if his statement consisted of nothing but lies, he could
+Page 326 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+say it in a way, so it sounded true.
+"Seems like there is no way to gain your trust."
+"Sorry."
+"Good grief..."
+"Acting Director Tsukishiro, isn't it better to give up now? If you fail to
+force me to drop out, you will lose my father's trust. Even if you only get
+reprimanded, I'd say it would be a wise choice to stop at this stage, or you
+may get humiliated.
+"Thanks for your concern. However, those words are useless, because I
+will not fail."
+Although I did not know what was the truth in his words, Tsukishiro let
+out a scary smile.
+"Moreover, I am an adult. I am not afraid of momentary failure, even if
+you, by chance, force me out of this school, it does not matter. I will just be
+sent to carry out another job. Humiliation is not that big of a deal anyway."
+"You helped my father because you were afraid of him, and yet you say
+you are not afraid of failure. Just which of those are your true thoughts?"
+"Yes, which is it."
+Tsukishiro, who had been fighting for decades at the top.
+The evaluation of his iron mask might actually need to be higher than
+what I originally thought.
+Since he was sent in by that man, he was not a tactless and impulsive
+person. I knew that for a fact.
+Page 327 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"If you can't accept it, then it can't be helped. We' Il fight instead."
+"Yes."
+Tsukishiro finally seemed to be satisfied, and distanced himself from me.
+"It's about time. It would be rude to make others wait."
+Maybe he was referring to the adults who left first.
+"But since you don't plan on dropping out yourself, from today onwards,
+your life at this school will be difficult."
+"Although I do want to live a peaceful school life, 1t seems like there's no
+way, I will be conscious of this."
+Tsukishiro smiled, and just as he was about to leave, he made a proposal.
+"Do you want to play a game, which would be advantageous for you?"
+"A game?"
+"When the next semester starts, I will make a child of the White Room
+enrol as a freshman."
+I was originally thinking about what he was going to say, in the end, what
+he said was unexpected.
+"Is it fine for you to tell me something like this?"
+"No problem at all. You should have thought of the possibility of that
+kind of thing happening anyway. Our intent was to give this child a final
+ultimatum, so if you discover this child's identity, I will expel him."
+This was a decision I did not need to do myself.
+Page 328 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I memorised what Tsukishiro said, but I did not intend to believe him at
+all.
+"It seems like you don't believe me. Do you think it's possible for me to
+send four or five people here? This school isn't so lax in its policies for me to
+send in multiple people, you're thinking about this too much."
+"Whether you said it was one person or a hundred, I wouldn't believe it at
+all."
+If he had the intention to send people here, that man would send as many
+as he liked.
+I was clear that he was that sort of person.
+"That might be true."
+"But, how can I win in this little game of yours?"
+"There's a total of 160 freshmen entering the school next year. If you can
+pick out the student from the White Room by the end of April, Pll give up.
+How about it? Pll make an exception and break the rules with that condition,
+eh?"
+If this was true, it would indeed be considered an exception that broke the
+rules.
+But if the troublesome Tsukishiro left, my burden would be reduced.
+"There's no way I can believe that."
+"You can be doubtful about it if you want, there's not much harm."
+If we disregard possible damage to the mental state, it's true that there was
+no risk in it.
+Page 329 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+There would be no loss if I'd just accept the challenge.
+"T understand. Ill play your little game, and I'Il accept your words on the
+surface. But you seem quite confident in the ability of the White
+Roomstudent. I'm also confident in one thing."
+"Eh? What thing?"
+"The frog at the bottom of the well does not know the depths of the sea,
+but it knows the height of the sky."
+"So you're saying... it is because of how much time you've spent in that
+small world known as the White Room, that you're able to understand the
+depth of that place more than anyone else, is that what you mean?"
+It was the education I received in the White Room that gave me this
+unwavering confidence.
+No matter how many children were taught in the same way, no one could
+reach this level.
+Whether if it was the third generation student of the previous year or the
+younger fifth generation student, this stood the same.
+Facing Tsukishiro, who kept casting tentative glances at me, I continued.
+"There are definitely people who are even more excellent than I am in this
+world. There are as many as 7 billion humans living on the planet, after all.
+But the White Room is different."
+In that world, there was no one better than me.
+And with that confidence, I gave that answer.
+"That pair of eyes- it's exactly the same as your father's. Those awful
+eyes containing the deep darkness. The depth in your eyes is the only thing
+Page 330 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+those other excellent White Room students can't imitate."
+It seemed like Tsukishiro understood that there was no point in continuing
+the conversation, so he turned around and started to walk away.
+Page 331 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 4
+After he left, I wandered around Keyaki mall for a while again.
+Temporarily forgetting about the situation with Tsukishiro would be fine
+for now.
+The problem was the Matsushita that was concealing her presence and
+hiding behind me over there.
+Although I could just ignore her, it would be a problem if she spread the
+word about the situation between the Acting Director and me.
+After confirming that Matsushita was still following me, I decided to wait
+for an opportunity.
+Why was she following me? I needed to confirm the reason for that.
+Although this was unlikely, I must also consider the possibility that she
+was working for Tsukishiro.
+I don't know if she was following me from the start, or sometime after
+that.
+From this point alone, I distinguished it clearly.
+If there were other issues I needed to consider, it would be where I should
+talk to her.
+It was spring break at the Keyaki mall, and it was still morning, the time
+with the most people.
+If I spoke to her here, it would be too conspicuous.
+Page 332 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+As I planned how I would start the conversation, I decided to resolve this
+matter as soon as possible.
+One thing to be grateful about is the fact that Matsushita was my
+classmate.
+Even if our conversation was seen by others, it would be regarded as an
+ordinary talk between classmates.
+Speeding up slightly, and turning the corner, I prepared to ambush
+Matsushita.
+If she did not follow me here, I would use Kei to deal with this.
+After about 10 seconds, Matsushita turned around the corner to catch up
+with me.
+'""Whoah!?"
+It seemed like she did not expect me waiting for her here, letting out a
+surprised voice.
+If she wasn't following me, she wouldn't have made such an overreaction.
+"What business do you have with me?"
+I asked that, while Matsushita placed her hand on her chest to calm down
+her intense heartbeat.
+"What business, what do you mean?... Although that's what I'd like to
+say, it seems like I've been exposed."
+It seems like after seeing my attitude, she determined that using a random
+excuse in this situation wouldn't work.
+But why did she follow me anyway?
+Page 333 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+That part was what truly mattered.
+If she just wanted to greet me normally, there was no need for her to
+conceal herself and follow behind me.
+"Well, there's a reason, so I followed you around, Ayanokouji-kun."
+After Matsushita confirmed that there was no one around, she admitted
+that she was tailing me.
+My relationship with Matsushita was not very deep.
+But if you observed Matsushita's behaviour, you would find that she was
+quite alert. This was probably because she didn't want her real thoughts to be
+seen through, which would also explain the reason she wanted to follow me.
+"What do you think the reason I'm following you 1s?"
+This wasn't just a simple question, it was obviously meant as a
+psychological attack."
+It seemed she really did want to ask me something after this.
+"T don't know, I don't understand this at all. When did you start following
+me?"
+I would not tell her when I noticed that she was following me.
+While answering her questions, I also asked her questions myself.
+"Just now, right-"
+"Just now?"
+In order to prevent Matsushita san from asking extra questions to avoid
+Page 334 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+answering me, I asked her another question.
+If she was given the chance, she would definitely ask me "When did
+Ayanokouji-san notice?"
+"When that... Oh right, when you were talking to Acting Director
+Tsukishiro."
+Matsushita-san mixed in lies, but also admitted that she saw me talking to
+Acting Director Tsukishiro.
+Shortly after, Matsushita-san slightly lowered the corner of her mouth. It
+seems that she noticed her mistake.
+Actually, I've already set up a trap here, if she was curious about my
+relationship with Acting Director Tsukishiro, she would have no choice but
+to ask me a question about this.
+"T saw you talking with Acting Director Tsukishiro, what actually
+happened?"
+"Tt seems like Keyaki mall is about to undergo renovation, that's why he
+was asking students which facilities we would be happy with if built, and
+similar questions. He just chose to ask me by chance.
+"Oh? I see..."
+Matsushita-san, who claimed to have started following me during my
+conversation with Acting Director Tsukishiro, might've planned to use
+information from what happened before the conversation to her advantage.
+However, it had the opposite effect. Since she saw the workers following
+Acting Director Tsukishiro, she would most likely believe me.
+"So, what's your question?"
+I don't have any questions. There's just some things on my mind."
+Page 335 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+After saying this, Matsushita-san started to reveal the true reason for
+following me.
+About the end of year exam... Ayanokouji-kun was the commanding
+tower, right?"
+So that's it. Having heard this sentence, I understood the reason why
+Matsushita-san wanted to contact me.
+"During the speed mental math event, the answer you gave me was
+exactly the same as the answer Koenji-kun gave."
+It would be hard to say that this happened by chance.
+"During junior high school, I did quite a lot of speed mental math, so ''m
+quite good at it.
+"Me too, but you aren't on the level of "quite good", I think that you're
+good enough to participate at the national level."
+As soon as I finished speaking, Matsushita-san immediately replied.
+It seemed like she didn't like the fact that I blocked her first move.
+"That's just an event that I'm relatively good at. To be honest, I've
+participated in national competitions before."
+"* ..Is that true?"
+"Yes, It seems that the sudden appearance of an event I'm good at led to
+your misunderstanding.
+'But, shouldn't you have mentioned this earlier?"
+"That's true, but do you know my personality? I'm not someone who can
+Page 336 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+announce this in the middle of the class. Also, I was given a protection point
+by chance which led to me stepping up as the commanding tower. Not to
+mention, our opponent was Class A's Sayakanagi-san. Even if I'm good at
+speed mental math, I don't know how much I could help, so I felt uneasy."
+No self confidence equalled poor communication skills. That was the
+impression my classmates had on me.
+"That.... might be true."
+Although she felt that it was indeed trustworthy, Matsushita didn't want to
+accept it, and took it to the next step.
+"T... I saw it. The scene of Ayanokouji-kun and Hirata-kun, talking
+together on a bench."
+She should be talking about the time when Hirata was alone during the
+Class Vote.
+I didn't have eyes on my back, so I didn't know someone was watching.
+However, there was no need to panic because of this.
+Even if someone saw that scene at that time from a distance, it wasn't
+something that unexpected.
+"Even though I stayed in the distance because I thought I would be
+discovered if I came any closer, I think I saw him crying."
+Witnessing that scene and quickly processing what it meant, 1t seemed
+like she collected a certain amount of data.
+Matsushita's intentions gradually became obvious.
+Judging by her words and her actions, believing that she had nothing to do
+with Tsukishiro should be fine.
+Page 337 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Back then, during the second day, Hirata returned to class, so shouldn't
+this be more than just a pure coincidence?"
+I thought she was an ordinary student, but she was unexpectedly acute.
+It was worth nothing that she was telling these things to me.
+It didn't seem like she was here because she couldn't keep those thoughts
+to herself.
+Although it could be labeled as just pure curiosity...
+From her subtle actions, you could see that this was just a pretence, so in
+other words, she had her own private reason for getting involved with this.
+Judging from Matsushita's words and actions today that were logical, this
+wouldn't be a sudden whim of hers. Instead, she would have planned this in
+advance to get into contact with me, and then bring up this topic. Maybe her
+decision to take action today was because she saw me wandering around
+Keyaki mall by myself.
+"National level speed mental arithmetic, plus your running speed, and on
+top of that, consoling Hirata during the Class Vote. By considering all these
+points... Ayanokouji-kun, are you holding back? In fact, whether it be
+academically or physically, you're more capable than what you are showing,
+right?"
+This was deliberate contact with me, who had a weak existence, and also
+trying to lead me to say certain things.
+It seems she tried to contact me because she doubted my abilities.
+This was completely different from the impression I got from Matsushita
+who had been my classmate for a year now.
+I quickly came to a conclusion, deciding to address the main topic.
+Page 338 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Are you doing this because you want me to assist you in reaching Class
+***
+"...80 you admit it?"
+It seemed like Matsushita-san felt a certain amount of dread after my
+straightforward confession.
+"It does seem like I'm indeed holding back."
+"Why? Isn't it good to achieve good grades at this school?"
+Matsushita-san, who believed she had the upper hand, started to question
+and criticize me.
+"It's because I don't like... attracting attention. If all of a sudden my
+grades randomly rose, then won't I have to help teach the others? I'm not
+really good at doing that. The same goes for athletics."
+"So that's how it is."
+Similar to Matsushita-san who hid her abilities. There were probably
+some parts of my excuse which was the same with her, resulting in her being
+able to understand very well. So she believed my words.
+"Please make more contributions to the class in the future. If you do
+actually have the strength, I want you to use it. This is for leading our class to
+victory. If your strength is genuine and if you have what it takes to be a
+leader, I can vouch for you, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Her thoughts were similar to Horikita's. If you had the strength, then use
+it honestly.
+"T happen to think so too."
+Page 339 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Eh?"
+It seemed that she didn't expect me to willingly cooperate with her, so
+Matsushita-san let out a surprised sound.
+"But please do not expect too much from me. I have already exerted
+around 70-80% of my total strength. Even with all my strength, I don't have
+the same academic and athletic ability as Hirata does."
+Henceforth, I intended to put my school life to the side.
+Right now, I have to be accepted by Matsushita-san to a certain extent.
+By telling her about how I hid my abilities, it gave her the impression that
+I had no more secrets.
+Then, without even having to mention it to me, I noticed that Matsushita-
+san was also hiding her strength.
+Of course, she would also feel as if she was in a dominant position in this
+psychological warfare, thinking that they had already calculated my
+provisional strength.
+"Wait, just now, you said you were using 70-80% of your strength... Is
+that true?"
+There should be nothing for Matsushita-san to reference in order to
+confirm that my strength was above Hirata-kun. However, I was asked, to
+confirm if it was true or not.
+"Mhm."
+Even though I nodded my head to confirm, Matsushita-san didn't seem to
+accept it.
+"Then what about the situation with Karuizawa-san?"'
+Page 340 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"What do you mean?"
+"*... The fact that she broke up with Hirata-kun should have something to
+do with you."
+"Where did you hear of this?"
+"That's what I think personally... I think there has to be some sort of
+connection."
+It seemed that Matsushita-san had already done a pretty thorough
+investigation beforehand, and that's why she couldn't simply accept it.
+The confidence in Matsushita-san's expression suddenly disappeared.
+"Why does Karuizawa-san think you're so special... so much that it led to
+her breakup with Hirata-kun? Please tell me why."
+"The reason for that, huh..."
+Since I was below Hirata in status, Karuizawa's motives were hard to
+accept.
+"Are you going to say that she doesn't see you as someone special?"
+""...1'm guessing that she does."
+Hearing what I said, Matsushita nodded gently as she accepted it.
+"Sure enough, you, Ayanokouji-kun, need to be more-"
+"No... How should I say this, I feel like you're misunderstanding
+something."
+"Misunderstand? But I asked you because I'm extremely confident in
+Page 341 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+this."
+"Tt's true that my relationship with Karuizawa... isn't ordinary."
+"That's why I wanted to know about your true strength, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"No, that-"
+"We got to this part already, so why don't you just tell me anyway?"
+"That's not the case, how can I say this, it's a bit difficult to put this into
+words."
+As I was stammering around, my gaze escaped and focused on a faraway
+place.
+Facing Matsushita who still refused to let this go, I had to continue
+talking.
+"Tt's a bit hard to say. No, well, not really... Well, I feel like it's simply
+from the influence of from how I conveyed to Karuizawa that I liked her.
+Instead of saying that I'm special to her, it's better to say that she has a sort
+of strange awareness towards me."
+"Eh sc?
+aero t
+The two of us looked at each other.
+"Isn't 1t because Karuizawa-san noticed your strength, and that's why she
+thinks you're special?"
+"That should not be related at all."
+"But- I don't think that it's as simple as just conveying your good
+Page 342 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+intentions that would make someone else think you're special."
+I shortened the distance between Matsushuta, and grabbed her shoulders.
+It seemed like Matsushita didn't expect that I would suddenly grab her,
+and couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
+I firmly caught her gaze and said this.
+""Matsushuta, I like you. Please date me."
+"What—!"
+Matsushita's brain probably panicked for a moment, but I quickly released
+my hands.
+"If you were confessed to like this, no matter what the result was, could
+you ignore it?"
+"Tt-it's a joke, ah. So that's how it is, so that's how it...ah."
+If I let her experience it directly, I could make her understand what I said
+before without her knowing.
+After being confessed to seriously by the opposite sex, as long as you
+were not extremely averse to them, you would be somewhat aware of them to
+a certain extent. This was obvious.
+"T think her breaking up with Hirata was entirely a coincidence. And I
+only conveyed my feelings to her after they broke up anyway."
+Because I hadn't confessed yet, Matsushita had no way to confirm the
+truthfulness of the sequence of things.
+"... 90 that's it, that's the situation. I'm sorry I followed you."
+Page 343 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"T've got one request, my thing with Karuizawa-"
+"T know. I won't tell anyone, no matter what."
+It couldn't be said that she accepted my response 100%.
+But, this matter can be stopped for a while, as I've provided her with this
+much information.
+After all, the thing between Kei and me, she couldn't just casually talk
+about it with anyone.
+If something related to this made me unhappy and refused to cooperate, it
+would only hurt Matsushita as well.
+Page 344 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Epilogue - Youth is About to Bloom
+Intro
+The problem about Matsushita the other day, And before that the problem
+of Horikita and Ichinose. Then, the establishment of a cooperative
+relationship with Chairman Sakayanagi, as well as Chabashira-sensei, and
+Mashima-senset.
+First and foremost ..., I must remain vigilant about Tsukishiro. Unlike
+other problems, ignoring him will only make the situation worse. It could be
+without realizing, I will be immediately dropped out of school.
+For that, I have to get cooperative support with the teachers. Well ... even
+though I say so ... Speaking of sending students from Whiteroom ... it's not
+certain, but it could happen. Tsukishiro couldn't enter the classroom or
+corridor at any time. It is impossible for him to attack me only through
+indirect and limited things like on special tests. But the story will be different
+if it's a student. They can move freely in and out of the classroom or the
+school corridor. That way they can create an environment where they can
+always make contact each other, An opportunity to make me dropout can also
+be created. What's more, they will also function as a reliable information
+seeker for sure.
+If that becomes a reality, then you can say that it's the biggest change
+around me. then there are also, Horikita and Matsushita. You could say this is
+a problem in class. Matsushita doubted my ability and wanted to know my
+potential. As for Horikita, I have promised to compete with her later, but for
+now there is no need for me to do anything about it.
+Page 345 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+For Ichinose too ... It's something that 1s still far ahead. For now I will
+look at this year's battle and do what I need to do. But yeah ... all of this is
+limited to stories from my surroundings. The personal changes that have
+happened to me ... are still small things.
+Right .... To this day ... Spring break has two days left ..., Tuesday and
+Wednesday. Enjoying the last day of vacation with calm, before the new
+battle for the students began ... But I was determined to take certain actions to
+find a big change in myself ...
+If you want to move things forward, this is the time. The time has passed
+6:00 p.m. This is the time when the sun begins to set and day change to night.
+By the way ... If possible... I want to be able to meet more people.
+For example, if there is a woman you like, how will we connect the path
+to the statement of love? If it is a peerless beauty, you might be able to say
+your feelings immediately without having to take a roundabout path.
+Say 'T like you ... come to me ...' and they live happily ever after.
+However, most people are not in such a special environment.
+Complex about face ... Complex about personality... or complex about
+physical condition ... Will a complicated triangle relationship also interfere
+with the path to the statement of love?
+Well ... However... the entrance to [Love Statement] is certainly not
+something easy.
+Because of this, I will seriously think about all kinds of wild thoughts in
+my mind, and then think hard to improve the success rate of confession.
+Is the success rate 10% or 20%? Or can it reach one-half?
+Sometimes, 80% -90%, or maybe you have the confidence to near 100%.
+Page 346 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Even so, you still feel anxious.
+When that love statement doesn't work, you're afraid that the relationship
+will change like never before. Of course, not a few people who think
+positively without regard to it. But for high school teenagers ... School is
+everything. In the usual school world, they feel a strong fear that the
+relationship that is built will collapse.
+If you think about it more ... How can you increase the probability ... Even
+if it's only 1%?
+Surely they will start making various efforts. First of all 1f possible.
+Change your hair style and dress style according to what she likes.
+Learn and train the body too ... Or maybe you can take strategies such as
+inviting her to eat and giving her gifts.
+Either way ... It changes the probability.
+Sometimes from 1% can go up to 99%, or can fail from 99% down to 1%.
+Knowing about her, understanding her feelings, you are desperate to
+understand all that. It is all a process to arrive at a confession of love.
+And then-so am I going through this process. Thinking and worrying like
+other men and women. However, such things are not limited to love.
+Broadly speaking, everything has a probability that cannot be seen ...
+Events can change every day. It's the same as changing probability with
+learning, to be able to pass the entrance examination of high school or
+college.
+And to what extent can you be aware of this truth, your understanding of
+the situation will also change greatly.
+Examinations and confession are only an intermediate stage. Even if they
+are successful, they do not end there.
+Page 347 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It would be better to say, 'the beginning' of everything.
+If you are frustrated before entering school, you may drop out of school,
+and your love may break up due to an affair or because of violence.
+That's how I think about the future. One month later, six months later, one
+year later.
+Sometimes something different than expected can happen, but I don't like
+actions that are too sudden. What's more, it is related to your own actions.
+Alright ... Now let's get back to the topic.
+Everything that I have done to this day so far are to make certain change
+in probability, of course, to increase the probability of success...
+It is likely that the results will come out today. If my estimate is correct,
+It's time to get in touch.
+I held my cell phone tightly ringing ... The screen on the cell phone
+showed an 11 digit number. The number not registered in my cell phone
+contact belongs to Karuizawa Kei.
+"It's me. I'm sorry to call you."
+After making a few calls, I answered the phone call from her.
+About 30 minutes ago, I tried to call Kei ..., but at that time she didn't
+answer my phone call. This is a call back from her.
+"Nothing ... Why?"
+"You sounds like you want to complain huh ..."
+"Not really ... Rather than complaining... There's something I just want to
+Page 348 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+confirm..."
+"What do you mean ... About me not contacting you after that?" The day I
+met Hiyori. I called Kei ... And in the end, I didn't tell her anything.
+I'm just saying if I remember, I'll contact her again. And of course I didn't
+contact her until nearing the end of spring break.
+"Looks like you know that ... What? So you just want to bother me?"
+"Regarding that ... Do you want to meet and discuss it in person?"
+Saying that ... I interrupted the topic.
+"Eh?"
+"About 'later if I remember, I'll say it', | remember now ... Can you
+come?"
+"Really ... Always just like that. Ok ... It's okay. But at this time ..., I won't
+be responsible if others see it.."
+(Tln: swear in the raw kei not only use slang style, but the words are also
+slang.)
+Many students come in and out at this hour ...
+There's a big chance that someone will see Kei come to visit my room.
+"Don't worry about it."
+I advised her to come after letting her know that it was all right.
+"I understand. Oh yes, I already have a plan at 7 o'clock. So don't have
+much time..."
+Page 349 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"I'll finish it as short as possible. About 10 or 20 minutes. Yes ...
+Something like that."
+"Then that's fine. See you later." Saying that ... kei hanging up.
+Alright... Let's get started.
+(TLM: what are you starting to do, bro)
+All preparations are ready. I looked around my room. This room is neater
+than usual.
+Only once, I looked into the mirror.
+Facing a serious look at myself, I immediately looked away.
+Page 350 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Part 1
+Kei, looking unhappy, was sitting in my room.
+With her tidy appearance, it really did seem like she had plans afterwards.
+"So, what is it?"
+Kei looked at me, with an unhappy look, as I was silent.
+After calling her out, I couldn't stay quiet.
+"What are you talking about?"
+"No, what do you mean? Didn't you say you remembered what you
+wanted to say?"
+"Well, now that you mention it, that is true."
+Listening to my vague words, the look of dislike in Kei's eyes intensified.
+"That's why I'm asking what you want?"
+"Alright, you don't have to be so hasty."
+"T just told you. 7 o'clock I'm eating out with my friends at Keyaki mall.
+Do you understand?"
+"There is still plenty of time, it's fine."
+Page 351 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"This is giving me a bad feeling, you know? You're speaking nonsense."
+Towards me, who acted differently than usual, Kei started feeling a little
+suspicious.
+".,. Right, ve got something to tell you."
+Since I stayed silent, Kei started to complain.
+"Something you need to tell me?"
+To be honest, I didn't know what Kei wanted to say, so I asked
+straightforwardly.
+""Sato-san is suspicious about our relationship."
+Sato We haven't been in much contact recently, but she was a
+classmate who liked me.
+"T thought she would hate me because I rejected her, so what do you
+mean?"
+"She tried to get me to admit that I broke up with Hirata-kun to date you,
+in a roundabout way."
+That is to say that even if it wasn't direct, her intentions for her words
+could be understood that way.
+"Of course I denied it, but I'm not sure if she believed me."
+"T see. Something similar happened on my side too."
+"Huh? Something similar?"
+"Matsushita also has various doubts about my relationship with you.
+Mainly about whether I was dating you."
+Page 352 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I reported the conversation from a few days ago, but after hearing it, Kei's
+face turned pale.
+"Eh? What? Are you lying? Is that true? Are you joking?"
+I nodded to say I was not kidding, then explained the whole story.
+The things I told her were about how Matsushita-san also hid her true
+abilities, about her observations which raised doubts about our relationship,
+and about her doubts regarding my true strength.
+"Wa-wait. I can't keep up with all this."
+Kei, who had a headache, placed her hand on her forehead.
+"T feel like things are getting bad...what do you think?"
+After understanding the situation, Kei asked me about my thoughts on it.
+No, she was seeking a solution.
+Since this was partially related to why I called her over, it's better to
+honestly tell her.
+"T think it's fine to leave it alone?"
+"No, no, that's not ok! Besides, there's nothing between us at all!"
+"So you're saying that you dislike people thinking there's a relationship
+between us while there's obviously nothing there? Even if Matsushita spreads
+that rumour, why not just let her do it?"
+"Huh? Saying whatever she wants... that kind of thing can't be ignored.
+You should quickly go and talk to her, and say that there's nothing between
+you and me."
+Page 353 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Going to talk to Matsushita now would only be counterproductive."
+"You already knew this from the start. Why did you half-ass the lie?"
+"No matter what I say, the situation won't change. Isn't Sato also dubious
+about my relationship with you? Then Matsushita, who is close to Sato,
+would have heard from Sato that my relationship with you was unusual
+sooner or later. No, the chance that she took action after she was told about
+the situation is high."
+It should be seen that she only came to contact me after she learned of the
+situation from students surrounding her.
+".... That, although that is possible..."
+After that, my contact with Kei was inevitable.
+Even if I strongly denied it this time, next time, it would change their
+doubts into confidence.
+If the other person knew that I was lying, they might spread the news.
+In that case, drawing the enemy to your side during the early stage would
+be more beneficial for future actions.
+But the thing Kei was upset about didn't seem to be about this.
+"But... 1f someone said that I broke up with Hirata, well, to date you, then
+rumours would spread not just in the class, but in the whole school, which
+would be a huge pain, you know."
+"Why would it be a pain?"
+"Because, if that rumour spread, it would really affect me."
+Kei relentlessly expressed her dissatisfaction, talking non-stop.
+Page 354 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Get it? No matter what gender you are, if you've got a scandal with the
+opposite sex, the chances someone approaching you would be a lot lower."
+Understood? Kei held her index finger in front of me.
+"So, in other words, I'm hindering you from getting a new boyfriend?"
+".. Exactly."
+From the third perspective, you could understand what she was saying.
+Just like how when it was revealed that Sudo liked Horikita, it made it harder
+to approach Horikita. Something like that.
+"Do you really understand? Listen up?"
+Kei continued, thinking that I still didn't understand.
+"You...are close with this Shiina?"
+"Shiina? Ah, are you talking about Hiyori?"
+She was one of the people who I called by their first name.
+Of course, I also called Kei, Haruka, and Airi by their first names.
+She should know this first hand.
+However, it seemed like Kei didn't expect me to have this kind of
+relationship with someone outside of our class.
+"We're pretty close, after all, we both like reading books. What is it?"
+After telling Kei that, her face changed colour.
+Page 355 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Eh...so you've got the same interests. Reading books....hmm...hmmm.
+That's completely opposite to me."
+Indeed, Kei and Hiyori had completely different personalities. She knew
+that herself.
+"And so?"
+"... Nothing, it's just... Argh, that's enough! You're making me forget
+what I wanted to say!"
+Kei got angry, raised her arms, and looked away.
+And then quickly started talking, wanting to keep her cool.
+"If the rumour with me spread, then it would be harder for you to get
+closer to her, right?"
+"T see, that's a possibility."
+I admitted this, and then Kei stood up.
+"T don't care, whoever you want to get closer to is up to you."
+After saying this, Kei turned around.
+"Although I'm sorry, this topic...we should stop now. I want to get to
+Keyaki mall earlier, because there might be boys from the other classes
+coming as well, and to quell these rumours, I need to be motivated. I don't
+have the time to help you."
+"Motivated?"
+"Because I've broken up with Hirata-kun, I want to find a new boyfriend.
+Got a problem?"
+Page 356 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"No."
+"...Right? So now I have to go."
+It seemed like I overdid the teasing.
+I stood up as well. Kei thought that I was going to see her off.
+"No need."
+Facing the tone of strong rejection, I called out Ke1's name.
+"Kei."
+"Seriously, now what?"
+"If you don't like it, then just ignore it."
+"Huh?"
+After showing her surprise, she paid attention to what I was going to say
+next.
+"Will you go out with me?"
+"Eh?"
+Kei frowned, not understanding, overflowing with doubt, she looked back
+at me.
+"What are you talking about? Where are you going?"
+(TL note, in Japanese, "Date me" and "Come with me" mean the same
+thing.)
+Page 357 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It seemed like she understood that as where I wanted her to accompany
+me, so she asked that.
+"T don't mean that. I mean to ask you if you would go out with me?"
+"No, I mean- you mean...I don't...understand..."
+There was no need to continue talking. I looked into Kei's eyes, and Kei
+accepted it. I wouldn't consider the situation where we weren't actually that
+close now. But between the two of us now, it only took matching up our
+gazes to convey our feelings.
+"Wait, eh, ha, ehhhh!? This, what kind of joke is this, it's such a bad
+"This isn't a joke."
+"Bu, but! Just now, you were hinting that you liked Shiina-san!"
+"That was a joke."
+"But- these few days-"
+"That's only, well, I wanted to try to see if you were jealous, Kei."
+Calling Kei to the cafe, allowing her to witness the scene between Hiyori
+and me talking together.
+There was no need to have done this.
+But, this was a way to let her see that I wasn't so used to romance yet.
+'If, if what you just said was a lie, then the relationship we have is over...
+if this is a false confession, and you'd like to admit it, this is your last
+chance...this, do you truly understand?"
+Page 358 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+With doubt within her heart, this wasn't a question where she could just
+Say yes or no to.
+"Of course it's not a joke, so let me hear your answer."
+"| ..€, e-e-e-e-e-even if you say that to me how am I supposed to...?!"
+"T said it just now, if you don't like me, you can ignore or reject me, or
+whatever."
+"Who said I'd ignore it! A-anyway, why?"
+"What do you mean by why?"
+"That, that is, me, so uh...something. Anyway, why was it today, uh..."
+The previous question was unclear, so I could only answer the latter one.
+"Why was it today, huh. I can't give you a good reason for me to choose
+today to confess, I have a good reason for confessing. Because I wanted to
+prevent you from becoming someone else's girlfriend."
+"So basically-you, like-me-right?"
+The questions issued by Kei contained strong emotions that I had not seen
+before.
+I wanted t, at this moment, or the previous moment, to strongly shake up
+myself, and then give a firm answer.
+"That's right, I like Karuizawa Kei."
+One of the major events in life was to confess.
+The fleeting moment where you'd express your true emotions.
+Page 359 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+To Kei's question, was my answer truly from the heart?
+Originally, the act of confessing to someone, the only motives one had
+was love, an action that turned someone you liked into someone that
+belonged to you.
+"Your answer?"
+The baton in my hand had been handed to Kei, and the rest I had to do
+was to wait for her reply.
+The chaotic Kei sorted out her feelings within her mind, and then she did
+her best to move her gaze back, as it had unconsciously wandered away.
+"-We-well, Pll go out with you...then."
+"Can I interpret what you just said as that you like me?"
+""Yo-you want me to say it!?"
+Although I understood her confusion, it was an indispensable part of the
+confirmation.
+Only after receiving a definite reply can the relationship between the two
+of us can truly change.
+"Mhm, I want you to say it."
+I urged her like this, Kei, although she was surprised, did not outright
+reject it.
+There was no third person listening in, nor was there a contract stamped
+between us.
+Page 360 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It is only the two of us that know, it is a conversation between only the
+two of us, and it's between the two of us that we agreed to mutually help each
+other.
+"Can you not answer?"
+If she couldn't answer, then I had to propose what we should do, but.
+***
+"Wa-wait a second. Now, my emotions are all over the place...!
+Kei stretched out her open hands, to allow me to stop feeling anxious,
+waiting for a bit.
+Looking at Kei, I decided to calmly wait for that moment to come.
+After a bit, Kei looked at me, determination in her eyes.
+"...Well, argh! That, how do I say it..."
+Although she made up her mind, it still took some work to organize the
+words and speak them.
+Due to me feeling that she was ineffably cute in that state, I didn't feel
+depressed even though I was waiting for this long for her answer.
+"To you...basically, I..."
+Although it was extremely hard to work up the courage to do so, Kei did
+not try to look away.
+This might be proof of Kei's determination.
+Karuizawa Kei's strength was that, once she had made up her mind, she
+would carry it out to the end, no matter what the situation.
+"Li-like...huh...rather than say that..."
+Page 361 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Kei's voice became softer and softer, stammering, but persisting in
+revealing her feelings.
+"T also... like... like...you. I don't want to say it but...I-I admit! I admit it
+alright!"
+I don't know why she was angry, but even so, she still revealed her
+feelings of love.
+I stretched out my arms and gently held Kei's arms.
+"W-wait!? D-don't say you want to kiss!?"
+Kei's reaction was even stronger than when I told her I liked her.
+Even if we kissed now, I don't think Kei would object, but I did not want
+to do it now.
+"T don't plan to do that, at least for now."
+"For...for now..."
+In other words, after that, the scene of us kissing would enter her vision.
+Imagining that scene, Kei was motionless, as if she were frozen.
+I embraced the Kei in that state.
+This was proof that my relationship with Kei had taken a huge step
+forward.
+"This should be fine, right?"
+"-Well, if it's only this...."
+Page 362 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Even if I didn't see Kei's face, I understood.
+The Kei right now, must be feeling confused, anxious, and happy.
+Her face's expression had to be showing a feeling that was impossible to
+express with just a smile or other methods.
+"Hey, haven't you grown a bit taller?"
+"Maybe."
+Before I came to this school, I measured 176cm tall. Growing during this
+year wasn't much of a deal.
+The same was true for the other students.
+People would grow.
+They're also creatures that loved to learn.
+This was instinct.
+Just like learning how to ride a bike, or how to swim.
+Just like learning how to use the chopsticks and how to drink from a
+Straw.
+I was also learning to fall in love through Kei.
+This was something I had not learned in my life so far.
+It was also something that couldn't be learned in the white room.
+And it drove my inquiring mind.
+Moreover, there was an important reason why I selected Kei.
+Page 363 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+This love was necessary for Karuizawa Kei's future growth.
+Looking ahead to the next year, her relationship with me would be
+extremely important.
+Kei's way of survival, as a parasite attached to a host, would someday
+fail.
+To prevent this from happening, this stage was necessary.
+***
+Me right now, what expression did I have?
+Was I smiling?
+Or was there a shy expression on my face?
+Or was there a confused smile?
+I didn't know.
+The me now, did not know what expression I was wearing.
+-No.
+I actually knew.
+The expression I had now.
+I knew what I was thinking of now, and I also knew what I planned to do.
+While learning, people would feel joy in the process.
+Whether it was studying, athletics, or games, it was the same.
+Page 364 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+You felt happy when you made progress.
+This was the same with love.
+I still didn't understand love.
+I didn't know what attachment was, and I didn't know what affection was.
+And I didn't understand the relationship between men and women.
+The embarrassment and happiness I felt waiting for the outcome, that kind
+of thing I was also not clear about.
+In the near future, I would definitely learn the answers to those questions.
+But nothing would change.
+Merely learning, growing up, and moving forward.
+In other words, Kei was like a textbook for me to the opposite sex.
+(79
+And when I finished reading it- it's "purpose" would have been served.
+Or-
+Was a different future waiting for me?
+Not leaving her side, becoming an irreplaceable existence for her.
+I didn't know.
+There was a part of me that hoped for that, and there was a part of me that
+understood that it wasn't possible.
+So, let's pray.
+Page 365 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Praying at the moment right now — holding an important person in my
+arms and smiling.
+Praying, as a young student, swearing that I'll treasure her.
+I gently embraced Kei, quietly praying.
+Page 366 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+| 2 Jf v
+ato | mp4direbéacc
+***
+Ichinose Honami — The Second Chapter is
+about to Begin
+The Second Chapter is about to Begin
+On a certain day during spring vacation, with the second semester just
+around the corner.
+Some cherry blossoms had already begun to bloom, welcoming the
+change from winter to spring.
+"He-y!"
+While I looked up at the cherry trees, a girl's voice rang out to me.
+"Here, here! Look here Ayanokouji-kun!"
+It was a voice I've heard before, I thought when I suddenly was called by
+name. I soon realised who it was.
+Ichinose was sitting under a cherry tree waving her hand at me.
+"Did you go to school today?"
+She was sitting there in her school uniform, right beneath the tree.
+Page 368 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+"Yes, I checked out the student council for a bit since the 2nd years said it
+probably will get busier now."
+"So you decided to do some flower viewing on your way back?"
+"That's it! I think I found the perfect spot."
+Looking right up at the sky and the cherry blossoms intertwined, she
+narrowed her eyes in a happy smile.
+"T've never seen such small cherry flowers before. So they really do exist
+after all."
+This variety of cherries are called Omuro Ariake. Their small height,
+about 2m-4m, are one of their defining traits.
+The school didn't have those until last year so they must have been moved
+here from somewhere.
+"How about it, Ayanokouji-kun? Want to sit?"
+She prompted me to sit down beside where by tapping on the spot beside
+her. How should I put it, how she is able to carelessly call out to boys just
+like that is so like her and probably part of the reason she is so popular.
+It wasn't prohibited to move closer to the trees, but there was a warning
+sign that said we shouldn't touch them without any reason to.
+I didn't have any excuses to refuse her so I sat down beside her.
+"How about we watch them together?"
+Thus I also looked straight up as she had.
+"Oh-"
+Page 369 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+They may have been small, but at this range, they left a surprisingly
+strong impression.
+From time to time, a sudden gust of wind would make the pretty cherry
+petals dance and scatter around. As if it was all but a dream.
+"It's nice to do some flower viewing from time to time, right?"
+"Yeah."
+While we both looked up at the cherry blossoms, we talked together about
+the most casual of things.
+The impending battle looming in the distance all but forgotten for just this
+moment.
+Page 370 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Shiina Hiyori— By Reading Books
+It was at the beginning of the spring vacation. I wore my casual clothes
+and headed for the Keyaki mall.
+«Good day, Ayanokouji-kun»
+And there, right in front of me was a student from another class right. I
+felt this was somewhat unusual as we went to the cafe.
+«You are pretty early.»
+«There's no way I can be late since I'm the one inviting after all.
+Ayanokouji-kun, who was so intelligent and so mature, was as relaxed as
+always. I have become fond of him lately for that.
+No, perhaps not in the terms of someone of the opposite sex, but it could
+be said it was him as a person perhaps...
+That's why I end up wanting to meet him like this, whether it was a day
+off or not. I don't have much experience going out to play with friends during
+day offs in the first place.
+The main reason is that I haven't managed to make any close friends,
+however.
+Page 371 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+That's exactly why I don't want to make them wait for me I think.
+Thinking that I would trouble him and disappoint him is what I wouldn't like.
+Even though I don't think of him as someone of the opposite sex, I end up
+doing it in the end. I become happy thinking that I'm the same as other girls
+experiencing the same thing as well. I wonder what this fluffy feeling I can't
+quite define is? I'm looking forward to investigate this during our meeting.
+«I am sorry for inviting you so suddenly.»
+Even though I contacted him and, somewhat impatiently, said that he
+would be grateful if we could meet during early April, he didn't make a
+troubled face and I even made him change his schedule this sudden.
+«I don't have anything planned during the spring vacation for that matter
+so don't worry about it. Well then—»
+«The library finally got some new books yesterday.»
+I wanted to speak so much that I failed to suppress my excitement and
+showed him my bag.
+«So that's why I wanted us to share information as fast as possible.»
+Before I knew it, we arrived at the cafe but since spring vacation just
+started, it was crowded.
+«There are more people here than I thought.»
+We managed to secure a seat by the window and close to the counter so
+we decided on that spot.
+«We don't get many chances to meet like this during day offs so it feels so
+fresh to me.»
+Page 372 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«You may be right about that.»
+It was almost like a boy and a girl having a date together. No, it was
+precisely that but I will become more embarrassed by this train of thinking so
+I decided to stop.
+«Well, let us begin... Do you want to look at the books I brought with
+me?»
+I tried to overwrite she embarrassment by taking out a book I looked
+forward to show him. But then I remembered there was something I wanted
+to talk to him about.
+My own class. It was just as important as me being his friend. Even if he
+ends up disliking me, it was something I had to do.
+«Right, before we get excited talking about books, there is something I
+wanted to talk about, could I take some of your time?»
+I brought up, looking directly at his eyes. His eyes looked as if he could
+see through anything, just as always. I felt that a day would come where we
+would fight against each other in the future. He would most likely be the
+most dangerous enemy my class will ever face. While looking him in the
+eyes, I became even more convinced of that.
+Page 373 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Matsushita Chiaki — Mind Games
+I'm chasing Ayanokouji-kun with light steps pondering on where to take a
+break. And then when IJ arrived at that corner I had seen him disappear from,
+I met him. He was facing me.
+«Wha! ?»
+I let out my surprised voice at this unexpected development.
+Why. That was obvious, he had noticed that I was tailing him.
+«Do you need something from me?»
+«Me, what do you mean? ...1is something I want to say, but it seems like
+you've seen through me already.»
+He was inviting me so I can't feign ignorance as that would just feel like
+I'm conceding more goals. I'd better just acknowledge it.
+«Yes, well you see, I was chasing after you.»
+I may have sucked at this, but do people usually notice someone tailing
+them? Was I seen by him somewhere?
+Just as I expected, Ayanokouji-kun in front of me is may not be normal. I
+became more wary of him.
+Now that it has come to this, it's either sink or swim, let's make sure. As
+Page 374 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+long as it's mind games, I don't think I will lose.
+«Why do you think I followed after you?»
+Pll try to lead him with questions to make him tell me to what degree he
+has noticed me.
+«Who knows, I don't know where to start. More importantly, when did
+you begin tailing me?»
+I wanted to pry some information from him, but he had managed to hand
+the ball over to me.
+«It was just now maybe. So—»
+«Just now?»
+Ah, dang, he only throws such ambiguous questions. But I have to stay
+calm. Stay calm. If I let my rhythm get disturbed and say something
+incoherent, it will be my loss. I wonder if I should just say that I thought him
+and the chairman meeting as unusual and therefore followed after him? If I
+say I started to tail him at the cafe, he would most likely ask why.
+«Who was it again... right, from when you talked to that new chairman I
+think?»
+Since I've managed to keep some space between him and me, I will take
+the initiative and come back at you.
+«So did something happen? You talked with the chairman, right?»
+«It seems like 'e's planning to remodel Keyaki mall and saw me and
+asked for opinions. What facilities would make me happy etc. He asked me a
+few questions about that.»
+«Ohhh, so that's what it was...»
+Page 375 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Certainly, there were other adults there when they started conversing so it
+might just be a coincidence. It seems like there are no links between his true
+abilities and the Chairman after all.
+«So, what about it?»
+«It's not really related to that, you see. There is just something I found
+interesting.»
+The thing with the Chairman wasn't important to me. It was whether
+Ayanokouji-kun was being serious or not, only that.
+«You know, during the final special exam last semester... wasn't you the
+leader, right?»
+Since I ended up meeting him like this, I'Il throw every single information
+I know at him.
+«During that flash arithmetic event, the answer you and Kouenji gave was
+the same.»
+It wasn't a math problem that could be solved by chance.
+«I did flash arithmetics during middle school so I'm relatively good at it.»
+«I'm the same but, that level of yours can't explained as being relatively
+good at it, right? That's probably at the national level, is what I think.»
+«That was just because it was an event I'm good at. In fact, I've also
+participated in national competitions.»
+Ayanokouji-kun easily admitted to it.
+«...really?»
+Page 376 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«Yeah. Since it was an event I'm good at, you may have misunderstood
+me I think.
+It seems plausible that there are persons who are only good at flash
+arithmetics. But unless you are pretty smart, you won't be able to solve
+problems just like that one. And the fact that he didn't reveal that he was
+good at it is a problem in itself.
+«But you know, why didn't you just tell us that a bit earlier?»
+«That's true. But, you know my personality, right? I'm not at the position
+where I can just take the initiative and tell the class about it. I became the
+leader since I had the protection point after all. What's more, our opponent
+was Sakayanagi from class A. Even if I said I was good at it, I was worried
+since I didn't know whether they would have believed me or not.»
+... had planned to corner him, but I can't get a grasp of him. He easily
+answered my questions like it was the natural thing to do. He didn't try to
+excuse himself in some flustered manner either. The are a lot of people that
+don't have confidence in themselves. They are unable to declare something
+since they are can't say what they want to. There is nothing in our
+conversation that is weird when comparing it to how he has been until now.
+«That... Well, that may be so.»
+Oh, no no! I can't seem to say what I was thinking in my head. Was it
+because he didn't lie? No, even if that was the case, there is still something
+suspicious thing going on. It may change if brought up the cases regarding
+Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san. My pace may have been thrown into disorder,
+but I promised again from the bottom of my heart, yet again, that I would
+regain my strength for what to come next.
+Page 377 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Sakayanagi Arisu — A Prediction of the
+Future
+After the the end-of-term ceremony was concluded, all students went to
+their respective classrooms for some last explanations before I left the
+classroom at immediately.
+That being said, with my impaired feet, I couldn't move as fast as other
+people. I eventually reached my goal and waited for that person who
+seemingly was delayed.
+«What are you doing out here, Sakayanagi?»
+Mashima, who attended the farewell ceremony for the 3rd years,
+puzzlingly asked me as he came closer.
+«I've been waiting for you, Mashima-sensei»
+«...For me?»
+«Yes. You are about to meet Ayanokouji-kun and Chabashira-sensei in
+the reception room, am I correct?»
+«What do you mean?»
+Mashima-sensei wouldn't admit it, at least on the surface.
+Page 378 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But I already know the finer details. From the time I gave Ayanokouji-kun
+my father's phone number, I expected this to happen.
+«You must have gotten a message from Chairman Sakayanagi to meet
+Ayanokouji-kun. Chabashira-sensei should be present as well, I presume?»
+«How do you know that?»
+«I just know more about the situation than both you and Chabashira-
+sensei, that's all.»
+«Even if that's true, your name wasn't mentioned.»
+«That's because I'm taking part on the spur of the moment. Could you I
+accompany you?»
+«I sadly don't have the permission to do so. It would become a problem
+were I to take you along.»
+«I will just meet up with you later even if we went separately. So why
+don't we just go together in the first place? I believe It will save you some
+time as well.»
+Even if I didn't get his permission to go together with him, I would visit
+the reception room alone.
+In other words, the conclusion would be the same anyway.
+«...Fine, since it looks like you already know about the circumstances.»
+«Thank you very much.»
+I turned around and took a step towards the reception room. He soon
+Page 379 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+caught up to me.
+«What in the world are we going to discuss at this meeting?»
+«Something very, very interesting.»
+I can predict some of the moves the Inter1m Chairman Tsukishiro may use
+in the future. I feel my boring days are getting more colourful just by
+imagining that. Following after Mashima, we walked into the reception room
+where Ayanokouji-kun is waiting.
+To enjoy my time with him. And to enjoy what's about to come.
+Page 380 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Ryuuen Kakeru — What Became Apparent
+to Me After a Year -Ryuuen Kakeru-
+It happened on that day right before the spring break was over.
+I dragged myself to the Keyaki mall. Once I defeated Ichinose and
+managed to return our class back to Class C, I decided to fight with
+Ayanokouji again.
+I have to think up a good strategy or else it won't work on that guy.
+Which is why I seek someone who can become my hands and legs and
+move according to my will. No matter how insignificant they may be.
+There should be several useful pawns in his class that could be easily
+swayed.
+My class on the other hand, has for some reason too many of those who
+only have muscles for brain.
+They are sorta excellent as foot soldiers, but they can't follow detailed
+instructions.
+And what's more, my class still has a deeply rooted distrust towards me.
+Right now, Ishizaki holds the position as the ruler of the class, but I'm
+Page 381 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+getting bored of his acting skills.
+A critical point for me to think over is when to take the reigns from him
+again.
+«Good morning. Are you alone today?»
+I sat down at a seat at the Keyaki Mall, waiting for Ibuki and Ishizaki to
+arrive, when a certain busybody called out to me.
+It was Sakayanagi Arisu.
+«I can say the same to you, what happened to those bodyguards of yours,
+Sakayanagi?»
+I can't see Kamuro or Hashimoto here either, those servants of hers... no,
+maybe I should say familiars?
+«Fufu. Even I go out alone sometimes. Congratulations on your comeback
+victory.»
+«Same for you. You beat Suzune's class I hear.»
+«4 wins, 3 losses. It was close of a result despite fighting with a lower
+class however.»
+«But you won so they have just become stepping stones for you in the
+end.»
+A lead of 500 points was too large to lose during a single year. You could
+safely assume it meant you were safe. Or at least, that's how lazy people
+normally thought.
+«Empty words coming from you. You mean to say you plan to close the
+gap in 2 years...no, within this year. At least, you eyes do.»
+Page 382 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«Kuku, who knows?»
+«How about it? Care for a cup of tea we while discuss the next year
+together?»
+«Together? I have nothing to talk about. And I'm not in the mood either,
+alright?»
+«Oh, really? I was thinking of a little celebration for your comeback. My
+treat, of course.»
+She's obviously looking down on me, but she's still watching my every
+steps. Making sure she doesn't miss anything.
+If I show her even the slightest of strange movements, it would bring her
+joy beyond compare.
+The battle between us has already begun.
+Well, I can play with her anytime. We' Il just try to read into what's
+hidden behind each other anyway.
+I didn't have any intention of doing that today.
+«Later.»
+I stood up, looking for another place to go. Seeing me like that, she called
+out to me again.
+«Your aura has certainly changed.»
+«What?»
+«A year ago, you would look at me with full enmity in your eyes. You
+surely don't look like that same person to me.»
+Page 383 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I laughed making a sound saying 'as if'. The same smile appeared on her
+face.
+So, she doesn't think I'm showering her with all my hostility now, is she?
+I thought while holding back my laughter.
+«The fact that you still are directing it towards me hasn't changed. But it's
+obvious that the 'colour' has changed.»
+It seems like what she tried to say wasn't what I had expected.
+«I didn't think you were even worthy of being my opponent right after we
+entered school, but it's different now it seems.»
+«That's stupid, Sakayanagi. Aren't you overestimating yourself a bit,
+huh? My principle is to win no matter what methods I have to use. I can kick
+you down to the ground right here, right now if I wanted, you see? And just
+so you know, I won't show any mercy to you even if you cry.»
+Since neither Hashimoto not Kitou were here, she was just a weak girl
+who couldn't even beat a brat.
+«As you say, I'd have no chance to win in a physical fight, but that
+doesn't mean you'd win either.»
+«So you won't admit a loss from violence just because of your handicap,
+huh?»
+«That's not the problem. Physical power is also a necessary factor to any
+fights. I'm just saying that exercising violence against me here wouldn't led
+to your victory. A lot of people and survellance cameras are watching us now
+after all. It won't just end with a suspension, if you raised a hand against me
+now. I, who can't move as I please, I may say. What a third party observer
+would deem a victory is also an important factor as well.»
+«Logically that is. But what if I wanted to use force to claim my victory
+Page 384 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+for my own satisfaction, what then?»
+I took a step towards her and lightly raised a clenched fist in a somewhat
+threatening manner.
+I think it would have been a bit cute to see her frightened by this,
+somewhat charming. But she didn't fret a single bit, only showing me that
+unpleasant smile of hers.
+She's way too naive if she thought I wouldn't hit her for real. But that
+wasn't the reason it seems.
+She didn't mind since being hit wasn't a loss, but instead a step leading to
+her victory. That's what her eyes told me.
+«You do have intelligence, despite your appearances. I'm just relieved
+you also can calculate your gains and losses.»
+Even if I punched her, she would end up brandishing her mark of the
+lowest scum onto me.
+«I think you, as you are right now, have grown to be worthy of playing
+with, you know?»
+You say I've grown during this year?
+Lol....you say the most ridiculous things as you please.
+«I haven't changed at all.»
+«You sure about that? You've changed quite a bit as far as I can see.»
+She was still persistent on that despite my denial.
+Foolish ideas, I thought...
+Page 385 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But, I might have changed a bit.
+I thought I didn't have any room for growth after middle school.
+I thought I had matured completely.
+And everyone else was my playthings.
+I had no empathy towards such things.
+«The current you seems to have changed your view compared to how you
+were a year ago perhaps?»
+Right... 've changed how I view things.
+I decided this school wasn't much of anything once I took control over
+Class-C in April.
+I was aware that Sakayanagi, who used Katsuragi as her plaything, was
+pretty smart, but other than that she wasn't worth taking notice of.
+I only thought about how to stave off boredom by crushing Class B or
+Class D.
+It's laughable now that I think about it.
+But anyway, even I was surprised by how much motivation I had towards
+trying to pull up my class now.
+«It seems to me that something big has happened that made you change
+this much.»
+Her attitude and eyes were telling me she was testing me, but I didn't
+show her anything and just let it go.
+«Fufu, I'm looking forward to— a new war this year too, okay?»
+Page 386 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«You'll end up regretting it.»
+I noticed the guys I'd been waiting for, then turned my back and walked
+away from Sakayanagi.
+«Good morning, Ryuuen-san. That was Sakayanagi...right? Did
+something happen?»
+Ishizaki was taking glances back while trying to catch up to me.
+«Just some small talk.»
+I'd have wasted time and energy trying to explain to these guys anyway.
+Even idiots learn in their idiotic ways since he shut his mouth and didn't
+pursue the topic.
+«Ah, by the way, we met Ayanokouji this morning. He also went to this
+Keyaki mall.»
+«I see.»
+At this time of day, the amount of places which could be used was
+limited.
+Meeting up and talking with someone on the 2nd floor should be about it.
+Well, I don't think that would end in just 10 to 20 minutes.
+Going out this early must mean that the talk must be somewhat important
+after all.
+I'll make these guys make the first moves for starters.
+«Oh by the way, Ryuuen-san. I suggested a plan to Ayanokouji, but he
+Page 387 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+refused it though. To have him and you in the same class and aim for Class A
+together...»
+«Are you an idiot? No way Ryuuen will say that's a good idea even if you
+told him.»
+Ibuki was disgusted by it, but what Ishizaki said shouldn't be overlooked.
+It's true that if we joined forces for real, there would be no enemies left
+standing in our year.
+«Well, that's impossible.»
+«So it was impossible... yeah... sorry for my stupid suggestion.»
+«And? Why did you call us today?»
+«I wanted to talk about this 2nd year and what follows.»
+«What follows?»
+«It doesn't have anything to do with special exams, I will crush Class A
+this year.»
+«... You're not joking, are you?»
+«Sakayanagi won't show us any openings but if we let Class A steamroll
+their way, any chances we have will disappear. I'Il drag them back with me
+and defeat them to smithereens, no matter how stubborn I have to be.»
+But well, I need to make sure of the timing and such at least.
+«What about Class B?»»
+«They' Il just self-destruct if we leave them alone. They won't use any
+dirty tricks.»
+Page 388 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+In other words, they aren't worth paying any attention to.
+«Oh yeah, we don't need to be aware of them, right.»
+The only exception may be Kanzaki, but he isn't worthy of being my
+opponent at this stage.
+Whether he only has the ability to bark or not will become apparent
+sooner or later.
+«That's right, no need to pay them any attention, but—that's why we must
+go out and finish them. To crush them so that they never can rise again.»
+And defeating all classes will send him a signal as well.
+1
+I was waiting for Ayanokouji to leave the café.
+If he wasn't alone, I would have to wait for the next chance even though it
+was a bother.
+«You heard from Ishizaki that I would be here?»
+«Yeah, I came here searching for you, even wasting my time to greet you,
+you hear?»
+I looked at his face which lacked any expressions making it hard to figure
+him out.
+«You already do know my contact info I'm sure. Wouldn't it have been
+better to contact me then?»
+«I thought it was better to speak up face to face to that dull face of yours.»
+Page 389 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I don't know anything about how he feels, but that's why I can't evade
+meeting him straight on.
+To conquer him, breaking through that mental iron wall of his is of utmost
+importance.
+Anyway, there is something I must check with him.
+«What did you mean by 'that'?»
+Even though I asked vaguely, he immediately understood.
+The thing I meant by 'that' was his message he made Hiyori tell me.
+I'd won 5 to 2 against Ichinose and crushed her during the last special
+exam of the year
+Her mental state as a leader had been shook thoroughly, the pressure to
+her classmates has continued, and some of her classmates couldn't join the
+exam due to stomachaches caused by me.
+He knew about my methods and cheekily left a message for me: 'I'd
+would have easily managed over 5 wins with a better method'.
+That move just made me want to talk to him whether he wanted it or not.
+It was as if I was being forced to obediently listen to his preaching from
+some god's point of view.
+«Just as I said. I'd have done better than you.»
+«What methods I use is up to me alone.»
+If ''d use any other methods and won 5 times, it would still just be another
+5 wins to me.
+Page 390 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+No difference at all.
+«That isn't definite. If you had to leave the school due to some blunder, I
+would be sad.»
+Some blunder? No way I was going to lose against Ichinose.
+I'd just follow this stupid joke of his.
+«Kuku, what's up with this joke? Quite arrogant of you despite losing to
+Sakayanagi and getting demoted.»
+The match between Ayanokouji and Sakayanagi's classes ended 4 to 3
+with Sakayanagi leading her class to victory.
+But of course, there is no way he's inferior to her.
+Since the peculiarity of that exam meant that the Keeps was limited in
+what they could do.
+No... if he'd been serious I'd bet he could win any exams.
+Which means he wasn't serious or that someone interfered.
+«It's true our class lost to hers. I have no excuse for that since I was the
+Keep. Whether Sakayanagi is superior to me or not 1s for you to find out
+later.»
+«What the heck— you looking down on me?»
+He easily acknowledged his loss, but that just irritated me even more.
+I came closer and peeked at his eyes which lacked any colours.
+«Someone who beat me once can never be be inferior to her.»
+Page 391 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«That's flattering of you, but what if I really didn't rest on my laurels
+during the exam?»
+«Too bad, I don't believe it. You didn't want to fight from the beginning
+then rather than you getting serious and losing.... or that some kind of
+accident occurred. That's a hell lotta easier to believe. I'd believe it if the
+school wanted to maintain some image and planned for Class A to win
+anyway.)
+His strength isn't on the level of a lst year high schooler.
+I came to experience that during our fight in the first year with my own
+body.
+I even want to know what kind of life he's led up until now to become this
+kind of monster.
+«And? What are you going to do now after your comeback, Ryuuen?»
+«You don't get to decide whether I come back or not. I plan to enjoy this
+nice vacation for a bit longer.»
+Now is the best time to make those various moves behind the stages.
+«But... If I get bored of this vacation, Ill crush Ichinose and Sakayanagi
+to warm up.»
+«That's a big change of heart.»
+«Kukuku, certainly. I'm surprised too. I didn't think I'd get this excited
+over a chance to take my revenge on you.»
+«I see.»
+No matter what he replied, there was no use trying to read into his intent.
+Page 392 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But what's clear is that Ayanokouji isn't an ally of Sakayanagi and
+Ichinose.
+No, it may be that even Suzune isn't regarded as an ally by him either.
+«I'm grateful for that. If you could crush Ichinose and Sakayanag! first, it
+would be the best I could hope for. I can smoothly aim upwards.»
+«I thought you didn't care about your class at all?»
+«It's a bit different now. That class will be in a good position by the same
+time next year. Even if I won't be there anymore.»
+«What?»
+Even if I won't be there anymore?
+«I may be targeted from now on so it won't be a surprise if someone
+managed to expel me. Right?»
+That's a stupid thing to worry about.
+«Rest assured. If someone is expelling you, that will be me.»
+I can't think of any others from any classes in any years who can expel
+him.
+I laughed silently due to my own thoughts.
+«But—»
+I said to him and suddenly closed the distance between us.
+Giving him no time for caution, as quick as I could, as fast, directly at
+him.
+Page 393 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«Raaahhh!!)»
+I aimed for the space right in front of his eyes using my right foot with no
+hesitation.
+But that was the opening move.
+Even if you managed to deal with it, it wasn't that important.
+It was just the first strike that came with any fight.
+But if he managed to dodge it, that would be his downfall.
+I proceeded to kick his head with all the power I could muster with my
+left foot.
+But—
+He calmly dodged the kick as if he'd known a second strike would come
+after the first.
+He wasn't too early or too late.
+With just the neccessary movements.
+I had thought of a third strike, but the movements he showed dampened
+my intent and tension released from my muscles.
+«Hah, so even a surprise attack like this won't do anything. What kind of
+monster are you?»
+No matter how this was repeated, he would easily defend against it.
+Any fights using force, in other words, brawls, won't be able to defeat his
+intricacy.
+Page 394 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+I have to relentlessly strike at him using some unorthodox methods or
+strategy or else it won't work.
+«Quite the showman you are.»
+He must be telling me to be aware of my time and place, but that's why I
+did it.
+The fact that a countless amount of cameras were installed here just made
+it clear I had to do it.
+«My heart is howling at me; to devour you.»
+If he was even a bit irritated by this surprise attack, I would gladly do it
+again.
+«Not striking back?»
+I tried provoking him, but he didn't move of course.
+«I want to avoid any risks from fighting with you here. And it's not the
+right time for that.»
+«Hah, the mercy of the strong? You saying it makes it seem so much real,
+this is getting exciting.»
+My muscles began to tension again.
+Maybe I shall strike him again now, | thought but...
+«You have potential. That's why you should grow up properly, Ryuuen.»
+My tension turned into anger once | heard those words. That wasn't the
+words used when dealing with an equal opponent, far from it.
+Venting my frustration, I punched at those damn walls.
+Page 395 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«Grow up properly, you say? When the fuck did you become my
+teacher?»
+«I'm just telling you the truth. But don't let the carpet get so easily pulled
+from under you.»
+«What?»
+«It seems you did some dirty tricks using Ishizaki and the others. It wasn't
+a bad idea to use the karaoke to mix in those stuff, but if there were any
+traces left you would have been finished. You would have been expelled on
+the spot. Even if you managed to feign ignorance, if something strange had
+happened during the exam, the school would be suspicious of you, of course.
+The fact Ichinose didn't file a complaint was your only saving grace,
+Ryuuen.»»
+«I used her good-naturedness in my calculations.»
+«If so that was naive of you. You will never be able to catch up to me at
+this rate.»
+«...Look at you.»
+He pinpointed out the naivity in my strategy.
+«Whether you heed my warning is for you to decide. But— if you remain
+as you are now, a rematch isn't even on the table.»
+So he's saying if I wanted to fight with him, I need to grow up?
+I'd kill everyone who tries to advise or warn me but...
+«Pl listen to your stupid advice since we're here right now. But Ill crush
+you sooner or later.»
+Page 396 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Since he was the only exception I'd acknowledged, I'll take it as an adult
+for now.
+«That's the spirit, Ryuuen. Having you crush and expel me doesn't sound
+too bad after all.»
+2
+«Having you crush and expel me doesn't sound too bad, eh?»
+What an idiotic thing to say.
+If you so desire it, Ill expel you.
+I usually would have said that straight to him, but even such a bluff
+wouldn't work against him.
+I've always challenged any opponent I've met without any fear until now.
+Even an opponent such as Albert that I've lost to once would be devoured
+just like a snake and made obedient.
+I have confidence that I can discover the winning move against any and
+all humans.
+But he isn't in the same dimension as those.
+Any physical attacks don't seem to work on him, not even mentioning
+psychologic ones.
+And I don't even need to say this, but I've never seen someone with such
+a Sharp mind before either.
+«Makes me laugh when thinking of my old self.»
+Someone absurd has slipped into class D.
+Page 397 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+But there is no need to panic.
+What's important isn't who is winning right now.
+If I'm the victor at the very moment we are graduating in two years,
+there's no problem at all.
+It doesn't matter whether we are in class A or Class D or whatever.
+Me and Ayanokouji. The hound or the bitch. Who is which? It's fine, I
+just need to win.
+'No matter the methods' I have to use.
+Page 398 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Karuizawa Kei Artbook SS — The Person
+Who Became Dear to Me
+I finished changing my clothes and grabbed my phone, feeling a bit
+melancholic.
+«Good grief... what is it now?»
+I was preparing myself when I suddenly got a call.
+An unknown 11-digits phone number that wasn't in my contact list.
+I obviously knew who it was. It was Kiyotaka.
+The scene of him and Hiyori-san on that date appeared before my eyes.
+He's free to hang out with whoever, wherever he wants to, of course.
+Since our relationship wasn't anything special after all.
+But still...
+«Ah, enough! Why do I have to feel so irritated and getting pushed around
+by someone like him!»
+I stopped thinking too deeply about it, dispelled my feelings and prepared
+Page 399 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+to take the call.
+I planned to eat out with Ishikura-san and Sonoda-san today. I'm going to
+have fun today.
+«It's me, sorry for calling you.»
+I restrained my voice which was about to burst and calmed myself down.
+«It's fine. What?��
+«You sound like you have some complaints though.»
+«Not really. Not complaining, just wanted to confirm something with
+you.»
+«That I called you out recently and didn't get in touch with you later?»
+If you understood that, so at least follow up, will you! Whoops, I should
+keep that to myself...
+«You seem to understand then, what? Just wanted to harass me?»
+«Could we meet up and talk about that?»
+«Eh?»
+«Remember the thing I said I would tell you if I remembered it? I just did.
+Could you come over?»
+What's up with that?... You didn't contact me after that and now you
+want to talk with me? And in your room?
+«Good grief... You always do it when it pleases you... I guess it's fine.
+I'm not taking any responsibilities 1f someone sees me, okay?»
+Page 400 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+It will become a problem if I were seen trying to enter a boy's room alone.
+«Don't worry about that.»
+I thought he would have some misgivings about that, but it seems I was
+wrong.
+Well, if he says he isn't worried, then why should I?
+«Got it. Ah, I have something planned by 7pm so I can't have you take
+too much time, okay?»
+«It will be short. Probably around 10 to 20 minutes.»
+«It's alright for me then. See you later.»
+I ended the call and sighed.
+I felt relieved the call didn't turn for the worse.
+«Why does my heart have to be pushed around by a guy like him?»
+I don't feel like being toying around by him either, but well, it can't be
+helped.
+This is a shield to protect myself.
+Yes, that's why it can't be helped.
+«...It wouldn't be fair otherwise, right.»
+l
+I began to prepare myself before leaving for his room.
+A meal is waiting for me after this. So let's be done with this quickly, that
+Page 401 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+kind of feeling.
+But it was so quiet when I arrived.
+He was just looking at me, not delving into any important topics.
+«So, what is it?»
+Don't even tell me he has forgotten the matter after I came here?
+His answer when I tried to cut through this awkwardness was...
+«What do you mean?»
+An evasive reply. I became a bit irritated by that.
+«What do you mean? Didn't you just recall what you wanted to say?»
+«Now that you say it, yes, I suppose that's true.»
+I thought he would start talking again, but he became quiet and the silence
+returned.
+«Oh come on, what is it?»
+«Well, you don't need to be so hasty.»
+«I'm pretty sure I mentioned it, didn't I? I'm eating with my friends at
+7PM at the Keyaki Mall. Understand?»
+«There still a lot of time. It's going to be fine.»
+«Hmm, you kinda give me the goosebumps, you know? The way you just
+go on and on about nonsense.»
+Page 402 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+He normally would keep things as short as neccessary, precisely to the
+point.
+That was my usual impression of him.
+I thought his usual self was impressive, honestly.
+How shall I say it? He was being so calm despite the fact we are the same
+age. Or rather cool. That part of him was somewhat attractive, so to say.
+No, no. I have to be angry now. What up with praising him now?
+«...Oh by the way. I have something I need to tell you, okay?»
+I didn't like how he wasn't himself so I changed the topic.
+«Something you need to tell me?»
+«Satou-san is suspecting my relationship with you, you know?»
+Even if he had the initiative, even I could influence it.
+That's why I sometimes have to start the conversation myself. If not,
+something bad might occur.
+«I thought she might begin to hate me after I rejected her. What
+suspicions?»
+It would be easy to think she would dislike him after that. But his situation
+is totally different.
+He seems like he would need an explanation about romance from A to Z
+just for him to understand as he's kind of distant, right?
+Unlike any middle schoolers I know of.
+Page 403 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+That's what giving me so much stress right now.
+«She thinks I might have broken up with Hirata to go out with you. She
+tried to ask me about it in a roundabout way.»
+It was about a boy she liked so of course she would notice something.
+And that—I really saw him differently from every other boy.
+«I refuted it of course, but I'm not sure how much she believed me.»
+I don't think she would forgive me if she knew we were meeting up with
+each other like this.
+If we had changed positions, I would feel the same.
+«I see. I had a similar conversation too.»
+«What? Something similar?»
+There shouldn't be anything similar to that as far as I know, except for
+Satou-san's case.
+«Matsushita was a bit suspicious about you and me. Asked whether we
+were dating or not.»
+Eh? Matsushita? By Matsushita you mean the one from our class?
+My mind went into a panic from the sudden mention of her name.
+«Wha? What? No way, right? Really? You're not joking?»
+He nodded slightly and talked about the events leading to that but...
+You mean, she started suspecting his real abilities during the special
+Page 404 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+exam?
+«W-wait a bit! I can't keep up with this!»
+It was bad enough with Satou alone. And now even Matsushita?
+I'm getting a headache...
+«I think it's getting really bad, kinda... do you have something up your
+sleeve?»
+It should still be possible to calm down the situation if I just apologised
+once of twice.
+But what he replied back was...
+«I think it's fine to ignore it?»
+He chose the worst option with that composed expression of his.
+«No, no, that's no good!— And our relationship... isn't anything special
+to begin with either!»
+I was the one who had the most to lose if I ignored it!
+«Do you dislike others thinking there may be something even when
+there's nothing there? Even if, let's say she spread a rumour, just let her say
+what she wants, right?»
+«What? Just let her say what she wants?...There's no way I can do that.
+Tell it straight to her right now, that there is nothing between us!»
+Whatever the truth may be, the important thing 1s how to convey that to
+the other person.
+I want to avoid destroying the peace in my class at all costs.
+Page 405 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Does he think it will be fine as long as he protects me with his body?
+If he thinks so, he's wrong. Peace of mind is also important.
+«It may have the opposite effect if I tried to explain it to Matsushita now.»
+«You should have known that from the start, didn't you? Why make such
+a half-assed lie?»
+«No matter how I explained it, it wouldn't change anything. Satou is
+suspecting there is something between us right? Since she is close to
+Matsushita, she will eventually tell her that our relationship isn't normal. No,
+the possibility that she made a move after being told is pretty high.»
+«... You, may be right...»
+Rumours of our relationship being spread far and wide, even if it was a
+lie, would be a total loss for me.
+Or perhaps not. There would be a small saving grace. But just a small one,
+really.
+If we truly were going out then, well, I mean, we aren't so...
+«I mean... won't they think that I broke up with Hirata-kun to date you
+instead? I'm the one getting troubled if there's even the slightest chance it
+spreads to our class, no, our whole school, you know.»
+«Why should that worry you?»
+He wouldn't understand me no matter what.
+«Listen here—. If such a rumour was was out there, it would affect me
+from now on.»
+Page 406 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+What's going on inside this skull of this love-dead boy?
+That's precisely why he didn't notice Satou's and my feelings for him.
+«Okay? Being approached by the opposite sex is hard if there is some
+scent of some other person there, understood?»
+I pointed my finger at him.
+«SO you are saying you want to find a new love and that I'm in the way?»
+«... That's how it is.»
+Honestly, I'm not thinking of getting a boyfriend now, but, that's just how
+it 1S.
+I seemed to have gotten the message through so I proceeded forward.
+I was beginning to think he was pretending dumb after all this.
+But since we arrived at this topic, I once again recalled that scene.
+Hiyori-san and him discussing happily at the cafe.
+«Do you really understand? Right, care to listen?»
+Since we ended up here, I have to confirm something.
+He called me up saying he had something to discuss, yet made me look at
+that until the end.
+There's no way I can leave without saying my piece of mind about that.
+«You...are you close to this Shiina?»
+«Shiina? Ah, you mean Hiyori?»
+Page 407 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«Hiyo...»
+He easily used her first name instead of her last.
+Well... he's free to call other girls by their first names as he pleases, like
+me.
+Everyone in that group he's so close to also uses their first name I hear.
+But, Shiina-san is well, not like that... not that I care.
+«We are certainly rather close. We both like to read books so our hobbies
+align. How about it?»
+S-same hobbies... r-reading books? Isn't that like, the total opposite from
+me?...
+«Heee? The same hobby? Reading books... heee....heee. So completely
+different from me?»
+I slipped up, saying exactly what I thought.
+«And?»
+He nonchalantly faced me like he was asking why I wanted to hear about
+that in the first place.
+«...No, I mean... Argh! I forgot what to say!»
+I just didn't have anything else I'd wanted to say for that matter.
+Anyway, I tried to squeeze out some words as if to compromise, still
+worrying.
+«If the rumours about you and I were to spread, I mean, it would be harder
+Page 408 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+for you to get closer to Shiina-san, right?»
+There was some part of me that wanted him to deny it.
+«I see. That's certainly a possibility.»
+But he didn't deny it, instead he agreed with me in full honesty.
+«Not that I care really. You're free to get close to whoever you want for
+that matter.»
+I turned my back towards him as if trying to run away.
+Hey, I can't do this anymore. My feelings I had tried to hold in was about
+to burst forth.
+«Sorry but, could... we have leave this talk for later? I want to head for
+Keyaki mall a bit early. There may be some boys from other classes coming
+too. I'm going to chase away the rumours so I need to get into the mood. I
+don't have the time to deal with you.»
+I wouldn't know what else I could have ended up saying to him if I were
+to stay here.
+I don't know what these depressing feeling are. I just don't understand.
+«Mood?»
+«I'm looking for a new boyfriend since I broke up with Hirata-kun. Got a
+problem?»
+It was just a gathering of girls eating together, but I wanted to put on the
+airs.
+«Not at all.»
+Page 409 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«...Right? That's why I'm leaving now.»
+He stood up as if trying to chase after me.
+«It's fine.»
+Even if he were to see me out, it would just make me feel sick.
+«Kel.»
+He called me by my name.
+Why does my heart have to skip just like that?
+«What is it already?»
+Why am I the only one being pushed here and there by his words and
+actions?
+«It's just, if you don't like it, it's fine for you to keep looking another
+way.»
+Why am I— the only one...who...
+«What?»
+«Will you go out with me?»
+«Eh?»
+I frowned and turned around, not sure I understood.
+«What did you say? Or, what is it?»
+He was listening to me when I said I didn't have time, right?
+Page 410 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+While I was thinking along those lines...
+«That's not what I meant. I asked if, you wanted to go out with me.»
+Me going out with him?
+«No I mean— I don't really... under...stand...»
+Going out?
+Hmm...?
+Eh, wait a bit. Wait a bit...?
+The way he looked at me, that gaze and presence.
+«W-ai, eh, wha, what!? What's up with that joke, that's bad taste even for
+«lf it was a joke.»
+Yes, if it was a joke, it wasn't something I'll ever forgive him for.
+Swaying my heart right and left, left and right and saying this after all
+that.
+«B-but—didn't you mention getting closer to Shiina-san just now!?»
+«That was the joke.»
+«But—the other day—»
+Didn't you get intimate with Shiina-san recently...!
+But Ktyotaka's next words drowned out what I was about to say.
+Page 411 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+«That was simply, well. I wanted to test whether you would became
+jealous or not, I suppose.»
+Then... so there really isn't anything between him and Shiina-san?
+In other words, he wanted to see my reaction to watching that?
+So—well, Kiyotaka is, in other words, eh...
+«lf this is a joke, this is the last chance to take it back... You do know
+that, don't you?»
+If that was his idea of teasing, it would be a huge shame and disgrace on
+my part.
+Our relationship will most likely break apart at once.
+I became unable to reply.
+No, maybe I had wanted it to be a joke.
+Since—if he was serious, that would mean, that I have to answer him too
+«Of course it's not a joke. May I hear your reply?»
+It's not... a joke?
+You mean... you were serious?
+So, in other words, Kiyotaka came to like me?
+My mind went blank for a second, then it began to overflow.
+«...Y, y-y-y-y-y-you are asking that of me!?»
+Page 412 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Something inside me broke out and I started panicking, making a quite the
+commotion.
+«As I said earlier, you can look away, reject me, you can do what you
+wish to.»
+«I didn't say I was going to ignore you! B-but, why!?»
+«By 'why' you mean?»
+«Well, that is, me... I mean... by the way, why today...?»
+It was so abrupt. All the frustration built up until now was turned upside
+down in dramatical fashion.
+«I wonder why. I'm not sure I can explain it very well, but there is one
+thing I can explain. I wanted to stop any other guy from getting you as their
+girlfriend.»
+So my lie had taken form in a most unlikely way inside his heart?
+«So you mean— You, you like... like... me?»
+I tried putting it into words, trying to confirm it. There's no way I wasn't
+going to.
+I wanted to hear his answer directly with my ears.
+«Yes, I love Karuizawa Kei.»
+I love Karuizawa Kei.
+I love Karuizawa Kei.
+I love Karuizawa Keli.
+Page 413 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+W-haaaaaaa!!
+His voice was reverberating inside my brain like a ringing bell.
+«You answer 1S?»
+A-answer? What's an answer? What should I say back to someone who
+said they liked me?
+'I love you too!' Do I have to say something that embarrasing!?
+Eh, eh? If I answer him, wouldn't our relationship change here and there!?
+I wanted to answer, but the panic, the agony, my head just shorted out.
+No that's wrong. I, have to admit it. That ve loved Kiyotaka from way
+back.
+But still, Pd had thought our relationship didn't change, wouldn't change.
+But I was wrong.
+«—I-[P Il let you go out... with me.»
+I answered him as if confessing something.
+But, he was somehow calm, didn't cry, didn't show a smile, just showing
+strong will.
+«Can I take it as you also liking me?»
+But he didn't seem satisfied or something, like he wanted something else.
+«You want me to say it!?»
+«Yes, I want you to.»
+Page 414 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+N-no way. Ah, I haven't even prepared for any confessions at all!
+If I knew it would turn like this, I would have made some more effort and
+done something!
+The only saving grace was that I was planning to go out to eat with some
+friends. I'm so glad for that...
+Being dressed up like this, I mean.
+But I have to answer him here.
+As a boy and a girl. It was important to answer to the other person's
+feelings.
+«...Well, you know? I mean, you know—....I, I lik... kinda... kinda,
+sorta...»
+I was so trying to be cool, but the voice I managed was so low I doubt it
+was audible.
+I didn't like that weakness of mine so I added some words as I continued.
+«I also... like... fell for... It's frustrating but...I-I admit, I admit it!»
+Indeed. I looked at his eyes and said it. He then reached out his hands and
+gently grabbed both of mine.
+«W-wait!? D-don't say you wanted to kiss!?»
+«No. I won't do that. Not yet.»
+He won't do it yet!?
+A-ahem. It's certainly too early, I mean. A kiss now, when my heart isn't
+calming down would be...right.
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+He quietly embraced me. His large body. I felt his powerful arms touching
+me.
+«This should be fine, right?»
+«—Well, if it's only this...»
+As he held me in his arms, I thought he had grown a bit from before.
+«Hey, haven't you gotten a bit taller?»
+«I may have.»
+From today, he and I started walking on the path of lovers together,
+unbelievably enough.
+How far does this path of happiness stretch on?
+Will this path go on forever?...
+That's—
+Page 416 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
+Table of Contents
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka SS — The First Phone Call
+Ichinose Honami SS — Ichinose Honami's Spring Vacation
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka SS — The First Phone
+Call
+The spring break was about to end as it was only a single day left.
+And even the sun was beginning to set before I noticed it. It was soon
+bedtime.
+I wonder what my classmates are feeling right as they spend this last evening
+of the break.
+The same melancholy as when the weekend ends and Monday begins? Or
+maybe they are filled with hope for a new year?
+If you ask me, I'd say something similar... I was more or less looking
+forward to going to school next morning.
+There was of course a lot of difficulties around each corner.
+I don't need to mention the bet with Horikita, but there was also the high
+possibility that the first grader from the White Room that Tsukishiro had
+mentioned had already blended themselves in. The list goes on. A pain in the
+butt, all of them.
+But I'm generally spending my days living as a student at this school.
+It's not a bad thing to spend your holidays as leisurely, but the things that
+makes me feel the most fulfilled are the stuff that's expected of students:
+studying and doing sports.
+And above all else—
+Something that has changed from last year.
+At precisely 10PM in the evening, my phone rang.
+I don't even need to confirm who it is.
+Karuizawa Kei.
+She was a classmate, and now someone who was more than a friend.
+In other words, a call from someone belonging to the category I can describe
+as my 'girlfriend'.
+Even though we'd been a couple for a few days already, we hadn't actually
+met or kept in touch with one another.
+It was probably due to the fact that Kei still hadn't sorted out our relationship
+yet.
+I hadn't contacted her on my end either and just waited for the spring break to
+end. But on the last day, meaning today, I received a message at noon saying
+she wanted to talk by phone at 10PM this evening.
+And then, the time has come.
+«... Ya-hoo!»
+Immediately after receiving the call, I clumsily replied after a short pause.
+«Ah.»
+«Yikes, that's blunt.»
+«Really? No, perhaps it was.»
+If asked whether I believe it sounded like something a boyfriend would say,
+I'll definitely say no.
+«I was waiting for your call.»
+Does this sound boyfriend-like?
+I believed it did so I tried saying it.
+«Eeeeh! ?»
+From the other side, a large scream along with the sound of something being
+toppled over made its way through the phone.
+«What happened? Are you alright?»
+«I-I'm fine! I just tumbled and fell from by bed. Ow ow...»
+Can that be called being 'fine'?
+It seems like she'd calmed herself down after a deep breath after readjusting
+her position.
+«Did you wait for me? For my call?»
+«It's normal for a boyfriend to wait expectantly for a call from his lover, isn't
+it?»
+«That's, well, true but... well, it sort of doesn't sound like anything you'd
+say at all.»
+«I think that counts for both of us.»
+We were facing each other for the first time. I as me. She as her.
+At times doing something unexpected, other times saying something rash.
+It was hard to control it all.
+Thus, I decide not to think too much about it.
+Am I saying this stuff naturally? What about my actions?
+But even those are just the pleasures of love that I will be surrendering
+myself to.
+«Hmm, yes. Perhaps. I still don't feel like it's real... we really are dating,
+aren't we?»
+«Of course we are.»
+«... Right, of course. I already knew that but... I thought that, if I asked you
+about your confession again, you would say that there never was a confession
+to begin with. That's why I was a bit late calling you, Kiyotaka.»
+It seems that 1s the reason she never called me before now.
+«You know, it would have been fine for you to call me too, don't you agree?»
+«I kinda wanted to wait for that call of yours.»
+It was a bit unfair and it was conveyed to her since she still looked a bit glum.
+But the conversation soon shifted to the topics of everyday life.
+«Ah, have you heard this? I just went out to eat with my friends and—»
+It wasn't a meaningful conversation by any means, but to me it felt so novel
+and fresh.
+Our relationship up until now had been that of the one who uses, and one
+who was being used. Not that of friends or lovers.
+Our names or numbers weren't stored on either of our phones either. I was
+usually the one who contacted her, not her.
+People would probably say it was a distorted relationship.
+But still, that was certainly the only thing connecting both of us.
+But that has been muted. Another world was spreading out before my eyes.
+«Are you even listening to me?»
+She noticed my lack of adequate replies and asked about it.
+'I hear you, I hear you' was my answer, which satisfied her and she
+continued talking.
+It was a conversation without any real topics.
+It had no relation to me.
+But still. It was small surprise to me that I thought it was a bit fun.
+«And by the way, Kiyotaka. How do I say this, don't you have anything to
+share too?»
+She wasn't satisfied by the fact that she was the only one bringing up any
+topics it seems, thus her request.
+Even if you ask me of that, those kind of things are a bit too much for me. Or
+rather, I'm aware that I'm bad at this.
+No, that's precisely why I had to challenge myself.
+«Let's see...»
+I wonder how long I talked for after that?
+I'm a bit surprised at how much I talked about all this triffle stuff that I'd
+never done before.
+It was stuff that other people wouldn't find any interesting.
+But Kei was listening, clearly enjoying herself no matter what.
+Sometimes she laughed, sometimes she made some quip back at me.
+And then the conversation shifted towards the unexpected.
+As the sandman was about to unleash his drowsiness upon me, I checked the
+clock. It was soon 11PM.
+Which means we must have talked for about an hour.
+It wasn't a far stretch to say it had been the longest phone call we've done by
+far.
+«We should probably end this call soon.»
+It would be best to hang up soon, considering what's laying in store for
+tomorrow.
+«That's, true.»
+She also seemed to understand as she didn't oppose it.
+«See you tomorrow. Good night, Kiyotaka.»
+«Good night, Kei.»
+We called it quits after calling each others' names.
+«Well, then—». She said at last, but somehow she didn't end the call.
+«What's up?»
+«It's, I feel it's a bit hard for me to end it...»
+She expressed her reasoning for it.
+«...50, can you do it instead?»
+«Understood.»
+I tapped the button to end the call without hesitation.
+«Well then, time to prepare myself before going to bed.»
+That was my intention but...
+Kei called me again even though we'd ended the call mere seconds ago.
+Did she forget to tell me something?
+«What's u »
+«You didn't even hesitate a bit, did you! Why!»
+An ear-splitting scream.
+I instinctly held my phone away from my ear, but I could still hear her loud
+and clear.
+«Shouldn't you, you know, show some hesitation at least!?»
+«...1 mean, isn't that normal for ending a call?»
+The flow of the conversation went like, we had to prepare for tomorrow so
+let's end the call. Both of us should have been on the same paper.
+But Kei didn't seem to like how I ended the call it seems.
+«B-but, we had so much fun, didn't we!»
+«Yes. It's the first time I'd enjoyed myself like this.»
+«Then, how do I say this, don't you feel a little bit sad to see it end as well?»
+If she meant that she wanted to talk more and the time permits it, then sure.
+«A bit.»
+«No way I sense that from you!»
+Not accepting my answer, she continued through grinded teeth.
+It was good I didn't put my phone too close to my ear.
+I seemed to have hit the nail right on the head as she went on nitpicking
+everything.
+From where that good mood we had earlier had disappeared to, I don't like
+this, I don't like that, even our exciting conversation earlier.
+So this is what they call a woman's heart.
+In that case, I'd need some more time to analyse it.
+«Huff, puff. ... Ah, I feel so refreshed.»
+After venting all that and letting it all losse, she seemed to have regained
+control of her feelings.
+«So... what should I do?»
+«About what?»
+«It's almost 11:15PM already, you know.»
+«Ah...»
+Ever since she tried to end the call, the clock never stopped and time
+continued to chug along.
+«Maybe you should end it after all, Kei.»
+«Maybe, so.»
+Perhaps she was worried about when I was going to end the call, but she
+somehow objected to that.
+«You should end it. Do it properly this time, okay?»
+«...Properly?»
+I just received an unexpected, unpleasant task.
+«That's right. In a way that won't rub me the wrong way. Won't you fulfill
+this cute wish from your girlfriend?»
+She said impishly as if she'd just mounted me and taken the initiative.
+«A wish? Cute girlfriend?»
+«What? You have some complaints?»
+«No, not at all.»
+I stood up and headed for my computer.
+I might find some clues on the net.
+«Just so you know, browsing or anything similar won't do you any good. I'm
+listening closely so I'll know if you do.»
+She cornered me as if she'd read my moves.
+She sure isn't some weak girl, I thought in admiration.
+In that case the only option for me is to pave out a way with my own
+strength.
+It's a trial for me who wished for this relationship to begin with.
+«—Let's see.»
+Ill start after a short pause. The reason why I ended the call. Some kind of
+theory that won't upset her.
+«It's true I hanged up without hesitation. But, that wasn't because I thought
+lightly of you.»
+What would be the best words to use in order to bring a call to an end?
+I said what I thought out loud.
+«It's a bit sad to end the conversation, true. But that just means we can see
+each other tomorrow. Don't you feel the same as well?»
+«... Yes. I also want to see you, Kiyotaka...»
+It has been some time since the confession.
+Naturally, the desire to meet one another would get stronger the time had
+passed.
+«That's why we should let the time flow. That's what I think. Taking our
+time and talk until late at night is fine for me as well. But then today will
+never end.
+«Yes...»
+«I want to see you. The reason I didn't hesitate ending the call is because of
+those feelings I think.»
+«...] see, yes, that's why...»
+«Do you follow me?»
+«Well, yeah. Pll give you a pass for this time.»
+She didn't seem that dissatisfied anymore. I could hear a soft, composed nod
+through the speaker.
+«Since you find it difficult, Pll end the call for you. Fine with you?»
+«Got it. We may not... get the chance to talk tomorrow at school but... ?'m
+looking forward to it.»
+«Indeed.»
+Following the flow of the conversation, I pressed the button to end the call.
+She didn't call me again, obviously.
+Our relationship had changed, but Kei decided to keep it hidden for the time
+being.
+Our chances to talk openly at school will be limited until it goes public.
+But stealing glances at each other from time to time should be possible.
+At last, the spring break announced its leave, with nothing left undone.
+My new school life is starting tomorrow.
+If only it could be calm and peaceful.
+This wish of mine hasn't changed even now.
+The best would be to leisurely ride down this riverbed in a small boat.
+Whether it's academics, sports or love. There is no knowing where the
+current will start raging.
+That's the fun part of school life.
+Ichinose Honami SS — Ichinose Honami's
+Spring Vacation
+The last day of spring vacation. I met up with Chihiro-chan and Mako-chan
+and we went to the Keyaki mall together. It felt refreshing since it had been
+such a long vacation in which I'd often spent thinking alone.
+«Honami-chan, are you feeling well? Are you okay?» Mako-chan asked.
+Since I was usually always acompanied by someone so seeing me shutting
+myself in my room so often and not seeing each other made her worry.
+«No, everything is fine. Sorry for that, even when you invited me so many
+times. I was thinking about strategies for the second year, you could say. So I
+just wanted to think about how to proceed from now.»
+«That's well and all but... Honami-chan, don't think too much by yourself,
+discuss it with us too, okay?» Chihiro, who had been following the
+conversation, continued.
+The final term exams were already over so that was surely why they were so
+sensitive right now.
+«Yes, I'm relying on you all so if something happens, I'Il definitely talk to
+you.»
+That was my true feelings. But it was also true that I didn't want to worry
+them unneccesarily.
+Class 1-B was losing big thanks to me during the final exam. I was forced
+into making a big decision.
+But that's precisely why I need to choose my words carefully. I could easily
+worry them by what I said and that would be a loss to me.
+«Oh, don't worry, really. I'm hundred percent fine! Spring vacation had me
+fully charged!»
+This spring break had given me new energy. A spring vacation unlike
+anything before. It was far more remarkable.
+It was a bit different from the usual ones where I went out and played with
+my friends.
+Even now, my chest felt hotter by thinking of Ayanokouji-kun and what had
+transpired on that day.
+When I'd revealed my weakness in his room, something that had been
+weighting on me, just poof, disappeared.
+I can still fight.
+I felt I once again that I could fight with Sakayanagi-san, Ryuuen-kun and
+Horikita-san and the others.
+Of course, whether we could compete with them we wouldn't know until we
+try. But at least I avoided the worst case scenario: losing my will fight even
+before it happens.
+This is without doubt, due to Ayanokouji-kun. I'm not sure I'd be here
+without him. A treasured friend... a very, a very important...
+Somehow, the next words didn't appear to me.
+How should I express it properly? There was a part of me that just refused to
+think about it.
+That's because there is something I must not forget.
+The fact that we are in different classes. It was an unchangeable fact that we
+couldn't mingle and meet with each other. Unlike last year where we could
+cooperate due to our class points being vastly different, the gap had closed.
+As Horikita said face to face with me, we had become rivals competing with
+each other.
+In other words, if we end up fighting, we shouldn't be affected by personal
+feelings.
+What if, what if he and I were in the same class...
+Then all my worries would disappear and I could fight without any hesitation.
+«Stop stop. Don't think any further...!»
+I shook my head with great vigor in order to calm down the feelings deep
+within me.
+«W-what is it, Honami-chan?»
+Mako-chan was surprised by my sudden headshake looked at my worriedly.
+«Sorry, sorry. It's nothing.»
+I tend to become too relaxed around my close friends no matter what.
+I have to get myself together. It's the last day of spring vacation after all. My
+friends were looking forward to meet me so I should stop thinking about this
+anymore.
+I should focus on the first period of our 2nd year for now.
+I will have proper time to think about it once the situation has calmed down
+and I get some time.
+We are still Class B, but we have almost no more leeway left.
+I intend to follow through with the same goal I had ever since the entrance
+ceremony last year when we all stood line in line. Standing still is not an
+option.
+—Tomorrow, a new war will come for Class 2-B.
+***
+I could still recall the scene across the glass screen on that day as if it had occurred
+only yesterday.
+My father took me to a facility located deep within the mountains, its exterior
+dyed a pure white. No, it wasn't only the exterior.
+As far as I could remember, both the corridors and the small rooms we went
+through were all painted in one single white color.
+I placed both my hands on the transparent glass, doing my very best to see what
+lied beyond. The screen seemed to be some sort of one-way mirror so they
+couldn't see us from the other side.
+"What is it, Arisu? It's rare to see you this interested in something."
+"This is an experiment attempting to artificially create a genius. There's no way I
+wouldn't find it interesting."
+".,.That's not a very childlike way of speaking, as usual."
+My father spoke, showing a perplexed smile as he picked me up in his arms.
+According to my father, anyone who went through the curriculum of this facility
+would, without exception, be educated to become someone exceptional. There's
+no way I wouldn't have misgivings about that.
+"Tt's just, this experiment seems to have a lot of troublesome elements to it."
+"Which means?"
+"It seems to be attacked from all sides from a human rights perspective."
+"Ha, haha..."
+"More importantly, I don't think it is possible for them to create artificial geniuses
+or anything like that."
+The moment people are born into this world, the moment they receive life, their
+potential is set in stone. It was all the luck of the draw. Then, it would sometimes
+manifest in various fields. That was the truth of the human world.
+They can't do more than what 1s carved into their DNA. They awaken by the blood
+passed on from ancestors or by a sudden mutation. In other words, if you want to
+create a genius, you'd have to do it at the genetic level.
+People who are born ordinary will never escape the realm of the ordinary. No
+matter how blessed their environment is, if somebody isn't excellent from the
+beginning, they won't become a genius. That had been my belief since I was
+young.
+That was the conclusion I had reached after seeing my fellow classmates receive
+a top-quality education ever since I was an infant. That's why this experiment ran
+counter to my own way of thinking. That being said... I could agree that it wasn't
+so straightforward that DNA alone could explain all of it either.
+"Even if someone graduates from this facility as the cream of the crop, will that
+truly be because of this experiment?"
+"What makes you ask that?"
+"The children at the top will just have the superior DNA, is what I think."
+"T see. The curriculum these children are partaking is quite intense indeed. As
+you've said, there is a chance the remaining victors were all excellent from the
+very beginning. You really are just as wise as your mother. Personality included."
+"That makes me happy. Being compared to my mother is the highest form of
+praise."
+I obediently and honestly took my father's words to heart and yet again continued
+to watch the children on the other side of the mirror. Children with talent, children
+without, everyone was partaking in this education program equally. It was a
+program where the people who start to fall behind would disappear one by one.
+"Ultimately, even if there are children who survive until the end, they are just
+blessed by their parents' talents."
+Even if I found it interesting, I couldn't help but feel like it was a meaningless
+experiment.
+"Who knows, it may be so, it may not be so. I don't know either. But I can't throw
+away the possibility that these children may be destined to carry our future."
+Me being the child I was, I didn't understand what my father's acquaintance was
+trying to accomplish. My sight turned back to what was reflected beyond the glass.
+"That child, seems to have solved those tasks calmly and without any
+difficulties for a while now."
+When it came to accomplishing the tasks presented to them, every child reflected
+in our eyes succeeded. However, they were desperate. It was obvious that doing
+so took all the effort they could muster. Whether it was studying or sports, the
+level of the competition here was far beyond that of a normal child. And yet,
+amongst them was a single existence exhibiting abnormality.
+A certain boy was playing chess and overwhelmingly defeating his opponents,
+one after the next. Among the children I could see beyond the glass, he was the
+only existence snatching away my gaze and heart. Seeing this, my father looked
+somewhat happy yet somewhat sad as he nodded.
+"Yes, he is Sensei's son. His name should be... Ayanokoji... Kiyotaka if I
+remember correctly."
+Sensei was my father's acquaintance and the person running this facility. He was
+a person who never yields to anyone, and I remember my father always showed a
+modest attitude when he was around.
+"He's Sensei's child so his DNA must be excellent, right?"
+"Who knows. At least, Sensei has never graduated from a top university or
+possessed outstanding athleticism. His wife is also an ordinary woman. Their
+parents never showed signs of any talents either. But, Sensei has stronger
+ambitions than anyone and an unyielding and indomitable fighting spirit, that's it.
+That's why he has become so great. To the extent that he, at one point in time,
+could move the country."
+"In that case— won't that child be the perfect specimen for this experiment?"
+My father nodded with conflicting feelings at my question.
+"Well... I think his father would probably feel like that child is perfect for it.
+But... as I see it, I can't help but feel sorry for him."
+"Why is that?"
+"From the very moment he was born, he has lived within these facilities. For him,
+the first thing he saw wasn't his mother nor his father, but the plain white ceiling
+of this facility. If he had fallen behind earlier, he could've probably lived with his
+father. Or no, maybe the fact that he continues to stay here had gotten him his
+father's favor. If so, that's very..."
+Simply put, he hadn't ever received any love from his parents. How lonely and
+desolate such a life must be. His talents aside, there was still a lot to gain and learn
+through physical contact with other people. I strongly hugged my beloved father,
+to which he hugged me back.
+"The final goal for this facility is for every educated child to become geniuses.
+But it's still in the test phase. It will continue to struggle for another 50 or 100
+years. It's not to make the children gathered here to exhibit talent when they
+become adults, but to provide the foundation for future generations. Both those
+surviving and those falling behind were nothing more than a batch of samples."
+A life of confinement within this facility, only to have their existence added to
+some database somewhere.
+My father's face as he said those words looked like he was in pain.
+"Do you not like this place, Father?"
+"Hmm? ...Who knows? ...I honestly can't cheer it on. If the children here really
+become superior to everyone else, if this facility becomes the natural thing, then
+this must just be the misfortunate beginning. That's what I think."
+"Rest assured. I will personally smash it for you. I will prove that talent is not
+decided by education, but from the moment people are born."
+I cannot lose to the children raised at this facility no matter what and no matter
+how many. I, who has inherited superior DNA, have to stop it.
+"Yes, I'm expecting lots of you, Arisu."
+"By the way father. I think I want to start playing chess—"
+I opened my eyes and sat up still half-asleep.
+"What a nostalgic dream..."
+It was perhaps due to the approaching confrontation. To think I was remembering
+that day. But from the moment I met you until now, I've never forgotten it. I was
+convinced that a day would come when I would meet you again face-to-face.
+1
+***
+On a certain day in February, a little before the provisional Class Vote special
+exam had been officially announced...
+The faculty of Advanced Nurturing High School were continuously busy with
+their work.
+They were preparing everything for the upcoming promotions, expulsions, and
+graduation of their students.
+Additionally, they were also preparing the final special exams for the entire
+student body.
+It was a busy time where they were constantly swamped with work.
+None of the teachers had the freedom to do anything but devote themselves to
+their work, day after day.
+However, the teachers in charge of the first-year students had much more on their
+minds than their colleagues.
+"That should wrap everything up regarding the details of the first-years' final
+special exam, as well as the incorporation of the new system we'll be putting in
+place."
+A lone man finished up his explanation on the final special exam of the year in
+front of all of the staff members.
+When it came to the second and third-year students, the explanation hadn't been
+too different from usual. However, that wasn't true for the first-years.
+"Tf there are any questions, please feel free to ask."
+Within this tense, biting atmosphere, the man looked around at each of the
+teachers who were listening carefully.
+The silence lasted for several seconds.
+"If I may, Acting Director Tsukishiro."
+With a raise of the hand, first-year Class A's homeroom teacher, Mashima, broke
+the silence that had been enshrouding the staff room.
+Both Chabashira and Hoshinomiya, homeroom teachers of the same grade, turned
+their gaze toward Mashima as well.
+The man, Acting Director Tsukishiro, had already noticed that many of the first-
+year homeroom teachers were harboring doubts about his plan. Rather, he thought
+that it would've been unreasonable if they hadn't seemed at least a little doubtful.
+Tsukishiro was assessing their value as human beings.
+He wanted to see whether or not they were mere working members of society.
+Whether or not they were the kind of teachers who only cared about their own
+paychecks.
+"What do you want to say, Mashima-sensei?"
+Having already anticipated Mashima's question, Tsukishiro let show a smile.
+"While the special exams for the second and third years are just as difficult as they
+had been in previous years, the special exam for the first years is far more difficult
+than usual. There's a huge risk that there will be expulsions because of this 'Class
+Vote' provisional exam..."
+As a teacher in charge of first-year students and for the sake of the future of the
+children, Mashima spoke out against Tsukishiro, unafraid of his title as the Acting
+Director of the school. And without waiting for a response, he continued to
+protest.
+"Forgive my rudeness, Acting Director, but you've only just recently been
+appointed to your post at this school. Although I understand you've made this
+decision based on everything that has happened so far, I think it's somewhat
+inappropriate for us to do something that will force expulsions just because there
+haven't been any amongst the first-years yet."
+Apparently amused by Mashima's question... or rather, Mashima's protests,
+Tsukishiro grinned with a white, toothy smile.
+"A huge risk that there will be expulsions, is it? Haven't the students had to fear
+expulsion during every special exam so far? The rules of this school state that
+receiving just one failing mark would result in expulsion, right? I don't think an
+ordinary high school would have such a strict system in place."
+"T'm talking about how unreasonable it is. Indeed, students who are unable to
+reach a certain threshold are expelled. That system isn't meant to be lenient. Truth
+be told, that very system has been getting numerous students expelled every year."
+This school holds various special exams every year, all while keeping them within
+an acceptable range of difficulty.
+Staying within those limits, this current batch of first-year students had nearly
+made it through the whole year without any expulsions. It's unclear whether or
+not it's because their level of prowess is different than that of the other school
+years, but there must be a reason why they've managed to come so far without
+losing anyone. To Mashima, it's important to take advantage of that prowess and
+help facilitate it for as long as possible.
+To Tsukishiro, however, it was different.
+"Tf it's just about getting numerous students expelled, then wouldn't this exam do
+the same thing?"
+"No. This provisional exam is obviously different than the policies we've had up
+until now. I cannot approve of something that practically forces expulsions."
+All by himself, Mashima stubbornly refused to back down, while the rest of the
+teachers simply remained silent.
+"Besides, you abruptly decided to introduce an entirely new system for the final
+special exam of the year. Something like this has never happened before, and
+you 've never given us any reason for it either."
+Mashima's resistance was futile. The teachers had known this from the very
+beginning.
+It would be impossible to overturn the decision. It simply couldn't be changed.
+"Tt seems that Mashima-sensei's way of thinking is a little old-fashioned. Have
+you never considered the possibility that the way things had been done up until
+now was wrong?"
+From within the staff room, the back-and-forth between Tsukishiro and Mashima
+continued to repeat itself. However, it was painfully obvious that Mashima was at
+a disadvantage. As a mere teacher, he was simply no match for Tsukishiro.
+"Younger children absorb information far better than most adults would think.
+With that in mind, I decided against having the second and third-year students
+participate, narrowing down the focus of the exam to only the first-year students.
+After all, the first-years still haven't been completely tainted by the school yet. If
+this new system ends up being successful, it'Il be easy to test it on the incoming
+first-year students in the future as well."
+"These first-years have gotten this far without any expulsions. Do you really want
+to put an end to it, just like that?"
+"How well they do in the short-term is meaningless. It's about how well they do
+in the future. Let's stay future-oriented."
+Tsukishiro rebuked Mashima once again before proceeding to continue his point.
+"The government has great expectations for this school. It's a new school where
+experimental ventures have been taking place, and its history is still shallow.
+That's why I think we should be willing to try all sorts of things."
+"There's nothing wrong with being future-oriented. However, it seems to me that
+you're treating the current batch of first-years like guinea pigs. As a homeroom
+teacher, that is something I simply cannot approve of."
+Mashima continued to challenge Tsukishiro head-on, trying every means at his
+disposal to change the direction the special exams were going in.
+But, the implementation of the Class Vote provisional exam had already been
+decided. It was probably impossible for Mashima to stop it now.
+",.Mashima-sensei, that's enough."
+Fully aware of how futile his actions were, Chabashira finally intervened after
+Mashima had almost reached a stopping point.
+For a moment, Mashima swallowed the words that were about to come pouring
+out.
+However, the one to press the matter again was none other than Tsukishiro
+himself.
+"Tt's not a problem. If you have something to say, I'd like to hear all of it. After
+all, I can understand the anxiety all you teachers must be feeling right now after
+all. Isn't that right, Mashima-sensei?"
+"Then, by any chance, could you at least reconsider it?"
+Mashima asked Tsukishiro if he would reconsider the provisional special exam.
+It seemed as if Tsukishiro was offering a lifeline, but that wasn't the case.
+Unlike Chairman Sakayanagi, Acting Director Tsukishiro didn't have the slightest
+intention of listening to the teacher's opinions.
+"Reconsider? It's not that simple. While it may be temporary, I am the director
+here. That is to say, even though the director holds the responsibility of
+determining the policies and guidelines at this school, the director is still just a
+puppet. That said, I'm nothing more than someone who was expressly sent here
+by an even higher corporate body backed by the government."
+With those words, Mashima's show of resistance quickly amounted to nothing.
+Tsukishiro had made it clear that their opinions came second. The future of
+Advanced Nurturing High School came first and foremost.
+"So you're saying it doesn't matter if students are expelled one after another
+because of these strict rules?"
+"Those who don't adapt will be eliminated. That is how society works... no, that
+is the providence of nature itself. Besides, haven't we already compromised by
+allowing the incorporation of protection points? You should be satisfied enough
+with that, right?"
+The tense atmosphere gradually began to calm down.
+The slow-paced morning meeting was also drawing to a close.
+"All things considered, the current Chairman, Mr. Sakayanagi, has been placed
+under house arrest due to suspicions over improper conduct. If that does happen
+to be the case, I simply can't inherit education policies that had been established
+by that kind of person. Of course, I do hope that he'Il be cleared of all suspicions
+and be returned to his position as soon as possible, but..."
+With a single clap of the hands, Tsukishiro quickly looked around at each of the
+teachers.
+"Time's almost up, so let's leave things off here. Oh, that reminds me. I've been
+looking into whether or not our school can hold a cultural festival next year. I'm
+thinking I'd like to hear all of your opinions about that, so I look forward to
+hearing back from all of you when that time comes."
+"A cultural festival? As a matter of principle, we should be hesitant to do anything
+that would involve opening up the school to the outside world..."
+This time, doubts arose from the homeroom teachers for the second and third-year
+students as well.
+"That old-fashioned way of thinking is quite problematic. I believe that, in order
+for us to become a more nationally recognized school, the school needs to undergo
+change as many times as necessary. Naturally, we'll have to carefully select who
+we'll invite inside, but there's no need to worry about that. We won't open the
+school to the general public, instead, after a strict selection process, the school
+would only be opened up to those who are well-acquainted with the way the school
+works, like politicians. This way, information about us won't leak out into the
+outside world too excessively. In any case, I'd like for all of us to explore the
+opportunity with an open mind. You're all dismissed."
+Just like that, Acting Director Tsukishiro wrapped up the meeting. The teachers'
+battle had come to its end, and the teachers were powerless to do anything about
+it.
+Part 1
+After Tsukishiro had left the staff room and before classes had begun for the day...
+"Mashima-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei. I'd like to borrow the two of you for a
+bit."
+Chabashira called out to her two fellow teachers. They were both friends and rivals
+who, in the past, had competed against each other at this very school.
+Having known each other for a long time, the two of them gathered their important
+documents and followed Chabashira out of the staff room without asking any
+questions. They walked down the hallway together as they headed to where the
+students would be waiting for them.
+"Tt's depressing, isn't it? We have to announce an exam where someone's gonna
+get expelled."
+Hoshinomiya was the first one to break the ice.
+With a deep sigh, her gaze fell upon the attendance record.
+"T wonder who's gonna disappear..."
+Even though it wasn't easy, Hoshinomiya was still trying to face the facts.
+"I'm not sure someone will. There aren't very many ways around it, but they still
+have some options."
+"You mean, overriding the expulsion with twenty million points, right?"
+Despite saying this, Hoshinomiya was also well aware of the reality of the
+situation.
+As things stood, none of the classes had that many points.
+"If there's a bright side, I guess it's nice that they don't have to pay 300 class
+points as well. Forced expulsions are something they're still experimenting with.
+That might be obvious though."
+It would usually cost twenty million private points as well as 300 class points to
+override an expulsion, but this time, the class points were exempted from that.
+Although, that alone wasn't enough to sway the students and teachers into
+accepting the mandatory expulsions.
+"In any case, I can't help but feel dissatisfied about Acting Director Tsukishiro's
+way of doing things."
+"Well, you're not alone on that, Sae-chan. He just popped up out of nowhere and,
+like, started doing whatever super unreasonable thing he wanted, didn't he?"
+Hoshinomiya snuggled up to Chabashira as if she was clinging onto her, only to
+get pushed away with an annoyed expression.
+"Complaining isn't going to change anything. If you say too much, your neck will
+fly."
+"Are you really one to say that to us, Mashima-kun? You were really going at it
+with the Acting Director yourself. It made me super-duper nervous. And after all
+that, you're saying we can't do the same?"
+"Chie is right. That man could fire the teachers for all he cares. He probably knows
+there's always plenty of replacements. In fact, that's probably what he wants."
+"Maybe he plans to get rid of the teachers who oppose him, like Mashima-kun,
+and then hire new ones who are more convenient to him."
+Chabashira and Hoshinomiya were considering the idea that Tsukishiro's speech
+in the staff room might've been a plot to weed out the teachers who oppose him.
+Mashima didn't disagree with the idea either.
+"You too, Sae-chan. You went through so much to reach Class C, so don't go
+doing anything crazy, 'kay?"
+"You seem pretty calm even though we' ve started to close the gap."
+"No way... Sae-chan, you're not fantasizing that your class might make it all the
+way to Class A, are you?"
+Hoshinomiya stared at Chabashira with peering, round eyes, forcing Chabashira
+to turn and look away.
+While Hoshinomiya had a habit of absentmindedly saying things sometimes, in
+most cases, her words had actually been carefully calculated.
+Having been acquainted with her for such a long time, Chabashira knew about this
+tendency of hers all too well.
+"~..No. Even I'm not that foolish."
+"Oh good. If you had said yes... that'd have been like, way too much for me!"
+Hoshinomiya playfully waved her hands in front of her, acting like she had been
+overcome with surprise.
+Mashima couldn't stand listening to their silly conversation any longer.
+They were like carnivores facing off against each other on the savannah. Only one
+would come out on top.
+"Are you two still fussing over what happened back then? How many years need
+to pass bef—"
+"Mashima-kun. The amount of time that's passed has nothing to do with it."
+"She's right. It's completely irrelevant."
+Although Mashima tried cutting in to mediate, the two of them quickly glared him
+down and forced him to back off.
+Even though Mashima had boldly stood up to Tsukishiro, there were still some
+adversaries he wouldn't dare to confront.
+" ID see. At any rate, I'm in no place to say anything here, but don't bring your
+personal feelings into these upcoming exams, okay?"
+"We wouldn't do something like that. Right, Chie?"
+"Of course not. Right, Sae-chan?"
+Chabashira and Hoshinomiya were still trying to sound each other out, but on the
+surface, they glossed it over as though nothing had happened.
+"Just refrain from doing anything careless, Chie. That's all I'm going to say."
+With that, Chabashira quickly wrapped up the conversation and walked away,
+headed off to Class C.
+The two of them stood silently as she left.
+"You aren't really bringing your personal feelings into this, are you?"
+Mashima spoke up as they watched Chabashira leave in a sour mood.
+"Don't lump me in with her, Mashima-kun. I've already gotten over any lingering
+attachments I had. But that girl hasn't changed at all since back then. She'!] never
+be able to move past her days as a student. That's why she's still stuck up on that
+good-for-nothing first love of hers, but she would never admit to that."
+",. You've got a terrible look on your face."
+"Eh? No way. Do I really?"
+Hoshinomiya then took out a folding mirror and made a sweet smile.
+"Okie-dokie! I look super cute today too. Don't you think so?"
+"Don't ask me."
+"How heartless! Well, whatever."
+As Hoshinomiya put away her mirror, Mashima offered her a piece of advice.
+"Be careful not to have the carpet pulled out from under you. This year's Class
+D... No, Class C is different from usual."
+While there was still a gap in class points, even the teachers wouldn't be able to
+predict how the future special exams would play out.
+"You may be right, but I'm not too worried since I have Ichinose-san on my side.
+Besides..."
+"Besides?"
+"Tf they seem like they're getting close to reaching us, I'll pummel them back
+down myself."
+"You wouldn't poke your nose into a competition meant for the students would
+you?"
+"T wouldn't do anything like that. It's just, I'm not gonna go easy on Sae-chan. I
+just wouldn't want to interfere to the point where the teachers start to fight
+amongst themselves."
+"You sound serious."
+"That's because I can't afford to lose, especially to Sae-chan."
+Ever since their student days, that was just the type of relationship they had.
+Both as friends, and as rivals.
+2
+***
+March 8th.
+Within Class C, Chabashira would soon be announcing the final special exam of
+the year.
+There were thirty-nine desks in the classroom.
+There had been forty just a few days ago, but that had been taken for granted and
+now, one of them was gone.
+This was because Yamauchi Haruki had been expelled.
+It wasn't just Class C who had faced this. Manabe from Class D and Yahiko from
+Class A had been as well.
+There was no doubt that these expulsions had left a mark on the entire first-year
+student body.
+Any hopes that there might have been a way out had been completely shattered.
+Before they could get past the shock and sorrow of everything that had happened,
+time continued to march forward.
+At the sound of the bell, homeroom had begun for the day and Chabashira walked
+into the room.
+The classroom was completely void of idle chatter.
+"Without any further ado, I will now announce the final special exam."
+Chabashira began explaining the details of the first year's final special exam.
+Just as I had predicted, nobody was willing to say anything about Yamauchi.
+Ike and Sudo, his closest friends, were probably trying their best to come to terms
+with reality.
+"We will be finishing off the year with one final special exam where you'll be
+asked to show off a culmination of everything that you've learned up until now,
+including knowledge, physical ability, cooperation, and maybe even a little bit of
+luck. In short, all of you will need to demonstrate the full extent of your potential."
+Normally, Chabashira would've been flooded with a tidal wave of questions and
+complaints from Ike's general direction.
+However, Ike was just listening to her quietly.
+Most likely, he was wary of the fact that he may very well be next in line for
+expulsion.
+"The special exam is called the 'Event Selection Exam', an exam where each class
+will compete in terms of their comprehensive ability. The class you'll be
+competing against will be decided in accordance with the rules, similar to how it
+was during the Paper Shuffle exam."
+The Event Selection Exam. I couldn't help but wonder what this final special of
+the school year would be about.
+"To start things off, Pll use these cards to make the explanation easier for all of
+you to understand. There are ten white cards and a certain number of yellow ones,
+modeled after the number of students in the class."
+As she spoke, Chabashira attached each of the blank cards onto the blackboard
+and lined them up.
+Each card was roughly the same size as a playing card. While the ten white cards
+had nothing written on them, each of the yellow cards seemed to have a student's
+name written on them.
+Altogether, forty-eight cards had been attached to the blackboard.
+There was one less yellow card than there were students in our class. This seemed
+like it was probably going to be significant.
+"To start things out, I'll explain the purpose of these ten white cards. The lot of
+youll have to talk things out with one another and decide on ten events that you'd
+like to do, which you will write down on these cards."
+As soon as she said this, Ike let show a somewhat difficult expression.
+Having noticed how he was struggling to avoid interrupting her explanation,
+Chabashira spoke up again, her words laced with amusement.
+"Tf there's something on your mind, why don't you speak up?"
+"N-no, it's just... don't you get angry at us when we interrupt you while you're
+still talking?"
+Ike was obviously feeling distraught over this.
+"Either way, I just can't get ahold of myself unless you get this nonsense off your
+chest."
+In the past, Chabashira would pretty much only take questions at the end, but this
+time, it seemed like she was fine with hearing him out halfway through.
+Many of our classmates turned their attention toward him.
+Although he was puzzled with her change in attitude, Ike proceeded to voice his
+doubts.
+"Then, uhm... uhh... What did you mean by events, exactly?"
+"Writing, Shogi, Playing Cards, Baseball... You're free to write down any events
+you think you can win at. It's also up to you to come up with the rules for how
+each event will play out."
+"Eh? We're allowed to choose whatever we want?"
+Despite the fact that she had said it was up to us to decide, it didn't seem to be
+clicking with Ike and the others.
+"While you're allowed to choose what you want to choose, there are still some
+restrictions. For instance, if you were to choose an obscure contest or game that
+not many people are familiar with, nobody but the proposers would have any
+chance of winning. In addition, the rules of the event must also be fair and easy to
+understand. Therefore, after you've submitted your events, the school will judge
+whether or not they're appropriate, and act as the final say in the matter."
+Certainly, most people would have no chances of winning if peculiar rules were
+implemented, or if they had chosen excessively obscure sports or games that
+would only favor a small set of dedicated enthusiasts.
+That said, I still wondered if there was more to the restrictions on the rules than
+this.
+"Additionally, the rules must have regulations to prevent neutral outcomes. In the
+game of Go, for example, if both sides have the same score from territory and
+enemy captures, the game ends in a draw. In which case, the white side, as a
+concession for being the player who went second, would be given an additional
+half-point and win the game. In Shogi, as another example, it may seem
+impossible for the game to end in a draw at first, but it does happen on rare
+occasions, like when both kings are positioned in their respective promotion
+zones. If this happens, the game is in a deadlock and the winner is the player with
+more pieces in play. You will be required to come up with detailed rules like these
+ahead of time. If you submit an event without including tiebreakers to prevent the
+potential neutral outcomes, then it will be rejected."
+Events that ensure somebody comes out on top, while also not being overly
+obscure.
+Even though there were countless options to choose from, it seemed that, to some
+extent, it was restricted to stay within the scope of a student.
+"Well, let's try illustrating it using an easy-to-understand example. Ike. What are
+you good at? Anything's fine, so just say it."
+"Uh... What am I good at...?"
+Ike began to think, seemingly unable to come up with something on the spot.
+"T-I guess I'm pretty good at stuff like rock-paper-scissors?"
+After hearing such a ridiculous answer, the rest of the class was unable to hold
+back their laughter.
+Nevertheless, Chabashira took it seriously and wrote 'rock-paper-scissors' on one
+of the white cards.
+"Okay, so let's suppose you chose rock-paper-scissors as one of the events."
+Not having expected that she would take his answer seriously, Ike and the rest of
+the class were left with dumbfounded expressions.
+"So then, what are the rules?"
+"Uhm... Best three out of five?"
+Chabashira wrote Ike's rule on the bottom of the card.
+"The event is well-known, and the rules are clear and simple. There would be no
+reason for the school to reject it."
+"S-she had no problem with it..."
+Although it was an event that came about from a sloppy answer, the school didn't
+seem to have any problem with it.
+"Now, just repeat this nine more times and you'! be done."
+Chabashira picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard.
+"This is the schedule for the exam, which is also something important for you to
+keep in mind. It will be roughly divided into three phases."
+Special Exam
+March 8th * The special exam is announced, and the class matchups are
+finalized.
+March 15th * Event selection is finalized, and the opposing class's ten events are
+revealed along with their rules.
+March 22nd : The Event Selection Exam begins.
+"B-But sensei, wouldn't it take way too long for us to compete over twenty
+events?"
+"On the day of the exam, each class will narrow down their ten events to their top
+five choices and submit those. In other words, there will be ten events, not
+twenty."
+At this point, Horikita spoke up.
+"So basically, five of the ten events are just bluffs... meant as false information
+for us to mislead our opponents?"
+"T suppose the events can play that role too. Of the chosen ten events, seven of
+them will be randomly selected by an automated system prepared by the school.
+That's how it will work."
+Without denying anything, Chabashira confirmed Horikita's assertion.
+Compared to previous special exams, it seemed as though this one will span over
+a longer period of time.
+I could assume that they had chosen to hold seven events because they wanted to
+ensure that there was a tiebreaker.
+Since there wouldn't be any draws, it led me to wonder if the winner would be
+decided by the first class to get four wins out of the seven events.
+"Even if the outcome is decided before all the events happen, the exam will
+continue until the final event ends. This is because the outcome of each event will
+influence the change in class points. In other words, even if the winners and losers
+have been determined, the competition will continue until the very end. The
+deadline for getting your ten events finalized will be Sunday the 14th at the end
+of the day. Your events will need to be checked over by the school, so it would be
+safer for all of you to have each event checked as soon as you decide on it."
+"What happens if we don't manage to come up with ten events by the 14th?"
+"Tf that happens, the school will fill in the gaps with pre-arranged events. That
+said, you shouldn't assume these ones will be favorable toward you. The events
+would probably end up doing more harm than good."
+It looked like we definitely needed to come up with all of our events, no matter
+what.
+"Another important thing to note is that you're not allowed to submit the same
+event twice. Suppose you've submitted a soccer event that determines the
+outcome by best two out of three. If you try to submit another soccer event with
+different rules where the outcome is decided by a penalty kick, it will be rejected.
+I advise you to keep this in mind."
+"Ts it possible for us to retract an event after we' ve submitted it?"
+"That won't be allowed."
+"Then... are there any restrictions on who, or how many times somebody can
+participate in the events on the day of the exam?"
+"Certain portions of the rules you'll have to follow will probably be difficult to
+understand with just a verbal explanation, so the school prepared this handout
+containing the specific details. Feel free to make copies of it afterward. It should
+have the answers you're looking for, Horikita."
+It would've been nice if the school had prepared a copy for each of us, but it was
+possible that they hadn't done so intentionally.
+With a single copy, the entire class would have to gather together to look at it all
+at the same time.
+In that way, it would likely end up sparking conversation amongst everyone.
+"T already wrote this on the blackboard, but the ten events you end up choosing
+will be relayed to the opposing class on the 15th. After all, it's hard to hold a fair
+competition if your opponents don't know what kind of events and rules you
+chose."
+In other words, we had roughly one week to study, practice, formulate plans, and
+do any other preparation we might need.
+It's also quite likely that there will be a battle of trying to figure out the other
+class's preferred events on the day of the exam.
+"Also, after the exam on the 22nd finishes, you'll have the 23rd off. After the
+graduation ceremony on the 24th and the closing ceremony on the 25th, you'll be
+free to enjoy your spring break to your heart's content."
+I figured that our motivation moving forward would be highly dependent on
+whether or not we ended up losing or winning.
+At any rate, I was able to grasp the general idea of the Event Selection Exam.
+However-
+Based on Chabashira's expression, there still seemed to be something important
+she hadn't mentioned yet.
+"There's still another important part to this besides choosing the events. In order
+to properly manage such a large number of people, you' ll need to select somebody
+to play the role of commander. Bear in mind that this commander won't be able
+to directly participate in the events."
+"Commander...?"
+This seemed to be the reason why there were only thirty-eight yellow cards.
+"Tt's an important role for somebody that needs to be able to adapt on the fly. You
+can think of it as a supporting role that participates in every event, acting as a
+lifeline. For example, they can substitute for a missing player or solve difficult
+problems that arise. This isn't just limited to sports either. The commander would
+be given the means to intervene with games like Shogi or Go as well."
+It wasn't just about the foundational ability of the students. The contributions
+made by the commander were also important.
+"How exactly the commander is involved in everything will also be up to you.
+Using rock-paper-scissors as an example... you can come up with rules like: 'The
+commander can join in one time at their own discretion' or 'The commander can
+swap out the student participating in the match'. It's up to you."
+This meant that interventions from the commanders would generally be allowed
+as long as they're fair.
+In something like baseball or soccer, giving the commander the ability to switch
+out the players would be like assigning them the role of head coach for the team.
+Through all seven events, the involvement of the commander was probably going
+to be a major part of the entire exam.
+"Commanders will be granted private points when the class emerges victorious,
+but at the same time, they'Il have to bear the consequences when the class faces
+defeat. Indeed, when a class loses, the commander will be held liable and be
+expelled from the school."
+It seemed like the loser would be forcibly expelled this time too.
+"In this special exam, having a commander will be crucial. Moving forward
+without one won't be permitted. If you talk it through with each other and still
+can't decide on one, come and speak with me about it and I'll pick someone
+appropriate for the role."
+Once again, we had to nominate one person to take the heat.
+The protection point I had got my hands on during the provisional special exam
+seemed like it would be a big hassle now.
+I was well aware that many of my classmates were already looking at or thinking
+of me.
+A protection point was the only feasible way for us to override an expulsion.
+By appointing me, the holder of the only protection point, as commander of the
+class, we'd be able to avoid any expulsions even if we ended up losing the exam.
+That said...
+Were they really fine with having me be the commander so that everyone can
+avoid the risk of expulsion?
+Or, would they ask an excellent student like Horikita to be the commander in order
+to maximize our chances of winning? Our classmates would probably be fine with
+either.
+If somebody other than me were to volunteer to take the position, most of them
+probably wouldn't object to it.
+At the same time, if nobody wants to do it themselves, everyone's expectations
+would probably be put on me.
+Horikita spoke up again.
+"How will our opponent be decided?"
+"After each class selects their commanders, they will be expected to meet up in
+the multipurpose room after school today. There will probably be a raffle where
+the commander of one class is given the option to choose who their opponents
+will be. You should decide ahead of time on who you'll choose if you win the
+raffle."
+From what she said, the raffle winner would get to choose the class they wanted,
+and the remaining two classes would be matched up automatically.
+"Then, we should choose Class D, right? Our chances of winning against them
+would be much higher!"
+"Tt's true that, given that they've got relatively worse coordination, you would
+probably be more successful if you chose to go against a class that has resigned
+itself to a position like Class D. However, going against those of a lower rank is
+not necessarily the most advantageous choice to make."
+Chabashira was implying that, if that were the case, odds are all three classes
+would inevitably try to choose Class D. Class D would certainly be the easiest to
+deal with now that Ryuuen was no longer in charge.
+"In this exam, what matters is knowing which class is best suited to be your
+opponent. It's incredibly important that you leverage the strengths and weaknesses
+of each of the other classes."
+Going up against Class A or Class B wouldn't necessarily mean that it's hopeless
+for us.
+We would have decent enough chances of winning as long as we choose events
+that favor us.
+That said, the higher ranked the class, the more formidable an opponent they
+would be. It's unavoidable.
+Despite Chabashira's advice, not a single one of us was smiling.
+Even Horikita was lost in thought over the possibilities, wondering if we could
+beat Class A or Class B in our current state.
+"Seems like my words weren't very comforting. In that case, let's try facing
+reality. If it so happens that you lose and Class D wins... you'll probably go back
+to being at the bottom once again."
+Chabashira picked up the chalk again and began to write down the current class
+point distribution on the blackboard.
+Class Points as of March 1st:
+Class A — 1001 points
+Class B — 640 points
+Class C — 377 points
+Class D — 318 points
+Class C and Class D were neck and neck. We have managed to rise up to Class
+C over the course of the past year, but at the last moment, we would end up
+dropping back down to Class D if we lose.
+Essentially, for our class, the goal was to hold onto our position through whatever
+means necessary.
+"As for how the exam will affect class points... Each event will increase or
+decrease your class points by 30 points. As examples, you'll get 210 class points
+if you win all seven matches. If you win five and lose two, you'll get 90. These
+points will come directly from the opposing class. Furthermore, the class that
+comes out on top will be granted 100 points from the school as a reward."
+In other words, we could earn a maximum of 310 class points.
+Being able to snatch class points away from our opponent by winning events was
+another big thing to keep in mind. So far we hadn't been given an opportunity to
+make a dent in the class points of the higher ranking classes even if we wanted to,
+but now it was possible to close the gap all in one go. Depending on the matchups
+and the results, we may very well rise up to Class B or drop down to Class D.
+"If your opponent doesn't have enough class points, the school will temporarily
+make up the difference and provide them the missing points. In other words,
+classes with negative class points will appear to have 0 on the surface, but they' Il
+still be responsible for reimbursing the school for the deficit later on."
+From what it sounded like, this meant that class points could invisibly drop below
+0.
+Either way, every class had more than 210 points, so that didn't seem like it was
+something we had to worry about this time at least.
+Part 1
+After Chabashira left, there was still a bit of time before classes started.
+Our classmates crowded around the handout of the event rules that had been left
+on the podium.
+"Tf you'd excuse me."
+Horikita squeezed her way through the crowd and took pictures of it with her cell
+phone.
+She had probably taken the initiative to do so in order to take her time to read
+through it once she got back to her own seat.
+I simply stayed in my seat and watched as it happened.
+"Td be willing to show you too. Though, you might not be interested."
+"T appreciate it."
+Immediately after, she texted me the two pictures.
+Event Selection Exam — Rules for Selecting Events
+There are restrictions on events and rules that are overly obscure or complex.
+Exceedingly niche event genres may not be allowed. Should an event include
+written exam questions or anything else of that nature, the school will provide the
+problems in order to maintain fairness. Additionally, attempting to deviate from
+or modify the fundamental rules of an event is prohibited.
+Usable Facilities: — On the day of the special exam, the designated commanders
+will operate from the multipurpose room. Additionally, school facilities such as
+the gymnasium, sports grounds, music room, and science lab are generally
+permitted for use, but there are some exceptions.
+Event and Time Restrictions: — For each class, events deemed to be duplicates of
+pre-existing events will not be accepted. Additionally, it is possible for events that
+have no stated time limit or that take too long to complete to be dismissed.
+Number of Participants: — The number of participants required for each of the ten
+proposed events must be different, excluding those acting as substitutes.
+— The minimum number of participants is one and the maximum number is wenty,
+including those acting as substitutes.
+— A class may not submit more than two events that require more than ten
+participants from a single class, including those acting as substitutes.
+Conditions for Participation:
+— Each student may participate in one event and no more than that. However, if
+every student from a particular class has participated in an event, students from
+that class will be allowed to participate more than once.
+The Role of the Commander:
+— Commanders hold the right to be involved in all seven events. How exactly
+they' ll be involved will be determined by the class that proposed the event. These
+methods of participation must be approved by the school prior to being accepted.
+It was roughly divided into five categories.
+For any given event, there could be anywhere from one to twenty participants.
+There aren't very many events that would require twenty people but, depending
+on how it's handled, it would be more than possible to come up with some. If we
+manage to come up with two events that collectively use close to forty people,
+we'd be able to let some students participate two or even three times depending
+on the circumstances. No matter how much we want to keep the numbers low and
+only choose a select few to participate, it would immediately become difficult to
+do so since we have to ensure that the number of participants in each event is
+different.
+"Jeez, the school's gone and made quite the special exam for us, haven't they?"
+"Yeah. But, I guess that might be what they're going for, testing our overall
+growth this past year and all."
+While many students would be participating, a class would still never be able to
+win if they didn't work together. That was the kind of exam the school had created
+for us.
+It's similar to how it was back during the sports festival, except this time physical
+ability wasn't the only thing that would give an advantage. Depending on how one
+looked at it, it was entirely possible that it could turn into a battle purely focused
+on dexterity, academics, or mental capability.
+Most likely, the key to this exam was not only understanding our own strengths
+and weaknesses, but figuring out those of the other classes as well. Furthermore,
+I have to agree with the amount of time they've allotted to us for event selections.
+We would have to go through a considerable number of group discussions and
+choose carefully if we wanted to get the most out of it.
+Moreover, there are also students in our class who might neglect to participate. If
+we can't get everyone to participate in an event at least once, nobody would be
+able to go a second time, which we'd have to make additional adjustments for.
+Having more or less understood the rules, Horikita let show a slight face of
+discontent.
+"Seems you have some complaints about the special exam."
+"Yes, many. The biggest one being the fact that the class with more of their own
+events chosen on exam day pretty much holds the key to victory. We'll be put at
+a major disadvantage if the events happen to favor our opponents."
+The only events we could have absolute confidence in are the ones we prepared
+ourselves.
+So, it was only natural that we'd prefer to compete with our own events instead of
+those of our opponents.
+"Tt'd be much fairer if the school were to just select ten events, present them to
+each class, and then randomly pick seven of them on the day of the exam."
+Indeed, if one were to evaluate it on the basis of fairness, Horikita's objection
+would certainly be correct. However...
+"Tf they did it that way, the lower-ranked classes would most likely have even
+lower chances of winning though. We should probably interpret this way of
+handling it as the school being merciful and allowing the lower classes to also
+have a chance of coming out on top if they're lucky enough."
+Generally speaking, the higher a class's rank, the more excellent its students.
+"That... That's certainly another way to look at it, but... this exam still doesn't sit
+well with me."
+Speaking of which...
+Despite it being such a critical time for the class to come together and wrap our
+heads around the exam, Hirata simply sat motionless at his desk, his eyes
+downcast as he quietly waited for time to pass by.
+"He was the center of the class until just the other day."
+"Are you saying that it's my fault?"
+"Well, who knows."
+It was Hirata's own problem, but I didn't think that anyone, himself included,
+knew exactly what that problem was.
+"Guys, there's one thing I'd like cleared up about before we start talking."
+While Hirata remained completely motionless, Sudo spoke up instead, set on
+starting up an internal class discussion.
+After a brief glance in my direction, he looked over the entire class.
+"Many of us aren't happy with what happened last weekend. Ain't that right
+Kanji?"
+"~..Well, I dunno if I'm unhappy with it. I really just don't get what happened is
+all. Everyone's been wondering how Ayanokoji ended up with the most praise
+votes. Like, how'd he even get 42 of 'em?"
+Many eyes were beginning to turn toward me, with those from the Ayanokoji
+Group being no exception.
+"He must've gotten tons of praise votes from the other classes, right?"
+There hadn't been any time for explanations or excuses last weekend.
+I had already anticipated that somebody would bring this matter up a long time
+ago.
+The only issue was, there was no way for me to easily speak up about it in this
+situation.
+As someone from the lower caste of the class, I wasn't in any position where I
+could openly explain what had taken place.
+"About that, Ill explain what happened."
+Horikita took the initiative and spoke up in my place.
+"Hold up. We want to hear it from Ayanokoji. We lost a buddy... You know that
+right?"
+"That might not be possible."
+With that, Horikita stood up and began to cover for me.
+"Not possible? How so?"
+"Because it's quite likely that Ayanokoji-kun himself doesn't quite understand
+what happened."
+",. Ayanokoji doesn't understand?"
+"Correct. To put it simply, it was all part of Sakayanagi-san's plan. I've personally
+taken the time to try and figure out why she did such a thing. I'I] explain that as
+well."
+In order to provide a step-by-step explanation, Horikita began to answer in a way
+that was easy to understand.
+"First off, she targeted Yamauchi-kun, telling him to feel reassured since she'd
+provide him with praise votes. In fact, there's no doubt about this since Yamauchi
+ultimately ended up admitting to it himself. But, behind the scenes, she had
+probably chosen to give those praise votes to a different student."
+"That... I guess that's true. But, why did she choose to give them to Ayanokoji?"
+"Good question. Why do you think that is, Sud6-kun?"
+"Uhm... Maybe it's somethin' like Ayanokoji's actually super incredible? So she
+decided he was worthy of praise votes... or somethin' like that?"
+"Have you seen anything unusually exceptional about him? To me, he just seems
+like a student who's quick on his feet."
+"That... Well, I guess that's true."
+"His grades on written exams haven't been that great, and aside from that one time
+he ran fast, he hasn't been very noteworthy in sports either. Instead, since his other
+qualities aren't on the same level as his running speed, it's possible that he's not
+even athletically capable in the first place. What's more, he most certainly doesn't
+come across as charismatic either."
+From the perspective of those in our surroundings, her words almost described me
+to a fault. There simply wasn't any room for disagreement.
+"That is to say, your idea is improbable."
+Horikita spoke without even the slightest hesitation.
+"So you're saying he was chosen by mere coincidence? Man, I just don't see it."
+"Try using your head a little. For argument's sake, let's suppose Ayanokoji-kun
+is actually an incredibly talented person. Would an enemy like Sakayanagi really
+be willing to deliberately give a protection point to somebody like that? It'd be
+undeniably stupid for them to cast praise votes on a seemingly formidable
+opponent. If there had to be an exception, it'd be to cast them for someone
+predestined to end up with the most votes in their class from the very beginning
+like Ichinose-san, wouldn't it?"
+In reality, Ichinose had ended up with a total of 98 praise votes. This came from
+the idea that it'd be better to stack all the praise votes on one single person, instead
+of casting them for somebody at random.
+"T'd totally never wanna give a protection point to someone like that."
+"True! That's true."
+Kei and Sakura both spoke out in agreement with Horikita's deduction, followed
+by many of the other boys in the class.
+"T don't know the reason why Sakayanagi-san targeted Yamauchi-kun, but
+everything that happened makes sense if we assume that she wanted to have
+Yamauchi-kun expelled from the school. It probably went down exactly as she
+planned for it to, setting it all up so that Yamauchi-kun and Ayanokoji-kun would
+butt heads. In which case, she could seal Yamauchi-kun's fate by focusing a large
+number of praise votes on Ayanokoji-kun instead."
+"So you're saying... Haruki's expulsion was the entire purpose of Sakayanagi's
+strategy?"
+"Exactly. And it follows that Ayanokoji-kun being chosen... no, being used was
+just a mere coincidence. He doesn't stand out, nor does he pose a threat to her
+class. From what I can gather, that must have been how it all played out."
+Generally speaking, Horikita's explanation was very advantageous to me. I
+couldn't think of a single way it could be used to implicate me any further.
+"Tt's pretty much the only reason I can think of for why she targeted Yamauchi-
+kun and protected Ayanokoji-kun."
+After hearing everything she's said, even Sudo and Ike would have no choice but
+to agree with her.
+And yet, it still seemed like Sudo just couldn't come to terms with it.
+"Are you upset that I stood up for him?"
+Horikita asked, having seen Sudo's conflicted expression.
+Sudo simply looked away from her without giving her a response.
+"T stood up for Ayanokoji-kun because I'm well aware that the one most
+responsible for Yamauchi-kun's expulsion is me, not him."
+***
+The one who had exposed Yamauchi's schemes to the rest of the class and had
+driven him into a corner was none other than Horikita herself.
+"Tf you're looking for someone to blame, it would be ridiculous for you to pin it
+on anyone other than me."
+"That's..."
+It would be impossible for Sudo to blame Horikita for what had happened.
+Deep down, he understood the reality of the situation: that unnecessary students
+would inevitably be discarded and cast away.
+It's just, no matter how profitable it was to think this way, it wasn't just something
+everyone could take at face value.
+At the end of the day, the frustration was really because I had ended up with a
+protection point.
+Because I was the only person who could safely watch over the exam from the
+sidelines.
+"This special exam... How about I volunteer to be the commander?"
+Having sensed an opportunity, I cut in.
+While I still hadn't heard anything from Sakayanagi, I was nearly 100% certain
+she'd be the commander for Class A.
+In which case, we probably wouldn't be able to faceoff against each other unless
+I held the position as well.
+"T know that the class is wary of me because of what happened during The Class
+Vote Exam, so I want to clear up those suspicions by becoming the scapegoat this
+time around."
+"Ayanokoji..."
+Sudo looked at me, a bit surprised.
+"Sweet! This way, nobody'!I have to be expelled and Ayanokoji'Il be able to clear
+1?
+his name as well
+Thrilled at the idea that we'd get through the exam without any expulsions, Ike
+spoke up in support of my nomination.
+"No, hold on a sec. I'm glad Ayanokoji-kun's okay with taking on the position,
+but I'm not exactly okay with having him be the commander."
+The unexpected student who cut in this time was none other than Shinohara.
+"Sure, by having Ayanokoji-kun do it, we won't have to say goodbye to anyone
+else if we lose because of his protection point. But, doesn't that kinda feel like
+we'd be giving up on winning from the get-go? It'd be like we're setting ourselves
+up just to get stomped on! Horikita-san said it herself, Ayanokoji-kun is just
+average."
+In other words, she simply couldn't see our class coming out on top with me
+leading the way.
+"Tf it turns out that we're matched up with Class A or Class B, wouldn't he have
+to face off against Sakayanagi-san or Ichinose-san? The commander seems like
+it's real important, and I don't think we'll stand a chance if it's Ayanokoji-kun.
+You guys know we'll probably drop back down to Class D if we lose, right?"
+Some of the students would undoubtedly agree with Shinohara's opinion.
+"Like, wouldn't it at least be better to see if anyone else's interested?"
+Despite her words, the position came with a heavy risk attached to it. Nobody here
+would be foolish enough to readily raise their hand.
+In the past, we might've been able to rely on Hirata, but this time, it didn't seem
+like that was going to happen.
+Even now, he sat alone with his head down, not even attempting to act like he was
+taking part in the discussion.
+Under these circumstances, if there was anybody else fearless enough to nominate
+themself for the role...
+Everyone gradually turned and looked toward Horikita.
+However, considering the situation, I didn't think-
+"T apologize, but I don't want to take on the risk either. If Ayanokoji-kun's
+volunteering himself, then I'd like to enjoy the same benefits as the rest of the
+class. Shinohara-san's right. There's no honest guarantee we can beat Class A or
+Class B if we go up against one of them at our current level."
+"But... You were totally just covering for Ayanokoji-kun, like, just a few seconds
+ago. And now you wanna have him be commander?"
+Kei, having been listening from the sidelines for a while now, quickly called
+Horikita out on her inconsistency.
+"T thought he might choose to volunteer for the position on his own if I spared him
+the effort of proving he had nothing to do with Yamauchi-kun's expulsion. That's
+all."
+With this, Horikita had cleverly blocked off any of my potential escape routes.
+It seemed like she had been aiming to pass the responsibilities of the commander
+off to me, just like I had expected of her.
+In her eyes, I was much more capable than most other students.
+She had probably already decided that, instead of entrusting the position to some
+half-baked student, it would be safer to leave it to me. Because even in the worst
+case, I still had a protection point, so it wouldn't matter at all.
+"T'd like to ask, is there anyone else who's willing to be the commander?"
+At this point, the only people who could object would be those willing to put
+themselves on the line as well.
+Regardless, there didn't appear to be anyone else willing to take on the risk.
+"Even if Ayanokoji-kun is the commander on paper, we can just make careful
+preparations for everything ahead of time. As long as he acts as instructed on the
+day of the exam, it shouldn't make too much of a difference who the commander
+is."
+Voices of agreement came from various students who weren't willing to think
+about it too deeply.
+"At any rate, class is starting soon. The school hasn't set aside any additional time
+for us to iron out the details, so it seems to me like we should arrange a time for
+everyone to meet up together."
+From what it seemed, Horikita would be the one to look after the class now that
+Hirata wasn't taking the initiative to do so.
+3
+***
+On that same day, during lunch break, almost every student in Class C had agreed
+to meet up in the classroom.
+The students who didn't bring their own lunches to school were expected to go
+out and purchase one, then reassemble in the classroom immediately after.
+As I was one of those who hadn't brought lunch, I left the classroom.
+Then, I made my way to an isolated location and contacted two specific people
+with my phone.
+I was able to reach the first immediately since I had already sent them a message
+beforehand.
+As for the other person...
+After finishing up, I quickly bought my lunch and made my way back to the class.
+By the time I had gotten back, there were only two people who hadn't returned to
+the classroom.
+The first was K6enji Rokusuke, a student who couldn't be tied down by anyone.
+The other person was Hirata Yosuke.
+Other than those two, there were 37 students gathered in the classroom.
+"Tt seems like Hirata-kun isn't joining after all."
+"Looks like it."
+Although some people were voicing their concerns, we were running out of time
+with every passing moment.
+It would be better for everyone if we held as many event selection discussions as
+possible. Every single one counted.
+"Turn over a new leaf', my ass! In the end, that guy doesn't have any plans on
+taking this seriously at all, does he!?"
+I could understand why Sudo was on the verge of an outburst.
+There were probably at least some of us who thought Koenji might take things
+more seriously, even if just on the surface.
+However, reality isn't so kind.
+Or rather, humans aren't ones to change that easily.
+Skating by with colorful, half-hearted words, KOenji would probably continue to
+give us the slip.
+But I don't think that will work forever.
+Sooner or later, another exam like The Class Vote would happen again.
+And when that time comes, K6enji would be the one who had to pay the price.
+"Screw that piece of shit, let's just start."
+"Don't let him get under your skin. Anyways, I made copies of the handout
+Chabashira-sensei left for us so everyone could have one. III distribute them now.
+Carefully read through it as you eat. We'll have a more thorough discussion on
+the specifics after school."
+Now that Hirata was out of the picture, Horikita had no choice but to step up and
+lead the way.
+"Tf there's anything you come across that you don't understand, please feel free
+to come ask me about it while we're eating."
+From the looks of it, Horikita had already read through the handout and fully
+understood everything.
+Part 1
+The same day, after all the classes had ended...
+Chabashira instructed the class to send the commander, whoever that may be, out
+into the hallway as soon as possible and left the classroom.
+Hirata was the first person to stand up from their seat.
+"Erm... The events... Well be discuss-"
+One of the girls, Nishimura, hurriedly tried to call out to him.
+However, her words didn't seem to get through, as he just quietly left the
+classroom.
+"Hirata-kun..."
+Nishimura and many other students were taken back by the intense dejected
+atmosphere surrounding Hirata.
+The only exception to this was K6enji, who was casually looking at his phone as
+if he hadn't noticed anything at all.
+"Tm... going to the bathroom for a bit. I'll be right back!"
+The one to say this was none other than Mei-Yu Wang, a student that everyone
+called Mii-chan.
+Although she said she was going to the bathroom, she had probably gone to chase
+after Hirata instead.
+"Since he's not being useful, I guess I'll have to do it after all."
+Horikita took the initiative and began preparing to go up the teacher's podium.
+"Sorry, but I'll leave this to you. I have my duties as the commander to deal with."
+"Yeah. Head to the multipurpose room to decide which class we're going up
+against. If you're given the choice, choose Class D."
+"T know. Just don't expect too much out of me."
+I got up from my seat and left the classroom.
+As the one who had taken on the responsibilities of the commander, I walked out
+into the hallway.
+"So it's you this time, Ayanokoji. Who on earth is the commander?"
+With an exasperated sigh, Chabashira looked in the direction Hirata and Mii-chan
+had gone off to.
+"Tt's me. I'm the commander."
+"Oh...?"
+Together, the two of us headed off to the special building.
+"Isn't the special building a bit far when we're just selecting our opponents?"
+"We? ll also be going over the details on how you'll be managing things on the day
+of the exam."
+There was barely anybody around as we arrived at the special building, so the
+sound of our footsteps was notably louder than usual.
+"You went through so much to get your hands on a protection point, only to be
+forced to become the commander. How unlucky."
+"T wasn't forced. I volunteered for the position myself."
+Chahashira stopped walking for a moment.
+".. You did?"
+"Ts there something wrong with that?"
+"T thought you hated attracting unnecessary attention?"
+Chabashira questioned.
+"The only difference was whether or not they forced me into it."
+"T see. You're saying that in either case, you weren't in much of a position where
+you could turn it down."
+At the end of the day, the students who had won a protection point were much
+more likely to become the commander.
+If they refused, they would be only one safe from expulsion.
+In which case, would they choose to be pushed off a cliff? Or would they choose
+to jump off on their own terms instead?
+"Whatever happened aside, by becoming the commander, you' ve taken on a huge
+responsibility. If you cut any comers, Class C will be the one to pay the price."
+Since there was nobody around to hear her, Chabashira spoke boldly.
+"Are you threatening me?"
+As I turned to face her, she let show a slight grin.
+"You're free to think whatever you want. However, Ill definitely be looking
+forward to it, Ayanokoji. Because now, after everything that's happened, I'll
+finally be able to see what you're really made of."
+Her heart set on reaching Class A, Chabashira seemed like she had great
+expectations of me moving forward.
+"There's no guarantee I'I] win."
+"Is that so? Sorry, but I, for one, can't possibly imagine that you'd lose."
+After that, the two of us didn't say very much else as we made our way to the
+multipurpose room.
+Part 2
+We arrived at the multipurpose room within the special building, the room
+that seemed to be the central hub for the special exam.
+"Tt seems like the other three have already arrived."
+The door was already open. Inside, I could see the homeroom teachers from
+the other classes, each accompanied by a single student. From Class A, it
+was Sakayanagi. From Class B, it was Ichinose, and from Class D, it was
+Kaneda.
+Unsurprisingly, every single one of us had a protection point.
+There were also two computers set up directly opposite of one another, each
+connected to a single, large monitor.
+"Now that all the commanders have gathered, let's get started with deciding
+the class match-ups. Ill have each of you draw a slip from this lottery. The
+student who draws a slip with a red circle on it will be allowed to choose
+their opponent."
+Mashima-sensei presented us with a lottery box and prompted Sakayangi
+to draw from it. However, she refused.
+"As they say, good things come to those that wait. I don't mind going last,
+so by all means, Ichinose-san."
+"Well, I don't mind if I do!"
+Ichinose drew first, followed by Class C and D. Since the slips weren't
+folded, we knew the results of the draw almost immediately. In the end,
+Class D's Kaneda drew the winning slip with the red circle on it.
+That is to say, Class D had won the right to choose their opponent.
+"Tt seems there's no need for me to check the last slip, right Mashima-
+sensei?"
+Mashima-sensei drew the final slip from the lottery box and, needless to
+say, there was no red circle on it.
+"Tt seems good things didn't come this time, Sakayanagi."
+"T wonder about that. I don't necessarily have to draw the winning slip to
+come out on top in the end."
+"Tt sounds to me like Class A thinks they can rest easy no matter who they
+end up facing."
+"Oh, that's not the case. If at all possible, I'd like to avoid confrontation
+with your class, Ichinose-san."
+Sakayanagi's response made it hard to tell if she was just being polite or if
+she had given her honest opinion.
+"Could you tell us which class you'll be choosing?"
+At Mashima-sensei's request, Kaneda gave a small nod.
+At some point since this morning, even Class D had probably held a
+discussion to figure out which of the other classes to go against to secure
+the highest chance of winning.
+"T won't hesitate then. Class D would like to compete against... Class B."
+Kaneda declared war against an entirely unexpected opponent.
+"And you're sure you want to choose Class B?"
+"Yes,"
+Having confirmed Kaneda's decision, Mashima-sensei finalized the class
+matchups.
+With the competition between Class D and Class B set in stone, Class C
+would naturally compete against Class A.
+"T was convinced you would choose Class C, but Class B? Why is that?"
+Sakayanagi asked a question, interested in finding out Kaneda's reasoning.
+"In order to turn things around from how they are now, we have to take
+away as many points as possible from the upper classes. Having said that,
+we also want to avoid fighting against Class A for the time being."
+Since Class A was an understandably difficult opponent, they had opted to
+target Class B instead.
+"Ts that so? As far as I'm concerned, you've saved us from the trouble of
+matching up against a formidable opponent like Class B. I wish Class D
+the best of luck."
+Sakayanagi offered her gratitude to Kaneda with a slight bow. Though, a
+little bit of trickery behind the scenes had led us to this current situation.
+While it goes without saying that Kaneda winning draw had been nothing
+more than a coincidence, this outcome had already been arranged no matter
+who drew the winning slip.
+I had contacted Ichinose and Ishizaki before school had even ended for the
+day, telling them that I wanted Class C to compete against Class A.
+Apparently, Ichinose had been genuinely interested in competing against
+Class A and was even planning on doing so, but ultimately, she conceded
+because she owed me a favor. As for Ishizaki and Class D, they had
+apparently been planning on challenging Class B anyway, so there hadn't
+been any complications in the first place.
+All of this just to secure my match with Sakayanagi and Class A.
+The only problem would' ve been if I had won the draw.
+Since Horikita had told me to choose Class D if given the choice, I
+would've needed to come up with a convincing excuse.
+However, my probability of winning was just one in four, so I wasn't all
+too concerned. Put simply, the whole thing had been a fixed job from the
+start. I was also pretty sure Sakayanagi was aware that I had made some
+arrangements beforehand.
+In this way, the class matchups had been decided ahead of time.
+"With that done, I'll now explain the system you'll be using on exam day.
+You'll be in this room, using a computer similar to the two we have set up
+right over here. This is where you'll be assigning your classmates to the
+events in real-time."
+Chabashira went to the left computer and broadcasted the screen onto the
+large display.
+As Chabashira operated the computer, Mashima-sensei continued his
+explanation.
+"As an example, this is a catalog of all the Class A students. Using the
+mouse, you'll drag a student's portrait and drop it into the box of the event
+you'll have them participate in. If you make a mistake or reconsider your
+choices halfway through, just drag and drop the photo out of the box and
+reselect from there. Alternatively, you can also do all of this with the
+touchscreen."
+"This kinda feels like a video game, right?"
+"Tt totally does, doesn't it!"
+Ichinose and Hoshinomiya-sensei engaged in a fun little side conversation
+with each other.
+"There will be a time limit imposed on selecting the participants for each
+event, which is represented by the number you currently see counting down
+on-screen. The more students there are in a given event, the more time
+you'll have to select them. You can expect to be given approximately thirty
+seconds per person."
+That is, given a ten-person event, we would have roughly 300 seconds to
+make a decision.
+"If you don't make a selection within the provided time limit, any
+remaining spaces will be filled with somebody chosen at random, so do
+keep that in mind. Conversely, if you end up selecting too many students,
+the excess participants will be forced out at random as well."
+In other words, it would be strictly forbidden to go over the time limit.
+"Once an event begins, the match will be broadcast live on this large
+monitor."
+Stock footage of a shogi match began to play on the monitor, much like
+what one would see on TV.
+"The rules for how a commander can participate in the current event will
+be listed on your screen after the event has started."
+The footage on the monitor changed over to show the screen of the left
+computer once again, where the words [At one point during the match,
+the commander can pause the game and re-do a move] were displayed.
+This was probably an example of the rules that Mashima-sensei had just
+referred to.
+"As the commander, you can choose to intervene at any time by clicking
+on the rule you want to act upon. Be sure to keep this in mind."
+The monitor changed back to the shogi video once again.
+"You won't be allowed to provide your classmates with instructions over
+the phone. Instead, we will be adopting a text-to-speech system that will
+read out the messages you send them. After you type out your message and
+send it, it will be played through your classmate's headset."
+This meant that a machine would be automatically reading out our
+messages after we sent them. This was probably done in order to prevent
+us from conveying more information than we were allowed to. Using the
+shogi match as an example, the commanders are only allowed to intervene
+a single time to change one move on the board, but if they're careful with
+how they phrase their instructions, they might be able to convey two or
+three move's worth of instructions instead.
+"Should a commander step out of line and interfere with an event in a way
+the rules don't allow, their class may be faced with disqualification and
+lose the event."
+I had expected this. It'd be safe to assume that a third party would be
+carefully checking every message we sent our classmates.
+"For each event, only one person in each class will be allowed to wear one
+of the headsets. Even in a team event, only one person will be allowed to
+receive instructions. As the commander, you'll have to choose who this
+person will be."
+From the looks of it, I had more on my plate than I expected.
+While there were plenty of things we could decide on beforehand, we
+would always have to be ready for unexpected circumstances.
+"You'll be allowed to send out your instructions whenever you want, so
+long as it abides by the rules."
+We could freely change our screen layouts whenever we wanted, including
+minimizing or maximizing certain aspects of the display to show only the
+information we wanted to see.
+Between observing the students in the current event to making preparations
+for the next one, there would be plenty of stuff to do to keep us occupied.
+"This wraps up my explanation of the commander's duties and procedures.
+Are there any questions?"
+Mashima-sensei did a quick glance throughout the room, but it didn't seem
+like anyone had something they wanted to bring up.
+"Alright then, that'll be all for today. If any of you want to go over the
+system or check on something, you'll be allowed to visit the multipurpose
+classroom under teacher supervision until one week before the exam.
+You're all dismissed."
+With that, the explanation was finished and we all left.
+Part 3
+After heading back to my dorm, I messaged Horikita which class we would
+be going up against and began to think about how I would fulfill my duties
+as the commander. In retrospect, this was the first time I would be facing a
+special exam head-on.
+In all honesty, if this was a one-on-one battle, I didn't think I would lose.
+However, this was a battle where I had to command the class as a whole.
+I would only be able to fight confined within the scope of my classmate's
+abilities.
+Given an army of children, even an unparalleled strategist like Sun Tzu
+wouldn't stand a chance against an army of fully-grown adults.
+Although the commander's unique ability to intervene in events would be
+the key to victory, I was still missing something fundamental that I needed
+in order to compete.
+That is, I needed to grasp the current potential of Class C.
+Who does everyone like and dislike? What are their strengths? Their
+weaknesses?
+Without understanding all the different pieces of the puzzle, the path to
+victory wouldn't open.
+Plus, when it comes to networking and leadership skills, I clearly fall short
+when compared to the rest of the class. Currently, I don't even know what
+people like Shinohara or Onodera like to eat.
+That being the case, what should I do first?
+The answer was obvious. I needed to reach out to someone who knew the
+class as if it were the back of their hand.
+It was simple, but I didn't really have any other options.
+There were only three people who could fit this criterion: Kei, Hirata, and
+Kushida.
+Ideally, I wanted to consult all three of them.
+However, given the current situation, the only one who'd definitely be
+willing to help me would be Kei.
+Hirata was currently far beyond recovery, and Kushida had been deeply
+wounded during The Class Vote. While she wasn't showing it on the
+surface, she was probably quite furious with Horikita. It's unknown just
+how much skepticism she has toward me, but it's safe to assume she's
+become warier of me than before.
+At around six in the evening, just as the sun was beginning to set, my
+doorbell rang.
+Without hesitation, I unlocked the door and invited the visitor into my
+room.
+"...Heyo."
+The visitor was Karuizawa Kei, who was still in her school uniform.
+"Did you only just get back from school?"
+"That's cus, unlike you, I have a ton of friends. Besides, I'm the star today."
+Her choice of words was a bit peculiar. She turned to look at me.
+"The star? Why?"
+Seeing as I didn't understand what she was getting at, Kei looked away
+from me with a slightly irritated look on her face.
+""...Whatever, it's nothing. Anyways, isn't it weird for you to call for me at
+a time like this? And what's with you saying I don't need to be careful
+anymore? Didn't you say it'd be a problem if we're seen by somebody?"
+She uneasily glanced around my room.
+"Tt's fine. After everything that's happened, I don't think that's necessary
+anymore."
+"Cause of, uh, Hashimoto-kun from Class A, right? And _ that
+upperclassmen who saw us together?"
+"Something like that."
+"Our relationship will slowly become public knowledge, you know that
+right...? And that's okay with you?"
+"T have no problems with it at all."
+My immediate response seemed to give Kei some peace of mind, as she let
+out a sigh of relief.
+"Well, then, it's fine I guess."
+It's true that some actions would be easier to carry out if nobody knew
+about my connection with Kei.
+But the situation was gradually beginning to change.
+Moreover, it would be easier for Kei to move openly instead of acting as a
+spy from now on.
+"But, like... you and I are still a boy and a girl from the same class, you
+know? If word gets out that I was seen coming here, won't weird rumors
+about how the two of us were alone together start to spread?"
+Had she always been the type to care about something like that?
+"T'm the commander for this exam, and you're a central figure in Class C.
+The two of us meeting privately shouldn't be too unnatural."
+Just to make sure she felt comfortable, I added on an extra layer of
+reasoning to my explanation.
+"Umm, well, I guess that's true..."
+Something about this still appeared to be bothering her.
+"Speaking of which, why'd you agree to become the commander? You
+aren't the type of guy who'd feel obligated to do so just cus you got a
+protection point."
+As expected, she understands the type of person I am, at least to a certain
+extent.
+"Personal feelings aside, I needed to show my sincerity to the class.
+Yamauchi had only just been expelled, so everyone's still pretty paranoid.
+Nominating myself for the role was the best option available."
+"That's it?"
+"That's it."
+"If it were me, I wouldn't have become the commander, like, no matter
+what."
+She was only able to take a stance like that because of the image she had
+established for herself. Even if she were to stubbornly insist that the
+protection point was hers to use as she pleased, nobody would be able to
+hold it against her. It was genuinely impressive.
+"Let's change the topic. Tell me about the internal state of the class."
+"Internal state, huh? Like, I don't even know where to start. For your
+information, it's not like I know everything myself, okay? Especially when
+it comes to the boys. I dunno anything about them."
+"That's fine. If possible, I hope to consult with both Hirata and Kushida at
+some point later on."
+This hope was nothing more than just that. A hope.
+For the time being, there was no telling whether or not they'd speak with
+me.
+"Sure, you' ll find out pretty much everything about the class if you speak
+with the two of them, but like..."
+Kei paused for a moment and wearily folded her arms in front of her.
+"Kushida-san aside, don't you think it seems kinda impossible to reach out
+to YOsuke-kun? He seems like he's given up entirely."
+"Are you worried about him?"
+"Well, yeah. Nobody in Class C actually likes seeing YOsuke-kun like
+that."
+Class C without Hirata, a situation where we were at a complete
+disadvantage. Since nobody was willing to step up and moderate, the class
+was lacking an overall sense of stability.
+"Either way, I'll hear you out first."
+"Tt'll be hard for me to do all the talking, so like, let's do this with you
+asking me questions, kay?"
+If that's what she wanted, I'd comply. I would ask about each girl one at a
+time.
+She went down the class roster, and I proceeded to memorize the relevant
+information about every girl in Class C.
+Part 4
+""',.and that should be about everything."
+In just under ten minutes, I got pretty much all of the necessary information
+I needed from Kei.
+"Hey. Are you sure you don't need to take any notes or something? Even
+if you beg, I'm not gonna explain everything all over again, okay?"
+"Tt's fine."
+"You're sayin' you've got it all memorized?"
+"More or less."
+"Oh wooow. How totally impressive."
+Kei praised me, but the way she did so made it seem like she didn't really
+mean it.
+"Anyway, our opponent is Class A this time, right? Isn't it gonna be super
+hard for you?"
+"T'm not the one who' ll be competing. That'll be up to you and the rest of
+the class. Just because I can intervene as the commander doesn't mean I' ll
+always be able to turn around a difficult situation. In fact, I should be the
+one asking if you'll be okay?"
+"M-me? I..."
+She tried to say something, but the words seemed to get stuck in her throat.
+"".,.Could you make sure I don't have to participate?"
+"T'm not the only one who gets to decide on that. Depending on what Class
+A does, you might even need to participate twice."
+"No no no, there's totally no way. I'm not good at studying and I'm terrible
+at sports!"
+She shook her head frantically, emphasizing that she didn't want to be
+forced to participate.
+"Tf it's you, Kiyotaka, I'm sure you can beat Sakayanagi-san!"
+With this, she looked at me with a thumbs-up. She probably just wanted to
+avoid participating and prevent taking on any responsibility for the
+outcome.
+However, not even Kei could grasp the true extent of my abilities.
+"Plus, nobody's actually expecting that you'll beat Class A. Doesn't that
+make everything that much easier?"
+"Yeah, I suppose."
+Everything's easy when you don't have very much expected of you.
+"Sooo... is this everything you wanted to talk to me about? Didn't you say
+we had to meet up in person?"
+Kei pouted, the look in her eyes saying 'If there's nothing else, we could've
+just spoken over the phone'.
+"Some things are easier to understand when communicated in person."
+Kei's expression stiffened even further. This didn't seem to be the answer
+she was expecting.
+"Humph... Sounds like we're done then. Well... I'll be leaving, kay?"
+With everything important having been discussed, Kei excused herself.
+At this point, she probably didn't think anything else would happen even if
+she continued dropping hints.
+"T'll contact you again if something important comes up."
+"*..Sure, whatever."
+It seemed like she had been expecting something this whole time, but now
+it looked like she had given up.
+I guess she was going to stay stubborn until the very end, wholly unwilling
+to broach the topic herself.
+It would' ve made it a whole lot easier for me too if she had just come out
+with it...
+"Hold on a moment. I still have something to say."
+I stood up and began to walk over to my drawer.
+Before she came over, I had stashed a special something away so she
+wouldn't notice it when she entered the room.
+"What is it... If you had something to say, you should've said so earlier!"
+"Tt's just, today is your birthday, isn't it?"
+"Eh? Seriously? You knew...?"
+I took the special something I had prepared for her out of my drawer. I had
+ordered it from one of the stores on campus and had them ship it wrapped
+up in wrapping paper for the special occasion.
+"T was just teasing you a bit."
+"W-well, stop doing weird stuff like that. If you have a present, you shoulda
+given it to me earlier, okay? I've gotten a ton of good stuff from my friends
+already too, so this'd better be worth my time."
+As she spoke, she extended her hand out to receive the gift, unwilling to
+look me in the eye as she did.
+Seeing Kei act like this, I promptly stopped handing her the present.
+"Were you looking forward to this?"
+"N... n-not really?"
+"Tf that's the case, I guess I could always take it back."
+"Wha... What!?!? You can't just go and change your mind once you've
+17?
+decided to give something to someone
+Her response was pretty much impossible to understand.
+"This is also your return gift for White Day, though."
+"How typical... So you're the kinda guy who does everything at once cuz
+it's too much work to do otherwise, huh?"
+Kei let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed the present out of my hand.
+A suspicious look appeared on her face as soon as she held it in her hands.
+After all, it was a tiny, square box, and moreover, it didn't weigh very much
+at all.
+"Did you even put anything in it?"
+"T wouldn't have the courage to gift you an empty box."
+I could already imagine how angry she would get if I did something like
+that.
+"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind if I make sure of that, hmm?"
+Kei spoke as if she was a police officer interrogating a suspect, and
+proceeded to check the contents of the box. She carefully unwrapped the
+wrapping paper and took off the lid to the box that had been hiding
+underneath.
+Nestled within the box was a single piece of metal that sparkled with a
+bright, golden shine.
+"Wh... What is this!?"
+While she seemed immensely surprised, it was clear that pretty much
+anyone would know exactly what it was.
+"Tt's a necklace."
+"W-well obviously! This gift is like, waaay too much!"
+"Too much?"
+"T-I mean, necklaces aren't the kinda things friends give to each other!"
+Or so she says, but...
+I tilted my head, not quite sure what Kei was getting at.
+However, it didn't seem like she was looking to hear a response from me.
+Instead, it seemed like she was itching to say something else.
+"Plus, you know what else? This doesn't even look good on me! Like, it's
+heart-shaped!"
+At this point, she was probably referring to how the necklace's pendant was
+shaped like a heart.
+Apparently, the birthday present I had chosen wasn't very good.
+"Tt's shaped like a heart!"
+She seemed particularly unhappy with that shape, as she bothered to
+emphasize it a second time.
+Her face was turning bright red as she voiced her dissatisfaction. Anybody
+would feel a little hurt after hearing such harsh objections, even me.
+After all, at the end of the day, a present is given in order to spread
+happiness.
+"Wasn't this expensive?"
+"Well it wasn't cheap. It was like twenty-thousand yen."
+"Twenty thou... Why did you go out of your way to get such an expensive
+necklace! ?"
+"Why?"
+Kei looked at me, her face turning even redder than before.
+Given the situation, it seemed like it would be best to answer her honestly.
+"To tell you the truth, I've never given something like a birthday present to
+a girl before. So, I decided to do some research on the internet as a starting
+point. I came across a major online shopping website, Rakkan Ichiba,
+where they recommended that necklace as the number one birthday present
+for girls. It even mentioned that it would be especially popular with high
+school girls."
+I could still remember how the website declared it to be the absolute best
+gift, regardless of whether you're in a relationship or not.
+I decided that it was a reasonable price to pay since I was giving her a single
+gift for both her birthday and White Day.
+"Good lord..."
+For some reason, Kei looked at me and cringed.
+I found myself thinking that I might have really messed something up this
+time.
+"You're so smart and yet, kind-of an idiot when it comes to stuff like this.
+It's like you were born yesterday or something. First of all, even if it said
+this would be a hit with high school girls, this is the sorta thing girls want
+to pick out for themselves. That way, they can choose something they like
+or whatever suits their tastes. Well, at least you didn't get me a ring or
+something where you'd have had to know the size of my finger... Put
+simply, this gift only gets like, 10 out of 100 points, kay?"
+I had gone and prepared such an expensive present, but the result seemed
+to be disastrous.
+She had just explained what high school girls were like, but there was still
+a lot I needed to reflect upon.
+I had chosen the present with the best intentions, but it was hard to say if I
+had really considered how she would feel about it.
+"What if I had given you a simple box of desserts?"
+"That'd bump you up to a 15 out of 100."
+To think a simple box of sweets would've been better than a twenty
+thousand yen necklace...
+"T don't think you can return it now that it's been opened, but if you don't
+want it you can just leave it here. If you'd like, I can get you a cake box or
+something in a few days instead."
+I offered her an alternative, deeply regretting my lack of preparation and
+research.
+After all, a 15-point present would probably make Kei happier than a 10-
+point one.
+At least, that's what I thought...
+Kei stared at the necklace for a moment before turning to look at me.
+And then, despite what I had just said, she put the necklace around her neck.
+She then asked to use my mirror for a second and proceeded to see how it
+looked on herself.
+"Hmm... As I thought, the heart is a bit childish... But since I have such a
+hot body, anything ends up looking good on me~"
+While I couldn't help but wonder what in the world this first-year high
+school student was talking about, Kei was completely serious.
+Kei took a moment to check how the necklace looked on her from every
+angle before finally nodding in satisfaction.
+I had thought she would give it back to me after trying it on, but instead,
+she carefully set the necklace back in its box and put the box in her bag.
+"Well, this was your first time giving a gift to a girl, right? I'll be nice and
+accept it, just this once."
+"*.. Well, that sounds fine to me."
+It wasn't like I'd have been able to give it to anybody else if she refused to
+take it, anyway.
+4.
+***
+The day after the class matchups were decided...
+Class C had arranged to hold another class-wide discussion once school
+was out for the day, so we were free to do what we wanted during the lunch
+break.
+As a result, the Ayanokoji Group gathered to eat lunch together, just like
+usual.
+We all met up at the back of the classroom once lunch started and headed
+off to the cafeteria.
+"How did yesterday's discussion go?"
+Wasting no time, I asked my friends about what the class had discussed the
+day before.
+It had taken about an hour for the commanders to determine the class
+matchups and go over everything, so by the time I had gotten back to the
+classroom, everybody had already gone back home for the day.
+"You didn't hear about it from Horikita-san? ...1 guess that might make
+sense."
+Airi responded with a vague answer, but after faltering for a moment, she
+spoke up again.
+"There was an event manual, right? Ultimately, everyone was having a hard
+time understanding the rules..."
+"There wasn't even a discussion in the first place. It was a complete waste
+of time."
+Keisei let out an exasperated sigh.
+Apparently, our discussion during yesterday's lunch break hadn't been
+enough for everyone to get a grasp of the rules. From the looks of it, the
+discussion after school yesterday ended once everybody had gotten on the
+same page. If that's what had happened, it would've been fairly typical of
+Class C.
+"Besides, the problem isn't just our class."
+"What's that mean, Yukimuu?"
+"There are only so many places on campus where a bunch of students can
+meet up, right?"
+"Well, it's definitely impossible for forty people to meet up at karaoke or
+some place at the mall. What of it?"
+"T was the first person to leave the classroom after the discussion finished
+yesterday... When I walked into the hallway, there were some Class A
+students lingering just outside the door."
+Haruka and Airi exchanged confused glances with each other.
+At first, Akito didn't seem to understand what Keisei was getting at either,
+but after a moment, he realized it.
+".,. You're saying they were spying on us?"
+"That's exactly what I'm saying. During this exam, important information
+will be spoken verbally, right? Even if they were only listening in on our
+discussion, it's more than likely that they picked up on something."
+Information like which types of events might get chosen, or who was good
+at what.
+Without a doubt, it would be beneficial to obtain information like that, even
+if only a little.
+In other words, the battle had already begun.
+"Looking at it from that point of view, Class C has already fallen behind."
+"Scary! Sakayanagi-san's already made her move."
+Trembling in fear, Haruka began to rub the back of her arms.
+"Then, shouldn't we start to gather information about Class A? Kinda like
+that one guy said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
+Quickly changing her tone, Haruka then proposed we fight back against
+Class A.
+However, there was no way Keisei would agree so easily.
+"Tf it were that simple, it wouldn't be a problem in the first place."
+"Ehh?"
+"I'm probably not the only one who thinks this either. Even Horikita should
+understand that there's no point in doing that. Do you really think Class A
+is going to gather up in a classroom and hold a forty-person discussion?"
+Class C struggled with its lack of unity and cooperation, and these attributes
+were the first thing we needed to focus on.
+This was completely different from Class A, where top students like
+Sakayanagi decided on everything.
+Who the commander is. Who comes up with the events. Who's in charge
+of collecting information.
+They had already decided on everything the moment the exam began.
+Besides, even if they were to hold a classwide discussion, they would
+probably have two or three people stand guard to prevent us from
+eavesdropping.
+"But, like, wouldn't it be fine to at least try? We might even be able to catch
+them off guard at some point. Who knows, maybe they'Il meet up in their
+classroom to talk about the exam."
+"If that happens, I'd be afraid instead. I'd suspect any information we'd
+manage to get our hands on."
+If the information we overheard ended up being fake, we would've just
+been wasting our time. Keisei's concerns were spot on. Information should
+be hidden when possible; anything that isn't should be heavily suspected.
+"However, an information war is absolutely inevitable. The crucial part is
+figuring out what kind of method to use..."
+"Do... we even stand a chance?"
+Airi spoke, surrendering to her feelings of anxiety.
+"At this point, it'd probably be better to think of it as though they're just a
+step or two ahead of us."
+Since Class C still hadn't even decided on anything yet, we had no reason
+to think we were in the lead in the first place.
+"Still, who'd have thought we'd have to go against Class A."
+"Sorry. It's my fault for losing the lottery."
+In reality, I would've chosen Class A even if I had won, but I'd at least act
+apologetic about it like this.
+"Ah, no, I wasn't implying that! That's totally my bad! I wasn't blaming
+you at all, Kiyopon!"
+Haruka seemed to take my apology more seriously than I had expected, as
+she hurriedly spoke up to correct herself.
+"Expecting him to win a lotto with only a one in four chance of winning is
+kinda harsh, Haruka."
+As Akito spoke, Haruka shrunk back even further.
+"T-that's why I said that's not what I meant..."
+At this point she brought something else up, probably wanting to change
+the topic.
+"T think it'd be nice if Class A'd go a little easy on us. They've got it easy
+going up against Class C. Dontcha think so too, Miyatchi?"
+"Go easy...? Does Sakayanagi really seem like that type of person to you?"
+"Not at all. She completely crushed Yamauchi-kun, and she could prolly
+flatten the rest of us too."
+Disheartened, Haruka looked up and began to stare at the ceiling.
+"Anyways, it just keeps going wrong for you, doesn't it Kiyotaka? What
+with being commander under these circumstances."
+Keisei patted me on the shoulder as if to console me for the trouble I was
+going through.
+"Well, I do have that protection point though. I didn't really have any other
+choice this time. I don't want to lose or anything, but I'm pretty thankful
+that nobody has to worry about getting expelled."
+For now, this was the only thing I could say to them.
+Whatever the reason, I was the one selfishly leading us into the
+confrontation with Class A.
+"Our opponent is Class A. It wouldn't be your fault if we lose."
+"Plus, their commander is Sakayanagi-san."
+In this situation, ninety-nine percent of people probably think Sakayanagi
+will win. In which case, my position in the class wouldn't change even if I
+were to lose. On the other hand, if I end up winning, the victory would be
+credited to Horikita's excellent leadership and the elaborate strategy she
+comes up with.
+"Yeah... Winning this is probably going to be difficult."
+Keisei crossed his arms and let out a defeated sigh.
+At this point, however, Akito said something nobody was expecting.
+"Just because we're up against Class A doesn't mean itll be impossible to
+99
+win.
+"Really? Well, it's not like I actually wanna lose, but..."
+"This isn't some secret plan or strategy, Haruka. Think about it carefully.
+There's a way to snatch victory away from Class A, isn't there?"
+With that, Akito began his explanation.
+"Back when Chabashira announced the exam, I thought it was
+unreasonable to ask us to go up against the upper classes. But something
+Ike happened to say made me think of a way we could make it happen."
+"Something Ike-kun said? Wait, are you talking about when he brought up
+rock-paper-scissors?"
+Reminded of something, Haruka spoke up, causing Akito to nod in
+agreement.
+"At first, I thought it was kind-of a stupid suggestion for an event. But, then
+I realized that, if we pick an event that revolves around luck, we'd always
+have around a fifty-percent chance of winning, no matter who we're up
+against. I don't think it'd be a bad idea to come up with five events like Old
+Maid or Daifugo that rely on luck for the day of the exam."
+Having heard Akito's explanation, Haruka's eyes lit up.
+"With a strat like that, we'd be on totally equal footing with anyone!"
+"Yeah! I don't think it's a bad idea either!"
+"No... It wouldn't be that simple."
+While the three of them were getting caught up in their excitement, Keisei
+calmly criticised the idea.
+"I won't know for sure without actually doing the calculations, but the
+chances of us winning with that strategy are something like 5 to 10%."
+"What? That's it? I'm not saying our chances would be like, exactly 50%
+or anything, but it should be like at least 20 or 30%, right? How hard could
+it really be for our five events to get chosen and for us to win four of em?"
+"We'd have to be incredibly lucky for everything to play out that way,
+Haruka."
+All five of Class C's events would have to end up getting selected, and
+we'd have to get lucky enough to win at least four of them. If our odds of
+winning were an even 50% for each of those five events, our overall
+probability of winning the exam was...
+I took a moment to run the calculations in my head.
+There was an 8.33% chance of all five of our events being chosen, and at a
+50% win rate, the probability of winning four times would be 18.75%.
+Considering that we'd have to make it past both of those conditions, we'd
+be left with a mere 1.56% chance of coming out on top.
+In other words, it wasn't even close to 5%. It's hard to say that relying on
+luck to win would be a good idea.
+That being said, this was only considering everything from a simple,
+standardized viewpoint where luck was the only thing supporting my
+calculations.
+In reality, various other factors would affect our true chances of winning,
+but ultimately it's far too detrimental to call this an effective strategy.
+This meant we should choose events based on what we're good at, even if
+it bears somewhat more of a risk.
+The fewer events that revolve around luck, the better.
+"Tt's that bad? It was just a thought I had, is all."
+Having realized how naive his suggestion was, Akito scratched at his
+cheek.
+At this point, I noticed Airi was looking at me with concern, and her
+expression became all the more worried once I turned to face her.
+"Kiyotaka-kun... Uhm, are you alright? Being the commander..."
+It seemed like Airi had been getting more and more concerned as the
+difficulty of beating Class A became more and more apparent.
+"Yeah Kiyopon. You don't need to push yourself just cuz you got a
+Protection Point."
+Haruka spoke up, finishing Airi's sentence before she could come up with
+the words.
+"Haruka's right. At the very least, none of us thought there was something
+going on between you and Sakayanagi. Right guys?"
+Everyone nodded. It didn't feel bad being trusted like this.
+"Like, some of our classmates seemed to be kinda suspicious of you still,
+but Horikita-san's explanation seemed like it convinced pretty much
+everyone. I mean, at first I totally thought having a Protection Point would
+be great, but now it seems like it'd be troublesome to have one, ya know?"
+"T'm a little jealous of everyone who got Protection Points, but after seeing
+the situation Kiyotaka-kun's in, I feel like I'd just end up losing it right
+away if I had gotten one..."
+At the end of the day, only one person was safe. Everyone else was left to
+fend for themselves. It wouldn't be easy to maintain safety like that without
+fully resolving yourself.
+In contrast with Airi's timid self-evaluation, Keisei crossed his arms and
+disagreed.
+"For me, I wouldn't give up my Protection Point no matter what anybody
+says."
+"Even if you end being resented or hated because of it? Because of their
+jealousy?"
+"You're missing the point here. I wouldn't want to give in to stuff like that
+just because of something that I rightfully won. Instead, Kiyotaka
+should've done what he could to keep it to protect himself."
+As if he had become the victim here, Keisei indignantly kept his arms
+crossed.
+Akito, who had been silent until now, looked at me and spoke.
+"The truth is, fighting against Class A is gonna be tough, so it's probably
+better that Kiyotaka agreed to take the risk. If it had been anybody else, we
+might be seeing our second expulsion here soon, right? Or are you saying
+that you could've been the commander, Keisei?"
+"That... Well, I don't really think so."
+Though, it's not like I didn't understand Keisei's frustration. He had
+probably just wanted to emphasize that we'd have an easier time winning
+with a more capable student as the commander.
+"Tt's unfortunate that we have to avoid expulsion during this exam too, but
+I wonder who would've been the best fit as commander without it...?
+Horikita-san?"
+Airi tilted her head as she carefully thought about all of the options.
+"Huh, Horikita-san seems about right to me? Or maybe someone like
+Hirata-kun or Kushida-san? Yukimuu might've done pretty good too."
+She listed off a bunch of students who'd have probably gotten consistent
+results as the class's commander.
+"Hirata, huh... I wonder what his deal is."
+At this point, Akito seemed to think that continuing to talk about going
+against Class A would only dampen the mood, so he changed the subject.
+"Hey Keisei, how do you see the Class D versus Class B matchup playing
+out?"
+In particular, he brought up the other teams that'd be waging war during
+this special exam.
+"Chances are Class B's gonna win. Their teamwork is on another level, and
+overall, they're a strong class to have to match up against."
+"Yeah! Plus, their commander is Kaneda-kun, not Ryien-kun."
+They probably thought that there was no need to be afraid of Class D
+without Ryden.
+However, Ishizaki and the rest of Class D had been looking to fight Class
+B from the very start. While it's unexpected, it isn't something to make
+light of. If I were in charge of Class D, I would've chosen to fight Class B
+as well. Class A is led by Sakayanagi, and has a number of tough opponents
+like Katsuragi and Hashimoto. What's more, their class as a whole has the
+best academic abilities out of our entire school year. When it comes to Class
+C, they probably don't like the idea of going against me. Of course, one
+could also argue that they'd expect me to keep my presence hidden, but
+either way, Class D's specialty is their physical ability, not their academics.
+In order to make the most out of their strong points, I'd still probably
+choose Class B. Though, this wouldn't give them the upper hand or flat-
+out win the exam for them. It was just their best choice to avoid defeat.
+Whether or not Class D can actually win would depend on their decisions
+moving forward, along with a little bit of luck.
+It was nothing more than a small glimmer of hope at this point.
+"Hey guys, look at that."
+Haruka whispered to us, notioning over to the entrance of the cafeteria
+where Hirata had just walked in.
+At a glance, his steps were aimless and heavy, kind of like a zombie or
+somebody possessed by a ghost.
+His eyes lacked ambition. The difference between the person we were
+looking at and his bright, usual self was striking.
+"He's like... seriously ill or something."
+Haruka muttered a few words, but there was simply nothing more to say.
+Hirata was somebody who had done more for our class than anybody else.
+The class had gotten through this past year without losing anyone, and
+Hirata's actions had undeniably played an important part in that.
+"Hirata's pretty much useless in this special exam. Going up against Class
+A was already hard enough, but now we' ve also gotta deal with such a large
+handicap right from the start."
+Keisei's words sounded a little cold.
+"There... There's nothing we can do, is there?"
+Other students have already attempted to approach him plenty of times.
+So far, it didn't seem like anybody had managed to get through to him.
+Nothing they did seemed to have an effect.
+Instead, the situation seemed to be getting even worse because of
+everyone's excessive prodding.
+Nobody in the Ayanok6ji Group was particularly close with Hirata either,
+so it's only natural that our voices wouldn't be able to reach him.
+For that very reason, none of us saw the need to overreact to what Keisei
+was implying. It was somebody else's problem.
+Part 1
+After school, the full-fledged discussion was finally just about to begin.
+Nobody moved from their seats as the bell rang with the exception of
+Hirata, who stood up immediately.
+"Hirata-kun!"
+"H-Hirata-kun!"
+Several of the girls raised their voices and shouted out to him. Among them
+was Mii-chan.
+But Hirata didn't stop. It seemed like he didn't care what would happen to
+the class anymore.
+He was just going to school, attending his classes, and heading back home,
+as if he was trying to avoid getting involved with the rest of the class.
+He was probably just going to repeat this cycle over and over again.
+"Wait a second, Hirata-kun!"
+"You guys are the ones who should wait."
+Mii-chan and the others tried to chase after him, but Horikita's words
+stopped them in their tracks.
+"We're about to have a discussion. Do you want even more people to miss
+out on it?"
+"B-but..."
+"There's nothing any of us can do for him right now. Hurry up and return
+to your seats."
+Horikita suppressed their desire to chase after him and motioned for
+everyone to return to their seats.
+Right now, our top priority was getting everyone on board with establishing
+the class policy for the exam.
+"Koenji's still here somehow?"
+Given that K6enji's participation was entirely unexpected, Sudd's voice
+was filled with surprise.
+"Fufufu. I'm part of the class, am I not? Of course I'm here."
+Koenji spoke shamelessly, as if everything he was saying was completely
+natural.
+"However, I'd like to wrap up this discussion today. I'm quite the busy
+person myself."
+"That' ll be difficult. This special exam isn't something that can be decided
+overnight. Even if we decide on the events today, we'll have to persistently
+practice them in order to win."
+Horikita, taking a stand behind the teacher's podium, completely shut
+Koenji down.
+Koenji didn't object any further and simply sat at his desk with a broad
+smile on his face.
+For the time being, he seemed to be willing to hear her out.
+"Tf that's the case, it seems I'll only be participating this one time."
+KO6enji didn't waver even slightly. It seemed that, class policy aside, he had
+no intention of working through this together. Sudo silently began to stand
+up, but immediately sat back down after receiving a firm glare from
+Horikita. After all, if he were to start something here, the conversation
+would never move forward.
+"Then, I'll just have to do what I can to try and get you to participate next
+time too."
+Koenji took Horikita's warning with a smile and simply crossed his arms
+and legs.
+This was his way of telling her to continue with the discussion.
+"Uhm, Horikita. 've got a simple question about event participation I
+wanna ask you."
+"And what is that, Ike-kun?"
+His hand raised, Ike spoke up.
+"We'll be competing in seven events, right? But, like, we won't have a turn
+at it, will we?"
+"What do you mean by 'we won't have a turn at it'?"
+"Erm... Well, to put it simply, I mean those of us who kinda suck? Like,
+the students who aren't particularly good at physical stuff or studying aren't
+gonna have a turn to participate. It's not like all seven events are gonna
+need a whole buncha people. If we pick events that only need a few skilled
+people to participate, a whole bunch of us won't really have anything to do,
+right?"
+There are nearly forty students in each class.
+Even if we chose a few events that needed a lot of people, the final seven
+would probably only need twenty to thirty.
+In other words, Ike seemed to be trying to say that, depending on the
+participation requirements of the selected events, nearly half of the class
+wouldn't end up having to participate.
+"I dunno about that. What if an event needs like, twenty people or
+something?"
+Kei spoke up, slipping in her own opinion after Ike finished.
+"You're sooo stupid, Karuizawa. You can play football with like, eleven
+people on a team. What event could need more than that? I can't think of a
+single one, can you?"
+"Uhm~... Somethin' like baseball?"
+"Baseball only needs ten people, which is even less than football!"
+"Baseball needs nine people."
+Horikita immediately cut in, sharply pointing out Ike's inconsistency.
+"..Well, my point still stands either way."
+"T dunno Kanji. American football needs eleven people like football does,
+and rugby needs fifteen."
+Sudo listed off a few events that would require more than ten people.
+"Yeah, but like, do you want to force people to play rugby or something? I
+***
+don't even know the rules
+While rugby was by no means a minor sport, it was in completely uncharted
+territory to people who weren't involved with it. It's not something
+regularly taught in gym class, and I'm sure that Class A was no exception
+to this either.
+I could hardly imagine what it'd be like for us to start practicing rugby right
+now.
+Besides, even if we submitted it as an event, it's doubtful that it would be
+accepted, and it wouldn't be very beneficial for anyone.
+"So, that's why I don't think we'll need to participate."
+"What's your point here?"
+"That... Well, I just don't think we need to meet up like this or hold practice
+sessions moving forward or anything."
+"T understand that you want to take it easy. After all, it's mentally taxing to
+do something you don't want to do. Besides, it'd also cut down on your
+precious break time."
+"T-I wouldn't go as far as to say that, but you know..."
+"Either way, I've determined that all of us need to work together."
+"How about you tell us why that is. P'1l do my best to support you if you
+can convince me."
+This time, Sudo was the one who spoke.
+"Because how many people we'll need to participate depends on the rules
+our opponent comes up with. For example, let's say one of the events they
+propose is volleyball. Usually, volleyball is a competition between two
+teams of six, but the rules are allowed to change that to some extent. What
+if the match had a time limit of thirty minutes, and the rules stated that
+every ten minutes all of the participants had to change out with somebody
+new? I wonder what would happen then?"
+"Erm... With six people changing out every ten minutes, that's..."
+Eighteen people with that alone. Nearly half of the students in each class
+would have to participate.
+Moreover, because there were only six people needed at any given time,
+the rule would be simple and easy to follow for pretty much anybody. The
+school would most likely approve of it as well.
+"What if there's more than one event like this? Put simply, everyone would
+be forced to participate in two or possibly even three events. We need to be
+prepared for something like that."
+Of course, this all depended on the events and rules that Class A would
+come up with.
+It was more than possible that they might mix in a few fake events like this,
+just to make it more difficult for us.
+"T know this hasn't quite clicked with all of you yet, but this special exam
+is more complicated than you're making it out to be."
+If we were to go over each event one at a time, we'd eventually come up
+with some ideas that seem rather ridiculous.
+At this point, it wouldn't be that unusual for there to be strange ideas for
+events like rock-paper-scissors or poker.
+After all, getting those crucial four wins would be far more important than
+trying to make yourself look good.
+Regardless of how impractical the suggestions might seem to be, picking
+out the right people for events we know they can win is what mattered most
+in the end.
+"T don't even plan on taking up too much of your time."
+Or rather, it might be better for her to say that keeping everybody stuck
+here doesn't necessarily mean we'd come up with good ideas right away.
+"So for today, I'd like to leave everyone here with some homework. If
+possible, I want you to come up with ideas for events you're good at and
+events where you think you'd absolutely never lose, and give them to me
+by after school tomorrow. It doesn't matter if it's something you do alone
+or if it's done in a team."
+One of the five events that we end up picking needed to be a one-on-one
+event. Odds are that every single class would put one forward with the
+unshakable confidence that they wouldn't lose it. However, when looked
+at from another angle, the damage done if you didn't win would be
+immeasurable. That being the case, students with special skills or talents
+that can't be outdone by others were highly desirable in this situation.
+"But, there's no point unless it's something the school'd approve of, right?
+I don't really understand what their standards are."
+Events and rules that are overly obscure would be turned down by the
+school.
+However, the lack of clarity when it comes to that was probably an issue
+for many students.
+"Don't worry about that right now. That's something we can think about
+after we've heard all of the ideas. For now, just feel free to suggest anything
+that comes to mind."
+"Then, you're saying you'd even be fine with stuff like video games or
+karaoke?"
+"Yes. Anything."
+Horikita stressed this point once again, telling the class that they didn't
+have to worry. I had no issues with how she was handling the situation.
+It was important for us to start by finding out what everybody's strengths
+were.
+"What do we do if there's nothing we're really good at?"
+Haruka chimed in with a question for Horikita.
+"TJ don't mind you not having anything if you're not very confident in
+yourself. It'd be risky to use an event if you lack confidence in your ability
+to win it."
+I wanted them to come up with as many events as possible, but I wasn't
+sure if we had enough time to be careful with our selection. For the time
+being, I didn't have any issues with Horikita's plan, so I felt like it would
+be alright to just wait and see what happens.
+With that, the discussion ended for the day and everyone began to gather
+their things and leave. At this point, Koenji spoke up again.
+"You're fine with ending the discussion so early like this?"
+"Tf it's this short, itll be easier for you to participate next time, won't it
+Koenji-kun?"
+"When I say Ill participate one time, one time is as much as I'll
+participate."
+"...But, it'll be problematic if you don't do the assignment I gave you
+today. If you don't, it would be rather hard to say you participated, wouldn't
+it?"
+"Come up with ideas for events I'm good at, was it?"
+He put his hand to his chin and let show an unwavering smile.
+"Yes. If you want to say you've participated, you at least have to do that."
+Horikita was looking to force him to participate a second time if he
+couldn't.
+Koenji elegantly stood up from his desk before proceeding to announce
+something to Horikita.
+"There's simply nothing I can't do. I am a perfect human, after all."
+"No matter who you're up against or what the event is, you're absolutely
+certain you'll win. Are you sure about that?"
+Her words were filled with one-part provocation, and one-part intrigue, as
+if she couldn't help but look forward to how Koenji would respond.
+"T see. You want me to pledge that I'll win any event I participate in, don't
+you?"
+"That's right. If you can do that, you're free to do whatever you want. You
+wouldn't have to participate in any more discussions, and I won't ask you
+to give your input on anything."
+"H-hey Suzune."
+Sudo spoke up, alarmed by her outrageous proposal, but Horikita just
+continued.
+"But keep in mind, if you don't participate or if you lose... I'll be
+suspicious of anything you say, and your classmates' distrust of you will
+skyrocket."
+Horikita's idea wasn't bad. With this, she was looking to make full use of
+Kenji on the day of the exam. K6enji is a top-notch student when it comes
+to both academics and physical ability. His only problem had to do with his
+personality. It would be better to bear with him now than have him not
+show up on the day of the exam or take his event frivolously.
+The question was: how exactly would Koenji respond? He stood from his
+seat and began to walk out of the classroom, but just before he walked
+through the door, he stopped.
+"T'll leave you with this. You'd best not think that you can bind me with
+words like that. While I am indeed an unrivaled genius who wouldn't lose
+to anyone, it's up to me to decide whether or not I use that talent for you."
+Put simply, Koenji's response was a no. It didn't matter to him if he was
+suspected or if the class distrusted him. He was just going to do whatever
+he wanted.
+With that, Koenji turned around and walked out of the classroom.
+"',.Ordinary methods aren't going to work with him at all, huh."
+"That guy... He's gotta lotta nerve underestimating us like that. Spouting
+out nonsense that he's some unrivaled genius who wouldn't lose to anyone.
+I'd kick his ass at basketball if he had me as his opponent."
+I could fully understand why Sudo was speaking about him like that.
+No matter how talented and brilliant a person is, it wouldn't be accurate to
+call them perfect.
+In fact, it raises a question. Would Koenji win if he faced off against Sudo
+at basketball?
+"If he puts in the effort on exam day he might show results, at least to a
+certain extent. I don't know how much I was able to get through to him,
+but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Does that make sense?"
+"Yeah, but..."
+It was definitely hard to imagine Koenji losing. After flaunting us with
+those grandiose words and that self-confidence of his, the thought of him
+losing, even for a moment, feels like putting the cart before the horse. Sudo
+was probably well aware of this too.
+"...But, do you think he's even gonna show up at all?"
+"Who knows."
+While we can win if he takes it seriously, if he doesn't, we won't.
+Part 2
+The next day. Horikita informed me of something when she arrived at
+school in the morning.
+"T've decided not to consider Hirata-kun as an asset, at least for this exam."
+Yesterday, even Koenji had participated in the after-school discussion, but
+Hirata had just silently left the classroom.
+Having witnessed this firsthand, Horikita's decision was understandable.
+"That's reasonable. He's too unstable to rely on right now."
+Even if we could force him to participate, it would probably only end up
+backfiring on us.
+"Tt'll be fine if it's just for this exam, but depending on the situation, this
+behavior of his might continue for quite a while."
+Her concern was not an exaggeration in the slightest.
+Pretty much everyone was hoping for his recovery, but for the time being,
+it was unclear just how that was going to happen.
+"Tf you think his behavior isn't going to stop any time soon, there's still the
+option of getting him to drop out, isn't there?"
+I brought up another idea, and while she was somewhat surprised by it, she
+reacted calmly.
+"That's... Well, that may be something I'll have to think about. It's at least
+a relief that he didn't throw everything away and suddenly say he wanted
+to become the commander this time."
+The thought of Hirata nominating himself as the commander for this special
+exam wasn't that unreasonable.
+If he had, he would've been able to lose on purpose and get himself
+expelled. It would've been as simple as that.
+However, even if he doesn't have any lingering attachments to this school,
+he still wouldn't want to cause problems for others, which was why he
+didn't take on the position in the first place.
+The reason why he was just passively doing what he had to every day was
+probably because the class would be penalized if he dropped out. He was
+looking to leave when the time was right, without stirring up trouble for the
+rest of us.
+However, this was just how he was acting right now.
+"But- That doesn't necessarily mean he'|l always be acting like this, right?
+Who knows when he' II get desperate...?"
+"Yeah."
+As Horikita said, I didn't know what Hirata would do if he became self-
+destructive either.
+I couldn't say for sure that the class would stay completely intact when he
+drops out.
+"That's why I don't want to force him to participate right now. He's a bomb
+that could go off at any moment, and I'd like to unify the class so he doesn't
+explode on us."
+Out of everything, Hirata hated internal conflict the most.
+So in order to avoid causing more of it, Horikita had been taking an active
+role within our class since the exam first started.
+"Sounds rough."
+"You've taken on the responsibilities of the commander, so you're going
+to have it rough too."
+"T'Il leave all of that to you. I'm the commander, but I'm sure you' Il be able
+to come up with adequate enough ideas."
+She glared at me with an irritated look in her eyes.
+"Can you beat Sakayanagi-san with that kind of attitude?"
+"Who knows."
+"Who knows...? I, for one, intend to win. Could I get you to be a little more
+involved in making that happen?"
+I was well aware that there was no need for her to be telling me that.
+"Are you asking me to be actively involved with the class and decide on
+the participants for the events or the rules about how the commander will
+9
+be allowed to intervene in them? Try and imagine what that would be like.
+As I spoke, Horikita's expression gradually tightened.
+" ..J can't imagine it at all, almost to the point where it's terrifying."
+"Right?"
+To the rest of the class, I was just a shadow. Even though I had become the
+commander, this was a fact that wasn't going to change.
+People would think there's something wrong with me if I suddenly started
+rattling off instructions about everything.
+I would take on a more active role, using the strategy Horikita comes up
+with as a baseline.
+As the two of us were talking, I felt a sudden change in the atmosphere of
+the classroom.
+Hirata had come to school. Although many students made an effort to avoid
+looking at him directly, it was clear that they were still worried about him.
+"G-good morning, Hirata-kun!"
+He was very nearly late for the start of school, and Mii-chan proceeded to
+call out to him. It was a brave decision, done in spite of the negative
+atmosphere of the classroom. However, her attempt to reach out was
+disregarded and ignored.
+Hirata quietly took his seat without reacting to anyone around him.
+But even so, Mii-chan's smile didn't waver.
+"Who could' ve imagined that this would happen now?"
+"Really."
+Despite Mii-chan's best efforts, Hirata's self-isolation continued.
+"All things considered, she's the only one who hasn't given up on reaching
+out to Hirata-kun. I didn't think she had such a deep connection with him,
+but..."
+Horikita had noticed that Mii-chan was especially concerned when it came
+to Hirata, and she seemed to be starting to wonder about why Mii-chan
+would push herself to do something like that.
+"Tt's because she's compassionate, isn't it?"
+"That wouldn't make sense unless she treated other people this way as
+well."
+"That's fair."
+If that was the reason, Mii-chan would've probably been more
+compassionate back when Yamauchi was about to be expelled.
+That being the case, there was only one reason left that would explain why
+she kept reaching out to Hirata.
+"Maybe it's love."
+"IT suppose that's the only possibility left... What a truly worthless
+sentiment."
+Horikita crossed her arms out of exasperation and shook her head as if to
+say she couldn't understand.
+"Perhaps we should limit the class resources we're willing to spare on
+dealing with him... What do you think?"
+In other words, she was saying to have everyone leave Hirata alone for a
+fixed period of time.
+"Wouldn't that be difficult?"
+"Not at all. Nobody takes the initiative to reach out to him anymore except
+for her."
+Hirata was even choosing to ignore Mii-chan, the one who had been the
+most devoted to him.
+Given the situation, there certainly wouldn't be very many students who'd
+be willing to do even more for him.
+"Motive aside, I hope she forgets about it somehow."
+Horikita was probably thinking about how she could get Mii-chan to give
+up.
+"Tf this is as far as it goes, I'm not going to complain about it either. But
+it's clearly starting to take its toll on her."
+"Well, it's true she hasn't really been herself recently."
+Besides, the class's atmosphere worsens every time Hirata's situation
+comes up.
+Hirata had pretty firmly disregarded Mii-chan a few moments ago, but it
+doesn't seem like she was discouraged by it, as she approached him a
+second time.
+"Uhm, Hirata-kun, today at lunch-"
+This time, it looked like Mii-chan had reached out to invite him to eat lunch
+together, but...
+"Could you please leave me alone already?"
+ce 7?
+Hirata's relatively harsh words echoed throughout the classroom.
+He had flatly rejected Mii-chan's request before she could even finish her
+sentence.
+"Tt's annoying."
+While his words weren't as harsh as they could've been, his voice
+contained nothing but cold emotion.
+"Th-that, I... just wanted... to eat lunch, together with you..."
+Mii-chan tried as hard as she could to keep smiling, but the tense emotions
+eventually got to her and she just couldn't hold onto it any longer.
+"I'm not eating. Not with you."
+His rejection couldn't have been more explicit.
+Not wanting to see Hirata acting like this, many of the girls in the classroom
+quickly looked away.
+"Hey, hold on YOsuke-kun. Isn't that kinda going a bit too far?"
+At this point, Kei chose to speak up. No, given the situation, it may be more
+accurate to say she had been forced to.
+I could easily imagine the scene of Kei's friends asking her if she could do
+something. If Hirata pulled back now, not only would Kei save face, but
+the class would also temporarily regain its composure.
+However-
+"Would you mind not calling me by my given name so intimately like that?
+You don't have anything to do with me anymore, alright?"
+"T-that's true... Then, Hirata-kun, you went way too far with what you said
+to Mii-chan."
+Kei corrected herself, but still confidently addressed Hirata.
+She played her role as the leader who brings the girls together perfectly.
+"Compared to how you normally talk to others, there isn't much of a
+difference."
+Hirata's rebuttal was merciless.
+"Wh...! F-for the sake of the class, I-!"
+"Could you be quiet already? If you don't... You know what'll happen,
+yes?"
+Hirata forcibly blocked Kei from trying to say anything further.
+His words were a threat; If she carelessly said anything more than this, he'd
+expose absolutely everything.
+At least, it was inevitable that Kei would take it that way, given that she
+had shared her weaknesses with Hirata.
+"What? Ugh, how annoying. I don't care anymore."
+Now that it had come to this, there was nothing more Kei could do.
+She backed down, albeit reluctantly.
+"How long do you plan on standing there?"
+Only moments after completely destroying Kei, Hirata changed his sights
+back to a crying, motionless Mii-chan. Having been completely rejected,
+Mii-chan returned to her seat with her head hung.
+Hirata must've thought that, by doing this, Mii-chan would never reach out
+to him again.
+"The entire class is demoralized..."
+"Ko6enji doesn't seem to mind at all, though."
+Throughout the gloomy classroom, one student was clearly unaffected by
+what had happened.
+Even while Mii-chan, Hirata, and Kei were in the midst of quarreling, he
+seemed to be fully concentrated on grooming himself.
+Koenji simply made one comment.
+"Why must so many problem children be in my class?"
+I wanted to say that I thought he was a problem child himself, but I held
+myself back.
+Part 3
+No matter how bad the atmosphere may get, time still moves forward all
+the same.
+Naturally, the time for discussion arrived once classes had finished for the
+day.
+It was the second class discussion. To be precise, it was actually the third
+if I included the one I hadn't attended.
+It had already been three days since the exam started, so it was about time
+to get the ball rolling.
+Once again, Hirata immediately stood up and walked out of the classroom.
+Mii-chan seemed a little torn, as she just watched quietly while he left the
+room.
+Then, as if inspired by something, she quickly sprung to her feet.
+However, she didn't move a single step forward.
+Hirata's rejection earlier this morning had probably come to mind, stopping
+her in her tracks.
+After a bit, her legs gave in and she sat back down in her chair.
+"As she should..."
+Horikita spoke softly; her cruel, yet gentle words just barely reaching my
+ears. It would be better to stay away from Hirata right now. Horikita, as
+well as the rest of the class, understood that this was for the best.
+In the past, some of the class's more jealous boys would vent their
+complaints about Hirata, but I couldn't hear any of that now. I had thought
+they were the type of people who'd look down on him now that he's fallen
+out of line. Or perhaps they weren't willing to say anything negative
+because it's Hirata?
+"Mii-chan, wanna go home together after the discussion today?"
+Having anticipated Mii-chan's mental state, Kushida reached out with a
+friendly invitation.
+"She's fairly reliable in a situation like this, isn't she?"
+"T guess."
+Kushida wasn't the type of person who'd neglect a friend in need.
+If she couldn't save Hirata, she'd at least want to save Mii-chan.
+Even if her motive was to make herself look good, it was fine as long as
+she actually helped her.
+Mii-chan accepted Kushida's invitation with a small nod.
+"Well then, I'll also be excusing myself."
+Sure enough, Kdenji didn't seem to have any intention to participate either,
+as he proceeded to leave the classroom just after Hirata.
+He seemed both unashamed and confident, as if he had already been given
+permission to leave from Horikita.
+Ultimately, it seemed that the discussion would take place with only thirty-
+seven people.
+Horikita kept her eyes locked on K6enji until he walked out. Only then did
+she rise from her seat and take her place at the teacher's podium.
+Chabashira cast a sidelong glance at Horikita before taking her leave as
+well.
+"Now, I wonder if you've all come up with something you're good at?"
+"Wait a moment, Horikita-san. There's something I'd like to bring to your
+attention before the discussion."
+Keisei was the first person to raise their hand.
+"What is it, Yukimura-kun?"
+"T'm worried someone might eavesdrop on our discussion."
+Even though we were behind closed doors, we could still be heard if
+someone was lingering about in the nearby hallway.
+"Yes. We're not even allowed to have a single, decent discussion at this
+school, are we?"
+"Shouldn't we take preemptive measures? Like having a few of us stand
+guard or something? I honestly think it's a problem for us to talk like this
+without doing anything."
+"Yes, you're quite right."
+Having known this already, Horikita nodded her head.
+"But I don't think having people stand guard will be an effective
+countermeasure."
+"Why?"
+"By having people stand guard, do you plan on having them warn others
+not to approach the classroom? The hallway is a shared space that all
+students can use equally. No, strictly speaking, this very classroom is too.
+We have no right to deny access to students from the other classes."
+Horikita was saying that, if we prevented others from using the hallways,
+there was a chance they might make a complaint to the school.
+"That's why having some of us stand guard would be nothing but a waste
+of time."
+"Then, you're fine with everything we talk about getting leaked? All of our
+strengths and weaknesses? We don't gain a single thing by giving away all
+of our information for free."
+"We'll work around that using these."
+Horikita took out her cell phone and showed it to the class.
+"T'll set up a class-wide group chat dedicated to this special exam. While
+we can still share our opinions verbally, we'll communicate the important
+details in the chat. This way, it won't matter if the other classes eavesdrop
+or not."
+Hearing her idea, Keisei nodded along as if totally convinced.
+"T see... If that's the case, I think it should be alright."
+"Then, may I contact everyone and make the group?"
+The one who offered to do so was Kushida, to which Horikita had no
+objection.
+It would be no exaggeration to say she was the only person here who knew
+everyone's contact information.
+"Uhm-"
+Mii-chan rose to her feet, cutting into Horikita and Keisei's conversation.
+"Excuse me. Today, I... Uh, I've got something to do, so..."
+"By that... are you saying you want to chase after Hirata-kun?"
+Mii-chan nodded her head slightly in response to Kushida's question.
+With heavy steps, she began to walk out of the room, trying to once again
+follow after Hirata.
+"Wait. There's no point in doing something like that right now."
+"That... What do you mean?"
+Mii-chan responded to Horikita with a question, the tone of her voice
+unexpectedly intense.
+"He's useless and broken right now. You're going to get dragged down
+right along with him."
+"T, I don't want to abandon Hirata-kun."
+"T'm not telling you that you have to abandon him or anything like that.
+Only that he should be left alone for now."
+"Then when are you going to help him?"
+"..That's up to him."
+"You're wrong. That's... not true... I don't believe you!"
+With that, Mii-chan went out of the classroom, unwilling to listen to
+anyone.
+"Good grief. He just needs to be left alone."
+Of course, none of us were going to chase after her.
+"T'm going to have to excuse myself for a moment. None of you leave, just
+wait for me to get back."
+Horikita left the classroom as well, making it clear she intended to go after
+Mii-chan and bring her back.
+She probably thought that there was no way she could leave this to
+somebody else.
+"What a mess... We can't even have one proper discussion because of
+Hirata."
+It was understandable why Keisei wanted to complain like this.
+After all, it had been three days now, and we still hadn't made any progress
+yet. I stood up from my seat.
+"Oi Ayanok6ji, are you gonna chase after 'em too? Suzune said to wait for
+her."
+Sudo gave me a clear warning. Indeed, it was only going to get worse if
+more of us kept leaving like this.
+"T know."
+"You know? Oi!"
+Disregarding Sudo, I walked out of the classroom and called out to Horikita
+who had just begun walking down the corridor.
+**'Horikita."
+"',.I thought I was clear when I said for none of you to leave."
+"If you're trying to force Mii-chan to come back, you don't have to be the
+one to do it. ''1l go. You're the one in charge of bringing the class together."
+"And you're the commander. That's not something you can push on to
+someone else, now is it? You won't be able to make full use of the position
+if you don't analyze everyone's capabilities."
+"You can handle that for me later. There's nothing I can do about it
+anyway."
+"That's not the problem here..."
+"Do you really think you can fix Hirata's problem?"
+"That's..."
+"Somebody who thinks that leaving Hirata alone is the best course of action
+probably shouldn't be the one to chase after them."
+Horikita, one of the driving forces that had led Hirata to his current state,
+shouldn't be the one to approach him.
+"Then... Are you saying you think you can?"
+"Tt depends on more than just me."
+"Then something should've been done about this a long time ago."
+Many students had reached out due to their concern. It wasn't just Mii-
+chan.
+Horikita was beginning to question Mii-chan's behavior because she had
+convinced herself that nothing would manage to get through to him.
+"Well, we' ll talk later. Ill lose track of them if we continue this now."
+""Come back soon."
+She spoke like a mother would when seeing off their child. Just as I began
+walking, I bumped into Hashimoto.
+It didn't seem to be a mere coincidence either... I found myself wondering
+if he was here to keep a watch on our class.
+It was even possible that he had overheard my conversation with Horikita.
+He didn't seem surprised. Instead, he just called out to me with a grin on
+his face that made it seem like he had witnessed something amusing.
+"Yo Ayanokoji."
+Nonetheless, I didn't have time to talk with him right now.
+"Sorry. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
+"If you're going after your classmate, she ran off that way."
+I responded to him with a light nod and proceeded to go after Mii-chan.
+These last two days, Hirata's behavior hadn't changed at all.
+It was a safe bet that he had gone back to his room at the dorms as fast as
+possible so he could avoid running into anybody after school.
+Part 4
+Shortly after leaving the school building, I spotted Mii-chan.
+And just slightly ahead of her, I could see Hirata heading back to the dorms.
+Even though Mii-chan had gathered the courage to follow after Hirata
+earlier, it didn't seem like she had called out to him yet.
+She probably still hadn't gotten over his rejection from earlier this morning.
+"You aren't going to call out to him?"
+".,.Ayanokoji-kun."
+Mii-chan noticed me.
+I caught up and began walking alongside her, the two of us focusing on
+Hirata up ahead.
+"T'm... just a bit intimidated..."
+This was understandable, considering the fact he had shut her down not too
+long ago.
+"Then why did you chase after him? Everyone else already gave up on
+***
+him.
+"That's... I don't really know why."
+She didn't seem to have thought about this very deeply, as she only just
+now began to think about why she continued to chase after Hirata.
+I didn't think it was just because she liked him.
+After pondering for a while, it seemed like she had come up with an answer.
+"Everyone's saying that Hirata-kun should be left alone right now, but... I
+don't think that's true. Because he's going through something so difficult,
+so painful, I feel like we absolutely have to help him... That's why I came
+after him."
+"Then, it doesn't matter if he comes to hate you because of it?"
+It was fine the first few times, but if she kept this up, Hirata's response
+would only get more and more severe.
+There was no guarantee that he wouldn't end up yelling at her next time.
+"No."
+Recalling Hirata's attitude last time, Mii-chan shook her head.
+"T don't want that, but... but if hating me makes Hirata-kun feel like he
+isn't alone, even if it's just a little... even if he hates me forever... then I'm
+fine with being hated!"
+She was trying to seem strong. Trying to seem strong to protect her heart
+from breaking.
+However, I found myself thinking that the powerful, determined look in
+her eyes was unmistakably the real thing.
+"Am I making a mistake, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"No. You're right."
+Leaving Hirata alone right now wouldn't make the situation any better.
+If we did, we'd be trapping him in a darkness that he wouldn't be able to
+escape from.
+"So, are you going to go talk to him?"
+"Yes!"
+Once again, Mii-chan put one foot in front of the other.
+She ran toward Hirata, closing the distance between them.
+Horikita probably wouldn't be very happy with me about this, but for now,
+it was the best course of action.
+To drive Hirata into a corner, Mii-chan's kindness would be the most
+effective.
+And soon, his spirit would break, forcing him to drop out of school of his
+own accord.
+As I made my way back, Hashimoto noticed me while playing around with
+his phone near our classroom.
+"Vo 9
+"You manage to steal any information from Class C?"
+"Nope, unfortunately. Can't get my hands on anything with them texting
+each other the important bits over the phone."
+Hashimoto shrugged and put away his phone.
+From the looks of it, he had learned about Horikita's strategy because of
+his eavesdropping.
+"T've been waiting for you to come back. How'd it go? Chasing after your
+classmate, that is."
+"As you can see, I've returned empty-handed."
+I emphasized the fact that I hadn't been able to bring Mii-chan back.
+"Must be hard to get everyone working together, eh?"
+"Bringing the class together is Horikita's job. She's the one who has it
+hard."
+"Did you have to become the commander because of your protection
+point?"
+Hashimoto was giving me a hard time with his chatty behavior. It seemed
+like he was looking to find out at least a little information from me since
+he wasn't getting much from the class.
+"We're up against Class A. We had no chance from the start. Since there's
+no way around the expulsion, I didn't think there was any other choice."
+"T see, you do have a point there."
+Even though Hashimoto didn't seem convinced, he began to walk away as
+if he had given up.
+"T came to do a bit of reconnaissance even though our princess said not to.
+Still, I figured I'd pick up whatever info I could, but it looks like I was just
+being stupid, huh?"
+He gave me a light pat on my shoulder before proceeding to walk off
+somewhere. I followed him with my eyes until he was out of sight and then
+went back into the classroom where the discussion on choosing the events
+was underway. With my eyes, I conveyed to Horikita that I hadn't been
+able to get Mii-chan to return and sat back down in my seat. She didn't say
+anything about it.
+The discussion in the group chat had already progressed reasonably well,
+with more than half of the class having shared their responses to Horikita's
+homework.
+It seemed to be headed in the direction I had expected, based on everything
+I knew about the class and the information I had gotten from Kei. First,
+there were sporting events that everybody was good at, with things like
+Sudo being good at basketball, Onodera with swimming, and Akito with
+archery. Then, the students who were confident in their academic abilities
+like Horikita and Keisei listed off subjects that they felt they could score
+particularly high marks in. However, unlike sports where people focus their
+talent and specialize in something, it would be very difficult to include an
+academic event unless the person is considerably skilled in a certain
+subject.
+"Ayanokoji-kun, were there any students from the other classes in the
+hallway?"
+"Tt seemed like there was until a moment ago, but he left once he realized
+we had started the discussion on our phones."
+"T see. Well that's the obvious thing to do I guess."
+Having understood that nobody was eavesdropping any more, Sudo made
+his move.
+"Basketball! We should definitely include basketball!"
+Sudo appealed directly to Horikita.
+"T don't doubt your ability. Are you sure you won't lose, no matter who
+you go against?"
+"There are tons of ways to compete in basketball. If we pick a one-on-one,
+Pll definitely win."
+Basketball is typically played on the court in a five-on-five match.
+That said, there are several derivations of the sport, including the one-on-
+one match Sudo was advocating for. With solid rules, the event would
+probably be enough to get approved by the school.
+"You're not wrong. I have no doubts about your abilities as a basketball
+player. It's a safe bet to think that you'll win if we put you one-on-one
+against somebody."
+"Exactly."
+"However, for this special exam, it won't be so simple."
+"W-what? Why?"
+"Because we can only choose one event that requires one person from each
+class."
+One of the exam's rules was that we couldn't submit two events that
+required the same number of people.
+"If we were allowed to choose as many one-man events as we wanted, those
+are the only type of events we'd end up choosing. As an example, Onodera-
+san is exceptionally good at swimming. If we're just trying to win, having
+her swim in a one-man swimming event would suffice as well."
+With this, we could secure a win for one of the events.
+Of course, there was a risk that Onodera would have to compete against a
+boy, but her competition times were good enough that it probably wouldn't
+matter.
+"When it comes to English, Wang-san consistently gets nearly perfect
+marks. There are a number of students in this class who'd have a high
+chance of winning if they compete in a one-on-one environment that they
+specialize in."
+Having thought he'd be the one to bring the class to victory, Sud6's
+expression clouded over a little.
+"T'm just a beginner when it comes to basketball, so I'll simply ask out of
+curiosity. Let's say there's a standard basketball match, that is, a five-on-
+five, and your four other teammates are unathletic girls. Would you still be
+able to win, no matter who your opponents are?"
+"Honestly, I'm pretty confident I can carry on my own against a team of
+weaklings... But, if they've got experienced players... I can't say for sure,
+ya know?"
+"How sincere. Frankly put, I respect the fact that you chose not to boast
+empty words about your abilities in this situation. That's why..."
+Horikita was saying this as a preface for what she was about to lead into.
+"You should put some thought into it as well. It'd be a shame if we had to
+give up on a basketball event. So, it'll be up to you to choose teammates
+that you think you can win a five-on-five event with, provided that you seek
+to use as few resources as possible. If I'm satisfied with your choices, I
+promise I'1l submit the event to the school."
+"Okay."
+Sudo nodded, taking Horikita's words head-on.
+And then, he sat back down in his seat to think over his options.
+That was the hard part. Sudo is skilled at athletics. While there was no
+doubt he was at his best in a game of basketball, he could also participate
+in other sports.
+In an exam like this one, he was a trump card who could be used in a variety
+of physical events.
+There was another important aspect to consider here too. Namely, that it'd
+be a pity to use a trump card like him on a simple one-on-one event.
+Besides, we should probably take the time to really consider whether or not
+to use basketball as one of our events. Even if we had a decent chance of
+winning in a five-on-five match, our opponents aren't stupid. If basketball
+is one of our ten events, Class A would easily predict that Sudd would be
+taking part in it.
+Then, they could probably steal the win from Sudo by putting together a
+solid five-man team of their own. Conversely, there was also the chance
+that they might completely give up on the basketball event so they could
+focus their resources on winning the other ones.
+Just like that, Horikita and everyone else proceeded to hold many
+conversations similar to this.
+I turned off my phone and pretended to keep track of the group chat by
+silently staring at the blank screen.
+After all, as the commander, I wouldn't be asked about my strengths and
+weaknesses.
+My participation in these discussions was merely a formality. My policy of
+leaving all the details to Horikita hadn't changed.
+After about an hour of discussion, Horikita had finished gathering up
+everyone's information. Moving forward, she was probably going to focus
+more on individual one-on-one meetings instead of all of us gathering
+together as a whole.
+Part 5
+Thursday morning, on the way to school...
+Even though spring was approaching, today seemed colder than usual.
+"Good morning! Good morning! It's so chilly~"
+Behind me, I could hear a cheerful, energetic voice.
+I didn't think they were calling out to me, but when I ignored it and
+continued walking, they became flustered and called out once more.
+"W-wait a minute!? Ayanokoji-kun?"
+Apparently, the greeting from earlier had been addressed to me after all.
+I turned around to see Hoshinomiya-sensei, Class B's homeroom teacher.
+"Wait up already~"
+Her cold hand took hold of my own.
+I found myself wondering what kind of female teacher just casually takes
+a male student's hand like this.
+"My apologies. I didn't realize you were talking to me. Is something the
+matter?"
+"Do I need a reason to say hi to you?"
+With my hand still in hers, she looked up at me with upturned eyes.
+Only someone who knew just how cute they were would act like this.
+Perhaps I was beginning to catch on to this type of behavior because I had
+made a habit of watching Kushida's every move.
+"Tt's not that, it's just..."
+With a little force, I pulled my hand away and shook free from her grip.
+For some reason, she grinned with a wicked smile upon seeing my reaction.
+"Hey, hey. At least you've gotten yourself a girlfriend, right?"
+"Nope. I'm not sure I'll even be able to."
+"Huh? Really? Even though you've been blessed with such a perfect
+environment? What a waste."
+I had no idea what she was getting at.
+"Aiya~ You don't understand, do you?"
+Hoshinomiya-sensei leaned in closer and whispered 'That's no fun.'
+straight into my ear.
+"The students here are in like, suuuch a good, romantic environment, you
+know?"
+"Why is that?"
+When I asked this, Hoshinomiya-sensei jolted back just a little.
+"You really don't understand?"
+"Yes. Not in the least."
+After I spoke, she patted me on the shoulder a few times as if to console
+me.
+"Ya know, in a different light, you do look kinda adorable."
+At this point, I had no idea what she was trying to get at. Not in the slightest.
+"Lemme first let you in on a little secret... I'm not a fan of how things are
+these days. I've been thinking about this for a while now, but I think it's
+problematic to let boys and girls stay in the same dorm."
+"Ts that so?"
+The individual rooms are separated, so I didn't really see any problems with
+it. I put some distance between us, trying to escape from having to hear her
+each and every breath. Or at least I tried to, as Hoshinomiya-sensei simply
+shortened it once again.
+"Here's what I heard from a friend of mine. Apparently there's a tradition
+at a certain company where new hires undergo a two-month long training
+session in a company dormitory. Two people per room, separated by
+gender, of course."
+"Huh."
+Every time I tried to distance myself, she would come back even closer, so
+I decided to give up and just listen to her talk.
+"But, there's bound to be trouble when two people live in the same room.
+There was one guy who really hated natto. Like, not only did he hate the
+smell of the stuff, he hated the thought of even looking at it. So, the first
+thing he said to the guy he was rooming with was 'don't you dare eat natto
+in front of me.' But the thing was, his roommate LOVED natto. The
+roommate figured that, even though the guy said he hated natto, it wasn't
+like he was gonna be forced to eat it or anything. So on their first day living
+together, he ate some natto right in front of his roommate, and as a result,
+the guy who hated natto got pissed and stormed out of the dorm."
+What in the world was she trying to say? It didn't sound like it had very
+much to do with boys and girls living in the same dorm.
+"T know you think I've gone off on a tangent, but this is important."
+With that, Hoshinomiya-sensei continued.
+"The company caught wind of the incident and abolished the room-sharing
+system that year. Starting that next year, every new hire would get their
+own one-person room, just like the dorms here at this school. But as a
+result, something changed drastically that year compared to the year before.
+Can you guess what?"
+"Ts it the problem with boys and girls you were talking about?"
+"Yup. With the room-sharing system, there would only be at most one or
+two couples. But when they switched to having one room per person, there
+ended up being more like seven or eight. When you share a room, even if
+you invited your crush over to hang out, your roommate would always be
+someone getting in the way of things, no? After all, it would be really easy
+for strange rumors to spread, so everyone was kinda on-guard and love
+never really had a chance to develop. However-"
+With single-person rooms, boys and girls would feel less apprehensive
+about meeting up in secret.
+"The change caused romantic developments to happen like, way more
+often."
+This appeared to be the reason why she was so surprised that I still didn't
+have a girlfriend.
+"Then let me ask you this: Are a lot of students in actual relationships right
+now?"
+"Well, somehow that isn't happening this year, like, at all."
+Oi. If that's the case, isn't it wrong for you to be judging me for being
+single?
+I wanted to say this, but it wouldn't make any difference to her, so I held
+back my words.
+"Perhaps your theory is wrong?"
+"No way!"
+She denied it confidently.
+"As a student, you just don't understand how much you've been blessed
+with a perfect environment."
+I couldn't tell if her actions were fueled by mere positive thinking or
+something else entirely.
+"You'll come to regret it someday, so wouldn't it be better to fall in love
+now, while you still have the chance?"
+What in the world was she trying to teach a student who should be focused
+on studying?
+While I'm well aware that there are many different kinds of teachers, in a
+sense, she just might be the most unpredictable one out there.
+"Say, may I ask you something?"
+"Hm? Are you wondering if I would date a guy who's younger than me?
+Sorry, a first-year high school student is a bit..."
+"T never said anything like that."
+"T know. This is the point where you should be laughing."
+So this is where I'm supposed to be laughing? I was somehow getting swept
+up in her mysterious pace.
+"So what is it? Ask me, ask me!"
+Despite having just changed the subject, she immediately tried to bring it
+back.
+"You support student relationships, but it'd be difficult for students from
+different classes to date each other, wouldn't it?"
+"How come?"
+"Because the classes are at war with each other, it could end up causing
+problems."
+I gave her what I thought to be an obvious response, but then I noticed
+Hoshinomiya-sensei's sparkling eyes.
+"Then that's, like, even better!"
+".. Wha?"
+"Normally, you would do your best for the sake of your own class, right?
+But here, your significant other would be from one of the rival classes. And
+that'll give rise to stuff like anguish and conflict. Drama!"
+As if deeply moved by her own words, she nodded to herself repeatedly.
+"If you put complex drama together with these relationships, won't the
+competition become even more exciting?"
+"Well, I suppose that might be true."
+Honestly, she probably wasn't wrong. Even if someone betrayed their own
+class in favor of their partner, it wouldn't be all that surprising.
+Plus, it'd be virtually impossible to figure everything out and manage it all.
+"What're you two talking about?"
+"Hoh? Speak of the devil."
+Devil? Hoshinomiya-sensei's choice of words was strange. The person she
+was referring to didn't seem to understand either.
+At this point, Hoshinomiya-sensei stopped our conversation and put some
+distance between us.
+"We were just chatting, Sae-chan. Don't look at me with such a scary
+expression, would you?"
+"He's my student."
+"You seem to care about Ayanok6ji-kun quite a bit. Well, we'll find out
+what he's capable of soon enough thanks to this special exam. He's going
+to be facing off against Sakayanagi-san, someone rumored to be the best in
+the school year."
+"Then there's no need for you to force yourself to get involved."
+"Ah, that's for sure. What a typical thing for you to say, Sae-chan."
+Teasing Chabashira, Hoshonimya-sensei smiled. From the looks of it, she
+hadn't chosen to reach out to me for no reason. After Hoshinomiya-sensei
+left, Chabashira looked over at me with some sort of sidelong glance.
+It seemed she really wanted to know what we had been talking about.
+"Do you want to know what we talked about?"
+Since we were still on the way to school, I spoke up to satisfy her curiosity.
+Chabashira didn't respond. She seemed to be waiting for me to continue
+talking.
+"We were talking about room sharing."
+"Room sharing? ...Sounds like another load of crap."
+Apparently, Chabashira was also familiar with the room sharing situation
+Hoshinomiya-sensei had been talking about.
+It was reasonable for me to assume that the company Hoshinomiya-sensei
+was talking about earlier was none other than this very school.
+Except, it was originally two people per room instead of one.
+Well, if I wanted, I could verify this assumption immediately, but I simply
+didn't care at all.
+5
+***
+Later that day, a somewhat unusual incident took place.
+It happened at the start of the lunch break, just as the Ayanokoji Group was
+making their way to the cafe to eat together.
+"Hey Ichinose. We should go get back at 'em! Even the score!"
+As we were walking, we heard a harsh voice from up ahead of us. This
+voice belonged to none other than Shibata, a first-year student in Class B.
+He was accompanied by two other students who were also from Class B,
+Ichinose and Kanzaki.
+"Tt's like, totally unusual, right guys? For Shibata-kun to get angry like
+that?"
+"Tt's certainly unexpected."
+It was understandable why Haruka and Akito were surprised.
+"You think so?"
+Airi, on the other hand, didn't quite seem to understand, since she usually
+never involves herself with people from the other classes.
+Shibata was a member of the soccer club just like Hirata. He was a bright,
+energetic, and popular person, although a bit different from how Hirata
+usually was.
+As far as I knew, he wasn't the type of person to raise his voice like this.
+"But couldn't it just be a coincidence?"
+Ichinose used a persuasive tone to try and calm Shibata from his rage.
+However, Shibata seemed to believe he had solid evidence and
+immediately refuted her.
+"T don't think so. You do know it's the third time today, right? They're
+definitely trying to pick a fight."
+Kanzaki noticed our presence and lightly motioned to Shibata. He looked
+at us with a somewhat embarrassed expression and calmed himself down,
+but it was already too late. An awkward silence filled the air.
+"Heya, were you guys on your way to lunch?"
+Just like that, Ichinose called out to us.
+She wasn't asking just one of us, but rather addressing the group of us as a
+whole.
+My friends hadn't interacted with Class B's leader very much, so they were
+at a loss as to how to respond.
+Haruka nudged me in the side with her elbow, so I reluctantly decided to
+speak for the group.
+".. Yeah. We're headed to the cafe. Did you need something?"
+"Wow, what a coincidence. We were just headed there ourselves."
+As she spoke, Ichinose happily clapped her hands. But then, I noticed
+something that seemed out of place. Normally, Ichinose would always
+make eye contact with the person she was talking to, but this time, she
+didn't meet my eyes at all.
+"If you guys don't mind, would you like to join us for lunch?"
+Taken aback at her unexpected invitation, we all exchanged confused
+glances with each other.
+"Ichinose, what are you doing?"
+Kanzaki hurriedly interjected, most likely because he wasn't expecting her
+to propose something like this.
+"What am I doing...? We're not competing against Class C, so what's the
+problem?"
+"That's true, it's just..."
+Kanzaki didn't seem very open to the idea of all of us going together.
+However, if Ichinose had already made up her mind about it, there was no
+way he could refuse.
+We, on the other hand, were a bit stuck. Unsure of what we should do or
+how we should answet...
+"Time is of the essence. Let's get going~!"
+But with a smile like hers, none of us were able to refuse.
+Part 1
+We pushed together two tables in the corner of the cafe and sat down to
+have a meal together.
+It was not only a group composed of both Class B and C, but a highly
+unusual group at that.
+"Sorry for inviting you all so suddenly like this. It's my treat, so don't hold
+back!"
+Ichinose spoke, presenting us with an apology.
+"Are you really sure about that? Ichinose?"
+Kanzaki's reaction to her offer was somewhat excessive.
+Just before the last special exam, Ichinose made a deal with Class D to
+prevent Rytien's expulsion by promising that Class B would cast their
+praise votes for him.
+In order to save their classmate, Class B should've had to cough up every
+last private point they could get their hands on.
+While I'm sure they had found some way to break even, they probably
+didn't have the luxury to be eating out like this, much less paying for others.
+"We were already on our way to eat here anyway, so we'll pay for
+ourselves."
+After I spoke, everyone else in the group nodded along in agreement.
+"T kinda forced this on you, so you don't have to be so considerate..."
+"Tt's fine. This way, we can eat what we want without feeling guilty about
+it."
+Under the pretense of sharing a peaceful meal together as equals, I once
+again turned down Ichinose's offer.
+"So... Why did you invite us?"
+Keisei broached the subject, unable to hold himself back from asking about
+it.
+"Tt's because y'all seemed kinda surprised with Shibata-kun's behavior
+earlier. I thought it'd be better if I was just upfront with you about it instead
+of letting you guys speculate too much."
+In a sense, Ichinose's judgment may be correct. If she hadn't called out to
+us, we would've probably ended up talking about what we saw for a while.
+Asking ourselves why he had gotten so riled up. And depending on the
+situation, it was also possible that a third-party might inadvertently
+overhear us, causing rumors to spread.
+Kanzaki, however, wasn't so sure.
+"Are you sure you can tell them?"
+"Do you really think this is something we need to keep quiet about?"
+"We can't rule out the possibility that somebody in Class C is involved."
+"Even if there is, it wouldn't make any difference, would it?"
+"Ichinose is right, it just sounds like we were whining at this point."
+As soon as Shibata cut in, Kanzaki glared at him with a sharp look in his
+eyes.
+""W-what is it Kanzaki?"
+"Nothing..."
+Shibata didn't seem to understand Kanzaki's true intentions, but if I had to
+guess...
+Kanzaki probably thought that Shibata's words weren't very appropriate,
+but nobody else seemed to catch onto this, so it wasn't a particularly big
+problem.
+"In any case, now that they've already heard this much, wouldn't it be best
+to just tell them?"
+"...I guess."
+Shibata's careless remark had been the deciding factor, forcing Kanzaki to
+back down.
+"Simply put, you could kinda say Class D has recently been harassing us a
+little bit."
+"A little bit?"
+Shibata cut in, his voice filled with conviction.
+"For some reason, me, Nakanishi, and even Beppu have all had to deal with
+the same crap from them. I dunno what to tell you, they're pestering us
+constantly and following us around for no reason. My man Beppu was
+pretty scared when Albert went and just silently cornered him up against a
+wall earlier."
+Just after Shibata finished, Kanzaki joined in on the complaining, probably
+deciding that it wouldn't make much of a difference at this point now that
+most everything had been put out into the open.
+"T've spoken to those two about it myself, and pretty much everything
+checks out."
+In other words, Class D had been targeting some of the students in Class B
+ever since the special exam started.
+"Tt hasn't gotten physical or anything, has it?"
+"For now."
+For the time being, it didn't appear that they've resorted to anything more
+than stalking and intimidation.
+Of course, if Class D really became violent, the problem would get several
+times larger.
+"Tt's probably their way of putting pressure on us. We're thinking they're
+looking to wear us down by keeping this up until the exam starts."
+"Gimme a break. Class D is scary enough as it is. You do know that even
+Class C's been swallowed up in the trouble they' ve caused, right?"
+Shibata was probably referring to the time when Sudo fought with Ishizaki
+and Komiya earlier this year.
+Keisei had been quietly listening to their exchange, but at this point, he
+spoke up himself.
+"T know it's kind of strange to get advice from another class, but I don't
+think their behavior is all that surprising. Class D certainly has a bad image,
+but a certain amount of external pressure is understandable. In fact, we've
+been seeing signs that Class A might be spying on our class."
+"Ts that true?"
+With a nod, Keisei proceeded to tell them about the Class A students we
+had seen eavesdropping nearby our classroom.
+"Class D is also kinda desperate, so maybe they're looking to pick up any
+information they can get their hands on?"
+Despite having only listened to Keisei's explanation for a short time,
+Shibata appeared to be convinced by what he was saying.
+Be that as it may, it certainly seemed like Class B would be the one to
+sustain the most damage.
+"At the most basic level, this exam plays out in our favor, so it's not
+unreasonable that they'd do something like that. We should probably
+expect them to continue their harassment right up until the limit of what the
+school rules allow them to."
+This was Kanzaki's analysis of the situation. That said, the part he hadn't
+considered was that Class D was only targeting a small fraction of Class
+B's students.
+Did they decide that it was too risky to challenge Ichinose or Kanzaki...?
+Or did they have their sights set on something else entirely?
+"T don't really think this is the kind of thing Kaneda-kun would be behind.
+Maybe it's Ishizaki-kun?"
+"Yeah probably."
+"T know it's concerning, but we just have to do what we can. We just have
+to continue working together, choose the right events, and do our very best
+on the day of the exam. Right?"
+The two boys from Class B nodded along with Ichinose's hope-filled
+words.
+"Are you saying you aren't gonna take any measures against Class D? Not
+even basic investigation?"
+"Hmm, I don't think so. We're gonna focus our efforts on preparing for the
+ten events Class D come up with next week."
+In other words, no matter what Class D would throw at them, they were
+planning to rely on the strength of their own class to make it through.
+They would come face-to-face with the truth, without being deceived by
+false information. It was a safe, reliable strategy.
+"What can I say, Class B is really something else."
+Keisei spoke, his voice filled with wonder, before continuing.
+"Wouldn't you normally do whatever it takes to beat a class that's above
+you? If stuff like spying and intimidation get results, it only makes sense
+that they'd make use of it. Honestly, your choice to take the high road and
+place your full confidence in your own capabilities is something that Class
+C would never be able to do."
+Even though on the surface it didn't seem we were taking action against
+Class A, many of us were racking our brains for some way to find out
+information about them.
+"Who knows? Maybe we're just not clever enough to do stuff like that?"
+Saying this, Ichinose let show a small smile, to which Keisei spoke up
+again.
+"Well, I think I get what you wanted to say to us. If rumors began to spread
+because we carelessly talked about Shibata's outburst back there, it would
+just end up broadcasting to Class D that their strategy is working."
+Keisei had discovered the reason why Ichinose had invited us to eat lunch
+together.
+If Class D were to find out that their harassment had done damage to Class
+B, it would only end up adding fuel to the fire.
+In which case, Class B would have even more to deal with than they did
+now. They were looking to maintain their resolve and emphasize that Class
+D's tactics hadn't had any effect on them.
+"Indeed. That's why I'd like to ask that you all do your best to keep this
+from spreading further."
+"Spreading it around wouldn't do us any good, and it's not like we want to
+make an enemy out of Class B either."
+Keisei agreed, with Haruka, Akito, and Airi nodding along shortly after
+without the slightest bit of hesitation.
+"Thank you so much everyone. Really."
+As Ichinose thanked us, her eyes met mine for the first and only time.
+At that moment, she casually brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
+And then, as if carried on by the wind, a faint scent of citrus tickled my
+nose.
+She quickly looked away, returning her gaze back to the group as a whole,
+and I found myself thinking that she was acting a little strange today.
+Regardless, that wasn't something I was going to point out right now.
+Part 2
+After lunch, we parted ways with Ichinose's group. Once they were out of
+earshot, Haruka finally said what's on her mind.
+"Man, Ichinose-san sure is cute isn't she? That smile of hers at the end there
+was pretty much cheating. Dontcha think?"
+"Me? Not really..."
+"Ah, Yukimuu, your face is turning red just thinking about it."
+"No it isn't."
+"You don't have to deny it. Like, I'm a girl and even I think she's totally
+adorable, so I'm sure boys are completely floored with her."
+Airi seemed to agree with her, as she was nodding along fervently as
+Haruka spoke.
+"Miyatchi and Ayanokoji-kun think so too right?"
+Since Akito and I didn't want to be targeted like Keisei, we both reluctantly
+forced a smile to avoid being questioned further. Oddly enough, Airi asked
+the next question.
+"T may just be imagining things, but... has Ichinose-san ever used perfume
+before?"
+"Ah, I've been wondering about that too. She was using some kind of
+citrusy perfume wasn't she?"
+"Yeah. That may have been what surprised me the most. Maybe she's had
+a change of heart or something?"
+"Huh, what do you three think?"
+The two girls had begun talking about something that us boys couldn't
+possibly know anything about, so Haruka's question put us on the spot
+again.
+"'Was she wearing perfume? Either way, she might' ve just felt like wearing
+some today or something, right?"
+Keisei's uninterested response prompted Haruka to let out a blatantly
+disappointed sigh.
+"Boys really don't notice the small stuff, do they?"
+".. Moving on... We're not the only ones in a tough spot. From the looks
+of it, the other matchup has their own fair share of problems to get through."
+Not wanting to deal with any more of Haruka's teasing, Akito changed the
+subject.
+"In order to win against Class B, Class D probably can't afford to care
+about appearances anymore. It's totally possible that Class D might get
+even more serious with their harassment moving forward."
+Taking the chance to escape, Keisei quickly got on board with Akito's new
+conversation topic. His prediction was probably right on the mark.
+There were only three victims so far, but it wouldn't be surprising if that
+number went up a bit.
+"Rytien isn't taking the lead for them anymore, either. They probably don't
+stand much of a chance if they don't do something like this."
+"Even so, it seems to me like they're going about it the same way Rytien-
+kun would."
+Akito was right. Applying pressure like this felt like a strategy Rytien
+would employ.
+"But it's pointless. It won't be enough to break through Class B's
+stronghold. After talking to them today, I'm starting to think it may be a
+good thing that our opponent is Class A. I simply don't wanna go against
+Class B."
+"Eh? Why do you think that Yukimuu?"
+"Compared to everyone else, their unshakable unity and the way they tackle
+their problems head-on without overestimating their own abilities is just on
+another level. They'Il produce consistent results no matter what event it is.
+I don't feel like we'd be able to win."
+Keisei seemed to be afraid of the idea that Class B would perform above
+average at everything they put their minds to.
+"But like, even if they're above average at everything, that doesn't mean
+anything if they lose, ya know?"
+Even if they got eighty or ninety percent in all seven events, they'd still
+lose if their opponent gets a full score.
+"Do you get what our chances are like when we don't know which events
+will get chosen on exam day? There might be some specialized events that
+the lower classes can win at, but at the same time, if those events don't get
+chosen, we'd face a crushing defeat. The results would be disastrous."
+"T see... You might be right."
+Airi seemed to understand Keisei's explanation, as she nodded her head
+several times in agreement.
+"Hey, hey, Stop!"
+As we walked around a hallway corner with Keisei in the lead, Haruka
+abruptly grabbed his arm and called him to a stop.
+"Wha-''
+Keisei tried to ask what was going on, but Haruka covered his mouth with
+her hand and pointed just in front of us.
+She was pointing at Ike and Shinohara, who were walking together just a
+short bit ahead of us.
+"S-say, Shinohara."
+"What?"
+"Well... Uhhh."
+"Cat got your tongue? What is it?"
+We all became silent and carefully listened to what we could hear of the
+conversation taking place before us.
+",.A-are you free on Sunday... or, something?"
+"Sunday? I don't have anything planned at the moment, but... Wait, what?"
+"T mean, uhm, wanna hang out a bit, or something? Only if you want to,
+that is."
+We could hear what they were talking about, albeit just barely. Haruka and
+Airi looked at each other with expressions that seemed to be filled with
+excitement, while Keisei and Akito, in stark contrast, shared a mutual
+expression of utter disbelief.
+"White day is on Sunday, isn't it? Do you think Shinohara-san gave Ike-
+kun chocolates on Valentine's?"
+"Maybe!"
+Although Shinohara at first seemed skeptical about Ike's invitation, she
+gradually seemed to pick up on what was happening.
+"Well, it's just, you gave me chocolate and all... So I thought I'd like,
+return the favour, ya know."
+"You're so sincere even though it was just obligatory chocolate. Do you
+even have any money?"
+"T've been saving up a bit... N-nevermind, it's fine if you don't want to."
+«I never said I didn't want to."
+"T)-does that mean..."
+"D-don't get the wrong idea, kay? The special exam is coming up soon, so
+this is just my last chance to relax. And since you're saying you'll pay and
+everything, how could I say no?"
+For some reason, seeing this reminded me of the conversation I had with
+Hoshinomiya-sensei this morning about room-sharing.
+The small seeds of romance might be starting to bud in places I wasn't even
+aware of.
+"Let's go."
+"Huh? Wait. We just got to the good part."
+"Don't stick your neck into other people's love affairs."
+Akito grabbed Haruka by the collar of her shirt and began walking away in
+the opposite direction.
+"Come on, what's wrong with listening for just a bit longer? My heart's
+starting to flutter."
+"Mine's not."
+"Ugh. What was I expecting from a clueless guy like you... right, Airi?"
+"Y-yeah. My heart's beating pretty fast too... But, they'd be embarrassed
+if they saw us, wouldn't they?"
+"That's true, but like, it's their fault for doing this in public in the first
+place."
+If they were to notice us in this situation, it very well might interfere with
+their slowly budding relationship.
+Part 3
+Class C was still at the point where we were gathering information about
+what events everyone specialized in.
+The after-school discussions were becoming less and less frequent, but the
+classwide group chat was becoming more and more active as time went on.
+While Koenji and Hirata still hadn't participated, anyone in the class could
+now join the conversation whenever they wanted to.
+In fact, based on the activity in the group chat, this type of discussion just
+might be better for Class C as a whole compared to face-to-face discussions
+where people might not be brave enough to share their opinions. However,
+this was simply what someone could see from an outsider's perspective.
+In reality, I was simply waiting for Horikita to finish everything I had
+entrusted her with.
+Ironing out the details about the role I would play would come later.
+Even so, there were still several things to be wary of. Namely, Koenji and
+Hirata.
+Hirata in particular. Horikita probably had no way of fixing him in his
+current state.
+Since both of them still hadn't participated in the group chat, it was clear
+that neither of them were looking forward to the special exam.
+While Koenji's behavior was nothing new, Hirata's absence was a great
+loss for the class.
+Hirata had changed drastically. It was as if he had become a different
+person entirely.
+While it may be a harsh way to put it, he was no different than a swollen
+abscess at this point. A complete thorn in our side. Even though it was
+painful, nobody would dare touch it. The only thing we could do is pray
+that the swelling would go down on its own. It was truly a shame. If he
+went back to normal, he'd be a versatile card that could be played in any
+event.
+Besides, there were still a few other things to be wary of as well.
+"*,Hirata-kun!"
+As Hirata left to head home for the day, Mii-chan ran out after him.
+I found myself wondering how many times this had happened already.
+While one person after another had already given up, Mii-chan still hadn't
+lost heart.
+Was this a testament to the power of love? No... even if it's love, the
+question still remains.
+She was most likely still afraid that he would come to hate her for her
+incessant behavior.
+So then, why does she keep trying to reach out to him?
+"Like, it's super hard to see Hirata-kun act like this..."
+Kei quietly spoke to her group of friends who were still in the classroom.
+"Yeah. Is it really alright to leave him alone like this, Karuizawa-san?"
+"Tt'll be useless no matter what I say. He might hold a grudge against me."
+Hirata's steadfast rejection from back when Kei reached out to him just the
+other day was still fresh in everyone's memory.
+"Yeah. First he got dumped by Karuizawa-san, then Yamauchi-kun got
+expelled and..."
+I cast a cursory glance toward the girls as they were having their discussion
+before leaving the classroom.
+My sights weren't set on Hirata today. I was going to look into yet another
+problem that needed to be dealt with.
+I had business with a particular student who had left the classroom shortly
+after Mii-chan.
+"Hey, you got a minute?"
+I called out to the girl, who turned and looked behind her after pausing for
+a moment.
+"What is it, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+The girl was none other than Kushida, someone who hadn't been very
+involved in the special exam so far.
+She hadn't done or said anything to help our classmates, nor interfered with
+them.
+Instead, the days had gone by without her saying very much.
+In the past, Kushida would've taken on a more prominent role and worked
+to support the class.
+However, there was no sign of her doing that this time, and there were
+probably two reasons behind that.
+The first was that her position within the class had become unstable due to
+the outcome of the vote in the previous exam.
+Although she was being used by Yamauchi, the fact that she had conspired
+with him to get me expelled had been exposed to everyone.
+Even though many students had decided that there was room to sympathize
+with Kushida, it was still a slight problem for her.
+The whole affair had left a stain on what she was most proud of: her guise
+of a good, virtuous person.
+The second reason was that Horikita was the one taking the lead this time.
+Looking at it from Kushida's point of view, this was probably the real
+reason behind her lack of action.
+Kushida has hated Horikita from the beginning for knowing the secrets of
+her past.
+On top of that, Horikita had given her quite the scolding just before the end
+of The Class Vote exam.
+Whatever her reasons may have been, it was her punishment for trying to
+expel someone who didn't deserve to be expelled.
+The damage to her pride should' ve been nearly fatal.
+"You don't seem to be supporting Horikita this time."
+While I was already fully aware of this, I daringly brought it up anyway.
+After all, I wanted to find out what actions Kushida was planning to take
+in this special exam.
+No matter how closely you look at her smiling, cheerful mask, you
+wouldn't be able to discern her true feelings.
+If you didn't know about the real Kushida laying dormant beneath the
+mask, you wouldn't think anything was amiss.
+"Shall we take a walk as we talk?"
+"That's fine."
+Not wanting our conversation to be carelessly overheard by others, she
+urged for us to walk somewhere else together.
+"Do you have any plans after this?"
+"Yup. I'm going to hang out with some girls from Class B for a bit. Do you
+think it's wrong for me to be playing around during such an important time
+or something?"
+"No, it's important to take some time for yourself sometimes. I think pretty
+much everyone would agree with that."
+It'd be foolish to spend your time obsessing over the exam twenty-four
+hours a day.
+When it's time to be serious, you should be serious. But when it's time to
+relax, you should relax.
+"You understand it, don't you? The reason why I'm not doing anything? I
+thought it'd be fine to support Yamauchi-kun and get you expelled. But
+now that everyone knows what I've done, what kind of right do I have to
+lead the class?"
+Kushida intentionally left out the fact that Horikita had become the leader,
+the real reason behind her lack of action.
+"You don't look very convinced."
+"Well, I guess."
+"Just to be clear, the reason I'm not lending a hand isn't because Horikita-
+san is the one leading the class, okay?"
+"Really?"
+"Really really."
+She nodded several times for emphasis, but even so, she was still lying
+about it.
+"You don't believe me, do you?"
+Of course I didn't believe her. But even though my suspicions didn't show
+on my face, she was bound to think so either way.
+She had already decided that I'd be suspicious of her a long time ago.
+"How do I look to you right now, Ayanok6oji-kun? Be honest with me."
+"Well..."
+Outwardly, she seemed like a classmate with a lovely smile on her face.
+However...
+I tried to imagine Kushida's true personality hidden underneath her mask.
+"I'm definitely gonna fuck up that bitch! She dared to make a fool of me in
+front of the entire class? I'll never forgive her! [ll kill her! Kill her kill her
+kill her! Pll definitely kill her!!""
+With a vein popping out of the side of her head, she ranted about Horikita,
+prattling off a list of profanities that were unbearable to listen to.
+I couldn't find the words to express what I had just imagined.
+"You just thought something incredibly rude, didn't you?"
+"No... Not at all."
+The image I had imagined had been a bit too extreme, so I was just at a
+slight loss for words.
+I pushed it out of my mind and decided to cut to the chase.
+"Since you said you won't get involved this time, I plan to respect your
+decision."
+"But in return, you want information about the class... Don't you?"
+Kushida had a good understanding of the meaning behind this special
+exam.
+"Correct."
+"Isn't there someone else in the class you can rely on now, Ayanokoji-
+kun?"
+Despite her constantly smiling face, she wasn't going to agree to cooperate
+with me immediately.
+Even though we had a contractual relationship, Kushida was once again
+beginning to put up her guard.
+We seemed to be approaching the final turning point that would determine
+whether I would be an enemy, or an ally.
+"Nobody can compare to you."
+"T'm happy to hear you say that, but I've got all sorts of things on my plate
+right now."
+"All sorts of things?"
+"You're so mean, Ayanok6ji-kun."
+The fact that her reputation had been stained had been a huge drawback for
+her.
+The image of the character she had built up over the past year had been
+distorted.
+There's no doubt that she still had a lot of support from her classmates, but
+they didn't seem to be completely honest about that. It was a perfect
+example of how it's hard to gain trust, but only takes a moment to lose it.
+"Then let me try asking you the opposite. How can I get you to cooperate
+with me?"
+"T suppose you'll have to give up on that this time. I plan on laying low
+until I can be myself and have peace of mind in class. Does that bother
+you?"
+In other words, this meant that she wouldn't cooperate with me, but she
+wouldn't get in the way either.
+However, this also implied that she would only perform at the bare
+minimum if she were to be selected for an event.
+"Ts it fine to do that? Not just for me, but Horikita as well?"
+"Yeah. You could interpret it that way. Because recently, I've come to
+realize that this school is much more comfortable for me than I thought."
+The way she presented me with a favorable option seemed to be another
+one of her skills.
+For the time being, she would don her mask of lies and continue her
+performance.
+It was unfortunate that I hadn't been able to get her to cooperate, but it was
+probably better to just accept it for now.
+"T understand. I'm sorry for asking something unreasonable."
+"Not at all. Honestly, I'm really happy you wanted to rely on me."
+Once we reached the school entryway, I decided to part ways with her.
+Kushida left, walking toward the Keyaki Mall without stopping to look
+back even once.
+Part 4
+The weekend came and went, and just like that, it was Sunday, March 14th.
+White Day had arrived.
+To be honest, I was grateful it had come on a Sunday.
+There were several gifts prepared on my desk.
+If today had been a weekday, I'd have had a hard time figuring out when
+to hand them over.
+Should it be in the morning, before class? Or should I wait until after
+school?
+There would be a lot of other things to think about too. What order would
+I hand them out in? How would I handle the gifts for people in other
+classes?
+More than anything, it wouldn't be good for my reputation if people around
+me saw what I was doing.
+I knew that if it came down to it, it would be best to hand them over without
+worrying about how other people saw me, but that would be impossible.
+However, with today being a day off, I could just put them in their
+respective mailboxes.
+In order to make sure I didn't run into anyone, I left my room early in the
+morning and made my way to the dormitory mailboxes.
+"Let's see..."
+I placed a gift in the mailboxes of each student who had given me
+Valentine's Day chocolates.
+I was about to head back to my room after finishing with the last gift when
+I came across Ichinose.
+She reacted as if she had seen something she shouldn't have.
+"G-good morning, Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Ah... Yeah, good morning."
+Even though it was still before seven, I had come across a pretty unexpected
+encounter.
+And just like in our last meeting, Ichinose still seemed to avoid making eye
+contact with me.
+"T happened to wake up a bit early today, so I just got back from a morning
+walk."
+It seemed like she was looking at me as she spoke, but she was really staring
+at something just behind me.
+She was probably looking to check her mail before heading back to her
+room.
+"Oh... uhm, pardon me."
+I moved out of the way so she could check her mailbox, and she thanked
+me with a slight nod. Of course, once she looked inside... the gift I had
+given her was naturally the first thing to come out.
+"T'm sure you already know, but that's, you know, my return gift for
+Valentine's."
+Holding the box in her hands, Ichinose stood unmoving, as if she had frozen
+over for a moment.
+"A gift like this... You, like, you didn't have to..."
+Ichinose responded, having only just come to her senses.
+"No, it's only right."
+"...T-thank you. Uhm, I'm sorry. I'm not used to this kind of thing, so 'm
+kinda nervous."
+I felt the same way. I hadn't wanted to run into anyone in this situation, so
+I was pretty uncertain myself.
+Since things were getting a bit awkward, I opted to change the subject.
+"'..Come to think of it, has anything new happened with that problem we
+talked about last Thursday?"
+"Ah, eh, that, you're still worried about that?"
+"A little."
+Ichinose seemed to have an easier time talking with the subject changed, as
+the awkward atmosphere quickly subsided.
+"T went and questioned everyone immediately after we parted ways, but the
+only victims were the three people Shibata-kun had told us about. But..."
+"But?"
+"On Friday, it was like the number of victims tripled all of a sudden.
+Yesterday I got reports saying that three more boys and three more girls
+were being followed around or harassed just like the others."
+In other words, a total of nine people had been affected by Class D's
+harassment. However, in the first three days after the exam started, they
+had only focused on three. But on Friday, all of a sudden, that number had
+increased by six.
+"Do you have any idea which students have been doing the stalking?"
+Ichinose nodded and began to list off their names.
+"As far as I know, there was Ishizaki-kun, Komiya-kun, Yamada-kun,
+Kond6-kun, Ibuki-san, and Kishita-san."
+Six people in total.
+They were all people who were willing to get their hands dirty, at least to a
+certain extent.
+They didn't seem to have any intention of hiding their identities, given that
+she had managed to identify each of them already.
+"T wonder if the six of them plan on following whoever they end up
+crossing paths with?"
+It was a natural question to ask since most of Class D was made up of
+average, ordinary students.
+"T''ll be investigating further on Monday."
+"What are you going to do if the problem is bigger than you thought?"
+There was a possibility that even Ichinose and Kanzaki would be affected
+at some point.
+"Hmm. Well, I'm not sure there's anything we can do, you know? It's not
+like they've been violent or anything... so we've decided to just put up
+with it until they cause some real damage. We'lI just do our best to provide
+the victims with emotional support."
+From the looks of it, they were ready to take action at a moment's notice,
+but only if Class D actually got physical.
+"T see."
+Class D was behaving strangely.
+I couldn't help but wonder if they were really going to go after every
+student in Class B.
+With only six people doing the harassment, they weren't exactly exerting
+very much pressure.
+Even if they continue to do this over and over again, it wouldn't amount to
+anything more than just simple harassment.
+It was possible that Ishizaki didn't think that far ahead when he thought of
+the strategy.
+Or perhaps they'd be satisfied as long as they could do a bit of
+psychological damage?
+"Am I doing something wrong?"
+Having noticed that I was lost in thought, Ichinose looked up at me with a
+slightly uneasy expression.
+"No... What you're doing now should be fine. In fact, Class D wouldn't
+get punished even if you made a complaint to the school. Plus, if you went
+and complained to them directly you'd be doing exactly what they want
+you to do."
+"Yeah, I guess you're right."
+However, it was important for her to make sure that Class D's objective
+really was what she thought it was. That being said, it doesn't look like
+Ichinose was interested in taking action, so it'd be unnecessary for me to
+say this to her.
+With her policy that primarily focuses on non-aggressive defense, it'd be
+out of line for me to say anything more.
+"Have you decided on the ten events you'll be submitting?"
+"Yup. We had a solid grasp of everyone's strengths and weaknesses from
+pretty early on. We finalized everything yesterday after mixing in some
+events that we think Class D might not be good at. How about you,
+Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"T haven't been involved in any of it this time. I'm leaving everything to
+Horikita."
+"But what are you going to do about your duties as the commander?"
+"T've left that to her as well."
+Ichinose showed a look of surprise. She didn't seem to think I'd take the
+role so casually.
+"Tt sounds like you've got a lot of faith in Horikita-san. Or... Maybe you're
+saying you think you can handle everything, no matter what events or rules
+she ends up choosing?"
+"Tt's definitely the former. Unlike you, I'm only close to a few of my
+classmates, so I honestly don't know anything about them. I only became
+the commander to prevent anyone from being expelled."
+"But then, why did you want to go up against Class A?"
+"That was also Horikita's idea. Maybe she thought it would give us the best
+chances of winning or something."
+"T see."
+Ichinose didn't investigate any further.
+Having reached the end of the conversation, the two of us stood waiting for
+the elevator.
+"Ah... I totally didn't prepare for this..."
+Ichinose spoke as if she had just remembered something. I looked at her as
+she stood beside me, continuously twirling a strand of her hair with her
+index finger.
+"Prepare?"
+"N-no, it's nothing you need to worry about."
+Not long afterward, the two of us boarded the elevator, which promptly
+arrived on the fourth floor, where my room was located.
+"See you later, then."
+As I stepped out of the elevator, I turned around and locked eyes with
+Ichinose for a brief moment, catching her off guard.
+'""W-wha-!! Uh, I, uh... S-see you!"
+In a sudden panic, Ichinose began to mash the close button several times
+over, and after a moment, she disappeared from view as the elevator doors
+closed between us. While it was a strange way to part ways with someone,
+it was nice that I had managed to make it through this troublesome White
+Day ordeal.
+"Come to think of it, she didn't smell like citrus today."
+Although, it was early in the morning on the weekend, so there was no
+particular reason for her to go out while wearing perfume.
+Part 5
+Monday morning soon came around, the day that our opponent's ten events
+would be announced.
+What events and rules had Class A come up with, and how exactly would
+the commander be involved?
+On my way to the school, I happened to run into Horikita's older brother
+and Tachibana.
+It didn't seem like they had been waiting for me. Rather, it really appeared
+to be just a coincidence.
+Tachibana discreetly distanced herself without saying anything in
+particular.
+Perhaps this was her way of being considerate so she wouldn't get in the
+way of the impending conversation.
+There was no doubt that her tendency to make quick, thoughtful reactions
+like this had been an ongoing source of support for the elder Horikita back
+when they were on the student council.
+"Ts the special exam going well?"
+There was something special about Horikita's older brother. Even though
+he hadn't gotten an in-depth explanation, he already had a firm grasp of my
+situation.
+"That's supposed to be my line. Are you sure you can graduate as a member
+of Class A?"
+"Well, that'll probably depend on next week's results."
+Whether he was worried or perfectly fine, there was no way to tell exactly
+how he was feeling by the look on his face.
+"On my end of things, your sister has been working hard. Apparently,
+you've had more of an influence on her than I would've thought."
+"Ts that so?"
+Currently, Horikita was practically bursting with energy, as if she had been
+touched by magic.
+She had taken the initiative to bring the class together in Hirata's absence.
+Recently, she had also been spending her time refining the class's strategy
+for each and every single one of the ten events.
+"Shouldn't the third-years already be on break at this point?"
+"Well, I was also surprised to find out that wasn't the case back when I first
+enrolled here. After all, third-year students at most other high schools
+would already be on break at this time of year. Of course, we're just as
+focused as any other third-year student would be when it comes to stuff like
+moving on to higher education or finding a job. You just wouldn't be aware
+of that yet."
+It sounded like the third-years had a variety of troublesome things to deal
+with right now.
+"Higher Education? Finding a job? Even though it hasn't been decided if
+you'll be graduating as a member of Class A yet?"
+"You'll understand eventually."
+The elder Horikita left it at that, without even trying to give me a detailed
+explanation.
+I guess there are some things he just can't say to the first and second-year
+students.
+At the end of the day, figuring out whether or not you can rise up to Class
+A would have to wait until you reached your third year.
+"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll tell you anything as long as
+it's within the scope of what I'm allowed to say."
+"That scope seems rather narrow in my eyes."
+y
+At my unexpected response, the corners of his mouth raised into a smile,
+albeit only slightly.
+"Maybe so. You can think of it as an obligation I have as a former student
+council president."
+This probably meant he had to be careful when answering questions about
+the school as a whole.
+"Well, this is a good opportunity. There's something I've been meaning to
+ask you."
+I decided to make use of this casual encounter and ask the elder Horikita a
+question.
+"Tt's about Horikita... that is, your little sister. I think she's an excellent
+person. In both a physical and academic sense, she doesn't fall short in the
+slightest. I don't know if I'd say she's topping the charts, but she had the
+talent to place second or third from the first day she stepped foot in this
+school. While she may not be on the same level as you, a former student
+council president, I don't think she's bad enough for you to denounce her
+and try to drive her out of the school entirely."
+And then, there was the strangest part of all.
+"Either way, you and your sister are two years apart, that is, you haven't
+seen her last two years' worth of growth. With the system this school has
+in place, you shouldn't have been able to tell at first glance just how much
+she's grown up."
+After all, as he was now, the elder Horikita hadn't been able to meet with
+her since she began her second year of middle school, not even once.
+Even if he had been disappointed with her results on the entry exam, that
+shouldn't have been enough to make him this disappointed in her.
+Back then, when I saw them meet outside the dorm, Manabu's attitude
+toward his sister was anything but calm.
+"T see. Certainly, having seen what you did back then, it's only natural
+you'd be curious about this."
+At that, I was reminded of the first time I came into contact with the elder
+Horikita.
+"T wasn't disappointed with Suzune because of something superficial like
+her grades or the class she was placed in. It had to do with maturity."
+"Maturity?"
+"Suzune has changed dramatically from the way she used to be. She was
+the type of child who would always have a smile on her face."
+She, that girl, used to smile all the time?
+...No, [honestly couldn't imagine that at all.
+"In other words, you're saying this calm, collected personality she puts
+forward is because of your influence?"
+"She has been trying to imitate me for a long time now. It's a bad habit that
+started to rear its head ever since the upper grades of elementary school.
+But thinking back on it now, it's my mistake for letting it happen for so
+long. I tried for many years to get her to improve by treating her cold and
+indifferently, but it actually ended up having the opposite effect on her,
+backfiring entirely."
+As a result, Horikita continued to chase after her brother's shadow and
+became the kind of person she is today.
+"So even though you seem to be completely perfect, you've failed to
+communicate properly with your sister?"
+"There is no such thing as a perfect human. Am I wrong?"
+"Fair enough."
+I couldn't possibly refute him on that.
+"In short, after reuniting with her once again, all it took was a single
+conversation for you to reach your conclusion?"
+Although, back then, it didn't exactly seem like they had been talking to
+each other for very long.
+"T realized it before I even talked to her. From the first moment I saw her
+again, I knew that in the past two years, she hadn't changed at all."
+As I wondered if he had seen something in her only an older brother could
+understand, he continued to explain.
+"That girl has always been completely hung up on my every word. Study
+harder, exercise more, don't do one thing, don't do something else. It
+would've been fine if that was as far as it went. But, she'd imitate my
+favorite foods and beverages, even going as far as my copying my favorite
+colors and the type of clothes I'd wear. She's shown just how strongly she's
+depended on me every step of the way."
+The fact that she had gone that far was already a little alarming.
+However, if you look at Horikita's behavior since she first came to this
+school, it made sense.
+"So, after reuniting with your sister at this school, you felt like this
+dependency problem still hadn't changed?"
+Unless he could read minds, there just wasn't enough information to tell
+what she had been through in the past two years.
+"That's right. Anyone who knows what she was like as a child would be
+able to tell. That girl..."
+He cut off mid-sentence, choking up on his words.
+"*'..Nevermind. This is probably something I should keep secret, even from
+you. I'd like it to be the perfect metric to determine whether or not Suzune
+has really changed."
+"T guess that means your sister still hasn't changed yet."
+The elder Horikita nodded. While Horikita had shown a great deal of
+progress compared to how she was at the start of the year, according to her
+older brother, that didn't seem to be enough.
+"She's been trying her best to break away from her past, but she's only
+halfway there."
+I found myself wondering if she'd be able to satisfy her brother's so-called
+'perfect metric' before he graduates.
+There weren't very many days left until the graduation ceremony.
+sd 5 10 | ay | er
+The elder Horikita stopped walking for a moment and fixed his eyes on me.
+For some reason, I found myself getting caught up in his powerful gaze and
+stopped walking as well.
+"If Suzune could stop chasing after my shadow, break away from her
+dependency, and become honest with herself..."
+A Spring breeze blew through the air.
+"She would surpass me altogether, and probably become someone you
+wouldn't be able to ignore."
+He wasn't saying this just because he was doting on her as an older brother.
+He truly meant it.
+In a lot of ways, I also admired Horikita's high potential.
+Why was that, though? Was it because of what he just said?
+Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. What was I supposed to be doing
+here, at this school?
+No, what did I want to be doing? I felt like I had suddenly found the answer
+to that question.
+"But in the end, it all depends on whether she can make the change at all."
+"She will change."
+I responded to him confidently.
+"Or, no, let me rephrase that."
+But then, I chose to correct myself.
+"T'm going to make her change. Not in the same way I've gone about it so
+far, but for real this time."
+".,.Oh? I never thought you'd say such a thing."
+It felt like this chance encounter with the elder Horikita would leave a large
+impact on my life.
+It would be a very long time before I knew whether that premonition proved
+to be true or not.
+"Say, can I ask you one more thing before you graduate? It's a completely
+personal question."
+I didn't know if I'd ever have another chance to talk to him after this.
+"What?"
+"Are you going out with Tachibana?"
+I was well aware that it was a silly question, but I asked anyway.
+Despite having moved on from the student council, the two of them were
+still often off doing things together.
+"No. Nothing of the sort."
+A flat denial. It didn't seem like he was trying to hide anything either.
+However, a quick glance at Tachibana's face told me it was somewhat more
+complicated than that.
+At the very least, there was no doubt that Tachibana had some sort of
+feelings for him.
+"T've spent these last three years thinking about nothing but school, for
+better or for worse."
+"Ts that so?"
+"But I didn't think something like this would come out of your mouth.
+Could it be that you're just a regular high school student?"
+Perhaps I had been influenced by that talk I had with Hoshinomiya-sensei.
+"T think I'm about as regular as you can get."
+"Ah. That's right. So, have you gotten yourself a girlfriend, Mr. Regular
+High School Student?"
+Even though I had been the one to bring up the topic, I hadn't expected him
+to turn it back on me.
+"Not at all right now. But if someone suitable comes along, I'm accepting
+applications."
+"T feel like I could rest assured if I left Suzune to you, but I get the sense
+that that isn't going to happen."
+"Of course not."
+There was no way that would happen.
+"T-that's no good. You do know saying something like that can become a
+flag, right?"
+Tachibana suddenly interrupted the conversation she had been attentively
+listening to for a while now.
+"Flag?"
+When the elder Horikita questioned her word choice, Tachibana hurriedly
+provided an explanation.
+"No, uh, I guess it's like, situational irony or something...? Y'know, the
+type of thing that happens from time to time where two people who never
+thought they'd get together end up going out? It's a common scenario."
+The elder Horikita and I looked at each other, neither of us having
+understood Tachibana's explanation very well.
+"N-no, nevermind."
+Tachibana seemed to think she wouldn't be able to get us to understand
+what she was trying to say, as she ended the conversation with that.
+Part 6
+Back within the classroom, our morning homeroom had come to an end.
+And, at the same time, the ten events Class A had chosen were announced.
+Horikita read through all of the documents that had been left behind for us.
+Mentally, I summarized everything, putting it all together based on the
+number of people required for each event.
+[Chess] Required Participants: 1 - Initial Time Allotted Per Person: 1
+Hour (Running out of time will result in a loss)
+Rules: Standard chess rules apply. However, your allotted time will not
+increase before each move, even after the 40th turn.
+Commander Intervention: At any given time, the commander may give
+instructions to the participating player for a maximum of 30 minutes. Any
+time spent giving instructions will also use the corresponding participant's
+allotted time.
+[Flash Mental Arithmetic] Required Participants: 2 + Time: 30
+Minutes
+Rules: Victory will be decided by the student who takes first place in terms
+of both speed and accuracy using abacus-style mental arithmetic.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can change the answer to a
+single question of their choice.
+[Go] Required Participants: 3 : Time: 1 Hour (Running out of time
+will result in a loss)
+Rules: Three one-on-one games will be played simultaneously. Standard
+Go rules apply.
+Commander Intervention: At any given time, the commander is allowed to
+advise a move.
+[Modern Literature Test] Required Participants: 4 - Time: 50 Minutes
+Rules: The test will be within the scope of the first-year literature
+curriculum. Victory will be decided based on the class with the higher
+overall score.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can answer a single question on
+behalf of the participant.
+[Social Studies Test] Required Participants: 5 + Time: 50 Minutes
+Rules: The test will be within the scope of the first-year geography, history,
+and civics curriculum. Victory will be decided based on the class with the
+higher overall score.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can answer a single question on
+behalf of the participant.
+[Volleyball] Required Participants: 6 * Time Restriction: First to 10
+Points, Best of 3 Sets
+Rules: Standard volleyball rules apply.
+Commander Intervention: At any given time, the commander is allowed to
+perform 3 substitutions.
+[Math Test] Required Participants: 7 * Time: 50 Minutes
+Rules: The test will be within the scope of the first-year math curriculum.
+Victory will be decided based on the class with the higher overall score.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can answer a single question on
+behalf of the participant.
+[English Test] Required Participants: 8 + Time: 50 Minutes
+Rules: The test will be within the scope of the first-year English curriculum.
+Victory will be decided based on the class with the higher overall score.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can answer a single question on
+behalf of the participant.
+[Long Rope Jumping] Required Participants: 20 - Time: 30 Minutes
+Rules: The class with the higher number of successful jumps wins.
+Commander Intervention: The commander may change the order of the
+opposing team's lineup in any way they want one single time.
+[Dodgeball] Required Participants: 18 : Time Restriction: 10 Minutes
+Per Set Over 2 Sets
+Rules: Standard dodgeball rules apply. In the event of a tie, a sudden death
+round will commence.
+Commander Intervention: At any given time, the commander can return
+one disqualified player to the court.
+"Tt's unexpected that they've chosen multiple sporting events. I thought
+they'd double down on events that require you to use your head like written
+exams. Although, there's a good chance they're just meant as distractions."
+That was Horikita's first impression, and Keisei, speaking up right after
+her, shared similar thoughts as well.
+"Chess and Go are both major, widely-known games, but it feels like
+they're putting us in a tough spot because only a few students have ever
+actually played them. Team coordination plays a large part in all of the
+sports they chose, too."
+There shouldn't be anyone in our class who has never heard of chess or go,
+but most students probably hadn't actually played or even touched them
+before.
+"Overall, I wasn't expecting them to keep commander intervention to a
+minimum in most of the events. Especially when it comes to academic
+events, where the interventions they've come up with would hardly affect
+the outcome."
+"T guess it just goes to show how much they trust their own classmates.
+Class A has a significant advantage in academic events, and not only did
+they choose four academic tests, but the number of people required for
+them is pretty dang high. This is looking really difficult..."
+In every test so far, Class A had always gotten the highest average score
+out of all of the classes.
+That was probably why they had chosen to use such a large number of
+participants in their testing events.
+These tests were essentially their way of forcing us to have a purely
+academic competition since the commander wouldn't be able to do very
+much.
+The fact that they hadn't solely chosen written exams was also a good
+decision on their part.
+If they had thrown in seven or eight written exams, we would've been able
+to focus our efforts on studying for them.
+They were probably trying to limit the options we had available while
+forcing us to study subjects that wouldn't be relevant later.
+"Volleyball requires 6 people, 9 if you include the substitutes, dodgeball
+requires 18, and long rope jumping requires the most at 20. They require
+such a large number of people that, if even one of them end up getting
+chosen, there'll be a high possibility that we'll be required to participate
+more than once."
+Since there was no way to tell which of the ten events would be used on
+the day of the exam, we wouldn't be able to cut corners with any of them.
+Furthermore, since many of their athletic events call for a large number of
+people, we'd have to spend a huge amount of time and effort on participant
+selection and practice. If we were bold enough to reserve a place like the
+school gymnasium to practice, Class A would probably end up catching
+wind of it. In other words, we had to conceal our activities and practice in
+secret.
+However, there was no way for us to tell which events would be used on
+the day of the exam. If we spend a lot of time practicing for one event, our
+efforts would be short-lived if it doesn't end up getting chosen. That is, we
+would be wasting our time. On the other hand, if we decide that an event is
+just a distraction and choose not to practice for it, our lack of preparation
+would be painfully obvious if the event really does end up getting chosen.
+We had hardly any chance of winning.
+It would be important for us to keep an eye on Class A's movements for
+the next week, but it's easier said than done. It wouldn't be easy to find
+them if they're practicing early in the morning or late at night. They could
+also split up and practice in smaller groups.
+We couldn't overlook any of the events. No matter which ones end up
+getting picked, they were all troublesome.
+Of course, we weren't lucky enough to be faced with events that we
+actually wanted to participate in.
+"Does anyone have any particular experience with chess or go?"
+Horikita prompted the class for a show of hands, to which only Miyamoto
+responded.
+"T've played Go a few times with my family, but I'm not good enough to
+be familiar with the rules."
+There was no doubt that, as a starting point, these two events made the
+situation look rather bleak.
+Although it was a bit late, I also raised my hand.
+"T can play chess, more or less, but I don't understand Go at all. I've never
+even touched it before."
+Despite being the commander, I figured that I should let everyone know I
+could play the game. Later on, I could teach other people.
+"T guess it's a relief that we have at least somebody with experience. But
+again, it's truly a challenging exam, so we can't make light of these events
+whether we like it or not."
+I wonder just how much someone could increase their proficiency in chess
+or Go in less than a week. In the worst-case scenario, only two of our events
+would make it through, while the other five would be from Class A.
+For at least part of the exam, we had no choice but to rely on the baseline
+potential of our classmates.
+However, why...?
+"What's wrong, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+Horikita looked at me with a curious look on her face.
+"'..No, it's nothing."
+For the chess event, the commander involvement was simply far too
+impactful. It was almost like a battle between the commanders.
+It gave me the impression that Sakayanagi wanted to use the event to
+compete against me.
+"Hey, Horikita. Shouldn't we also start seriously collecting intel at this
+point?"
+Feeling a sense of urgency, Keisei prompted Horikita for an answer.
+"Are you saying you want us to find out which of the ten events Class A
+plan on choosing in the end...?"
+"Yeah. Honestly, it'll be pretty tough for us to prepare for all ten of these
+events in the time we have left. If we don't somehow get our hands on
+information, our chance of winning will be a lot smaller."
+"But Class A prolly won't give out information very easily."
+One of the boys responded, saying something that everyone was already
+well aware of.
+"Even so, we still have to try."
+"T understand your concerns, but I can't make a decision on that just yet.
+Let me get a grasp of how much experience we have with each of these
+events first."
+Horikita pushed aside the topic of intelligence gathering and began
+focusing her attention on understanding the class's position with respect to
+all ten of Class A's events.
+Part 7
+"Horikita, can you spare a moment?"
+During the break between classes, Keisei reached out to Horikita.
+"No problem. What is it?"
+"Talking here is a little bit... well, it's about the special exam."
+Not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation, Keisei subtly urged
+Horikita to follow him out into the hallway.
+I had intended on seeing them off from my seat, but Horikita turned and
+looked at me.
+"Ts it alright if Ayanokoji-kun comes along too?"
+"., Alright then."
+He didn't exactly seem welcome to the idea, but he agreed to it nonetheless.
+It wasn't like I was going to refuse, so I followed the both of them out to
+the hallway.
+"Have you thought about what I said?"
+"About intel gathering?"
+"Yeah."
+"About that... I don't think it'Il be easy to get our hands on any information
+from Class A."
+"But, wouldn't it be too much of a waste to do nothing? We should use our
+time more effectively."
+Apparently, Keisei wanted to take action and gather information as soon as
+possible.
+The desire to do as much as you physically can in order to win was a feeling
+I knew very well.
+"Do you think just sticking around the students in Class A will solve the
+problem?"
+"Let's see. It's doubtful that the average Class A student would know
+which five events will be chosen as well."
+Sakayanagi was probably the only one who knew which events would be
+chosen, and if not, it would be limited to her and those closest to her.
+Considering the type of person she is, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for
+her to thoroughly manage the flow of information.
+"Even if Sakayanagi is the only one who knows about which events they' Il
+choose, her classmates are bound to have a vague idea what the plan is,
+right? Wouldn't you say so, Kiyotaka?"
+"Well, her classmates should probably at least know something."
+Having spent the last year together, they would know each other's strengths
+and weaknesses to a certain extent.
+They'd probably be able to make an educated guess about which ones
+would be chosen all on their own.
+"Exactly. That's why I've come up with a method of getting our hands on
+information from Class A."
+"That method being?"
+"Bring Katsuragi over to our side."
+Katsuragi. A former leading figure within Class A that had opposed
+Sakayanagi.
+Keisei first made sure there was no one around, then dropped his voice to
+a whisper.
+"Recently, Katsuragi's biggest supporter Totsuka got expelled due to
+Sakayanagi, so he probably still bears a grudge, right? I've run into him a
+couple of times in the last few days, and it's clear he's not the same as he
+was before."
+There was no doubt that he held a grudge against Sakayanagi.
+I thought back to the conversation that had taken place on the day of
+Yahiko's expulsion, when Katsuragi and Rytien met up with each other.
+"Do you really think he'd betray his class just to spite Sakayanagi-san?"
+"Of course, we'd need to offer him something appropriate in return."
+Apparently, Keisei already had an idea about that as well.
+"If he's able to help our class win, we'd end up netting at least 130 class
+points overall. From the perspective of the class as a whole, that adds up to
+more than 6 million private points over the course of a full year.
+Furthermore, if we were to put some aside every month, it wouldn't be
+impossible for us to save up close to 20 million points."
+Having heard this much, I could already guess where Keisei was going with
+this.
+"Then, when we manage to climb up to Class A, we'll offer Katsuragi the
+opportunity to transfer classes. How about that for a bargaining chip? Plus,
+this way, we'd establish a good relationship with Katsuragi."
+"First of all, an ordinary student wouldn't agree to these terms. No matter
+what we tell him, we're just Class C. You do know that, right?"
+"But, are you sure you can say that given the situation he's in right now?"
+"Tt's true that Katsuragi isn't in the best place right now, but if word got
+out that he betrayed his class, he'd be the next one on the chopping block.
+He wouldn't have the luxury to wait for us to save up 20 million points.
+Even if we assume that our class points will get higher and higher, and even
+if the entire class agreed to cooperate, it would probably still take at least
+half a year for us to get that many."
+Put more realistically, it would take a full year of saving for us to get to that
+point.
+Besides, even though we'd be gaining more class points, 20 million private
+points were by no means a small price to pay.
+"So what do you think, Horikita?"
+"..Well. It's as you say, Yukimura-kun. Getting our hands on information
+is immensely important."
+"Then-"'
+"However, I don't agree with your suggestion in the slightest."
+"W-why not?"
+"While Katsuragi-kun has undoubtedly been pushed into a corner, I don't
+think he'd be willing to agree to our terms and betray his class. Our offer
+isn't nearly good enough."
+It'd be a different story if we had the points on hand now, but it would be
+strange for him to accept an offer that would only pay out more than a year
+later.
+"But if we don't do anything, we won't get any info at all."
+"T don't think we'd get any useful information in the first place, even if we
+did do something."
+"How would we know if we don't try?"
+Despite Keisei's persistence, Horikita was clearly unwilling to agree to his
+idea.
+"I'm not entirely opposed to gathering information, but your method just
+isn't good enough. We can discuss this again if you come up with any new
+ideas."
+With that, Horikita ended the conversation and returned to the classroom.
+"Damn it!"
+Keisei kicked the hallway wall out of frustration.
+"'..Hey Kiyotaka, will you help?"
+"With persuading Horikita?"
+"No... With persuading Katsuragi on our own."
+His words really emphasized his determination.
+"T'm not saying that Horikita has given up on winning, but it seems to me
+that, somewhere in the back of her mind she thinks we don't stand a chance.
+If not, she should be willing to take the chance and give it a try, right? Even
+if word got out that we met with Katsuragi, it wouldn't put Class C at a
+disadvantage at all."
+Even if I were to disagree with Keisei in this situation, I probably wouldn't
+be able to stop him from moving on his own.
+That being the case, I might as well go with him and get a better grasp of
+the situation.
+"How are we going to get in contact with Katsuragi?"
+"That... is something Ill have to think about. We still have some time
+before the exam."
+"Alright. Let me know when you decide."
+I responded to him positively to prevent him from taking action on his own
+and decided to cooperate with him for the time being.
+Part 8
+[Hey. Do you have time to talk for a second?]
+It was about 6 PM, just before dinner. I had been watching my stove heat
+up a kettle of water when I received a call from Horikita. As she spoke, the
+water just began to boil, the sound of the kettle whistling as it did.
+[Are you making dinner? ]
+"No, don't worry about it."
+The water had only just started to boil, so I hadn't done anything special
+yet.
+"What's up? What did you want to talk about?"
+If she was looking to ask me for my help with sorting out the events, I
+would have to refuse.
+[Don't worry, this isn't about getting your help with the events. I promise. ]
+Horikita immediately saw through what I was thinking.
+[Though, well. If it's alright with you, can we talk in person? The
+conversation shouldn't take more than an hour. ]
+Was it something hard to explain over the phone? Or maybe she was
+looking to confirm something by meeting face-to-face?
+An hour wasn't an unreasonable amount of time. It would be difficult to
+turn her down.
+"Alright. Will you be coming here?"
+[While that's fine with me, you've been getting involved in all sorts of
+things recently. How about you come over here instead? ]
+She seemed to be wary of any unexpected visitors that might come to visit
+me.
+I had also been to Horikita's room before, so there wasn't any particular
+reason for me to refuse.
+After turning off the stove, I went straight out of my room with my cell
+phone in hand. Then, I got on the elevator and headed toward Horikita's
+room. While the sun had already set, it was still early in the evening, so it
+shouldn't be that strange for a boy to be walking around on the upper floors
+of the dormitory where the girls resided.
+Part 9
+Not long after ringing the doorbell, I could hear the sound of the lock being
+turned from inside the room.
+I had thought she would greet me with her usual serious expression, but I
+was surprised instead.
+"Welcome."
+I was invited inside by Horikita, who was in an unexpectedly good mood.
+I, on the other hand, felt slightly anxious upon seeing this abnormal change
+in her demeanor.
+There was a faint scent of miso in the air coming from further inside.
+"T was just preparing dinner. Come on in."
+If that's the case, it would've been fine if she had waited until after dinner
+to call me over.
+I felt Horikita's pressing gaze as I stood there, hesitating to enter, so I
+quickly resigned myself.
+She might have been reluctant to have someone come over if it had gotten
+much later.
+I decided to stop overthinking it and stepped inside. Almost immediately,
+I noticed something strange.
+For some reason, the small table had clearly been set for two people rather
+than one.
+Was she planning on having dinner with someone else after she finished
+talking with me?
+"Say..."
+Just as I was about to ask, Horikita interrupted me.
+"Feel free to take a seat."
+No, asking me to sit...? There were clearly a pair of chopsticks placed in
+front of the seat she had motioned to.
+My instincts were telling me that I was being set up in a trap.
+"So, what exactly did you want to talk about?"
+Instead of sitting down, I quickly tried to get on with the conversation.
+"Do you plan to stand around as we talk? I still have some preparations to
+do, so could you please take a seat and wait for me to finish up?"
+"No... I just feel like standing."
+"You what? I don't feel comfortable having you stand there like that. Sit."
+Upon hearing Horikita's voice become increasingly harsh, I decided to sit
+down.
+It had been a surprisingly long time since I had seen this level of confidence
+in her, mixed together with a pushy, unreasonable attitude.
+I had forgotten about it because we had recently begun to distance ourselves
+from one another.
+For the time being, would I just have to sit and wait patiently?
+At a glance, the food only seemed to be halfway done. It would probably
+still be quite a while before she finished with it.
+"Hey. It'll only take an hour, right?"
+"Yes. Our conversation in and of itself shouldn't take more than an hour."
+Horikita spoke with her back turned to me, her words giving me the natural
+impression that I had fallen for her trap.
+Indeed, over the phone she had said that the conversation would be over in
+an hour.
+That is to say, other things weren't included in that estimation.
+"How long with everything else included?"
+"Hm... Then maybe an hour and a half to two hours or so?"
+I knew it.
+"Since it's already this late, I figured I may as well treat you to dinner too."
+Not a single person could've seen this coming. It felt like I was at the mercy
+of her unreasonable word games.
+Even so, I could see that she had already begun cooking. At this point, it
+would be rude to refuse the meal and head back to my dorm. She really had
+skillfully lured me into coming here.
+Although she had her back to me, I could see that Horikita's cooking skills
+weren't half bad.
+Rather, given that she was just a first-year high school student, her skills
+seemed remarkably presentable.
+"Both of my parents work full-time, so I was in charge of cooking dinner
+most of the time."
+Horikita spoke quietly, as if she knew exactly what I had been thinking and
+the meaning behind my gaze.
+"You don't find it too troublesome or time-consuming?"
+While cooking can be fun, there were certainly many troublesome parts of
+the process.
+"After I found out my brother went to this school, I took it upon myself to
+practice cooking more often."
+"Were you preparing yourself to enroll at this school and live life on your
+own?"
+"That's correct."
+I could hear Horikita put down the knife she had been using and set about
+putting the finishing touches on the pot of miso soup.
+Even so, I found myself wondering what we were going to be talking about
+if we weren't going to be discussing the special exam.
+I still didn't have the slightest idea.
+Part 10
+After waiting for another fifteen minutes...
+Horikita had finished cooking and set everything out on the table. Seeing
+all of the food spread out before me was better than I had expected it to be.
+The way the meal decorated the dining table was similar to how you would
+see on TV from time to time. She then wrapped everything up by sitting
+down across from me.
+If Sudo were to see the two of us like this, he'd probably throw a punch at
+me in rage.
+Even if I were to tell him that it was a misunderstanding, it still probably
+wouldn't get me anywhere.
+Better yet, I wanted to believe that he had already experienced this kind of
+treatment.
+No, he would probably still be jealous of me either way.
+"Fat."
+At Horikita's insistence, I picked up my chopsticks. The two of us sat
+facing one another with the food placed in between.
+The scene gave off a strong sense of deja vu.
+It reminded me of the time Horikita had taken advantage of me by buying
+me a meal in the cafeteria at the beginning of the school year.
+"Are you suspecting something? Of me?"
+"Not at all, I'm just feeling a bit uncomfortable."
+"Tf you start doubting the kindness of others, it just serves as proof that you
+have a problem as a human being."
+"You of all people are telling me that?"
+"Today is special, you know."
+If she really did make this because she was being considerate, then I
+suppose it'd be rude not to at least try it.
+However, it's within human nature to be suspicious. No, rather, for me it
+was my past experiences with her that caused me to doubt her. This time,
+however, she had managed to perfectly back me into a corner.
+The outcome had already been decided from the moment I had carelessly
+stepped into Horikita's room.
+For the time being, I chose to at least try the soup.
+The smell of miso tickled my nose. She had used healthy ingredients with
+daikon radish as the base.
+"Barley miso, huh?"
+Upon taking my first sip, the characteristically intense, sweet flavor of the
+soup spread throughout my mouth.
+"You're well informed. It's the preferred form of Miso soup in Kyushu, but
+I wasn't sure if it'd suit your taste."
+"You're a good cook."
+I tried to give her a genuine compliment, but she didn't seem particularly
+happy about it.
+"In this day and age, cooking doesn't require any special skills, so it's not
+anything worth boasting about. If there's something you want to make, you
+just have to look up a recipe online and buy what you need from the
+supermarket or a convenience store. You do know that, right?"
+If it's nothing more than cooking, then that might be right. That being said,
+all sorts of little touches could help highlight your culinary skills, from the
+way you arrange the dish on the plate to the way you prepare the
+ingredients. It wasn't just something you could learn overnight.
+"Have you been treating Sudo to meals like this too?"
+When I asked her this, she stared at me with a somewhat dissatisfied look
+in her eyes.
+"Why would I be cooking food for him?"
+"Well... you're always helping him study, right?"
+"Yes, but, while that may be true, how does that have anything to do with
+me cooking for him?"
+It was just supposed to be a trivial question, but Horikita continued to object
+to it.
+"If our positions were reversed and he was the one helping me study, then
+I'd be more inclined to agree with you. After all, this is normally done as a
+way of saying thank you. But, there's no way that I'd go through all this
+trouble when I'm the one doing him a favor."
+Her reasoning was so solid that I couldn't find the words to refute her,
+but...
+"T can't tell if you're smart or stupid."
+That should be my line. Sudo had fallen for Horikita, so I had thought she'd
+already cooked for him. Apparently, she still hadn't confronted his feelings
+for her yet. But, that was probably because she doesn't place very much
+emphasis on something like love. She hasn't grown to the point where she
+can be aware of stuff like that yet.
+"Well now. If you don't mind, how about we get down to business?"
+Saying that, she took out a notebook and offered it to me.
+Without even having to ask what it was, I knew this had to be what she had
+been working on over the last several days.
+"T've come up with a plan that I think will suit our class the best. I'd like to
+hear your opinion on it."
+And then, she added on a few more words.
+"You ate my food, didn't you?"
+What a truly dirty trick. She treats me to a meal and then comes and asks
+me to do work for her. I immediately grabbed the notebook and started
+flipping through it. She had thoroughly documented the various aspects of
+the special exam. There was even an entry about the ten events Class A had
+chosen, but since those had only just been revealed today, she was still in
+the process of writing them.
+Incidentally, the ten events Class C had chosen were English, Basketball,
+Archery, Swimming, Tennis, Table Tennis, Typing, Soccer, Piano, and
+Rock Paper Scissors.
+That last one had probably been thrown in as a last-ditch effort in case
+things weren't looking good for us.
+She had also written her evaluation of who would be the best at each event
+along with an estimated success rate.
+This notebook contained everything we needed for the upcoming exam. I
+read over it quietly until I had gone through all the details. Upon seeing me
+like this, Horikita seemed surprised.
+"Dinner aside, you didn't think I'd read through this so seriously, did you?"
+"Ah, yeah. I was even prepared for you to turn me down, but..."
+"The data you've analyzed is crucial for this special exam. I wouldn't be
+able to do my job as the commander properly without at least taking a look
+at it."
+Compared to the information I had gathered on my own, there weren't any
+notable differences.
+"This collection of data almost feels like it exposes our entire class."
+"Tt's the culmination of everything I've done over the course of this past
+week. It'd be troublesome if it wasn't accurate."
+It probably wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that just about anybody
+could be a proper commander if they had their hands on this notebook.
+"T'm going to continue adding on to it, and eventually include information
+on our best choices for all of Class A's events as well. I was thinking that
+you could make use of it to put up a fight as the commander."
+"Yeah. People like Sudo and Akito should be valuable assets for the class,
+even outside of one-on-one events. Whereas in Onodera's case, her chances
+are less certain if she were to compete against a boy. It would probably be
+wise to have a third or fourth option in mind ahead of time."
+Horikita nodded silently. It'd be a waste to make a hasty decision on how
+somebody would be participating when they have the potential to shine
+across a variety of events. In any case, I really couldn't find an issue with
+what she had created.
+"T don't have any problems with the notebook. But, could I just add on one
+thing?"
+"What is it?"
+"One of the events Class A chose was chess, right?"
+After drinking a sip of water, I turned our conversation in a new direction.
+Because nobody in our class was particularly good at chess, the section on
+it in the notebook was understandably still blank.
+"Yes. [haven't put very much thought into it yet since I've personally never
+played the game myself. Out of everyone, the only person who even has a
+grasp of the rules is you, the commander. We're probably going to have to
+follow your guidance about it."
+"About that, I'd like you to be the one to take part in it."
+"'..Me? I get that we'll need to have somebody practice for it, but... Why
+me? I wouldn't be good at it at all and probably won't be able to win."
+"Because I think you're the most suitable person for me to teach."
+"So you're saying it'd be easier for you to teach me because you wouldn't
+have to interact with someone new?"
+"T'd be lying if I said that wasn't a part of it."
+"T can do it, but... there should be at least a few students who'd be willing
+to listen to you, right? And besides, I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging
+or anything, but I think I'm a pretty good option for some of the other
+events too."
+Horikita was one of the more well-rounded students in the class.
+Whether it be a written exam or a sporting event, I had no doubt that her
+results would be well above average.
+"Chess requires raw talent. There's a time limit imposed on how much the
+commander can intervene. It doesn't matter how confident Sakayanagi is
+at chess, it just isn't enough time. I can't imagine that she'Il make use of it
+at the beginning of the match. In which case, the key to winning would be
+playing the early stages of the game properly."
+If Horikita were to be overwhelmed at the beginning, it'd be extremely
+difficult for me to make a comeback.
+"Your fascination with the chess event isn't just because you know the
+rules, is it? You've predicted that Class A is going to choose it as one of
+their five events, haven't you?"
+"I'm almost certain of it. Don't you think it's strange how chess is the only
+event where the commander has so much influence?"
+"That's true. I felt like something was up with that as well... Alright. I'll
+follow your discretion."
+Thankful that she readily agreed to my request, I went back to eating my
+meal.
+"So, how will we be practicing chess?"
+"Tt probably won't be the easiest for you, but I was thinking we'd practice
+late at night over the internet."
+"That's fair, we wouldn't attract any unnecessary attention by doing it that
+way. Nothing would be leaked either."
+Another advantage was that, by doing it this way, it wouldn't interfere with
+practicing for any of the other events.
+Part 11
+I had hoped that the discussion would end with this, but things seldom turn out
+the way you want them to.
+"T have a favor to ask of you, Ayanokoji-kun. You did eat my food, after all."
+"Don't you think it's cowardly to pull the same trick over and over again?"
+We were around halfway through our meal when the devil reared her head a
+second time.
+It seemed that she had more in store for me than just the notebook from
+earlier.
+"Cowardly? Given the way you go about doing things, shouldn't I be the
+one saying that?"
+"What are you talking about?"
+"During The Class Vote exam the other day. You were the one who lured
+me into taking action behind the scenes, weren't you? Answer me."
+"Wait. I didn't-"
+"Back then, my older brother may have been the one who helped guide me,
+but you were the one who was really behind it."
+It didn't seem like she was just making a random guess.
+That being said, it was also unlikely that the elder Horikita had leaked the
+information.
+"T didn't notice it at first, but I connected the dots after thinking it over carefully."
+In other words, she had managed to reach this conclusion on her own.
+"You predicted how I would act every step of the way."
+"Even if I denied it, I don't think you'd believe me."
+"That's right. Of course, I don't have any conclusive evidence. Even if I
+asked my brother, he wouldn't say anything that'd even hint at your
+involvement anyway. But at this point, I'm almost certain of it."
+Little by little, Horikita had matured over the course of this past year.
+That was a fact that her brother and I could both agree on.
+However, Horikita's talent had only truly begun to present itself once the
+discord with her brother softened.
+Given that her big brother has known her for much longer than I have, he
+must've been well aware of just how high Horikita's potential really is.
+Chances are that's exactly why he's so dissatisfied with her always trying
+to follow in his footsteps.
+"You look awfully uncomfortable."
+"That's because it feels like I'm in the middle of being interrogated."
+"Just forget it then. Your attitude makes it clear that I won't be getting
+anything out of you."
+With that, she cut the conversation short. It seems that it's going to be
+harder to manipulate Horikita from behind the scenes from now on.
+"T've got one more thing to ask you, but feel free not to answer."
+The powerful look in her eyes seemed to draw me in, unwilling to let me
+get away.
+"Do you think we can win against Sakayanagi-san?"
+"T don't think it's impossible. That's the impression I get after seeing these
+notes of yours."
+"...Very well. I'll do my best to get the class to the place it needs to be."
+"You've been doing great so far."
+In Hirata's absence, almost all of our classmates have been following
+Horikita's instructions.
+She was fully prepared to take leadership of the class and pave the way to
+victory.
+Honestly, I wanted to thank her for taking the initiative and doing the things
+I wasn't capable of doing myself.
+"T'll leave the rest to you as well. I'm fully prepared to follow your
+judgement."
+"T understand. But still, wouldn't it be better for you to make the decisions
+on rules for the commander?"
+"You can take care of that too."
+"'..Are you really saying that you're going to fight with just the
+information I've prepared for you?"
+"T don't really know all that much about our class anyway."
+"Good grief... If you think you can beat Class A with that, you' re just being
+naive."
+"Maybe."
+The two of us walked to the front door and I stepped out of her room.
+"For the time being, I'll thank you for today's meal, but... please don't use
+a method like this next time."
+I could already imagine myself being suspicious every time somebody
+offers me a meal from now on.
+"Alright, P'1l come up with something else."
+No, that's not what I meant.
+Part 12
+A few days before our confrontation with Class A, Keisei finally managed to get
+in touch with Katsuragi.
+Shortly afterward, Keisei contacted me and called me out to a discreet location.
+At this point, Katsuragi was basically isolated from the rest of his class and was
+often left all alone, so it was probably easy to get in touch with him.
+"...80, what can I do for you, Yukimura?"
+The man who harbors an unrelenting resentment for Sakayanagi stared at Keisei
+with a pointed look in his eyes.
+"Katsuragi, there's something I'm hoping you can help us with."
+"Given the current circumstances, I can already guess what you're here to talk to
+me about."
+From the looks of it, Katsuragi already had an idea of what Keisei was trying to
+propose.
+"Then that makes things simple for us. I was hoping you'd tell us which events
+Class A plans on choosing. Also, if possible, I'd like you to throw your matches
+for us."
+Keisei added in another request that he hadn't mentioned to Horikita and me.
+"And what would I get in return for doing that?"
+"We'll welcome you into our class."
+"That's an amusing proposal. You want me to betray Class A and drop down to
+Class C?"
+Katsuragi sneered at Keisei's suggestion.
+"We will rise up to Class A someday. We have the potential."
+Keisei spoke up once again, emphasizing that he could transfer classes once we
+managed to reach Class A.
+But, to Katsuragi, Keisei's words probably sounded like nothing more than
+delusional nonsense.
+"You'll rise up to Class A someday? Doesn't every other class say the same
+thing?"
+"That's..."
+"If you really have the potential, can't you just beat Class A without doing
+something underhanded like this? Isn't the reason why you're trying to use me
+because you can't do that?"
+Keisei fell silent at Katsuragi's irrefutable, scornful tone.
+"Well, whatever. Let's say you guys really can rise up to Class A. Are you saying
+you can provide me with 20 million points right now in exchange for the
+information? No, because that's impossible, isn't it? If you had that much, you
+probably would' ve used it to prevent Yamauchi from being expelled."
+Of course, Katsuragi was well aware that we didn't have such a large amount of
+points.
+"That's..."
+"Don't tell me you want me to wait two years for you to prepare the points?"
+"Well, yeah."
+"This is beyond delusional. Even if you guys do become Class A, there's no
+guarantee that you'll be able to save up 20 million points by then. We could sign
+a contract, but it'd be useless if you don't have enough points when the time
+arrives. No, is this even an offer everyone in Class C agreed on in the first place?"
+Katsuragi wasn't an idiot. He probably had a solid understanding of Class C's
+current situation.
+If this was an offer that everyone in Class C had agreed upon, the person who
+came to meet him would've probably been Horikita. Since Keisei and I were the
+ones reaching out to him, it must've been obvious that this was still confidential.
+"IT can understand that you're desperate, but you didn't even come prepared to
+negotiate. Were you planning to tell the rest of your class after I agreed to
+cooperate? Did you really think I would accept something like that?"
+Betraying your fellow classmates wasn't something that could be done easily.
+Even more so for a man with a strong sense of duty like Katsuragi.
+".,.Are you, are you really fine with being silenced by Sakayanagi then?"
+"What?"
+"Do you really still want to cling to Class A even though they got Totsuka
+expelled?"
+Catching onto the fact that Katsuragi wasn't going to be persuaded by his offer,
+Keisei pushed forward, fully resolved to go down swinging.
+"T wouldn't have the confidence to make it to graduation like that. It'd be far too
+pitiful."
+"So you've resorted to inciting my emotions now? I'll give you zero points for a
+strategy like that, Yukimura."
+"Dammit!"
+Seeing as I was present right alongside Yukimura, Katsuragi then directed his
+attention to me.
+"Do you have anything to say, Ayanok6ji?"
+"No, you're completely right. There's nothing left to say."
+Upon seeing me raise the white flag of surrender, Katsuragi redirected his focus
+to Keisei once again.
+"Yukimura, I'm not trying to criticize you for anything, but if you want me to
+double-cross my class, it's pointless if you're not prepared."
+With his back up against the wall, Katsuragi stared out into the distance.
+Rather than looking at something, it was more like he wasn't looking at anything
+at all.
+"That being said, you were right about one thing."
+".,.One thing?"
+Despite the fact that Keisei had already given up, his ears perked up at Katsuragi's
+words.
+"T do harbor an immense, unwavering hatred for Sakayanagi. For me, that's more
+than enough of a reason to do something, even if you don't have anything to give
+me in return."
+With his arms crossed before him, Katsuragi once again fixed his gaze on Keisei.
+"As you might have already guessed, Sakayanagi hasn't told anybody which
+events she plans on choosing."
+As expected, Sakayanagi appeared to be keeping her plans to herself.
+"And I'm not happy about it either. In an exam like this, where the entire class
+needs to cooperate as a unit, that's just not how she should be doing things.
+Typically, you'd expect her to share information with her peers and adopt a
+strategy that would secure our victory."
+By not sharing which events you'd be choosing, the biggest advantage would be
+that your choices wouldn't leak out to the opposing class. However, the quality of
+your training for the events would diminish at the same time. If you tried to
+prepare for all ten events, it's only natural that your overall efficiency would drop.
+"Tf you're fine with it, it's not like I can't tell you what I think she'll end up
+picking."
+"R-really!?"
+Just as Keisei was about to completely give up on persuading Katsuragi, he
+unexpectedly found himself catching a lucky break.
+Katsuragi's resentment for Sakayanagi ran deep.
+"As long as you can promise me that everything I say stays between us..."
+"O-of course. I'Il even bring up the twenty million points with Horikita and the
+rest of my class for you later."
+Keisei nodded along, apparently under the impression that he had managed to
+strike a deal with Katsuragi.
+"That won't be necessary. Even if the information I give you turns out to be useful,
+it probably won't be worth twenty million points."
+"Then, what do you want in return?"
+"Nothing. I just ask that you defeat Sakayanagi."
+With that, Katsuragi began to speak.
+"Of the ten events, the three I'm most certain she'll end up choosing are Chess,
+the English Test, and the Mathematics Test. After those would probably be the
+Modern Literature Test and Flash Mental Arithmetic. Conversely, events that
+require a large number of participants like dodgeball and long rope jumping can
+be pretty much thought of as fakes. Our class doesn't seem to have practiced for
+them, as far as I can tell."
+We wouldn't be able to confirm if Katsuragi's predictions were correct or not until
+the day of the exam itself.
+But, if we go into it thinking that he was right about the first three, it probably
+wouldn't end up biting us in the end.
+"Are you really okay with it? With not getting anything in return?"
+"Like I said earlier. Even if you don't have anything to give me, | still have more
+than enough reason to take action."
+Through an unexpected turn of events, Keisei had gotten his hands on information
+that he hadn't thought he'd be able to get.
+Most likely, he was beginning to feel overwhelmed with joy.
+"W-we did it Kiyotaka! Now we finally have a chance to win this!"
+Keisei excitedly took on a triumphant pose.
+"One more thing. You said that you wanted me to throw my matches for you as
+well, right?"
+"Eh? Ah, no. You don't have to..."
+"Hah... You came all this way to negotiate, and yet you're satisfied with just
+getting some information?"
+Katsuragi let out a slight chuckle, seeming to have found Keisei's panicked
+reaction amusing.
+"Tt's not like that, it's just..."
+"Don't go thinking you can win against Sakayanagi just because I've given you a
+little information. It would probably be wise for you to think that you'd just barely
+be able to put up a fight if I throw my matches. However, the only event I'd be
+able to help you guys with is Flash Mental Arithmetic, or, if it somehow manages
+to get chosen, Long Rope Jumping."
+After listening to Katsuragi speak, I decided to ask him a single question.
+"Will you even be allowed to participate with Sakayanagi being so wary of you?
+It's true that, if Long Rope Jumping gets chosen as an event, you might have to
+participate more than once. But, given that only one or two people can influence
+the outcome of the Flash Mental Arithmetic event, what makes you think she'd
+choose you for it?"
+"That's because the only students in Class A who specialize in Flash Mental
+Arithmetic are me and one other student named Tamiya. Furthermore, Tamiya
+isn't all that skilled at it either. With that being the case, leaving me out of the
+event would just hurt our chances of winning."
+After all, Sakayanagi probably thinks that she's dulled my fangs by having Yahiko
+expelled. In order to turn me into one of her pawns, she' Il get me to participate in
+an event."
+The idea of using Katsuragi, a force that had defied her, as a mere pawn was
+probably somewhat appealing to Sakayanagi.
+Afterward, Katsuragi shared his plan to help us. If he were to be chosen for Flash
+Mental Arithmetic, he would deliberately get an answer wrong and, in the case of
+Long Rope Jumping, he would get caught on the rope early on in the event.
+"That being said, I'd like to avoid having Sakayanagi realize that I'm throwing
+the events as much as possible. For Long Rope Jumping, I can make it look like I
+mess up by accident, but for Flash Mental Arithmetic, I won't be able to make
+mistakes on the easier questions."
+It would look like we were competing on equal footing, but our class would win
+by a slim margin.
+"Though, remember this. Even if Flash Mental Arithmetic gets chosen on exam
+day, if Sakayanagi doesn't decide to have me compete, you' ll just have to cut your
+losses and give up on our plan."
+Either way, we had been provided with some unprecedented information, so we
+had no reason to be dissatisfied.
+After Katsuragi left, Keisei began talking with excitement filling his voice.
+"Let's tell Horikita about this, as soon as possible."
+"No... We shouldn't tell her we contacted Katsuragi yet."
+"W-why not?"
+"This only ended up working out for us in hindsight. She won't be happy with us
+if she finds out that we did this without telling her."
+"But, shouldn't we be putting the information to use somehow?"
+"Il find the right time to tell her. I'1l make sure we don't get in trouble."
+Keisei seemed a little worried at first, but he eventually agreed.
+It was probably because he felt guilty about meeting with Katsuragi in secret.
+6
+***
+Katsuragi had blessed us with crucial information, but that didn't mean that Class
+C had taken the upper hand.
+Horikita was well aware of this, as she was trying to alleviate everyone's anxiety,
+one step at a time.
+"Wait a moment, Hirata-kun."
+After school had ended, Horikita called out to Hirata, just as he was about to
+head home for the day.
+It was the first time she had spoken to him since the Class Vote Exam ended.
+Hirata simply stopped in his tracks without looking back to face her.
+"IT know you probably don't want to talk to me, but just allow me to confirm
+something. You don't need to practice for any of the events our class chooses,
+and I'm not planning on having you do anything on exam day either. However,
+that might change depending on the situation. Sakayanagi-san is aware of your
+condition, so it's possible that she might throw in several events that require a
+large number of people."
+No matter how much Class C might try to accommodate for Hirata, it's possible
+that every single student might have to participate.
+"Tf that happens, what will you do? Apathetically hold all of us back? Or are you
+just going to do the bare minimum required of you? Can you at least answer me
+that?"
+However, Hirata didn't respond. A heavy silence filled the classroom; a silence
+that was only broken by the sound of Hirata's footsteps as he walked away.
+"So he won't even give me an answer?"
+Fed up with Hirata, Horikita simply averted her gaze as if she had given up.
+",.Hey, maybe... Maybe we won't win after all... With Hirata-kun acting like
+this and everything."
+I could hear anxious whispers coming from some of the girls.
+And the boys were probably just as worried. After all, the man who had been
+leading the class was now gone.
+Time and time again, his absence was proving to be a threatening burden on the
+class as a whole.
+Horikita spoke up to me.
+"You told me that fixing his problem was a collective effort. But in the end, he
+still hasn't changed at all."
+"T wonder about that."
+"What...?"
+Horikita looked up at me with a confused expression, but my attention was
+focused on something else entirely.
+"Hirata-kun! Wait!"
+At this point, I didn't know how many times I had heard Mii-chan yell out like
+that. She hurriedly grabbed her bag and followed him out of the classroom.
+"Mii-chan still hasn't given up."
+"Why she hasn't is completely beyond me."
+"Just focus on what you need to be doing, Horikita. Bringing Class C together
+and improving our chances of winning."
+Horikita was currently the only person in the class capable of doing that.
+I left the classroom myself, following after Mii-chan.
+I found the two of them standing face to face with each other on the way to the
+dormitories. However, the scene of them together gave a different impression
+than that of a bittersweet confession.
+This was more of an attack. She was on the offensive to get Hirata back on his
+feet.
+"Please, Hirata-kun. Everyone needs your help... So—"
+"Mii-chan, just stop. Can't you just leave me alone already...?"
+Hirata cut her off with a grumbling complaint, almost as if he was wondering
+how many times he would have to tell her this for her to understand.
+Without a doubt, these sharp words of his had come like a knife cutting deep into
+her heart.
+However, the determination within her eyes didn't waver one bit.
+No matter how many times he pushed her away, Mii-chan wouldn't give up.
+"T-I won't leave you alone... Not when you're like this Hirata-kun, I just can't!"
+"Then, what will it take for you to back down? Tell me."
+"That, uhm, if you go back to the way you used to be..."
+"Go back? Impossible."
+Once again, Hirata's coldhearted response mercilessly cut into Mii-chan.
+"No it's not! I... I have faith that you can still go back to the way you used to
+be!"
+"And I already told you it's impossible. This faith of yours is misguided."
+"Even so, I still believe in you!"
+Hirata clenched his fist. It gave the impression that, depending on the situation,
+he might start getting violent.
+"Then, bring back Yamauchi-kun."
+"Eh...?"
+"That's how you can make things go back to how they used to be."
+Now that Yamauchi had been expelled, he would probably never come back to
+Class C.
+And, in the same way, Hirata would also never go back to how he used to be.
+This was the reality that Hirata was looking to convey to Mii-chan.
+"That's..."
+"T hope you remember this before you try talking to me again."
+Hirata turned his back on her and began to walk away, but Mii-chan couldn't
+help but reach out to him as he left.
+She grabbed onto his right arm, desperate to prevent him from leaving.
+After all, if she were to let him retreat to his dorm, she wouldn't be able to do
+anything more to convince him today.
+"Let go of me."
+"I-I won't!"
+Despite Hirata's rejection, Mii-chan continued to hold her ground.
+She believed that, as long as she didn't give up, her feelings would somehow
+reach through to him.
+I maintained my distance from the two of them, watching the situation unfold
+from nearby.
+I didn't want to get in Mii-chan's way by getting too close to them.
+However, Hirata sighed openly.
+And then, he raised his arm up in the air and forcefully swung it down to shake
+free from her grasp.
+"Kya! 99
+For Hirata, it was a crude, uncharacteristic way of handling the situation.
+The forceful, sudden movement, caused Mii-chan to collapse on the spot.
+".,.Stop bothering me already. If you don't, I... PI..."
+Mii-chan looked up at Hirata from the ground below him.
+The anger held within Hirata's gaze hurt Mii-chan's feelings all over again.
+"T have nothing left to lose. If you continue following me around like this..."
+Nothing Hirata had said so far could possibly be compared to the crushing blow
+this would leave on Mii-chan.
+However, just then, a lone man walked past me.
+A man whose blond, flowing hair fluttered in the wind, sprinkled with the scent
+of cologne.
+"My my. It seems you're dawdling today as well, hmm? That's quite an
+unsightly look on your face."
+Koenji provoked Hirata with light, frivolous words.
+As a member of the Going Home Club, K6enji's appearance here wasn't all that
+surprising either.
+"Oh, don't mind me. Just continue with what you were doing a second ago. I'm
+only here to watch."
+Hirata was by no means stupid enough to continue after being told something
+like that.
+Instead, he began to direct his hostility at the man who had interrupted him.
+"You... Is there something you want from me...?"
+"Something I want? I don't 'want' anything. After all, I already have
+everything."
+With that, Koenji began walking past Hirata and Mii-chan, however...
+"Though, if there is something you could do for me..."
+To K6enji, this was just something he had come across on his way home for the
+day.
+That's all it was. Nothing more. Nothing less.
+Hirata's feelings were completely inconsequential to him.
+"You're an eyesore, so could you try and make sure you stay out of my sight? If
+this isn't your ideal school anymore, why don't you just show yourself the door?"
+It was just his style to say something like this. He was suggesting that Hirata
+simply leave the school instead of continuing to fumble around like this.
+".,.Shut up. You don't even understand my situation..."
+"T don't know, and I don't care. However, I can make a guess. You won't make
+the choice to leave simply because it'll cause problems for your classmates. Isn't
+that right? What nonsense."
+"P-please stop, Koenji-kun! Hirata-kun didn't do anything wrong!"
+Back on her feet, Mii-chan spoke up, eager to stop Koenji's relentless
+badmouthing of Hirata.
+"Oops. It seems you aren't happy with what I've said. I do apologize."
+Despite the smile on his face, K6enji still treated Mii-chan with a certain amount
+of respect.
+"However, the sooner you forget about Hirata-boy, the better. He's beyond
+broken."
+Having been pushed to his limit for a while now, Hirata locked eyes with Kenji
+and began to shorten the distance with him.
+"D-don't, Hirata-kun!"
+Mii-chan sensed the obvious change in Hirata's energy and stepped in between
+the two to stop him, only to be shoved aside by Hirata with even more force than
+before. Then, without so much as a glance at Mii-chan, Hirata reached out at
+Koenji with an extended arm.
+He tried to grab K6enji by the collar of his shirt, but Koenji quickly seized him
+by the wrist with his left hand and suppressed his movements.
+"Kuh!"
+"T don't show mercy to those who come at me, okay? I don't want my beautiful
+face getting scarred."
+An expression mixed with both pain and rage took shape on Hirata's face,
+perhaps due to the strength of K6enji's grip on his wrist.
+"You're, you're so irritating Koenji...!"
+"You're free to do whatever you want, but I see no reason to take orders from
+somebody who made a girl cry."
+Koenji let go of Hirata's wrist and glanced over at Mii-chan, who was once again
+back down on the ground.
+"You're the one who knocked her over, so shouldn't you be the one to help her
+back up?"
+",.That's not my problem anymore."
+"Not your problem, hm? Well aren't you rather merciless."
+Mii-chan averted her gaze from Hirata, unable to look directly at him anymore.
+"That's fine then. You're free to decide what you want, Hirata boy."
+"Eh, wha, what!?"
+Koenji gallantly swooped Mii-chan up from the ground.
+"Since you aren't going to, I suppose I' II do the honors myself."
+This was a man who was, by nature, difficult to make sense of, but this sudden,
+unexpected action left both Mii-chan and Hirata at a loss for words.
+"Your heart has been broken, and moreover, you've even been injured. How
+about I help treat you?"
+"W-w-w-wha!? I, uhm, I!? I'm not hurt anywhere!!!"
+"Well, there's no need to worry. Despite my appearance, I'm exceedingly
+gentle."
+This is just a guess, but when Koenji said he'd help treat her, he was probably
+referring to something more of spiritual nature instead of a physical injury.
+Something like her broken heart. I think. Probably.
+Koenji began to distance himself from Hirata, as if he were trying to separate
+Mii-chan from him.
+"Uhm, uh, please put me down!"
+"Hahaha! That won't do. You're already mine to take after all!"
+"Eeeeeh!?"
+Like that, Hirata glared at Koenji's back.
+KO6enji stopped in his tracks, almost as if he had sensed Hirata's harsh gaze.
+"Do you still have complaints for me?"
+In all honesty, I wish K6enji would' ve just ignored Hirata at this point.
+"You're never gonna stop tormenting me, huh? Until the very end?"
+"No. You're the one tormenting the people around you. At least, I wouldn't be
+ignoring a girl who shows kindness to me."
+Koenji began walking away once again, with a blatant disregard for Mii-chan's
+protesting.
+When Hirata noticed that Koenji was headed toward the dormitory, he set off in
+another direction. It was as if he didn't want to be near the two of them anymore.
+For a moment, I wasn't sure who I wanted to follow, but ultimately decided to
+follow after Koenji first.
+Furthermore, Mii-chan's bag had been left behind on the ground, so I picked it
+up and set off after them.
+Once they approached the dorm entrance, K6enji tenderly put Mii-chan back
+down.
+"K-Kouenji-kun, why...?"
+"Fufufu. Why indeed, hmm?"
+Instead of answering Mii-chan's question, K6enji let show a smile.
+"Anyway, you should give up on chasing after Hirata-boy today."
+I handed Mii-chan her bag.
+"Thank you, Ayanokoji-kun... Wait, where did you come from?"
+I would've told her that she hadn't noticed me because I'm good at erasing my
+presence, but I chose not to say anything.
+"T will be right here watching you until you get on the elevator, okaaay?"
+"., A-alright."
+Even if she went to look for Hirata after this, she doesn't know where he went.
+Mii-chan gave up for now and got on the elevator in order to get away from
+KOenji.
+I stood there and watched as K6enji took a seat on the sofa in the lobby.
+"Now... What can I do for you, Ayanokoji-boy?"
+"Why did you start talking to Hirata back there? Were you just adding fuel to the
+fire? Or did you take action thinking it'd help the class?"
+"Tt seems you still don't understand me, hmmm? Tsk tsk tsk."
+As he spoke, he lifted his hand up and lightly shook his finger at me.
+"T would never do something for the class's sake or anything like that. After all,
+I only do what I want to do. Even if my actions have a negative or positive impact
+on the class... Well, that'd be nothing more than a mere byproduct."
+So it's just a byproduct, is it? As a rule of thumb, Koenji only does what he wants
+to do. The sole exception to this rule would be if he's at risk of being expelled if
+the class loses an exam.
+"His existence is like a fly, that is, absolutely irritating."
+This seemed to be the reason why he had unexpectedly called out to Hirata.
+"You're free to do whatever you want, but what will you do if another exam
+similar to The Class Vote were to happen? To be honest, as it stands now, nobody
+else would be in more danger than you."
+"Fufufu. With potential like mine, it doesn't matter."
+After checking the screen for the elevator to make sure Mii-chan had gotten off,
+Ko6enji stood up.
+"That's right. If I'm not mistaken, you were chosen as the commander for the
+exam, yes?"
+"Yeah."
+"T'm not very motivated, so avoid making me have to participate, if you would."
+"Sorry, but the one who decides that is Horikita. I don't have a say in the matter."
+"You have it backward. As the commander, you hold the right to make that
+decision, not her."
+He was certainly right as far as the rules were concerned, but... it didn't seem
+like I'd be able to convince K6enji.
+"Anyway, I trust that youll make the correct decision."
+Leaving me with that, he got on the elevator and returned to his room.
+Part 1
+I decided to leave the dormitory and search for Hirata.
+He probably hadn't gone back to the school building, so he was most likely at
+Keyaki Mall or at least in the area nearby.
+Assuming he didn't want to run into anybody, there was a high probability he
+was outside somewhere.
+Ultimately, I decided to check the entire area.
+After about an hour of searching, I came across his distinctive, lonely-looking
+figure seated on an outside bench.
+"Hirata."
+I walked up behind the bench and, once he was within an arm's reach away from
+me, called out his name.
+",. Ayanokoji-kun."
+His response came out slowly as he raised his head to face me, his eyes still
+downcast.
+It had been a long time since I had gotten a good look at his face like this.
+He didn't seem to be getting enough sleep, as there were dark circles under his
+eyes that I had never seen him have before.
+"Can you spare some time?"
+Upon hearing my request, Hirata's eyes opened up a little bit more.
+"Tm sick and tired of all of this. Of everyone coming after me over and over
+again. I thought you understood me, Ayanokoji-kun. I thought you'd know to
+just leave me alone. I'm disappointed."
+"Sorry. If you don't like it, why don't you push me away like you did to Mii-
+chan and run away?"
+Despite taking the risk and provoking him, Hirata didn't get up from the bench.
+"Spare some time, was it? It doesn't matter. I don't have anywhere to hide at this
+school anyway. I'm so tired today that I don't even have the energy to run away.
+But... I don't think I'll be able to meet your expectations either."
+In just this short period of time, quite a few other students must' ve tried reaching
+out to him.
+Regardless of whether they were expressing their concern, or offering him
+encouragement, it must' ve been unbearable for him.
+Although I didn't know 'who' exactly had reached out to him, I could imagine
+'what' they would've said.
+I was sure they had all attempted to gently comfort him and heal his broken heart.
+There, on a bench on the outskirts of campus, the two of us sat together.
+"So... you had something to say, right?"
+I already knew how Hirata was going to handle this conversation.
+He was going to sit there and listen, letting my words go in one ear and out the
+other.
+"T want you to tell me your story."
+"Rh?"
+Hirata responded meekly. He had probably expected me to offer him words of
+sympathy.
+"What you were like as a kid, what kind of thoughts you had. I'd like to hear
+about it."
+".. Why?"
+"Who knows. I guess I just want to know for some reason. I'm having a hard
+time giving you a reason for it."
+Hirata let out a deep sigh before slowly shaking his head.
+"T don't have the energy to reminisce about my past right now. There's nothing
+to talk about."
+"You don't have the energy? Why?"
+"Why...? That's..."
+He turned and looked at me, as if to question why I didn't already know the
+answer to that.
+"Why is it?"
+I repeated the question, ignoring the look he gave me.
+".,.It?s because Yamauchi-kun got expelled."
+He was being forced to say things that he didn't want to say.
+Hirata spoke as if he had been greatly offended, as he was well aware of my
+intentions.
+"You're making me say some horrible things."
+"T was just curious. I apologize if I've offended you."
+"veclt sine."
+Hirata sighed once again, lacking the motivation to continue the conversation.
+He sat with his back hunched over, listlessly shaking his head from side to side.
+Pleading for me to leave him alone. Pleading for me to stop caring.
+"What does Yamauchi's expulsion have to do with not talking about your past?"
+Confronted with my obstinate request for an answer, Hirata let show a
+dumbfounded expression for the second time.
+"My past doesn't matter right now, does it?"
+"Not necessarily."
+I continued immediately, denying Hirata a chance to shut down the conversation.
+"Having one of your classmates expelled is certainly unpleasant. Pretty much
+anyone would agree with that. But, we don't have the luxury to regret it forever.
+The Event Selection Exam is already right around the corner. Not just Horikita
+and Kushida, but even Ike and Sudo are trying to buckle down and fight. But
+what about you, Hirata? You're so hung up on Yamauchi's expulsion, and even
+if you tried to cooperate..."
+I purposefully stopped speaking for a moment.
+And then, I changed the topic to show him I didn't really want to talk about what
+had happened anymore.
+"What I want to know is, what happened in your past that instilled this sense of
+values in you?"
+"What's the point in asking that? Do you really think I'm going to tell you?"
+"You'll tell me. Because as you are now, you desperately want other people to
+know about you."
+In truth, he probably really does want to get everything off his chest. He had
+ended up like this because he couldn't find a way to do it.
+This time, I spoke to him with my eyes.
+I looked at him forcefully, almost as if I were threatening him to speak.
+Upon seeing the look in my eyes, a sense of fear welled up in his heart.
+"T finally understand the reason, the true reason, why Karuizawa-san decided to
+reveal everything to you, Ayanokoji-kun. She saw your eyes... no, you showed
+them to her. Those eyes, and that deep, eerie darkness diffused within..."
+I slowly ate away the darkness held within Hirata.
+This man wasn't simply waiting to die. Day by day, he had been praying for
+someone to come and save him.
+All he could do was reach for the black spider's silk that dangled before him in
+order to crawl up from the depths of hell.
+"T've told you once before, haven't I...? About my friend who I had been close
+with since childhood? The one who started getting bullied once we got into
+middle school?"
+"Yeah. His name was Sugimura, right?"
+"To think you'd even remember his name..."
+It was precisely because I knew about this story that I was able to predict Hirata's
+mental state.
+Back then, he had wanted to help this friend of his, but he was afraid he'd end
+up getting targeted by the bullies as well.
+As a result, he simply ended up watching it happen from the sidelines.
+And then—
+"My friend... committed suicide by jumping off a building."
+He was probably beginning to recollect what had happened back then.
+Little by little, he began opening up about it.
+"He managed to just barely hang onto his life, but... he's been in a coma ever
+since..."
+Hirata tightly clasped his hands together.
+"My decisions caused him to take his own life. The weight of my sins will never
+go away."
+"That isn't entirely your fault. In fact, the blame mainly falls on the bullies."
+"Sure, but I think being a bystander makes me equally guilty."
+Hirata had said something similar back when we were on the cruise ship. This
+was the reason why he was always striving to save those around him.
+In fact, every time the class ran into problems, Hirata would always be the first
+one to intervene.
+He was the type of man who'd spare no effort to search for a solution.
+For example, back when Sudo got into a fight with those guys from Class D, or
+when he and Kei pretended to be a couple.
+However, there were still a few things that hadn't been explained yet.
+"T understand that you still have doubts."
+Without turning to look at me, Hirata continued.
+"Back when my friend attempted to commit suicide. There's actually more to
+the story..."
+He hadn't mentioned this back during the cruise.
+"Back when he attempted to commit suicide by jumping from a building, I
+thought that the whole mess was finally over. That, after making such a heavy
+sacrifice, there wouldn't be any more bullying in our school. But I was naive.
+From that day onwards, I saw for myself the unfathomable darkness of human
+nature."
+His body trembled, and I could see something akin to a murderous impulse flash
+across his eyes.
+"The bullies chose a new target, and this time it was one of my own classmates."
+As he took a deep breath to suppress his emotions, Hirata began speaking to
+himself in a hushed tone.
+"T couldn't believe it. Something so horrific had literally just happened, and yet
+the bullying had already started up again. One of my classmates, who had been
+nothing more than an innocent bystander, began suffering the same treatment as
+my friend. And what's more is that some of our classmates who previously
+hadn't been involved with the bullying began joining in on it."
+The scope of the bullying had expanded indefinitely.
+"Tf the person at the bottom of the caste system is gone, it's only natural that
+somebody will have to take their place. In a way, it's part of the natural order of
+things."
+"T knew I couldn't allow history to repeat itself. I knew I absolutely had to stop
+it."
+"So... you took action?"
+Hirata nodded his head several times over.
+"T did it in a certain way in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes."
+Hirata slowly lifted his head and stared out into the distance in front of him.
+"Well, to put it simply, I tried to control the class through fear-mongering."
+"You did that?"
+"Yes. ['m not particularly good at fighting like Sudo-kun and Ryten-kun.
+However, there aren't very many people who can seriously hit someone. Even if
+I were serious enough to throw a punch, nobody would be willing to hit me back.
+I alone stood on top while the rest of the class sat at the bottom. By doing so, I
+was looking to get rid of the bullying. Whenever things started getting out of
+hand, I'd step in. I gave both sides an equal punishment, equal amounts of pain.
+My actions were no different than bullying. But, there was at least a brief
+moment of peace."
+Hirata was probably well aware that his actions were by no means justice. That
+what he had done was wrong.
+But even so, he didn't want to acknowledge a world where the people around
+him were being abused.
+"Based on what happened... I find myself wondering if I ended up ruining that
+year for everyone. They just trudged through each day like lifeless robots who
+never smiled anymore. At the time, it was the talk of the town back where I
+lived... It was pretty much treated like a scandal."
+"How did the school end up dealing with it?"
+"Their response was fairly unprecedented. They forcefully broke up all of the
+classes for a while, and then redistributed everyone, including me. We were also
+placed under strict observation until the day we graduated."
+With a scandal that famous, it's only natural that it'd end up getting a lot of
+attention.
+In which case, there was no way that this high school hadn't caught wind of it,
+right?
+No, they may actually have chosen to enroll Hirata here precisely because they
+knew about the scandal.
+Either way, I could finally see the reason why Hirata had been placed in Class
+***
+"You can't forgive yourself for letting Yamauchi get targeted, can you?"
+"Yes... Back then, I thought that as long as it didn't come to my attention, I
+could just pretend not to know about it. I had wanted to just keep quiet about it
+until the day of the vote."
+Ultimately, Horikita's actions back then led to him being marked as unnecessary.
+"T'?m just useless. I never should've tried to keep the class together in the first
+place. Despite doing everything I could, I still couldn't protect Yamauchi-kun...
+You probably knew that already, Ayanokoji-kun. I just can't do it anymore. In
+order to protect someone, I've even thought about using fear tactics again. I get
+that I should know better. That it'd be a mistake, and yet..."
+Hirata's voice trembled.
+His heart was on the brink of collapsing.
+He felt like the entire class should share the load, through both the good times
+and the bad.
+He couldn't bear the thought of somebody suffering. Of somebody disappearing.
+Yes, he had probably always been questioning himself each time something
+happened. And he probably always will.
+It wasn't clear if he had confided in Mii-chan and the other students and if he
+had, just to what extent.
+However, I could easily imagine what sort of things they'd end up saying to him.
+[There's nothing you could've done.J]
+[It's not your fault, Hirata-kun. J
+[Yamauchi only has himself to blame for betraying the class.,]
+No matter who it was, they would end up saying that Hirata was in the right and
+somebody else was in the wrong.
+That simply wasn't going to change.
+And because of this, it's unlikely that the problem would ever be solved.
+There was no point in telling Hirata to blame the very person he had set out to
+protect.
+Instead, that would only end up making him retreat back into his shell even more.
+"There's something I want to make clear to you. It's not Horikita's fault that
+Yamauchi got expelled from the school, and, of course, it's not my fault either.
+You know that, right?"
+".. Yes. It was unavoidable. There was nothing we could've done about it.
+...And I don't blame you either."
+He quietly added in that last part.
+To Hirata, it probably sounded like I was emphasizing that it wasn't my fault.
+It would've sounded like I was asking him if he had some sort of grudge held
+against me.
+"Who do you think is responsible for Yamauchi's departure from Class C? From
+this school?"
+"T think... he has nobody to blame but himself."
+This was the conclusion Hirata had come to, though he didn't want to admit to
+it.
+Yamauchi had suffered the consequences of his own actions. Expulsion was the
+natural consequence of his lack of ability and lazy lifestyle.
+"That's not true."
+I denied it. I straight up kicked Hirata's naive idea to the curb.
+"Tt's your fault that Yamauchi got expelled, Hirata."
+woeake
+He raised his head and looked at me.
+The expression on his face was telling me that he couldn't understand what I had
+said.
+"If you really wanted to save Yamauchi, you should've done everything in your
+power to make it happen."
+***
+"B-but- I tried my best! There was nothing more I could've done
+"Ichinose's Class B didn't lose a single person."
+"That- But that's because she was a special case. We didn't have a huge amount
+of private points like she did!"
+"In which case, the problem is that you failed to lead the class like that. You
+should've been saving up points for the past year like Ichinose so you could save
+somebody when they're about to be expelled."
+As a result, Yamauchi wouldn't have been expelled, and there would still be
+forty people in our class.
+"Impossible. We lost all of our Class Points just after we enrolled here. And,
+even if we hadn't, there's no way that our classmates would have agreed to hand
+over their points. You do know that, right?"
+"Between ending up with zero Class Points and failing to lead the class, either
+way, it's still your responsibility."
+No matter how much Hirata may try to escape, the fact that it was his fault
+wouldn't change.
+"Unreasonable. That's unreasonable."
+"Yeah, it's unreasonable. But it can't be helped. You chose to walk down that
+path. You should've kept this fantasy you have of wanting to save everyone to
+yourself. That way, no matter who ends up expelled from school, the blame
+wouldn't fall on you. But, if you keep projecting your feelings on the people
+around you, you have to bear the full responsibility when it doesn't end up
+working out. You should be resolved for at least that much."
+"T-Pm-!"
+"T had the wrong idea about you. I thought you were an honor student, a man of
+character who was well respected by many of our classmates. But, I guess you're
+not. You're just a shallow, incompetent student who boasts about things you
+can't even do. That, Hirata Yosuke, is the type of person you are."
+This was an excessively extreme argument followed through to its logical
+conclusion. He was by no means an incompetent person.
+Hirata was such an exceptionally talented person that his capabilities went well
+beyond what's expected of a first-year high school student.
+There was nothing wrong with him saying he wanted to protect everyone, and
+just because he failed to do so doesn't mean that he's responsible.
+But even so, I still blamed him.
+I forced the blame on him until the bitter end.
+I put him under heavy pressure, relentlessly driving him into a corner until he
+was about to break.
+Was I doing this for Hirata's sake? No.
+Was I looking to empower him so that he could better protect everyone? No.
+There was no way he could protect everyone.
+And, there would definitely be even more expulsions at some point later on as
+well.
+I was doing this because, when that time comes, Hirata would be necessary to
+keep the class operating smoothly.
+"Just how long are you going to keep dreaming?"
+Hirata simply hadn't moved on from how things were back in middle school. He
+hadn't moved on from doing only what was required of him.
+It was up to you to decide whether or not you'd continue your education into
+high school, and it was up to you to decide whether or not you'd stay there.
+"This... This is your true nature, isn't it? Your words are so terrible, ruthless,
+cold..."
+I could see tears start welling up in Hirata's right eye.
+And before long, he sat there crying in front of me.
+"You're free to wish for whatever you want. But if you really want to see your
+wishes come true, you at least need to fight for it until the very end. Strive to do
+whatever you can. There's no other way. If there end up being expulsions along
+the way, you have no other choice but to accept it. Even so, you still have to keep
+moving forward."
+"How cruel..."
+"If you stop now, the students around you are going to fall behind and disappear
+one after another. That's why, if you keep walking forward, if you keep your
+eyes on your goal, then there will surely still be people standing behind you after
+everything is over."
+It takes an awful lot of courage to lead others.
+You never know what kind of obstacles you may face, and you could always fall
+down at any moment.
+"But... Then... How do I vent frustrations...? Do I have to keep moving forward
+all alone? Bottling up everything deep inside?"
+"Not at all. When you're feeling troubled, you can rely on your classmates.
+Horikita, Kushida, Sud6 and Ike, Mii-chan and Shinohara, it doesn't matter who.
+You can vent your frustrations to whoever it is that you rely on. We're all in this
+together."
+There's no such thing as a rule stating that leaders aren't allowed to show
+weakness.
+The people who stand behind them can always be there to lend a hand in case
+they're about to fall.
+Our classmates should be more than willing to listen to Hirata vent his
+frustrations.
+"T... 1... wonder... if it's okay for someone like me to lead everyone...?"
+"Tt's alright. As you are now, it's okay for you to take the lead."
+I placed my hand on his shoulder.
+With this small gesture, even more tears began to pour.
+To bury the past.
+To get rid of the huge, cumbersome burden that Hirata had been carrying once
+and for all.
+He, who had been stuck and unable to move, could once again stand up on his
+own two feet.
+"Thank you... Thank you, Ayanok6ji-kun..."
+He hung his head, countless tears falling from his face.
+Men are troublesome, difficult creatures who can't cry in front of others very
+easily.
+That's why I also wanted a friendship where nobody was forced to hide their
+tears from one another.
+As for this, no more words needed to be said.
+All that he needed was a friend at his side, somebody who would lend him their
+ear and hear out his frustrations.
+As long as he did- he could start walking forward once again.
+ili Ne
+i—>.—lé<(i lCOrlCU
+***
+AS \ be 7] \
+Lal
+Part 2
+With the break of dawn, the next day had come.
+The final special exam of the school year was fast approaching.
+By the time I arrived at the classroom, Hirata was nowhere to be seen. Mii-chan's
+expression was also still somewhat clouded over.
+Despite the fact that everyone was trying not to think about him, nobody could
+stop themselves from worrying.
+And then he, the indispensable figure for all of Class C, showed up at the
+classroom.
+By this point, everyone was reluctant to so much as look at him.
+"G-good morning... Hirata-kun."
+But, sure enough, Mii-chan reached out and greeted Hirata before anyone else.
+She held back her sadness, giving it her all to force herself to smile.
+Having noticed this himself, Hirata drew closer to her.
+cy?
+Mii-chan froze up for a moment, reminded of the events that had taken place the
+day before.
+Upon seeing her reaction, Hirata whole-heartedly bowed his head to apologize.
+"Good morning, Mii-chan. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I've done
+something very terrible to you."
+"| ..Eh?"
+Hirata's apologetic words were filled with emotion.
+"And, I ignored you even though you went to the moon and back trying to
+comfort me. I'm so sorry."
+"T-that's, uhm... I completely..."
+It wasn't just Mii-chan, the entire class had been left speechless by Hirata's
+sudden change in behavior.
+"Everyone else too... Good morning!"
+Hirata had come to school with a smile so bright and full of energy that his past
+actions felt like nothing more than a hallucination.
+"H-Hirata-kun?"
+"T'm okay now. Really, everything is alright."
+As he spoke, he reassured Mii-chan with a gentle smile on his face. Then, he
+turned and lowered his head to the entire class.
+"Tt may be too late to apologize at this point, but... if it's alright with everyone,
+I'd like to do what I can to help the class once again from today on."
+Hirata spoke without raising his head.
+For several seconds, everyone, boys and girls alike, exchanged glances with each
+other, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
+But—
+"Hirata-kun!!"
+At first, a few of the girls rushed over to Hirata's side, but before long, he had
+been surrounded by most of his classmates.
+Presented with Hirata's long-awaited return, every single student in class was
+over the moon.
+"What happened?"
+Horikita turned and asked me. She had stayed in her seat, unable to make sense
+of the scene playing out in front of her.
+"T told you it was a collective effort, didn't I?"
+"That's... true, but... don't you think he might be forcing himself?"
+"Ts that what it looks like to you?"
+"Well, I guess not."
+"Different people take different amounts of time to get over something. On the
+day after getting into a huge fight, most people tend to get along with each other
+as if nothing had happened in the first place."
+Human relationships were just like that.
+After accepting a warm welcome from the rest of the class, Hirata turned and
+approached his final opponent, Horikita.
+"Good morning, Horikita-san."
+He stared at Horikita with honest, clear eyes.
+"Y-yes. Good morning."
+Perhaps Horikita was shaken by how unexpectedly radiant Hirata was right now.
+"T don't think I was wrong during the class trial the other day."
+""..D see."
+"But... I don't think you were wrong either. Or, no, I should say that what you
+did was right."
+This was something he simply couldn't accept at the time.
+But now, he had come to terms with it.
+"T just didn't realize it at the time."
+"Did you hit your head or something? You're completely different today than
+you were yesterday, and it doesn't seem like you're just putting up a bold front
+either..."
+Despite Horikita's suspicions, Hirata simply let show a carefree smile.
+"T'm going to do my best to earn back the trust I've lost. I'd like it if you'd fill
+me in on the details of the special exam later."
+"T understand. I'll let you get a grasp of the situation and test to see whether or
+not you're actually up to the task. Is that alright with you?"
+"Yes. Of course."
+Hirata extended his hand as a final notion of reconciliation, to which Horikita
+reached out and accepted.
+After that, Hirata was once again swarmed by his peers, one after another. The
+classroom had become so bright and cheerful that it was hard to imagine that it
+had been immersed in such a pitch-black, gloomy atmosphere only just a few
+minutes ago.
+"Anyway, I guess this means we're finally ready to face the special exam."
+"T guess so."
+It might be fair to say that Hirata's return was the best support Class C could've
+asked for.
+KOenji, on the other hand, was the only one who didn't seem affected by it.
+7
+***
+After a lengthy period of preparation, the day of the first years' final special
+exam had finally arrived.
+As per the rules, the commanders of the losing classes would be expelled from
+the school. However, this time, they would be stripped of their protection point
+instead.
+The two commanders in charge of the defeated classes would lose the protection
+point that they had earned during the provisional exam.
+While there wouldn't be any expulsions, it was important to keep in mind that
+the Class Points would probably fluctuate dramatically.
+Depending on the outcome of the exam, there was a good chance that the
+standings of each class would be affected.
+"Today, I want you to forget about all the notes and pointers I've given you."
+As I waited for morning homeroom to begin, Horikita spoke up from her seat
+beside me.
+"Choose whichever five events you want, and then pick whoever you want to
+participate in them."
+"Tf I take charge and mess up your plans, wouldn't the rest of the class be unable
+to adapt to it?"
+"T never told anyone which events I'd be choosing or which events they'd be
+participating in. I simply said that I'd be making those decisions pragmatically
+depending on the situation, so that shouldn't be a problem."
+In other words, she had thoroughly set the stage for me to compete without
+running into any issues.
+"Don't blame me if something goes wrong."
+"This is a class competition. Even though the commanders are allowed to
+intervene, the exam basically boils down to the strength of our class as a whole.
+The opponent we'll be facing is Class A, led by Sakayanagi-san. The most
+formidable opponent in our school year. Even if you lose, it's not like anyone
+would blame you."
+I cast Horikita a sidelong glance and took a look at the last message she had sent
+me the night before.
+It was a record of everything Class C had done to prepare for the special exam
+these past two weeks.
+There was information on what each student had shared in the class discussions,
+which events they had tried, and how much they had practiced.
+"T'll make the most of your efforts."
+As I got up from my seat, ready to go do what I needed to do, Horikita left me
+with a few words.
+"The odds of chess getting chosen are 7 out of 10. A 70% chance isn't exactly
+***
+low.
+Over the past couple of days, Horikita and I had played several matches of chess
+against each other.
+"Tn the end, I hardly ever won against you, even with you going easy on me."
+It was true that the number of times she had beaten me were few and far between.
+However, there was no need for her to keep track of it. In this short period of
+time, Horikita's chess skills had improved considerably.
+"Nobody is stronger than me, even when I'm going easy on them. Remember
+that."
+"You sure have a lot of confidence in yourself."
+Having wrapped up my conversation with Horikita, I set off to go fulfill my
+duties as the commander.
+The remaining students were pretty much on standby in the main classroom,
+waiting to receive instructions from the multipurpose room.
+After an event is announced, the participants would then change their clothes
+and go to the designated location. The finer details of the event wouldn't be
+shared on the monitors, so the students in the main classroom would have to wait
+for the participants to get back to learn what happened.
+Part 1
+I headed over to the special building and went to the designated location for the
+commanders. There, Sakayanagi and Ichinose, who had arrived before me, were
+engaged in idle chatter with each other. From the looks of it, we weren't allowed
+to enter the multipurpose room yet.
+"Good morning to you, Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Mornin', Ayanokoji-kun."
+They both greeted me at the same time, and I lightly raised my hand in response.
+"Tt doesn't seem like we're allowed to go in just yet."
+"They told us to let them know once all four of us arrived."
+That is to say, the school was looking to ensure that the exam was carried out in
+a fair manner.
+If you were to enter the multipurpose room before the other commanders, you'd
+be able to calm your mind and adjust to the atmosphere of the testing grounds
+before anyone else.
+And, as this was a particularly special exam, there was no such thing as
+overdoing it when it came to ensuring fairness.
+"Tt seems we're Just waiting on Kaneda now."
+"Vep."
+I took a look around. While there was still no sign of Kaneda, there was no way
+he'd risk being late.
+"At any rate, you sure are lucky, Ichinose-san."
+"Eh? Lucky?"
+"As they are now, Class D is no different than an infant. Their chances of beating
+your class are pretty much nonexistent. All you have to do now is to see just how
+many wins you can pile up. If you win seven events in a row, Class B might even
+change places with Class A. That is, depending on how Class A performs."
+"Oh no, there's no way to tell what's going to happen. They'll probably be
+desperate, so we definitely can't let our guards down."
+Upon seeing Ichinose steel her resolve like this, Sakayanagi let show an amused
+smile. This prompted Ichinose to speak up again.
+"Huh? Did I say something weird?"
+"No. You just spoke like you're at the top, ready to take on anyone. At the very
+least, I understand that you don't view Class D as your equals. Just what I
+expected from the one who managed to protect Class B for an entire year."
+Sakayanagi's words were slightly mean-spirited. However, Ichinose didn't let it
+get to her.
+"Class B also came here with a strategy, ready to win. We won't lose easily,
+especially in an exam like this where unity and cooperation play such an
+important part."
+"T see. That was quite rude of me. It certainly is as you say, Ichinose-san."
+I stared out the nearby window as I listened in on their conversation.
+With April right around the corner, the weather today was bright and sunny.
+There wasn't a single cloud in the sky.
+Like that, about five minutes or so passed. Before long, it began to dawn on us
+that he might be late.
+Finally, we heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching from the other end of
+the hallway.
+"Well, it doesn't seem like he'll be late after all. I guess he didn't lose his nerve
+and give up either."
+Sakayanagi expressed her thoughts, amused that Kaneda would be showing up
+at the last possible moment.
+Ichinose also seemed to be bracing herself as the exam was finally about to
+begin.
+We each took the liberty of envisioning what was about to happen.
+That is, we would join up with Kaneda after he arrived, and the four of us would
+enter the multipurpose room together.
+However—
+An unexpected person showed up instead.
+Upon seeing who it was, Ichinose let show a completely dumbfounded
+expression.
+While Sakayanagi was just as surprised as Ichinose, her expression quickly
+changed as she narrowed her eyes in amusement.
+".,.Ryien-kun? Why... Why are you here...?"
+A clear, distinctive feeling of unrest coursed through Ichinose.
+No, neither I nor Sakayanagi had seen this coming either.
+"What's wrong with you? What's got ya shaking there?"
+Ryten, the former leader of Class D, deliberately drew attention to Ichinose's
+trembling.
+"T see... I hadn't expected this to happen. It seems I had wrongly convinced
+myself that the commanders for this special exam would be those of us who
+received protection points."
+Sakayanagi was the first to put the pieces together. Indeed, this man, Ryiien, had
+come here alone. Kaneda was nowhere to be seen.
+"The special exam can't even start without the commanders. In other words, if it
+just so happens that the commander is absent, then someone else'!] naturally
+have to fill in for 'em. Ain't that right?"
+An unforeseen absence on the very day of the exam was certainly something that
+could happen.
+There was probably some sort of system in place where one or two people would
+be ready as substitutes for the commander's position.
+And, of course, the substitute commander would be the one to take responsibility
+should their class lose the exam.
+"Even so, I never even considered that you might show up, Rytien-kun."
+"Well, duh? Considering the type of person you are, Ichinose, even if you broke
+out in a fever or got yourself injured, you'd come crawling here on your hands
+and knees to prevent your classmates from having to risk getting expelled."
+If they lose the exam, there would be no way to prevent the commander's
+expulsion other than using a protection point. Just as Sakayanagi had said, the
+preconceived notion that the people with protection points would end up
+becoming the commanders had been a critical misconception.
+Ichinose nervously cleared her throat.
+Back when the special exam was first announced, Ichinose naturally must've
+been at least a little bit cautious about who the opposing commanders would be.
+However, when Kaneda showed up as the commander back when the class
+matchups were decided, she probably ended up dismissing this possibility
+altogether.
+In her head, the process of elimination had probably happened without her even
+realizing it.
+She ended up concluding that the special exam would be a competition between
+the students who had gotten their hands on protection points.
+"Surely there must be some sort of penalty for you to participate as a substitute,
+right?"
+"Yeah, Kaneda isn't allowed to participate in any events. It ain't that
+unreasonable."
+Ryiien was saying that this penalty was something he had already taken into
+consideration.
+"Did you do this to throw me off? Even if you did, isn't it disadvantageous for
+you that Kaneda-kun can't participate?"
+While I didn't know the full extent of Kaneda's abilities, he was most likely a
+vital asset for Class D.
+This meant that they had come up with a clever scheme that involved giving up
+on Kaneda's potential. Subconsciously, it would lead one to start pondering why.
+When had they decided that Ryien would become the commander? If it was
+from the very beginning, did that mean that this had all been planned from the
+start? With questions like these running through her mind, Ichinose was probably
+terribly confused right now.
+"Oi, don't be so wary of me will ya? I'm just their sacrifice. If my class loses,
+the commander' I get expelled. It's a perfect chance for those Class D guys to
+kick me outta here. That's all there is to it, aight?"
+"Then, are you saying you'll go easy on me?"
+"Kuku. Yeah, I'll ease up on ya, so just chill out and come at me."
+Ryien spread his arms, welcoming her to come at him, but there was no way
+Ichinose was going to fall for it.
+"When you want to win, you're the type to pull out every trick in the book. That's
+how you fight, isn't it?"
+"If I want to win, then sure."
+"T wish you wouldn't. You don't have a protection point and you're fighting with
+your back up against the wall. Somehow I can't help but feel like this is a bad
+omen for Class B."
+Ichinose is the type of person who prefers to build trust, confidence, and safety
+from the ground up. Because of that, her capacity to deal with sudden accidents
+was by no means one of her strong suits. While this wouldn't be much of a
+problem against an average opponent, it was a different story altogether against
+somebody like Rytien.
+Perhaps the shock would soon spread from Ichinose to the entirety of Class B.
+Everyone in her class would inevitably notice that Ryten had become the
+commander.
+And, even if they didn't, Ishizaki and the others would surely make it well-
+known anyway.
+In which case, the rest of Class B wouldn't be able to hide their distress, just like
+Ichinose.
+If Ryten had become the commander despite having stepped down as the leader
+of Class D, the unpredictable nature of his instructions would be a lingering
+cause for alarm.
+"It seems the showdown between Class B and D is going to be quite intriguing
+as well."
+It probably wasn't so much of a laughing matter for Ichinose like it was for
+Sakayanagi, though.
+She really should've taken action back when Class D was repeatedly stalking her
+classmates.
+If she had caught onto the fact that Rytien had been lurking behind the scenes
+earlier on, it probably wouldn't have come as this much of a shock to her now.
+"Well, seeing as we're all here, let's go, shall we?"
+With Sakayanagi leading the way, we entered the multipurpose room. A wall
+that hadn't been there the last time we were here had been constructed, dividing
+the inside of the room into two distinct halves. For an improvised, temporary
+wall, it seemed to be quite sturdy and soundproof. The four homeroom teachers
+in charge of the first year had been on standby waiting for us.
+"Those from Class B and Class D, please move over there."
+Per Mashima-sensei's instructions, the two of them disappeared to the other side
+of the partitioning wall with Chabashira following behind them.
+The facilitators for Class A and Class C were Class D's Sakagami-sensei and
+Class B's Hoshinomiya-sensei.
+From the looks of it, the teachers weren't in charge of proctoring the exam for
+their own classes.
+"The test will start in five minutes. Take this time to compose yourselves while
+you can."
+Leaving us with this piece of advice, Hoshinomiya-sensei then took Sakagami-
+sensei aside to have what seemed to be one final talk about the preparations for
+the exam.
+Before the exam, Sakayanagi and I had a few minutes alone together, just the
+two of us.
+"Finally... The day 've been waiting for has finally arrived. To be honest, I
+couldn't sleep last night, and I almost overslept this morning."
+"T don't remember making you wait so long. It's just a coincidence that you met
+me in the first place."
+"Are you saying that, if you hadn't come to this school, we wouldn't have met?"
+As I nodded in response, she laughed, promptly denying it.
+"Our reunion at this school was indeed a mere coincidence. But, I was confident
+that I'd meet you again sooner or later. It was fate, decided long ago."
+"Fate, huh? You're saying some pretty abstract things."
+"Well, I am a young lady, after all."
+Sakayanagi smiled as she spoke, slowly approaching me with her cane in hand.
+1 YN
+e
+us
+pf
+"If you hadn't enrolled in this school, I would've just postponed this for another
+three years or so. I was confident I could pass the time without rushing things,
+hiding my feelings of anticipation deep inside. But, that simply doesn't work
+anymore. Ever since I found out you were within my reach, every passing day
+has just felt so long. It has been so very difficult to subdue my feelings; To
+subdue my burning desire to compete with you. That's just how much I've been
+dreaming of today."
+Sakayanagi spoke eloquently. Her wish was finally being granted, was it?
+"Aren't you afraid to wake up from your dream?"
+Once our competition happens, there would be no going back.
+"Dreams have to be woken up from at some point."
+She didn't seem to care. The only thing on her mind was that today was the day
+her dreams would finally be realized.
+"Normally... ''d ask you to go easy on me, but..."
+The look in her eyes was not what you'd expect from a young girl. It carried a
+certain kind of sharpness that you'd see from a hunter going after its prey.
+"Please, face me with everything you've got."
+If I were to compete with her half-heartedly, Sakayanagi wouldn't be happy with
+that in the slightest.
+While I wasn't doing this in order to make her happy, it'd be far too troublesome
+to get involved with her any more than this.
+But, I also had my doubts as to whether or not this special exam would be enough
+to satisfy her.
+Then, as if she had read my mind, Sakayanagi spoke up again.
+"Td be lying if I told you I didn't feel conflicted. This special exam is far too
+inadequate for us to fully demonstrate the extent of our potential. Even though
+we're both commanders, our ability to intervene is limited."
+The school would never carry out an unreasonable exam where the outcome
+depended solely on the actions of the commanders.
+Sakayanagi was saying that, as long as there was an outcome, the inadequacy of
+the exam was trivial.
+"Be that as it may, if the commander's ability to intervene wasn't limited, we'd
+run into a different problem. I believe it's important to take your situation into
+consideration as well, Ayanokoji-kun. You don't want your classmates to find
+out about your true abilities, right?"
+Indeed, this consideration of hers was something I was quite grateful for. If the
+commander were to have a large amount of influence over the outcomes of every
+single event, I probably wouldn't be able to make the most of it.
+"Okaaay, the exam will begin any second now~ Please take a seat~"
+As Hoshinomiya-sensei's instruction came flying, we both sat down across from
+each other at our designated computers.
+Naturally, we couldn't see each others' faces with the computer screens placed
+between us. On my screen, there were the portrait photographs of each student
+in Class C.
+Excluding me, there were 38 pictures in total. Once the first selected event was
+announced, we'd be using these pictures to assign the students that we wanted to
+go and participate.
+Next, the ten events Class C had come up with were displayed on the screen.
+"My name is Sakagami, and I'Il be the one hosting the special exam. Without
+any further delay, let's begin the final special exam of the first year. Each of you,
+please select the five events you'd like to be considered and press 'confirm'
+when you're done."
+I selected the five events that Horikita had in mind and pressed confirm
+immediately.
+Before long, Sakayanagi finished making her choices as well, and a total of ten
+events were displayed on the large monitor in the room.
+For Class C's events, I had chosen Archery, Basketball, Table Tennis, Typing,
+and Tennis. I had toyed around with the idea of throwing in an interesting event
+like Rock Paper Scissors, but I ultimately decided against it.
+I had discarded the idea of using our English event since it overlapped with Class
+A's English Test event. Despite the fact that Hirata and Onodera specialized in
+Football and Swimming, I decided not to go with those events because they
+would most likely be useful in another event somewhere down the line.
+Moreover, my strategy was for Class C to focus primarily on athletic events
+instead of academics.
+For Class A's events, Sakayanagi had chosen Chess, English, Modern Literature,
+Math, and Flash Mental Arithmetic. There were ten events in total. She had
+chosen all three of the events that Katsuragi predicted she would, and both of the
+events he had mentioned as a runner-up had also made it in. He had truly given
+Keisei and me a perfect answer.
+Though, it didn't end up changing anything, and that's because I had deliberately
+chosen not to tell Horikita about what Keisei and I had learned.
+"Moving forward, we'll hold a completely randomized drawing to determine
+each of the seven events that you' Il be competing in."
+"Anywho, Ayanokoji-kun~ It sure is a shame that you're gonna haveta go up
+against somebody like Sakayanagi-san. Sensei feels so sorry for you."
+"Hoshinomiya-sensei. You know the rules."
+"Yes, sir~ Sorry for speaking out of turn~"
+Upon being reprimanded by her colleague, Hoshinomiya-sensei lowered her
+head in apology.
+"The result of the drawing will be displayed on the large monitor in the center
+of the room, so please do take a look."
+As he spoke, Sakagami-sensei motioned toward the monitor, where the screen
+had changed over to something else.
+There was a 3D image that had all of the events in consideration displayed
+together.
+And then, the first event was selected.
+[Basketball] Required Participants: 5 + Time Restriction: 20 Minutes Total
+(Two Halves with a 4 Minute Intermission)
+Rules: Standard basketball rules apply.
+Commander Intervention: The commander is allowed to perform up to one
+substitution at any given time.
+It was a five-on-five match in an event that Class C had chosen.
+In other words, it was an event we absolutely couldn't afford to lose.
+"Sakagami-sensei. Are we students free to speak with one another?"
+"There are no rules against it. Do as you wish."
+"That is, we're free to wage a war of words?"
+Sakayanagi directly stated what her intention was, and yet Sakagami-sensei still
+didn't see a problem with it.
+"Uwaa~ Sakayanagi-san is soooo merciless!"
+Hoshinomiya-sensei chimed in again. She had probably interpreted this as
+Sakayanagi gaining full permission to launch a merciless assault against me.
+"Hoshinomiya-sensei."
+"Eep! I'm sorry! I won't speak out of turn anymore!"
+While the students were free to speak, it seemed that the teachers were not.
+Hoshinomiya-sensei had been reprimanded time and again.
+"Unsurprisingly, Class C ended up choosing a small number of sporting events.
+Although, I suppose it's perfectly understandable considering how few of your
+classmates can study effectively. Sud6-kun is probably the central figure of this
+basketball event too, wouldn't you say? After all, he's one of the best basketball
+players in this school. I don't think you stand a chance against us if you don't
+make proper use of him."
+Sakayanagi jumped at the opportunity to speak her mind, looking to get me to
+engage with her, but I intentionally chose to keep quiet.
+If at all possible, I wanted to avoid making too much of an impression on
+Hoshinomiya-sensei and Sakagami-sensei.
+"Did Horikita-san, the true commander of Class C, order you not talk with me
+unless you had to?"
+Upon seeing that I still wasn't going to respond, she continued.
+"If so, even if you say something, it shouldn't affect who you end up selecting.
+Do you disagree?"
+Sakayanagi was also well aware that I was looking to limit my words while we
+were in front of the teachers.
+"Horikita warned me not to say anything excessive to you. She said that if I'm
+not careful with what I say, I'll just get caught up in one of your tricks and have
+the tables turned on me."
+"Fufu. That's no good, Ayanokoji-kun. You've already gone and provided me
+with important information. The identity of the mastermind controlling you from
+the shadows is something you should've kept hidden. If you go ahead and
+confess that it's Horikita-san, you do know that I'll be able to infer things based
+on her personality and behavioral patterns, right?"
+"No, that's... That doesn't necessarily mean that she's the one instructing me."
+"Didn't you just say it yourself, though? That Horikita-san told you what to do?"
+Upon seeing Sakayanagi let out a chuckle, Hoshinomiya-sensei put her palm on
+her forehead as an 'uh oh' leaked out of her mouth.
+Sakagami-sensei was also taken aback. He stood there, shaking his head,
+watching as Sakayanagi extracted information out of me all too easily.
+"No, I just said that Horikita warned me... The instructions could've come from
+somebody else."
+"Could've? In a situation like this, you won't get yourself anywhere if you don't
+state definitively that it was somebody else, even if it's a lie."
+Not only did Sakayanagi see through what I had been trying to do, but she even
+spoke up to support me in doing so.
+This exchange alone must've been more than enough to convey the
+overwhelming difference in power between the two of us.
+Now that we had worked together to trick both of the teachers who were
+watching over us, the special exam would truly begin.
+"What does it matter anyway? Class C came to face this exam after carefully
+thinking about what strategies you would come up with, Sakayanagi. Even if
+you've realized that Horikita is the one that came up with our strategy, then all
+that's done is level the playing field."
+"My goodness, you've gone and admitted to it so straightforwardly. Though,
+since when was I the one who came up with Class A's strategy, exactly? Just
+like you, Ayanokouji-kun, I have as many minds to help me decide things as I
+do classmates. Did it ever occur to you that Class A could' ve also chosen to face
+this exam after running through all sorts of simulations on what Class C might
+do?"
+"That's—"
+Dozens of seconds had passed since the teachers had given her permission to
+engage in a war of words with me.
+Unable to stand and watch this happen any longer, Sakagami-sensei pushed
+forward with the exam.
+"Do remember that time is limited. While I did say that you were free to speak
+with one another, please don't neglect your task at hand."
+Of course, my conversation with Sakayanagi had absolutely no effect on my
+mental state.
+The only ones who were worried here were the teachers. For me, and also
+Sakayanagi, this was nothing more than an idle conversation.
+Once the both of us had finished making our choices, the list of students who'd
+be participating in the basketball event was announced.
+Class C's participants were Makida Susumu, Minami Setsuya, Ike Kanji, Hondo
+Ryotard, and Onodera Kayano. Critically, Sudd was not among them.
+Furthermore, I had even included a girl in our lineup. The team's ace was
+Makida. According to Sudo, as long as Makida practiced for it, he should be
+skilled enough to pass the exam. In addition, although Onodera's true specialty
+was swimming, her basketball skills didn't seem to be all that bad. From the
+looks of it, Horikita had decided that choosing her would be better for the team
+than choosing a boy who didn't have any experience. As for our opponent, Class
+A chose Machida Koji, Toba Shigeru, Kamuro Masumi, Shimizu Naoki, and
+Kitod Hayato. Sakayanagi had thrown a girl into the mix as well.
+According to the information I had gathered from Hirata, Kei, and Kushida, the
+team I had chosen should be more than ready to take home the win.
+Sakagami-sensei was standing over near Sakayanagi, so I couldn't see his face
+very clearly. However, Hoshinomiya-sensei was standing near me, and I could
+easily see hers. At a glance, I could tell that she had her doubts about the
+participants I had chosen.
+After all, Sud6 Ken, the man considered to be the main focus of the basketball
+event, was nowhere to be seen.
+Of course, this was a strategy that Horikita and the rest of Class C had decided
+upon, not me.
+Though, it's only natural that Sakayanagi would see through a strategy like this.
+"So you're looking to win without using Sudo-kun, is that it? With reflexes like
+his, it wouldn't be all that unusual for him to succeed at both tennis and table
+tennis as well. Well, either way, it's all within the realm of my expectations."
+With Sudo in the lead, we would've been able to safely guarantee ourselves the
+win. Meanwhile, Class A wouldn't be very happy about seeing basketball get
+selected. After all, Sudo is the first person who comes to mind the moment
+anyone thinks of the basketball event. Class A's chances of winning would be
+quite a lot lower if they were to take on a basketball team led by Sudo, and they
+knew that.
+In which case, the next logical conclusion for Class A would be to avoid making
+the mistake of wasting any of their skilled students on the basketball event.
+Then, with Sudo out of the way, Class A might have the upper hand in the
+sporting events that would come later on.
+In light of this, Class C intentionally made the decision to not use Sudo in the
+basketball event. If at all possible, we wanted to preserve his valuable potential
+that could shine in the remaining sporting events.
+Whether or not Sudo had already participated in an event would also be a
+deciding factor in case the tennis or table tennis events were to get chosen later
+on.
+However, based on the people in Class A's lineup, it seems that Sakayanagi had
+seen through this short-sighted plan of ours.
+"By the way, who was it that came up with these rules regarding commander
+intervention? Was this also Horikita-san's idea? You do realize that it completely
+exposed what your goal was, right?"
+"Sorry, but I can't answer that."
+"Ts that right? If you can't answer, then I suppose it can't be helped."
+On the other side of the monitor, we watched as the preparations for the event
+went underway. The match would be starting soon.
+In the meantime, the only thing we'd be able to do is sit and watch the event
+unfold.
+As the commanders, our only means of influencing this event was our ability to
+substitute one of the players.
+But, that one, single decision could mean the difference between victory and
+defeat.
+At the sound of a whistle, a strenuous 10-minute match of basketball began.
+At first, even though they didn't have Sudo on the team, Class C was almost
+equally matched with Class A.
+The moment one team scored a lead, the other would come right back and
+equalize it. It was truly a neck-and-neck match.
+Even the teachers found their eyes being drawn to the fierce battle unfolding on
+the monitor, completely unsure of who exactly would win.
+As the one chosen to take Sud6's place, Makida wasn't bad at all. Even though
+he was nowhere near as good as Sudo, his above-average skills allowed him to
+carry out the role of the team's ace quite well. On the other hand, Class A's ace
+was none other than Kito, who was proving himself to be an equal match for
+Makida every step of the way.
+By the point halftime came around, there was only a one-point gap in the score
+at 12 to 11.
+Class C had only just barely taken the lead.
+"An interesting match, this one."
+Sakayanagi expressed her thoughts on the match. It would be hard to say which
+team would win during the second half.
+The second half of the match was set to begin after a brief four-minute
+intermission. However, Sakayanagi still didn't make her move. Even though
+Class C was leading by one point, she still seemed to think that the two teams
+were equal in strength, and was instead looking to see how the match would play
+out. I, however, reached out for the keyboard in front of me without the slightest
+bit of hesitation. I made the decision and called for Sudo to swap out with Ike.
+It's certainly true that, at a glance, the two teams seemed to be evenly matched.
+It seemed like there was no way to tell how the game would play out.
+For the last ten minutes, I had been quite torn over whether or not I should
+substitute Sud6 into the match.
+"Fufu."
+Sakayanagi let out a faint chuckle. It didn't seem like she had any intention of
+letting me preserve Sudo's potential.
+Before long, Sudo arrived on the other side of the monitor, warmed up and ready
+to go.
+Even though it wouldn't be surprising if he had his doubts about being called in
+at this point, his expression was still extremely serious.
+From the looks of it, Sud6 inevitably seemed to realize the same thing that I had.
+"Both teams are evenly matched. Or, no, Class C is winning right now. Isn't your
+decision to call in Sudo a bit premature?"
+"T just thought I should guarantee that we pick up the win."
+"This is quite an important first match, so I understand how you feel. After all,
+there's no way to be sure that tennis or table tennis will get chosen after this.
+There's no reason to hold onto Sud6-kun if there's no event that can make proper
+use of him."
+"Shouldn't you be swapping out one of your players as well?"
+"There's no need for that. I chose a winning lineup from the very beginning."
+Kitd, who had been marking Makida, switched over to marking Sudo.
+From the main classroom, Sudo should've been watching over the entire match
+since it first started.
+Furthermore, Sudo should've already noticed the difference in their abilities.
+After the 4-minute intermission was over, the second half of the match started.
+Kitd guarded against Sudo tightly, and his movements were about twice as sharp
+as they were earlier.
+[I knew it...! You bastard, so you were holding back, eh!?]
+We could hear Sud6's voice yelling through the monitor.
+I knew from the beginning that Class A had been holding back in order to drag
+Sudo out onto the court.
+However, there was no way to tell just how much of their potential they had been
+hiding until Sudo tried his hand against them.
+Kitod fought fiercely, but Sudo was still a level above him.
+He shook off Kito's defense and forced his way into Class A's territory.
+In order to stop him, Class A's entire team desperately tried to hold back Sudo's
+advances.
+Despite the fact that Sudo was a head and shoulders above the rest, Class A's
+players still seemed to be a step above his teammates.
+The score was 17 to 13. While the point difference had grown wider, instead of
+slowing down, the opposing team's movements gradually began to pick up pace.
+[Oi Kito, you son of a bitch, you know what you're doin', don't you!?]
+[Nah. You're just being pressured by a bunch of amateurs. ]
+[You liar! ]
+[Why would I be lying? My friends and I have only been practicing for less than
+a week now. It seems you've got a lot of confidence in your basketball skills, but
+you're not all that impressive. ]
+[You bastard! ]
+Since there was no cheering going on in the background, we could just barely
+make out the exchange going on between Sudo and Kito over the monitor.
+Instigated by the fact that he was struggling against supposed amateurs, Sud6's
+performance slowly began to lose some of its color.
+"Fufu, that was a lie. Kito-kun is an experienced basketball player."
+Having Kito incite Sudo like this was most likely also part of Sakayanagi's plan.
+"By messing with his mentality like this, Sudo-kun will inevitably collapse. No
+matter how superior one's technique really is, if the mind is still immature, it
+will give rise to an opportunity for someone to take advantage of you."
+The student named Kitd seemed to be quite skilled at playing basketball. He
+intentionally hid his abilities and played at an equal skill level as the students
+from Class C for the first half of the match. His goal was to stage a comeback
+once Sudo got on the court and steal the win.
+And, if that didn't work, he'd look to win by instigating a fight with Sudo to
+break his concentration.
+It would be fair to say that Sakayanagi's two-part strategy had completely poked
+a hole in our own.
+"My team will be catching up with yours soon enough."
+Kitd cleanly sent the basketball flying straight into the basket. The score was
+now 17 to 15. Class A was definitely putting the pressure on.
+Sud6's mental turmoil had indeed nearly evened out the playing field.
+However—
+"You said that Sudo's mind is still immature, but... When exactly did you hear
+that?"
+"What do you mean?"
+Sudo had grown up a lot over this past year. Now, his willpower wouldn't
+crumble because of something like this. He knew that there was no way that
+Horikita would care about how cool he was during the match. That would only
+come for carrying his team to victory.
+[Oraa!]
+[Nngh!?]
+Although his tone of voice was rough, the smoothness of his play returned. He
+overtook Kitd and made his way to the basket, and nobody was able to stop him.
+He finished off his run down the court with a dunk, once again extending the
+lead for Class C.
+[Heh... I got a little bit heated there, but... there's no way you're beating me.]
+Even though Kito was a skilled player, with a calm mind, Sudo was easily a step
+or two above him.
+"T see. So he's done some growing up of his own?"
+After that, Sudo's mind didn't waver again, and he brilliantly led the team until
+the end.
+Eventually, the sound of the whistle rang out, signifying the end of the match.
+[Hell yeah! I did it Suzune!]
+Sud6 struck a triumphant pose. He looked so excited that you'd think he had just
+won a basketball tournament.
+It was only one win, but his excitement was well deserved given everything he
+had just accomplished.
+"T thought we had a chance, but his skills really were on another level after all."
+Apparently, Sakayanagi had seriously set her sights on picking up the win, with
+or without Sudo on the court.
+The final score was 24 to 16. The first event had come to an end with a splendid
+victory for Class C.
+"Who would've thought that Class C would win first! You never really know
+when it comes to these things huh?"
+Hoshinomiya-sensei mumbled her thoughts to herself, impressed with what had
+happened.
+Though, despite our win, we had conceded one of our strongest assets in return.
+It had been an event that literally required our victory from the moment he
+stepped out onto the court.
+Part 2
+The time came for them to choose the second event. The result of the drawing
+was...
+[Typing] Required Participants: 1 - Time: 30 Minutes
+Rules: A competition of speed and accuracy over three different formats of
+typings skills: Vocabulary, Short Passages, and Essays.
+Commander Intervention: The commander will be allowed to notify the
+participant of one mistake they make during the test.
+Once again, the event was one of the ones Class C had come up with. It would
+be a one-on-one competition.
+Apparently, the luck of the draw was on our side.
+The event had been proposed by The Professor, who, out of everyone in our
+class, was the most proficient at anything that had to do with computers.
+In fact, his typing speed was second to none amongst everyone in Class C. His
+speed was unquestionably fast, even when compared to the national average.
+However, that's not to say that everything would go perfectly. The primary
+reason for this is that we had no way of finding out just how many students were
+proficient at typing in Class A, and just how skilled at it they really were. We
+had no choice but to place our faith in The Professor's skills, and his skills alone.
+That being said, there was still a reason why he was chosen for this project.
+"Class C's gone and chosen another interesting event. Although at first glance it
+may look like a game, typing is one of the most fundamental skills in the world
+of information technology. You could even go so far as to call it essential. I
+suppose it's only natural that the school would accept it as an event."
+When it comes to academics, Class A was at a major advantage.
+Horikita probably wanted to choose skill-based competitions that wouldn't be
+influenced by things like that.
+"Everyone has one or two things that they're good at. However, when it comes
+to competing over such things, it's hard for anyone to say whether or not they're
+absolutely better at them than somebody else. It seems like someone in your class
+has quite a lot of confidence in their typing skills."
+Generally speaking, most students with special skills who can win in a one-on-
+one competition also have the potential to succeed in another event, like with
+how we chose to put Onodera in the basketball match even though she
+specializes in swimming. On the other hand, by allocating a student like The
+Professor, who is only good at doing one thing, to the one-on-one match, we
+would gain an advantage in the events that would come afterward.
+I, naturally, chose The Professor... Sotomura Hideo.
+Sakayanagi, on the other hand, selected Yoshida Kenta, a student I knew
+practically nothing about.
+For this event, we tried to restrain the commander's ability to intervene with the
+event as much as possible.
+Our strategy was to let The Professor do his thing without giving Sakayanagi
+much of a chance to butt in.
+The outcome of the event was to be judged by a computer application that had
+been prepared beforehand by the school.
+The results were...
+"Class C, Sotomura Hideo: 90 Points. Class A, Yoshida Kenta, 83 Points. Class
+C wins."
+Once the test was over, Sakagami-sensei announced their scores.
+The difference between the two of them was a mere 7 points.
+The results were pretty scary to hear given how close it was, but being up by
+even one point was still a victory.
+"While it's only a bit, it looks like we still fell short. Things really aren't going
+to be that simple, are they?"
+Class A losing two times in a row had been an unexpected development, but in
+a way, it had been inevitable.
+After all, both of the events had been put forward by Class C, so there wasn't
+very much Sakayanagi could've done about it.
+Part 3
+Thus, Class C had won the first two events.
+So far, luck had been on our side, and all of Horikita's plans were coming
+together beautifully.
+There were 8 events left for the drawing to choose from. It would've been great
+if it had kept selecting events that Class C had suggested, but...
+[English Test] Required Participants: 8 - Time: 50 Minutes
+Rules: The test will be within the scope of the first-year English curriculum.
+Victory will be decided based on the class with the higher overall score.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can answer a single question on
+behalf of one of the participants.
+The third event was a written test, something we all knew would be coming
+sooner or later.
+The crux of this special exam was figuring out how to win in the events that the
+opponent had suggested.
+If we managed to win this event, we'd gain an advantage far greater than a mere
+victory.
+Starting with Mii-chan, I came up with a lineup of students who were skilled at
+English. Although, it was frustrating that I couldn't make use of strong trump
+cards like Horikita and Keisei yet. Class A had suggested three different written
+tests, English, Math, and Modern Literature, so it would be difficult for me to
+evenly distribute those of us with better academic abilities.
+Horikita had outlined two different strategies in the notebooks she had made in
+case two written test events ended up getting chosen.
+The first was to aim for both wins by evenly distributing the capable students
+between the two events. The second was to deliberately lose one of them and
+pour our resources into trying to win the other.
+Sakayanagi quickly decided on her eight participants, but I took a moment longer
+to consider my options.
+"This is the first time you've had to take time to think. It seems that Horikita-san
+left you with more than one option to choose from."
+There was no guarantee that another test would get chosen later, but there was
+also no guarantee that we'd be able to win now.
+But, the most frustrating part about this was that Class C had a tendency to do
+worse in English.
+In other words, I had to choose between the two strategies. Do I balance the two
+teams and go for both wins? Or do I simply throw away our chances to win this
+one?
+"Will you give up on the English event? Or... maybe you'!I choose to fight and
+use up all your strength here?"
+Sakayanagi prompted me with a question, struggling to contain her excitement.
+However, I was not afraid of losing here.
+"T can tell what you're thinking, Ayanokoji-kun. You're afraid that we
+anticipated the fact that you might choose to give up on the English test and, as
+a result, preserved our better students for the later tests, aren't you? After all, if
+we were to compete with a suboptimal team, it would give you a chance at
+winning. It's not so easy to give up on this event, now is it?"
+After some thought, I made the decision to give up on the English event.
+"Based on recent global trends, it seems that girls tend to perform better in a
+variety of subjects than boys do, and score higher than boys as well. And, as it
+would turn out, English happens to be one of those subjects. But of course, those
+are just trends. It's just a reference for you, if you will."
+Sakayanagi spoke up one last time just as I was about to make my decision on
+who to include in the event.
+She was looking to put pressure on me by feeding me with unnecessary
+information.
+In any case, Class A couldn't afford to lose in the English test. She would
+undoubtedly choose several powerful contenders for the event.
+Once we had each finished choosing the participants, their names were displayed
+on the larger monitor.
+The eight people listed for Class C were Okiya Kydsuke, Minami Hakuo,
+Karuizawa Kei, Sato Maya, Shinohara Satsuki, Inokashira Kokoro, Sonoda
+Chiyo, and Ichihashi Ruri. They were all students who wouldn't be needed in
+any of the events that would show up later on.
+The eight people listed for Class A were Satonaka Satoru, Sugio Hiroshi, Tsukaji
+Shihori, Tanihara Mao, Motodoi Chikako, Fukuyama Shinobu, Rokkaku
+Momoe, and Nakajima Riko. While they weren't the best options Sakayanagi
+had available, it was still a fairly solid group. It seemed like she had made use of
+the trend she had mentioned just a bit earlier, as six of her eight selections were
+girls.
+"Tt seems like you've chosen to give up on English and focus on the future. An
+acceptable decision."
+As expected, she had a very good grasp of Class C's academic abilities.
+Even though we had the power to intervene for one single question, for the most
+part, the only thing we could do is sit and watch the event unfold.
+At a certain point, we were able to switch between the student's answer sheets
+in real-time.
+Making use of my intervention, I helped one of my classmates answer a question
+that most of the students seemed to be struggling with.
+However, whatever impact this may have had was negligible. At best, it would
+only improve our score by a handful of points.
+After they were done, the school collected their answer sheets and immediately
+began grading them. Before long, the results were in.
+The outcome of the test would be based on the cumulative scores of all eight
+participants.
+"Class C scored a total of 443 points, whereas Class A scored 651. Therefore,
+Class A wins."
+As expected, the difference between the two scores was overwhelming.
+"We only scored an average of about 81%. If you had chosen to go all out instead
+of giving up, you might have been able to win this one."
+Like Sakayanagi had said, there had indeed been an opportunity for us to take
+advantage of their low average score, but things just weren't that simple.
+It was probably better to avoid thinking of this as a win that I let get away from
+me.
+Sakayanagi's courage to hold onto her more capable students without being
+afraid of losing three events in a row was nothing short of admirable.
+Just as Class A was presented with their first win, the selection for the fourth
+event had begun.
+[Math Test] Required Participants: 7 - Time: 50 Minutes
+Rules: The test will be within the scope of the first-year math curriculum. Victory
+will be decided based on the class with the higher overall score.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can answer a single question on
+behalf of one of the participants.
+English test was followed by an additional written test.
+"Looks like your choice paid off. You'll undoubtedly have to go all-out this time.
+Or... perhaps you plan on waiting for the Modern Literature test?"
+In this situation, it was best not to place my bets on the Modern Literature test.
+Instead, I chose to make use of all of the academic ability Class C had at its
+disposal.
+"T said earlier that girls have a tendency to score higher, but for math, the
+opposite is true. Apparently, boys tend to do better than girls. Fascinating, isn't
+it?"
+No matter what ideas she may try to ingrain within me, the choices I would make
+still wouldn't change.
+I chose Hirata YOsuke, Yukimura Teruhiko, Ishikura Kayoko, Wang Mei-Yu,
+Azuma Sana, Kushida Kikyo, and Nishimura Ryko. It was the strongest seven-
+man lineup that I could make from Class C. As for our opponents, Class A had
+chosen Matoba Shinji, Shimazaki Ikkei, Morishige Takuro, Tsukasaki Taiga,
+Ishida Yusuke, Yamamura Miki, and Nishikawa Ryoko. It was a lineup of
+mostly male students of equal, or even higher academic ability than the previous
+ones she had put forth. This was set to be an all-out competition where we had
+put forth our strongest contenders, Horikita and Koenji not included.
+Not long after, the math test went underway. Unlike the devastating results of
+the English test, there were pretty much no mistakes this time, with Yukimura
+Teruhiko, that is, Keisei, taking the top spot.
+Even though I had Nishimura, the one with the lowest overall scores in math,
+wear the headset, I was only able to help her with one question, so it was difficult
+to imagine that this would have a significant impact on the results of the test.
+Considering the fact that Sakayanagi would undoubtedly be able to do the same,
+having the commanders intervene successfully was pretty much just a basic
+requirement of the test.
+After the written test finished, the teachers immediately began grading the
+answer sheets.
+Given that this was an event that Class A had proposed, if we managed to win,
+our overall chances would rise exponentially.
+We'd be able to challenge the fifth event with the possibility of taking home the
+entire special exam.
+"Well then, I will now be announcing the results of the Math Test event. Class
+C: 631 points."
+Our average score for each student was around 90%, a very impressive result.
+However, if the questions on the test weren't very difficult, there would be other
+things to worry about.
+"And for Class A... 655 points. Class A wins."
+Sakagami-sensei reported the two cumulative scores, revealing that we had lost
+the event by a slim, narrow margin of just 24 points.
+"That was dangerously close. Everyone in Class C must have studied quite a lot.
+If you had chosen Horikita-san and Koenji-kun, you might have won, don't you
+think?"
+"*.,.Maybe so."
+It was regrettable that we hadn't been able to steal the win this time. If I had
+included both Horikita and KG6enji, it's true that we might have won. But even
+so, it still wouldn't have been a guarantee either.
+Furthermore, we were now facing the reality that, if the Modern Literature Test
+were to be drawn next, we would pretty much just lose automatically.
+Class C simply didn't have anyone left whose academic abilities would be good
+enough to surpass those of Class A.
+With this, the lead we had was gone. The score had once again evened out at two
+wins and two losses.
+Part 4
+And so began the drawing for the fifth event.
+[Flash Mental Arithmetic] Required Participants: 2 + Time: 30 Minutes
+Rules: Victory will be decided by the student who takes first place in terms of
+both speed and accuracy using abacus-style mental arithmetic.
+Commander Intervention: The commander can change the answer to a single
+question of their choice.
+It was the third event in a row that had been proposed by Class A.
+Normally, this would be an unfavorable turn of events for us, but this particular
+event was a special exception to that. Keisei was probably feeling elated right
+about now. After all, this was the event that Katsuragi had promised to ease up
+on.
+However, it was still too early to celebrate. If Katsuragi doesn't get chosen, our
+fleeting fantasies of winning would disappear.
+"Another one of our events. We absolutely can't afford to lose this one."
+Disregarding Sakayanagi's chatter, I went with the strategy Horikita had come
+up with, selecting Koenji Rokusuke and Matsushita Chiaki to participate.
+Between the two of them, I had Matsushita wear the headset. Even if I had K6enji
+wear it, there was no reason to believe that he was going to listen to me anyway.
+Horikita's decision to assign K6enji to participate in the Flash Mental Arithmetic
+event was probably the correct one. Instead of being based on whichever class
+had a higher overall score, the win would be given to the class of the student who
+placed first. There was a chance that Koenji might meet our expectations and
+pick up the win. But, just in case he didn't take the event seriously, Matsushita
+would at least be there as a backup. Matsushita has a quick mind for math, so the
+plan had always been to use her in the Math Test or Flash Mental Arithmetic
+events. Even if we had used Matsushita in the math exam, it still didn't mean
+that we would've won, so you could say that the fact that we could still make
+use of her had been a blessing in disguise.
+The students Sakayanagi chose were Katsuragi Kohei and Tamiya Emi.
+According to the information Katsuragi had leaked to us, Tamiya's abilities
+weren't all that impressive.
+As proof, Katsuragi was the one wearing the headset for Class A.
+"There will be ten questions in total. Although the questions will progressively
+get more difficult, the points awarded for getting them correct will rise as well.
+In the event of a tie for first place, the event will be extended until one party gets
+a question wrong."
+Moving forward, the numbers for each of the questions would be displayed on
+the monitor in the audiovisual room.
+Since the commander could only intervene with one single question, we would
+most likely wait to do so until the end.
+Even though the event was just about to begin, Koenji folded his arms in front
+of him and closed his eyes.
+"..80 It backfired, huh?"
+His attitude hadn't even slightly changed from back when the special exam first
+began.
+For the first question, different single-digit numbers would flash upon the screen
+three times over the course of five seconds. It was a question of level 10
+difficulty, the lowest level.
+6. 9. 1. The answer was 16.
+This first question was a problem that anyone would be able to solve. After the
+numbers disappeared, the students were prompted to write down their answers.
+Matsushita answered correctly without putting in much effort, but Koenji had
+left his answer sheet blank. It made sense though, considering the fact that he
+hadn't even bothered to look as the numbers were being displayed on the screen.
+At this point, it seemed like we had no choice but to rely on Katsuragi making a
+mistake like he had promised.
+"Fufu. He really is such a peculiar person."
+Even though Sakayanagi couldn't see what he had responded with, she could tell
+just from looking at him that he hadn't responded with anything.
+"However, since Matsushita-san seems to be the one you're banking on, there
+aren't really any problems, are there?"
+As Sakayanagi spoke, the event continued playing out before us.
+By the time they got to the third and fourth questions, the number of digits had
+increased to two and the number of rounds had gone up to six.
+Matsushita was unfazed by this and still answered each question correctly.
+However, as they approached the fifth problem, the overall difficulty increased
+yet again.
+Question five was 3 digit numbers in 6 rounds over 5 seconds, and question six
+had even more with 3 digit numbers in 8 rounds over 5 seconds.
+Matsushita was at her wit's end as she tried to calculate the numbers inside her
+head.
+The answers she had managed to squeeze out had been correct up until the sixth
+question where she was just barely able to keep up.
+But, that was as far as she could go. The next question, question seven, had 3
+digit numbers in 12 rounds over 4.5 seconds. Question eight had 3 digit numbers
+in 15 rounds over 3.5 seconds.
+By the time they had gotten to the ninth question, it was 3 digit numbers in 15
+rounds over 2.5 seconds.
+"T-this is like, waaay impossible!"
+Just like the students, Hoshinomiya-sensei was understandably also at her wit's
+end upon seeing the questions the students were getting.
+"The difficulty level may be a bit too high..."
+Sakagami-sensei agreed, not knowing the answer either.
+Even though Matsushita's answers had been correct up to the sixth question,
+from the seventh question onward, they, unfortunately, were not. What's more,
+Koenji still hadn't given an answer to a single question. At this point, even if he
+managed to answer the last question correctly, he had already gone past the point
+of no return.
+Naturally, I had already memorized the answers to all nine questions, and
+Sakayanagi had probably done the same.
+The commander was only allowed to change the participant's answer to one of
+the questions. So the plan was that, If I couldn't solve the tenth question, I'd go
+with the ninth. And if I couldn't solve the ninth, I'd go with the eighth.
+The extent to which Katsuragi decided to throw for us would greatly influence
+the outcome of the event.
+The tenth and final question in the Flash Mental Arithmetic event began.
+It consisted of 3 digit numbers in 15 rounds over 1.6 seconds.
+One by one, the 15 numbers flashed on and off of the screen in quick, rapid
+succession.
+For a moment, everything fell silent.
+Whether it be Katsuragi, Matsushita, or Tamiya, none of them even managed to
+pick up their pen. They all just sat there in mute amazement at the question that
+had just passed them by.
+Sakayanagi signaled to the teachers that she wanted to make use of her
+intervention, and, of course, I did the same.
+"Eh...? Well then, would the commanders please provide an answer for one
+question. Remember: the later the question, the higher the score."
+Naturally, the question I answered was the last one, question ten.
+Matsushita obediently complied with my instructions and wrote down the
+answer I provided her with.
+She herself didn't know the answer, so she didn't have any reason to turn down
+the one I had given her.
+[Fufufu. Flash Mental Arithmetic is quite an interesting game. I've never tried it
+before. ]
+Koenji, the man who Sakayanagi and I had already stopped paying attention to,
+had apparently opened his eyes again at some point.
+With an amused smile, K6enji cast a glance at the surveillance camera we had
+been watching the event through.
+"Which question did you provide an answer for, Ayanokoji-kun? I chose the
+tenth with an answer of 7619."
+The answer I had given Matsushita was...
+"T did as well."
+Apparently, Sakayanagi had managed to solve the last question as well.
+"In terms of commander intervention, it seems we were evenly matched. In other
+words, this has come down to a face-off between Katsuragi-kun and Matsushita-
+***
+san.
+As the teachers collected everyone's answer sheets, the man who hadn't
+responded to a single question once again opened his mouth.
+[The answer for the last question was 7619, yes?]
+"My my my— how surprising. He's correct."
+Overhearing K6enji's answer, Sakayanagi applauded, praising him for a job well
+done.
+The teachers hurriedly began tallying up the scores.
+If Katsuragi had gotten the seventh, eighth, or ninth question correct, Class C
+would lose.
+But on the other hand, if he had gotten less than six questions correct, we would
+win instead.
+"After tallying up the results, with eight out of ten questions correct, first place
+goes to Katsuragi Kohei. Class A wins."
+We had wanted to gain the upper hand by winning the fifth event, but victory
+smiled upon Katsuragi instead.
+Sakagami-sensei's announcement marked the end of the fifth event.
+"Tt's quite regrettable, Ayanok6ji-kun."
+"Was trying to persuade Katsuragi a mistake?"
+"Tt was certainly safe to assume that he holds a grudge against me. It wasn't
+wrong to try and take advantage of it either. But, did you really think I'd overlook
+a weakness like that so easily?"
+Even though I couldn't see Sakayanagi, I knew that she was smiling.
+"T told him beforehand. That, if he were to betray me, I'd expel more of the
+earnest, hardworking students in our class. Despite how he looks, he cares quite
+a lot about his friends. He's not the type of person who would sacrifice those
+around him because of some selfish grudge."
+Sakayanagi had known him for much longer than I had.
+She was very familiar with his strengths and weaknesses.
+"Facing defeat after you thought you would win. This must have been quite a
+large blow to your morale. Are you worried about the final events?"
+"Who knows."
+"Katsuragi-kun wasn't on your side, but that's not the only thing that went wrong
+for you, now is it? If Koenji-kun had taken the event seriously from the
+beginning, it's possible that he could've gotten a perfect score. That is, you
+could've been able to win the match, no?"
+"That's just speculation. Having power you can't control is the same thing as not
+having power at all."
+Just like how students who lack special skills, academic ability, or physical
+prowess couldn't be counted on, students who weren't willing to take things
+seriously couldn't be either. Even though they seem different on the surface, they
+were the same. At least, that's how it was for this exam.
+Of course, our inability to persuade Koenji to take action was a problem on our
+side of things as well.
+With this, the score was two wins and three losses. Class C was standing at the
+edge of a cliff.
+"Only two more events left and the special exam will be over. It's really such a
+shame."
+I could hear Sakayanagi let out a sigh, wanting to enjoy the moment for as long
+as possible.
+"Now that it's come to this, wins, losses, all of it feels trivial."
+"Tf that's the case, then it'd be great if you'd let us win."
+"T'm afraid I cannot do that. This is a serious competition, after all."
+As Sakagami-sensei moved forward with the exam, the drawing for the sixth
+event began.
+At this point, if it drew another event suggested by Class A, we would definitely
+lose.
+8
+Class B Vs. Class D
+While Class A and Class C were still in the process of having their Math tests
+graded for their third event...
+The outcome of the fourth event in the battle between Class B and Class D had
+already been decided.
+"After tallying up the results, Class B ended with 601 points, while Class D
+ended with 409 points. Class B wins the fourth event."
+After hearing Mashima announce the results, Ichinose let out a sigh of relief.
+The event had been an academic test that Class B had suggested, so it would' ve
+been nearly impossible for them to lose.
+"Well ain't you a lucky one, Ichinose. You should be grateful we keep drawing
+Class B's events."
+".. Yeah."
+Despite having won, Ichinose was still clearly distraught, whereas the loser,
+Ryien, seemed perfectly composed.
+Moreover, this was only natural. Out of the four events that had been drawn so
+far, three of them had been suggested by Class B. However, those four events
+hadn't ended up playing out as expected, as the score was tied with two wins
+apiece between Class B and Class D. During the third event, Class B had lost at
+their own game, the Chemistry Test. Furthermore, the reason for their defeat was
+obvious.
+"Sensei... Have the students with stomach aches come back from the bathroom
+yet?"
+At Ichinose's request, Mashima got in touch with the classroom to check on the
+situation in Class B.
+"No, two of them still haven't gotten back from the bathroom yet, and it seems
+that several of the others have also started to feel unwell now."
+"Ts that so..."
+The reason why Class B had lost the Chemistry event was because a portion of
+their main fighting force had unexpectedly fallen sick.
+But, that wasn't the only reason. On the day before the exam, some of Class B's
+students had gotten into a dispute with Class D, which had also had an impact.
+Although a complaint had been made to the school, neither of the two classes
+had been penalized as it was nothing more than a verbal argument.
+These underhanded actions had undoubtedly been orchestrated by the man
+seated on the other side of the table, Rytien.
+Ichinose took a few deep breaths in order to compose herself once again.
+"Haa... It's okay, it's okay."
+They hadn't given up the lead just yet. Ichinose had lost her presence of mind
+ever since her defeat in the Chemistry event, but now she was slowly beginning
+to return to normal. While it was true that problems kept popping up one after
+another, Ryiien's actions were limited. As the commander, he wouldn't be able
+to do anything that she couldn't do also.
+Ichinose desperately tried to regain her confidence. To tell herself that, as long
+as she continued to fight hard, they wouldn't lose.
+"Oi, you teachers. Hurry up and start the fifth event already. Those chumps in
+Class B weren't even able to take care of their health on the day of the exam.
+Are you really gonna make concessions for a naive bunch like that?"
+"Mind your language, Ryien."
+Despite Chabashira's warning for his arrogant language, Rytien didn't seem to
+care.
+In fact, he even turned it up a notch.
+"T dunno if they're on the toilet or whatever, but they could totally be using this
+time to iron out their strategy. Plus, it's strange that multiple people just so
+happened to get sick all at the same time. What kind of sinister tricks are you
+playing at, Ichinose?"
+"J-I didn't..."
+Ryien drew suspicion to the fact that several people had reported feeling unwell
+at the same time.
+Even though Ichinose knew that there had been absolutely no wrongdoing on her
+part, she had no room to refute it either.
+"Either way, let's just get on with it already, aight teach'?"
+With a grin on his face, Rytien shot a look at Chabashira for confirmation.
+"Ryien is certainly right about that. Mashima-sensei, please proceed with the
+fifth event, if you would."
+Mashima began the drawing for the fifth event.
+[Karate] Required Participants: 3 - Time: 10 Minutes
+Rules: Each match will take at most 3 minutes, using a non-contact, Sundome
+Karate ruleset. The matches will adopt a "Loser Leaves, Winner Stays"
+tournament style.
+Commander Intervention: The commander may, at any point, call for one of the
+matches to be redone.
+"Sweet, it's one of our events this time. We'll take on anyone, doesn't matter
+***
+who.
+Rywen chose Suzuki Hidetoshi, Oda Takumi, and Ishizaki Daichi for his three
+participants. The rules regarding commander intervention were perfect for him
+as well, granting him the ability to call for a rematch just in case something
+unexpected were to happen and they lost one of the matches.
+On the other side, Ichinose chose Sumida Makoto, Watanabe Norihito, and
+Yonezu Haruto. Back when the opposing class's events were announced, she
+had tasked these three with practicing for the Karate event, but they pretty much
+had their hands full with just remembering the rules.
+As a result, Class B suffered two staggering back-to-back losses. Even when
+Ichinose tried to make use of her powers as the commander to call for a rematch,
+it still didn't manage to change anything.
+The fifth event had been one of the quickest and most decisive losses so far.
+At this point, Class B didn't have any more leeway. If they lost the next event,
+the sixth, they would lose the entire special exam.
+"Tt's funny, isn't it, Ichinose?"
+As they waited for the drawing to pass judgment, Ryien called out to Ichinose,
+who had gotten quieter.
+"When it was decided that you'd be going against Class D back when the special
+exam was announced, I'll bet you guys felt like you had an absolute advantage.
+But looking at you now, it's like the only thing you can do is sit there and pray
+to the heavens. Kuku."
+Ichinose's strategies were by no means naive.
+If they were competing under normal circumstances, Class B would be at 3 wins
+and 2 losses right now.
+But instead, a sudden accident happened that had thrown everything out of order.
+If they didn't draw one of their own events here, they wouldn't stand a chance.
+And then it was chosen, the sixth event.
+[Judo] Required Participants: 1 - Match Time: 4 Minutes (Up to 3 Matches
+for 12 Minutes Total)
+Rules: Standard judo rules apply.
+Commander Intervention: The commander may choose to invalidate the results
+of one match and call for a rematch.
+A one-on-one event. For Class B, the event that had been chosen was the worst
+possible outcome imaginable.
+This was the first time Ichinose had ever truly felt the sensation of being plunged
+into darkness.
+"Kukuku. Judo? Judo, eh? For THAT to get chosen out of all things. Lady luck
+ain't smiling down on you, Ichinose."
+"How 2
+"Tf the last two events had been from Class B, you wouldda still had a chance at
+winning!"
+Ryden locked in Yamada Albert without hesitation.
+Just like in the Karate event earlier, the rules regarding commander intervention
+were an ultimate insurance policy that practically guaranteed that he wouldn't
+lose.
+"Even though your opponent is Albert, don't let it get to you. The strongest guy
+doesn't always win, so ya never know until ya give it a shot."
+The result was already as clear as day. It would be extremely difficult for Class
+B to beat an opponent whose physique and skill far surpassed their own.
+It was the only event that Class B had given up on, where they wouldn't be able
+to win no matter what. Ichinose had to select a single person, and she was only
+given thirty seconds to decide who that would be. But now, Ichinose couldn't
+even make the choice to nominate someone anymore.
+The seconds ticked away mercilessly until the timer finally reached 0. As per the
+rules, a student would be chosen at random if the commander failed to make the
+choice in time, but after considering the danger of the event, Mashima passed
+the ruling immediately instead.
+"Class B loses this event by default. And, this marks the fourth win for Class D,
+making Class D the overall victor for this special exam."
+At Mashima's merciful declaration, the outcome of the battle between Class B
+and Class D had been set in stone.
+Part 1
+From here, the story turns back to the day the special exam was first announced.
+Alone, Ishizaki chased after Rytien as he headed off to eat his lunch. Class D had
+already decided on making Kaneda their commander, but they were having
+problems coming up with what events to choose.
+The reason being that nobody in Class D was capable of coming up with any
+original ideas.
+Ordinary events, ordinary rules, ordinary fighting styles.
+They were only able to come up with simple, ordinary ideas that anyone would
+be able to think of.
+If they couldn't come up with anything better, their chances of winning against
+any of the other classes were effectively non-existent.
+Submitting ten casual, ordinary events was simply the easy way out.
+In Class D, the current opinion was that they should avoid facing off against
+Class A because their abilities were just too overpowering. Similarly, they came
+to the conclusion that it might be even more crucial to avoid Class B.
+So, naturally, everyone wanted to go after the up-and-coming Class C. That is,
+everyone other than Ishizaki.
+"Uhh— could ya spare a moment, Rytien-san?"
+Despite his fear of doing so, Ishizaki checked his surroundings to make sure that
+there were no other first-year students around before he proceeded to call out to
+Ryten.
+"Hm?"
+With just a mere glance from Ryten's harsh eyes, Ishizaki froze like a frog that
+had been seen by a snake.
+But despite his body freezing up on him, his mouth still managed to speak.
+"T beg of you— please give me some of your time!!"
+"Oh, so you've gotten big enough to oppose me now, huh?"
+"N-no, that ain't it...!"
+"Kuku. Well, whatever. You're practically the leader of Class D right now."
+Ryden felt like he was only prolonging the inevitable right now. That this was
+nothing more than extra time at a school where he was going to get forced out
+eventually, so he had plenty of time to kill. The two of them began walking
+outside with Rytien in the lead.
+Even if someone were to witness the two of them, it'd probably seem like
+Ishizaki had called Rytien out or something.
+Once they made their way out of the school building and got to an area where no
+people were around, Ishizaki promptly got down on his knees.
+"Ryten-san, please... lend your strength to Class D for this special exam!"
+From the moment Ishizaki called out to him, Rytien had a solid idea of what
+Ishizaki wanted. However, he didn't say a word about it. He just looked down
+upon Ishizaki prostrated on the ground before him.
+"You're dribbling out nonsense, Ishizaki. I stepped down. I've told you that
+already. You really think I'll help you?"
+"That— I know that. But with how we are now, we hardly stand a chance against
+the other classes!"
+"Yeah probably."
+Ryiien didn't deny it either.
+After all, he had already thought about it. When it comes to sheer competitive
+potential, Class D was overwhelmingly inferior to the other classes.
+"Kaneda stepped up as the commander, so even if we lose nobody will get
+expelled... But, if we lose at this point, our class points will be all but gone!"
+"Well, that's what you get if ya lose seven events straight, eh?"
+Class D currently has 318 class points. If they lost all seven matches, they'd be
+down to 100 points total. While that was the worst-case scenario, it wasn't all
+that unlikely given the current trajectory of the class.
+"So you want me to be the commander? Who would agree to something like
+that?"
+"That's—"
+In order to get Rytien expelled, they'd have to make him the commander. And
+furthermore, they would need to lose.
+However, the class would have to suffer a huge loss just to get one person
+expelled, and nobody was very eager to make that tradeoff.
+Should their class points ever drop to 0, it'd be effectively impossible for them
+to ever reach Class A.
+Not only that. It'd be nearly impossible to live a stable life at this school
+anymore.
+Class D's optimal outcome was victory. Second to this would be to lose and
+force Rytien's expulsion.
+But no matter what, they had to avoid getting crushed and losing their only
+protection point at the same time.
+Ishizaki wanted Class D to win, but he also didn't want Ryten to get expelled.
+And, if anyone in the class could make that happen, it'd be Rytien himself.
+"',.80 what should we do? Should we go for Class C after all?"
+Under normal circumstances, Ishizaki would've been fully behind choosing
+Class C, but the problem with that was Ayanok6ji.
+Ishizaki's hesitation stemmed from the fact that he was one of the few students
+who knew the true nature of that man.
+"Don't go asking for my opinion all willy-nilly like that. Who told you I'd
+cooperate?"
+For Ishizaki, this was all or nothing, but Rytien's words made it clear he had
+been too reckless. But even so, he still wasn't going to stop prostrating himself.
+He was prepared to keep it up until the moment Ryden left.
+"You're right that Class C isn't very unified. They've got a monster like
+Ayanok6ji, but in the end, he's just one guy. You might even be tempted to think
+you'd stand a chance because it's a team competition... though, you'd be
+wrong."
+"Wha?"
+Ryiien, the very man Ishizaki thought he had no chance of convincing,
+unexpectedly decided to share his thoughts.
+"Put me as the commander and I'd avoid facing off with Class C. I dunno the
+whole process of how we choose our opponent, but that class isn't one I'd want
+to be challenging voluntarily."
+"B-but other than Ayanokoji—"
+"That's got nothing to do with it, blockhead."
+Ishizaki recoiled a bit.
+"Even though Class D is full of incompetent morons like you, we've still got the
+tools to succeed in other ways. But, Class C isn't the best option we've got
+available. No, there's only one class suitable enough to be our opponent."
+"Wh-which one is it!?"
+"Class B."
+Ryten spoke the name of the class without even looking at Ishizaki below him.
+"If you're lookin' to win this exam, Class B is your only option."
+He proposed Class B, a class that everyone in Class D had wanted to avoid.
+"Even an idiot can be useful depending on what ya do with 'em."
+With that, Ryien turned his back on Ishizaki and began to leave.
+"P-please wait! How, how could we possibly beat Class B!?"
+Ishizaki scrambled to his feet and called after him.
+"Rytien-san! Rytien-saaan!"
+But Ishizaki's cries didn't stop him from walking away.
+Part 2
+As the one accredited with overthrowing Ryien, Ishizaki's influence within
+Class D wasn't exactly low.
+However, that didn't mean that there weren't any problems.
+The one who should've been expelled during the provisional exam, Rytien, was
+still here. The class had focused their censure votes on Manabe in order to
+threaten her a little, but she ended up being expelled instead. Naturally, many
+students felt suspicious of this.
+Of course, the first question in everyone's mind was: 'Who exactly was it that
+cast such a large number of praise votes for Ryiien?'
+Had someone within Class D voted for him? Or, if it was another class, which
+one?
+A lot of theories were repeatedly being tossed around as Class D tried to reason
+out what had happened.
+Due to the high degree of anonymity of the provisional special exam, it had been
+impossible for them to figure out the exact answer.
+In reality, Class B's Ichinose had indirectly struck a deal with Ryten, offering a
+large number of praise votes in exchange for Ryiien's stockpile of private points.
+While that was what had happened, Class B would never tell that to anyone. As
+Ichinose had asked to keep it a secret, her classmates obediently followed suit.
+Class B would've listened to her either way, but in this case, it had been part of
+a strategy to prevent one of their classmates from being expelled, so everyone
+was eager to comply with her.
+Meanwhile, Class D was enveloped in paranoia.
+However, a few of them knew the truth. Ishizaki and Ibuki had taken action in
+order to prevent Ryien's expulsion, and Shiina Hiyori had collaborated with
+them.
+Given that it wouldn't be strange if everything came to a standstill at this point,
+Shiina played the very important role of making use of the advice that Ishizaki
+had received from Ryien.
+She worked diligently to ensure that her class would be matched against Class
+***
+In a private conversation with Kaneda, she subtly guided him to come to the
+conclusion that Class B was their best choice.
+However, that didn't mean the problem had been resolved.
+Shiina herself was well aware that, without any leadership, Class D's chances of
+winning would be as thin as paper if they were to face off against Class B right
+now. She knew that falling behind, even slightly, would lead to defeat.
+So that very same day, after the class matchups had been decided, Shiina
+immediately put a certain plan into action.
+"Dammit. What should we do...?"
+Inside a rented room at the Karaoke parlor, Ishizaki vented his frustration.
+"Dunno. Why exactly did you call me here again? What kinda group is this?"
+Ibuki glared at Ishizaki before proceeding to give Shiina a similarly harsh look,
+who was seated right beside him.
+"How shall we put it... This is Ishizaki-kun and his merry band of friends?"
+Ibuki slouched down in her seat as she glared at Shiina for her silly answer.
+"Haa... My head hurts."
+"As the three people who best understand the current situation, I think we'll be
+able to come up with some ideas by gathering up like this. Manjushri speaks to
+three, as they say."
+"Man Juice speaks to Thee? Heh. What's that about?"
+"You said that on purpose didn't you?"
+"Ouch! Ibuki, you bitch! Stop pinching the skin on the back of my hand like
+that!"
+"Nice and lively. I knew meeting up in a karaoke room would be a good
+decision."
+Upon seeing the interaction between Ibuki and Ishizaki, Shiina clasped her hands
+together happily. Ibuki, however, was having none of it.
+"We can't have a decent discussion with a group like this. I'm outta here."
+"Ah, that would be problematic. Rytien-kun is going to show up after this."
+"What?"
+Ishizaki and Ibuki both spoke the same thing at the same exact time.
+"Ryten-kun is absolutely essential to winning this special exam. After all, he's
+the only one who saw potential in facing Class B when everyone else wanted to
+avoid them."
+Shiina had set off one hell of an unexpected bomb.
+She didn't seem to understand the sheer weight of her own words.
+"You, what did you just say?"
+"Eh? I said that he's the only one who sa—"
+"Not that. What you said before. Who'd you say would be showing up here?"
+"Rytien-kun."
+Ibuki looked at Ishizaki. Ishizaki looked at Ibuki.
+"S-seriously? Rytien-san? Here???"
+"Yes. I've already invited him."
+"This is going to be one of the worst karaoke meetups I've ever seen... but, did
+you tell him about us?"
+"T told him you'd both be here, of course."
+"Yer tellin' me that he knows we're here and he's still gonna come...?"
+Ishizaki had already attempted to get Rytien to cooperate and got turned down,
+so it was only natural that he'd be suspicious.
+"ll ask just to make sure, but what time did that guy say he'd get here?"
+"A o'clock."
+". Huh?"
+Ibuki took a look at the clock on the wall.
+The time was just past 5:05 PM.
+"Tt looks like he's just a tiny bit late."
+"It's been more than half an hour! That's not called being late! That's called
+being ignored!"
+"Calm down and help yourself to some of this melon soda. Let's just be patient,
+shall we?"
+Ibuki completely disregarded the can of melon soda Shiina offered her.
+"T don't have the time for this..."
+As Ibuki was about to get up, Ishizaki stopped her.
+"['m gonna wait. Ryiien-san will definitely come... maybe..."
+"Are you retarded? No way in hell that guy's gonna keep his word."
+In fact, he was already substantially late. Unwilling to get involved in this, Ibuki
+spat out a superficial apology and began to walk for the door.
+But this time, a slender, white hand reached out and grabbed Ibuki by the arm.
+"Let's wait, Ibuki-san. He may not seem like it, but Rytien-kun is an earnest
+person, wouldn't you agree?"
+"',. You... What do you know about him?"
+"T don't know very much. Honestly, I've only ever spoken to him a few times."
+"Then why?"
+"T've just got a feeling that he is."
+"So it's baseless. How sweet."
+"You could say that."
+Shiina responded with a pure, harmless smile that Ibuki found herself getting
+caught up in.
+"Besides, I'm having tons of fun spending time with you two. Won't you stay?"
+"~. Idiot."
+Ibuki sat back down, exasperated.
+"If he doesn't show up soon, I'm out of here, alright?"
+"Alright~"
+Part 3
+"T can't take it anymore! I'm at my limit!"
+Although Ibuki had been more than patient, the time was now just past 8 PM.
+She was beyond irritated. The word 'late' hardly even applied anymore; This
+could only be described as being stood up.
+"Oho. You say that, but haven't you only sung like 10 songs?"
+"You still haven't hit your limit yet, Ibuki-san!"
+"T went past my limit a long time ago! I'm sick of this!"
+"Then let's do our best to try and surpass your limits altogether!"
+"Tm not joking around here!"
+"Jeeze, yer pissy... Aren't you tired of being angry all the time?"
+"One look at your ugly mug would make anyone a million percent more tired."
+Ishizaki reached out to try and stop Ibuki, but she shook him off and began to
+leave.
+However, just as she reached for the door handle, the door opened all on its own.
+"The hell? Did you guys seriously wait here thinking I'd show up eventually?"
+A man, Ryien, entered the room with a grin on his face. As if by impulse,
+Ishizaki and Ibuki froze up entirely.
+They never thought that he'd actually come.
+"You're late, Rytien-kun."
+"You say that, but it looks like you're enjoying yourself."
+"Yes. I've never been to karaoke before. I'm having a great time."
+"Then Ill get out of your hair. Make sure you enjoy yourself, Ibuki. Sorry for
+bothering you all."
+Ryden sneered as he tried to close the door behind him, but Ibuki stopped him.
+"ll kick your ass if you leave me here in karaoke hell any longer."
+"Kuku. How scary."
+Ryden was then pulled into the room by Ibuki and had Ishizaki order him some
+sparkling water.
+Then, he sat down and began to play with his phone without saying anything.
+"7.802"
+Ibuki questioned him, urging him to speak.
+"So? What do you mean?"
+"You kept us waiting for this long and you're not even gonna say anything?"
+"T just came by to see if you guys were still wasting your time waiting here for
+***
+me.
+He took a sip of the sparkling water Ishizaki had ordered for him.
+"That's all there is to it."
+"Shiina's forced me to stay here for hours now. I've run out of patience."
+"Ain't my fault."
+"Of course it is!"
+Pounding her fists on the table, Ibuki scowled at Rytien.
+"O-oi, calm down Ibuki. Snapping at Rytien-san won't do ya any good."
+"For crying out loud, how long are you gonna just sit there and wag your tail for
+him?"
+"How long? I... P've already decided to follow Ryien-san."
+"You shameless mutt. You hated being his lackey at first."
+"D-don't go saying unnecessary shit like that!"
+While the two of them were busy going at each other, Shiina was focused on
+selecting a new song.
+"We ended up throwing away our right to choose our opponent because this idiot
+got caught up in your smooth talk."
+"Sure seems like it."
+Ishizaki curled back. If they had gone with the class consensus, they would've
+chosen Class C. It was the one class they thought they'd have a chance of
+defeating.
+However, Ishizaki's actions had changed things, and they didn't have the
+slightest clue about how they would win.
+"This buffoon listens to anything that comes out of your mouth. That means
+you're also partially responsible for saying it."
+"Kuku, I can't blame ya. I said something stupid too."
+With a smile, Ryien began to open up.
+"Do you remember what I did to Class B back at the start of the year?"
+".,.If 1 recall correctly, you tried to get them to split up, yes?"
+At Ryiien's instruction, he had started a dispute with Class B where he tried to
+get them to have a falling out.
+To check the potential of each class, he had intentionally sparked a fire.
+It had happened around the time back when Sudo had gotten into a brawl and
+when he had secretly made contact with Katsuragi.
+"Remember what the result was?"
+"Tt didn't have any effect. Class B became very unified quite quickly. Right?"
+"Yep. Those guys've got more cohesion and unity than any other class."
+"Isn't that why we should've avoided going up against Class B in a team
+competition like this?"
+"T agree with Ibuki. It'll be difficult to go against Ichinose and her army of
+admirers."
+Ibuki and Ishizaki both shared the collective opinion of Class D.
+"Shiina, what's your take on Class B?"
+"Let's see... As Ibuki-san and Ishizaki-kun have said, Class B is indeed strong.
+All of their abilities are above average as well. It's quite enviable that they are
+so very harmonious with one another, but... you could say that's all they really
+have going for them. They have no particular threats, they're just a close-knit
+class."
+After Shiina finished giving her analysis, Ibuki quietly commented.
+"You've got such a gentle face, but your words are almost heartless."
+After hearing everyone's opinions, Ryiien gave his own evaluation of Class B.
+"Tf you ask me, their biggest flaw is Ichinose... Scratch that, it's their lack of a
+leader."
+"H-hold up. I don't understand what you mean. Ichinose is their leader, isn't
+she?"
+"Between Ichinose and Kanzaki, neither of them are natural-born leaders.
+They're the type of people who're better suited to support a leader. Instead of
+placing someone like her in charge, they'd be way better off with people like
+Suzune or Katsuragi. This is the reason why our rotten Class D stands a chance
+at winning."
+"But the fact that it's an incompatible matchup still hasn't changed, right? Class
+D is below average at almost everything, so in that sense, you could even say
+that they're the worst possible opponent for us right now."
+"Td say we've got pretty low chances no matter who we fight against."
+",.D-do we really suck that much?"
+While Ishizaki was completely stunned, neither Rytien nor Shiina were very
+affected by his reaction.
+" B ut' '
+Ryden picked up his empty glass of sparkling water and looked at Ibuki and the
+others through it.
+"With a bit of trickery, our low chances'll be closer to 50%. And depending on
+the situation, it might shoot up even higher than that."
+Rydten took out a sheet of folded paper and handed it over to Shiina.
+Written on it were the names of ten different events, five of which had been
+marked as favorites for the events they'd actually be choosing.
+As Shiina read through it, Ibuki and Ishizaki both leaned in from the side to take
+a peek as well.
+"When the day comes, we'll smash this exam."
+"Wait a second, these are all-"
+"That's right. Those events are all based entirely around forcing your opponents
+to surrender through brute force."
+Ten physically demanding events, including Karate, Judo, Taekwondo, Kendo,
+and Wrestling.
+"Hold on. It's true that, uh, there are several people in our class who can hold
+their own like me, Albert, Komiya, and Kondo. Ibuki too... but some of the
+others can't."
+Ishizaki was saying that, even if the stronger students could pick up the win in
+one or two events, there was no way of telling how the rest of the events would
+play out.
+"Yeah. Class B's got plenty of athletic people of their own. It'd be different if
+we could get them to compete one-on-one, but doesn't the rule involving the
+required number of participants kinda get in the way of that?"
+Tbuki shared Ishizaki's uncertainty. Even if they were to leave everything to the
+luck of the draw, there was no guarantee that they'd win all of them. However,
+Ryten responded flatly.
+"So what?"
+"Eh?"
+"Don't get so caught up with shit like participant numbers. It doesn't matter."
+While Ishizaki was having a hard time trying to grasp Rytien's intentions, Shiina
+caught on immediately.
+"T see, so that's how we should look at it? It doesn't matter how many
+participants an event might have, it all depends on the rules. If we make use of
+tournament-style knock-out rules, we can win with only one person."
+"Exactly. Let's say we did a ten-on-ten Judo event. Just having Albert would be
+more than enough."
+"But... would the school even allow that? Tournament-style knock-out rules?"
+"Tt'd prolly be impossible to use knock-out rules in a written test or some sort of
+ball game. But in sports like Karate and Judo, tournament-style rulesets are fairly
+standard. They wouldn't be able to say they're unacceptable. For events like
+Karate, it should be fine as long as we use the non-contact Sundome ruleset in
+order to tone down the danger. Even if the school rejects one or two of 'em for
+being too dangerous, it should be fine if we can somehow get at least five through
+the process."
+"We can do it! With this, we can really do it Rytien-san!"
+Having finally put together all the pieces, a glimmer of hope flashed across
+Ishizaki's eyes. However, Ibuki still had her doubts.
+"With this, it's true that we'll be able to win our own events, but... what if we
+don't get lucky? What if more of Class B's events end up getting drawn?"
+"There's a 50% chance, can't you just be happy with that?"
+"...If I'm gonna cooperate with you, I'm gonna have to demand that you secure
+the win."
+"Kuku, of course. I've got a plan."
+Based on raw ability, Class D was in no position to even think about winning the
+events Class B would propose right now.
+Ryien was saying that they needed to come up with another method to shorten
+the gap.
+"—What do you want us to do?"
+Little by little, Ibuki began to understand the situation.
+"Sin to win."
+Ryien smiled.
+"Youll be picking on some of those Class B guys day in and day out from now
+until the exam. At first, all you've gotta do is follow 'em around. They' II notice
+what we're doing sooner or later."
+"The heck? You really saying something tiny like that is gonna stress them out?"
+"Class B is probably gonna laugh at us, calling our actions childish. As long as
+we don't actually do them any harm, they'll just choose to drop it. That's the
+type of person Ichinose is. In the end, she won't even notice what we're doing."
+".,.What we're doing?"
+"Either way, that's just the plan for the first week. Once their ten events get
+announced, we'll start cranking up the heat. Any petty little thing' Il do. Taking
+their seats in the cafeteria, glaring 'em down, accusing them of being loud.
+Anything goes, really, just don't go overboard. You guys know the perfect
+people to do this, right?"
+Ryiien was saying that they should include the people who can hold their own in
+fights like Ishizaki.
+"Does... Does that mean you want me to get into fights with them?"
+"Our goal is just to interact with them more. Don't even think of threatening or
+fighting them at this point. We'll save that as a trump card we can pull on them
+at the very end."
+It was necessary to keep everything they did as vague and abstract as possible.
+If they went about creating a bunch of one-sided problems, there'd be no way of
+preventing the school from intervening.
+"The most important part of all of this is information. Throughout all our
+interactions with 'em, we'll steal their intel and get a head start on figuring out
+which events they're gonna choose on exam day. It's natural that they' Il come
+to some sort of consensus on their 5 events from pretty early on. Then some
+dumbass' II discuss these events over email or group chat. It's the same kinda shit
+you guys'll be doing in Class D, right?"
+"Y-yes. We've also tried to find a good time to discuss which events we'd be
+going with."
+"There you go. Even if their lips are sealed, their phones will be left defenseless.
+After all, they probably think there's no way somebody would snoop through
+them without permission. And, their policy will become more solidified as the
+exam approaches. We may even be able to find out who'll be participating in
+each event."
+"That's easy to say and all, but... is it actually going to go that smoothly?"
+"We won't be relying on luck, I'll be guiding you guys through the specific
+details. The groundwork for all of this is the shit we start with them tomorrow.
+Besides, we'll also be taking some other measures aside from just stealing info
+from 'em. Like using this."
+"What the... is that a laxative?"
+"This is a slow-acting laxative that begins to take effect after 48 hours. If we can
+trick some of 'em into taking one of these, one or two of 'em might not be feelin'
+that good on exam day, eh?"
+"Y-you. This type of crap is against the rules! What if it gets exposed!?"
+"Who gives a shit?"
+ole a "
+"You really think I'm the type of person who cares about something like that?"
+"Haa... Right, I remember now. That you were the type of guy who'd do
+anything to win."
+"Tf something happens then I'II take full responsibility. Simple as that."
+Regardless of whatever penalty the school might impose on him, Rytien wasn't
+concerned in the slightest.
+Even if the class ends up taking damage for it, they would still suffer a crushing
+defeat anyway.
+"You only came up with this cuz you've already given up on being here
+before..."
+"Earlier, when you said we'd save fighting as a trump card for later, did that
+mean you'd be willing to use force if things took a turn for the worse?"
+"Yeah. It's fairly typical for fights to break out amongst brats over petty random
+shit. It also wouldn't be that bad if some of the people they're planning to use in
+their events got into a fight with some of our incompetent classmates. That way,
+we'd prolly have an advantage on exam day, right?"
+Now that he had set his mind on it, Rytien definitely wouldn't be easing up on
+Class B.
+"Pll become the commander on the day of the exam. It'l] be important to make
+Ichinose lose her cool as well."
+"You're brutal..."
+"Tl take that as a compliment. Let's give 'em a taste of what Class D's capable
+of, aight?"
+"Y-yesh!!!"
+"What kind of noises are you making?"
+Ibuki let out a sigh, exhausted by the outrageous mess this had all turned into.
+And yet, she found that she didn't hate it for some reason, a feeling that disgusted
+her.
+"But... Why are you doing this, Ryien-san? It's not just because you pitied us,
+right?"
+"Hm, why indeed?"
+Rytien leaned back on the couch and shut his eyes. He had no lingering
+attachments to this school. At least, that was the case at first, but now that he was
+here, something in him had started to change a little.
+Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Ever since he lost to that man, he felt frustrated with the
+idea of leaving the school. By becoming the commander and forcing himself into
+a situation where he couldn't look back, he was looking to confirm whether or
+not this frustration meant he wanted a rematch with Ayanok6ji. Ifhe really didn't
+have any lingering attachments, he could just select people at random for the
+events and lose the exam on purpose.
+But... if he still had regrets... if he felt a true, growing desire to face AyanokOji
+again, he would find a way to survive. He wanted to know for sure which option
+he'd choose.
+***
+The sixth event was Archery, Class C's two-on-two event, and we had managed
+to secure the win thanks to Akito's strenuous efforts. Thus, the score evened out
+at three wins and three losses each.
+During the event, Sakayanagi didn't say very much. Instead, she just quietly
+watched as it took its course.
+It was as if she had wanted the score to tie at three to three like this.
+Up next was the long-awaited final seventh event.
+And, as a mischievous twist of fate, the result of the drawing was...
+[Chess] Required Participants: 1 + Initial Time Allotted Per Person: 1 Hour
+(Running out of Time will Result in a Loss)
+Rules: Standard chess rules apply. However, your allotted time will not increase
+before each move, even after the 40th turn.
+Commander Intervention: At any given time, the commander may give
+instructions to the participating player for a maximum of 30 minutes. Any time
+spent giving instructions will also use the corresponding participant's allotted
+time.
+There was no rule requiring that time would be added at the start of each turn,
+such as the Fischer Rule.
+This was probably a countermeasure meant to reign in the overall match time.
+It's fairly common for a typical chess match to take more than two hours, but
+they had probably set the time limit to one hour per person for the same reason.
+"We'll be facing off in the seventh event with three wins apiece, and I couldn't
+be happier. Furthermore, for this event to be our finale... It seems good things
+really do come to those who wait after all."
+Sakayanagi was probably looking to intervene at the peak of the match and
+provide her ally with instructions.
+In fact, we were both probably going to have to intervene at roughly the same
+time.
+Given the rules on commander intervention, it didn't seem like I'd be able to
+beat Sakayanagi without taking the match seriously.
+"For us to have driven Class A all the way to the seventh event, isn't that a bit
+of a miscalculation on your part?"
+"Yes. I suppose I must admit that you've pressured us quite well in the athletic
+events."
+Sakayanagi spoke generally, reflecting on the six events that happened so far.
+"Nevertheless, this seventh event is a little different. This battle will largely
+depend on the true abilities of the commander."
+"T'?m sorry to inform you, but I happen to be very good at chess."
+From this point onward, Sakagami-sensei and Hoshinomiya-sensei would be
+observing our battle.
+It was probably for the best to take a few precautions, just in case.
+"My goodness... what a coincidence! Then it seems that my choice of chess may
+have been a mistake."
+But before anything else, there was the warm-up match. The event would start
+with a face-off between the students each of us had prepared.
+I chose Horikita Suzune from the list of students who hadn't participated in any
+events yet.
+Whereas the student Sakayanagi chose was none other than Hashimoto
+Masayoshi.
+"So Horikita-san takes the stage after all? Even though she's an honors student,
+you hadn't used her because you wanted to hold onto her until the final event,
+isn't that right?"
+"There's no reason for me to hold onto my trump card anymore."
+Our selections were communicated to each of the classes, notifying them to get
+moving for the start of the event.
+"Would either of you like to get a drink of water?"
+Hoshinomiya-sensei asked, worried about the two of us since we hadn't gotten
+up from our seats since the exam began.
+"Thank you for your concern, but there's no need to worry."
+"T'm fine as well."
+"Ts that so? Well, that's good, then..."
+Hoshinomiya-sensei sighed in a way that highlighted her discomfort. She didn't
+seem to like the tense, strained atmosphere of the room.
+"Tt seems that they're ready. So, we will now begin the seventh event."
+At Sakagami-sensei's direction, Sakayanagi and I put a stop to our idle chatting.
+The stage they had prepared seemed to be the corner of one of the lecture halls.
+There, a lone chessboard had been set up.
+[Please, go ahead. ]
+Horikita and Hashimoto both slowly bowed to one another.
+At last, the final battle began.
+Part 1
+There is a chessboard in front of me, and I didn't even know the rules for it until
+about a week ago.
+And right here, right now, I'm touching actual chess pieces for the first time in
+my life.
+Throughout my specialized training with him over the computer, I had come to
+understand the depth and fun of chess.
+If my opponent was Ayanokoji-kun or Sakayanagi-san, I'm sure I wouldn't stand
+a chance at all.
+However, the man standing across the table from me is neither of those two.
+Of course, I don't know just how skilled Hashimoto-kun is.
+But, it's quite hard to imagine him being stronger than either of them.
+"Good luck, Horikita."
+Like that, my opponent casually called out to me.
+From what I've heard, even the people in Class A think he's a scoundrel.
+"What's with the scary look? Don't you want to enjoy this situation a little
+more?"
+"A Class A student like you, who's spent this past year at the top, wouldn't be
+able to understand just how meaningful this match is for us in Class C."
+"Tt'd suck for us to pay out a bunch of class points if we lose, just like you guys."
+The class that wins this chess match would earn 130 class points.
+This was a truly monumental battle that would decide whether or not we could
+earn these points and graduate the first year.
+"By the way, do you remember my name?"
+"T've never spoken to you before, but it's Hashimoto-kun, isn't it?"
+"Tm flattered you know. After all, you, Class C's Horikita, are a bit of a
+celebrity. I first heard of you back when you foiled Rytien's plans during the
+Deserted Island Special Exam."
+I didn't do anything back then. It had all been a part of the strategy Ayanokoji-
+kun had orchestrated behind the scenes.
+No... It probably wasn't even something he would call a strategy.
+"T've only been playing chess for a few months now. Go easy on me, aight?"
+"Unfortunately, I've only been playing for a week."
+"Really...?"
+Even though we had yet to move any of the pieces, the battle had already begun.
+There could be a mixture of truth and lies concealed within anything we say here.
+Our history with chess was only one example of that.
+This was a battle to keep one another in check and find cracks in each other's
+mentality.
+This exam was very lenient when it came to small talk among the participants.
+The only exception to this was with written tests where the answers might be
+spoken out loud. As the commanders, Ayanok6ji-kun and Sakayanagi-san had
+most likely had many battles like this with one another by now.
+And now that it was a three-to-three tie, it all depended on this seventh event.
+This was all thanks to Hirata-kun's return to action, Sud6-kun keeping his cool,
+and the collective efforts of a truly great number of people.
+Koenji-kun's lack of action in the Flash Mental Arithmetic event was the only
+thing that I needed to reflect on, but that could be left for another day.
+I absolutely can't afford to waste the chance I have in front of me.
+I recalled the arrogant, shocking words Ayanok6ji-kun left me with before the
+exam this morning.
+[Nobody is stronger than me, even when I'm going easy on them. Remember
+that. ]
+As infuriating as it was to hear him say those words, oddly enough, they now
+felt incredibly reliable.
+If Hashimoto-kun really is no match for him, then I have a chance to win too.
+I don't know why, but it doesn't feel like I'm going to lose.
+From even before the match began, all I could think about was how it felt like I
+had already secured the upper hand.
+"Alright then, we will now begin the seventh event, chess. Please take your
+seats."
+Following the teacher's instructions, I sat down.
+The smile on Hashimoto-kun's face didn't waver, but his eyes weren't smiling
+at all.
+There was a direct connection between the outcome of this match and the fate of
+the two classes.
+It seems that Hashimoto-kun has grasped the gravity of the situation as well.
+"Welp, let's get started."
+With that, Hashimoto-kun picked up two pawns, one black, one white.
+"You know how to decide who goes first, yeah?"
+"Yes."
+At my confirmation, Hashimoto-kun hid the two pieces in each hand and held
+them out to me, prompting me to choose.
+"Left."
+Hashimoto-kun opened his left palm, revealing the white pawn.
+In other words, I had the first-move advantage.
+"I'm excited to see what your first move will be."
+"T'm not sure if it'1l meet your expectations."
+I picked up a pawn. As the first time I had ever physically touched a chess piece,
+it felt nice and cold.
+And just like that, the seventh event, a battle between Hashimoto-kun and
+myself, officially began.
+My first move— Pawn to E4.
+As the first piece moved upon the chessboard, the smile on Hashimoto-kun's
+face faded away.
+And then, he made his responding move, Pawn to ES.
+I quickly went to move my knight, aiming to take his black pawn.
+Throughout all the matches I've played against Ayanokoji-kun, this was the
+methodology I had the most confidence in.
+In order to protect the black pawn, your opponent would have to play reactively,
+allowing you to take control of the flow of the match.
+"T've learned a lot from Sakayanagi myself. Did you really think I'm just gonna
+let you put black at a disadvantage right from the start?"
+From the opening, we each made our moves without thinking too extensively
+about them.
+I had one hour, but because Ayanokoji-kun was going to be using 30 minutes of
+that, I really only had 30 minutes.
+I couldn't afford to waste my time overanalyzing the opening moves.
+As the match went on, I noticed something. That is, he seemed to be refusing to
+play defensively.
+I had no idea who had taught him to play like this, as the moves he was making
+didn't follow any of the standard strategies.
+In fact, he was making one offensive move after another.
+"T've got quite the twisted playstyle, don't I?"
+"Indeed. Did you perhaps learn it from your teacher?"
+"Yeah. Sakayanagi also plays just like I do. I guess you could say it just clicked
+for me the most when she was teaching me? Your style seems kinda steady
+compared to mine... Are you self-taught?"
+He's probing me for something. What exactly was he looking to get from my
+response?
+"T've been whole-heartedly devoted to chess for the past week, everything else
+was pushed aside."
+"Oh really now...? Sounds like you were pretty confident that chess would get
+chosen, huh?"
+"You're free to think whatever you like."
+With each move, the pieces on the board went through a myriad of changes.
+He would frequently surround my pieces, and at a glance, it may look as though
+he was driving me into a corner.
+However, every move I made was meant to slowly encroach upon him.
+"Have you really only played one week?"
+"You sure love to talk."
+"T think talking is one of my strong points."
+As long as it isn't inappropriate, he's completely free to say whatever he wants.
+I don't have the right to stop him.
+"That's right, just one week. But, I can't deny it's possible that I may be lying."
+"Tf you've really only been playing for a week like you say, then I don't believe
+that you learned through self-teaching at all. I can only imagine that you've been
+thoroughly trained by some confident chess player just like our princess, eh?"
+"T wonder. I wouldn't tell you either way."
+I'm not going to give him any unnecessary information if I can help it.
+"Well, that's fine. More importantly, can I ask you some stuff about Ayanokoji?"
+That's fine? From the look of it, he never cared about how experienced I was or
+whether or not I had a teacher in the first place.
+Based on the way he's talking, it seems like his true goal is to find out more
+about Ayanokoji-kun.
+So... Even Hashimoto-kun has started to notice him.
+"What do you want to know?"
+"Ever since the deserted island exam, I've been wondering if Ayanok6ji was the
+one really controlling everything from behind the scenes. What do you think?"
+He's trying to shake me up emotionally.
+This is also probably one of the reasons why he was chosen to play against me.
+"What makes you think that?"
+"Just a hunch. Answer the question, Horikita."
+"What's there to answer? I don't even know what you're talking about."
+"Ts that so? You seem fairly shaken to me, though."
+"When I found out you were my opponent, I already predicted you'd be trying
+to mess with me like this."
+".,.Oh really?"
+"No matter what kind of tricks you try to pull, you won't get through to me."
+With that, I used my bishop to check Hashimoto-kun's king.
+Hashimoto's smile once again disappeared for a moment.
+"T wonder if you still have the time to keep prattling like this?"
+Now, after quietly biding my time for so long, I'll begin launching my
+counterattack.
+"Things are getting interesting..."
+And just like that, the match began to lean in my favor.
+He's by no means an easy opponent, but each and every move he makes are well
+within my expectations.
+Before we were even 10 minutes into the game, his hand stopped.
+For the first time, he had to sit and think about what move he would make. That
+cocksure look he would give me from time to time was nowhere to be seen.
+"Aaah, you're a tough one, Horikita. It's totally unexpected given that cute face
+of yours."
+"Despite your appearance, you also seem to be quite skilled yourself."
+"No need to butter me up, now. There's always a bigger fish out there."
+If this match continues like this, my victory will be all but guaranteed. That's the
+direction this is headed in.
+There's no way that the player within Hashimoto-kun hasn't noticed this as well.
+However- there's no way that this match will end so simply like that.
+Part 2
+The confrontation between the two was broadcast on the large monitor.
+Hashimoto was constantly on the offensive during the opening of the match, but
+Horikita handled it calmly.
+She kept her composure, avoiding situations where one would reflexively try to
+sacrifice a piece in order to defend themselves.
+And as the game steadily progressed, she had gained the upper hand.
+They were just about to reach the mid-game, but Horikita's victory was gradually
+beginning to take shape.
+Yes, Horikita held the advantage. It was a display of skill that far surpassed what
+she had shown during our training sessions.
+"Tt's an interesting game. I'd love to see it through until the end."
+Sakayanagi spoke as an observer, without so much as a hint of urgency in her
+voice.
+"T agree. Let's just see it through until the end then."
+"Fufu, although I'd like to allow it... I sadly cannot let that happen. It's not that
+I don't have faith in Hashimoto-kun, but Horikita-san just seems rather
+composed. Those verbal skills he specializes in don't seem to be having much
+of an effect on her."
+The time had come. A notification popped up on my screen informing me that
+Sakayanagi had opted to intervene in the match.
+She must've come to the conclusion that Hashimoto would lose if she waited
+any longer.
+Having to intervene so early in the match was also probably an unexpected
+situation for her.
+Regardless, her decision to intervene was the right one.
+If she had postponed it for even a few more minutes, Hashimoto would've been
+put in a position where the match would've already been decided.
+That was just how terrifyingly strong Horikita was right now.
+I felt tempted to sit and watch how things would play out for a little longer. I
+wanted to see just how much she had grown.
+I was curious to see what kind of moves Horikita would make in a match against
+Sakayanagi.
+"Aren't you going to enter the match, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"We would probably have a higher chance of winning if I left it to Horikita
+instead of letting me mess things up."
+"T see. Then, I suppose it's fine if I turn the tides in our favor?"
+With that, she typed something with her keyboard. And then, Hashimoto, who
+had been stuck in consideration, sprung back to life like a fish that had found
+water.
+The commander's 30-minute countdown timer would pause from the moment
+they pressed enter. Apparently, the time lag between transmissions was also
+taken into account. Then, from the moment the opponent makes their next move,
+the countdown would begin once again.
+Horikita versus Sakayanagi. I was earnestly hoping that the two of them were
+evenly matched.
+If they were, Horikita may be able to hold onto her advantage until the very end.
+But, I didn't think it would turn out that way. Sakayanagi had entered the match
+with absolute confidence. Based on the recent flow of events, it was clear that
+the exceptionally skilled move that Sakayanagi had given Hashimoto had left
+Horikita anxious.
+So, she had to think. She had to consider how she would fight when her opponent
+had changed to someone much stronger than her.
+And, she had to be resolute. She had to make use of the time she had saved during
+the opening of the match and make her move.
+"Maybe I didn't give her enough of a handicap."
+Each time Horikita made a move, it always took Sakayanagi less than five
+seconds to respond.
+She would immediately respond with calculated moves that honed in on
+Horikita's weak points.
+The opportunity Horikita had made for herself had vanished in the blink of an
+eye.
+At this point, she was left with only the tiniest advantage. Horikita's hand
+stopped.
+Though she was just a beginner, she probably felt the despair that came with
+being matched against an opponent whose power was far beyond her reach.
+She was being closed in on, driven into a corner with no place to go.
+Two, three minutes passed. There was simply nothing Horikita could do
+anymore.
+This was the line. The dividing line that separated the winner from the loser.
+Horikita couldn't deal with the pressure, so I chose to pick up the baton and
+signaled that I'd begin with my intervention.
+Through the power of text to speech, this signal was sent to Horikita through her
+headset.
+For a moment, Horikita looked up at the camera. She nodded, entrusting the rest
+of the thinking to me.
+This wouldn't be a battle between Horikita and Sakayanagi anymore.
+Instead, it was a one-on-one fight between Sakayanagi and myself.
+"At long last... our match can truly begin."
+"T guess so."
+Even though I only had 30 minutes, that was more than enough to see this
+through to the end.
+Sakayanagi and I continued our conversation while our hands tirelessly moved
+upon our keyboards.
+Each move we made took anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds. And each time I
+pressed the enter key to send our instructions, the countdown timer would stop
+decreasing.
+Having watched how the match had progressed so far, I could glean a rough idea
+of how it was going to play out.
+Without pause, our pieces ran free upon the surface of the chessboard.
+[Oioi! What kinda otherworldly play style are you guys using here...!?]
+Through the large monitor, I could hear the sound of Hashimoto's voice calling
+out as he followed an instruction he had just been sent.
+[Our match sure seems pathetic in comparison. ..]
+[... You can say that again.]
+Their shock was understandable. It was the difference between them and us, the
+difference between amateur and professional. To them, it may not even be clear
+which side had the advantage by looking at the board.
+No... It went even further than that... It was something I was forced to
+understand when I first started playing the game.
+I gasped.
+Sakayanagi's skills were so profound that I couldn't help but want to show my
+respect.
+I wouldn't even be remotely surprised if she were to make a name for herself in
+the world of chess in the future.
+As a child, I learned how to play chess in the White Room.
+I had played against a great number of so-called professional instructors, but she
+was better than all of them.
+"So what do you think, Ayanokoji-kun? Have my moves managed to reach your
+heart?"
+"Yeah. Painfully so."
+Even after the match went past the halfway point, instead of opening the gap
+between us and spreading my tiny lead, it took the full extent of my ability to
+prevent her from closing in on me.
+If I made even one single mistake, she would probably break through all at once.
+"No need to worry. After all, Ayanokoji-kun would never make a careless
+mistake."
+"Tf that's the case, I wouldn't mind if you gave up."
+"That's a rather unreasonable proposal. If you don't make a mistake, I'Il just
+have to use my strength to surpass you and break through from the front."
+At some point, Horikita and Hashimoto had been left speechless. They were
+nothing more than the medium for our hands to move the pieces on the board.
+Eventually, during the second half of the match, Sakayanagi's hand stopped.
+Under more normal circumstances, I already knew what move Sakayanagi would
+make next.
+But— she mysteriously became lost in thought instead.
+Because our battle had been so fast-paced up until this point, Hashimoto was
+clearly shaken by what was happening.
+Although he didn't say anything, he may have sensed that she was in trouble.
+After a few minutes of silence, she made her move, and the move she came up
+with was a powerful one.
+I hadn't made a mistake, and I also wasn't going to give her the opportunity to
+take the advantage away from me.
+However—
+My hand was the one that stopped this time.
+"Ah, what a delightful match this has been! I don't care about the spectators
+anymore. Right now, I just want this to be one that I'1] remember for the rest of
+my life!"
+I didn't know how familiar with chess Hoshinomiya-sensei and Sakagami-sensei
+were.
+That being said, the two of them were probably able to sense just how
+extraordinary this battle truly was.
+One, two minutes passed. Time flew by without stopping.
+All of the time I had saved up was slowly ticking itself away.
+[What... What are you doing, Ayanokoji-kun?]
+Through the large monitor, I could hear Horikita's uncertain voice as she sat and
+waited for my instructions.
+[You've only got around five minutes left...!]
+Of course, I was well aware of how much time I had.
+This was a complex chess game, an amalgamation of the thoughts of four
+different people all on one chessboard.
+There was no doubt that we, the once-dominant side, were now on completely
+even ground.
+My next move would mean the difference between life and death.
+No matter how much time I took reading into what move to make, it would still
+be worth it.
+"You're not somebody who'd let something on this level stop you, right
+Ayanokoji-kun? Please show me what you've got."
+Instead of winning, Sakayanagi was only interested in drawing out the full extent
+of my potential.
+For her, if it meant that she could enjoy herself, it didn't matter who won the
+exam.
+There were less than three minutes left. I was forced to wipe my slate clean, to
+completely give up on the path to the end of the game that I had initially
+envisioned.
+And then, I had to build a new path. One that would lead me to victory.
+Just before the two-minute mark, I typed something into my keyboard and sent
+my instruction to Horikita.
+As if she had been waiting for this moment, Horikita started moving one again.
+The piece flew across the surface of the board, and for the second time,
+Hashimoto grew anxious.
+Contrary to how the match had been progressing earlier, Sakayanagi's moves
+began to take longer.
+Her first response took 30 seconds, as did the next. And the move after that took
+her a full minute.
+I, on the other hand, was responding to her moves within one or two seconds
+each.
+The two of us were now walking down a path that would lead to my victory.
+The endgame was approaching. The outcome would be decided soon.
+With my next move, checkmate would be all but certain.
+She still had moves she could make to escape it, but those were few in number.
+If she messed up, she would lose her last way out.
+"Splendid..."
+Sakayanagi spoke words of praise.
+A minute passed, then two, then three. For the second time, Sakayanagi was lost
+in thought.
+Her time was running out. Every precious second was slowly being stripped
+away.
+Sakayanagi had been talking to me not too long ago, but now she had gone quiet.
+[Oi oi oi! ]
+Hashimoto began shouting. Her remaining time ran down to two minutes, and
+then finally fell below my own.
+If she ran out of time, she would have no choice but to entrust the rest of the
+match to Hashimoto, which would essentially ensure her defeat.
+[Sakayanagi! Are we really gonna lose like this!?]
+Hashimoto probably wouldn't be able to come up with a way to escape.
+Sakayanagi only had less than a minute left now.
+"Truly, truly splendid, Ayanokoji-kun. You've given me more than I could've
+ever asked for."
+As her time dwindled away, Sakayanagi sang me praises once again.
+"Thanks to you, I've experienced firsthand what it's really like to break out in a
+cold sweat. You were quite the formidable opponent."
+Just as she finished talking, Sakayanagi then added a few more words.
+"—This is the end."
+Sakayanagi muttered these words of defeat, but of course, Hashimoto wasn't
+able to hear her.
+The commander did not have the authority to end the game.
+When our time was up, it would be up to the player at the chessboard to admit
+their defeat.
+Alternatively, Hashimoto could also continue playing until the final checkmate.
+Either way, the match was over from the moment Sakayanagi expressed her
+willingness to admit defeat.
+"Tt was a fun match. It really is quite regrettable that it has to end."
+She had less than 40 seconds. Her voice was calm, and as she spoke, I could hear
+the sound of her typing something into her keyboard.
+Instead of acknowledging her surrender, her words were instead meant to
+highlight the confidence she had in the ferocious move she had come up with.
+[...Atta girl, princess! ]
+It was a comeback from the brink of death by Hashimoto, or rather... by
+Sakayanagi, the one who was standing behind him.
+Upon seeing the move she had responded with, I was struck by the sensation of
+shivers flowing down my spine.
+She had brought the black side back from the dead, alive and breathing once
+again.
+Over the course of the next two to three moves, it felt as though the match had
+deviated from my path.
+And then— before I knew it, I found that I had been cornered.
+I had been lured into walking down her own path without even realizing it.
+Throughout the merciless back and forth of advantages, the time came for me to
+fall into silence once again.
+Now, with less than a minute and a half to go on my own timer, I found myself
+facing my biggest hurdle yet.
+As the one moving the pieces, Horikita must've sensed this as well.
+Class A's defeat. Class C's victory. For her, these dreams must've seemed as
+though they were within her grasp only a few moments ago.
+And now, Horikita probably felt as though these dreams had slipped through her
+fingers. I had less than one minute left.
+[Ayanokoji-kun... |
+Without looking up at the camera, Horikita spoke my name.
+[I don't want to lose.]
+And then, she gave voice to her feelings.
+***
+She gave voice to the words she needed to say.
+[I... I don't want to admit defeat... I want to win...]
+It was acry from the bottom of her heart.
+[Even now, I'm still thinking, racking my brain over and over, trying to come up
+with the move I need to make in order to win. ]
+An emotional plea, completely uncharacteristic of her.
+[But, I can't come up with anything that would work against Sakayanagi-san...
+You're the only one who can do something like that! ]
+I closed my eyes.
+I only had a few dozen seconds left.
+This was the end to end all ends.
+Considering that the match would have to continue after this, our defeat would
+probably be decided within the next 30 seconds.
+There were no safe routes anymore. I had to place my bet on the last chance I
+had at winning this battle.
+I quickly began typing on my keyboard, writing out the move that I had come up
+with.
+And then I hit enter, and the countdown of my timer stopped.
+However, Horikita just sat there, silently waiting for my message to arrive,
+almost as if she was praying for it.
+Around 30 seconds after I sent her my instruction, Horikita's eyes widened.
+The long-awaited signal had apparently reached her through the headset.
+I glanced at Sakagami-sensei and Hoshinomiya-sensei.
+Their eyes were both glued to the large monitor, eagerly watching to see the
+outcome of the chess match.
+[So you've still got some fight left in you... Ayanok@ji.]
+Hashimoto looked up at the camera with a complicated expression on his face.
+He was smiling, and yet not smiling at the same time.
+Horikita made her move, and Sakayanagi's timer began counting down once
+again.
+"Splendidly done, Ayanok6ji-kun."
+Upon seeing what move I had made, Sakayanagi praised me for the third time.
+"T don't think I've ever experienced a match against such a complex, powerful
+opponent before. You've managed to answer my each and every move with an
+equal, or sometimes far greater move of your own."
+She spoke, assessing what had happened. With my move, she had probably seen
+the end of the match.
+"The move you made just now was certainly a perfect one. There's no doubting
+that you're at a level that an ordinary person could only dream of reaching."
+Sakayanagi's words were filled with emotion and her voice trembled a little.
+"—However."
+Sakayanagi's voice quietly echoed throughout the room.
+"With this, my victory is all but set in stone."
+With that, she typed her instructions into her keyboard, which Hashimoto
+immediately carried out.
+I responded with instructions of my own, prompting for the beginning of a flurry
+of movements between the two of us. The end of the match was drawing near.
+There was no conversation, only the sound of pieces moving across the
+chessboard.
+There were 5 moves left... and then 4... 3... Before finally...
+Sakayanagi forced the checkmate via queen sacrifice.
+It was a play that could even be called the ultimate trump card, where you
+sacrificed the queen, the strongest piece.
+It's an exceptional play when it works, but the risks that come with it are high.
+If it fails, defeat would come shortly after. It was the plan I had decided on during
+the eleventh hour with my back up against the wall.
+Horikita's hand stopped.
+She held onto a faint hope that my words would once again come flowing
+through the headset, but that was only for a moment.
+She had probably realized it herself by now too. That, at this point, there was no
+way to prevent the checkmate anymore.
+The outcome had been decided.
+[Ayanokoji-kun... |
+But even so, there was something about it that Horikita just couldn't give up.
+[Answer me, Ayanokoji-kun... Is there really nothing I can do anymore...?]
+I took my hands off the keyboard.
+[Ayanokoji-kun...!]
+Horikita had wanted to beat Class A more than anyone else.
+She had entrusted me with everything, thinking that I'd be able to handle it, or
+maybe even win it.
+This was the finale, the seventh event. I wanted to commend her for gaining the
+upper hand against a tough opponent like Hashimoto.
+This loss wasn't her fault in the slightest.
+The opponent had simply played a better move than the one she had been
+instructed to make.
+The countdown timer for commander intervention stopped at O and the
+connection between us was cut off.
+[...It was my loss. ]
+Horikita lowered her head to Hashimoto, moreso out of shame than courtesy.
+[Thank you for the match. ]
+Hashimoto bowed in response.
+"—And that's everything."
+With that, Sakagami-sensei, who had been quietly spectating throughout the
+match, announced the conclusion of the seventh event.
+"Class A has won the seventh event. Therefore, the winner of this special exam,
+with 4 wins and 3 losses, is Class A. Class C's performance was also quite
+remarkable."
+The last event was over. For the time being, I would have to come up with an
+excuse. After all, I had intervened as the commander, and yet I still lost the chess
+match. Some people would inevitably be dissatisfied, wondering why I didn't
+just leave everything to Horikita.
+"That was a great match... right? Either way, Class C did a super great job."
+Hoshinomiya-sensei attempted to console me with the same stuff as always.
+"You're free to cry into my chest if it'1l make you feel better."
+"Hoshinomiya-sensei."
+As she messed around with me, Sakagami-sensei sternly called out her name.
+"T-it was just a joke. A joke!"
+She jumped back a little and hurriedly bowed her head to Sakagami-sensei.
+"But, Ayanokoji-kun. You seem to be like, way more amazing than I thought.
+You got that awful tenth question correct during flash mental arithmetic, and you
+even fought on equal footing with Sakayanagi-san in chess. Plus, you also got
+the hard questions correct during the written test events. Oh! What's more, you
+can also run really fast if 'm remembering correctly..."
+After saying all of that, Hoshinomiya-sensei pondered for a moment.
+"The heck? Does this mean you've been hiding your abilities until now?"
+"Tt just happened to work out well for me this time."
+"T see, so it was just a coincidence, huh? Those kinda things totally do happen
+sometimes~... As if...! Yep, I think I understand the reason why Sae-chan has
+her eyes on you, Ayanokoji-kun. It's sooo not fair~."
+No matter how much I tried to hide it, there was no getting around the fact that
+some things simply had to be shown in front of the teachers.
+"Don't worry~. I won't go around telling other students about what I've seen or
+heard here~"
+As she spoke, she patted my shoulder gently. And then, she brought her mouth
+close to my ear and said:
+"Sensei doesn't dislike kids like you, Ayanokoji-kun, but, if you become an
+enemy, Sensei might just end up hating you the most."
+The smile on her face had vanished. Hoshinomiya-sensei left me with that and
+walked away.
+From the look of it, I had inadvertently caused her to recognize me as a potential
+enemy of Class B.
+"The exam is over. Students, please leave the room as soon as possible."
+"Sakagami-sensei, should we return to our classrooms first?"
+"No, you're done for today. You're free to go straight home if you want."
+Apparently, there was no need for the classes to reassemble today. I was grateful
+for that.
+"The students are so lucky, aren't they? Getting to go back home and all."
+"Hoshinomiya-sensei, let's get ready to clean up."
+"Fiine."
+Sakagami and Hoshinomiya began preparing to take down the event equipment
+from the multipurpose room. The atmosphere of the room was so relaxed that it
+was hard to believe that such a tense battle had just been fought. Shortly
+thereafter, Sakayanagi leisurely emerged from the other side of the computer.
+She had probably been waiting for the teachers to distance themselves from the
+two of us.
+"Many thanks for today, Ayanokoji-kun."
+"Yeah. You too."
+After the seventh event, the first thing we did was exchange pleasantries with
+each other.
+It had only taken 30 minutes, but she had been going full throttle the entire time.
+Her fatigue was probably considerable.
+"Tt takes endurance to play chess. There was Horikita-san's marvelous response
+to Hashimoto during the opening, and then your own extraordinary fighting style
+that was even better than that. It truly was wonderful."
+Sakayanagi had a satisfied look on her face. It seemed like she had brought out
+her very best.
+"Honestly, you were far stronger than I had imagined. You blew through
+Horikita's advantage and I lost. There's no doubt about it."
+"That's not the case. It was a very good match. It could' ve gone either way until
+the very end. Though, you wouldn't disagree that the one move I made toward
+the end was what made all the difference, yes?"
+"Your queen sacrifice was brilliant."
+It all came down to what had taken place on the other side of the large monitor.
+My instructions had interlaced with hers, and the result of that was that hers were
+superior.
+Miracles, second chances, there was no room for any of that.
+Victory and defeat were judged, determined, and decided at the school's
+discretion.
+Even though we had put up a good fight, Class C had still lost to Class A, losing
+30 class points in the process.
+By itself, this only seemed like a minor injury, but we still had yet to see what
+happened in the other classes...
+"Ts there something you still want from me?"
+"Something I want, is it? Not particularly."
+With a gentle smile, Sakayanagi nodded her head in satisfaction.
+"T was simply looking forward to facing off against you. And now, that wish has
+come true. I'm satisfied."
+In which case, I guess I was just glad that I was able to give her what she wanted.
+It would be troublesome if Sakagami-sensei got mad at us for talking like this
+for too long, so I got up out of my seat as well.
+Just as I was about to reach for the door handle and leave, Acting Director
+Tsukishiro showed up in the multipurpose room.
+"Well, the two of you have really gone and shown me something worth seeing."
+"Why hello there, Acting Director Tsukishiro. Did you watch the special exam?"
+"Yes. After all, those of us from the school have the obligation of making sure
+there has been no injustice. I was in the other room, keeping an eye on the two
+of you as you made use of commander intervention and watching as your match
+developed."
+With that, he clapped his hands as he praised the two of us.
+"Neither one of you would give an inch. It was truly the definition of an evenly
+matched fight. Those of us from the school managed to collect some
+exceptionally good data from it too. I'm confident that this contest will serve as
+a great asset to the school for many years to come."
+When I looked into the Acting Director's eyes, he stared straight back into my
+own with a delighted expression on his face.
+And with that, I understood everything without even having to talk to him.
+"T'm quite glad you enjoyed the show, Acting Director Tsukishiro."
+Sakayanagi bowed her head. Above all else, she felt a supreme sense of
+fulfillment that our competition had finally reached its conclusion.
+"Come to think of it, has the dust settled between Class B and Class D?"
+"Yes. They finished about an hour ago."
+A considerably fast resolution.
+"Which class won?"
+It seemed as though Sakayanagi was also interested in hearing the results.
+"Class D won with five wins and two losses. It was a big upset."
+So Rytien defeated Ichinose. This meant that they had gained 190 class points.
+Class D, or rather, Class C, had come back to life.
+And, this also meant that we would have to start all over again from Class D.
+"This must be quite the painful defeat for Ichinose-san. Well, I suppose it's
+understandable."
+If it hadn't been for Ryien, Class B definitely would've won the exam.
+I found myself wondering: Had he taken action for himself, or for the sake of his
+class?
+Whatever the reason, this meant that something within that guy had started to
+change.
+And at the same time, this also meant that a looming threat had returned for
+Ichinose.
+"Alright everyone, let's leave the room. The special exam is over. Teachers, I
+ask that you please take your leave as well."
+The Acting Director prompted for both Sakagami-sensei and Hoshinomiya-
+sensei to leave.
+"But, we still need to take care of—"
+"We will take care of that on our end."
+At the Acting Director's signal, several workers flooded into the room all at
+once.
+"Who are all of these people? They're not school personnel, are they?"
+Sakagami-sensei asked, his voice full of doubt.
+"Tt seems that the government would like to get its hands on the data from this
+exam as soon as possible. That's why they' ve dispatched all of these people, so
+please rest assured."
+Since the Acting Director was the one who said it, as a teacher, Sakagami-sensei
+had no choice but to pull back and listen to his instructions.
+The two teachers promptly rushed to complete their final tasks and left the
+multipurpose room together with Sakayanagi and me.
+Then, the teachers walked away, headed off in the direction of the staff room
+without paying any further attention to either of us.
+Sakayanagi, on the other hand, cast a glance at the workers with a dubious look
+on her face.
+However, before we could watch for too much longer, the door to the
+multipurpose room was shut and we could hear the sound of someone locking it
+from inside.
+"Is something bothering you?"
+Acting Director Tsukishiro, who did not stay inside the multipurpose room,
+asked Sakayanagi.
+"No. It's nothing."
+"Ts that so?"
+At this point, I felt that I should head back home as well. When I checked my
+phone, I found that I had received a message from Horikita.
+[Thank you for your hard work. ]
+It was a short message. I'd certainly be hearing complaints and grumbling from
+her later.
+"See you later Sakayanagi."
+I attempted to leave her with a few light words and head back home, but...
+"—Could you please wait a moment, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"What is it?"
+Sakayanagi called out and stopped me as I began walking down the hallway.
+She should've still been relishing the sweet taste of victory, but her expression
+had instead begun to cloud over.
+".,.Did you really think that move you made at the end was the best choice you
+had available?"
+She seemed to question the conclusion I had reached after a lengthy period of
+consideration toward the very end of the match.
+"You're the one who won. What more could there be to it?"
+"No... I'm sorry. It looks like I've gone and imagined something silly."
+"Aren't you happy that you beat me?"
+"Tt's nothing like that. It's just, maybe, somewhere in the back of my mind, I was
+actually hoping that I'd lose to you."
+Once again, I felt that she had an unusual way of thinking.
+"Pll say this now: I didn't go easy on you."
+"Yes, I know that."
+But even so, Sakayanagi still didn't seem convinced for some reason.
+Maybe in her eyes, I was simply that much greater than I really was.
+"You're such a cruel man, Ayanokoji-kun."
+With these words, Acting Director Tsukishiro, who was still standing in front of
+the door to the multipurpose room, casually intruded in on our conversation.
+Sakayanagi turned and looked behind her. And, albeit reluctantly, I had no
+choice but to turn and look back as well.
+The Acting Director came and walked over to us with a gentle smile on his face
+before once again repeating himself.
+"You're a cruel man."
+"What do you mean by that, Acting Director Tsukishiro?"
+It was not me, but Sakayanagi who asked that.
+"How about you give her the answer, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"What are you talking about?"
+"You should've just told her honestly."
+The Acting Director clearly had some time to spare after finishing with his
+'business' in the multipurpose room.
+"Properly speaking, the winner of that chess match should've been Ayanokoji-
+***
+kun.
+As soon as he spat out these inexcusable words, there was no way that
+Sakayanagi wouldn't get caught up in it.
+But, why would this man go out of his way to put himself at risk by saying it?
+"What are you talking about? At the end of the day, I lost."
+"Yes, I suppose you're right. You did indeed lose."
+The Acting Director was speaking in a way that really highlighted his true
+character.
+"But, your input was different... wouldn't you say?"
+Sakayanagi, who had been listening to us in silence, began to understand the
+current situation. And then, it dawned on her.
+"How stupid... You're saying that the school forcibly intervened in our exam?"
+Her reaction was undoubtedly fueled by anger. It went beyond regret or
+disappointment; Indignation was the better term for it.
+"You're the one at fault, Sakayanagi-san. Not only did you refuse to follow my
+orders, but you even gave a protection point of all things to Ayanokoji-kun. I had
+no choice but to be a little bit forceful in order to take that away from him,
+wouldn't you agree? This is still a school, right?"
+I see. So he was exposing all of this just to get back at Sakayanagi.
+"Good grief. If everything had gone as planned, we would've been able to force
+Ayanokouji-kun out of school this time. But, there seem to be quite a few
+overzealous teachers here at this school who are making my job rather difficult."
+During the match, there was an instruction I had sent to Horikita after a lengthy
+period of consideration.
+But, it took around 30 seconds for the instruction to make it from my keyboard
+to Horikita's headset.
+Up until that point, the time lag for each instruction I sent had been closer to 10
+seconds.
+The reason for this discrepancy is that the instruction had been fabricated before
+being played out over the headset.
+The instruction had been manipulated from within the computer, so the input and
+the result had been different things altogether.
+"At the time, he was going to make a different move. It was even better than the
+best move we thought he could make. I had even gone so far as to prepare a large
+number of personnel and machines to account for his options, but we were still
+forced into making an extremely difficult decision."
+If they had changed it to a sloppy, unskilled move, it would've been painfully
+obvious that something unnatural had happened.
+So, in order to avoid that, Acting Director Tsukishiro was forced to come up with
+a difficult move that would still give the result he wanted.
+"In that sense, Sakayanagi-san did an excellent job of seeing through the
+weakness of the move we chose."
+That was hardly even a compliment.
+"Why didn't you say anything, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"Even if he had, it wouldn't have mattered. No, rather, he wouldn't have been
+willing to say anything to you in the first place."
+Acting Director Tsukishiro went on to explain.
+"Tt's simple, really. As a former member of the White Room, and moreover, as
+someone who forcibly snuck his way into this school, there's no way he'd want
+to draw attention to himself."
+If word got out that Tsukishiro had interfered with me, it could give rise to some
+very troublesome issues later on.
+It was frustrating to say the least, but I simply had no other choice but to give up
+and accept it.
+"Even if it's tragic, a victory is a victory. You should be grateful."
+"..You're quite skilled at provocations, Acting Director. However— just know
+that you' ll be paying dearly for that, alright?"
+Upon seeing Sakayanagi's anger-filled smile, Acting Director Tsukishiro simply
+applauded once again.
+"For a mere child in your first-year of high school, you say some awfully
+interesting things. Have you gotten an inflated ego just because you're the
+princess of the playground?"
+Generally speaking, if you were a student standing in the same ring as
+Sakayanagi, you wouldn't want to make an enemy out of her.
+But to this man, she probably seemed like nothing more than a child talking
+bigger than they really were.
+"You said that I'll be paying dearly, so by all means, show me what you meant
+by that. Come on, quickly now."
+A brief silence passed. There was no way that anything would have happened.
+"Well, it's about time for me to go. We adults have plenty of work to do, after
+all."
+Acting Director Tsukishiro began walking, deliberately pushing his way in
+between the two of us as he went.
+"If possible, please choose to drop out of school voluntarily. That way we won't
+have to get any other students tangled up in this."
+Leaving me with those words, Tsukishiro left, headed off down the hallway.
+After he was gone, Sakayanagi began to slowly walk away as well.
+"Well, this has gone and ruined everything. How immensely unsatisfying."
+"Sorry."
+"You don't have to apologize, Ayanokoji-kun. I'm just disappointed that an adult
+felt the need to intrude upon the affairs of children. He took my most precious
+memory and trampled on it."
+She didn't seem to care that her victory had been flawed at all.
+She simply couldn't forgive the fact that the integrity of the chess match had
+been trifled with.
+"Tt's just— don't you think it's somewhat unreasonable to just ask me to accept
+it like this?"
+Sakayanagi stopped walking and looked up at me.
+"Yeah. You're certainly not wrong."
+I had intended to keep quiet about Acting Director Tsukishiro's interference, but
+maybe it wasn't a bad thing that Sakayanagi had found out about it. Albeit only
+a little bit, the situation had left me feeling cheated as well.
+"So, please play with me again, starting from the move just before the Acting
+Director interfered!"
+I could' ve easily rejected her proposal right then and there.
+But, if I did, I felt something inside Sakayanagi would've broken. And,
+something within me as well.
+"T have no reason to turn you down I guess. But, where should we go?"
+"Did you know that there's a chessboard in the library?"
+"No... that's the first time I've heard of it."
+"T occasionally use it to play chess from time to time. Let's go there and use
+that."
+[had no reason to reject her proposal, so the two of us headed over to the library.
+There was nobody there today, probably because the special exam was over and
+all of the courses were finished.
+Inside the silent library, I picked up the chessboard.
+I then placed the board on a little table, just large enough for two people.
+Sakayanagi skillfully arranged the pieces to the state it was in before.
+"Here, the same situation as earlier. Please, show me your true move."
+I picked up the piece and placed it where it was meant to be.
+Part 3
+The match began, and time flowed by without so much as a word from either of
+us.
+As the sun began to set, the only sound was the repeated clatter of the white and
+black pieces on the chessboard.
+But that didn't last for very long.
+There was no need to spend much time on the match since it was already at the
+final stages when it began.
+And before long, the match ended. Sakayanagi quietly let out a sigh as she stared
+at the board in front of her.
+A way to avoid checkmate was nowhere to be found.
+"As expected of you, Ayanokoji-kun. It's my loss."
+It had been a life and death match, move for move.
+It didn't seem like she was discontent or anything, she just acknowledged her
+loss with satisfaction.
+"You sure are honest about it."
+"Do I look like some haughty lady who can't acknowledge her own defeat?"
+I'd be lying if I said I couldn't see it.
+"What I wanted to know was where things stood between the two of us. Who
+stood above the other. I'd never sit here and complain about the result."
+"Though, while I may have won, this was just a recreation. There's no guarantee
+that the match would've progressed like this at that time and at that precise
+moment."
+I couldn't discount the possibility that it was a move I had managed to think of
+due to the extra time given to me.
+No, even more importantly—
+"This match was the outcome of the advantageous situation Horikita had created
+during her match with Hashimoto. As far as I see it, I intervened while we still
+had the upper hand. I don't think it was a very fair match."
+The match had only developed the way it had because Horikita had passed her
+advantage onto me. The fact that Sakayanagi had been able to overcome that
+while at a disadvantage was a testament to how strong she truly was.
+If we played each other from scratch, there was no guarantee that I'd win.
+Even if she proposed to have a rematch with me, I'd want to avoid it if I could.
+"Ts that your way of comforting me?"
+Sakayanagi chuckled, finding my response strange.
+"That's not it. I was just objectively stating the facts."
+"T'm satisfied with this result. Isn't that enough?"
+If she was satisfied, then that was certainly alright. That being said, it still didn't
+make me feel better.
+"When this special exam was announced, you could've chosen to face me
+directly by restricting the one-on-one event even further. If you had proposed
+something like that, I still would' ve accepted. But even so, you didn't. Why was
+that?"
+Of course, it would've still been a random battle fought using only seven of the
+ten events, so there would've been no guarantee that it'd get chosen. But, if the
+two of us had come to an agreement surrounding both of our one-on-one events,
+the chances of everything working out would've been rather high.
+"The reason is simple. As you must have reasoned, there was no guarantee it
+would be chosen. Also, if you indiscriminately competed with me in this one-
+on-one match, the people around you would surely be suspicious. I wanted to
+avoid letting either of those things happen. Though, it was taken advantage of
+by the Acting Director in the end."
+Sakayanagi had planned out the special exam while also being as considerate to
+my circumstances as possible.
+That was probably the reason why she had gotten so furious over Tsukishiro's
+intervention.
+The seven events chosen today and the order they were chosen in were most
+likely not randomly generated at all.
+It simply hadn't been a fair match from the start.
+"Besides, Hashimoto-kun was the most talented chess player in Class A, and yet
+he lost to Horikita-san after being taught by you. That just means that I lost in
+that respect as well."
+Sakayanagi peacefully bowed her head to me.
+"Ayanokoji-kun. It was a pleasure to face off against you. The answer I was
+looking for is clear to me now. You are certainly a genius. Your skill is by no
+means fake."
+"You don't plan on taking revenge with chess again?"
+"Do you want me to?"
+"'..No, I don't."
+"Fufu, how honest."
+The fact we managed to have this game just between the two of us was, in and
+of itself, thanks to the extremely rare situation we were in.
+The special exam was over and tomorrow marked the beginning of a long break.
+Thus, we had been able to find a place without anyone else around.
+"As for the reason why I'm not planning on taking revenge... Honestly, I got the
+impression that you and I are fairly evenly matched when it comes to chess. If
+we played ten games, it wouldn't be strange if we each ended up with five wins
+and five losses. Would you disagree with that?"
+"No, I agree completely."
+Interestingly enough, our true abilities were a perfect match.
+If we were to face off again, it would definitely play out the way Sakayanagi
+predicted it would.
+"But, I get the feeling that the winner of this first bout was you, Ayanokoji-kun.
+I think I would've lost back then, during the critical moments. Well, you have a
+slightly longer history with chess than me, after all. Perhaps that made the
+difference."
+A slightly competitive look showed on her face, emphasizing the importance she
+placed on winning.
+"If I were to take revenge using chess, that would take the fun out of it. For me,
+chess is a leisure activity, and I'd like to keep it that way."
+As she spoke, she picked up one of the knights from the chessboard.
+"Seeing as though you brought up my history with chess, that means you did see
+me back then after all?"
+"Yes. I was watching as you relentlessly overwhelmed your opponents in the
+White Room. I've been fond of chess ever since, believing the day would come
+when I'd face you myself."
+The hunch I felt when I saw the list of events Class A proposed had been spot-
+on.
+That, it wasn't a mere coincidence that chess had been chosen as an event.
+"Well then— let's hurry back, shall we?"
+"Tl put it away. Just sit there and wait for a bit."
+"Thank you very much. I'1] gladly take you up on that."
+I went and returned the pieces and board back to their original places.
+"Tt's with regret that must I say this, but I will be keeping my distance from you
+from now on. If I were to continue fixating myself on you, our classmates would
+probably start to suspect something. Furthermore..."
+"Furthermore?"
+"T've been dying to get to know you for so long now. To me, you're like a
+childhood friend I've never met; One I've always, always chased after. If it's
+easy for us to compete with one another, it would probably end up losing some
+of it's value to me."
+A faint smile appeared on her face as she looked at me with affection in her eyes.
+"Though, knowing Acting Director Tsukishiro, this is no time for students to be
+fighting amongst each other anyway."
+A perfect example of the school getting its priorities backward. Under normal
+circumstances, this school is supposed to have students fighting one another.
+Even if we competed in similar ways later, there was no guarantee that he
+wouldn't interfere again at some point.
+It's probably more accurate to say that he'd do whatever it takes to get in my
+way.
+In that respect, I was grateful that I only needed to be careful of him now.
+If I was surrounded by enemies on all sides, the exhaustion that would come with
+it would be considerable.
+The two of us left the library.
+"Come to think of it, this is the first ttme we've left the school together like this."
+"Now that you mention it, you're right."
+There was always somebody else together with her.
+Moreover, the idea of the two of us walking side-by-side together like this wasn't
+the most natural one out there.
+"T must apologize for being such a slow walker."
+"You don't have to apologize for that."
+Her walking speed was certainly slow, but it was because of her handicap.
+And strangely enough, today, I felt thankful for that.
+If I walked as I usually did, I would reach the dorms in no time at all.
+"What are you thinking of doing from now on?"
+"Tt just depends on what Tsukishiro does next. He may just be filling in for your
+father, but he's still the director. Ordinary methods won't work for him."
+"You're right. Given the current situation, Father's reinstatement doesn't seem
+like it'll come easily after all."
+"What are you planning on doing?"
+As I asked, Sakayanagi pondered for a bit.
+"For the time being, Ill spend my time enjoying myself as I always have. If
+Katsuragi-kun starts opposing me again, I'1l act as his opponent. If Ichinose-san
+comes chasing after my position, I'1l have fun crushing her back down as I play
+with her. If she got herself expelled, I'd have the pleasure of watching as Class
+B falls apart as well."
+She smiled like a little girl who was innocently playing with her dolls.
+"T didn't foresee Rytien-kun's move but... If he's come back to the battlefield,
+I'd like to face off against him as well. Thinking of it, it seems like it may not be
+such a boring school life after all."
+"That's good to hear."
+"What about you, Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"Td like to avoid doing anything that would make me stand out if possible. Other
+than that, just keep making Horikita do her best."
+"And I'm sure she's going to have quite a lot of growth to show for it. I'll look
+forward to it."
+Someday, Horikita may just be able to get her name on the list of opponents that
+Sakayanagi was willing to take seriously, right alongside Ichinose and Ryien. If
+that were to happen, Sakayanagi would surely enjoy her school life here all the
+more.
+"...There's one thing I have to apologize for."
+"Apologize?"
+"Earlier, I told you about why I wanted to avoid a one-on-one match with you,
+but that was a lie."
+She had said it was to avoid putting me under the spotlight, her consideration so
+to say.
+But now she withdrew that statement.
+"To tell you the truth, I just wanted to be together with you, even for one second
+longer."
+As she spoke, she extended her right hand out to me.
+I took it, thinking it was a handshake, but when I squeezed back, she put her left
+hand over, enveloping mine.
+"People learn of warmth when they touch each other, and that's a very precious
+thing. The warmth of another human is by no means a bad thing. Please
+remember that."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Tt's a belated message from me to you."
+Before I was able to understand what she was saying, she slowly released my
+hand and started walking once again.
+"Come now, let's go back."
+It didn't seem like she was willing to explain it any further.
+Together, we watched the sunset as we slowly made our way back home.
+"Oh, by the way, have you heard? Yoshida-kun from class A—"
+We didn't have the type of relationship where we'd reminisce about the past.
+There were no objectives or ulterior motives. The two of us simply exchanged
+tales about our daily lives.
+All the way until the very moment we arrived at the dorms.
+***
+There was a little box resting in my hand. It was so light, yet it felt so heavy.
+My heart rate was rising like the high tide. It easily surpassed 120 beats per
+minute.
+"So, I'm going to confirm something, fine with you?" I asked.
+Trying to conceal my nervousness, I looked at Kiyotaka. But I couldn't meet his
+eyes. My gaze flickered around his nose disguising trying to act as if I was
+looking at him.
+I'm confident that I would swoon looking directly in his eyes now.
+A birthday plus white day gift from Kiyotaka.
+I neatly unwrapped it so it could be wrapped again later. Then— I opened the
+cover.
+"Wha...What is this!?"
+I screamed out my first impression before I knew it.
+A heart-shaped necklace shining in gold.
+"Tt's a necklace."
+"Yeah, even I can see that! A too heavy present, you know!"
+I mean, isn't that almost a confession!?
+N-no, I've never been confessed to so I can't be sure.
+But, but, I was sure it was a present way surpassing what friends give each other.
+I faintly remember that I said he should return the favour many times back, but
+that was just meant as a little joke.
+"Heavy?"
+I wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad, that idiot was just looking as if he had
+no clue.
+Even if that was intentional that would mean, well in other words, that right? I
+imagined an unreal situation, but then chased it in the furthest back on my mind.
+"B-but you don't give a necklace to a friend, you know!" I first have to tell him
+how strange this present was.
+"And, and you know? It doesn't seem to fit me either! This is heart-shaped, you
+know!"
+It was true I didn't think it would fit me, but that wasn't the big issue.
+This was the kind of thing that frequently made girls
+misunderstand, wasn't it! Come on, really!
+***
+"Heart-shaped, you know
+I thought I perhaps was being confessed to so accept my feelings!
+"Fuu, fuu" (TN: Sound of huffing and puffing)
+My feelings exploded without me realising it, but... that was probably my fault.
+He probably bought it since I requested a pricy gift in return. Listening to the
+full details later, I understood. It was something he, who had never gifted a
+present to a girl, had earnestly chosen.
+In other words— it was his first gift.
+Of course I will receive it.
+Aah, he got me.
+I thought as I was looking at myself, wearing the necklace, in the mirror.
+Would a time come when I would wear this and go together with him
+somewhere? That would definitely be a very enjoyable day.
+That I was certain of.
+***
+In a multi-purpose room. Me and Ayanokouji-kun would be spending some time
+alone in here. The teachers started talking among each other so they must be
+doing the final checks.
+The strong beatings in my chest felt pleasant to me. Every time I looked at
+Ayanokouji-kun in front of me, my whole body felt hot as if not wanting to look
+away.
+Fufu, just like a maiden in love, isn't it?
+I observed myself as if I was a bystander, while enjoying myself from the bottom
+of my heart.
+Let's savour this moment by striking some conversation before the match starts.
+The time he and I was granted together was decisively limited after all.
+"Finally... finally this day has come at last. I really couldn't sleep yesterday so
+I almost overslept today."
+I earnestly started talking about my morning. I stammered a bit since it was the
+first time raising my voice for a while alone with him. He looked a bit troubled
+but replied back.
+"T have no recollection of making you wait though. Me meeting you was a
+coincident in the first place."
+It was easy to think why he would have doubts regarding whether it was a
+coincident or not.
+"You are saying that if you did not enter this school, we would never have met?"
+The world is big. True, the fact we met once again may have been close to a
+coincidence.
+"Certainly, the fact we met at this school was a coincidence. However, I'm
+convinced I would meet you again someday. It was meant to be, yes fate."
+Yes, it was not a coincidence, it was inevitable.
+"Fate? That's quite an abstract thing to say."
+True, there was no logic to that, just some hunch. But... here we were talking to
+each other, right? Ayanokouji-kun.
+If this wasn't fate, what else would you say it was?
+"Tt's because I'm also a maiden."
+But there was probably no need to say more than that.
+"If you didn't enrol at this school, that should only have been a delay of 3 years.
+I had confidence I could hide my anticipation deep inside my heart without
+rushing it.
+But, I can't hold it back anymore. inevitably, I felt the days becoming longer
+knowing you were there by my side. I want to fight, suppressing that feeling
+have been quite difficult. That's the extent of my dream."
+A loved one. I was thinking of him as my childhood friend, although selfishly.
+That's why I couldn't stop the overflowing words by my own will. I was talking
+to him non-stop, as if I was yearning for him, one topic after another. That calm
+look he gave me and those pupils gave me an even greater pleasure.
+"Are you not afraid of waking up from that dream?"
+Nothing is as kind as a dream. When you wake up from that dream and return
+back to reality, that happiness will disappear in a moment. Fighting Ayanokouji-
+kun and lose, and then despair. Or, winning so easily that all that's left was
+disappointment.
+I couldn't overlook the chance that it could happen.
+But that was fine.
+"Because dreams are things you are meant to wake up from."
+If I could find an 'answer', I will be satisfied with that.
+"Normally, I would ask you to... go easy on me but..."
+I pierced his elusive pupils.
+"Please meet me with all you have."
+He definitely, although just faintly, confirmed by a nod. And at the same time, I
+could begin to guess what he had in mind. The thing keeping me from enjoying
+myself to the fullest, its true identity.
+"Tt would be a lie to say that I don't have any conflicting feelings about this. An
+inadequate test like this won't be good enough for us to prove our abilities. Us
+leaders are limited to how we can influence the outcome, right?"
+The main point of this exam was how the difference in abilities between the
+classes would spell victory or defeat. The leaders' intervention and the rules for
+the events are nothing more than accessories. Of course there would be classes
+that would force their way through, but that was a story for another time.
+"That being said, if the leaders' influence was too large another problem arrives.
+I think I ought to consider your situation too Ayanokouji-kun. You don't want
+your classmates to figure out your real abilities, right?"
+This special exam had meaning in that it was simply a secret duel between me
+and Ayanokouji-kun. It was just an extension of a game, played in secret,
+unknown to the teachers and other students.
+That's why it was understandable why Ayanokouji-kun was looking so
+suspicious. No matter how limited our way of fighting may be, it would be fine
+as long as it was fair for today. Ascertaining anything more or less would be a
+luxury so it was best left unspoken.
+The teachers were approaching. The special exam will start very soon.
+"A—tright! The exam will soon begi—n! Back to your seats!"
+After hearing what Hoshinomiya-sensei said, me and Ayanokouji returned back
+to our seats.
+I could no longer see his face, but there was no need to be discouraged by that.
+Because as long as we were in the same room, I could exchange words with him
+anytime, as many times as I wanted.
+"Best regards, Ayanokouji-kun."
+I sent a greeting in his direction in a voice so low that nobody could hear.
+I suppressed the throbbings of my heart—
+And now, the time my dreams will be realised has come
+***
+"Hey, do you have some time?"
+I was about to go home when a boy behind me called out. I didn't even need to
+turn around, it was that boy again. He was always following that girl around, a
+really troublesome person.
+"What is it, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+I made a smile and then slowly returned his gaze. I cannot show any gaps
+regarding my appearance here in this school corridor, in a public space.
+"T see, so you aren't going to support her this time."
+I was wondering what he was about to say since he ran after me... I felt
+exasperated inside but still put up my guard.
+"Can we talk while walking?"
+"That's fine."
+This boy called Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun, his whole existence was like an
+ungraspable shadow to me.
+"Do you have any plans for today?"
+"Yes, I'm planning on meeting up with some girls from class B. You think
+having fun considering what's happening now is considered bad, don't you?"
+From the first time we met, he was just an unremarkable student. He was
+somewhat good-looking, but that was it. He wasn't particularly athletic or smart.
+Just a normal person.
+"No, it's necessary to take breaks. I think everyone understands that.
+But— I was far too naive.
+Maybe this boy, possesses something even greater than what I judged him to.
+Like what he's doing now, trying to shake me up pointing out my actions one by
+one.
+"So you do understand it, the reason I'm not doing anything right now? I was
+thinking it was fine to expel you and assisted Yamauchi with it. What face do
+you think I should make, what act do you think I can put up to lead the class,
+after everything was brought to light?"
+I was being honest, explaining to him why I couldn't do anything in my situation.
+"You don't seem to accept that do you? I can see it on your face—"
+"Well, yeah."
+As could be expected, there was no way he would accept just from this
+explanation, right?
+Even though it should have worked for any other idiot.
+"Tl say it now, it's not that I don't want to help Horikita-san because she's the
+leader now, okay?"
+That's the worst part of it though...
+"Ts that true?"
+He was doubting me, but no way will I ever acknowledge it.
+"Really, it's true."
+But this boy didn't change his expression.
+"Ah, I doubt it."
+"How do I look like to you, I wonder? How about it?"
+I wasn't particularly interested, but he caught my attention.
+I want to know what this boy is thinking, what he is feeling.
+If I not— I won't be able to remove that girl.
+That's why it was inevitable for me to, just barely, show a little bit of my inner
+self, to him.
+If I don't.... I don't think I can ever win.
+Surely, this boy must be—— a frightening person.
+***
+I was deep at sleep.
+The appearances of myself when I was young, and of him was repeatedly
+projected within.
+A famous museum of that world. Even the exhibition objects made for an artistic
+spectacle I think. It was that grandeur, that sweet, and that madly affectionable.
+In a sense, that was love.
+There are many kinds of love.
+Love, charity, affection... love-and-hate.
+I think, I feel all of those towards him.
+"...3 hours and 36 minutes..."
+Each time I wake up, I always check how much time I've slept. If I don't sleep
+for 7-8 hours, I don't feel refreshed. That was because I was so excited last night
+that I couldn't sleep.
+The body pillow I use to support my sleep every day didn't seem to work that
+much.
+"Fufufu..."
+I let out a sweet laughter before I knew it.
+I have never experienced becoming this excited before so I couldn't control my
+feelings.
+The more I tried to hold back the laughter, a smile appeared, so naturally, on my
+face.
+I can't help it.
+I was exposed by the contradiction dwelling within myself right now.
+A me that would never lose to anyone.
+A him that maybe would teach me defeat.
+The conflicting feelings were clashing, going back and forth, neither side
+yielding.
+However, there will definitely be a conclusion.
+In other words, superiority and inferiority will be decided.
+Ah— how beautiful it is.
+I hugged my body pillow tightly and a pleasant drowsiness came over me.
+I was already napping, wanting to enjoy a passionate dance with him.
+That dream of mine was being interrupted by the cold sounds of the ringing
+sounds from my cellphone.
+"Was that Masumi...? She's also a worrywart, right."
+I know. Let's continue the rest of my dream later tonight.
+After I have settled it with him, made it clear as black and white.
+At my leisure.
+***
+This is what happened on a certain holiday.
+A few students gathered in my room.
+"VR experience?"
+"Yes! VR experience."
+Sotomura and Ike showed a cheerful smile, holding something that looks like a
+helmet. It seems to be the latest game; when you put on this thing to play, you
+can experience the game in a virtual space.
+"It seems like 4 people will play as a team so I want to try."
+That's why there are four devices.
+"Then why did you look for me and Ayanokoji-kun?"
+"If we let Ken play, he will become obsessed and will always want to keep it for
+himself. If it's you then it won't be like that."
+Horikita looked completely uninterested, but I was a little bit interested in
+playing.
+Men are creatures driven by adventurous spirit, aren't they?
+"We were called out during our free time because of this boring thing?"
+Horikita stood up, staring at Ike.
+"I'm not going to take part."
+"Wait! This is a game that recommends 4 people, so ah... just play for a while,
+please!"
+"I'm not interested in things such as games."
+"Please think about it again!"
+The two guys seemed to be repeatedly begging on the ground in prostration.
+"How about just listening to them? This could also be for the class."
+Trivial interactions like these can also make progress in interpersonal
+relationships.
+bere Good grief. Only for a while, right? Then I'll head back after."
+Like this, Horikita eventually accepted it. She reluctantly put on the device.
+Sotomura and Ike followed right after.
+"There are 12 occupations at the beginning. Choose according to your own
+preferences. Ah, don't choose the same as the others. I choose the Paladin! It
+looks very handsome!"
+Ike was a Paladin, while Sotomura chose the Elf. From the description, it appears
+to be a character in defense and recovery. The importance of the defense is not
+yet clear.
+Horikita simply selected the Swordsman, which is the first option, while I picked
+a job called the Summoner.
+After the career selection was over, I felt my consciousness instantly slipped
+away and my vision is covered with white light, then the sight of the imaginary
+world came into view.
+I have been introduced to mobile games soon after entering school, but compared
+to those, the quality of this game is not just in the same dimension.
+"This is really... very amazing."
+It's no surprise that Horikita couldn't help but gasped.
+Despite being imaginary, the realism of it is not far away from an actual world.
+There was a smell of trees coming from elsewhere.
+I tried to pinch my arm, but there was not really any pain, just only a tiny feeling.
+This is probably necessary in order to stay connected with reality.
+I could confirm that my body, except for the appearance of different clothing,
+seemed no different.
+"It's like the real world."
+Horikita said something similar to what I was thinking.
+She tried to pull out the sword she was wearing on her waist.
+"But I haven't touched this thing once, huh?"
+"It seems there is a technical correction, and you can't become stronger without
+accumulating EXP."
+***
+"Even if you say so,
+Horikita wielded the sword several times with awe and then sheathed it.
+"Oh! That's fast! The beginner tutorial is here!"
+Ike wielded his shield and sword excitedly, although he was still not used to the
+movements.
+Two wolf-shaped monsters appeared in front of us.
+"Are you going to fight this thing?"
+"Horikita, you need to fight too. Please, swordsman!"
+Ike then put up his shield.
+"Wouldn't there be all sort of ethical issues? Like killing animals?"
+"It's just a game..."
+The monsters pounced on us in an instant.
+"Hey! Woah!! Why are you attacking me first! Is there any passive skill that
+attracts monsters??"
+Ike said something that people normally couldn't really understand, and was sent
+flying back to the ground by the wolves.
+"Hurts, it hurts, it's numb and painful! Help me!"
+Sotomura hurriedly chant a recovery spell, but it had very little effect.
+"Hori...... Horikita and Ayanokoji! Help! Help me!"
+Ike desperately asked us for help. But I had no idea what to do. Speaking of my
+character, what exactly does a summoner do? There seems to be no swords or
+shields, so I'm not clear how to fight at all.
+"I'm leaving it to you, Horikita."
+"Me? ices I'm not doing it.
+The swordsman gave up the battle. Or rather, let's say she did not have the spirit
+to do it in the first place...
+"Uwaaa!"
+Ike yelled continuously, then Sotomura also screamed.
+In a short time their bodies were destroyed and turned into dust.
+"What happened?"
+"It's probably... being sent somewhere after getting killed?
+"Umu...."
+The two wolves gradually approached us, who were still struggling to understand
+the situation.
+They were clearly showing their murderous intent to hunt us.
+"In short, it can only be fighting..."
+I don't know how a summoner fights, so I simply shortened the distance to give
+one of the wolves a physical blow.
+After being punched, the wolf screamed and was sent flying.
+There was a clear feeling on my fist, with a sense of excitement and stimulation.
+As I avoided the wolf's sharp teeth, I repeated the punches again.
+However, unlike in reality, it doesn't seem to do a lot of damage
+This occupation is definitely not a melee type.
+I couldn't completely avoid the wolf's counter-attack and received a little bit of
+damage.
+An electrical pain, making zapping sounds, ran through my body
+"Not good..."
+The situation is obviously unfavorable. Am I going to get killed like Ike if this
+goes on?
+"I guess it can't be helped then."
+Horikita sighed while holding up the sword.
+Her stance looked unexpectedly well.
+"Ha—!"
+Horikita shortened the distance, slashed horizontally, and hit the wolf-shaped
+monster. Does she have a feel for it? She did wipe out the monster with just a
+stream of movements. It seems that this game is directly related to physical
+ability in reality. The other wolf, which was licking its teeth at me, turned to
+Horikita.
+It released a murderous intent even stronger than before, probably because its
+companion had been down.
+Horikita, looking as though she's already a swordmaster, put up a flawless stance.
+At the same time as the wolf started charging, she also ran up while keeping her
+distance from it.
+"Sword—slash!"
+Horikita shouted out the name of the skill, cutting the wolf apart in a single slash.
+"......Beautiful"
+I clapped my hands and while I stood up, Horikita let out a breath.
+"The body moved on its own. I was made to say something weird involuntarily."
+It is probably due to the necessary procedure in the game's programming
+beforehand to launch the unique kill.
+"So how was it? The first RPG experience of your life."
+"Well... maybe it's more interesting than I thought."
+Horikita seemed to also be interested in the unknown adventure.
+Maybe this game will be popular among us for the time being.
+"What about Ike-kun and Sotomura-kun?"
+"Who knows......"
+With this, our wonderful adventure story was born.
+The Structure of
+Japanese Society
+I know this is kind of sudden, but, please, it will only take a moment. I
+want your honest opinion.
+Are people equal or not?
+A proper society will constantly strive for equality. There are those
+who clamor for men and women to always be considered equal. As a result,
+we raised the employment rate for women, we made specialized subway cars
+only for women. Sometimes, women will even argue over the order of names
+in a family register. The public opinion of people with disabilities has also
+changed. We're now told that we should not use the term "disabled people"
+when referring to them, so as not to discriminate. Nowadays, children are
+taught that all people are created equal.
+But is that true? I have my doubts. If men and women have different
+abilities, then their roles should also differ. People with disabilities are still
+disabled, no matter what polite euphemisms you use. No matter how you try
+to avert your eyes, the meaning of the word does not change.
+So, my answer would be, "No, we are not equal." To be human is to be
+unequal. Equality does not exist.
+Long ago, in a bygone era, a great man said that heaven does not set
+one man above or below any other. However, he did not necessarily adhere to
+the idea that everyone is equal. Did you know that there is more to that
+famous passage? The rest goes like this: Everyone is equal when they are
+born, so I ask, why do we see differences in position and status? And tt
+continues: Do you or do you not encourage learning to create a difference?
+So then, education creates an imbalance. The point's spelled out there, in the
+incredibly famous work Gakumon no Sume. Even though this is the year
+2015, the modern era, nothing about these teachings has changed. The
+situation has only grown more complex and fraught.
+In any case, we are human beings. We are living, thinking creatures.
+I don't think it right to simply say that we are unequal and then live our
+lives based on pure instinct. In other words, though "equality" is a complete
+lie, we cannot accept inequality, either. Right now, I'm trying to come up
+with a new answer for humanity's eternal question.
+Hey, you there. You, the one reading this book right now. Have you
+ever given serious thought to the future?
+Have you ever considered the purpose of going to high school or to
+college? Though the future may seem hazy right now, do you think you' ll
+find a job someday? That's what I used to think. Back when I finished my
+compulsory education and became a high school student, I hadn't really
+considered the future. I'd only felt joy at being nearly free of obligation. I
+didn't consider the incredible influence that school would continue to have in
+my life, on my future. I didn't even understand the purpose behind studying
+language or numbers.
+Chapter 2:
+Welcome to the School
+Life of Your Dreams
+66
+Asatoron cin do you have a moment?"
+She came. She was here. It was terrifying. I'd been feigning sleep
+during class, pondering society's true purpose while I pretended to nap, when
+the devil approached me. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 played in my
+head, music that captured the sense of people fleeing from pursuing demons
+and the desperation that comes at the end of the world. Right then, it was the
+perfect accompaniment.
+Even though my eyes were closed, I understood. I could feel the devil's
+presence as she waited for her slave to awaken. So, as a slave, how exactly
+could I get out of this situation?
+My computer-like brain instantly executed all the calculations to arrive
+at the answer I most needed.
+Conclusion: I'd pretend not to hear her. I had dubbed this the "Sleeping
+Strategy." If she were a kind girl, then she would say something like, "Aw,
+well, there's nothing to be done. I'd feel bad to wake you, so I'll forgive
+you. *®" "If you don't get up, I'll kiss you!" would also be okay.
+"If you do not awaken within three seconds, I will bestow additional
+punishment upon you."
+"What do you mean, 'punishment'?" I asked.
+In an instant, I'd abandoned my "Sleeping Strategy" and yielded to her
+threats of force. Well, at least I offered some resistance by not meeting her
+gaze.
+"See, you are awake after all, aren't you?" she said.
+"T know enough that I'm afraid to make you angry."
+"Glad to hear it. Well then, may I have a little of your time?"
+"Tf I refuse?"
+"Well, even though you have no right to veto such a decision, I
+suppose I would be exceptionally displeased."
+She continued with, "And when I am displeased, then I will prove a
+major obstacle to your school life, Ayanokouji-kun. For example, I might set
+a great number of thumbtacks on your chair. Or, when you go to the toilet, I
+might splash water on you from above. Or stab you with the needle of my
+mathematical compass. Those kinds of obstacles, I suppose."
+"That's nothing but harassment, or rather, bullying! And besides, that
+last one sounds strangely familiar, because you've already stabbed me
+before!"
+I reluctantly sat up at my desk. A girl with beautiful, sharp eyes and
+long black hair that framed her face stared down at me. Her name was
+Horikita Suzune, a student of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing
+High School, Class D, and my classmate.
+"Don't worry. That was only a joke. I wouldn't splash water on you
+from above."
+"'What's more pressing are the thumbtacks and the compass needle!
+Look at this! There are still marks from when you stabbed me the last time!
+Will you take responsibility if it scars me for life?" I rolled up my right
+sleeve and displayed my forearm to Horikita, so she could see the scars she'd
+left behind.
+"Evidence?" she asked.
+"Huh?"
+"What about the evidence? Did you decide I'm the culprit without
+evidence?"
+She was right; there was no evidence. Even though Horikita was the
+only one in class close enough to stab me with a needle, I'd be hard-pressed
+to call that definitive proof...
+Well, I needed to confirm something first anyway.
+"So, I'm required to help you? I've thought on it again, and, after all, I
+"Ayanokouji-kun. Would you prefer to regret while you suffer or regret
+while you despair? Which would you like more? Because if you refuse me
+and force my hand, it will be your responsibility."
+I was stuck with Horikita's two completely absurd choices. It appeared
+she would not accept any delays. Though it was a mistake to make a deal
+with this devil, I gave up and obeyed.
+"All right, then. What am I supposed to do?" I asked, filled with
+trepidation. Her requests no longer surprised me. I certainly didn't like how
+this situation had turned out, but... I thought back to when I'd met this girl
+two months ago, on the day of the entrance ceremony.
+pm |
+April. The school entrance ceremony. I rode the bus to school,
+bobbing and shaking in my seat. While I looked idly out my window,
+watching the city's scenery change, the bus picked up more and more
+passengers.
+Most of them were young people wearing high school uniforms.
+There was also a frustrated salary worker, who looked like the type to
+have once mistakenly groped someone aboard a crowded bus. An unsteady
+elderly lady stood in front of me, wobbling so badly I thought she was in
+danger of falling. Considering I'd known how packed this bus would likely
+be, I supposed I was simply reaping what I'd sown by getting on.
+I was fortunate to have found a seat, but it was still crowded. I forgot
+about the unfortunate elderly woman and patiently waited to arrive at my
+destination, my mind clear as a passing stream. The weather was especially
+fine today, not a single cloud in the sky. It was so refreshing that I nearly fell
+asleep then and there.
+However, my gentle respite was promptly obliterated.
+"Excuse me, but shouldn't you offer up your seat?"
+My eyes, which were about to close, snapped back open. Huh? Could
+this person be angry with me? But I realized that it was someone else being
+scolded.
+A young, well-built blond man of high school age had sat down in one
+of the priority seats. The elderly woman stood right next to him, and another
+woman stood beside her. This second, younger lady appeared to be an office
+worker.
+"Hey, you there. Can't you see that this elderly woman is having
+trouble?" the office lady said.
+She seemed to want the young man to offer up his seat.
+Her voice carried quite well throughout the quiet bus, attracting several
+people's attention.
+"That's a really crazy question, lady," the boy said.
+I wondered whether the boy was angry, unobservant, or just painfully
+honest. In any case, he grinned broadly and crossed his legs. "Why should I
+offer up my seat? There's no reason for me to do so."
+"You're sitting in a priority seat. It's natural to offer up those seats to
+the elderly."
+"T don't understand. Priority seats are just that: priority seats. I have no
+legal obligation to move. Since I'm currently occupying this seat, I should be
+the one who determines whether or not I move. Am I supposed to give up my
+seat just because I'm young? Ha! That reasoning is nonsense."
+He didn't speak like a normal high school student. His hair was dyed
+blond, which made him stand out.
+"I'm a healthy young person who certainly wouldn't find standing
+inconvenient. However, I'd obviously expend more energy by standing than I
+would by sitting. I have no intention of doing such a pointless thing. Or are
+you suggesting I should act a bit livelier, | wonder?"
+"Wh-what kind of attitude is that to take with your superiors?" she
+demanded.
+"Superiors? Well, it's obvious that both you and the old woman there
+been alive longer than I have. There can be no doubt about that. However, the
+word 'superior' implies that you're referring to someone of a higher position.
+In addition, we have another problem. Even though our ages are different,
+wouldn't you agree that you have an impertinent attitude and are being
+extremely rude?"
+"Wha— You're a high schooler, aren't you?! You should be quiet and
+listen to what adults tell you!"
+"It's f-fine, whatever..." the elderly woman mumbled.
+She apparently didn't want any further commotion and tried to calm
+the office lady. But after being insulted by the high school student, the
+younger woman still seemed very upset.
+"Apparently, this elderly woman is more perceptive than you, which is
+nice. Also, I haven't given up on Japanese society yet. Please enjoy your
+remaining years."
+After flashing a pointlessly vigorous smile, the boy slid his earphones
+in and began listening to rather cacophonous music. The office lady now
+clenched her teeth in frustration. Though she tried needling the boy by
+arguing further, his smug, self-important attitude remained fixed.
+At any rate, I had to at least partly agree with the boy.
+If you ignored the question of a moral imperative, it was true that he
+wasn't legally obligated to give up his seat.
+"I'm sorry..." Desperately fighting back her tears, the office lady
+apologized to the elderly woman.
+Well, it was all just a minor incident on the bus. I was relieved that I
+hadn't been caught up in the situation. Honestly, I couldn't care less about
+giving up my seat for an elderly person.
+Clearly, the egotistical boy had won. At least, everyone secretly
+thought so.
+"Um... I think that the lady is nght."
+The woman received unexpected support from someone standing
+alongside her. The helper, a girl wearing my high school's uniform, gave her
+brave and frank opinion to the boy.
+"And the new challenger is a pretty girl, eh? It would seem that I'm
+rather lucky with the fairer sex," the boy said.
+"This poor woman appears to have been suffering for quite some time
+now. Won't you offer up your seat? While you might consider such courtesy
+unnecessary, I think it would contribute greatly to society."
+Crack! The boy snapped his fingers.
+"A contribution to society, you say? Well, that 7s a rather interesting
+opinion. It's certainly true that offering up one's seat to the elderly could be
+viewed in such a positive light. Unfortunately, I have no interest in
+contributing to society. I care only for my own satisfaction. Oh, and one more
+thing. You're asking me, the one in the priority seat, to give up his spot, but
+couldn't you simply ask one of the other people seated on this crowded bus?
+If you truly cared for the elderly, then something like priority seating would
+be a rather trivial concern, wouldn't you agree?"
+The boy's haughty attitude remained unchanged. Both the office lady
+and the elderly woman simply wore bitter smiles in response. However, the
+girl didn't back down.
+"Everyone, please listen to me for just a moment. Won't someone give
+up their seat for this woman? It doesn't matter who. Please."
+How could someone pour so much courage, determination, and
+compassion into so few words? That was no simple feat. The girl might have
+seemed like a nuisance to those around her, but she appealed to the other
+passengers earnestly and without fear.
+Though not in a priority seat, I was near the elderly woman. I imagined
+if I raised my hand and offered my spot, then the matter would be settled.
+However, like everyone else, I didn't move. None of us had thought it
+necessary to move. The boy's attitude and remarks aside, everyone on the bus
+had, for the most part, agreed with him.
+Now, of course, the elderly have undeniable worth to Japan. But we,
+the youth, will continue to support Japan into the future. Also, considering
+that our society ages more and more every year, you could say that our
+youthful value only increases. So, if you were to examine both the elderly
+and the young and ask yourself which group is more valuable, the answer
+should be obvious. That's really the perfect argument, wouldn't you say?
+But still, I wondered what the others would do. As I looked around, I
+saw two kinds of people: those who had pretended not to have heard anything
+and those who looked hesitant.
+However, the girl sitting next to me was different. She alone wasn't
+swept up by the confusion. Her face remained expressionless.
+While I unintentionally stared at her, our eyes met for an instant. Even
+without speaking a word, I could tell that we shared the same opinion.
+Neither of us considered it necessary to give up our seat.
+"E-excuse me. You can have mine." Shortly after the girl's appeal, a
+working woman stood, unable to bear the guilt any longer, and offered up her
+seat.
+"Thank you very much!" the elderly woman said.
+The working woman smiled, lowered her head, and guided the elderly
+woman to the now-vacant seat.
+The elderly woman expressed her gratitude repeatedly, and slowly sat.
+Watching the scene unfold from my peripheral vision, I crossed my arms and
+closed my eyes. Soon, we arrived at our destination, and all the high school
+students began to disembark.
+As I got off the bus, I saw a gate formed from natural rock waiting just
+ahead. All the young boys and girls dressed in school uniforms were passing
+through this gate.
+The Japanese government had created the Tokyo Metropolitan
+Advanced Nurturing High School with the express purpose of developing
+future leaders. This would be my school from now on.
+Okay, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. All right, here we go!
+"Wait!"
+The instant I tried to take my first courageous step, someone called out
+to me. It was the girl who'd sat next to me on the bus.
+"You were looking at me. Why?" she asked.
+She narrowed her eyes while we spoke.
+"Sorry. I guess I was just interested, is all. I mean, you didn't think
+about giving up your seat to the old woman, did you?"
+"That's right. I didn't consider giving it up. Is there something wrong
+with that?"
+"Oh, no, not at all. I didn't intend to give up my seat, either. In fact, I
+firmly abide by the philosophy of letting sleeping dogs lie. I dislike trouble."
+"You dislike trouble? Then I don't think you and I are anything alike. I
+didn't give up my seat because I thought it would be pointless. That's all."
+"But doesn't that seem worse than just not liking trouble?"
+"Perhaps. I'm simply acting according to my own beliefs. That's
+different from someone who just dislikes trouble, like you. I don't want to
+spend any time around people like you."
+"I feel the same way," I muttered.
+I had only wanted to share my opinion, but I wasn't too keen on going
+back and forth with her like this. We both sighed and proceeded to walk in
+the same direction.
+252
+I disliked the entrance ceremony and imagined that many first-year
+students probably felt the same. The principal and the students exchanged
+excessive words of gratitude, there was far too much time spent standing in
+lines, and, with so many irritating things to deal with, it all felt like a huge
+pain in the butt. But those weren't my only complaints. The entrance
+ceremonies for elementary school, junior high, and high school all mean the
+same thing: the start of another major trial for children. In order for students
+to enjoy their time at school, they must make friends, and there are only a few
+key days after the entrance ceremony to properly do that. Failure to do so
+signals the beginning of a rather tragic three years.
+As someone who dislikes trouble, I decided I'd like to establish proper
+relationships. Unfamiliar with the notion, I'd spent the day before in
+preparation, running through different scenarios.
+For instance, should I burst into the classroom and actively start talking
+to people? Should I secretly pass around a slip of paper with my email
+address, so as to better befriend someone? Someone like me needed to
+practice, because this environment was so different from what I'd
+experienced thus far. I was completely isolated. I had ventured alone into a
+battlefield, and it was do or die.
+Looking around the classroom, I walked toward the seat that bore my
+nameplate. It was at the back of the room, near the window. A good place to
+sit, generally. As I looked around, I saw that the room was already halfway
+filled with students. The others were either immersed in their class materials
+or already talking with other people. Perhaps they'd all been friends
+beforehand or had only recently gotten acquainted. Well then, what should I
+do? Take action during this free time and try to meet someone? In front of
+me, a rather rotund boy sat at his desk, hunching over. Perhaps it was my
+imagination, but he appeared lonely.
+The boy exuded an aura that seemed to shout, "Please, someone be my
+friend!" However, if you just went up to someone and start talking, you might
+be bothering them. Should you wait for the right time? But then you might
+wait too long and be left friendless. I just had to... No, no, wait, I couldn't be
+hasty. If I started a thoughtless conversation with someone I didn't know, I
+ran the risk of making a serious social gaffe.
+Not good. I was trapped in a downward spiral.
+In the end, I couldn't talk to anyone at all. At the rate things were
+going, I'd be completely alone. Had I heard someone say, "Is he still all
+alone?" Had I heard chuckling? Perhaps it was all in my head. What on earth
+are "friends," anyway? Where do friends come from? Do people become
+friends after sharing a meal together? Can you become friends with someone
+after you walk to the bathroom together for the first time? The more I thought
+about it, the more I wondered: What is friendship? Is it something deep and
+meaningful? I tried to piece it together.
+Trying to make friends is incredibly bothersome. Besides, don't human
+relationships tend to form naturally? My thoughts were in utter disarray, as
+though a raucously loud festival was being staged inside my head. While I sat
+lost in a haze, the classroom quickly filled. Fine. Whatever. Nothing
+ventured, nothing gained, right? After a long period of conflict, I finally
+began to rise from my seat. However...
+Before I knew it, the rotund, bespectacled boy in front of me had
+started to talk with another classmate.
+Wearing a bitter smile, I realized that there was no new friendship to be
+cultivated there. /'m happy for you, Glasses-kun. It looks like you made your
+first friend.
+"T got beaten to the punch!"
+I was at my wit's end, stuck in useless navel-gazing. Reflexively, I let
+out a deep sigh. My high school experience seemed poised to be
+exceptionally dour. Then, someone sat down beside me.
+"That's quite a heavy sigh, considering the school year has only begun.
+Meeting you again makes me want to sigh."
+It was the girl who'd fought with me at the bus stop and then walked
+off.
+"So, we were placed in the same class, huh?" I mumbled.
+Well, there were only four classes for all of the first-year students, after
+all. Statistically, it wasn't impossible for us to be together.
+"Nice to meet you. I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
+"You just went ahead and introduced yourself?" she said.
+"Well, this is the second time that we've spoken. Isn't it fine for me to
+do so?"
+I had wanted to introduce myself to someone anyway, so it wasn't as
+though I could just keep quiet. Besides, in order to become familiar with my
+class, I had to at least know my neighbor's name...even if she was this
+audacious girl.
+"Do you mind if I refuse?" she asked.
+"T don't think sitting next to someone for an entire year without
+knowing their name would be comfortable."
+"T disagree."
+Shooting me a glance, she placed her bag on her desk. Apparently, she
+wasn't going to tell me her name. Lacking any interest in the classroom, the
+girl simply sat upright in her chair like a model student.
+"Do you have a friend in another class? Or did you enroll here all on
+your lonesome?" I asked.
+"Y ou're a curious one, aren't you? You won't find talking to me very
+interesting, though."
+"If 'm bothering you, you can just tell me to be quiet."
+I wouldn't introduce myself if it made her angry. I thought that the
+conversation was over, but then the girl sighed. Apparently, she'd changed
+her mind. She turned her gaze on me and introduced herself.
+"T'm Horikita Suzune."
+For the first time, I got a good look at her face.
+Wow. She was cute. Or rather, she was beautiful. Even though we were
+in the same grade, I'd have believed it if you told me she was a year or two
+older.
+Such a calm, cool beauty.
+"Let me tell you about myself," I said. "I have no particular hobbies,
+but I'm interested in just about anything. I don't need many friends, but I
+think it would be nice to have at least a few. And, well, that's about it."
+"Spoken just like someone who avoids trouble. I don't think I could
+ever like such a person," she said.
+"Jeez, I feel like you trashed my entire existence in one second," I
+muttered.
+"T pray this will be my only upset."
+"T sympathize, but, unfortunately, I don't think your prayers will be
+answered." I pointed to the classroom entrance. Standing there was—
+"This seems like a rather well-equipped classroom. It would appear to
+live up to people's expectations, hmm?" Yes. The boy who'd quarreled with
+those women on the bus.
+"T see. This certainly is bad luck," she said.
+This troublemaker had been placed in Class D with us. Without
+seeming to notice our presence at all, he went over to the seat labeled
+"Kouenji" and sat. I wondered if such a person had ever considered even the
+idea of friendship. I tried observing him for a little bit. Kouenji put his feet on
+top of the desk, took a nail file from his bag, and hummed while he treated
+his fingernails. He acted as though he were completely alone.
+Apparently, the rude comments he'd made on the bus had been an
+accurate reflection of his opinions. Within ten seconds, more than half the
+class had begun drawing away from Kouenji. His imposing nature dominated
+the space. Looking over, I saw that Horikita's gaze had lowered, and she
+seemed to be reading one of her own books. Oh, shoot. Id forgotten that
+conversational back-and-forth was one of the basics of maintaining interest.
+I'd squashed one of my chances to become friends with Horikita. Leaning
+down, I glanced at the title of her book: Crime and Punishment. Now that
+was interesting. A story that debated whether it was right to kill someone, so
+long as it was done for the sake of justice.
+So sad. Perhaps Horikita's taste in books was reflected in her
+personality. Well, at any rate, we'd introduced ourselves, so perhaps we
+could at least become neighborly. After a few minutes, the first bell rang. At
+that precise moment, a woman entered the classroom. When I first saw her,
+my initial impression was that she firmly believed in discipline. If I had to
+guess, I would have placed her age at thirty. She wore a suit and had delicate
+features. Her hair seemed long, and she'd tied it into a ponytail.
+"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for Class D.
+My name is Chiyabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history. However, at
+this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three
+years, I will be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all
+of you. It's a pleasure to meet you. The entrance ceremony will be in the
+gymnasium one hour from now, but first, I will distribute written materials
+with information about this school's special rules. I will also hand out the
+admissions guide."
+The students in the front seats passed back the familiar documents I'd
+received after being accepted.
+This school differed from the multitude of other Japanese high schools
+in a few key ways. Here, all students were required to live in dormitories
+located on school premises. Also, except for special cases, such as studying
+abroad, students were forbidden to contact anyone outside the school. Even
+contact with your immediate family was forbidden without authorization.
+Naturally, leaving school grounds without permission was also strictly
+forbidden.
+However, the campus also came equipped with many excellent
+facilities. With its own karaoke spot, theater, café, boutique, and more, you
+could easily compare this school to a small city. The campus spread over
+more than 600,000 square meters.
+This school boasted another unique feature: the S System.
+"T will now hand out your student ID cards. By using your card, you can
+access any of the facilities on campus, purchase goods from the store, and so
+on. It acts like a credit card. However, it is imperative that you pay attention
+to the points that you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy
+anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase."
+Our points, loaded onto our student ID cards, acted as a kind of
+currency. The lack of paper money would prevent many students' financial
+troubles. However, students needed to keep a watchful eye on their spending
+habits. At any rate, the school provided these points free of charge.
+"Your student cards can be used simply by swiping them through the
+machine scanner. The method is simple, so you shouldn't get confused.
+Points are automatically deposited into your account on the first of every
+month. You should all have received 100,000 points already. Keep in mind
+that one point is worth one yen. No further explanation should be necessary."
+The classroom erupted.
+In other words, we had received a 100,000-yen monthly allowance
+from the school upon admission. I'd expect nothing less from a massive
+institution run by the Japanese government. 100,000 yen is a rather large sum
+of money for a high schooler.
+"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school
+evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance
+examination, which itself speaks to your value and potential. The amount
+you ve received reflects the evaluation of your worth. You can use your
+points without restraint. After graduation, however, all of your points return
+to the school. Because it's impossible to exchange your points for cash,
+there's no advantage to saving them. Once points have been deposited into
+your account, it's up to you how to spend them. Do as you like. In the event
+that you don't want to spend your points, you may transfer them to someone
+else. However, extorting money from your peers is not allowed. This school
+monitors bullying very carefully."
+As bewilderment spread among the students, Chiyabashira-sensei
+looked over the room.
+"Well, it appears no one has any questions. I hope that you enjoy your
+time here as students."
+Many of my classmates could not hide their surprise at the large
+amount of points.
+"This school doesn't seem as strict as I thought," I muttered.
+I thought I was talking to myself, but Horikita looked in my direction.
+She must have imagined I was speaking to her.
+"This school is extremely lenient, isn't it?"
+Despite all of the restrictions, like being forced to live in the
+dormitories, being forbidden to leave the campus, and being prohibited from
+contacting anyone on the outside, no one here seemed to have any
+complaints. In fact, you might even say that we'd been given such
+preferential treatment that it was like we'd been transported to paradise. Of
+course, the Advanced Nurturing High School's most impressive statistic was
+its near 100 percent placement rate for students advancing into higher
+education or entering the workforce.
+This government-sponsored school's thorough guidance of its students
+hoped to ensure a better future. In fact, the school heavily advertised this.
+Many of its alumni went on to achieve fame. Typically, no matter how
+famous or impressive a school might be, the areas of specialization are
+limited. For example, one school might specialize in sports or in music.
+Another might focus on something related to computers. However, at this
+school, any student could hope to succeed, regardless of their field.
+Only this school had that kind of name-brand value. I'd assumed that
+the atmosphere would be cutthroat, but the majority of students looked like
+typical kids.
+No, that wasn't quite right. After all, we'd been capable enough to pass
+the entrance exam. If we could reach graduation day peacefully, without
+incident, then we would have achieved our goal... Was such a thing really
+possible, though?
+"This is almost too much preferential treatment. It's frightening."
+As Horikita spoke, I realized I felt the same way. We hardly knew
+anything about this school. It was as if a veil of mystery shrouded everything.
+Because a school like this could make any wishes a reality, I'd thought some
+kind of risk would have to be involved.
+"Hey, hey! Do you want to check out a store with me on our way back?
+Let's do some shopping!" one girl cried.
+"Sure. With this much, we can buy anything. I'm so glad I got into this
+school!" another said.
+Once the teacher was gone, the newly rich students began to grow
+restless.
+"Everyone, can you please listen to me for a moment?"
+A student with the air of an upstanding young man quickly raised his
+hand. His hair wasn't dyed. He looked like an honors student. Based on his
+appearance, I got the impression he wasn't a delinquent.
+"Starting today, we're all going to be classmates. Therefore, I think it'd
+be good for us to introduce ourselves and become friends as soon as possible.
+We still have some time until the entrance ceremony. What do you say?"
+He'd just done something incredible. The majority of students were
+lost in thought, unable to speak up.
+"Agreed! After all, we still don't know a thing about each other, not
+even our names," someone shouted.
+After the ice had broken, the previously hesitant students began to
+speak.
+"My name's Hirata Yousuke. Back in junior high, lots of people called
+me Yousuke. Feel free to use my first name! I guess my hobby is sports in
+general, but I especially like soccer. I'm planning on playing soccer here, too.
+Nice to meet you!"
+Hirata had effortlessly introduced himself to the class. He seemed
+exceptionally brave. And he'd talked about his love for soccer, too! His level
+of popularity must've increased two, no, maybe four times. Why, the girl
+seated next to Hirata had hearts in her eyes! If someone like Hirata became
+our class's linchpin, I wondered if he'd keep everyone honest and motivated
+until graduation.
+Someone like him would probably end up dating the cutest girl in class.
+That was how these things typically went.
+"Well then, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves, starting from the
+front. Is that okay?"
+Although the girl at the head of the class looked a little bewildered, she
+quickly made up her mind and stood. Or rather, she'd been pressured, in
+response to Hirata's words.
+"M-my name is...Inogashira Ko-Ko..."
+The girl, last name Inogashira, seemed to freeze during her
+introduction. Was she drawing a blank, or had she not considered what she
+was going to say beforehand? As her words halted, she paled. It was rare to
+see someone get so incredibly nervous.
+"Do your best!"
+"Don't panic! It's okay!"
+Kind words poured out of our classmates. But it seemed to have the
+opposite effect on the girl; the words stuck in the back of her throat. The
+silence continued for five seconds. Ten seconds. You could've cut the tension
+with a knife. Some of the girls started giggling. Inogashira was paralyzed
+with fear. She couldn't move a muscle. Another girl spoke up.
+"It's okay to go slowly. Don't rush."
+Although it might seem kind, saying, "Do your best!" and, "It's okay!"
+it actually conveys a completely different meaning. To someone who is
+extremely nervous, "Do your best!" and, "It's okay!" can actually seem
+forceful, as if indicating she needs to match her classmates. On the other
+hand, saying, "Just take things slowly. Don't rush," allows her to take things
+at her own pace.
+After that, the girl calmed down and regained her composure. She took
+a few small breaths and tried again.
+"My name is Inogashira...Kokoro. Um, my hobby is sewing. I'm
+pretty good at knitting. I-It's nice to meet you all."
+She was able to finish without stopping. Looking alternately relieved,
+delighted, and embarrassed, Inogashira sat down. Other introductions
+followed hers.
+"1'm Yamauchi Haruki. I competed in table tennis during elementary
+school, and in junior high I was the ace player on our baseball team. I was
+number four. I got hurt during the inter-high school championships, though,
+and I'm undergoing rehab now. Nice to meet you."
+I didn't think that the number of his baseball uniform was essential
+information...
+Besides, I'd thought the inter-high championship was a national sports
+competition for high school students. Junior high school kids were supposed
+to be ineligible.
+Was he trying to crack a joke? He seemed like a talkative guy who got
+carried away pretty easily.
+"Well then, I'm next, aren't I?"
+The cheerful girl who stood up was the same one who'd told Inogashira
+to go slowly and calm down. She was also the same girl who'd helped out the
+elderly woman on the bus that morning.
+"My name is Kushida Kikyou. None of my friends from junior high
+made it to this school, so I'm alone here. I'd like to get to know all of your
+names and faces right away and become friends as soon as possible!"
+While most of the students had only said a few words of introduction,
+Kushida continued to talk.
+"My first goal is to become friends with everyone. So, after we're
+finished with introductions, I'd love for you to share your contact information
+with me!"
+She wasn't just saying that. I could tell right away that this girl was the
+type to open up her heart to anyone.
+Her encouraging words to Inogashira hadn't been platitudes, but a
+genuine reflection of her feelings.
+"So, after school or during vacations, I want to make all sorts of
+memories with lots of people. Please feel free to invite me to lots and lots of
+events! Anyway, I've talked for a long time, so I'll end my introduction
+here."
+She said it as though she knew I'd been critiquing everyone's
+introductions. I felt strangely uncomfortable, and I wasn't sure why.
+What should I say when my turn came? Should I make a joke? Should I
+go into it with really high energy in order to get some laughs? No, that
+wouldn't work. Going out of control would just ruin the atmosphere. Besides,
+that didn't really fit my personality anyway.
+The introductions continued while I wrestled with my anxiety.
+"Well then, next up is..."
+As Hirata looked encouragingly toward the next student, that student
+glared back. His hair was dyed a fiery red. He both looked and sounded like a
+delinquent.
+"What, are we a bunch of little kids or something? I don't need to
+introduce myself. People who want to do that can go ahead. Just leave me out
+of it."
+The red-haired guy scowled at Hirata. He had quite a presence, his
+attitude intense and overpowering.
+"T can't force you to introduce yourself, of course. However, I don't
+think that getting along with your classmates 1s a bad thing. If ve made you
+uncomfortable, I apologize."
+When Hirata bowed his head, some of the girls glared at the guy with
+red hair.
+"Isn't it fine to introduce yourself?" one of them snapped.
+"Yeah, yeah!"
+As I'd expected, the pretty-boy soccer star had captured most of the
+girls' hearts in the blink of an eye. However, half of the male students started
+to look angry, probably out of jealousy.
+"Shut it. I don't care. I didn't come here to make friends." The guy
+with red hair got up from his seat. It seemed he had no intention of getting to
+know anyone. Several other students followed suit and left the classroom
+together. Horikita got up and briefly glanced my way. When she realized I
+wasn't moving, she started to walk out the door. Hirata looked a little lonely
+when he saw Horikita head out.
+"They're not a bad bunch. It's my fault. I was being selfish and made
+people do this."
+"No way. You didn't do anything wrong, Hirata-kun. Let's just leave
+those guys be, okay?"
+Although some people had rebelled at the idea of introductions, the
+students who remained were happy to continue. In the end, things wrapped
+up in a rather ordinary fashion.
+"I'm Ike Kanji. I love girls, and I hate pretty boys. I'm currently in the
+market for a new girlfriend. It's nice to meet you! All the better if you're a
+cutie or a beauty!"
+It was difficult to tell if he was joking or not. At the very least, the girls
+looked at him with revulsion.
+"Wow. You are so cool, Ike-kun," one girl said, in a completely
+emotionless voice. Of course, her statement was 1000 percent false.
+"Seriously? Seriously? Oh, man. I mean, I thought that I wasn't bad or
+anything, but... heh heh."
+Apparently, Ike thought that she was being serious. He blushed.
+Instantly, the girls started to laugh.
+"Oh, wow. He's cute, huh, everyone? He's looking for a girlfriend!"
+Dude, they're making fun of you. Ike continued to jovially go along
+with the teasing. He didn't seem like a bad guy, though.
+Next up was the combative boy from the bus, Kouenji. While
+inspecting his bangs in a hand mirror, he combed his hair.
+"Excuse me, can you introduce yourself?" Hirata asked.
+"Hmph. Fine."
+He smirked like an aristocrat, displaying his impudent attitude. As he
+shifted in his seat, I thought he might leave, but Kouenji placed both of his
+legs on his desk and introduced himself.
+"My name is Kouenji Rokusuke. As the sole male heir to the Kouenji
+conglomerate group, I will soon be tasked with carrying Japan into the future.
+I sincerely look forward to making your acquaintance, ladies."
+He aimed his introduction solely at the opposite sex, rather than the
+entire class. After hearing that he was rich, some of the girls looked at him
+with sparkling eyes, while others regarded Kouenji as if he were nothing
+more than a weirdo. That was only natural.
+"Starting today, I will mercilessly punish anyone who makes me
+uncomfortable. Please exercise proper precaution so that you may avoid
+that."
+"Um, Kouenji-kun. What exactly do you mean when you say, 'anyone
+who makes me uncomfortable'?" asked Hirata, who looked uneasy at the
+word "punish."
+"T meant exactly what I said. If asked to give an example, well... I
+would say I hate ugly things, for instance. So, if I saw something ugly, I
+would do just as I said."
+Fwish! He flipped his long, flowing bangs.
+"Ah, thank you. I will be careful then."
+There was the guy with red hair, Horikita, Kouenji, Yamauchi, and Ike.
+Apparently, this class was full of people with bizarre idiosyncrasies.
+I, too, was especially peculiar, in that there was nothing peculiar about
+me. I had wanted to be free, free as a bird, but prior to this I'd languished in a
+cage. I had wanted to fly into the expansive open skies. If you looked out the
+window, you could watch birds gracefully soaring... Well, not right now, but
+in general. Anyway, that's the kind of guy I was.
+"Well then, time for the next person. Can you please introduce
+yourself?"
+"Huh?"
+Oh, shoot. My turn had come while I'd been daydreaming. Students
+turned, waiting for my introduction. Hey, hey! Don't look at me with so much
+anticipation. Oh well, I might as well try my best.
+Clack! The chair rattled as I stood.
+"Um. Well, my name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. And, uh, I don't really
+have any special skills or anything. I'll do my best to get along with all of
+you. It's, uh, nice to meet you."
+Well? Was that my introduction?
+I'd failed!
+I instinctively buried my head in my hands. I hadn't had time to
+construct a proper introduction because I'd been too busy daydreaming. It
+was the worst possible intro. It didn't attract attention, and absolutely no one
+would remember it.
+"It's nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun. I always want to be friends
+with everyone, just like you. Let's both do our best, okay?" Hirata responded
+with a refreshing smile.
+Everyone clapped. Their applause felt somewhat like pity, which
+strangely pained me. Despite that, however, I felt kind of glad.
+23
+| ee though people said this place was tough, the entrance ceremony
+was the same as any other school's. Some important people offered words of
+thanks, and the ceremony concluded without incident. Then, it was noon.
+After we received some general information about the campus, the crowd
+dispersed.
+70-80 percent of the students headed toward the dormitories. The
+remaining students quickly formed into groups. Some made their way to
+cafés, while the louder ones went out for karaoke. The hustle and bustle
+quickly died down. On a whim, I decided to swing by the convenience store
+on my way back to the dormitory. Of course, I went alone. I didn't have a
+chaperone, or acquaintance, or anyone like that.
+"My, what an unpleasant coincidence."
+Entering the convenience store, I ran into Horikita once again.
+"Come on, there's no need to be so hostile. Anyway, did you need to
+buy something?" I asked.
+"Yes, just a few things. I came to get some necessities."
+There was no shortage of things you needed when starting life in a
+dorm, especially if you were a girl. Horikita took various necessities like
+shampoo off the shelves and promptly threw them into the basket she was
+carrying. I'd thought she would choose higher quality items, but she only
+took the cheapest options.
+"T thought girls usually made a fuss over what kind of shampoo they
+bought."
+"Well, that depends on the person, doesn't it? I'm the sort who doesn't
+know when you might need money," she replied.
+She shot me an icy glare that seemed to say, Could you please not
+inspect other people's purchases without their permission?
+"At any rate, I was terribly surprised that you stayed for introductions,"
+she said. "You didn't look like the type to hang out with a circle of
+classmates."
+"T decided to participate precisely because I don't like trouble. Why
+didn't you introduce yourself to them, Horikita? You could have gotten to
+know several other students, and it would have been a chance to make
+friends."
+Quite a few of the students had exchanged cell numbers, too. If
+Horikita had participated, she would probably have become quite popular.
+What a waste.
+"There are several reasons why I objected, but I suppose it might be
+better if I simply explain, hmm? My introduction might have sown discord,
+depending on how things went. Thus, doing nothing avoided creating more
+problems. Am I wrong?"
+"But, statistically speaking, there was a high probability that you could
+have hit it off with everyone after introducing yourself," I said.
+"How did you arrive at that conclusion? Actually, if I argue this with
+you now, we'll just end up in an endless debate. Let's say that the probability
+of making friends was high, like you said. So, how many people did you get
+to know?"
+"Ugh..."
+She gazed at me.
+That was a rather splendid argument. The fact that I hadn't yet
+exchanged contact information with anyone worked in Horikita's favor. It
+proved there was no guarantee that introductions led to friendship. I
+instinctively averted my eyes.
+"In other words, you have no evidence to support your claim that self-
+introductions lead to making friends, do you?" she asked. "Besides, I never
+intended to make friends in the first place. If I have no need to introduce
+myself, then I also have no reason to listen to anyone else's introductions.
+Have I convinced you?"
+That reminded me of the disastrous first time I'd tried to introduce
+myself to Horikita. Come to think of it, it might have been a miracle that I'd
+managed to get her name.
+When I asked her if I shouldn't have introduced myself to her, she
+shook her head. People tended to have hidden depths, no doubt about it.
+Horikita might have been a more solitary, more aloof person than I'd
+imagined.
+We roamed around the convenience store without looking at each
+other. Even though she was somewhat uptight, being with her didn't feel
+uncomfortable.
+"Whoa! There's even an amazing selection of noodle cups here! This
+school is super convenient!"
+Two rather noisy male students stood before the instant foods. They
+tossed a veritable mountain of noodle cups into their basket and made their
+way to the cash register. Besides noodles, they'd stocked up on snacks and
+juice. Hey, it'd be nearly impossible to go through all your points; better to
+spend them.
+"Noodle cups. They have so many kinds."
+These were definitely one reason I'd come to the convenience store.
+"So, do boys really like this kind of stuff? I can't imagine that it's
+healthy," Horikita said.
+"T like them just fine, I guess."
+I picked up a noodle cup and examined the price tag. It said 156 yen,
+but I couldn't tell whether that was expensive or cheap. Even though the
+school referred to its credit system as points, the prices were all listed in yen.
+"Hey, what do you think? Is this price high or low?"
+"Hmm. I'm not sure. Why, is there something curious about it?"
+"No, I was just wondering."
+The store's prices seemed reasonable. One point appeared to really
+equal one yen. Given that the average freshman's allowance was around
+5,000 yen, the amount of money we'd received seemed impossibly large.
+Horikita, noting my odd behavior, gave me a quizzical look. I grabbed a
+noodle cup to avoid suspicion.
+"Wow, this is enormous. It's a G Cup, huh?"
+Apparently, that stood for "Giga Cup." Just looking at it made me feel
+full. On an unrelated note, Horikita's breasts were neither small nor huge.
+They exquisitely straddled the line between the two. The perfect size.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. Were you thinking about something stupid just
+now?" she asked.
+"Er. No?"
+"T felt like you were acting strangely."
+She could sense my inappropriate thoughts just by looking at me. She
+was a sharp one.
+"T was just wondering whether or not I should buy this. What do you
+think?"
+"Oh. Well, I suppose that's fine. Anyway, do you really think you
+should buy that? This school offers far healthier food options. Don't you
+think it's better to avoid eating junk?"
+Like Horikita said, I had no reason to eat junk. However, since I had an
+irresistible urge, I took one package of regular-sized instant noodles with
+"FOO Yakisoba" written on it and tossed it into my cart. Her attention
+wandering, Horikita moved away from the food and began hunting for daily
+essentials. I planned to use witty jokes to score more points with her next.
+"If you're looking for something a cut above the rest, how about this
+razor with five blades? I bet it'd do the job."
+"Why in the world would I want to shave with that?"
+I grinned smugly and pretended to shave an imaginary beard, but she
+didn't laugh. Far from it. Instead, she looked at me like I was dirt.
+"Look at me," she said. "I don't have anything to shave. Not on my
+chin, not under my armpits, and not down there."
+I mumbled hesitantly, my spirit crushed. It looked like my jokes failed
+colossally with women.
+"T have to say, I'm a little envious of your ability to babble inanely to
+someone you've only just met."
+"Well, I feel like you've been saying stupid crap, too, and you only just
+met me."
+"Is that so? 've merely stated facts. Unlike you." She calmly tossed
+my words back at me, shutting me up. To be fair, I had said some random
+nonsense. The smooth, eloquent Horikita, on the other hand, was always
+well-spoken, no matter how you sliced it.
+Horikita chose the cheapest face wash. I would have thought girls cared
+more about that kind of thing, too.
+"Don't you think that this one is better?" I took an expensive cream off
+the shelf and showed it to her.
+"Unnecessary." She refused it.
+"Well, but—"
+"T already said it was unnecessary, didn't I?" she snapped.
+eo a aia
+I gently returned the face wash as she glared at me. I thought I could
+carry on a conversation without making her angry, but I'd failed.
+"You don't seem adept at socializing. You're terrible at conversation."
+"Well, if it's coming from you, then it's definitely true," I grumbled.
+"That's right. I consider myself, at the very least, to have a good eye
+for people. Normally, I wouldn't want to hear you talk anymore, but I will
+put in a painful level of effort to listen to you."
+I'd said that I wanted to be her friend, but, apparently, she didn't feel
+the same. With that, our conversation abruptly stopped. Two new girls
+entered the convenience store. It was a little strange, but I became aware of
+something crucial: Horikita really was cute.
+"Hey. What's up with this?"
+While looking around the store, desperate for a new topic, I'd found
+something strange. Some toiletries and food had been tucked away in the
+corner of the convenience store. At first glance, they appeared to be the same
+as the other items, but there was one big difference.
+"Free?"
+Horikita apparently also thought it strange, so she picked up one of the
+items. Daily necessities like toothbrushes and bandages had been stuffed into
+a clearance bin and labeled "Free." The bin was also marked with the proviso
+"three items per month." These were obviously different from the store's
+other goods.
+"They must be emergency relief supplies for students who use up their
+points. This school is so incredibly lenient," I said.
+I had to wonder how far their leniency extended, though.
+"Hey, shut it! Just wait a sec! I'm looking for it right now!"
+A sudden, loud voice drowned out the store's peaceful background
+music.
+"Come on, hurry up. You have a line of people waiting on you!"
+"Oh, yeah? Well, if they have any complaints, they can take it up with
+me!"
+Apparently, trouble was brewing by the register. A dispute had broken
+out between two young men who were glaring at each other. I recognized the
+one with the thoroughly ill-tempered look on his face. It was the student from
+my class, the guy with the red hair. He had his hands full of noodle cups.
+"What's going on here?" I asked.
+"Huh? Who are you?"
+I had meant to appear amicable, but the guy with red hair scowled at
+me. Apparently, he was under the mistaken impression that I was an enemy.
+"My name's Ayanokouji. I'm from your class. I just asked because it
+sounded like there was trouble."
+At my explanation, the red-haired guy looked somewhat mollified and
+lowered his voice a little. "Oh. Yeah, I remember you. I forgot my student ID
+card. Forgot that it pretty much acts as our money from now on, too."
+I looked at his empty hands. He'd put the noodle cups away. He started
+to leave, probably heading back to the dorms, where he'd likely forgotten his
+card. To be honest, the fact that the student ID was necessary for payment
+hadn't yet sunk in for me, either.
+"T can pay for you. I mean, it'd be annoying if you had to head all the
+way back to the dorms. I don't mind."
+"That's true. You're right, it'd be absolutely annoying. Thanks."
+The store wasn't particularly far from the dorms, but by the time he got
+back there would be a long line of students buying lunch.
+"My name's Sudou," he said. "Thanks for helping me out. I owe you."
+"Nice to meet you, Sudou."
+Sudou handed me his noodle cup, and I walked over to the hot water
+dispenser. After watching our short exchange, Horikita sighed, aghast.
+"You're acting like a pushover right from the start. Do you intend to
+become his servant? Or are you doing this to make friends?" she asked.
+"T didn't care about making friends. I just wanted to help. No big deal."
+"You don't seem to be afraid."
+"Afraid? Why? Because he looks like a delinquent?" I asked.
+"A normal person would try to keep someone like him at a distance."
+"T guess, but he doesn't seem like a bad person to me. And you don't
+appear to be scared either, Horikita."
+"It's mostly defenseless people who stay away from those types. If he
+acted violently, I could rebuff him. That's why I don't withdraw."
+Horikita's words were always a little difficult to understand. To begin
+with, what did she mean by "rebuff"? Did she carry pepper spray to keep off
+perverts or something?
+"Let's finish our shopping. We'Il be a bother to the other students if we
+dawdle," she said.
+Wrapping things up, we presented our student ID cards to the machine
+by the register. Since we didn't have to deal with small change, our
+transaction was speedy.
+"You really can use it like money..." I said.
+My receipt showed the price of each item and the remaining amount of
+points. The payment had gone through without any problems. I poured hot
+water into my noodle cup while waiting for Horikita. I'd thought it might be
+tricky, but opening the lid and pouring hot water up to the line was simple
+enough.
+Anyway, this school was eerie.
+What merit could every student possibly have that would warrant such
+a massive allowance? Considering that there were about 160 people enrolled
+in my grade, simple calculation suggested that there were 480 people total in
+this school. That alone would mean 48 million yen each month. Annually,
+that would equal 560 million yen. Even for a government-supported school,
+that seemed like overkill.
+"How does the school benefit from giving us this much money?"
+"T wonder. The campus has more than enough facilities for the number
+of students, and I wouldn't think it necessary to hand out so much. Students
+who should be studying might slack off."
+Perhaps it was some kind of reward for working hard and passing a test
+or something. Indeed, student motivation might increase if offered an
+incentive. However, the school had just handed out 100,000 yen to everyone,
+with no strings attached.
+"T won't tell you what to do, but I think it would be best to avoid
+wasting your money. It's difficult to fix frivolous spending habits. Once a
+person gets used to an easy life, they find they need more and more. When
+you lose it, the shock can be great," Horikita said.
+"Tl keep that in mind."
+I didn't really intend to waste money on miscellaneous junk, but she
+had a point. After paying and exiting the store, I found Sudou seated outside,
+waiting for me. When I saw him, he gently waved me over. I waved in return,
+feeling somewhat embarrassed, yet happy.
+"Are you really going to eat here?" I asked him.
+"Of course. It's just common sense."
+Sudou perplexed me with his matter-of-fact reply. Horikita sighed in
+exasperation.
+"I'm going back. I'll be stripped of my dignity if I spend more time
+here," she said.
+"What do you mean, 'dignity'? We're just high school students. We're
+ordinary. Or, what, are you the high-born daughter of some noble family or
+something?"
+Horikita didn't flinch at Sudou's harsh tone. Seemingly irritated, Sudou
+set his noodle cup on the ground and stood.
+"Huh? Hey, listen to people when they're talking to you! Hey!" he
+said.
+"What's his problem? He just suddenly got angry." Horikita said this to
+me, ignoring Sudou. This was apparently too much for Sudou, who started to
+shout.
+"Hey, get over here! I'll smack that smug look off your face!" he
+yelled.
+"Look, I'll admit that Horikita has a bad attitude, but you're taking this
+too far."
+It was apparent that Sudou's patience had run out. "Huh? What was
+that? She has a bratty, obnoxious attitude. That's bad, especially for a girl
+1?
+"For a girl? That's rather outdated thinking. Ayanokouji, I would
+advise you not to become his friend," Horikita said. With that, she turned her
+back on Sudou.
+"Hey, wait! You shitty girl!"
+"Calm down." I held Sudou back as he actually tried to grab Horikita.
+She made her way in the direction of the dorms without stopping or glancing
+back.
+"What the hell is her deal? Goddamn it!" he shouted.
+"There are many different types of people, you know."
+"Shut it. I hate those stuffy, too-serious types."
+He continued to glare at me. Sudou grabbed his noodle cup once again,
+ripped off the cover, and began eating. Just a little while ago, he'd fought in
+front of the register, too. He probably had a short fuse.
+"Hey, you guys first years? This is our spot."
+As Sudou slurped his ramen, three boys called out to us. They seemed
+to have come out of the same store and were carrying the same brand of
+noodle cups.
+"Who are you? I was already here. You're in the way. Get lost," Sudou
+barked.
+"You hear this guy? 'Get lost,' he says. What a cocky little first-year
+punk."
+The three laughed in Sudou's face. Sudou shot up, slamming his
+noodle cup against the ground. The broth and noodles splashed everywhere.
+"First-year punk,' huh? You tryin' to make fun of me, huh?!"
+Sudou had an extremely short fuse. If I had to judge, he seemed like the
+type to immediately threaten anyone or anything that crossed him.
+"You're awfully mouthy, considering we're second-year students. We
+already put our bags here, see?"
+Plop! With those words, the second-year upperclassmen students put
+down their bags and guffawed loudly.
+"See, our stuff's here. Now, beat it," one of them said.
+"You got a lot of guts, asshole."
+Sudou didn't back down, unfazed by being outnumbered. It looked like
+fists were going to fly at any moment. I, of course, didn't want any part of it
+myself.
+"Oh, wow, scary. What class are you in? Wait, never mind. I think I
+know. You're in Class D, aren't you?"
+"Yeah, so what?" Sudou snapped.
+The upperclassmen students exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
+"You hear that? He's in Class D! I knew it! It was a dead giveaway!"
+"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Hey!"
+As Sudou barked at them, the boys grinned and stepped backwards.
+"Aw, you poor things. Since you're 'defective,' we'll let you off the
+hook, just for today. Let's get going,
+guys."
+"Hey, don't run away! Hey!" Sudou shouted.
+"Yeah, yeah, keep on yapping. You guys'll be in hell soon enough
+anyway."
+Be in hell?
+They appeared calm and composed. I wondered what they'd meant.
+Previously, I'd been certain this school would be filled with upper-class
+young men and women, but there seemed to be plenty of rowdy, combative
+people like Sudou or those upperclassmen.
+"Ah, damn it! If those had been nice second-year students, or cute girls,
+that would've been great. Instead, we had to deal with those annoying
+morons."
+Sudou didn't bother to clean up his mess. He thrust his hands into his
+pockets before heading back. I looked at the wall outside the convenience
+store, discovering two surveillance cameras.
+"This might lead to problems later," I muttered.
+Reluctantly, I bent down, picked up the cup, and started cleaning up the
+mess. Come to think of it, as soon as those second-year students found out
+Sudou was in Class D, their attitudes had changed. Although it ate at me, I
+couldn't explain it.
+2.4
+Asia one pm, I made my way back to the dormitory, my home
+from that day onward. At the reception desk, I received a keycard for Room
+401 and a handbook containing information about the dorm's rules, then
+boarded the elevator. I quickly flipped through the handbook, which only
+detailed the most basic things that we needed for our daily routines. The dates
+and times for garbage disposal were listed, as well as a notice about avoiding
+excessive noise. I also saw notes about not wasting water or electricity, and
+So on.
+"So, they don't place restrictions on electricity or gas usage?"
+I'd assumed that the school would deduct the cost from our points. This
+school really went to great lengths to have a perfect system for its students.
+However, I was a little surprised that they'd implemented co-ed dormitories.
+After all, this was a high school, so the rules stated that unsuitable romantic
+relationships were frowned upon. In short, sex was strictly forbidden...
+obviously. I mean, a member of the clergy wouldn't say that engaging in
+illicit sexual activity was okay.
+While I privately doubted that such pampered students could develop
+into fine, upstanding adults, it would be wise to make the best of the situation
+for now. My room was about eight tatami mats wide. Also, though this was a
+dorm, it was the first time I'd lived alone. I refused to have any contact with
+the outside world until graduation. Considering my situation, I
+unintentionally cracked a smile.
+This school boasted a high employment rate upon graduation, and its
+facilities and student services were unmatched throughout the country,
+making it the preeminent high school in Japan. I found such things trivial,
+however. I'd chosen this school for one fundamental reason.
+At this high school, people were not allowed to contact students
+without permission, even if they were friends or immediate family. I greatly
+appreciated that. I was free. In English, they would call it, "freedom." In
+French, they would call it, "liberte."
+Isn't freedom simply the best? When I wanted to eat something, I could
+eat it. I almost didn't want to graduate. Before being accepted, I'd honestly
+thought I would be been fine either way, that the difference between passing
+and failing would have been trivial. But my true feelings finally welled up. I
+was glad to have been admitted here.
+No one else's eyes or words would ever reach me. I could start ag—no.
+I could begin anew entirely. A new life. I resolved to enjoy my time here to
+the fullest, but without drawing attention to myself. Still in my uniform, I
+dived into my already-made bed. I felt far from tired, however. I was so
+incredibly excited about my new life that I was unable to calm down. My
+eyes remained wide open.
+Chapter 3:
+The Students of Class D
+O. our second day of school—well, I suppose technically it was the
+first day of class—we spent most of our time running over the course
+objectives. Apparently, many of the students were quite surprised, if not a
+little disappointed, by how genuinely warm and friendly the teachers at this
+school looked. Sudou had already made a spectacle of himself by spending
+most of the class asleep. I thought that the teachers would notice, but they
+showed no signs of doing so. After all, it was up to every individual student
+whether or not he or she wanted to listen in class. I wondered if this was how
+teachers typically interacted with students once they left compulsory
+education.
+I took in the relaxed atmosphere, and soon it was lunchtime. Students
+stood up and left with their new acquaintances, disappearing from my view. I
+couldn't help but feel slightly envious as I watched them. Unfortunately, I
+still hadn't managed to befriend a single one of my new classmates.
+"How pathetic."
+Only one person had noticed how I felt, and she met my pain with
+derisive laughter.
+"What? What's pathetic?" I asked.
+""T want someone to invite me along. I want to eat with someone!'
+Your thoughts are like an open book," Horikita said.
+"But you're alone, too, aren't you? Haven't you thought the same
+thing? Or do you intend to spend three years here without making a single
+friend?"
+"That's right. I prefer to be alone," she replied quickly, without
+hesitation. It sounded like she was being honest. "Why don't you stop
+worrying about me and instead think about yourself?"
+"Well, I..."
+I certainly wasn't proclaiming my intention to be social. Honestly, at
+the rate things were going I might be unable to make any friends, spelling
+trouble for my future. I'd likely end up alone again, and that would make me
+stand out. It could make me a target for bullying.
+Less than a minute after the end-of-class bell rang, about half of the
+students had disappeared. Those who remained either secretly wanted to go,
+like me, were unconscious of their surroundings, or preferred being alone,
+like Horikita.
+"Well, I was thinking of heading to the cafeteria. Anyone want to come
+with me?" announced Hirata as he stood. He was clearly one of those all-
+around good guys. I had to take my hat off to him. In my heart of hearts, I'd
+been waiting for a savior to bestow a chance like this upon me. Yes, Hirata, I
+will go with you. I slowly tried to raise my hand, and...
+"T'll go, too!"
+"Me, too! Me too!"
+Girls gathered around Hirata one after another, and I lowered my hand.
+Why did those girls have to take his offer? This could've been my chance to
+make friends with Hirata! You don't need to jump all over him for lunch just
+because he's kind of handsome!
+"How tragic."
+Horikita's derisive laugh morphed into scorn.
+"Don't just assume you know what I'm thinking," I said.
+"Does anyone else want to come?"
+Hirata looked around the room, possibly feeling a bit lonely because no
+other boys had joined him. Hirata scanned the classroom, and his eyes met
+mine. Over here! Notice me, Hirata! There's someone here who wants an
+invitation! Hirata didn't avert his eyes, just as I would expect from someone
+with a handle on his life who cared about the people in his class! He
+understood my appeal!
+"Hey, Ayano—"
+Hirata began to call my name, but in that instant—
+"Come on. Hurry up, Hirata-kun!"
+A fashionista-type girl latched onto Hirata's arm. Ah... The girls stole
+Hirata's attention. They left the classroom together, all looking rather happy.
+I remained alone with my arm outstretched. Somewhat embarrassed, I tried to
+play it off by pretending to scratch my head.
+"Well then." Horikita shot me another pitying look before departing the
+classroom, leaving me alone.
+"That was pointless."
+Reluctantly, I got up and decided to head toward the cafeteria by
+myself. If I didn't feel like I could eat alone in there, I'd just score some
+supplies from the convenience store.
+"You're Ayanokouji-kun, right?"
+On my way out, a beautiful girl suddenly called my name. It was
+Kushida, one of my classmates. This was the first time I'd actually taken a
+good look at her, and it caused my heart to start pounding in my chest like a
+jackhammer. She had short, straight, dyed-brown hair that almost brushed the
+tops of her shoulders. While it certainly wasn't crude, the school had recently
+approved rather short skirt lengths. I had a strong feeling that this was one of
+the more recent uniforms.
+She was holding something in her hand. I couldn't tell if it was a pouch
+with a lot of key holders or what.
+"I'm Kushida, from your class. Do you remember me?" she asked.
+"Yeah, kinda. Do you need something?"
+"To tell you the truth, there's something I wanted to ask you. It's just
+one little question. Ayanokouji-kun, are you on good terms with Horikita-
+san?"
+"T wouldn't really say we're on good terms. Just casual acquaintances,
+I guess. Did she do something?"
+It looked like her business was with Horikita rather than me, which was
+a little disappointing.
+"Oh, no. Well, do you remember when I said I wanted to get along
+with everyone in class? That's why I wanted everyone's contact info. But...
+Horikita turned me down."
+Ugh. Horikita was so oblivious. [f such a positive, outgoing girl asked
+for your info, it would ve been nice for you to throw me a bone and give me
+her contact info while you were at it. I could probably have gotten to know
+everyone in the class in almost no time at all.
+"Weren't you two talking outside the school on the day of the entrance
+ceremony?"
+Considering we'd all ridden the bus together, it was no wonder that
+she'd seen my meeting with Horikita.
+"T was just wondering what kind of person Horikita-san is," Kushida
+continued. "Is she the type who'll talk a lot when she's with a friend?"
+She seemed to want information on Horikita, but I couldn't give her
+any answers.
+"T don't think she's very good at interacting with others. Why are you
+asking about Horikita, anyway?"
+"Well, during our introductions, Horikita-san walked out of the
+classroom, right? It seems like she hasn't talked to anybody yet, so 'ma
+little worried about her."
+Kushida had said that she wanted to get along with everyone when she
+introduced herself.
+"T understand what you're saying, but I only just met her yesterday. I
+can't really help you."
+"Hmm. I see. I thought that you two must have been old friends before
+starting school here. I'm sorry to have asked you such a strange question."
+"Oh, no, it's all right. Anyway, how did you know my name?"
+"How? You introduced yourself the other day, didn't you? I
+remembered."
+Kushida had listened to my hopelessly lame self-introduction.
+Somehow, that made me really happy.
+"Well, it's nice to meet you again, Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+Although I was a little bewildered by her outstretched hand, I wiped
+my palms on my pants and shook hands with her.
+"Yeah, nice to meet you," I said.
+Today was probably my lucky day. Even though there'd been some
+low points, some things had gone well. Since humans were creatures of
+convenience, the positives quickly overrode the bad memories.
+3.1
+A fier taking a quick peek into the cafeteria, I opted instead to go to
+the convenience store, buy some bread, and return to class. About ten people
+had remained in the room. Some had pushed their desks together so they
+could all eat as a group, while other, more solitary students quietly ate their
+lunches alone. Everyone here had brought a lunch box from the cafeteria or
+convenience store.
+I was going to eat by myself, but then Horikita returned and sat down
+beside me. On Horikita's desk sat a delicious-looking sandwich. Her aura
+seemed to say, "Don't talk to me," so I returned to my seat without speaking.
+Just as I was about to sink my teeth into a sweet bun, music played through
+the speakers.
+"At five PM Japan Standard Time today, we will be holding a student
+club fair in Gymnasium No. |. Students interested in joining a club, please
+gather in Gymnasium No. |. I repeat, at—"
+A girl with a sweet voice continued the announcement. Club activities,
+huh? Come to think of it, I'd never joined a club before.
+"Hey, Horikita—"
+"I'm not interested in joining a club."
+"T didn't even ask you anything yet."
+"Well, what is it?"
+"Are you interested in joining a club?"
+"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have dementia, or are you just an idiot?
+Didn't I just tell you that I'm not interested?"
+"That doesn't mean you won't join, though," I replied.
+"Now you're just splitting hairs. Don't argue for the sake of arguing."
+"Okay then."
+So, Horikita had no interest in making friends or joining clubs. She
+seemed annoyed whenever I tried to talk to her. I wondered if she'd come to
+the school only to advance into higher education or get a job. If she wanted to
+advance to higher education, I wouldn't have found that too surprising, but I
+did consider it a bit of a waste.
+"You don't really have any friends, do you?" she asked.
+"Sorry. But, hey, I can at least talk to you pretty well now."
+"Listen, don't count me as one of your friends."
+"O-oh..."
+"Well, since you apparently want to go find out about the clubs, do you
+intend to join one?" she asked.
+"Oh, I'm not sure, I guess. I'm still thinking about it. Probably not,
+though."
+"You don't plan to join a club, but you want to go to the club fair?
+How odd. Do you plan to use this as a pretext for talking to people and
+making friends?"
+How could she possibly be so sharp? No, I was probably just easy to
+read.
+"Since I failed to make any friends on my first day, I thought that clubs
+would be my last chance."
+"Can't you invite anyone other than me?" she asked.
+"It's precisely because I don't have anyone else to invite that I'm
+having such a hard time!"
+"True. However, I don't think you seriously mean what you're saying,
+Ayanokouji-kun. If you seriously want to make a friend, you should be more
+insistent."
+"T can't, though. I've devoted myself to walking a lonely road."
+Horikita took up her sandwich and quietly resumed eating. "I have
+trouble comprehending your contradictory way of thinking."
+I wanted to make friends, but I couldn't. Horikita apparently found that
+incomprehensible.
+"Have you ever joined any clubs, Horikita?" I asked.
+"No, I've never been in one."
+"Then, do you have any experience? You know, doing this or that?"
+"What exactly do you mean by 'that'? I can't help but feel like that's a
+mean-spirited question."
+"Mean-spirited? Why? What did I say wrong?"
+In one quick motion, Horikita karate-chopped me in the side. I coughed
+after being struck, unable to believe that a girl could hit so hard.
+""Wh-what was that for?!" I cried.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. I've warned you thoroughly, but it would appear that
+you haven't been listening. I think I may have to dole out rather merciless
+punishment to you later."
+"Absolutely not! Violence doesn't solve anything!"
+"Oh, really? Violence has existed since the dawn of time. Violence has
+historically proven to be the human race's most effective means of achieving
+resolution. Violence is the most reliable method to make others listen, or
+safely deny their demands. Not to mention that, in many countries, the police
+who enforce the law use handguns and batons, wielding violence as a tool to
+make arrests."
+"You sure are rambling..."
+She gave a grand speech, insisting that hitting me had not been wrong.
+She also stated that her unreasonable behavior was reasonable. If I tried to
+argue, she would viciously tear me down.
+"T think that I will employ violence to rehabilitate you, Ayanokouji-
+kun, and purge you of those impure thoughts. How does that sound?"
+"Okay then, what if I said the same thing to you, Horikita? What about
+that?"
+At best, men who raised their hand against women were called
+"lowlifes" and "cowards."
+"T wouldn't particularly mind, because I don't think you'll get the
+chance. Besides, if I never say anything wrong, then you'll never be able to
+reproach me."
+Her answer was totally unexpected. She really seemed to believe that
+she was always right. Even though she looked and spoke with the civility
+befitting an honors student, on the inside, she was a cruel beast.
+"Okay, I get it, I get it. Pll be careful from now on."
+I gave up on Horikita and looked out the window. Ah, the weather
+today was so nice.
+"Club activities, hmm. I see..."
+Horikita mumbled to herself as she pondered something.
+"Well, if it's only for a little while after school, I'll go with you," she
+said.
+"What do you mean "a little while'?"
+"You asked me earlier, didn't you? You said you wanted to go to the
+club fair."
+"Oh, yeah. I never planned to stick around. I was just looking for a
+chance to go. Is that okay?"
+"Tf it's just for a little while. All right, we'll go after class."
+After our conversation ended, we resumed eating our lunches. I had
+said that she was unpleasant earlier, but maybe things had turned around.
+Perhaps Horikita was actually a good person.
+"Watching you flail about as you fail to make friends sounds somewhat
+interesting."
+Nope. She was unpleasant.
+3.2
+66
+'Tie are more people here than I expected."
+After class had ended for the day, Horikita and I went to the
+gymnasium. Nearly all of the students assembled there were freshmen. There
+were about a hundred people waiting around. We stood near the back of the
+room and waited for the fair to begin. While waiting, we glanced over the
+pamphlet that students received upon entering the gymnasium. The pamphlet
+contained detailed information about club activities.
+"T wonder if this school has famous clubs. For example, something like
+karate."
+"Every club seems to operate on a high level. It looks like many
+athletes and club members here are famous throughout the nation."
+Even though this school didn't seem like a top-tier institution for
+activities like baseball and ballet, the clubs here certainly looked great.
+"These facilities are significantly more substantial than ordinary
+schools. Look, they even have O, chambers. The equipment here is so
+luxurious, it puts the professionals' stuff to shame. Oh, but it looks like they
+don't have a karate club after all."
+"T see."
+"What? Were you interested in karate or something?" I asked.
+"No, not particularly."
+"It seems like it'll be hard for newcomers to get into the athletic clubs,"
+I said. "Even if a first year managed to break in, they still might just be a
+benchwarmer forever. I can't think that would be much fun."
+Everything around here seemed far too orderly.
+"Wouldn't that depend on one's efforts, though? Surely by training for
+one or two years, anyone could get in and play."
+Training, huh? I didn't think I'd be able to put in that amount of effort,
+no matter how desperate I was.
+"T didn't realize that the concept of training even existed for someone
+who always avoided trouble, like you."
+"What exactly does me not liking trouble have to do with that?" I
+asked.
+"Would you agree that someone who avoids trouble also avoids
+unnecessary manual labor? You said it first. You should keep to your word, I
+think."
+"T didn't really think about it that deeply."
+"If you keep acting so non-committal, you're never going to be able to
+make any friends," she said.
+"You wound me, Horikita."
+"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the
+club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. My
+name is Tachibana, the student council secretary and the club fair's organizer.
+It's nice to meet you all."
+After Tachibana delivered the opening remarks, representatives from
+each club quickly lined up on a stage. It was quite a diverse crowd. The club
+representatives included everything from burly athletes in judo uniforms to
+students dressed in beautiful kimonos.
+"Hey, if you want to get a fresh start, why not try joining an athletic
+club? The judo club looks good, doesn't it? That upperclassman looks kind,
+and I'm sure he'd encourage you."
+"What do you mean 'kind'?! He looks like a gorilla! He'Il kill me for
+sure!" I snapped.
+"He'll probably talk passionately about how easy judo is."
+"Cut it out!"
+Sheesh. I'd thought that we were having a decent conversation, but
+she'd done nothing but stick it to me.
+"Even if I wanted to join, the athletic clubs all look really intimidating.
+I get the impression they don't accept beginners."
+"Beginners should be welcomed. The more members a club has, the
+more money they receive from the school. That's how they're able to get
+better training equipment."
+"Sounds like they're using the beginners for the money..."
+"It would be ideal to gather many new members as a budgetary
+increase, and then simply to bench them the rest of the time, like phantom
+members. If you were skilled at manipulation, that 1s."
+"What an unpleasant world... You have a pretty strange way of
+thinking," I muttered.
+A girl dressed in archery gear stepped onto the stage. "Hello, my name
+is Hashigaki, the captain of the archery club. Many students may be under the
+impression that archery is an old-fashioned, simple activity, but it is actually
+a fun and rewarding sport. We welcome beginners with open arms. If you're
+interested, please consider joining."
+"Hey, look, they seem to be welcoming newcomers. Why don't you try
+joining? In order to increase their budget, that is," I said.
+"T hate the idea of joming a club solely for that reason! Besides, athletic
+clubs are just gatherings of people with nothing better to do. Also, I probably
+wouldn't have fun if I didn't know anyone there. I'd end up quitting in the
+blink of an eye."
+"Tsn't that simply your twisted personality talking?"
+"Yeah, you're absolutely right. But athletic clubs are a no-go."
+I thought about joining a nice, calm, quiet club.
+"Tch! 99
+As the seniors introduced their respective clubs one after the other, I
+saw Horikita suddenly tense. She looked at the stage, her face pale.
+"What's the matter?"
+She didn't even seem to notice me anymore. I followed her line of sight
+to the stage, but I didn't find anything of note there. Just the representative of
+the school baseball team, dressed in uniform, giving his introduction. Had she
+fallen in love with him at first sight? No, I doubted it. Surprise? Disgust? Or
+maybe she was overjoyed? To be honest, Horikita's expression was complex
+and hard to read.
+"Horikita, what's the matter?"
+It was like she couldn't hear my voice. She kept staring intently at the
+stage. I decided that I'd stop talking to her and simply wait for an
+explanation. The baseball team's introduction wasn't any more compelling
+than the others. All things considered, the greeting was rather stock, no
+matter their schedule, appeal, or how welcoming they were to newcomers.
+It wasn't just the baseball club. Nearly every club's introduction was
+similarly ordinary. If anything surprised me about the fair, it was the
+substantial number of minor liberal arts-related clubs and organizations, such
+as the tea ceremony club or the calligraphy club. Also, I was surprised that
+you only needed a minimum of three people in order to form a new club.
+Every time one club finished and the next sprang up, the first-year
+students talked among themselves about what they thought. I noticed that the
+gymnasium's atmosphere was rather lively. Each club's representatives,
+including their supervising instructors, continued to explain their
+organizations to the unruly first-year students without a hint of displeasure.
+Perhaps they were just that desperate for more members, even if their ranks
+only increased by one.
+As the upperclassmen finished their introductions, they walked off the
+stage and headed toward an area where some plain tables had been set up.
+Probably a reception area designed to accept new members. Eventually,
+everyone walked off until only one person remained. Everyone focused their
+attention upon him, and I realized that Horikita had been staring at that
+specific person this whole time.
+He appeared to be about 170 centimeters in height, so he wasn't very
+tall. He was slender, with sleek black hair. He wore sharp glasses and had a
+piercing, calculating gaze. Standing in front of the microphone, he calmly
+looked around at the first-year students. What was his club, and what in the
+world was he going to say? My interest had been piqued.
+Unfortunately, my expectations were dashed immediately. He didn't
+say a single word. Maybe he was drawing a blank? Or perhaps he was so
+nervous that he couldn't speak?
+"Do your best!"
+"Did you forget to bring your notecards?"
+"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
+The first-year students hurled comments at him. However, the
+upperclassman stood on the stage calmly, without trembling. The laughter
+and comments didn't seem to faze him. When the laughter had reached a
+crescendo, it suddenly died. He wore an apathetic expression.
+"What's with this guy?" remarked an astonished student. The
+gymnasium buzzed with people talking, yet the boy on the stage still did not
+move. He simply stood there, quiet and motionless, staring fixedly at the
+crowd. Horikita stared back at the student with an intense gaze, not breaking
+her line of sight even for a second.
+The relaxed atmosphere gradually changed, and things took an
+unexpected turn. It was as if some chemical reaction had taken place. An
+unbelievably tense, quiet mood gripped the entire gymnasium. Even though
+no orders had been given, the silence was so terrible that it seemed to have
+gagged everyone. Not a single student looked able to open his or her mouth.
+The silence continued for about thirty seconds or so...
+Then, the student started his speech, slowly scanning the crowd.
+"I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu," he
+said.
+Horikita? I glanced at the Horikita next to me. Perhaps they just
+happened to have the same surname. Or, maybe...
+"The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among
+the first-year students to replace the graduating third years. Although no
+special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those
+considering application not be involved in other club activities. We generally
+do not accept students involved elsewhere."
+He spoke in a soft tone, but the tension around us was so thick it felt
+like you could cut it with a knife. He had managed to silence over a hundred
+new students in that spacious gymnasium. Of course, it wasn't his position as
+student council president that granted him this deference. That was simply
+Horikita Manabu's power. His presence dominated everyone around him.
+"Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone
+who possesses a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected,
+he or she would sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council's
+right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects more
+than that. We gladly welcome those of you who understand this."
+He didn't pause even once during his eloquent speech. Immediately
+after finishing, he hopped off the stage and left the gymnasium. None of the
+first-year students could utter a single word as we watched him go. We didn't
+know what would've happened if we'd tried to talk. Everyone in the room
+shared the same thought, apparently.
+"Thank you all for coming. The club fair has ended. We will now open
+the reception area to anyone interested in signing up. Also, registration will
+be open until the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at a later date,
+we ask that you please bring the application form directly to the club you
+wish to join."
+Thanks to the laid-back organizer, the tension in the air dissipated.
+Afterward, the third-year students who'd introduced their respective clubs
+started taking applications.
+Horikita remained still as a statue, giving no sign she would budge.
+"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked.
+Horikita didn't answer. It was like my words didn't even reach her
+ears.
+"Yo, Ayanokouji. You came, huh?"
+As I was lost in thought, someone called out to me. Sudou. Our
+classmates Ike and Yamauchi were also with him.
+"Oh, hey, you three. Looks like you guys are getting along well, huh?"
+I responded, feeling a bit envious of Sudou.
+"So, you joined a club, too?"
+"Oh, no, I just came to check things out. Wait, 'too'? Did you join a
+club, Sudou?"
+"Yeah. I've been playing basketball ever since elementary school. I
+thought I'd join the team here."
+I had thought he was athletic, judging from his physique. Basketball
+was Clearly his game.
+"What about you two?"
+"We just came because we felt it might be fun, you know? Besides, we
+thought we might have a fateful encounter afterward," Ike said.
+"What do you mean, 'fateful encounter'?"
+I wanted Ike to explain his rather odd-sounding goal. He crossed his
+arms and responded proudly, "I want to get my first girlfriend in Class D.
+That's my goal. That's why I'm keeping my eyes open for an encounter."
+Apparently, Ike considered having a girlfriend to be of the utmost
+priority.
+"Also, I have to say, that student council president was something else.
+He was so imposing. I got the feeling he ruled the place, you know?" he said.
+"IT know, right? He made everyone shut up without saying a word. That
+kinda stuff is impossible," I replied.
+"Yeah. Oh, by the way, I made a group chat for the guys yesterday."
+Ike took out his phone. "Do you want to join in, too? It's pretty handy."
+"Huh? Me? Is that okay?" I asked.
+"Of course it's okay. We're all in Class D together, after all."
+That was a rather unexpected proposal. I was happy to be invited to the
+group chat. Finally, I'd found the perfect chance to make friends! However,
+when I took out my cell phone to exchange contact information, Horikita
+disappeared into the crowd. Worried about her, I stopped what I was doing.
+"What's wrong?" Ike asked.
+"Oh, nothing. You ready?"
+I returned to my phone and exchanged contact information with Ike
+and the other guys. Horikita was free to do whatever she wanted, and I didn't
+have the right to stop her. For a moment, I'd felt like following her, but in the
+end I decided not to.
+Chapter 4:
+Ladies and Gentlemen,
+Thank You for Waiting
+66
+Good morning, Yamauchi!"
+"Good morning, Ike!"
+Arriving to class, Ike wore a broad grin as he called out to Yamauchi. It
+was rather unusual for them to get here so early. It'd been one week since the
+entrance ceremony, and Ike and Yamauchi would always make it to class
+right before the bell rang.
+"Whew, man! I was looking forward to today so much that I barely
+slept last night!"
+"Ah ha ha! This school is just the best! I can't believe that it's almost
+time for swimming! And when I say swimming, I mean girls. And when I say
+girls, I mean girls in school swimsuits!"
+It was true that the swimming classes were co-ed. In other words, that
+meant that Horikita, Kushida, and all of the other girls would be...showing
+off a lot of skin. The girls backed away from Ike and Yamauchi's rabid
+excitement. I, on the other hand, sat in my chair, isolated and alone. I
+couldn't do so forever. I had to proactively work at joining a group of friends.
+Fortunately, their conversation had ended, so I stood up. However, just
+then...
+"Hey, Professor! Come here for a sec!"
+"Uh, you called?"
+A chubby boy, apparently nicknamed "The Professor," approached
+them slowly. If I remembered correctly, his name was Sotomura or
+something like that.
+"Professor, can you record the girls wearing their swimsuits for us?"
+Ike asked.
+"Leave it to me. I'll pretend to be sick so that I can skip class and
+observe."
+"Record? What are you planning?" I asked.
+"The Professor is going to rank the girls' breast sizes for us. If we're
+lucky, he'll get some pictures with his phone."
+"Hey, hey." Sudou visibly drew back in response to Ike's plan. If the
+girls found out about it, the consequences would be severe. However, despite
+the content of the conversation, I was jealous of their easy banter. Having
+friends had to be nice. I wanted friends, too.
+"Pathetic," a familiar voice said.
+"So, you're here, too, huh, Horikita?"
+"T just arrived while you were looking at those boys over there. You
+didn't notice me. If you want to be their friend, why not try just talking to
+them?" she asked.
+"Shut up and leave me alone already. If I could just do it, I wouldn't be
+agonizing over it."
+"From what I've seen, you don't seem to be unsociable or lacking in
+communication skills, though."
+"There are a lot of reasons why I can't do it. So far, you're the only
+person I've been able to talk to, Horikita."
+Even though I'd exchanged contact information with Ike and the
+others, I still hadn't been able to actually hold a conversation with them yet.
+"Wait just a minute. I already warned you not to, but you wouldn't be
+thinking of me as your friend, would you?" said Horikita. She took a few
+steps away from me, as if in disgust.
+"It's fine. No matter how low I sink, I'd never dream of being your
+friend," I replied.
+"T see. I feel a little relieved."
+I wondered just how much she hated having friends.
+***
+"Hey, Ayanokouji!" Ike called my name. When I looked up, I saw him
+beaming at me.
+"Wh-what is it?" I asked.
+I stood, stuttering as I did so. Horikita no longer showed any interest in
+me. A chance to enter into a new group of friends had suddenly fallen into
+my lap.
+"To tell you the truth, we're taking bets on the girls' chest sizes."
+"We've come up with some probabilities."
+The Professor took out a tablet and opened a spreadsheet. The names of
+all the girls in our class were displayed. There were numbers listed as well. I
+honestly had no interest in gambling, but I couldn't let this opportunity go to
+waste.
+"Umm. So, is it okay if I join you?" I asked.
+"Yeah! Come on, do it. Do it!"
+As of right now, Hasebe was the likeliest contender for the biggest
+breasts in the class. The odds sat at one to eight I hadn't heard most of the
+names before. I couldn't even remember my classmates' names. This was too
+awful.
+"This is way more elaborate than I would have thought. Aren't you
+observing them a little too closely?"
+"Come on. We're men, aren't we? Men have only two things
+constantly on their minds: tits and ass!"
+Even if that were true, he really had no filter whatsoever. By the way,
+Horikita was ranked lowest. If you managed to win the bet, that was over
+thirty times your wager back. Well, in terms of breast size, it was obvious
+who would win and who would lose. Horikita had no chance.
+"So, what's your wager? It's 1000 points to join."
+"sein"
+I clearly lacked information. Scanning the list, I realized that not only
+did I not know the breast sizes of half the people here, I didn't even know the
+names and faces of most the girls. Actually, aside from Horikita and Kushida,
+I couldn't recall hearing about anyone else. Kushida seemed to have fairly
+large breasts, but not large enough to take first place.
+"Come on, play with us. It's no fun if there're only a few people
+betting, you know?"
+"Tl do it!"
+"Me too, me too!"
+"T have experience scouting girls and checking out their tits!"
+While I considered the offer, boys crawled out of the woodwork around
+me, getting blatantly excited over the size of the girls' breasts. The girls in the
+classroom looked at us like we were dirt.
+"T'll join, too. By the way, my money's on Sakura," Yamauchi chimed
+in. Sakura was a somewhat plain girl who wore glasses, but because I'd
+barely talked to anyone, I honestly didn't know that much about her. While it
+looked like he was pondering something, Yamauchi tapped the Professor and
+Ike on the shoulders and whispered something to them.
+"I'm only telling you guys about this. The truth is, I actually confessed
+to Sakura."
+"What?! S-seriously?!" Ike was the most surprised and flustered by
+this. Had his goal to become the first guy in class to snag a girlfriend fallen
+through?
+"Yeah, seriously. But keep this on the down low. It's just between us,
+okay? I mean, I thought she was really plain at first, but then I saw her
+wearing regular clothes. She was huge, man."
+"You doofus. If she's not cute, you shouldn't ask her out, even if she's
+got huge tits. I wouldn't date anyone unless they were in the same league as
+Kushida or Hasebe. I'm not interested 1n such a Plain Jane."
+He spoke harshly because no one else was around. I wondered how
+much I believed Yamauchi when he said that he'd asked Sakura out. I had my
+doubts. In the end, I decided to place my bet on the girl with the highest odds.
+4.1
+66
+Au right! The pool!"
+After lunch had ended, it was finally time for swim class. Finally, the
+moment Ike and the others had so desperately been waiting for. Without even
+trying to hide his excitement, Ike leapt up and headed with the others toward
+the indoor pool. I followed behind them in what I thought was a stealthy
+manner.
+"Come on, let's go together, Ayanokouj1!"
+"Huh? O-okay."
+I'd hesitated somewhat upon receiving Ike's invitation, but I hurried to
+join and followed them to the locker room. Sudou promptly removed his
+uniform and started to change, showing off his physique. He'd built up his
+body through his years of basketball playing. Even in comparison with the
+other students, he was clearly in incredible
+shape. While the others wrapped themselves in bath towels, Sudou
+unabashedly wore only his underwear. He stood there, semi-nude, and took
+his swimsuit out of his bag. I couldn't keep myself from blurting something
+out.
+"Sudou, you're pretty bold. Aren't you nervous being around other
+people?"
+"In sports, you can't get flustered every time you have to change. If
+you act all shifty, it'1l have the opposite effect. You become the center of
+attention."
+He could say that again. In these sorts of places, sneaky guys got
+mocked.
+"All right, I'm going on ahead."
+A moment later, Sudou left the locker room. I quickly finished
+changing as well.
+Upon seeing the fifty-meter pool, Ike cried out, ""Whoa, this school is
+something else! It's even better than the city pool, don't you think?" The
+water was clear and beautiful, and because it was indoors, we didn't have to
+worry about the weather. The perfect environment.
+"What about the girls? Aren't they here yet?"
+Ike looked around, sniffing the air like a dog.
+"They take a while to change, so they're probably not ready," I said.
+"Hey, I wonder would what happen if I just suddenly jumped into the
+girls' locker room?" Ike said.
+"They'd gang up on you, beat the crap out of you, and then file
+charges, probably."
+"Don't give me such a realistic, deadpan answer and ruin my fun!" Ike
+began to tremble with fright as he played that scenario in his head.
+"Tf the girls sense you staring at them in their swimsuits, they' Il
+probably hate you."
+"Come on, like there's a guy out there who wouldn't stare! Agh. What
+am I gonna do if I get a boner?"
+If that happened, they'd probably hate Ike from that moment all the
+way until the day of our graduation. Wait a second, what was happening?
+Had I started talking naturally to Ike and the others? Even though until this
+morning I hadn't been able to join their group, I suddenly had my foot in the
+door, so to speak. This was the moment for a new friendship to be born.
+"Wow! It's so spacious! It's so much bigger than the pool at my junior
+high school."
+A few minutes after the boys had arrived, a girl's voice could be heard.
+"A-are they here?!"
+Ike looked ready to strike. If you were that obvious about it, the girls
+were bound to hate you. Even so, I was curious, too. I mostly wondered about
+Hasebe and Kushida, but a little about Horikita as well. I was particularly
+interested in Hasebe, the girl rumored to have the biggest tits in class. I didn't
+think there'd be any harm in taking a little peek. However, it turned out that
+all of the boys' wishes were dashed by an unexpected turn of events.
+"Hasebe isn't here! Wh-what's going on, Professor?!" Ike cried.
+The Professor, who had been watching the class, was now in a panic.
+Standing on the second-floor observation deck, he scanned the room. Ike and
+the others also looked around. At this height, the Professor's beady,
+bespectacled eyes should have spotted his prey instantly. However...
+He couldn't find the girls anywhere. He looked to his right and left, as
+if in disbelief. Could they still be changing? Or could...
+"B-behind you, Professor!"
+"What?!"
+Ike pointed and shouted. The situation had become clear. Hasebe stood
+behind the Professor on the observation deck. One by one, the rest of the girls
+appeared, until they'd all emerged onto the second floor. Sakura was among
+them.
+"Wh-what's going on? How did this happen?"
+Ike slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands, shaken by
+this unbelievable turn of events. Hasebe seemed to be self-conscious about
+being considered a beautiful girl. Furthermore, she seemed to dislike getting
+curious looks from the boys. She was not amused at their attempts to ogle.
+"Aw, but I thought I'd get to see big tits! Big tits! I thought this was
+my chance!"
+Ike appeared to be contemplating suicide. His wails of agony reached
+Hasebe.
+"Gross," the girls muttered among themselves. Ike was being far too
+obvious, so it wasn't surprising that the girls hated him...
+"Ike, don't be sad! Come on, there are still tons of girls out there for
+us!" Yamauchi said.
+"Y-yeah, that's right. You got a point. I can't get down in the dumps
+now!" Ike cried.
+"Bro!" Yamauchi and Ike reaffirmed their manly bond of friendship,
+clasping their hands together.
+"What are you two doing? That looks like fun."
+"K-K-Kushida-chan?!"
+Kushida showed up between the two of them. She was clad in her
+school-issued swimwear, which nicely showed off her voluptuous figure. In
+an instant, nearly all of the boys' eyes were glued to Kushida's body. She
+must have been a D or E cup. I didn't know for sure, but I estimated. She was
+a lot bigger than I'd thought. Her butt and thighs were also more voluptuous
+than I had pictured, which was strangely captivating. However, all of us boys
+quickly averted our gaze.
+Ah, the weather was so nice today... World peace truly was wonderful.
+Once the inevitable physiological reaction kicked in, it was quite a
+terrible shock.
+"Why the pained expression?" Horikita examined my face closely, with
+a suspicious look.
+"I'm currently in the midst of an internal battle," I replied.
+Horikita was in a school swimsuit. How to put it? Yeah. She looked
+good. Not bad at all. But if I stared, it was likely that something bad would
+result. I thought it best to grin and bear it until I calmed down.
+For some reason, Horikita was checking me out all over.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, do you exercise?" she asked.
+"Huh? No, not really. I'm not particularly proud of this, but in middle
+school I was the kid who never had any after-school plans."
+"Well, you say that, but...judging from the development of your
+forearms and your back muscles, you seem above average."
+"T guess my parents blessed me with good genes?"
+"T don't think that's the only reason."
+"Jeez, what's with you? Do you have a muscle fetish or something? Is
+that it?"
+"T suppose if you deny it that much, I have to believe you..."
+She appeared somewhat dissatisfied. I guessed that Horikita had a
+rather discerning eye and enjoyed using it.
+"Are you a good swimmer, Horikita-san?"
+Although Horikita gave a slightly puzzled look in response to
+Kushida's question, she quietly answered. "I wouldn't say I'm particularly
+good or bad at it."
+"T was really bad at swimming when I was in junior high. But I gave it
+my all and practiced really hard, and now I think I've gotten better," Kushida
+said.
+"T see." Horikita gave a disinterested response and backed away
+slightly, clearly signaling that she didn't want to continue the conversation
+further.
+"All right, everyone, line up!"
+A macho-looking middle-aged man, the kind of guy who apparently
+devoted himself to sports, gathered everyone together and started the class.
+He looked like a PE teacher, but also seemed like the kind of guy who was
+attractive to men and women alike.
+"There are sixteen of you, huh? I thought there would've been more,
+but this is all right."
+Clearly, some of the students in that count had ditched class, but it
+didn't appear to frustrate him.
+"After you warm up, I want to see what you can really do. Swim for
+me," the coach said.
+"Excuse me, sir. I can't really swim, though..."
+A lone boy sheepishly raised his hand and spoke up.
+"Since you have me as your teacher, you' ll be swimming by
+summertime. Don't worry about a thing."
+"Well, we don't really need to force ourselves to swim, do we? It's not
+like we're going to the beach or anything."
+"No way. I don't mind at all if you're bad at swimming now, but I' Il
+make sure you guys are winners in the end. Besides, being able to swim will
+definitely come in handy later in life. Definitely."
+Swimming would definitely come in handy? Well, I suppose knowing
+how to swim would be convenient. However, hearing a teacher say
+something like that made me feel uncomfortable. Though, he probably just
+wanted to keep the students from sinking like rocks.
+Everyone started their warm-up exercises. Ike kept peeking at the girls.
+The teacher asked us to swim for about fifty meters. Students who could not
+swim were allowed to touch the bottom of the pool with their feet. I hadn't
+been in a pool since last summer. The water must have been temperature-
+controlled, because I didn't feel chilled when I entered and adjusted right
+away. After getting in, I started to swim lightly.
+After fifty meters, I waited for everyone else to finish.
+"He he he, that was an easy win for me. Did you all see my super
+swimming skills?" Ike crowed.
+He'd swum expertly, and now got out of the pool with a smug, self-
+satisfied grin. No, [ke, your performance wasn't really that different from
+anyone else's.
+"Well, it looks like everyone can swim, for the most part."
+"Of course, sir. Back in junior high, people called me 'the flying fish,'
+you know."
+"T see. In that case, Pll have you start competing against each other.
+We'll separate groups by gender. Fifty-meter freestyle."
+"C-compete?! Are you serious?" Ike cried.
+"T'Il give out a special bonus to the first-place winner: 5000 points. The
+student who comes in last place, however, will have to take supplementary
+lessons. Get ready."
+The skilled swimmers cheered with joy, while the less confident
+students groaned.
+"Because we don't have very many girls, I'll split you into two groups
+of five people, and the student with the fastest overall time will be the winner.
+As for the boys, Pll look at the top five finishing times and then move on to a
+final round."
+I'd never imagined that the school would award points as a prize.
+Perhaps this was a way to light a fire under the students. Rather well thought
+out, I had to say. Excluding the observers and the one student who couldn't
+swim, there were sixteen boys and ten girls competing. The girls started first,
+while the boys sat on the sidelines, filled with excitement as they cheered...
+no, as they assessed the girls.
+"Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, Kushida-
+chan. Haaaaaaa..."
+It looked like Kushida had completely entranced Ike.
+"Y ou're scaring everyone, Ike, settle down," I mumbled.
+"B-but, Kushida-chan is so goddamn cute, isn't she? And her breasts
+are pretty big, too!"
+Kushida immediately dominated the boys' attention. Would any of the
+other girls catch up to her? If you focused on her face alone, Horikita could
+definitely have been in the top tier, but because she loathed social interaction
+so much, her popularity had dipped. Despite that, many of the boys thought
+she looked great, so she got plenty of cheers at the starting line.
+"Everyone, burn these images into your mind! Remember the fap
+material you see here today!" Ike cried.
+"Yeah!" everyone shouted.
+Somehow, swimming had strengthened the boys' bond. The only
+exception was Hirata, who seemed to avoid looking at the girls. The whistle
+blew, and five of the girls dove into the water. Horikita was in the second
+lane. She took the lead at the beginning of the race and kept her distance from
+the others, maintaining her position at the front of the pack. She swam
+confidently, effortlessly covering the fifty meters.
+"Wow! Awesome, Horikita!"
+Her time was approximately twenty-eight seconds. She was pretty fast.
+Horikita slowly got out of the pool and went to the side, not even appearing
+out of breath. To the boys, results were of secondary importance. Their eyes
+were glued to the girls' jiggling butts. I stared at Horikita, too. Was it because
+we were getting along? Well, she was a girl. There was something there, I
+thought. Yeah.
+After that came the second race. Kushida, the most popular girl, was in
+the fourth lane. The boys cheered for her, smiling and waving.
+"Whoo!"
+Wow, those guys were really riled up. Some even tried to sneakily
+cover their crotches. During our introductions, Kushida had announced that
+she wanted to make friends with everyone in class. It looked like her wish
+had already pretty much come true. It wasn't just the boys, either; girls were
+around her constantly, too, chatting away happily. Kushida had an air that
+attracted other people.
+The second race began. The contest ended up being rather one-sided. A
+girl named Onodera, who had been on swim teams before, won by a mile.
+She finished with a time of about twenty-six seconds, netting her the win.
+Kushida finished at about thirty-one seconds, which was a fairly good time,
+but only resulted in her getting fourth place. I went over to the side of the
+pool to talk with Horikita.
+"You were so close. Second place, I mean. I guess that those guys on
+the swim team were really tough, huh?"
+"T don't mind whether I win or lose. Enough about me. Are you feeling
+confident in yourself?" she asked.
+"Oh, definitely. I just can't come in last."
+"That's not really something to take pride in. I thought boys were
+supposed to be fixated on winning and losing."
+"T don't like competing against people. I just like avoiding trouble,
+after all," I said.
+I'd given up on trying to get first place from the very beginning. All I
+wanted was to avoid taking those supplementary lessons. I was assigned my
+spot and placed in the second lane, while Sudou was in the first, right next to
+me. It was impossible to even hope to match Sudou's pace, so I didn't plan to
+try. I aimed to come in somewhere in the middle, just not last. With that in
+mind, the race started, and we dove in.
+Sudou finished the fifty-meter race with incredible speed. The boys and
+girls cheered in admiration.
+"Wow, you're amazing, Sudou. You finished the race in twenty-five
+seconds!" they cried.
+I, on the other hand, finished in thirty-six seconds. It looked like I got
+tenth place. All right, no supplementary lessons for me.
+"Sudou, won't you consider joining the swim team? If you practice,
+you could probably win at competitions!"
+"Basketball is my only sport. Swimming's just for fun." Sudou, who
+hadn't even broken a sweat, calmly got out of the pool.
+"Oh, wow, he has absolutely outstanding motor skills."
+Ike, feeling envious, elbowed Sudou.
+"Kya!"
+A girl let out a joyful scream as Hirata took his starting position.
+Whereas Sudou's body had attracted the boys' admiration, Hirata's body
+attracted the girls. He was slender, but also well built. You could say he was
+a macho pretty boy. After hearing the girls' delighted squeals for Hirata, Ike
+spat in response. Sudou didn't seem very amused either, and shot Hirata a
+glare.
+"I'm going to blow you out of the water. I'll use all of my power," he
+growled.
+Didn't he say that he swam just for fun?
+After the teacher blew the whistle, Hirata dove into the pool with
+beautiful form. Every time Hirata's arms cut through the water, the girls
+cheered by the side of the pool. His form was effortlessly cool.
+"He's surprisingly fast," Sudou commented. It was certainly true that
+Hirata swam fast. There was no doubt that he'd shot ahead of the four other
+boys who were competing with him. This, of course, prompted more shrieks
+from the girls. Hirata didn't fail to live up to our expectations: He came in
+first place. Deafening cheers reverberated throughout the room.
+"Sensei, what was his time?" asked Ike, impatiently.
+"Hirata's time was...26.13 seconds."
+"All right. You can do it, Sudou. You can definitely win against him!
+Bring down the hammer of justice!"
+"Leave it to me. I'll demolish him and his popularity..."
+Ike's encouragement had Sudou all fired up, but even if Hirata lost, it
+wasn't likely that his popularity would drop.
+"Hirata-kun, you were so cool! You're not just good at soccer, you're
+really good at swimming!" one girl cried.
+"You think so? Thank you!" he said.
+"Hey, why are you ogling Hirata-kun like that?" another girl said.
+"Huh? I'm 'ogling'?!"
+There was an indignant squeal.
+Hirata's immense popularity was unbelievably frustrating.
+"Come on, girls, knock it off. Please don't fight over me. I belong to
+everyone. I want to be everyone's friend. Besides, what if someone who's
+better at swimming comes along?"
+Kouenji mistakenly seemed to assume that the cheers were for him. He
+put on a refreshing smile and then planted his feet by the starting line.
+"Hey. Uh, why is Kouenji wearing a speedo?"
+"Wh-what?"
+Although the school allowed such tight swimwear, Kouenji was the
+only one in our class wearing it. The briefs drew attention to his crotch, and
+the girls all looked away. However, in the third race, all eyes were on
+Kouenji. The stance he took at the starting line was just like an athlete's. His
+posture wasn't the only impressive thing, either. He looked to be in even
+better physical shape than Sudou. Sudou and all of the other boys in class
+held their breath as they attentively focused on Kouenji.
+"I'm not particularly interested in winning or losing...but I don't like
+losing," said Sudou, to no one in particular.
+As the whistle blew, Kouenji dove into the pool with textbook form.
+"Whoa! Wow!"
+Sudou gave a surprised shout in response to Kouenji's unexpectedly
+aggressive swimming. Hirata also stared in apparent amazement. Kouenji
+splashed fiercely as he swam, but it didn't slow his incredible speed. He was
+unquestionably faster than Sudou. After checking the time, the teacher
+reflexively looked at his stopwatch twice.
+"23.22 seconds."
+"My abdominal muscles, back muscles, and psoas major muscle seem
+to be in good shape, as usual. Not a bad performance," Kouenji said.
+After getting out of the pool, he smirked and swept his hair up. He
+wasn't short of breath at all. It was as if he hadn't even swum in the first
+place.
+"I'm fired up!" Sudou didn't want to lose, so his competitive spirit
+flared. To be honest, Sudou was the only one who had any chance of winning
+against Kouenji. The final round was more like a one-on-one match between
+the two of them.
+"I'm really looking forward to this. Both Kouejin-kun and Sudou-kun
+are so fast," Kushida said.
+"A-ah, yeah."
+Standing beside a swimsuit-clad beauty, I'd entered a state of
+emergency, my heart pounding in my chest.
+"Hmm? What's the matter? Your face looks red for some reason. Are
+you not feeling well, by chance?" she asked.
+"Oh, no, no, that's not it at all..."
+"Well, even so, something seems unusual. Why do we have swimming
+classes in April, anyway?"
+"Because we have such an incredible indoor pool. Oh, yeah, that
+reminds me... You were pretty fast, Kushida. I can't believe that you weren't
+very good at swimming in junior high."
+"You're much faster than average, too, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Nah, I'm pretty average. I don't really like to exercise."
+"Ts that so? But you look like a really manly guy, Ayanokouji-kun.
+Even though you're so slim, I could say that you're even better built than
+Sudou, and he plays basketball."
+Kushida examined my body in shock and awe, as if she were thinking
+"Really? Really?" I was ten times more nervous now than when Horikita had
+stared at me.
+"T was just born naturally muscular. There's no special reason behind
+it. To tell you the truth, I'm not in any clubs."
+The conversation revolved around good health. I felt somewhat
+nervous, but strangely satisfied as well. We continued in this way for a while;
+I'd wanted to talk with Kushida alone.
+"Wow, Kouenji is amazing. I thought that Sudou would have won in a
+landslide... What the heck is going on, Ayanokouji?" Ike asked.
+It looked like Kouenji had beaten Sudou by about a five-meter lead in
+the final round. After he'd finished observing the race, Ike zeroed in on me,
+his face like a demon's.
+"Uh, nothing really. I didn't do anything," I replied.
+"That's not what I'm talking about!"
+He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and whispered in my ear.
+"I'm aiming for Kushida-chan. Don't get in the way!"
+I didn't exactly plan to get in the way, but his goal was slightly
+unrealistic. I didn't think Kushida was the type who'd stoop to being with
+someone like Ike. Of course, I didn't think she'd get with me, either.
+Chapter 5:
+Friends
+66 . V4
+WSoSouchan do you want to stop by a café on our way back
+today?"
+"Sure, let's go! Oh, but wait just a minute, okay? I want to invite one
+more person."
+Kushida headed toward Horikita, who was putting her textbook into
+her bag. "Horikita-san, would you like to come with us to a café today?" She
+asked.
+"Not interested." Horikita threw Kushida's invitation back in her face,
+with no room for ambiguity. Couldn't you just lie and say you were planning
+to go shopping, or that you were waiting for a friend? Despite the harsh
+rejection, Kushida kept smiling.
+This wasn't a particularly unusual scene. Ever since the entrance
+ceremony, Kushida had regularly tried to invite Horikita to do fun things with
+her. I thought it would be nice for Horikita to accept an invitation at least
+once in a while, but perhaps that was just a bystander's selfish interpretation.
+No one had ever met with anything but rejection when they'd tried to invite
+Horikita.
+"T see. Well then, I'll try inviting you again another time."
+"Wait, Kushida-san." Surprisingly, Horikita called out to Kushida. Had
+she finally given in? "Don't invite me again. It's a bother," said Horikita
+coldly.
+However, Kushida didn't appear saddened. Instead, she smiled as she
+answered, "I'll invite you again."
+Kushida then ran back to join her friends, and they left the hall.
+"Kikyou-chan, just stop inviting Horikita-san. I hate her—"
+Just before the door closed, I faintly heard one of the other girl's
+words. Horikita, who was right next to me, must have heard as well, but she
+gave no indication that she cared.
+"You won't try to invite me places, will you?" she asked.
+"Nope. I understand your personality well enough. It's pointless to
+even try."
+"I'm relieved to hear that."
+After Horikita finished getting ready, she walked out of the classroom
+by herself. I absentmindedly stuck around for a little while, but soon grew
+bored and got up. Time to go home, | thought.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have a moment?"
+Hirata, who was still hanging around, called out to me when I passed
+by. Unbothered, I responded to him softly. It was unusual for Hirata to notice
+me.
+"It's about Horikita-san, actually. I was wondering if something was
+wrong. Some of the girls were talking about it earlier. Horikita always seems
+to be alone."
+Maybe it wasn't Kushida especially. Perhaps Horikita was just the kind
+of person who strongly disliked company.
+"Could you possibly tell her to try to get along with people a little?"
+"Well, that's up to the individual, isn't it? Besides, Horikita isn't really
+making trouble for anyone else," I replied.
+"You're right, of course. However, many people have voiced their
+concerns about it. I absolutely do not want any bullying in our class."
+Bullying? Such talk seemed premature, but perhaps there were signs of
+it. Was he warning me, then? Hirata looked at me with the purest of
+intentions.
+"Well, I think it'd be better for you to tell her directly rather than talk
+to me, Hirata," I said.
+"You have a point. Sorry for bringing it up."
+Horikita was always alone, day after day. If this continued, within a
+month she'd be like a tumor in our class. However, this was Horikita's
+personal problem and something I probably shouldn't involve myself with.
+5.1
+A fier leaving class, I went straight toward the dormitory. Kushida,
+who was supposed to have left with a friend earlier, appeared to be waiting
+for someone while leaning up against the wall. Noticing me, she smiled like
+always.
+"I'm so glad! I was waiting for you, Ayanokouji-kun. There's
+something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?" she asked.
+"Yeah, sure..."
+She couldn't be confessing her feelings for me, could she? Nah, there
+was about a | percent chance of something like that.
+"T'll just ask you outright. Ayanokouji-kun, have you seen Horikita-san
+smile even once?"
+"Huh? No, not that I can remember."
+Apparently, Kushida had come to talk about Horikita again. Thinking
+back, I didn't recall ever seeing Horikita smile once. Kushida took my hand
+in hers, closing the distance between us. Did she smell of flowers? I breathed
+in an extremely pleasant scent.
+"You know, I...I want to become friends with Horikita-san," she said.
+"T think she guesses your feelings. At first, a lot of people tried
+reaching out to her, but now you're the only one."
+"You seem to know Horikita-san pretty well, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Tt's not like I'm watching her or anything, it's just that you tend to
+learn a lot about the person who sits next to you."
+Girls were girls, after all, and they'd been really eager to form groups
+since the first day of school. They were also more aware of cliques and social
+circles than guys, and in this class of about twenty people, four held the most
+influence. You could claim they put up a facade, that they weren't genuinely
+being themselves.
+However, Kushida was the exception. She definitely held favor within
+each group, but more than that, she was tremendously popular with everyone.
+She was persistently warm and gentle toward Horikita, as part of her
+continued efforts to become her friend. That wasn't something an ordinary
+student could do. That was probably why everyone adored her.
+Plus, she was really cute.
+Cuteness makes everything better.
+"Didn't Horikita already warn you not to try again? I don't know what
+you can say to her next time," I said.
+I knew that Horikita wasn't the type to mince words. If approached, she
+would probably respond harshly. To be honest, I didn't want to see Kushida
+hurt.
+"Won't you...help me?" she asked.
+i 6] Paces
+I didn't answer right away. Normally, I would immediately agree to
+such a cute girl's demands. However, since I was the type to avoid trouble, I
+couldn't answer her. I didn't want to see Horikita hurt Kushida by saying
+something merciless. I thought I'd turn her down to avoid any later
+heartbreak.
+"T understand how you feel, Kushida, but..."
+"So that means...you can't?"
+Cute + Pleading + Upturned Eyes = Lethal.
+"Well, I guess I don't have a choice. Just this once, okay?"
+"Really?! Oh, thank you, Ayanokouji-kun!" she cried. Kushida's face
+lit up.
+She was cute. Even though I'd agreed to help her, I was still the kind of
+person who preferred to remain in the background. I shouldn't do anything
+reckless.
+"So, what exactly are we going to do? Even if you say you want to be
+friends with her, it's not that simple."
+Personally, I wasn't equipped to know how to make friends.
+"You're probably right... Well, first I think we should try to make
+Horikita-san smile," Kushida said.
+"Make her smile, huh?"
+Smiling means letting your guard down in front of another person, even
+if just a little. Such a relationship could most likely be referred to as
+friendship. Kushida seemed to understand people well, especially when it
+came to making them smile.
+"Do you have an idea how?" I asked.
+"Well, I thought you could help me think of something, Ayanokouji-
+kun." She giggled sheepishly and lightly smacked her own head. If she were
+an ugly girl, I would have been totally turned off, but Kushida made it
+charming.
+"Smile, huh?" So, because Kushida had asked, I was going to help her
+make Horikita smile. Was such a thing possible? I wondered. I doubted it.
+"Well, anyway, after class, I'm going to try inviting Horikita out again.
+If we wind up back at the dorms, though, Ill have no idea what to do. Is there
+any place that she wants to go to?"
+"Ah. Well then, how about Palate? I've gone to Palate often, and
+Horikita might have overheard us talking about it before."
+Palate was one of the most popular cafés on campus. I had heard about
+Kushida and the other girls going there often after class. And if I'd heard
+about it, then Horikita must have also been aware.
+"How about if you two went to Palate and ordered, and then 'bumped'
+into me by chance? Would that work?"
+"Probably not. I think that might be expecting a little too much. What if
+your friends helped out, Kushida?"
+The instant Horikita noticed Kushida's presence, she would probably
+get up and leave. I thought it'd be better to create a situation that would make
+leaving difficult. I told Kushida my idea.
+"Ooh! That certainly sounds like it would work! You're so smart,
+Ayanokouji-kun!" she cried. Kushida nodded in agreement while she hung on
+my every word, eyes sparkling.
+"Oh, no, I don't think my plan has anything to do with being smart.
+Anyway, that's what I was going for."
+"T understand. I'm excited for the result!"
+No, don't expect too much. That'll be trouble.
+"If you try inviting her, Kushida, she'Il probably refuse you outright.
+So, how about I invite Horikita?"'
+"Okay. I think that Horikita-san trusts you, Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+"Why do you think that? What proof do you have?"
+"Well, I guess it just looks that way to me. She seems to trust you more
+than anyone else in the class, at the very least."
+That doesn't mean I'm best suited for this task, though.
+"That's only because I was able to talk to her, but that was a
+coincidence."
+I'd just happened to be seated next to her on the bus. If that hadn't
+happened, then I probably wouldn't have talked to her.
+"But don't you meet almost every person for the first time by chance?
+And then they can become your friend, or your best friend...or even your
+boyfriend or girlfriend, or your family."
+"That's true."
+I supposed that was one way to look at it. Coincidence had allowed me
+to talk with Kushida like this. Therefore, it was possible that Kushida and I
+might eventually become lovers.
+5.2
+Ciks had ended. The other students left for their various after-
+school activities, talking to one another about where they would go.
+Meanwhile, Kushida and I exchanged looks, signaling each other to go ahead
+with the plan.
+"Hey, Horikita. Do you have some free time after class today?" I
+asked.
+"T don't have any time to waste. I have to go back to the dormitory and
+prepare for tomorrow."
+Prepare for tomorrow? I was pretty sure all she did was study.
+"T wanted you to go somewhere with me for a little bit."
+"What are you after?"
+"Do you think that by inviting you out, I'm after something?"
+"Well, when you invite me so suddenly, I naturally have my doubts.
+However, if there is a specific matter that you wish to discuss, I wouldn't
+mind listening."
+I didn't have anything to talk about, of course.
+"Well, you know that café on campus? The one with a ton of girls? I
+don't have the guts to go there all by myself. I kind of get the feeling that
+guys are banned from entering there or something. Don't you?"
+"T certainly can't argue that most of their customers seem to be women,
+but aren't men also allowed to patronize the café?"
+"Well, yeah, but no guy goes there alone. Only if they're with friends
+who are girls, or if they're someone's boyfriend."
+Horikita tried to recall what Palate was like, seemingly lost in thought
+for a moment.
+"You may very well be right. It's unusual for you to express such a
+well-reasoned opinion, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"But I'm still interested in it. So I wanted to invite you to come along
+with me."
+"T suppose that's natural, since you supposedly have...no one else to
+invite, correct?" she asked.
+"That makes it sound like I'm imposing on you, but yeah. Basically."
+"And if I refuse?"
+"Well, that would be that. I'd have no choice but to accept. I can't
+force you to give up your private time, after all."
+"T understand. Your issue with the café is certainly accurate. I can't
+stay there for too long, though. Is that all right?"
+"Sure. We'll be quick."
+In my mind, I added the word "probably" to that last thought. If she
+knew that Kushida was involved in this, Horikita would probably have some
+strong words for me. I'd begun to think that, since I was able to talk to
+Kushida, I might be able to make friends with Horikita myself. Besides,
+whether it was a café or a lecture hall, Horikita always came with me, even as
+she complained about it. For someone like me, who had difficulty making
+friends, this was probably a miracle.
+The two of us left the classroom and made our way to Palate on the
+first floor. Girls began to congregate there, one after another, enjoying their
+time after class.
+"There are so many people here," Horikita said.
+"Ts this your first time doing anything social, Horikita? Oh, yeah, I
+suppose it would be. You're always alone."
+"Was that supposed to be sarcastic? How childish."
+I'd meant to engage in some playful ribbing, but apparently that was
+impossible for Horikita. After we placed our order, we both got our drinks. I
+ordered the single serving of pancakes.
+"Do you like sweets?" she asked.
+"T just wanted to have pancakes."
+I didn't particularly like or dislike cakes and stuff, but I needed a
+believable reason.
+"There aren't any open seats, though."
+"T guess we' ll just have to wait a bit. Oh, never mind. There are some
+open seats over there."
+I noticed that two girls quickly got up from their table, and I hurriedly
+went to secure our spot. Horikita passed around the table. I set my bag down
+on the floor, took my seat, and looked about casually.
+"Hey, I just thought of something. If the people around here see us like
+this, they'll probably think we're a couple..."
+Horikita remained expressionless, or rather, cold. Being in such
+crowded surroundings was making me anxious. As I considered what was
+about to happen, my stomach started to hurt.
+I thought I heard the two girls sitting next to me say, "Let's go," before
+grabbing their drinks and leaving. Another patron sat down immediately. It
+was Kushida.
+"Ah, Horikita-san. What a coincidence! And Ayanokouji-kun too!" she
+said.
+"Hey."
+Kushida had given us a simple greeting, maintaining the ruse that this
+was a coincidence. Horikita regarded Kushida with narrowed eyes, then
+slowly turned her gaze toward me. Of course, this was something that
+Kushida and I had planned out in advance. Kushida's friends had already
+secured four seats for us ahead of time. When I arrived at Palate, I sent them
+a signal so that they could make two seats available. After some time, the
+other girls next to me left, giving Kushida a chance to come and sit down. As
+a result, our meeting looked like it'd come about via coincidence.
+"Did you come here together, Ayanokouji-kun? Horikita-san?"
+Kushida asked.
+"Yeah, we just happened to. Did you come by yourself?" I asked.
+"Yeah. Today, I—"
+"I'm leaving," Horikita said.
+"H-hey, we just got here, though."
+"You don't need me now that Kushida-san is here, though. Right?"
+"Hold on, that's not a problem. Kushida and I are just classmates."
+"You and I are just classmates, too. Besides..." She gave Kushida and
+me an icy look. "I don't like this. What are you plotting?" She'd seen through
+our plan and was trying to get me to admit it.
+"N-no, it was just a coincidence," Kushida said.
+Kushida shouldn't have said such a thing. Asking, "What do you
+mean?" and acting ignorant of Horikita's prodding would' ve been the better
+response.
+"When we sat down earlier, I saw the two girls seated here were from
+Class D, along with the two girls seated next to us as well. Was that just a
+coincidence, too?"
+"Oh, wow, really? I didn't notice at all," Kushida said.
+"Also, we came straight here after classes ended. No matter how much
+those girls rushed, they could only have been here for about one to two
+minutes at the most. It was far too early for them to get up and leave. Am I
+wrong?"
+Horikita was even more incredibly observant than I'd thought. Not
+only did she remember our classmates' faces, but she'd quickly grasped the
+situation.
+"Um, well..." A bewildered Kushida signaled for me to save her
+somehow. Horikita noticed. Any further deception on our part would just
+make it worse.
+"Sorry, Horikita. We planned this."
+"T thought as much. I thought this whole thing was a little suspicious
+right from the start."
+"Horikita-san. Please be my friend!" Kushida just came out and asked
+her directly, no longer trying to hide anything.
+"T've already said this many times. I want you to leave me alone. I have
+no intention of becoming friends with anyone in class. Can you not
+understand that?" Horikita said.
+"Always being alone is a very sad way to spend your life. I just want to
+get along with everyone in class."
+"T wouldn't deny you your wish, but it's wrong to try forcing people
+into something against their will. Being alone doesn't make me sad."
+"B-but..."
+"Besides, do you think that I would be happy if you forced me to
+become your friend? Do you think that feelings of trust would arise out of
+something forced?"
+Horikita wasn't wrong. It wasn't that she couldn't make friends, but
+that she considered them unnecessary. Kushida wanted something, but
+Horikita would not reciprocate.
+"It's my fault for not being clear enough with you, so I don't blame
+you this time. But if you try this again, please keep in mind that I will not
+forgive you."
+As she said that, Horikita took her untouched latte and stood up.
+"Horikita-san, whatever you say, I really want to be friends with you.
+When I saw you, I felt like it wasn't the first time we'd met. I wondered if
+you felt the same way," Kushida mumbled.
+99
+"This is a waste of time. I find everything you're saying unpleasant.
+Horikita raised her voice, cutting Kushida off without mercy. Even though
+I'd told Kushida I would help her, I had absolutely no intention of butting in.
+But...
+"T kind of understand your thoughts on the matter, Horikita. P've
+actually often wondered if friends are really necessary," I said.
+"You re saying that? You've been trying to make friends since day
+99
+one.
+"T won't deny it. However, you and I are similar. I wasn't able to make
+friends until I came to this school. In junior high, I never knew anyone's
+contact information or hung out with anyone after class. I was always alone."
+Kushida was visibly surprised when she heard me say that, like she
+couldn't believe it.
+"T think that partly explains why I was compelled to talk to you," I said.
+"That's the first time I've heard something like that. However, even if
+you and I share some things in common, I think we took different paths to
+reach this point. You wanted friends but couldn't get them. I considered
+friends unnecessary, so I didn't make any. Saying we are similar would be
+incorrect. Am I wrong?"
+"No. But telling Kushida that she was being unpleasant is going too far.
+Are you really okay with this? If you choose not to get along with anyone
+else, you'll be alone for the next three years. That sounds pretty painful."
+"Tt will be my ninth year in a row of being alone, so I'Il be fine. Oh,
+and if you include kindergarten, it would actually be slightly longer."
+Had she just nonchalantly dropped a bombshell? That she'd always
+been alone for as long as she could remember?
+"Can I go now?" Horikita asked.
+She sighed deeply and looked straight into Kushida's eyes.
+"Kushida-san, if you don't try to force me into anything, I won't be
+rude. I promise. You're not stupid, so you understand what I'm telling you,
+right?"
+With one final simple "Well then," Horikita left. Kushida and I
+remained in the noisy cafe.
+"Well, that was a failure. I tried to lend a helping land, but it was
+pointless. I guess she's gotten too accustomed to being alone," I said.
+Kushida wordlessly collapsed into her seat. However, she instantly
+recovered, and her usual smile returned.
+"It's okay. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. It's true that I wasn't able to
+become her friend, but...I was able to learn something important. That's
+enough for me. I'm sorry, though. I feel like Horikita-san might hate you now
+because you helped me."
+"Don't worry about it. I just wanted Horikita to consider the benefits of
+friendship." Thinking it'd be inconsiderate for the two us to hold up table
+space for four people, I moved to sit next to Kushida.
+"Even so, I was shocked when you said that you didn't have any
+friends, Ayanokouji-kun. Is that true? I didn't think you were like that at all.
+Why were you all alone?"
+"Hmm? Oh, yeah, it's true. Sudou and Ike are the first friends I've ever
+made. I still don't really know if that's my fault or the fault of the
+circumstances I was in."
+"But when you made friends, did it make you happy? Is it fun?"
+Kushida asked.
+"Yeah. There are times when I find it annoying, but sometimes I feel
+like I'm happier than I was before."
+Kushida's eyes sparkled as she smiled at me, nodding her head in
+agreement.
+"Horikita has her own way of thinking. There's probably nothing that
+we can do about that."
+"Do you really think so? Is it not possible to make friends with her?"
+she asked.
+"Why are you desperate to be her friend? Kushida, don't you already
+have more friends than everyone else? There's no reason to focus on
+Horikita."
+Even if it meant that she wouldn't be friends with everyone in class,
+she didn't need to try so desperately.
+"IT wanted to be friends with everyone. Not just the people in Class D,
+but the students from other classes, too. But if I can't become friends with
+one girl in my class, then that means Ill never achieve my goal..."
+"Just think of Horikita as a special case. Your only option is to wait for
+a real coincidence to come along."
+Not something forced, but a natural event that would connect the two
+of them. When that time came, they might possibly become friends.
+Chapter 6:
+The End of Everyday Life
+66
+H, ha ha ha! God, you're so dumb. You're hilarious, man!"
+Ike chatted loudly with Yamauchi during second-period math. It'd been
+three weeks since the entrance ceremony. In that time, Ike and Yamauchi,
+along with Sudou, had collectively come to be known as "The Idiot Trio."
+"Hey, hey, do you want to go do karaoke?"
+"Yeah, let's go!"
+A group of girls nearby were making plans for after class.
+"IT was really worried for a while, but it looks like everyone's opened
+up to each other quickly."
+"Ayanokouji-kun, haven't you made quite a few friends?" asked
+Horikita, copying what was written on the blackboard into her notebook.
+"Somewhat, I suppose."
+Although I was anxious at first, I'd gotten to know Sudou from our
+encounter at the convenience store, and I'd bonded with Ike and Yamauchi
+through the incident at the pool. Sometimes we ate lunch together. Even
+though I was far from having a best friend, before I knew it, I could say that I
+had some friends. Human relationships are rather mysterious, so I couldn't
+pinpoint the precise moment we became friends.
+"Sup?" Halfway through class, Sudou crashed through the door and
+barged into the classroom. He slumped in his seat with a yawn, clearly not
+caring how late he was.
+"Oh, hey, Sudou. Wanna get lunch later?" Ike called out to Sudou from
+across the room.
+The math teacher continued the lesson without even really paying
+attention. Normally, the teacher would have flicked a piece of chalk at him,
+but perhaps out of some feeling of /aissez faire, all of the teachers tolerated
+that kind of behavior. Even when it came to poor language, being late to
+class, or dozing off, no one cared. While at first our class had acted more
+reserved, now everyone was far too flippant. Of course, there were a few
+students like Horikita who studied diligently.
+My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, indicating that I'd received a
+message. It was from the guys' group chat that I was a part of. It looked like
+they'd decided to eat lunch in the dining hall.
+"Hey, Horikita. Do you want to have lunch with me?" I asked.
+"T will have to decline. Your group is rather unrefined, anyway."
+"T can't deny that."
+When guys were alone, all they talked about were girls and dirty jokes.
+Who's cute, who's going out with who, how far they've gone, etc. Adding a
+girl into the group would probably have been a bad idea.
+"Whoa. Seriously, he has a girlfriend? Awesome."
+Based on Ike's conversation, it sounded like Hirata was dating
+Karuizawa. Watching Karuizawa from afar, I saw that she was gazing
+lovingly at him from across the room. As for my own impression of
+Karuizawa, well, she was certainly cute. But she had this atmosphere around
+her that it made difficult for uncertain people to approach her. In other words,
+she seemed like one of those intensely "girly'-type girls. In junior high, she'd
+probably pounced on pretty boys like Hirata. These were my own
+uncharitable assumptions, but I probably wasn't far off.
+Oops. I had pretty mean-spirited opinions about her, although, not
+really to the extent that it would be considered defamation. I apologized to
+Karuizawa in my head.
+"T hate that look on your face."
+Horikita glared icily at me. She must have read my sleazy inner
+thoughts. How fast did you need to move to become a couple right after
+starting school? I was agonizing over just making friends. If I'd gone up to
+Horikita and asked, "Would you go out with me?" she definitely would' ve
+smacked me. At any rate, if I were to get a girlfriend, I'd prefer a kinder,
+more ladylike girl.
+6.1
+Fo: third period, we had history class with Chiyabashira-senset.
+When the bell rang, Chiyabashira-sensei walked into the noisy classroom.
+Her entrance didn't alter the students' behavior.
+"Quiet down a little, please. Today's lesson will be a bit serious."
+"What do you mean, Sae-chan-sense1?"
+They already had a pet name for the teacher.
+"Tt's the end of the month, so we're going to have a short test. Please
+pass these to the back."
+She handed out the papers to the students in the front row. Eventually,
+the single-sheet test reached my desk. It contained questions in the five main
+subjects. With only a few questions per subject, it really was short.
+"Huh? I wasn't listening, though. This is so unfair!" a student cried.
+"Don't say that. This test is just for future reference. It won't be
+reflected in your report cards. There is no risk involved, so don't worry. Of
+course, cheating is prohibited."
+Her phrasing struck me as odd. Normally, only general grades were
+reflected in your report card. But the way Chiyabashira-sensei said they
+wouldn't be reflected in our report cards made me think that the grade could
+be reflected in some other way. Well...perhaps I was worrying too much. If
+this had no effect on our report card, then there was no need to be so
+cautious.
+As soon as the pop quiz began, I scanned the questions. There were
+four questions per subject, for a total of twenty. Each question was worth five
+points, for a total of one hundred points. Most of the questions were
+extraordinarily easy, to the point where it was almost a letdown. In fact, the
+questions seemed to be about two levels less difficult than the ones on the
+entrance examination. It appeared far too easy.
+However, just as I thought that, I reached the end of the test. The final
+three questions were an order of magnitude higher in terms of difficulty. The
+final math problem couldn't be solved without complex formulae.
+"No way. These questions are seriously way too hard..."
+These questions couldn't be geared toward a first-year high school
+student. The final three questions were clearly of a different quality than the
+others, so it was possible they'd been put on the test by mistake. Even though
+the results wouldn't be reflected in our grades, what in the hell were they
+evaluating with this?
+Well, I guess I'll just solve these problems the same way I did on the
+entrance exam.
+Chiyabashira-sensei monitored us. As she slowly patrolled the
+classroom, she kept a watchful eye to dissuade us from cheating. I quickly
+glanced at Horikita, who would never even think of cheating. Her pen danced
+across the paper as she filled in all of the answers. It looked like she was
+easily going to get a perfect score.
+I continued staring intently at my test until the bell rang.
+6.2
+66
+I you just come right out and tell me straight, Pll forgive you,
+okay?"
+"Tell you what straight?"
+After we'd finished lunch, I was chatting with Sudou and the other
+guys next to the vending machine in the hall. All of a sudden, Ike sidled up
+next to me.
+"We're friends, right? Comrades that stick together through thick and
+thin?"
+"Uh, yeah. I guess so."
+"So then, naturally...you would tell us if you got yourself a girlfriend,
+right?" he asked.
+"Huh? A girlfriend? Well, sure. If that happens, I will."
+Ike put his arm over my shoulder.
+"Come on. You're going out with Horikita, aren't you? I'm not gonna
+forgive you if you get ahead of us!"
+"Huh?"
+I noticed Yamauchi and Sudou both eyeing me suspiciously.
+"You idiot. We're not dating. Absolutely not. Seriously."
+"Okay, but what were you guys talking about all sneaky-like during
+class today? I guess it's not a story for us, huh? Were you talking about dates
+or making plans for dates, huh?! Ah, I could kill you, I'm so jealous!"
+"It's nothing. Besides, Horikita isn't the dating type."
+"T don't know about that. We never really talked to her before. If
+Kushida hadn't brought it up, we probably wouldn't even know her name.
+She disappears into the background, like a shadow."
+Was that true? I couldn't recall Horikita really talking to anyone except
+for Kushida or me.
+"You wouldn't even know her name? That's awful."
+"So, do you know all your classmate's names, Ayanokouji?"
+I could remember about half of their names. I got the point.
+"She does have a really cute face though, doesn't she? That's why we
+noticed her."
+Yamauchi and the guys nodded in agreement.
+"She has such an uptight personality, though. I don't like girls like
+her," remarked Sudou, drinking his coffee.
+"Yeah, I know. It's like she's really snippy, yeah? I'd rather go out
+with a cheerful girl who I can have an easy conversation with. She has to be
+cute, of course. Just like Kushida-chan." Of course. Kushida was still Ike's
+favorite.
+"Abh. To go out with Kushida-chan...or rather, do naughty stuff with
+cried Yamauchi.
+***
+her
+"You moron! Like hell you can date Kushida-chan! And you're
+forbidden from fantasizing about her, too!" Ike cried.
+"Come on, you think you can date her, Ike? Besides, I've dreamt of
+sleeping next to Kushida-chan!"
+"What?! Well, /'ve dreamt of her doing super sexy poses while in
+cosplay!"
+The two of them went back and forth over their wild Kushida fantasies.
+Come on, guys. High school students are free to fantasize, but that's just
+being plain rude to Kushida.
+"Who do you have your eye on, Sudou? Seen any cute girls in
+basketball?" Ike asked.
+"Huh? Oh, no one. Not yet, anyway. We don't really have room for
+any girls on the team right now."
+"Really? If you do have a girlfriend, though, you better not be hiding
+it! You have to tell us! You have to!"
+"Yeah, sure," Sudou said. Despite how disgusted he seemed by the
+conversation, he nodded.
+The subject of girlfriends made me remember Hirata.
+"Oh, yeah, isn't Hirata dating Karuizawa now?" I asked.
+"Yeah, you're right. Hondou saw them holding hands just the other
+day!"
+"Yeah, they're dating. No mistake about it. They were walking
+together, shoulder to shoulder."
+"They were, huh? I wonder if they've already done naughty stuff
+together."
+"Of course they have! Ah, I'm so jealous! I'm too jealous!"
+It felt kind of unbelievable that a first-year high school student would
+already have had sex. But I supposed it was true.
+Unintentionally, I'd started thinking like these guys.
+"Listen to me. I've got the most experience with sex and stuff," said
+Yamauchi, sprawled out on the hallway floor.
+"T think it'd be better to ask Hirata," Ike said.
+"Do you honestly think that Hirata would give us the details? Like, if
+we asked about her breasts, or if she were a virgin, or things like that? Do
+you really think he'd tell us? Come on," I said.
+What kind of experiences were they planning to ask about?
+I walked over to the nearby vending machine to buy something to
+drink.
+"Get me some cocoa!' Yamauchi called.
+"If you want something, buy it yourself."
+"Can't. I've already almost used up all of my points. I have about 2,000
+left."
+"How could you possibly have used more than 90,000 points in just
+three weeks?" I asked.
+"T bought stuff I wanted. Here, check it out. It's awesome!" said
+Yamauchi, taking out a handheld gaming device.
+"T bought this with Ike. It's a PS Viva! A PS VIVA! It's amazing that a
+school sells this kind of stuff."
+'How much did it cost?"
+"About 20,000. With the optional stuff included, it came to about
+25,000."
+Dude, don't spend all of your points right away.
+"T don't usually play games all that much, but now that I'm living in a
+dorm, I figured I could play with friends. Oh, you know that Miyamoto guy
+in our class? He's really good at video games."
+Miyamoto was the rather plump boy. I'd never spoken to him directly,
+but I got the impression he was the type who'd talk about things like games
+and anime all the time.
+"You should buy one too and join in. Sudou said that he'd get one with
+next month's allowance."
+They were already ganging up on me. Yamauchi handed over his game
+system so I could give it a try. It was a lot lighter than I expected. The screen
+displayed a warrior, huge sword strapped to his back, petting a pig. What
+kind of world was this?
+"Honestly, I'm not really that interested. What...is this, anyway? Some
+kind of fighting game?"
+"You've heard about Hunter Watch, right? It's sold more than 4.8
+million copies worldwide, man! I've had an incredible knack for games ever
+since I was a little kid. Overseas professionals constantly scouted me. I
+always turned them down, though."
+You can proclaim something a worldwide phenomenon, but whether or
+not it's actually good is another matter. There were about seven billion
+people in the world. The people who'd purchased this game accounted for
+less than 0.1 percent of the global population.
+"Anyway, how in the world can such a delicate girl wear such heavy
+equipment? Is her armor plastic or something? If it were iron, even someone
+with Sudou's physique would struggle with it."
+"Ayanokouji, you really want an element of realism in your games?
+What, are you a foreigner? People who say that kind of stuff are usually okay
+with games where you can automatically regenerate your life. Are you one of
+those? Do you want some Western-developed game where you shoot guys
+then hide somewhere and get all of your health back? Because, if you ask me,
+those games are unrealistic!"
+I couldn't understand Yamauchi at all.
+"Well, you know what they say: 'seeing is believing,' right? Just try it.
+When you start playing, we'll help you farm for materials. Collecting honey
+is hard work, you know? So you can buy me some cocoa, then."
+"For crying out loud..."
+I didn't exactly need the honey, but I bought the cocoa to avoid any
+further hassle.
+"Ah, friendship is such a blessing! Thank you!" Yamauchi said.
+I didn't want that kind of friendship. I tossed the cocoa to Yamauchi,
+who caught it against his stomach. Now, what did I want to drink? Hesitating,
+I noticed a button on the machine.
+"Oh, so they have this, too."
+There was a button for mineral water, which was free of charge.
+"What's wrong?"
+"Oh, nothing. Just was wondering if the cafeteria offers anything for
+free."
+"Oh, you mean like the vegetable meal set? Ugh, there's no way I'd
+want to go through school with only vegetables and water."
+Yamauchi cackled as he drank his cocoa. If you used up all of your
+points, then you'd have no choice but to take the free stuff, like vegetables
+and water. However, it was easy to avoid that situation. As long as you didn't
+spend all of your points like Yamauchi, that is.
+"There are quite a few people who eat the vegetables, actually," I said.
+Since I went to the cafeteria often, I recalled seeing many students
+eating the free meal sets.
+"It's not because they like it. It's probably because it's the end of the
+month."
+"Well, that might be so." While I felt a little uneasy about it, I pressed
+the button for milk and took the bottle after 1t came tumbling down.
+"Ah, why can't next month come any faster? I want my dream life back
+again!" Yamauchi and the other guys laughed as they lamented.
+6.3
+A EY, we're going to go hang out with Kushida-chan and some other
+people after class. You want to come?
+I received that text message in the middle of my afternoon class while
+absentmindedly jotting down notes. Ah, weren't these supposed to be the
+halcyon days of our youth? This was the first time that friends had invited me
+to hang out after class. I had no reason to refuse their invitation, but I thought
+I'd ask who was going.
+I mean, I didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of people I didn't
+know. That would be awkward.
+I quickly received a reply. I saw Ike and Yamauchi's names, as well as
+Kushida's. Including me, that made five people. Didn't seem like anyone
+whom I didn't already know was included. Well, that sounded fine. I
+confirmed that I'd go, and a response quickly followed.
+Kushida-chan is my target, so don't you dare get in my way! —Ike-sama
+No, no, Kushida-chan is mine. You stay out of the way! —Yamauchi
+Huh? You say you're after Kushida-chan, too?! What, are you trying to
+pick a fight?
+It'd be nice if we all got along, but the two of them started fighting
+over Kushida via text. I'd been looking forward to hanging out with
+everyone, but now I thought it might be a hassle. When class ended, I left
+with Ike and Yamauchi. Even though I'd been here a while, the school
+grounds were so expansive that I still didn't know the area very well.
+"We couldn't leave with Kushida even though we're in the same class,
+huh?" I said.
+"She said she had to talk to a friend from another class. Kushida-chan
+is quite popular."
+"Do you think maybe she's talking to a boy?" Ike mumbled.
+"Relax, Ike. ve already confirmed it. She's talking to a girl,"
+Yamauchi said.
+"All right, all right."
+"Are you guys seriously going after Kushida?" I asked.
+"Of course. She's my dream girl."
+Yamauchi must have shared this opinion, considering the fact he kept
+nodding in agreement.
+"Y ou're interested in Horikita, aren't you? She's definitely beautiful, I
+gotta say."
+"No, I'm not. Really."
+"Really? Didn't you guys sneakily exchange looks and nonchalantly
+touch fingertips? You know, something bittersweet and yet kind of
+irritating?"
+While Ike relentlessly pressed me, one of the very girls we were talking
+about ran over.
+"Sorry for being late, but thanks for waiting!" Kushida cried.
+"Oh, no worries, Kushida-chan! Hey, wait a second, why are they
+here?!" Ike had been jumping up and down excitedly, but now he tumbled
+over and sprawled across the ground. What an energetic guy.
+"Oh, I just happened to run into them on the way, so I thought I'd
+invite them along. Was that not okay?"
+Kushida had brought Hirata and his girlfriend (at least, I was pretty
+sure she was his girlfriend), Karuizawa. There were also two other girls,
+Matsushita and Mori, who always hung around Karuizawa.
+"Hey, don't we have some way of making Hirata go away?!" Ike
+whispered, putting his arm around my shoulder.
+"T don't think there's really any reason to make him leave," I replied.
+"That pretty boy will completely overshadow us! What are you going
+to do if Kushida-chan ends up liking Hirata, huh?! We can't let that pretty
+boy end up with a cutie like Kushida!"
+"Well, I don't know about... Hey, wait, isn't Hirata dating Karuizawa?
+I wouldn't worry."
+"Hey, just because you say he has a girlfriend is no guarantee. I can't
+relax. Besides, anyone in his right mind would choose a pretty angel like
+Kushida-chan over a sloppy, easy gal like Karuizawa!"
+Ike furiously prattled on, his spit spraying my ear, which grossed me
+out. Not just the spit, either; his vile words were pretty disgusting, too. It was
+true that Karuizawa certainly was one of those gyaru types with tanned skin
+and everything, but she was plenty cute.
+"Hey, Ike, you do know that there's no guarantee that Kushida-chan is
+a virgin, right?" Yamauchi joined our conversation, his anxious voice a
+strained whisper.
+"W-well... Yeah, you might be... N-no, Kushida has to be a virgin!"
+Ike said.
+They continued to discuss their wild, delusional fantasies, though I
+thought it was more misogyny than anything. If at all possible, I would' ve
+rather not been involved.
+"Um, if we're a bother, perhaps we can just go separately?" said Hirata
+in a reserved tone. He seemed to have noticed our secret conversation.
+"W-we don't really mind at all, do we? Right, Yamauchi?"
+"Y-yeah. Let's all go together. The more the merrier, you know. Right,
+Ike?"
+Moments ago, those two had shouted that others would "be in the way"
+and that they needed to get rid of Hirata. But if they did such a thing, then
+Kushida might like them less. Whether or not there was any chance she'd like
+them in the first place was another matter.
+"Well, obviously, that was the idea. Why are you three whispering
+about us?" Karuizawa's words were certainly understandable, but I was
+shocked to be lumped together with Ike and Yamauchi.
+"Well, here's my thought. If we include Hirata and Karuizawa, then
+we'll have the same number of boys and girls. So that means it'd be a triple
+date. Ayanokouji, this could be your chance, you know?"
+"So, you're good with Matsushita, Yamauchi? I'm gonna talk to
+Kushida-chan," Ike said.
+"Hey, don't screw with me! I'm the one after Kushida-chan! We're
+going to get married under an old cherry blossom tree, exchanging vows like
+***
+a sweet promise between childhood friends! It's fate
+"You're full of crap! ''ve thought about doing that for a while now.
+You're a total liar!"
+"Huh? It's all true, all of it!"
+If you were to believe everything Yamauchi Haruki said, then he had
+been a skilled gamer since childhood, scouted by professionals from
+overseas, and a national ping pong competitor. Then, in junior high, he'd
+been his baseball team's ace player and a promising future star. What an
+incredibly gifted man.
+Though there was no confirmation that any of that was the truth.
+I didn't know where we were headed, so I quietly hung to the back of
+the group. While Ike and Yamauchi daydreamed about Kushida, they flanked
+Hirata on both sides.
+"I'm just going to ask you, Hirata. Are you going out with
+Karuizawa?" Ike asked point-blank to determine whether or not Hirata was
+his enemy.
+"Uh...where did you hear that?" Hirata asked. As expected, he looked
+a little surprised, or even panicked, by that question. "Oh, guess you figured
+it out, huh? Yeah, we're dating."
+Karuizawa latched onto Hirata's arm before he could say anything.
+Hirata just lightly scratched his cheek, as if signaling resignation.
+"Seriously?! I'm so jealous that you're dating such a cute girl like
+Karuizawa!" said Yamauchi, feigning envy. You'd think that lying while
+being unaware that you're lying would be easy, but it was surprisingly
+difficult.
+"Kushida-chan, do you have a boyfriend?" Ike managed to shift
+attention over to Kushida without missing a beat. Pretty clever, huh?
+"Me? Oh, no, unfortunately," she said.
+Both Ike and Yamauchi clearly rejoiced, breaking out in massive grins.
+Their joy leaked out for everyone to see. Although it was possible that
+Kushida was hiding the fact that she had a boyfriend, she'd basically
+confirmed that she was available. I was a little glad to hear that, too.
+"Oh, no, I'm crying..."
+1°?
+"Don't cry, Yamauchi! We're finally almost at the summit
+Their destination no longer waited at the peak of an insurmountable
+mountain, but instead at the end of a precipitous path...
+Hirata, Karuizawa, Ike, and Yamauchi all surrounded Kushida as they
+walked. The rather uninteresting pair of Matsushita and Mori followed
+behind the main group, while I walked farther behind them, alone.
+"Hey, Ike. Where are we going?" someone asked.
+"It hasn't been that long since the entrance ceremony, remember? Just
+wanted to check out the campus facilities," Ike answered, seemingly irritated.
+So, there was no clear destination, which meant that this somewhat
+awkward experience would go on for a while...
+My unpleasant expectations unexpectedly changed.
+"Hey, Matsushita-san, Mori-san. What do you two want to go see?"
+While Ike and Yamauchi happily chatted with each other, Kushida fell
+back to talk to the other two girls.
+"Huh? Oh, um, well...I've wanted to see the movie theater at least
+once."
+"Yeah. Since school's done for the day, I wanted to go, too."
+"Oh, yeah! I've wanted to go as well, but haven't gotten around to it
+yet. Karuizawa-san, have you gone to any special places on dates?"
+Kushida started to organize us into three groups, just as I'd expect of
+her. No matter how hard I tried, I could never have done something like that.
+Also, as a nice bonus, she occasionally turned and smiled sweetly at me. I
+didn't expect that.
+I tried not to talk unnecessarily, as I felt that would just be a hassle. I
+tried to look at Kushida in a way that showed I wasn't ignoring her. If
+Kushida couldn't read the room, and merely liked being the constant center
+of attention, then the message probably wouldn't reach her.
+However, there are people who will lash out and say something like,
+"Why can't you read the situation?" to a friend after he refuses to do karaoke,
+even though they know that friend said he didn't want to sing. There are, after
+all, self-absorbed, simple-minded people who assume that because karaoke is
+fun for them, that means everyone will love it. They simply cannot
+comprehend that some people dislike singing.
+While I'd been mulling over this venomous topic, my surroundings had
+changed. Apparently, we'd stopped at a clothing store on campus. More
+precisely, it was a boutique. Everyone seemed to have come to this store a
+few times already, so we entered without hesitation. Generally, I wore my
+uniform on weekdays, and since I usually stayed in my dorm on my days off,
+I hadn't bought any clothes for going out.
+There were many students inside, though few upperclassmen. The
+majority appeared to be first-year students. Perhaps it was because of my
+newness, but I felt really inexperienced and anxious in this atmosphere. We
+checked out many different items on the racks and, afterward, went to a
+nearby café. Hirata carried the clothes that Karuizawa had purchased, which
+cost about 30,000 points.
+"Have you all gotten used to this school yet?"
+"At first, I was really perplexed, but now I've settled in perfectly. It's
+like living in a dream. I don't ever want to graduate!"
+"Ha ha! I get the feeling Ike-kun is enjoying his time here to the
+fullest!"
+"T just wish we had more points, you know? Maybe 200,000 or
+300,000 a month? After buying cosmetics and clothes and stuff, I've already
+used up almost all of my points," Karuizawa said.
+"Don't you think it's abnormal for a high school student to get 300,000
+points as a monthly allowance?" Hirata asked.
+"Well, if you put it like that, yeah. Even 100,000 is pretty outlandish.
+I'm a little scared, to be honest. I'm worried about what life after graduation
+will be like if I keep on spending my school days like this."
+"Do you mean you'll lose your sense of money management? Yeah,
+that does sound pretty scary, actually."
+Everyone felt differently about our monthly allowance. Karuizawa and
+Ike both wanted more points, while Hirata and Kushida were terrified of what
+would happen when our life of luxury ended.
+"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Do you think that 100,000 points is
+a lot or not enough?"
+At that point, I'd only intended to listen, but Kushida asked me my
+thoughts.
+"Hmm, well, I don't really fully understand it yet. I'm not sure," I
+replied.
+"What's that supposed to mean?"
+"T think I understand what you're getting at, Ayanokouji-kun. This is
+honestly completely different from any normal school. It's hard to understand
+it without really knowing all the details."
+"Well, there's no point worrying about it. I'm super glad that I got into
+this school. I can just go out and buy whatever I want. In fact, yesterday I
+went out and bought some new clothes." Ike lived a positive life, always
+forging directly ahead.
+"Kushida-chan and Hirata aside, Ike, you and Karuizawa also managed
+to get into this place. Aren't you guys pretty dumb, though?"
+"You don't strike me as being very smart either, Yamauchi."
+"Huh? Pll have you know that I scored 900 points on the APEC."
+"What's the APEC?"
+"You don't even know? It's a super tough test for English."
+"Um, don't you mean the TOEIC, not APEC?"
+Kushida gently brought Yamauchi back down to earth. APEC actually
+stood for Asia-Pacific Economic Partnership.
+"Th-they're related though, aren't they?" he asked.
+They were as far apart as it's possible to get.
+"Well, this school's mission is to nurture young people who will pave
+the way to the future, right? So, they probably don't choose people solely on
+their test scores. Honestly, if this school only took in people based on
+standardized tests, I wouldn't have taken the entrance exam."
+"Yeah, yeah. Young people who will pave the way to the future. That's
+exactly how I'd describe myself." Ike crossed his arms and nodded.
+Despite being the premier institution in Japan, with stellar rates of
+advancement into higher education and employment, this school didn't
+appear to determine the criteria for passing or failing through test scores. If
+that was the case, then how in the world did it select potential students? I
+found myself suddenly curious.
+Chapter 7:
+Classroom of the Elite
+O, May 1, the morning bell rang for our very first day of class. Soon
+afterward, Chiyabashira-sensei strode into the room, holding a rolled-up
+poster. Her expression today was even more stern than usual. Had she started
+menopause, I wondered? If I made that joke out loud, I think she would have
+swung an iron bat at my face with full force.
+"Hey, sensei, did you start menopause or something?"
+Unbelievably, Ike actually let that joke fly. Honestly, it was more
+shocking that I'd thought the same thing as Ike.
+"All right, your morning homeroom 1s about to begin. Before we get
+started, does anyone have any questions? If so, now is the time to speak."
+Chiyabashira-sensei completely ignored Ike's sexual harassment. She
+appeared totally convinced that the students had questions they wanted
+answered. Immediately, several students raised their hands.
+"Um, I checked my point balance this morning, but I didn't see any
+deposits. Points are given on the first day of every month, aren't they? I
+couldn't buy juice this morning."
+"Hondou, I already explained this before, didn't I? Points are deposited
+on the first day of the month. I've confirmed that points were wired this
+month without any issues."
+"Um, but...nothing was deposited into my account, though."
+Hondou and Yamauchi exchanged glances. Ike appeared too shocked
+to notice them looking at each other. ''d checked my point balance that
+morning as well, but saw that it had remained unchanged from the day
+before. No more points had been deposited into my account. I'd simply
+thought that the points would be wired later.
+"Are you kids really that dumb?"
+Was she angry or delighted? I was getting an ominous vibe from
+Chiyabashira-sensei.
+"Dumb? What?"
+As Hondou stupidly repeated her words, Chiyabashira-sensei looked at
+him sharply.
+"Sit down, Hondou. [ll explain once more," she said.
+""S-Sae-chan-sense1?"
+Hondou, taken aback by her unusually strict tone, slumped in his seat.
+"Points were deposited. That much I know for certain. There is
+absolutely no chance that we forgot about anyone in this class. To think so is
+ludicrous. Understood?"
+"Well, even if I tell you that we understand, we haven't received any
+points..."
+Hondou, still perplexed, began to look dissatisfied. Supposing that
+what Chiyabashira-sensei said was true and that points had been wired to us,
+then that meant...
+Had there been a discrepancy, then? Did that mean that zero points had
+been deposited into our accounts? My vague doubts quickly grew.
+"Ha ha ha! I see. So, it's like that then, teacher? I think I've solved the
+mystery," Kouenji boomed, laughing.
+He propped his feet up on his desk and smugly pointed toward
+Hondou.
+"It's simple. We're in Class D, so we didn't receive a single point."
+"Huh? What are you talking about? They said that we'd get 100,000
+points every month—"
+"T don't remember hearing that, though. Do you?" Chuckling, Kouenji
+boldly pointed at Chiyabashira-sensei.
+"While he certainly has an attitude problem, Kouenji is exactly right.
+For crying out loud, barely anyone seems to have noticed the hint I gave you.
+How deplorable."
+In response to this sudden turn of events, the classroom exploded in an
+uproar.
+"Sensei, may I please ask you a question? I'm afraid I still don't
+understand." Hirata raised his hand. He appeared to ask on behalf of his
+classmates rather than out of selfish concern. Just as I'd expect of the de facto
+class leader. Even now, he took the initiative.
+"Can you please tell us why we didn't receive any points? We won't
+completely understand otherwise."
+That was certainly true.
+"A total of ninety-eight absences and late arrivals. Three hundred
+ninety-one incidences of talking or using a cell phone in class. That is quite a
+few infractions over one month. In this school, your class's results are
+reflected in the points that you receive. As a result, you wasted all of the
+100,000 points that you should have received. That's what happened."
+"T should have explained this all to you on the day of the entrance
+ceremony. This school measures its students' true abilities. This time, you
+were evaluated as being worth nothing. That's all."
+Chiyabashira-sensei spoke in a robotic fashion, devoid of any emotion.
+The doubts I'd had since coming to this school were finally confirmed,
+though, in the worst way possible. Even though we'd started with the huge
+advantage of 100,000 points, Class D had lost it in just a single month.
+I heard a pencil moving against paper. Horikita seemed to be tallying
+the number of absences, tardy arrivals, and instances of talking in class down
+in her notebook, perhaps trying to make sense of the situation.
+"Chiyabashira-sensei. I do not recall hearing you explain that to us
+before—"
+"What? Are you incapable of understanding something unless it's
+explained in detail?"
+"Of course. There was never any talk about reducing our points. Had
+that been explained beforehand, I'm sure we would have avoided being late
+or talking during class."
+"That is a rather bizarre argument, Hirata. It is certainly true that I
+don't recall explaining the rules of point distribution. However, didn't you all
+learn in elementary school not to be late or talk in class? Was that not taught
+throughout your elementary and junior high schools?"
+"Well, that's—"
+"I'm sure that in nine years of compulsory education, you learned that
+being late and talking in class are bad things. And now you say that you can't
+understand this because I haven't explained it to you? I'm afraid your
+reasoning is flimsy. If you had simply acted properly, then your points would
+not have dropped all the way to zero. This comes down to you taking
+personal responsibility."
+There was no way for anyone to refute her perfectly sound argument.
+Everyone knew that bad behavior didn't pay.
+"Having just entered your first year of high school, did you honestly
+think you'd receive 100,000 points every month with no strings attached? At
+a school established by the Japanese government for the express purposes of
+training gifted people? That's unthinkable. Try using some common sense.
+Why would you leave it to chance?"
+Although Hirata appeared to be frustrated, he looked the teacher
+straight in the eye. "Well then, could you at least explain in detail how points
+are added or deducted? We can keep that in mind for future reference."
+"T cannot tell you. We cannot disclose the methods behind our student
+evaluation. It's the same as any other organization. When you enter a
+company, it is the company's choice whether or not to tell you how it
+evaluates its employees. However, I'm not cruel, and I'm not trying to be
+cold. In fact, this situation is so pathetic that I will give you one bit of
+guidance."
+For the first time, I saw a faint sliver of a smile on Chiyabashira-
+sensei's lips.
+"Let's say that you stop being late to class and have no more
+absences... Even though zero points will be deducted from you this month,
+that doesn't mean that your points will increase, either. That means next
+month you will still receive zero points. From another perspective, you could
+say no matter how times you're late or absent to class, it doesn't matter. So,
+you're not really at a loss, are you?"
+"Tch..." Hirata's expression darkened. Her explanation was so
+counterproductive that it had the opposite effect; some students seemed
+incapable of understanding what she meant. The students who thought they
+could improve their situation by remedying bad behavior had their hopes
+dashed. That was probably Chiyabashira-sensei's, or rather, this school's,
+intention.
+The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom.
+"Tt looks like we spent too much time yammering. I hope that you
+understood the gist of it. Well, it's about time that we switch to our main
+topic."
+From the tube she carried, she removed a white rolled-up poster and
+spread it out. She stuck the poster to the blackboard with some magnets. The
+still-confused students stared blankly at the poster.
+"Are these...the results for each class?" Horikita tentatively took a
+guess. She was probably right. Class A through Class D were listed. To the
+side was a row of numbers that went up to a maximum of four digits. Class D
+had zero. Class C had 490. Class B had 650. And at the top was Class A, with
+a total of 940. In this case, 1000 points would mean 100,000 yen, wouldn't
+it? Every class had apparently lost points.
+"Isn't something about this odd?"
+'Yeah. The numbers look too even."
+Horikita and I had both noticed something strange.
+"You've all been doing whatever you pleased this past month. The
+school has no intention of preventing you from doing what you want. Your
+actions, such as being late or talking during class, only affect the points you
+receive. The same goes for how you use your points. How you choose to
+spend is entirely up to you. We have not put any restrictions on point usage."
+"This isn't fair, though! We can't enjoy our student lives like this!"
+shouted Ike, who'd stayed quiet until now.
+Yamauchi wailed in incredible agony. He'd already used up all of his
+points...
+"Look here, morons. Every other class got points. The amount of points
+we gave you for the first month should be plenty for you to live on."
+""B-but, how do the other classes still have points left? That's weird..."
+"T've already told you, there's nothing unfair about it. All of the classes
+were scored using the same rules. Despite that, they didn't lose as many as
+you. That's the truth."
+"But...why is there such a difference in our point values?" Hirata also
+seemed to have noticed that the numbers were too tidy.
+"Do you finally understand now? Do you see why you were placed in
+Class D?"
+"The reason why we were placed in Class D? Weren't we simply
+accepted into this school?"
+"Huh? But classes are normally divided up like this, right?"
+Students exchanged glances.
+"In this school, students are sorted by their level of excellence. The
+superior students are sorted into Class A, the least capable in Class D. It's the
+same system you'd find in the major cram schools. In other words, Class D is
+akin to the last bastion for failures. You are the worst of the worst. You're
+defective. This is just the result of you being defective."
+Horikita's face stiffened. She appeared shocked by this line of
+reasoning. It certainly made sense to sort the superior students with the other
+superior students and the failures with the failures. If you mixed rotten
+oranges with good ones, the rotten would quickly spoil the good. Inevitably,
+the superior Horikita would find this revolting.
+I, on the other hand, was glad. This meant I couldn't go any lower.
+"However, I have to say, this year's Class D was the first to ever spend
+all of their points in a single month. I am impressed by how much you
+indulged yourselves. Wonderful, just wonderful."
+Chiyabashira-sensei's false applause echoed throughout the classroom.
+"So, does that mean that once we reach zero points, we'll always stay
+there?"
+"Yes. You will remain at zero until you graduate. But don't worry, you
+can still have a room in the dorms and free meals. You won't die."
+Although we knew that it was possible to get by with the bare
+minimum, a lot of students weren't comforted by that fact. After all, we'd
+lived a life of luxury this past month. To suddenly restrain yourself after that
+would prove seriously difficult.
+"Won't the other classes make fun of us?"
+Sudou kicked the legs of his desk with a loud thwack. After hearing
+that the classes were divided based on merit, everyone else would probably
+believe that Class D was full of morons. Despair wasn't unreasonable.
+"What? You're still worried about your dignity, Sudou? Well then,
+work to make your class into the best one."
+"Huh?"
+"Your class's points aren't just linked to the amount of money that you
+receive each month. They're also indicative of your class rank."
+In other words...should we get to 500 points, then Class D would be
+promoted to Class C. This really did sound like a company performance
+review.
+"Now then, I have one more bit of bad news to share with you all."
+She stuck another sheet of paper up on the board. It listed the names of
+everyone in class. A number stood next to everyone's name.
+"Judging from these, I can see that we've quite a few idiots in this
+class." As her heels clacked against the floor, she glanced at us. "These are
+the results of the short test you took a while ago. Your sensei was so happy
+after your excellent performance. Come on, what in the world did you all
+study when you were tn junior high?"
+With the exception of a few high scores, almost everyone tested below
+a sixty. Even if you ignored Sudou's wonderful score of fourteen points, there
+was Ike, scoring a little above him at twenty-four points. The average score
+was sixty-five.
+"I'm so glad. If this were an actual test, then seven of you would've
+had to drop out."
+"D-drop out? What do you mean?"
+"Oh, what, did I not explain this to you? If you fail on a midterm or
+final exam in this school, then you have to drop out. If we applied that rule to
+this test, anyone who scored below thirty-two points would be out. You guys
+really are stupid, aren't you?"
+"Wh-what?!" wailed Ike and the other failures.
+There was a red line drawn on the paper, separating the seven people in
+question from the rest of the class. Among those seven people, Kikuchi had
+scored highest, with thirty-one points. Anyone with a score equal to or lower
+than Kikuchi's had failed.
+"Hey, don't jerk us around, Sae-chan-sensei! Don't joke about kicking
+us out!"
+"Frankly, I'm also at a loss," the teacher said. "These are the school
+rules. You should prepare for the worst."
+"The teacher's right. There do seem to be a lot of morons here."
+Kouenji wore a smug grin while he polished his nails, his legs propped on the
+desk.
+"What the hell, Kouenji? You scored below the red line, too!"
+"Pah. Where exactly are you looking, boy? Look again."
+"Huh? Kouenji is...huh?"
+Starting from the bottom of the page, Sudou scanned upward, and there
+he found Kouenji Rokosuke's name. Unbelievably, Kouenji had tied for the
+top spot, scoring ninety points. That meant he'd been able to solve one of
+those super difficult problems.
+"T never thought that Sudou was an idiot like me!" cried Ike, a mixture
+of wonder and sarcasm in his voice.
+"Oh, one more thing. This school, which operates under government
+supervision, boasts a high rate of advancement into elite education and
+workforce placement. That is a well-known fact. It's very likely that most of
+you have chosen a college or future workplace."
+Well, naturally. This school boasted the highest rates of advancement
+in the whole country. There were rumors that it was possible to get into a
+highly competitive school or company just by graduating. Rumors even
+suggested that graduation from this school was like receiving a
+recommendation to Tokyo University, the most prestigious of Japan's
+institutes of higher learning.
+"However, nothing comes easy in this world. Mediocre people such as
+yourselves would have to be naive to think that you could easily get into the
+college or workplace of your choice."
+Chiyabashira-sensei's words carried throughout the room.
+"In other words, you're saying that if we want to get into the company
+or college of our choice, we must, at minimum, surpass Class C?" Hirata
+asked.
+"You're wrong. To make your dreams of a bright future come true,
+your only option is to overtake Class A. This school guarantees nothing for
+any other students."
+"Th-that's...absurd! We didn't hear anything about that!"
+A bespectacled student named Yukimura stood up. He'd tied with
+Kouenji for the top score, indicating that there were no issues with his
+academic abilities.
+"How disgraceful. There's nothing more pitiful than men losing their
+cool." As if prompted by Yukimura's words, Kouenji let out a sigh.
+"Don't you feel dissatisfied being in Class D, Kouenji?" Yukimura
+asked.
+"Dissatisfied? Why would I feel dissatisfied? I don't understand."
+"Because the school says we're so low that we're basically delinquents
+and failures. We've been told that there's no guarantee whatsoever that we'll
+advance into higher education or get a job!"
+"Pah. Utter nonsense. That's so marvelously stupid that I can't even
+find the words." Kouenji didn't even stop polishing his nails or turn to face
+Yukimura as he spoke. "The school simply hasn't seen my potential yet. I
+pride myself on being great, and I value, respect, and regard myself more
+highly than anyone. So, the school arbitrarily placing me into Class D means
+nothing. Say, for instance, that I dropped out of school—I would be perfectly
+fine. After all, 1am 100 percent positive that the school would come crying to
+take me back."
+That certainly sounded like something Kouenji would say. Was it being
+macho? Or narcissism? It's true that if you didn't care about the school's
+classification of students, then it really wasn't a big deal. If you considered
+Kouenji's impressive intellect and physical ability, it was difficult to imagine
+that all of the students in Class A could be better than him. Perhaps he'd been
+assigned to Class D because of his personality rather than his ability.
+"Besides, I don't care in the slightest if the school does or doesn't assist
+me to higher education or the workforce. It's been decided that I will lead the
+Kouenji conglomerate group. Whether I'm in Class D or Class A 1s a trivial
+matter."
+It was true that for a man whose future was already decided, getting
+into Class A was far from a necessity. Yukimura, at a loss for words, simply
+sat back down.
+"Tt looks like your bubbles have been burst. If you had simply
+understood the harsh reality of the situation from the start, then this long
+homeroom period might have meant something. Your midterm exams are in
+three weeks. Please think things over, and be careful not to drop out. I have
+confidence that you can find a way to avoid getting red marks on your report
+cards. If at all possible, challenge yourself to act in a way befitting a skilled
+individual."
+Chiyabashira-sensei exited the room, closing the door with some force
+for added emphasis. The students marked in red were left dejected. Even the
+normally proud Sudou clicked his tongue and hung his head in shame.
+7.1
+66
+Ir we don't get any more points, what I am gonna do?"
+"T used up all of my points yesterday..."
+During the break, the classroom erupted into an uproar...or rather,
+chaos.
+"Forget about the points. What the hell about this class? Why was J put
+into Class D?!" Yukimura cried resentfully. A thin layer of sweat covered his
+forehead.
+"Wait, does this mean that we can't get into college now? Why did we
+even go to this school? Does Sae-chan-sensei hate us or something?"
+None of the other students could hide their confusion.
+"T understand that you're all confused right now, but everyone needs to
+calm down." Hirata, sensing the classroom tipping toward crisis, stood and
+attempted to rein everyone in.
+"How are we supposed to calm down? Aren't you frustrated that she
+called us a bunch of failures?!" Yukimura said.
+"Even if I was, isn't it better for us to band together so we can turn
+things around?" Hirata asked.
+"Turn things around? I don't even agree with how we were sorted in
+the first place!"
+"T understand. However, sitting here whining won't help us right now."
+"What did you say?" Yukimura quickly went to Hirata and forcefully
+grasped his collar.
+"Calm down, you two, okay? I'm sure that the teacher talked to us
+harshly so we'd be inspired to do better, right?"
+That was Kushida. She slipped between the two and separated them,
+gently taking Yukimura's balled fist. Just as anyone would expect, Yukimura
+didn't try to hurt her and reflexively took half a step back.
+"Besides, it's only been one month since we started here, right? Like
+Hirata-kun said, it's better if we all do our best together. Do you think that
+I'm wrong about that?"
+"N-no, it's... Well, I certainly wouldn't say you're wrong, but..."
+Yukimura's anger had almost completely vanished. Kushida looked at
+everyone in class, and it was almost as if her eyes reflected a sincere wish for
+us to work together.
+"Yeah, it's better for us to band together. Right? There's no need for
+you to fight, Yukimura. Hirata."
+"I'm sorry. I lost my cool," Yukimura said.
+"Tt's all right. I should have chosen my words a little more carefully."
+Kushida Kikyou's presence brought everyone together. I took out my
+cell phone and snapped a picture of the paper with the class point totals.
+Horikita, taking notice, looked at me with a puzzled expression.
+"What are you doing?" she asked.
+"T haven't been able to figure out how points are calculated yet. You've
+also been taking notes, haven't you?"
+If I could figure out how many points were deducted by being late or
+talking in class, it'd be easier to come up with countermeasures.
+"Wouldn't it be difficult to figure out those details at this stage?
+Besides, I don't think you can resolve this simply by investigating. Everyone
+in our class arrived late and talked too often."
+As Horikita had said, it certainly was difficult to conclude anything
+based on the current information. Also, Horikita's usually cool, composed
+attitude was gone. She seemed rather impatient.
+"Are you trying to get into college, too?" I wondered.
+"Why do you ask?"
+"Well, when we learned about the differences between A and D, you
+looked shocked."
+"But so was almost everyone in this class, more or less. If they'd told
+us at the start, that would've been one thing, but to explain it at this stage?
+Unthinkable."
+Well, she was right about that. There was probably a lot of
+discontented grumbling coming from Class C and B students as well. After
+all, the school treated every class except for A like leftovers. Trying to get to
+the top was probably our best option.
+"T think that before we even start talking about A or D or whatever, we
+should secure points."
+"Points are just a byproduct of our performance, though. Not having
+points won't hinder our lives here at school. We have free options at almost
+every turn, right?" Horikita said.
+If you thought about it that way, it'd be a relief for the students who'd
+lost all of their points.
+""Won't hinder our lives here at school,' huh?"
+If you wanted to simply get by, this wouldn't be a problem. However,
+there were many things you could only obtain with points. Entertainment, for
+example. If the lack of entertainment options wasn't a problem, then it'd be
+fine, but...
+"About how many points did you spend last month, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Hm? Oh, my points? I spent about 20,000, approximately."
+This was tragic for the students who'd used up their points. Like
+Yamauchi, who was ranting and raving at his desk. Ike had also spent almost
+all of his points.
+"While unfortunate, they've simply reaped what they've sown,"
+Horikita said.
+It was certainly true that indiscriminately spending all 100,000 points
+in a single month was a slight problem.
+"They baited us into spending all our points over the course of this one
+month, and we fell for it."
+One hundred thousand points per month. Even though everyone had
+thought it too good to be true, we'd been too happy to care.
+"Attention, everyone. Before class begins, I want you to listen
+seriously for a moment. Especially you, Sudou-kun." The class was still in an
+uproar, but Hirata claimed everyone's attention when he stood at the
+teacher's podium.
+"Tch, what is it?" Sudou grumbled.
+"We didn't get any points this month. This is a serious problem, and
+one that will have an enormous impact on our daily lives moving forward.
+It's impossible for us to make it to graduation with zero points, right?"
+"You're absolutely right!" shouted one of the female students, her
+voice full of despair.
+Hirata gave a kind nod in response, sympathizing with her.
+"Of course. Therefore, we must earn points next month. To do that, we
+all need to cooperate with each other. So, please, take care not to be late to
+class or to talk during the lecture. Also, the use of cell phones during class is
+prohibited, of course."
+"Huh? And why do you get to tell us what to do? Besides, that's
+supposing our points will increase. If they don't change at all, then it's
+useless."
+"As long as we continue talking during class and being late, our points
+won't increase for sure. Although we can't go below zero points, disruption
+will, without a doubt, count as strikes against us."
+"I'm still not convinced. Besides, even if we get serious and work hard
+in class, our points won't necessarily go up." Sudou snorted and crossed his
+arms in defiance. Kushida took notice of this and commented on it.
+"Well, the teacher did say that the being late and talking in class were
+obviously bad, right?"
+"Yeah, I agree with Kushida-san. It's only natural to avoid doing those
+things."
+"That's just your own selfish interpretation. Besides, you don't know
+how to increase our points. Try talking to me after you figure that out."
+"T don't think that there's anything particularly wrong with what you
+said, Sudou-kun. I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable." Hirata
+bowed his head politely toward the disgruntled Sudou. "However, Sudou-
+kun, it's a fact that unless we all cooperate, we won't get any more points."
+"Do whatever you want. It doesn't matter. Just don't involve me in tt.
+Understand?" Sudou snapped.
+As if being in the room made him feel uncomfortable, he left
+immediately. I had to wonder: Would he return when class started? Or did he
+not intend to return at all?
+"Sudou-kun really can't read the room. He's the one who was late to
+class the most. Couldn't we still get some points even without Sudou-kun?"
+"Yeah. He really is the worst. Why is he in our class?"
+Hmm. Until now, everyone had been enjoying their lives of luxury to
+the absolute fullest. No one had previously complained about Sudou. Hirata
+stepped down from the podium and, strangely, stopped right in front of my
+desk.
+"Horikita-san, Ayanokouji-kun, do you have a moment? I want to
+speak with you about how we can increase our points. I'd like you to join me.
+Can you?"
+"Why do you want us?" I asked.
+"IT want to hear everyone's voices. However, if I ask for everyone to
+weigh in, I think more than half of the class probably won't take it seriously."
+So, he wanted to ask us individually? I doubted I'd be able to come up
+with any particularly useful ideas, but I supposed it couldn't hurt to talk. Just
+as I was thinking that...
+"I'm sorry, can you ask someone else? I'm not particularly good at
+discussing things with others," said Horikita.
+"We wouldn't force you to speak up. If you could help think of
+something, that would be good. Simply being there would be enough," Hirata
+said.
+"I'm sorry, but I have no interest in something meaningless."
+"This is the first trial we're facing together as a united Class D. So then
+"T refuse. I won't participate." Her words were stern, yet composed.
+While she'd considered Hirata's position, she refused him once again.
+"T...I see. I'm sorry. If you change your mind, I'd love for you to join
+99
+***
+Horikita had already stopped looking at Hirata, who withdrew
+dejectedly.
+"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?" he asked.
+Honestly, I'd be glad to participate. I'd thought that most of the class
+would be involved. However, if Horikita was the only one absent, then she
+might be treated the same as Sudou.
+"Ah...P Il pass. I'm sorry."
+"No, I'm sorry for bothering you. If you change your mind, please let
+me know."
+Hirata probably understood what I was thinking. I hadn't reyected him
+strongly. After the discussion ended, Horikita began preparing for the next
+class.
+"Hirata's a great guy. He's able to get everyone to take action just like
+that. People can easily get depressed in these situations."
+"That's one perspective, yes. If we could easily solve this by talking,
+then that'd be fine. However, if an unintelligent student tries to lead the
+discussion, the group will fall further into chaos, to the point where there's no
+hope of salvaging anything. Besides, I can't meekly accept my current
+situation."
+"You can't accept what now? What do you mean?"
+Horikita didn't answer my question. She fell completely silent.
+72
+Crass had ended for the day. Hirata stood at the podium, using the
+blackboard to prepare for our big discussion. Because of Hirata's powerful
+charisma, almost everyone in our class had shown, with the exception of a
+few like Horikita and Sudou. When I looked around, I noticed that they'd
+already left the room. I decided to leave before the discussion got into full
+swing, as well.
+"Ayanokouji!"
+Yamauchi suddenly appeared from under my desk, his expression
+deathlike.
+"Whoa! Wh-what? What's wrong?"
+"Hey, buy this from me for 20,000 points. I can't buy anything!" he
+cried.
+Yamauchi placed the game console he'd purchased the other day on
+my desk. Frankly, I didn't even want the thing.
+"But if you sell that to me, who am I supposed to play with?" I asked.
+"How the heck should J know? Come on, it's good, right? It's special,
+so it's a good deal."
+"T'll buy it from you for 1,000 points."
+"Ayanokouji! Come on, you're my only hope!"
+"Why am / the only one? I can't afford it, anyway."
+Yamauchi looked at me all teary-eyed, which grossed me out. I looked
+the other way. He must have realized I wasn't biting, so he immediately
+switched to a new target.
+"Professor! Your best buddy has a favor to ask! Buy this game system
+for 22,000 points!"
+He was trying to get the Professor to buy it and had shamelessly
+increased the price.
+"Things must be really tough for the people who used up their points,"
+remarked Kushida as she observed Yamauchi.
+"What about you, Kushida? Do you have enough points? Girls have a
+lot of necessities, after all."
+"I'm okay. For now, anyway. I've used up about half of my points. I
+kind of lost control the first month and overspent, so it'll be a little difficult to
+hold myself back. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Are you okay?"
+"It's got to be hard not to spend money when you're so popular. I've
+barely used any of my points, to be honest. I haven't really needed to buy
+anything."
+"Because you don't have friends?" she asked.
+MEIC vac"
+"Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to offend," Kushida apologized with a
+giggle. She was too cute when she did that.
+"Hey, Kushida-san, do you have a minute?" Karuizawa asked.
+"What's up, Karuizawa-san?"
+"Honestly, I've spent way too many points, and I'm seriously running
+low. Some of the other girls in class have lent me a few points, but I was
+wondering if you could help me out, too. We're friends, right? I only need,
+like, 2,000 points from you."
+Karuizawa didn't seem all that earnest, laughing breezily while she hit
+up Kushida. In such a case, rejection should be the knee-jerk reaction.
+"Okay, sure."
+Sure?! | repeated silently, but it wasn't my business. This was a
+problem for the friends in question. Kushida had decided to help Karuizawa
+without even a hint of reluctance.
+"Thank you! This is really what friends are for, huh? By the way,
+here's my number. Okay, see you later. Ah, Inogashira-san! Hey, to tell you
+the truth, I used up too many of my points..."
+Karuizawa turned away just like that and went in pursuit of her next
+target.
+"Are you sure? You know you probably won't get those points back,
+right?" I asked.
+"T can't just ignore a friend in need. Karuizawa-san has a lot of friends,
+too, so I think it's probably hard for her not to have any points."
+"T think using up 100,000 points is kind of her own fault, though."
+"Wait, how do you transfer points?" Kushida asked.
+"Karuizawa gave you her phone number, didn't she? You should be
+able to do it with your cell phone."
+"This school really does take great care of its students. It even has a
+way to help students like Karuizawa-san."
+True, transferring points was a lifesaver for Karuizawa, but was it
+really necessary to give her the money? If anything, it seemed a recipe for
+disaster.
+The loudspeaker came alive with a soothing sound effect, and a robotic
+voice issued an announcement.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, from first-year Class D. Please come see
+Chiyabashira-sensei in the faculty office."
+"Looks like the teacher wants to see you."
+"Yeah... Sorry, Kushida. Gotta go."
+I was sure I hadn't done anything to get me called to the office. Exiting
+the classroom, I could feel my classmates' stares drilling a hole into the back
+of my head. Timid as a rabbit, I found the faculty office and entered. I looked
+all around, but I didn't find Chiyabashira-sensei anywhere. Baffled, I called
+out to a teacher inspecting her appearance in a mirror.
+"Excuse me, 1s Chiyabashira-sensei here?"
+"Hmm? Sae-chan? Oh, she was just here a moment ago."
+The teacher had wavy, shoulder-length hair, which made her look
+mature. The way she said Chiyabashira-sensei's name made them sound
+close. They were near in age and probably friends.
+"She must have stepped away for a minute. Do you want to wait here?"
+"No, thank you. I'll wait in the hall."
+I didn't like being in the faculty office. I hated attention, so the hall
+would do just as well. However, the young teacher unexpectedly followed
+"I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, in charge of Class B. Sae and I have been best
+friends since high school. That's why we call each other Sae-chan and Chie-
+chan."
+That information seemed kind of superfluous.
+"Hey, why did Sae-chan call you? Huh? Huh? Why?" she asked.
+"No idea."
+"T don't understand. You were called to the office without a reason?
+Hmm? What's your name?"
+An onslaught of questions. She scanned me from top to bottom, as if
+sizing me up.
+"My name's Ayanokouji," I said.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, huh? Oh, wow, that's a cool name. You're pretty
+popular, aren't you?"
+What was with this overly friendly teacher? She acted more like a
+student. If this were an all-boy school, she would have immediately captured
+every student's heart.
+"Hey, do you already have a girlfriend?" she asked.
+"No... 'm, uh, not especially popular."
+I tried to seem reluctant, but Hoshinomtya-sensei kept pushing herself
+onto me. She grabbed my arms with slender, delicate hands.
+"Hmm? How unexpected. If we were in the same class, I'd never leave
+you alone. Perhaps because you're so innocent? Or do you like playing hard
+to get?"
+She caressed my cheeks. I had no idea what to do. She'd probably stop
+if I licked her fingers, but I had a feeling that'd get me expelled.
+"What are you doing, Hoshinomiya?"
+Chiyabashira-sensei appeared out of nowhere. With a loud thud, she
+smacked Hoshinomiya-sensei on the head with her clipboard. Hoshinomtya-
+sensei crouched and gripped her skull in apparent pain.
+"Ouch! What was that for?" she cried.
+"For getting involved with one of my students."
+"T was only keeping him company while he waited for you, Sae-chan."
+"It would have been better if you just left him alone. Thanks for
+waiting, Ayanokouji. Let's go into the office."
+"The guidance office?" I asked. "Did I do something wrong? I've been
+trying to keep a low profile here."
+"A good answer. Come."
+While I wondered what this was all about, I followed Chiyabashira-
+sensei. Hoshinomtya-sensei remained by my side, smiling widely.
+Chiyabashira-sensei noticed and turned, her face much like a demon's.
+"You stay," she ordered.
+"Come on, don't be so cold! It won't be the end of the world if I listen,
+right? Besides Sae-chan, you're definitely not the type to give one-on-one
+guidance. Pulling a new student like Ayanokouji-kun into the guidance room
+out of nowhere... Are you after something, I wonder?"
+Grinning, Hoshinomiya-sensei scooted behind me and placed her hands
+on my shoulders. I sensed a storm brewing.
+"So, Sae-chan, are you looking to be dominated by a younger man?"
+Dominated by a younger man? What did that mean?
+"Don't say such stupid things. That wouldn't be possible."
+"Hee, you're certainly right. It wouldn't be possible for you, Sae-chan,"
+Hoshinomiya-sensei muttered, her words laced with a double meaning.
+"Why are you following us? This is a Class D matter."
+"Huh? I can't go to the guidance room? That's not okay? Come on, I
+can give advice, too."
+As Hoshinomtya-sensei continued to follow, a female student came up
+to us, a beautiful girl with light-pink hair. I'd never seen her before.
+"Hoshinomtya-sensei, do you have a moment? The student council
+wishes to discuss something with you." She glanced at me, but quickly
+returned her attention to Hoshinomtya-sensei.
+"All right, you have someone who needs you. Get to it." Slap!
+Chiyabashira-sensei smacked Hoshinomtya-sensei on the butt with her
+clipboard.
+"Aw! She'll get mad at me if I hang around any longer. See you later,
+Ayanokouji-kun! All right, Ichinose-san. Let's go to the faculty office."
+With that, she turned on her heel and left with the beautiful Ichinose.
+Chiyabashira-sensei lightly scratched her head while she watched
+Hoshinomtya-sensei leave. Soon after, we entered the guidance room, which
+stood beside the faculty office.
+"So. Why did you call me here?" I asked.
+"Well, about that... Before we begin, please come here."
+She briefly glanced at a clock hanging on the wall, which gave the time
+as nine o'clock, and opened the door. Inside was a small office kitchenette.
+She placed a kettle on top of a stove.
+"I'm going to make tea. Is roasted green okay?" she asked.
+I picked up the container with the tea powder.
+"Don't make any unnecessary moves. Shut up and get in here.
+Understand? Don't make a sound and stay until I tell you it's okay to come
+out. If you don't do as I say, you'll be expelled," she said.
+"Huh? What do you mean by—"
+She closed the door to the kitchenette without explanation, leaving me
+in there. What in the world was she scheming? I did as I was told and waited.
+Soon after, I heard the outer door to the guidance room open.
+"Ah, come in. So, what did you want to talk to me about, Horikita?" I
+heard Chiyabashira-sensei say.
+Apparently Horikita was in need of guidance.
+"T will be frank. Why was I sorted into Class D?"
+"That's quite frank."
+"Today, you told us that the school sorted superior students into Class
+A. You said that Class D was filled with the leftovers, the last bastion of
+delinquents."
+"That's true. You must consider yourself to be a superior person."
+I wondered how Horikita would respond. I'd bet she'd confidently
+object.
+"T solved nearly every problem on the entrance examination. I made no
+substantial mistakes on the interview, either. At the very least, I shouldn't
+have been sorted into Class D."
+Looks like I would have won that bet. Horikita was definitely the type
+to think herself superior. She wasn't excessively self-conscious, either. She'd
+tied for first place on the test, as shown in the morning's results.
+"You solved nearly all of the problems on the entrance examination,
+hmm? Normally I couldn't show the examination results to individual
+students, but I'Il make an exception in this case. I just so happen to have your
+answer sheet here."
+"You're incredibly prepared. It's...almost as if you knew I'd come
+here to protest."
+"I'm an instructor. I understand the mind of a student, at least to some
+degree, Horikita Suzune. Just as you said, you did well on the entrance
+examination. You had the third-highest test score among the first-year
+students and were close to the highest- and second-highest-scoring students.
+You did exceedingly well. And you're right: We found no particular
+problems in your interview. On the contrary, we evaluated you quite highly."
+"Thank you very much. So then...why?"
+"Before I answer, why are you dissatisfied with Class D?"
+"Who could be happy with an incorrect evaluation? Furthermore, the
+class rankings greatly impact our future prospects. Of course 'm
+dissatisfied."
+"Incorrect evaluation? Perhaps your self-evaluation is far too high."
+Chiyabashira-sensei snickered, or rather, laughed outright. "I acknowledge
+that your academic ability is excellent. You're certainly very smart. However,
+who decided that smart people are categorically superior? We never said
+that."
+"But...that's just common sense."
+"Common sense? Didn't common sense create our current, flawed
+society? Before, Japan relied solely on test scores to separate the superior and
+inferior. As a result, the incompetents at the top tried desperately to kick
+down the truly superior students. In the end, we settled on a system of
+hereditary succession."
+A system of hereditary succession meant that things like social
+standing, prestige, and employment were passed down to future generations.
+At those words, I groaned unintentionally. My chest hurt.
+"You're a capable student. I don't deny that. However, this school's
+goal is to produce superior people. If you believe academics alone place you
+into a higher class, you are mistaken. That was the very first thing we
+explained to you. Besides, think rationally. Would we have admitted
+someone like Sudou if we decided superiority based solely on academic
+merit?"
+ood ol a ara
+Despite the fact that this was one of the country's leading preparatory
+schools, this place allowed students to enroll for purposes other than
+academics.
+"Furthermore, you may be too hasty in proclaiming that no one would
+be happy to be incorrectly evaluated. Take Class A, for instance. They are
+under incredible pressure from the school, and also the target of extreme envy
+from the lower classes. Competing every day with that kind of pressure
+bearing down upon you is far more difficult than you might imagine. There
+are some students who are happy to be incorrectly evaluated at a lower level."
+"Y ou're joking, right? I can't understand such a person."
+"Is that so? I think that Class D boasts some of those people. Strange
+students who would happily be set at a low level."
+It was almost as if she were talking to me.
+"You still haven't given me an explanation. Was I honestly sorted into
+Class D? Did anything go wrong with the grading? Please double-check,"
+Horikita said.
+"I'm sorry, but you weren't sorted by mistake. You are definitely in
+Class D. You are at that level."
+"Ts that so? Then I will ask the school again, at another time."
+Apparently, she wasn't going to give up. Horikita had merely
+determined that her homeroom teacher was the wrong person to ask.
+"You'll get the same answer from anyone in a higher position. Besides,
+there's no need to be disappointed. As I told you this morning, it's possible
+for one class to overtake another. You could conceivably reach Class A
+before you graduate."
+"T can't imagine it will be easy, though. Forget overtaking Class A;
+how in the world could those immature Class D misfits gain more points? I
+can't see how it's possible." Horikita spoke the truth. The difference in points
+was overwhelming.
+"T don't know. You alone get to decide how you head down that path.
+At any rate, Horikita, do you need to be in Class A for any special reason?"
+"Well...I suppose that's enough for now. Excuse me. But know that
+I'm not yet convinced I was sorted correctly."
+"Understood. I will keep that in mind."
+A chair squeaked against the floor, signaling that the discussion was
+over.
+"Oh, that reminds me. I've summoned another person to the guidance
+room. It's someone relevant to you."
+"Relevant to me? No, you can't mean... bro—"
+"Come on out, Ayanokouji," the teacher said.
+This was a bad time to reveal myself. Maybe I just wouldn't go.
+"If you don't come out, I'll have you expelled."
+Jeez. A teacher shouldn't casually wield expulsion like a weapon.
+"How long do you intend to keep me waiting?"
+With a sigh, I entered the room. Naturally, Horikita appeared surprised
+and perplexed.
+"Were you listening to our conversation?" she asked me.
+"Listening? I know you guys were talking, but I didn't really hear
+anything. The walls are surprisingly thick."
+"That's not true. Voices carry pretty well into the kitchen." Apparently,
+Chiyabashira-sensei wanted to drag me into the action.
+"Sensei, why would you do this?" Horikita noticed that this had all
+been planned and was clearly angry.
+"Because I deemed it necessary. Now then, Ayanokouji, I'll explain
+why I called you here." Chiyabashira-sensei dismissed Horikita's concerns
+and shifted her attention to me.
+"Well then, if you'll excuse me..." Horikita muttered.
+"Wait, Horikita. It would be in your best interest to stay and listen. It
+may provide you with a hint on how to reach Class A."
+Horikita stopped dead in her tracks and sat back down.
+"Please keep it brief," she said.
+Chiyabashira-sensei chuckled as she glanced over her clipboard.
+"You're an interesting student, Ayanokouji."
+"Not at all. I'm certainly not as interesting as a teacher with a strange
+surname like Chiyabashira."
+"Would you speak like that to every Chiyabashira in the nation?
+Hmm?"
+If you looked all over the country for another person with the surname
+of Chiyabashira, you probably wouldn't find one.
+"Well, when I read over the entrance exam's results, your scores
+piqued my interest. I was shocked."
+On her clipboard, I saw a rather familiar answer sheet.
+"Fifty points in Japanese. Fifty points in mathematics. Fifty points in
+English. Fifty points in social studies. Fifty points in science. You even
+scored Fifty points on the recent short test. Do you know what this means?"
+A stunned Horikita looked over my test paper and then shifted her
+focus to me. "This is a rather frightening coincidence," she said.
+"Oh? You believe that getting 50s all across the board was a
+coincidence? He did it intentionally."
+"It's a coincidence. There's no evidence that it's not. Besides, what
+would I gain by manipulating my scores in the first place? If I were
+intelligent enough to achieve high marks, I would've tried to get perfect
+scores."
+As I feigned innocence, Chiyabashira-sensei sighed in exasperation.
+"You really do seem like an odious student. Listen. Only 3 percent of
+students solved the fifth math problem successfully. However, you solved it
+perfectly, and used a complex formula to do so. However, the tenth problem
+on the test had a completion rate of 76 percent. Did you make a mistake on
+it? Is that normal?"
+"T don't know what normal is. It was a coincidence, I tell you. A
+coincidence."
+"For crying out loud! I respect your frank attitude, but it'Il cause
+problems for you in the future," the teacher said.
+"111 think about that when the time comes."
+Chiyabashira-sensei shot Horikita a glance that seemed to say, What do
+you think?
+"Why do you pretend not to know?" she asked.
+"Like I said, it was a coincidence. It's not like I'm hiding that 'ma
+genius or anything."
+"T wonder. He may be even more intelligent than you, Horikita."
+Horikita flinched. Please don't say anything unnecessary,
+Chiyabashira-sensei.
+"T don't like studying, and I don't plan to try hard. That's why I get
+those scores."
+'A student who chose this school wouldn't say something like that.
+However, some students may have different reasons for getting in. You, for
+example, and Kouenji as well. I think you're fine with being in either D or
+***
+This school wasn't the only abnormal thing. The teachers were weird,
+too. Moments earlier, Chiyabashira-sensei had upset Horikita with just her
+words. It was almost as if the teachers knew every student's secrets.
+"What other reasons do you have?" Horikita asked.
+"You want me to explain it to you in detail?"
+I noticed the sharp gleam in Chiyabashira-sensei's eyes. It was almost
+as if she wanted to provoke Horikita.
+"No, we'd best stop here. Any more, and I might go mad and destroy
+all the furniture in here," I said.
+"If you did that, Ayanokouji, | would demote you to E Class."
+"Wait, there's an E Class?"
+"Certainly. Of course, the 'E' stands for 'expelled.' As in, you'd be
+kicked out of school. Well, I suppose our conversation has ended. Enjoy your
+lives."
+What incredible sarcasm.
+"I'm leaving, too. It's almost time for the faculty meeting. I'm going to
+close the door, so please step outside."
+She pushed us into the hallway. Why had Chiyabashira-sensei called
+both of us in together? She didn't seem like the type to do meaningless
+things.
+"Well. Should we head back?" I asked.
+Horikita didn't respond, and I walked away. Probably best if we
+weren't together right now.
+"Wait." Horikita called out, but I didn't stop. If I managed to keep
+away from her until I got to the dorms, I'd be home free.
+"Was your score...really just a coincidence?" she asked.
+"T already said so, didn't I? Or do you have any proof that I got that
+score on purpose?"
+"T don't, but...I also don't understand, Ayanokouji-kun. You said that
+you like to avoid trouble, but you don't seem to be interested in Class A."
+"You have an extraordinary fixation on Class A."
+"Should I not? I'm simply striving to improve my future prospects."
+"Oh, absolutely. You should. It's perfectly natural."
+"When I entered this school, I thought graduation was my only goal.
+But the reality is different. I'm not even at the starting line."
+Horikita sped up and started walking next to me.
+"So, why are you aiming for Class A?"
+"First, I want to ascertain this school's true motives. Why was J put
+into Class D? Chiyabashira-sensei said I'd been deemed a Class D student,
+but why? When I discover the answer, I'll aim for A. No, I will definitely
+make it to A."
+"That's going to be difficult. You'll have to rehabilitate the problem
+children. You have Sudou's continued tardiness and class cutting, everyone
+else talking in class, and, of course, the test scores. Even if you manage all of
+that, you're still at zero points."
+"T know that. I still think the school made a mistake with my
+placement."
+Anxiety had replaced Horikita's previously overflowing confidence.
+Did she really know that was the case? The only conclusion I could draw
+from today was that "despair" was a two-syllable word. If you followed the
+fundamental school rules, you could avoid losing points. However, it was still
+unclear how to turn those losses into gains. Class A had had only had a small
+number of points subtracted.
+Even if we somehow found an efficient way to increase our points, the
+other classes might also find a way to do the same. Since we'd started out
+with such a substantial difference in points, we'd have to compete hard
+against the other classes in a limited amount of time.
+"T can understand your thoughts, but I don't think the school will
+continue supervising us so carefully. If they did, there'd be no meaning in
+competition," Horikita said.
+"T see. I suppose you could think that. So, you' ll try to take care of this
+situation by yourself?" I asked.
+"Yes."
+"Don't act so proud."
+A hand chopped my side. Horikita ignored my pained expression.
+"Ow. Look, I understand how you feel, but you can't solve this by
+yourself. Think about Sudou. Even if you improve, the rest of the class will
+drag you down."
+"No. You're right that no lone individual can solve this problem. We
+won't even make it to the starting line without everyone's help."
+"Well, it sounds like we've got a huge problem on our hands."
+"We have three major, immediate issues. Tardiness and talking during
+class are the first two. Third, we must make sure no one fails the midterm
+exam."
+"T think we'll manage those first two issues, but the midterms..."
+The short test we'd taken had contained a few difficult questions, but
+overall it had been pretty easy. Even at that level, some students had failed.
+Honestly, their chances of passing the midterm exam were slim.
+"T need your help, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Help?"
+Horikita glared at me.
+"What if I refuse? Like how you refused Hirata this morning."
+"Do you want to refuse?" she asked.
+"What if I said I'd gladly help?"
+"T never would've thought you'd do it gladly, but I doubt you'd refuse.
+If you did refuse to work with me, then that would be the end of it. No matter
+what I said about our future, I'd be powerless if you refused. So, will you
+help me or not?"
+I wanted to say what she'd said before, when she'd silenced Hirata...
+What was it, again? Well, it wasn't as though I would just bluntly refuse
+someone who asked for my help. Then again, if I told her I would help, she'd
+probably run me into the ground until graduation. I needed the heart of a
+demon.
+"T refuse," I said.
+"T always knew you'd help, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm grateful."
+"T didn't say that! I turned you down!"
+"No, I heard the voice inside your head. You said you'd help."
+Terrifying! It was like she could read my thoughts.
+"T don't even know how I could help you, though." Besides being an
+exemplary student, Horikita was incredibly quick-witted. She probably didn't
+need my skills.
+"Don't worry. I don't require your brain power, Ayanokouji-kun.
+Leave the planning to me, and act as I tell you."
+"Huh? What do you mean by act?"
+"Doesn't our lack of points trouble you, Ayanokouji-kun? If you
+follow my instructions, I promise you we'll see a point increase. I would
+never lie."
+"T don't know what you're cooking up, but there are other people you
+could count on. If you made friends, they'd cooperate with you."
+"Unfortunately, no one else in Class D is nearly as easy to manipulate
+as you."
+"No, there are several people. Hirata, for example. He's popular and
+smart, so he'd be perfect. Besides, he's worried that you're all alone,
+Horikita."
+If she reached out to him, they'd probably become good friends.
+"He's no good. Even if he has some talent and ability, I can't use him.
+To use an analogy, think about the pieces in shogi. Right now, I don't need a
+gold or silver general. I want a pawn."
+So, you just called me a pawn? That's what you called me?
+"So, if a pawn were to cooperate, he could become a gold general?"
+"An interesting answer, but you don't seem like the type to make that
+effort, Ayanokouji-kun. Besides, haven't you been thinking, 'I've always
+been a pawn, I don't want to advance,' all along?"
+She'd shot me down with precisely the right brand of ammunition. If 1
+were a normal person, my feelings would've been hurt.
+"Sorry, but I can't help you. I'm not suitable for this," I said.
+"Well, contact me once you've given it some thought. I look forward to
+hearing from you."
+Horikita wasn't paying attention to what I'd said in the slightest.
+Chapter 8:
+The Association of Failures
+Mhy 1 came and went, and before we knew it, the school week was
+over. Ike and the others had started listening to the teacher. Only Sudou kept
+unashamedly falling asleep in class, but no one tried to reprimand him.
+Because we hadn't yet found a method to increase our points, he'd apparently
+decided not to fix his habits. However, many of our classmates grew to
+disdain him.
+I was a little sleepy, myself. It was hard to stay awake just before
+lunchtime. Also, I'd stayed up late last night watching an online video. Ah,
+sleep would feel so nice...
+"Ah?!"
+Just as my head started to bob, sudden pain shot through my right arm.
+"What's the matter, Ayanokouji? You cried out. Have you started your
+rebellious phase or something?"
+"N-no. Sorry, Chiyabashira-sensei. I got some dirt in my eye."
+Normally, the other students would have started whispering. But, wary
+of potentially losing points, they instead shot me pained glances. As I rubbed
+the sting on my arm, I glared at my neighbor. Horikita brandished her
+mathematical compass. This was insane. Why did she even have a compass
+ready in the first place? You didn't even really need one of those for this
+school. After class, I immediately went over to her.
+"Certain things are off limits! It's dangerous to stab someone!"
+"Are you angry with me?" she asked.
+"You put a hole in my arm! A hole!"
+"What? When did I stab with you a compass needle, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"You're holding a dangerous weapon right now."
+"So, just because I'm holding something means I stabbed you?"
+I'd spent most of the class wide-eyed, not because of the lecture, but
+the pain.
+"Be careful. If you get caught sleeping, that would undoubtedly lead to
+a loss in points."
+Horikita had started to take action within Class D. Her protests to the
+school had gone nowhere. AA, that hurt! Damn it, if Horikita ever fell asleep
+in class, I'd return the favor. When everyone got up for lunch, Hirata spoke.
+"Chiyabashira-sensei mentioned that the midterm is coming up soon.
+Remember that if you fail, you'll be expelled. Therefore, I think it would be a
+good idea to form a study group."
+Apparently, the hero of Class D had started another project.
+"If you neglect your studies, you'll get a failing grade and be expelled
+on the spot. I want to avoid that. However, studying won't just prevent
+expulsion; it may also help earn points. If we receive high marks, our class's
+assessment should improve as a result. I asked some of the students who
+scored high on the test to help prepare a study plan. So, I would like people
+who are anxious to come join our group. Everyone is welcome, of course."
+Hirata stared directly at Sudou while making his grand speech.
+"Tch."
+Sudou averted his gaze, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. Ever
+since Sudou had stomped all over Hirata's introduction game, their
+relationship had been rocky.
+"Starting today at five o'clock, we will plan to study in this classroom
+for two hours a day until the test. If you'd like to join us, please come
+whenever you like. Of course, I don't mind if you need to leave partway.
+That's all I have to say."
+Immediately after he'd finished speaking, several of the failing students
+got up and went over. There were three people with failing grades who didn't
+rush to Hirata, though: Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi. Ike and Yamauchi seemed
+unsure of what to do for a moment, but in the end, they stayed in their seats. I
+couldn't tell whether they were afraid Sudou might lose his temper, or
+because they were jealous of Hirata's popularity.
+8.1
+66
+Ace you free for lunch? Do you want to eat together?"
+During our break, Horikita came up and invited me out.
+"It's unusual to get an invitation from you. I feel nervous."
+"There's no reason to be. I can treat you to the vegetable meal set, if
+that's okay with you."
+Wait, wasn't that the free meal?
+"I'm joking. Seriously, whatever you want to eat is on me."
+"Now I'm definitely scared. Is there some kind of catch?"
+An invitation from Horikita was suspicious enough. The suddenness of
+the request also gave me pause.
+"If people can't honestly accept kindness, then mankind will meet its
+end, won't it?" she asked.
+"Well, I suppose so, but..."
+With no other plans, I decided to follow Horikita to the cafeteria, where
+I chose one of the most expensive special meal sets. Together, we sat down.
+"Well then, shall we eat?" she asked. Horikita started at me intently, as
+if she were waiting for me to begin.
+"What's the matter, Ayanokouji-kun? Aren't you going to eat?"
+"Oh."
+There was definitely a catch, no doubt about it. Nevertheless, I couldn't
+just sit here and not eat. Letting the food get cold would be a waste. I
+hesitantly bit into my croquette.
+"T know this is rather sudden, but I want to talk to you about
+something."
+"T have a bad feeling about this..."
+Just as I was preparing to flee, she grabbed my hand. "Ayanokouji-kun,
+Pll ask once again. Will you listen to me?"
+"Ugh..."
+"Ever since Chiyabashira-sensei's warning, fewer people have arrived
+late or talked in class. When I say we eliminated more than half of the
+reasons our class got into trouble, I'm not exaggerating."
+"Yeah, that's true. It wasn't really a difficult issue to begin with,
+though." There was no guarantee things would continue in this vein, but at
+least these last few days had been considerably better than before.
+"The next step is to improve our chances of scoring well on the
+midterm. Hirata-kun started taking action toward that end earlier."
+"The study groups, huh? Well, I suppose that a study group certainly
+could help. Only..."
+"Only what? It sounds like you're implying something. What's the
+problem?"
+"Nothing. Don't worry about it. I have to say, it's unusual to see you so
+worried for others."
+"T can't truly imagine failing a test. However, it's true that some
+students in this world can do just that."
+""Sudou and the others, you mean? You're vicious as ever, I see."
+"T'm just telling the truth."
+Because students couldn't leave campus, contact anyone on the
+outside, or even attend cram schools, their only option was to help one
+another.
+"I'm relieved that Hirata-kun set up a study group. However, Sudou-
+kun, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun didn't join, did they? That worries me,"
+Horikita said.
+"Oh, those guys. I wouldn't say they're Hirata's enemies, but they
+aren't on good terms with him. They wouldn't join."
+"So, in other words, there remains a high probability that those three
+will fail. In order to reach Class A, we need to avoid demerits and build
+toward a positive evaluation, correct? I think it highly likely that good test
+scores will help with that."
+I suppose it's only natural that a student would expect their grade to
+reflect how much effort they put into the test.
+"What if you also held a study group like Hirata's, specifically for
+helping Sudou and Ike?" I asked.
+"Sure. I wouldn't have any objections to that. You probably find that
+rather surprising, though, don't you?"
+"Well, everything about your behavior up until now has been
+surprising."
+I wasn't actually surprised, though. Horikita was doing this all for her
+own benefit. Personally, I'd never thought that Horikita was that cold of a
+person.
+"Well, I understand that you want to move up to Class A. However, I
+didn't think that you'd opt for ordinary methods like tutoring them.
+Typically, failing students tend not to like studying. Besides, you've kept
+your distance from the other students since the first day, right? I doubt
+someone who considers friends unnecessary would be able to bring people
+together easily."
+"That's why I'm asking you. Fortunately, you're already friendly with
+these people, right?"
+"Huh? Hey, wait. You couldn't mean..."
+"Tt'll be quicker if you try to convince them. It shouldn't be a problem;
+they're happy to say that you're friends, right? Bring them to the library, and
+Pll tutor them."
+"This is insane. Do you honestly think someone who does his best to
+lead an utterly harmless and inoffensive life would be able to do something
+that requires actual social skills?"
+"It's not a matter of can or can't. Just do it," she said.
+Was I her pet dog or something?
+"You can aim for Class A, but don't involve me."
+"You ate the food I treated you to, right? Lunch. The special set. A
+wonderful, delicious meal."
+"T simply received the honest goodwill of another human being."
+"Unfortunately, that wasn't out of goodwill. I had an ulterior motive."
+"Sorry, I didn't hear a word you said. Here, have some points, my
+treat. Now we're even."
+"T refuse to stoop so low as to accept handouts from others," she said.
+"T think this might be the first time I'm actually angry at you..."
+"So what will you do? Cooperate? Or make me your enemy?"
+"It almost feels like you're holding a gun to my head."
+"No, not 'almost.' I really am threatening you," replied Horikita.
+The power of violence certainly was effective. Well...if all I did was
+gather them together, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with
+cooperating. After all, due to Horikita's stance against friendship, she
+wouldn't be effective at diplomacy.
+Furthermore, it'd taken a lot of time and trouble to become friends with
+Sudou and Ike. I'd hate for them to have to drop out so quickly. Sensing my
+hesitation, Horikita pressed me.
+"You don't think I've forgiven you for conspiring with Kushida-san
+and inviting me out under false pretenses, do you?" she asked.
+"You said you wouldn't blame me. Bringing that up is unfair."
+"T said that to Kushida-san. I don't remember saying that to you,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Wow. You play dirty."
+"If you want my forgiveness, cooperate with me."
+It looked as though I'd never had an escape route in the first place. At
+this juncture, the only way to avoid a hassle would be to help her.
+"T can't guarantee anything. Are you okay with that?"
+"T believe you'll find a way. Oh, here's my phone number and email. If
+something happens, contact me."
+Although the circumstances were unusual, I'd gotten a girl's contact
+information for the first time in my high school life. It was Horikita's,
+though, so I wasn't particularly happy.
+8.2
+I glanced around the classroom. What was I supposed to do now? If I
+said, "Hey, want to study with me after class?" would anyone even come?
+Sudou and I were close enough that he might, but I wasn't sure about
+the others. Well, with nothing to lose, I decided to try.
+"Hey, Sudou. Have a minute?" I called as he headed back to the
+classroom after lunch. He was sweating and a bit short of breath. Probably
+played some basketball during his lunch break.
+"What are you going to do about the midterm?"
+"Oh, that. I don't know. I've never really studied seriously before," he
+said.
+"Oh, yeah? Well, I have just the thing. I wanted to form a study group
+to meet every day after class, starting today. Want to join?"
+Sudou stared at me, his mouth slightly agape.
+"You serious? If the lessons are a pain in my ass, why would studying
+after class be any better? Besides, I have club activities, so it's pointless.
+Plus, you're going to be tutoring? Your scores weren't great, either."
+"Don't worry about that part. Horikita's the tutor."
+"Horikita? I don't really know anything about her. Sounds fishy; I'll
+pass. I'll be fine cramming for the test the night before."
+Sudou had refused to join, just as I'd guessed. If I persisted, it'd fall on
+deaf ears. Damn, was it really useless? If I tried to press him further, he might
+punch me. Perhaps there was no helping it. Maybe I should start with
+someone more manageable. I called out to Ike, who was playing on his
+phone.
+"Hey, Ike, h—"
+"Pass! I heard you talking with Sudou. Study group? No way. Not my
+thing."
+"You do know you'll be expelled if you fail, right?"
+"Well, yeah. I might have gotten failing grades before, but I'm doing
+much better now. I'll just cram the night before with Sudou."
+Was he really fine with that? He didn't seem to grasp the danger of this
+situation.
+"If the last test hadn't been such a surprise sucker punch, I probably
+could've gotten, like, forty points."
+"T know what you mean, but wouldn't it be better to stick together on
+this?" I asked.
+"A high school student's free time is precious, you know? I don't want
+to waste it studying."
+He waved me off, completely focused on texting with some girl. Ever
+since Hirata had managed to get a girlfriend, Ike was desperate to find a girl
+of his own. My shoulders slumped as I returned to my seat. Maybe if I told
+Horikita I'd tried my best, she'd forgive me.
+"No good," she said.
+"Uh, what do you mean by that?" I asked.
+"T said 'no good.' You really didn't think it would be that simple, did
+you?"
+Damn it. She'd completely ignored my appeal. How shameless.
+"No, of course not. I still have 425 plans remaining," I grumbled.
+I looked around the room. Contrary to the tension of class, lunch had a
+friendlier, albeit noisier, atmosphere.
+I needed a method to get reluctant students to buckle down and work.
+Also, I needed a way to get them to study during free time, not during class.
+Normally I wouldn't involve myself, but they were in danger of expulsion.
+I was sure that Sudou would participate if given the chance. Now I had
+no choice but to find some kind of incentive. I needed him to think there'd be
+a juicy bonus he'd get by studying. I'd require something concrete and easy
+to understand. Something effective.
+And then it hit me!
+Blessed with a divine revelation, I turned, wide-eyed, to Horikita.
+"Even though you're the tutor, getting Sudou and Ike to study is no
+easy feat. I'Il need more of your abilities. Can you help me?" I asked.
+"More of my abilities'? What exactly am I supposed to do?"
+"How about this? If they get a perfect score, you agree to be their
+girlfriend or something. They' II definitely jump at the chance if we offer that
+kind of incentive. Girls are great motivation for guys."
+"Do you want to die?" she asked.
+"No, I'd rather live."
+"T listened because I thought you had a serious plan. I was an idiot to
+think so."
+No, I truly believed that'd be effective. It'd be the biggest impetus to
+study they'd ever had in their entire lives. However, Horikita clearly didn't
+understand men.
+"Okay, how about a kiss? If they get a perfect score, you give them a
+kiss."
+"So, you really do want to die?"
+"No, living would still be preferable."
+Something sharp jabbed the back of my neck. Damn it. Horikita
+definitely didn't acknowledge the value of my methods. It would be
+exceptionally effective, though. Well, that meant I had to go back to the
+drawing board. As I considered this, I noticed someone quite conspicuous. It
+wasn't Hirata, but another person who might easily rally the class around her:
+Kushida Kikyou.
+She looked great, of course, and she was bright and energetic. She was
+so sociable that anyone, regardless of gender, could chat with her freely.
+Also, Ike was madly in love with Kushida, while Sudou and the others at
+least had a good impression of her. On top of that, her test scores were
+relatively high. She was absolutely perfect.
+"Hey!"
+Just as I called out, I remembered that Horikita didn't want to be
+friends with Kushida. I stopped there.
+"What is it?' Kushida asked.
+"Oh, uh...it's nothing."
+Horikita fundamentally disliked mingling with other people. When
+Kushida and I had tried to enact Operation Friendship, it had made Horikita
+furious. Horikita probably wouldn't approve of Kushida's involvement. I'd
+put my plan on hold until Horikita returned to the dorms.
+8.3
+Betore I knew it, class had ended for the day. Horikita quickly
+departed and went straight home. The time had come to enact my plan. I
+needed to capture Kushida.
+"Hey, do you have a minute?" I called out as she prepared to head back
+to the dorm. Kushida turned around.
+"Oh, it's unusual for you to come talk to me, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you
+need something?" she asked.
+"Yeah. If it's okay with you, could we talk outside?"
+"Well, I was going to meet up with my friends, so I don't really have
+much time, but...okay."
+Smiling, she followed me, not a trace of unpleasantness to be found.
+After we turned the hall corner, Kushida waited for me to speak. I was
+trembling with excitement.
+"Rejoice, Kushida. You've been selected as an ambassador of
+goodwill. Tomorrow, your hard work begins."
+"Uh, what? I'm sorry, but what do you mean?" she asked.
+Etc., etc., etc. I basically explained to her that I wanted to form a study
+group to save Sudou and the others. Of course, I also told her that Horikita
+would be tutoring.
+"T thought that you could use this study group as a way to get closer to
+Horikita. What do you think?" I asked.
+"Well, I do want to get closer to her, but... well, I won't worry about
+that now. Besides, it's only natural to help out a friend in need."
+This girl was just way too good. She seemed to truly want to prevent
+Ike and Sudou's expulsion.
+"Are you really okay with this? If not, I won't force you to join," I said.
+"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't hesitate because I disliked the idea. I hesitated
+because I was happy."
+Kushida leaned against the wall, gently kicking it.
+"It's cruel to expel someone for getting a bad grade. Isn't it awful to
+have to say goodbye after you've worked to become friends with everyone?
+When Hirata-kun told us that he was holding a study group, I greatly admired
+him. But you could say that Horikita has been much more observant than I.
+She noticed Sudou and those other guys, after all. It's like Horikita is now
+starting to think of her classmates as friends. I'll do anything I can to be
+useful!"
+Kushida took my hand and smiled. Whoa, she was seriously way too
+cute! There wasn't a man alive who wouldn't fall for that smile.
+I couldn't afford to get carried away, though. I tried to look safe and
+inoffensive.
+"Great! We could definitely use your help. If you're there, our chances
+will improve a hundred times over."
+"Ah, but there's just one thing I want to ask you. I want to participate
+in the study group, too," Kushida said.
+"Huh? Really?"
+"Yes. I want to study with everyone."
+My wishes had all come true. Kushida's presence would brighten our
+study group, which would otherwise be pretty glum. However, since she
+didn't get bad grades, there really wasn't a reason for her to be there.
+"So then, when do we start?" she asked.
+"We plan on starting tomorrow." In my mind, I added, Horikita does,
+at least.
+"T see. Then Ill have to talk to everyone by the end of the day. Ill
+contact you later, okay?"
+"Oh, do you need Sudou and the others' contact information?"
+"It's okay. I already have it. The only people whose numbers I don't
+have are you and Horikita-san, actually..."
+Well, I hadn't known that.
+"This might be too forward, but are you two already dating?" Kushida
+asked.
+'""Wh-where did you hear that? Horikita and I are friends...no, just
+neighbors."
+"It's a big rumor among the girls in our class, you know. They say that
+even though Horikita-san is always alone, she only seems to get along really
+well with you, Ayanokouji-kun. And you guys eat together, after all."
+Hmm, so the girls had already started spreading rumors about us.
+"That's a shame, because, unfortunately, there's nothing going on like
+that between me and Horikita."
+"So, there's no problem swapping phone numbers, right?"
+"Not at all."
+And so, I got another girl's number.
+8.4
+I WAS LAZING AROUND my room that night when I received a text
+message from Kushida.
+Yamauchi-kun and Ike-kun said okay! (*w*)b
+That was fast.
+Ike had waved me off when I'd tried to invite him earlier. A girl's
+presence had likely played a large part in changing his mind. Lust held
+unlimited power.
+I just contacted Sudou right now, but I have a good feeling about it!
+(w')
+Another text message. Wow. At this rate, we'd probably get everyone
+together tomorrow. Because of these speedy developments, I thought it'd be a
+good idea to relay information to Horikita. I wrote a message basically saying
+I had Kushida's help, that Ike and Yamauchi had agreed to come, and that
+Kushida would also be participating. Then I sent the message to Horikita.
+"All right. Time to take a bath, I think."
+The moment I rose from my bed, Horikita called.
+"Hello?" I answered.
+"T don't quite understand the message you just sent me," she said.
+"What do you mean you don't understand? I wrote it all out plain as
+day, didn't I? I said those three guys would probably come tomorrow."
+"Not that part. The part about Kushida. I didn't know about that."
+"T asked her a little while ago. Having someone like Kushida on our
+side increases the odds of getting everyone together. So I asked her, and now
+Sudou and Ike and Yamauchi are coming. Okay?"
+"T don't remember giving you permission to do that. Her grades aren't
+even failing."
+"Okay, look. By asking Kushida, who's spent more time networking, to
+help us, our chances of success have improved significantly."
+"T don't like it. Shouldn't you have sought my approval first?"
+"T understand that you hate outgoing people like Kushida. But isn't this
+just a means to an end? Or would you prefer trying to gather everyone
+yourself?"
+"Well..."
+Horikita seemed to finally understand that getting Kushida on board
+was a good thing. But, being prideful, she couldn't simply agree to it.
+"We don't have much time until the test, either. Understand?"
+Come to think of it, we really didn't have much time to make
+Horikita's plan work. However, Horikita was clearly stuck and unable to
+make a snap decision. She remained silent for a moment.
+"T understand. I suppose anything worth doing requires sacrifice.
+However, Kushida may only help gather the students. She's not allowed to
+join the study group."
+"But why? That was her condition for helping us. You're being
+ridiculous," I said.
+"T will not allow her into our study group. I refuse to budge on this."
+"Ts this about what happened at the café? Are you just getting back at
+Kushida for deceiving you?"
+"This has nothing to do with that. She didn't fail the test. Inviting extra
+people will only mean more time spent and greater confusion."
+Although her argument sounded logical, I doubted that was her real
+reason for excluding Kushida.
+"Do you openly dislike Kushida?" I asked.
+"Don't you feel uncomfortable sitting next to someone you hate?"
+"Huh?"
+I didn't really understand what Horikita meant. Kushida had tried
+harder than anyone to befriend Horikita. I couldn't imagine why Horikita
+actually hated Kushida.
+"Suppose the guys decide not to come if Kushida's out?"
+"Sorry, reviewing these test materials is taking longer than I expected.
+I'm ending the call here. Goodnight."
+"Hey, wait!"
+She hung up on me, as expected of a misanthrope. However, if we
+wanted to reach Class A, compromise was necessary. I plugged my phone
+into my charger and lay down, thinking through everything that had
+happened since the entrance ceremony.
+"Defective product, huh?"
+That was what that second-year student had called us on our first day.
+In other words, we weren't just defective; we were fundamentally failing to
+serve our purpose. Those were the words they'd used to ridicule us. Even
+Horikita, who appeared flawless, probably had some defects of her own. I
+could kind of understand why she'd been angry today.
+"What should I do?"
+Should I try to force Horikita? In the worst-case scenario, she'd leave.
+If Horikita didn't tutor the study group, it'd waste everyone's time. With a
+heavy heart, I called Kushida.
+"Hello?"
+I heard something like a strong wind blowing into the phone. It quickly
+died down, though.
+"Were you drying your hair or something?" I asked.
+"Oh, sorry. Did you hear that? I just finished up, so don't worry."
+Kushida had just gotten out of the bath... This wasn't the time to get
+lost in fantasies.
+"Uh, this is really hard for me to tell you, but... Can we pretend that I
+never asked you to help get everybody together?"
+She paused and then replied, "Um, why?" She sounded curious rather
+than angry.
+"I'm sorry. I can't explain right now. Things got kind of complicated."
+"Ts that so? I suppose Horikita-san was opposed to me joining."
+I hadn't implied that, but Kushida had managed to pick up on it. "It has
+nothing to do with Horikita. It's my bad."
+"It's okay. I'm not particularly angry. Horikita seems to really dislike
+me, so I expected she'd refuse."
+You could call it a woman's intuition.
+"Anyway, I'm sorry. It's my bad, since I came to you for help and all."
+"It's okay. You don't have to apologize, Ayanokouji-kun. But, I...
+don't think that Horikita-san will be able to bring Sudou-kun and the others
+together by herself."
+I couldn't deny it.
+"Hey, what did Horikita-san say, though? Was she against me
+gathering people, or did she not want me to join the study group?"
+Kushida was so dead-on, it was like she'd been standing next to me
+when Horikita called.
+"The latter. I'm really sorry to hurt your feelings."
+"Ahh, it's okay. Really, don't apologize, Ayanokouji-kun. Horikita-san
+has this kind of impenetrable aura around her, like she won't let people get
+close to her. I expected this."
+She was way too perceptive.
+"Everyone agreed to join because I said I'd participate, though...
+Couldn't you have just lied and told me that I couldn't join? I'm worried that
+if they know I'm not coming now, the guys will probably get mad at
+Horikita-san..."
+Kushida scared me a bit. Nothing escaped her.
+"Could you leave things to me this time?" she asked.
+"Leave it to you?"
+"T'll bring everyone over tomorrow. Of course, I'll be coming along,
+too.
+"That's—' I started.
+"Tt'll be okay. Or can you solve all of these problems, Ayanokouji-
+kun? You know, gather everyone together without me?"
+Unfortunately, such a thing was probably impossible.
+"T understand. I' Il leave it to you, then. I don't really know what's
+going to happen, though."
+"Don't worry. You won't be responsible for anything, Ayanokouji-kun.
+Well then, I'll see you tomorrow."
+Soon after, my call with Kushida ended. Somehow, I was even more
+exhausted than when I'd finished talking to Horikita. Even though Kushida
+said everything was fine, I had my doubts.
+Horikita relentlessly opposed anyone she didn't like, regardless of who
+they were. It was painfully obvious that this would end in disaster. Feeling
+anxious, I headed into the bathroom.
+I decided to stop thinking about tomorrow. No matter how much I
+agonized over it, tomorrow would come, and it would eventually end. Things
+would work out, somehow.
+8.5
+Horikita had been sullen all morning. It would've been nice if she got
+adorable when she was angry. If she puffed out her reddened cheeks, she'd be
+cute enough to make any man would swoon. However, she remained
+expressionless and silent, refusing to acknowledge my existence. If I were to
+ignore her, though, she'd probably take out her compass. After an especially
+long day, we finally finished class.
+"Have you gathered everyone in the study group?"
+Her first words to me included "study group." She was most definitely
+implying something.
+"Kushida's bringing them. I wonder if she'II participate," I replied.
+"Kushida-san, hmm? I thought I specified that she wasn't allowed to
+participate..."
+Satisfied, Horikita left for the library, and I followed. Kushida gave me
+a too-cute wink as I left. Together, Horikita and I secured a long table at the
+far end of the library and waited for the others.
+"T've brought everyone!"
+Kushida came over to where we were seated. Behind her was...
+"Kushida-chan told us about this study group. I don't want to be
+expelled after only just starting. Thanks!"
+Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou had all shown up. However, they'd brought
+an unexpected visitor, a boy named Okitani.
+"Huh? Okitani, you failed, too?" I asked.
+"Oh, n-no. Not exactly. I was just really close to failing, so I was
+worried... Is it not, er, okay for me to join you? It's a little difficult to join
+Hirata's group..." Okitani looked up at me, puffing out his cute, slightly
+reddened cheeks. He was slender, with blue hair cut in a short bob. A boy
+attracted to anything feminine might have shouted "I'm in love!" right away.
+If Okitani weren't a man, it would have been dangerous.
+"Ts it okay if Okitani-kun joins us, too?" Kushida asked Horikita.
+Okitani had scored thirty-nine on the test, after all. He likely wanted to
+participate just to be safe.
+"As long as you're worried about failing, I don't mind. But you need to
+be serious," Horikita said.
+"Oh, okay."
+Okitani sat down, seemingly happy. Kushida tried to sit next to him,
+which Horikita certainly noticed.
+"Kushida-san, did Ayanokouji-kun not tell you? You—"
+"I'm also worried about getting a bad grade," Kushida said.
+"You...didn't score badly on the small test."
+"Yes, but to tell you the truth, I was lucky. There were lots of multiple-
+choice questions, you know? So I guessed about half of them. In truth, I just
+barely passed."
+Kushida giggled adorably, lightly scratching her cheek.
+"T think that I'm about on the same level as Okitani-kun, if not slightly
+worse. So I want to join the study group to avoid getting a bad grade. That's
+okay, right?"
+I couldn't hide my surprise at Kushida's unexpected scheme. She'd
+first confirmed that Okitani could join the study group, then turned the tables
+on Horikita. Now Horikita would have to permit her to join.
+"Fine," Horikita growled.
+"Thank you." Kushida smiled, bowed, and took her seat. Bringing
+Okitani had probably been part of her plan all along. She'd effectively used
+him to justify joining the group.
+"Scoring lower than thirty-two means failing. Do you fail if you get
+exactly thirty-two points, though?" Sudou asked.
+"No, you're safe if you score at least thirty-two points. Sudou, you can
+manage that, right?" Ike said.
+Even Ike was worried about Sudou. Of course those guys would want
+to know the exact threshold.
+"Tt doesn't really matter. My goal is for everyone to score fifty,"
+Horikita said.
+"Gah, isn't that going to be too tough?"
+"Aiming to just skate by is dangerous. The fact that you can't easily
+reach that threshold troubles me."
+In the face of Horikita's sound argument, the failures simply nodded
+reluctantly.
+"T included most of what will be covered on this test. We only have
+about two weeks left, but I plan to thoroughly walk you through everything.
+If you don't understand something, please ask."
+"Hey, I don't understand the first question."' Sudou glared at Horikita. I
+tried reading the first problem as well.
+"A, B, and C collectively have 2,150 yen. A has 120 yen more than B
+does. Also, after C gives B two-fifths of his money, B would have 220 yen
+more than A. How much yen did A originally start with?"
+A problem with simultaneous equations, huh? The first test question
+should have been one that a high school student could easily solve.
+"Try thinking about it. If you give up right at the beginning, you won't
+get anywhere."
+"Look, I don't know how to study at all," Sudou said.
+"Everyone got into this school."
+This school didn't accept people based solely on test scores, though.
+Sudou had most likely been accepted because of his exceptional physical
+ability. If you looked at it that way, wouldn't he likely be expelled because of
+bad grades?
+"Ugh, I don't get it either." Ike, equally bewildered, scratched his head.
+"Do you understand, Okitani-kun?" Horikita asked.
+"Let's see... A plus B plus C is 2,150 yen. So, A equals B plus 120.
+Then..." Okitani started writing out a series of equations. Kushida, seated
+next to him, glanced over her shoulder.
+"Yeah, yeah, that looks right. Then what?"
+You could certainly call Kushida bold, or even audacious. She'd
+claimed to have just barely avoided failing, and she was now teaching
+Okitani.
+"Honestly, first- and second-year junior high school students could
+easily solve this problem. If you stumble here, it'll be impossible for you to
+continue," Horikita said.
+"So, what, we're like elementary school kids?" Sudou growled.
+"Like Horikita-san said, it'll be bad if you get tripped up here. The
+math problems on the short test were about this difficult, but the last
+problems were really tough. I didn't understand how to solve them," Okitani
+said.
+"Listen up. This can be easily solved using a system of simultaneous
+equations." Without hesitation, Horikita picked up her pen and got to work.
+Unfortunately, it looked like only Kushida and Okitani understood.
+"What even are simultaneous equations?" asked Ike.
+"Are you seriously asking me that?" said Horikita.
+Wow, these guys had really never studied at all, 1t seemed. Sudou
+threw his mechanical pencil onto the desk.
+"Stop. I'm done. This isn't going to work."
+Sudou had quit before we could even begin. Horikita quietly seethed at
+this pitiful display.
+"W-wait, everyone. Let's give it a shot. If you learn how to solve these
+problems, you can apply what you learn to the questions on the test. Okay?
+Okay?" Kushida said.
+"Well, if Kushida-chan says so, I guess I can try. But if Kushida-chan
+were teaching, I'd probably try even harder."
+"U-um..." Kushida seemed ready to ask Horikita about that, but
+Horikita stayed silent. Her refusal to even answer "Yes" or "No" was
+troubling. However, if she remained silent much longer, the failures might
+abandon this study group. Kushida made up her mind and grabbed the
+mechanical pencil.
+"Like Horikita-san said, you can solve this problem by using a system
+of simultaneous equations. So let's try writing them out."
+Quickly, she wrote down three equations. It looked like the others were
+trying their best, but it still seemed hopeless. This was more like detention
+than a study group. They didn't seem to understand her methods in the
+slightest.
+"So, the answer I got is 710 yen. What did you get?"
+Kushida, confident in Sudou's ability to follow along, flashed him a
+smile.
+"Um, so you used this to get the answer? How?" he asked.
+"Uh..." Kushida immediately realized what had happened. None of
+them understood.
+"I'm sorry, you're far too ignorant and incompetent," said Horikita,
+who'd been silent until now. "If you can't solve this problem, I seriously
+shiver at the thought of what the future will bring."
+"Shut up. This has nothing to do with you." Sudou slammed the desk,
+understandably irritated by Horikita.
+"You're right. This has nothing to do with me. Your suffering won't
+influence me at all. I just pity you. You must have spent your whole life
+running from anything that presented a challenge," she said.
+"Say whatever you want. Academics will be useless in the future,
+anyway."
+"Academics will be useless in the future? That's an interesting
+argument. How do you justify that?"
+"T don't care if I can't solve this problem. Studying's useless. Aiming
+to become a pro basketball player will help me a lot more."
+"Incorrect. Once you learn to solve these kinds of problems, your entire
+life will change. In other words, studying increases the possibility that you' ll
+solve the problems you face. It's the same principle as basketball. I wonder
+if, so far, you've been playing basketball by your own set of rules. When you
+struggle in basketball, do you run away from it like you do from studying? I
+doubt you take basketball practice seriously. You're a natural troublemaker,
+someone who always causes a disruption. If I were your adviser, I wouldn't
+let you on the team."
+"Tch!" Sudou got in close to Horikita and grabbed her by the collar.
+"Sudou-kun!" Kushida grabbed Sudou's arm faster than I could move.
+Despite Sudou's intimidations, Horikita didn't flinch. She simply fixed
+Sudou with an icy glare.
+"You don't interest me in the slightest, but I can tell what kind of
+person you are just by looking at you. You want to play professional
+basketball? Do you honestly believe you can make such a childish dream
+come true in this world? A simpleton like you who gives up right away could
+never hope to go pro. Furthermore, even if you managed to become a
+professional player, I doubt you'd earn an annual income sufficient to live on.
+You're a fool to have such unreasonable aspirations."
+"Vou!"
+It was clear that Sudou was on the brink of losing control. If he raised
+his fist, I'd have to wrestle him down.
+"So, you're just going to immediately give up on studying or on school
+in general? Then discard your dreams of playing basketball and spend your
+days toiling away at a pitiful part-time job."
+"Hmph. That's just fine. Il quit, but it's not because it's difficult. I
+took a day off from my club activities for this, and it ended up being a
+complete waste of time. Later!" Sudou said.
+"What an odd thing to say. Studying is difficult." Horikita took a
+parting shot at Sudou. If Kushida weren't there, Sudou probably would have
+smacked Horikita. He stuffed his textbooks into his bag, not even hiding his
+irritation.
+"Hey, are you okay?"
+"T don't care. It's pointless to care about someone who lacks any
+motivation whatsoever. Even though he's facing expulsion, he has no will to
+fight."
+"T thought that 1t was weird for someone like you, who doesn't have
+any friends, to put this study group together. You probably just wanted to call
+us stupid. If you weren't a girl, I'd smack you."
+"So, you lack the courage to hit me? Don't use my gender as an
+excuse," Horikita said.
+The newly assembled study group was already falling apart.
+"I'm quitting, too. Partly 'cause I can't deal with studying, but mostly
+*cause I'm annoyed. You might be smart, Horikita-san, but that doesn't mean
+you can act like you're better than us." Ike, clearly fed up, threw in the towel
+as well.
+"T don't care if you get expelled. Do what you want," Horikita shot
+back.
+"Well, I'll just pull an all-nighter."
+"Interesting. Didn't you come here because you can't study?"
+"Tch..." Even the typically easygoing Ike stiffened under the sting of
+Horikita's barbed comments. Yamauchi started putting his textbook away as
+well. Finally, the easily influenced Okitani got out of his seat.
+"T-Is this really okay, everyone?" he stammered.
+"Let's go, Okitani."
+Ike left the library, trailed by the hesitant Okitani. Now only Kushida,
+Horikita, and I remained. Soon, even Kushida would probably reach her limit
+and leave.
+"Horikita-san, we're not going to be able to study with anyone if things
+continue like this...""» Kushida murmured.
+"T was certainly mistaken. Even if I'd helped them avoid failure this
+time, we would've faced a similar dilemma soon after. We'd have to go
+through this irritation all over again. Eventually, they'Il fail. I finally
+understand how unproductive this was. I don't have the time for it."
+"Wait, what do you mean?"
+"T mean that it's better to get rid of the dead weight."
+That was Horikita's ultimate conclusion. If the failing students were
+expelled, then the class's average test scores would go up, and we wouldn't
+have to expend any extra effort.
+"So, that's... H-hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Can you say something?"
+Kushida murmured.
+"If that's Horikita's answer, then isn't it fine?"
+"You think so too, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Well, I don't want to toss them to the wolves or anything, but I'm not
+the tutor. There's nothing I can do about it." In the end, I felt similarly to
+Horikita.
+"Okay. I see." Kushida grabbed her bag and stood up, her expression
+darkening. "I'm going to do something. Well, I'll try. I definitely don't want
+everything to fall apart so quickly."
+"Kushida-san. Do you really feel that way?"
+"Ts it wrong? I don't want to abandon Sudou-kun, Ike-kun, and
+Yamauchi-kun."
+"Even if that was how you truly felt, I wouldn't particularly care. But I
+don't think that you actually want to save them," Horikita said.
+"What? I don't understand. Why do you say things like that, Horikita-
+san? Why do you try to antagonize people? That's...very sad."
+Kushida hung her head briefly, then looked back up at us. She met our
+eyes.
+"Well then. P'Il see you two tomorrow," she whispered.
+With that, Kushida left. Suddenly, it was just the two of us again. We
+sat in the complete silence of the library.
+"Well, that was painful. The study group's already over," I said.
+"Looks that way."
+The quiet grew almost oppressive.
+"IT suppose you were the only one who understood me, Ayanokouji-
+kun. You're at least somewhat better than those worthless idiots. If there's
+some subject you're struggling with, I could teach you."
+"T'll pass, thank you."
+"Are you going back to your dorm?" she asked.
+"I'm going to find Sudou and the others and have a chat with them."
+"There's nothing to be gained from associating with people who'll
+likely be expelled soon."
+"T just want to talk to my friends. Do you have a problem with that?"
+"How incredibly selfish. You call them your friends, yet you simply
+stand by and watch as they're expelled. From my point of view, you're
+cruel."
+Well, I certainly couldn't deny that. Horikita wasn't wrong. In the end,
+studying was just the test of an individual's self-motivation.
+"T won't deny what you've said. I can also understand why you'd call
+someone like Sudou stupid. However, Horikita, shouldn't you try to
+understand Sudou's situation? If he only hoped to become a professional
+basketball player, then choosing this school in the first place makes little
+sense. Don't you think you'd understand him better if you considered his
+reasons for enrolling?"
+"Not interested." Horikita dismissed me and returned to her textbook.
+Alone.
+8.6
+I left the library and chased after Kushida. I wanted to thank for her
+working so hard to get the study group together, and to apologize. Besides, I
+wanted to do everything possible to get along with such a cute girl, you
+know?
+Whipping out my cell phone, I pulled up Kushida's contact
+information. Although it was my second time calling, I felt nervous
+contacting her. The phone rang twice, then three times. However, she didn't
+pick up. Did she not notice me calling? Or was she refusing to answer it?
+Kushida wasn't around campus, so I continued to search for her. When
+I got inside the school, I glimpsed someone who looked like Kushida from
+behind. It was already around six PM, so the only people here should've been
+involved in club activities. Well, this was Kushida we were talking about.
+She was probably waiting for one of her good friends to finish club stuff.
+I decided to keep up the chase. If she were busy, I'd talk to her again
+later. Bearing that in mind, I pressed on. I took out a pair of indoor shoes
+from the cubicles in the hallway, but didn't see Kushida. Had I lost her? I
+thought I had, until I heard the faint clack of shoes.
+I followed her up the stairs to the second floor. The sound of footsteps
+continued up to the third floor. The next level after that was the roof, wasn't
+it? Students were free to use the roof during lunchtime, but it should've been
+locked after class. While I thought it strange, I went up the stairs, trying to
+hide my presence as best I could in case she was meeting with someone.
+Then, I stopped partway.
+Someone was up there.
+I gently leaned against the handrail and peeked through a crack in the
+rooftop door. Through the opening, I glimpsed Kushida. No one else was
+with her. Was she waiting for someone?
+A rendezvous at such a secluded place... Could she possibly be waiting
+for her boyfriend? If that were the case, I could end up cornered on all sides.
+While I agonized over how to sneak away, Kushida slowly set her bag down
+on the ground.
+And then...
+"Ahhh, so annoying!"
+Her voice was so low that it didn't sound at all like Kushida.
+"She's seriously annoying! God, how irritating. It'd be better if she just
+died..."
+She grumbled to herself, as if chanting the words to some kind of spell
+or curse.
+"Ugh, I hate stuck-up, snobby girls who think they're so cute. Why is
+she such a harpy? A rotten girl like her couldn't possibly tutor me."
+Was Kushida annoyed with...Horikita?
+"Ah, she's the worst! She's just the worst, the worst, the worst!
+Horikita, you're so annoying! You're so damn annoying!"
+I felt like I'd glimpsed another side of this gentle girl, the most popular
+person in our class. She probably didn't want anyone else to see this darker
+side. A voice in my head whispered that it was dangerous to stay here.
+However, an odd question arose. Why had she agreed to work with me
+if she felt such hatred toward Horikita? Kushida should have understood
+Horikita's personality and behavior perfectly well by now. She could have
+refused to help, or just left the study group to Horikita, or otherwise washed
+her hands of involvement.
+Why force herself into the study group? Did she want to get along with
+Horikita? Or did she want to become closer to another participant?
+None of it made sense. I couldn't explain her reasoning.
+No. She may have shown signs of this from the very beginning. I
+hadn't really thought about it before, but considering the state she was in
+right now, I had a hunch. Perhaps, Kushida and Horikita were...
+At any rate, I needed to get away from there. Kushida probably didn't
+want anyone else to hear her diatribe. Still hiding, I quickly tried to leave.
+Thump!
+I'd kicked the door much louder than I'd anticipated. It'd been
+unexpectedly loud, really. Kushida tensed and stopped breathing. I'd
+instantly become her enemy. Turning, Kushida set her sights on me. I'd been
+seen.
+After a brief silence, Kushida coldly asked, "What...are you...doing
+here?"
+"T got a little lost. Sorry. My bad, my bad. I'll be going now."
+Kushida looked straight at me, clearly seeing through my obvious lie.
+I'd never seen such an intense gaze before.
+"Did you hear?" she asked.
+"Would you believe me if I said I didn't?" I replied.
+"LSEC a.
+Kushida briskly walked down the stairs. She placed her left forearm
+against the base of my throat, and pushed me up against the wall. Her tone of
+voice, her actions, everything about her was completely unlike the Kushida I
+knew. This new Kushida wore a terrifying expression, one that I could almost
+compare to Horikita's.
+"Tf you tell anyone what you just heard, I won't forgive you."
+Her words were ice, and I didn't think they were an idle threat.
+"And if I did tell?"
+"In that case, I would tell everyone that you raped me," she said.
+"That's a false charge, you know."
+"That's okay. It wouldn't be false."
+Her words had heft and power, leaving me unable to reply. As she
+spoke, Kushida grabbed my right wrist and slowly opened my hand. She
+pushed my palm up against her soft breast.
+"What are you doing?" I asked. I hurriedly tried to pull away, but she
+pushed on the back of my hand.
+"Your fingerprints are on my clothes. That's evidence of my claim. I'm
+being serious. Understand?"
+"T understand. I really do. So let go of my hand."
+"I'm going to leave this uniform in my room without washing it. If you
+betray me, I'll hand it over to the police."
+I glared at Kushida for a while as she kept my hand pressed against her.
+"It's a promise," she said.
+Kushida stepped away from me. Even though this was the first time I
+had felt a girl's breasts, I found I couldn't remember the sensation.
+"Hey, Kushida. Which is the real you?"
+"That's none of your business."
+"T see. Well, I was wondering something. If you hate Horikita, then you
+don't need to involve yourself with her, right?"
+I knew she probably wouldn't like that question, but I was curious
+about her motivation.
+"Is it bad to want everyone to like you? Do you understand how
+difficult it is to accomplish that? You can't know, can you?" she asked.
+"Well, I don't have that many friends, so I guess not."
+Ever since the first day of school, Kushida had made an effort to
+exchange contact information with, invite out, and, of course, talk with the
+pessimistic Horikita. One could easily imagine how difficult and time-
+consuming that would be.
+"At least on the surface, I wanted to appear to get along with Horikita."
+"But the stress of that just kept building, huh?"
+"Yeah. That's what I want out of life, though. That way, my existence
+has meaning." She answered without hesitation. Kushida had a singular way
+of thinking. Her own internal rules demanded she get close to Horikita.
+"Let me tell you something, while I have the chance. I absolutely
+despise gloomy, ordinary guys like you."
+The fantasy of a cute Kushida that I'd carried until now had been
+shattered, but I wasn't actually that shocked. Most people possessed both a
+public face and a private, inner self, after all. However, I felt like Kushida
+was both telling the truth and lying right now.
+"I'm just speculating, but did you and Horikita know each other before
+this year? Maybe you both attended the same school in the past?"
+The instant I said it, Kushida shuddered in response.
+"What the... I don't know what you mean. Did Horikita-san say
+something about me?" she snapped.
+"No, I had the impression that this was the first time you'd met. But
+something seemed strange."
+"Strange?"
+I recalled the first time Kushida had spoken to me.
+"You learned my name only when I first introduced myself, right?"
+"So what?" Kushida responded flatly.
+"Well, where did you learn Horikita's name? Back then, she hadn't
+introduced herself to anyone yet. The only person who knew was Sudou, but
+I doubt you'd met him by then."
+In other words, Kushida wouldn't have had the chance to learn
+Horikita's name.
+"You got close to me so you could spy on her, right?"
+"Just shut up. Hearing you talk irritates me, Ayanokouji-kun. I only
+want to know one thing. Do you swear you'Il never tell anyone what you
+learned here today?"
+"T swear. Even if I did, it's not like anyone would believe me. Right?"
+The entire class trusted and loved Kushida. The difference between us
+was like night and day.
+"Okay. I believe you, Ayanokouji-kun." Kushida closed her eyes and
+slowly exhaled. "Horikita-san is rather unusual, isn't she?"
+"Yes, Pd say she's really unusual."
+"Other people don't influence her, or rather, she keeps her distance
+from everyone else. She's the complete opposite of me."
+Kushida and Horikita really were polar opposites.
+"You know, Ayanokouji-kun, you're the only one that Horikita-san
+opens up to."
+"Wait a minute. She doesn't open up to me. Absolutely not."
+"Even so, she seems to trust you more than anyone else. Out of all the
+people I've ever met, Horikita seems the most wary of others and yet also the
+most self-confident. She certainly wouldn't trust anyone worthless, even if
+they were unbelievably kind."
+"So, you think she has good instincts for people?"
+"That's why I said I believed you. Ayanokouji-kun, you're
+fundamentally indifferent to other people, aren't you?"
+I didn't remember doing anything that would make her think so, but
+Kushida seemed confident in her assessment.
+"It's not an out-of-place judgment. Back on the bus, you didn't show
+any interest in giving up your seat to the elderly woman."
+Ah, so that's what she was talking about. She'd picked up on what was
+happening that first day. She had understood that I'd no intention of giving
+up my seat.
+"If you believe I'm telling the truth, then you won't spread pointless
+rumors," I said.
+"If you were really so confident, you wouldn't have felt up my
+breasts."
+"Well, that's... I was really flustered. I panicked for a second."
+Her stern expression melted into one of impatience.
+"So, Kushida, would I be right to think of you as the kind of girl who
+lets guys touch her breasts?"
+She kicked my thigh as hard she could. Panicking, I grabbed the
+railing.
+"Hey, watch it! I could've fallen and gotten seriously hurt!"
+"IT kicked you because you said something stupid!" Kushida snapped,
+her face flushed from anger.
+"Hey, wait a minute."
+She still looked furious. Kushida tromped back up the stairs, grabbed
+her bag, then returned wearing a huge grin.
+"Let's head back together," she said brightly.
+"Oh. Sure."
+Her attitude had drastically changed, like something out of Dr. Jekyll &
+Mr. Hyde. It was so drastic that I wondered whether I'd had a bad dream. She
+was her usual sunny self once more. I couldn't tell which Kushida was the
+real one.
+8.7
+I wondered what was going to happen with Class D. Honestly, part of
+me felt like these were other people's problems. Back in my room, I started
+to watch some kind of variety show with a feeling of complete apathy.
+Glancing at my phone, I saw I had a message from the group chat.
+The message read, Satou's joining the group. Satou was a particularly
+high-spirited girl in our class.
+Hiya! Ike-kun invited me to join when we were talking earlier.
+With nothing to contribute, I didn't respond and continued reading.
+I heard about what happened today. Horikita is really frustrating, huh?
+I was really pissed at her. Sudou was super mad. He almost lost it. I
+think he would 've hit her.
+If I see her tomorrow, | might hit her. I was really annoyed with her
+today.
+Aha ha ha, it'll be a big problem if you hit her lol. That would be
+overkill!
+Hey, I have an idea. Starting tomorrow, how about we completely
+ignore her?
+Ha, I've always ignored her (lol)
+I kind of want to hit her with some payback. Bully her a little and make
+her cry, you know? Do something like hide her shoes.
+Ha ha, what are you, kids? Lol lol lol but I do kind of want to see her
+squirm.
+Soon after Satou joined the group chat, Horikita became the main topic
+of discussion.
+Hey, Ayanokouji-kun, you want in on bullying Horikita lol
+Nah, Ayanokouji-kun is all obsessed with her, so he probably can't.
+Hey, whose side are you on? Ours or Horikita's?
+I supposed everyone's irritation with Horikita was inevitable. If you
+treated others the way Horikita did, you'd inevitably be disliked. But hitting
+her would be going too far, and I couldn't understand how anyone might
+condone ignoring her or hiding her things. That was bullying, and acting like
+that would leave little difference between them and Horikita.
+Hey, you're reading the chat, right? Hey! Ayanokouji-kun, whose side
+are you on?
+I'm on no one's side. If you guys want to bully her, I won't stop you.
+So, you're neutral. That's the craftiest answer lol.
+Think whatever you want, but you won't gain anything from this. If the
+school learns you're bullying her, it'll cause trouble for you. Keep that in
+mind.
+So, you're sticking up for Horikita, huh? Ha ha.
+Because we couldn't see each other face to face, it was easier for them
+to be jerks. If Ike and I were having this conversation in person, I doubted
+he'd act this way.
+However, by focusing their anger on Horikita, the others were building
+solidarity. It would be a waste of time to continue pointlessly chatting like
+this. I decided to bring this conversation to a halt.
+If Kushida heard about this, she'd probably hate you. Lol.
+After I sent that message, I closed my phone. I received an immediate
+response but left it alone. Those guys probably wouldn't do anything stupid,
+and Satou likely wouldn't do anything without the others' cooperation.
+I opened my window, listening to the insects buzzing from the nearby
+trees. Did the kubikirigisu grasshoppers make that high-pitched chirping, I
+wondered? The gentle night breeze rattled my window.
+I'd met Horikita on the day of the entrance ceremony. We'd just so
+happened to be placed in the same class, and then I was assigned the seat next
+to hers. Before I knew it, I'd become friends with Sudou and Ike. On top of
+that, ''d been caught in the school's trap and knocked all the way down to
+rock bottom. Horikita had tried to help repair our situation, but her
+personality had ruined everything, further pushing her into isolation. Now,
+other people grew excited at the thought of bullying her.
+I should've been at the center of this situation, and yet I felt like I was
+drifting past it.
+No, drifting's the wrong word. It wasn't a pleasant situation. I felt like I
+was in a haze, because I didn't know the urgency of near-expulsion. This was
+everyone else's problem, not mine, so it just didn't register as important.
+"Only a fool wouldn't use his innate abilities."
+Those words stuck in my head.
+"A fool, huh? I wonder if that's what I am, after all."
+As I closed the window, the television's cacophonous laughter pierced
+my ears.
+8.8
+I couldn't get to sleep, so I got up and left. I bought some juice from
+the lobby's vending machine and headed back for the elevator.
+"Hmm?"
+I could see that the elevator had stopped on the seventh floor. Curious,
+I decided to check out the ccTv, which showed what was happening inside
+the elevator car. I saw Horikita, still dressed in her school uniform.
+"Well, I don't really need to hide, but..."
+Seeing her might be awkward right now, so I hid behind the vending
+machine. Horikita arrived at the first floor.
+Looking wary of her surroundings, she exited the building. After she'd
+vanished into the night, I decided to follow after her. However, I instinctively
+hid again after I turned the corner.
+Horikita stopped in her tracks. I sensed another person was with her.
+"Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me this far," he said.
+Had she left in the dead of night to rendezvous with some guy?
+"Hmph. I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, niisan. I
+came here to catch you."
+"Catch me, hmm?"
+Niisan? In the dark, I couldn't see the person she was talking to. Was
+she meeting her older brother?
+"T heard you were placed in Class D. I suppose nothing has really
+changed in the last three years. You've always been fixated on following me,
+and as a result you don't notice your own flaws. Choosing to come to this
+school was a mistake."
+"That's... You're wrong about that. I'll show you. Pll reach Class A
+right away, then—"
+"It's pointless. You will never reach Class A. In fact, your class will
+fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren't as simple as you think."
+"T will definitely, definitely reach—"
+"T told you, it's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister."
+Horikita's brother stepped closer to her. From my hiding spot, I could
+see him plainly.
+It was Student Council President Horikita. He displayed no hint of
+emotion. It was like he was staring at an uninteresting object. He grabbed his
+younger sister by the wrist—she offered no resistance—and pushed her
+against the wall.
+"No matter how I try to avoid you, the fact remains that you're my
+little sister. If people around here learned the truth, I would be humiliated.
+Leave this school immediately."
+"T-I can't do that... I will definitely reach Class A. Pll show you!"
+"How incredibly stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?"
+"Nuisan, I..."
+""Y ou possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach
+Class A. Get that through your head."
+He moved forward, as if about to act. The situation looked fraught with
+danger. Resigned to facing Horikita's anger, I leapt out from my hiding space
+and went after her brother.
+Before he knew I was there, I grabbed his right arm, which he was
+using to pin his sister.
+"What? You..." He stared at his arm and slowly turned to me with a
+sharp gleam in his eye.
+"A-Ayanokouji-kun?!" Horikita cried.
+"You were about to throw your sister to the ground, weren't you? You
+do realize the floor here is concrete, right? You might be siblings, but you
+should know the difference between right and wrong."
+"Eavesdropping is not an admirable quality," he said.
+"Fine. Then let go."
+"That's my line."
+We glared at each other in complete silence.
+"Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun," said Horikita, her voice strained. I'd never
+heard her voice like that before.
+Reluctantly, I released her brother. Instantly, he tried to backhand me
+in the face. I instinctively took a step back to avoid it. For such a lightly built
+guy, he was a nasty attacker. He then aimed a sharp kick at my unguarded
+spot.
+"Watch it!"
+He had enough power to knock me out with one blow. Looking slightly
+confused, he exhaled deeply, extended his nght arm, and opened his hand.
+If I grabbed his hand, he'd probably throw me to the ground. Instead, I
+slapped his hand away.
+"Good reflexes. I didn't imagine you could evade all of my blows so
+quickly. Also, you seemed to understand quite well what I was trying to do.
+Have you been taught?"
+After the attacks stopped, the questions began.
+"Yes, I was taught piano and calligraphy. Also, when I was in
+elementary school, I won a national music competition," I said.
+"You're in Class D, too, aren't you? What a unique boy, Suzune."
+After he let go of his younger sister, he turned to face me.
+"No. Unlike Horikita, I'm pretty incompetent."
+"Suzune, 1s this boy your friend? I'm honestly surprised."
+"He's...not my friend. Just my classmate." Horikita faced her brother
+fully, as if denying him.
+"You continue to confuse independence with solitude. And you,
+Ayanokouji. With you around, things might get interesting."
+He walked past me and disappeared into the night. So, that was the
+distinguished student council president. His presence explained some of
+Horikita's weird behavior.
+"I'm going to drag myself up to Class A even if it kills me," she said.
+With her brother gone, the night was silent once more. Horikita sat up
+against the wall, her head hanging low. Maybe I'd made things worse by
+getting involved. I was about to return to the dorms when Horikita called out
+to me.
+"Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence?"
+"Oh. Uh, it was half coincidence, I'd say. I saw you when I bought
+some juice from the vending machine. I was kind of curious, so I followed
+you. However, I really didn't mean to meddle in your business."
+Horikita fell silent once again.
+"Your older brother is really strong. He doesn't lack ferocity."
+"He's ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido."
+Whew, he was really strong. If I hadn't pulled away, it would've ended
+badly for me.
+"You also practice martial arts, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun? You must
+hold a dan rank."
+"T told you, didn't I? Just piano and tea ceremony."
+"You said calligraphy before."
+"T...did calligraphy in addition to those, yes."
+"You purposefully get lower test scores, and you say that you studied
+piano and calligraphy. I really don't understand you."
+"My scores were a coincidence. I really did do piano, tea ceremony,
+and calligraphy." If there were a piano here, I could at least have performed
+"Fur Elise."
+"You saw a strange side of me."
+"On the contrary, I always thought of you as a normal girl. Well, not
+really."
+Horikita glared at me.
+"Let's go back. If anyone saw us out here, they'd probably get ideas."
+She was certainly right about that. Rumors about a boy and a girl
+hanging out alone in the dark would be bound to circulate. Not to mention the
+fact that our relationship seemed to be intensifying.
+Horikita got up slowly and walked toward the dorm.
+"Hey. Were you really okay with how the study group went?" I asked.
+If I didn't broach the subject now, I'd likely never get the chance again.
+"Why are you asking me? I was the one who proposed holding the
+study group in the first place. Besides, I got the feeling that you considered it
+a hassle. Am I wrong?"
+"Tt just left a bad taste in my mouth. Look, I think things are going to
+get worse with the others."
+"T don't care. I'm used to it. Besides, Hirata-kun picked up most of the
+failing students. He knows how to study, he seems to get along with others,
+and, unlike me, he'll be a good tutor. At the very least, they should all pass. It
+was pointless to try teaching the failing students myself. We would go
+through this same scenario for every test until graduation. It would be
+pointless to try making up for their failure every single time."
+"Sudou and the others don't much like Hirata. I doubt they'!
+participate in his study group."
+"That's their decision, which has nothing to do with me. Besides, if
+they're facing expulsion, they shouldn't grumble about trivial nonsense. If
+they don't get closer to Hirata-kun, then they' Il be expelled. Of course, my
+goal is to have Class D reach Class A status. However, that's for my own
+sake and no one else's. I don't care about anyone else. Really, 1f we dump the
+failures on this next midterm, then the better students will be left. That's what
+I need, correct? In that case, attaining a higher rank will be simple.
+Everything will work out perfectly."
+She wasn't wrong about that. Our conversation continued; Horikita was
+strangely talkative tonight.
+"Horikita, isn't that way of thinking flawed?"
+"Flawed? What's flawed? You're not going to give me some gibberish
+about how there's no future for someone who would abandon her classmates,
+are you?
+"Relax. I understand you well enough to know that you don't really
+understand me."
+"Then what is it? There's no strategic advantage to helping failures."
+"There are probably very few advantages, certainly. However, it does
+help prevent a setback."
+'"Demerit?"
+"Do you really think that the school hasn't considered this? They've
+deducted points for students arriving late or playing around during class time.
+Let's say these students are expelled because no one helped them. How many
+points do you think they' Il deduct from us then?"
+"That's—" she began.
+"Of course, we don't have any proof that's how it works. However,
+isn't it possible? 100 points? 1,000 points? They might even deduct 10,000 or
+100,000 points. If that happens, it'Il be very difficult for you to reach Class
+***
+"We've gone down to zero points because of our infractions. We can't
+go any lower. If we're currently at zero, don't you think it's best to eliminate
+the dead weight? That would be the same as taking no damage."
+"There's no guarantee that'd be the case. There could be penalties we
+just don't see yet. Do you really think it's okay to take such a dangerous risk?
+Well. I'm sure that someone as smart as you must have thought about that
+already. Otherwise, you would never have suggested creating a study group
+in the first place. You would've just abandoned the failures from the very
+beginning."
+I was starting to sound worked up, or perhaps I was actually feeling
+worked up. Maybe because I'd started to, rather selfishly, consider her a
+friend. I didn't want Horikita to come to regret her decision.
+"Even if there are potential unknown negatives, it's better for the future
+of our class to abandon the failing students. Wouldn't you regret not
+abandoning them when we do finally increase our points? Right now, it's a
+risk that we should take."
+"Do you really think so?" I asked.
+"Yes. Really. ''m at a complete loss as to why you're so desperate to
+save them."
+As Horikita was about to board the elevator, I grabbed her wrist.
+"What? Do you have a rebuttal?" she said. "The problem's bigger than
+the two of us. In the end, the school has all the answers. All we can do is
+argue back and forth. I'm free to interpret the situation as I see fit, and you
+may do the same. That's all there is to it, right?"
+"You're quite talkative. I never thought you'd be so loquacious."
+"What... That's just because you were being insistent."
+If she were acting like her normal self, there was no way she would
+have allowed me to keep talking. Normally, stopping her in this way would
+earn me a sharp strike. However, her refusal to hit me indicated that Horikita
+felt the way I did. Of course, she probably didn't even realize it herself.
+"The day we met, do you remember what happened on the bus?"
+"You mean when we refused to give up our seats to an elderly
+woman?"
+"Yeah. Back then, I thought about the meaning behind giving up my
+seat. Should I give it up or not? Which was the correct answer?"
+"T already told you my own answer. I thought it'd be meaningless, so I
+didn't give up my seat. No matter what reward it might bring, there was no
+real merit. It was a waste of time and effort."
+"Merit, huh? I suppose that you think only in terms of gain and loss."
+"Ts that bad? People are calculating creatures, for the most part. If you
+sell goods, you receive money. If you do someone a favor, that debt of
+gratitude will be repaid. By giving up a seat, you gain the joy of contributing
+to society. Am I wrong?"
+"No, I don't think you're wrong. I think the same thing," I replied.
+"So then—"
+"If you keep to that belief, you'Il need to maintain a broad perspective
+on life. You're so angry and dissatisfied, you can't see what's in front of
+you."
+"Who do you think you are? Do you even have the ability to find fault
+with me?"
+"T don't know what abilities I have, but I see what you don't. It's the
+one flaw of the seemingly perfect person known as Horikita Suzune."
+Horikita gave an amused snort. It was as if she was saying, "If you
+think I have a flaw, say it."
+"Your flaw is that you think of everyone else as a burden, and so you
+detach yourself and never let anyone come close. Isn't it possible they placed
+you in Class D because you consider yourself superior to everyone?"
+"It's almost as if you're saying I'm the same as Sudou-kun and his
+group," she muttered.
+"Are you saying that you aren't equal?"
+"Yes. It's obvious if you look at our test scores. That's proof enough
+that they're mere baggage for our class to carry."
+"If we're talking about studying, then Sudou and the others are
+certainly two or three steps behind you, Horikita. No matter how hard they
+worked, they likely couldn't overtake you. However, we know that this
+school doesn't only focus on intelligence. Suppose that the next exam was
+related to sports. The results would be different then. Am I wrong?"
+"That's—"
+"You're physically capable. From your swimming, I can tell you're one
+of the most capable girls in the class. Superior. However, we both know that
+Sudou's physical abilities far exceed yours. Ike has better communication
+skills than you. If the test took the form of a discussion, Ike would certainly
+be useful. Really, you'd most likely bring the class average down. So, does
+that make you incompetent? No. Every individual has his or her own
+strengths and weaknesses. That's what it means to be human."
+Horikita tried to throw my words back at me, but she looked stuck.
+"This is all pure conjecture. It's nothing more than armchair
+speculation," she said.
+"Think back on what Chiyabashira-sensei said. When she called us into
+the guidance room, she said, 'Who exactly decided that smart people are
+categorically superior?' From that, we can draw the conclusion that academic
+ability doesn't solely determine the rankings."
+Horikita looked around, as if searching for an escape so she could
+weasel her way out of the argument. I quickly cut her off before she could get
+away.
+"You said you wouldn't regret abandoning the students who failed, but
+you would. You would feel a great deal of regret if Sudou and the others are
+expelled."
+Horikita looked into my eyes. She still didn't seem to grasp our current
+situation. At least, that was the impression I got.
+"You're rather talkative today, too. It's odd for someone who likes to
+avoid trouble to talk so much."
+"You're probably right about that."
+"It's frustrating, but what you said was basically correct. You've
+persuaded me; I have to concede that point. However, I still don't understand
+you. What do you want? What is this school to you? Why did you work so
+hard to convince me?"
+"T see. So that's what you think."
+"If someone lacks persuasiveness, he or she won't be able to make
+others believe in their cunning theories." She clearly wanted to know why I
+was so desperate to persuade her that Sudou and the others' expulsion was
+bad. "Cut the crap. I want to know the real reason. Is it for points? To rise up,
+even by one class level? Or is it to save your friends?"
+"Because I want to know what a person with true merit looks like.
+What is equality?"
+"Merit, equality..."
+"IT came to this school to find answers to those questions." The words
+freely spilled out of me before I could collect my thoughts.
+"Could you let me go?" Horikita asked.
+"Oh, sorry." I released my grip. She turned around and looked directly
+at me.
+"There's no way that you could fool me into believing you,
+Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+After she said that, Horikita extended her arm.
+"Tl look after Sudou-kun and the others, but for my own sake. [Il
+make sure that they don't get left behind, but only as a strategic means of
+securing an advantage for our future. Okay?"
+"Don't worry. I didn't think you'd do it any differently. That's just like
+you, Horikita."
+"We've come to an arrangement, then."
+I took Horikita's hand. However, I would soon realize that I'd just
+made a deal with the devil.
+Chapter 9:
+The Failures
+Mobilize Once Again
+The air was rich with the aroma of new tea. (I'm grateful for your
+continued patience and cooperation, dear reader.) A month and a half had
+already gone by since I started high school. For the most part, my days had
+passed without incident.
+"Hey, can you hear me? Is your head okay?"
+Horikita rudely smacked my forehead, then touched a hand to her own
+head.
+"You don't seem to have a fever," she said.
+"Of course I don't! I was just lost in thought, that's all." I let out a deep
+sigh, already regretting that I'd told Horikita I'd help her. I suppose there was
+no use crying over spilled milk. I'd offered to help as a means of
+encouragement, but, thinking back, it really struck me as being out of
+character.
+"So, my honorable tactician. What should I do, hmm?" I asked.
+"Let's see. Obviously, we'll need to persuade Sudou-kun and the others
+to participate once again. That means you'll need to grovel and beg for them
+to return."
+"Why should / have to do that? You're the reason the group split in the
+first place."
+"The reason we split was because they couldn't take studying
+seriously. Don't get that twisted."
+Jeez. Did she even intend to help Sudou and the others?
+"We'll never get them back without Kushida's help. You understand
+that, right?"
+"T understand. Sacrifices are inevitable," she grumbled.
+She appeared to hate the idea of Kushida's involvement. Still, she
+agreed despite her dissatisfaction. This was a major compromise for Horikita,
+who didn't want Kushida getting close to her at all.
+"Okay. Can you get Kushida-san to help us immediately?" she asked.
+"Me?"
+"Of course. We made a deal. You agreed to be my workhorse until we
+reach Class A, so you have to do as I command."
+I didn't remember making that kind of deal.
+"Here, look at this written contract."
+Wow, a real contract. It had my name and my seal on it and everything.
+"You realize they could charge you with forging documents, right?" I
+asked.
+I tore up the contract and tossed it away. Horikita got up and went over
+to Kushida, who was tidying her desk.
+"Kushida-san. There is something I would like to talk to you about.
+Would you care to have lunch with me?" Horikita asked.
+"Lunch? It's unusual to get an invitation from you, Horikita-san. Okay,
+Pll go." Kushida didn't waver at all. She walked with Horikita toward the
+school's most popular café, Palate.
+That was the scene of Horikita's previous anger, when I'd invited her
+under false pretenses. Horikita said that she'd treat Kushida, and paid for her
+drink. Of course, I had to pay for myself.
+"Thank you. So, what did you want to talk about?" Kushida asked.
+"I'm putting together another study group for Sudou-kun and the
+others. Will you help me one more time?"
+"What's your reason for doing this? Is it really for Sudou-kun and the
+others?" Kushida clearly understood that Horikita likely wasn't doing this out
+of altruism.
+"No. This is for me."
+"T see. So, you look out for yourself as usual, Horikita-san."
+"You won't help someone whose motives are selfish?"
+"You're free to think whatever you like. I just didn't want you to try to
+lie to me. I'm glad you were honest. Okay, Ill help. We're classmates, after
+all. Right, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Y-yeah. You're really helping us," I muttered.
+"There's something I want to ask you though, Horikita-san. You're not
+doing this for your friends or to get points. It's so you can get to Class A,
+right?"
+"Yes."
+"T can't believe that, though. I mean, isn't it impossible? Oh, I'm not
+saying you're stupid, Horikita-san. How do I put this, though? More than half
+of the class has given up, you see."
+"Because the gulf between us and Class A is so vast?"
+"Yes. To be perfectly honest, I can't imagine how we'd catch up. I'm
+not sure we can even get any points next month. It's disheartening."
+Horikita smacked the table. "I'm going to do it. Definitely," she said.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, are you aiming for Class A, too?" Kushida asked.
+"Yes. He's working as my assistant."
+Horikita had given me a title without asking me.
+"Hmm. I understand. I want in, Horikita-san."
+"To help us with the study group."
+"No, not for that. I want to work on getting into Class A with you. I
+want to help with everything else you'll be doing."
+"Huh? But..."
+"So, you don't want me to join?" Kushida asked.
+She looked at Horikita with wide eyes, prompting her to answer.
+"Fine. If everything goes well with the study group, Pll accept your
+help moving forward," answered Horikita.
+Kushida probably had some ulterior motive. Even so, Horikita
+understood that she had no choice but to acknowledge Kushida's value.
+Having coaxed a victory from the usually stubborn Horikita, Kushida
+excitedly sat up.
+"Really?! Yay!" Kushida cheered, a look of genuine delight on her
+face. She looked really cute this way. "I look forward to working with you
+again, Horikita-san! Ayanokouji-kun!"'
+She extended her left and right arms toward us. A bit perplexed,
+Horikita and I shook Kushida's hands.
+"Getting Sudou-kun and the others on board again will be a problem,
+though," Horikita said.
+"Yeah. Considering the current state of things, it will probably be
+difficult," I agreed.
+"Well, can you leave that to me? It's the least I can do after you've let
+me join you," Kushida said.
+I felt a little overwhelmed by how quickly Horikita and Kushida were
+moving.
+Kushida took out her cell phone, ready to leap into action immediately.
+Soon after, Ike and Yamauchi arrived, looking like they were on cloud nine
+after receiving Kushida's invitation. As soon as they saw Horikita and me,
+though, they looked me square in the eye. They seemed to silently ask, Did
+you tell her about the chat?! | thought it'd be better to keep quiet. Their guilt
+might help in getting them to fall in line.
+"I'm sorry for calling you two over. I have something to ask you, or
+rather, Horikita-san does."
+""Wh-what is it? What do you want from us?!"
+What an overreaction. They backed away in fright.
+"Are you two joining Hirata-kun's study group?" Horikita asked.
+"Huh? S-study group? No. I mean, studying's so boring, and Hirata is
+annoyingly popular. Besides, we planned to cram the day before. Things
+should work out. We've gotten by since junior high doing exactly that."
+Yamauchi nodded at Ike's words. They were counting on an all-nighter
+to save them.
+"That certainly sounds like an idea you two would have. But if you do,
+it's highly likely you' ll be expelled."
+"You're acting the same as usual," Sudou said, showing up. He glared
+at Horikita. Apparently Kushida had caught Sudou in her honey trap as well.
+"You're the one who should be worried, Sudou-kun. You don't seem to
+have any fear of being expelled."
+"T know that. Drop it, or Pll beat the crap out of you. I'm busy with
+basketball now, anyway. I'Il be just fine if I cram before the test."
+"C-calm down, Sudou. Okay?" Ike was acting like he didn't know
+what they'd said in the chat.
+"Sudou-kun, won't you try studying with me one more time? You
+might manage to squeak by if you pull an all-nighter, but if that fails, you
+won't be able to play basketball here anymore. Right?" Horikita asked.
+"Well, I... don't want any of your stupid charity. I haven't forgotten
+the bullshit way you spoke to me the other day. If you want me to join, I want
+an apology first. A completely honest one," said Sudou, displaying open
+hostility toward Horikita.
+Although Sudou probably realized the danger he was in, he couldn't
+dismiss Horikita's insults. Of course, Horikita would never give him an
+apology. No one could ever take pride in saying something that untrue.
+"T hate you, Sudou-kun."
+"What?!"
+Instead of apologizing, she spat harsh words at Sudou, throwing fuel on
+the fire.
+"However, our mutual abhorrence is trivial right now. I will teach you
+for my own sake. You will do your best for your own sake. Am I wrong?"
+"You really want to get up to Class A, then? Even if that means
+inviting someone you hate, like me?" he muttered.
+"Yes, exactly. Otherwise, why would anyone willingly involve you?"
+Sudou grew more openly annoyed in response to Horikita's incredible
+bluntness.
+"I'm busy with basketball. The others on the team never take study
+breaks, not even before a big test. I can't fall behind everyone else by doing
+something as boring as studying."
+As if she'd predicted Sudou's remarks, Horikita opened her notebook
+and showed it to him. On the page, there was a detailed schedule leading up
+to the test.
+"During the last session, I noticed that style of studying didn't work for
+you. None of you understand the fundamental basics. For example, it would
+be like tossing a frog into the ocean. The frog wouldn't have any idea where
+to go or how to swim. Also, I understand that taking time away from your
+hobbies will only add to your stress. Therefore, I've come up with a plan."
+"What kind of sorcery did you use to come up with that? All right, tell
+me the plan."
+He could make time for studying and club activities. Sudou, believing
+such a thing to be impossible, snorted in amusement.
+"The test's two weeks from today. You'll all study every day during
+class like your life depends on it."
+I couldn't believe what Horikita had said. No one else could, either.
+"You three don't usually work seriously during class, do you?" she
+asked.
+"You can't know that about us," Ike objected.
+"So, you work seriously?"
+"Well... No, we don't. We just sit around 'til class is over."
+"So, in other words, you waste six hours a day doing nothing. Rather
+than struggling to study for the one or two hours available after class, we're
+wasting a far larger and more precious period of time. We must use this time
+better."
+"Well, certainly... Theoretically that would work, but...isn't that
+unreasonable?"
+Kushida was right to be worried. They wasted time precisely because
+they couldn't study normally. If they couldn't manage to discipline
+themselves during class, I doubted they'd be able to understand the problems
+by themselves.
+"T can't even keep up with class at all."
+"IT know. So we'll hold a short study session during our free time."
+With that, Horikita turned to the next page, spelling out the details of
+her plan. After first period, we'd all meet up and discuss what we hadn't
+understood in the lecture. During the ten-minute break, Horikita would
+explain the answers to those questions. We'd repeat the process over the next
+several periods. Of course, this wasn't as simple as it seemed. Since Sudou
+and the others couldn't keep up naturally, they might not be able to learn the
+material in such a short time.
+"W-wait a minute. I'm kind of confused here. Is this really going to
+work?" Ike could tell this would be difficult.
+"Yeah. I mean, won't it be impossible to understand that stuff in just
+ten minutes of break time?"
+"Don't worry. I'Il compile answers to every question and make them
+easy to understand. After that, Ayanokouji-kun, Kushida-san, and I will each
+teach you individually, one-on-one."
+If we used this system, we might just be able to make them understand
+in short blocks of time.
+"It's just a matter of explaining the answers. You two can handle it,
+right?" Horikita asked.
+"But I still don't think we can do it in that little time. Studying's so
+hard."
+"One class period covers surprisingly little content. Typically, there' 1l
+be one page of notes, two at the most. If you narrow it down to only the
+things that will be on the test, you can probably whittle it down to a half a
+always use our lunch period. I'm not saying that you have to understand the
+material. I just want you to memorize it. During class, you must focus on the
+teacher's voice and what's written on the blackboard. Forget about taking
+notes for right now."
+"So, you're telling us not to take notes?"
+"Trying to memorize things 1s surprisingly difficult when you're
+writing down notes."
+She was probably right about that. A focus on note-taking would
+simply waste precious time. At any rate, Horikita had laid out a plan that
+didn't use up any time after school.
+"Just try. Give it a go before you say no."
+"T don't want to. I'd rather spend my time differently than a bookworm
+like you. Besides, I don't even think I cou/d learn to study with such a
+simple, cheap trick." Horikita had carefully come up with a plan tailored to
+the three of them, and yet Sudou still wouldn't agree.
+"It seems you've misunderstood. There are no shortcuts or cheap tricks
+when it comes to studying. You just have to spend your time carefully. That
+applies not only to studying, but to everything else as well. Or are you telling
+me there are shortcuts and cheap tricks in something like basketball?"
+"Of course there aren't. You only improve by practicing, all the time."
+Sudou inhaled sharply, surprised by his own words.
+"For people who can't focus or work seriously, it's impossible.
+However, you put all of your effort into basketball. I want you to apply some
+of that effort to studying, even if it's just a fraction of what you have. Put in
+the effort so that you can continue to play basketball at this school. Don't
+throw away your own potential."
+Horikita's compromise was small, but real. Sudou hesitated. However,
+his pride still got in the way. He seemed incapable of agreeing to the plan.
+"Yeah, I'm still not doing it. I get what you're saying, but I'm not
+convinced."
+Sudou made to turn around and leave, and Horikita couldn't stop him.
+If he left now, the study group was probably dead. Normally I'd stay out of it,
+but this called for drastic action.
+"Hey, Kushida. Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked.
+"Huh? What? I don't. Why would you suddenly ask me something like
+that?!" she cried.
+"If I can get fifty points on the test, will you go out with me?" I
+extended my hand to her.
+"Huh?! Wh-what are you saying, Ayanokouji! No, date me, Kushida!
+Pll get fifty-one points!" Ike cried.
+"No, no, me! Go on a date with me! Pll show you! I'll get fifty-two
+***
+points!" Yamauchi said.
+Kushida immediately understood my plan.
+"'H-how embarrassing... I don't just judge people based on something
+like test scores, you know?" she said.
+"But they need a prize for trying. Look at how eager Ike and Yamauchi
+are. They'd probably be motivated by a reward."
+"W-well then, how about this? Ill go on a date with whoever scores
+highest on the test. I like people who work really hard, even when they don't
+like doing it."
+"Whoa! Yes! Pll do it! Pll do it!" Ike and Yamauchi breathed heavily
+in their excitement. I called out to Sudou.
+"Hey, Sudou. What about you? This might be your chance."
+That was a bit subtler than yelling, Do you want to date Kushida?
+I generally understood Sudou's personality, but it was still difficult to
+predict whether he'd agree. So I had to find some common ground.
+"A date, huh? That doesn't sound too bad. Jeez, guess I don't have a
+choice. All right, P'Il join," Sudou said, his voice small. He didn't turn
+around.
+Kushida sighed deeply in relief.
+"Remember, boys are the simplest creatures on earth."
+Horikita probably agreed with me. We welcomed Sudou to our group.
+9.1
+Tie study group seemed to have gotten off to a good start. Of course,
+no one suddenly loved studying or found great joy in it. However, they all did
+their part to avoid expulsion so they could continue to spend time with their
+friends. The Idiot Trio started changing their behavior. They frantically
+repeated everything written on the blackboard, wracking their brains to
+understand the problems.
+Sudou occasionally came close to passing out during class. His head
+would bob up and down as he started to doze, but he managed to stay awake,
+likely because of his professional basketball dreams. Most people would
+laugh at such high aspirations, but he chased them earnestly. Many of the
+first-year students, fresh from junior high, didn't have a "dream" yet. Many
+had only the vaguest notion of what they wanted their future to be. At least
+Sudou was already working hard in pursuit of his dream. That was worthy of
+praise.
+How exactly did this school define an exemplary student? At the very
+least, people didn't pass or fail based solely on academics. Considering the
+fact that Ike and Sudou had been accepted into the school, that much was
+obvious. If the school enrolled students talented in other areas, though, it was
+odd that they'd have a system in place to expel students for just one failing
+grade. At least, that was how I saw it.
+Unless the system itself was a lie, there wasn't much I could conclude.
+Could they be creating such problems for students like Ike and Sudou solely
+so they could overcome them? It likely wasn't that simple. Both the small test
+we'd taken and the classes, so difficult for those like Sudou, posed problems.
+Once the afternoon class had ended, a satisfied-looking Horikita gave a
+small nod and glanced at her notes. Apparently, she'd compiled everything
+together. Even though Horikita was teaching the Idiot Trio, she wanted the
+best possible results. That was her nature. Our class's evaluation would
+improve, as would the individual students' abilities. However, trying to get
+perfect scores was absurd. We didn't intend to reach that far. Helping Ike and
+the others avoid failing was the best we could do.
+When the lunch bell rang, everyone made a mad dash for the cafeteria.
+Our break was forty-five minutes long. After lunch, everyone had agreed to
+meet in the library for a twenty-minute study session. At first, we'd planned
+to study in the classroom. However, for better concentration, we decided to
+avoid noise and use the library.
+However, the main reason was that Horikita wanted to avoid Hirata.
+His study group also met during lunch, and if we were reviewing materials
+nearby, they'd likely try to talk to us. Horikita absolutely did not want that.
+"Horikita, what are you doing for lunch?" I asked.
+"Well—"
+"Ayanokouji-kun! Do you want to eat lunch together? I don't have any
+plans today!" Kushida unexpectedly hopped out in front of me.
+"Ah, okay. Well then, do you want to eat together with Kushida—'" I
+began.
+"T already have plans. Please excuse me." Horikita stood and stalked
+out of the classroom by herself.
+"I'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. Was I possibly...being a bother?"
+Kushida asked.
+"Oh, no. Not at all."
+Kushida waved to Horikita's retreating form, as if saying, Bye bye!
+Had she planned that, by chance? After I'd discovered Kushida's
+secret, she'd been rather blatant about keeping tabs on me. Though she said
+that she believed me, she might still suspect I'd tell someone. Kushida and I
+went to the café to get lunch together. When we arrived, the absolute flood of
+women overwhelmed me.
+"What's going on? There're an insane number of girls here," I said.
+I'd say 80 percent of the customers were girls.
+"This isn't really a place where boys come to eat."
+The menu included items like pasta and pancakes, food that only girls
+would like. Athletic people like Sudou would probably complain about the
+small portions. There were a few guys, but you could say that they were
+either coupled up or playboys. Every guy here was either alone with one girl
+or surrounded by multiple ladies.
+"How about we go to the cafeteria after all? I feel kind of
+uncomfortable here," I said.
+"You'll be fine once you get used to it. It seems like Kouenji-kun
+comes here every day. See?" Kushida pointed to a table in the back, where
+Kouenji sat surrounded by girls. He looked just as grand and imposing as
+ever. I'd never seen him around during lunchtime. Was this where he went?
+"He seems really popular. Those girls around him are all third years."
+Kushida was surprised, too. I overheard some of the conversation
+between Kouenji and the older girls.
+"Here, Kouenji-kun, say 'Ahh!'" one of them said.
+"Ha ha! Just as I thought, more mature girls are the best."
+He certainly didn't act shy at all around the third-year ladies. Rather, he
+ate his food while they practically pressed up against him.
+"That guy is really something else," I muttered.
+"His name seems to be going around lately. People are talking about
+99
+him.
+I see. So, were those girls after his money?
+"What a sad world."
+"Those girls are just being realists. You can't afford to eat on dreams
+alone," she said.
+"Are you a realist, Kushida?"
+"Td say ''m a bit of a dreamer. Something like a knight in shining
+armor would be nice."
+"A knight in shining armor, hmm?"
+We sat as far away from Kouenji as possible.
+"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Do you like girls like Horikita-
+san?" she asked.
+"Why'd you bring up Horikita?"
+"Well, you're always with her. Isn't she cute?"
+Well, J certainly thought she was cute. On the outside, though.
+"Know something, Ayanokouji-kun? You've caught the girls' eyes for
+a little while now. You're on a first-year students' ranking chart."
+"Caught their eye? Me? Also, what the hell kind of ranking?"
+Apparently, we men had been rated without even noticing. Was it like
+the ranking we'd made for the girls' breast sizes?
+"Well, there are lots of different rankings, you know? The hot guy
+rankings. The rich guy rankings. The creeper rankings. And—"
+"Okay, that's enough. I don't think I want to hear any more."
+"Don't worry. You're ranked a respectable fifth place in the hot guy
+rankings. Congratulations! By the way, Satonaka-kun in Class A is in first
+place. Hirata-kun's in second. The third and fourth place boys are in Class A.
+I feel like Hirata-kun gets lots of points because of his looks and personality."
+I'd expect nothing less from the Class D star. Even girls in Class C and
+above noticed him.
+"Is it okay for me to be happy about that?" I asked.
+"Of course. Oh, but you also ranked pretty high in gloominess."
+"Let's see..." I looked at Kushida's cell phone. There really were a lot
+of different ranking charts. I saw a rather disturbing ranking titled, "Boys
+Who Should Die." Better not look at that one.
+"Are you not really happy about it? You're ranked fifth."
+"T guess if I cared about popularity it'd be different, but I don't really
+feel anything." Besides, no girl had ever placed a letter with a heart sticker on
+it in my bag. "So, does everyone participate in this?"
+"Well, not everyone, but lots of people do. I don't know the exact
+number of votes, though. The comments are also anonymous."
+In other words, many unknown variables made it difficult.
+"T think you're probably at a disadvantage, Ayanokouji-kun. From my
+point of view, you're definitely attractive enough to be considered a hot guy,
+but I don't think people would say you're as beautiful or stand out as much as
+Hirata-kun. You're not exceptionally smart, you don't have exceptional
+athletic ability, and you're not a great conversationalist. There's something
+missing, some element of attractiveness, you know?"
+In other words, there was nothing appealing about me at all. "Ouch. I
+feel like I just got stabbed in the heart."
+"S-sorry. I probably should have held back a bit." Kushida appeared
+sheepish. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Did you have a girlfriend in junior high
+school?"
+"Would it be bad if I didn't?"
+"So, you didn't have one? Ha ha, no. No, it's not bad."
+"Rankings, huh? What would the girls think if the boys did something
+like that?"
+"They'd probably consider them the lowest of the low."
+Her smile didn't reach her eyes. Well, that was to be expected. If the
+boys ranked girls by cuteness, the girls would vehemently object. There was
+a definite double standard at play. At any rate, Kushida didn't seem to be
+treating me any differently than she had before. I'd thought things might have
+changed since discovering her secret side.
+"Hey. You don't have to force yourself to talk to me if you don't want
+to," I said.
+"No, it's not that I don't want to. Talking to you is fun, Ayanokouji-
+99
+kun.
+"Didn't you say that you hated me, though?"
+"Ha ha ha, yes, I did. Sorry, but that's how I really feel."
+Well, that hurt. Even though she was smiling, she hated me. This was
+the worst.
+"To tell you the truth, I invited you out to lunch today because I wanted
+to check with you. Hypothetically, if you had to choose either Horikita-san or
+me as your ally, whom would you choose, Ayanokouji-kun? Would you
+choose me?"
+"I'm no one's ally or enemy. I'm neutral."
+"There are some situations where you can't avoid trouble by staying
+neutral. It's wonderful to oppose war, for example, but you may find yourself
+in the middle of turmoil at some point, you know? If Horikita and I happen to
+clash, I hope that you'll cooperate with me, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"When you say that..."
+"Anyway, try to remember that I'm expecting your help."
+"Expecting, huh? If you were to ask for my help, your first priority
+should probably be to explain the situation."
+Kushida, still smiling, emphatically shook her head. "First, we'd need
+to build a relationship of mutual trust."
+"T suppose."
+Neither Kushida nor I understood each other yet. Perhaps in the future,
+I'd come to have deeper knowledge of her.
+9.2
+W. gathered in the library one minute later than we'd agreed.
+Everyone had their notebooks open, ready and waiting. The library was a
+popular study spot, it seemed. First through third years fought to move up in
+the rankings. I understood it with a glance.
+"You're late," Horikita said.
+"Sorry, the crowds were tough."
+"You two didn't eat lunch together, did you?"
+Ike turned to us, his eyes suspicious. Kushida and I had actually eaten
+together, but perhaps it was better to keep that information private.
+"Yes, we did. We ate lunch together," Kushida said.
+It would have been better if she'd said nothing. Sure enough, Ike and
+the others glared at me, their discontent plain to see. Ike looked at me like I
+was his ancestral enemy. Horikita spoke without glancing up.
+"Hurry," she said.
+"Okay."
+At Horikita's cold command, I sat down and took out my notebook.
+"T thought I might need more help on this, but geography 1s actually
+pretty easy."
+"Chemistry wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be, either."
+Ike and Yamauchi sounded pleased.
+"Most of the problems boil down to memorization, right? You can't
+solve many problems in English or mathematics if you don't understand the
+foundation, though."
+"Don't let your guard down. | think there might be current events
+questions on the test, too."
+"Current...events?"
+"Events of the recent past related to politics or the economy. That
+means that the questions may not be limited by what's written in the
+textbook."
+"Ugh, isn't that against the rules? That means we have no idea what's
+going to be on the test, doesn't it?!"
+"So that's why you should study everything."
+"T suddenly hate geography..."
+While the test might cover current events, I thought it'd be fine to
+ignore them for now. If you worried too much, you'd likely miss out on
+something important and suffer for it.
+"Shouldn't we hurry it up?" I asked. We were wasting precious time
+talking about this or that.
+"Yes. We've been wasting time because someone was late."
+"Are you still harping on me for that?"
+"Here's a question for everyone. Who came up with inductive
+reasoning?"
+"Um. It was that guy we learned about in class before, right? That
+was..." Ike wracked his brain and spun his mechanical pencil.
+"Oh, that's it. That one guy. His name made me super hungry."
+"Francisco Xavier! Or something like that, right?" Sudou asked.
+Close, but no cigar.
+"T remember! Francis Bacon!" Ike cried.
+"That's correct."
+"Yes! ''m definitely going to get a perfect score!"
+"No, not really..."
+If we all managed to keep up this pace for another week, everyone
+might just avoid failing.
+"Please be mindful of your health, everyone. If you get sick, you' ll
+have less time to study!" Kushida understood that we had no wiggle room
+left.
+"Don't worry. Not about those three, anyway," Horikita grumbled.
+"Just as I'd expect from you, Horikita-chan! I feel like you're starting
+***
+to have some faith in us
+Actually, she probably meant something more like, "Idiots don't catch
+colds."
+"Hey, quiet down. Your yammering is getting annoying." A nearby
+student turned to look at us.
+"Sorry, sorry. Guess I got a little carried away. I'm just so happy I got
+something right. Did you know that Francis Bacon was the guy who came up
+with inductive reasoning? I won't lose points on that question!" said Ike,
+laughing foolishly.
+"Huh? Hey, could you guys be Class D students, by chance?"
+A group of boys all looked over at us at once. Sudou, seemingly
+irritated by this, sounded mildly angry as he said, "So what? What's the big
+deal if we're in Class D? Do you have a problem with that?"
+"No, no, there's no problem. I'm Yamawaki, from FClass C. Nice to
+meet you." Yamawaki chuckled. "I have to say, I'm glad that they separate
+the classes in this school by ability. That way I don't have to study with
+losers like you."
+"What'd you say?!" Sudou's anger flared.
+"Don't get mad. I've only spoken the truth. I wonder... If we happened
+to fight, how many points would you lose? Oh wait, you guys don't even
+have any points to lose, do you? In that case, you'd probably be expelled,
+right?"
+"Fine with me. Bring it!"
+Sudou's shouting attracted attention and looks of disgust. If things got
+much worse, then the teacher would probably hear about it.
+"He's exactly right. We're not sure what'|l happen if you create a
+ruckus. You should remember that you might be expelled as a worst-case
+scenario. I don't particularly mind that you're bad-mouthing us, but you're in
+Class C, right? Honestly, you shouldn't really brag about that," Horikita said.
+"Clearly there were errors of calculation in placing Class C and A. But
+you guys in D are on a completely different level."
+"That's quite an inconsistent standard of measurement. The way I see
+it, everyone outside of Class A is lumped together."
+Yamawaki stopped laughing and now glared at Horikita.
+"Wow. For a defective product that can't make a single point, you're
+pretty sassy, aren't you? Did you think you could say whatever you like just
+because you have a cute face?"
+"Thank you for your wholly incoherent and irrelevant statement. I was
+never very concerned about my appearance until now, but after being praised
+by you, I must say I feel rather uncomfortable."
+"Tch!" Yamawaki slammed the table and stood up.
+"Hey. Relax. If we're the ones who start fighting, then word will get
+around and we'll be in trouble." The other Class C students tugged at
+Yamawakti's sleeves, holding him back.
+"You do know that you'll be expelled if you fail the next test, right?
+I'm looking forward to seeing how many of you get kicked out."
+"Unfortunately for you, no one from Class D will be expelled. Before
+you worry about us, though, perhaps you should worry about your own class.
+Pride cometh before the fall."
+"Ha ha ha! Us, fail? Don't joke around."
+"We're not studying just to avoid failing. We're studying so we can
+improve our test scores. Don't lump us together with you," Yamawaki said.
+"Also, being happy because you know who Francis Bacon is? Are you nuts?
+Why are you studying things that aren't even on the test?"
+"Huh?" Horikita looked stumped.
+"Wait, do you guys not know what's on the test? No wonder you're
+called defective products."
+"That's enough out of you." Sudou, on the verge of really losing his
+temper, grabbed Yamawaki by the collar.
+"Hey, hey! You're really going to get violent even though itll lose you
+points? You're okay with that?"
+"We don't have any points to lose!"
+Sudou pulled his arm back. Uh oh. Was he really going to beat the crap
+out of this guy? I knew I should stop him. I got up, then—
+1°?
+"Okay, stop. Stop
+A female student shouted at us. Sudou stopped in response.
+"What? This doesn't involve you. Stay out of it," he said.
+"Doesn't involve me? I'm trying to use the library, so it does involve
+me. If you want to get violent, might I suggest that you do so outside?"
+In response to the blonde beauty's disinterested yet logical argument,
+Sudou let go of Yamawaki.
+"Besides, don't you think you're provoking him? If things continue
+like this, ''d have to report it to the school. Do you want that?"
+"S-sorry. We don't want that, Ichinose," Yamawaki said.
+***
+i
+Rj
+Ys \\ \.
+Ichinose. I'd heard that name once before. Wait... That was the Class
+B student who'd been talking with Hoshinomtya-senset.
+"Come on, let's go. If we try studying here, we'll catch the stupid
+going around."
+"Yeah."
+With those last words, Yamawaki and his group left.
+"If you're going to study here, please act like adults. Thank you,"
+Ichinose said.
+Watching her gallant departure, I had to nod in admiration.
+"Unlike Horikita, she managed to keep everyone in line."
+"T didn't intend to create chaos. I only spoke the truth."
+The truth had led to chaos, though...
+"Hey. He said that this question wasn't on the test, didn't he?"
+"What do you mean?"
+We exchanged looks. Chiyabashira-sensei had told us that material
+about the Age of Discovery would be on the test. Horikita and I had written
+that down.
+"Does this mean that each class gets a different test?"
+"That seems unlikely. The test should be the same for everyone in the
+same grade."
+Horikita was right. The same fundamental problems from the five main
+topics should be featured on everyone's midterm. Otherwise, it'd be unclear
+how to judge our aptitude. Had Class C learned that the test would change
+before anyone else?
+Or was Class D the only group being left out of the loop? We were
+mystified in the light of this new information. What if every class's test had
+different social studies questions? No... What if 1t wasn't just social studies?
+What if all the test questions were completely different? If that were the case,
+then we'd wasted a whole week's worth of studying.
+9.3
+W. dismissed the group ten minutes before our lunch break was
+over. We packed up and headed toward the faculty room. We needed to
+confirm exactly what the test would cover.
+"Chiyabashira-sensei, we have an urgent question."
+"Quite the theatrical entrance. You surprised the other teachers," she
+said.
+"T sincerely apologize for the sudden intrusion."
+"It's fine. We're in the middle of something, so please keep it brief."
+Chiyabashira-sensei continued to write in her notebook.
+"Chiyabashira-sensei, last week when you told us what material the test
+would cover, did you make a mistake? A little earlier today, some Class C
+students told us that the test's material would be different than what we were
+expecting."
+Chiyabashira-sensei listened in complete silence and didn't even bat an
+eyelash as Horikita spoke. Then, she put down her pen.
+"That's right. The test's topics changed last Friday. Sorry, I must've
+forgotten to inform you."
+"What?!"
+She scribbled something down on a page in her notebook, tore it out,
+and handed it to Horikita. She'd written down textbook page numbers that
+referred to material we'd already covered in class. Most of the new material
+was from before we'd started the group, stuff that Sudou and the others
+hadn't learned.
+"Thanks to you, Horikita-san, I was able to correct my mistake. I'm
+grateful to all of you. That's all. Thank you."
+"Wait a minute, Sae-chan-sensei! Isn't it way too late for this?"
+"T don't think so. You still have one week. If you use that study time
+wisely, it should be easy. Right?"
+Chiyabashira-sensei tried to shoo us out of the faculty room without the
+slightest hesitation. However, none of us moved.
+"Even if you stay, nothing will change. You understand that, don't
+you?" she asked.
+"Let's go."
+"B-but, Horikita-chan! We can't just accept this!"
+'""As Chiyabashira-sensei said, staying would be a waste of time.
+Instead, we should begin studying the revised test materials."
+"But!"
+Horikita turned on her heel and left the faculty room, Sudou and the
+others reluctantly following after her. Chiyabashira-sensei didn't even glance
+at us as we left. I'd thought she would apologize for making such a mistake,
+but she didn't. If anything, I'd thought that some of the other teachers might
+react to this incident.
+Despite the fact that this was a pretty serious mistake for a homeroom
+teacher to make, none of the other teachers seemed to care. Hoshinomiya-
+sensei was seated nearby. Our eyes met. She gave a small smile and waved
+hello. Well, that was something, at least. However, I didn't think that our
+teacher had simply forgotten to tell us what would be covered on the test.
+When I stepped into the hallway, the afternoon class bell rang.
+"Kushida-san. I have a small favor I want to ask you," I said.
+"Hmm? What ts it?"
+"T want you to tell the rest of Class D about the changes to the test."
+With that, I handed her Chiyabashira-sensei's paper with the textbook
+numbers.
+"That's fine, but...1s it okay for me to do it?"
+"You're the best candidate we have. There's no doubt in my mind.
+Besides, we can't take the test when we don't know what's going to be on it."
+"Okay, I understand. Leave it to me. I'll tell Hirata-kun and everyone
+else."
+"T'll get ready for tomorrow. By then, I should have narrowed down
+everything we' ll need."
+Horikita tried hard to appear calm, but I could sense her anxiety. That
+time we'd spent studying had been squandered, and we were back to square
+one. Plus, we now only had one week left.
+However, our greatest concern was keeping the Idiot Trio motivated.
+"Horikita. I know I've been difficult, but I'm counting on you." Sudou
+bowed to Horikita as he spoke those words. "Starting tomorrow...I'Il take a
+break from club activities. Will that work?"
+"That..."
+Considering that we had only one week left and time was of the
+essence, it was a rational decision. However, the offer so surprised Horikita
+that she couldn't immediately accept.
+"Will that really be okay with you? It'll be a lot of work."
+"Studying is a lot of work, isn't it?" Grinning, Sudou patted Horikita's
+shoulder.
+""Sudou, are you serious?" she asked.
+"Yeah. I mean, I'm pissed at our homeroom teacher and those jerks in
+Class C now, too."
+You could call this a blessing in disguise. After being backed into a
+corner, Sudou had finally developed a positive attitude about studying. He
+probably realized if he didn't do his best, he couldn't pass the test. His
+declaration inspired Ike and Yamauchi.
+"Guess we don't have any choice. We'Il try harder, too," Ike said.
+"T understand. If you're prepared, then we can work together. However,
+Sudou-kun..." Horikita coldly removed Sudou's hand from her shoulder.
+"Please do not touch me. If you do so again, I won't show you any mercy."
+"You're not cute at all, lady..."
+"We're definitely gonna do this!"
+"Yeah! Me, too!"
+Kushida, who also seemed motivated, stuck out her fist. "Come on,
+Ayanokouji-kun. You do your best, too!" she cried.
+"Huh? No, I—"
+"Don't tell me. Did you already give up on studying?"
+"T've thought about it a little."
+"You promised you'd work with me. Did you forget?" asked Horikita
+while glaring at me.
+"I'm not a good teacher. People have different strengths and
+weaknesses, right?"
+To be honest, Horikita and Kushida were better teachers than I was. I
+didn't consider myself really capable of tutoring others.
+"Your test scores weren't that bad, were they?"
+"There isn't much time left, so it might be more effective if Horikita
+and Kushida work together to teach those three rather than tutoring one-on-
+one. Also, something else is kind of bothering me."
+"Something bothering you?"
+What had happened in the faculty room was far too serious for me to
+overlook.
+9.4
+Wien lunchtime came, I jumped to my feet and headed toward the
+cafeteria with purposeful strides.
+"Where are you going?"
+Kushida had noticed me rushing out of class and followed. She popped
+up before me, stopping me in my tracks.
+"It's lunch. I thought I'd go to the cafeteria."
+"Hmm. Mind if I go with you?"
+"T don't really mind. But there are a lot of other people you could ask,
+you know."
+"Tt's true, I do have a lot of friends to eat lunch with, but you don't
+have anyone, Ayanokouji-kun. Even though you'd usually reach out to
+Horikita-san, you haven't talked to her today. The other day, didn't you say
+something was bothering you about what happened in the faculty room?
+What was it?"
+Kushida, as usual, was quite observant. To be honest, I hadn't wanted
+to do this with anyone, but I decided that Kushida was probably fine. I'd
+come to learn her secret by sheer coincidence. She wouldn't do anything
+stupid.
+"T can tell you if you promise that you won't tell anyone else."
+"I'm good at keeping secrets."
+Kushida and I headed to the cafeteria together. We navigated our way
+through the crowd and finally reached the meal ticket machine. I bought
+tickets for two portions but didn't line up at the counter. Instead, I went to the
+side of the vending machine and looked at students perusing the menu.
+"What is it?" Kushida tilted her head and looked puzzled when I began
+studying the machine.
+"This might answer what was bothering me."
+I continued observing students as they bought lunch sets from the ticket
+machine. After I'd observed about twenty students, my target appeared. He
+purchased his meal ticket and walked to the counter with heavy, plodding
+footsteps.
+"Okay, let's go," I said.
+"Hmm? Okay."
+We quickly exchanged our tickets for our meals and sat down in front
+of the heavy-footed student.
+"Um, excuse me. Are you an upperclassman?" I asked.
+"Hmm? Who are you?" The student regarded us calmly, a look of
+complete disinterest on his face.
+"Are you a second-year student? Third-year?"
+"Third-year. Let me guess, you're a first year?"
+"1'm Ayanokouji, from Class D. You're also in Class D, aren't you?"
+"What's that got to do with you?"
+Kushida looked at me with surprise, as if asking, "How did you
+know?"
+"Because he's limited to eating the free meals. It's not very tasty, is
+it?" I asked. He was eating the free vegetable meal set.
+"What do you want? You're really irritating." He took his tray and
+made to stand, but I stopped him.
+"T want to ask you something. If you listen, Pll show you my
+gratitude."
+"Gratitude?"
+The cafeteria's hustle and bustle drowned out my voice. The students
+were all engrossed in chatting pleasantly with their friends.
+"Do you still have the problems from the midterm test from the first
+semester of your first year? Or, if not, do you happen to know someone from
+your class who does?"
+"Do you even understand what you're asking?" he said.
+"It's not particularly strange, is it? I didn't think it was against school
+rules to study using old test problems."
+"Why are you asking me?"
+"That's simple. I believed I'd have the highest chance of success if I
+worked with someone who doesn't have any points. Honestly, that free
+vegetable meal doesn't look good. Of course, things would be quite different
+if you actually /iked eating the vegetable set. What do you think?"
+"How much are you going to pay?"
+"Ten thousand points. That's as high as I'll go."
+"T don't have the old test problems, but...I know someone who does. If
+you want him to help you, though, you're going to need to offer at least
+30,000 points. If you've got that, you're fine."
+"T'm afraid that 30,000 is a no-go for me. I don't have that much."
+"How much do you have?"
+"Twenty thousand."
+"Then 20,000... no, 15,000 should do. Nothing under that."
+"15,000, huh?"
+"If you'd go so far as to ask for old test problems from a stranger, then
+you must be pretty desperate, huh? Well, the school will mercilessly expel
+any student who gets a failing grade. None of my classmates are even here
+anymore."
+"T see. I understand. I'll pay the 15,000 points."
+"Then we have a deal. Of course, I'Il have to ask you to transfer the
+points in advance."
+"Fine, but if you do anything to stab us in the back, I won't forgive
+you. Even if you're an upperclassman, I'll do anything and everything I can
+to make sure you're expelled."
+"You're a freak. Fine, I get it. Besides, when you transfer points,
+there's always a record of it. If rumor spreads that some first-year students
+ripped me off, it'd look bad."
+"All right then. Since I'm paying you 15,000 points, can you toss in a
+little bonus? I want to see the answers to the surprise test that we took after
+being admitted."
+"All right. P'Il toss that in, too. I think that your concerns are pointless,
+though." It seemed he understood what I was after.
+"Thank you very much."
+After we made our deal, he quickly left. He probably didn't want to be
+noticed.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun? What you did just now. Was that really okay?"
+Kushida asked.
+"It's no problem. School rules allow point transfers, so there was no
+violation."
+"You might be right, but isn't getting the old test problems cheating?"
+"Cheating? I don't think so. If the school didn't allow it, they would
+have outlined it in the school rules to begin with. Also, I felt more confident
+after seeing that third-year student. That is to say, it's not unusual for students
+to barter points like this."
+"Huh?"
+"My request didn't particularly surprise him, and he accepted quickly.
+This probably isn't the first time he's negotiated like this. Not only did he
+have the answer sheet for the first-year midterm exam, but he also had the
+answer sheet for the mock test we took after being admitted. If he saved
+those, it's clear why."
+Kushida's eyes widened in shock.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, what you did was unexpectedly daring."
+"Tt's just a bit of insurance to prevent Sudou and the others from
+getting expelled."
+"But, if the old test answers are useless, then it will have been for
+nothing. I mean, the past test questions are old, aren't they? They might be
+completely unrelated to what's featured on this year's test."
+"The problems may not be exactly the same, but there will definitely be
+similarities. I noticed a hint on that last mock exam we took."
+"A hint?"
+"You noticed the really difficult problems alongside the simple ones,
+right?"
+"Yeah, I did. The final questions, right? I didn't understand them at
+all."
+"T did some investigating, and I found that those questions were on the
+second- and third-year students' tests. In other words, a first-year student
+generally wouldn't understand how to solve them. Wouldn't it be pointless
+for the school to purposefully throw us problems we can't solve? Those
+questions aren't there simply to measure our academic ability. Now, suppose
+that the problems on the mock test we took were exactly the same as the
+problems on the old mock test. What would happen?"
+"If I'd seen the old test, I would have been able to answer every
+question," she said.
+The same thing would likely apply to the midterm exam as well.
+Shortly thereafter, that third-year student sent me a message with an image
+file attached. It was the old test questions.
+First, I checked the mock test. The key was whether or not the last
+three problems were the same. Kushida must have been curious as well,
+because she drew closer and tried to peek at my phone.
+"Well? Well?" she asked.
+"They're the same. Every single word is identical. The test from that
+year and this year are exactly the same, in every way."
+"That's amazing! So, if we show this to everyone in class, that would
+mean an easy victory! We should show this to all of our other friends, not just
+Sudou-kun!"
+"No, we'll hold off. We won't show it to Sudou and the guys yet."
+"Wh-why? You went to all of the trouble of using up so many of your
+points for this!"
+"If they learn that the old test questions would be effective, their
+motivation to study would go up in smoke. We need to be wary of
+overconfidence. After all, even though the mock tests were identical, it's
+possible that the questions featured on the midterm this year might not be the
+same as last year's."
+These old test papers were insurance.
+"Okay, then how will you use them?"
+"I'm going to release them on the internet the day before the test. We
+tell everyone that the problems from the old test are generally the same as the
+ones on the new. Then what do you think will happen?"
+"That night, everyone will be hunched over their desks, frantically
+trying to memorize all of the problems!"
+"Exactly."
+The students with a poor grasp of the basics probably wouldn't be able
+to memorize everything in a single day. However, we weren't shooting for
+perfect scores this time around. The crucial thing was to avoid failing. If we
+got greedy, we might end up digging our own graves.
+With this plan, we could probably get everyone in Class D to pass.
+"When did you come up with the idea to get the old tests?" she asked.
+"T considered it when we learned that the test material was going to be
+different. However, I had a hunch back when they first told us about the
+midterm exam."
+"Huh?! Way back then?"
+"There was something very peculiar about the way Chiyabashira-sensei
+told us about the test. As our homeroom teacher, she had a clear
+understanding of everyone's grades and academic performance. Despite that,
+she seemed absolutely certain when she told us that there was a way for us to
+pass this test. In other words, she indicated that there was a surefire way for
+us to Save everyone."
+"And that's...the old test papers?"
+"This might be related to why Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi were
+admitted to this school despite being academically poor. Even if they
+couldn't get good grades by studying ahead, perhaps there were other means
+of addressing the problem, a backup plan they could use to avoid expulsion.
+This meant that it was possible for anyone to get a near-perfect score if they
+could get the old test papers. That's what I took from the situation, anyway."
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you really are an incredibly observant person, aren't
+you?"
+"I'm just cunning. Besides, I didn't believe that I could pass the
+midterm without some help. I was just looking to make things easier for
+myself."
+"Hmm." Kushida grinned like some gears were turning in her mind.
+"IT have one more favor to ask. Could you please tell everyone that you
+got the old test papers, Kushida? I want you to say that you got them from a
+third-year student you're close to."
+"That's fine, but...are you okay with that, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T like to avoid trouble. I don't want to stand out. Besides, our
+classmates trust you, Kushida. I think it would be better if you told them."
+"T understand. If you say so, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Thanks. Don't say anything else, though. We need to avoid drawing
+too much attention."
+"Okay, we can keep this secret between us."
+"Yeah, that's what I was thinking."
+"Don't you feel that a strange bond of mutual trust forms between
+people who share a secret?"
+"T don't know about that. I sure hope so."
+"Thank you," replied Kushida.
+I didn't really know what she meant by that.
+Chapter 10:
+Midterm Exam
+I was Thursday. Tomorrow, the midterm would be upon us. Class had
+ended for the day. After Chiyabashira-sensei ended the homeroom period and
+left the classroom, Kushida immediately leapt into action. She took out
+printed copies of the old test that I'd made at the convenience store and
+brought them up to the podium.
+"Everyone, before you return to the dorm, would you mind listening to
+me for a moment?"
+Everyone, including Sudou, stopped and listened to Kushida. This was
+a role that neither Horikita nor I could play. Only Kushida could do it.
+"IT know that you've all been studying a lot in preparation for the test
+tomorrow. I have something to help you. I'm going to hand out some
+papers."
+Kushida distributed the question and answer sheets to the students in
+the first row.
+"Test...questions? Did you make these, Kushida-san?" Horikita was
+visibly surprised by this sudden turn of events.
+"Actually, these are the old test problems. I got them from a third-year
+student last night."
+"Old test problems? Huh? Wait, will these questions be on the test
+tomorrow?"
+"Yes. To tell you the truth, I heard that the midterm test from the year
+before last had almost exactly the same problems as this one. So, if we study
+what's on this test, it'Il surely come in handy."
+"Whoa! Seriously? Thank you, Kushida-chan!" Overjoyed, Ike hugged
+his test paper. None of the other students could suppress their elation, either.
+"What the hell? If we had these, then wasn't it pointless to study so
+hard?" Yamauchi complained, even as he laughed.
+It looked like Id been right.
+"Sudou-kun, do your best when you study today!"
+"Yeah. Thanks, you really helped me out." Sudou also happily
+accepted the test papers.
+"Let's keep this a secret from the other classes! Don't be scared,
+everyone! Do your best and aim for a high score!" Ike shouted with joy and
+determination. I was inclined to agree with him. We didn't need to send
+supplies to the enemy. Everyone returned to the dorms with high spirits.
+"Kushida-san. Excellent work." Horikita gave Kushida genuine praise,
+which was unusual.
+"Eh, really?" Kushida said.
+"T'd never even considered trying to use the old tests. I'm also grateful
+that you verified that the questions were still useful."
+True. The always-solitary Horikita hadn't come up with that idea.
+"T just did it for my friends. It was nothing special," Kushida said.
+"Also, I think that you were correct to announce that you had it today
+after class. If you'd carelessly let word get out about this test, it's possible
+that everyone would have lost their motivation to study."
+"That was only because I received the test papers so late. If many of
+the same problems are featured on the test tomorrow, then everyone will
+probably manage to get pretty high test scores."
+"Yes. It also means that the last two weeks we spent studying weren't
+for nothing."
+The past two weeks had probably been tremendously long for Sudou
+and the other failing students. Hopefully they'd gotten more into the habit of
+studying now.
+"Tt was hard but fun."
+"T don't think the Idiot Trio found it the least bit fun."
+Well, we'd done as much as we could. The next step for those three
+simply came down to effort.
+"T just pray that I don't draw a complete blank during the actual test."
+Well, I couldn't really do anything about that part. No matter how
+much they were taught and what they demonstrated during the study group,
+everything came down to their performance on the actual test. At least the
+previous questions were one crucial bit of help.
+"Well, should we head back?"
+Horikita quietly looked over at Kushida as she put her textbook into her
+bag. "Kushida-san."
+"Hmm?"
+"Really, thank you for everything you've done. If you weren't here, the
+study group would not have succeeded."
+"Don't worry about it. I just want to get into the higher-ranked classes
+together with everyone else. That's why I did it, and why I agreed to help
+with the study group. Ill help you again any time." Smiling, Kushida
+grabbed her bag and stood.
+"Wait. There's just one thing I want to confirm," Horikita said.
+"Confirm?"
+"If you say that you'll continue working with me for the sake of our
+class, then I need to be sure of something."
+Horikita looked straight at Kushida, who was still wearing that
+dazzling smile.
+"You hate me, don't you?"
+"Hey, hey..." I'd wondered what she wanted to ask, but that was
+ridiculously unexpected.
+"Why do you think that?" Kushida asked.
+"You're not answering my question because it's true. Right?"
+"Ha ha, you got me." She shouldered her bag and lowered her hands.
+Kushida faced Horikita without losing her smile. "That's right. I really hate
+99
+you.
+She answered clearly, making no attempt to hide it. She was direct.
+"Do you want me to tell you the reason?"
+"No. That's unnecessary. Knowing that is good enough. I can continue
+working with you without hesitation."
+Despite what she'd just been told, Horikita spoke calmly.
+10.1
+66
+d ee are no absences today. It appears everyone is present."
+Chiyabashira-sensei strode through the classroom with a bold smile on
+her face.
+"That's the first hurdle for you leftovers. Are there any questions?"
+"We've studied diligently these past few weeks. I don't think that
+anyone will fail."
+"Oh my. You sound quite confident, Hirata."
+Everyone wore a confident look. The teacher promptly took up the test
+papers and passed them out. Our first period test was for social studies. Out
+of everything we'd studied, it was probably the easiest subject.
+"If anyone stumbles here, the other tests will be an uphill battle, quite
+frankly. You'll take this midterm and the final exam in July. If no one fails
+either test, you'll be rewarded with a vacation during your summer break."
+"A vacation?"
+"That's right. A dream vacation on an island surrounded by the brilliant
+blue sea."
+Of course, the beach in summer meant we'd be able to see the girls in
+their swimsuits...
+""Wh-what is this strange pressure..." one of the boys muttered.
+Chiyabashira-sensei stepped back from the obvious tension the students
+exuded... mostly the boys.
+"Everyone. Let's do our best!"
+"Yeah!" Ike howled along with our classmates. I shouted too, my voice
+getting lost in the cacophony.
+"Pervert." Horikita glanced at me. I immediately fell silent.
+Before long, everyone had their test papers. On the teacher's signal,
+everyone began. I held off on starting for a moment and looked around at the
+others. With everything they'd learned, could the Idiot Trio avoid failing?
+First off, how many of this test's questions were the same as the ones from
+the old exam? I needed to check that first.
+All right.
+I discreetly clenched my fist in triumph. Despite my fears, the
+questions here were the same as the old ones. I hadn't looked them over in
+any detail, but I saw no great difference. If I'd memorized what was on the
+old test, it was clear that I could get a near-perfect score.
+Glancing around the classroom for assurance, I didn't notice any
+students looking flustered or confused. I assumed that many of them had
+engaged in some last-minute studying. Slowly, I went through and answered
+all of the problems.
+The second and third period exams were for Japanese and chemistry,
+respectively. While I worked, I discovered something else that intrigued me.
+Looking over the problems again, I realized that what Horikita had drilled
+into the study group was consistent with what was on the test. She'd been
+able to accurately predict what problems would appear just from the lessons.
+The silent girl beside me was even more impressive than I'd imagined.
+Then came fourth period. Mathematics. All of the abnormally difficult
+questions that had been featured on the mock test also appeared here, but the
+content was the same as the old exams. Even if Sudou and the other guys
+couldn't understand the problems, they could still apply the answers if they'd
+memorized them.
+Then came the break.
+Some members of our study group, including Ike, Yamauchi, Kushida,
+Horikita, and myself, gathered together.
+"An easy victory! We've got this test on lock!"
+"T feel like I might get 120 points." Ike sounded pretty sure of himself.
+Yamauchi must have felt the same, judging from the smile on his face.
+Confident, they looked over the old test papers for a final review.
+"Sudou-kun, how about you?" Kushida spoke to Sudou, who sat alone
+at his desk and stared fixedly at the old test material. However, Sudou looked
+sullen.
+'""Sudou-kun?"'
+"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm kind of busy."
+He didn't look up from the questions as he spoke. He was reviewing
+the English test material, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.
+"Sudou, did you...not study the old test material, by chance?"
+"Everything but English. I fell asleep partway through." Sudou
+sounded irritated. In other words, this was his first time reviewing the
+material.
+"Eh?!"
+That also meant that Sudou only had ten minutes to review.
+"Damn, I can't get any of these answers to stick in my head," he
+muttered.
+Unlike the other tests, the English problems weren't easy to memorize.
+Trying to cram all of the answers in just ten minutes would be impossible.
+""Sudou-kun, memorize the problems that are worth a lot of points and
+those with the shortest answers." Horikita leapt up from her seat and moved
+next to Sudou.
+"O-okay." He stopped focusing on the low-point questions and instead
+zeroed in on what would net him the most points.
+"A-are you going to be okay?" While trying to avoid getting in the
+way, Kushida appeared anxious.
+"Unlike Japanese, I don't know the basics of English. These letters
+look like some kind of magic spell or something. Memorizing it'll take time."
+"Y-yeah. I struggle with English, too..."
+The break passed in the blink of an eye, and the heartless class bell
+rang.
+"T did all I could. Pll try to answer the questions I remember first,
+before I forget them."
+"Yeah..."
+And thus began our English test. While the other students calmly made
+their way through, Sudou clearly had trouble. Occasionally, he'd stop writing
+and whack his pen against his head. However, no one could help him now.
+Whether Sudou sank or swam was entirely up to him.
+10.2
+A fier the last test, we gathered around Sudou's desk again.
+"Hey, did you do okay?" asked Ike, anxiously.
+Sudou was on the verge of losing his cool.
+"T don't know... I did everything I could, but I have no idea how well I
+did..."
+"Don't worry. You studied as hard as you could. I'm sure you did
+well."
+"Damn it, why did I fall asleep?" Sudou fidgeted, clearly frustrated
+with himself. Horikita then stepped in front of him.
+"Sudou-kun."
+"What is it? Are you going to lecture me again?" he grumbled.
+"It was certainly your fault for not reviewing the old test's final
+section. However, as you said, you did everything that you could with the
+time that you had. You didn't cut any corners or give up. Considering how
+much effort you put in, I think you should hold your head high and feel
+proud."
+"What is this? Are you trying to comfort me?"
+"Comfort? I'm speaking the truth. When I look at how far you've
+come, I understand how hard studying is for you, Sudou."
+Horikita was genuinely praising him. None of us could believe what we
+were seeing.
+"Let's wait for the results."
+"Yeah... Okay."
+"There's...one more thing. Something I need to amend."
+"Amend?"
+"Earlier, I said that your dreams of becoming a professional basketball
+player were foolish."
+"Why are you reminding me of that?"
+"T researched how someone could become a professional basketball
+player, and I learned that the road to success is an incredibly rocky one."
+"So, you're telling me to give up because it's a reckless dream?"
+"Not at all. I know that you're passionate about basketball. I also
+realize that you probably understand how difficult it is to play
+professionally." Horikita still acted in her normal, aloof manner, but this was
+clearly an apology, albeit an awkward one. "There are many Japanese people
+who fight to enter that profession. There are some among those who wish to
+become internationally renowned. You're one of those people, right?"
+"Yeah. I'm incredibly stupid, but I want to play ball. Even if I have to
+live a pathetic, miserable life as a part-time worker or worse, I'm going to
+achieve my dream."
+"T never thought I needed to understand anyone except for myself. So
+when you first told me that you wanted to play basketball, I insulted you.
+However, I now regret that. Someone who doesn't understand how difficult,
+how arduous basketball is has no right to dismiss that dream as foolish.
+Sudou-kun, don't forget the hard work and effort that you poured into
+studying. Apply that diligence to basketball. If you do, you might be able to
+go pro. At least, that's how I feel."
+Horikita's expression was the same as always, but she bowed her head
+to Sudou.
+"I'm sorry for what I said back then. Well. Now that I've said my
+piece, I'll be going."
+Horikita left the room, her apology still hanging in the air.
+"Hey, did you just see that? Horikita apologized! And so nicely!"
+"T can't believe it!"
+Ike and Yamauchi were both completely stunned. I was pretty
+surprised, too. Kushida was as well. Horikita had acknowledged that Sudou
+had done his best. A dumbfounded Sudou, still seated at his desk, looked
+after Horikita as she walked through the classroom door. Soon after, Sudou,
+put his right hand over his heart and looked at us.
+"O-oh, no... I... I think I might be in love with Horikita..." he said.
+Chapter 11:
+The Beginning
+Gene strode into the classroom, looking around at the
+students in surprise. Everyone was clearly anxious, holding their breath in
+anticipation of the test results.
+"Sensei. We were told that the results would be announced today, but
+when?"
+"There's no need for you to get so worked up, Hirata. You should have
+passed quite easily."
+"So, when will the results be released?"
+"Well, if you'd like, now is as good a time as any. If we waited to do it
+after class, we wouldn't have enough time for other procedures."
+Some of the students visibly reacted to the words "other procedures."
+"What...do you mean by that?"
+"Don't get flustered. Ill tell you now."
+As usual, she revealed the details simultaneously and collectively. She
+stuck a large, white sheet of paper with everyone's names and test scores
+onto the blackboard.
+"Honestly, I'm impressed. I didn't think that you'd score so well. Many
+students tied with perfect scores in mathematics, Japanese, and social studies.
+More than ten of you, actually."
+Some of the students shouted in joy and delight when they saw the
+100s lined up on the results sheet. However, some weren't smiling. The only
+grade that truly mattered was Sudou's score in English.
+Then—
+We saw Sudou's test scores. He had scored sixty points in four of the
+five main subjects, which was considerably high. He'd scored thirty-nine
+points in English.
+"Yes!" Sudou leapt up and shouted with joy. Ike and Yamauchi stood
+and cheered, too. There was no red line to be found on the results sheet.
+Kushida and I shared a glance and sighed in relief. Horikita didn't smile or
+cheer, but she did appear relieved.
+"We showed you, sensei! When we really try our best, we can do
+anything!" Ike wore a smug, confident look.
+"Yes, I recognize that. You all did very well. However—"
+Chiyabashira-sensei held a red pen in her hand.
+Sudou unintentionally let out a "Huh?"
+She drew a red line right above Sudou's name.
+""Wh-what is that? What does that mean?"
+"You failed, Sudou."
+"Huh? You're lying, right? Don't give me that crap! Why did I fail?"
+he cried.
+Of course, Sudou was the first one to protest this. In response to
+Sudou's failing grade, the entire classroom did a complete one-eighty. We
+stopped our delighted cheering and erupted in confusion.
+"Sudou, you failed the English exam. That's all."
+"Don't screw with me! I got thirty-two points! I passed!"
+"When did anyone say that thirty-two points was a passing grade?"
+"No, no. You said so, sensei! Right, everyone?" shouted Ike.
+"Say whatever you want, it won't matter. This is the undeniable truth.
+You had to score at least a forty to pass the midterm exam. In other words,
+you were just one point short. You were so close."
+"F-forty?! You never told us about this! I won't accept it!"
+"Should I tell you how we determine the passing grade?"
+Chiyabashira-sensei wrote a simple formula on the blackboard: 79.6
+divided by 2 equals 39.8.
+"We set a passing grade for each individual class, just as we did for the
+last test. We calculated that number by dividing the average score by two.
+That's how we arrived at our answer."
+In other words, anything at 39.8 or lower was considered failing.
+"T provided proof that you failed. That is all."
+"No way... So... Does that mean I'm going to be expelled?"
+"Although your time here was short, you struggled valiantly. You'll be
+asked to fill out a withdrawal form after class, but you will need to have a
+legal guardian present when you do so. I'Il contact them for you."
+As we witnessed the scene unfold, the teacher rattling off the
+information as if she were casually giving a report, we finally realized that
+this was actually happening.
+"As for the rest of you, good work. You all passed without any issues.
+Work hard so that you can pass your final exam as well. Well then, next—"
+"S-sensei. Is Sudou-kun really being expelled? Is there no way to save
+him?"
+Hirata was the first to show concern, even though Sudou hated him and
+had lashed out at him verbally.
+"He's being expelled. He got a failing grade."
+"Could we possibly see Sudou-kun's answer sheet?"
+"Even if you look it over, you won't find any grading mistakes. I was
+expecting that you'd protest."
+She took out Sudou's English answer sheet and handed it to Hirata,
+who immediately looked over every problem. His expression turned dark
+when he reached the end.
+"There...are no mistakes."
+"Well, if you're all in agreement, homeroom 1s over."
+Chiyabashira-sensei had heartlessly announced Sudou's expulsion
+without offering him a second chance or the faintest bit of sympathy. Ike and
+Yamauchi, knowing that words of comfort would probably have the opposite
+effect, stayed silent. Hirata remained quiet, too. Sadly, some of the students
+appeared relieved by this. Were they happy that a nuisance like Sudou was
+being removed from the class?
+"Sudou, come to the faculty room after class. That is all."
+"Chiyabashira-sensei. May I have a moment of your time?"
+Though she'd stayed silent until that moment, Horikita raised her
+slender arm in the air and spoke. Thus far, Horikita had never voluntarily
+made any remarks. Chiyabashira-sensei and the rest of the class appeared
+shocked by this abnormality.
+"Well, this is unusual, Horikita. Why?"
+"Earlier, you said that the previous test had a passing grade of thirty-
+two points. You arrived at that number by the same formula you showed us
+today. Were there no mistakes in calculating the passing grade for the last
+test?"
+"There were no mistakes."
+"Then, that raises one more question. I'd calculated the average score
+for the previous test to be 64.4 points. If I were to divide that by two, I would
+get 32.2 points. In other words, higher than 32 points. Despite that, the
+passing grade was set at 32. That means that you left off the decimal. That
+contradicts what you did this time."
+"Th-that's right. If you follow what you did last time, the passing grade
+for the midterm should be thirty-nine points!"
+In other words, Sudou's overall grade should have meant that he just
+barely passed.
+"T see. Did you anticipate that Sudou would just barely pass, then? You
+only scored exceedingly low in English, after all."
+"Horikita, you..."
+Sudou had realized something. The other students gasped as they also
+realized what had happened. Horikita had gotten perfect scores in four of the
+five main subjects, but she'd gotten an exceedingly low score of fifty-one
+points in English. Her English stuck out from her other scores.
+"You really—"
+Sudou noticed what she'd done. In order to lower the average score for
+the English test, Horikita had purposefully botched her own grade as far as
+she could.
+"If you believe that my thinking is incorrect, could you please tell why
+the calculation differs between this test and the last test?' she asked.
+The last ray of light. Our final hope.
+"T see. In that case, I'll explain in more detail. Unfortunately, your
+calculation is off. We didn't simply omit the decimal when we calculated the
+passing grade. We rounded the numbers up or down. On the last test, we
+rounded down to thirty-two points, and on this, we rounded up to forty.
+There's your answer."
+"Tech..."
+"You should have noticed that we rounded the numbers, but to hold on
+to that possibility... Well, too bad. At any rate, first period will be starting
+soon. I'll be going."
+Horikita had nothing left to counter with, so she remained quiet. She
+couldn't contradict anything Chiyabashira-sensei had said. Horikita's last
+resort had been eradicated. The classroom door slammed shut, and silence
+enveloped the room.
+Sudou, still struggling to wrap his head around this new reality, looked
+over at Horikita. She had purposefully lowered her grades as far as she could,
+all to stop Sudou's expulsion.
+"I'm sorry. I should have tried to lower my score just a little more," she
+muttered.
+Horikita slowly sat back down. However, Horikita's 51-point score on
+her English test was already considerably low. If she'd scored in the 40-point
+range, she could have run the risk of expulsion herself.
+"Why? You said that you hated me," Sudou said.
+"Don't misunderstand. I did this for my own sake. It was all for
+nothing, though."
+I slowly got up from my seat.
+'""Wh-where are you going, Ayanokouji?"
+"Bathroom."
+With that, I exited and quickly made my way toward the faculty room.
+I wondered if Chiyabashira-sensei had already arrived. As I thought that, I
+caught her staring out the window into the first-floor hallway, almost as if she
+were waiting for someone.
+"Ayanokouji, hmm? Class will begin any minute, you know," she said.
+"Sensei. Would it be all right if I asked you one question?"
+"One question? Is that why you went to the trouble of chasing after
+me?"
+"I'm curious about something."
+"First 1t was Horikita, now you. What in the world is it?"
+"Do you think that today's Japanese society is fair?"
+"What an incredible change in topic. So sudden, too. Is there some
+special meaning behind this question?"
+"It's very important. I would like your opinion."
+"If you're asking for my personal opinion, then, no, of course not. The
+world isn't fair, not even the slightest bit."
+"T see. I feel the same way. I think that equality is a fiction."
+"So, did you chase after me merely to ask that question? If that's all,
+then Ill be going."
+"One week ago, when you told us that the test's material had changed,
+you also said something like 'I forgot to inform you.' Because of that
+forgetfulness, we were notified of the change one week after the other classes
+had already been informed."
+"Yes, I said as much back in the faculty room. What of it?"
+"Every class got the same questions, the points were reflected in the
+same way for everyone, and every class faced the same threat of expulsion.
+However, Class D was compelled to test under unfair conditions."
+"Are you saying that you can't accept what happened? But it's an
+excellent example of how unfair the world is. In fact, you could call it a
+microcosm of our unfair society."
+"Certainly, society is not equal, no matter how idealistic you try to be.
+However, we are human beings, living things that can think."
+"What are you trying to say?"
+"I'm saying that we should strive for equality. At least a little."
+"T see."
+"Whether or not you truly forgot to tell us, or if it was an intentional
+slip, isn't really the issue. The fact remains that one person is now being
+expelled from this school because of those unfair conditions."
+"So, what do you want me to do?"
+"That's why I'm here. I would like to undertake the appropriate steps
+to meet with the school, the direct cause of this inequality."
+"To tell them you disagree?"
+"T just want to confirm with the appropriate people that they believe the
+school made the correct judgment."
+"That's unfortunate. What you've said isn't wrong, but I can't allow
+you to do that. Sudou will be expelled. That decision cannot be overturned at
+this stage. Give up."
+She'd ignored my point, but her words remained logical. As I'd
+anticipated, her words always held some hidden meaning.
+"You said it "cannot be overturned at this stage.' Which means there
+may be a way to overturn the decision."
+"Ayanokouji, I personally hold you in rather high regard. I've thought
+SO since assigning this test. Obtaining the old test problems was certainly one
+correct solution. Such a notion goes beyond the range of what many would
+have considered. Furthermore, you distributed the old test problems to
+everyone in class and raised the average scores. I have to praise such a logical
+decision. Honestly, you did very well."
+"Kushida was the one who obtained the problems and distributed them.
+I didn't really do anything."
+"T understand why you don't want word to get out, but don't forget that
+there are senior students, too. I already know that you contacted a third-year
+student."
+Apparently, my actions were more conspicuous than I'd thought.
+"However, despite your bold move in obtaining those questions, you
+made a mistake in the end. That's why your plan failed. If Sudou had
+memorized the material more thoroughly, he wouldn't have failed in any
+subject, right? Honestly, why don't you just give up and let Sudou get tossed
+out? Wouldn't things be easier in the future?"
+"Honestly, you're probably right. However, I decided to lend a hand. I
+suppose it's too early for me to give up. I've one thing left to try."
+I took my student ID card out of my pocket.
+"What are you planning?"
+"Please sell me one point that I can apply to Sudou's English test."
+Chiyabashira-sensei's eyes widened, and then she laughed loudly.
+"Ha ha ha ha ha! That's a rather interesting idea. You really are a
+different kind of student. I never imagined you'd try to buy points."
+"You said so the day we were admitted, didn't you, sensei? You said
+that we can buy anything with our points. The midterm test is just one more
+'thing' at this school, after all."
+"T see, I see. You certainly could view it that way. However, do you
+even have enough money on hand to afford it?"
+"Well, how much does one test point cost?"
+"Now, that's a rather difficult question, isn't it? I've never been asked
+to sell test points before. Let's see... Seeing as how this is a special occasion,
+Pll sell a test point for the exceptional price of 100,000 points."
+"You're cruel, sensei."
+Everyone at this school had spent at least some of their points.
+Absolutely no one had 100,000 to spare.
+"T'll pay, too," someone said behind me. When I turned, I found
+Horikita standing there.
+"Horikita..." I said.
+"Heh. Just as I thought. You two are interesting."
+Chiyabashira-sensei took my student ID card. Then she took Horikita's.
+"Fine. I accept your deal. I'll sell you one point to apply to Sudou's
+test, taking a combined total of 100,000 points from you both. As for the
+matter of Sudou's expulsion, you can inform the class that's no longer the
+case."
+"Ts that okay?"
+"You promised to pay me 100,000 points. There's nothing more to be
+done." Chiyabashira-sensei seemed simultaneously exasperated and amused.
+"Horikita, do you understand how talented Ayanokouji is? At least
+somewhat?"
+"T wonder. When I look at him, all I see is a disagreeable student."
+"What do you mean, 'disagreeable?'" I asked.
+"You get low scores on purpose when you could easily score higher.
+You were the one who came up with the idea of getting the old test problems,
+but you gave Kushida-san the credit. You were even crazy enough to buy test
+points. I don't think that you're special or just deviate from the norm. I think
+you're disagreeable."
+So, she'd heard how I got the old test questions, too.
+"Perhaps the pair of you really can reach the higher-level classes,"
+Chiyabashira-sensei said.
+"T don't know about him, but I most definitely will."
+"No one from Class D has ever been promoted before. The school has
+already labeled you defective and will coldly toss you aside. How will you
+accomplish your goal?"
+"If I may, sensei?" Horikita unwaveringly returned Chiyabashira-
+sensei's gaze. "Honestly, maybe the students in Class D are defective.
+However, that doesn't mean they're trash."
+"What's the difference between a defective product and trash?"
+"The difference is paper thin. However, with repairs, a defective
+product may become a superior article."
+"T see. When you say it like that, Horikita, I admit it sounds oddly
+persuasive."
+I shared that opinion, and found Horikita's words to be quite
+meaningful. Horikita, who had previously looked down upon others and
+thought of them as baggage, was changing. Of course, nothing was that
+simple. Though you could just barely glimpse the change from the outside, it
+was actually a major transformation. A faint smile appeared on Chiyabashira-
+sensei's lips, as if she also had noticed it.
+"Well, I look forward to seeing what you do next. As your homeroom
+teacher, I'Il be sure to watch over you with great attention and care."
+With that, Chiyabashira-sensei headed toward the faculty room, leaving
+the two of us in the hall.
+"Well, let's head back. Class will be starting soon," I said.
+"Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Hmm? Oof!"
+Horikita chopped me in the side.
+"What was that for?"
+"For whatever."
+She left me as I clutched my sides in agony. Jeez, what a bothersome
+classm...bothersome person. With that thought, I decided to chase after her.
+Chapter 12:
+Victory Celebration
+66
+Cheers!" Ike shouted joyfully and toasted with a can of juice. That
+evening, the former association of failures had convened once again.
+Liberated from our studies, we were all overjoyed that no one had been
+expelled. Everyone smiled... Well, except for Horikita. We'd shared our
+burdens, and together, we'd overcome the challenge. Perhaps that was the
+point of being young. I guess if you ignored the one dark spot, this wasn't
+terrible.
+"What's with the long face, Ayanokouji? Sudou wasn't expelled.
+Everything's fine now, right?"
+"T don't particularly mind that you're holding a celebration party, but
+why are you holding it in my room?"
+"Mine's a mess. So are Sudou's and Yamauchi's. And we can't go toa
+girl's room, right? I mean, yeah, I would've /oved going to Kushida-chan's
+room. But your spectacularly plain and empty room 1s the best option."
+"It's only been two months since school started. I think it'd be weird to
+have a lot of stuff." Aside from daily necessities, I didn't really need
+anything.
+"What do you think, Kushida-chan?"
+"T think it's fine here. It's simple, but it feels nice and clean."
+"Right? Man, it must be nice to have Kushida-chan praise you. Ha ha
+ha ha!" Ike grudgingly pushed me.
+"All things considered, though, that midterm was dangerous. If we
+hadn't put the study group together, I would've been fine, but Ike and Sudou
+would have definitely gotten kicked out."
+"Huh? You were close to getting expelled, too, you know."
+"No, no, I could have gotten a perfect score if I were serious about it.
+Really."
+"Everything was thanks to Horikita-san's efforts. She tutored Ike,
+Yamauchi, and Sudou."
+Horikita sat outside the circle, quietly reading a novel. When we said
+her name, she bookmarked her page and looked up.
+"T did it for my own sake. If someone had been expelled, Class D's
+evaluation would've worsened."
+"Just say that you didn't want us to get expelled, even if it's a lie. We'd
+like you better."
+"It'd be fine with me if you didn't."
+Well, her attitude remained unchanged, but simply participating in this
+gathering was a sign of her progress. The old Horikita most definitely would
+not have come.
+"Well, I guess, but...you're a surprisingly good person, Horikita,"
+replied Sudou.
+Since Horikita had apologized to Sudou, he'd completely stopped
+antagonizing her. Before, he'd said she was a bad person. But people could
+change.
+"Anyway, why did Chiyabashira-sensei change her mind about
+expelling Sudou-kun?"
+"T wondered about that, too. What kind of sorcery did you use,
+Horikita-chan?"
+"Hmm, I don't really remember."
+"Whoa, it's a secret?!"
+Ike tumbled over in an exaggerated fashion.
+"Even though we managed to make it through the midterm, we
+shouldn't lose our heads. Our next challenge is the final exam. We should
+expect those questions to be even more difficult than the ones today. In
+addition, we still need to find a way to increase our points."
+"Do we really need to start this hellish cramming all over again? This
+sucks." Still on the floor, Ike buried his head in his hands.
+"Don't you think that if we start right now, it won't be hellish?"
+"No!" He sounded sure about that.
+"T don't understand this school at all. I don't get the class divisions, the
+point system, anything."
+"Ah, points. I want points! Living in poverty really sucks."
+After Ike and Yamauchi had used up all of their points, they'd had to
+resort to living off the school's free offerings.
+"Hey, Horikita-san. Do you think it'1I be really difficult to get more
+points?"
+"We tried so hard on the midterm that they'! definitely give us some
+points, right?!"
+"Did you not see Class D's average score? We were the lowest of all of
+the classes by far. If you think that we'll get points for that, then I think you
+need to open your eyes." Horikita spoke the truth without mercy, without
+sugarcoating anything.
+"Then we're not getting any points next month, either. Boo."
+"T think you should learn to live a more modest life and give up on
+points."
+"Don't worry, Ike-kun. We may not get any points right now, but
+surely we'll get some soon. Right, Horikita-san?"
+"T wonder about that."
+"Can I say something? We're all friends here, after all. Horikita-san,
+Ayanokouji-kun, and I are all working together to get into Class A. If you're
+okay with it, I want you three to help us," Kushida said.
+"Get into...Class A? A-are you serious?" Ike said.
+"Yes. I absolutely am. Increasing our points is an inevitable part of
+getting to the top as well."
+"B-but, isn't the idea of reaching Class A kind of ridiculous? They're
+all smart, right? It'd be impossible for us to win against those guys by
+studying."
+When you considered their average test scores, everyone in that class
+was probably on Horikita's level.
+"Studying isn't the sole factor in deciding who goes into what class,
+though. Right?"
+"Yeah, but if you can't study at all, then moving up is out of the
+question."
+The three least-academically gifted people averted their eyes and
+whistled nonchalantly.
+"We're still far from our goal, but we can do it if we all work together.
+I know it."
+"What makes you so sure?"
+"What makes me sure, hmm? Well, you know what they say, 'A single
+arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle,' I suppose."
+"T think that even if you bundled these ten together, they'd still break,"
+Horikita said.
+"W-well how about this? Three heads are better than one! Or
+something like that,' Kushida said.
+"T guess if you combined all three of their test scores, you'd get one
+normal person's grade." Every time Kushida tried to raise the three up,
+Horikita would knock them back down. What an amazing pair.
+"If we keep going back and forth like this, though, we won't get
+anywhere. It's definitely better for us to get along."
+"T suppose that, logically, you're right."
+"Right?"
+Horikita didn't try to argue further. At any rate, if we wanted to move
+up, we'd need to get along with as many of our classmates as possible. We
+gained nothing by fighting one another.
+"So that's why I'd like to ask the three of you to help us."
+"Gladly!" replied Ike and Yamauchi in unison.
+"Well, 1f Horikita asked me to help, I would. I guess." Sudou tried to
+hide his embarrassment when he spoke.
+"TI never wanted your help, Sudou-kun. Besides, I have a hard time
+imagining how you'! be useful in the first place."
+"Grr. I just thought I'd try to be nice, is all, and—"
+"You were trying to be nice? I'm surprised."
+Unsurprisingly, Sudou looked angry, but it didn't seem like he was
+going to raise his fist. Wow, he was making progress, too.
+"You're a really annoying girl," he said.
+"Thank you. I appreciate your words of praise."
+"You are not cute at all, lady."
+"You say that, but how do you really feel?" teased Ike.
+Sudou instantly glared at Ike and put him in a headlock.
+"Ow! Ow, ow! S-stop!"
+"If you say anything else, I'm going to strangle you!"
+"Y-you already are strangling me, jeez! I give, I give!"
+Horikita sighed deeply. Her eyes seemed to ask, Js this male bonding?
+"In this school, ability is paramount. I'm positive that our competition
+will grow even more severe moving forward. If you say you'll work with us,
+know that you can't do so half-heartedly. Otherwise you'll be a burden."
+"Well, if it comes down to physical ability, leave it to me. I have
+serious basketball and fighting skills."
+"T really can't expect anything from you at all."
+Ability was paramount, huh? I felt my chest tighten. We'd been
+isolated from the world and now thrust into this situation. Perhaps we were
+cursed.
+Horikita seriously planned on getting into Class A. Her will was
+unshakeable. However, our path out of Class D would not be an easy one.
+Considering our current performance, it was hard to imagine us even
+reaching Class C. What should we do from here? I imagined that things
+would turn out as they should. For the time being, I'd do my best. At the very
+least, though...I wouldn't mind seeing Horikita smile.
+Postscript
+I sincerely apologize for the long silence. This is Kinugasa Syougo.
+It's a pleasure to meet you. I wrote this story about a year ago. Classroom of
+the Elite came out of my transition from student to adult, and because I
+wanted to tackle a challenging subject. When I think back to my student days,
+I recall everyone continuously telling me that I had to study if I wanted to get
+into a good university, if I wanted to get a job in a good field, if I wanted to
+have a good life. Recently, I've had my doubts as to whether that advice was
+actually correct. Unfortunately, I've gone astray, and leapt into a world far
+different from the one that my family and peers imagined for me...
+Of course, studying is important, and there's no doubt that it is useful
+for a person's future. But I believe that academics aren't everything. For an
+easy example, sports are often part of an academic curriculum. Many people
+participate in sports. Everyone's personality is unique, though. A child who
+has a talent for drawing might become an illustrator, or someone with the
+comedic gift might become an entertainer. Besides academics and sports,
+there are a near-infinite variety of callings and professions that suit all
+different types of people.
+When I started thinking about this, I began to consider those regrets
+that adults face for the first time. I thought, "If only I'd done this," and
+started to regret my past. Lately, these ideas have been constantly on my
+mind.
+Now, I'd like to list some acknowledgements.
+Tomose Shunsaku-sama. Thank you so much for working with me time
+and time again. The male characters you draw are so wonder—no, I should
+say I give you my sincerest thanks because you draw both male and female
+characters that simply overflow with charm.
+I will always make sure to show you how appreciative and thankful I
+am for your help. I sincerely look forward to working with you in the future.
+We should really go out to get some yakiniku soon. My treat. One of those
+cheap all-you-can-eat places!
+My editor, I-sama. Thank you so much for going over my writing.
+Though I've placed many burdens upon you with my previous work, I am
+sincerely grateful for all the effort you've put in, especially when this took a
+rather long time to complete. Huh? You say to knock it off and cut you a
+break? Ha ha ha, what a great joke. We have a long, long way to go. A one-
+way ticket all the way to the depths of hell. At least we're falling together,
+right?
+Finally, there is you, the reader. Because you're holding this book, you could
+say that in some sense you play a part in its central theme. While I am
+incredibly grateful to you more than anyone, I think we can conclude this
+volume here. It's already the spring of 2015, but, as usual, my physical health
+is hardly perfect. I continue my longstanding battle with insomnia, but I'll
+keep doing my best not to lose.
+Sakura Airi's
+Soliloquy
+I don't know how to interact with other people. I'm bad at talking
+while making eye contact. I'm horrible with crowds. I don't remember how
+or when I became so hopeless.
+However, one thing I do know for certain is that a person cannot live
+entirely in isolation. No matter how much I may love my solitude, I can't
+remain totally by myself. So, I came up with a solution. I would adopt a false
+face and hide my true self. Then, I wouldn't be completely honest, but I could
+be a version of myself. I could continue to live in this dark, lonely world.
+The world isn't entirely beautiful. Everyone knows this, but in their
+hearts they still wish for that perfect, idyllic place. A bit of a contradiction.
+I don't care who answers me, but I need to know. Is everyone else
+putting on a facade, just like me? Or do most people show their true selves to
+the outside world? Since I can't connect with people, I suppose there's no
+way for me to find out the answer. Therefore, I remain alone.
+I'm all right by myself.
+I'm all right with being alone.
+| ere
+I want to connect with someone from the bottom of my heart.
+And so I will continue to live quietly, with my eyes downcast. Alone.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S$01T004651
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: October 20th
+***
+c
+***
+DECISION MAKING: c
+***
+Shows a clear lack of assertiveness and does not appear to have any
+future prospects. At this stage, we do not have high expectations for
+this student. He displays neither cooperativeness nor independence.
+Although his abilities fall within the acceptable range of a high school
+student, his academic and physical skills at present are slightly below
+average. Since he possesses no special qualifications, and due toa
+lack of documentation outlining any extenuating circumstances, we
+have deemed his assignment to Class D as appropriate. We hope that
+this student undergoes personal growth while continuing to develop
+relationships with friends and his instructor.
+***
+After observing him, | have to report that there have been no apparent
+changes as of 7/1.
+Chapter 2:
+The Sudden Beginning of
+Our Tumultuous Troubles
+The timing couldn't have been worse.
+While searching for a place to take a good selfie, I stumbled into
+something. Even a certain famous, diminutive detective would have held his
+breath when witnessing such a tense situation.
+The whole thing had started about ten seconds ago. Someone made a
+trivial comment, which upset the other party. That led to vicious insults,
+which turned into a fistfight. No, a "fight" wasn't the right way of putting it.
+The other three male students lay on the floor, writhing in pain. A red-haired
+boy stood over them, looking down in victory. It was an entirely one-sided
+ordeal.
+His right fist was covered in blood from the students he'd pummeled.
+This was the first brawl I'd ever witnessed. In elementary school I saw boys
+quarrel with each other in class, pulling clothes and pinching arms. This was
+different, though. I could feel the tension in the air.
+Though I was terrified, I began capturing the scene with my camera.
+The shutter didn't make a sound. After taking the pictures, I asked myself
+what I was doing. I couldn't think clearly in my panicked state. I tried to
+quickly get away. However, my brain no longer seemed to function properly.
+My legs didn't obey my command to move, like I was paralyzed.
+"He he, so. Do you really think that this is the end of it, Sudou?"
+Despite being barely able to move, one of the male students on the
+ground tried to taunt Sudou.
+"Do you wanna make me laugh? You're in the sorriest state possible.
+You want to go for another round, huh? Next time I won't hold back."
+Sudou-kun grabbed the beaten boy's collar, and brought him closer.
+They were eye-to-eye now, only a few centimeters apart. Sudou looked as
+though he was going to kill and then devour his opponent, which was so
+overwhelming that the defeated boy looked away.
+"Are you scared? Did you really think you'd beat me if you had more
+people?"
+Sudou-kun snorted, dropped the student, picked up his bag, and then
+turned and walked away as if the defeated three completely disinterested him.
+My heart rate skyrocketed. Well, that was natural. Sudou-kun was headed for
+my hiding spot. My potential escape routes from this building were limited.
+I had the idea to turn back down the staircase I'd used to come up here.
+However, I still couldn't move, and my window of opportunity was closing.
+I'd heard that that when someone was involved in a crisis, his or her body
+would lock up, exactly like what was happening now.
+"What a waste of time. Tiring me out after practice. Give me a break,"
+Sudou-kun said.
+The distance between us was closing. He was only a few short meters
+away.
+"You're the one who's going to regret this later, Sudou."
+The boy's words stopped Sudou-kun in his tracks.
+"Nothing's more pathetic than a sore loser. No matter how many times
+you come at me, you won't win."
+He wasn't bluffing. He clearly had the confidence to back up what he
+said. After all, Sudou-kun had emerged victorious and unscathed from a
+three-on-one fight.
+Tomorrow was the first of July, but given how much I was sweating
+you'd think summer was already here. I remained completely still in my
+hiding place. Sweat poured down the nape of my neck. I decided to leave
+calmly, quietly, and without panicking. I'd hate it if someone were to spot me
+and involve me in this mess. If that happened, it would cast a dark cloud over
+my otherwise peaceful school life.
+I left the scene quickly and carefully.
+"Is someone there?"
+Sudou-kun, sensing my movement, looked to where I'd been mere
+moments before. However, I'd successfully escaped by a hair's breadth. If ''d
+lagged a mere two seconds, he probably would've seen me.
+pm |
+1 eee in Class D were always lively, because most of the
+students were far from studious. Today they were being even more raucous
+than usual. The reason was obvious. We were about to finally get points for
+the first time since we'd come to this school.
+My school, the "Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High
+School," has adopted an unprecedented system known as the S-Point System.
+Pll explain that in a bit.
+I took out my school-provided cell phone, launched the pre-installed
+school app, and logged in using my student ID and password. I then selected
+the option "Balance Inquiry" from the menu. From here, you could do many
+things. You could check your current personal balance, or you could see how
+many collective points the class had. There was also a function that enabled
+you to send points to another student.
+There were two types of points listed. One of them was marked with a
+"cl" at the end, which was short for "'class."' These were also referred to as
+"class points'"—not points that an individual student possessed, but rather,
+points that the class had accumulated together. Class D had had zero class
+points since June. No points at all. The other points were marked with a "pr"
+at the end, which stood for "private." These were our individual points.
+On the first day of every month, they multiplied the cl points, or class
+points, by 100, then deposited that amount into our private point accounts.
+We used these private points to purchase daily necessities, meals, even
+electrical appliances. At this school, points are currency. They are very
+important.
+If you didn't have any private points, you were forced to live day-to-
+day without spending money. You couldn't use real currency anywhere on
+campus. Because Class D was sitting at zero points, we hadn't received any
+private points for the month, and thus had to get by without cash.
+When we first started here, we had 1000 class points.
+If we had kept those points, we would have received 100,000-yen
+worth of points each month. Unfortunately, our class points fluctuated every
+day. Many things caused a reduction in points, like talking in class or getting
+a low score on a test. As a result, Class D had zero points when May came
+around. Things had continued in that vein until now, July 1.
+In addition to determining our monthly allowance, the class points
+were used to measure our class's merit. The classes were ordered by class
+points, in descending order from A through D. So in the event that Class D
+managed to get enough points to surpass Class C, our class would probably
+be promoted from D to C for the next month. Moreover, should we finally
+manage to get all the way up to Class A, then we'd have the chance to attend
+the college of our choice, or to get the job we wanted.
+When I first heard about this system, I thought it'd be important to
+accumulate as many class points as possible. Private points would grant us
+only personal satisfaction. However, my perspective changed when I bought
+a point for the midterm test.
+I'd been able to purchase a point for Sudou on that recent test. If I
+hadn't, he'd have just barely failed. When I realized that the school would
+allow me to purchase exam points, I understood that our homeroom teacher,
+Chabashira-sensei, hadn't been kidding when she told us, "At this school,
+you can buy anything with your points."
+Ergo, holding onto private points meant that 1t was possible to
+favorably change your situation. Upon further consideration, you could likely
+purchase more than just test points.
+"Good morning, everyone. You all seem more restless than usual
+today."
+Chabashira-sensei strode into the classroom as the homeroom bell rang.
+""Sae-chan-sensei! Do we have zero points again this month?! When I
+checked this morning, I didn't see a single point deposited into my account!"
+"Oh, so that's why you're all so restless?"
+"We worked ourselves half to death this past month! We passed the
+midterm, so why are we still at zero points?! No one's been late or absent,
+and no one's talked during class, either!"
+"Don't jump to conclusions. Listen to what I have to say first. You're
+correct, Ike. You have all worked harder than ever before. I recognize that.
+Naturally, the school understands full well how you all feel."
+After being admonished by the teacher, Ike shut his mouth and sat back
+down.
+"Well then. Without further ado, here are this month's point totals."
+She put a paper up on the board that listed the point values, starting
+with Class A at the top. Excluding Class D, all of the other classes had nearly
+100 more points than last month. Class A now sat at 1004 points, slightly
+above where everyone had started when we were admitted.
+"This isn't good. Could they have figured out a way to increase their
+point total?!"
+My neighbor, Horikita Suzune, appeared solely focused on the other
+classes. However, Ike and most of the other Class D students didn't care
+much about the other classes' points. The important question for them was
+whether we had received more class points. That was it.
+Written next to Class D was our point total: 87 points.
+"Huh? Wait, 87? Does that mean we actually went up? Yahoo!"
+Ike excitedly jumped up and down the instant he saw our score.
+"It's too early to celebrate. All the other classes saw a similar increase
+in their points. We didn't close the distance at all. This might just be a reward
+first-year students receive for getting through the midterm. Every class seems
+to have gotten at least 100 points."
+"So that's what happened. I thought it odd that we'd been awarded
+points so quickly."
+Horikita, who hoped to reach Class A, didn't appear pleased with the
+result. She wasn't smiling.
+"Are you disappointed because the gap between the classes has
+widened, Horikita?" I asked.
+"No, that's not it. We managed to get something this time, after all."
+"Get something? Get what?" asked Ike, now standing.
+Horikita, after attracting everyone's attention, fell back into silence. It
+was as if she didn't wish to provide an answer. The class leader, Hirata
+Yousuke, answered for her.
+"T believe that Horikita-san is referring to the deductions we incurred
+throughout April and May. In other words, we didn't see a reduction in points
+for talking in class or being late."
+The sharp-witted Hirata hadn't missed a beat. Splendid.
+"Ah, is that so? I suppose that even if we got 100 points, a lot of
+deductions would' ve brought us down to zero." Ike, after this simple
+explanation, raised his arms in victory. "Wait. But then, why didn't we get
+any points?"
+He lobbed his original question again at Chabashira-sensei. It was
+indeed strange that we hadn't received 8700 private points in our accounts.
+"Well, this time there was a little trouble. The first-year students' point
+distribution has been delayed. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit longer,"
+she said.
+"Huh? Seriously? If this is the school's fault, then shouldn't we get
+some kind of bonus as compensation?"
+The students grumbled in discontent. Once they found out that they
+would be getting their points, their attitudes had changed dramatically. There
+was a Significant difference between 87 points and no points.
+"Don't blame me. This was the school's decision, there's nothing I can
+do about it. Once the trouble has been resolved, you'Il receive your points. If
+there are still points left, that is."
+There was deeper meaning behind Chabashira-sensei's words.
+252
+Once lunchtime came around, everyone went to eat. Lately, I've
+come to believe that dining with friends is actually the most difficult aspect
+of student life. Take Kushida Kikyou, for example. She's extremely popular
+and has many friends, both girls and boys. She gets in-person invitations,
+along with constant invites over the phone and through email. Even though
+she's unable to respond to everyone and sometimes has to turn people down,
+when she eats with friends she appears to have a real life.
+On the other hand, you've got people like Ike and Yamauchi, who
+aren't very popular with girls. They eat with their group of guy friends,
+including Sudou and Hondou, almost every day.
+Meanwhile, I don't really belong anywhere.
+I'd say I'm friends with Kushida. I'm friends with Ike and Yamauchi,
+too. Though I eat with them on occasion, I wouldn't say it's a frequent
+occurrence. Generally speaking, it's the kind of relationship where the other
+party asks, "Want to have lunch?" or "Are you free after class?"
+I didn't really mind near the start of the school year. Before I'd made
+any friends, it was only natural that I would be alone. However, now I was
+experiencing a strange phenomenon: I had friends, yet I was still on my own.
+It was an uncomfortable experience.
+If I happened to be absent on a day when we formed groups for a
+school trip, ''d possibly end up left out. Did they all consider me a low-tier
+friend? Or was our friendship all in my head? Those were my thoughts.
+Nervous and anxious, I unintentionally looked at Ike and the others.
+I'm over here, guys. It's okay for you to invite me. My glances were filled
+with selfishness and anticipation. I was flooded by feelings of self-loathing.
+Reminding myself that I should know when to give up, I averted my gaze.
+Pathetic scenes like this played out daily.
+"You're still not used to it. You're as pathetic as ever, Ayanokouji-
+99
+kun.
+My neighbor shot me a somewhat cold look.
+"You seem completely used to solitude," I replied.
+"I'm quite fine, thank you."
+I meant to sound sarcastic, but Horikita took it as sincere. The majority
+of our classmates had already formed their own groups, but a few students
+were still all alone. That offered some relief. Horikita wasn't the only loner;
+Kouenji spent most of his time alone, too. On first starting here, he'd enjoyed
+the company of girls from other classes and grade levels. However, once he
+ran low on points, he began to spend most of his time in the classroom.
+He was the sole heir to the Kouenji conglomerate group, one of the
+largest corporations in Japan. He didn't love solitude, but rather, loved
+himself and cared little for others. I respected that he didn't seem bothered at
+all by being alone. He was currently completely lost in examining his face in
+a hand mirror, his daily routine.
+Aside from him, there was a quiet girl with glasses. At one time Ike
+had made a ruckus about how large her breasts were, but because she was
+considered plain, everyone quickly lost interest. She was always alone, and
+I'd never seen her talk to anyone. Just the other day, she'd been eating by
+herself, hunched over her bento box. She was one of the few students who
+made her own lunches.
+Just then, my neighbor took a bento box from her bag and opened it.
+Lately, Horikita had been making her own lunches rather than going to the
+cafeteria, too.
+"Doesn't it cost quite a bit and take a lot of effort to make your own
+lunch?" I asked.
+Although they weren't exactly high quality, the free meals offered in
+the school cafeteria were a form of relief for students who'd used up all of
+their points. There was no merit in a homemade lunch, which consumed time
+and your own points to make.
+"I'm not sure about that. The school supermarket provides free
+ingredients, you know."
+"Wait, so you made this with free stuff?"
+Horikita simply opened her bento in response. It didn't have much in
+the way of meat or fried foods, but it looked tasty.
+"Don't tell me. Not only are you a bright scholar, you're an
+accomplished cook as well? That doesn't seem to fit your personality."
+"Anyone can cook by looking up a recipe in a book or on the Internet.
+Our dorms come equipped with all of the necessary tools, as well."
+Horikita didn't waste any more words trying to impress upon me how
+much of a genius she was. She simply took out her chopsticks. I guess it all
+seemed so obvious to her.
+"But why did you decide to go through the trouble of making your own
+lunch?" I asked.
+"The cafeteria is noisy. It's much more relaxing to eat here, wouldn't
+you say?"
+Toward the start of the year, many of the students had gone to the
+cafeteria to buy bread or lunches, but facing a shortage of points an
+overwhelming number of students got the free meal set. Looking around, I
+could see that only a few students remained in the classroom.
+Was this Horikita's preferred environment? One where Ike and the
+others weren't around?
+"Do I already miss riding the big cafeteria-bound wave of students?"
+"You're always staring out at the ocean, but you don't have a
+surfboard. You lack even the determination to ride the wave, don't you? And
+you talk about missing it? You're awfully full of yourself."
+I wished I had a comeback for that, but I couldn't argue. I just wanted
+her to cut me a break.
+23
+| OF re lunch, my time after class felt surprisingly pleasant, since I
+didn't have to worry about interacting with anyone. Even if I went straight
+back to the dorms, I didn't stand out at all since several other students did
+that, too. There was some value in being able to vanish like a ninja into a
+crowd. If I hung toward the back of some group of friends, I could pretend I
+was one of them.
+"How pitiful."
+I was pretty pleased with myself for being able to so skillfully pretend
+that I had friends, but there really wasn't anyone at this school who cared
+about my pretense in the first place.
+""Sudou. I have to talk to you about something. Come to the faculty
+room," Chabashira-sensei called out to Sudou, who was trying to beat a hasty
+retreat from the classroom.
+"Huh? What do you want with me? I've got basketball practice now."
+Sudou languidly opened up his bag to show off the sports uniform inside.
+"T've already spoken with the advisor. You don't have to come with me
+if you don't want to, but you wil/ face the consequences later."
+Chabashira-sensei's threatening words set Sudou a little on edge.
+"What? Will this be over quickly?"
+"That all depends on you. The longer you stand there, the more time
+you waste."
+It seemed as though he had no choice but to go with her. Sudou clicked
+his tongue, and followed Chabashira-sensei out of the classroom.
+"T thought that he might have changed, but I guess Sudou's the same as
+ever. Wouldn't it have been better if he just got kicked out?"
+I didn't know who was talking, but I could hear some people in our
+class mumbling to themselves. I'd thought the midterm had united our class
+as a group, but it must have been my imagination. It was a shame.
+"Do you think so, too? That it would have been better if Sudou-kun
+were expelled?" While she spoke, Horikita started putting her textbooks in
+her bag. There probably weren't that may students who took their textbooks
+with them to class every single day. Sometimes I thought she was too serious.
+"T don't really think so. What about you, Horikita? You were the only
+person who gave Sudou a helping hand."
+"Hmm. Well, we still don't know whether our points would go up as a
+class, really," she replied, disinterested.
+When Sudou had faced expulsion during the midterm, Horikita had
+helped him by purposefully lowering her own score and spending her own
+points to buy him a passing grade. I'd never imagined her capable of doing
+something like that.
+We got up from our seats at the same time, and walked out of the
+classroom together. We occasionally went back to the dorms together, though
+I couldn't remember when that ritual had started. Since we didn't have lunch
+together or just casually hang out, I found it odd. Then again, we had the
+same path back to the dormitory. That was probably why we walked together.
+"T'm a little worried about what Chabashira-sensei said this morning,"
+Horikita said.
+"About our points being delayed?"
+"Yes. She said that there was trouble, but did she mean that it was a
+problem for the school, or a problem for us, the students? If it's the latter,
+then..."
+"You're overthinking things. We haven't caused any real problems
+lately. She even said so herself. I doubt Class D would be the only ones not to
+get any points. It's simply the school having an issue."
+Even if there was a cause for concern, even if only the first-year
+students had had their payments delayed, Class D probably wasn't the issue.
+Probably.
+"T hope that's the case. Trouble directly affects our points."
+Horikita spent every single day thinking about how to increase our
+points. She wasn't concerned with private points, of course, but class points.
+She wanted to get up to Class A. I wouldn't say that it was impossible, but
+right now it was a very long shot.
+However, we still had hope. If Horikita did discover a reliable method
+for increasing our points, that would be a huge boon for Class D.
+Furthermore, our classmates would come to place more trust in Horikita, and
+she'd make friends. It was a win-win situation.
+"That reminds me. You should join in the chat now and again. You're
+the only one who hasn't caught up in a long time."
+I took out my phone and launched the group chat app. We'd invited
+Horikita to join after the midterm exam. Kushida had doubted whether
+Horikita would actually participate, since she hated talking with others.
+Despite the attempts at friendship, Horikita hadn't participated at all.
+"I'm not interested in the slightest. Also, I keep my notifications turned
+off."
+"Ts that nght?"
+Well, apparently she hadn't intended to participate in the first place.
+She probably didn't delete the app because it would send a notification to
+Kushida and the rest of the group if she did. Horikita was free to decide for
+herself whether she would participate, so I didn't press the matter any further.
+I wasn't really qualified to judge, anyway.
+"You've been quite talkative lately, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Really? I thought I've always been like this."
+"It's a slight difference, but you've changed."
+Although I hadn't intended to change, I probably had undergone a
+slight transformation since starting here. Especially with how I got along with
+Horikita... Well, I wouldn't say that we got along, but I didn't really feel
+uncomfortable around her. If she were another girl, I probably wouldn't have
+been able to converse normally. I'd have gotten nervous and fidgety.
+That was why I only talked with people to whom I was close. More
+than anything else, though, I was grateful for a relationship where being
+silent didn't worsen the mood.
+"Did something make you change?"
+"T wonder. Well, if I had to think of a reason, I guess I got used to
+attending school, and then I made some friends. Also, Kushida was probably
+a big influence."
+When I was only around the guys, sometimes we barely talked, or
+didn't talk at all. When Kushida was around, people were always talking, and
+the collective mood brightened.
+"You seem to be getting along quite well with Kushida-san. Aren't you
+bothered, especially knowing about her other side?"
+"T admit I found it shocking when she said that she hated you, Horikita.
+But I think it's only natural that everyone has people they like and people
+they hate. There's no point being concerned about it. I mean, you still pretend
+to get along well with Kushida-san even though she said she hates you,
+right?"
+"Hmm. Well, you may have a point there. It's true that I hate you, too,
+Ayanokouji-kun, yet I talk to you normally. I don't really mind, then."
+HCY 2x5"
+What the heck? It really hurt when she said it straight out like that.
+"That's what I'm getting at. If someone says that they hate another
+person, it's fine. But if someone says that they hate you, don't you feel a little
+bad?" she asked.
+"Were you testing me?"
+Horikita started combing her hair in a way that looked rather deliberate.
+"T don't have any intention of getting in her way, but Kushida-san and I are
+like oil and water. I think it's better not to associate with her."
+In other words, she probably wouldn't join a group chat with Kushida
+in it.
+"Why does she even hate you in the first place?" I asked.
+They hadn't had much contact since school began. So when had she
+started hating Horikita? I mean, Kushida said that it was her goal to get along
+with everyone in class.
+"Who knows? She probably doesn't know that much about me."
+That might have been the case. But even so, I sensed that there was
+something between Kushida and Horikita.
+"If you're that curious, why don't you ask her yourself? Directly?"
+Horikita asked.
+That was impossible. Kushida Kikyou was normally a sweet, angelic
+girl, but I had glimpsed a different side to her. It was difficult to even imagine
+when you saw her gentle smile or heard her pleasant tone, but I recalled the
+vicious comments she'd spat out. Horikita probably didn't know about that.
+"No need. I'm fine with the Kushida we have now," I said.
+"What you just said was really disgusting, you know that?"
+"Yeah."
+Even though I'd spoken the words, I did feel disgusted with myself.
+2.4
+A fier a nice dinner in the dorm cafeteria, I headed back to my room.
+There, I took out my phone and checked my remaining balance. My account
+total was displayed on the screen. I saw that I had 8,320 private points. It
+hadn't changed since this morning. Considering that we'd started the school
+year with 100,000 points, this was an incredibly low amount. I had nearly
+bankrupted myself just to buy the point Sudou needed to pass.
+"It would be pretty great if we got those 87 points," I muttered.
+Converted, the points came to roughly 8700 yen. Although that wasn't
+a giant improvement, it was still big bucks.
+As I was playing around on my phone, my door suddenly swung open.
+"Save me, Ayanokouji!" Sudou stood there, his face beet red.
+"Why're you here? Actually, forget that — how did you even get in?"
+I'd locked my door when I got back to my room. I hadn't forgotten,
+because I made it a habit. Had Sudou smashed through the wall or
+something? Just to be sure, I checked my door to see that it wasn't broken. It
+looked completely fine.
+"This the room where our group meets, isn't it? Ike and the rest of us
+made duplicate keys. Didn't you know that? Everyone else in the group has a
+key, too."
+He spun the keycard around in his hand.
+"T learned this extremely important fact just now," I grumbled. It
+seemed my room was no longer safe. People could invade whenever they
+pleased.
+"Anyway, forget about that right now. I'm in serious trouble! You have
+to help me!" he cried.
+"No, I can't forget about it. Hand over the key."
+"Huh? Why? I bought this with my own points. It's mine."
+What an illogical argument. Even if you're ignorant of committing a
+crime, it's still a crime. Friendship doesn't mean automatically allowing
+people to do whatever they want.
+"If you need advice or you're worried about something, why not ask
+Ike or Yamauchi?"
+"T can't ask them. They're stupid."
+Sudou slid to the floor with a thud.
+"Buy some carpet, will ya? My butt hurts," he muttered.
+I had no points to waste on interior design. Even though my room had
+seemingly been designated as our group's meeting spot, we hadn't gotten
+together once since the party. Even if I went out and bought a carpet, I'd have
+been the only one sitting on it. Just imagining that was surreal.
+As I stood up to make some tea, the doorbell rang. Kushida, the
+Madonna of Class D, poked her head through the entrance. She looked as
+cute as ever. She saw Sudou, who was still sitting on my floor.
+"Oh, Sudou-kun's already here," she said.
+"Hey, Kushida, I want to ask you something. Do you perhaps have a
+duplicate key to my room, too?"
+"Yeah, I do. That's so we can meet up here... Wait, did you not know
+about that, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+She took a key card from her bag and showed it to me. I didn't spot any
+differences between her key and mine. They were exactly the same.
+Apparently Kushida thought I'd given permission to make these keys.
+"Umm, well...should I return it to you?"
+She apologetically handed over her key.
+"No, it's okay. There's no point if you're the only one who returns a
+key. Sudou doesn't seem to want to hand his over."
+Wasn't it fine for Kushida to have a key, anyway? I suppose that in the
+delusional part of my brain, giving her a key made it feel like she was my
+girlfriend. Men certainly are devious creatures.
+"Since Kushida came, too, can we move on to the topic at hand?"
+Sudou asked.
+"All right, I guess there's no getting around it. So, what do you need to
+talk about?"
+It wasn't like I could bluntly turn the two of them away. Sudou began
+talking slowly, wearing a meek expression.
+"You know how our homeroom teacher called me today? Well, it's...
+Uh... The truth is...I may be suspended. For a long time, actually."
+""S-suspended?"
+That was unexpected. Compared to how he'd acted at the start of the
+year, Sudou had been rather well behaved lately. He didn't sleep in class or
+talk during lectures, and he was doing well in his club activities.
+"Did you insult Chabashira-sensei, by any chance?" I asked.
+Sudou had been upset when Chabashira-sensei stopped him from going
+to basketball practice. With that in mind, he might've said something
+reckless.
+"That's not it."
+"Then what? Did you grab her by the collar and threaten to kill her or
+something?"
+"That's not it, either."
+Another denial. I hadn't expected that.
+"It's probably worse than you' re thinking..."
+My first two guesses had been pretty serious, so if 1t was something
+worse, then...
+"Oh, I got it, Ayanokouji-kun. He viciously beat Chabashira-sensei and
+then he spit on her!" Kushida cried.
+"That's horrible. I mean, your wild ideas are way too awful, Kushida!"
+"Ha ha, I'm only joking! Sudou-kun wouldn't go that far."
+Even though I expected Sudou to immediately deny what she said, he
+seemed shocked by Kushida's joke. That was proof that something really was
+wrong.
+"What happened?" I asked.
+"To tell you the truth, I beat up some kids from Class C yesterday.
+Then, I got suspended. The suspension is probably my punishment."
+Kushida was also shocked by Sudou's words. She shot me a look. I
+couldn't immediately process the fact that Sudou had gotten himself into
+trouble again.
+"You beat them up? So, uh, why did you do that?" I asked.
+"Just so you know, it wasn't my fault, okay? The jerks in Class C
+started it and tried to pick a fight with me. I just responded to the situation
+and turned the tables on them. Then they said that I started the fight. They're
+a bunch of liars."
+Sudou still hadn't quite collected his thoughts. While I understood the
+gist of what he was saying, I still didn't know the fight's details or how it
+started.
+"Just wait a minute, Sudou-kun. Can you please start over, and go a bit
+more slowly?" Kushida encouraged him to calm down and tried to get him to
+tell us the story.
+"Sorry, I guess I just kind of skipped to the end and left a lot out."
+Sudou took a deep breath and started over.
+"T was talking with the club advisor about being a regular for the
+summer tournament."
+I'd heard that Sudou was good at basketball, but I hadn't expected him
+to become a regular already.
+"A regular player? That's amazing, Sudou-kun! Congratulations!"
+"Well, nothing's set in stone yet. It's just a possibility for now."
+"Still, that's amazing. We've only just started school."
+"Yeah, I suppose. Actually, I was the only first-year student nominated
+to be a regular player. Still, it's not like it's definite. Anyway, when I was on
+my way back to the dorm, Komtya and Kondou, who're in the basketball club
+with me, called me over to the special building. They said they wanted to talk
+to me about something. I could've just ignored them, but I mean, I
+occasionally talk to those two guys during basketball. I thought it'd be better
+to just hear them out. So of course, I went to meet with them, right? Then,
+there was this Ishizaki guy there, waiting for me. He's Komiya and Kondou's
+friend. They said that they couldn't stand that someone like me from Class D
+had been chosen as a regular. They threatened me, and said to quit basketball
+or there'd be a lot of pain in my future. I refused to quit, I beat them up, and
+now I'm here."
+It was a rather hurried explanation, but I got the gist. Apparently Sudou
+was Satisfied with his story.
+"So then they painted you as the bad guy, Sudou-kun."
+Sudou-kun nodded, an exasperated look still on his face. So the
+students in Class C had started the whole thing, and when their attempt to
+threaten Sudou had failed, they'd resorted to force. In other words, an act of
+violence. However, Sudou was an experienced fighter, so he'd managed to
+completely overwhelm them without breaking a sweat. Of course, they'd
+been injured. Since there was no evidence of what had happened, they'd lied
+the next day and told school officials that Sudou had beaten them up for no
+reason.
+"If Class C started this, then Sudou-kun isn't at fault."
+"Right? I seriously don't get this. I can't believe that teacher, either!"
+"We should tell Chabashira-sensei tomorrow. We should tell her it
+wasn't Sudou-kun's fault," Kushida said.
+Things probably wouldn't be so simple. Sudou must have already told
+the school what he'd just told us. But because he lacked clear evidence to
+support his claim, the school might still decide to punish him.
+"Sudou, what did the school say when they heard what happened?"
+"They said they would give me until next Tuesday to come up with
+proof. If I can't do that, they' Il say I'm at fault and I'll be suspended until
+summer. On top of that, the whole class will lose points, too."
+Apparently the school had decided to wait for evidence. However,
+Sudou appeared more worried about his basketball dreams than his
+suspension, or our class's loss of points. I guess he couldn't bear the thought
+of his youth being squandered.
+"What should I do?"
+"Sudou-kun, you didn't lie to the teacher, did you? I mean, it seems
+strange. They didn't believe you even though you said you didn't do anything
+wrong. Right?"
+I felt bad for Kushida. She looked to me for affirmation, but I couldn't
+respond the way she wanted.
+"Well, I wonder about that. I don't think it's quite that simple."
+"What do you mean, you wonder? You're not doubting me, are you?"
+"Well, the school doesn't trust you, right? It wouldn't be that odd for
+someone in your class, like Kushida, for instance, to support you even if
+you're lying. After all, they don't want their points to go down."
+"Well...you might be right about that, I suppose."
+Our current troubles wouldn't be resolved merely by discovering
+who'd started it. Perhaps those three students might face a one-week
+suspension themselves, as punishment. Those three guys had claimed they
+were beaten up. Without ironclad proof that Sudou wasn't at fault, he would
+definitely be punished. That meant only one thing.
+"Even if the other party is at fault, it's still highly likely that Sudou will
+take some of the blame."
+"Huh? Why? It was legitimate self-defense, wasn't it? Huh?!"
+Sudou, clearly unable to understand, smacked the table. Kushida's
+shoulders stiffened in response.
+"I'm sorry, I just got a little mad." After seeing Kushida's frightened
+expression, Sudou sheepishly apologized.
+"But...why would Sudou-kun still take some of the blame?"
+""Sudou hit them, but they didn't hit Sudou. I think that's a big part of
+it. In such a case, claiming it as legitimate self-defense is difficult. Had they
+come at you with a knife or a metal bat, I think things would have been quite
+different. Self-defense means that you have the right to defend yourself
+against sudden, dangerous attacks made against your person. So, I don't think
+we can really claim that this was self-defense."
+How much consideration would be given in this situation?
+"T-I don't understand, though. I was up against three people. Three!
+That seems plenty dangerous."
+They'd likely take the number of people into account, but this was a
+delicate case. If the school were willing to place more weight on the number
+of people who'd attacked, Sudou could be declared innocent. However, it
+was dangerous to be optimistic.
+"T think the school might have offered an extension because they found
+it difficult to make a judgment at this time."
+As for the current proof, the key was in the injuries Sudou had given
+those three other students.
+"T guess that their plan is to severely punish Sudou for punching them,
+huh?" Kushida said.
+"Whoever reported it first has the advantage. The victim's testimony
+can work as evidence."
+"T still don't get it. 'm the victim here! Being suspended isn't some
+kind of joke! If I'm punished for this, forget being a regular player. I won't
+even be able to play in the tournament!"
+Those Class C students had purposefully allowed Sudou to beat them
+up in order to crush him. They wanted to destroy Sudou's chances of
+becoming a regular, even if that meant they might face some restrictions of
+their own. That was what I imagined their plan to be, anyway.
+"Let's just come out and ask those three Class C students to be honest.
+If they feel like what they did was wrong, then surely they'd feel guilty about
+it. Right?"
+"Those guys aren't idiots. They won't be honest. Goddamn it, I won't
+ever forgive them! Those damn nobodies!"
+Sudou picked up a ballpoint pen from the table and, with a loud crack,
+snapped it in two. I understood that his blood was boiling, but that was my
+pen...
+"Tf trying to explain the situation won't work, then we'll need to find
+ironclad proof," I said.
+"Yeah. It would be nice if there was evidence that proved Sudou-kun
+wasn't to blame."
+That'd be very nice, because then our suffering would end. However,
+Sudou didn't deny anything. He looked like he was deep in thought.
+"There might be something, though. This might just be a
+misunderstanding on my part, but when I was fighting those guys I felt
+something...odd. Like someone was nearby, watching me."
+He didn't sound entirely confident.
+"So there might be an eyewitness?" I asked.
+"Yeah, I think so. I don't have proof anyone was there, though."
+An eyewitness. Hmm. If someone had seen everything, then that'd be
+great news for us. However, depending on how things went, it might drive
+Sudou further into a corner. For example, if the witness only saw the
+aftermath of their fight, that might spell Sudou's end.
+"What should I do?" he asked.
+Sudou buried his head in his hand. Kushida broke the heavy silence.
+"There are two ways we can prove your innocence, Sudou-kun. The
+first way is to simply get those boys in Class C to admit that they lied. Since
+you weren't at fault, it's probably best to get them to acknowledge that."
+That was absurdly idealistic.
+"Like I already said, that's impossible. They won't admit they lied."
+Like Sudou said, if they confessed to lying just to get someone else in
+trouble, they'd probably end up getting suspended themselves.
+"The other idea is to find the eyewitness you talked about, Sudou-kun.
+If someone happened to see the fight, then we should be able to get to the
+heart of the matter."
+Well, that was probably our only realistic plan.
+"So, how do you intend to look for this eyewitness?"
+"Asking people one by one? Or we could simply address each class as
+a whole," Kushida said.
+"It would be great if someone just stepped forward, but..."
+Since we'd been talking for quite some time, I started rummaging
+through the cupboard. I took out the instant coffee and tea packets that I'd
+bought at the school convenience store. Sudou wasn't really a fan of coffee,
+though. After preparing a kettle of hot water, I put everything on the table.
+"This might sound kind of shameless, but...can you guys not tell
+anyone about this?" Sudou asked sheepishly. He took a cup and started
+blowing on it to cool it off.
+"H-huh? You don't want us to tell anyone?" Kushida asked.
+"If word gets out, it'Il definitely get around to the basketball team. I
+don't want that to happen. You understand, right?"
+"Sudou, even then, I[—"
+"Please understand, Ayanokouji. If I can't play basketball, I have
+nothing," Sudou pleaded, placing his hands on my shoulders.
+Even if word didn't get out, this wasn't going to stay contained. If
+people found out that Sudou had used violence, they most likely wouldn't
+accept him on the team.
+"But won't the students in Class C talk about how Sudou-kun was
+violent? I mean, that would work in their favor, I'd think."
+That's exactly what I was thinking. It wouldn't be strange for them to
+talk about it amongst themselves, since that helped them and would hurt us.
+Sudou buried his head in his hands once again, as if to say "Seriously?!"
+"What if word already got out?"
+"No, at this stage it's probably only being discussed by the school and
+the people involved."
+"Why do you think that?" Sudou asked.
+"If those guys in Class C had intended to spread rumors, we probably
+would've heard about it already."
+Representatives from the school had received a report and called Sudou
+in after class. There hadn't been any word about the incident this afternoon.
+At the very least, word probably hadn't spread much.
+"So you think we're safe for now?"
+How long would that last, though? Even if the school issued a gag
+order, word would eventually manage to get out. Before long, it'd spread.
+Right now, the only thing I could say with certainty was—
+"Sudou-kun, I think it would be better if you kept your distance,"
+Kushida said.
+She seemed to understand everything.
+"Yeah. It wouldn't be good if the accused tried anything," I replied,
+agreeing with Kushida.
+"But, if I dump this on you guys—"
+"T don't think it's being dumped on us. We want you to rely on us,
+Sudou-kun. I don't know how much we can do, but we'll try our best.
+Okay?" Kushida said.
+"All right. I know this is a bother for you guys, but Pll leave it to you."
+He seemed to understand that he'd only complicate things by getting
+involved.
+"Well, we'll head back to our rooms. I'm sorry for barging in here."
+"Don't worry about it. I just think it's weird that you made duplicate
+keys."
+Sudou slid the key back into his pocket; he wasn't going to return it.
+Maybe I should put a chain lock on my door.
+"See you tomorrow, Kushida."
+"Yeah, bye-bye, Sudou-kun."
+Sudou-kun left with a somewhat sad look on his face. His room was
+only a few doors down.
+"Well. Aren't you heading back, Kushida?" I asked.
+"T have a few things I wanted to talk to you about, Ayanokouji-kun.
+You didn't seem very enthusiastic about helping Sudou-kun."
+As Kushida looked up at me with uneasy eyes, I had the sudden urge to
+embrace her. I stretched my back out and tried to shake those thoughts.
+"There's just not much I can do. I mean, I can only really respond to
+Sudou's story. If it were Horikita or Hirata here, they'd probably be able to
+give expert advice."
+"Maybe, but Sudou-kun came to you, Ayanokouji-kun. He came to you
+before Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, or even Ike-kun."
+"T don't know if I should be happy about that or not."
+"Hmm."
+For an instant, Kushida's glare turned icy, which perplexed me. I
+remembered that Kushida once directly told me that she hated me. She
+always wore a gentle smile, so I occasionally forgot about that. But I might
+get burned if I forgot about it entirely.
+"T think it might be better if you made more effort to blend in,
+Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+"I'm trying, more or less. I just haven't been able to. Like right now, I
+didn't have the guts to promise that I'd help."
+She didn't share my anxiety about eating alone during lunchtime. Still,
+Kushida probably understood how I felt.
+"Kushida, you're going to help, aren't you?"
+"Of course. We're friends. So what will you do, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Remember when I said it'd be better to talk with Horikita or Hirata?
+Well, Sudou hates Hirata, so that makes Horikita the obvious choice."
+Though I doubted even Horikita could come up with a good enough
+plan to resolve this issue.
+"Do you think Horikita-san will help us?"
+"Don't know. We'll have to ask and find out. I don't think she' II just
+quietly stand by and watch as Class D collapses. Probably."
+I lacked conviction. After all, this was Horikita we were talking about.
+"T know that you're trying to dodge the question, but you' ll help, too.
+Won't you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+I thought I'd managed to steer the conversation in another direction,
+but Kushida quickly brought it back.
+"Ts it okay if ''m useless?"
+"You won't be useless. I'm sure you' be useful, somehow."
+She didn't clearly state how I'd be useful, though.
+"So what should we do? Sudou-kun said that it wouldn't help, but I
+think it'd be good to talk with the three students he fought. To tell you the
+truth, I'm friends with Komiya-kun and the others. Therefore, it might be
+possible to persuade them. Hmm, it may be dangerous, though."
+Kushida couldn't dismiss the idea of a conversation.
+"Tt's risky. Aside from the question of who started the fight, those three
+reported it to the school. That means they have the upper hand. Also, I just
+don't think it would work, since they started it."
+Getting them to admit they lied to the school wouldn't be easy. If the
+school found out, Class C would face a severe penalty. They wouldn't do
+something so foolish.
+"Well then, I guess looking for the eyewitness 1s our best bet."
+That would probably be just as difficult as persuading those three to tell
+the truth. Without any details to go on, finding the eyewitness would be next
+to impossible. Going around asking, "Did you see anything?" would be a
+waste of time and effort.
+No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't come up with any
+solutions.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Horikita Suzune
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: $01T004752
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: February 15th
+***
+Even since elementary school, this student has always managed to
+get high marks and has always demonstrated good behavior during
+interviews. We recognize that she demonstrates a strong willingness to
+improve her academic abilities and to advance her education. During
+her junior high school career, she demonstrated no problems with
+self-management. She had no absences or tardies during her three
+years of instruction. With respect to these qualities alone, she could be
+considered an excellent candidate for Class A. However, she is deficient
+in other areas. She lacks empathy and the ability to cooperate. During
+junior high school, she often clashed with her classmates and instructors.
+Because strong corrective action is necessary before she can be released
+into society, we would like to assign her to Class D.
+***
+She has made her first friend, and | now see changes in her behavior. |
+anticipate that her cooperativeness will improve.
+Chapter 3:
+Weak Point
+Dig bad news just kept coming. During homeroom the following
+morning, as Chabashira-sensei was about to leave, she assaulted us with one
+of her infamously brief and off-hand announcements.
+"T have an announcement for you all. There was a bit of trouble the
+other day, an incident between the student sitting there, Sudou, and some
+students from Class C. In short, there was a fight."
+The classroom erupted. Depending on the degree of responsibility that
+Class C saddled him with, Sudou could face suspension, and we might see a
+reduction in our class points. Chabashira-sensei laid the whole situation bare
+for the class. Her face was so devoid of emotion or interest when she spoke
+that there was a certain serene beauty to it. She inserted no personal bias
+whatsoever when she addressed the class, and explained the situation from a
+position of neutrality.
+"Umm. So why hasn't this issue been resolved already?" Hirata asked a
+rather reasonable question.
+"The complaint came from Class C. They claim that the fight was one-
+sided. However, when we spoke to the accused, Sudou said that their claims
+were false. He insists that the students Class C called him over and started the
+fight."
+"It wasn't my fault! It was self-defense! Self-defense, I tell you!"
+shouted Sudou as he shouldered his classmates' icy glares.
+"But there's no evidence of that. Am I wrong?"
+"What evidence? I don't have any."
+"So in other words, we don't yet know the truth. Therefore, we have
+put our decision on hold for now. Our response, and the punishment, will
+come when we find out who was at fault."
+"All I know is that I'm innocent. If anything, I ought to receive a
+settlement for my trouble."
+"So speaks the accused, but I wouldn't say that you have a high level
+of credibility right now. If there is an eyewitness, as Sudou seems to believe,
+then the situation may change. If anyone here witnessed the fight, please raise
+your hand."
+Chabashira-sensei continued talking in a robotic, flat voice. No
+students raised their hands in response to her question.
+"Too bad, Sudou. It appears there are no witnesses in this class."
+"Looks that way," he grumbled.
+When Chabashira-sensei cast a doubtful look at Sudou, he glanced
+downward.
+"In order to check for witnesses, every teacher will inform their classes
+of the details of this incident."
+"Huh?! You're telling everyone?!"
+The school probably had no say in the matter. Because Sudou had
+insisted it was a false charge and brought up a potential witness, the school
+had to be sure. For Sudou, who had hoped to hide the situation, none of this
+was good.
+"Damn it!"
+Sudou's plan had already fallen apart.
+"Anyway, that is all. We'll make our final judgment next Tuesday,
+taking into account any eyewitnesses and evidence. With that, let's end
+homeroom for the day."
+Chabashira-sensei left, and Sudou followed right after her. He probably
+realized that if he stayed in the classroom, he'd lose his temper with
+someone.
+"Man, isn't Sudou just the worst?" Ike was the first to talk.
+"If we lose points because of Sudou, will we be at zero again this
+month?"
+As uproar enveloped the classroom, and things started to get out of
+hand. If we ended up losing points because of this, Sudou would most likely
+become the sole target of our class's frustrations. Naturally, Kushida didn't
+want this to happen.
+"Everyone, can you please listen to what I have to say?" Kushida stood
+and tried to silence the commotion.
+"What our teacher said seems to be true. Sudou-kun may have been in
+a fight. However, Sudou-kun was dragged into it."
+"Kushida-chan, what do you mean? Do you believe Sudou?"
+Kushida conveyed yesterday's story to the whole class. She told them
+how Sudou had been chosen as a candidate to play regularly on the basketball
+team. She also described how some students in the basketball club were
+envious of Sudou, and how they'd called Sudou out and threatened him in
+order to make him leave the team. She also explained that Sudou, acting in
+self-defense, had punched their lights out.
+Most of the class listened to Kushida's heartfelt words in silence. If
+Sudou or I had tried to explain the situation in the same manner, we probably
+wouldn't have been nearly as effective. However, not everyone in class easily
+believed the story. Sudou's typically poor behavior made it difficult to
+swallow, no matter how reasonable it sounded.
+"T'd like to ask you all again. If anyone knows someone who saw what
+happened, whether it's someone in class, a friend, or an upperclassman,
+please tell me. You can contact me at any time. I would sincerely appreciate
+Its?
+Even though she'd basically said the same thing as Chabashira-sense1,
+the class had a very different response. She had an innate ability to connect
+with people. Her presence glowed so bright that I could almost feel it.
+Instantly, silence enveloped the classroom. The first to speak wasn't
+the eyewitness, but Yamauchi.
+"Hey, Kushida-chan. I just can't believe what Sudou said. I think he
+lied so he could justify what he did. He talked about beating up kids all the
+time in junior high. He even told us how much fun it was to beat people up."
+After Yamauchi voiced his concerns, the rest of the class murmured
+their dissatisfaction with Sudou in turn.
+"T saw him grab some kid by the collar just because they bumped into
+each other in the hallway."
+"T saw him cut in line in the cafeteria and lash out when someone tried
+to tell him that wasn't okay."
+Kushida's appeal for Sudou's innocence didn't seem to have reached
+anyone. They'd already hung Sudou out to dry, because he was probably
+going to lose them their hard-earned points.
+"T want to believe him."
+Hirata, the class hero, uttered those words as he stood in support of
+Kushida. His appearance was dashing, and he clearly wasn't drunk on the
+same anti-Sudou Kool-Aid as everyone else.
+"If a student in another class were casting doubt on him, I could
+understand it," Hirata said. "But I think it's wrong to doubt a fellow
+classmate right away. Shouldn't friends do everything within their power to
+help someone in need?"
+"T agree!"
+Karuizawa, heroic Hirata's girlfriend, called out in agreement, brushing
+her bangs aside with her hand as she spoke.
+"If it were a false charge, that'd be a problem, wouldn't it? In any case,
+you'd feel bad for him if he were innocent, right?"
+If Kushida lived by the softness of her heart, then Karuizawa lived by
+the strength of her will. Perhaps it was because of Kushida and Karuizawa's
+influence that many of the girls started to express their support.
+This was typical of Japanese people. They would follow suit when
+someone took the lead. Though they probably mocked him in their hearts,
+they would help Sudou a little bit. Sudou's critics stopped, at least for the
+time being. Hirata, Kushida, and Karuizawa had attracted the rest of our
+class's admiration.
+"Tll try asking my friends!"
+"Well then, I'll try asking the upperclassmen I know in the soccer
+club!"
+"T'll ask around, too."
+Starting with those three, we launched our investigation to prove
+Sudou's innocence. Well, I guessed I didn't have to take a turn. I wouldn't be
+any good at this, anyway. Better to just leave it to them and fade out quietly.
+3.1
+a |
+planned to fade out... But..."
+Lunch. For some reason, I'd gotten mixed up with our usual group in
+the cafeteria. Our group consisted of myself, Kushida, Horikita, Ike,
+Yamauchi, and Sudou. There was no getting around it. When lunchtime
+came, Kushida had invited me with a smile. She'd said, "Want to get lunch?"
+I'd said okay, of course. I mean, I didn't have any choice in the matter.
+"You seem to get yourself into trouble time and time again, Sudou-
+99
+kun.
+Horikita gave an exasperated sigh. Naturally, we were discussing how
+to prove Sudou's innocence.
+"Well, guess we don't have much choice. As your friends, we' ll help
+you out, Sudou." Although Ike had been against Sudou in the beginning, his
+attitude had completely changed. That was definitely because Kushida had
+appealed to him and asked him to help. Ignorant of Ike's true feelings on the
+matter, Sudou still apologized.
+"I'm sorry, Horikita. I've caused trouble for you again. But it really
+wasn't my fault this time. All I did was blow up those Class C jerks' plans."
+Sudou spoke to Horikita with indifference, almost as if he were
+describing someone else's problems.
+"Sorry, but I don't feel like helping you this time." Horikita flatly
+refused Sudou's pleas for help. "For Class D to rise through the ranks, it's
+important to recover the class points we lost as quickly as possible. However,
+we probably won't get any points now, thanks to you. You hindered those
+plans."
+"Wait. You might be right about that, but I'm not the one at fault here!
+Those guys picked a fight with me! What part of that is my fault?"
+"You keep focusing on who started the fight, but that's a trivial detail.
+Did you never consider that?"
+"What's trivial about it? It makes all the difference! I didn't do
+anything wrong!"
+"Is that so? Well, best of luck to you."
+Horikita picked up her untouched tray and stood.
+"So you're not gonna help? I thought we were friends!"
+"Don't make me laugh. I've never once considered you a friend.
+Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than being around someone who
+doesn't recognize his own stupidity. Goodbye."
+Horikita appeared more exasperated than angry. She let out a deep
+sigh, and left.
+"What the hell is her deal?! Goddamn it!"
+Unable to direct his rage anywhere else, Sudou slammed his fists on
+the cafeteria table, spilling a nearby student's miso soup. The student glared,
+but when he saw how scary Sudou looked, he remained silent. Yep. I could
+understand that feeling pretty well.
+"T guess it's just up to us."
+"IT knew for sure you'd understand, Yamauchi. I'm really counting on
+you too, Ayanokouji."
+Apparently I was second to Yamauchi, judging by the "too." Well, I
+guess I didn't find that particularly surprising.
+"Even if you ask me to help, you do know that there's not much I can
+do, right?"
+My self-deprecation was apparently ineffective.
+""Y ou've been like that since yesterday, Ayanokouji-kun. Won't you
+say something, Ike-kun?"
+"Well, I...I mean, it's certainly odd that Ayanokouji thinks he's not
+going be useful. At least him being there is better than not, I guess?
+Probably?"
+Just as expected, Ike couldn't come up with how I'd be useful. I looked
+over at Kushida smugly. It was like I was showing off a talentless person's
+power.
+"This is a little disheartening. I thought that preparing for that test
+together brought us all a bit closer," said a disappointed Ike.
+I watched Horikita sit down further away, looking slightly irritated.
+"T don't understand Horikita at all. What's her deal, Ayanokouji? Why
+is she acting like that?"
+I had no idea how to answer. Did they think I was her user manual? I
+took a huge mouthful of rice to avoid the question.
+"It's pretty weird, though. Horikita wants to get to Class A, right?
+Saving Sudou-kun means we'd get more points, so why wouldn't she help?"
+"Ts it because she hates Sudou? I mean, she just said she didn't
+consider him a friend."
+Disliking Sudou probably wasn't the reason. But everyone seemed to
+have misunderstood the situation. They thought she wouldn't help because of
+personal reasons.
+"T don't really want to think about it, but I guess it might be true."
+"Kushida, Horikita is..."
+Unthinking, words started spilling out of my mouth. Kushida looked at
+me, her interest piqued.
+"'Horikita-san is...?" she asked.
+"Ah. Well, this might not be relevant, but I'd like to say something. I
+think that Horikita usually speaks in a rather brusque manner. But I think...
+that you guys misunderstand her."
+"Huh? What do you mean?"
+"T think that she wouldn't help without any reason to do so."
+"Wait, what are you talking about? You keep saying J think over and
+over. Are you just guessing?" Sudou abruptly cut into the conversation. Since
+Horikita was definitely on his mind, he probably wasn't too pleased about her
+rejection. It wasn't difficult to explain, but how to go about it? Horikita
+probably realized something when the teacher told us about the incident. This
+incident had happened for a reason. And the ending that Horikita saw...
+Well, the possibility of a happy ending was almost nonexistent. After
+realizing that, she'd probably been cold towards Sudou on purpose. However,
+if I told them that now, they'd probably become discouraged. It would only
+lead to bad things. Since I couldn't figure out how the discussion would go, I
+was hesitant to explain.
+Horikita probably hadn't wanted to crush their spirits, so she'd left.
+"Well... Yeah, I'm just guessing like you said, Sudou."
+"So what? You don't have a reason?"
+"Horikita is smart, right? So I think she probably had some idea."
+"What idea? To toss me out like the trash?"
+"Whoa, hold on. Let's not criticize anyone. It's only natural that
+Ayanokouji-kun would stick up for Horikita-chan, since they're together all
+the time. She's important to him, right?"
+Ike wore a mischievous, spiteful grin. It was like he was mocking me.
+Sudou grew increasingly irritated, and clicked his tongue before reaching for
+his food.
+"Well, it'd be great if a witness stepped forward. The teachers are
+going around and talking to each class about the incident. When they do find
+someone, things should get settled quickly."
+I understood the wishful thinking, but would it really be that easy?
+To be honest, we faced a mountainous hurdle. It wasn't unreasonable
+for Horikita to throw in the towel. Besides, even if there had been a witness,
+it'd be checkmate for us if that witness happened to come from Class C. It
+would be natural for a Class C student to hide the truth in order to protect his
+or her fellow classmates. This school was a hierarchy, after all. It was
+unlikely that an individual's guilty feelings would outweigh the
+disadvantages of their class.
+Even if the witness came from a different class, the problem would be
+how much he or she saw. If the eyewitness had seen the whole event from a
+completely neutral perspective, then that would be a different story. But...
+"Ah, sorry. I have to go for a bit. I'm going to try asking my
+upperclassmen friends if they saw anything."
+With that, Kushida rose from her seat.
+"You're trying your absolute hardest for someone like Sudou, Kushida-
+chan. That's so cute." Ike, completely enchanted, remained transfixed on
+Kushida's backside as she walked away.
+"T should seriously confess my feelings for Kushida-chan..." he
+murmured.
+"No way. You seriously think she' Il stoop to your level, Ike?"
+Yamauchi said.
+"T have a better chance than you."
+There wasn't much difference between them.
+"If I dated Kushida-chan... Ahhhhhbh...."
+Ike began to lose himself in fantasies, drooling. He was most likely
+thinking about rather indecent things.
+"Hey. Why are you fantasizing about my Kushida-chan like that?"
+"N-no, I'm not..." he said, but he looked love-struck.
+"H-hey, what are you fantasizing about?! Spill it!" Apparently
+Yamauchi couldn't stand the fact that Ike could do as he pleased in his
+fantasies.
+"What do you mean, what am I fantasizing about? Obviously, I'm
+thinking about cuddling her. Naked."
+Apparently he was able to envision the scene thanks to the power of
+male delusions, or something.
+"Damn it! I won't be outdone! I've also thought of a few things!"
+This wasn't exactly ethical.
+"Stop it. Don't touch my Kushida-chan with your filthy hands!"
+In some ways, I felt a little sorry for Kushida. She was most likely the
+subject of their nightly fantasies.
+"T think the best thing about high school is the girls, after all. I
+seriously want to get a girlfriend sometime soon. If I get myself a girlfriend
+by this summer, then I can go to the pool with her! That would be the best!"
+"It would be best if Kushida-chan were my girlfriend... It would be the
+best if she were my girlfriend..."
+Yamauchi said it twice. It must've been important to him.
+"But wait. Since Kushida-chan is so cute, don't you think she' ll get a
+boyfriend any day now?"
+"Don't say that, Yamauchi! Besides, it doesn't look like she has one
+yet, so we don't have to worry," replied Ike with confidence, though it
+seemed more like he was trying to reassure himself.
+"Do you want to know? I bet you both want to know."
+"Know what? What do I want to know, Ike? Tell us."
+Ike whipped out his phone with an air of unavoidable weariness.
+"You can track your registered friends' locations on your school
+phones."
+Ike searched for Kushida's present location. Shortly afterward, details
+about her position were displayed on the screen. A marker appeared on the
+cafeteria.
+"T check regularly, even on the weekends. I pretend to run into her by
+chance. I do that to make sure she doesn't have a boyfriend yet."
+He crossed his arms and wore a confident smile. What he was doing
+sounded just like stalking. Another step forward and it would be appropriate
+to involve the police.
+"Realistically, Kushida-chan is just out of our reach. She wouldn't
+stoop to our level. But what if I aimed for one rank below her?"
+"Yeah. Well, I couldn't have an ugly girlfriend."
+"Yeah, when I think about us walking together side-by-side... She's
+gotta be at least a 7 outta 10."
+I guess Ike and Yamauchi both really wanted girlfriends. Their
+fantasies might have been delusional, but they couldn't give up on their high
+hopes.
+"Ayanokouji, do you want a girlfriend?"
+"Yeah, I guess. If it were possible."
+If I had a girlfriend, I probably wouldn't suffer so much.
+"Just to be sure, there's really nothing between you and Horikita?"
+Sudou thrust his chopsticks towards me as he asked that question.
+"Nope."
+"Really?"
+He pressed again, almost like he didn't believe me. I shook my head
+emphatically.
+"Okay, fine then. I guess I misunderstood. I thought you were clinging
+to her too much. That'd be a bother for Horikita."
+I didn't recall clinging. Especially not to Horikita.
+"Are you really okay with Horikita, though? I mean, she's cute and all,
+but...she seems kind of boring, you know? I can't stand someone as dull as
+her. She wouldn't want to go to the pool or go out on a date or anything," Ike
+said.
+"You guys don't know anything. Horikita is hands down better than
+Kushida, anyway." Sudou crossed his arms and nodded, boasting about his
+personal preferences. "I mean, if it was any other guy, she'd probably turn
+them down. But if you were her boyfriend, then it'd be okay, right? Then
+she'd show you a secret side that no one else gets to see."
+"T see... I feel like I can imagine that. So cute."
+Yamauchi glanced at Horikita and got lost in his delusional fantasies.
+"But the Horikita of your dreams seems to have tossed you aside,
+Sudou."
+"Well, I guess so. Damn it! Now I feel all depressed."
+"Well, I don't really have anything to say. The number of rivals for
+Kushida-chan just decreased by one."
+Ike was multitasking, keeping a lookout for those 7 out of 10 girls
+while keeping Kushida as his primary target.
+"So Ayanokouji, if nothing's happening with Horikita, is there anyone
+you like? I mean, Sudou likes Horikita, and Yamauchi likes Kushida-chan.
+You gotta take stock of your rival's targets, after all."
+"Anyone..."
+Nobody really came to mind. I tried to seriously think about it for just a
+little bit. If I had to choose someone, I probably would have picked...
+Kushida? She was the person I talked to the most, so that was only natural.
+But knowing that she didn't like me, I couldn't really imagine things
+progressing.
+"Nope, no one," I answered.
+However, Ike and Yamauchi looked at me doubtfully.
+"Do you really think there's a guy out there who doesn't have a crush
+on a girl?"
+"No way. That guy doesn't exist. Don't hide the truth from us,
+Ayanokouji."
+"Unlike you guys, I don't really know any girls apart from Horikita and
+Kushida."
+"Well, I guess you're probably right. I haven't seen you talk to other
+girls."
+I found it rather depressing that they were so convinced.
+"Let's introduce you to some girls!" Ike put his arm around my
+shoulder and spoke with confidence.
+"Isn't it kind of pathetic that you're trying to introduce me to girls
+when you don't have a girlfriend yourself?"
+"W-well...yeah."
+"Hey, Sae-chan-sensei said that we'd have a vacation this summer,
+right? I'll definitely get myself a girlfriend then. Kushida-chan, if possible.
+Or some other cute girl I haven't seen yet!"
+"Me too, me too! Even if she's the lowest of the low, Pll get myself a
+girl...and then I'll enjoy that lovey-dovey high school life!"
+"When should I confess my feelings to Horikita?"
+The three of them freely talked about the objects of their affection.
+"We should have a contest to see who can get a girlfriend first. The
+winner will have to treat everyone to a meal! Sound good?"
+I wondered if participating in such a shameless competition would
+actually make me their friend. It sounded difficult.
+"What's up, Ayanokouji? You're not really thinking about skipping out
+on this contest, are you?" Ike said.
+"No, I just wondered why the first person to get a girlfriend has to treat
+everyone else."
+"Well, it's like this. Think of it as sort of an Envy Tax on the guy. Get
+it?"
+"A guy is happy when he has a girlfriend. Since he's happy, he happily
+treats people to stuff."
+Although it was fine for them to get all excited, Sudou's problem still
+hadn't been resolved.
+3.2
+A fier school, the class divided into groups to meet up with people
+and ask around. However, there weren't that many helping to search for an
+eyewitness. Hirata and Karuizawa led the Hero & Gal Team, while Kushida
+led the Beautiful Girl & Entourage Team. They intended to search the
+campus themselves. Even so, it'd be difficult to get results in such a short
+span of time.
+There were around 400 students in this school. Even if you left out
+everyone from class 1-D, it wouldn't make a big difference. Finding
+everyone would still be difficult even if you included break times, lunch,
+after class, and early morning.
+"All right, I'm going to the dorms."
+"Are you really heading back? Horikita-san?"
+Horikita nodded without hesitation, and promptly left the classroom,
+just as one would expect. She didn't quail under everyone's gazes, which all
+expressed variations on "You're leaving?" She would probably grow up to be
+a fierce woman, the type that leaves social outings without reading the room
+and concludes meetings exactly on time.
+"Well then..."
+If Horikita's tactic was to stride out of the classroom with confidence,
+mine was the opposite. I tried to slip into the shadows.
+"Ayanokouji-kun."
+I had tried to exit stealthily through the classroom. I'd tried to be swift
+as a ninja, but had been discovered. Kushida stopped me in my tracks, a
+slight hint of unease in her voice.
+"What? Do you need something?" I asked.
+I'm sorry, Kushida. I'm going to steel my heart and refuse your
+invitation. And then I'll go back to the dorms.
+"You will...help us out, won't you?" she asked.
+"Of course."
+I couldn't refuse. Slightly upturned eyes + pleading = lethal. I couldn't
+help but feel like Kushida was controlling me. Irresistible. No matter how
+someone might resolve not to fall asleep, for example, they would still drift
+away after 24 to 48 hours, tops. Sooner or later, no matter the person's
+willpower, they'd exhaust themselves. In other words, everyone has their
+breaking point. It's a human mechanism.
+After I was done excusing myself, Kushida made a suggestion.
+"T want to get Horikita-san to help us out this time. Can you try asking
+her again?"
+"But she already left."
+They'd failed to stop her mere moments before. Was it already time for
+revenge?
+"Yeah. I want to chase after her. If Horikita-san helps, I think she' Il
+make a big difference."
+"Well, I can't argue with you there."
+"If we take the time to convince her, do you think we'll have a
+chance?"
+If she wanted to try again, I didn't really have a right to stop her. I
+nodded.
+"Tke-kun, Yamauchi-kun, could you two please wait here? We'll be
+back right away," Kushida said.
+"Okay!" the boys chorused.
+You certainly couldn't claim those two were friendly with Horikita.
+Kushida seemed to notice that.
+"Let's go."
+Kushida took my arm, and we left together. What in the world was this
+unprecedented feeling of elation? For some reason, I thought I heard Ike and
+Yamauchi angrily yelling at me, but it must've been my imagination. Heh.
+By the time we'd made it to the building's entrance, Horikita was
+nowhere to be found. I thought she'd probably left. She wasn't the type to
+stop for anything, so she probably headed straight towards the dorms. I made
+my way past students putting on their shoes, getting ready to go home. Most
+people strolled in groups of two or more as they headed back, but I glimpsed
+a lone figure walking with confidence. It was Horikita.
+"Horikita-san."
+I hesitated, but Horikita responded at once.
+"What is it?"
+Apparently she hadn't thought we'd chase after her. She turned,
+looking surprised.
+"T really want you to help us with Sudou's case. Is that possible?"
+"T thought I already declined? A few minutes ago, no less." Horikita
+shrugged, as if expressing how idiotic she found us.
+"IT know you did, but...but, I think this is necessary to reach Class A."
+"Necessary to reach Class A, hmm?"
+Horikita looked unconvinced. She didn't seem to be listening to
+Kushida.
+"You're free to run about for Sudou-kun's sake. I've no right to stop
+you. However, if you need help, try someone else. I'm busy," Horikita said.
+"Busy? But everyone else is busy with Sudou's case right now," I
+blurted out, earning a glare from Horikita.
+Her eyes seemed to say, Why are you still talking?
+"T have an important daily routine, so I need my alone time. It's
+unpleasant to have that time stolen from me."
+Just the answer I would expect from an unabashed misanthrope. If
+she'd simply said she didn't like spending time with other people, that
+would've sounded like an excuse.
+"Even if I step in and save him now, he'll land himself in trouble again.
+It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? You seem to think that Sudou-kun is the victim
+here, but I think differently."
+"Huh? But isn't Sudou-kun the victim? Besides, it would be bad if he
+were lying." Kushida didn't seem to understand Horikita's meaning.
+"Maybe the Class C students really did start this fight, but Sudou-kun
+was also one of the perpetrators."
+"W-wait. What do you mean? Wasn't Sudou-kun dragged into the
+fight?"
+Horikita slowly turned her gaze towards me, her expression saying
+good grief.
+No, I didn't say anything. I averted my eyes as if trying to escape.
+After a silent moment, Horikita spoke in an exasperated voice.
+"Why was he dragged into the fight? This problem will persist until we
+understand that fundamental question. Got it? I do not wish to help until that
+question is answered. Since you weren't able to convince me, why don't you
+ask the guy standing next to you? Even though he pretends not to understand
+what I'm thinking, he probably does."
+Please stop saying that I understand you. Kushida looked at me, unable
+to hide her confusion. Her expression seemed to ask what I knew. Come on,
+Horikita, don't say anything unnecessary...
+Horikita began to walk off, indicating that the rest was up to me.
+Kushida seemed to have finally listened to Horikita, and stopped chasing
+after her.
+"Sudou-kun is a perpetrator? Is that...true?" she asked.
+Kushida turned to me, as if asking me to save him again. Since
+Horikita had revealed that I was feigning ignorance, things were probably
+going to be a pain in the butt. Besides, I'd gladly give Kushida my bank PIN if
+she asked for it with such a cute expression.
+"T understand a little of what Horikita meant. At the very least, Sudou
+does share some fault in this case. He's the type who gets angry easily, right?
+Whenever he's faced with someone he doesn't like, he lashes out, and speaks
+and acts in an aggressive, domineering way. When I heard he was being
+considered for a regular spot on the basketball team, I was both surprised and
+impressed. No one disagrees that he's an incredible player, but if he acts so
+arrogant and prideful, some people will come to hate him. Those who work
+incredibly hard for their spot would probably see Sudou as a rather
+disagreeable person. Then there are the rumors, right? People say that
+Sudou's been fighting people since junior high. I haven't met anyone who
+knew Sudou at his previous school, but considering how many people are
+talking about it, there might be something to the rumor."
+People didn't hold a very good impression of Sudou.
+"This was bound to happen eventually. That's why Horikita said Sudou
+was a perpetrator."
+"So...his typical behavior, plus his repeated actions, led to this
+situation, then?' Kushida asked.
+"Yeah. As long as he continues to antagonize those around him, trouble
+will inevitably follow. Also, if there's no proof, then people will use his
+image against him. In other words, they'!l judge him based on their
+impressions. For example, let's say there was a murder case. There are two
+suspects. One of them has committed murder in the past, while the other is a
+good, upstanding citizen. Based on that information, who would you
+believe?"
+If asked, nearly everyone would give the same response.
+"Well...P?d pick the upstanding citizen, of course."
+"The truth might be different. However, the less information you have
+upon which to base your judgment, the more you have to rely on whatever
+meager information you have at hand. That's what's happening here. Horikita
+cannot overlook the fact that Sudou doesn't recognize his flaws."
+I didn't think this was exactly a "you reap what you sow" situation,
+though.
+"T see. So that's what she meant..."
+Kushida gave a small nod.
+"So Horikita-san isn't going to save Sudou-kun because she wants to
+teach him a lesson?"
+"T guess so, yeah. By punishing him, she wants him to understand
+himself better."
+Kushida understood, but clearly didn't agree. It seemed like she was a
+little angry, balling her fists in anger.
+"T don't agree with abandoning Sudou-kun just to punish him. If she's
+dissatisfied with him, I think she should at least talk to him directly. That's
+what friends would do."
+I didn't think that Horikita considered Sudou her friend, though.
+Besides, Horikita wasn't the type to teach through kindness. She didn't feel
+an obligation to others.
+"You should act according to your own principles, Kushida. I don't
+think it's wrong to want to help Sudou."
+"Yeah."
+Kushida nodded without hesitation. She would extend her hand to a
+friend in need as many times as it took. It sounds simple, but it was actually
+difficult. Only someone like Kushida could do such a thing.
+"However, I think it would be better if we carefully considered whether
+or not to directly point out Sudou's problems. If he doesn't actually take the
+time to reflect, there's no point. There are certain realizations you can only
+come to on your own."
+"Okay. I understand. Ill follow your advice, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Kushida arched her back and stretched; I'd changed her thinking.
+"Okay, let's go hunt for the witness."
+We returned to the classroom, and rejoined Ike and Yamauchi.
+"Huh? So, you couldn't persuade Horikita?" Ike said.
+"No, I'm sorry. I failed," Kushida replied.
+"No, no. You don't have to apologize, Kushida-chan. We should be
+fine with who we already have."
+"I'm counting on you, Ike-kun. Yamauchi-kun," Kushida appealed
+with sparkling eyes. The two of them gazed back, love-struck.
+"Okay, so where should we start?"
+Randomly searching for a witness would be ineffective. It would've
+been better to come up with a plan before starting our search.
+"If no one has any objections, how about we start by asking around
+Class B?" I asked.
+"Why Class B?"
+"Because that's the class that would most want a witness."
+"Sorry. I don't quite understand, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Between D and C, which class most threatens Class B? Or to put it
+another way, which class is more likely to threaten B's place in the ranking?"
+"C, of course. So we should ask C last, I suppose. But why not start
+with Class A?"
+"We know too little about Class A. I don't think they'd want to get
+involved in a troublesome affair that might negatively impact their points. It's
+also possible that Class A students don't care, as they feel no connection to
+what goes on between C and D."
+Of course, I still didn't know if we could trust Class B. If they had a
+particularly cunning person, he or she might have devised a plan to defeat not
+only C, but Class D as well. Even if that plan didn't exist, I believed we
+ought to prepare countermeasures based on that idea.
+"Well then, let's go to Class B right away!" Kushida cried.
+"Stop." I reflexively grabbed the back of Kushida's collar.
+"Nyaa!" Surprised, Kushida let out a cat-like yelp.
+"So cuuute!" After seeing Kushida's adorable reaction, Yamauchi had
+hearts in his eyes. She was probably being adorable on purpose... Despite
+thinking that, my heart pounded like crazy.
+"Tt is certainly true that your excellent communication skills are
+indispensable. However, this isn't the same as casually strolling into another
+class and trying to make friends."
+"You think so?"
+If the witness was willing to help Class D for nothing, or if they were
+friendly, then there'd be no need to worry. However, it the witness was a
+calculating person, then he or she might not agree to help. We wouldn't know
+whether that person would assist Class D unless we tried asking, though.
+Even if we went to Class B to talk...how would things turn out?
+"Do you know anyone in Class B?"
+"T do. 've only gotten to know a few people, though," Kushida said.
+"Well then, let's talk to those people first then."
+We absolutely did not want word to get out that Class D was frantically
+searching for witnesses.
+"Wait, ask them one by one? Wouldn't it be way easier to ask everyone
+at the same time?" said Ike. He didn't seem to like this roundabout way of
+doing things.
+"T also think you're being too negative. I do think it's a good idea to
+ask Class B, but I also think we should ask several people at once. If not, we
+may not find the witness in time."
+"T see. You might be right about that. We should do what you think is
+best, Kushida."
+"T'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Kushida clasped her hands together apologetically. She hadn't really
+done anything wrong, though. It was only natural that we'd have different
+opinions on the matter. Besides, in times like these the majority should
+decide what to do. Kushida's plan had convinced me, so I withdrew my own.
+Suddenly, I felt a sensation, like someone was watching me. I turned
+around.
+About one third of our class remained in the room. Nothing here
+seemed especially odd. Still, I couldn't quite put my finger on exactly what
+was bothering me, or who'd given me the feeling of being watched.
+3.3
+Tie first classroom we visited had a slightly different atmosphere.
+Although it looked fundamentally the same as ours, it felt as though we had
+come to an alien place. It was a bit like soccer; clearly the difference between
+a home and an away game in soccer was no trivial thing. We also didn't
+know if the students around us were friend or foe. Even Ike and Yamauchi
+appeared to be shaking in their boots. They simply stood frozen in the
+classroom doorway, unable to move.
+Kushida was the only one who remained unfazed. In fact, she found her
+Class B friends and, with a smile on her face, waved to them and headed
+over. What an incredible attitude. I wanted to learn how to be like that. She
+chatted with people regardless of gender, exactly how she acted in Class D.
+No one was more jealous of this than Ike and Yamauchi. Kushida was
+happily chatting with people who were clearly more attractive than they.
+"D-damn it! There are way too many guys after my Kushida-chan. This
+sucks!"
+What was he talking about? His Kushida?
+"Don't panic, Ike. It's okay. We're in Kushida-chan's class, so we're
+one step ahead of them!"
+The pair, comrades in vexation, grasped each other's arms.
+Although there were only about 10 people left in the classroom,
+Kushida began explaining Sudou's case. All things considered, the
+atmosphere in Class B wasn't that different from Class D. Certainly not what
+I'd expect from a class full of honor students. They didn't seem especially
+formal. In fact, many of the students seemed to do as they pleased. Although
+they were free to act however they wanted within school regulations, I'd
+expected their hair and clothing to be a bit more reserved. Instead, however,
+some students had dyed hair, and...well...certain girls wore rather short
+skirts.
+As the saying goes, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Or
+perhaps they were superior to Class D in more than simple academics.
+This school was far too mysterious. Thinking about these things was a
+pain in the butt. Anyway, I had only come here to accompany Kushida today,
+so I thought it best to leave things to her. I moved further away from the
+doorway to evade Ike and Yamauchi's notice.
+"T wanna go home."
+I didn't want them to hear me grumbling to myself. From outside the
+window, I could see the Track and Field Club running and working up a
+sweat. The air conditioning inside school was especially effective, so I didn't
+really feel like going out.
+"Wow, those guys in the sports club really work hard, huh?"
+Ike, having scouted around Class B, joined me in looking out the
+window. He was an especially capricious person, so waiting probably bored
+him. "I think people who participate in clubs are stupid," he said.
+"Why would you say that? You know such a statement will alienate
+about half of the students here, right?" I didn't know the precise numbers, but
+I estimated at least 60 to 70 percent of the students in this school participated
+in clubs.
+"If you like exercising, then what's wrong with just doing it as a
+hobby? What benefit is there to undergoing such a harsh regimen?"
+I thought it odd to view club activities solely in terms of benefits or
+drawbacks. Besides, there were many benefits to participating in a club. You
+gained the skills necessary to build relationships with other people, and you
+also got to experience victory and defeat. These were things you couldn't
+learn just by studying alone. Besides, someone who never participated in
+clubs and only went straight home after class could probably stand to learn
+that lesson.
+"You're probably right," I said.
+I waited for a few minutes until I received Kushida's report. I certainly
+didn't expect what she told me.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Kushida Kikyou
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: $01T004721
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: January 23rd
+***
+Both her academic abilities and physical abilities qualify her for Class
+B, and based on reports from the junior high school from which she
+recently graduated, our impressions of her were extremely high.
+She received full marks on her interview exam this year, and at first
+glance she appears an excellent student with no apparent problems.
+According to the materials submitted to us from her elementary school,
+she was Said to possess excellent communication skills and was an
+especially popular student, able to form friendships with a wide range
+of people regardless of class. However, due to our concerns about other
+information we have received, we have elected to assign her to Class D.
+***
+No problems as of this time. She currently enjoys being the center of the
+class's attention.
+Chapter 4:
+An Unexpected Witness
+The next morning, students busily exchanged information with each
+other. Those from Hirata's group and those with Kushida had spent yesterday
+searching for the witness. Ike and Yamauchi hated ladies' men like Hirata,
+but seemed excited about all of the girls who hung around him. They happily
+tried to chat them up. As I listened in, though, I heard that Hirata and his
+group hadn't obtained any valuable information. They'd recorded the names
+of the people to whom they'd spoken, and occasionally taken notes on their
+cell phones.
+Meanwhile, I was alone, like always. I could talk to Kushida, but felt
+disadvantaged when it came to a big group. I couldn't really talk, so I asked
+Kushida to fill in me later. Meanwhile, my neighbor—who continued to
+reject Kushida's invitations, no matter what—sat with a nonchalant
+expression as she prepared for class. Sudou, the person of interest, still hadn't
+arrived.
+"Man, can we even prove that those Class C guys were in the wrong?"
+Ike asked.
+"As long as we can find a witness, it's not impossible. Let's keep
+trying our best, Ike-kun."
+"Before we try our best, though, is there even a witness in the first
+place? Didn't Sudou only say that he thought someone might've been there?
+Wasn't that just a lie? I mean, he is violent, and he does provoke people."
+"If we keep doubting him, we won't make any progress. Am I wrong?"
+"T guess, you're probably right about that, but...if Sudou is in the
+wrong, then our hard-earned points are all going be stripped away, right?
+We'll be at zero. Zero! We'll be back to having no pocket money at all. Our
+dreams of screwing around to our hearts' content will remain unrealized!"
+"Then it would be a good idea for everyone to start saving up again,"
+Hirata said. "It's only been three months since we started here."
+Our classroom hero didn't waver as he delivered his magnificent
+speech. The girls immediately blushed in response. Karuizawa wore a
+particularly proud expression, perhaps because she was the one he'd chosen
+to be his girlfriend.
+"T do think our points are important. They're tied to our motivation,
+right? So, I will defend our class points to my last breath. Even if it's only 87
+points."
+"T understand how you feel. However, it can be dangerous to cling to
+our points and lose sight of reality. The most important thing is to treasure
+our friends as much as possible."
+Ike, who considered Hirata a goody two shoes, eyed him suspiciously.
+"Even if Sudou was at fault?"
+Being punished when you'd done nothing wrong was horrible. That
+much was obvious. However, Hirata nodded without a moment's hesitation.
+It was as though he believed self-sacrifice was unimportant. Ike immediately
+looked downward, as if pressed under the weight of Hirata's noble intentions.
+"T think what you're saying is reasonable, Hirata-kun, but I still want
+my points. The students in Class A get nearly 100,000 points every month.
+I'm super envious of them. There are girls in their class who buy lots of
+stylish clothes and accessories. Aren't we just the bottom of the barrel
+compared to them?"
+Karuizawa's legs dangled over her desk. People looked bitter when she
+pointed out the stark difference between our classes.
+"Why couldn't I have been in Class A from the start? If I were in Class
+A, I'd probably be loving every second of my student life."
+"T wish I was in A, too. I'd be doing so much fun stuff with my
+friends."
+Before I knew it, the meeting to save Sudou had transformed into a
+grievance session, with students pleading for a way out of the class. Horikita
+spontaneously broke into derisive laughter in response to Ike and
+Karuizawa's delusions. As her neighbor, I was the only one who noticed. She
+seemed to be implying that they couldn't have started in Class A if they'd
+wanted to. Horikita immediately took out a library book and began reading,
+almost as if she was trying not to be distracted by the noise. At a glance, I
+saw she was reading Dostoevsky's Demons. A good choice.
+"It would be awesome if there was some secret trick we could use to
+switch Class A in an instant. Saving up class points 1s way too hard."
+There was a 1000-point difference between Class A and us. An
+absurdly huge difference.
+"Then cheer up, Ike, because there is one way to instantly reach Class
+***
+Chabashira-sensei spoke from the classroom entranceway. She'd
+arrived just five minutes before class started.
+"Wait. What did you say, sensei?" Ike nearly fell off his chair before
+recomposing himself.
+"T said that there's a way to reach Class A without class points."
+Horikita looked up from her book, probably trying to gauge whether
+Chabashira-sensei was lying.
+"Come on, now. Don't tease us, Sae-chan-sensei!"' Usually, Ike
+would've sunk his teeth into that information. This time, he laughed it off, as
+if saying he wouldn't be fooled.
+"It's true. At this school, there are certain special methods you can
+use," answered Chabashira-sensei. Judging from her answer, she didn't
+appear to be joking.
+"T don't think she's saying that just to confuse us."
+Chabashira-sensei sometimes withheld information, but she didn't lie.
+Ike's guffaws gradually stopped.
+"Sensei, what are these special methods?" Ike inquired politely, as if
+not to offend her.
+All of the students fixed their eyes on Chabashira-sensei. Even those
+who didn't see a substantial benefit to reaching Class A appeared curious.
+"T told you on the day you arrived. I said there's nothing you cannot
+buy with your points at this school. In other words, you can change classes by
+using your personal points."
+Chabashira-sensei shot a quick glance over at Horikita and me. We had
+tested out that very method ourselves by buying a test point from the school.
+That supported the truth of her claim.
+Class points and private points were linked. If we didn't have any class
+points, then we wouldn't get the private points, either. However, it wasn't a
+perfect one-to-one correlation. Based on what we'd heard, you didn't
+necessarily have to lose out on points. Because students could transfer points,
+it was theoretically possible to collect private points even if your class points
+were at zero.
+""S-seriously! How many points do we need to save up to do that?!"
+"Twenty million. Do your best to conserve points. Do that, and you can
+enter whichever class you like."
+After hearing that absurdly high number, Ike tumbled out of his chair.
+"Did you just say twenty million? That's impossible, though!"
+Everyone in the class started booing. Their disappointment was to be
+expected.
+"Normally yes, it would be impossible. However, as it's an avenue to
+Class A, it's naturally expensive. If I were reduce the number by one digit,
+there would probably be over 100 people in Class A come graduation. Then
+there'd be no point to our system."
+Even by maintaining our monthly allotment of 100,000 points, that still
+wouldn't be an easy number to reach.
+"Just out of curiosity, has anyone successfully changed their class like
+this before?"
+That was an obvious question. The Advanced Nurturing High School
+had been in operation for about 10 years. A thousand and some students had
+struggled to make it through. If anyone had managed to achieve success by
+that method, there would've been talk about it.
+"Unfortunately, no. No one has done it before. The reason why is as
+clear as day. Even if you perfectly maintain your class points upon starting
+school here, after three years you'd only have 3.6 million. Class A could raise
+points enough to reach four million. Normally, you simply wouldn't be able
+to do it."
+"So, doesn't that just mean it's impossible?"
+"It's almost impossible. However, that does not mean it actually is
+impossible. There's a big difference, Ike."
+However, around half the class had already lost interest in what she
+was saying. For students in Class D, who dreamed of a mere 100 or 200
+private points, reaching 20 million was a faraway dream. It was beyond the
+scope of our imagination.
+"May I ask one question, please?"
+The watchful Horikita raised her hand. She looked quite determined,
+considering this was a potential road to Class A.
+"What is the highest number of points that a student has saved since the
+opening of this school? I'm just asking for the sake of reference."
+"A very good question, Horikita. About three years ago, one student
+from Class B saved nearly 12 million points before graduating."
+"T-twelve million?! A student from Class B?!''
+"He was expelled before graduation, however, so he was unable to save
+those 20 million points in the end. He was engaged in a large-scale fraudulent
+operation to save up points."
+"Fraudulent?"
+"He took advantage of the newly admitted first-year students who
+didn't yet understand the system. He went to them one by one and scammed
+points out of them, so he could reach the 20 million points necessary to move
+to Class A. There was no way the school could overlook such reckless
+actions, however. I don't think that his goal was particularly bad, but people
+who break the rules must be punished."
+That was more than a mere anecdote. That story made the possibility of
+success sound truly impossible.
+"So, you're saying that even if we were to use criminal methods, 12
+million points is about the limit?" Horikita muttered.
+"Give up on that method. Strive to save up your points responsibly."
+Horikita returned to reading, likely feeling idiotic for bothering to raise
+her hand at all. In this world, stories that seemed too good to be true were just
+that.
+"Oh, that reminds me. None of you have gotten any points yet from
+club activities, have you?" remarked Chabashira-sensei, with the air of
+suddenly remembering.
+"What do you mean?"
+"There are cases where individuals may win points based on their
+efforts in club activities, or their degree of participation. For example, if
+someone in a calligraphy club were to win a contest, they could receive
+corresponding points for that award."
+This new information took everyone aback.
+""Y-you mean we can get points for participating in clubs?!"
+"Yes. The other classes should have already been well informed of
+this."
+""Wh-what the hell? That's so mean! Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"
+"T simply forgot, sorry. However, extracurricular activities aren't there
+just as a way to earn points. So it shouldn't make any difference when you
+learned this information," said Chabashira-sensei without a hint of timidity.
+"No, no, no! That's not true at all! If you'd told me before, I—"
+"Are you saying you would have participated in extracurricular
+activities? Do you really think you would've been able to see any results after
+joining a club, results like winning prizes or being in games, with such
+shallow feelings?"
+"Well...you might be right about that, but... It was possible!"
+I understood both Chabashira-sensei and Ike's viewpoints. If someone
+were to join a club simply for the sake of earning points, he or she probably
+wouldn't see great results. If anything, joining a club for such a lazy,
+indifferent reason would probably make you a nuisance for the students who
+were serious about it. On the other hand, someone who joined the club for the
+sake of points might discover that they possessed a talent for it.
+At any rate, I deduced that our homeroom teacher was being extremely
+and deliberately mean.
+"You know, if you think back on it now, it was obvious from the start."
+"What do you mean, Hirata-kun?"
+"Think back. Remember what our P.E. instructor Higashtyama-sensei
+said when we went to the pool? He said the student who got the best time
+during our first class would get 5000 points. That was a stepping stone to
+prepare us for other opportunities. It seems plausible, right?"
+Ike scratched his head and slumped. "I don't remember," he said.
+"If I got points for it, I probably would've joined calligraphy club, or
+some other kind of art club."
+It seemed like Ike could only see the positive side of things. I thought
+there naturally must be a downside.
+There might be cases where if someone didn't participate in their club
+seriously, he or she would be penalized. The easy route would probably
+destroy you. However, learning that our points would reflect the efforts we
+made in club activities was encouraging.
+"Horikita. Doesn't this mean there's some value in saving Sudou?" I
+asked.
+"We should save him because he's in a club?"
+"'Sudou told us that he may be picked as a regular on the team even
+though he's a first year, right?
+Horikita gave a small nod.
+"If he was telling the truth..."
+She sounded somewhat doubtful.
+"It's better to have a lot of private points, right? He can supplement his
+own grade if he fails, and he can save others."
+"T have a hard time imagining that he'd use his points altruistically,
+though."
+"T'm saying that it's better to have points saved up, just in case.
+Right?"
+Whether class points or private points, it was better to have a lot of
+them. There were absolutely no negatives to that. Also, we knew very little
+about how else to earn points at this stage. If our chances improved with
+Sudou in the class, then that was reason enough to make an effort. Horikita
+fell silent. Even she didn't have the ability to create any points for us right
+now.
+"T won't say that I'll help, but I suppose I ought to acknowledge
+Sudou's existence, at least a little."
+Horikita's language was harsh, but she acknowledged the connection to
+her own interests. I considered it unnecessary to say more, so I stopped
+talking. Horikita pondered the issue in silence.
+4.1
+Ou: class became temporarily excited by that fairy tale, but we were
+soon pulled back to reality. After school we resumed the search for a witness.
+I hung behind Kushida, Ike, and the others, trailing them like a ghost. I was
+impressed, surprised, and in awe of their natural conversation skills. It was
+clear as day that I, someone who couldn't even converse with my fellow
+classmates, was not well suited to this task. How could they talk with people
+they'd never met before and behave like old friends? Monsters.
+In this investigation, we sought not just names, but also contact
+information. Perhaps they felt compelled to give Kushida their information
+because of her personality. What a wonderful talent...
+Though Kushida and the others spent a good amount of time going to
+the second-year classrooms and talking to upperclassmen, they didn't turn up
+any good leads. As time passed, the number of students who remained after
+class was dwindling. With a lack of new students to speak with, we decided
+to stop our investigation for the day.
+"Looks like we didn't have any luck today, either."
+Everyone went back to my room to reevaluate our strategy. Sudou
+came by shortly afterward and joined our discussion.
+"What happened today? Did you make any progress?" he asked.
+"None at all. Sudou, are you sure there was a witness?"
+I understood Ike's doubts. Even though the school had said that's what
+happened, there wasn't any new information.
+"Huh? I never said there was someone there. I said that it fe/t like
+someone was there."
+"Huh. Is that so?"
+"It's certainly true that Sudou-kun didn't say he saw anyone. He said
+that he had a feeling that someone was there."
+"Maybe Sudou was hallucinating? He must be taking some pretty
+potent drugs or something."
+Man, that was going a bit too far. Sudou put Ike into a headlock.
+"Gyahh! I give, I give!" Ike cried.
+While the two of them messed around, Kushida and Yamauchi were
+wracking their brains. After discussing the matter for about 10 minutes,
+Kushida spoke up.
+"We might want to change our methods a little. For example, let's look
+for someone who might have found a witness."
+"Look for someone who found a witness? I don't get what you mean."
+"Are you going to look for the people who went to the special building
+on the day of the incident?"
+"Yeah. What do you think?"
+That wasn't a bad idea. Not many students went to the special building,
+but the entrance was well within eyeshot. In other words, if someone testified
+to seeing another person enter the special building, we'd be much closer to
+finding the witness.
+"That sounds great! Let's start asking right away."
+I noticed then that the person of interest, Sudou, was completely
+engrossed in some kind of digital basketball game on his phone. It was
+completely draining his battery. I think the game was called Generation of
+Miracles or something, but I still didn't quite understand. After he won the
+match, he struck a victory pose.
+Even though Sudou couldn't really help, Ike and Yamauchi still
+appeared disgruntled at the sight of him. However, they concealed their
+dissatisfaction, probably because they were scared of Sudou's counterattack.
+They both chose to ignore him instead.
+Tomorrow was Friday. Ferreting out information would be no easier
+when Saturday came around. That meant we actually had less time than we
+thought. Just then, my doorbell rang and a visitor appeared. The small group
+of normal visitors was mostly accounted for already. While I considered who
+this new visitor might be, she peered through the door.
+"Have you made any progress finding the witness?" asked Horikita,
+looking as if she already knew the response.
+"No. Not yet."
+"I'm only telling you this because it's you, but I may have found out
+something—"
+While she was talking, Horikita noticed that there were several pairs of
+shoes lined up by my door. She stopped and made a hard heel turn,
+apparently ready to run. Kushida peered over at the entrance, probably
+concerned that Horikita wouldn't return.
+"Ah, Horikita-san!" Kushida said.
+Kushida smiled and waved to Horikita. Horikita, upon noticing
+Kushida, naturally let out a sigh.
+"Looks like your only choice is to come in, huh?"
+"Looks that way," Horikita grumped.
+Looking exasperated, she entered my room.
+"Oh, Horikita!"'
+Of course, Sudou was happiest to see her. He paused his game and
+stood.
+"Did you decide to help out? I'm super glad you're here."
+"T didn't particularly plan on helping. You don't appear to have found
+the witness yet, right?"
+Kushida nodded despondently. "If you didn't come here to help, then
+why did you come?" she asked.
+"I was wondering what kind of plan you'd come up with."
+"Well, I'm happy if you just want to listen to us talk. I hoped you could
+give some advice."
+Kushida then relayed her plan to Horikita, whose expression remained
+neutral from start to finish.
+"IT wouldn't say it's a bad plan. Provided you have sufficient time, your
+labors may actually bear fruit."
+Time was indeed the issue here. Considering we had a mere few days
+left, it was doubtful we'd see any results.
+"Well. Now that I'm abreast of the current situation, I'll be leaving."
+In the end, Horikita was going to leave without ever having sat down.
+She was no lingerer.
+"Did you come up with something? Like information about the
+witness?" I asked.
+When Horikita had shown up at my door, it seemed like she'd wanted
+to say something. She wasn't exactly the friendly type, certainly not the sort
+who'd come to my room for casual conversation.
+"T'Il give you just one piece of advice, to help your pathetic odds," she
+said. "It's hard to see what's right in front of you. If someone actually
+witnessed Sudou's incident, then that person is close by."
+Horikita's information was much more significant than I'd imagined.
+She spoke as if she had already found the hypothetical witness.
+"What do you mean, Horikita? Are you seriously implying that you
+found this person?"
+Sudou appeared more shocked and doubtful than joyous. That was
+understandable. No one, myself included, really believed her...until we heard
+her next words.
+"'Sakura-san."
+Horikita spoke a most unexpected name.
+""Sakura-san? From our class?"
+Yamauchi and Sudou exchanged looks. They didn't seem to know who
+Sakura even was. That was probably to be expected, though. To be honest, I
+had to wrack my own memory for a moment.
+""She's the witness. She saw the incident."
+"Why do you say that?"
+"When Kushida-san said that she was looking for a witness in class,
+Sakura looked down. A lot of students were staring at Kushida-san. Sakura
+was the only one who didn't appear interested. She wouldn't have acted that
+way without some connection to the incident."
+I hadn't noticed that at all. I was genuinely impressed by Horikita's
+observational prowess. She'd noticed a classmate's very minor gesture.
+"Since you were one of the people who also stares at Kushida-san, it's
+not surprising you didn't notice," Horikita said to me, her tone heavily
+sarcastic.
+"So you're saying that there's a high probability that this Sakura, or
+Kokura, or whoever is the witness?" inquired Sudou. A sharp observation,
+something a fool would be unlikely to say.
+"No, Sakura-san is undoubtedly the witness. Her actions confirmed it.
+Although she may not admit to it, she is definitely the one."
+While we'd been paralyzed by uncertainty, Horikita had stepped up
+and taken control. That Horikita had done so for our class's sake was
+particularly moving.
+"Did you really do this for me, after all?!" Sudou looked especially
+moved.
+"Don't misunderstand. I just didn't want to waste more time looking
+for the witness, and letting other classes see us in such a shameful light.
+That's all."
+"Umm. But still, the point is that you saved us, right?"
+"You are free to interpret things however you wish, but I'm telling you
+that you're wrong."
+"Come on, don't lie! You're a tsundere, Horikita!"
+Ike went to hit Horikita's shoulders playfully, as if teasing her. Horikita
+grabbed his arm and tossed him to the ground.
+"Oww!" he cried.
+"Don't touch me. This is your one warning. The next time you try it,
+I'll despise you all the way to graduation."
+"T-I won't touch you. Not even if I wanted to...ow, owww!"
+She put him in a headlock. It was unfortunate for Ike, but you reap
+what you sow. Anyway, those weren't the defensive moves of a normal girl.
+Since I knew that her older brother practiced karate and aikido, she might
+have learned something, too?
+"Ooh. My arm!"
+"Tke-kun," said Horikita as Ike writhed on the floor in agony.
+I thought she was taking things too far.
+"Should I amend my previous statement, and say 'I shall continue to
+despise you long past our graduation'?"
+"Ohh! So mean!"
+After delivering what seemed to be his last words on the matter, Ike's
+energy was exhausted.
+Sakura, though. Of all people, the witness was from Class D. It was
+difficult to know whether this was good news or not.
+"Isn't this great, Sudou? If the student's from Class D, then we can
+definitely get her to testify!"
+"Yeah. I'm happy there's a witness, but who's Sakura? Do you know
+her?"
+Sudou didn't seem to have any idea. Yamauchi appeared quite
+surprised.
+"Are you serious? She sits behind you, Sudou!"
+"No, that's not it. She sits diagonally ahead of you and to the left, I
+thought?"
+"No, you're both wrong. She sits diagonally ahead of Sudou-kun to the
+right." Kushida corrected them, a slightly pouty look on her face.
+"Diagonally ahead to the right? I can't remember at all. I'm sure
+there's someone there, though."
+That was obvious. A permanently empty seat would have been bizarre.
+Sakura certainly didn't stand out very much. The fact we didn't really know
+her was a problem.
+"T probably know her. I feel like I've heard her name somewhere
+before," I offered.
+I felt like I almost had something, but not quite.
+"Can you tell us about her?"
+"Well, I suppose there's one thing. Would it help if I said she has the
+biggest boobs in class? Her boobs are insanely huge." Ike, having returned to
+the land of the living, discussed one of Sakura's chief physical
+characteristics. Personally, I couldn't identify her based on that information
+alone.
+"Oh, she's that plain girl with glasses, right?"
+How did you jump to that? I was a little stunned.
+"It's not good to remember people based on something like that, Ike-
+kun! That's pathetic," Kushida cried.
+"N-no, no, it's not like that, Kushida-chan. It's just, you know. I wasn't
+trying to say anything indecent or anything. You know, it's like how you can
+remember a tall guy because of his height, right? It's the same kind of thing,
+but I'm just remembering her based on another physical characteristic!"
+Kushida was rapidly losing faith as Ike frantically tried to smooth
+things over. It seemed like it was too late.
+"Damn it! No, it's not like that, it's not! I absolutely do not like plain
+girls like her! Don't get the wrong idea!"
+I doubted anyone had the wrong idea. While Ike broke down in tears,
+the rest of us started talking about Sakura.
+"Then we should see how much Sakura-san knows. Any ideas?"
+"None. We just have to confirm with her directly."
+"Can't we just go to Sakura's room right now? We don't have much
+time."
+I thought that Yamauchi's proposal seemed innocuous, but it all came
+down to Sakura's personality and behavior. Sakura was an unusually shy girl.
+It wasn't difficult to imagine that if unfamiliar people suddenly showed up,
+she'd be perplexed.
+"Okay, so should we try calling her?"
+I recalled that Kushida already knew everyone's information, including
+Horikita's. She listened to her phone ring for about 20 seconds, but then she
+shook her head and hung up.
+"No luck. The call didn't go through. I can try again later, but this may
+be a delicate matter."
+"What do you mean by delicate?"
+"She gave me her contact information, but she doesn't know me very
+well. She might be confused if I tried to call her. Also, she might not even
+have been there to answer the phone."
+Sakura might just be pretending to be out, too.
+"So she's kind of like Horikita?" Ike said.
+Why would you say something like that when the person you're talking
+about was standing right in front of you, Ike? Horikita probably didn't care,
+though. Really, she seemed pretty uninterested in what Ike said at all.
+"Goodbye."
+"Ah, Horikita-san!"
+Horikita stood quickly and headed for the door. By the time I managed
+to get up, the door had clicked shut.
+"What a tsundere."
+Sudou wore a happy smile, chuckling and scratching his nose with his
+finger. She wasn't tsun and she wasn't dere. She wasn't anything, I thought.
+She was a non-tsun, non-dere. Since we couldn't prevent Horikita from
+leaving, we resumed our conversation.
+"T get the feeling that Sakura-san's just a shy person. That was my first
+impression of her."
+It was strange to discuss someone you'd never talked to.
+"She's plain, that's it. Talk about a waste, man. Like pearls before
+swine." While Yamauchi spoke, he gestured with his hands near his chest, to
+represent Sakura's breasts.
+"Yeah, for sure. Her boobs are huge, though. It's really cute!"
+Ike seemed to have already forgotten the shame of his earlier remarks,
+and was now excited again. Kushida gave him another bitter smile. After
+noticing Kushida's expression, Ike's regret returned. He was the type of
+hapless creature that made the same mistake over and over.
+Even though I hadn't said anything, I felt like I was being lumped into
+the same category as Ike and Yamauchi. Kushida's bitter smile seemed to
+say, You're also fixated on boobs, aren't you? You disgusting pervert.
+Granted, that was my persecution complex speaking.
+"What about Sakura's face, though? It's no use, I just can't remember
+anything."
+I could barely match Sakura's name to a face. I recalled seeing her
+back when we were making bets. The bet had been about boobs, though. I
+guess we were birds of a feather after all.
+My image of Sakura was of her quietly sitting by herself, hunched over
+her desk.
+"T don't know if Sakura talks to anyone. Yamauchi? Wait, hold on...
+Yamauchi, you said you confessed your feelings to her before, right? If you
+did, then you can talk to her easily, yeah?"
+Oh, Ike was right. Yamauchi had said that. They'd mentioned it before.
+"Uh, ahh...well, I may or may not have said something like that."
+Yamauchi feigned ignorance.
+"So you were lying?"
+"N-no, I wasn't. I wasn't lying. It was just a misunderstanding. It
+wasn't Sakura; it was a girl from the next class over. Not a gloomy and ugly
+girl like Sakura. Err, hold on. Sorry, I got a message."
+Yamauchi dodged the question by whipping out his phone. It's
+certainly true that Sakura was plain, but she wasn't ugly. I'd never gotten a
+good look at her face before, but she seemed to have very nice features. Even
+so, I couldn't say that with complete confidence, probably because Sakura
+had so little presence.
+"Well, Pll try to talk to her myself tomorrow. I think she might be on
+her guard if a lot of people approach her," Kushida said.
+"That sounds good."
+If Kushida couldn't manage it, then I doubted anyone else would be
+able to get through to Sakura.
+4.2
+Tes hot."
+Our school didn't change uniforms with the seasons, so we had to wear
+blazers throughout the year. The reason was simple: every building came
+equipped with heating and cooling systems. The heat was only an issue going
+to and from school. The morning commute. Sweat had begun to trickle down
+my back in the few minutes that it took to get from the dorms to school.
+I took refuge from the heat inside, where the nice, cool air greeted me.
+It must have been hell for the students with morning practice. Those boys and
+girls all gathered around the classroom's source of the cool air. From an
+outsider's perspective, it was like bugs flitting about a light bulb. Perhaps that
+was kind of a bad example.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Hirata called to me, his expression as fresh and friendly as usual. The
+sweet yet subtle fragrance of flowers always emanated from him. If I were a
+girl, ''d probably unintentionally shriek, "Hold me!"
+"Kushida-san told me about it yesterday. She said that you found the
+witness. Sakura-san."
+Hirata looked over at Sakura's seat. She hadn't yet arrived.
+"Are you going to talk to Sakura?" I asked.
+"Me? No. I'm going to greet her, that's all. I've wanted to talk to her
+since she's always by herself, but as a guy I don't want to come off as
+forceful or anything. Also, if I asked Karuizawa-san to talk with her, that
+might cause a few problems."
+A conversation between the super assertive Karuizawa and Sakura-san
+was difficult to imagine.
+"T think that for the time being, we' ll just wait for more information
+from Kushida-san."
+"That sounds great, but why are you talking to me? Talking to Ike or
+Yamauchi would be better," I said.
+There was no real reason for him to tell me any of this. I wasn't really
+part of the team.
+"Not for any particular reason. I guess it's because you have a
+connection to Horikita-san. She doesn't talk to anyone except for you, so I
+thought you'd pass it along."
+"T see."
+Was that my only area of expertise? Hirata smiled, agreeably. If I were
+a girl, I would have gone from zero to 100 right there, and my heart would
+have been beating out of my chest.
+"Oh, that reminds me. If you're up for it, we should hang out sometime
+soon. What do you think?"
+Hey, hey, don't tell me that you're not satisfied with girls anymore and
+are looking to make my heart throb. If I, a known recluse, accepted the hero's
+invitation without due consideration, that would be a big problem.
+"Sure. It should be fine, I guess."
+Ahh, I said the exact opposite of what I'd been thinking. Damn, curse
+my terrible mouth. I definitely hadn't been waiting for Hirata to invite me to
+hang out or anything. Yeah, that's right. This is what's wrong with the
+Japanese people: we are incapable of saying 'no,' so we have to respond in a
+roundabout way when invited out.
+"I'm sorry. Do you not really want to?" Hirata sensed my unease.
+"No, no, I'll go. I definitely want to," I answered, feeling a little
+disgusted with myself. I tried to act like a proud guy, but I couldn't help
+actually wanting to go.
+"Are you fine with my girlfriend coming, too?"
+"Hmm? Oh, Karuizawa-san? That's okay."
+My response was surprisingly quick. Well, there was a wide variety of
+"types" of couples. Since they still called each other by their surnames, they
+probably weren't that close yet. I reluctantly parted from Hirata, and fiddled
+with my cell phone while I waited for homeroom to begin. Then, I noticed
+that Sakura was in her seat.
+She wasn't doing anything. She just seemed to be sitting at her desk,
+killing time. I wondered just what kind of student Sakura was. In the three
+months that I'd been at this school, I knew nothing about her apart from her
+surname. It probably wasn't just me, either. The rest of the class probably had
+no clue.
+Kushida and Hirata were proactive and able to open up to just about
+anyone. Horikita didn't feel the agony of solitude. So what about Sakura?
+Did she like being alone, like Horikita? Or was she suffering because she
+didn't know how to connect with people, like me? Those were the mysteries
+that Kushida was supposedly going to unravel for us.
+4.3
+Crass was over. Kushida stood up right as homeroom ended and
+walked over towards Sakura, who was quietly preparing to leave. Kushida
+seemed oddly nervous. Ike, Yamauchi, and even Sudou appeared interested
+in what was going on, and directed their attention over to the girls.
+""Sakura-san?"'
+""Wh-what?"
+The bespectacled girl with the hunched back peered up with a timid
+expression. Apparently she hadn't expected someone to talk to her, and was
+flustered.
+"T wanted to ask you something, Sakura-san. Do you have a moment?
+It's about Sudou's case."
+"S-sorry. I...I have plans, so..."
+Sakura was obviously uncomfortable. She averted her eyes. She
+probably wasn't good at talking with others. Or rather, she gave off the
+impression that she didn't /ike talking to them.
+"Can you please make some time? This is important, so I'd like to talk
+to you. When Sudou-kun was involved in the incident, were you perhaps
+somewhere nearby?"
+"T-I don't know. I already told Horikita-san. I really don't know
+anything..."
+Her words were weak, yet she vehemently denied it. Kushida could
+clearly see how unpleasant Sakura found this, so she probably didn't want to
+press her much more. Although Kushida appeared slightly perplexed at first,
+her concerned expression quickly melted into a pleasant smile. Even so, she
+couldn't withdraw just like that, because Sakura might have tremendous
+influence over Sudou's fate.
+"So...1S it okay? If I go back..." Sakura whispered.
+Something seemed strange, however. She wasn't simply bad at talking
+with people. It looked as though she was hiding something. You could see
+that from her behavior. Sakura concealed her dominant hand while also
+avoiding eye contact. Even if she weren't comfortable meeting someone's
+eyes, people generally looked in the direction of those to whom they were
+speaking. Sakura didn't look at Kushida's face at all.
+If Ike or I were talking to her, I could have understood that reaction.
+Though it was mostly out of formal obligation, Sakura had exchanged
+numbers with Kushida. Kushida's behavior in a one on one conversation was
+different, though. I don't think Horikita was wrong to feel some discomfort
+when speaking with Kushida. I'd found something a bit off-putting about it
+myself.
+"Can't you please spare just a few minutes now?" Kushida asked.
+"Wh-why, though? I-I don't know anything..."
+If Kushida failed, we'd gain nothing from their conversation. Of
+course, the longer this awkwardness dragged on, the more attention they'd
+attract. This seemed like a complete miscalculation on Kushida's part. Since
+they were already acquainted and had exchanged contact information,
+Kushida probably had expected this conversation to go more smoothly, and
+had gone into this situation thinking she wasn't going to be rejected. That
+explained why this was currently falling apart.
+Horikita carefully monitored the situation. She looked over at me with
+a somewhat smug expression. It was as though she were saying J know that
+your powers of observation are incredible.
+"I'm really bad at being social. I'm sorry..." Sakura muttered.
+She spoke in an unnatural, strained way, and didn't seem to want
+Kushida to get any closer. When discussing Sakura earlier, Kushida had
+described her as a shy but ordinary girl. Judging from her current behavior,
+though, she clearly wasn't normal. Kushida must have felt the same, because
+she couldn't hide her confusion. Kushida was normally very good at getting
+others to open up to her, but here she was failing. Horikita also understood
+what was happening. As she watched the conversation, she came to a
+conclusion.
+"My, how unfortunate. Kushida failed to persuade her."
+Horikita was correct. If Kushida couldn't do it, then I didn't think that
+anyone else in our class would be able to. Kushida was good at creating an
+informal atmosphere, one in which socially awkward people could converse
+naturally. However, everyone has what they consider their own personal
+space. An off-limits area, in other words.
+Cultural anthropologist Edward Hall further divided the idea of
+personal space into four parts. One such zone is the so-called "intimate
+space." In this particular space, you'd be near enough to hug someone. If an
+outsider tries to step into this space, people naturally exhibit strong signs of
+rejection. However, if that person is a lover or a best friend, then he or she
+won't find it uncomfortable. Even if someone were only a casual
+acquaintance, Kushida probably wouldn't mind letting that person into her
+"intimate space." That is, she didn't seem to put high value on the idea of
+personal space.
+However, Sakura had clearly reyected Kushida. No...rather, it looked
+like she was running away. When Sakura was first asked, she'd said that she
+"had plans." If she really did have plans, she'd have repeated that when asked
+again. Sakura collected her bag and stood, seemingly putting distance
+between herself and Kushida.
+"G-goodbye."
+Sakura had apparently decided to run because she couldn't find a
+skillful way to end the conversation. She snatched a digital camera off her
+desk, and started to walk away. Just then, she ran into Hondou's shoulder.
+Focused on texting a friend, he wasn't paying attention to where he was
+going.
+***
+Sakura's digital camera tumbled to the floor with a loud clack.
+Hondou simply kept walking, attention still focused on his phone. He
+apologized as he left. "My bad," he called.
+Sakura, flustered, rushed to pick up her camera.
+"No way. There's nothing on the screen..."
+Sakura put her hand over her mouth in total shock. The camera seemed
+to have broken on impact. She pushed the power button over and over, tried
+taking out the batteries and putting them back in, but the power indicator
+never came on.
+"I-I'm sorry. It's because I came up and talked to you so suddenly,
+that..." Kushida began.
+"No, that's not it. I was just careless, that's all... Anyway, goodbye."
+Kushida, unable to stop the despondent Sakura, could only watch her
+leave with regret.
+"Why is a gloomy girl like her my witness? This sucks. She doesn't
+want to help me at all."
+Sudou crossed his legs and leaned against the chair, sighing in
+exasperation.
+"I'm sure there's something to learn there. Besides, we didn't ask
+Sakura-san directly what she saw. Maybe she just can't say it herself?"
+"T know. If she were planning to say something, she would have. She
+restrained herself, because she's an adult."
+"It might be better this way, Sudou-kun. Better that she's the witness,
+that is."
+"What do you mean?"
+"She won't testify on your behalf. They' ll determine you caused the
+incident. In the end, Class D will be affected by your actions, but we' ll be
+okay. We have testimony that they lied about the violence. It's hard to
+imagine that the school would penalize us by more than 100 or 200 points for
+being involved in this incident. That way we'll only lose 87 points, and you
+won't face expulsion. However, we'll shoulder more of the blame than Class
+C will." Horikita relentlessly spoke her thoughts out loud, as if she'd been
+hiding them deep inside her all this time.
+"Don't make jokes. I'm innocent. Innocent! I hit them, but it was out of
+self-defense."
+"T don't think self-defense is all that helpful in this case."
+Ah, I'd accidentally said that aloud.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun."
+I tried to act aloof as I turned, but found that Kushida's face was super
+close to mine. Man, Kushida looked super cute up close. Rather than feeling
+uncomfortable about this invasion of my personal space, I wanted her to
+come even closer.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you're Sudou-kun's ally, aren't you?" she asked.
+"Well... Yeah, I am. Why are you asking me that again, though?"
+"Well, it's just that things seem to a bit tense. Everyone's desire to save
+Sudou is fading."
+I looked around the classroom.
+"It does seem that way. They probably think that whatever happens,
+happens. That there's nothing to be done."
+If even Sakura, the key witness, denied Sudou her help, then we'd
+made no progress.
+"T can't imagine that we'll find a perfect out for Sudou. Let's just give
+up on him," muttered Ike, half-heartedly.
+"What the hell, you guys? Didn't you say that you'd help me?" Sudou
+cried.
+"Well, it's just...you know?"
+Sudou appealed to our remaining classmates, looking for approval.
+"Even your friends don't wish to help you. How unfortunate," Horikita
+muttered.
+The other students didn't try to deny what Ike and Horikita had said.
+"Why do I have to suffer like this? You bunch of useless jerks!"
+"What an interesting thing to say, Sudou-kun. Haven't you noticed that
+everyone is turning on you?"
+"What do you mean by that?"
+Our class often got very tense, but today was worse than usual.
+However, since Sudou was talking to Horikita, he seemed to be trying his
+best to restrain himself. However, the attack came at him from an unexpected
+direction.
+"Don't you think it would've been better if you'd been expelled? Your
+existence is far from beautiful. No, in fact, I could say your life is an ugly
+one, Red Hair-kun."
+The voice came from a boy checking his reflection in a hand mirror to
+fix his hair. It was Kouenji Rokusuke, an especially odd guy even amongst
+the remarkably strange people of our class.
+"What the hell? Say that one more time, I dare you!"
+"It would be inefficient for me to tell you, no matter how many times I
+did. If I know that you're dim-witted, then it doesn't matter how many times
+I try to lecture you, does it?"
+Kouenji didn't even look at Sudou as he spoke. It was as if this were a
+soliloquy. Suddenly, there was a huge crashing sound. A desk flew through
+the air and splintered on the ground after being kicked. Everyone froze.
+Sudou, silent and intense, walked over to Kouenji.
+"All right, that's enough. Calm down, you two," Hirata said. He was
+the only boy able to move in this awful situation. My heart pounded in my
+chest. "Sudou-kun. You certainly are part of the problem here. But Kouenji-
+kun, you're in the wrong, too."
+"Puh. I don't think I've experienced being wrong since I was born. You
+must be mistaken."
+"Bring it on. Pll smash your face in and take you down a peg," Sudou
+snapped.
+"Stop it."
+Hirata grabbed Sudou's arm, sternly attempting to stop him, but Sudou
+showed no signs of being swayed. He looked like he wanted to vent all of his
+frustrations—including what Horikita had said—by hitting Kouenji.
+"Stop it already. I don't want to see my friends fight..."
+"Tt's just like Kushida says. I don't know about Kouenji-kun, but I'm
+your ally, Sudou-kun."
+Hirata was way too cool. It would've been fitting if he changed his
+name to "Hero." That would have been awesome.
+"I'm going to stop this. Sudou-kun, you should act more mature. If you
+cause another huge disturbance, the school's evaluation of you will only
+worsen. Right?"
+"Tch."
+Sudou glared at Kouenji and left the classroom, slamming the door on
+his way out. Afterward, a loud voice could be heard in the hall.
+"Kouenji-kun. I don't intend to compel you to help. But you were
+wrong to blame him."
+"Unfortunately, I've never experienced being wrong. Not once in my
+entire life. Oh, looks like it's about time for my date. Well, if you'll excuse
+99
+me.
+Watching their bizarre interaction unfold, I realized that our class
+lacked unity.
+"Sudou-kun really hasn't grown up, has he?"
+"Couldn't you have been a little kinder, Horikita-san?"
+"T don't show mercy to people who don't attempt to better themselves.
+He's caused us nothing but harm, and has no redeeming features."
+Well, you don't exactly show any mercy even to people who do attempt
+such things.
+"What?"
+"Ooh!"
+While I shrank away, a sharp knife (well, a sharp look) was thrust into
+me. I made a small rebuttal.
+"There's a popular expression in this world: Great talents mature late.
+Sudou could probably become a professional player in the NBA, right? I think
+there's a possibility that hell make a great contribution to society. The power
+of youth is infinite." I uttered a catchphrase that sounded about as original as
+a television commercial.
+"T don't intend to deny that it could happen in 10 years' time, but I'm
+looking for things to help me reach Class A right now. If he can't help us
+right now, then he's worthless to me."
+"T guess so."
+Well, Horikita's opinion was consistent, which was nice. I was more
+worried about Ike and the others. Their moods changed frequently, so I
+wasn't really able to relax.
+"You get along with Sudou, don't you? You eat together with him."
+"T don't think we're on bad terms, but I do kind of feel like he's a
+burden. Sudou cuts class more than anyone else. He also fights the most. I
+have to draw the line there."
+I could see what he meant. Ike appeared to have his own thoughts.
+"T'Il try to persuade Sakura-san. Once I do, things should turn around."
+"T just wonder about that. Considering the circumstances, even if we
+get Sakura-san's testimony, I believe it'I] have minimal impact. The school
+will probably have doubts about a witness just suddenly appearing from
+Class D."
+"Doubts? You mean they'd think we were lying about the witness?"
+"Of course. They'll consider the witness's testimony along with her
+possible intentions. They won't take her word as absolute proof."
+"No way. You mean even that evidence wouldn't be perfectly sound?"
+"Well, the best and most miraculous situation would be if there was a
+trusted witness from another class or grade who saw the entire incident from
+start to finish. There isn't anyone who fits that description, though," said
+Horikita with confidence.
+I thought the same.
+"Then no matter how hard we try to prove Sudou's innocence, we..."
+"Had the incident happened in a classroom, however, it would be a
+different story."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Well, there are cameras that record what goes on in the classrooms,
+right? Therefore, if anything did happen, there'd be evidence of it. Those
+recordings would blow the Class C guys' lies away."
+I pointed at the two or so cameras affixed to the ceiling near the corners
+of the classroom. They were small enough that they wouldn't be a distraction,
+and they blended in well with their surroundings, but they were undeniably
+security cameras.
+"The school checks those cameras to see if we talk or fall asleep during
+class. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to accurately assess our monthly
+performance."
+"Seriously?! I never knew that!"
+Ike looked utterly shocked.
+"T just learned about the cameras."
+"They're not easily spotted. I also didn't notice until they talked about
+points for the first time."
+"Well, ordinary people don't typically concern themselves with hidden
+cameras. I mean, most wouldn't be able to directly point out the cameras in a
+convenience store, even if they went there all the time, right?"
+If that person did know, they probably had a guilty conscience or were
+extremely nervous. Or they might have accidentally spotted them. Well,
+considering we didn't need to search for a witness anymore, I thought it was
+time to head home then. Kushida and the others might discuss looking for
+another witness. It would be a pain in the butt to get sucked into that.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, do you want to head back together?" Horikita asked.
+After hearing that invitation, I reflexively placed my hand against her
+forehead. It felt nice and cool, but I noticed the softness of her skin.
+"You do know I don't have a fever? I only wanted to talk to you about
+something," she deadpanned.
+"Ah, okay. That's fine."
+It was rare for Horikita to invite me anywhere. With the world going so
+topsy-turvy, I wondered if it would rain tomorrow.
+"You two really have gotten close, huh? I mean, you looked like you
+were going to murder me after I just touched your shoulder yesterday, and
+now..."
+Ike looked at my hand on Horikita's forehead with seeming discontent.
+Horikita, having noticed this, didn't change her expression as she spoke
+to me.
+"Do you mind? Your hand."
+"Oh, sorry, sorry."
+While I was relieved that Horikita offered no counterattack, I drew my
+hand away. I was on autopilot as the two of us stood in the hallway. I could
+roughly guess what Horikita wanted, but I didn't know exactly what she was
+going to say.
+"That reminds me. I want to make a stop before we return to the dorms.
+Is that okay?"
+"T don't mind, as long as it doesn't take too long."
+"Of course. It should only take about 10 minutes."
+4.4
+I, was hot and humid after class. I made my way over the special
+building, where the incident had taken place. It wasn't like a murder case
+where the area needed to be taped off to prevent people from contaminating
+the crime scene. It didn't really look any different than usual. I didn't see any
+indication that this building's facilities were used frequently, like the special
+classrooms, the home economics room, the AV room, etc. This would have
+been an ideal place to call Sudou out.
+"It's so hot..."
+This heat was abnormal. This was probably how summer at school
+should feel, but I had at least imagined that inside the building would be
+somewhat comfortable, the cool air balancing out the heat. I guess I'd gotten
+too used to air-conditioned buildings. I felt even hotter because of that gap in
+expectation. The air conditioning was probably on during class time in the
+special building, but it certainly wasn't right now.
+"Sorry for bringing you here."
+Horikita, who was standing next to me, simply looked around the
+hallway. She didn't appear to be sweating at all.
+"You've really changed, haven't you? It's odd that you stuck your neck
+out in this case. The witness has already been found, and we've confirmed
+that there's nothing left to be done. What are you even trying to do?" she
+asked.
+""Sudou was the first friend that I made here. I want to help him."
+"Do you think that there's a way to prove his innocence?"
+"I'm not so sure. I can't really say yet. I decided to take some initiative
+by myself, since I'm not very good at interacting with Hirata, Kushida, or
+large groups of people. Being social's definitely not my forte. I thought
+everyone would make me run around the school or the classroom today, so I
+decided to bolt instead. I like to avoid trouble, remember?"
+"That's certainly true. But then, you're as contradictory as ever, since
+you're helping out a friend."
+"Well, human beings are, for better or worse, creatures of
+convenience."
+I'd touched on this subject before with Horikita, but she did seem
+relatively open to my ideas. She usually acted alone, so as long as something
+didn't harm her, she tended not to mind. She wasn't the type to empathize
+with someone else's pain, though.
+"Well, your way of thinking isn't relevant to me, Ayanokouji-kun, so
+you're free to think whatever you like. Also, I appreciate that you say those
+two are hard to deal with."
+"Well, that's just because you hate them, isn't it?"
+"Having a common enemy tends to lead to cooperation."
+"No. Just because I'm bad at dealing with them doesn't mean I hate
+them. Please don't think I'm like you."
+I really did want to get closer to Kushida and Hirata. But Horikita's
+interpretation of my stance was rather broad, and she seemed to think that we
+had similar thoughts on the matter. Muttering, I walked to the end of the
+hallway and scanned the corners, making sure not to miss any nooks or
+crannies. Horikita seemed to notice something, and began looking around.
+She started to ponder.
+"Looks like there aren't any here. Too bad."
+"Huh? What?" I asked.
+"Cameras, like the ones in the classrooms. If there were cameras here,
+we'd have solid evidence. I can't find any."
+"Ah, yes. The security cameras. You're certainly right about it. If they
+were here, this matter would be settled."
+There were electrical outlets by the ceiling, but no signs they were
+being used. There was nothing in the hallway to obstruct a camera's view, so
+if one were installed the whole incident would have been recorded from start
+to finish.
+"Well, did the school have hallway cameras in the first place?"
+It probably wasn't just the special building. The hallways in the main
+school buildings probably didn't have cameras, either.
+"If I had to think of places where they wouldn't be installed, I'd
+probably say the bathrooms and the locker rooms. Right?"
+"Yeah. Most likely."
+"If there were security cameras here, the school would have checked
+them first and we wouldn't have any problems with this case."
+I shook my head, embarrassed to have gotten my hopes up for even a
+moment. For a short while, we loitered around, wasting time and not really
+achieving anything.
+"So, have you come up with a plan to save Sudou-kun?" Horikita
+asked.
+"Of course I haven't. It's your job to come up with plans, Horikita. I
+won't ask you to save Sudou, but it'd be nice for you to point Class D in the
+right direction."
+Horikita shrugged in exasperation. She was probably thinking up a
+response. However, she was the one who'd found Sakura, so it wasn't like
+she didn't want to help at all.
+"You're asking for my help? To use me? Me? Here and now?"
+"Having Sakura as our witness hurts us more than it helps. I think it'd
+be better if we looked for something else."
+Horikita likely understood. However, she was acting aloof, cut off from
+the world, like she was too cool to care about anything.
+"Sudou has many qualities I can't stomach. However, I want to lessen
+the blame they're placing upon him. The best possible outcome is we' II still
+have some points, even if Class D's image worsens."
+She sounded honest. Normally, she wasn't quite so candid. That wasn't
+an especially bad thing. However, most people aren't suited for loneliness.
+Therefore, they sometimes behave hypocritically, like saving someone out of
+feigned altruism in order to make other people adore them. That didn't seem
+to be Horikita's style, though. Also, unlike Kushida and the others, she'd
+completely given up on proving Sudou's innocence.
+"Like I said, unless a perfect witness appears, proving Sudou-kun's
+innocence will be impossible. If those Class C students admitted that they
+lied, I suppose things might turn out fine. Do you think that's likely?"
+"No way. They would never admit it."
+The lie would stand, especially because the other class also lacked any
+evidence. That was what I thought, anyway. Our only proof was Sudou's
+word. We were completely in the dark.
+'"There's no one here after class."
+"Well, that's obvious. They only use the special building for club
+activities."
+One party, either Sudou or the Class C students, had summoned the
+other to the special building. After that, as if by destiny, the two enemies
+started brawling. In the end, Sudou had injured the others, and they'd
+complained about it. That was the whole case.
+I definitely wouldn't come to a hot place like this unless someone had
+brought me. The humidity was suffocating. I felt like if I stayed even a few
+more minutes, my head would to explode.
+"Aren't you hot, Horikita?"
+While the severe heat destroyed me, Horikita looked around with a
+cool expression.
+"I'm fairly resilient when it comes to temperature. Ayanokouji-kun,
+you...don't seem okay."
+The heat was making me dizzy. I moved towards the window, hoping
+for some cool air. I opened the window...and then immediately slammed it
+shut.
+"That was dangerous."
+Opening the window had only let more hot air into the room. Leaving it
+ajar would've resulted in tragedy, I was sure of it. When I thought about how
+it would keep getting hotter all the way through August, I became depressed.
+However, coming here today had given us results. Things weren't
+impossible...
+"What are you thinking about right now?" Horikita asked.
+"Oh, nothing really. Just that it's hot. I've reached my limit."
+It looked as though we'd done all we could, so we started back.
+"*Ah."'
+"Oops! 99
+Turning the hallway corner, I bumped into another student.
+"Sorry, are you okay?" I asked.
+The impact of our collision wasn't very hard. At the very least, neither
+of us fell over.
+"Yeah. I'm sorry. I was careless," she said.
+"Oh no, I'm sorry. Wait...Sakura?"
+Mid apology, I realized just whom I'd run into.
+"Ah, um?"
+Judging from her troubled response, she didn't know who I was. After
+staring for a moment, she seemed to recognize me as one of her classmates.
+It's kind of pointless if you can only recognize somebody after a bout of
+intense staring, though.
+"Ah, oh. Well, you see... My hobby is taking pictures, so..."
+She showed me her phone's screen. I hadn't really planned on asking
+for details. Besides, it wasn't particularly unnatural to use your phone. Sakura
+had probably thought we were returning to the dorms, and now she was
+undoubtedly wondering why we were here.
+"You said it's your hobby? What kind of pictures?" I asked.
+"Things like the hallway...and the view outside the window. Stuff like
+that, I guess."
+Just as Sakura finished her brief explanation, she noticed Horikita and
+lowered her gaze.
+"Ah, um..."
+"T have something Id like to ask you, Sakura-san," Horikita said.
+Sakura appeared uncomfortable, but Horikita, never one to pass up on
+opportunity, stepped closer to her. Sakura backed away, seemingly
+frightened. I tried to gently restrain Horikita, gesturing for her for stop
+chasing Sakura.
+"G-goodbye."
+"Sakura." I called as she tried to hasten away. "You don't have to force
+yourself."
+I'd spoken up without thinking. Sakura stopped, but didn't turn around.
+"You shouldn't feel obligated to appear as the witness, Sakura. It'd be
+pointless to force you to testify. But if someone scary is trying to intimidate
+you or something, please talk to us. I have no idea how much I can help, but
+Pll try."
+"Are you talking about me?" Horikita muttered.
+Ignoring the existence of such a scary monster, I decided to let Sakura
+go.
+"T didn't see anything. You've got the wrong person..."
+She kept insisting she wasn't the witness. So far, we'd been operating
+based purely on Horikita's dogmatism and prejudices. It was quite possible
+that Sakura wasn't the witness, like she said.
+"Then that's fine. However, if someone else tries to hound you about it,
+please tell me."
+Sakura went meekly down the stairs.
+"That was probably our one big shot, you know? She probably came
+here because she was still thinking about the incident."
+"Since she's denied it, we can't force her to do anything. Besides, you
+do understand, Horikita? A Class D witness wouldn't help our case much."
+"Yeah, I suppose."
+She would act according to her logic. However, I didn't know what in
+the world she was thinking. That was why our investigation was at a
+standstill.
+"Hey, you two. What are you doing?"
+We turned in response to the unexpected voice. A beautiful girl with
+strawberry-blonde hair stood behind us. I recognized her, though I hadn't
+ever spoken to her before. She was a student from Class B, Ichinose. Rumor
+had it she was a superb student.
+"Sorry to interrupt you like that. Do you have a moment? Oh, if you
+happen to be in the middle of a so-so date, though, I'd like you to break it up
+right away."
+"It's nothing like that."
+Horikita denied it immediately. She was only quick to respond to
+suggestions like that.
+"Ha ha, I see. This place is a little too hot to be a date spot."
+I had no connection with Ichinose. I couldn't be sure, but she probably
+didn't even know my name. I was only one of many students to her. Perhaps
+she was an acquaintance of Horikita's? Or a friend? No. There was no way. If
+they suddenly said something like, "Oh wow, it's been too long! How are
+you?" and "I'm good, I'm good!" and embraced each other, I'd probably start
+foaming at the mouth and then faint.
+"Do you have some business with us?" Horikita asked.
+Horikita was on guard after Ichinose's sudden appearance. She
+probably didn't think that it was a coincidence Ichinose was trying to talk to
+us.
+"Business, huh? Well, it's more like 'What are you doing here?'"
+"Nothing. We're wandering around for no reason."
+I would've liked to answer honestly, but the pressure of Horikita's gaze
+made me fib.
+"For no reason, huh? You're from Class D, aren't you?"
+"Do you know us?"
+"I've met you twice before. We didn't talk directly, though. I
+remember seeing you in the library once, too."
+It seemed that she somehow remembered me. Perhaps I was kind of
+cool.
+"T have a very good memory, you know."
+Did she mean that if her memory weren't good, I wouldn't have much
+an impression? I'd been a little happy, but my levity died at the backhanded
+comment.
+"T thought that surely there'd be something here related to the brawl. I
+wasn't here yesterday when Class B heard about the witness. Later, I heard
+that Class D was looking for evidence of Sudou's innocence."
+"If we did happen to be here because of an investigation, what's your
+connection?"
+"Hmm, a connection? Well, I'm not connected. When I heard about
+what happened, I had some doubts. So I thought I''d come here myself to take
+a look. Would you mind filling me in?"
+Was she really just simply interested? After a brief period of silence,
+Ichinose sheepishly spoke.
+"Guess not, huh? Well, if the other classes were interested..."
+"No, we're not saying no, but..."
+"T can't help but think there's an ulterior motive," Horikita snapped.
+I'd tried to handle this situation peacefully, but Horikita had promptly
+obliterated that plan. Ichinose, clearly sensing the hostility behind Horikita's
+words, tilted her neck and smiled.
+"Ulterior motive? You think we're working in the shadows to
+undermine both C and Class D?"
+Ichinose wore a baffled expression. "Do you need to be that on guard?
+I'm really just curious, that's all."
+"T don't want to talk with someone who is 'just curious." Do what you
+want."
+Horikita tried to put some distance between them. She peered out the
+window.
+"Please tell me something. All my teacher and friends say is that there
+was some kind of fight."
+I hesitated briefly, but since there wasn't much information to be
+gained anyway, it may not have been worth keeping quiet. So I explained the
+situation. I told her that three people from Class C had called Sudou over, and
+there was a fistfight. However, Sudou turned the tables on his would-be
+attackers, and beat them up. I also told her that after the fight, the Class C
+kids filed a false report with the school. Ichinose listened to the story intently.
+"So that's what happened. This story hasn't made its way to Class B
+yet. Hey, isn't this a pretty big problem, though? It doesn't really matter who
+lied since it's an issue about violence, right? Shouldn't you be hurrying to
+uncover the truth?"
+"That's why we came here to look. But we haven't really found much."
+This wasn't anything like a murder case, so I'd doubted there'd be
+many clear hints left for us to find. However, contrary to our expectations, we
+did get some results.
+"So you believe Sudou-kun because he's your classmate. And your
+friend, of course, that much is obvious. So Class D is in an uproar because
+Sudou is being falsely charged, right?"
+It'd be difficult to convince a third party like Ichinose that we weren't
+doing this out of friendship or class loyalty. I wasn't going to try explaining
+it.
+"What would you do if Sudou-kun was the liar? Suppose evidence
+came out that proved his guilt. What then?"
+"Td report on it honestly. After all, covering for a lie would only come
+back to haunt us later."
+"Yeah, okay. I think so, too."
+Even so, it wasn't like our struggles were really going to have any
+impact on Ichinose.
+"Are you finished? You heard what you wanted." Horikita spoke
+sharply and with a sigh, trying to drive Ichinose away.
+"Hmm. Yeah, how about I help you out? To look for the witness, or
+whatever. You're bound to get further with more people, right?"
+Obviously more people would have been better. That was true.
+However, it wasn't as though we'd gone up and said to her, "Please help us,
+we're in trouble!"
+"Why would a student from Class B offer to help?"
+"Are Classes D and B completely unrelated to each other? We don't
+know when these cases will spring up, or whom they'Il involve. Since the
+classes are in constant competition, there's always the chance that this will
+happen. This was the merely the first case. If the party that lied wins, that'd
+set a bad precedent. Also, I personally can't turn away now that I know what
+happened."
+I couldn't tell whether Ichinose was being serious or joking.
+"If Class B works with you, wouldn't that dramatically improve your
+credibility? Though I suppose the opposite could be true, too. Class D may
+suffer greater consequences if the truth's uncovered..."
+In other words, if Sudou lied, then that'd prove Class C's assertion. In
+that case, Sudou would unquestionably be suspended, and Class D might
+suffer fatal damages.
+"What do you think? I don't believe it's a bad suggestion."
+I glanced over to see what Horikita thought. However, she still had her
+back to me. She was still looking out the window, unmoving. I wondered
+what she thought about Ichinose's offer. Of course, we were worried about
+what effect this would have. If Class D tried to prove Sudou's innocence by
+themselves, our credibility would be low unless we managed to find evidence
+that absolutely, 100 percent confirmed Sudou's innocence.
+If a student from Class B got involved, there might be tremendous
+implications.
+I decided to weigh the offer's positives and negatives, even though it
+was rude. Obviously, I couldn't trust Ichinose yet. She was a student from
+Class B, and she gained nothing by involving herself. If helping others out of
+sheer goodwill was reflected in class or private points, then I could
+understand her motivation. It wouldn't be easy to ask, but she might have
+important information. The only way to be certain was to ask.
+"Let's accept her help, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Horikita had made a decision, probably determining that the benefits
+outweighed the risks. I was grateful that she'd reached a decision so quickly.
+I didn't really have the power to decide in the first place; that was Horikita's
+job. Ichinose smiled, showing off her white teeth.
+"Then it's decided! Umm..."
+'"'Horikita."
+Horikita gave her name candidly, as if doing so approved our
+cooperative relationship.
+"It's nice to meet you, Horikita-san. And you too, Ayanokouji-kun."
+We had unexpectedly made Ichinose of Class B's acquaintance and
+accepted her as an ally. There was still the risk that this could lead to bad
+things. No matter what, things were going to change.
+"We already found a witness. Unfortunately, it's a student from Class
+***
+Ichinose let out an exasperated sigh.
+"Well, that means there isn't another witness. I mean, I guess someone
+from another class might have witnessed it, but it isn't likely."
+Chances were certainly slim. But there was still a chance.
+"Anyway, about your friend. He's a first year, but he might become a
+regular on the basketball team, right? That's amazing. Even if he's holding
+you guys back right now, he might become a great asset later. I mean, the
+school evaluates club and philanthropic activities, right? So if he enters a
+tournament and does well, Sudou-kun could earn points. Those'll be tied to
+your class points, too. Wait... Did you guys not know that? Did your teacher
+not tell you?"
+We'd only heard that it would influence our private points.
+"This is the first I'm hearing about it affecting our class points. I'll
+have to complain to Chabashira-sensei later," mumbled Horikita, a little
+disgruntled.
+This was yet another oversight, another instance where Chabashira-
+sensei had failed to disclose something important. I wondered if Class B had
+heard about this from their teacher...
+A usual, our teacher didn't even pretend to give us equal treatment. I
+felt discriminated against.
+"Your homeroom teacher is kind of weird," said Ichinose.
+"She doesn't seem motivated to tell us anything. She's completely
+apathetic. Some teachers are like that."
+I didn't think that it was particularly concerning, but Ichinose recoiled.
+"Did you know that the school evaluates homeroom teachers when
+their class graduates?"
+"This is the first ?ve heard of it. Are you sure?"
+I wasn't interested so much as I had no choice but to be interested. That
+was a crucial distinction.
+"Our homeroom teacher, Hoshinomtya-sensei, says it like it's her
+motto. She says she wants to do her best because the homeroom teacher for
+Class A gets a special bonus. Looks like it's pretty different for you guys."
+"I'm envious of your relationship with your homeroom teacher. And
+your class environment."
+Our teacher appeared to lack ambition, or even an interest in money. It
+felt like even if we collapsed into failure, she'd just say it was great.
+"T think it would probably be good for us to meet up and discuss
+things."
+"T never thought I'd receive aid from the enemy."
+"This seems like a problem we need to address before we can fight.
+We're not really on equal footing, are we?"
+Other classes pitied us. If anything, this showed how little interest
+Chabashira-sensei felt for her own students.
+"T want to switch homeroom teachers with Class B."
+"Well, I think that'd be difficult to manage."
+I thought back to my first meeting with Hoshinomtya-sense1. She
+seemed to come with her own inherent difficulties as a teacher.
+"Ah, it's so hot in here!" Ichinose took out a cute handkerchief covered
+in panda illustrations, and used it to gently wipe sweat from her forehead.
+Our thick uniforms really trapped the heat.
+"A school that constantly runs air conditioning in empty buildings and
+is unkind to the environment is the worst," Horikita said.
+"Ha ha ha, that's probably true. You're pretty interesting." Ichinose
+laughed, even though that wasn't really a joke.
+"T don't think there was anything funny in what I just said..."
+"How about we exchange contact information, so things can progress
+smoothly?"
+Horikita shot me a look that seemed to say, J don't want to do it. Give
+her yours.
+"If you're okay with having my info, here you go," I said.
+"Sure, got it."
+After we'd exchanged information, I suddenly realized I had an
+unexpected number of girls' contacts. Though it was only the beginning of
+July, I already had seven names and phone numbers in my address book,
+three of them girls. Perhaps...I had plunged deeply into the joys of youth
+without even realizing it. Also, I learned that Ichinose's first name was
+Honami—an unnecessary bit of information.
+4.5
+| Estes appeared serious about coming up with strategies and being a
+trusted ally. Every time she wanted permission to try something she'd contact
+us, even though she'd already said to leave things to her. I didn't think she
+needed to limit herself so severely. Upon returning to the dorms, I'd thought
+that we'd go our separate ways, but Horikita followed me all the way to my
+room. She seemed to still want to talk.
+"Sorry for the intrusion," said Horikita as she entered the room, even
+though no one else was there.
+I wondered why I felt a little nervous being alone with Horikita behind
+closed doors.
+"Oh, just to check, do you have one too? A spare key?" I asked.
+"For your room? Ike-kun asked earlier if I wanted one. I refused."
+Just as I'd expect from her. It seemed she was the only one with any
+common sense.
+"After all, it's rare for me to visit your room, Ayanokouji-kun. Besides,
+coming here is a shameful act in itself. A disgrace. Understand?"
+I'd assumed she'd respond like that. I wasn't hurt at all. I definitely
+wasn't thinking anything like, Wow, that was unexpectedly harsh.
+"Why are you tracing letters on the wall with your finger?"
+"To hide my pounding heart. Or something."
+The scariest part was that she didn't really have any bad intentions. I'm
+sure that if asked, she'd probably say something like, "But I only spoke the
+truth."
+"Ayanokouji-kun, I want to hear your thoughts on Sudou-kun's case
+once again. Also, I find Kushida-san's actions a bit concerning."
+"If you're concerned now, wouldn't it have been better to participate
+earlier in the process?"
+"Impossible. The very person in question didn't recognize what was
+happening. I'm only now reluctantly offering to help for the sake of our class.
+Frankly, I still think it would have been better to abandon him."
+"Even though you pitched in to help Sudou during the midterm?"
+"That was different. Even if we managed to miraculously prove his
+innocence, do you think he'II mature? Saving him might have the opposite
+effect."
+Her defiant glare seemed to say, Do you understand my point?
+"So you're giving up on proving Sudou's innocence and letting him
+face punishment for his own sake?"
+Horikita wore a slightly disgruntled expression, but then it looked like
+realization struck. "Knowing Sudou's flawed personality, you realized from
+the very beginning how difficult it would be to prove his innocence, didn't
+you? That way, it's easier to think he'd be better off accepting his
+punishment. Especially better for those who hate him."
+Horikita seemed to want to add, "You thought the same thing, right?" I
+felt like I'd been backed against a wall, unable to run. If I tried to forcefully
+deny, she would just dig deeper.
+"Well, wouldn't it be clear to anyone who took just a moment to
+think?"
+"Probably. Kushida-san and Ike-kun and the others haven't noticed at
+all, it seems. They simply believe in Sudou-kun, and want to save him from
+the lie for his sake and our class's sake. They don't understand the urgency of
+the situation."
+Her remarks towards her classmates, those who'd already shared joy
+and sorrow together, seemed completely merciless.
+"Kushida seems to understand at least a little bit, and despite that is
+working to save Sudou," I said.
+"A little bit? So she realized it by herself, then?"
+"Huh? Well, no, it..."
+"You told her, didn't you?"
+She cornered me with her words. It was like being interrogated. A little
+scary.
+"You came up with the idea of getting the old test questions, and
+purchasing exam points. I can't say I'm surprised. You do seem quite
+cunning at times, but...I'm dissatisfied."
+Those who want to someday live honestly, must sometimes be cunning,
+too.
+"Don't keep overestimating me," I replied.
+Although it wasn't my intent, Horikita laughed. However, her smile
+immediately faded.
+"Honestly, there's so much about you that I don't understand. You're a
+mystery. You're the most difficult person to predict in our class. You're
+versatile, yet you often idle your time away. You never seem to stay still. It's
+as though you cannot be categorized."
+"All of those are really questionable ways to describe someone. They
+aren't the sorts of things you'd say as praise..."
+There were nicer ways to phrase all of that. Horikita stared at me with
+suspicion.
+"T guess what I should say is that you're just blending in and hiding
+your true talents. You're hiding in plain sight. You disgust me more than
+anyone else."
+I see. I wondered if being called out like that was normal. It seemed I'd
+taken the bait and gotten caught in Horikita's trap. A small failure on my
+part.
+"Come on, saying that I disgust you more than anyone else is going too
+far. Kouenji has his fair share of mysteries, too."
+That was undoubtedly my trump card. If I disgusted Horikita more than
+he did, that would really hurt.
+"He's surprisingly easy to understand. He studies well, is athletic, and
+gets excellent grades. His personality is the problem. In the end, I can easily
+categorize and summarize his behavioral problems in only a few words: he's
+self-centered."
+Honestly, that explanation was easy to understand. Kouenji was simple,
+after all.
+"You'd probably make a good teacher," I said.
+At this rate, when she reached adulthood, she'd probably become a
+teacher like Chabashira-sensei.
+4.6
+Dies were four dorm buildings on campus. Three were for students,
+who stayed in the various dorms to which they were assigned from first
+through third year. In other words, our dorm building this year was the same
+one where last year's third-year students had lived. The fourth building
+housed the instructors and school employees.
+What I'm saying is that since all of the first year students lived in the
+same building, inevitably we would meet students from the other classes.
+Someone entered my field of vision. Our eyes naturally met.
+"Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure." The girl spoke these
+grateful words to the dormitory manager, then called out to me.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Good morning. You're early."
+She had beautiful long, wavy hair and big eyes. The second button of
+her blazer strained over her large chest. Her upright posture matched her
+dignified personality. I found myself more attracted to her cool temperament
+than how cute she was. Ichinose Honami, that first-year Class B student, had
+found me again.
+"T woke up a little earlier today. What were you talking about with the
+manager?" I asked.
+"Some people from my class wanted to make requests about their
+dorms. I gathered everyone's thoughts on the matter and told the dorm
+manager. Stuff like water usage, noise, and so on."
+"You did all that, Ichinose?"
+Usually, individuals handled their own room issues. I wondered why
+Ichinose had gone to the trouble of gathering everyone's complaints.
+"Good morning, Class Rep Ichinose!"
+Two girls who were getting off the elevator called out to Ichinose. She
+said hello back.
+"Class Rep? Why Class Rep?" I asked.
+I hadn't heard of any "class rep" position before. Perhaps they called
+her that because she seemed to study too much.
+"I'm my class's representative. It seems like that, anyway."
+"Your class's representative? Do all classes except for D have someone
+like that, too?"
+That was the first ''d heard about this. Normally I would've been
+surprised, but considering who our homeroom teacher was, she'd probably
+decided to leave that part out.
+"No, that's just something Class B set up on its own. I think it's good
+to have some assigned roles, right?"
+I understood her point, but we certainly weren't going to assign our
+own class representative.
+"Are there other positions besides class representative?"
+"Yeah. Whether or not they serve a function 1s a different question, but
+we do have other roles for formality's sake. Stuff like vice class
+representative, and secretary. They could be more useful when we have a
+cultural fair, or sports festival, or something. We could try deciding things on
+the spot, but that might lead to trouble."
+I recalled seeing Ichinose in the library before, studying with a small
+group of boys and girls. Even back then, she'd probably already been
+fulfilling her class representative duties. Most people wouldn't want to be
+class representative. They'd be forced to do annoying stuff, and it'd be
+necessary to participate in face-to-face discussions about school matters.
+However, with Ichinose taking the initiative for Class B, she probably didn't
+foist things on others. I'd bet she handled her duties smoothly.
+"Seems like you've taken the lead. Of Class B, I mean."
+Without meaning to, it appeared I'd expressed my honest feelings.
+"Do you think it's weird? It's all purely informal. Besides, there are
+quite a few troublemakers. We have to deal with a lot of stuff."
+As she said, "We have to deal with a lot of stuff," Ichinose laughed.
+The two of us began walking to school together.
+"Aren't you usually a little late? This reminds me that I've never seen
+you around this time."
+Ichinose's question sounded harmless, as if she were following some
+kind of template. After hearing those words, I felt a little relieved and
+accomplished. It seemed I could have normal, relationship-building
+conversations after all.
+"T don't have to leave so early. I usually hang around my room for
+about 20 minutes."
+"So I guess you make it just in the nick of time, then."
+As Ichinose and I got closer to the school, the number of students
+around us multiplied. Strangely enough, some of the girls turned one after the
+other and looked at us with envy. Was this the so-called popularity phase I
+was told would occur three times in my life? I hadn't experienced it yet; it
+was about time that I entered my first phase.
+"Good morning, Ichinose!"
+"Good morning, Ichinose-san!"
+Ichinose, who was walking next to me, monopolized all of the girls'
+attention.
+"You sure are popular," I said.
+"T just stand out because I'm the class rep. That's all."
+It didn't seem like she was trying to act modest. Apparently that's what
+she truly thought. She had this charismatic force about her that pulled
+everyone's focus.
+"Ah, that reminds me. Did you hear about summer break, Ayanokouji-
+kun?"
+"Summer break? No. I mean, isn't it just summer break?"
+"I've heard rumors that we might be taking a vacation to a tropical
+island."
+That sparked a memory. I'd forgotten about it, but Chabashira-sensei
+had mentioned a vacation.
+"T can't believe it, though. Could we really go on a vacation?"
+It probably wasn't a normal school field trip. I mean, just look around.
+It was no exaggeration to say that this school was fancy. Going to a tropical
+island in the summer and visiting a hot spring in the winter...
+It was all incredibly suspicious. I really didn't think our school was
+going to be so good to be true. They had to be keeping something from us. I
+wondered what Ichinose thought. But I saw from her bitter smile that she also
+had doubts.
+"It's suspicious, after all. I think it's going to be a turning point."
+"In other words, you think our class points could fluctuate wildly over
+summer break?"
+"Yeah, yeah. I think there might be a hidden task, one that has a bigger
+impact on us than the midterms or final exams. Otherwise, the difference
+between Class A and us wouldn't close much. We could diminish the gap
+little by little."
+That was certainly true. A big, earthshaking event might very well
+occur soon...
+"What's the difference between you and A?" I asked.
+"We have about 600 points, so our classes are around 350 points
+apart."
+It was only natural that their points would drop since the start of the
+year, but it was amazing how many points they'd retained.
+"So far, the midterm is all that's given us a chance to raise our class
+points, so losing at least a few points was unavoidable for us. I mean, even
+Class A has lost points."
+However, as a result of the midterm, we'd managed to gain back
+points.
+"You don't seem to be panicking."
+"I'm concerned, but I think that there's a chance for us to make a
+comeback. I intend to focus all of my emotional energy on making those
+preparations."
+I thought the first part of what she'd said was definitely correct.
+However, their cohesion as a class made such things possible. Class D had
+only managed to get 87 points this month. We weren't anywhere close to
+being able to compete with the others.
+"T wonder how much this event will change things?"
+It would probably be worth more than 10 or 20 points. However, it was
+difficult to imagine that it would change things by 500 or even 1,000 points.
+"We're in a tight spot ourselves. If the gap widens any further, we
+won't be able to catch up."
+"T guess we both have to do our best, then."
+Actually, the ones who had to work especially hard were Horikita,
+Hirata, and Kushida.
+"At any rate, it doesn't seem like this will get worse." I didn't want to
+complain, but I felt that something annoying was on the horizon.
+"But if we actually did vacation on a tropical island, that would be
+awesome!"
+"T wonder about that..." I said.
+"Huh? That idea doesn't make you happy?"
+Only people who have meaningful friendships can enjoy a vacation to
+its fullest. There's nothing quite as uncomfortable as traveling without close
+friends, especially when you're traveling with a group. Just imagining it
+made me feel like throwing up.
+"Do you hate traveling?" Ichinose asked.
+"T don't hate it. I don't think I do, anyway..."
+While we chatted, I tried to imagine what it would be like. I'd never
+traveled with a friend before. I had gone to New York with my parents a
+long, long time ago. Not a single millisecond of it had been fun. Just
+remembering that bitter time wore me out.
+"What's the matter?"
+"Just recalled something a little bit traumatic."
+My dry laugher echoed through the hot hallway. No, this wasn't good.
+If I let my negative aura spread, Ichinose would grow troubled. However, it
+seemed like my anxieties were unfounded. Ichinose continued talking,
+seemingly untroubled by my words.
+"Hey, I still have some things on my mind. May I ask you some
+questions?"
+Ichinose had a radiant presence, though it was different from
+Kushida's. I could say that she acted without an ulterior motive. Even when
+talking with a person like me, she put her best foot forward.
+"We've been separated into four classes from the start, right? Do you
+really think they separated us by ability?"
+"T understand that it wasn't entirely tied to our exam results. There are
+people in our class that, based on grades, should have gotten into the top
+ranks."
+Horikita, Kouenji, and Yukimura were undoubtedly three people who
+deserved to be at the top based on their academics alone.
+"So, do you think it's something like overall ability?"
+I gave a noncommittal answer. I'd thought about it many times, but
+couldn't find a thorough explanation.
+"T've been thinking about it since we started here. Someone might be
+good at studying, but bad at physical activity. Another might be good at
+physical activities, but bad at studying. But if students are ranked by overall
+ability, doesn't that mean that the lower classes are at an overwhelming
+disadvantage?"
+"Isn't that how societal competition works, though? I don't think
+there's anything particularly strange about that," I said.
+Ichinose crossed her arms and hummed to herself, as if she weren't
+convinced.
+"If we were competing as individuals, sure. But this is a competition
+between classes, right? If you simply put all of the superior students into
+Class A, then doesn't that mean the rest of us have virtually no chance of
+succeeding?"
+That pretty much explained the current, miserable state of our class
+points. However, Ichinose seemed to think differently.
+"There's definitely a big difference between classes A through D right
+now. However, I think they're trying to hide something, but going about it in
+a weird way. Don't you agree?"
+"Okay, I have to ask. What's your reasoning?"
+"Ha, no reason, really. It's just something that popped into my head. If
+it weren't true, then it'd be fair to say the whole situation 1s cruel. I think that
+good students and good athletes were placed into Class D for a reason, as a
+countermeasure."
+Wasn't that different from the usual system, though? If the classes were
+solely divided according to academic ability, there'd be no way to win
+against the others. In a system like this, it was important to be an expert in
+many different fields.
+"Wouldn't it be wiser not to talk to someone from another class about
+this?" I asked Ichinose, feeling slightly worried.
+"Hmm? About what?"
+"About what you said just now. Horikita already mentioned this, but
+you're helping the enemy."
+After all, it was possible she could've given me a valuable hint, and I'd
+do something with it.
+"T don't think so. There's a lot to be gained from an exchange of ideas.
+Also, since we're cooperating now, there shouldn't be any problems."
+She wasn't complacent about being in Class B. That was just
+Ichinose's natural personality. I could understand her disposition and way of
+thinking. At any rate, she was a good person with no hidden side to her.
+"I'm not smart enough to engage in an exchange of ideas. All I can say
+is, 'I'm sorry.'"
+"T don't mind if I'm the one who does the talking and thinking. If you
+think it's helpful information, then it's okay for you to use it."
+Ichinose stopped, almost as if she'd just remembered something. I tried
+reading her face, noting that she wore a serious expression.
+"Hey... There's something I want to ask you, Ayanokouji-kun. Is that
+okay?"
+It was like that bright, cheery Ichinose of a moment ago had
+disappeared. My body stiffened slightly.
+"Tf it's something I can answer, I will."
+Besides, what question couldn't I answer with my massively
+impressive brain, filled with the knowledge of a hundred million books? (A
+huge lie, of course.)
+"Has a girl ever confessed her feelings to you?"
+That...wasn't in the any of the hundred million books I'd read.
+"Really? Do I look like a guy who's ever had a girl confess her feelings
+to him?"
+Was she going to call me disgusting, or a virgin, or a shitty moron?
+Would I cry? I was still only a first-year high school student, you know? It
+was way too early for this. Right? Hey. You think so too, right? Besides, I
+was certain that, proportionally, the number of people who had confessed
+their feelings was low compared to those who hadn't. It was a baseless
+theory, though. Who knew the real number of people who had died in
+solitude, hidden in the shadows of humanity's prosperity?
+"Oh no, I'm sorry. It's nothing."
+It didn't look like it was nothing. However, it did look like she didn't
+plan to make fun of me. Rather, she was actually worried about something.
+"Did someone confess to you?" I asked.
+"Huh? Oh, yeah. Kind of."
+It seemed like many students were striving every day to couple up like
+Hirata and Karuizawa.
+"Well, if you're okay with it, can you spare a little time after class? I
+have some questions about confessions. I know all too well how busy you are
+with the incident right now, but..."
+"Sure, that's okay. I don't really have much to do."
+"Don't have much to do?"
+"T don't think there's much point in looking for evidence or another
+witness. Doing that would be a waste of time and a headache."
+"But you went to the scene of the crime the other day to investigate,
+right?"
+"That was for something else. Anyway, it's fine."
+"Thank you."
+I wondered what all this confession stuff had to do with me. Had she
+made up a lie like "Ayanokouji is my boyfriend" to mislead people? I
+considered it for a moment, but then thought it'd be smarter for her to use a
+more reliable, pretty boy.
+"T'll be waiting at the school entrance after class."
+"O-okay. I understand."
+Even though I knew absolutely nothing was going to happen, I was
+pretty excited. That was what being a man was all about.
+4.7
+Students overflowed through the school doors as they made their way
+home. I was a little worried about finding Ichinose, but my anxieties quickly
+disappeared. She stood out even in this sea of students. Although her cuteness
+could have been one reason why, she also had the type of presence that
+dominated wherever she was.
+To be honest, I didn't really know how to describe it. I could only
+describe it as an intoxicating, gentle power. A power that was amplified by
+how many of the first-year students recognized her. It was similar to Kushida,
+but even more so. Ichinose was popular with boys and girls alike. They
+greeted her one after another. Because of that, I wasted about five minutes
+just trying to find the right time to call to her myself.
+"Ah. Ayanokouji-kun. Over here, over here!"
+Ichinose eventually noticed me and called me over. Pretending like I'd
+only just arrived, I casually raised my hand.
+"So, what should I do next?" I asked.
+"T plan to finish this as soon as possible. Follow me."
+I put on my shoes and followed Ichinose to the other side of the
+building. We arrived at a spot right behind the gymnasium. This did seem
+like the kind of place where someone would confess their feelings.
+"Now then..."
+Ichinose took a deep breath, and faced me. No way... Did Ichinose
+plan to confess to me?!
+"T think..."
+No way, there was no way this could—
+"T think someone will confess their feelings to me here," she said.
+"Huh?"
+With that, Ichinose took out a letter and showed it to me. It was a cute
+love letter adorned with a heart sticker. Although she wanted me to read it, it
+felt rude to look. The handwriting was pretty, much like the letter's exterior.
+The handwriting was cute, definitely not like a boy's.
+I noticed something that concerned me. The meeting time and location
+were written in the letter. It was set for Friday evening at 4:00 pm, behind the
+gymnasium. That was about 10 minutes from now.
+"Wouldn't it be better if I weren't here?" I asked.
+"Love is kind of alien to me. I don't how to respond without hurting
+her feelings. I also don't know if we can stay good friends afterwards. I want
+you to help me."
+"T don't really think I'm the person to ask for this. I don't have any
+experience with romantic confessions. There are probably other people in
+Class B who could help."
+"The person confessing her feelings to me...is from Class B."
+Ah, that's what it was. I now understood why she'd asked me to come.
+"T'd like for you to keep this secret. If not, things will probably get
+unpleasant. Knowing you, Ayanokouji-kun, I doubt you'll go around telling
+people."
+"But Ichinose, aren't you used to people confessing their feelings to
+you?"
+"Huh?! N-no way. Not at all! ve never experienced this before."
+If she hadn't told me herself, I absolutely would not have believed it.
+"T really don't understand why this is happening."
+I didn't think this confession was surprising, because Ichinose was so
+cute. Furthermore, judging how she'd interacted with the other students, she
+had a great personality.
+"So...will you please pretend to be my boyfriend?"
+Whoa! Had this situation seriously devolved into such a cliché?
+"T did a bit of research, and discovered that the rejected person hurts
+less if the object of their affection is already in a relationship..."
+"T understand that you don't want to hurt anyone, but won't it be worse
+if they find out you lied?"
+"T could say that you and I broke up, or that you left me or something."
+I didn't think that was the solution here...
+"Honestly, I think it would be much better for you to talk with this
+person one-on-one. Truthfully."
+"But— Ah!"
+Ichinose seemed to have noticed something, and awkwardly raised her
+hand. Apparently the person in question had arrived earlier than expected.
+What in the world kind of visual kei guy was this person? The new arrival
+had a boyish, androgynous face. He was even wearing a skirt.
+No, no. First impressions aside, she was a girl. I'd suspected as much
+after seeing her handwriting. Unlike when a boy revealed romantic feelings
+for another boy, this confession would probably be smooth. I might've
+thought that because I was a guy myself, though.
+"Um, Ichinose-san... Who is this person?"
+The new girl seemed a bit unnerved by the unexpected appearance of a
+male student.
+"This is Ayanokouji-kun, from Class D. I'm sorry for bringing
+someone that you don't know, Chihiro-chan."
+"Ts he by any chance...your boyfriend, Ichinose-san?"
+"Ah... Well..."
+Ichinose probably meant to say that yes, yes I was. But guilt over lying
+seemed to stopper her answer. The words got stuck in her throat.
+"So why is this Ayanokouji-kun person here?"
+Confused by this unexpected situation, Chihiro began to cry. Tears
+welled up in her eyes.
+Is he her boyfriend? Why would he be here if he wasn't? Chihiro was
+probably struggling to understand what was going on. Ichinose, seeing
+Chihiro's tears, grew flustered. Uncertain of what to do, she started
+panicking. I'd expected Ichinose to be a stalwart, reliable person, but
+apparently she had an unexpected weak point.
+"Um, do you mind going somewhere else, please? I have something
+important that I need to talk with Ichinose-san about," Chihiro said.
+"P-please wait a minute, Chihiro-san. That's, um... Well, to tell you
+the truth, Ayanokouji-kun 1s..."
+Ichinose was trying to make the first move and turn her down. She
+probably thought it would be harder if Chihiro directly said, J like you.
+"What is it?" Chihiro asked.
+"So, Ayanokouji-kun, he's... Well, he's my—"
+There was nothing I could do in this situation. Well, nothing except...
+"I'm just a friend."
+I cut Ichinose off before she could finish.
+"Ichinose. I didn't think this was something I should say, considering
+no one's ever confessed to me before. But I think it was a mistake for you to
+call me here."
+I spoke honestly, for both their sakes.
+"It's true that confessing your feelings isn't easy to do. You spend
+every day in complete anguish, as you create the experience in your head
+over and over. And yet, you still can't confess your feelings. Even when you
+think the time has come to actually do it, you can't say the words 'I like you'.
+They get stuck in your throat. That's what I think. Don't you think you
+should answer someone when they desperately long to express their feelings?
+If you make the situation unclear, both of you may regret it later."
+Ue."
+Ichinose had probably never experienced seriously falling in love with
+someone before. Therefore, she didn't really know what to do, or if she were
+doing something wrong. Trying to prevent someone's pain was useless. If
+you turned someone down, their feelings would inevitably be hurt.
+Well, if you managed to come up with a suitable excuse, you probably
+could make things a little easier. An excuse like "I want to concentrate on my
+studies" or "There's someone else that I like." Or, like what Ichinose had
+attempted here: "I'm already dating someone." But no matter what answer
+you gave, the other person would definitely be hurt.
+Even more hurt if the excuse were built on a lie.
+I left without waiting for Ichinose's reply. I headed back, but didn't
+return to the dormitory right away. Instead I stopped by the tree-lined
+pathway, leaned against the handrail, and sighed as I looked up at green
+leaves.
+About five minutes later, a girl ran past me. There were tears in her
+eyes. Despite that shocking image, I loitered there a while longer to kill time.
+Around sundown, Ichinose trudged back from the gym and walked over to
+me.
+"Ah..."
+Upon seeing me, she looked a little awkward and hung her head. But
+then she immediately glanced back up at me.
+"T was wrong. I didn't respect Chihiro-chan's feelings. I just wanted to
+avoid hurting her, and to run away. That was my mistake. Love is really
+tough, huh?" Ichinose muttered as she leaned against the handrail next to me.
+"T asked her if we could carry on like usual, but... I don't know if we can go
+back to how things were."
+"That depends on you both."
+"Yeah... Thanks for today. For coming along with me for such an odd
+request."
+"It's okay. Days like this happen, anyway."
+"T guess our positions got reversed, huh? I planned on helping you, but
+then you ended up helping me."
+"I'm sorry for acting so full of myself back there," I said.
+Ichinose blinked a couple of times, as if I'd said something odd.
+"There's no need for you to apologize, Ayanokouji-kun. None at all."
+She stretched her arms towards the sky, and hopped off the railing.
+"Now it's my turn to help you. If there's anything I can do, I will."
+I wondered how Class B's Ichinose Honami planned to resolve this
+difficult situation. I had to admit, I was looking forward to seeing it.
+4.8
+Thai evening, I got a call as I was doing some online shopping. My
+phone was plugged into the wall next to my bed when suddenly its screen lit
+up. Caller 1p displayed the name: Kushida Kikyou. I did a double take to
+make sure of what I saw. Knowing I wouldn't have the guts to call her back, I
+rolled my chair across the room, snatched my phone off the stand, and dove
+onto the bed.
+"I'm sorry for calling you so late. You're still up?" she asked.
+"Hmm? Oh. I was thinking of going to bed in a little bit. Did you need
+something?"
+"Sakura-san's digital camera was broken, right? I feel like I'm partially
+to blame since I made her so flustered. So I wanted to take responsibility for
+that..."
+"T don't think you should feel responsible, Kushida. Not in the least.
+Besides, she's going to get it fixed, right? Since it's so important to her,
+wouldn't she get it repaired no matter what?"
+However, as I spoke I realized it probably wasn't that simple. Sakura
+was extremely inept at social interaction, and probably lacked the self-
+confidence to go to a store by herself. It was probably similar to how
+someone might feel about dining alone in a restaurant.
+It was a little hard to believe she could be that shy, but in this world
+there were all sorts of different people with different personalities. So it
+wasn't particularly surprising to find a person who lacked all communication
+skills, right?
+"So, did you offer to help her then, Kushida?" I asked.
+She'd probably been proactive about establishing some common
+ground with Sakura.
+"Yeah. She seemed hesitant at first, but then said that she'd be fine
+with the day after tomorrow. I think that Sakura's digital camera is probably
+really important to her."
+Kushida had done a wonderful job taking the proper first steps to earn
+Sakura's trust.
+"But why are you telling me this? Won't it go more smoothly if it's just
+the two of you?"
+"If we were just going to get it repaired, I suppose. But, there's another
+thing. Id like your help with it, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Do you want me to ask if she knows anything about Sudou's
+incident?"
+"Horikita-san seems convinced that Sakura saw everything. After
+getting a bit closer to Sakura-san, I also think she knows something. But there
+has to be some reason why she's keeping quiet, since she keeps denying that
+she witnessed it."
+While taking Horikita along would probably be the best option, it was
+delusional to think that Horikita and Kushida would spend their day off
+together. Kushida had probably chosen me through the process of
+elimination, as I was the least harmful candidate. If she'd invited Ike or
+Yamauchi along, they would have had eyes only for Kushida.
+Moreover, it was convenient. I'd wanted to visit the electronics store
+for a while now. I sat up and leaned against the wall. For some reason, it felt
+kind of rude to make plans while lying down.
+"Okay, I understand. Let's go."
+My voice cracked with a little too much excitement. Fortunately,
+Kushida didn't seem to notice anything strange, and didn't press me about tt.
+I chatted with Kushida about this and that for a little while. I didn't get too
+worked up over the conversation; it was casual, so there was nothing to be
+nervous about. It was proof that she could invade my personal space without
+causing discomfort. In my mind, I'd firmly recognized her as my friend.
+"That reminds me. It was really scary when Kouenji-kun and Sudou-
+kun looked like they were about to start fighting."
+"Yeah. It was a critical situation. It looked like their fists were going to
+do the talking for them."
+Kouenji always seemed laid-back, but if Sudou started taking swings at
+him, he would fight. If that happened, it'd be a disaster.
+"T couldn't even move. Hirata-kun was so amazing, though. He's
+definitely an admirable person."
+"Yeah."
+Hearing her praise Hirata like that made me a little jealous. I reminded
+myself that it was only natural to admire someone with the courage to step up
+in a situation like that.
+"Class D was able to come together, thanks to you and Hirata. The fact
+that the boys and girls are separated plays a big part, too."
+Sometimes, only a girl could solve another girl's issues.
+"I'm just doing what I normally do. It wasn't anything special."
+"T think Hirata would definitely say the same thing."
+Oftentimes, special people did not consider themselves special.
+"Speaking of special, don't you think that Horikita-san is way more
+special than someone like me? She's great at studying and excels at sports. It
+makes me wonder why she's in Class D."
+Horikita wasn't special. She belonged to a unique class of people. I
+kept quiet, though, afraid that if | badmouthed her she'd find out about it.
+"'Wasn't she assigned to Class D in part because she's not very
+sociable?"
+"But doesn't she behave normally with you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"You think that's normal?"
+Based on the Horikita I knew, I'd have to describe the way she treated
+others as miserable... I trembled a little to recall Ike fainting in agony.
+"When I think of my relationship with Horikita, it's like there's a wall
+between us. Or perhaps I should say that's the extent of our relationship, if
+you understand what I'm getting at."
+"Hmm?"
+She sounded amused yet slightly doubtful. I didn't like being
+misunderstood by Kushida.
+"Ah, that reminds me. I wanted to ask you something. Your room is on
+the ninth floor, right, Kushida?"
+"Huh? Ah, yeah, it is. Why? What about it?"
+"Oh, no reason. Just curious."
+Suddenly, Kushida fell silent. It was unexpected silence, without
+warning. Our conversation, which had been smooth up until now, came to a
+screeching halt. Usually, Kushida would resume the conversation
+immediately, but now she'd stopped. Perhaps asking her floor number had
+been in bad taste?
+I started fidgeting. Unable to calm down, I began pointlessly looking
+into every corner of my room. Ah, if only I were a pretty boy with excellent
+communication skills. I couldn't help but wish for that. We were so quiet that
+we could hear each other breathing.
+"It's getting late. Should I hang up now?" I asked, unable to bear the
+silence.
+It was painful to stay on the phone with a girl and not say anything.
+"Hey—"
+"Hmm?"
+Kushida broke the silence, but then stopped talking again. Her
+hesitation was unusual. This was a far cry from the usual Kushida, who
+always tried to brighten the conversation.
+"T-If... Well... I... I—'
+She stopped talking again. Another period of silence followed. Five
+seconds, then ten seconds passed.
+"No, it's nothing."
+That sure didn't seem like nothing...
+However, I lacked the courage to say, "Hey, what is it? Spill!" to her,
+so I let it go. Sorry, Kushida. If I were on the battlefield, I'd be the sniper, the
+chicken who would stay far away from the fighting. Forgive me.
+"Well, I'll see you the day after tomorrow, Ayanokouji-kun."
+With that, Kushida ended the call. I wondered what she'd been trying
+to say. I felt like it was going to be a bad, sleepless night.
+4.9
+O. Sunday afternoon, I went to the shopping mall to meet Kushida
+and fulfill my promise. For someone who generally spent Saturdays lounging
+in his room, this place made me nervous. One person was sitting on a bench
+up ahead. I wondered if that person were waiting for someone, like me. After
+all, most students just went around freely on their days off. While pondering
+the matter, I sat down on the other available bench.
+I'd thought we would go together since we lived in the same dorm, but
+Kushida was a little fastidious when it came to these things. I decided it'd be
+better if we met at the agreed location.
+"Good morning!"
+In the surrounding hustle and bustle, Kushida drew nearer, a wide
+smile on her face.
+"O-oh, hey. Good morning."
+My heart started pounding. I fumbled over my words and managed an
+awkward wave.
+"Sorry. Were you waiting long?"
+"Oh no, I just got here."
+Our back and forth felt like the template for a date. I unintentionally
+glanced over Kushida's whole body. She was cute. Kushida was really cute.
+Seeing Kushida in casual attire for the first time was so overwhelming,
+I couldn't look away.
+"This is the first time we've met up on a day off. It's refreshing."
+Kushida laughed, maybe because she felt the same way. What the heck
+was with that cute smile? Something that adorable was against the rules.
+Perhaps Ike and the others hadn't seen this before. Did that make me happiest
+of all? I had to contain my excitement in front of her. Kushida spoke up, as if
+she had just remembered something.
+"Weren't you really busy during your downtime last week? I'm glad
+that you came despite that, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Last week? Really glad I came despite that? What the heck was she
+talking about?
+"I'm talking about Ike-kun and the others going to that café, of course."
+This was the first I'd heard about it. I didn't recall any previous, hidden
+event.
+"By any chance..." Kushida began.
+"A-ah. That's it. Now that you mention it, I didn't... I didn't hear about
+it."
+I looked up to the heavens and lamented my worthlessness. It's not like
+Ike and the others were bad for not inviting me. I was the bad guy, the one
+who hadn't been invited.
+"T didn't mean anything... I'm sorry, I guess I said something
+wrong..."
+"Don't worry about it. Really, I don't care. Was it fun?"
+"You do seem to care..."
+If I handled this poorly, instead of being the happiest I'd ever been with
+Kushida, it'd be the worst. Even if it was for just a moment, spending time
+alone with her made me feel like the luckiest guy. The students who passed
+us would occasionally steal a glance at Kushida in her casual clothes. In the
+case of passing couples, the girlfriend would appear upset and grab her
+boyfriend by the cheek. Even though I was the one with Kushida, I couldn't
+help but feel bewitched by her cuteness.
+What the heck? I was really flattering Kushida a lot. What I'd said had
+been completely true, but there was also a whiff of bashfulness.
+'"'What's the matter?"
+Kushida froze, which I thought was strange. Every movement she
+made, or didn't make, was cute.
+"T think we've had really nice weather lately."
+Worried that we were heading into clichéd territory, I steered the
+conversation in another direction. I needed to calm down. How many times
+had I used the word "cute" today? At this rate, I'd probably end up using it
+100 or 200 times.
+"Ah. Sorry. I think I might look a little out of place next to you," I
+muttered.
+I could easily move. I looked simple. I didn't look good next to
+Kushida by any standard.
+"No, no, that's not true at all. I think we're great together," she replied.
+"So, you're saying someone simple like me is a good match for you? I
+should accept an insult like that?"
+"Yeah."
+I felt the quick thrust of a knife. Maybe I'd dug my own grave by
+setting myself up like that, but it was still a shock.
+"You're that surprisingly delicate, Ayanokouji-kun? I don't really care
+what others say. I don't think it's an insult at all. I really think we suit each
+other."
+I felt like she was teasing me somehow. Normally, I'd get angry, but
+since this was Kushida talking it just felt unfair. She'd teased me so casually
+with only a few words.
+"So, what about Sakura-san?"
+"T don't see her yet."
+It was the exact time we'd agreed to meet, but there still was no sign of
+her.
+"But was she okay with it? Inviting me out, I mean."
+"She asked me to invite you, Ayanokouji-kun. Didn't Sakura-san
+contact you?"
+"Sakura? No. I haven't really talked to her."
+I recalled meeting up with Sakura at the special building. That had
+been about the extent of our contact.
+"Perhaps it was love at first sight?" I said, laughing and grinning. Such
+a dramatic scenario would be absolutely ridiculous.
+"Right now, how about we sit and wait?"
+"Sure. Well... Hey, uh, isn't that Sakura-san sitting next to us?"
+Sakura, clearly flustered and indeed sitting on the bench next to us,
+stood and gave a sheepish bow. Had Sakura really been sitting there the
+entire time? Amazing that we hadn't noticed her at all. Not a sign of her
+presence or aura.
+"I'm sorry, I don't stand out much, I suppose... Good morning,"
+Sakura said.
+"No, I don't think you blend in too much. I definitely felt your
+presence," I said.
+"Oh, you don't need to say that for my sake, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Sakura bowed her head apologetically, and slowly straightened. I
+wanted her to forgive me for not noticing her. Sakura was wearing a hat, and
+even a surgical face mask, which made it difficult to recognize her at a
+glance. I wondered if she'd caught a cold or something.
+"You kind of look suspicious..."
+"Rather than saying you look suspicious, I think you actually stand out
+more."
+"Yeah, I suppose so. I think I do stand out, especially here," Sakura
+responded. Sheepishly, she removed her mask.
+She didn't seem to have a cold. Rather, she seemed like the type to
+wear the mask in order to avoid attention. She must have really hated
+standing out.
+"So anyway, about my digital camera. Is it okay if we go to the
+electronics store in the mall?" Sakura asked.
+"Well, yes. We did certainly come here to get the camera fixed."
+"I'm sorry...for making you come along with me."
+Sakura bowed apologetically, as though begging forgiveness from the
+bottom of her heart. For some reason, I felt sorry for coming here.
+4.10
+Dieee were some incredibly famous, nationally known stores that did
+business with our school. Even though their customers were only students
+and the stores themselves weren't too very big, they sold items for everyday
+use and electronic appliances.
+"Let's see, I'm sure they have a repair counter somewhere. Let's check
+it out."
+While Kushida headed towards the back of the store, I wondered just
+how many times she'd come here. Sakura and I followed close behind.
+"T wonder if they' II fix it right away..."
+Sakura, looked rather anxious as she took out her digital camera and
+held it tight.
+"You really love your camera, don't you?" I asked.
+"Yeah. It's weird, isn't it?"
+"No, not at all. It's a good hobby to have, isn't it? I get the feeling
+there's a significant story attached to that camera. It'd be great if they fixed it
+soon."
+"Yeah."
+"There it is! The repairs counter."
+The store was crowded with a huge number of products and difficult to
+navigate, but towards the back was the place where they handled repairs.
+"Ah..."
+For some reason, Sakura suddenly stopped in her tracks. When I
+glanced over at her, I noticed she was wearing an expression of blatant fear
+and revulsion. It seemed that something had upset her quite a bit. However,
+when I followed Sakura's line of sight, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.
+"What's the matter, Sakura-san?" Kushida asked.
+She also must've thought Sakura's behavior was strange.
+"Ah, umm... Well..."
+Although it seemed like she was about to say something, all Sakura did
+was shake her head and take a deep breath.
+"It's nothing."
+She donned an earnest smile, and walked to the repair counter. Kushida
+and I exchanged looks, but decided to follow her. Maybe it really was
+nothing, like she said. Kushida talked to the store clerk and asked him to
+repair the digital camera. Meanwhile, incredibly bored, I checked out the
+appliances on display.
+Kushida's worldly wisdom was certainly impressive. Even though it
+was her first time meeting the store clerk, she was soon talking to him as if
+they were longtime friends. Sakura, the camera's owner, spoke only when
+she needed to give her consent or to clarify something. Even so, the store
+clerk appeared pretty fired up. He aggressively engaged Kushida in
+conversation, without even pausing for a breath. Although I could just barely
+hear the conversation, it sounded like he was asking Kushida on a date. He
+asked if she wanted to see a certain female idol's concert, which was being
+screened over in the theater.
+He seemed like quite the otaku, judging from how passionate he was
+about a wide range of subjects, from idol elections to idol magazines.
+Because Kushida didn't show any signs of disliking the conversation, he
+probably thought he could successfully ask her out. However, I believed she
+would try her hardest to sidestep the invitation.
+He seemed to be getting excited over talking to such a cute girl, but
+their conversation didn't proceed any further. As I'd expected, Kushida
+began to feel awkward. In order to conclude their business, she urged Sakura
+to hand over the camera. When the store clerk opened up the camera to
+confirm the contents, he saw that part of it had been damaged from the fall.
+That was why the camera wouldn't turn on properly. Fortunately, because
+Sakura still had the warranty card, the item could be repaired free of charge.
+Finally, all Sakura had to do was fill out her contact information, and
+we'd be done. But Sakura's hand suddenly stopped as she filled out the form.
+""Sakura-san?"'
+Kushida, thinking that something strange was going on, called out to
+Sakura. She seemed to be hesitating for some reason. I didn't intend to say
+anything at the time, but her attitude seemed to weigh on my mind. And also
+The store clerk, who had previously been absorbed in his conversation
+with Kushida, now stared directly at Sakura. Both Sakura and Kushida were
+looking down at the form, so they didn't notice. But the clerk had unsettling
+eyes. Even men would find it a little creepy.
+"Can I see that for a second?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+Standing next to Sakura, I reached for the pen she was holding. She
+didn't seem to understand why I wanted it, but she anxiously handed it over.
+"When the repairs are finished, please contact me."
+"H-hey, wait a minute. Contact you? She's the owner, isn't she? That
+would be..."
+"The manufacturer warranty explicitly shows where the item was sold
+and the date of purchase. Also, I doubt there'd be any legal problems with me
+putting my information down. It should be perfectly fine if the user's name is
+different than the purchaser's."
+Before the clerk could say "I understand", I'd entered my name and my
+dorm room number into the required fields.
+"Or, is there a reason why she specifically has to enter her
+information?" I added, still without looking back up.
+"N-no, not at all. I understand. There's nothing to worry about," the
+clerk said.
+Shortly after I'd completed the form, I handed it over with the camera.
+Sakura gently patted her chest and sighed in apparent relief, but when she
+learned it'd take two weeks for the camera to be repaired, she grew
+discouraged. Her shoulders slumped.
+"That clerk sure was something else. He talked with such incredible
+passion, I was just so shocked," Kushida said.
+"Didn't you feel kind of disgusted?" Sakura asked.
+"N-no, I wasn't disgusted by him. Do you know something? About that
+clerk?"
+Sakura gave a meek nod. I guessed that something had been off even
+when she first purchased the camera. Turning to me, she asked, "What do
+you think, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Well, he had this sort of vibe, like he's kind of hard to approach.
+Especially for girls."
+"That was kind of what I was trying to get at before... I was scared to
+go to the repair shop alone because of that..."
+Kushida seemed to have an epiphany. She turned to me with wide eyes.
+"Did you know about this, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Well, she's a girl. I thought she might be reluctant to write down her
+address or cell phone number."
+Being a guy, I wouldn't be troubled if my information got out there.
+"Th-thank you...Ayanokouji-kun. You really...saved me."
+"Nah, I didn't really do anything. I just wrote down my address. When
+they contact me about the repairs, I'Il get in touch with you right away,
+Sakura."
+Sakura nodded, looking glad. [f that's all it takes to please you, then it
+actually makes me sorry for you.
+"You really looked out for Sakura-san," Kushida said.
+"Well, you're making it out to be bigger than it was. Honestly, I was
+only watching out for that rather weird clerk. I guess he gave the impression
+that he really, really loved girls."
+"Ha ha... That's certainly true."
+Even Kushida appeared nonplussed. For someone like Sakura, though,
+who wasn't accustomed to fawning male attention, I thought it was the right
+answer.
+"Since you were with me today, Kushida-san, we completed our task
+without me having to talk at all. Thank you."
+If Sakura had faced that store clerk one-on-one, she probably would've
+run away.
+"Oh, no need to thank me. If you're okay with my help, then I'm happy
+to lend a hand any time. Sakura-san, you really like your camera. Don't
+you?"
+"Yeah... I've liked cameras ever since I was little. My dad bought me
+one before I entered junior high, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Or I
+suppose you could say that I just love taking pictures... I'm not really well-
+informed when it comes to this stuff, though."
+"T think being knowledgeable and liking things are separate matters.
+It's wonderful to be so passionate about something."
+"Sakura, you usually take pictures of landscapes, right? Do you ever
+take pictures of people?"
+"Huh?!"
+Sakura stepped backwards, looking quite flustered. Did she find that
+question unpleasant? It'd seemed like an extremely natural question to ask.
+Like, did she just take pictures of landscapes or were they her specialty?
+Sakura shut her mouth, and her body stiffened.
+"Th-that's a secret."
+Well then. It sounded like she didn't want to go into the details with
+"W-well, it's just... It's embarrassing," replied Sakura, her cheeks
+reddening. She looked down as she spoke.
+Although my imagination ran wild, I couldn't let it show on my face. I
+had to remain neutral.
+"Oh hey, that reminds me. Sorry to ask, but since we're here, is it okay
+for me to look around the store?"
+"Was there something you wanted?"
+It wasn't so much that I wanted something, as there was something on
+my mind.
+"The two of you can wander around, if you want."
+"T think we'll come in, too. Right?" Kushida said.
+"S-sure. After all, I feel bad you both had to come with me... Besides,
+I do have the time."
+I didn't exactly want them there, but apparently they'd decided to come
+along. Kushida and Sakura. When I watched the two of them walk side by
+side, I realized that they'd managed to grow closer in just one day. Kushida, I
+wish you'd share a little of your people skills with me.
+Since they seemed to be having girl talk, I decided to leave them alone
+and went to look for what I wanted. I went into my phone's contacts. Back
+when Ike had involved me in the whole gambling thing, I'd exchanged
+contact information with some people. Even though I still only had a few
+names in my address book, it was clear that my number of friends was
+increasing. I selected the name "Sotomura (Professor)" and called him.
+"Hey Professor, do you have a minute?"
+"Hmm? It's rare to get a call from you, Ayanokouji. What do you
+need?"
+Sotomura's nickname was Professor, which undoubtedly made it sound
+like he was rather intelligent. In reality, he was just a huge otaku. He gathered
+information daily, comprehensively spanning a wide variety of topics, from
+dating sims to anime and manga.
+"Professor, did you buy your laptop computer from the school, with
+your points?"
+"Yes, I most certainly did. It cost 80,000 points. But what of it?"
+"I'm looking for something."
+I explained the gist of what I wanted. Although many similar products
+sat on the displays in front of me, I didn't know which one to choose. It
+probably would've been faster to just ask the store clerk, but I didn't want to
+for various reasons.
+"Ayanokouji. Though I am considerably well-versed in that particular
+electronic field..."
+"It's okay if you don't know."
+"Please wait," said the Professor as I was about to end the call. "I do
+know. In fact, I have two of them at my parents' home."
+"No way! You've had them since junior high? Isn't that bad?"
+"Do not misunderstand me. They were only for experimentation, for
+the sake of my language studies."
+"Well, could I trouble you to help me set it up?"
+"Puh, leave it to me. I'm sure that someday I will have a favor to ask of
+you in return."
+Clearly, he was the man for the job. When entering a subject that I
+didn't understand, it was important to find an expert.
+"Sorry to keep you waiting," I said to the girls.
+"Have you already finished?"
+"Today was just a preliminary inspection. I don't have enough points to
+buy anything."
+Suddenly, Kushida froze while glancing over at Sakura's profile.
+"Sakura-san, have we met somewhere before?" Kushida murmured.
+"Huh? N-no. I don't think so, but..."
+"Sorry. It's just that when I look at you, I get this feeling that we've
+met before, Sakura-san. Hey, weird question, but could you try removing
+your glasses?"
+"Huh?! B-but that's... My eyesight is so bad, I wouldn't be able to see
+a thing..."
+Sakura put her hand up and waved it, signaling to Kushida that she did
+not want to.
+"We should hang out together again, Sakura-san. Not just with me, but
+with my other friends, too."
+That Secs
+Sakura looked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn't find
+her way to the end of the thought. She said nothing. Kushida seemed to feel
+that it would make trouble if she pressed the issue, so she kept quiet. Or
+rather, she didn't ask anything else. In the end, we returned to where we'd
+started.
+"Umm... Thank you for everything today. You really helped me out,"
+Sakura said.
+"It's okay, it's okay. There's no need to thank us. Actually, Sakura-san,
+you can talk to us normally, you know? If it's okay with you. We're in the
+same grade. It sounds a little weird when you speak so formally to us."
+It was certainly true that Sakura's speech patterns weren't exactly what
+you would expect from a peer. But changing that might be easier said than
+done for her; she was visibly perplexed.
+"T didn't mean to sound that way. I wasn't aware of it... I sound
+weird?"
+"It's not really a bad thing! I mean, I'd be happy if you didn't speak so
+formally to me, though."
+"Ah... O-okay... I...I got it. P11 do my best."
+I thought that Sakura would have rejected the notion, but she managed
+to squeak out a few words of agreement. It seemed like she wanted to accept
+Kushida's proposal. Perhaps this was how people became friends, little by
+little. Even Sakura, who seemed to have hardly interacted with another
+person ever, was steadily growing closer to Kushida.
+"It's okay, though. You don't need to force yourself."
+"T-It's okay. I... will."
+Sakura kept her eyes down as she spoke. Partway through her sentence
+she began to sputter, and her words faded so much that we couldn't hear
+them. However, it didn't seem as though she felt uncomfortable. Kushida
+smiled in satisfaction, but didn't try to coerce anything more from Sakura.
+That specific distance felt exactly right for where they were at the moment. If
+you tried to strong-arm people who weren't good at socializing, it could
+backfire. Rather than be grateful, they'd probably find it off-putting. Rather
+than draw them nearer, being overbearing would probably end up pushing
+them further away.
+"Well then, we'll see you at school. Okay?"
+With that, Kushida thought the conversation had ended. However,
+rather unexpectedly, Sakura didn't move.
+"Well!"
+Sakura spoke in a small voice, but looked straight at us. When our
+gazes met, however, she immediately averted her eyes.
+"About Sudou-kun... As my way of saying thanks for today, I... Well,
+that might be a little misleading, but if you like..."
+She paused, and started again more clearly.
+"I-I may be able to help you with Sudou-kun's case."
+In her own words, Sakura told us that she was the witness. Kushida and
+I exchanged glances.
+"So, does that mean that you saw Sudou-kun fight with those other
+students?"
+"Yes. I saw everything. It was a total coincidence, though... I'm sure
+you don't believe me."
+"No, we do. Why did you decide to tell us now, though? I mean, I'm
+happy you did, but I don't want you to force yourself. You don't have to do
+this just because you're grateful, you know?"
+Sakura couldn't seem to get her words out. She lightly shook her head.
+The fact that Sakura had waited until now to talk proved that she was more
+concerned about Sudou's case than anything else. I wondered if getting a
+foothold on friendship made her want to cooperate.
+"Is that really true? You're not forcing yourself?" Kushida asked. She
+must've been thinking the same thing as me.
+Sakura nodded sheepishly, as if she could feel that we were worrying
+about it.
+"It's okay... I think that if I kept quiet, I'd probably come to regret it.
+I...don't want to cause trouble for my classmates. But, if I spoke up as a
+witness, then... would definitely stand out. I hated the thought of that... I'm
+sorry."
+While Sakura apologized to us repeatedly, full of remorse, she also
+promised Kushida that she would testify.
+"Thank you, Sakura-san. I'm sure Sudou-kun will be really happy."
+Kushida took Sakura's hand, and Sakura looked at Kushida's smiling
+face. I wondered if a new friendship had been born right here, right now. At
+any rate, we had Sudou's witness.
+4.11
+Thai night, I clutched my phone tightly. My hand was sweating so
+much you'd think the air conditioning in my room wasn't working.
+"We got closer to Sakura, but... Is 1t really okay for me to say that?"
+"Yesterday I would've said no, but our chances are better today. Ahh...
+I think we still have a way to go yet, though. You're making yourself all
+frazzled."
+I'd guessed that Sakura would probably grow closer to Kushida,
+specifically. But I had a feeling that Sakura had erected a rather high wall
+between herself and other people. Unless we could get her to climb over that
+wall, calling on Sakura as a witness would be difficult.
+"That reminds me, why did you try to get Sakura to take off her
+glasses?" I asked Kushida.
+"Well, I mean... I thought saying so might be kind of cruel, but... I just
+feel like her glasses don't really suit her, for some reason. It's like she
+doesn't really need them, or something. I don't understand it myself. I also
+thought that we'd met somewhere before, but that was probably just a
+misunderstanding."
+"Well, perhaps that was just your imagination, Kushida? I mean,
+Sakura is pretty far from being stylish, right? I mean, so am I, but she even
+chooses clothes with plain colors so she stands out as little as possible."
+"Yeah, there's that. I don't think that she's concerned with fashion or
+anything. But I wonder why?"
+Back when her camera fell and Sakura had bent down to pick it up, I'd
+seen her glasses from the side. Something about them had struck me as being
+out of place.
+"T felt like there's something a little off, like she's wearing fake
+glasses."
+"Huh? Sakura-san wears fake glasses? But she said that her eyesight
+was really bad..."
+"Although real glasses and fake ones appear similar at first glance,
+there is definitely a difference between them. Real glasses show some
+distortion on the lenses. There wasn't any distortion on Sakura's glasses. At
+first, I thought that there was definitely some link between those fake glasses
+and Sakura's fashion sense, but then I found myself puzzled over something
+she said today."
+"Appearing fashionable with glasses? Hmm, that doesn't sound
+normal."
+If she wanted to liven up her appearance with decorative items, she
+should have bought other clothes or make-up.
+"Or maybe it's to cover up some kind of complex? Like how someone
+thinks they'Il appear intelligent by putting on glasses?"
+"There's that. Wearing glasses does make you look smart."
+"In Sakura's case, though, she probably wears them because she
+doesn't want others to see her true self. She's always slouching and won't
+look people in the eye. I doubt it's simply because she dislikes other people."
+I felt like there was some hidden way to get over that wall. Something.
+"T knew it was right to bring you along, Ayanokouji-kun. I feel like
+you're very observant of people."
+I was a little embarrassed. The best part of interacting with Kushida
+was how we were able to connect and converse naturally. People who didn't
+know how to get closer to another person would bungle and compromise
+until they got to a point where they just gave up.
+"So then—"
+Just as I was about to continue the conversation with Kushida, my
+phone buzzed. I checked the caller ID without Kushida knowing. If it were Ike
+or Yamauchi, I'd call them back later. But if it were Horikita...1?'?d have to
+think about it. That's what I was prepared for, but...
+The name on the screen read "Sakura."
+"I'm sorry, Kushida. Can I call you back in a bit?"
+"Oh, sure. Sorry for talking so long."
+Though there was a heavy regret in those parting words, I didn't have
+the time to address it. I answered Sakura's call before it cut out. After
+pressing the call button, I waited several seconds, but the line remained silent.
+"Um... Hello. This is Sakura..."
+"This is Ayanokouji."
+Even though we'd exchanged contact information, I found it a little
+strange that she'd called me. Even when I formally exchanged contact
+information with someone, nine times out of ten I wouldn't get a call.
+"Thank you for coming out with me today," Sakura said.
+"Oh, no problem. It wasn't really a big deal. Don't worry about it. You
+shouldn't fuss so much and keep thanking me."
+"Okay..."
+Silence followed, but it wasn't Sakura's fault. I didn't really know how
+to respond to her. I thought of how Kushida took the lead in our conversation.
+Still, I had to do my best on this call.
+"What's the matter?"
+"Umm..."
+More silence. What should I do? Please, Hirata. Teach me.
+"What were you...thinking about?"
+Sakura asked me a rather ambiguous question. What was I thinking
+about? She likely didn't want to know my thoughts on how cute Kushida
+looked in casual clothing, or how exceptionally interesting I found Sakura
+herself. I had no idea what Sakura was expecting.
+"Did something happen?" I asked.
+Something about the emotion behind her words made me uneasy, so I
+cast a verbal line to see if I could reel in anything else. However, the line
+tautened and snapped as soon as it touched water.
+"I'm sorry, it's nothing. Goodnight."
+Sakura ended the call without even giving me a chance to reply. No
+"please wait" or "hold on." I thought about calling her back, but I couldn't
+understand why I'd failed in our conversation. I thought about it carefully
+while washing my face. I'd spent about 10 minutes talking with Kushida, but
+during that time, there weren't any signs that Sakura had tried to call or left
+messages.
+Perhaps Sakura had planned on calling Kushida after talking to me? I
+had a hard time imagining that. Normally when you had to call two people,
+the first person you'd call would be the one you knew better. In this case, I
+was the only person she could call and see, so I was the reasonable choice.
+Just to be sure though, I went ahead and sent a chat message to Kushida and
+asked her if she had heard from Sakura.
+A few minutes later, Kushida confirmed that she hadn't heard back
+from Sakura. Just as I'd thought.
+"T was asked to invite you as well, Ayanokouji-kun. Did you talk to
+Sakura-san?"
+When I'd met Kushida that morning, she'd said something like that.
+Because Sakura got really nervous when she was alone with Kushida, I had
+thought she'd just invited someone else who was suitable for the task, but...
+was it not like that? Aside from a crazy dream like it being love at first sight,
+was there some reason / had been chosen to go? I remembered something I'd
+felt while talking with Sakura today.
+Sakura and Kushida struck up most of the conversations, but I'd
+broached a topic. Namely, the clerk at the store who'd helped with the repair
+order. I hadn't brought up anything else. What if that's what she'd meant
+when she asked, "What were you thinking about?"
+All of the puzzle pieces I'd collected were too small, and too few. I was
+able to conjure up several scenarios and speculations, but they all lacked
+credibility. I didn't have enough information to come to a definitive decision.
+Normally I'd have thought that asking around at school would be fine,
+but in Sakura's case, things wouldn't be so simple. If I just went up and
+started talking to Sakura, who normally didn't talk to anyone, it would make
+her stand out. She wouldn't like that. I prayed that the anxieties I'd developed
+over the phone call were unfounded, and decided to get ready for bed.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Sakura Airi
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: $01T004738
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: October 15th
+***
+Her ability to communicate with others (for example, being able to look
+people in the eye or form sentences) is far below that of a standard high
+school student. Her academic abilities and physical abilities are also
+noticeably lacking. Because this school exists specifically to educate our
+students and to mold them into respectable people who will contribute
+to the advancement of society, we will accept her. We expect that her
+development will act as a teaching tool for the many problematic
+students in Class D.
+***
+| haven't seen her make any progress in forming relationships. So far,
+there are no students that she can call "friend" yet.
+Chapter 5:
+Each and Every
+Prediction
+I was just one day until the meeting between Sudou and Class C.
+With Horikita's cooperation and Sakura's testimony, as well as Kushida and
+Hirata's actions, our entire class felt spirited and courageous. You could say
+that we were united. However, it was obvious that we lacked firm, irrefutable
+evidence, and it would still be difficult to prove Sudou's innocence. Our
+deliberation would decide the outcome.
+"Man, it really is hot today..."
+I never thought about global warming more than when I exited a
+building with working air conditioning. Considering I'd likely suffer every
+day until August, my spirits remained low. The moment I left my dorm's
+lobby, hot and humid air assaulted me. While I endured the pain of my
+burning skin, I walked the path to school lined with green, leafy trees.
+Something was different today, though. There was something on the
+bulletin board by the stairway's landing, a little in front of the shoe cubbies.
+A paper on the board said that they were looking for students with
+information related to Sudou and Class C.
+"This—"
+Clearly, somebody was trying to help. It was sincerely appreciated,
+because we hadn't even considered taking such measures ourselves. This
+mystery person was action-oriented. Furthermore, while the sign itself might
+have appeared a weak effort, the author also wrote that they'd be willing to
+give points to helpful informants. In that case, even apathetic students would
+pay attention.
+As I scanned the message, I was quite impressed...
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" Ichinose called out from behind
+She must have just arrived.
+"T saw the paper on the bulletin board. Did you post it, Ichinose?"
+Ichinose joined me in looking at the board. She appeared deeply
+interested.
+"Hmm. I see, I see. So there's this method, too."
+"Huh? This wasn't you?"
+I'd thought that surely this was her strategy.
+"This was probably— Ah, he's here! Good morning, Kanzaki-kun."
+Ichinose raised her hand up and signaled to a lone male student. The
+boy noticed Ichinose, and approached us with quiet steps.
+"Did you put this up, Kanzaki-kun?"
+"Yeah. I made and posted it on Friday. Is there something wrong?"
+"Oh, no. Not at all. My friend here just wanted to know who did it. Ah,
+Ill introduce you two. Kanzaki-kun from Class B, this is Ayanokouji-kun
+from Class D."
+"Nice to meet you, Kanzaki."
+His demeanor was stiff, but he appeared to be a serious student. He was
+tall and slender. A pretty boy, but in a different way from Hirata. I took his
+outstretched hand.
+"How's it going, Kanzaki-kun? Did you get anything reliable?"
+"Unfortunately, I haven't received any useful information."
+"T see. Well, how about we look at the bulletin board."
+"At the bulletin board? Did you put up another poster?"
+Ichinose wore a thin smile, indicating it was something else.
+"Have you ever checked out the school homepage? There's a message
+board. I requested that people come forward with information there. I said
+that if there anyone witnessed a violent incident at our school, I'd like to hear
+about it."
+After she said that, Ichinose showed us her phone's screen. It showed a
+message seeking out witnesses, as well as a count for the number of people
+who'd viewed it. The displayed number was still only in the dozens, but it
+was much more efficient than asking people directly. Also, the message
+posted to the homepage offered compensation to witnesses and people with
+helpful information.
+"Ah, regarding the stuff about points, don't worry. We just decided to
+do that on our own. Besides, it will probably be difficult for us to get new
+information now. Ah!"
+'"'What's the matter?"
+"Tt looks like I just got two messages regarding the post. There might
+be a little information."
+Ichinose checked her phone for confirmation. After she'd read the
+messages, a slight smile crept onto her face.
+"Just like this."
+She showed me her phone so I could read the message for myself.
+"It looks like one of the boys from Class C, Ishizaki-kun, was a bad
+seed in junior high. He was good at fighting, and terrorized the locals. A kid
+from his hometown probably leaked this."
+"Interesting," Kanzaki muttered, also reading the message.
+Like Kanzaki, I found the information quite interesting. Everyone had
+assumed that the three students Sudou fought were normal kids. However, if
+they were troublemakers too, then that was a different story. As for the other
+two, being basketball players meant they probably had good motor skills. Yet
+Sudou had turned the tables, and beat them all without once being hit himself.
+I couldn't help but feel there was something unnatural about that.
+"Kanzaki-kun, what do you think?"
+"Perhaps they let Sudou beat them up on purpose. If the three of them
+had wanted to set a trap for Sudou, the story would make perfect sense. The
+connection seems natural."
+"Yeah, I think so too. I knew you'd figure it out, Kanzaki-kun. Great
+work. If we can verify this information, then we could be one step closer to
+proving Sudou-kun's innocence. But what we have is still pretty weak, isn't
+it?"
+"Yeah. Even if we managed to convince people with this new
+evidence, we're really only halfway there. The fact that it was such a one-
+sided fight definitely puts a lot of pressure on us."
+Sudou probably wouldn't want to shoulder some of the guilt alongside
+the others. Neither party wanted to be liable for this situation. If we got
+testimony from Class D, though, our chances would probably be 6 to 4, or
+maybe 7 to 3.
+"No, we can't say anything yet." I concealed Sakura's name since we
+were still negotiating.
+"T see. Is there some reason why?"
+Since the whole Sakura situation was rather delicate, I avoided
+explaining in detail. After all, she might decide to quit after all, even on the
+day of the decision. I wanted to have an escape route.
+"There've been no reports of another witness, just as I thought. It
+would've been interesting if one had stepped forward, but I suppose it was
+tough. We're out of time. Our only choice now is to wait for more
+information from either the Internet or the bulletin board, right?"
+"Ts it okay to wait that long, though? I mean, those Class C guys might
+zero in on us."
+"Tt'll be okay. Besides, both Class C and Class A originally targeted us,
+anyway."
+"Ichinose is right. Besides, even if you wanted to stick by the rules,
+everyone is acting out of bounds. I think it's okay to ask for forgiveness this
+time."
+Ichinose and Kanzaki made it pretty clear that they wanted to be fair
+and square when competing against the school and the other students.
+"Anyway, we'll have to transfer points over to anyone who provides us
+with information. Ah, but what if someone does so anonymously? In that
+case, how would we transfer over the points?"
+"We can tell you, if you'd like. Do you want me to?" I said.
+"Do you know something, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T just remembered something when I was messing around on my
+phone. Do you know the person's number?"
+"It's a toll-free number, but I remember it."
+Ichinose drew close and pointed at her phone. Being this near to
+somebody usually made people feel defenseless. I'd thought that a girl
+wouldn't want a man to be in her intimate space...and I didn't know exactly
+what it was, but Ichinose had a pleasant scent about her.
+"Here, open up the points remittance screen. You should see your ID
+number in the upper left corner."
+As I instructed her, my heart rate began to skyrocket.
+"Umm..."
+Ichinose's fingers were nimble. She pressed the button to open up her
+own points page. After the page loaded, it was displayed on the screen.
+"Yep, yep. There it is. So what should I do now that I can see the ID
+number?"
+"From your ID number, you can issue a temporary token key. If you
+open that, and send the key, you should get a request for payment."
+"T see. Thank you!"
+"Okay. Let's go, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Sure."
+Ichinose started walking.
+Just then, for a split second, I had seen something on Ichinose's phone.
+The fragment of screen I'd noticed had burned itself into my mind and
+wouldn't go away. What should I do? Was what I'd seen even possible?
+Ichinose might prove a huge obstacle for Horikita in her quest to reach Class
+***
+5.1
+66 G a
+ood morning! Ayanokouji-kun!"
+"O-oh, hey. Good morning." Kushida greeted me looking incredibly
+bright and energetic. I was taken aback by her radiance.
+"Thanks for yesterday. You really saved me."
+Well, I suppose her dazzling face made me happy, but something else
+was bothering me that I couldn't remember. I'd gone on an outing for the first
+time, and it had been with girls like Kushida and Sakura. Ah, it was almost
+too much. Well, I guess for the time being, things were great...until Ike and
+Yamauchi got to school, that was. If they heard about this, they'd definitely
+hold a serious grudge over it.
+"Let's hang out again sometime, okay?" Kushida said.
+""S-sure."
+Even if she'd only said it to be polite, my heart thumped a little faster.
+Well, that wasn't a bad thing.
+"Did you spend your day off with Kushida-san?" an icy voice asked.
+"Yeah, I did," I answered quietly. "Kushida wanted Sakura's
+cooperation, so she asked for my help. I didn't have much of a choice."
+thsee."
+"Was there something wrong with...that?"
+I looked over at my neighbor, and saw an expression on Horikita's face
+that I'd never glimpsed before.
+"Wh-what's the matter?" I asked.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Well, you just had this really weird look on your face."
+"Really? I didn't intend to make any kind of face. I should look the
+same as I always do. However, I will say that I admire how freely you've
+been moving. When I ask you for help, you're often reluctant, but when
+Kushida-san asks you, you accept readily. I was calmly and discretely
+analyzing the difference between us."
+She did not remotely look calm and discreet.
+Just then, someone lightly tapped my shoulder, and told me to go over
+and see Kushida. Horikita wore a tremendously puzzled expression as I went
+over to the hallway, where Kushida briefly peeked into the classroom.
+"T have a feeling I just saw something really incredible!" she said.
+Did Kushida understand the meaning behind Horikita's expression?
+She seemed both delighted and surprised.
+"Something incredible? That's creepy... I think that Horikita was a
+little angry."
+"That's not it. I think she feels alienated and lonely over not being
+invited."
+"Horikita? No way!"
+"She probably doesn't know how she feels... I'm sure she's probably
+noticed how much fun it is to spend time with friends and talk to them,
+though. That's a good thing, a good thing."
+What a bizarre thought. Horikita didn't have a good opinion of
+Kushida. Even so, it was strange for Kushida to say that Horikita felt
+alienated over not being invited.
+"Perhaps you're realizing something fundamental, Ayanokouji-kun.
+Horikita-san is upset that you didn't invite her to come along."
+No, no, that couldn't be it... I mean, Horikita was a girl who loved
+solitude, after all. She wasn't supposed to enjoy going out, certainly not with
+a guy like me.
+In that moment, I had come to a rather baffling realization.
+5.2
+A fier homeroom finished for the day, we asked Chabashira-sensei to
+see us in the faculty room. We did this out of consideration for Sakura.
+Because I hadn't been able to discuss it with her fully over the phone
+yesterday, I waited towards the back of the room for an opportune moment.
+Kushida was probably going to be able to tell Chabashira-sensei everything
+that had happened.
+"A witness? For Sudou's case?"
+"Yes. Sakura-san saw everything from start to finish."
+Kushida called for Sakura, who stood quietly behind her. She stepped
+forward, looking slightly nervous.
+"So according to Kushida, you saw the fight between Sudou and the
+others."
+"Yes. I saw it."
+It's not that our teacher didn't believe us, but I felt ill at ease before her
+skeptical gaze. Sakura, true to her word, slowly gave us the truth. This was
+the first time that we had heard the full story. None of us, not even the
+teacher, spoke a single word or even moved until the very end.
+"T understand what you're said. However, I can't simply accept what
+you're telling me," Chabashira-sensei said.
+I would have thought that, as Class D's homeroom teacher, she
+would've been delighted to discover a witness from Class D. Kushida,
+betrayed by this turn of events, was flustered.
+"Wh-What do you mean, sensei?" she asked.
+"Sakura, why are you testifying now? When I reported the issue during
+homeroom, you didn't step forward. It's not as though you were absent that
+day, right?"
+"Well... That's... ?'m just not good at talking with other people..."
+"You're not good at talking with other people, and yet you' ve decided
+to testify now? Isn't that strange?"
+Chabashira-sensei started hounding Sakura, as was typical. If Sakura
+had stepped forward back when she'd first called for witnesses, though, I
+wondered if Chabashira-sensei would honestly have welcomed it.
+"Sensei, Sakura-san is..."
+"I'm speaking to Sakura right now." Chabashira-sensei cut Kushida off
+sharply.
+"Umm... Well, it's because our...class is in trouble now, and...I
+thought if...if I testify, I can help..."
+Sakura hunched and shrank away, much like a frog cornered by a
+snake. As our teacher, Chabashira-sensei should have understood what kind
+of girl Sakura was. She should have realized that merely by speaking up,
+Sakura had made great progress.
+"T see. So, then you mustered up the courage to come forward?"
+PY CS cs. |
+"T see. Well if you are a witness as you say, naturally I'm obligated to
+relay that information to the school. However, while the school will listen to
+the whole story, Sudou may not be declared innocent."
+"Wh-what do you mean?"
+"Are you really the witness, Sakura? That's what I'm getting at. I think
+that it may be a lie made up by Class D because the students are afraid of
+receiving a negative evaluation."
+"Chabashira-sensei, that's a horrible thing to say!"
+"Horrible? If you really had witnessed an event, you should have come
+forward on the first day. It's natural to feel suspicious when someone steps
+up just in the nick of time. Considering that the witness is from Class D, it's
+doubly suspicious. Any reasonable person would have doubts. Don't you
+think so? Conveniently, a student from the same class happened to be in an
+infrequently visited building and happened to witness the entire event?"
+Chabashira-sensei had plenty of good points. The fact that Sakura had
+witnessed the incident was too convenient. People would obviously have
+their doubts. If I were a third party, I'd probably think Class D had made this
+story up. Judged impartially, it was only natural to consider this eyewitness
+testimony weak.
+"However, a witness is a witness. I cannot determine if she's lying, so
+for the time being, I will accept her testimony. So, Sakura, I will ask for you
+to join us on the day of deliberation. I understand that you do not like to
+associate with others, but can you do this?"
+Chabashira-sensei's words shook Sakura, as if she were testing the girl.
+Sure enough, Sakura, upon imagining this, turned pale and anguished.
+"If you don't like it, you do have the option to withdraw. Also, we' ll
+tell Sudou that he will be participating in the deliberation."
+"Are you okay? Sakura-san?"
+"Y-yeah..." Sakura's reply lacked confidence. In addition to having to
+give her testimony in front of others, she was also going to have to sit alone
+with Sudou. It seemed a little cruel to force her...
+"Do you mind if we participate as well, sensei?"
+Of course, it was Kushida who spoke up, most likely to support Sakura.
+"If Sudou himself consents, I will approve it. However, we cannot
+allow that many people. Only a maximum of two may sit in on the
+deliberation. Please think on that carefully."
+We left the faculty room, though it felt more like we were being kicked
+out. Afterward, we returned to the classroom and explained everything to
+Horikita.
+"Well, naturally that was the result. It's to be expected."
+"The situation might be different now, but it's not that huge of a
+difference, right? I mean, the fact that our witness came from Class D does
+kind of mean we're out of luck, though."
+I didn't know if it would comfort Horikita, but I said it to stick up for
+Sakura. If we hadn't convinced our eyewitness to come forward, it probably
+would've been impossible to prove Sudou's innocence.
+"Now then, Kushida-san. It would be best for Ayanokouji-kun and me
+to sit in on the deliberation. I fully understand you supporting Sakura-san.
+However, if it comes to a debate, then that's a different story."
+"That's... Yes, you're right. I don't think I'd be particularly useful in a
+debate."
+I considered saying something about how it would be perfect if
+Kushida and Horikita worked together, but thought better of it. It was
+precisely because they might not make the best team that I'd been appointed
+as a Substitute, I supposed.
+"Sakura-san, do you mind?"
+"N-no, it's fine."
+She didn't seem to like this at all, but she also didn't have much choice
+right now.
+5.3
+With that settled, we reconvened in the classroom during our lunch
+to discuss strategy. Horikita had been reluctant to participate, but thanks to
+Kushida's persuasive tears, she'd agreed to join. As for the person of interest
+himself, even if Sudou said he didn't care and compromised, he could easily
+become obstinate in critical situations. While I thought about how he might
+become difficult at any time, I kept silent.
+"Can we really prove Sudou's innocence tomorrow?" Kushida asked.
+"Of course we will. It's obvious that I was set up. I'm definitely
+innocent. Right?" Sudou said.
+They simultaneously looked to Horikita for her opinion. Horikita
+simply ate her bread in silence, either because she was unable to answer or
+because she found discussion to be annoying.
+"Hey, Horikita. What do you think?" Sudou, clearly unable to read the
+room, drew nearer to Horikita.
+"Don't bring your dirty face so close to me."
+"T-It's not dirty." Sudou was shaking. Maybe he was hurt by that
+unexpected jab?
+"T can't help but be mystified by your belief that your innocence can
+easily be proven. Although you've gained evidence that works in your favor,
+you're still in a very disadvantageous situation."
+"But we have a witness who knows I'm innocent, and the other guys
+were real jerks in the past. That should be enough, right? Those guys are bad
+news." Sudou, completely blind to his own shortcomings, arrogantly crossed
+his legs and nodded in agreement with himself.
+"Ah, hey, wait a second! I'm still reading that! Give it back!"
+"Tt's fine, isn't it? I paid for half of it, anyway. Ill give it back later."
+Ike and Yamauchi scrambled over a weekly manga magazine. I guess
+they'd been quietly reading manga while we had our important meeting.
+Considering their bitter tears over having absolutely no points at all, I found
+it kind of amazing that they still managed to buy a magazine each week.
+"Huh?" Kushida, seated beside me as the Ike/Yamauchi spectacle
+unfolded, appeared deep in thought. "Perhaps..." she murmured.
+"What's up?" I asked.
+"Ah, nothing. It's nothing. There was just something on my mind."
+I didn't understand what she was getting at, but Kushida pulled out her
+phone and began looking up something.
+5.4
+A fier returning to my dorm, I lay in my bed and absentmindedly
+watched Tv. My mind was kind of a blank, as I let myself relax. Then, I got
+an email from Sakura.
+"Tf I was absent from school tomorrow, what do you think would
+happen?"
+"What do you mean?"
+Even though my reply had been short, I waited a while for her
+response.
+"What are you doing right now?"
+That was her answer. I replied that I was in my room by myself.
+"Tf it's okay with you, could we meet right now? I'm in room 1106."
+"Tf you could keep this a secret from everyone... That would really help
+me out."
+I received two messages from her in quick succession. It was more like
+texting than email. What exactly was she getting at, I wondered? I thought
+about asking her why, but then stopped typing. If I bungled this, she might
+keep messaging me, but it would probably get more difficult to pay her a
+visit. I had the gut feeling that it would be better for us to meet directly, so I
+started rewriting my response.
+"T'll head over there in about five minutes."'
+After sending my reply, I reached for my coat, but stopped. Since we
+were in the same dorm, going out with just a jersey on was probably fine. I
+headed towards Sakura's room. The upper level...1n other words, where the
+girls lived. This was my first time setting foot there. The school didn't
+necessarily prohibit boys from entering. Even if someone saw me going
+there, it wouldn't be a problem. In fact, the popular guys often headed up
+there to hang out and have fun.
+Although we were allowed a relative degree of freedom, entry was
+prohibited after 8:00 PM. Naturally, going to the girls' floor in the middle of
+the night was prohibited.
+I pushed the elevator's call button. When the doors slid open, Horikita
+was standing there. What horrible timing.
+For some reason, I was completely unable to move. I just stood there.
+Was this good luck or bad? In the case of bumping into an acquaintance, |
+had to wonder.
+"What? You're not getting on?" she asked.
+While she stared at me, she tried to close the doors.
+"Ah, yeah. I'm getting on..."
+While I felt like this was probably a bad idea, I hopped in and pushed
+the button for the eleventh floor. I saw that the button for the thirteenth floor
+was also lit. That must've been Horikita's floor. For some reason, I got the
+strange feeling that she was watching me from behind.
+"You're...heading home late tonight, huh?" I asked, without looking at
+her. The silence was unbearable.
+"T was out shopping. Did you not see?"
+I heard the rustle of vinyl bags.
+"That reminds me. You cook for yourself, don't you?"
+It felt like the elevator was going more slowly than usual. We were still
+only on the sixth floor. Being stealthily invited over by a girl was a stressful
+situation. My unease meant I had to say something.
+"This isn't the tenth floor. Is that okay?"
+Why in the world was she asking me about the tenth floor? What was
+her intention?
+"For someone who dislikes trouble, you've been extremely proactive in
+involving yourself with this case. Or perhaps you have ulterior motives?"
+Horikita was clearly probing.
+"If you have something to say, why not come out and say it?"
+"You're going to meet with Sakura-san, aren't you?" she asked.
+"No, I'm not." I immediately denied it, but wondered if Horikita could
+see the truth.
+"Well. I suppose where you go is none of my business."
+In that case, don't ask me about it! Well, that was what I wanted to say,
+but I spoke the words only in my head.
+After a long time, we finally arrived at the eleventh floor in complete
+silence. I stepped off the elevator, trying to remain calm. I didn't look back.
+"Pardon me for intruding..." I said at Sakura's door.
+"Come on in." She greeted me wearing casual clothes.
+"So. What did you need from me?"
+"Umm... Ayanokouji-kun, do you remember what you said before?
+You said I wasn't obligated to step forward, even though I was the witness.
+You also said it was meaningless to force me to testify."
+That was back when I'd met Sakura by accident. I gave a slight nod.
+"T...just don't have any self-confidence after all."
+"Ts this about speaking in front of other people?"
+"T've been terrible at it for so long... I'm not good at speaking in front
+of others. If I'm asked to testify in front of the teachers tomorrow, I don't
+think I'Il have the confidence to answer properly. So..."
+"So you're considering taking the day off from school?"
+Sakura gave a slight nod before collapsing and laying her forehead
+onto the table.
+"Ahhhhh. Jeez, why am I so completely useless?!' She shrank into
+herself, clearly ashamed. It was the first time I'd seen her like that.
+"Sakura, you're surprisingly high-strung, huh?"
+I felt the gap between the person I saw now and her usual behavior, and
+was a little taken aback. Or rather, I was shocked.
+"Huh?!"
+Sakura, realizing she'd let me see this side of her, blushed and shook
+her head. "N-no! I'm not like that at all."
+So she could be animated. I'd had no idea, considering her usually
+depressed look.
+"Hey, can I ask you just one thing? Why did you call me?" Kushida or
+somebody else would've been friendlier, easier to talk to.
+"That's because I'm not afraid of your eyes, Ayanokouji-kun..."
+Huh? What did that mean? I certainly didn't have scary eyes or
+anything, but...
+"If you're looking for someone to talk to, Kushida 1s a much warmer,
+more outgoing person. She has a lot of friends, too."
+"Oh, no. I don't mean the eyes that you've seen me with. I mean the
+pupils, way back in the eyes... If you look someone deep in their eyes, you' Il
+understand. I'm sorry, I can't really explain it well."
+So, was it like insight into a person's true self? When someone looked
+at me, would they see that I was insubstantial and lack ambition? This was
+kind of complicated.
+"Well, it's just... When I see a man...even if he seems kind...
+suddenly get afraid."
+Perhaps that came with a woman's point of view. It might have been
+natural for her to be uncomfortable around men, but Sakura had an
+abnormally terrified expression. Speaking of which, I recalled the day we'd
+gone to get her digital camera repaired...
+It was certainly true that men and women generally differed in physical
+strength and stamina. However, some girls were overly mindful of that fact,
+and lived in abnormal degrees of fear. I wondered if something had happened
+in Sakura's past to cause her intense fear of men.
+Why the heck was I arbitrarily analyzing her? I felt a little disgusted
+with myself, as usual.
+"IT know it would be good to simply say what it is I saw. But no matter
+what I do, I can't seem to imagine it... How can I speak that assertively?"
+She was so worried that she'd asked a student like me for help. She'd
+probably been agonizing over it for the past few days. Even with a helping
+hand from me, she appeared to be suffering.
+"If you want to quit, would you like me to talk?"
+"You're not going to get mad?"
+"T told you before, didn't I? If we forced you to testify, it would be
+meaningless."
+Sakura was an invaluable witness, but her evidence wasn't
+automatically reliable. She might not have any influence on the outcome.
+However, if she were absent, Sudou might get angry. I should probably try to
+coax her into participating, but I had no idea how to do it.
+"Umm... What do you think would be best to do, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T think you should do what you want, Sakura."
+She probably wanted more concrete guidance, but unfortunately this
+was the best I could do. I wasn't an outstanding person, and certainly not
+qualified to guide anyone. I wasn't suited for that job.
+"T see. Well, I suppose it's probably bothersome to ask you for help
+like that... I'm just no good. It's probably why I can't even make a single
+friend myself."
+Sakura shrugged and smiled bitterly. She seemed disgusted with
+herself.
+"Sakura, I think you'll be able to make friends with someone in no
+time."
+"I'm sorry. I don't know how to best say what I feel... You seem to get
+along really well with a lot of people, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm a bit envious."
+"No, I don't."
+Apparently Sakura believed that I had many friends and lots of fun.
+"It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but I think that we're like
+friends. We are," I said.
+Sakura and I stared at each other.
+"We're friends? Really?" she whispered.
+"If you don't think so, Sakura, then that's different."
+"No... It does make me happy...to hear you say that," replied Sakura,
+while still looking somewhat perplexed.
+I began to realize that if people didn't talk face to face, they wouldn't
+get a feel for what the other person was really like. I was surprised by the
+discovery of Sakura's unexpected side. If she let this part of her out more,
+she'd probably make friends right away. Honestly, even a minor adjustment
+would do wonders. But for her, I supposed making even a minor adjustment
+would be difficult. What might seem trivial to one person could be quite
+difficult for another, depending on their issues.
+"Thank you for coming to see me today," Sakura said.
+"Tt's no big deal. You can call me anytime."
+If I could ease Sakura's burdens even slightly, then it was worth it. I'd
+leave it up to Sakura herself to decide whether or not she'd come to school
+tomorrow. Thinking that our conversation was over, I stood and started to
+leave, but Sakura looked like she still wasn't feeling well.
+"Do you have any plans for tonight? For right now?" I asked.
+"Right now? No, I don't have anything planned. Or rather, I didn't
+make any plans."
+Hmm. Even I felt a little sad when I heard someone say that.
+"Well, why not go out with me for a while? If it's not a bother, of
+course."
+I decided to be daring and invite Sakura. She stiffened, almost like she
+had forgotten the time and realized she had to be somewhere important. She
+looked like she couldn't understand what I'd meant. Then, without any
+hesitation, she shot up out of her seat.
+"Huh?!" As she leapt up, she banged her knees against the table and
+doubled over in agony. Her glasses flew off her face.
+"That looked like it really hurt just now. Are you okay?" I asked.
+"T...1'm perfectly fine!"
+She wasn't very convincing; the pain was so intense that she was on
+the verge of tears. I picked up her glasses. Just as I'd thought, there were no
+lenses. I handed her glasses back. Her hands trembled when she took them,
+and she thanked me. Sakura wrestled with her pain for about a minute before
+she finally calmed down and quieted.
+""Wh-where do you want to go?" she asked.
+She was on her guard, but I didn't understand why. Maybe she believed
+I was some kind of pick-up artist trying to smooth talk her. If that were the
+case, it was bad.
+"T haven't really decided. Just kind of felt like wandering around, you
+know? Ah, but I hate being in hot places..."
+Sakura responded cautiously, as if worried about what to say. "If you
+don't mind...there is someplace I'd like to go. Is that all right?"
+"Huh? Yeah, sure, I don't mind. Please lead the way."
+I didn't really care about the location; I just wanted to get a change of
+scenery and talk. If Sakura had a place she preferred, then everything would
+be going according to plan.
+5.5
+Sis took me to the place she wanted to visit. I must admit, I hadn't
+expected the location. We went to a part of the building used specifically for
+club activities, located away from the school. She guided me around a
+building that had a pronounced Japanese flair, one that hosted things like the
+archery club and the tea ceremony club. From a short distance away, we
+could hear the sound of arrows being fired.
+"You're not doing any club activities, right?"
+"T'm not, but I've wanted to come here at least once. I'd stand out if I
+came by myself, so..."
+If you hung around here on your own, people would think you were
+interested in joining their club. However, if a couple came together, then
+people would just assume they were on a date.
+"Why did you ask me to come out, anyway?" she asked.
+"Hmm? Why? It's kind of hard to answer when you ask me like that." I
+was worried about how everything would go tomorrow. But even if I said
+something, I'd still feel uneasy. "I asked you because I thought it would be
+good to get a change of scenery, I suppose. I mean, I'm kind of a loner, so I
+usually just stay in my room. I have a tendency to hang back all the time."
+Sakura looked somewhat unconvinced by my roundabout answer.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, don't you have lots of friends?"
+"T do? Like who?"
+"Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, Yamauchi-kun..."
+She listed their names while counting them on her fingers.
+"Well, they're just for show. No, you're right, a friend is a friend. I
+guess what I mean is, I feel like that's all we are. I feel like I'm still kind of
+standing outside the group and looking in. Do you think we get all along,
+Sakura?"
+Sakura nodded without hesitation. If she said so, perhaps it was true. I
+guess I just didn't understand myself.
+"T don't know how to make friends at all. I'm envious. You were the
+first person to call me a friend."
+"What about Kushida? Wasn't she the first person who invited you
+out?"
+Sheepishly, Sakura gave a self-deprecating smile. "Yeah. I should
+apologize to Kushida-san sometime. She was the first one to call and invite
+me out, because I didn't have the courage... I actually wanted to hang out
+with her. I just couldn't answer her, no matter what I did. I'm so pathetic."
+If you were good at making conversation with other people, you'd have
+an easier time of it. I was once again impressed by Horikita's ability to make
+fun of Ike and Yamauchi while also dealing naturally with complete
+strangers. That was a splendid talent.
+"Can I give you one bit of advice for tomorrow?"
+I didn't intend to give her empty encouragement like "Do your best."
+Sakura should face tomorrow entirely as herself.
+"For Sudou. For Kushida. For your classmates. Throw all of those
+thoughts away."
+"Huh? Throw them...all away?"
+"When you testify tomorrow, speak for yourself. As someone who tells
+the truth of what she saw, as a witness."
+It was good for a self-reliant person to try doing something for other
+people. However, Sakura still couldn't properly take care of herself. She had
+a tendency to wrap herself up and endure pain, sorrow, and suffering alone. If
+you weren't happy yourself, then you couldn't make others happy, either.
+"Tell the truth for your own sake. Do that, and Sudou will be saved.
+That's enough."
+I didn't know how effective my advice would be. It probably was
+meaningless blather, actually. But perhaps it was right to encourage Sakura to
+speak for herself. Maybe I did it because I understood how it felt to be
+wanted. Because I needed someone to know I understood the pain and
+anguish of battling loneliness.
+"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Hopefully, my words had found purchase somewhere in Sakura's heart.
+5.6
+That night, under Kushida's orders, everyone except for Sudou
+gathered in my room. Apparently Kushida had even invited Horikita, but it
+seemed she didn't want to join us.
+"So. Has there been any progress, Kushida-chan?"
+"There has been progress, yes, but I've also noticed something
+incredible. Ayanokouji-kun, can I borrow your computer for a minute?"
+"Sure," I answered with a nod. Kushida went to my desktop computer,
+booted it up, and opened the Internet browser.
+"Okay. Have a look at this!"
+Kushida accessed what appeared to be somebody's blog. It was rather
+elaborate, too. Unlike some normal person's website, it had the sheen and
+polish of a fully-fledged business.
+"Wait, is that a picture of Shizuku?"
+"Shizuku?"
+"She's a gravure idol. She was just featured in a young men's
+magazine."
+There were many pictures of her. I certainly couldn't complain about
+her looks or proportions.
+"Do you recognize her?" Kushida asked.
+"Am I supposed to recognize her?"
+"Look closely."
+Kushida clicked on a picture of Shizuku's face. Ike took a long hard
+look at her, and then...
+"She's cute."
+"No, not that! This is Sakura-san, isn't it?"
+"Kushida-chan, who are you talking about?"
+"Sakura-san, from our class."
+"Huh? No way, no way. Sakura-san? No, no, no, there's no way that's
+true." Ike laughed, but Yamauchi's expression stiffened.
+"Hey, Ike... You know, when I actually get a good look at her, I...
+think she probably does look a little like Sakura."
+"But she's not wearing glasses, right? And her hair is different."
+"Those are simplistic ways to identify somebody..."
+Although I hadn't made the connection at first, I realized that this was
+definitely Sakura. It seemed like Ike still couldn't believe it, though. He was
+still scrambling in confusion while looking at the screen.
+"So Sakura is Shizuku? That's a lie, right? I mean, sure, there's a slight
+resemblance, but they're different people. I mean, look how crazy bright and
+happy Shizuku is. Right? Come on, Ayanokouji."
+All of the pictures she'd uploaded were cute, so she seemed
+accustomed to taking selfies. However, I glimpsed one piece of
+incontrovertible evidence that proved Sakura and the idol Shizuku were one
+and the same.
+"No, Kushida is definitely right. That's Sakura. Here."
+I pointed to one of the pictures.
+"You can barely see it, but the door to her dorm room is in this
+picture."
+"Tt looks like the same as the doors in our dorm."
+In other words, it was likely she'd taken that picture at school.
+"Okay, so Sakura is Shizuku after all... I still don't understand the
+point."
+"Good job noticing this, Kushida." I meant it. Even though there was a
+clear resemblance, I wouldn't have noticed without Kushida drawing our
+attention to it."
+"When I saw Ike-kun reading that weekly magazine, I remembered
+something. I had the feeling I'd seen Sakura somewhere before," Kushida
+said.
+"Oh my god, there's a gravure idol in our class! I'm so turned on!" Ike
+exclaimed enthusiastically, unable to hide his excitement. After such an
+undignified reaction, I imagined Kushida would want to pull away from him.
+Although she was kind to an almost reckless degree, I couldn't sense that
+kind of acceptance from her now.
+"But just when Shizuku started to become really popular, she suddenly
+disappeared."
+She lived a double life as an idol and a quiet, inconspicuous student at
+our school. Why had she wanted to create another life? It was like a coin with
+two very different sides.
+As 9:00 Pm approached, it was just about time for our group to split up
+for the night. I saw them all off at my door.
+"Kushida, I still have something I want to talk to you about. Can you
+stick around for a little bit?"
+"Hmm? Something to talk about? Sure."
+"Hey, Ayanokouji! What do you need to talk to her about, huh?! Don't
+tell me it's..."
+I dismissed Ike's fears with a wave of my hand. But even after I said
+we were just going to talk about Sakura, Ike got really close and whispered
+into my ear that he didn't believe me. "If you do confess your feelings to her,
+I won't forgive you. You know that, right?"
+You don't need to be so paranoid...
+Like heck I was going to do that. Besides, even if I did, I'd get
+destroyed in one second.
+"Seriously. If you're that worried about it, then wait in the hallway.
+We'll be done in a minute."
+Ike immediately agreed to wait. He struck a pose and stretched himself
+to his full height, parking himself in the hallway right outside my door. After
+the guys had left, I started to tell Kushida about the conversation I'd had with
+Sakura that day.
+"Oh yeah. So, about Sakura-san?"
+"T was surprised when I found out that she was an idol, but I also kind
+of understood it. I wonder if that's her real personality?"
+Though I'd avoided just stating this idea outright, I also thought that
+Sakura had a hidden side, just like Kushida. However, Kushida, who had a
+different understanding of the facts, had come to an entirely different
+conclusion.
+"T think that...most likely, Sakura-san would say that her idol self is
+actually her false face. Well, I guess saying that it's false isn't right, either. I
+think that she's creating another personality with makeup."
+"Makeup... So in other words, it's a persona?"
+"Yeah. I think with the right pretenses in place, Sakura-san could even
+make herself smile in front of people."
+Kushida sounded rather persuasive. There was something true about
+her words. But at that moment, I began to think about what Kushida had been
+trying to tell me during our last phone call.
+"Hey. Back when we were talking on the phone, what was it you
+wanted to tell me?"
+Kushida's shoulders twitched slightly in response. It was like she
+hadn't remembered it until just now.
+"T'll tell you later. Right now, our priority is to resolve this case.
+Besides, it's a personal request."
+"A personal request?"
+I found her wording enticing, but it seemed like Kushida needed help
+with something. I didn't really stand out in any way. I couldn't provide
+something that Kushida lacked. She could study, and she had ambition.
+"I'm sorry. If I told you now, it'd just be a bother." She smiled bitterly
+and clasped her hands together in apology.
+"Well, if things with Sudou turn out okay, could you tell me then?"
+"Yes, that would be fine."
+She turned and grabbed the door handle. However, she suddenly
+stopped, and remained perfectly still for a short while. Looking at her back, I
+had no idea what kind of expression she wore.
+"Kushida?"
+Something seemed a little off. After I said her name, Kushida turned
+and closed the distance between us. She stood on tiptoe, her heels lifting off
+the ground as she put her hand on my chest and brought her mouth close to
+my ear.
+"If you listen to my request, Ayanokouji-kun...1?1l give you my most
+precious possession."
+It was like the whisperings of a witch. As if a sweet, yet potentially
+deadly fragrance had taken hold of my heart. I couldn't tell whether
+Kushida's smile was genuine or bitter as she whispered in my ear. The only
+thing that I knew for certain was that Kushida was no angel. As far as she
+was concerned, I didn't know how to feel. Most people had different sides to
+them, but in her case it was more pronounced, as if another person lived
+inside of her. This Kushida was just kind of creepy.
+I couldn't tell at all what her game was, what she was thinking or what
+she wanted to do. I couldn't even tell where the girl called Kushida Kikyou
+had gone. The change was so stark that I even found myself wondering if she
+had a split personality. The gap was that huge.
+When she drew away again, I saw that Kushida had returned to being
+the girl with the gentle smile. When she opened the door, she called to Ike,
+who had been waiting impatiently outside. Not even the faintest trace of that
+frightening Kushida remained.
+5.7
+After everyone left, I sat in front of my computer and looked at
+Sakura Airi's — I mean, the gravure idol Shizuku's — blog. As I read through
+the past entries, I saw that she had started blogging about two years ago.
+Precisely around the time that Sakura started working as a gravure idol. Her
+hopes and aspirations for the future were spelled out in writing. I didn't see
+anything that especially stuck out, no red flags. I checked out other idol blogs
+just for reference, but they seemed similar.
+I had to wonder, how would it have felt for a second-year junior high
+student to debut in the entertainment world? During one year, she'd updated
+the blog almost every single day. She wrote about what happened that day
+and her thoughts. She also responded to almost every single comment from
+her fans. But, just as I'd expected, she stopped replying after being accepted
+to this school.
+She had strictly adhered to the rule about contacting anyone outside the
+school. Although she wasn't really the direct center of attention, Sakura
+seemed more popular than I had imagined. She had over 5000 followers on
+Twitter. Many of them were fans that wanted her to return to doing gravure
+magazines really soon, or asked if she had any plans to appear on television.
+Among those many comments, a post from three months ago snagged my
+attention.
+***
+"Do you believe in fate? I do. I believe we will be together forever.'
+It that had been the only message, it would've been the delusional
+fantasy of a fan. But there was more every day, and it escalated quickly.
+***
+"I can always feel you close to me.'
+"You were even cuter today, huh?"
+"Did you notice when our eyes met? I noticed."
+If Sakura saw this, those words would probably frighten her. It was
+almost as if the poster wanted to be physically close to Shizuku so he could
+whisper these words into her ear. Were they just delusions? Within this
+heavily restricted school, only a very limited number of people could
+encounter Sakura.
+Students, teachers...or anyone who did business with the school. I
+flashed on a memory of the man who worked at the campus electronic store.
+Then, a post from last Sunday caused my hair to stand on end. I hada
+crushing realization.
+"Look, God is real after all."
+Sakura had bought a digital camera after she enrolled in school. Of
+course, she'd probably disguised herself that day, just like any celebrity
+would. But while a disguise like that would make sense for her to use with
+fans, that clerk had recognized who Sakura was. Of course, there were only a
+few ways that they could have contact at that point.
+However, after Sakura's camera broke, he saw her. Since she loved it
+so, she had to fix it. Given our circumstances it was nearly impossible for
+someone in Class D to buy a new one. However, because she took it in for
+repair, there was the possibility that she'd encounter the store clerk.
+She'd been hesitant to go get her camera repaired because of the clerk.
+The clerk, on the other hand, had been in incredibly high spirits. After all,
+here was his chance to get his favorite idol's real name and phone number on
+the form she had to fill out. It also might explain why she'd called me that
+evening and asked some rather significant questions.
+When I thought about it, the answer seemed obvious. I combed through
+the comments, searching for more he might have written.
+"Tt's so mean for you to ignore me! Or perhaps you just didn't notice
+me?"
+"What are you doing now? I want to meet you, I want to meet you, I
+want to meet you!"
+Frightening comments were posted one after another. Of course, other
+fans had simply been disgusted by these comments, but it was different for
+Sakura. I wondered if knowing that he was so close pushed her to the point of
+almost unimaginable terror? But Sakura had concealed that from us, and now
+she was desperately trying to fight Class C for us as a witness. She was
+probably hesitant to leave her dorm, considering how much this man's
+existence terrified her.
+If they were on the same campus, her fear wasn't surprising. However,
+there was hardly anything we could do, no plan we could implement to solve
+the issue of this stalker by tomorrow. In the end, the only option was to wait
+on an Sos from the girl in question.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Sudou Ken
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S$01T004672
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Basketball
+DATE OF BIRTH: October 5th
+***
+There are many, many problems with his academic abilities and attitude.
+Also, his entrance examination results were the lowest on record for
+this school year. In fact, he had the poorest results ever seen since the
+establishment of this school. Without a doubt, he can only be assigned to
+Class D. However, his athletic skills, especially basketball, were evaluated
+so highly when he was in junior high that he was considered just as good
+as exceptionally skilled high school students. Even with the competitive
+level of play we have on the courts this year, we expect great things of
+him in the future. We especially hope that he develops mentally.
+***
+I've received numerous reports of trouble he's had with other students,
+so | intend to observe him carefully.
+Chapter 6:
+Truth and Lies
+The day our fate would be decided was here. Before anything else, I
+wanted to confirm that Sakura was coming to school. When I entered the
+classroom, I saw the same thing as always. Sakura sat quietly alone, so as not
+to get roped into other students' conversations. Her expression seemed even
+gloomier than usual. But in any case, she'd still come to school.
+"Are you okay?" I asked.
+"Ah, yeah. I'm fine."
+I wondered if she was nervous. She seemed composed, if not
+completely calm.
+"T thought that things would be tough if I were absent today, so..."
+She understood that the entire class would be upset if she were absent,
+so she'd made the painful decision to come to school. I imagined it would be
+impossible to tell her not to think about Sudou and the others.
+"Don't forget what I said yesterday. Testify for your own sake, more
+than anyone else's."
+"Yeah. PIl be okay."
+Ike and Yamauchi looked over at Sakura with great curiosity. Of
+course, that was because they now knew of her idol identity. Sakura was
+probably sensitive enough to notice this. She looked like she'd guessed that
+Ike and Yamauchi had discovered her identity. Oh no...
+But Sakura just wore a thin smile and quietly mouthed the words, "It's
+all right."" She was aware that we knew of her double life. Maybe working as
+an idol had made her sensitive to subtle changes in a room.
+6.1
+As the bell rang for the end of class, Horikita and I stood up.
+"Have you prepared for this, Sudou-kun?"
+"Yeah... ''m good. I was born ready."
+As if mentally preparing himself for what lay ahead, Sudou closed his
+eyes and folded his arms. But then he slowly opened his eyes again.
+"You might call me a complete idiot and make fun of me, but I'm me.
+If you have something you want to say, say it now."
+"Don't do anything selfish. Actually listening right now would be the
+clever thing to do, yes?"
+"Ugh, you always act so high and mighty, lady."
+When you saw them like this, 1t did seem as though they fought like
+cats and dogs. But at the very least, Sudou didn't hate Horikita. If he did he
+would've absolutely refused her help, no matter how advantageous her offer.
+"Do your best, Horikita-san. Sudou-kun."
+Horikita didn't respond at all, but Sudou pumped his fist to show
+resolve. I turned to check on Sakura who was still sitting down, her body
+rigid. She stood, her lips trembling slightly.
+"Yeah... 'm okay. Thank you..."
+Sakura was far tenser than I'd expected. If she was in this
+psychological state before the meeting had even begun, she might not be able
+to speak satisfactorily.
+"Let's go. We'll make a bad impression if we're late."
+The discussion was scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. It was already 3:50
+PM. We couldn't afford to take it slow. When the four of us got to the faculty
+room, a teacher waved at us to come on inside.
+"Yahoo! Hello, Class D students!"
+The homeroom teacher for Class B, Hoshinomtya-sensei, gave us this
+happy-go-lucky greeting. "It seems like something rather incredible has
+happened, hmm?"
+Her eyes sparkled, as if she enjoyed sticking her nose into other
+people's business. (Well, she did).
+"What are you doing this time?" Chabashira-sensei muttered.
+"Oh no. I've been found out already, huh?"
+Chabashira-sensei glared over at Hoshinomtya-sensei as she exited the
+faculty room. "Whenever you sneak out, that's around the time I start to feel
+suspicious."
+Hoshinomtya gave a cute wink, as if saying, Teehee, you got me! "So I
+guess I can't join in, huh?"
+"Of course you can't. You know that outsiders cannot participate."
+"Aw, that's too bad. Well, that's all right. The results should be out
+within the hour, I guess."
+Chabashira-sensei forcefully pushed Hoshinomtya-sensei back into the
+faculty room.
+"Well then, shall we be going?" she asked us.
+"We're not going to do this in the faculty room, are we?"
+"Of course not. This school does have rather complicated rules, but in
+cases such as these a settlement is reached between the homeroom teacher of
+the class in question, the concerned parties, and the student council."
+Horikita froze the very moment she heard the words "student council."
+Chabashira-sensei turned and glanced sharply at Horikita's face.
+"If you want to stop, now's the time, Horikita."
+Sudou, who didn't understand why Horikita would react that way,
+looked confused. It was almost as if a giant question mark was floating above
+his head. Our teacher, as usual, had revealed an important detail right at the
+last minute.
+"Pll go. I'm fine."
+Horikita quickly glanced at me. Her look probably meant something
+like, Don't worry on my account. We left the first-floor faculty room and
+walked up three floors to the fourth. A placard that read "Student Council
+Room" was affixed to the wall near the doorway. Chabashira-sensei knocked,
+and we went inside.
+Even though Horikita had winced, she immediately followed us. Inside,
+long tables had been arranged in rectangular formation. The three students
+from Class C had already arrived and were seated. Beside them sat a
+bespectacled male teacher in his 30s.
+"Sorry we're late," our sensei said.
+"It's before the scheduled start time. There's no need for apologies."
+"Have you already met?"
+Sudou, Horikita, and I did not know the teacher.
+"This is Sakagami-sensei, the homeroom teacher for Class C. Now
+then."
+One lone male student seated in the back of the room attracted
+everyone's attention.
+"This is the student council president."
+Horikita's older brother, without so much as even a glance at his sister,
+pored over the documents on his desk. Horikita directed her gaze at her
+brother for a short time, but when she realized that she wasn't his focus, she
+lowered her eyes and sat down in front of the Class C students.
+"Well then, I would now like to discuss the violent incident that
+occurred last Tuesday with the members of the student council, the involved
+parties, and their homeroom teachers. You may begin the proceedings,
+student council secretary Tachibana."
+Secretary Tachibana, a woman with short hair, gave a slight bow.
+"Of course, considering the magnitude of this dispute, there are times
+when the student council president will take over. There are several unusual
+things about this incident. Other than that, the bulk of the proceedings will be
+handled solely by Tachibana, as usual."
+"Because I am quite busy, there are certain agenda topics upon which I
+will defer. As a general rule, though, I would prefer to attend to these issues,
+as I'm entrusted to lead this student council."
+"So, this is all by chance?" Chabashira-sensei smiled as she said that,
+but Horikita's older brother never wavered. On the contrary though, Horikita
+—Horikita the younger sister, | mean—couldn't hide her trembling.
+Considering they were brother and sister, the odds were not in our favor. In
+fact, I couldn't help but think that this situation was extremely
+disadvantageous, as Horikita couldn't demonstrate her usual prowess here.
+Our expectations had been thoroughly shattered.
+If the student council president acted, there'd be nothing we could do,
+even if we didn't like it. He'd enrolled in Class A and immediately taken
+office as secretary for the student council. In December of his first year, he
+became the student council president after receiving an overwhelming
+amount of support in the election. Although some senior students had
+naturally voiced their displeasure, our current, hopeless situation spoke to his
+incredible abilities.
+Secretary Tachibana summarized the situation from both sides in an
+easy-to-understand manner. There wasn't any need for further explanation.
+"Based on the aforementioned facts, we would like for you to identify
+which version of events is true." After completing her explanation and the
+preface to the proceedings, Secretary Tachibana turned her eyes toward us in
+Class D. "Komiya-kun and two other members of the basketball club went to
+the special building after Sudou-kun called them there. There, they claim to
+have been beaten up in a one-sided brawl. Is this true?"
+"What those guys said was a lie. I was the one that got called over to
+the special building," Sudou said. "That day, after practice, Komiya and
+Kondou asked me to go to the special building. Honestly, I thought it was
+kind of annoying, but I also thought it might've been because they were
+always hostile towards me. So, I went to meet them."
+Sudou wasn't one to mince words. Normally, Horikita would have
+been disgusted by his casual way of speaking, but judging from her trembling
+she didn't hear him at all. Sakagami-sensei, Class C's homeroom teacher,
+stared in wide-eyed amazement.
+"That's a lie. Sudou-kun called us over to the special building."
+"Don't screw with me, Komiya! You were the one who called me, you
+jerk!"
+"You don't seem to remember your position here."
+Sudou, irritated, impulsively struck his desk. Immediate silence
+followed.
+"Please calm down, Sudou-kun. Right now, we're merely listening to
+what both parties have to say. Komiya-kun, we ask that you too please show
+some restraint, and not interrupt."
+"Puh, fine..."
+"Both parties insist that the other called them over, so the accounts
+conflict. However, the stories share some commonality. There was a dispute
+between Sudou-kun, Komtya-kun, and Kondou-kun, correct?"
+"T wouldn't call it a dispute. Sudou-kun's always picking fights with
+99
+us.
+"Picking fights'?"
+"Sudou's better at basketball than we are, so he's always bragging
+about it. We practice with everything we've got, but it doesn't exactly feel
+good when he makes fools out of us. So we often butt heads."
+I didn't really know the details of Sudou's club activities, but when I
+saw the veins popping on his forehead, it was rather obvious that they were
+lying. Next, Secretary Tachibana spoke to Sudou.
+"Not one bit of what Komiya said was true. Those guys are just jealous
+of my talent. When I practice, they constantly get in my way. That's the
+truth."
+Naturally, both sides claimed that the other party was at fault.
+"Both sides have given their grievances, but now we have to come to a
+judgment with the collected evidence."
+""Sudou-kun beat us senseless. It was a one-sided fight."
+Class C seemed intent on focusing the discussion on their injuries. The
+three students did seem to have black-and-blue faces. That was undeniable.
+"That's a lie. They attacked first. It was self-defense."
+"Hey, Horikita," I whispered to Horikita, who remained mute and kept
+her head down. Clearly, this situation was really bad. If we wanted to stop
+Sudou from getting carried away, we had to take action sooner rather than
+later. However, she showed no reaction. It was as if her mind was gone. Did
+her brother's mere presence truly have this much of an effect?
+I flashed back to those two talking behind the dormitory. I didn't really
+understand the depth of the situation, but I suspected that Horikita had chased
+after her extremely talented brother, enrolling in the same school to make him
+recognize her abilities. But regardless of her hopes and talents, the younger
+sister in Class D was still very far away from her brother, the Class A student
+council president. To prove herself, she'd have to rise up to the same arena as
+him.
+"If Class D has no further proof to offer, would you mind if we
+continued the proceedings?"
+If the student council and the teachers continued to sit in complete
+silence, their judgment would almost certainly be merciless. To prevent that,
+we needed Horikita to rouse herself into action. However, our team's most
+crucial member withered and shrank before her older brother.
+"It would seem there's no objection, given the arguments we've heard
+thus far." The student council president finally spoke. Horikita's older
+brother seemed as though he wanted to draw a conclusion as soon as
+possible.
+"Regardless which party called the other over, the fact remains that it
+was a one-sided fight between Sudou and the other students. We can clearly
+see that from the injuries they sustained. We have no choice but to come up
+with a conclusion based on that."
+"W-wait! I can't accept that! It's just because those guys were a bunch
+of wimps!"
+The moment that Sudou uttered those words, I saw Sakagami-sensei
+smile.
+"Then can it really be considered self-defense when fighting against
+opponents of such unequal strength?"
+"B-but, hey. I was fighting against three people! Three people!"
+"But only the Class C students were hurt."
+This was getting worse. I resigned myself to the fact that I might be
+killed later for doing this, but I got up slowly from my folding chair and
+stood behind Horikita. I stretched my arms out and grasped her sides as hard
+as I could.
+"Hyah?!" Horikita cried out in an abnormally girlish voice. However,
+this was not the time or place for me to focus on that. Since she hadn't yet
+regained her sanity, I grabbed her more forcefully and tickled her.
+"W-wait. S-stop, stop!"
+No matter how upset or dazed a person was, if you stimulated the body
+enough, they'd come back to her senses. Even if they didn't like it. The
+teachers seemed somewhat taken aback by my actions, but right then I didn't
+care. When I believed I'd roused her enough, I let go. Horikita, looking like
+she was about to cry, glared at me with startling intensity. I'd had to force
+her, but I knew it was essential to return Horikita to her usual self.
+"Get a grip on yourself, Horikita. We're going to lose at this rate. You
+have to fight!"
+"TCh:::"
+Horikita, looked at Class C, then the teacher, and then her brother as if
+finally understanding our situation. It seemed to dawn on her just how
+desperate our situation was.
+"Excuse me. May I ask a question?" she said.
+"Do you mind, president?"
+"T'Il allow it. However, please answer more quickly next time."
+Horikita slowly rose out of her chair.
+"Earlier, you said that Sudou-kun called you over to the special
+building. But who exactly did Sudou call, and why?"
+Komiya and the other Class C students looked at one another, as if
+saying, Why is she asking that question now?
+"Please answer." Horikita added those last two words to reinforce her
+aggressive style of questioning. Secretary Tachibana allowed it.
+"Kondou and I don't know why he called us over. When we'd just
+finished up for the day and were changing, he said he wanted to talk to us for
+a minute. Wasn't the reason just that he didn't like us?"
+"So then, why exactly were you in the special building, Ishizaki-kun?
+You're not on the basketball team, so you have no connection to this case. I'd
+think your presence there would be rather odd."
+"That's... I came as a precaution. There were rumors that Sudou was
+violent. He's also in better shape than we are, physically. I had to go, didn't
+***
+"So in other words, you felt the situation might turn violent?"
+"Yeah." They answered in unison, almost as if they'd expected these
+questions. It appeared that the Class C students had thoroughly rehearsed for
+this conference.
+"T see. So you brought along Ishizaki-kun as your bodyguard, since he
+was reputed to be rather good at fighting. Just in case there was an
+emergency."
+"It was to protect ourselves. That was it. Besides, we didn't know that
+Ishizaki-kun was known for being good in a fight. We just considered him a
+reliable friend."
+Horikita quietly listened to their responses, as if running various
+simulations in her head. Then she immediately made her next move.
+"T do have some knowledge of martial arts, if only to a certain extent. I
+understand that when you're fighting against multiple enemies, victory
+becomes exponentially more difficult. So I don't understand how you were
+defeated so handily, how the fight could be so one-sided, when you had a
+skilled fighter like Ishizaki-kun with you."
+"Because we didn't intend to fight."
+"The primary factor in triggering a fight is the collision of the 'energy'
+between opponents. In the event that you don't have any intention of fighting,
+or that you're nonviolent, the probability that you'll be hurt should be very
+low. Especially when there are three of you."
+Horikita's opinion was very objective, grounded in evidence, rules, and
+her own logic. On the other end, Komiya fought back with his own weapon,
+real evidence.
+"That way of thinking doesn't apply to Sudou-kun. He's exceptionally
+violent. Even if we were nonviolent, he'd still be mercilessly violent. That's
+what happened."
+He peeled off the gauze that covered his cheek, exposing the scrapes
+underneath. No matter how many reasonable arguments Horikita made, his
+injury gave powerful evidence.
+"Are you finished with your claims now, Class D?" said Horikita's
+older brother coolly. After staying silent while Horikita gave her argument,
+his words were few and icy. His look seemed to suggest that if that was all
+we had to say, it would've been better not to say anything at all.
+"Tt's true that Sudou injured the other students. However, Class C
+started the fight. There is one student witness who saw the entire incident and
+can attest to this."
+"Well then, Class D—if Class D's witness would please enter?"
+Sakura, looking worried and restless, walked into the student council
+room. She looked down at her feet, as if scared of danger.
+"1-D, Sakura Airi-san."
+"T thought I'd heard something or other about a witness, but you're a
+Class D student?" Sakagami, the Class C's homeroom instructor, snickered
+while wiping his glasses.
+"Is there a problem, Sakagami-sensei?
+"No, no, please. Go ahead."
+Sakagami-sensei and Chabashira-sensei exchanged looks.
+"You may begin your testimony, if you wouldn't mind, Sakura-san."
+"Y-yes, okay... Well... I..."
+She stopped speaking. A period of silence followed. Ten seconds.
+Twenty seconds. Sakura steadily looked further downward, and her face
+became increasingly pale.
+"Sakura-san..." Horikita, unable to take any more, addressed Sakura.
+Unlike before, the words didn't seem to reach her.
+"Apparently she didn't witness anything. More of this would just be a
+waste of our time."
+"Why are you in such a hurry, Sakagami-sense1?"
+"T want to speed this along. If we waste time, my students will suffer.
+These students are the joyful heart of their class, so I've no doubt that their
+many friends are worried about them. Also, they're striving to improve their
+basketball skills, and we're depriving them of valuable practice time. As a
+teacher, I can't overlook this."
+"T see. You're probably right about that."
+You'd think that Chabashira-sensei would ally herself with Class D,
+but that didn't seem to be the case. Instead, she nodded in apparent agreement
+with Sakagami-senset.
+"You're certainly right that this is a waste of time, so I suppose we
+have no choice. You can come down now, Sakura."
+Chabashira-sensei ordered Sakura to leave, almost as if she'd lost
+interest. The student council members didn't ask for a delay or anything. The
+writing was clearly on the student council room wall, and it spelled Class D's
+defeat. Sakura closed her eyes tightly, as if she couldn't bear it anymore, as if
+she regretted her own weakness. Even Sudou, Horikita, and I felt like this
+was impossible for Sakura, and mentally resigned herself.
+Then, it happened. An unexpected voice reverberated throughout the
+room.
+"T definitely saw what happened!"
+It was certainly Sakura's voice, though it took me several seconds to
+recognize it. What most struck me was the volume of her voice.
+"The students in Class C threw the first punch. There's no mistake
+about that!"
+Sakura's words had a force that belied the image she'd presented at
+first. She spoke so desperately that you wanted to believe she was telling the
+truth. She certainly made me believe it. However, much like a magical spell,
+the effect lasted for only a few minutes. If the audience remained calm, it
+wouldn't be difficult for them to see through it.
+"Excuse me, but may I say something?" asked Sakagami-sensel,
+raising his hand.
+"Normally, teachers are asked to speak as little as possible, but this
+situation is just too pitiful. Student council president, do you mind?"
+"Tl allow it."
+"In regards to what you've said, Sakura-kun, I do not necessarily doubt
+you. However, I have one thing to ask. You've stepped forward to testify as a
+witness, but you were rather late in doing so. May I ask why? I would think if
+you really did see something, you would have come forward much earlier."
+Sakagami-sensei harped on the same point that Chabashira-sensei had.
+"That's... Well, that's... I didn't want to get involved..."
+"Why didn't you want to get involved?"
+"Because I'm not very good at talking with other people..."
+"T see. I understand that. However, I'd like to say something else.
+You're not good at talking with others, and yet when the week was nearly out
+you stepped forward as a witness. Doesn't that seem rather odd? To my mind,
+it seems Class D secretly put a story together and are having you act as a
+false witness to give phony testimony."
+After conferring together, the Class C students answered that they'd
+thought so, too.
+"That's... I'm just...telling the truth..."
+"No matter how poor your communication skills might be, I can see
+you haven't testified with much confidence. Is that because you're tormented
+with guilt, because you know what you're saying 1s actually a lie?"
+"N-no, that's not it..."
+"I'm not blaming you. You were probably forced to lie for your class's
+sake, to save Sudou-kun. Weren't you? If you come forward and confess
+honestly to us now, you won't be punished."
+The teacher's relentless psychological attacks just kept coming. Of
+course Horikita raised her hand.
+"That is not the case. It is certainly true that Sakura-san is not good at
+speaking before others. However, it is precisely because she witnessed the
+incident that she is standing here today. Otherwise, she most likely would
+not, even if we'd asked her. Don't you think that if we needed someone who
+could speak boldly, we would have found a replacement?"
+"T don't think so. There are excellent students in Class D, students such
+as yourself, Horikita-san. By setting up a person like Sakura-san as your
+witness, it would establish a sense of realism that you yourself could not."
+Sakagami-sensei probably didn't actually believe this. However, no
+matter what response we volleyed back, I was convinced that he'd do
+anything to block us. Just as I'd felt from the start, a Class D witness did not
+carry enough weight. No matter how many times we stressed the truth, they
+would say that we were lying. If the testimony came from someone on your
+side, they wouldn't accept it.
+Had we run out of options? Sakagami-sensei gave a hostile grin as he
+began to sit back down.
+***
+"If you want proof... I'll give it to you
+Sakagami-sensei froze in response to Sakura's words.
+"Please, let's not force this situation to continue. If there really was
+evidence, you would have presented it at an earlier stage—"
+Sakura loudly slammed her hand on the desk, and threw down what
+looked to be a few small, rectangular pieces of paper.
+"What are those?"
+Because she'd produced something other than words, Sakagami-
+sensei's expression stiffened for the first time.
+1"?
+"This is proof that I was in the special building that day
+Secretary Tachibana walked over to Sakura. Though she hesitated at
+first, she then reached for the paper. No, those weren't pieces of paper like
+I'd thought. They were photos.
+'"*President."
+After looking at the photographs, Secretary Tachibana handed them
+over to the student council president. Horikita's older brother, after looking at
+the pictures for some time, laid them out on the desk so that we could see.
+We saw Sakura in those pictures, but this Sakura wore a lovely expression
+that looked both similar and dissimilar to the Sakura with us now. It was the
+idol, Shizuku.
+"T'm...I was looking for places where no one was around so I could
+take pictures of myself. The pictures also show the date and time, which
+proves that I was there when I said."
+The date on the pictures definitely showed that they'd been taken in the
+evening one week ago. That would've been around the time that Sudou and
+the others finished their club activities for the day. Horikita and I
+unintentionally gasped in response to this new evidence. We began to see
+changes in the three Class C students, who up until now had been playing the
+part of victims. They were visibly shaking.
+"What did you use to take these photos?" asked Sakagami-sensei.
+"A digital...camera."
+"You can alter the date rather easily with a digital camera, though. If
+you manipulated these photos on a computer, you could effectively set them
+at the time and date of the incident. This are inadequate evidence."
+"But Sakagami-sensei, don't you think this photo is different?"
+Horikita's older brother slid out one of the photos we hadn't yet seen, and
+handed it to the teacher.
+"Th-this?!"
+The photo showed the fight itself; clearly there was no need to nitpick
+the time. The setting sun bathed the hallway in dusky light. The picture
+seemed to show what had happened immediately after Sudou hit Ishizaki.
+"T think that you'll believe I was there after seeing...this."
+"Thank you, Sakura-san."
+This picture had absolutely saved Horikita as well. To rescue such an
+overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation...
+"T see. Well, you do seem to be telling the truth about witnessing the
+incident. That much I simply must accept. However, I can't ascertain how the
+situation started from this picture. This doesn't prove that you saw the entire
+incident."
+It was certainly true that this picture made it look like the fight had
+already ended. We couldn't call this definitive evidence.
+"So, what do you think, Chabashira-sensei? Why not look for a
+compromise here?" Sakagami-sensei asked.
+"Compromise?"
+"T'm convinced that Sudou-kun lied in his testimony."
+"You jerk!" Sudou stood up, looking ready to fly out of his chair, but
+finally grabbed hold of his own arms and pinned himself down.
+"No matter how long we go back and forth, we'll never reach an
+agreement. We won't change our testimony, and your side won't give up or
+admit that you conspired with the witness. In other words, you won't stop.
+It'll be an endless cycle of saying that the other side is lying. In addition, the
+picture 1s too inconclusive to be considered definitive proof. Therefore, I
+suggest we compromise. I do think that the students from Class C are
+responsible for some of the blame here. There were three students up against
+Sudou, and one of them has a history of fighting, which is a problem. So how
+about two weeks of suspension for Sudou-kun, and one week of suspension
+for my students? What do you think of that? The weight of the punishment is
+different, of course, but I think that matches the difference in sustained
+injuries."
+Horikita's older brother stayed silent as he listened to Sakagami-senset.
+It seemed that Class C was willing to compromise only halfway. If we hadn't
+had Sakura's testimony or evidence, Sudou-kun probably would have been
+suspended for over a month. Asking for less than half of that made this a
+considerable concession.
+1»?
+"Don't screw around! This isn't a joke!" Sudou raged.
+"Chabashira-sense1. What do you think?" Sakagami-sensei didn't even
+glance at Sudou.
+"We seem to have already reached a logical conclusion. There's no
+reason to refuse Sakagami-sensei's proposal," Chabashira-sensei said.
+His proposal was certainly a reasonable compromise. Horikita looked
+up at the ceiling, as if quietly mulling over everything that had gone on so far.
+No matter how much we resisted, Sudou wouldn't be acquitted entirely
+without conclusive evidence. Horikita had known this from the very
+beginning.
+She had concluded that we needed to reach a compromise. For a Class
+D student, Horikita was quite impressive.
+However, if she was aiming to make it to Class A, she couldn't give up
+here. I hadn't intended to speak out until the very end, but I decided to lend a
+helping hand, perhaps out of respect for Sakura's earlier courage.
+"Horikita, are we really out of options?" I asked.
+Horikita did not respond. Well, did she even have any words left?
+"I'm not very smart, so I can't really come up with a solution. I do,
+however, think that we probably should accept the compromise that you have
+offered us, Sakagami-sensei," I said.
+"Right," Sakagami-sensei replied with a smile, pushing his glasses
+back up his nose.
+"We have no definitive proof of Sudou's innocence. I suppose I should
+say such evidence just doesn't exist. If this event had occurred in a classroom
+or the convenience store, a greater number of students would have been
+around to see it, and there probably would have been sound evidence. There's
+no record of anyone watching this scene unfold. Since this event took place
+in the special building, where there weren't any people around, there's
+nothing we can do."
+I sighed deeply and shook my head. I looked straight into Horikita's
+eyes, and she gazed back at me. I spoke as if we were accepting defeat.
+"T understand why we're having this discussion. No matter how much
+we appeal to the contrary, Class C won't admit that they lied. Sudou won't
+admit that he lied, either. We really would just keep going back and forth.
+Honestly, it's getting to the point where I would've been happier never
+having had this discussion in the first place. Don't you agree?"
+Horikita cast her eyes down. I wondered what she was thinking. If she
+took my words only at surface value, then things would end here.
+"So, that's it, yes? Well, Class D representative Horikita-san. Please
+give your opinion on the matter." Sakagami-sensei had taken what I'd said
+literally. In other words, as a declaration of defeat. For Class C, victory meant
+not allowing Sudou to be acquitted. The teacher's expression indicated that
+he had won this match.
+"T understand..." Horikita answered, slowly looking back up.
+"Horikita!'' Sudou cried. It was the roar of a man who, more than
+anyone else, did not want to admit defeat. He couldn't. However, Horikita
+did not stop there. She continued with her closing remarks.
+"T think that Sudou, who caused the incident, has a problem. He
+doesn't ever stop to consider his actions, which inconveniences everyone
+around him. He has a history of getting in fights. He's the type to raise his
+voice and fists right away whenever something displeases him. In the event
+of an uproar such as this, well, it should be obvious who caused it."
+"H-hey!"
+"You need to understand, Sudou. Your attitude caused all of this."
+Horikita glared intensely over at Sudou, almost as if to outdo Sudou's own
+ferocity. "This is why I wasn't motivated at all to help Sudou-kun in the
+beginning. I knew that even if I forced myself to lend a hand, he would just
+repeat the same mistakes again and again."
+'A very honest answer. The matter seems settled now, wouldn't you
+say?"
+"Thank you very much. Please take your seat now," Secretary
+Tachibana said to Horikita.
+A period of silence followed. After that came Sudou's clearly irritated
+bellow. And then, even after five, then ten seconds of waiting, Horikita did
+not sit back down.
+"Will you take your seat now?" Secretary Tachibana asked Horikita to
+sit once again, as if she suspected that Horikita couldn't hear her. Yet
+Horikita still did not sit. She fixated on the teachers, continuing to stare right
+at them.
+"He should reflect on his actions. However, not in this particular case.
+When I say he should reflect, I mean that he should look back on his past
+actions. In regards to this particular incident, however, I don't think Sudou-
+kun did anything wrong. This was not an unfortunate event that occurred
+merely by chance. I'm convinced that this was a deliberate move made by
+Class C. I have absolutely no intention of meekly accepting defeat."
+Horikita broke the long silence with these haughty words.
+"So then...what do you mean?" Horikita's older brother looked at his
+younger sister for the first time. Horikita did not shrink under his gaze. She
+probably felt that this wasn't the time to be frightened, that she had to be
+brave in front of Sakura. Or perhaps she could see the path to a final
+resolution?
+"If you did not understand, I will say it once again. We claim that
+Sudou-kun is completely innocent. Therefore, we cannot accept his
+suspension from school, even for just one day."
+"Ha ha... What can I even say? We did this intentionally? What a
+bizarre claim. Apparently, the student council president's younger sister can't
+help but spew nonsense."
+"Sudou-kun is the victim, just as the witness testified. Please do not
+make any errors in your judgment."
+The Class C students began to shout insistently.
+"Don't screw around! /'m the victim here!"
+Sudou, compelled by the shouting, raised his own voice again. The
+objections came fast and furious. Everyone understood that we would not
+find a solution this way.
+"That's enough. Continuing this discussion would just be a waste of
+time." Horikita Manabu looked at us as if we were just swapping lies in a
+giant mudslinging match.
+"What I've learned today is that each side has an exact opposite claim.
+In that case, one side is propagating an extremely malicious falsehood."
+D or C? Which class was lying to the school? If this fact became
+known, the consequences would be greater than suspension.
+"T'll ask you, Class C. Have you lied to us today?"
+"Of...of course not!"
+"Well, what about you, Class D?"
+"T haven't lied. Everything we've said has been the truth."
+"Then we will regroup here for a retrial tomorrow at 4:00 pM. If by then
+it hasn't been clearly established which party has lied, or in the event no one
+admits that they were at fault, we will pass judgment based on the evidence
+we' ve collected thus far. Of course, in that case we may have to consider the
+possibility of expulsion from this school. That 1s all."
+After offering that statement, Horikita's older brother ended the
+proceedings. If the trial was set to reopen at 4:00 tomorrow, that was a very
+small window of time in which to uncover new evidence.
+"Would be possible to have a little more time before we reconvene?"
+Horikita asked, raising her hand. She hadn't protested, but she had made an
+offer.
+"If this matter required some extra time before retrial, then the student
+council president would have offered a sufficient grace period. In other
+words, the amount of time granted should be enough for this case. Extensions
+are only offered under special circumstances," answered Chabashira-sensei,
+folding her arms. It appeared she'd taken the student council's intentions into
+consideration.
+We were told to leave. Everyone looked dissatisfied as they exited the
+student council office. Sakagami-sensei approached Sakura, who seemed to
+be on the verge of tears. He said something very cold to her.
+"T want you to reflect on the fact that many students will be involved in
+this due to your lies. Also, if you think that we'll go easy on you if you start
+crying, then I am afraid you are being foolish. You should be ashamed of
+yourself."
+Sakagami-sensei and his students left, leaving those words hanging in
+the air. The Class C students repeatedly complained that the witness's lies
+were far too much on their way out, almost as if they wanted Sakura to hear
+them. Silence enveloped the student council room immediately afterward.
+Sakura, trying to stifle her voice as best she could, burst into tears.
+"T tried my absolute hardest to speak up during the discussion, but do
+we even have a chance? Horikita?"'
+"T won't give up. I will keep fighting to support your testimony until
+the end," Horikita said.
+"You understand that we won't solve this problem just by being
+stubborn. Won't that just hurt more people in the process?"
+"T have no intention of losing. Well then, I must excuse myself."
+With that, Horikita turned and left. Sudou followed. I left the student
+council room alongside Sakura.
+"T'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun... If I'd only stepped forward in the very
+beginning, everything would have been fine, but... Everything turned out this
+way because I didn't have the courage."
+"It would've ended the same even if you had stepped forward at the
+beginning. They would've fought to discredit your testimony simply because
+the witness came from Class D. The result would be the same."
+"But!"
+If they suspected Sakura to be a liar, she probably wouldn't be able to
+save Sudou by herself. Overcome with emotion, Sakura started crying, large
+tears rolling down her cheeks. If Hirata were here, he probably would've
+kindly offered her a handkerchief. Strangely enough, this scene seemed to
+mimic the time Horikita had collapsed briefly when reunited with her brother.
+It was a moment of deep déja vu.
+Why was this world divided into winners and losers? I'd already
+witnessed many victories and defeats, and had seen how closely joy and
+sorrow seemed to be linked to those outcomes. I couldn't just abandon
+Sakura, so I decided to wait until she could move.
+"Youre still here?"
+Horikita's older brother and Secretary Tachibana came out of the
+student council room. Secretary Tachibana began locking the door with a
+key.
+"What are you planning to do?"
+"What do you mean?" I asked.
+"T thought that when you came here with Suzune, you'd unveil some
+kind of master plan."
+"I'm not exactly Zhuge Liang or Kuroda Kanbei. I don't have any
+plans."
+"So does that mean when Suzune claimed Sudou was completely
+innocent, she was merely getting carried away?"
+"Hyperbole, you mean? I don't think so."
+"T see."
+Strangely enough, though my exchanges with Horikita's brother up to
+now had been short, our conversation continued. Though he'd left a bad
+impression on me during our first meeting, I found him easy to talk to now.
+Perhaps this was to be expected of someone who had climbed the ranks to
+become student council president. He had a superior understanding of human
+nature.
+"Then there's what you said, Sakura." Horikita's brother turned to
+Sakura, who'd stifled her crying. "Eyewitness testimony and pictorial
+evidence certainly carry weight during deliberation. However, please keep in
+mind that how much we value the evidence is determined by how much we
+trust in its believability. No matter what you do, the evidence's legitimacy is
+reduced because you are a student from Class D. No matter how detailed
+your account, we cannot accept it as one hundred percent true."
+Basically, he was calling Sakura a liar.
+"T-I...I just...told the truth..."
+"If you can't prove it, then it's little more than nonsense."
+Sakura hung her head low in frustration, crying once again.
+"T believe her. I believe Sakura's testimony," I said.
+"Since she's a Class D student, it's only natural that you would want to
+believe her."
+"T didn't say that I want to believe her. I said I believe her. Those mean
+different things."
+"So can you prove it? Can you prove she's not lying?"
+"That's not up to me. Your sister will prove it. If Sakura isn't lying,
+then she will find a way to convince everyone."
+Horikita's brother chuckled softly, then smiled, as if to suggest such a
+thing couldn't be done.
+After Horikita's brother and Tachibana left, I approached Sakura, who
+still was not able to move.
+"Come on. Chin up, Sakura. There's no use in crying forever."
+"But...it's all my fault... Hic."
+"You didn't do anything wrong. You just told the truth. Right?"
+"T'll say it one more time. You didn't do anything wrong."
+I crouched slightly so I could meet Sakura's eyes. She lowered her
+head once more, like she didn't want anyone to see her tears.
+"T believe in you. I'm grateful that you came here today. Thanks to
+you, we now have a chance to save Sudou and our classmates."
+"But... I... Wasn't I completely useless?"
+Just how little confidence did this girl have in herself?
+"T believe you because you're my friend."
+I put my hand on her shoulder. Turning her around somewhat forcibly,
+I tried to make her look me in the eye.
+I repeated it with conviction. I told her, "Do it for yourself."
+6.2
+66
+I let you see something so embarrassing..."
+Sakura, walking next to me, had stopped crying. She now wore a
+sheepish smile.
+"It's been such a long time since I cried in front of someone. I feel a
+little relieved, actually."
+"T'm glad. When I was a kid, I used to cry in front of people all the
+time."
+"T had no idea that you were like that, Ayanokouji-kun. That's
+completely unlike the image I have of you."
+"Yeah, I cried a lot. Maybe 10 or 20 times in front of other people."
+I'd been frustrated and embarrassed, but I'd been unable to stop crying.
+However, people who cried could grow stronger and move forward. Sakura
+seemed to be the type who bottled up her feelings. This incident might have
+been an important step forward for her.
+"T was really happy...when you said that you believed me."
+"It's not just me. Horikita, Kushida, and Sudou do, too. All of our
+classmates believe you."
+"Yeah... But you came out and told me directly, Ayanokouji-kun. You
+said it."
+Sakura wiped her eyes once again, probably because the tears blurred
+her vision.
+"You gave me courage. I was happy," she said, with a small smile.
+When I heard that, I felt relieved. Even if we could've saved Sudou just
+by forcing Sakura to come forward and pushing her into an uncomfortable
+situation, it wouldn't have been a perfect solution. The two of us lapsed into
+silence. Neither of us was very good at making conversation. However, it
+didn't feel strange or unpleasant.
+"U-um, well... I don't think I should be saying this now, but..."
+Just as we neared the entranceway, Sakura opened her mouth.
+"Actually... I... Right now..."
+"Yahoo! You're really late, huh?"
+Ichinose and Kanzaki were waiting for us by the entranceway. They
+must've been on tenterhooks about the trial's results.
+"Were you waiting for us?" I asked.
+"We were wondering what happened."
+I stopped and turned to Sakura. "Sorry, Sakura. Can we continue this
+later?"
+Sakura opened up her shoe locker and looked inside. She turned her
+face to me. "Oh, no, it's nothing. I just... wanted to say that I would try my
+best. Pll be brave."
+With this quick answer, she lowered her head and left.
+"Sakura?" I tried to stop her, but she hurried out the door.
+"I'm sorry. Was this a bad time?" Ichinose asked.
+"No, it's fine."
+I described the events that had transpired in the student council room.
+"T see. So, you rejected the compromise, huh? Class D 1s insisting on
+Sudou's innocence until the very end?"
+"Well, if Sudou even got as little as one day's suspension, Class C
+would win."
+In other words, the compromise had been a trap. A sweet trap set to
+lure us to our defeat. The two of them didn't seem convinced, though.
+Kanzaki in particular insisted that we'd made the wrong choice.
+"The fact remains that he hit the other students. Your opponents made
+a concession because of corroboration from the witness and her evidence.
+You should've accepted the compromise."
+"But like Ayanokouji-kun says, Sudou's suspension would be a loss for
+Class D. If Sudou were suspended due to his bad behavior, then his chances
+of being a team regular would probably vanish. He'd be back to square one."
+"He might not just be sent back to square one. It might be worse,
+actually. If the school knew both sides shared the responsibility, they'd take
+that into account when assigning punishments. However, if Sudou's share of
+the blame increases tomorrow, it'll be bad news."
+Neither of them were wrong. Either we appealed for his innocence, or
+we accepted the deal. One of those was the correct answer.
+"T see. I think so, too."
+"If you think so, shouldn't you have stopped it?"
+"If you're brought back into a retrial, you'll inevitably lose. Just like
+Kanzaki says, obtaining a not-guilty verdict is virtually impossible."
+No matter our testimony, no matter how passionately we made our
+claims, we couldn't win on that point. It wasn't about just winning or losing
+anymore. We'd come to an impasse on the battlefield.
+"Are you still going to fight? Even without new evidence or
+testimony?"
+"Our leader gave us her decision. We'll fight to the bitter end."
+Horikita wasn't stupid. She already knew well enough that this
+extension wasn't a victory. Yet she'd still made the choice to press forward,
+intending to fight on. That Class D was prepared to face the difficulties ahead
+was proof of our readiness.
+"Hmm. Well, I don't think we'll be able to obtain any more leads, but
+Pll go check what information I can gather from the Internet." Though it
+wouldn't have been odd for her to wash her hands off us at this point,
+Ichinose laughed and still offered her cooperation.
+"T'Il do my absolute best to look for more evidence or another
+witness." Even though Kanzaki would have opted for compromise, his
+cooperation also remained unwavering.
+"You're still willing to help us?" I asked.
+"We're in too deep now. Besides, it's like we said before. We can't
+forgive liars."
+Kanzaki nodded. These were really good people.
+"T sincerely appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary."
+Horikita, who I thought had returned to the dorms, suddenly stood
+alongside us. Had she been waiting for me?
+"Not necessary? What do you mean, Horikita-san?"
+"We cannot get Sudou acquitted. Even if a new witness were to come
+from Class A or B, it would be impossible. However...there is something I
+would like you to prepare for us. It is the only possible solution."
+"Preparing something?"
+That' s—"'
+Horikita proceeded to explain to us what she wanted. The previously
+calm Ichinose's expression now stiffened.
+"Oh... That's going to be a really hard request."
+If Ichinose was this hesitant, perhaps it truly was unreasonable.
+Kanzaki fell silent and appeared deep in thought.
+"T understand that I'm in no position to ask this," Horikita said. "The
+burden I'd be placing upon you is exceptionally great. But—"
+"Ah, no. Well, this should be within the range of what we can do, I
+think. That's because I plan to figure out what's happening to Class D. I've
+got tons and tons of things I want to know, but... Well, maybe it would be
+better for you not to tell us why?"
+"You're certainly right about that. Well then, if I can convince you,
+will you cooperate with us?"
+Horikita continued to explain the details of her solution to Ichinose,
+Kanzaki, and me. Why was it necessary? What would we use it for? What
+was its purpose? After Horikita had finished, Kanzaki and Ichinose stood lost
+in silent thought.
+"You should understand the risks as well as the usefulness of this
+strategy," Horikita said.
+"When did you come up with this?" Ichinose asked.
+"Just before the deliberation ended. Only by chance, though."
+"That...an incredible move. I went to the scene of the crime and even I
+didn't think of that. Or, I guess I should say, I was completely in the dark
+about it. It wasn't even close to what I could imagine." Ichinose appeared to
+understand the plan and its intended effect. However, her expression was still
+distant, and she still seemed to be thinking.
+"An unusual idea. You can probably anticipate the results, too. But
+does such a thing even exist?" she asked Kanzaki, who seemed a little
+shocked.
+"It might be contrary to your ethics and morals, Ichinose."
+"Ha ha, yeah. You might be right. It's a change for me. But...it's
+certainly one way of doing things."
+"Yeah. That's what I thought as well. It's something that never should
+have been done."
+Were they going to lend us a hand? There were lies baked into this
+strategy. For someone like Ichinose, who hated lying, it was a harsh request.
+"Well, since a lie started all this trouble, maybe itll take another lie to
+close the books on this incident. That's what I think, anyway."
+"Mmmhmm, I see. An eye for an eye, a lie for a lie, yeah? But is that
+even possible, I wonder? I can't imagine such a thing would be easy to
+obtain."
+"Don't worry about that part. ?ve confirmed it," Horikita said.
+Had she left the student council room immediately to ascertain whether
+or not it was possible to collect the proof she needed?
+"If you ask the Professor to assist us, it should be good. I'll talk to
+Horikita gave a slight nod. She apparently didn't have any objections.
+"Hey, Kanzaki-kun. Did you help us so that we would outpace Class
+***
+"Yeah. That's right."
+"But I was just thinking, perhaps what we're doing right now might
+end up coming back to bite you in the ass later?"
+"That could happen."
+"Man. I completely neglected to calculate the fact that Class D has a
+girl like you." Ichinose, after complimenting Horikita, took out her cell phone
+9
+with a look of slight amazement. "I'll lend this to you. Please return it later.'
+With that, she affirmed her willingness to help.
+"Sure. I promise." Horikita, grateful for the assistance, accepted it
+without any hesitation. "Well then, Ayanokouji-kun. There's something I'd
+like you to help me with."
+"Tf it's not something really bothersome, sure. III help."
+"Helping others is fundamentally bothersome and time-consuming."
+In other words, I needed to prepare myself. I didn't see a way out of
+this, so I hesitantly decided to yield to Horikita.
+"Okay, let's g—?!"
+I received a shocking blow to my side. The pain was sudden and
+intense. I tumbled into the corner as if blown by a stiff breeze.
+"T'll forgive you for touching me this time. However, next time I'll pay
+you back double."
+"Wha— Ah, ah!"
+The pain stole my voice, as if I weren't allowed to argue. Wait, when
+she said she'd pay me back "double," she meant her blows would be twice as
+hard as now? That was unimaginable!
+Dumbfounded, Ichinose watched the whole spectacle. She looked at
+Horikita as if the girl were something terrifying. Remember that well,
+Ichinose. Horikita was a woman without mercy... Gulp.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Ike Kenji
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004654
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: June 16th
+***
+COOPERATIVENESS: Le
+***
+There is no area in which he excels, and both his academic and physical
+abilities are below average. However, he did very well in the interview,
+scoring in the top 15%. We are optimistic that he will be someone who
+can move well through society. We do expect him to grow into a person
+who can contribute to that society as well, though, so we hope that his
+education and intellect are cultivated. For this reason, we have placed
+him in Class D.
+***
+He made many friends immediately after starting school, which is an
+ample demonstration of his merits.
+Chapter 7:
+Only One Solution
+The summer sun hanging in the sky was dazzlingly hot. As I took
+each step along the tree-lined path to school, my body screamed in agony.
+Sweat poured down my face. A cheerful student ran alongside and overtook
+me. She certainly looked lively. Alternatively, perhaps she was crazy? I
+probably wouldn't run even if I were being chased by the apocalypse.
+Just beyond the trees, light filtering down through their leaves, a lone
+female student was sitting against the handrail. She looked over at me. How
+could this beautiful girl be so good at positioning herself against the scenery?
+The thought occurred to me to capture this idyllic scene in a photograph.
+However, I didn't have the guts to take her picture.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Were you waiting for someone, Horikita?"
+"Yes. I was waiting for you."
+"T guess if you wanted to confess your feelings, it'd be best just to get
+the words out."
+"Are you an idiot?" she spat. I felt hotter than ever.
+"Everything will be decided today," I said.
+"Yeah."
+"T was thinking...maybe I made a mistake. The wrong choice..."
+"Would you be happy if we'd compromised?"
+I didn't want to think about it, but Horikita continued. "If Sudou-kun is
+penalized for this, it'1l be my responsibility."
+"So you do worry about things like this, huh?"
+"The truth is that we're gambling. I'm a little anxious of the outcome.
+Are you okay?"
+"We have the strategy you proposed yesterday. Ichinose will be there,
+too. We'll manage."
+I lightly patted Horikita's shoulder and continued walking.
+"Hey—"
+"Hmm?"
+"Nothing. After we settle this case," replied Horikita, as if she'd been
+about to say something. She shut her mouth.
+7.1
+I noticed a change as soon as I set foot inside the classroom. Sakura,
+who usually made it to school just in the nick of time, was already sitting at
+her desk. Had she come here early for any specific reason?
+Horikita also looked shocked to see Sakura. Moreover, Sakura's body
+language itself... Well, she looked the same as usual, but I felt like she was
+sitting up straight, as if ready for something. It was such a subtle difference
+that you couldn't really call it a change. It was so miniscule that 1f you told
+me I was imagining it, I would say you were right and drop it.
+Just as we were about to pass Sakura's seat, she looked up. Instead of a
+proper greeting, she meekly raised her hand. For someone like Sakura, that
+seemed an appropriate response.
+That's what I thought, until—
+"Um... Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun. Horikita-san."
+"G-good morning..."
+That was the first time Sakura had given a morning greeting. I was so
+shocked that my response stuck in my throat. Our eyes didn't meet, but she
+still desperately tried to squeeze out the words.
+'"'What's with her?" Horikita muttered.
+"Maybe because of what happened yesterday, she took a step forward
+on the path to adulthood?"
+Sakura, who rarely spoke in front of others, had boldly given testimony
+in a tense environment. She'd likely taken the opportunity for some self-
+reflection.
+"People don't change so easily. Trying to change yourself is virtually
+impossible." Horikita's brief but realistic statement shattered the lovely
+image I'd created. As I was no idealist myself, I thought Horikita was mostly
+correct. There was no truly major difference between the today's Sakura and
+yesterday's.
+However, it certainly wouldn't be true to say she was exactly the same.
+In order to change, first she had to think about changing herself. She had to
+want to change. There was no mistaking that.
+"As long as she doesn't overdo it, I think it' Il be fine," Horikita said.
+"Overdo it?"
+"If she tries to do what isn't possible for someone like her yet, she' Il
+just set herself up to fail."
+There was a mysterious yet convincing power to Horikita's words,
+almost as if she were speaking from experience.
+"Well, as a loner who loves her solitude, you're very persuasive on this
+topic."
+"Do you want to die for good?"
+Perhaps she didn't come from solitude, but rather from hell...
+I observed Sakura from a distance. She wasn't yet in a state where she
+could easily greet other students. Just as I'd expected, she didn't
+spontaneously become sociable. Would it be better if she didn't force herself?
+Certainly. She didn't usually talk to anyone, but she gave us a greeting. What
+another would consider a trivial action was a tremendous mental and physical
+strain on Sakura.
+It was hard to think that this wouldn't have an effect on her. Then
+again, she might split at the seams if she tried to force herself to change too
+much. We should take care with how we executed our strategy.
+72
+I took approximately 30 minutes for the discussion to start. I stood
+and began to leave the classroom, heading to meet someone at a certain
+rendezvous spot. Before I left, I decided to have a word with Sakura.
+"Sakura. Are you heading back now?" I asked as she prepared to leave.
+"Ayanokouji-kun... We're having the trial today."
+"I'm not participating." I told her that I had to do some trivial work
+behind the scenes.
+"T see..."' she murmured.
+Sakura cast her eyes down, as if she had something on her mind. She
+looked a little odd, like she was nervous. It was as if she couldn't settle down.
+"What's wrong?"
+"Huh?"
+"Sakura, you don't really need to testify today. There's no need for you
+to be so worked up, right?"
+Sakura looked like she was sweating.
+"It's because everyone's doing their best. I thought I'd do my best,
+too." It felt like that she was saying that to herself, rather than to me.
+"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
+"Well, if there's something I need to move forward... Ill do it."
+Even though I'd asked what she was thinking, Sakura wouldn't give a
+clear answer. I wanted to ask why she looked uneasy, but the cell phone in
+my pocket vibrated. My alarm told me the time. I couldn't stay any longer.
+"See you later, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Sakura's words and bright smile seemed so unlike her. They left me
+with an unpleasant feeling.
+"Hey, Sakura. Do you have any time later? I wanted to talk to you
+about something."
+The words felt like they were being squeezed out of me. Sakura gently
+shook her head.
+"T have plans today. Maybe tomorrow?"
+If she assured me that she was fine, I couldn't exactly keep
+contradicting her. I really had to be going. I turned my back on Sakura and
+headed off.
+It was past 3:40. With classes over for the day, I went to the special
+building. This place had become increasingly hot and humid as the summer
+wore on. If things proceeded as planned, then the person I was expecting
+should arrive soon. Shortly thereafter, three guys showed up, all grumbling
+about how unbearably hot it was. They appeared happy, though, wearing
+optimistic expressions.
+That was because the three of them had received emails from the class
+sweetheart, Kushida. Had the message contained an invitation to go on a
+date? Or perhaps, even more insane, a romantic confession? They were
+probably dreaming of such things. When they saw me, their fantasies were
+crushed.
+"What's going on? Why are you here?"
+Apparently they remembered me from the student council room.
+Ishizaki, the group's leader, stepped forward as if to intimidate me. He was
+rather forceful when no one was around to see.
+"Kushida won't be here. I asked her to send an email to compel you all
+to come."
+Ishizaki looked incredibly ill-tempered as he closed the distance
+between us. "This isn't funny. What did you do this for, huh?"
+"If | hadn't used an underhanded method, you would've just ignored
+me, right? I wanted to talk to you."
+"Talk to us? Why would we want to do that? Has the heat scrambled
+your brain or something?"
+Ishizaki, who clearly was affected by the heat, grabbed his shirt and
+flapped it.
+"No matter what you do, you can't hide the truth. Sudou called us over
+here and beat us up. That's our answer. Now he needs to quietly accept his
+punishment."
+"T have no intension of arguing. That would be a waste of time. I fully
+understand that neither Class C nor Class D will retract what they claimed
+yesterday."
+"So why do this? Are you going to abduct us so we miss the trial? Or
+are you going to have a bunch of people surround us and threaten us with
+violence? It'll be just like that time with Sudou."
+Oh. That was a rather interesting idea, but it would only work as a
+stopgap measure. Such threats wouldn't work against these people. Quite the
+contrary; they looked like they'd welcome it. If they were the victims of
+another attack, they'd probably find a way to make their situation even more
+favorable.
+"Just give up. See ya later."
+Understanding that Kushida would not be coming, the three turned and
+tried to leave, but one other person stood in their way.
+"T think you guys might want to consider that idea, actually."
+Ichinose, who'd been waiting for all of the players in this drama to
+appear, quietly stepped forward.
+"T-Ichinose?! What are you doing here?!"
+The Class C boys were shocked. Given the unexpected appearance of
+someone from Class B, their shock was reasonable.
+"What do you mean? What if I said that I'm here because I'm involved
+in this case?"
+"Ichinose, you're a celebrity."
+"Ha ha. Well, I guess I'm well known among the members of Class C."
+Since the Class C students hadn't expected her to be involved, it looked
+like tension was rising between them. They were clearly starting to lose their
+composure.
+"This incident had nothing to do with Class B, right? So butt out..."
+But unlike when they'd spoken to me, their threats sounded weak.
+They sounded desperate to get away.
+"You're certainly right that Class B has nothing to do with this. But
+how do you feel about involving so many people in your lies?"
+"We didn't lie. We're the victims. We are. Sudou called us out here and
+beat us up. That's the truth."
+"So evildoers remain obstinate until the very end. It's about time for
+you to pay the piper!" Ichinose declared, making a wide-sweeping gesture
+with her right arm as she did so. "You lied. We can all see through you. You
+got violent in the end. If you don't want that fact to become public
+knowledge, withdraw your claim right away."
+Even though I hadn't explained every detail, I felt that things would be
+fine in Ichinose's capable hands.
+"Huh? Withdraw? Don't make me laugh. What, were you half asleep
+when you came up with that argument? You can't just claim something and
+make it true. Sudou started the fight. Right?"
+Ishizaki looked to his two accomplices, who immediately answered,
+"That's right! That's right!"
+"Did you know that this school is one of the leading government-
+sanctioned institutions in Japan?"
+"Of course we do. That's why we tried to enroll here."
+"Tn that case, you should try using your heads a bit more. Your aims
+were obvious right from the start, wouldn't you say?" Ichinose grinned and
+talked with greater animation, as if relishing this. She walked slowly towards
+the three as she spoke, like she was a famous detective revealing the true
+culprit in an investigation.
+"Didn't you think that the school's response to this incident was rather
+strange?"
+"Huh?"
+"When you raised the issue with the school, why wasn't Sudou
+punished immediately? Why give an opportunity to escape by granting a
+grace period of several days? What do you think was the reason?"
+"Because he lied to the school and cried for mercy. If they hadn't given
+him the time as a formality, we, the victims, would have won."
+"Ts that really true? I wonder if you had a different aim, a different
+purpose."
+The windows in the hallway were all closed. The sun, still high in the
+sky, glared down upon us, increasing the heat and humidity.
+"T've got no idea what you're talking about. Ah, damn it. It's so hot!"
+One's ability to think, that is to say, to concentrate, decreases as heat
+increases. One cannot exhibit sufficient logical, creative thinking outside of a
+comfortable environment. The more content you cram into your head, the
+more your brain will overload.
+"Whatever, I'm out of here. I'm going to boil alive if I stay."
+"Ts that really okay, though? If you leave this place, you might regret it
+for the rest of your life."
+"What do you want, Ichinose?"
+They didn't seem to understand what she was getting at.
+"Don't you understand? The school knows that you're lying, Class C.
+They've known from the beginning."
+This statement probably came as a surprise to them. None of them had
+imagined such an outcome. Ishizaki and the others looked at each other for a
+few seconds, then snorted with laughter.
+"Don't make me laugh. We lied? And the school knows it?"
+"Ha ha ha ha. You guys are so funny," Ichinose said. "You've been
+dancing to my tune all this time."
+"That's a nice try, Ichinose. But we're calling your bluff!"
+"T have actual evidence," Ichinose continued, unfazed by Ishizaki's
+threats.
+"Oh? Well, let's see it. Show me what evidence you—"
+They thought there was no way we had any evidence, of course. Even
+after what Ichinose had said, they weren't shaking. However, when she began
+to speak, their defeat was decided.
+"Did you know that there are security cameras installed everywhere
+around the school? It's a measure they've taken in order to monitor what we
+do every day."
+"Yeah. So what?"
+They seemed to have already known about the security cameras.
+Ishizaki and the others appeared unconcerned.
+"Well, then. Did you not see that?"
+Ichinose looked to a spot near the ceiling a little further down the hall.
+Ishizaki and the others tracked her gaze.
+"Huh?"
+They voiced complete disbelief. A security camera hung in the hallway
+and occasionally swung from left to right, capturing everything.
+"That's too bad, isn't it? If you want to set a trap for someone, you'd
+need to do it in a place without any cameras."
+"Buh, wh-what camera?! You're lying! But, there weren't any cameras
+in the other hallways, were there?! It's weird that there's only one installed
+here! Right?!"
+Ishizaki looked back at his two accomplices, seeking their opinion.
+They nodded, confirming that yes, Ishizaki was right. They wiped sweat off
+their faces as they answered.
+"You can't trick us like that. You guys installed that camera
+yourselves!"
+"You're right that, by and large, cameras aren't installed in most of this
+building's hallways. However, there are exceptions, and several places in
+which security cameras have been installed, like in front of the faculty room
+and the science lab. Obviously, there are many valuables stored in the faculty
+room, you know? Additionally, the science lab has many chemical products.
+Since the science lab is on this level, it's only natural that a camera would be
+installed here."
+For the first time, Ishizaki and the other seemed to be at a loss for
+words. Ichinose did not fail to notice how they faltered.
+"Have you looked back there, behind you? There's one there too,
+right?"
+Ishizaki and the others looked down the hall as instructed, and saw a
+camera. Of course, that camera was monitoring the hall's opposite end.
+"So if we'd installed a camera, like you said, would we have prepared
+one on that side, too? Besides, how exactly would we have prepared
+surveillance cameras when we can't even leave campus in the first place?"
+We were cutting off their escape routes one by one.
+"Th-that's impossible... That... I mean, we...checked back then... We
+should have..."
+"This is the third floor, but did you really check? Maybe you only
+looked at the second or the fourth? Perhaps the cameras were truly set up
+here as a trap?"
+The three were holding their heads and sweating far more than normal.
+"Also, you realize that you just destroyed yourselves, right? Normal
+people wouldn't think to check whether there were security cameras, right?
+That's basically admitting your guilt." Ichinose delivered the finishing blow.
+"So, so... That time... No way..."
+"The security cameras couldn't record the sounds of your voices, but
+they definitely captured the decisive moment you threw the first punch."
+The cuffs of their uniforms were completely drenched with sweat.
+Ichinose passed the baton to me. My my, they probably would've been better
+off just talking to me, huh?
+"The school's waiting, right? Go ahead and tell us the truth. After
+giving you a grace period, the student council president himself asked if you
+had lied. If you think back, don't you realize that the student council saw
+through everything?"
+The three of them were probably frantically wracking their brains to
+recall what happened at the meeting. Of course, the student council had not
+seen through their lies at all. However, the student council had their doubts
+about who was telling the truth. If the Class C students interpreted that
+question to be focused squarely at them, it lent itself a certain credence.
+"That's... I didn't hear about anything like that! It's all over!"
+Komiya buckled. Leaning against the wall, he slid down to his knees.
+Kondou held his head in his hands. They all seemed to recognize what was
+happening. Or so I thought, but Ishizaki wasn't buying it.
+"W-wait a minute. I'm still not convinced. Okay, let's say the security
+cameras did capture some footage. You should've been able to prove Sudou's
+innocence without having to really do anything, right? You didn't need to call
+us out here to tell us this. You could have just presented it at the trial. But you
+guys called us here, right?"
+"Innocence? That depends on what you're innocent of. We know that
+both parties took damage during the incident. No matter the circumstances,
+Sudou hit the three of you. That's undeniable. Of course, if the security
+footage can prove that Sudou wasn't the one who called you three over here,
+he'd probably receive the lightest possible punishment. However, his position
+as a regular would still be threatened. He might not be allowed to participate
+in tournaments."
+Sweat poured down Ishizaki's forehead like a waterfall. We were hot
+as well, but comparatively much better off than these three. Their
+temperatures kept rising as we cornered them.
+"What the hell? Well then, if it's like you people say, the security
+footage shouldn't be any trouble at all, right? We'll be fine as long as we can
+get Sudou suspended for even one day."
+"If that happens, you might be expelled. Are you fine with that?"
+Clearly they hadn't thought that part through, and didn't notice the
+dilemma they faced.
+"If someone checked the security camera footage, it would expose your
+lies. If that were to happen, chances are good you'd be expelled. Anyone
+could see that."
+"Wha!"
+"W-wait, why expelled? You didn't say that we lied!" Kondou was
+trying to save himself, his voice weak and strained.
+"The school is testing us. They're testing to see if we can solve
+problems, and what kind of conclusions we draw. Don't you think that's
+consistent with everything else in this case?"
+"Why would... I-I definitely don't want to get expelled!"
+"H-hey, Ishizaki. It's not too late to tell them we lied! If we do, the
+1°?
+school might forgive us
+"Damn it. This is ridiculous. Admit that we lied? Well, fine. As long as
+Sudou's punished, I'll prepare myself for the worst punishment possible, an
+honorable sacrifice! It'll all be over for Sudou!"
+In other words, Ishizaki wouldn't withdraw. Instead, he'd press
+forward.
+"It's rather early to draw a conclusion. We' ll give you one last chance.
+There's only one way to save both Class C and Class D."
+"Like hell we'd do that!"
+If the incident existed, it would be impossible to save everyone. In that
+case, it would be better if the incident didn't exist at all.
+"There's only one way to resolve this issue. Tell the school that you
+wish to withdraw your complaint. If you do that, the school will not bring
+forward the security camera footage. If there's no complaint, no one can be
+punished. Additionally, if the security footage is never brought up, Class D
+benefits, too. As we already know, if the security footage were brought
+produced, Sudou would still face some degree of punishment. In other words,
+Class C and Class D can come to a compromise together. The school can't
+investigate if they can't watch the video and see that you lied, right?"
+"Abh, ahh... Just...let me call..."
+A shattered-looking Ishizaki took out his cell phone. However,
+Ichinose sternly told him no. She wouldn't give him time to think. We had to
+finish this now.
+"Well, you're not being very cooperative. Therefore, we have no
+choice but to prepare. We'll have the school confirm the security footage
+right away, and you'll be expelled."
+I nodded in agreement. Kondou and Komiya grabbed Ishizaki's arms.
+"Come on. Let's just accept Ichinose's idea, Ishizaki!"
+"W-wait. If I don't check with that person, it'll be bad," he murmured.
+"We've already lost! I don't wanna get expelled! Please, Ishizaki!"
+"Damn! Fine... Well withdraw. It'll be fine 1f we withdraw!"
+Ishizaki fell to his knees.
+"Well, let's head to the student council room right away. We' ll go
+together."
+We went to the student council room, the three C students sandwiched
+between us. If we took our eyes off them for even one second, they might
+contact someone for advice. When we finally reached the student council
+room, we pushed the three inside. Horikita had put everything together really
+well.
+1
+"'Wiiew! I feel so much better! Thanks so much! Thanks for giving
+me such a huge role! I was so happy!" Ichinose cried.
+"Well, it was more like you just did as you pleased, Ichinose."
+"Ha ha ha, yeah. I guess so. But the case is closed, eh?"
+Yeah, it really was.
+"T was wondering what you were up to when you asked me to lend you
+some points yesterday."
+We returned to the hot and humid special building and set up a
+stepladder.
+"T couldn't believe you wanted to install security cameras."
+Yes, that's right. The school hadn't actually installed those security
+cameras. Ichinose and Kanzaki bought them, and together with the Professor,
+installed them during our lunch break. Ishizaki and the other two students
+were terrified of leaked footage from the cameras, but those cameras were
+fakes.
+I was surprised at first that the school sold such equipment. Then again,
+while you wouldn't think of using them for crime prevention, they could be
+useful in measurement and recording. In other words, study tools. Perhaps
+calling them network rather than security cameras would make it easier to
+comprehend.
+The heat had compromised the Class C students' ability to think.
+They'd been in crisis mode, without a chance to relax. In addition, they'd felt
+psychologically threatened during that standoff. There was no way that they
+would have figured out we were bluffing. Even if they'd doubted it, they had
+no time to investigate.
+"When the day comes, you guys will probably become formidable
+rivals for Class C, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"If such a day ever comes, I guess."
+However, Ichinose might well be in Class A by then.
+"If Horikita-san were in Class B, we might have gotten to Class A right
+away."
+"Probably."
+I removed the camera and handed it down to Ichinose, who steadied the
+stepladder.
+"T'll definitely return the points I borrowed. Just tell me when you want
+them."
+"Sure. As long as you pay me back by graduation, it's fine. So what are
+you going to do now? Wait in front of the student council room?"
+"Probably..."
+I suddenly remembered seeing Sakura. She'd said that she had plans
+today, but what in the world was she doing? Earlier, when she'd been waiting
+for me after class, what had she wanted to tell me? She seemed like she'd
+resolved to do something, judging by her expression. Right? She'd said she
+had courage. But what for?
+The feeling plagued me, as if the back of my head were going numb
+while my thoughts swirled.
+"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. There was one thing I wanted to tell you,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+Before Ichinose could say anything, though, I was already running
+away. Whatever she wanted to tell me, it was going to have to wait.
+"Huh?! W-wait a minute!"
+Even though she couldn't understand what was happening, for some
+reason Ichinose followed me.
+7.4
+My, phone's tracking data displayed the entrance of the electronics
+store. Not to be put off, Ichinose came running after me and stuck close. As
+we approached our destination, I was incredibly winded. I had to stop and
+catch my breath. Just as a precaution, I signaled Ichinose to be quiet.
+"Please don't contact me anymore!"
+"Why would you say something like that? You're my treasure... Ever
+since I first saw you in a magazine, I've loved you. Meeting you again here, I
+felt like it was destiny. I love you... I can't stop feeling this way about you!"
+"Stop... Please, stop it!" Sakura shouted. She took something out of
+her bag. Letters. It looked like dozens...no, hundreds of letters. I wondered
+how many this man had sent.
+"How do you know my room number? Why do you keep sending
+these?"
+"Why? Of course I would know your room number and send you
+letters. It's because our hearts are connected."
+Sakura had probably been suffering ever since she started school here.
+Her fan knew her identity, and she had to deal with his attention every day.
+However, Sakura had had enough and, thanks to her newfound courage, was
+going to break away. She'd decided to free herself from him here and now.
+Her resolve made sense now.
+"Please stop it. It's bothering me!"
+She tossed the bundle of letters to the floors, rejecting the man's
+unrequited love.
+"Why... Why would you do something like that? Even after I wrote out
+my feelings to you!"
+"D-don't come any closer!"
+The man closed the distance between him and Sakura. He walked with
+an intensity that made it look as though he were about to attack. Latching
+onto Sakura's arm, he shoved her up against the store's shuttered door.
+"T'Il show you just how much I love you now... If I do that, then you' ll
+understand, Sakura."
+"No, let me go!"
+Ichinose tugged on my sleeve. Apparently, we couldn't leave things
+alone any longer. I'd wanted to wait until we could catch him in the act with
+something definitive, but it looks like I had no choice. Taking Ichinose's arm,
+we strutted out like a delinquent couple. While walking by, we took pictures
+with our phones, our cameras clicking repeatedly.
+"Ah, looks like we caught them! That old guy's doing something
+naughty!"
+"Huh?!"
+Sakura was completely dumbfounded after hearing me speak in the
+unfamiliar tone of a delinquent. It was incredibly embarrassing, but I dealt
+with it.
+"Ooh, 'Adult harasses high school girl.' I can just see the headlines
+tomorrow; it'll be a huge scandal!"
+***
+"N-no! That's wrong. You're wrong
+"Hmm, it certainly doesn't sound wrong. Does it? It kind of looks that
+way, don't you think?"
+Ichinose tried to match my performance, but her tone was cruel. The
+man, now flustered, hurriedly pulled away from Sakura. But we were
+prepared with our cameras.
+"Wrong? I don't think so. Whoa, look at all those letters! Gross. Are
+you a stalker?"
+She pinched her nose as she picked up the letters, as if grabbing
+someone else's socks. She picked them up by their corners, using only her
+index finger and thumb.
+"You're wrong. It's just...yeah, that. She said she wanted someone to
+teach her how to use a digital camera, so I said I'd teach her one-on-one.
+That's all."
+"Hmmm."
+I drew closer to the man, pressing him up against the shutter.
+"Me and my girlfriend saw everything. So we took pictures. If you
+show your face to that girl again, or send her any more disgusting letters,
+we'll expose you. Got it?"
+"Ha ha ha ha! What are you talking about? I really don't... know what
+you're talking about."
+"You don't know what I'm talking about? You're not weaseling out of
+this, old man. If you so much as raise a hand at or even just ogle this idol,
+that' ll be the end for you. I'll beat the shit out of you. Got it?"
+"Rek!"'
+After he completely lost his will to fight, I deliberately gave him some
+time to escape.
+"G-goodbye! I won't do that ever again!"
+The store clerk raced back inside the store to get away from us. With
+the source of her terror gone, Sakura suddenly looked exhausted. She looked
+like she was going to topple over and collapse, so I hurriedly grabbed her
+arms and held her up.
+"You did really well."
+I'd preached at her a lot, but that was probably unnecessary now. She'd
+been trying to vanquish the suffering she'd faced on her own. I had to
+consider her feelings.
+"Ayanokouji... kun. Why are you here?"
+"I'm really glad that I exchanged contact information with you." I took
+out my phone, which showed Sakura's location.
+"T guess I'm no good after all... I couldn't do anything by myself in the
+end."
+"That's not true. It was really cool when you threw those letters to the
+ground." I pointed to the mess of multicolored paper scattered everywhere.
+"Hey, hey. Who's this mystery person you mentioned? Some idol?"
+Ichinose tossed one of the disgusting letters to the ground, tilting her head in
+confusion.
+"That's..."
+Although I didn't want to hide anything from Ichinose, I hesitated to
+speak without Sakura's permission. However, Sakura met my eyes and gave
+me a slight nod.
+"Sakura over here was an idol when she was in junior high. Her name
+was Shizuku."
+"Huh?! Idol?! That's amazing! She's an entertainer! Ooh, shake my
+hand, shake my hand!" Ichinose was filled with childlike excitement.
+"But I never appeared on Tv or anything..."
+"Even so, that's so amazing! I've never thought about becoming an
+idol or anything."
+I didn't know about that. I thought that Ichinose had the face and figure
+for it... No, rather, I thought she had the necessary qualities.
+"When did you realize, Ayanokouji-kun?" Sakura asked.
+"A little while ago. Sorry. Several other people in class realized, too."
+Since she was going to find out eventually, I decided to just tell her.
+"T think I'm actually glad about this, though... It's been hard to lie."
+If this situation had given Sakura the ability to finally remove her
+mask, then it was a good thing.
+"At any rate, you were way too brave. I was going to have to step in if
+something happened."
+"Ha ha... Yeah, you're probably right. I was so scared."
+The girl who had openly cried in front of me yesterday was now
+laughing in a rather peculiar way. She laughed while seemingly on the verge
+of tears.
+"Ayanokouji-kun... Don't look at me with such strange eyes."
+"Strange eyes?"
+"Never mind, it's nothing." Sakura didn't clarify, but she wore a
+slightly happy smile on her face. "Do you think everyone would notice if I
+came to class without my glasses, and changed my hairstyle?"
+"T think there's a possibility that people at school might panic when
+they notice...but I think it'Il be fine."
+I suddenly pictured a beautiful girl, with tons of spectators rushing
+forward to catch a glimpse of her. She had a gentle disposition, and qualities
+that would make boys naturally crowd around her.
+"Whoa... You're so amazingly cute! You make a completely different
+impression without your glasses!"
+It seemed as though Ichinose had looked up Shizuku on her phone. She
+seemed excited by what she found. Even though the incident with Sudou
+might have endangered our class and highlighted our lack of unity, at least it
+had given Sakura a chance to grow. Maybe it was all worth it, in the end.
+Wait. I really wasn't the type of person to think like that. Or, perhaps, I
+should say that I didn't know what kind of person I was in the first place.
+Was this the real me? I felt a bit confused.
+"Sorry. For being quiet for so long."
+"It's nothing you have to apologize for. We don't have to talk about it.
+However, I think that now we have the type of relationship where we can talk
+about things. If you're suffering or if you feel lost, you can talk to me. You
+should consult Horikita and Kushida, too."
+Behind me, Ichinose purposefully flopped over in an exaggerated
+manner.
+"So, you're telling her "You can talk to me.' I wonder what you
+mean?"
+I had no answer for that.
+"Okay. I understand," Sakura murmured.
+"Ah, Pll help out too." Though Ichinose didn't know her too well, she
+still smiled at Sakura.
+"I'm Ichinose, from Class B. It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san."
+Sakura looked a little hesitant, but shook Ichinose's outstretched hand.
+"By the way, didn't you want to tell me something in the special
+building a little while ago?" I asked, thinking back to my conversation with
+Ichinose.
+"Ah yeah, that's right. There was something important I wanted to talk
+to you about."
+Ichinose took a moment to catch her breath, and then adopted a serious
+look.
+"T probably shouldn't be saying this nght now, but...there was
+someone pulling the strings behind this whole Sudou incident."
+"Pulling the strings?"
+Because Ichinose looked so deadly serious, I didn't think this was just
+a hunch of hers.
+"To tell the truth, there was a dispute between Class B and Class C
+students before. That time, though, the school didn't get involved. Someone
+named Ryuuen-kun masterminded that one."
+"Ryuuen? I don't recognize the name."
+"That's because he hasn't seen any reason to reveal himself just yet.
+There's no reason that you'd know him."
+Ichinose, who always looked so bright, now appeared somber and
+grim.
+"I'm the most vigilant of all the first-years here. I think he set up
+Sudou-kun to look like a liar, and instigated the dispute with Class B. This
+was all his handiwork. He doesn't hesitate to hurt other people for the sake of
+his own interests. He's a formidable opponent."
+"When Class B had trouble, did you manage a peaceful resolution?"
+"Somehow, yeah. However, if you looked at it like a game, I can't say
+whether I won or lost... Anyway, I think because what he devised was easier
+to see through this time, I've started to understand how this school is
+structured. You should be careful."
+I didn't know who this Ryuuen was, but he was undoubtedly a very
+dangerous opponent. Someone who developed merciless strategies that could
+lead to our expulsion if we missed a single step.
+"So if anything ever happens, you can come to me for help. Talk to me
+whenever you need it."
+"Yeah. Pll keep that in mind."
+iS
+S isis and I arrived at the student council room 10 minutes
+before deliberation began. Tachibana-san was the only other person there. I
+saw no sign of other students, or my older brother.
+"Oh jeez, I'm so nervous. How about you, Horikita?'" Sudou asked.
+"T feel the same as ever."
+This case would be settled today. I knew that it was not going to be
+easy, especially for me. I'd declared that Sudou was completely innocent,
+after all. If my strategy failed, it would be for nothing. I thought that there
+was some value in sticking it out, so I'd come up with this plan during this
+extension period.
+If this strategy failed, though, it would likely devolve into a verbal
+battle where we hurled abuse at each other. In the end, the result would
+certainly be worse than the compromise that had been proposed at the
+previous hearing. Sudou-kun would hate me then. Well, he'd be barking up
+the wrong tree. Still, I would have to acknowledge his complaints, because
+the appeal to the council was my responsibility.
+Alternatively, I supposed that if Sudou-kun himself wished it, there
+was the possibility of meeting them halfway. They'd probably want to
+shorten his suspension as much as possible. If we made that the focal point of
+our discussion, we might be able to arrange for Sudou-kun's sentence to be
+lightened as well.
+Reconciliation was another name for defeat. Still, 1f the person in
+question wished for it, we would have no choice.
+A short time later, the student council room doors opened. My heart
+started pounding at double the speed. My older brother... My words stuck in
+my chest and would not come out.
+Even though I should have understood it, I felt attacked. I was wracked
+with various symptoms such as trembling, nervousness, and dizziness. But I
+couldn't repeat yesterday's mistakes.
+I turned my eyes from my brother. There were other opponents I
+should have been facing.
+"Oh, my. I see that the boy from yesterday isn't here."
+Next came the Class C teacher, Sakagami-sensei. Chabashira-sensei
+was with him. "What happened to Ayanokouji, Horikita?" she asked.
+"He's not participating."
+"Not participating?"
+Chabashira-sensei turned to the vacant seat with a puzzled look. She
+seemed concerned by his absence, as if the proceedings would be
+meaningless without him. No, not exactly meaningless, but... It was vague,
+but I had the gut feeling that what Chabashira-sensei was seeing was the
+evidence of Ayanokouji-kun's involvement.
+"Well, even if he's not here, the results will be the same." I didn't want
+to admit it, but I did it almost as if to shake off the shadow.
+"Well, whatever. It's up to you guys to decide."
+Both teachers took their seats. We would begin deliberation as soon as
+the Class C students arrived. When that time came, how would the battle go?
+Well, that was simple. We would object to what the other side had to say. We
+would reiterate that the other side was lying, and then pierce through those
+lies before claiming that we were the ones telling the truth. That was it.
+It would be the same for both sides. Through lies, we would arrive at
+the truth. This was a battle between truth and lies. We could bandy about
+ideas, but there could only be one solution.
+Finally, the students from Class C arrived. They were all sweating, as if
+they'd been hurrying.
+"You made it just in the nick of time," said Sakagami-sensei to his
+students with a slight sigh of relief. "Well then, we would like to resume
+deliberations on this case, from where we left off yesterday. Please take your
+seat."
+Tachibana-san urged the students from Class C to sit down. However,
+they didn't budge. Instead, they remained standing in front of Sakagami-
+sensei.
+"Can you please sit down?" Tachibana-san repeated her request, but
+the three did not move.
+"Umm... Sakagami-sensei."
+"What is it?"
+It wasn't just me. Everyone else noticed that this situation was strange.
+"Would it be possible not to hold this trial?"
+"What are you...? What in the world do you mean?" Sakagami-sensei
+stood up in response to this unexpected request.
+"Did you want to come to an agreement? Or did you already do
+something to the effect?" My older brother gazed sharply at the Class C
+students. However, the three boys shook their heads in unison, signaling that
+no, they didn't want to compromise.
+"We realized that we weren't really saying anything worthwhile about
+which side was at fault. Our complaint was a mistake. Therefore, we'd like to
+withdraw it."
+"You're withdrawing your complaint?" Chabashira-sensei chuckled as
+she spoke. She wore a thin smile, as if she found something amusing.
+"What's so funny, Chabashira-sense1?" Sakagami-sensei did not seem
+to like her attitude, glaring at Chabashira-sensei in irritation.
+"Oh, excuse me. I was just surprised because I hadn't foreseen this. I
+figured we would argue all day until one side collapsed, or until we could
+propose an acceptable compromise. However, unbelievably, they've said that
+they want to withdraw the complaint."
+"Teachers, members of this student council, we are sorry to have taken
+your time. However, after careful consideration this is the conclusion we've
+all come to."
+The three's ardent appeal signaled that their will was strong. It seemed
+that Ayanokouji-kun and Ichinose-san had handled things quite well. I tried
+to act calm and collected, without letting my relief show.
+"Surely you can't accept this. You did nothing wrong. Sudou-kun
+caused all of this through one-sided intimidation and violence. Do you plan to
+just quietly sit there and take this?"
+As if realizing something, Sakagami-sensei turned anger-filled eyes
+towards Sudou-kun and me.
+"What did you do? Threaten my students with violence so they'd
+withdraw their appeal?"
+"Huh? Don't screw around. I didn't do anything," Sudou said.
+"There's no way that my students would withdraw their complaint
+unless you had. Tell us the truth. If you do that, then we can do something
+about it."
+"Sakagami-sensei...we're going to withdraw the complaint no matter
+what you say. Our decision won't change."
+Sakagami-sensei, as if unable to comprehend what his students were
+saying, hung his head low and sat back down.
+"If you say that you'd like to withdraw your complaint, we will accept
+it. It is certainly rare to cancel deliberations during a case, but we can do it."
+My older brother, the student council president, tried to remain calm and
+composed.
+"Wait. I don't get it. Why are you guys just withdrawing your
+complaint like that?"
+I grabbed Sudou-kun's arm to prevent him from uttering another word.
+"Horikita?"
+"Shut up."
+I had no time to explain, unfortunately, so I pulled strongly on Sudou-
+kun's arm and sat him down.
+"If you wish to withdraw your complaint, we have no intention of
+fighting it. We accept."
+Although I could understand Sudou-kun's dissatisfaction at being
+brought to trial based on a lie, if the complaint was withdrawn there would be
+no winners or losers. This was what we'd been working toward.
+"However, according to regulations, we will require a certain payment
+of points in order to cover of miscellaneous expenses incurred over the
+course of deliberations. Are there objections to this?"
+This was the first time we'd heard of such a thing. The students from
+Class C looked upset, but came to a conclusion right away.
+"We understand... We will pay."
+"Very well, the proceedings have come to an end. We will now call
+this discussion closed."
+While we waited for the curtains to fall on this rather abrupt end, I
+wondered who could have predicted such an outcome. Meanwhile, I saw
+Chabashira-sensei direct a rather bold smile at me.
+"Sudou-kun," I said. "You will no longer face suspension. The school
+will not consider you a problem child. You will be able to participate in club
+activities from today onward. Right?"
+I looked to Chabashira-sensei for confirmation.
+"Of course. The same goes for the students in Class C, naturally.
+Youthful zeal is a good quality. However, the next time you think about
+causing problems, you should remember this incident as an example. Do not
+forget. Okay?"
+She emphasized this point strongly to both sides. Sudou-kun looked
+rather dissatisfied, but nodded. I supposed that his joy at being able to play
+basketball outweighed his dissatisfaction. Kushida-san and Hirata-kun's
+actions would be rewarded as well.
+Sakagami-sensei slowly left with his students. The moment the door
+closed, it sounded like he started hounding his students for answers. But that
+didn't matter. We wouldn't have to deal with any more idiotic appeals after
+this, most likely.
+"I'm glad, Sudou," Chabashira-sensei said, sounding grateful.
+"He he. Well, of course!"
+"Personally, I think you should have been punished," she added, rather
+harshly. Her words condemned Sudou-kun, who was still joyful over his
+victory.
+"The reason this incident occurred at all is because of your behavior.
+Who told the truth and who lied is trivial. It's important that you don't let this
+kind of thing happen again. You do understand that, yes?"
+"Yeah..."
+"However, admitting your own faults isn't 'cool.' So even if you
+acknowledge that your personality was partly to blame, you act tough. You
+get stronger. That's fine. However, if you act like that, you won't be able to
+make real friends. Eventually, Horikita will abandon you. She'Il leave."
+"That's..." I wouldn't exactly call us friends.
+"There's strength in admitting your mistakes, Sudou."
+Chabashira-sensei had tried to reach out to one of her students for the
+first time, as a homeroom teacher. I think that Sudou-kun understood what
+she was saying, even if unconsciously. He hung his head low and sank in his
+chair.
+"T understand... If I hadn't acted that way in the first place, then I
+wouldn't have hit those guys. It wouldn't have been such a big deal. I knew
+that, somewhere."
+When this first came up, he'd asserted that Class C had lied, and had
+continued to say only that.
+"T always fought all I wanted for my own satisfaction. But it's not like
+that anymore... I'm a Class D student, and my personal actions affect the
+entire class. Now I've experienced that firsthand..."
+Sudou-kun might actually be dealing with a great deal of anxiety and
+stress in ways I couldn't see.
+"T won't cause problems again, sensei. Horikita."
+Those were the first penitent words I'd heard out of Sudou-kun's
+mouth. I wondered if Chabashira-sensei was surprised. If so, she shouldn't
+be. Sudou-kun might have understood this much, but he was still Sudou-kun.
+A person couldn't change in just one day.
+"You shouldn't make promises so casually. You'll cause trouble soon
+again."
+"Tch!"'
+Our teacher, who was rather perceptive about Sudou-kun's
+shortcomings, rejected his promise.
+"What do you think, Horikita? Do you think that Sudou will become a
+model student?"
+"No, I don't." I agreed with the teacher without hesitation. However,
+that wasn't all I had to say. "However...Sudou-kun certainly made some
+progress today. He admitted he was at fault. So I'm sure that he'll grow more
+tomorrow."
+"Y-yeah..." he said.
+"I'm glad to hear that, Sudou. It looks like Horikita hasn't abandoned
+you yet."
+"No, I've already abandoned him. I just won't allow him to run loose
+anymore."
+"Wh-what does that mean?!' Sudou-kun scratched his head and smiled,
+as if he just shaken off something heavy. "Well, ''m gonna get going. I have
+club activities. See you later, Horikita."
+With those words, Sudou-kun hurriedly stepped out of the room and
+into the hallway. He was not remorseful. He was definitely going to cause
+trouble for us again soon. He was a nuisance.
+"May I leave now, Chabashira-sensei?"
+"Wait just a moment. There's something I want to talk to you about,
+Horikita. You two leave first, though."
+Chabashira-sensei urged my older brother and Tachibana-san to leave.
+Once they were gone, she looked deeply interested, crossing her arms
+before her on the table.
+"So. What methods did you use, Horikita?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"Don't try to dodge the question. They wouldn't withdraw their
+complaint without a reason, would they?"
+"T'Il leave that to your imagination."
+We'd fabricated a lie because we were backed into a corner.
+"So it's a secret, hmm? Well, allow me to change the question. Who
+came up with the strategy that defeated Class C?
+"Why do you care about that?"
+"Ayanokouji isn't here, so I'm a little curious."
+Chabashira-sensei had been rather preoccupied with Ayanokouji-kun
+ever since we started school. I could somewhat understand why, now.
+"T don't want to admit this, but Ayanokouji-kun...might have
+something exceptional to him."
+I surprised myself by saying this, which could be taken as an admission
+of defeat. However, our victory would not have been as decisive without him.
+"T see. So you recognize that, hmm?"
+"Ts that surprising? You were the one who first put me together with
+Ayanokouji-kun, Chabashira-sensei. You did it because you couldn't
+overlook Ayanokouji-kun's potential, right?"
+"His potential, hmm?"
+"Though he does try to hide his ability by pretending to be an idiot, for
+some mysterious reason."
+Yes, he was truly incomprehensible. I could not find meaning in such
+behavior. It was likely that he was simply being absurd.
+"There are various things to consider. But if you want to reach Class A,
+Pll give you one bit of advice."
+"Advice?"
+"The students in Class D all have some kind of defect, more or less. To
+borrow an expression used by others in this school, Class D is an assemblage
+of people that could be called 'defective products.' You already understand
+this quite well though, don't you?"
+"T don't intend to admit that I have a defect. But I do understand."
+"Well, what do you think is Ayanokouji's defect?"
+Ayanokouji-kun's defect...One thing immediately came to mind.
+"We've already established it. He already knows what his own defect
+is."
+"Oh? And what is it?"
+"He 'dislikes trouble,'" I answered, with confidence. However, I felt a
+strange sense of discomfort that I couldn't explain.
+"He dislikes trouble, hmm? Is that what you perceive when you look at
+Ayanokouji?"
+"No... It's because he said it himself."
+Chabashira-sensei snorted and chuckled. She spoke again, her tone
+firm.
+"Well, Horikita. Let's try to learn as much as we possibly can about the
+boy called Ayanokouji, without delay, shall we? Otherwise, it'll be too late.
+You already seem to have fallen into Ayanokouji's trap."
+"What do you mean?" Fallen into his trap? That was nonsense.
+"Why do you think Ayanokouji purposefully got scores of 50 points
+across on the board on his entrance examination? Why do you think
+Ayanokouji is helping you? Why do you think that Ayanokouji doesn't put
+himself forward as a superior student, despite having superior ability? Is
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka really someone who 'dislikes trouble'?"
+"That's..."
+If he truly wanted to prioritize peace and tranquility, then why score 50
+points in all subjects and allow himself to draw this much attention? Had he
+deliberately poked his nose into this incident as well? I wondered if he ought
+to have been carefully monitored, like many other students. As Chabashira-
+sensei said, his behavior didn't fit the pattern of someone who "disliked
+trouble." That unconscious realization must have been the cause of my earlier
+discomfort.
+"In my personal opinion, Ayanokouji is the most defective student in
+Class D."
+'""He's the most defective?"
+"Higher functioning products are more difficult to handle. If you
+misunderstand how to handle him, the class might be completely destroyed in
+short order."
+"Chabashira-sensei, do you really understand what about him can be
+considered defective?"
+"Get to know the person called Ayanokouji. What is he thinking? What
+focal point does he base his actions around? What is his fatal flaw? There's
+definitely an answer there."
+Why was Chabashira-sensei telling me such things? As our homeroom
+teacher, she usually appeared unaware of and unconcerned with her class.
+But, if someone so disinterested thought this way, then...
+Chabashira-sensei said nothing more.
+7.6
+I waited outside the student council room until the meeting had
+concluded. The students from Class C and Sakagami-sensei left first, with
+Sudou following a little while later. He wore a bright, cheerful expression.
+"Looks like it went well," I said.
+"Man, I don't understand what happened, but Horikita did something
+for me. Right?"
+I nodded.
+"T knew it. I knew she'd come through for my sake. Heh heh heh." He
+looked incredibly happy. "Well, I gotta head to my club. We should have a
+party tonight."
+"Yeah."
+The next people to exit were the student council president and
+Secretary Tachibana.
+"Excellent work." I thought we'd just exchange a light greeting, but the
+president stopped in his tracks to address me. "I have approved Class C's
+request to withdraw their complaint."
+"Is that so?" I said. "Well, I guess miracles do happen."
+Horikita's brother remained still and looked me in the eyes. I couldn't
+tell what he was thinking.
+"So this was all to prove that Sakura wasn't a liar, as you said? I
+suppose if Class C withdrew their complaint, then talk would spread quite
+naturally. If Sudou or Sakura weren't the liars, then Class C was."
+"Your little sister handled things well. I didn't do anything."
+"Tf that's your answer, then I'm impressed. Even though it's a simple
+story." The unflappable Secretary Tachibana clapped her hands.
+"Tachibana. Do you still have one seat open for secretary?"
+"Yes. A first-year Class A student applied the other day, but was
+rejected after the first interview."
+"Ayanokouji. If you wanted it, I would appoint you to the position."
+I was surprised, but Secretary Tachibana appeared even more shocked
+than me. "S-student council president... Do you really mean that?"
+"Do you disapprove?"
+"N-no. If you say so, I have no objections. But..."
+"Nah, I hate troublesome stuff. Besides, being in the student council is
+no joke. I want to lead an ordinary student life at this school," I replied.
+Secretary Tachibana was even more shocked by my response.
+"Huh? Are you refusing an invitation from the student council
+president?!"
+"Well, I'd just never do anything that I'm not interested in..."
+I didn't do what I didn't want to do. Besides, there was no reason to
+invite me onto the student council in the first place.
+"Let's go, Tachibana."
+"Y-yes."
+Their interest in me had apparently run out with my refusal, so they
+left. A short time later, Horikita and Chabashira-sensei appeared. Chabashira-
+sensei just gave me a slight glance, leaving without saying anything in
+particular.
+"Yo." [raised my hand as I greeted Horikita, but was met with an
+intense glare the likes of which I'd never seen from her before. She quickly
+returned to her neutral expression, though.
+"What were the results?" I asked.
+"You'd already know, right?" she replied.
+"I'm glad to hear that. Looks like your strategy worked well."
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Am I just your puppet?
+"My puppet? What are you talking about?"
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you brought up the idea of surveillance cameras in
+the classrooms. Next, you took me to the special building and made me
+realize that there were no cameras. Then, you guided me to the idea of
+inventing false evidence, so that we could parse the truth from lies... When I
+look back on it now, that's all I can think of."
+"Y ou're overthinking it. It's just coincidence."
+"Who are you?"
+"What do you mean, who am I? I'm just a guy who dislikes trouble,
+right?"
+I realized that I had gotten involved a little too much this time. I'd need
+to reflect on that. The always-sharp Horikita probably guessed my thoughts,
+to some extent.
+I had to dial it back a little. I just wanted my life here to be peaceful.
+"Someone who dislikes trouble. If that's—"
+As Horikita started to speak, a male student walked towards us. This
+was not a conversation that we wanted overheard, so both Horikita and I fell
+silent. We waited for him to pass, but the guy stopped in front of us.
+It wasn't on accident. He had black hair, styled so it was worn long. He
+appeared to be around the same height as me, maybe a little taller. I glanced
+at his profile and noted that he wore a wide grin. His smile looked ominous.
+"Setting up a camera? You really did something funny, huh?" The boy
+didn't even turn to face us entirely as he spoke.
+"And you are?" Horikita asked the mystery student, seemingly
+perturbed.
+"Next time, /'// be your opponent. I look forward to it."
+The boy walked on without answering Horikita's question. We never
+got a clear look at him. We were only able to watch in silence as he walked
+away.
+"Well. Pll be heading back now." I had the feeling it would be better
+for us not to be seen together, and turned my back on Horikita.
+"Wait. We're not done talking, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T'm done talking." I kept going without looking back.
+"You promised, right? You promised you'd help me reach Class A."
+"You sort of forced me to. You helped Sudou in this case, too. Right?"
+"That's not what I meant. I want to know what you're thinking."
+"T'm thinking 'This is annoying,' and 'I don't have any motivation to
+do this.' Stuff like that. That's what I'm thinking. Even if you took back what
+you said just now, Horikita, I do intend to live my life quietly. Whether we
+aim for Class A or whatever, that's it."
+I'd hoped that answer would satisfy her, but Horikita didn't listen.
+"If you really hated drawing attention, you wouldn't make all this
+effort to get involved. You say you're someone who 'dislikes trouble,' after
+all. Yet you act all evasive and non-committal even while you help me.
+Why?"
+I assumed that this change in Horikita's behavior was Chabashira-
+sensei's doing. She was probably pulling the strings here. I wouldn't be
+surprised if she knew about my past.
+"T thought that I should help the first friends I've ever made. Probably."
+If I kept talking, I might say something unnecessary. I walked faster.
+By now, I had reached one absolute conclusion. If Horikita were truly
+aiming for Class A, it would be impossible under our present circumstances.
+We'd received a declaration of war from some guy apparently known
+as Ryuuen. This could be just the start of a cunning, audacious, and brutal
+attack. He would probably stand in our way as a vigilant enemy in the future.
+Then there were Ichinose and Kanzaki from Class B. They were two
+capable people who took only small, indirect steps. Ichinose probably had
+more plans lined up in her ambition to reach the top than I could imagine. It
+was impossible to fully understand how we'd landed in this situation, or her
+methods and process.
+I didn't understand what she wanted, but her goals would most likely
+prove a huge obstacle for us. In other words, it was fair to say that trying to
+reach Class A in three years was hopeless. Even if we tried to tackle this
+situation head-on, then...
+"Ugh! 99
+I unintentionally let out a small noise.
+I really was an idiot.
+What was I getting worked up for? I had arbitrarily started analyzing
+Class D and considering the options. I didn't want to. I mean, she was the one
+who chose this school, right? Horikita and Ichinose were aiming for the top,
+not me. All I wanted was an ordinary, regular life where nothing ever
+happened. Otherwise? I couldn't do this.
+I knew more about me than anyone else. I knew just how defective, just
+how foolish I was. I was a horrible human being.
+Postscript
+Tes been four months since we last met. This is Syougo Kinugasa.
+The summer heat still lingers during this time of year, but are you all
+doing well? Lately I've been suffering every day from some dull pain on my
+right side, back pain, and dizziness that comes from the headaches I've been
+getting. I'm going to go in for a thorough medical examination as soon as
+possible. Doing physical examinations is impossible, though. I'm an old man.
+Anyway, this book focuses on a disturbance centered on Sudou,
+following the midterms. It's rather difficult for troublemakers to simply
+change their ways, right? Moreover, since Class D is filled with all kinds of
+problem children, the day where they can work together is still a long ways
+off...
+Anyway, the story will progress greatly from this point on. You could
+say that the first act was a fierce battle waged over class points, right? I think
+that the classmates also revealed things about themselves that weren't visible
+before. Anyway, please wait a little while longer. I will do my best.
+Shunsaku-sama drew such gorgeous illustrations for this book. I nearly
+suffocated when I saw the cover art with Kushida. It just had the best
+expression. It was really good, a wonderful accomplishment.
+However, Shunsaku-sama, can you please stop clicking your tongue at
+me whenever new male characters show up in the story? No matter how
+much you dislike it, men are going to appear, you know? Anyway, we went
+out for yakiniku just like I said (see Novel 1). Did you like the taste of the
+meat? I'd originally planned to take you to an all-you-can-eat place that cost
+1280 Yen, but after some pestering, I ended up paying about 3980 Yen for
+one order of some high-class yakiniku. I should have known. That was the
+first time I've faced such humiliation.
+Please treat me next time. I'd like to eat some sashimi. Maybe some
+maguro, or some maguro, or some maguro. My house is super close by, so
+you can't escape.
+(I will report in the following volume whether or not I was able to
+successfully make Shunsaku-sama treat me).
+Anyway, acknowledgments are below.
+To my editor, thank you very much for staying on top of me until I met
+my deadline. I will be sure to pay back your kindness next time. "I already
+finished the manuscript early, didn't I?" is what I would say. I'm sure you
+would definitely be impressed. However, if I just barely manage to squeeze it
+in before the deadline, I'm sorry. Tee hee! +
+Lastly, to you, all of my readers. Thank you very much for reading
+Novel 2 all the way to the end. Even during times when my hands won't
+move because of (what is likely) my poor physical health, the fact that people
+are holding this book in their hands and reading it gives me the
+encouragement to keep going. I will be diligent from now on, so thank you
+all very much.
+Author:
+Syougo Kinugasa
+Born in November. Blood type, AB. Primarily responsible for the
+scenario and pc game planning. Most important works are Guards of
+Daybreak and Reminiscence. His body has begun to break down, which has
+strengthened his resolve to go in for a medical examination. He has begun to
+open his eyes to enlightenment.
+Illustrator:
+Tomoseshunsaku
+Born in September. The lead animator and illustrator for the Sagittarius
+games. Lead animator for Guards of Daybreak, Reminiscence, etc. If he loses
+eight kilograms by the end of the year, his friends will buy him a PlayStation
+4, which has strengthened his resolve to work hard to lose weight.
+***
+Neves Yeas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chabashira Sae's
+Soliloquy
+Greek mythology deals abundantly with human frailty. Many of its
+tales involve hatred and jealousy. Have you ever heard of "The Wings of
+Icarus"? Allow me to summarize. Long ago, in ancient Greece, there lived a
+great inventor named Daedalus. Daedalus was ordered by King Minos to
+build a great labyrinth in which to imprison the monstrous Minotaur.
+However, King Minos soon abandoned Daedalus, confining the inventor to a
+tower alongside his son, Icarus.
+In order to escape their prison, Daedalus gathered together the feathers
+of many birds in order to fashion a large pair of wings. He connected the
+larger feathers with thread, and the smaller with wax. Once the wings were
+completed and the time had come to fly to freedom, Daedalus gave Icarus a
+warning.
+He said, "If you fly too high, the sun will melt the wax holding the
+wings together. Be careful." With that warning in mind, Icarus leapt from the
+tower alongside his father. Together, they gained their freedom. But freedom
+can be a dangerous thing, and can make a person lose sight of himself. With
+such boundless freedom before him, Icarus started to get carried away.
+Perhaps it was inevitable after breaking free from such painful restraints.
+Icarus, blissful, forgot his father's warning and flew higher and higher.
+The sun burned the false angel wings that his father had constructed, and in
+the blink of an eye, the wax melted. Eventually, the false wings were
+completely burned away. Icarus fell into the sea and died. Was Icarus a brave
+young man who jumped into the sky to gain his freedom? Or was he an
+arrogant fool who overestimated his abilities and believed that he could reach
+the sun? Perhaps no one save for his father, Daedalus, will ever know the
+answer to that.
+For some reason, I thought of Icarus' wings when standing before a
+certain young boy. Considering what these past few months had brought, I
+could say that I made the comparison simply because he resembled Icarus.
+But I immediately came to realize that the two boys were fundamentally
+different from one another. This boy possessed neither the bravery nor the
+arrogance of Icarus.
+I had been pushed into a corner. I had no choice but to do it.
+Lacking the means to deal with it, I had no choice but to incur this
+boy's divine wrath. I had no choice but to conduct myself firmly, turning this
+boy's quiet rage toward me. The die cannot be returned once cast. The
+gamble had already begun.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Yamauchi Haruki
+First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004706
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: May 30th
+***
+There is some discrepancy between his responses during the Q&A
+portion of the interview and the survey report. He has an apparent
+tendency to pretend he is more impressive than he actually is. Moreover,
+we have yet to find an area in which he excels, with respect to both
+academic and athletic ability. However, being able to inflate one's sense
+of importance in society can produce results, so we expect that he will
+find a space in which to thrive.
+***
+| would like to be strict in addressing his behavior because he has a habit
+of lying to his teachers.
+Chapter 2:
+The Boundary Between
+Heaven and Hell
+The endless summer sea. The infinite blue skies. The perfectly clear
+air. Here, in the midst of the Pacific Ocean, we didn't feel the intense
+midsummer heat, and the gentle sea breeze kissed our bodies. Yes, this really
+was an oceanic paradise.
+"Whoa! This is the beeeeeeesssssst!"" shouted Ike Kenji, both hands
+raised high in the air. His voice echoed across the deck of the luxury liner.
+Normally, someone would have grumbled or shouted "shut up" in
+response. But just for today, no one minded, instead enjoying this moment of
+bliss. The view from the "special seats" on the deck was exceptionally
+gorgeous.
+"This view is incredible! I'm honestly super moved right now!"
+A group of girls led by Karuizawa came out from the ship's cabin.
+Karuizawa pointed out to the expansive ocean, wearing a radiant smile.
+"Seriously, the scenery here is just amazing!"
+yy,
+Kushida Kikyou was also present among the group of girls. It looked
+like the extraordinary view had stolen her breath away.
+After overcoming numerous hardships, midterms, and the final exam,
+we had welcomed summer vacation with open arms. The Advanced
+Nurturing High School had arranged for an extravagant two-week trip—a
+cruise on a luxury liner.
+"Wow, Ken, you must be happy you didn't get expelled. I mean, if this
+were a normal trip, it would've been impossible for us to go. Hey, how did it
+feel to be on the verge of expulsion, since you had the lowest score on the
+final? Come on, tell me. How did it feel?"
+Even though Yamauchi Haruki was insulting him, Sudou Ken was far
+from being in a foul mood. In fact, he howled with laughter in response,
+sounding more like the baying of a lone wolf than a high schooler.
+"With my skills, there was nothing to worry about. Didn't I tell you P''d
+prove myself, and it'd be easy?"
+We had faced oblivion just a short while ago, but this trip completely
+blew those feelings away. Perhaps the blue seas had washed away our
+everyday troubles.
+"T never dreamed that high schoolers could go on such a luxurious
+cruise. And it's for two whole weeks. Two weeks! When my mom and dad
+hear about this, they're gonna be so shocked they' I! wet themselves!"
+As Sudou had bluntly stated, this was certainly no ordinary trip. At our
+government-sponsored school, there was absolutely no need for us to pay for
+tuition or other miscellaneous expenses—which, of course, included this trip.
+We received the best of special treatment. The cruise liner and its facilities
+were of the highest possible quality. This ship was fully equipped with
+everything from prestigious restaurants to a theater, and even an upscale spa.
+On my own, this would probably have cost me about 100,000 yen, even in
+the off season.
+Our trip, which promised the pinnacle of luxury, had finally started
+today. According to the schedule, we would spend our first week staying at a
+fancy summer lodge on a deserted island. After that, we would enjoy the
+cruise ship for another week.
+At 5 AM today, the first-year students had boarded buses and departed
+for Tokyo Bay. The passenger ships departed from the port once the students
+arrived. After eating breakfast in the lounge, students were permitted to move
+freely throughout the entire vessel. Best of all, we were able to use any of the
+ship's facilities free of charge. For those of us who'd suffered daily due to a
+lack of points, this ship was heaven-sent.
+Suddenly, Kushida turned toward me. I could tell that something was
+on her mind. With the vast ocean and the endless blue sky behind her,
+Kushida looked even more radiant than usual. Even though I didn't want it to,
+my heart started to pound. Could it be...?
+"Huh? Come to think of it, I wonder where Horikita-san is? Weren't
+you two together?" Kushida asked.
+Apparently I wasn't even allowed to indulge in a mere fantasy.
+Kushida had Horikita on her mind.
+"Who knows? I'm not her keeper." I didn't recall seeing her after
+breakfast.
+"She probably doesn't enjoy traveling, so maybe she's in her room?"
+"Probably."
+"Around noon, we can go onto the island's private beach and swim
+around as much as we want. I can't wait!"
+Apparently, the school owned a small island to the south. Our
+destination.
+"Attention, students. Please assemble on the deck. You will be able to
+see the island soon. This is a good time to take in some rather significant
+scenery."
+This rather strange announcement issued from the ship's PA. Kushida
+and the others didn't seem to mind, looking forward to what was to come.
+The island appeared on the horizon a few minutes after several students had
+gathered. Ike let out a gleeful cry.
+Other students noticed, and began assembling on the deck. After a
+crowd had gathered, some particularly domineering boys showed up and
+began pushing us out of the way in order to get the best position.
+"Hey, you're in the way. Move it, you defects."
+One of the boys tried to intimidate me, and shoved my shoulder. In a
+panic, I quickly grabbed onto the deck's railing to keep from falling. The
+students laughed scornfully.
+"Hey, what the hell are you guys doing?!"
+Sudou immediately responded in kind, trying to intimidate them right
+back. Kushida, looking worried, came to my side. I suppose men who require
+girls for backup probably look pretty pathetic.
+"You do understand how this school is structured, right? Class D
+doesn't get any human rights. Defects like you are just that—defective—so
+you should submit. We're all in Class A over here."
+The students from Class D departed from the bow of the ship as if we'd
+been chased out. Sudou looked displeased, but managed to restrain himself.
+A fistfight didn't break out, evidence that he was perhaps growing up. Or
+perhaps he simply understood Class D's weak position here. Although the
+situation was unfair, we didn't need any unnecessary trouble, so it was best to
+ignore it.
+"Oh, hey, you're all here. Huh? What's the matter?"
+Hirata Yousuke, Class D's leader, called out to me. It was the last day
+of the first semester. The cabin assignments for the trip were decided. I
+hadn't expected to be called over to hang out with Ike and Sudou and the
+others; their group was already big enough as it was. Just when it seemed like
+I would be isolated, though, I was saved by the appearance of my hero, Hirata
+Man.
+"Hey, Hirata, how far have you gotten with Karuizawa?" Ike asked
+Hirata, who didn't seem to be heading over to Karuizawa's side. "Why don't
+you try and be flirtier with her, since we're on this long-awaited trip?"
+"We just kind of take things at our own pace." Hirata's cell phone rang.
+"Oh, sorry, Miyake-kun looks like he's having trouble. Pll be going now."
+Fiddling with his phone, Hirata returned to the cabins. Popular people
+were the busiest of all.
+"What's his deal? We're on a trip, but he's worried about his
+classmates?"
+"Karuizawa is Karuizawa, though. I guess lately she and Hirata haven't
+been very flirty with each other... Do you think that maybe they've broken
+up? If that's the case, that really sucks. It'Il mean more rivals to get to
+Kushida-chan!"
+It was certainly true that Hirata and his girlfriend seemed less close
+now than when they'd started dating. But they didn't appear to have had a
+fight, and the situation hadn't gotten tense. They seemed to get along well
+whenever I saw them talking.
+"T've decided, Haruki. I...will confess my feelings to Kushida-chan on
+this trip!" Ike proclaimed.
+""A-are you serious? If she rejects you, it's gonna be crazy awkward,
+though. You gonna be okay?"
+"This is just my own selfish reasoning. Kushida-chan is really cute,
+right? That's why most of the boys want to ask her out. But she's just on a
+whole other level, so no one can get the courage to confess to her. That
+means she's not used to being confessed to, right? I think Kushida-chan's
+heart could be shaken by my declaration of love. It's like, you know, not
+entirely hopeless."
+"T see. So, you've already made up your mind."
+"Yeah!"
+Normally Yamauchi would have gotten fired up and opposed Ike, but
+this time he didn't. Instead, he looked out over the deck as if searching for
+something.
+'"'What's the matter?" Ike asked.
+"Ah, nothing really," Yamauchi responded absent-mindedly. In the
+end, he never brought up the subject of Kushida.
+"Hey, hey, Kushida-chan. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ike asked.
+"Hmm? What is it?"
+Ike immediately approached Kushida, who had been looking at the sea.
+This was obviously a suspicious move.
+"So, it's like this... It's been about four months since we met, right?
+So...I was wondering if it might be okay for me to call you by your first
+name now. I mean, it makes me feel like we're strangers when I call you by
+your last name."
+"Come to think of it, I guess you and Yamauchi have been calling each
+other by your first names for a while now, huh?" Kushida said.
+"So... I. can't, huh? C-call you Kikyou-chan, I mean?"
+In response to Ike's inquiry, Kushida simply smiled.
+"Of course it's okay for you to call me that. Should I call you Kanji-
+kun, then?"
+"Whooooaaaaa! Kikyou-chaaaaaaan!" Ike cried out and posed like he
+was reaching out to heaven, kind of like the guy on the poster for the movie
+Platoon. Kushida chuckled.
+"First names, huh? Hey, speaking of, I wonder what Horikita's first
+name is? Huh?" Sudou asked me as if I was the one who'd know.
+"Tomiko. Horikita Tomiko."'
+"Tomiko, huh? That's a cute name. Just like I'd expect. It feels perfect
+for her."
+"Oh, sorry, I was wrong. It's Suzune."
+"Hey, don't make mistakes like that! Suzune, huh? It feels like
+Tomiko, but it's 100 times better."
+In the end, even if Horikita's first name were Sadako or Sam or
+whatever, he probably would have felt it was perfect.
+"I'm going to call her by her first name during our summer vacation,
+too. Suzune. Suzune..."
+Well, it seemed the boys wanted to bridge the gap between themselves
+and the girls. It should be noted that none of the guys called me by my first
+name, and I didn't call them by theirs.
+"Oh, hey. Let me practice with you, Ayanokouji. Practice saying
+Suzune's name, I mean."
+"Practice? What do you mean, practice? That's not a normal thing to
+do."
+It was pointless to practice saying someone's name unless you were
+saying it to the person in question. Sudou glared at me intently. He wasn't
+planning to make me his imaginary Horikita, was he? It was probably
+because he was imagining me as someone of the opposite sex, but the look in
+his eyes really creeped me out. In my mind, I started breathing heavily.
+"Hey, Horikita, do you have a minute? There's something I want to
+talk to you about..." Sudou murmured.
+"1'm not Horikita." Disgusted, I averted my eyes.
+"You freakin' moron! It's practice! I don't wanna do it, either, but I got
+to practice, you know? It's like I have to practice basketball if I want to get
+good. In either case, I need to take my shot."
+I really didn't want to listen to this, but I didn't have much of a choice.
+I had to grin and bear it.
+"Horikita. Isn't it weird that we talk to each other like we're strangers?
+We've known each other for a while now. Other people are calling each other
+by their first names. Isn't it time we did, too?"
+(74 99
+eee
+I wanted to hit Sudou on the head, but I tried to endure it like an adult.
+"Say something! Why aren't you practicing?!"
+"What do you want me to say?"
+"Answer like how Horikita would. You've known her for a long time,
+so you'd know how she'd answer, right?"
+We had only known each other for four months, so I wouldn't
+necessarily know that. Even so, Sudou had asked me to play his imaginary
+Horikita. I clenched my fist in a somewhat threatening manner.
+"I'm one step ahead on the path to adulthood. You want me to practice
+this with you instead of Horikita? Feel free to practice by yourself."
+Ike jumped in to substitute for me instead. Sudou seemed kind of weird
+when he started talking.
+"Horikita...is it okay for me to call you by your first name now?"
+"Huh? Well, you're not exactly a hottie, are you, Sudou-kun? And you
+don't seem to have any money, so, like, you're not my type at all, are you?
+Or it's, like, sorry, sorry, but no thanks, you know?!"
+Despite looking nothing like one, Ike was trying to play the part of a
+gyaru high school girl. Sudou put him in a chokehold until he writhed in
+agony on the deck. Those guys always seemed so energetic. I felt exhausted
+just looking at them. Still, they did look pretty funny.
+A little while later, the crowd started getting riled up and making noise.
+The students' enthusiasm increased by leaps and bounds as we sailed closer
+and the island became clearer.
+I'd thought that the ship would have gone directly to the island, but for
+some reason we passed the pier and started circling around. The island, on
+loan from the government, had a surface area of about 0.5 square kilometers.
+The highest point of the island reached 230 meters. In comparison to Japan's
+total area, the island was tiny, but when seen by one hundred-odd people on a
+cruise ship, it looked unbelievably massive.
+Eventually, the boat made a complete pass around the island. The ship
+continued to circle without changing speed, barely making a splash as it
+moved almost unnaturally fast through the water.
+"Such a mysterious sight! It's so moving! Don't you think so,
+Ayanokouji-kun?" Kushida gushed.
+"O-oh. Yeah, I guess."
+As I looked at Kushida, whose eyes sparkled as she looked at the
+deserted island, my heart started to pound. Kushida really was cute. I wanted
+to protect her smile, and her childlike mannerisms.
+An announcement came over the PA speakers. ""We will disembark in
+thirty minutes. Please assemble on the deck. All students should have
+changed into their jerseys. Make sure to check your designated bag and your
+luggage, and do not forget your cell phone. Please keep all other personal
+items in your room. There 1s a possibility that you will not be able to visit the
+bathroom for some time, so please do so now."
+Apparently, the private beach was near. Ike and the others went to
+change in high spirits. I started heading toward my group's room, too. There,
+I put on the jersey that I used for gym class, returned to the ship's deck, and
+waited until we reached the island. As the island drew closer and closer, the
+first-years' enthusiasm reached its peak.
+"We will disembark now, beginning with the students from Class A.
+Cell phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand your phone to your
+homeroom teacher as you leave."
+Following the loudspeaker's command, the students went down the
+stairs in an orderly fashion.
+"Come on. Hurry up! Even though we're wearing thin clothes, we're
+all sweating!"
+There was no place to hide from the sun on the ship's deck. No surprise
+that people were complaining. The Class D students waited on standby in the
+heat. Horikita finally joined us. At first glance, it didn't appear as though
+anything had changed, but there was a slight difference—something felt out
+of place. Even Horikita, normally so meticulous, was concerned about her
+appearance. Right now, though, her hair was disheveled.
+She seemed a bit cold, unconsciously rubbing her arms as we waited to
+disembark and set foot on the island.
+"What were you doing until now?" I asked.
+"T was just reading a book in my room. For Whom the Bell Tolls. You
+wouldn't know it."
+Hey, come on now, | thought. That book was arguably one of Ernest
+Hemingway's definitive works, an unquestioned masterpiece. I'd long been
+impressed by Horikita's hobby of reading such acclaimed books. But I had to
+wonder what her priorities were, since she was reading while on a luxurious
+cruise. In such a case, I found it a little suspicious that she would shut herself
+off in her room to read.
+She wasn't saying anything, and it would be silly to investigate further.
+Best just to drop it.
+"I'm anxious about what's coming, but since we're prohibited from
+bringing personal items along there's nothing I can really do," she grumbled,
+seemingly dissatisfied.
+Unusual for someone headed to the beach to say.
+Disembarking took longer than I thought it would, probably because
+the teachers guarded the students on both sides as they got off the ship and
+checked their luggage.
+"Hey. Does it seem like they're being strangely cautious right now? On
+their guard? I mean, they didn't even confiscate our cell phones during the
+final. They're really cracking down on the personal items."
+"It certainly seems that way. I mean, if we're just playing in the ocean,
+I can't imagine they'd need to go this far."
+Speaking of unnatural, there was a helicopter parked on the stern of the
+boat. While it was true that some things were bothering me, I was probably
+overthinking it. If students did bring their cell phones to the beach,
+someone's phone might get wet and break. And they probably didn't want
+personal items because they were worried about people polluting the beach
+with garbage. And if someone suddenly got ill, the helicopter was there for
+dispatch, right?
+Soon, it would be our turn to be examined and get off the ramp. I had
+yet to realize that this place was going to be the boundary between heaven
+and hell.
+pm |
+As we got off the boat, chatting amiably with one another, our
+homeroom teacher greeted us with some harsh words.
+"T will now start roll call for Class D. When you hear your name,
+please respond loud and clear."
+Our homeroom teacher started taking attendance, clipboard in hand,
+while simultaneously instructing us to form a line. Chabashira-sensei wore
+the same kind of jersey as her students. This atmosphere was more akin to
+training camp than summer vacation. Still, not many of the students seemed
+tense at all.
+"Oh, come on! I want my free time already! The sea 1s right in front of
+me!" Ike muttered, standing directly behind me.
+Most of the students wanted to run off onto the sandy beach. Soon
+enough, a tall teacher stepped onto a prepared white platform. It was
+Mashima-sensei, Class A's homeroom teacher. He normally taught English,
+and was well-known for having a stubborn disposition. At first glance, he
+could easily be mistaken for one of those bodybuilder types. He was built like
+a professional wrestler, but was actually quite intelligent. He'd even taught
+special courses in the past.
+"First, I would like to say that I'm happy you've arrived safely.
+However, it's unfortunate that one of you was unable to participate due to
+illness."
+"Oh wow, someone couldn't come on the trip because he was sick?
+Poor guy," said Ike quietly, so the teachers wouldn't hear. He certainly had a
+point.
+If this were some kind of dinky field trip, that'd be one thing, but such
+a luxurious vacation was another story altogether. I wondered if that kid
+would regret not coming after hearing friends talk about it. Even in poor
+health, I think he should've pushed himself and participated. Oddly enough,
+the teachers themselves looked rather grim. Well, while this was a vacation
+for us students, maybe the teachers supervising us had to think of it as a job.
+No. Somehow, it seemed more than that. While Mashima-sensei
+surveyed the students in silence, I could see that adults in uniform had started
+setting up some kind of special tent nearby. I also saw a computer and other
+equipment on a long table. This increasingly business-like setup didn't match
+the natural splendor around us at all, and many of the students looked
+perplexed.
+Mashima-sensei uttered a few cruel words, as if waiting for the
+atmosphere to change. "Well then. We shall commence the current academic
+year's first special test."
+"Huh? Special test? What do you mean?"
+Almost everyone in our class asked some variation on that question.
+We'd all thought this was just a class trip, only to be hit by this surprise
+attack. Our summer vacation was a product of the school's goodwill, but that
+had been an illusion. We plummeted from relief into stark tension.
+"The test commences now and lasts for one week, concluding on
+August 7th at the year's end. This test will determine if you can live on a
+deserted island together as a group. In addition, I should warn you that this
+special test is both practical and realistic, designed based on real-world
+corporate training."
+"Living on a deserted island. Does that mean we're not staying on the
+boat, but the island?"
+Some students from Class B and C voiced their obvious concerns.
+"You are correct. During the test, you will not be allowed to board the
+ship without a suitably justifiable reason. It will be necessary for you to fend
+for yourselves on this island while you are here, from creating a place to
+sleep to preparing food to eat. Once the test starts, each class will receive two
+tents, and two flashlights. You will be provided with one box of matches.
+There is no limit to the amount of sunscreen you can have. Each student will
+be provided with one toothbrush. As a special case, girls will be allowed to
+have as many feminine sanitary products as they'd like, without any
+restrictions. Please ask your respective homeroom teachers for those. That is
+all."
+With that, the teachers began distributing the items.
+"Huh?! So we have to live like survivors on a deserted island?! I don't
+want to hear this kind of insanity! This isn't an anime or a manga or
+something! We can't all sleep together in just two tents! And what are we
+supposed to do about food in the first place? This is unbelievable!"
+Ike fussed loud enough for everyone to hear. Developing skills of self-
+sufficiency on a deserted island—hunting wild animals, washing in the river,
+building bedding from tree branches—it certainly was like something you'd
+see in a movie or read about in a book. No one could've imagined that the
+school would put us through a test like this.
+Mashima-sensei gave no sign that this was some kind of joke. If
+anything, he appeared surprised by what Ike had said.
+"You may say this is unbelievable, but that's because you've lived a
+short, superficial life. There is an actual, prominent company that holds
+training sessions on uninhabited islands."
+"Huh? B-but this...this isn't special at all. Is it? Isn't 1t too much to ask
+for us to start living on a deserted island with no warning? No way! This is
+unreal!"
+"Keeping on like that would be shameful, Ike, so stop talking. What
+Mashima-sensei just said is only part of it. There are many companies in the
+world with many different training activities. There are workplaces where
+there aren't any chairs in the office, and companies that decide salaries with
+dice rolls. The world is wider and deeper than you even know."
+Chabashira-sensei, as if unable to overlook Ike running his mouth,
+chided him. She continued, "In other words, you are ill-equipped to
+distinguish between what is reality and what isn't."
+Many of the students appeared unconvinced and wore dissatisfied
+looks.
+"T assume you're all thinking something like, 'What does this test
+mean?' Or perhaps some of you doubt the existence of such training
+programs. However, students who remain at such a base level of thought are
+unlikely to become anyone promising in the future. What is your basis for
+determining this to be 'unbelievable' or 'ridiculous'? You're just students. In
+my opinion, you're all equally worthless. What kind of insignificant person
+determines that they can criticize a leading company? That's bizarre. Were
+you a president in charge of one such notable business, then you might have
+some right to deny our claims. However, there shouldn't be any grounds for
+someone of your station to be able to do that."
+As we listened, we did certainly determine that parts sounded
+unreasonable or unrealistic. But, just like Mashima-sensei said, we had no
+basis to oppose their claims. Those who found this beyond the realm of their
+understanding could call it "bizarre" or "unbelievable," but for someone who
+did understand the point, well, it would be absurd to think otherwise.
+"But, teacher, isn't this supposed to be our summer vacation? We were
+brought here under the pretext of going on a relaxing trip. Don't you think
+that bringing us here and then springing this corporate training on us could be
+considered unfair?"
+Some of the students in our class began to protest along these lines.
+"T see. I suppose that you're not wrong about that. I can understand
+why you would be discontented."
+Mashima-sensei's response showed that he recognized the soundness
+of such an argument, unlike Ike's complaints. There were students who were
+dissatisfied with the current situation, and those who were dissatisfied with
+the process as a whole.
+"However, please do not worry. It would make sense for you to have
+complaints if you were being forced into a harsh situation. However, even
+though we're calling it a special test, there's no need to think about it in such
+unhappy terms. In the coming week, you can go swimming, or hold a
+barbecue. It wouldn't be a bad time for you to occasionally have a campfire
+and chat with friends, either. The theme of this special exam is 'freedom',
+after all."
+"Huh? Huh? The theme is freedom? We can have a barbecue? Hmm?
+And this is still called a test? I'm so confused..."
+Even though this was a test, we were free to play. The contradiction
+confused the students, and our doubts only increased.
+"As a major part of this special test, we've decided to distribute 300
+points to each class. By using your points well, you might be able to enjoy
+this week's special test just as you would a normal trip. We've also prepared
+a manual just for that purpose."
+Mashima-sensei received a booklet that looked to be a few dozen pages
+thick from another teacher.
+"This manual lists all of the ways you can obtain points. It also
+explains where to get drinking water and food, as well as essential
+necessities. If you wanted to have a barbecue, it explains how to prepare the
+equipment and ingredients. We also have numerous tools for you to be able
+to enjoy playing in the ocean to the fullest."
+Gradually, the students' grim expressions grew calmer.
+"So, we can do whatever we want with the 300 points?"
+"That's right. It's possible to arrange for anything using your points. Of
+course, it's necessary for you to use them in a systematic way, but with a
+solid plan, you can spend your week without any difficulties."
+If we could really get through the week by using the points we had,
+then this would be more like a vacation than a test. It might end up feeling
+like a real summer vacation.
+"B-but, teacher. You said this was a test, right? So shouldn't there be
+some kind of difficulty to it?"
+"No, there's nothing difficult. It won't even have any adverse effects
+on your second semester. I guarantee it."
+"So it's really okay for us to just have fun for one week?"
+"That's right. You're all free to do what you want. Of course, there are
+some bare minimum rules that you need to abide by as a group, but there
+shouldn't be anything difficult about that."
+If that were true, then did that mean there really was no risk? In that
+case, we should ask if he could explain the purpose of this test. Was it linked
+to some kind of exchange between grade levels? I couldn't understand the
+school's true intentions, but Mashima-sensei's next statement clarified
+everything.
+"When this special test period 1s over, each class' remaining points will
+be added to their total class points. Your point totals will reflect this change
+once summer vacation is over."
+As he spoke, a gust of wind blew across the beach and kicked up a
+cloud of dust.
+Mashima-sensei's words were the greatest shock of the day. In
+previous examinations, they'd measured things like our academic abilities.
+Naturally, this was advantageous for students with a fundamentally high level
+of academic ability. Each time, we in Class D were forced into situations
+where we'd lose class points. However, the rules were completely different
+this time. This test was designed in a way that didn't create too much of a gap
+between Classes A and D.
+"So if we can endure this for one week, then starting next month we
+could see a huge increase in our allowance?!" Ike asked.
+That's right... This wasn't a competition to test our scholarly abilities,
+but our endurance. If we managed to curb our basic desires, we might get
+closer to being the top class.
+"Each class will receive one copy of the manual. If the manual is lost,
+you may have another copy. However, it will consume points, so please be
+very careful. Also, the student who was marked absent from this trip was
+from Class A. According to the rules of this special test, should any student
+have to leave due to illness, there will be a thirty-point penalty to the class as
+a whole. Therefore, Class A will be starting with 270 points."
+Even though it didn't affect our class, the penalty was still merciless.
+The students from Class A were visibly trembling. The other classes also
+appeared shocked. As soon as Mashima-sensei had finished speaking, he told
+us to disperse. Another teacher's voice came over the loudspeaker, telling us
+that each class would receive supplementary instructions from our respective
+homeroom teachers. We then gathered around Chabashira-sensei. The four
+classes had congregated in order to keep some distance from each other.
+"Thirty thousand points next month, thirty thousand points next month,
+thirty thousand points next month. Let's do it!"
+Ike and the others struck victorious poses. The girls happily discussed
+what things they would buy. Class D's dearest wish was to increase our
+points. We just had to spend one week without any luxuries.
+It certainly sounded simple.
+"T will now hand out wristwatches to every one of you. You are not to
+take them off until the end of the test. If you remove your wristwatch without
+permission, you will be punished. This watch doesn't just tell time. Its
+sensors also check your body temperature, your pulse, and even your
+movements. It's equipped with a Gps. Also, in the off chance something bad
+does happen, this watch comes equipped with the means to notify the school.
+If you find yourself in an emergency situation, please do not hesitate to push
+that button."
+The vendor who supplied the watches had stacked them next to
+Chabashira-sensei. The time had come for Class D to collect our supplies.
+We were instructed to take the watches out of their boxes and put them on.
+"When you say an emergency, do you mean, like, if a bear shows up?"
+"Even if that was a joke, the test has already begun. I cannot answer
+any questions that might possibly influence your results."
+"Uh...that's a kinda freaky answer."
+"T don't think there are any wild animals here. If one of the students
+were injured, that would be a big problem. They probably gave us these
+watches solely to manage our well-being. Don't you agree? We're on an
+uninhabited island, after all, and the school has to ensure our safety," Hirata
+said.
+Indeed, the school had gifted us these watches to keep us safe. If we
+were roaming freely about the island, the teachers wouldn't be able to
+monitor our condition with their eyes alone. Plus, it would be difficult to
+install cameras here, like inside of the school. They most likely intended to
+monitor our physical condition so they could respond to any unforeseen
+circumstances. The helicopter back on the ship was probably there in case of
+just such an emergency. As people received their watches, they placed them
+on either their right or left arm, according to their preferences.
+"Ts it okay for us to get in the water wearing these?"
+"There shouldn't be any problem. They're waterproof. However,
+should they malfunction, immediately report to a test administrator and
+exchange it for a replacement."
+This special test was somewhat eccentric in its design, so it likely
+wasn't the first time that the school had run it. Clearly, they had planned for
+various situations. However, there might have been some oversights.
+"Chabashira-sensei. I understand that we're going to be spending one
+week on this island, but is it possible to get by without using any points?"
+"Hmm. Well, the school isn't involved in the test process at all. That
+means that you must prepare your own food and water. Thinking of solutions
+to resolve the issue is part of the test. I don't know of any way of doing so
+without points."
+The girls looked visibly more perplexed than the boys. The fact that a
+bed wasn't guaranteed probably made them feel uneasy.
+"Don't worry. If we can catch fish and pick fruit in the forest, then
+we'll be fine. We can also use leaves and trees to make tents and stuff. And
+even if you start not feeling great, do your best!" Ike said, seemingly without
+any worry at all. He was determined to preserve the 300 points.
+Even if Ike would be fine living like that, our class comprised more
+than thirty students. Obtaining what everyone needed probably wouldn't be
+that easy.
+"I'm sorry, Ike, but I don't think things will go as you've planned.
+Open your manual."
+Hirata did as Chabashira-sensei instructed.
+"First, I'd like you to read the last page, where the penalties are listed.
+This is very important information that encapsulates the difficulties of this
+special test. It will determine whether you live or die."
+On the last page, a line read, "These penalties will be applied to anyone
+who falls under the following conditions."
+"Anyone deemed unable to continue the test due to significant
+deterioration in health or serious injury will be penalized by thirty points.
+That student will then retire."
+"In the event a student has polluted the environment, he or she will be
+penalized twenty points."
+"In the event students are absent during the 8 AM or 8 PM roll call, five
+points will be taken for each student absent."
+However, the most serious punishment was detailed in the fourth entry
+on the list. "In the event a student is found guilty of an act of violence toward
+another class, robbing another class, or causing damage to another class'
+property, etc., the offending student's class will immediately be disqualified,
+and the individual will forfeit all of his or her private points."
+It looked like Class A was subject to these same penalties. The fourth
+rule was totally reasonable, written to prevent students from engaging in
+harmful behavior, while the other three rules were clearly there so individual
+students wouldn't behave carelessly. Because we had roll call in the morning
+and at night, it was impossible to sleep your time away at camp. It was also
+meant to suppress rather barbaric behavior, like a student littering
+everywhere.
+Essentially, it was a contest of restraint.
+"You are free to behave as you wish. However, if ten students fall into
+poor health, then all your efforts will be for nothing. Once a student has
+retired from the test, he or she cannot come back."
+The students who had thought it possible to get through the test by
+relying on their own endurance now looked perplexed. It would be
+impossible not to spend a single point, but that was true of every class.
+However, whether you actively participated or resigned yourself to your fate
+in this test, endurance alone would not win the day here.
+How would we use our points effectively, save them, and get through
+the week?
+Gradually, the shape of this very literal "special test" became clearer.
+"In other words, using at least some points is unavoidable?" asked a
+girl named Shinohara, who'd been following along in the conversation.
+"T disagree with the idea of compromising right away. I think that we
+ought to persevere for as long as we can."
+"T understand how you feel, but it'Il be bad if our health suffers."
+"Come on, Hirata, don't be so discouraging! This is a test of our
+patience, right?"
+The more we understood the rules, the less we could agree on a course
+of action. Our opinions were divided. At any rate, there were a wide variety
+of items for purchase in the manual: essential equipment for surviving, like
+tents and cookware; machines and tools, like digital cameras and wireless
+transceivers/walkie-talkies; items for amusement, like umbrellas, floaties,
+stuff for a barbecue, and fireworks; and food and water, the bare essentials.
+We could prepare for anything with our points. Apparently anyone
+could request something, and just report to their homeroom teacher in order
+to use points to purchase it.
+"Chabashira-sensei, can I ask you something? In the event that
+someone were to retire after we had already used all 300 points, what would
+happen?" asked Horikita, her hand raised.
+"In that case, all that would increase is the number of people forced to
+retire. Your points can't be changed any more after reaching zero."
+"So, in other words, we can't get into negative points during the test?"
+Chabashira-sensei answered in the affirmative. Mashima-sensei had
+said that there wouldn't be any negative effects from this test. It looked like
+that was true. Chabashira-sensei continued talking, occasionally glancing at
+her wristwatch to check the time.
+"Each one of the supplied tents is large enough to accommodate eight
+people. The tents weigh close to fifteen kilos, so please be careful when
+carrying them. Also, the school will not step in to help should your supplied
+items become lost or damaged. In the event that you need a new tent,
+remember to use your points."
+"May I ask something? Where will roll call be held?"
+"Each class will be accompanied by their respective homeroom
+teachers until the test is over. If you've decided where you want your base
+camp to be, report it. Once the base is set up, I will hold roll call there. Make
+sure that you think long and hard about it, because you can't change your
+base camp location without a justifiable reason once you've decided. The
+other classes are subject to the same conditions. There are no exceptions."
+Did that mean that Chabashira-sensei was going to spend a week
+together with Class D, as our supervisor? Of course, she probably wasn't
+going to help us.
+"Hey, teacher. I'm sorry to interrupt you when you're talking, but that
+juice from earlier went right through me. Where's the toilet?"
+Sudou appeared before us, like he hadn't heard the announcement.
+"The toilet, huh? I was about to get to that point. If you want to use the
+bathroom, use this."
+Chabashira-sensei grabbed one of the cardboard boxes from the
+stacked pile. She peeled off the packing tape and took out some collapsed
+cardboard.
+"Huh? What's that?" Sudou asked.
+"It's a basic toilet. Each class will be supplied with one. Please handle
+it carefully."
+Sudou wasn't the only one perplexed by this. The girls were shocked.
+"Don't tell me we have to use that?!' Shinohara, from Karuizawa's
+group, raised her voice in horrified surprise. The girl seemed like an
+extension of Karuizawa herself, rather than a simple group member.
+"Both the boys and girls will use it. But do not worry, it comes with a
+single button tent that you can use when you want to change. That way, no
+one will be able to see you."
+"That's not the problem! Th-that's just a cardboard box! This is
+absolutely impossible!"
+"It might be a cardboard box, but it's an especially well-made one. It
+can even be used in a disaster. I'Il show you how to use it, so please commit
+this to memory."
+While the girls booed her, Chabashira-sensei assembled the toilet. It
+seemed she was familiar with setting it up. Then she put a blue vinyl bag on
+it, and placed what looked to be a white sheet inside.
+"This sheet is made of water-absorbing polymer. It covers and
+solidifies waste. It'Il make the waste invisible, and also suppress the smell.
+After you finish using it, stack another sheet on top. By repeating this
+process, it's possible to get around five uses with one vinyl bag. These vinyl
+bags and sheets will be supplied to you in unlimited amounts. You can even
+change them after every use, if you want."
+The girls listened silently to Chabashira-sensei's explanation. If a
+disaster did occur, it wouldn't matter whether you were a boy or a girl, or if it
+was just a cardboard box. But it was probably pretty difficult to imagine this
+idyllic island as a disaster area.
+"There's just no way I can do this! Absolutely no way!"
+Starting with Shinohara, nearly all of the girls rejected the idea.
+Ike, who'd been silent, pouted and said, "Come on, just deal with it.
+This isn't the time to fight, Shinohara."
+"Don't screw around! It probably doesn't matter to you boys. There's
+no way J can go to the bathroom in a cardboard box."
+"The decision is yours. However, you are not permitted to relieve
+yourselves in the forest, the sea, or rivers. Do not forget that."
+Even when giving that warning, our teacher sounded uninterested.
+"But, but I definitely can't do it in a cardboard box! Besides, the guys
+are going to be close, right? That's gross!"
+Shinohara, still unaccepting of the situation, directed her anger at the
+boys, especially Ike.
+"What the heck? I don't get why you're treating us like perverts," Ike
+said.
+"Tt's true though, isn't it? You do seem to be really perverted."
+"Huh? Jeez, that hurts! I'm a super gentleman!"
+"Don't make me laugh. A gentleman? Get real. You're by far the top
+contender for biggest pervert."
+Sparks flew as Ike and Shinohara got into a heated argument.
+"Anyway, it's impossible for me," she said.
+Shinohara and half of the girls seemed like unwilling to listen to
+reason.
+"Well then, what are you going to do? It'd be impossible for you to not
+use the bathroom for one whole week, right?"
+"That's—"
+Our teacher, who had calmly watched Ike and Shinohara argue like it
+wasn't her problem, suddenly looked behind us with a disgusted expression.
+"Y 00-hoo!"'
+We heard a piercing voice. Its owner rushed at her target, capturing our
+homeroom teacher and hugging her tightly from behind.
+"What are you doing?" Chabashira-sensei grunted.
+"What, I can't be friendly? I honestly wanted to see what you'd do,"
+said Hoshinomiya-sensei, Class B's homeroom instructor. She gently
+caressed Chabashira-sensei's arms. "Whenever I touch your hair, Sae-chan,
+it's always so smooth!"
+"Don't you understand the school's rules at all? Eavesdropping on
+other classes when they are giving information is inexcusable."
+"Aw, I'm just an unimportant teacher, though. Even if I did hear
+something, I'd never tell. But doesn't this feel like fate? I can't believe that
+we both came to this island together."
+Fate? Chabashira-sensei ignored the hidden meaning in Hoshinomtya-
+sensei's words.
+"Shut up. Just hurry on back to Class B."
+"Ah! Isn't that Ayanokouji-kun? It's been so long!"
+Unlike the other teachers, who occasionally popped into class, I didn't
+normally get many opportunities to interact with Hoshinomtya-sensei. I gave
+her a slight bow.
+"Summer is the season of love. If you want to confess your feelings to
+a girl you like, perhaps it'd be more effective while standing before the
+beautiful ocean?"
+"The ocean may be beautiful, but I can't afford to do that during class."
+Tears streamed down her cheeks. Since everyone was staring at us, I
+really wished she'd disentangle herself from my romantic life.
+"You need to be more carefree!"
+"Hey. Should I report you to the school authorities for behavioral
+problems? Besides, I don't have any more time." Chabashira-sensei said.
+"Ooh, don't glare at me like that. Fine, fine, I get it. See you later!"
+Hoshinomtya-sensei walked away with a sad look on her face.
+Chabashira-sensei immediately started on a new topic.
+"Well then, allow me to explain some additional rules."
+"A-additional rules? There's more?"
+"Soon you will be permitted to roam about freely, but there are several
+designated 'spots' on the island. In these spots, there is what's referred to as
+right of exclusive possession, and only the class that occupies that spot may
+exercise those rights. The class that obtains those rights is entirely free to
+determine how they wish to exercise them. However, rights of exclusive
+possession are only valid for a period of eight hours after being invoked, after
+which they are automatically revoked. That means that another class can
+acquire those rights at that time. Also, you gain one bonus point if you
+occupy a spot once. However, that point is provisional, and cannot be used
+during the testing period. Therefore, bonus points are calculated and added to
+your total after the test has ended. Because the school is constantly
+monitoring you, there is no room for fraud. Please be aware of that fact."
+"Huh? Huh? Well...wait, isn't that super important, though?! Getting
+to add a point is awesome! Leave everything to us!"
+"Let's go looking right away!" Ike said to Yamauchi and the others, his
+eyes shining.
+The manual went into the bonus point in great detail. Apparently, there
+was some kind of apparatus installed near each spot, one which showed rights
+of exclusive possession. It was unclear how many spots were on the island,
+but they were clearly important. However...
+"T can understand your impatience, but be aware of the risks. After you
+take those risks into account, then you have to consider what to do.
+Everything is written in the manual."
+A specialized key card is required to occupy a spot.
+You can earn one point by occupying a spot each time. Occupied spots
+can be used freely.
+You will receive a fifty-point penalty if you use a spot occupied by
+another class without permission.
+Only a designated leader can use the key card.
+It is impossible to change the leader without suitable justification.
+The manual outlined those rules. While Chabashira-sensei explained, I
+noticed details such as how the rights of exclusive possession were reset
+every eight hours; how if a space wasn't occupied, you could take it
+immediately; how it was okay for the same class to occupy the same space
+repeatedly, etc. So if one class successfully managed to repeatedly hold onto
+three spots for eight hours at a time, that class could obtain fifty points or
+more by the end of the test. However, there were big risks associated.
+With the rules established thus far, 1t looked like a simple matter of the
+early bird getting the worm. It seemed like a good system, if you were able to
+forcibly occupy spots over and over again.
+But that was impossible. The final rule detailed why.
+On the seventh day, the last day of the test, you had the right to guess at
+the identity of the other class' leader during roll call. If you managed to get it
+right, then you could obtain fifty points for each correct guess. Conversely,
+the other class would have to pay fifty points as compensation. If you moved
+to acquire a spot without caution, and your leader was discovered, then you
+could lose a great number of points. So, high risk, high reward.
+However, the guesses couldn't be hazarded without risk. If you
+happened to be mistaken, you would suffer a fifty-point penalty for being
+incorrect. In addition, a class whose leader had been found out would lose all
+of the bonus points they'd saved up until then. This rule made it so if you
+didn't have much confidence, you would be hesitant to join the battle to
+occupy spots.
+"One person must be chosen as the leader, no exceptions. However,
+you are free not to participate. Please tell me once you've selected someone.
+At that time, I will provide you with a key card stamped with the leader's
+name. You have until roll call today. In the event that you do not decide by
+then, we will decide for you. That is all."
+In other words, the leader's identity would be discovered if you only
+managed to glance at the card. With that, Chabashira-sensei seemingly
+finished with her explanation. The die was cast. Hirata immediately started
+taking action.
+"We'll have time later to think about who should be the leader. First,
+where will our base camp be? Do we camp somewhere around here, on the
+beach? Or do we go into the forest? We need to think carefully about our
+spot."
+The manual included a simple map of the island, with only its size and
+the shape drawn. Things like the total area of the forest and the topography
+were completely unknown. It was more like a blank sheet of paper.
+"It looks like we need to fill in the necessary parts ourselves." A
+ballpoint pen had been given to us as well, for that exact purpose.
+"It's good to have a spot near the boat where lots of teachers are,
+right?"
+"No, I'm not too sure. There may not be anything here."
+If there was no water, then there was no food. Building a base in this
+location could possibly mean being as far away as possible from convenient
+resources. On top of that, the sunlight would be intense during the day,
+making the environment harsh. On the other hand, there would also be risks if
+we went too far into the forest.
+"More importantly, I need to use the bathroom. I can't hold it
+anymore."
+Sudou grabbed the simple toilet that Chabashira-sensei had made. We
+assembled the one-button tent and set it up a short distance away. Shinohara
+and the others observed the situation while huddled tightly together.
+Chabashira-sensei retreated. She probably meant to imply, "I'm not getting
+involved anymore. Do whatever you want."
+"Hey, Hirata-kun. Isn't it better to decide ahead of time what we should
+do about the toilet?"
+The toilet was definitely going to become an issue before long. The
+girls' opinions were reasonable.
+"Well, we can talk about a decision, but in the end don't we just have
+to grin and bear it?"
+"No, there could be another way."
+Hirata looked at the manual, and then looked back up.
+"It says that temporary toilets can be purchased and installed using our
+points."
+Shinohara and the other immediately gathered around the manual. The
+functions of the temporary toilets appeared impeccable. The reference
+pictures made it look like a flushable toilet you'd see at home. If that were the
+case, then the girls would be well on board with it. However, the problem
+was that we needed to spend twenty points per toilet. It was difficult to judge
+whether that was expensive or cheap.
+"We absolutely need it! I mean, I really don't like that we have to
+spend points... But if we don't, it's just impossible!"
+A lot of girls, triggered by Shinohara's remarks, agreed. For the girls,
+having a toilet might outweigh having food or water. They didn't intend to
+budge on this issue.
+"W-wait a minute here, you guys! Twenty points?! Just for a toilet?!"
+Ike reacted with horror. His desire to be economical and save points
+was all-consuming. Also, some of the guys could put up with using a
+cardboard toilet. They probably wanted to refrain from making unnecessary
+purchases as much as possible.
+"Yes, as a toilet, that one's good. But we already have this one! Right?
+We still have a lot of time left to use our points. It's bad for us to splurge
+now!"
+"You don't get to decide that. Hirata-kun is going to consider all of our
+opinions and decide. Right, Hirata-kun?" Shinohara ignored Ike and pleaded
+with Hirata to buy a temporary toilet.
+"T see. At the very least, having a toilet for the girls would be—"
+"You're free to consider everyone's opinions, but that doesn't mean
+you get to make decisions," said Ike, frantically trying to stop Hirata, who
+appeared to be about to buy the toilet.
+"Ah, shut up already! Karuizawa-san, say something, will you? We
+need a toilet!" Shinohara begged Karuizawa, the girls' representative.
+"Really? Well, I suppose it' ll be tough, but I really want class points. I
+guess Ill just grin and bear it." An unexpected response from Karuizawa,
+who seemed like she would' ve been first to complain. "The school has
+already prepared for our needs. I can endure it. If we take baths in the river
+and use what we have here, don't you think everything will be fine?"
+***
+"But... Karuizawa-san
+If Karuizawa said as much, then even the strong-willed Shinohara
+couldn't oppose her openly. Many of the girls followed Karuizawa, after all.
+However, Yukimura suddenly joined the fight.
+"Tt's not as though I don't understand the girls' desire to have a
+temporary toilet. However, I'm not convinced that we ought to arbitrarily
+spend our points, whether it's for boys or girls. I suppose if you want the
+toilet, then I'd like to at least make a decision after collecting a majority
+vote."
+He slid his glasses up his nose, voicing his disagreement in a rather
+ageressive tone.
+"T'm just making a natural request for a girl, that's all. It doesn't
+involve boys at all."
+"A natural request? Doesn't involve boys? I can't understand that. Isn't
+that simply a form of discrimination?"
+"Discrimination? Ah, this is giving me a headache. Hirata-kun, please
+make them leave me alone." Shinohara, unable to give up on the toilet matter,
+frantically pleaded for help.
+"This test is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bridge our point gap with
+the other classes. We can't use valuable points on things like temporary
+toilets. I have no intention of being in Class D forever. I don't agree with
+Shinohara-san, who's making arbitrary requests based on her personal
+wishes. I would like for us to uniformly decide upon a clear policy."
+"Huh? Are you trying to say that I'm not considering anything?" she
+asked.
+"Even money can move based purely on instinct. I hate that women
+argue so emotionally."
+"Huh? That doesn't mean that I want to use our points indiscriminately.
+What I'm saying is that we should have at least the bare minimum. Do you
+not understand that?"
+"Both of you calm down. Yukimura-kun, I understand what you mean
+to say, but if you speak so belligerently we're not going to resolve anything,
+are we? Let's do this calmly."
+"Calmly? Don't you agree that we should, under no circumstances, use
+our points arbitrarily?" Yukimura asked.
+"Well..."
+Hirata was caught in an increasingly fraught situation. He didn't know
+what to do, yet frantically tried to mediate while doing his best not to show
+mounting concern.
+"Class D has no leadership, which worries me. Besides, Hirata's a
+pushover. He can't even make one decision, can he?"
+I stood a short distance away, watching the situation unfold. Horikita
+stood next to me. After realizing that it was unlikely any progress would be
+made, she sighed heavily.
+"Tt looks like this test is going to be more complex and challenging
+than we thought..."
+Horikita, oddly enough, looked perplexed.
+"It's a chance for us to get a lot of points. Are you okay, Horikita?"
+When I looked at her in profile, she appeared a little annoyed rather
+than conflicted.
+"TI wonder. At this stage, I'm not optimistic enough to say it'll be easy.
+I'm the same as the others. I've never lived in such an environment before, so
+I can't really make any predictions. I realize now that this test is more
+complicated than we thought, and our position more precarious. I do want to
+increase our points, but I can't come up with a good solution. What an
+unpleasant test."
+One group wanted to use points, one group didn't want to use points,
+and one group wanted to use points only when necessary. Those were three
+fully split groups right there. Furthermore, there were some minor differences
+even within those separate factions.
+This week would not be easy in a class of more than thirty people. The
+manual seemed to represent every difficulty we would face in uniting as a
+class, while simultaneously laying out our freedom. From a little further
+away, Chabashira-sensei watched our confrontation with cold eyes. She
+wasn't going to appraise her students, though. After all, Class D was a
+collection of failures; we existed solely to fail. Was that the focus of this
+exercise?
+"Horikita, what do you think?"
+"Like Yukimura-kun says, I would like to get by without using
+unnecessary points. However, I'm not confident that I can make it through
+the week without satisfactory equipment. That's just my honest opinion.
+However, I think that we ought to challenge ourselves, see how much we can
+endure. What do you say?"
+"T think the same. There's too much we don't know," I replied.
+"Hey, look. Did Class A and Class B perhaps already decide what
+they're doing?"
+We turned toward a girl's flustered voice. Although only a few minutes
+had passed, several students had gathered together and were heading into the
+forest. They were probably looking for the best place to set up base camp. It
+was almost symbolic of their superiority. Meanwhile, Classes C and D still
+lacked cohesion. We couldn't even get off to a satisfactory start.
+"Ah, damn it! This isn't the time for a long, leisurely chat about toilets!
+I intend to do anything to protect our points. I'1l go look for camp areas and
+spots. Yukimura, Shinohara, and the rest of you, don't start spending any
+points."
+"Got it. We don't intend to."
+You couldn't call Ike and Yukimura the best of friends, but apparently
+they could cooperate with a shared goal.
+"Wait a minute, Ike-kun. It's dangerous to go into the forest without a
+plan."
+"Will staying here and worrying solve anything? It won't."
+The desire to go and the desire to stay clashed. However, Hirata wasn't
+persuasive enough to stop Ike and the others.
+"T'Il come back once I find a spot we can use. Then, after everyone
+moves there, we can talk. A simple plan, right?"
+Did Sudou and Yamauchi also intend to search for spots? They
+gathered around an impatient Ike.
+"Are you going too, Ayanokouji?" Sudou asked looking me in the eye.
+I casually shook my head.
+"T don't want you three to ever do anything alone. If you get lost, it'll
+be trouble." Hirata seemed to realize that he couldn't stop this.
+"We get it. All right, we'll look for lots of stuff!"
+Just as I'd thought, with no shade to block out the sunlight, it got really
+hot. While we'd spent time sitting here discussing things, we had all grown
+dehydrated.
+"Tt'd be really tough to try building our campsite here."
+The intense heat made some of our classmates started whining. Hirata
+also seemed to realize just how difficult camping on the beach would be. If
+this were a genuine camp with an umbrella, a beach tent, and plenty of
+options for swimming in the ocean and protecting ourselves from the sun,
+that'd be one thing. But our current situation made that difficult.
+"For the time being, how about we find a place in the shade? We can
+talk while we move." Hirata took the initiative and started carrying the tent.
+The other guys followed suit.
+"By the way. Did Sudou-kun tidy up the toilet properly?"
+One of the girls looked anxious as she pointed to the toilet. It was true
+that Sudou had been empty-handed when he exited after going in to do his
+business. So at the very least, the inside was...
+We left the toilet under the scorching sun. The inside of the tent
+would' ve been like a steam bath.
+252
+W. walked from the beach toward a gigantic forest. One of the boys
+looked visibly shaken.
+"Ts it really okay for us to go in there? We might get really lost. I can't
+see into it at all."
+That was precisely why we had the roll call rule and the emergency
+button installed on our wristwatches. We had to cooperate. If we didn't work
+together, then we'd probably end up panicking and spending our points like
+they grew on trees.
+"Wow, Karuizawa-san. Hirata-kun 1s really amazing, isn't he? He takes
+on everything that comes his way, even if he dislikes it."
+"Oh yeah. The other guys are pathetic, so it's good to just leave
+everything to Hirata-kun, right?"
+Hirata, still carrying the tent, walked ahead of Karuizawa's group, who
+looked at him with admiration. Incidentally, I was helping carry the luggage,
+too. I also carried the simple toilet made out of folded cardboard. I'd
+determined that if I didn't help now, extra work might come my way later.
+For the time being, I wanted to preemptively give the impression that I was
+helping.
+Horikita, who was isolated from the other girls, calmly followed the
+group from the back. She would occasionally act as though she were going to
+stop, but then immediately started walking again. I slowed down a little bit
+until I was walking side by side with her.
+"Not in a good mood?" I asked.
+"To be honest, I'm depressed. These kinds of things just aren't for me.
+Life on an island seems primitive, and worst of all, I can't be alone."
+Enthusiastically joining in a group effort was far beyond Horikita's
+capabilities. I thought it would've been good to make an effort to fit in, but it
+would've been pointless to say that to her. I relented.
+"You know, what you said to me before might end up being true."
+Horikita wore a look of slight amusement.
+"This test will likely fall outside of my academic abilities. ''d
+determined that Ike-kun and Sudou-kun would be hindrances, but they took
+the initiative to go out searching. I wasn't able to do anything, because I kept
+debating what action to take. If they'd started moving quicker, they probably
+would've been able to find something useful."
+"Maybe. More importantly though, are you okay?"
+"What do you mean?"
+She glared. I quickly said "Nothing," and averted my gaze. While
+talking with Horikita, I felt someone watching my back. Looking over my
+shoulder, I saw Sakura, who was walking way in the back. When she noticed
+that I'd turned around, she got flustered and looked away.
+"What's the matter?" Horikita asked.
+"Oh, nothing." Maybe I was being too nosy. I turned back around.
+"TI wonder what the other classes will do. I've been curious about their
+movements. If Classes A and B intend to obtain as many points as possible,
+then we'll need to prepare as well. We can't let the difference between us
+widen." Horikita wore a serious expression on her face. In that respect, she
+had extraordinary resolve. Currently, we were separated from the other
+classes by a wide margin based solely on our academic abilities. For Horikita,
+who aimed to reach Class A, this was a fight she absolutely could not afford
+to lose.
+"Aiming for the top is tough," I said.
+"T thought what Chabashira-sensei said back then was a joke, but are
+you really not at all interested in moving up?" Horikita asked.
+Chabashira-sensei had probably said something about that back when
+she encountered Horikita and me in the guidance room.
+"It's not particularly weird or anything, 1s it? It's not like Ike and the
+others are gunning for Class A or anything. If we got an increase in our
+allowance each month, that'd make me happy. If I'm lucky, maybe we can
+even reach Class A."
+I couldn't speak to others' true intentions, like Hirata and Karuizawa.
+"People who come to this school do so to make use of the privileges it
+offers." Rather than dissatisfied, Horikita appeared puzzled. At the time of
+our enrollment, access to elite universities and job opportunities were
+supposed to be guaranteed. Many students expected it.
+"Why did you choose this school?" she asked me.
+"Well, can't I just say the same thing? To shamelessly make use of the
+privileges the school offered me."
+"T see." This time she sounded blatantly dissatisfied, and regarded me
+with a sharp side-eye. I thought that Horikita had enrolled here to be at the
+same school as her older brother. She wasn't aiming for Class A for her own
+sake, but rather, sought her older brother's approval. Her ambition differed
+from most others.
+"It doesn't feel good to have someone pry into your past," she said,
+forestalling me. I'd intended to dig deeper, but it looked like she'd
+immediately understood my true intentions. /'m trying to understand my past,
+or Should I say this person's past, by thoroughly analyzing and breaking
+down people.
+"T'Il tell you this: Chabashira-sensei leaked the information. Don't
+misunderstand me. All right? Besides, we're still not friends. Don't forget
+that."
+"Don't worry. I'm not really thinking about friendship, anyway."
+Shortly after, Hirata and the others stopped.
+"If we stop here, there's foliage blocking the sunlight, and it doesn't
+seem like we'll have to worry about anyone hearing us."
+Some of the boys began teaming up, and it wasn't long before they had
+their own opinions that clashed with Hirata's.
+"We ought to be moving, too, not leaving everything to Ike and the
+others. Don't you think? If another class captures one of the main spots, the
+point difference will widen."
+"Yeah, you're right. We do need to get moving right away, but it's not
+a good idea to neglect our problems and scatter. First of all, we need to
+resolve the toilet question."
+"That's why I'm saying we should just use the toilet that they gave us."
+Yukimura glared at the girls' group.
+"I've thought it over, and I believe we should install one toilet first,"
+Hirata said forcefully. Apparently, he was done being pushed around.
+"You don't just get to decide. Ike also had an opinion."
+"Installing a toilet might be a necessary expense. To begin with, we
+have one simple toilet that our class, which has thirty or more students, isn't
+used to. I have to wonder if we can really take turns effectively without any
+trouble?"
+"That's... If we use it well..."
+"It's unrealistic. We have to consider the worst-case scenario. If
+everyone took three minutes to use the restroom, then it would take an hour
+and a half or more for everyone to go. Can that possibly work?"
+"That's pointless. Not everyone would need to use the toilet at the
+same time. The school provided us with just one toilet because it was
+realistic. We should be able to effectively take turns, right?"
+"T don't think so. From the beginning, I thought using only one toilet
+would be impossible. If you reason it out, I think it's less about refraining
+from spending any points, and more that we need to spend our points
+effectively. You should know that, Yukimura-kun. The other classes have
+most likely come to the same conclusion."
+No matter how we used our points, this was a critical junction for
+determining whether we'd win or lose. All of the supplies we'd been given
+seemed insufficient. By giving us a tent that only about half our class could
+use and a small flashlight, the teachers seemed to be suggesting that we
+would need to use points.
+"That's all just speculation on your part. Besides, if the other classes
+did install the toilets, we'd be twenty points ahead just by doing without
+them. So that's precisely why we shouldn't install one."
+"You're right about that, but it's unlikely that putting up with a faulty
+toilet will work out in our favor. It'Il add unnecessary stress and anxiety. I'm
+also worried about sanitation. Objectively, we should install at least one
+toilet."
+It looked like after taking time to calm down, Hirata had come to a
+solid conclusion. It wasn't just to provoke arguments; he was convinced that
+he'd get their approval eventually.
+"T think this'Il grant the girls peace of mind."
+Not even Yukimura could deny Hirata's impeccable reasoning. Hirata
+understood wanting to preserve our points, but he'd also deduced the
+downsides of a single toilet. Truth be told, our classmates had been given so
+much information in one go that they'd overlooked obvious things.
+Yukimura, who couldn't bear being stared at in silence, broke.
+"Fine. In that case, let's install one toilet."
+In the end, Yukimura had been beaten. Shinohara, Karuizawa's group,
+and even Horikita all looked relieved.
+"Teacher. If we wish to install a temporary toilet, can we decide where
+to have it installed?"
+"As long as it's not on impossible terrain, 1t can be put anywhere. It's
+also possible to have it moved after installation, but it would take some time.
+It weighs about 100 or more kilos, thus requiring quite a bit of labor."
+With one problem resolved, Hirata sighed in relief.
+"Next. We've already heard some opinions, but I think we need to
+search around and decide where our base camp will be. Where we settle will
+impact how we consume our points," said Hirata, obviously trying to head
+another argument off at the pass.
+We recruited volunteers, but barely got anyone to help. We ended up
+with only two guys. Most people weren't willing to enter such a sprawling
+forest. That was only natural.
+"T wonder if anyone among us has expert survival skills?" said Hirata,
+holding onto a sliver of hope. According to manga clichés, there was always
+that one person you could depend upon in times like these. Hirata checked
+our classmates, but everyone seemed reluctant to step forward. Just then, the
+Professor, who thus far had silently watched, raised his hand.
+"Since childhood, my father trained me in a particular set of skills. He
+taught me to survive, even alone in the jungle...is precisely how I would
+describe the type of character needed for this situation."
+Everybody booed. The Professor got flustered and apologized, but it
+was too late. We all hated him.
+"Um, if you don't mind, Ill go."
+Kushida volunteered herself. Suddenly the boys' eyes lit up, even
+though they'd refused to participate before. The formerly reluctant fellows
+stepped forward and volunteered, saying, "Me too, me too!"" Some were
+probably motivated by goodwill for Kushida, while others might've been
+embarrassed that a girl had taken the initiative before them.
+I raised my hand as Hirata started counting people.
+"Okay, so eleven people, huh? If we had one more participant, we
+could make four teams," Horikita said.
+"Are you going, too?" I asked.
+"T have to hang back. But it's unusual to see you be so proactive."
+"Well, without a role to fill in the class, you'll get cut off."
+Just then, someone raised a rather shy hand. When Hirata saw her, he
+smiled in relief.
+"Thank you, Sakura-san. That makes twelve. Let's go in four teams of
+three people. It's 1:30 right now Regardless of results, I want everyone to
+meet back here by 3:00."
+With that, the twelve volunteers began to form up into teams according
+to their preferences. In the blink of an eye, I became one of the leftovers.
+"N-nice to see you again, Ayanokouji-kun," said Sakura, who'd also
+been overlooked. And then...
+"The sun certainly is refreshing. My body needs energy."
+Kouenji Rokusuke. That guy was actually going to join our search
+party. Fortunately, I'd been paired with a free spirit and a quiet girl. With
+these two, I'd be able to move without any difficulty.
+23
+The forest's verdant, overgrown foliage surrounded us. The further in
+we went, the thicker it became. It was preferable to the scorching beach, but
+the damp heat was agonizing. I grabbed the neckline of my shirt and fanned
+myself to cool down. It was as steamy as water over hot stones.
+As I thought about it, all I could think was how hot it was. It was way
+too hot. Would talking be enough to distract myself from it?
+"Kouenji?"
+"Ah, so beautiful. As I stand here amongst such vast nature, with an air
+of composure, I really am too beautiful. The pinnacle of beauty!"
+It was no use. I couldn't hold a proper conversation with him. There
+was really only one person I could talk to.
+"Amazing, isn't it?" I asked.
+"Huh?!"
+Sakura, who was walking a bit behind me, jumped in surprise. Perhaps
+she hadn't expected anyone to talk to her.
+"You raised your hand when Hirata said he wanted one more person,
+didn't you? There are lots of things you can do now."
+"Well, I don't think that's particularly amazing or anything. It's really
+not. Even now, I'm still a little confused."
+Rather than calling her meek, I'd say that Sakura was pensive and bad
+at talking with others. She was probably pretty passive when it came to things
+like being on a group trip. I'd thought that she would move away from me,
+but we continued to walk side by side. Hiking from the beach to the forest
+had put a serious drain on our stamina. Not only was the footing unstable, but
+the path was on a bit of an incline.
+"So why did you raise your hand to do something as difficult as
+exploring the forest?"
+"Well, that's... I felt kind of uncomfortable when everyone else in the
+crowd got so fired up..."
+"Well, I don't know how you feel, but even with a small number of
+people, this won't be easy."
+Now I was definitely in this conversation, even if it became unpleasant.
+"But Ayanokouji-kun, you raised your hand, so..." Sakura raised her
+head in surprise, growing flustered and making frantic gestures. "Th-that's
+not what I mean! It's just that since there isn't anyone I can talk to, that's
+why... That's what I mean!"
+With this feverish denial, she hurried forward.
+"H-hey, watch ou—"
+"Wh— Aah!"
+As she turned around to look at me, Sakura's foot caught on the roots
+of a large tree. Panicked, I tried to grab her, but didn't make it in time.
+"Are you okay?" I asked.
+"Oh, ouch..."
+Fortunately, she'd landed on her butt and hands. It didn't look like
+anything serious.
+"You'll get hurt if you're not careful in the forest. Here, take my hand."
+"Th-thank you."
+Sakura sheepishly reached for me, but then noticed that her hands were
+dirty and quickly withdrew. I didn't particularly care that her hands were
+dirty, though, so I grabbed her and helped pull her up.
+*"S-SOrry. 99
+"You don't need to apologize."
+I brushed the dirt off Sakura's hands. This was probably the first time
+any of us had set foot in such a wild forest. I thought we'd be fine so long as
+we walked in one direction, but I was wrong. First of all, walking in a straight
+line was impossible. There were natural obstacles we couldn't cross, which
+forcefully changed our path and veered us right or left.
+If we kept going like this, we'd probably get lost. I had to make sure
+not to lose sight of Kouenji, who'd been pushing forward relentlessly.
+Meanwhile, Sakura kept silent and absentmindedly stared at the palm of her
+right hand.
+"Hey, Sakura, come on. Hurry up a bit."
+"Huh?! A-ah, o-okay."
+At my words, Sakura panicked and rushed forward. She was probably
+going to trip again.
+"Ah, Kouenji-kun sure walks fast, doesn't he?"
+Kouenji ventured further and further into the forest without once
+considering a girl's pace. I honestly admired his stamina and his strong legs.
+"In the first place, I can't believe he'd..."
+"What's the matter?"
+"No, I..."
+What in the world was he up to? Was it a coincidence? No, Kouenji
+walked without hesitation. Even if our team was free to choose the base
+camp's location, you'd expect him to be looking around as you went. Kouenji
+walked straight ahead, almost as if he had another purpose.
+More than anything else, his progress surprised me. It was possible that
+Kouenji wasn't simply pushing ahead recklessly. Maybe he had a goal in
+mind. However, the problem was that Sakura, in trying to keep up with
+Kouenji, was running out of breath.
+"Kouenji. Don't you think it's a bad idea to rush forward like this?
+We'll get lost."
+I was feeling anxious about both my teammates. Kouenji remained
+with his back to us and started fixing his hair.
+"T am a perfect human being. I would never foolishly lose my way in a
+forest. If any problem occurs, it would most likely be because you two lost
+sight of me. When that happens, you should give up."
+Just as I'd expected, he was the sort of guy to declare that he wasn't
+interested in anyone other than himself. Was he really this inconsiderate,
+given our circumstances?
+"By the way, I'd like to ask you ordinary people something. Don't you
+think this is truly beautiful?" Kouenji flashed an audacious smile, showing us
+his white teeth.
+"Well. I do think that the forest...well, nature...is quite mysterious, or
+rather beautiful." I tried telling him what I thought, more or less. However,
+Kouenji sighed in disappointment.
+"What on earth are you talking about? That's not what I meant. I mean
+how J, with my perfect physical beauty, shine in such a place. Do you not
+understand?"
+So he wanted me to compliment him on his self-proclaimed "perfect
+physical beauty." I see.
+"He's probably acting a little messed up because of the heat. It's best
+you don't pay him any mind, Sakura."
+""Y-yeah. Kouenji-kun has been acting pretty funny from the start, so
+it's okay."
+Wow. That may have been the truth, but 1t was unexpectedly harsh.
+Anyway, Kouenji, seemingly satisfied with his own beauty, started walking
+again. From that point onward, I decided not to get my hopes up with regards
+to our third teammate.
+"There's no need to worry. Even if something happened in a forest like
+this, there won't be a problem."
+"What do you mean by that, Kouenji?" I asked.
+"T wouldn't call this a natural forest. The probability of getting lost
+during the day is extremely low. It's precisely for that reason that I'm a little
+curious."
+With those mysterious words, Kouenji continued quickly forward,
+seemingly having lost interest in us. He was so fast that Sakura couldn't keep
+up with him.
+"Hey!" I called.
+"U-um, Ill be okay. I'll do my best to follow."
+Even though she was all sweaty, Sakura tried to give a small fist pump.
+She still looked uncertain, like she was going to trip and fall, but I supposed
+that she'd hardened her resolve to do her best. Kouenji, clearly taking no
+notice of Sakura's efforts, got further and further ahead. I'd thought he'd
+keep going until we passed through the forest, but he suddenly stopped.
+Turning, he flashed another audacious smile while stroking his hair.
+"May I ask you common folk another question?"
+Before we could reply, Kouenji continued.
+"What do you think of this place? What do you see when you look
+around?"
+"Huh? Wh-what does he mean? Ayanokouji-kun?"
+In the face of Kouenji's sharp gaze, Sakura hid behind my back. What
+did I think about this place? I tried scanning my surroundings. While I did so,
+Sakura also looked around. However, nothing seemed especially notable. It
+was just forest. What in the world was he trying to get at?
+"Good. I understand. Please, do not worry. Common folk are simple,
+after all."
+When Kouenji realized that he wasn't going to get the answer he
+wanted, he walked quickly forward into the forest again.
+"What? Did something change?"
+"No..."
+If you honestly believed everything Kouenji said to you, you'd go mad.
+He was the sort of man who would play any number of games. However, it
+was possible we were missing something. In any case, we didn't have the
+time to search at our leisure.
+"Sakura, do you have a handkerchief with you?"
+"Oh, yeah. This okay?"
+Just as I'd expect of a girl, she seemed to be prepared.
+"Tf it's all right with you, could I borrow it? It might get a little dirty,
+though."
+"Sure, that's perfectly fine," replied Sakura, without any hint of
+objection. She handed me her handkerchief.
+I tied it to a nearby tree branch, one that didn't seem like it would break
+easily. It would act as a sort of marker for us later on.
+"Ah, we're going to lose sight of Kouenji-kun. Let's hurry,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+Sakura was flustered, and increasingly exhausted. It seemed likely she
+was about to trip and fall. After all, she was probably close to her physical
+limits. Even if she forced herself onward, she wouldn't be able to keep up.
+"Sorry, but this is a bit too physically demanding. Do you mind if we
+slow down?"
+With that, I slowed my pace. That way, Sakura wouldn't feel like the
+problem. She probably saw through my ploy, but I didn't mind. It wasn't as
+though she could call me out on it. By this point, we'd lost sight of Kouenji.
+Far ahead, I could occasionally make out the rustle of grass and the footsteps
+on the earth.
+"Wow, he's a man of many talents. Kouenji, I mean."
+He possessed a brilliant mind and outstanding physical ability, which
+he'd perfectly adapted to the forest without hesitation. If only he had a
+personality like Hirata's, he would be a perfect superhuman.
+(74 99
+Sakura seemed to have been silently looking over at something for
+some time. I was curious, but she didn't bring it up, and the two of us
+continued our search.
+"It would be great if we secured some drinking water. Or maybe a
+place where we could take shelter."
+Since I had nothing to do, I tried making light conversation. If we
+managed to secure a spot that made it possible to save points, our lives would
+get much easier.
+"Oh yeah. I suppose that two tents probably won't be enough... But I
+can't find anything."
+No matter how much I tried or how far we walked, I couldn't seem to
+find even one man-made object. Well, while I say we walked far, we'd only
+really covered a fraction of one percent of the island. The school probably
+wouldn't be kind enough to go easy on us. After tromping through wild
+terrain, a pathway appeared before us.
+"This is a path, isn't 1t?"
+"Looks like it."
+In the middle of a forest on an uninhabited island, someone had created
+a path. It wasn't paved or anything, of course, but trees had been chopped
+down and the path was well-trod. If the school had prepared this, then
+perhaps a spot lay further ahead. Sakura and I pressed onward.
+"Wow. Amazing!"
+Soon we arrived at what appeared to be a large hole in the
+mountainside: an entrance into a cave. At first glance it appeared to be a
+natural cave, but upon closer inspection the inside appeared properly
+reinforced. Perhaps the hole itself had been created by human hands.
+"Could this possibly be...a spot?"
+"Maybe."
+Since ancient times, caves have provided outstanding dwellings for
+people. If this place had been designated as a spot, there should have been
+proof. I tried to approach the cave to check, but then saw some guy coming
+out of it. 1 immediately grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her to hide in the
+shade. I felt bad, but I didn't understand the situation. Hopefully she'd
+forgive me.
+The person stopped at the entrance, and quietly looked to the
+southwest. He stood there for a minute or two. He'd wasted absolutely no
+time in securing this spot. It seemed like he'd gone straight to this cave
+without any hesitation. That aside, the man was tightly holding onto what
+looked to be some kind of card. Then, we heard a voice coming from inside
+the cave. Panicked, I hid my face.
+"In a cave this size, we should have enough room for two tents,
+Katsuragi-san. We sure were lucky. We secured a spot really quickly."
+I listened carefully, trying to grasp the situation.
+"Luck? What are you talking about? I figured that there was a cave
+here even before we landed. Finding it was inevitable. Be mindful of what
+you say and do. We don't know if anyone is out there listening to us. As the
+leader, I have a responsibility. Be sure you don't make even the slightest
+mistake."
+"S-sorry. But when you say 'since before we landed', what do you
+mean?"
+"Before the ship docked at the pier, it had already taken a trip around
+the island as a detour for some reason. That was probably a deliberate move
+by the school to give the students some hints. From the ship's deck, I noticed
+a path that cut through the forest. All I had to do was take the shortest route
+from the pier after we'd landed to the path."
+"B-but it might've been just a chance for us to enjoy the scenery."
+"That was far too long of a roundabout for sightseeing. Besides, the
+announcement was strange, too."
+"T didn't notice anything at all, and yet... Katsuragi-san, you managed
+to see the school's true intentions. Because of that, you understood there was
+a cave here. Just as we'd expect from you!"
+"Let's go to the next one, Yahiko. It's pointless to linger here after
+we' ve claimed the spot. There's a path to two other places that I noticed from
+the ship. There should be some kind of facility up ahead."
+"Y-yeah! If we leave it like this, Sakayanagi will have no choice but to
+be quiet!"
+"If you only look straight ahead, you might overlook things."
+"You say that, but isn't 1t enough just to be cautious of Class B? I
+mean, Class D is just an assortment of failures, right? They're defective.
+Considering the point difference, it's probably fine to ignore them, right?"
+I'd heard talk like that on the ship earlier—that Class D was basically
+beyond Class A's consideration. They treated us like pebbles in their path.
+"That's enough chit-chat. Let's go, Yahiko."
+I waited until I could no longer hear their voices or footsteps, and then
+waited two minutes more.
+"Did they go?" Sakura whispered.
+I peeked out to check, but I didn't see them. As I caught my breath, I
+noticed that my hands had grown comparatively warmer. I must've kept hold
+of Sakura's hands after I grabbed her in a panic.
+"Sorry, Sakura. Sakura?"
+"Whaa?!"
+Sakura was all right, though for some reason she seemed almost
+comatose.
+"A-are you okay?"
+"T-I-I-'m 0-0-okay..."
+Her face turned so red I was afraid steam was going to start rising from
+her body. She sat weakly right down. Perhaps I'd held onto her more
+forcefully than I thought.
+"Ah, ah, ah... I-I thought I was going to die. My heart stopped..."
+Hopefully that was an exaggeration. Sakura's breathing stabilized as
+she adjusted her glasses.
+"Those two guys seemed like they were from Class A, based on what
+they were saying."
+I worried about abandoning this place. With no one here keeping
+watch, this spot could be intercepted. After waiting for Sakura's strength to
+return, we approached the cave entrance once again. Those two had left
+without any hesitation...
+Inside the cave, some kind of terminal device with a monitor was
+embedded into the wall. The words "Class A" were displayed on the screen,
+along with a countdown timer that showed seven hours and 55 minutes
+remaining. Was this the proof that they owned this spot? We couldn't do
+anything to interfere until the countdown reached zero, and we couldn't force
+our way in.
+That's why those two had left this place without worry. But that wasn't
+the only problem. As long as the rights of ownership weren't snatched by
+another class, Class A would keep acquiring one point every eight hours.
+Although they'd lost thirty points because of one student's illness, they were
+earning it back. Besides, that Katsuragi guy seemed to have determined there
+were a few other facilities. If a spot happened to have food and water, could
+they widen the gap between the other classes?
+"He said he'd noticed something even before we landed on the
+island..."
+They'd memorized the island's topography and used that to find a spot.
+Brilliant. I supposed that Class A students saw the world differently.
+However, that way of thinking led to some depressing conclusions.
+"H-hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Could that person from before have been...
+the leader?"
+She was right. This incident had proved to be a fatal mistake. Class A
+had to use their key card in order to maintain rights of exclusive ownership to
+the cave. They had clearly made their leader known to us. Of course, he
+probably hadn't considered that someone from another class could be
+watching him, but that had been careless of them. I considered investigating
+the entire cave, but there was no sign of anyone hiding.
+"Wh-wh-what should we do? We just found out an incredible secret!"
+said Sakura. She sounded impatient, perhaps because she was excited to have
+delivered a huge blow to Class A.
+"T'll report it to Hirata later."
+Sakura appeared relieved. She had poor communication skills, and by
+taking that responsibility, I'd helped her.
+2.4
+Ditnes started to move when we returned to Hirata and the others,
+who hadn't achieved any results. The Idiot Trio seemed to be in surprisingly
+high spirits, and were speaking rather enthusiastically to Hirata about
+something.
+"A river, a river! What an incredible feeling! And there was some kind
+of mechanism installed around there! It could be a gadget to get right of
+possession, or whatever! It's only a ten-minute walk from here, so let's
+hurry!"
+It seemed like Ike and his group had made some headway, and wanted
+to stand guard so another class wouldn't snatch the spot.
+"This is huge. If we can secure the river, our situation might take a turn
+for the better."
+It seemed we'd decided on the base camp's location. Of course, it
+would depend on the terrain and environment, but this likely was going to be
+our first step forward.
+"But there are two teams that still haven't returned. Someone should
+wait for them, right?"
+It was a little before three o'clock. If they hadn't returned by the
+appointed time, there was a good chance they were lost in the forest.
+"I'm sorry, Hirata. Kouenji isn't back yet, either. We got split up."
+"Ah, Kouenji-kun actually came back a little while ago. He left to go
+swimming."
+So he hadn't gotten lost, but had instead slipped away. I should have
+expected it.
+"Split up? Didn't you take the lead?" Horikita asked with a sigh, as
+everyone began moving toward the river.
+"T can't control that guy. You know that."
+Had he been trying to start trouble? Kouenji had run off at a quick
+pace, suggesting that he was already familiar with the forest.
+"T see. You can't really complain about his abilities, though the same
+can't be said of his personality."
+"Just like you."
+"Did you say something?" she growled.
+"N-nope, I didn't say anything."
+Our class was rife with personality issues, myself included. Poor
+Hirata.
+"What?"
+Horikita suddenly turned and looked behind her, staring sharply at
+Sakura.
+"Eh?!"
+"Were you looking at me just now?" Horikita asked.
+"T-J-I-I wasn't looking at anything!"
+Sakura, flustered, ran off to put some distance between us.
+"Don't scare her like that. You can be a monster, Horikita."
+"So I should freely let her poke around and misconstrue things?"
+"There! We found the spot! It's amazing!"
+We finally arrived at Ike's chosen land. Inside the cave, the mechanism
+had been embedded into the wall, but here at the river's edge, the equipment
+was installed on an unnaturally placed boulder. Hirata and his team started
+setting up the tents and other necessities for camp near the river.
+"Okay. The water is beautiful, and there's shade that blocks the
+sunlight. The terrain is level. This might be the ideal place for our base camp
+here. Amazing, Ike-kun!"' Hirata said.
+"Heh heh heh, I know, right?"
+The river was about ten meters wide, and the water flowed gently. It
+was amazing. Deep forests and sandy roads surrounded the river, but this
+place looked as if 1t had been maintained. I doubted this location was so
+naturally perfect. Our school had likely set it up for this purpose.
+"So how do we show that this is ours now?"
+The river was pretty wide, and flowed downstream for quite a ways. At
+first glance, our flat piece of land was surrounded on all sides by the trees.
+There may not have been another favorable location like this, but it did seem
+like this was a natural entranceway to the area. Perhaps following the river
+might lead you here. Or was use of the river a privilege only given to those
+occupying this space?
+I was a little concerned as I walked along the river toward the forest.
+Horikita tagged along for some reason.
+"The school seems to know about this area, too. It looks like we're the
+only ones who can use the river."
+In the middle of the path, a signboard was affixed to a tree. A message
+read that the river was a designated spot, and that unauthorized use was
+prohibited. After casually looking about, we returned to the others.
+"So if we make this spot our base camp, the problem is whether or not
+we can occupy it."
+"We already decided that this would be it! If we don't choose this spot,
+what' ll we do?"
+"We have other choices. If we claim this place, there are obvious
+merits; we can monopolize the river, for one. Also, we can gain some points
+by holding this area. However, that requires us to update it once every eight
+hours, and since the designated leader is the only one who can handle that
+operation, it'Il be serious trouble if he or she is seen. We still don't know if
+someone might be watching."
+We were surrounded by forest on all sides. We couldn't notice a spy in
+the brushwood.
+"Hmm, so if we stay hidden and protected, it'Il be fine, right? We can
+keep the area surrounded."
+Although there were risks, Ike was correct. If we made our base camp
+in this area, there was no way to pin us down. If students from another class
+took this place, it would become impossible to use the river. Both guys and
+girls agreed with Ike on this. I think that Hirata had wanted to agree anyway,
+but being a font of neutrality, he'd wanted to collect a lot of opinions.
+It was true that obtaining the rights of exclusive possession was
+something of a double-edged sword, with both risks and rewards. However,
+as with Class A occupying the cave, it was possible for the class to act
+together to protect ourselves. It went without saying that Classes B and C
+would most likely have done the same thing. In other words, it was an
+acceptable risk.
+"Okay. Well, the next question is, who will be the leader?"
+More than whether we'd take possession, the leader was key. A
+mistake here could prove fatal. While everyone wanted to avoid a role with
+such important responsibilities, Kushida asked everyone to form a circle.
+"T thought a lot of things over. I have to say, Hirata-san and
+Karuizawa-san just stand out too much, like it or not. However, a leader's no
+good unless that person has a sense of responsibility, right? I think that
+Horikita-san meets that criteria. But, what do you think?"
+Horikita looked like she hadn't expected such a recommendation, but
+her expression didn't change. I'd wondered if she were perhaps the least risky
+choice, since she was so desperate to reach Class A. That was crucial.
+I calmly observed everyone's reactions.
+"T agree with Kushida-san. That is to say, I also think that Horikita-san
+would be a good leader. So long as Horikita-san is okay with it, then I think
+it'd be good for her to take over. What do you think?" Hirata said.
+With everyone's eyes fixed on her, it didn't appear that Horikita was
+going to refuse.
+"You don't want to do it though, right? Don't make her do it. I can do
+it in her place."
+Sudou stepped forward, seemingly to protect Horikita's wishes.
+However, Horikita then calmly accepted the decision, almost as if Sudou's
+remarks had triggered her to do so.
+"T understand. I accept."
+Personally, I was relieved that someone like Sudou or Ike wasn't the
+leader. Hirata immediately went over to Chabashira-sensei to pass on
+Horikita's name. Before long, he returned with a card and entrusted it to
+Horikita. Taking into consideration the possibility that we were being
+watched, we had everyone touch the device without it activating. This was to
+camouflage the leader, so a spy wouldn't know who he or she was.
+"Okay, so we've resolved the problems of bathing and drinking water!
+Right?" Ike's eyes sparked brilliantly as he dreamed of saving points.
+"Huh? Drink from the river? Are you insane?"
+Apparently Ike intended to use this as an all-purpose river. However,
+Shinohara and the other girls did not appear to agree, glancing at the river in
+disgust.
+"Well, it'd be great for swimming, but...to drink from?"
+"What the heck? It's perfectly fine. The water's clean and pure, right?"
+Ike said.
+"Well, yeah. It certainly seems like you can drink it, but..."
+Shinohara tugged on Hirata's sleeve, asking her champion to defend
+them against Ike's frugality.
+"Hey, Hirata-kun. Is it really okay? It's not normal to drink from a
+river, 1s it?"
+Several uneasy girls gathered around Hirata to ask his advice. They
+shook their heads, as if signaling that such a thing was impossible.
+"T don't think we can drink from that."
+Ike, visibly frustrated, had had enough. "Really? Look how inviting the
+water is. How it flows. It's like perfectly natural spring water!"
+Even though the water didn't look muddy or cloudy, the girls were not
+the only ones to hesitate. The boys also looked unsure.
+"What the heck, you guys? What's wrong with you? There's no reason
+not to use the river after going through all the trouble of finding it."
+"Then you drink it, as an experiment."
+"Huh? Well, fine, whatever..."
+Pressured, Ike scooped up some water with his hands and drank.
+"Ah! Whew, that's ice cold. It feels great! It's damn good!"
+"Okay, that's a major turn off. No way, no way! There's no way I'm
+drinking that. Gross!"
+"Huh?! You're the one who told me to drink it, Shinohara!"
+"No way! Ugh, I hate barbarians like you most of all, god!"
+"What the hell?"
+The two of them exchanged glares hot enough to send sparks flying.
+"I've heard that hatred is close to love. Could that be true with these
+two?"
+"That...really doesn't seem to be the case here."
+With the toilet resolved, the next issue was drinking water. Even with
+the river, it didn't appear as though everything had been settled.
+"For the time being, let's table the water issue. It's only going to be
+painful if you fight," said Hirata, apparently desperate for peace.
+Our problems would likely grow if we delayed things, but no one was
+really going to object to Hirata. Or so I thought, until a certain guy butted into
+the conversation.
+"Shinohara, don't complain. We gotta cooperate on this test."
+That came from our class' number one problem child, Sudou, who
+chided Shinohara in an unusually calm tone.
+"Oh, don't make me laugh. Cooperate? That's funny coming from you,
+Sudou-kun."
+Shinohara laughed, seizing at her stomach as if it hurt. It was only
+natural she'd poke fun at Sudou. Since Sudou had started at our school, he'd
+repeatedly caused problems for our class. He was far from being a model of
+cooperativeness, though in a different way from Horikita. It seemed that
+Sudou himself was aware of this.
+"IT know I've caused trouble for the class. That's what I'm saying. If
+you keep antagonizing people with trivial crap, eventually it's gonna come
+back to bite you, er, you know where."
+"What? You're saying that because you don't want to use any points,
+Sudou-kun."
+"No one said anything about that. Kanji, calm down a little. If someone
+suddenly told you to drink from the river, you'd put up some resistance,
+right? I would. Hey, if we boil the water, it'Il become sterilized, right? So
+right now, why don't we try that?"
+"Boiling? This isn't some kind of chemistry experiment. Stop coming
+up with such unexpectedly thoughtful suggestions!"
+Shinohara was being rather aggressive toward Sudou, as if she were
+prepared to fight against anyone who displeased her. Hirata once again tried
+to calm everyone down as the fight got heated.
+"Let's try breaking apart for a bit. We still have some time. It's not
+necessary to decide things in a panic."
+Calmed by those words, Shinohara fell silent and withdrew. Shortly
+afterward, Hirata went over to Chabashira-sensei to request the temporary
+toilet. Ike, unable to contain his anger at Shinohara, just kept biting his lip in
+frustration.
+"Damn it! What the hell is Shinohara's deal? It's like she won't even
+99
+try.
+Upset, Ike skipped a pebble across the river. He got five or six good
+skips before it effortlessly hit the other bank. For an accident, it was still
+beautiful. If I tried to do that, it probably wouldn't have gone so well.
+"Hey, you're surprisingly really good at outdoorsy stuff."
+"Hmm? Oh, I wouldn't really say that. It's just that I used to go
+camping together with my family back when I was little. I'm not opposed to
+drinking river water. I can tell if the water source is clean just by looking."
+Ike sounded honest rather than boastful.
+"Well then, wouldn't it have been a good idea to tell us about your
+camping experience from the beginning? If you'd gained people's trust,
+things might've gone more smoothly."
+You had to give an explanation for your actions. Especially since this
+wasn't something that could be observed easily, unlike a test score.
+"If I'd been in the Boy Scouts, I'd have legitimate bragging rights. But
+just going camping isn't anything to brag about. Even if I said anything, it
+would've been pointless, anyway."
+He'd apparently gotten rather discouraged after being so harshly
+criticized by the girls. For Ike, who normally only cared about being
+attractive to the ladies, that had to hurt. However, if he'd only changed the
+way he handled things, the situation might've gone differently.
+But then... Ike said something unusual.
+"It seems like it's everyone's first time camping out. I thought that
+everyone had at least a little experience. I guess the stuff I said was probably
+a little unreasonable."
+He'd realized he made a mistake. That was the first time Ike had ever
+expressed regret.
+"Sorry. I gotta think of how to take care of this. I'm gonna go for a
+swim in the river."
+Ike stood and turned his back to me. I thought that was probably fine
+for now. The heat had likely muddled his head, and searching around had
+probably tired him out.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. Can you follow him?"
+"Huh? Why?"
+Horikita stood next to me. After Ike left, she spoke.
+"It's possible that his knowledge will prove useful. He might be
+instrumental to Class D. In addition to his outdoor knowledge, he seems to
+know his way around the forest. Also, since Kouenji-kun is basically useless,
+the class will need Ike to pull them forward."
+"You don't think you can persuade him yourself?"
+"Me? Persuade him? You think J can?" She sounded nonplussed,
+almost as if she couldn't believe I'd asked her such a thing.
+Even though she had smugly appealed for me to handle something she
+couldn't...she had a point. In truth, Horikita's interpersonal skills were well
+below that of an average person.
+"I'm relying on you because I know I can't do it. Can I count on you?"
+"Well sure, I guess. You don't have anyone else to rely on but me?"
+Even if I wasn't great in this area, I was certainly better than no option
+at all.
+"T suppose it must be relaxing to be unreliable and underachieving.
+Isn't it, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Amazing that she could so brazenly ask a favor while being so
+condescending.
+"T'Il talk to him, but leave the timing to me."
+"Fine. I'm not entirely certain if now is the best time anyway."
+We left it at that, with my acceptance and the realization we had
+nothing left to say to one another. I wondered if this week would show
+Horikita how difficult it was to live life as a hermit. Alone, she was
+amazing...but only alone.
+In an academic setting, she could quietly continue her race to the top
+without relying on anyone. But this test proved that there were some things
+you couldn't do alone. Horikita now probably felt powerless for the first
+time. It was probably why she'd come to rely on me so quickly, at this early
+stage. If you didn't have any friends, you'd have no one to talk to. Without
+communication, there could be no cooperation or trust. An academically
+brilliant girl was less useful than a normal student in a situation like this.
+"The school probably factored that into their calculations, too," I
+muttered.
+This week would test Horikita Suzune's limits, and show her at her
+worst. The school had made her isolated life impossible.
+2.5
+FB itther away, two tents were set up next to each other. Shinohara and
+the girls had decided that they would occupy both tents. In other words, that
+meant that the boys would have to completely rough it by sleeping out in the
+open. The majority of our classmates had likely never slept outdoors before
+in their lives. Fortunately, because it was summer, I didn't think we'd catch a
+cold, but we were definitely going to have a hard time.
+Getting mosquito bites on our arms and legs was bound to become
+annoying, and once night fell our visibility would get worse. The grass was
+crawling with all kinds of unfamiliar insects, which was just creepy. Being a
+city kid myself, I was pretty disgusted, and spending an entire week sleeping
+rough seemed impossible. That said, people like Ike, who absolutely opposed
+spending points as much as possible, were moving to take action.
+Several boys tried using pulled grass as a substitute for bedsheets, and
+talked about whether or not they could cut down some trees. It was nice that
+they were trying to figure things out; I just prayed that they wouldn't do
+anything unreasonable. Hirata came over to us after setting up the girls' tents,
+wiping the sweat from his forehead.
+"Excuse me, Ayanokouji-kun? Can I talk to you for a minute? I have
+something I wanted to ask."
+He appeared sheepish and apologetic.
+"It's going to get scary tonight with just a flashlight. Whether we use
+points or not, securing some light is necessary. However, I can't force you to
+agree, Ayanokouji-kun."
+It was certainly true that I'd rather not go through the night without any
+source of illumination. It'd make going to the toilet a nightmare. When I
+asked what we should do, Hirata thought about it, and then answered.
+"We could make a bonfire. I was hoping you'd collect branches."
+Apparently I'd been singled out as the most qualified guy for this task,
+somehow.
+"Well. PIl pick up ones that look good."
+"Thank you! Ah, but, it's dangerous to do it alone. I think you should
+invite someone else to come along."
+Fair point. I set out to look for a partner. Horikita was standing
+completely still, gazing up at the sky. She must have noticed that I was
+looking at her, because she came over.
+"You're normally incredibly uncooperative, but you're being rather
+generous by going along with his favor," she said.
+"Didn't you just ask me for a favor, too? Besides, this is just something
+to help Hirata. The work isn't really a big deal or anything. Just picking up
+branches."
+Some of the students voluntarily acted to help the class. One's position
+within the caste system changed depending on whether or not you took
+initiative.
+"For someone like Hirata, who's positioned as the center of the class,
+to rely upon you is kind of pathetic."
+"Class D's real leaders are Hirata and Karuizawa, for better or worse.
+No one else has their ability to rally others. No one else is as qualified."
+Horikita appeared quite serious. She certainly had the competence and
+skills to rally the class. However, her charisma and leadership were sorely
+lacking, to the extent that I didn't even think those two qualities existed
+within her. Kushida probably couldn't stand all the harsh words that erupted
+when the class got into an argument, but she said she'd do her best. Even
+now, she was probably off somewhere putting forth all her effort into
+whatever she was doing.
+"So how about working as Hirata's assistant? For yourself, rather than
+for the class."
+"Me, his assistant? Don't joke around. I'd rather dance with a
+mongoose."
+"Dance with a mongoose?"
+Whatever that expression meant, it was probably an insult to Hirata.
+No, not probably. It was definitely an insult.
+"T'm joking. Well, his differences from a mongoose aside, there's
+nothing I can do to help. If there were a clear enemy and a goal, I might be of
+use. Besides, I'm still unsure whether or not we should use points, or even to
+what extent we should use them."
+With that, we quietly split up. Horikita went into the tent. For the time
+being, I needed a congenial partner who would go with me. Hunting through
+the available guys, I saw Sudou just staring up at the sky while standing by
+the river's edge. He helped Ike earlier. Maybe he'd become a reliable guy.
+He'd probably help a friend in need.
+"Hey, Sudou. I'm going to collect branches for a bonfire. Want to
+come?"
+"Huh? If it's a hassle, I think PII pass."
+He looked as if he had no intention of helping. But since I wasn't going
+to find anyone else, I persisted.
+"Probably won't be a hassle. I'm just going to collect them from
+nearby."
+"That sounds exactly like a hassle. Sorry. ''m gonna go swimming."
+Sudou stood, grabbed the bag next to him, and headed for the water.
+"Well. Guess that's that."
+I saw Yamauchi chatting up some girls near the tents, and decided to
+try again.
+"Hey, I'm going to get some branches for a bonfire. Could you help
+me?"
+"Eh, sounds like work. Look, I found a good spot with Kanji, right?
+We're pretty beat. Sorry, but I gotta pass."
+"T see. Got it."
+There was nothing I could say to that. Well, I was in trouble. All of my
+possibilities had been shot down. Horikita wasn't exactly in any state to help
+right now, and Kushida was off somewhere with the girls' team.
+"Guess I'm alone in the end, huh?"
+Yamauchi continued happily chatting with the girls, and didn't show
+any support. Just as I resolved to head into the forest by myself, Sakura
+stepped forward, like she'd been waiting for her chance.
+"Um... I-Is it okay if I...go with you?"
+Apparently she'd been listening to my conversation.
+"Huh? Oh, I'm really grateful, but are you sure? I mean, you look
+pretty tired. Maybe it would be better for you to rest."
+Sakura had already searched the woods with me. I didn't want to force
+her.
+"I'm okay. Besides, if I stay here, well...it'Il be...a little
+uncomfortable."
+She glanced at the other girls. If Sakura was anything like me, she
+probably had a really hard time engaging with others.
+"Okay, let's go."
+Because Kouenji wasn't with us, I could match Sakura's pace.
+"Hey!"
+Just as we were heading into the forest, Yamauchi called out and
+rushed toward us.
+"Tl help you after all!"
+Apparently he'd changed his mind.
+"Uh. Are you sure?"
+"Hey, come on now. I mean, you gotta help a friend in need. Right,
+Sakura?"
+"Uh... Y-yeah."
+Sakura shied away behind my back and nodded. She hadn't really ever
+talked with Yamauchi before. Maybe this'd be a good friend-making
+opportunity for her.
+2.6
+W. decided to collect branches from nearby so we didn't stray too
+far from base camp. After a short walk, the three of us spread out to pick up
+branches.
+"H-hey, Ayanokouji. I got something that I want you to keep just
+between us," Yamauchi whispered. He was standing close to me, a few
+branches in hand.
+"T think...1'm gonna go for Sakura."
+"Huh?"
+"T mean, don't you think Kushida-chan's out of my league? Her
+communication skills are top-notch. I'm thinking of giving up on her as my
+main target. Compared to Kushida, it's like, Sakura's just not good with
+people, or like, she doesn't know how to deal with guys, you know? To be
+perfectly honest, I was thinking about seeing how far I could go on this trip. I
+think she might fall for a guy who's gentle and attentive. I mean, until I at
+least get a kiss or something. Yeah, seriously. I think Sakura's fine. No,
+Sakura's great."
+"Great? You haven't hung around Sakura before now. Isn't this really
+sudden?"
+"Nah, man. Like, I actually regret not seeing it before, you know?
+She's plain, so she didn't catch my eye at first, but she's actually super cute.
+And an idol? Plus, her boobs are incredible. Even when she changes into
+jerseys, you can still see 'em. I can't help noticing."
+He started rubbing his hands together and chuckling.
+Apparently this explained his sudden interest in helping. Sakura was
+being treated as a backup plan after he gave up on his favorite, Kushida. I
+couldn't imagine Sakura would be pleased to hear that. I'd hoped that maybe
+Yamauchi had come to like Sakura for real.
+"So please, help me out. For example, leave me alone with Sakura for a
+while."
+"T wouldn't say that counts as helping you..."
+"What? Wait, you're not after Sakura too, are you? Those boobies!"
+Why did so many guys look at things in such simplistic, nasty way? It's
+not that I didn't understand his desires. I mean, woman's breasts were
+attractive, and there was a biological explanation for why guys liked them.
+Normally, I wouldn't mind helping him out. But Sakura wasn't like Kushida.
+She was unused to dealing with guys. It would've been a different story if
+he'd wanted to become her friend, but I couldn't leave her alone with some
+guy who only wanted to get into her pants. Besides, if Yamauchi got carried
+away, Sakura wouldn't know how to resist.
+"Give it up for now. [ll help you when you get to know Sakura better.
+Besides, I'd like to go back and start the bonfire while it's still early. All
+right?"
+Yamauchi slumped his shoulders in disappointment, but his spirits
+recovered immediately.
+"Jeez, you're stiff. Well, fine. You have Horikita anyway, Ayanokouji.
+You don't have to worry, right?"
+Since when did I have Horikita?
+"Come on, just start picking up branches. I'll head over here."
+With that, he shoved his branches at me. I dropped a few, and they
+rolled across the ground. Honestly, I still felt a little bad for Sakura. Between
+our hike today and this foraging expedition, she was probably sick of
+spending so much time with me, but she wasn't the type to voice such a
+thing. In the end, Sakura seemed wary of both Yamauchi and me, working in
+almost total silence.
+"Isn't this enough? This is probably good," Yamauchi said.
+It was certainly true that we had enough for a full day. We finished up
+and headed back to the camp site.
+"Hey, hey, Sakura. Do you want me to help you carry that? It's gotta
+be tough for a girl. You might hurt yourself."
+Yamauchi must've planned to ask her that from the very beginning,
+even though she was carrying only about half the amount I was. I supposed
+he wanted to play the role of a caring and attentive guy. I wondered if
+Yamauchi's kindness would stand out, especially in comparison to me.
+"T-I'm fine... Ayanokouji-kun is carrying a lot, though. I'd like you to
+help him."
+"Oooh! Sakura, you're so kind! Jeez, aren't you being greedy,
+Ayanokouji, carrying that much by yourself? Here, I'll take half, hand 'em
+over."
+With that, he grabbed about half of the amount he'd thrust toward me
+earlier. Despite Sakura's refusal, it looked like this was part of his strategy to
+win her with kindness. Yamauchi, looking satisfied, walked off in high
+spirits. As we walked, something appeared on the path ahead.
+A lone girl sat with her back up against a large tree. She wasn't a Class
+D student. When she noticed us, she looked up and then quickly averted her
+eyes. Since she was from another class, it'd be fine for us to leave her alone,
+but the state she was in suggested that this was no trivial matter.
+There was a red, swollen mark on her cheek. Someone had hit her
+pretty hard. When Yamauchi started to pass the girl, I grabbed him by the
+shoulder.
+a_
+vie We
+we Goldenagato | https://mp4directs.com
+Kh v —
+"What?"
+"Oh, uh...sorry. It's nothing."
+I was going to say something, but he finally noticed the girl.
+"Hey. What's the matter? Are you okay?" Yamauchi called.
+"Just leave me alone. It's nothing."
+"Doesn't look that way. Who did this to you? Should I call a teacher?"
+Considering the swelling, it was easy to see that she was in a fair
+amount of pain.
+"Just a class dispute. Don't worry about it," answered the girl, laughing
+in self-deprecation. Her voice was low and even, but it was clear she wasn't
+feeling well. She seemed rather shaken.
+"So, what are you going to do? We just can't leave you here."
+This was not our school campus. We were surrounded by jungle on all
+sides. In a couple hours, the sun would begin to set. If she were out here
+alone in the dark, it could be disastrous.
+"We're Class D students. Why not come to our base camp?"
+Yamauchi turned to Sakura and me for approval. We nodded in
+agreement.
+"Huh? What are you saying? There's no way I could do something like
+that."
+"Well, I mean, wouldn't you say it's only natural to help someone in
+trouble?"
+She seemed to not want to listen to us. She turned away and fell silent.
+In most situations it would've been easy to leave her, but we couldn't leave
+an injured girl in a place like this.
+"I'm from Class C. In other words, I'm your enemy. You understand
+that, right?"
+That wasn't any reason not to help.
+"But we just can't leave you. Right?"
+Both Sakura and I nodded. Still, the girl didn't seem to want to move.
+Since we were students at the same school, it seemed natural and right for us
+to help each other. Whether or not it was the right thing to do in this special
+test was another question entirely.
+"We can't leave you, so we're going to stay here until you move."
+Yamauchi was resolved. In that case, we had to wait on standby. The
+girl didn't want to speak to us; she probably thought we wanted to trick her.
+"Besides, the forest is all humid and muggy. The heat's really intense.
+Sakura, you're hot, aren't you?"
+"Well, I'm actually... 'm okay."
+Though standing here could be quite boring, this was a dream come
+true from Yamauchi's point of view. He could spend time together with
+Sakura until this other girl gave in. Yamauchi spent his time meaningfully,
+peppering both the girl and Sakura with a ton of questions. After about ten
+minutes, the girl lost her patience.
+"You guys are really stupid. You're not acting logically. You aren't
+thinking about your own class."
+"Well, it's just that we can't leave a girl alone when she's in trouble."
+Yamauchi gave a thumbs-up. Sakura's impression of him was probably
+improving, though she didn't seem to pay attention to Yamauchi's great
+efforts. She just gazed at the forest and the sky. For a shy girl like Sakura,
+this unexpected situation was likely uncomfortable.
+"But is that really okay? To tell me where your base camp is, and
+moreover, to guide me there?"
+"Huh? Is that wrong?"
+Yamauchi didn't understand what the girl was saying.
+"T can't believe what an incredible idiot you are! Seriously, I can't
+believe it," said the girl, looking shocked.
+Yamauchi was taken aback. If you knew the location of someone's
+campsite, you could start to get a read on how they planned to conduct
+themselves throughout the test. You could get into their heads and anticipate
+their strategies. In Class D's case, announcing our spot was a reason to be
+concerned. But I spoke up.
+"Don't worry. I don't think it'Il be a problem," I said.
+"Right? Yeah, there shouldn't be a problem. My name's Yamauchi
+Haruki. Nice to meet you!"
+"Well, you seem like you're a good guy. But you're an idiot." The girl
+appeared shocked by Yamauchi's self-introduction. "I'm...I[buki," she said in
+a clear voice.
+She lightly caressed her red, swollen cheek. It must've been painful.
+She didn't look us in the eyes as she spoke. Maybe she wasn't good at social
+contact or something. I noticed a small amount of dirt under Ibuki's nails. If
+you looked to where she'd been sitting, you could see disturbances in the soil.
+"Whoa, so do girls, like, slap each other across the cheek when they
+fight or something?"
+"That's not your concern. Leave me alone."
+Despite her words, it wasn't like we could do that, considering her
+obvious pain. She seemed to be dealing with it, but her agony occasionally
+registered on her face as she stroked her cheek. Ibuki slung a bag over her
+shoulder, wincing at her burden. Upon seeing that, Yamauchi's eyes lit up.
+"Well, at least let me take your bag for you. Huh? Huh?"
+Yamauchi wanted to display his manliness in front of Sakura by any
+means necessary, so he once again thrust his branches over to me to hold.
+How gentlemanly.
+"It's fine. H-hey, it's fine. Knock it off!"
+She flatly refused to let Yamauchi carry her bag, perhaps because she
+didn't want to rely on us. She let go of the bag, which fell and struck a tree,
+making a dull thud sound. The awkwardness increased as Yamauchi
+frantically apologized.
+"T-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do anything bad. I apologize."
+"Tt's fine. It's just that I still don't trust you guys. You understand?"
+Ibuki, with nothing further to say, fell silent. Yamauchi gave up and
+started walking. If he wasn't going to carry the bag, then he could've carried
+those branches. They poked me thoroughly on the way back to base camp.
+237
+W. gathered up the branches and returned to camp. Being from a
+different class, Ibuki didn't want to cause any trouble, so she sat further
+away. It would've been impossible for her to blend in, so we appreciated her
+honesty. If she stayed within our sight, she probably wouldn't cause trouble.
+Hirata was gone, unfortunately. That meant Yamauchi, Sakura, and I had to
+get the bonfire going. We wouldn't be able to get a fire going in the dark, so
+we had to hurry.
+"Leave it to me. Ill show you an easy way."
+Yamauchi produced a matchbox he'd received from Hirata, and
+crouched before the stacked branches. He took one match, and quickly
+scratched the tip against the rough strip. We heard repeated scratching
+sounds, like "tch", but the match didn't light.
+"Damn, this is pretty hard..."
+Sakura stood next to him and watched. Yamauchi tried to look cool,
+but for someone unused to matches, it probably wasn't easy. Still, he struck
+the match over and over, until suddenly it lit.
+"Oh, oh, there! Got it!"
+Finally. In a panic, Yamauchi brought the match down to the bundle of
+sticks. But only light smoke came out, and after waiting a really long time it
+didn't seem that the fire was going to start.
+"Huh?"
+"Maybe we need to carefully get the fire onto the branches themselves?
+Right now it seems impossible."
+"Okay, Ill try that next time. Ah, jeez, that one failed too. Are these
+matches defective or something?"
+We were having such a hard time lighting a fire with one match, we
+wondered whether we'd be able to light a bonfire at all. Yamauchi was
+getting increasingly frustrated, and began striking the matches more
+forcefully against the strip. As a result, he broke several.
+"If I keep messing up, we're gonna be in trouble."
+Three broken matchsticks lay at Yamauchi's feet. He tried to regain his
+composure.
+"Don't worry, don't worry. It's going to be all right. We still have
+more."
+He opened the matchbox and showed it to me. It looked light, but there
+were about twenty or more in there. However, at this rate we might run out
+before the week was through.
+"All right! This time I got it for sure!"
+He carefully lit the match and slowly brought it toward the branch.
+Though it seemed like the fire was desperately trying its best, it didn't
+develop as desired. It ended up only smoldering a little, causing more smoke.
+"What the hell?! What am I doing wrong? I'm going to go ask the
+teacher."
+Yamauchi had wanted to look cool in front of Sakura, but that was over
+with now. He started frantically searching for Chabashira-sensei. He should
+have thought this through before trying it, obviously. I crouched down and
+jostled the branches.
+"Why won't the fire start?"
+Sakura crouched next to me, looking at the burned branches with a
+puzzled expression.
+"T thought since they're wood they'd burn easily, but I guess fire is
+weaker than I initially imagined," I said.
+She didn't seem to understand what I meant by that, so she tilted her
+head slightly quizzically.
+"Well, when you see bonfires in movies, you typically see these large
+branches, right? That's why we picked these up. But maybe you can't start a
+fire with large branches?"
+I separated the branches, snapped off a thin one, and showed it to her.
+"T feel like next time, we should line up branches of this size. Also, a
+lot of the branches are damp."
+Trying to set a fire with damp wood was the mark of an amateur. Even
+if Yamauchi had used dozens of matches, the fire likely wouldn't have
+spread.
+"It's going to require a little work on our end, but I think we should
+head back into the forest to get dry, thin branches, and leaves that'11 burn
+easy."
+"Huh? What are you guys doing over there?"
+Ike, who'd gone for a swim, had returned just as we ran through our
+trial and error.
+"We're in the middle of trying to start the bonfire. It's not going so
+well, though. We're having a tough time."
+"A bonfire? Wait, these thick branches aren't going to catch on fire.
+You need to start with smaller branches, you know? The branches you got
+here are way too big. Also, a bunch of 'em are damp, too. This is no good at
+all!"
+"Ah, but, Ayanokouji-kun..."
+I interrupted Sakura as she attempted to speak up for me.
+"T see. If you don't mind, could you tell us what to do?"
+"Jeez, guess I don't got a choice, huh? Okay, time for a brief lecture.
+Wait a second, I'll go collect some good things from around here."
+Ike set down his swimsuit bag and went into the forest. He returned
+soon after. He'd picked up a bunch of branches of different sizes, from thin to
+medium thickness. Also, he'd collected a bundle of dead leaves.
+"T got some good branches. I think we'll be able to manage with these."
+With that, he picked up the matchbook that Yamauchi had set down,
+and quickly set fire to the dead leaves. As the leaves kindled, he started
+adding some small twigs. Then, watching the fire carefully, he gradually
+added in thicker branches. In the blink of an eye, the flame turned into a
+typical bonfire.
+"And that should do it."
+"That's amazing. I'm really impressed. Someone with real camping
+experience is on another level."
+"Tt's just the basics. Starting a bonfire, I mean. Once you know how,
+anyone can do it."
+Since so few students in Class D had that kind of experience, Ike was
+becoming crucial to our success.
+"Ah, damn it! The teacher didn't tell me a damn thing. Whoa! Hey,
+how'd the bonfire get going?!"
+Yamauchi had returned, and was astonished to see such a splendid
+bonfire. Perhaps he felt frustrated that he hadn't been able to show off,
+because he started complaining. I decided to leave the bonfire issues to Ike
+and Yamauchi, and left.
+"H-hey, Ayanokouji-kun... Even though you'd figured it out, was that
+okay? To not tell them?" Sakura asked.
+"T didn't know whether I was correct or not, so it wouldn't have
+mattered. Besides, building up Ike and displaying his usefulness will be more
+helpful to the class."
+Maybe I was rambling, but I just said what I was thinking. Sakura gave
+me a certain look, like she was moved by my words. For some reason, I felt
+stupidly embarrassed.
+"Sorry. ''m a little tired, so I'm going to rest. Thank you, Sakura."
+I went a short distance from the campsite. Chabashira-sensei1, who was
+preparing a personal tent for herself nearby, stared in my direction. I
+pretended not to notice.
+2.8
+Once five o'clock arrived, Kushida and her group returned. Hirata
+had apparently joined up with Kushida's group. Since this was the return of
+our class' central figures, nearly half the class began to gather together.
+Apparently, they'd gone out searching for food. We could see they'd been
+successful. From a distance, I saw little red fruits, like strawberries, and
+maybe tomatoes. They also seemed to have grapes and kiwis.
+"Ts this... Can we eat these, I wonder? I mean, that looks like fruit,
+but..."
+The students didn't seem too confident.
+"Even so, I'm really thirsty... I'm hungry, too."
+"T'm getting thirsty, too..."
+When evening came, it was understandable that the students would
+start saying those kinds of things. I was one of them. As dinnertime drew
+near, our food and water problems were highlighted.
+"Oh hey, this is bog bilberry! Did you find these, Kikyou-chan? That's
+amazing, y'know!"
+Ike came over, checking out the fruit and telling us what was what.
+"Kanji-kun, do you know what this is?"
+"Yeah. It's a fruit, a bog bilberry. I've eaten 'em before when I went
+camping in the mountains. As you can tell, they look and taste like
+blueberries. It's the akebia quinata. It's sweet and tasty. Oh wow, this really
+takes me back, man."
+He was being genuine, not trying to appear cool. Everyone watched Ike
+with interest as he smiled, enjoying the nostalgic fruit. Shinohara bombarded
+Ike with questions, and he answered her directly.
+"Ah. Let's see. Ah, that feels better than I thought."
+Despite countless disturbances, at least we were organized with this
+one small thing. Even though it was only a small amount, the fact that we'd
+found food was a relief.
+"Looks like you were able to get the bonfire going. Thanks,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+"You should be thanking Ike, not me."
+The smoke billowed, large enough to make a good smoke signal. Ike
+explained, "If you can see the smoke, you'!l be able to find the campsite even
+if you get lost, right?"
+"Yeah, that's how we returned to the camp so quickly. It's all thanks to
+you, Kanji-kun!"
+This also meant we ran the risk of other classes finding us, though.
+Kushida and several others realized this, and nodded in understanding. I
+would've thought that so much attention and respect would've given Ike a
+big head, but he wasn't looking for praise from Kushida. Instead, he looked
+at Shinohara.
+"Hey, Shinohara. I spent some time thinking about how I acted today,
+about the toilet and stuff and how stubborn I was. I was pushy because I
+wanted to save points. I'm sorry."
+""Wh-why are you apologizing to me all of the sudden?"
+"T just remembered the first time I went camping. The toilet was awful,
+and of course there were bugs crawling around everywhere. Just about
+everything was dirty. I remember going to my parents, complaining how
+much I hated going to the bathroom and telling them I wanted to go home.
+I'm sure it's even worse for a girl..."
+Ike was amazing. He'd grasped the situation himself and handled
+things calmly. He had the potential to go far, unlike an ordinary person like
+me. It definitely took courage to say what he'd said. The courage and the
+apology came slowly, but Shinohara responded apologetically as well.
+"T'm...sorry for earlier, too. For saying that I couldn't drink from the
+river. I think I got way too emotional. We won't be able to keep any of our
+points if we don't learn to adjust."
+Even though neither of them looked the other straight in the eyes, it
+seemed they'd made up. Perhaps Class D might end up with points after all.
+The other students probably took this as a good sign. Hirata, determined not
+to let this opportunity pass, raised his hand and gathered everyone's attention.
+"Everyone, I have an announcement. This special test is a first for all of
+us. I understand you're confused. Also, everyone sees things their own way,
+so it's only natural that there'Il be some disputes. However, I want us all to
+push forward and trust in each other until the very end, without panicking."
+Hirata spoke those words clearly. After composing himself, he
+continued.
+"After all, everyone here wants to end up with at least one point, right?
+Therefore, I tried to come up with a number that we can realistically aim for.
+By the end of the test, we could have 120 points or more left over. That's
+what Class D 1s fighting for."
+"In other words, you plan on using 180 points? I'm not sure I agree,
+Hirata."
+Yukimura glared as if using more than half of our points were an
+unforgivable crime. Hirata, sensing the potential danger ahead, placed the
+manual on the ground and explained.
+"T'd like you to listen to everything I have to say. First, let's suppose
+that we're going to use points for all our meals. If we try to spend the least
+amount possible, that means purchasing the nutritious meal and mineral
+water sets."
+The food and drinking water normally cost six points per individual
+unit, but as a set it only cost ten points. Ten points per meal eaten twice a day
+came to a daily loss of twenty points. If we ordered one meal tonight and one
+on the final day of the test, that came to a total of twelve meals. That would
+be 120 points altogether. If we managed to put up with it on the last day and
+skip a meal, then the deduction would equal 110 points. If we added the
+twenty points we spent on a temporary toilet to that, as well as the cost for
+two tents for the guys, which was also twenty points, then we'd have 150
+points. The remaining thirty points had probably been factored in to cover
+any miscellaneous things we might need, bringing the estimated total to 180
+points.
+Everyone silently listened to Hirata's explanation.
+"T understand that when you hear we'll have 120 points remaining, you
+probably feel that's not enough. However, we're dwelling on these 300 points
+too much. If you look at the results of the midterm and the final exam, then
+the reason will be easy to understand, I think."
+We'd received an increase in class points before vacation. Even Class
+A, regarded as our superior, didn't see an addition of more than 100 points.
+You certainly couldn't call 120 points a small number. In addition, because
+we could gain points depending on the number of times we were able to
+occupy a space, we might end up with more than 120.
+"Besides, I'm talking about our lower limit for points. If we can find
+food and water to make it through the day, we adjust our calculations and
+save as many as twenty points. If we can find drinking water for the week,
+we'll save fifty points or more."
+Hirata looked at the river as he spoke. Its value instantly increased in
+our eyes.
+"T see... So if we can endure it, that alone would change things a great
+deal..."
+Anyone else could have come up with this, but Hirata's tone and
+presentation sold it. He'd performed flawlessly. First he told us about the
+lower limit, and then explained that we could end up with nearly 200 points.
+In that way, he succeeded in motivating everyone to reach a high goal. If we
+did our best, we could end up with lots of points. More than that, we could
+greatly increase the number of points we had by making an effort.
+"That's good, right, Hirata? We can earn at least 120 points. If we work
+hard, we can even earn additional points, right? Then we should definitely
+try!"
+Ike, who'd thus far been the most confrontational, shouted in
+agreement. Sudou and Yamauchi both looked as though they agreed because
+they didn't really have another choice. Yukimura still appeared reluctant, but
+seeing Ike join with Hirata made him fold.
+"Ah, that reminds me, Hirata. I wanted to check something," I said.
+Because Yamauchi had forgotten to report on Ibuki, I didn't have any
+choice. However, our classmates continued their excited discussion, and I
+didn't have any chance to butt in.
+"That's the fate of a popular person, I guess. Well, Pll try giving it a
+little time."
+I approached Ibuki, who'd been watching from further away.
+"Sorry. Can you wait a little longer? I'm going to talk to him about
+99
+you.
+"You don't need to force yourself. ''d probably end up just getting in
+the way."
+Ibuki pulled up a handful of grass, looking pissed.
+"After all, they'll chase me out anyway. Am I wrong?"
+"T don't know. Hirata is an exceptionally good guy."
+I couldn't imagine that Hirata would kick her out if he knew about her
+situation.
+"Oh, I never introduced myself before. My name's Ayanokouji."
+"So, should I introduce myself once more then?"
+"Nah. You're Ibuki, from Class C. I remember."
+We faced each other through the introductions, but Ibuki wouldn't look
+me in the eyes.
+"For future reference, can everyone here who's okay with drinking
+river water please raise your hand?" Ike asked.
+The discussion moved on to the next topic, leaving Ibuki and Class C
+behind. Ike wasn't forcing anyone to drink the water, but he did want to see
+what everyone's opinions were. Of course, he took the initiative and raised
+his hand in support of the river. Nearly half of the guys raised their hands in
+apparent agreement. Shinohara looked a little perplexed, but Ike gently told
+her that she didn't have to force herself.
+"T-I want to do my best, but...I'm a little scared, I think."
+"Tf it's about what Sudou said about boiling water, it's really not that
+bad. If you're scared of drinking it directly, how about we try it out first?"
+A few more students agreed. Gradually, a matter that had once been
+strongly rejected was now edging toward acceptance. Shinohara still
+appeared fearful, but raised her hand.
+"T don't know if I can drink it, but...?''m up for the challenge."
+"T agree. If the first person who tries can drink it, then it should be
+fine."
+Other students looked amenable to that, and then Kushida followed suit
+and raised her own hand. Perhaps she was trying to influence the group?
+Soon everyone had their hands raised except for Horikita and me. Everyone
+stared at us, and we slowly raised our hands as well. However, it was still
+difficult for people to start drinking from the river. In order to have some
+emergency supplies, we had decided to buy some water, just in case.
+"T have a request, Ike-kun. I want you to lend me your talents from here
+on out. It looks like you're the only one with camping experience here. Can
+you help me out?" Hirata asked.
+"W-well, I guess if you ask, I gotta cooperate."
+"Thank you!"
+Hirata practically jumped for joy at Ike's curt reply. Shinohara, who'd
+complained the most before, didn't object. Hirata started gathering opinions
+about food.
+"Well, it'll be dark soon, so for now all we can do is order food.
+However, I ask you to think a little about tomorrow onward. There might be
+various foodstuffs nearby, so I wanted to explore."
+"What do you mean, nearby? Do you mean other than where Kushida-
+san and the others found the fruit?"
+"Yeah. The river. It'd be great if we can catch and eat fish. It looks like
+there are quite a few freshwater fish in there. We'd be able to limit our point
+spending to some extent. Also, catching fish and cooking them over the
+bonfire sounds really tasty."
+"Well, putting aside whether or not they'd be tasty, how do you plan on
+catching fish?"
+"T'll dive in the water. I haven't done it before, though."
+Ike made a swimming motion, but it probably wouldn't be easy to
+catch fish by skin diving.
+"Even though it might sound impossible to catch a fish with your bare
+hands, there are lots of tools," said Hirata, pointing to an entry in the manual.
+"Fishing rods." They had a variety, too.
+"It's one point for fishing rods with bait, and two points for fishing
+rods with lures."
+It wouldn't be difficult to recover the cost. It might even be a big win
+for us, if we could earn food for one or two days by spending just one point.
+And even if we didn't happen to catch anything, the cost was so minimal that
+it couldn't really hurt us. There were no objections.
+"Well, I guess it's decided. Let's get ourselves a fishing rod and catch
+some fish! Of course, we'll go with the cheaper one."
+And so we settled on our goal of catching fish from the river and
+foraging for berries in the forest. If we were successful, we'd decide whether
+or not to purchase a set of cooking utensils for an additional five points. Also,
+we decided to spend another twenty points to install one shower. We
+expected opposition, but our health might worsen if we only used cold water.
+The guys were only allowed to use the shower in the middle of the night,
+though. All of the girls seemed to agree that they'd drink water from the
+river. So, with the opposition convinced, the motion passed.
+"By the way... That girl, Ibuki-san from Class C? I've seen her
+before."
+A girl named Satou, who had finally noticed the interloper, eyed Ibuki
+with suspicion. Ibuki continued to quietly sit far away. Apparently there was
+no need for me to break the ice.
+"Well, it sounds like there's been some kind of trouble in her class..."
+Yamauchi, a little flustered, explained why Ibuki seemed to have been
+isolated from her classmates.
+"T see. Your judgment was correct. We can't just leave her."
+"But, Hirata-kun... Couldn't she be a spy? I mean, if she can spot the
+leader..." Yamauchi asked, hands over his head for attention.
+"Ah, that's right. I suppose it's possible. Ill check on it. Is that okay,
+Yamauchi-kun? Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Hirata headed over to Ibuki. Had he excluded Sakura because of his
+pretty-boy thoughtfulness? Sakura seemed relieved to not be noticed.
+"Do you have a moment, Ibuki-san? I wanted to talk to you," Hirata
+said.
+"I'm probably just getting in the way. You've already taken good care
+of me."
+She quickly stood, as if she wanted to run.
+"Wait a minute. I wanted to ask what happened. I want to help."
+She stopped at Hirata's words. After seeing her swollen face, Hirata
+had likely surmised that the issue wasn't trivial.
+"Nothing will change if I stay. I don't want to waste time just sitting
+around."
+"This is a test, so of course some students will doubt you. However,
+you're hurt. I don't want to chase you away if you can't go back to your own
+class. I think that's why Yamauchi-kun brought you here. So, tell me about
+your situation."
+"This isn't something I can just talk about. Besides, I've heard all your
+plans. You'd hate it if more of your strategies were leaked, right?"
+Ibuki started walking away. Hirata stopped her in her tracks.
+"If you really were a spy, you wouldn't want to be chased out, would
+you? Am I wrong?"
+"Enough. I'm just looking for a place to sleep."
+As I expected, she wasn't going to return to Class C. The sun was
+setting, and it'd be night soon.
+"It's crazy for a girl to sleep alone in the woods."
+"Even if it's crazy, I don't have a choice. Helping me won't gain you
+anything."
+"This has nothing to do with losses or gains. We can't just leave
+someone in trouble. We all think so."
+Her expression cleared, and she turned toward us without hesitation.
+Something like that was designed to melt even the toughest exterior. [buki
+seemed to believe Hirata, and it gave her confidence.
+"T had a fight with a boy in my class. He hit me and chased me away.
+That's all."
+"That's horrible. Raising a hand against a girl, I mean."
+I hadn't expected it, either. 'd thought for sure she'd been in a fight
+with another girl.
+"T won't say anything more on the subject. I didn't think you'd take me
+in and give me shelter, anyway. See you."
+"Wait. I understand that you're really in trouble. Please give me a little
+time. If you can do that, I'll tell the other students about your situation and
+see 1f we can find a place for you. Ayanokouji-kun, can you watch Ibuki-san?
+I'm going to go talk to everyone."
+Hirata left us and returned to the group. I wondered if Hirata had left
+me with her because he trusted me, or at least trusted me more than
+Yamauchi. I was a little curious.
+"He's seriously a good-natured guy, isn't he?" Ibuki asked.
+"T think everyone here is, more or less. Are there not people like that in
+your class?"
+"Not at all... There isn't really anyone in Class C like that."
+Ibuki sat down, bunched her knees against her chest, and lowered her
+head. Thanks to Hirata's persuasiveness, Class D agreed to look after Ibuk1.
+Though some students were strongly opposed, every time Class C held roll
+call, they'd hemorrhage points. Once everyone saw it as an opportunity, they
+were finally convinced. Hirata's intentions had been pure, but the same
+wasn't true for others. The incentive of potential profit motivated them to
+take the chance.
+However, maintaining exclusive possession of this place was an
+extremely delicate issue. We explained to Ibuki, and she promised not to
+wander near the device. If anyone realized that Horikita was the leader, the
+damage we'd suffer would be great. After that, we decided to purchase the
+necessary food and water sets for tonight, along with the guys' tents. Thanks
+to Hirata and Ike, the tents were set up smoothly. Just before the sun set, we
+finished all of our preparations, and the students began eating their meals.
+"Hey, Ibuki-san. Eat this."
+Kushida approached Ibuki, who'd been quietly sitting some distance
+away by herself. Kushida offered her one of the nutritious meal seats and a
+bottle of water.
+"What? Why are you giving me this?"
+"Well, you're probably hungry, right?"
+"Food is provided based on class numbers. There shouldn't be any
+spare sets left."
+"Yeah. But don't worry, we decided to share everything with our
+group."
+Further away, the four other people from Kushida's group waved and
+smiled at Ibuki. In other words, four people had shared three portions of food
+and water, and the leftover portion went to Ibuk1.
+"Are you guys stupid? You're all being way too nice."
+"Don't be shy. Eat up. Let's talk later, okay? I'll be waiting in the
+tent."
+With that, Kushida returned to her group. It had seemed easy to help a
+girl from another class until we had to reduce our own food portions. Then it
+wasn't so simple. But Kushida, who wished for everyone's happiness, had
+charity to spare.
+"Wow, when you look at them like this, the girls' groups are kind of
+remarkable."
+Yamauchi, in the middle of eating, pointed to each group individually.
+"There's the Empress Team, led by Karuizawa. Then there's Kushida-
+chan's Friendship Team and Shinohara's Arrogant Team. Then you have
+Horikita and Sakura, who are by themselves."
+All of the guys huddled relatively close together as they ate, but the
+girls sat in their individual teams. There was a clear wall between them, like
+they were groups from other classes. Maybe Kushida's team was the most
+neutral of all of them, or just held a lot of influence?
+"Poor Sakura, all alone. I wonder if I should eat with her," Yamauchi
+said.
+"Y ou're probably better off giving up, don't you think? You'd just
+scare her."
+"Damn. I want to get to know her better, but she's way too
+introverted..."
+In addition to being shy, Sakura probably found it difficult to deal with
+pushy types like Yamauchi. Despite being warned, Yamauchi seemed
+impatient to go over to her.
+"What the hell, Haruki? That's no fair, stalking a lone beautiful woman
+like that. Come on, let me join in!"
+Ike, seeing Yamauchi's glances, misunderstood and approached him.
+"T have to say, Sakura's breasts are really something else. You don't
+often see breasts that big on a first-year high school student. Her clothes are
+just bulging. She's way too sexy. Her boobs alone make her even more
+attractive than Kikyou-chan."
+Ike stared intently at Sakura's breasts, like he wanted to devour them.
+Yamauchi blocked Ike's line of sight.
+"Hey, what the hell, dude?"
+"Don't just look at Sakura like a pervert. Besides, you're aiming for
+Kushida-san, aren't you?"
+"Well, yeah. But it's all right, isn't it? I mean, an idol belongs to
+everyone, right? Haruki, could you be... Ooh, are you Sakura's—"
+"T-It's not like that. Come on, let's eat."
+Apparently Yamauchi wanted to hide the fact that he was changing
+targets and going after Sakura. Besides, it was night, with nothing left to do.
+It was only natural that the flow of the conversation would lead to the
+opposite sex. I noticed Hirata nearby, distributing food.
+"Come to think of it, where's Kouenji-kun?"
+Everyone had gathered, but it looked like Kouenji was absent.
+"Oh, Kouenji complained about being in poor physical condition and
+returned to the ship. Of course, that means that you've had thirty points
+deducted. Those are the rules, so there's nothing to be done. Kouenji has
+retired, and he's obligated to stay onboard the ship for one week for medical
+treatment," said Chabashira-sensel.
+"Whaaaaat?!"
+Screams sounded throughout the night.
+"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! Kouenji, you jerk! What the hell
+***
+were you thinking?!" The normally silent Yukimura shouted and kicked the
+ground. I knew Kouenji was a free spirit, but I never imagined he would just
+up and retire. Maybe he didn't care about reaching Class A. If it made his life
+easier, losing thirty points didn't matter at all.
+"Goddamn it! We lost thirty points! This sucks!"
+Both the boys and girls were furious over Kouenji's actions, but could
+do nothing about it. Kouenji's loud, haughty laughter reverberated in our
+minds.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Hirata Yousuke
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004698
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Soccer Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: September 1st
+***
+During junior high school, he gained a tremendous amount of trust from
+his fellow students and teachers, and was seen as a central figure in his
+class. He was an excellent student who never displayed any problematic
+behavior. However, we have received testimony that he was involved
+in a newsworthy incident. We have decided to revoke his assigned
+placement in Class A and instead have put him in Class D.
+***
+Both the boys and girls in Class D place a lot of trust in him. | will
+continue observation.
+Chapter 3:
+Rivals on the Move
+I woke up much earlier that morning than I'd anticipated. The heat
+and humidity had made me toss and turn in my sleep. It finally roused me,
+and I wasn't very well rested. My bed felt warm, and I remembered that we'd
+kept the lamp on throughout the whole night. Our tent stank like sweat.
+Fortunately, we'd formed the tent with a mesh material because it allowed for
+the night breeze to blow through. But once the night had ended, the
+temperature rose significantly. I carefully slipped out of the tent so as to not
+wake anyone else, and approached our mountain of piled luggage.
+We'd kept the luggage outside in order to make the tents as spacious as
+possible. After looking around to make sure I was alone, I found a singularly
+colored piece of luggage. It was Ibuki's bag. Since her bag was different, it
+was easy to spot. I grabbed it without hesitation and checked inside. If
+someone saw me doing this, I'd be instantly labeled a pervert. Inside, I found
+the same kinds of things that everyone else had, like towels, a change of
+clothes, underwear, etc. However...
+"A digital camera, huh?"
+That explained the dull sound I'd heard yesterday when she dropped
+the bag against a tree. This item wasn't appropriate for a deserted island. On
+the bottom of the camera, I found a rental sticker. Why did Ibuki have this? I
+considered the possible reasons, trying to think from her perspective. After
+conjuring up an image of her in my head, several possibilities suggested
+themselves.
+I checked the camera's power source. It had no data, and no sign that
+it'd been used. After I finished my inspection, I returned the item to the bag,
+and went back to the tent.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun. Heading to the bathroom?"
+Hirata was awake. He turned around as he greeted me. Maybe he
+noticed that I was sweatier than usual.
+"Ah. Did I wake you, by any chance?"
+"Oh no. I can't exactly sleep soundly in this environment. Ouch,
+ouch... Ah, my back hurts. Well, I guess that's only natural without a proper
+mattress."
+It certainly wasn't easy to sleep when we were so crowded together,
+and without real beds to boot. But somehow, everyone else was still asleep.
+They were probably tired out from yesterday's activity.
+"If you include Kouenji-kun's penalty, we spent almost 100 points
+yesterday. I told everyone that in the worst possible outcome we'd be left
+with 120 points, but now I'm not even sure about that. I guess the anxiety
+woke me."
+Hirata took out the manual to confirm his fears. Kouenji's retirement
+had been a pretty serious blow.
+"This is tough, even for the class peacemaker." I couldn't possibly
+fathom carrying this kind of responsibility. I peeked at the manual, and Hirata
+adjusted his position so that I could comfortably look at it. I was grateful for
+such small acts of consideration.
+"I'm only doing this because I like it. If my hard work makes everyone
+in class happy, then I'm satisfied. But it's surprisingly difficult. How many
+points we have after this special test will have a huge impact on our lives. I
+think it's wrong to freak everybody out."
+Make everyone in class happy, huh? If such a thing were possible, it
+would be amazing. But it was probably close to impossible. The school's
+system dictated as much.
+"So, if we have students who want to aim for Class A, and students
+who want to stay in Class D, what do you do?"
+While I knew that was a meaningless question, it accidentally came out
+sounding rather unkind. I guess I wanted Hirata's opinion, since he was
+basically just a mass of good intentions.
+"That's hard to answer. Aiming for the upper classes means forcing
+everyone... I'm sorry, I need to think on it."
+I wondered how often he'd thought about it. Hirata smiled faintly.
+"So Ayanokouji-kun, do you want to get into Class A? Or are you fine
+as long as life at school is fun?"
+"T guess if I had to pick, school life's my priority. Besides, I don't think
+it's possible to reach Class A."
+"T see. I also don't think it's simple. Even if our class came together as
+one and aimed for Class A... I just think our first month's losses did too
+much damage."
+Hirata was probably thinking about all the other students' limits. If
+Class A didn't fall in the rankings, making up the difference wouldn't be
+easy. Even if Class D managed to live conservatively during this exam, we
+could only gain 100 to 150 points. Right now, even overtaking Class C
+seemed like a pipe dream.
+"Don't be impatient. First of all, Class D needs to come together and
+make it through this test. After that, we can focus on the next goal."
+Most of us had decided to let Hirata take the lead. If we worked hard in
+the short term, we'd earn class points. Right now, ignoring the severe chasm
+between us and the other classes wasn't a bad idea. Hirata politely excused
+himself and quietly headed to the toilet. I stretched out in the space left
+behind by his absence.
+At the very least, Class A had the cave. It was likely that Classes B and
+C also had spots somewhere. Even though we held the river, that alone might
+not be enough. Once everyone was asleep, I neatly cut out one of the
+manual's five blank pages. Then I took a ballpoint pen.
+After I replicated a simple map of the island, I folded it into a small
+square and put it in my pocket. Soon after, Hirata peeked in the tent's
+entrance.
+"Want to come wash your face together with me?"
+I accepted his offer. The tent's temperature was rising as the sun
+climbed higher in the sky. We took towels from our vinyl-wrapped luggage
+and headed to the river. Hirata put the manual inside his pack. The jingle of
+plastic accessories banging together sounded from Hirata's bag.
+"Gifts or something from Karuizawa?"
+"Spot on. How'd you guess?"
+Who else would give him little heart-bedazzled presents? As we
+headed to the river, we came across an unexpected person.
+"What are you doing here?"
+A student from Class B, Kanzaki, looked our way. Some other boys I
+didn't know were with him, but they were probably Class B students, too.
+They appeared surprised, as if they hadn't expected us at such an early hour,
+but quickly regained their composure.
+"First day's over, so I wondered how you were doing. I thought I'd
+check on you. Your location's great."
+He seemed legitimately impressed by our base camp. He didn't appear
+to have a hidden agenda.
+"You're Kanzaki-kun, from Class B, aren't you?"
+Hirata seemed to remember him.
+"Did I surprise you? I'm sorry, I'm not here to cause trouble."
+With that apology, Kanzaki walked away.
+"Kanzaki. Where's Class B camping?"
+Maybe he wouldn't tell us, but I thought I'd try asking. Kanzaki
+answered without hesitation.
+"There are large broken trees along the path from here to the beach. If
+you enter the forest to the southwest and walk a bit, you can find our
+campsite. You shouldn't get lost if you enter by those large trees. If you need
+something, go ahead and tell her you can come by."
+With that, Kanzaki left. Hirata gave me a strange look.
+"I'm guessing he's your friend, hmm? What'd he mean by 'go ahead
+and tell her'?"
+"Hmm, I wonder."
+Kanzaki, Ichinose, and Horikita had recently worked together in a false
+accusation case. He probably thought they were still on good terms.
+"T wonder if they came here to do some reconnaissance, see how we've
+spent our points."
+Doubtless that was one reason, after seeing Kanzaki's slightly
+apologetic expression. You could estimate the number of points spent just by
+the number of toilets, showers, and tents. However, that was probably not the
+only thing Kanzaki and the others wanted to know. They must've wanted to
+discover our class leader. After all, the rights of exclusive spot possession
+expired every eight hours.
+Perhaps they'd calculated the renewal time and hoped to see the spot
+updated. However, we'd planned for that. That's why we postponed the
+second update yesterday, so the rights of ownership were adjusted to expire
+right after eight o'clock. That way, it was possible to use the big crowds from
+roll call as a kind of camouflage for the update.
+Hirata seemed to be more anxious. He muttered while drying off.
+"T wonder if our strategy's wrong. Even if we can't beat the other
+classes, I thought it'd be good for us to unify on this test. That's the real
+reason I don't want them to discover our leader."
+His hair glistened with water. A splendidly handsome man faced such
+constant trouble.
+"Don't worry so much. You should relax a little."
+"Thank you. Coming from you, that honestly makes me really happy."
+After I washed my face, I scooped up some water for a drink. Even
+though the forest was insanely hot, the river water was cool and delicious.
+The water here was groundwater that flowed into the river as spring water,
+making it naturally resistant to warming or cooling. Since it came from
+upstream, the water's temperature was resistant to heating. We'd been lucky
+to secure this place as our base.
+"First, I think we need to adjust our sleeping arrangements. Since the
+ground's so hard here, this week will be tough without proper back support.
+When everyone wakes up, I'm going to take a poll. We have to cooperate and
+do our best."
+3.1
+A fier morning roll call, we began to explore. Hirata provided roles to
+the more reliable students, starting his plan to save us points. Meanwhile, the
+less helpful students and the more independently-minded like Horikita and I
+did as we pleased.
+"What the hell, you guys?!"
+Ike's angry voice boomed throughout the campsite. I looked in his
+direction, and saw two male students wearing wide, smug grins. A pained
+expression flashed across Ibuki's face for a moment, but then she quickly
+ducked behind the tent to hide herself.
+"Komiya and Kondou, huh?"
+Like Ibuki, I recognized those guys. They were from Class C.
+"Wow, you Class D rejects are really living frugal, eh? I guess that's
+what I'd expect from a class of defectives."
+They were stuffing their faces with potato chips and drinking bottles of
+soda. Not water. Soda.
+"Looks like you're living the high life, Class C."
+"Do you know Ryuuen?" Ibuki asked.
+""He's a Class C student. I've heard various rumors about him. He's
+pretty crazy, I hear."
+"Not just 'pretty' crazy. Everything that guy does is crazy."
+Ibuki sounded irritated, as if she were discussing a family enemy.
+"Those two are Ryuuen's friends. I'd say they're more like his
+underlings, though."
+I recalled the time those two had fought with Sudou. It'd seemed like
+they were acting on orders from Ryuuen, rather than just looking for a fight.
+"What did you even eat for breakfast? Grass? Or maybe bugs? Here,
+you can have some snacks."
+They took a bag of potato chips and tossed it near Ike's feet as he drew
+nearer. Though it was obvious that they were trying to start something, we
+couldn't help getting irritated.
+"We have a message from Ryuuen-san. If you want to enjoy your
+summer vacation to the fullest, come to the beach right now. Don't hang
+back. If you're sick of living like idiots, then we're happy to share our
+luxuries."
+They didn't leave, but continued snacking as if trying to harass us. Ike
+snapped at them, but they didn't seem to care. The provocation continued for
+at least ten more minutes, until Hirata's group returned and Class C decided
+to call it quits. They headed back toward their campsite.
+"T don't think they were looking for me," Ibuki said.
+"Yeah. Guess they wanted to harass us."
+Their bizarre visit aside, we'd obtained valuable information about
+Class C: they had luxury items, snacks and soda and so on. They'd been
+burning through points. In a test like this, where frugality was crucial, what in
+the world were they thinking?
+"They said something about sharing their luxuries. Any idea what they
+were talking about?" I asked.
+"T wonder if things are heading toward that worst-case scenario I
+imagined..."
+Ibuki said nothing more, but headed toward a tree on the camp's
+periphery. The worst-case scenario she'd imagined, huh? Telling Horikita
+about this seemed like a good idea.
+"Hey, Horikita, you around?"
+After breakfast, Horikita had immediately returned to the tent, and I
+saw no sign of her. I called for her in front of the girls' tent. Although she
+didn't reply, the tent shook slightly, and I heard the sounds of cloth rubbing
+together. Horikita slowly stepped outside.
+"Did you hear those voices earlier?" I asked.
+"The cheap provocation coming from Class C? Yes, I heard."
+"I'm a little worried. I want to check out the situation. Care to come?"
+"Tt's rather unusual to see you taking initiative. Are you feeling well?"
+I'd have loved to throw those words back in her face.
+"Well, I'm free for a week. I don't have anything to do today, so 've
+just been killing time."
+"T don't want to move too much. Since I'm the leader, if I stand out too
+much, we'll be in a bad spot."
+"That's a definite risk."
+Even if someone didn't know a leader's identity for certain, they might
+guess correctly if they noticed suspicious behavior. The more conspicuous a
+person, the more attention they would draw.
+"T understand how you feel, but even if you stay in here, the situation
+probably won't change, right? You've got eyes on Ryuuen, and you've even
+been observing Ichinose. People will remember that you're the student
+council president's younger sister. No matter what you do, you'll be a target."
+At any rate, the penalty for a wrong guess was fifty points. When we'd
+appointed someone as leader, we'd taken a gamble, and precautions were
+necessary.
+"You're right. I suppose I can't say what's correct. Fine. I'm rather
+concerned about the state of the other classes. Let's go."
+Horikita and I set out for the beach, where Class C awaited. Her heavy
+footsteps seemed to belie her casual indifference.
+3.2
+As we neared the edge of the forest, we saw the beach, and the large
+group of Class C students on that beach. Horikita and I could never have
+imagined the situation we beheld.
+"No way... All this stuff... Is it even possible?"
+Even beholding the very real spectacle, Horikita kept repeating the
+word "impossible." I felt the same. They had installed temporary toilets and
+shower rooms. But they also had a tarp to protect against sunlight, a
+barbecue, chairs, and a parasol. They had snacks and drinks. Everything
+required for a good, relaxing time was here. We smelled the smoke of
+cooking meat, and heard laughter. Jet skis whizzed past the shoreline.
+Students were enjoying themselves in the ocean, screaming with joy. Based
+on a rough calculation, they'd likely spent 150 points or more.
+"What in the world is Class C doing? Do they not plan to save points?"
+That was the sole explanation. This went beyond splurging.
+"Let's check things out. I wonder what Class C is thinking?"
+We came out from the bushes and walked to the beach. One of the
+male students noticed us, and called out to another male student nearby. We
+couldn't see his face too well, since he was leaning over in his chair. One of
+the boys rushed over to us.
+"Um, Ryuuen-san has requested your presence," he said. Judging from
+the timidity of his voice, he was either frightened or naturally listless.
+"He rules his classmates like a king. It's like a royal welcome. What
+should we do?"
+"It's up to you, Horikita."
+"Fine. I'm interested in learning his intentions. Let's go."
+We accompanied the boy. As we approached the ocean, the delicious
+smell of cooked meat wafted by our noses.
+"This is absolutely outrageous."
+Our class didn't seem to know how to have a vacation. We approached
+the man in command of this hedonistic paradise.
+"T thought someone was sniffing around. It's you, huh? What business
+do you have with me?"
+"You seem to be doing well for yourself. This looks like quite the
+extravagant party."
+Ryuuen, tanned and clad in his swimwear, laid back in his chair. He
+flashed his white teeth at us.
+"Just as you see. We're enjoying our summer vacation."
+He spread his arms wide, proudly showing off the extravaganza.
+"This is a test. Do you understand what that means? You don't seem to
+understand the rules..."
+Ryuuen didn't seem happy being told about his apparent ineptitude.
+Actually, he looked disappointed. "I'm shocked. Does that mean you're
+offering help even to an enemy like me?"
+"If the person on top is incompetent, those below him will suffer. This
+is pitiful," Horikita said.
+Ryuuen simply smiled, grabbing the bottle of water placed next to the
+radio.
+"How many points did you use? To be able to enjoy this level of
+entertainment, I mean."
+"Hmm. Well, I didn't make a precise calculation," Ryuuen responded
+guilelessly. "Tch. Already getting warm. Hey, Ishizaki. Bring me some cold
+water, right away."
+Ryuuen poured out his remaining water on the sand, almost in
+provocation. Ishizaki, who'd been playing volleyball nearly, panicked and
+rushed to get Ryuuen another water. A mountain of cardboard boxes were
+piled up inside the tent, likely filled with food and water. Sakazaki peered
+into a cooler beside the boxes.
+"As you can see, we're enjoying our summer vacation. We're not your
+enemies. Do you understand?"
+Horikita, finding his behavior incomprehensible, pressed her fingers
+against her forehead and wrinkled her brows as if she had a headache.
+"We're trying to warn you. You're an idiot."
+"Which one of us is the idiot? Me? You?"
+Ryuuen would accept no insults, and threw them back at Horikita.
+"You want to try surviving on this deserted island in this shitty heat?
+Don't joke. Class D, the lowest of all, has to put up with starvation, heat, and
+futility just to save a measly 100 or 200 class points. It makes me laugh."
+Ishizaki ran over, dripping with sweat as he brought the water. He
+handed a cold bottle of water to Ryuuen. However, Ryuuen threw it back at
+Ishizaki.
+"T said to bring me cold water. This water's warm."
+"T... B-but..."
+"Hmm?"
+Ryuuen's pupils were just like those of a snake. Ishizaki's body
+stiffened. He picked up the bottle and ran back toward the tent.
+"This test is about perseverance, ingenuity, and cooperation. It would
+likely have been impossible for you from the start. You can't even establish a
+satisfactory plan."
+They couldn't possibly hold on for a week after having spent points so
+lavishly. Eventually, their lives would become hell. The tarps, parasols,
+chairs and other things would become obstacles.
+"Cooperation? Don't make me laugh. People betray each other with
+ease. People lie. Relationships built on trust just aren't viable. You can only
+trust yourself. If you've finished your reconnaissance, leave. But if you wish,
+we'd welcome you here. You're free to enjoy yourself, whether it's to eat
+meat or play on jet skis. Or perhaps you would prefer to have a different kind
+of fun with me? I can prepare a tent for personal use."
+"That's not the kind of answer I'd expect to hear from someone who
+declared war on us."
+"T absolutely loathe hard work. Patience? Saving? You must be
+joking."
+Ishizaki returned once again, and handed over another bottle of water.
+Ryuuen opened the cap and chugged.
+"This is the way I do things. No more, no less."
+"Right. Well then, do as you please. It's convenient for us, anyway."
+Horikita had changed her mind. Class C wasn't going to be our enemy
+here, so they weren't a problem.
+"Working up a sweat in order to evaluate other classes is such a pain."
+Horikita turned on her heel to walk away, but paused. "There is one more
+piece of business. You know Ibuki, of course?"
+"Yeah. She's a member of our class. What about her?"
+"Her face is swollen. Who did that to her?"
+While Horikita was nearly convinced he was the culprit, she
+purposefully asked in a roundabout way.
+"Ah. She ran out of here rather suddenly. She went looking for help
+from another class in the end? Pathetic girl."
+Ryuuen snorted in disgust, then laid back in his chair.
+"There are helpless idiots in this world. A ruler doesn't need
+subordinates who disobey orders. We determined that I would use our class
+points to my liking. That's the fact of the matter. Besides, it's pointless to
+raise the banner of revolution against the ruling class."
+"In other words, Ibuki-san clashed with you when you wanted to spend
+points."
+"Well, you could say that. That's why she got a light punishment."
+He made a gesture like slapping someone's cheek. Ryuuen had indeed
+hit her.
+"Another boy defied me as well, so I had him driven out. I heard he
+didn't die, so he's probably off somewhere eating grass and insects to
+survive."
+I couldn't imagine that was something you could say about a friend.
+But now I fully understood. Even if Ibuki were absent during roll call, Class
+C wouldn't care. That's why Ryuuen didn't care about his classmates or
+trying to find them.
+"You...used up all your points on the first day, didn't you?" Horikita
+asked.
+Even if you used all of the 300 points you were given, there wouldn't
+be any penalties. The effect was nonexistent.
+"Yes, as you said. I used all of our points."
+His strategy was to be at zero points to negate negative elements. It was
+certainly unexpected, but it came at a high price. With no points, Class C
+would have the lowest rank. Even if they managed to guess every other class
+leader's identity, they could only achieve a maximum of 150 points.
+"If Ibuki is with you, you're better off chasing her away. If you shower
+her with your awkward sympathies, you'll have one extra person to prepare
+water, food, and bedding for. Anyway, if you can't deal with it, she can
+return here. If she grovels on the ground, I'll forgive her. I've a tolerant
+heart."
+He'd forgive her defiance if she returned to being under his control. He
+seemed pretty sure that she would. It would be difficult for Ibuki to live alone
+on a deserted island for one week.
+"What short-sighted thinking. You're happy right now using your
+points, but what are you planning to do after the party's over?"
+"Ha ha ha. What should I do, I wonder? Well, I suppose that plain,
+ordinary people can only engage in plain, ordinary thinking. You're desperate
+to protect the points you were given. Looking around for the leaders,
+desperately holding spots, working up a sweat running through the forest.
+Absolutely worthless."
+Even though we'd confronted him with facts, Ryuuen laughed and
+showed no sign of panic.
+"Fine. Let's head back, Ayanokouji-kun. If we stay here any longer,
+I'm only going to start to feel ill."
+"See you later, Suzune."
+"T don't know where exactly you found that out, but do not call me by
+my first name so casually."
+Ryuuen had clearly done some investigating.
+"Well, I rather like forceful women. I'Il make you submit to me
+eventually. When that time comes, it will be the ultimate pleasure."
+When he said that, Ryuuen touched his crotch under his bathing suit,
+clearly to provoke Horikita. Horikita, eyes full of contempt, turned her back
+and walked away. As I started running after her, I stopped to look at a
+passenger boat anchored by the pier. I saw students swimming in the ocean,
+playing volleyball and beach flags on the shore, celebrating with barbecues.
+Also, I saw the tent where they were stockpiling food.
+Ryuuen seemed content to mock the school rules, apparently.
+"Class C is irrelevant. Their self-destruction will help us."
+"Seems that way. They've used up all their points, anyway."
+Even if they had some saved, it could only be a few dozen at most. The
+two students' absence at roll call would swallow those.
+"T can't wait to see what they'Il do once trouble hits."
+"Unfortunately, Class C probably won't face any trouble during this
+test."
+"Why wouldn't they? How can they endure this test without any
+points?"
+"That was Ryuuen's original goal. We were given 300 points as funds
+to enjoy our vacation for one week, which is not at all impossible. No matter
+how much we economize on our food, we have to give up on luxury items.
+The school made these rules accordingly."
+Horikita nodded.
+"So, we should try to save where we can," she said.
+"Yeah. But Ryuuen's different. He can't see past the end of his nose,
+much less a week."
+"He can't see past what now?"
+"Suppose the test ended today. What then? Do you think this trip
+would transform into a perfect vacation?"
+"That's... Well, okay. So what? If you have zero points—"
+"That's simple. He'd just do what Kouenji did."
+"Huh?"
+"His physical condition was poor and he was mentally unstable. In that
+case, it's better to just retire. If everyone did that, they could return to the
+passenger boat and go about their lives. That's what they meant by fully
+enjoying their summer vacation: without hardship."
+Granted, the school might turn us away if we feigned sickness. 300
+points were enough to use freely for a one-night, two-day vacation. But
+sooner or later, the bill would arrive.
+"So he really gave up on the test from the very beginning?" Horikita
+murmured.
+Maybe this was just a theory. Perhaps Ryuuen simply hated
+troublesome things, or perhaps he wanted to avoid mental exhaustion and
+preserve his physical strength. Or perhaps he wanted to improve morale.
+"The test is literally about freedom. Ryuuen's way of thinking is one
+way to approach it. It seems like Ibuki and another student rebelled, and
+because of that Class C will lose twenty points a day. Since he knew he'd be
+losing that many points every day no matter what, he came up with a drastic
+strategy."
+Since I didn't know when Ryuuen had decided to spend all of Class
+C's points, I could only guess.
+"We ought to think of a way to get points back without giving up.
+Ryuuen is most definitely wrong. I cannot possibly understand him," Horikita
+said.
+I suppose that was true. It was certainly true that we couldn't predict
+the actions of Ryuuen, whose plans were likely geared to a very unusual
+purpose, if his words earlier were true. Any rational person would regard
+Ryuuen's bizarre schemes with some anxiety. After we passed the beach, I
+turned back and scanned the shore once more.
+"A zero-point strategy, huh? I see. That's really interesting."
+If we could simply shut down dissenting views from our classmates,
+it'd be a rather interesting method. After all, this test wasn't just about saving
+points within our own group. We had to strategize if we wanted to win.
+3.3
+lL order to make effective use of the extra time on our hands, we
+decided to check out how Classes A and B were doing. We went deeper into
+the forest, past the roots of the big, broken tree, just as Kanzaki had
+instructed. When I thought on it now, though, the tree looked as though the
+school had broken it intentionally, to use as a landmark. It hinted that there
+was a spot just further ahead.
+The moment we set foot in the deep forest, I noticed a slight change.
+Quite a few students' tracks stood out on this path, which made it easier to
+walk. If we simply followed the path, we'd probably arrive at Class B's
+campsite. That might be why Kanzaki hadn't provided a detailed explanation.
+So far, of all the ordeals on this island, the blood-sucking mosquitoes that
+went for our arms and legs were the most irritating. Soon, we arrived at Class
+B's base camp.
+"Well, I suppose it's just what we'd expect from Class B..."
+Their way of living was entirely different from ours. Their class had
+made practical use of their spot, with many trees surrounding a well. They
+didn't have enough space to spread out three or four tents, so they'd made
+good use of the space by putting up hammocks. Despite starting in much the
+same way, our class had chosen completely different items. I was rather
+curious about some unfamiliar equipment near the well, but what surprised
+me the most was the atmosphere.
+"Huh? Horikita-san? And Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Someone called to us, almost as if she'd sensed the arrival of sudden
+visitors. Ichinose was trying to tie a string around a tree to put up a hammock.
+She wore a jersey, which really suited her, and appeared lively. Kanzaki sat a
+little further away from her.
+"Your class seems to be functioning well, despite obstacles."
+"Ha ha, yeah. It was really difficult at first! But we tried a bunch of
+different things, and it worked out. Though the list of chores just keeps on
+increasing. There's still a ton of work left," said Ichinose with a big smile.
+"T'm sorry if we're getting in the way."
+"Oh, I'm sorry. That probably sounded like I was trying to drive you
+guys away. I think it's all right if you hang around for a while. You probably
+came here to ask me something, right?"
+Ichinose welcomed us without any hint of protest. She invited us to sit
+on the hammock, but Horikita declined the offer, so Ichinose sat instead.
+"T was wondering if it might behoove us to tentatively enter into a
+cooperative relationship, like last time," Horikita said.
+"T think so, too."
+"Well, how many points have you used so far? What did you purchase?
+Also, if you could tell us the value of your tools that would really help. We
+would disclose information in return, of course."
+I wondered if Kanzaki could have deduced that information about our
+class just from this morning. Ichinose, with a grin, took out a manual from a
+bag near her feet. She showed us a white sheet of paper, which itemized what
+they'd purchased, and read aloud.
+"Hammocks. Cookware. Small tent, lantern, and temporary toilet.
+Fishing rod, a water shower... If we combine those items with the food we
+purchased, the total comes to exactly seventy points."
+Excluding the fact that Kouenji had retired, we'd applied our points
+with the same rigor as Class B.
+'"'What's a water shower? I'm a little curious about that."
+From the name, I deduced it had something to do with a bath, but since
+it was five points cheaper than the temporary shower we decided it probably
+wasn't as effective and passed.
+"Well, let's go over the situation bit by bit, shall we? Since there are
+various places in the woods where we can find fruits and vegetables, we can
+compensate for deficiencies in points by foraging for food. We can also head
+out to the sea and fish. That's what I was thinking we'd do for food. We're
+not worried about water, since we have a well."
+Had Class B just naturally obtained those things, like when Kushida
+and her group found all that fruit? Since she'd said the word "vegetables",
+they probably had better results than Class D. Ichinose took us to the well,
+and showed us the pulley system used to bring up a bucket of water.
+"At first we were worried whether the water was safe to drink, but
+when we looked around at the surrounding environment and the cultivated
+food items, we determined that the well must have been all right. To be on
+the safe side, I tried drinking the water yesterday. I waited for some time, but
+never got an upset stomach. Starting this morning, we had everyone use the
+well to get water."
+They hadn't jumped right in and used the well from the beginning.
+They'd started using it only after properly checking it out. Most people would
+rather drink from something convenient that could save points.
+"Also, there's enough natural water that we can use it for showers.
+That's what a water shower is."
+She indicated some kind of large apparatus placed next to the well.
+That explained it.
+"After we put water in the tank here, we get hot water in only a few
+seconds. It's really convenient. We use a gas can for the heat source. When
+we run out, I plan to request another."
+Horikita calmly listened to Ichinose's explanation.
+"Did you already know about them? Water showers, I mean," I asked.
+"No. This is the first I've heard about or used them. The school's rules
+are rather scary, aren't they? There weren't any details in the manual, and we
+can't ask the teacher, either. Thankfully we have some kids who are familiar
+with the outdoors in our class."
+Next to the water shower was a simple toilet set up with a one-touch
+tent. Nothing seemed to be inside.
+"We set up this temporary toilet instead of getting a shower room. We
+got it so that the people who dislike being seen by others when they shower
+could have privacy. The fabric is also waterproof."
+So that's why it was empty.
+"So, you don't struggle with sleeping on the hard ground?"
+"Ah, yeah. At first, I wondered what we were going to do, but then we
+took appropriate measures. Want a look?"
+The grass crunched underfoot as Ichinose made her way to the tent.
+After giving a heads-up to the girls inside, Ichinose lifted the bottom flap.
+Underneath the tent was a thick bunch of vinyl sheets, which looked to be
+about two centimeters thick.
+"When we paid for the temporary toilet, we were told we had access to
+an unlimited number of vinyl sheets. So I might have asked for too many, but
+we received a large number of them. Of course, I don't want to waste
+resources, so I plan to put any unused vinyl sheets into one sheet, and return
+them in the end."
+"By the way, what precautions have you taken against the heat? For
+some reason, it feels cooler around here..."
+"T wonder if it's because we sprinkle water around. We've sprinkled
+water near our beds, because they're close to the well. We put some water in
+the plastic bottles that people drank from, and then everyone carries them
+around so they can sprinkle water efficiently. The water soaks into the soil
+quite easily, and since it takes some time for it to evaporate, the effect lingers
+and removes the heat."
+Ichinose and her class weren't just relying on tools; they were making
+good use of their knowledge to improve the campsite. After receiving this
+information, Horikita carefully explained our situation. She left nothing out
+in the spirit of fairness.
+"T see... Having someone retire sounds like it really hurt you guys."
+"Yeah. There's a lot to make us uneasy right now, but we have to try
+and make it through."
+"T see. Well, can we continue our cooperative relationship? I thought it
+would be a good idea to ignore the rule about trying to find out the leader's
+identity. What do you think?"
+"T was thinking that we should talk about that, too. If we didn't have to
+be on guard with even one class, we'd really appreciate it. As long as you
+don't mind, Ichinose-san, I'd like you to accept the proposal."
+"Of course I'm okay with that."
+After we reaffirmed our mutual information exchange and resolved to
+stay in a cooperative relationship, Horikita sighed in deep admiration while
+looking around. There was a feeling of true solidarity here, with no disorder
+at all. Each individual student carried out his or her role. Additionally,
+everyone seemed to be fulfilling their duties happily. Normally, you'd find
+someone who hated their job or trying to skip out on it.
+"This class has fallen in line far better than I could have imagined. I
+suppose that's because you're the one taking command, right?" Horikita said.
+"Yeah. For the time being, anyway."
+Ichinose had managed to unify her class both in and out of the school.
+"Ts there anyone in Class D who can bring everyone together? Is that
+you, Horikita-san?"
+"No. We do have a boy named Hirata, though. Everyone in class
+clusters around him."
+"Ah. From the soccer club! I know him, I know him! He's really
+popular among the girls."
+Horikita seemed disinterested in talking about Hirata, so she changed
+the topic.
+"Ichinose-san. I'm terribly sorry to keep asking you questions, but we
+want to confirm Class A's status. Can you tell us anything that will help us
+capture their base camp? Even something you know about the area might
+really help."
+"Well, if you're okay with something that might be useful, I can tell
+you something about their place. However, obtaining information is going to
+be tough."
+Just like I'd expected from Class B...or rather, what I'd expected from
+Ichinose. She'd already done her research on Class A.
+"Just after you cut through this area, there's an opening. Turn right and
+go straight until you see a cave. That's probably where the Class A base
+camp 1s. I went there myself to investigate, but I don't know for sure. It's
+because they're so thoroughly defensive...or rather, secretive."
+"Secretive? What kind of measures has Class A taken?"
+"Honestly, seeing is believing. If you take a look yourselves, you' ll
+understand right away. Since you two are going to check on Class A, does
+that mean you already understand Class C's situation?"
+"Yeah. We just went there earlier. They're doing some unbelievably
+stupid things."
+"They seemingly have no intention of taking this test seriously. There
+are five days remaining, and they'! run out of points well before the test is
+over. I can't imagine they'll be able to change their situation even if they
+enter into 'point-saver mode' right away. They're not even looking for a spot.
+I can't even begin to understand them."
+Ichinose didn't seem able to come up with the answer, either.
+"You can't use any sly tricks in this test. Ryuuen has most definitely
+spent almost all of their points. They might be having fun right now, but
+they're going to regret it later."
+Horikita deliberately didn't tell Ichinose about the potential withdrawal
+plan I'd discussed earlier. I didn't think she was hiding it; rather, Horikita had
+probably determined that Ichinose would come to the same conclusion
+herself.
+"Pardon me, Ichinose-san? I'm sorry to interrupt. Do you know where
+Nakanishi-kun is?" asked a male student in a rather reserved voice.
+"T think Nakanishi-kun headed down to the shore. Why do you ask?"
+"T thought I'd offer to help. Is that unnecessary?"
+"Oh no, not at all. I'm really happy you feel that way, Kaneda-kun.
+Can you head over and follow Chihiro-chan's group? If you tell them I told
+you to do so, it'll be okay."
+"Okay. Thank you very much!"
+Horikita looked a little perplexed after watching that short exchange.
+"He sounded incredibly formal for a classmate, didn't he?"
+"Ah, he's—"
+"A Class C student?"
+I spoke before Ichinose could finish answering. She confirmed with a
+nod.
+"Do you know him? It looks like he had some kind of dispute with
+Class C. He said he'd get by on his own, but I couldn't just leave him. I
+haven't asked him about his situation yet."
+One male student had been estranged from Class C because he'd
+supposedly resisted Ryuuen. It looked as though Class B had taken him in.
+Perhaps he felt ashamed about his situation, hence his offer to cooperate?
+"We also picked up a student yesterday. Another student who escaped
+from Class C."
+Horikita filled Ichinose in on the details about her meeting with
+Ryuuen. She told Ichinose about Ibuki, one of the rebel students, who'd
+defied Ryuuen for just doing whatever he pleased. She also explained that
+Ibuki had been hit. After hearing that, Ichinose's eyes hardened, as if
+strengthening her resolve to protect her class.
+"T think it's about time to get going, Ayanokouji-kun. We'll be a bother
+to Class B if we linger too long."
+We all said farewell, and Horikita and I left Class B's camp.
+"In general, I think we're all on the same page, but they're further
+ahead. I can't deny it," said Horikita, after we'd left and there weren't any
+other people around.
+Her words sounded like a declaration of defeat. My impression was the
+same as hers. There was a big difference between D and B, and not just in
+points.
+"Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Class B just has
+those special qualities that Class D lacks."
+"That's their teamwork, right? Class B is the superior class because
+they're being led well, so when the time comes to make decisions, they don't
+fight or break apart."
+Class D had selfish students like Kouenji, who ran off on his own, and
+no one in our class had the power to step in. Meanwhile, Ichinose had
+brought Class B together, and there wasn't a hint of disorder. They had a real
+sense of unity, probably the biggest difference between Classes D and B right
+now. The longer this conflict continued, the starker that difference would
+become.
+3.4
+W. saw a cave opening that looked like it cut deep into the
+mountainside, like a demon's mouth. There were two temporary toilets and
+one shower room near the entrance.
+"T can't really see the inside from here..."
+Trying to confirm what was in the cave while keeping our distance was
+probably next to impossible. Neither Horikita nor I knew anyone in Class A.
+Even though we intended to sneak around, stay hidden, and gather
+information, we wouldn't get anywhere. I stepped over Horikita and headed
+up the road to the cave.
+"W-wait."
+"Let's go. I mean, it's Class A, so of course we're going to be scared.
+There's nothing we can do about that."
+Horikita and I both headed toward the base camp.
+"What are you planning? We gain nothing by carelessly exposing
+ourselves."
+"And what do we gain by trying to peek from our hiding spot? We can
+barely see, and there's no one around. There's not much we can see unless
+we enter the cave."
+"You're awfully calm, aren't you? Did you have something in mind?"
+Horikita asked.
+"T haven't thought of anything. Come on, don't worry."
+"Ugh, what an unintelligible, half-assed answer."
+She glared at me with cold and frightening eyes, but I pretended not to
+notice. Naturally, some Class A students hanging around the cave's entrance
+discovered us. I thought I could salvage the situation so long as I could see
+the cave's interior.
+However, inside the cave were several vinyl sheets joined together into
+one giant tarp, which blocked my view. I couldn't see inside at all.
+"Who are you guys? What class are you from?"
+This guy was definitely one of the two guys who'd found the cave
+quickly on the first day. Yahiko. The other guy, the sharp-witted Katsurag1,
+appeared to be absent.
+"We came to snoop. You have a problem?" Horikita responded, in an
+imposing manner. It was like a daring switch had been flipped in her brain.
+She continued, "I mean, I would've thought that since you're in Class A
+you'd be clever, but..."
+She looked at the vinyl covering the cave's entrance, and let out a
+rather forced sigh.
+"Well, rather than clever, ''d say you're underhanded. What cowardly
+methods."
+"What?"
+Even though it was plain to see she wanted to provoke him, Yahiko
+sounded irritated, as if she got on his nerves.
+"1'm Horikita, from Class D."
+"Hah, it's obvious you're from Class D. You're a bunch of stupid
+failures, after all."
+"Stupid, huh? In that case, there's no harm in us seeing what's inside,
+right? Or does that make you feel uncomfortable?"
+"That's not it at all!"
+"So it's not a problem if we look? You're in the way."
+"W-wait! Hey! Wait, I said! Don't just do whatever you please!"
+Yahiko moved in front of Horikita to block her, but Horikita's words
+cut him off.
+"We're just going to look inside. That itself isn't a violation of the
+rules, right?"
+"Stop screwing around. Class A occupies this spot. Class D doesn't
+have permission to use it!"
+"Oh? So you occupy this place. I didn't know that. Is there a device
+inside?"
+"Y-yeah. So back off."
+"Well, there definitely aren't any rules that say we can't go into the
+cave. It's certainly true that we cannot use the cave while it's being occupied,
+but that's not the same as the right to monopolize it or anything. We should
+have the right to look inside, or at least to verify if there's equipment, right?
+If we couldn't do that, then people could just forcibly monopolize every spot.
+That's not what this test 1s about."
+"Huh?!"
+Her sharp argument skewered Yahiko without any trouble. Horikita's
+hair fluttered as she tried to peel off the veil that hid the cave entrance.
+However...
+"What are you doing? I don't recall giving you permission to invite
+guests."
+A particularly tall boy passed behind me and continued walking ahead
+to Horikita. This was definitely...
+"Katsuragi-san! These two came to snoop around our camp! They're a
+bunch of filthy losers!"
+"You're exaggerating. It's just vinyl. Show me around a little."
+Horikita, turning to confront the two boys, didn't seem scared in the slightest.
+"Well then, it should be fine for you to look inside. However, prepare
+yourself. The moment you touch anything, I will notify the school and report
+your actions as obstruction toward another class. I can't guarantee what will
+happen to Class D as a result."
+Katsuragi was probably bluffing. There was a very low chance that
+we'd be disqualified for touching vinyl. And yet, there seemed to be some
+genuine danger hidden in his words.
+"You're forcefully monopolizing control of the spot. The rules don't
+protect such actions."
+"You're right about that. I cannot argue the point. However, it's
+something of an unspoken rule. You in Class D have a spot by the river.
+Class B has a well. You live in and surround the occupied space, so it's
+halfway monopolized. Have you taken any forceful measures in dealing with
+trespassers to your area?"
+Katsuragi's calm words stopped Horikita in her tracks.
+"One class occupies one spot. Then, they continue to protect that spot
+so they may obtain points until the end of the test. If you violate this
+unspoken rule, it creates chaos. Naturally, Class A will trespass upon Class
+D's base in retaliation. We should avoid trouble."
+It was possible to ignore what he said, but we couldn't. Like Katsuragi
+said, the other classes had all unconsciously occupied one area each. If we
+broke that rule, our troubles would grow. Horikita turned on her heel and
+walked away from the cave.
+"Well, fine. I look forward to seeing the results, and Class A's
+abilities."
+"We are quite capable. We also expect things from you, Class D. By
+which I mean, your futile struggling."
+After that short exchange, Horikita had the wind knocked out of her
+sails. If Katsuragi hadn't appeared, Horikita probably would have stepped
+through to the other side of the vinyl sheet.
+"Yahiko, don't respond to cheap provocation. Her goal was to force her
+way in and look around. If you thrust your righteous superiority in their face,
+the other side will back off."
+*"S-SOrry. 99
+They'd stripped Horikita of all other options except retreat. Wonderful,
+wonderful.
+"It seems like we have to leave Class A alone. We definitely can't
+investigate them."
+Once they'd claimed the spot, they hid much of it away behind an
+impregnable wall. However, despite their efforts, we were able to glean
+something from the interaction.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Karuizawa Kei
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S$01T004718
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: March 8th
+***
+Although her results were below the standard level in all respects, she's
+a student with a particularly attractive quality that can't be measured
+by basic academic aptitude alone. She spent her elementary and junior
+high school days as a central figure in her class. Though there are many
+who dislike her somewhat domineering personality, it can be presumed
+that she brings order to the group.
+***
+She seems to be trusted by the other girls and she has quite a few
+friends. | hope her basic academic aptitude will see improvement.
+Chapter 4:
+The Meaning of
+Freedom
+Rousse questions weighed on my mind for quite some time. On
+the third day, I left the base camp before noon and made my way toward the
+forest entrance.
+"Ahh, ahh, ahh... Wh-where are you planning to go now, Ayanokouji-
+kun?"
+Sakura was out of breath, her breasts heaving as she breathed. She
+must've been looking for me and given chase.
+"Didn't I tie a handkerchief around a tree? Anyway, I thought I'd just
+go and check something out."
+I wanted to confirm something much earlier, but didn't had the time.
+"T-It's probably not okay for me...to come along, 1s it? ''d only slow
+you down, probably, but..."
+"Isn't it better for you to stay back? Won't it bother you if people start
+spreading rumors?"
+"That doesn't bother me at all. Besides, I...."
+Sakura mumbled so quietly that I couldn't have heard anything even if
+I'd put my ear close.
+"It's not going to be particularly easy, right? I mean, after we went
+through all the trouble of coming to this island, I think you should have a
+little fun... Though I'm not one to talk about fun, myself." I thought I'd turn
+Sakura's offer down with an appropriate excuse. However...
+"Th-this is fun, though!"
+Sakura offered more resistance than I would've imagined. After her
+surprisingly forceful reaction, our eyes met in shock. Then, Sakura crouched
+and hid her face.
+"Ahhhhh! N-no, that's not what I meant! Ahh! I mean!"
+I had no idea what Sakura was trying to say. All I knew was that she
+was an interesting girl. It'd be great if she could just show that part of herself
+to others.
+"Well then, how about we go together? But I have a condition. If we
+get into trouble later, you won't blame yourself. Okay?"
+"Really? It's okay?!" she cried, still hiding her face with her hands.
+What kind of conversation was this? It felt kind of odd to just stay
+silent as we walked, so I killed some time by bringing up a familiar topic.
+Anything was less awkward than listening to the crunch of our footsteps on
+the path.
+"Are you getting along well with the other girls? I mean, you can't
+really do things alone in this test, right?"
+"No, not at all... We don't really talk or anything," Sakura muttered,
+twirling her hair with her index finger. It was like she felt embarrassed about
+herself.
+"I'm just worthless, really. I can't do sports, or study. I'm not really
+growing as a person in any area."
+"That's not true. You're making progress, Sakura-chan."
+"Huh? Me, progress? Ah ha ha... That's not true, though."
+"It is true. Maybe you can't see it, but you're definitely making
+progress little by little."
+I tried to convey that with both words and my attitude. It was really
+effective for people like Sakura, who lacked confidence in themselves. It was
+the first time I'd appealed to someone from the bottom of my heart like that,
+and I hoped it would resonate with her. Sakura stopped walking and looked at
+me, her eyes trembling. She was trying to discern the true meaning of my
+words.
+"It's okay. You'll make some friends really soon, Sakura. Then school
+will become much more fun."
+When our eyes met, Sakura panicked and averted her gaze downward.
+Even the fact that she was able to look at people for just one moment was a
+huge difference from when we'd first met.
+"That reminds me... That guy, from the incident before...1t seems like
+he resigned."
+The man who'd worked at the electronics store on campus had been an
+extremely passionate fan of Sakura from her gravure idol days... No, in truth,
+he was just a stalker. He hadn't been satisfied with hanging around Sakura's
+homepage, and had schemed to meet up with her personally.
+"Thank you for everything... Everything worked out thanks to you,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T didn't really do anything. You were saved because you got close to
+Kushida, and because Horikita and Ichinose helped out. I was just a
+bystander. Anyway, more importantly, nothing else weird has happened,
+right?"
+Even though the stalker had left the school premises, there was the
+possibility that he'd try and reach out online.
+"No, everything's been fine. Actually, I've been taking a little break
+from the bulletin board, too."
+That was for the sake of precaution, most likely. Probably a wise
+decision.
+"Besides, even though you usually act nervous, you always had this
+really confident expression when you were an idol."
+"Well, that's...that's because I did the photography myself."
+"A long time ago? But when you were featured in magazines you
+probably didn't take the pictures yourself, right?"
+Sakura answered with a wry smile, looking sheepish.
+"T didn't do well, and I also took way more time than the others. A
+cameraman would take pictures of the girls to make sure there were as few
+people involved as possible. Besides...back then, I was able to bear it
+because I made myself empty. It was like I erased myself, eliminated my
+feelings. But I eventually reached my limit, so I had to take a break."
+Sakura said this all in one go, stopping at the very end to take a deep
+breath. The incident with the stalker seemed to have left her scarred, but now
+things were headed in a better direction. A mass of trees waited right ahead of
+us. I went ahead of Sakura, proceeding to the opening of the path just ahead.
+The way forward began to get rather steep. Since we'd walked for a
+while, I decided it was time for a break. I looked back. Sakura was trembling,
+her shoulders shaking. Maybe she hadn't thought I was going to look back.
+"How about we take a short break? It' probably take a while longer to
+reach our destination."
+Sakura was probably exhausted after walking such a rough trail for half
+an hour. She looked relieved. I searched for a big tree that could provide
+shade against the extreme heat, and the two of us sat between the roots,
+where there was enough space for two people. However, Sakura decided to
+sit a little further away, perhaps due to her reserved nature. But the ground
+was all rugged and uneven, so it probably hurt her to sit there.
+"Sit down over here."
+"Ts that okay?"
+"Yeah, of course. You aren't comfortable over there, right?"
+"Y-yeah..."
+Sakura, still reserved, plopped down next to me. She sat at such a
+distance that the sleeves of our gym clothes barely touched.
+"Nature sure is amazing, isn't it? I like to spend a lot of my free time
+out in nature, even if it's just walking around," Sakura said.
+"Considering even Kouenji's satisfaction, the school has probably been
+really good about keeping up the place. Normally, an overseas jungle would
+be more dangerous."
+"When we left for the trip, I felt depressed at first. I didn't have any
+friends, and I don't really like traveling. I thought it would be fine if I could
+just stay in my room. If I did that, my life would have been the same as
+always. But then, all this happened. We were told this was some kind of
+TEStiss
+Sakura looked up at the sky, her back against the tree.
+"But now I'm kind of glad that we came here. That's because I never
+really had the chance to talk with you like this before, Ayanokouji-kun..."
+Together, deep in the forest, we were embraced by nature and a feeling
+of serenity.
+"IT wish we could stay like this forever..."
+"Yeah."
+In the three days since we'd come to the deserted island, this was the
+longest time I had been alone with Sakura. I wondered if this was some kind
+of karmic meeting between two friendless people. It didn't feel like it was
+strange or pointless. Like Sakura said, I felt like the distance between us had
+shortened a bit. I wouldn't say we were falling in love or anything, but it was
+like we'd become friends. This was probably the first time I'd felt a
+relationship tilt toward friendship.
+"Oh... It's too bad. If I had my digital camera, I probably could have
+taken the best photos, but..."
+Sakura used her thumb and forefingers to make a frame, and placed
+both herself and me in the frame several times. Then she made an
+embarrassed face, like she regretted doing so. It was certainly true that a
+camera was essential for preserving memories. Since Sakura was always
+carrying her digital camera around at school, I imagined that this moment
+was probably the perfect photo opportunity.
+Preserving memories, huh? So that was why Ibuki had a digital camera.
+"But if I'm in the picture, wouldn't that spoil the scenery?"
+"No, if you 're in the picture, Ayanokouji-kun, it will be the best
+photo... Ah! No! I mean, that is, I've never taken a picture with a friend
+before!" cried Sakura, shaking her head.
+Sakura was absolutely genuine. While we sat side by side, I suddenly
+stared at her. Sakura didn't notice my gaze at first, but after a long period of
+silence, she finally did. Our eyes met.
+""Wh-what?! What is it?!"
+"Calm down. Be quiet."
+Sakura had fallen into a state of panic. I placed my hands on both of
+her shoulders and held her firmly.
+"Rek!'
+I brought my body closer to Sakura's, sidling up next to her. When I
+did so, Sakura froze like a frog trapped by a snake's glare. My eyes focused
+on her hair, where a bug was crawling around. Even someone like me, who
+didn't know a lot about insects, could identify it. People commonly referred
+to it as a "hairy caterpillar." Honestly, it grossed me out.
+The way its body squirmed and the fact that it had countless legs sent a
+shiver down my spine. It had probably fallen off the tree we were resting
+against. What should I do? 1 thought. If I told Sakura she had a caterpillar in
+her hair, she might panic and start screaming. If the caterpillar got into her
+clothes, that'd be an even worse disaster.
+"Sakura, there's something I want to ask you..."
+""Wh-what is it?"
+"You...are you okay with bugs?"
+"B-bugs?"
+"Yeah. Bugs. Like grasshoppers and dragonflies, those kinds of things"
+"N-not at all. I absolutely can't stand them. Ants either."
+"T see. Well, all right then."
+I couldn't point it out here, then. I needed to think of another way. I
+wished I could just quickly snatch it away, but being a city boy, I hated
+insects, too. Even if I tried to remove the bug with a branch or something,
+Sakura would undoubtedly notice.
+"Hmm. Anyway, don't move for the time being, okay?"
+"O-okay. Sure..."
+With that careful warning, I let go of Sakura's shoulders. Meanwhile,
+the caterpillar squirmed like it was starting to go somewhere. I'm sure it just
+wanted to escape, and I had to think of a way to remove it safely.
+'"'What's the matter?"
+As I tried to come up with a plan, Sakura tilted her head with a
+bewildered look. Perhaps sensing that Sakura's movement meant danger, the
+caterpillar frantically tried to escape. Ah, this wasn't good! Don't be reckless,
+bug!
+I couldn't delay any longer. I had to save Sakura even if it meant
+sacrificing myself. With my trembling hand, I courageously reached for
+Sakura's hair. There! I touched the caterpillar, grabbed it quickly, and threw
+it into the bushes. Sakura probably didn't understand the situation, but I'd
+managed to protect her.
+"Ugh...I feel like there was something gross on me..."
+After our break, we chatted amiably and arrived at our destination with
+the help of my handkerchief acting as a marker. It had taken less time than I
+thought to get there, only about twenty minutes in total. At any rate, I
+carefully retrieved the handkerchief and returned it to Sakura, then observed
+the surroundings from where I thought Kouenji had been standing before.
+Nothing in these woods stood out at first glance. There wasn't anything
+else here. What in the world had he been looking at?
+"Did you notice something?" I asked.
+"Umm... What's different?"
+If your sense of sight did not work, you had to rely on your other
+senses.
+"For the time being, let's investigate the area, but don't go too far.
+Then let's check on each other regularly. If we don't concentrate, it's likely
+we'll get distracted."
+We searched the soil and the big tree's roots on our knees, and tried
+touching the lush green leaves and branches above our heads. Our sense of
+smell was sharp as we breathed warm air through our noses. We also tried to
+open our ears and listen. We made use of all five of our senses and checked
+the area thoroughly, careful not to overlook even the slightest change.
+"Wha—?!"
+Sakura, who'd been searching in the bushes away from me, shrieked in
+surprise. The bushes were so thick that I could only see part of her body, and
+wondered if she'd fallen over again.
+"Hey, look! I found something amazing!" Sakura's voice was full of
+eager excitement.
+As I tried to figure out what she was talking about, I saw a different
+variety of green leaves sprouting from the bushes. Some yellow parts peeked
+through as well.
+"Ts this...corn?"'
+"It seems like it."
+I wondered if the corn only grew in this area. I didn't know much about
+plants, but 1t was obvious that this was unnatural. The soil here was a
+different color from the surrounding forest soil, proof that the corn had been
+cultivated artificially. It was also strange because bushes surrounded the corn
+on all sides, making it difficult to find due to the weeds.
+"So, this is what Kouenji saw..."
+He'd noticed the corn at first glance, and said nothing due to his awful
+pride. In any case, I was absolutely certain that school officials had been
+coming and going on this deserted island. This cultivated spot made that
+clear. I inspected the corn, which was rather beautiful thanks to careful
+management and cultivation.
+"It would' ve been nice if we brought bags... We probably can't, but I
+wonder if we should try taking it all back with us."
+There were about fifty ears of corn, but carrying them unaided was
+impossible. We would inevitably need to make several trips if we wanted to
+bring them all back. I took off my shirt.
+"Huh?! Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing, Ayanokouji-kun?! It's way too
+soon for that!"
+Sakura dropped the corn as she covered her eyes with her hands.
+"Sorry, sorry. I thought it would be okay. Wait, what did you mean by
+'it's too soon'?"
+I didn't think a girl her age would mind seeing a topless guy, but
+maybe I hadn't showed enough consideration.
+"If we tie up the openings of my shirt, we can use it as a bag. That way
+we could carry more at once."
+I was afraid that if we left and other classes found this place, they'd
+harvest the corn. I wanted to minimize that risk.
+"We'll tell everyone when we get back, and then come harvest more."
+"Okay."
+The unexpected harvest had made both of us gleeful, until we spotted
+some unexpected visitors.
+"Wow. Look, Katsuragi-san! There's an incredible amount of food
+here!"
+Sakura, her attention focused on the corn, jumped in surprise. She hid
+behind my back. When Katsuragi saw this, he apologized.
+"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to surprise you. He had no bad intentions,
+either. Please forgive us."
+He shot Yahiko a stern look, compelling him to apologize. Yahiko, in
+low spirits, apologized. I'd encountered these two before. Katsuragi showed
+no reaction, but Yahiko immediately noticed me.
+1"?
+"Hey, you're the spy from yesterday
+Yahiko raised his voice, shouting angrily. Sakura once again jumped in
+surprise and curled into a ball. Seeing this, Katsuragi dropped his tightly
+clenched fist onto Yahiko's head. We could hear the dull, painful thud from
+where we stood.
+"My name's Katsuragi, from Class A. He's Yahiko. Since this is the
+second time we've met, a self-introduction should be fine, yes?"
+"T'm Ayanokouji, from Class D. This is Sakura."
+After we'd exchanged a brief greeting, Katsuragi glanced at the large
+amount of corn.
+"You found this. Don't worry, we have no intention of snatching it
+away from you. But if someone else finds this spot, they'II likely take it
+away."
+"There's nothing we can do. There's only the two of us here."
+We had no choice but to pray that no one else found this place. One
+idea was to hide it all, but that didn't lessen the potential danger.
+"You idiots. One of you two can stay behind and watch the stuff! Isn't
+that right, Katsuragi-san?"
+"You're the one who doesn't seem to understand the situation, Yahiko.
+Don't dismiss the danger of moving through the forest alone. It's difficult
+enough in groups of men, but when men and women are together, no matter
+what, there will be certain limitations to what you can do."
+That was why Katsuragi didn't go alone into the forest.
+"We'll help you."
+"A-are you serious, Katsuragi-san? But, working together with Class D
+ic
+Yahiko obviously wanted to refuse, but he stayed quiet after Katsuragi
+shot him a sharp look.
+"We appreciate the offer, but our class told us to be careful. They' ll get
+mad if they find out we relied on Class A for help. I'm sorry, but we have to
+decline."
+It was a lie, but Katsuragi had no other choice but to withdraw.
+"T see. We can't force you. However, can you trust us? After you leave
+here, there's a chance we' ll make off with all of this, right?"
+"In that case, I'd have no choice but to give up what I'm carrying right
+99
+now.
+Katsuragi quietly cleared a path. Sakura still looked worried as we sped
+away. Afterward, when Sakura and I returned to base camp, we reported to
+everyone about the corn.
+"What an amazing find, Ayanokouji! You too, Sakura! Let's go get it,
+Yamauchi!"
+Ike called out to Yamauchi, who was nearby. After spotting Sakura and
+me talking with Ike, Yamauchi dashed over with incredible intensity. He
+grabbed my arm and shoved me away from Sakura.
+"H-h-hey, you! Why were you all alone and shirtless with Sakura?!
+Why?! Huh?!"
+"Calm down. This is a misunderstanding, that's all. We didn't do
+anything."
+I didn't know what kind of delusions Yamauchi was having, but now
+wasn't the time to get into it with him.
+"T have to go talk with Hirata. Sorry."
+"T trusted you, Ayanokouji!"
+Yamauchi ranted and raved while I went to report to Hirata. Soon
+afterward, we organized students into a team, which departed from the camp
+to bring back the corn. In addition, we set the goal of exploring other places
+and looking for more food. Around one o'clock in the afternoon, everyone
+returned from harvesting the corn.
+"We've got lots of food!"
+The bag appeared to be absolutely filled.
+"It was pretty dangerous, though. That guy from Class A, Katsuragi,
+was nearby."
+Apparently Katsuragi hadn't made off with the corn after we left.
+Instead, he stayed there so that he could watch us. Whether Katsuragi had
+good or bad intentions, we didn't know for sure.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Kouenji Rokusuke
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004668
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: April 3rd
+***
+DECISION MAKING: c
+***
+Although our institution has turned out many students who have
+achieved high grades and excelled in physical activities, once every few
+years there is a student with incredible abilities who possesses a level
+of potential comparable even to our graduates. However, with regards
+to his intelligence and decision-making abilities, which cannot be
+measured using the information we've already collected, his evaluation is
+still pending. His exceedingly selfish behavior is an exceptional problem,
+so we expect to see marked improvement in that regard.
+***
+He has no friends at has all and absolutely no sense of cooperation.
+Currently looking into remedial measures.
+Chapter 5:
+The Quiet Outbreak
+of War
+O, our fourth day, we reached a turning point. The shouting and
+complaining died down and were replaced by the sound of laughter. Along
+with the corn we'd found, Ike and the others had caught some fish. There was
+no more resistance about drinking the river water, either. Thanks to the fruit
+our classmates had found, we'd saved more points than anticipated, and were
+making it through this test.
+Currently, we'd spent a total of about 100 points, including setbacks
+like Kouenji's retirement. If we kept things going like this, we'd end the test
+with a quite a few points left over. If you looked at the state Class D was in
+before, the numbers were simply phenomenal. Even Yukimura, who'd
+resisted the most at the start, had no complaints. Every single person was
+satisfied with our results.
+I started to get a prickly feeling in my head, which was throbbing. I
+borrowed a ballpoint pen, put it in my pocket along with the folded-up piece
+of paper from before, and left base camp.
+I'd started to figure out more about this test. If I were to break it down,
+eighty percent of it was defensive, determining whether your class could
+form cooperative relationships. Therefore, I determined that the remaining
+twenty percent of the test was offensive, judging whether you had the ability
+to scout around and gather information. However, this 8:2 proportion wasn't
+reflected in the test results. Rather, that twenty percent influenced the
+outcome even more.
+We already understood each class' plans. In that case, we knew what
+we had to do, which was attack the other classes. So, I began to move toward
+Class A's area. As Class D was based around the river, Class A had most
+likely centered their activities around their cave. The true appeal of that spot
+wasn't just that it offered shelter from the elements; the place itself had
+meaning.
+As I wandered through the forest, I heard the faint sound of ocean
+waves. I picked up the pace, and successfully pushed through the trees and
+toward the coast.
+"Whoa..."
+I applied the brakes and came to a full stop before a cliffs edge.
+"T definitely saw something from the ship. It was below here."
+I spotted several facilities located rather close to the cave. It didn't
+seem like there was any kind of detour route, but as I walked along the cliff, I
+noticed a ladder set up in a blind spot. Anyone would've missed it upon first
+glance. I grabbed onto the ladder with all of my strength. It seemed sturdy, so
+I used it to climb down to the bottom of the cliff.
+Shortly after getting down, I found a small hut. Near the entrance, I
+saw a device—proof that this was a spot. When I peered through the window,
+I saw fishing tackles. In other words, occupation of this spot meant you
+would able to catch fish without having to borrow equipment from the
+school.
+When I checked to see whether the spot had been occupied, I saw the
+words Class A displayed on the device. It seemed they had four hours
+remaining. I didn't doubt that Katsuragi and the others had come here and
+taken possession of the area after they'd held down the cave. You wouldn't
+have known about the spot's existence unless you discovered it back when
+we were on the boat. Since the small hut was located right under the cliff, you
+didn't have to worry about anyone in the surrounding area seeing you.
+The tools inside looked unused. Dust had accumulated on them. I took
+the map out from my pocket and wrote down some notes about the little hut's
+location. I only wrote down the approximate position, of course. Measuring it
+accurately would've taken an insane amount of time.
+After I finished marking it on my map, I refolded the piece of paper
+and put it back in my pocket. Since there didn't seem to be anything else, I
+climbed the ladder back up the cliff.
+"When we circled around the island, I saw a tower over there..."
+While scanning the area, I relied on my memory. I shifted my gaze
+toward the ground that had been trodden on by people. Then I continued into
+the forest, following the path. Eventually, I reached higher ground. Was a
+spot here, I wondered?
+Although it seemed possible to look out over the whole beach by going
+up the installed ladder, the facility didn't seem that useful. It seemed like
+some spots were better than others.
+I drew closer to confirm the equipment on the wall of the facility.
+Unlike the last place I'd checked, this place didn't seem to be occupied. The
+facility itself was rather large, so even though the place was well in the
+backwoods, it would've been easy to find. In other words, that meant I didn't
+know who had been monitoring the area. The fact that no one was occupying
+the tower showed that holding it ran the risk of being observed by the enemy.
+Katsuragi was a cautious man, reliant on solid, secure strategies. He
+wouldn't carelessly take the bait, even bait this sweet and this close. The
+bushes nearby rustled despite the absence of wind.
+"So, you won't occupy this spot out of more than a sense of prudence?"
+"What are you doing here? This place is being used by Class A."
+Two guys sprang out of the bushes as if they'd been waiting for
+someone to fall into their trap. I was surrounded. One of the guys
+immediately went over to the terminal to check on its status. He was likely
+checking to see whether I'd claimed the spot or not.
+"Who are you? I haven't seen your face before."
+He probably wouldn't know a Class D outcast, a self-proclaimed pill-
+bug who hid under a rock. The guy in front of me brandished a tree branch
+like a weapon, thrusting it toward my throat. He was trying to threaten me.
+"T'm Ayanokouji, from Class D."
+Of course, I instantly buckled and offered my name.
+"Search him. See if he's got anything suspicious."
+They put their hands in my pockets, and even checked my ankles for
+anything hidden, like I was a suspect surrounded by policemen.
+"This isn't an act of violence. Understand?"
+There was probably only one answer for such a question: to just nod.
+They searched my body, and took my ballpoint pen and folded-up map.
+"What's the pen for? And a hand-drawn map?"
+The map had a rough sketch of the island, as well as my notes about the
+occupied points.
+"Give it back."
+I reached out, but they didn't offer it. I ended up only grabbing at the
+ar.
+"What's your goal? Are you acting alone?"
+As they barraged me with questions, I fell silent. Three seconds, four
+seconds. I cleared my throat.
+"T can't say."
+"T see. So you can't talk about someone in Class D who's pulling the
+strings? Is Class D as a whole planning something? Or are only some of the
+students plotting?"
+They asked me a series of rapid-fire questions, like an interrogation.
+"T can't say. If I did...I may not be able to return to my class."
+"Being an underling sounds tough, Ayanokouji. Well, whatever. I don't
+know what you were asked to do, but don't make unnecessary trouble. It'd be
+better for you to just quietly sit back at base camp."
+They threw the ballpoint pen at my feet, but kept the paper. These guys
+had no right to issue orders, but they were coercive.
+"There's one more thing I talk to you about. If you tell us the identity
+of your leader, we're prepared to offer a generous reward. 100,000 or
+200,000 points."
+"You're asking for me to sell out my class for money?"
+"You're free to interpret my statements however you wish, but I've
+made the same offer to other people. This offer is first-come, first-serve.
+You're better off coming forward and telling me right away."
+Class A's strategy essentially had no risks. It was a simple method,
+which you could implement so long as you possessed an abundance of funds.
+Although the possibility of 1t working was low, you couldn't dismiss the
+possibility that some students might be dazzled by the money and sell out
+their friends.
+"Sorry, but I don't believe it. How would you pay someone? We don't
+have any cell phones here, right?"
+"It's certainly true we can't do it now. If necessary, we wouldn't mind
+writing a memorandum."
+In other words, they intended to sign a contract now, and transfer
+private points after the test.
+"A memorandum, huh? Let me ask you something for my own
+reference... Can you tell me how many points I'd get if I did tell you
+something?"
+"That depends on your attitude."
+"Could I have someone trustworthy settle things? For example,
+someone like Katsuragi. Or perhaps Sa—"
+The moment I said the former's name, one of the boys' expressions
+changed.
+"Why did you say Katsuragi?"
+"I've heard rumors that Katsuragi is Class A's representative."
+"Don't make me laugh. Sakayanag1 is the representative of Class A.
+Not Katsuragi. You can go now."
+From what they'd just said, it sounded like they had no more use for
+me. They made way for me to pass. It seemed like those two guys were
+Katsuragi's enemies. If that were true, were they working under Sakayanagi's
+orders? Was Sakayanagi the one leading, not Katsuragi? I needed to clarify
+that.
+5.1
+I went down to the beach to check out how Class C was doing, and see
+their base camp. Yesterday, this place had been filled with raucous noise.
+Now it was a ghost town.
+"Oh wow, this is seriously a surprise! I knew he wasn't normal, but I
+didn't realize to what extent."
+I heard voices behind me, as two other people arrived.
+"Did you come here to spy around too, Ayanokouji?"
+It was Ichinose and Kanzaki from Class B. I wondered if they had
+come here to see how Class C was doing, too.
+"I'm in charge of finding food. I was searching around the forest, and
+ended up here."
+"Even though it's the middle of the day, I think it's dangerous to be
+running around alone."
+After hearing Ichinose's gentle warning, I nodded in agreement. While
+the two of them hid in the shade, they'd observed what kind of state Class C
+was in. As for why they were hiding, well, they had a reason.
+"Oh wow, there's no one around anymore. It's just like you said,
+Kanzaki-kun. Seems like their strategy was to retire."
+Ichinose scratched her cheek and sighed in disappointment.
+"We thought we could at least find out who Class C's leader was. Was
+it pointless, though? If they've all withdrawn, we won't be able to find any
+hints."
+"Didn't Class C already use up all of their points? Even if we found out
+who their leader is, doesn't that mean they won't get a penalty?"
+"They said that we wouldn't see any negative effects during the second
+semester, so our points shouldn't be able to go below zero."
+Ichinose pursed her lips, looking bored. All we could see in the former
+campsite was a big empty space. The only thing left was the tent the school
+had provided. There were some students left playing around in the water, but
+it was just a question of when they'd leave.
+"T don't want to compliment a strategy where you use up all your
+points, but it's pretty amazing."
+"No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like it's going to work.
+This test is about stockpiling points so you come out positive. Ryuuen lost
+when he abandoned that idea."
+Ichinose and Kanzaki both looked sad as they gazed upon the
+uninhabited beach.
+"So, trying to find out who their leader is will be incredibly difficult.
+It's just impossible. Impossible!"
+"T think that it would be a good idea to see this test through quietly, and
+stick to a solid plan."
+"Yeah, yeah. Solid strategy is best."
+I didn't know if those two were lying or telling the truth, but they
+weren't hiding their plans from me at all. Ichinose and Kanzaki had realized
+that spying on Class C was meaningless. This was the perfect opportunity. I'd
+reluctantly planned to ask Hirata and Kushida about Sakayanagi, but those
+two didn't seem well informed on the subject. Also, I wanted to avoid the
+students in Class D knowing about my movements as much as possible.
+"T just happened to hear a little bit about this, but do Katsuragi and
+Sakayanagi in Class A have opposing groups?"
+"Tt's said they really don't get along. It seems like they've quarreled
+pretty intensely. Why do you ask?"
+"Oh, nothing. Horikita just gave me an order. She said if I had time, to
+go and find out something. She wondered if this would be our chance to get
+back at Class A. Well, even though it's said they quarrel intensely, I imagine
+theyll come together during the test."
+"Well, rather than coming together, I think Sakayanagi-san is taking it
+easy during the test. That's why everyone thinks Katsuragi-kun is the leader.
+Right?"
+Ichinose tilted her head, seeking Kanzaki's opinion. Who could have
+imagined that Sakayanagi would be an absentee?
+"Katsuragi is a clever guy. But even though Sakayanagi isn't around,
+there probably won't be anyone under her who' I put up resistance. They
+probably wouldn't do anything to deliberately cause a rift. There wouldn't be
+any merit in doing so."
+If I accepted that story without question, then the two guys I ran into
+before were doing exactly as Katsuragi had instructed.
+"Yeah. That seems like it's true. But wouldn't the students working
+under Sakayanagi-san be really unhappy? I mean, those two are complete
+opposite types. I would imagine their opinions would be clearly different,
+too."
+"Complete opposites?"
+"Liberal and conservative? Offense and defense? Persecute and
+protect? Those kinds of things. That's why they always seem to be clashing
+with each other. It's scary to think about Class A going all out in that
+situation. If they managed to come together, Class A would really
+demonstrate their true powers."
+"T see. Well, I'll tell Horikita later. Ah jeez, she told me to investigate
+on my own. She gets flustered working with others. Well...please pretend
+that you didn't hear that last part. It's going to be bothersome if she gets
+angry with me."
+"Ha ha, don't worry, we'll keep it secret. But I have to say, Horikita
+has a point. Supposing that two people are completely opposed to and in
+conflict with each other, it wouldn't be strange for them to end up destroying
+each other. Well, it's not like we can really do anything at this stage."
+Kanzaki checked his wristwatch to confirm the time, and then
+suggested to Ichinose that they head back.
+"It's about time for me to look for food. They'll be angry if I return
+empty-handed."
+"Well, let's both be careful not to get hurt. Please don't do anything
+reckless."
+I thanked Ichinose for her concern.
+5.2
+Let's go back to before the start of our special test on the deserted
+island. Let's talk about the closing ceremonies for the end of the first
+semester. I was feeling elated, because I was savoring the joy of being able to
+fully enjoy summer vacation for the first time in my life. However, the Grim
+Reaper appeared before me with scythe in hand to snatch away my happiness.
+"Ayanokouji. I have to talk to you before you leave. Come to the
+faculty room." Chabashira-sensei said immediately after homeroom had
+ended, before she left the classroom.
+"Why? Did you do something?" asked Sudou, who was ready to leave
+with his bag slung over his shoulder.
+"T don't remember doing anything."
+"Yeah. You're not good or bad. You live a plain, boring, steady life."
+"Why did you sound all sarcastic?"
+"Sarcastic? I didn't mean to. Did it feel like it?"
+What an awful person... My wounded heart wept bitter tears. I heard
+someone call out to me, and supposed it was Sudou, worried about how he'd
+hurt me. He was a good guy.
+"Hey, Sudou!"
+"Hey, Horikita. Um, well, since it's summer vacation...are you free?
+Maybe we can hang out a little."
+Sudou was crazy about Horikita, my desk neighbor.
+He wasn't worried about me at all.
+"Why?" she asked.
+"Well, because it's summer vacation, you know? It'd be too bad if you
+didn't have fun. We can watch movies or go shopping."
+"How stupid. It doesn't matter at all that 1t's summer vacation. Why are
+you even inviting me out in the first place?"
+""Wh-why'? Why are you being so obtuse?"
+Sudou scratched his head. He didn't understand Horikita's feelings, but
+then it was like a switch flipped.
+"Well, it's just like that, you know? Right? Guys invite girls out when
+it's a holiday..."
+Although I wanted to see Sudou's efforts bear fruit with Horikita,
+Chabashira-sensei had called for me. It was best to get unpleasant things over
+with as soon as possible.
+"Hey! Where are you going?" Sudou called, stopping me.
+"Where do you think? I got called over by the teacher, so I don't really
+have a choice."
+"Can you wait just a little? Just a bit?"
+That expression grossed me out. He grabbed my wrists with his thick,
+meaty hands and didn't let go.
+"You're gonna watch me do battle. Be my wingman."
+"Don't say such nonsense—"
+"Bye."
+While we bickered, Horikita finished getting ready to go and stood up
+from her seat. She left the classroom without any hesitation. Sudou simply
+watched her go, completely dumbfounded.
+"Damn. Guess it was useless after all. Well, guess Pll go do club
+stuff."
+Horikita's absence meant I wasn't needed, so I left. As I arrived at the
+faculty room, I saw Chabashira-sensei waiting in the doorway.
+"Come in."
+"T don't understand why you called me over."
+"We'll talk inside."
+My "incoming depression" meter rose steadily as she met my questions
+with such short answers. I'd hoped she'd called me here as a joke.
+"You might expect bad things when you're asked to come to the
+faculty room, but contrary to your expectations, it's a fine place. There aren't
+eyes all around in here. Many things are better said with some personal
+privacy."
+I noticed that the security camera, which should've been installed in a
+room like this, was missing.
+"So what did you want to talk to me about? I'm busy planning my
+summer vacation right now."
+"That's funny. I thought you didn't have any friends?"
+"No, no, I was exaggerating when I said that. I have at least a few
+friends."
+Although I could count the number of friends on two hands, the
+quantity wasn't important. Or at least that's what they say. Besides, wouldn't
+it have been just fine if I spent summer vacation by myself?
+"I've called you here today because I wanted to tell you my personal
+story."
+Chabashira-sensei's story? This was headed in a very different
+direction. I didn't understand why she'd called me over by name and wanted
+to tell me her story. Nor did I have any interest.
+"It's something I haven't talked to anyone about since I had become a
+homeroom teacher. It's silly, but please listen."
+"Before that, should we have tea? You must be thirsty," I said.
+I stood up from my pipe chair and opened the kitchenette's door. No
+one was inside, right?
+"Don't tell this story to anyone else. If you can do that, please return to
+your seat."
+"Okay."
+I closed the door and returned to sit with Chabashira-senseti.
+"How do I appear to you as Class D's homeroom teacher?"
+"Another abstract question, I see. Is it okay if I say I think you're
+beautiful?"
+She didn't even twitch an eyebrow when I made that joke. But I could
+feel her bloodlust rising.
+"Umm... Well, if you don't mind being compared to other teachers, I
+think you don't care at all about Class D's future, and that you're a cold
+teacher with no interest in her students. That's my answer."
+She wasn't as friendly as Class B's homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-
+sensei, nor was she as willing to help out her students like Class C's
+homeroom teacher, Sakagami-sensei.
+"Am I wrong?"
+"No, it's as you say. I won't deny it. However, the truth is different."
+Chabashira-sensei paused and looked up to the ceiling, as if she'd just
+remembered something.
+"IT was once a student at this school. I was in Class D, just like you."
+"T must say that's surprising. I would've thought you were more
+capable, Chabashira-sensei."
+"Huh... Well, in my time, the class difference wasn't as extreme. You
+could say that we were in a four-way battle, not a three-way one. Up until we
+approached graduation in the third semester of our third year, the difference
+between A and D wasn't even 100 points. It was a close battle, where even
+one trivial mistake could knock you off balance."
+I didn't feel as though she were bragging. Rather, her story felt like one
+of regret.
+"I'm guessing someone made a trivial mistake, right?"
+"Yes. It happened rather unexpectedly. Class C went to hell because of
+my mistake. In the end, my goal of reaching Class A and my dreams were
+shattered."
+I felt really sorry for her, but having her bring up her past was really
+troublesome. If anything, it felt uncomfortable.
+"I'm not catching your drift. What does this have to do with me?"
+"T feel that your presence will be vital to reach Class A."
+"What am I supposed to say to that? You're joking, right?"
+I felt happy to have been praised so unexpectedly, but I didn't know
+how to answer.
+"A few days ago, a certain man contacted the school directly. He said
+'expel Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.'"
+Chabashira-sensei made a complete change of topic. She was getting to
+the true issue.
+"He said to expel me? Well, that's nonsense. I don't know who it was,
+but you ignored his request and won't have me expelled. Right?"
+"Of course. We can't just expel someone on a third party's whim. As
+long as you are a student at this school, you are protected by the rules.
+However...if you cause any problems, that's a different story. Smoking,
+bullying, stealing, cheating... If you cause any scandal, expulsion is
+unavoidable."
+"I'm sorry, but I don't intend to do anything."
+"Tt has nothing to do with your intentions. If I determine that something
+seems like an issue, it will become reality."
+"Are you threatening me?" I found her wording suspicious.
+"Here's the deal, Ayanokouji. You are going to aim for Class A for me.
+I will follow up as extensively as I can in order to protect you. Don't you
+think that sounds like a good offer?"
+I'd thought she had changed a lot from when I first met her, but I never
+could've imagined she would blackmail a student. I laughed.
+"Can I go now? I won't listen to any more of this."
+"That's too bad, Ayanokouji. You will be expelled, and once again,
+Class D won't reach Class A."
+Her speech and behavior weren't just for show. She seriously intended
+to cut me. She was placing her unachieved dreams on my shoulders.
+"Let me ask you once more. Will you aim for Class A? Or be expelled?
+You choose."
+With my left hand, I reached over the desk and grabbed Chabashira-
+sensei's collar.
+"T remember when Horikita said you made her feel uncomfortable. I
+wonder if she felt like this. It's like entering someone's home with shoes on."
+"Right." Chabashira-sensei, who'd behaved with confidence until then,
+laughed in self-deprecation. "I surprised myself. I realize now that I still
+haven't given up on reaching Class A."
+Her eyes had gotten slightly misty. Her usual cold indifference was
+gone. When she grabbed my left arm, my hand still grasping her collar, I saw
+the forceful determination had returned to her eyes.
+"T'd thought you would lead Class D voluntarily, but we don't have
+any time to waste. You have to decide here and now. Will you help me or
+not?"
+Luke, Star Wars' protagonist, originally chose to return to his uncle's
+farm and reject the call to adventure. However, he was eventually dragged
+into the horrors of war. That was his destiny. You might say I should've
+taken this woman's story with a grain of salt. I didn't know how much of it
+was true.
+"You'll probably regret trying to use me."
+"Relax. My life is already full of regrets."
+That was the troublesome event that launched my summer vacation. It
+was something I didn't like to think about. At any rate, I couldn't lose my
+current school life. Throwing away your freedom in order to protect it... How
+ridiculous.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Ryuuen Kakeru
+First Year, Class C
+STUDENT ID: S01T004711
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: October 20th
+***
+Although it's said that he's caused numerous problems since middle
+school, there isn't any reliable evidence, so there are some doubts
+regarding the extent of that claim. However, as far as academic abilities
+are concerned, he doesn't appear to work seriously, nor does he seem
+to be demonstrating his true abilities. He's a good student, and he has
+brought Class C together thanks to his decision-making skills and his
+unique brand of charisma. We hope to see improvement both in his
+strong and weak areas.
+***
+Although | myself have had doubts regarding his behavior, | expect
+much of him as a central figure in Class C.
+Chapter 6:
+False Teamwork
+Waite I was sleeping, I could hear girls' voices from outside the tent.
+They sounded like they were in a bad mood.
+"Hey, boys. Can you all gather around?"
+The voice sounded rough, like she'd meant to say, "Hurry and wake
+already!" Id just gotten to sleep at dawn, so I rose slowly and rubbed my
+eyes.
+"What the hell? God, I'm so goddamn tired..." An irritated Sudou
+appeared from the tent and looked around.
+"What's wrong?" Hirata asked.
+"Ah, Hirata-kun. I'm sorry, but can you please wake all of the boys?
+It's serious," said Shinohara, sounding apologetic.
+Whether she was flustered or angry, the issue didn't seem to be hers
+alone. A little further away, the girls glared at us.
+"T understand. I think if I shout, they'll come."
+Within two minutes, the boys came out of the tent rubbing their sleepy
+eyes. When the half-asleep boys looked around, they inferred that this
+situation was especially alarming. The girls all looked unusually scared.
+"What's going on? Why did you wake us up so early?"
+"Sorry, Hirata-kun. This doesn't involve you, but...we've gathered
+everyone to confirm something."
+Shinohara gave everyone except Hirata a look of complete contempt.
+"Well, this morning... Karuizawa-san's underwear went missing. Do
+you know what this means?"
+"U-underwear?"'
+Even Hirata, usually calm and collected, appeared visibly shaken.
+Speaking of Karuizawa, she was missing, along with some of her friends.
+"Karuizawa-san is crying inside the tent right now. Kushida-san and
+others are comforting her right now, but..." Shinohara looked over to the
+girls' tent.
+"Huh? Huh? What? Why are you glaring at us over her underwear
+being missing?"
+"Isn't that obvious? Someone went through her bag in the middle of the
+night and stole them. Our luggage was outside the tent, so if someone wanted
+to steal something, they easily could have!"
+The boys, still in a state of drowsiness, all exchanged looks.
+"No, no, no, no! Huh?! Huh?!"
+Ike, in a complete panic, looked back and forth between the boys and
+girls. One of the boys who'd been observing all this grumbled calmly.
+"Come to think of it, Ike, you were pretty late getting back from the
+toilet yesterday. You took a really long time."
+"No, no, no! That was just, well...I was struggling because it was
+dark!"
+"Is that so? You stole Karuizawa's underwear, didn't you?"
+"Y-you're wrong! I didn't do it!"
+The boys started blaming one another for this particularly nasty crime.
+"Anyway. This is a huge problem, don't you agree? It's impossible for
+us to camp alongside a bunch of underwear thieves," said Shinohara, her
+arms crossed. She looked as though she was going to lose her temper.
+"Hirata-kun, can you find the culprit?"
+"Well, there's no evidence that the boys stole it. Maybe Karuizawa lost
+it."
+"Yeah, that's right! We have nothing to do with this!" The boys
+shouted behind Hirata, proclaiming their innocence.
+"T don't want to think there's a criminal among us."
+Doubting our classmates seemed wrong.
+"T know that you're not the culprit, Hirata-kun. But for the time being,
+let's check the boys' luggage."
+Apparently, the girls weren't changing their minds on this. They had
+decided that the culprit was on the boys' side. Well, I supposed that it was
+only natural to think that.
+"Huh? Don't give us that crap. We don't need to do that. Hirata, tell
+them no."
+"For now, we'll try gathering the guys together and talking it out. Can
+you please give us a little time?" Hirata asked.
+"If you say so, Hirata-kun. I understand. I'll try talking to Karuizawa-
+san. But if the culprit can't be found, we have some ideas."
+With that, everyone scattered. Hirata quickly gathered all the boys in
+front of the tent.
+"Let's just ignore what the girls said. I hate being treated like a suspect.
+Pll fight it!"
+Ike had managed to get some degree of trust from the girls on the first
+day, but apparently it wasn't meant to last. It was only natural that the boys
+would be unhappy about being unjustly accused.
+"Exactly. It's not like we stole Karuizawa's underwear or anything."
+Yamauchi exchanged looks with everyone individually. It wasn't as
+though Karuizawa wasn't cute or anything, but since Karuizawa was Hirata's
+girlfriend, it would've been a much better idea to go after Kushida and
+Sakura.
+"T don't doubt you guys, but we won't solve the problem like this."
+The girls, who were talking together in their cliques, looked like they
+were about to jump on us.
+"It might be better to just accept the baggage inspection with dignity
+and prove your innocence." With that, Hirata brought out his own bag.
+"As miserable as this might be, I think you guys'll have to do it. Are
+you okay with that?"
+"B-but..."
+"Of course. I'll open up my luggage first," Hirata said.
+In order to get us all to move, he had no choice but to take action. Still,
+there probably wasn't even one person here who thought Hirata was the
+culprit. Besides, you could say that stealing his own girlfriend's underwear
+made no sense. However, if one person opened his luggage, then the rest of
+us couldn't help but follow. Inevitably, the students who wouldn't open their
+bags would be suspected. Hirata's bag naturally didn't have the underwear.
+"Guess we don't have any choice..."
+All the other boys began pulling bags out, one after another. Ike and
+Yamauchi hated it, but couldn't resist being pulled in. The three of us were
+the last to go. I reluctantly headed into the tent, following after Ike and
+Yamauchi.
+"Damn, I'm so pissed. Men are always being suspected of stuff. It's
+way too unreasonable."
+"Well, let's prove our innocence." Ike grabbed his bag, but suddenly
+froze.
+"What's wrong?"
+"Oh, nothing..."
+He turned his back on Hirata and the others, checked the inside of his
+bag, and frantically closed it back up.
+"Kanji?"
+Ike's face was pale, his body stiff. He was completely paralyzed. "Hey,
+come on. Let's hurry and get going."
+"What, you're the one that really stole them?" said Yamauchi, half-
+jokingly.
+"Th-that's crazy talk!"
+Ike frantically denied it, shaking his head while clutching his bag.
+What a blatant overreaction. We weren't dumb enough to believe nothing
+was wrong.
+"Wait, don't tell me...' Yamauchi said.
+"What? You don't believe me?!"
+"No, I'm not saying that. Show me what's in your bag."
+"Ah, wait!"
+Yamauchi snatched Ike's bag to check inside. When he did, he saw...
+white underwear, definitely not a man's, balled up and hidden.
+"Th-that's not mine! Someone put it in my bag or something,
+somehow!"
+"Come on, don't give me that excuse..."
+Yamauchi looked at Ike with pity.
+"T'm telling you, I don't know how it got there! Why would there be
+underwear in my bag?!"
+"This is shameful. Let's go explain things to Hirata and the others."
+"Huh?! But if I do that, they'1l make me out to be the culprit!"
+"There was no culprit.. .right?"
+Why was Yamauchi asking Ike? Ike had Karuizawa's underwear in his
+bag, making Ike the culprit, right? Putting aside when and how he stole the
+underwear, the thief likely wouldn't have hidden the stolen goods in his own
+bag. It was obvious that in the case of an uproar, a search for the criminal
+would begin. If Ike was really guilty, he should've been panicking when he
+was told to open his luggage. But I hadn't seen the slightest hint of that.
+I concluded that someone other than Ike was the culprit, and that
+person had planted evidence to frame Ike. Unless Ike really was that stupid
+and simple...but he couldn't be, right?
+"Ayanokouji, you believe me, right? That I didn't steal them?!"
+"Well, if I think calmly, no solid evidence suggests you're the culprit,
+Ike."
+"Ayanokouji!" he cried.
+"Tt's unlikely that Ike is the culprit. If he were, this would be far too
+stupid of him."
+"Well, that sounds right, but... Wait, what? You mean someone put the
+underwear in Kanji's bag?"
+"We just have to figure out who!" Ike cried.
+1°?
+"Hey, hurry up!" one of the boys by Hirata cried.
+"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what am I gonna do? I'm in serious trouble!"
+If the stolen item were found here, the girls would probably determine
+that Ike was the culprit.
+"We have no choice but to hide them. Now."
+"Hide them? Where?! We can't hide them!"'
+It was certainly true that we currently lacked storage options. If the
+girls saw us hurry to the toilet or into the tents, they'd become suspicious and
+demand to search that area. Most importantly, we were spending too much
+time in here. It wouldn't be surprising if we were already under suspicion.
+"We have no other choice. You have to put it in your pocket."
+That was the only advice I could give. There wasn't any time to hide
+the underwear anyplace else, and we didn't want to draw attention to
+ourselves.
+"T-I can't do it! I-'m already panicking!"
+Still, hiding the underwear was our only option.
+"T'll leave it to you, Ayanokouj1!"
+Ike removed quickly thrust the balled-up underwear into my hands.
+"Huh?"
+"If you think it's better to hide them, you can do it. Right?"
+"Well, that's..."
+"Hey, hurry up!" someone called.
+"T'm coming now!"
+Ike muttered, "I'm counting on you," and scurried off. Yamauchi, not
+wanting to get dragged into it, quickly apologized and hurried away.
+"Hey, are you serious?"
+I broke out into a cold sweat. The longer I stayed, the worse this would
+get. If I'd had a minute, I'd have hidden it someplace difficult to find, but
+there was no time. Impulsively, I stuffed the underwear into my back pocket,
+took my bag, and headed back to the others.
+"Sorry, sorry. My bag got a little dirty, so I cleaned it off."
+With that excuse, Ike tossed over his luggage.
+"Search it if you gotta. ''m innocent. Right, Yamauchi?"
+"Y-yeah."
+The two proudly placed their bags down. Hirata, after lightly declining
+the duty, inspected the inside of the bags. I also set my bag down and moved
+away. After everyone's luggage had been inspected, Ike called over
+Shinohara, who was waiting with her arms crossed.
+"We searched everyone's bags. None of us did it."
+"Really?"
+"Yeah. There's no doubt. None of the boys are the culprit."
+"Wait a moment."
+Shinohara drew nearer and checked the inside of the tent. She seemed
+suspicious, as though we'd hidden something. Of course, there wasn't
+anything there. After inspecting the two tents, Shinohara went back to the
+girls once again and discussed the situation.
+"Hey, Hirata-kun. Could they have hidden it in their pockets? Ike-kun
+and Yamauchi-kun, and even Ayanokouji-kun were whispering a little
+earlier. It's got me curious."
+Of course we were being sneaky. The girls had demanded to check
+every nook and cranny.
+"Jeez, enough is enough!" Ike cried.
+The girls began to attack him.
+"Wasn't Ike-kun acting all suspicious earlier? Maybe he is hiding
+something after all?"
+"Huh?! I-I'm not hiding anything! Search me if you gotta!"
+He spread his arms wide as he proclaimed his innocence. Hey, lke... If
+you tell them to do that, then...
+"Let's search him. Hirata-kun, can you do it?"
+"Okay. If it convinces the girls, fine. However, if I don't find anything,
+I want you to stop investigating the boys."
+This was the worst possible outcome. While the girls watched Ike,
+Yamauchi, and me, the pat-down commenced. Of course, they wouldn't find
+the underwear on either Ike or Yamauchi. They kept still throughout Hirata's
+careful search, and he checked them thoroughly. Finally, 1t was my turn.
+It was already too late to escape. Perhaps it was better that it was me.
+No, that wasn't true. There wasn't anything I could do now. Hopefully Hirata
+might overlook it, even if there was only a one percent chance he would. I
+decided to be perfectly still, like a dead fish.
+"I'm sorry. It'Il be over soon," Hirata said.
+Hirata, who didn't doubt me whatsoever, slowly started to search me,
+starting with my upper body. Then, Hirata put his hand into my back pocket,
+where I'd stuffed the underwear.
+It was all over, wasn't it?
+I resigned myself. I felt Hirata's hand touching the underwear. Well, I
+couldn't be completely sure Hirata was touching was the underwear, but I
+suspected he was touching that rolled-up piece of cloth in my pocket. Hirata's
+body stiffened, and he looked me in the eyes. After a brief glance, Hirata
+examined my jersey without taking the underwear out of my pocket.
+Finished, he turned back toward the girls.
+"Ayanokouji-kun doesn't have them either."
+He walked toward Shinohara. Ike and Yamauchi exchanged shocked
+looks.
+"Those three didn't take them."
+"That's weird... I thought for sure 1t was one of them. But if you say
+so, Hirata-kun..."
+If the overwhelmingly honest Hirata said something, Shinohara had no
+choice but to believe him.
+"Tt should be fine once I tidy up the luggage. We can discuss it more
+after."
+After the inspection had come to an end, I hurried back inside the tent.
+Hirata followed me.
+"Hirata. Why didn't you tell them?" I asked, straight out.
+"That was the underwear in your pocket, right?"
+"Yeah."
+"Did you...take Karuizawa's underwear, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"No. I didn't."
+How would this fine young man respond to my denial?
+"T believe you. You're not that kind of person. But why did you have
+them in your pocket?"
+There was no way I couldn't tell him the truth after he said that he
+believed me. I told him they came from Ike's bag. Hirata looked momentarily
+lost in thought.
+"T see. So it definitely wasn't you. But I don't think Ike-kun or
+Yamauchi-kun did it, either. If they were the culprits, they probably wouldn't
+put the underwear in their own bags. They would have hidden it in another
+place."
+Hirata's usual quick-wittedness had saved me. I didn't need to go to the
+bother of trying to explain.
+"Tf it's all right with you, may I hold onto the underwear?" he asked.
+"Sure, but...is that really all right?"
+Holding the underwear was exactly like holding the Joker in a deck of
+cards. They were both trouble to deal with.
+"In the worst-case scenario, if I'm made out to be the culprit, I would
+take the least amount of damage. I am her boyfriend, more or less."
+After saying that, he took one of the vinyl toilet bags and put the
+underwear inside. I wondered if 1t would be painful for Karuizawa to know
+people were touching her underwear with their bare hands.
+"But we did find out one piece of bad news here. If the underwear
+came out of Ike-kun's bag, then there's a high chance that the culprit is
+someone in our class."
+"Yeah..."
+No matter how you looked at it, if a student from another class had
+been loitering around, we would've seen them. After exiting the tent, I
+scanned my surroundings. Our bags were individually wrapped in vinyl and
+placed in front of our tent. The girls' tent was a few meters away, where
+Karuizawa and the others slept. Until this whole incident, the girls' luggage
+had been piled up out front, unprotected, like ours. If you wanted to steal
+something, you easily could do so. I was easily able to rifle through Ibuki's
+bag on the first day.
+When had the underwear been stolen? Since there were no problems up
+until it was time to take a shower, the crime had happened sometime between
+eight o'clock last night and seven o'clock this morning. If that were the case,
+anyone in our class could have done it. However, I doubted that the crime
+had been carried out in the middle of the night. If the culprit were rifling
+through luggage with a flashlight, someone would have noticed.
+In that case, it was very likely that the crime had been carried out
+around sunrise, after five o'clock in the morning. Even if I'd narrowed down
+the crime's timeframe, it was still difficult to narrow down the list of culprits.
+What if I tried changing my perspective? Say Karuizawa stole her own
+underwear and hid it in Ike's bag. But what reason would she have for doing
+that?
+"T believe you're not the culprit, Ayanokouji-kun. That's why I saved
+99
+you.
+"O-oh. Thank you."
+"But that's not all I want to say. I want you to help me find the real
+culprit, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Hirata took my hand as he made his request.
+"You want me to find the culprit?"
+"T think people, both guys and girls, will be uneasy until the thief's
+found. To be honest, 1t would probably be best if J found the culprit, but it
+looks like itll be difficult to get everyone together..." A class star like Hirata
+had certain restrictions.
+"T don't think it'Il be easy to find someone who would hide things in
+Ike's bag."
+Hirata should have known that finding the criminal would be difficult.
+"Well, P1l do what I can. Just don't expect too much of me."
+"Thank you! Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Hirata, almost
+hugging me and bowing his head deeply. I understood Hirata was thankful,
+but felt his reaction was a bit excessive. Perhaps the underwear theft was
+really bothering him, in particular. As a leader, he had to respond seriously to
+the crisis and try to find a resolution for the class.
+"If you do happen to find the culprit, I want you to tell me first. I
+definitely do not want you to tell anyone else."
+His ability to widen his eyes while making such a sincere appeal pretty
+much destroyed my ability to say no. He looked almost too calm. It was a
+little eerie.
+"If that information becomes public knowledge, our class will suffer a
+huge blow. I want to avoid that. That's why I want to find a peaceful method
+of settling things with the culprit. If it's coming from me, I think that we' ll be
+able to resolve the issue through talking."
+"So, in other words, you're going to hide the truth?"
+"Hide it? That's a poor choice of words, but there's nothing I can do
+about it if people take it that way. Even if one of the guys turns out to the be
+the culprit, I think it's better that the truth be concealed."
+He focused on me. It was almost as if he meant to protect the culprit.
+"T understand. I'Il report to you first. Is that good?"
+"Thank you. Well then, Ill be getting back to work."
+Upon exiting the tent, Hirata called out to the other students. I saw
+multiple silhouettes on the other side of the sheet begin to recede.
+"Hirata Yousuke. Are you Class D's hero?"
+There was one contradiction in Hirata's story. Right after he said he
+believed in me, he immediately said the truth ought to be concealed even if
+the culprit was one of the guys. In other words, even if someone had the
+underwear, we'd hide it from the girls.
+Hirata didn't have complete trust in me. He probably assumed there
+was a high chance I was the culprit. That was only natural, of course. From
+an outsider's perspective, I was the one holding the underwear, and I'd
+offered up Ike's name as the culprit. Hirata assigned me, a potential suspect,
+the role of detective to offer me a lifeline. At the same time, he'd issued a
+warning not to commit the offense a second time.
+Thinking this way, I was able to get a grasp on the story. I was certain
+that he just wanted to cover up the truth. I had also tentatively considered that
+Hirata might be the culprit, but...well, I supposed we would know soon
+enough.
+6.1
+66
+Could everyone please gather around?"
+When I exited the tent, Hirata's meeting had begun. I saw Karuizawa
+trembling with anger, her eyes puffy and red.
+"We can't trust the guys. It's absolutely impossible for us to stay in the
+same place as them!"
+"But there would be problems if the guys and girls lived apart, don't
+you think? The test is almost over. Because we're all friends, we need to
+believe in and cooperate with one another."
+"You might be right. But we can't stand being in the same place as
+underwear thieves!"
+Karuizawa shook her head, dismissing the notion as impossible. If the
+victim said so, Hirata couldn't really force her. Shinohara took a tree branch
+and drew a line.
+"We think the culprit is a boy, so we're drawing a dividing line
+between boys and girls. Boys are absolutely prohibited from entering our
+side."
+Shinohara's proposal was gender-based separation to an extreme.
+"What the hell? You're just arbitrarily treating us like criminals. Didn't
+we let you check our bags and give us pat-downs?"
+"It might not have been hidden in a bag, though. Men are perverts.
+Anyway, don't enter the girls' territory until the culprit has been found. Go
+over there."
+With that, she demanded that the boys move their tent. As expected,
+the guys were not convinced. Booing commenced.
+"If you doubt us, then move your own tent. We're not moving ours,
+and we're not helping you, either."
+"Ah, I see. Yeah, you only pretended to help out while you fished
+through our luggage."
+"Oh, and you aren't allowed to use the shower anymore. We're not
+joking. We're not about to let a perverted thief use it."
+Our class unity had completely broken down.
+"Heh. Can you guys even drive in the tent stakes?"
+Shinohara, feeling like the situation was taking a turn, looked to Hirata
+to save them.
+"Hey, Hirata-kun. Can you help us, for Karuizawa-san's sake?"
+"Okay. Pll help. It might take some time, though. Is that okay?"
+"Thank you, Hirata-kun. Aren't you glad, Karuizawa-san?"
+"Yeah, Hirata-kun is the only one we can trust."
+Karuizawa, looking happy and a bit bashful, blushed.
+"Heh. Hirata might even be the culprit."
+"Huh? Hirata-kun is not the culprit. What a stupid thing to say. Why
+don't you go jump off a cliff?"
+"What?! Don't give me that crap, Karuizawa. Just because he's your
+boyfriend doesn't mean he's not the culprit!"
+Naturally, more and more complaints came from the guys, but their
+words fell on deaf ears. Everyone except for Hirata was a suspect, so there
+wasn't anything to be done about it. We quickly reached an impasse, with
+Karuizawa and Shinohara in complete control.
+"Wait a minute. I'd like to raise an objection—especially against you,
+Karuizawa-san." Horikita spoke up, calmly and firmly opposing Karuizawa.
+"What is it, Horikita-san? Are you not satisfied with what we're
+saying?"
+"T don't particularly mind dividing up the living areas for men and
+women. As long as the culprit hasn't been found, it is certainly a good idea to
+keep our distance from the men, considering the likelihood that the culprit 1s
+among them. However, I don't trust Hirata-kun. I cannot dismiss the
+possibility that he might be the underwear thief. Also, I'm unconvinced that
+he should be excluded from the ban on men."
+"Hirata-kun would never do such a thing. Can't you at least understand
+that?"
+"That's just your personal belief, isn't it? Don't force your way of
+thinking on me."
+Karuizawa stepped closer to Horikita, looking like she didn't approve
+of Horikita's attitude.
+"Hirata-kun is definitely not the culprit. You don't even have friends,
+let alone a boyfriend. You probably wouldn't understand."
+"Don't make me repeat myself. Nothing you can say will convince
+me." Despite provocation, Horikita was unperturbed, responding in a
+detached manner.
+"Well, let me ask you something. Would you say there are no other
+guys as trustworthy as Hirata-kun? Or are there?"
+"IT won't speak impulsively. Simply put, I would be fine if you
+increased the number by one more guy. If you did, they'd be effective in
+watching each other's backs."
+"This isn't a joke. My underwear was stolen, right? I've been
+humiliated! Don't you understand? I don't know what we'll do when the
+culprit is found."
+"Might this be happening due to your naive handling of crisis
+management? Maybe there is an ulterior motive for stealing the underwear
+that we don't yet understand."
+"What the heck do you mean, crisis management?! We searched
+everyone's bags. What's naive about that?!"
+"T don't care that your underwear was stolen. That kind of thing
+happens every day, and there's nothing you can really do about it. It's likely
+someone here bears a grudge against you."
+Horikita was considering the possibility that the culprit's ultimate goal
+hadn't been Karuizawa's underwear. The culprit wanted to lash out at
+Karuizawa and deliberately humiliate her. Horikita was free to reason things
+out as she liked, but wasn't airing that idea out in public in front of
+Karuizawa kind of a bad move? I suppose you could call socializing
+Horikita's weak point. She was smart, but had difficulty relating to other
+people.
+If Karuizawa were provoked in front of such a large crowd, she'd grow
+more hurt and irritated. Then, her ire wouldn't be directed at just the boys,
+but probably at Horikita, too.
+"Listen here, you!" Karuizawa looked like she was on the verge of
+losing her temper, until Hirata jumped out beside her in a dashing manner.
+"Karuizawa-san, it would be great if we could have another guy here
+help me out. Is that okay?" He'd adopted the role of mediator once again.
+"B-but...how can I trust anyone other than you, Hirata-kun?"
+"How about me?" asked Ike, raising his hand.
+He'd just been fighting with Shinohara, and now he was raising his
+hand?
+"Wait. If it's physical work, I'll do it!" Sudou quickly raised his hand.
+"Wait. If you're looking for the guy with the skills, then I'm your
+man!" said Yamauchi.
+No matter how heated their arguments with the girls, they couldn't help
+but want to get closer to them.
+"S-stop joking around. We can't just casually invite a pervert to help
+us. I wouldn't be surprised if one of you were the culprit. Or do you think
+these guys are okay, Horikita-san?"
+"T agree with you. Considering how these three behave on a daily basis,
+they are completely untrustworthy. I've thought it over very carefully, and I
+intend to choose someone who can't be the culprit."
+"Who? Is there someone other than Hirata-kun?"
+I regarded the male students. Was there any guy who could put her at
+ease, next to Hirata? Yukimura was brilliant, but had his share of disputes
+with the girls. Who could it be?
+"You. Ayanokouji-kun."
+Huh? Why me? How me? My mouth fell open, and I stood there,
+flabbergasted.
+"Ha ha ha! Don't make me laugh. He's your only friend, isn't he?
+There's absolutely no way I can trust such a gloomy, lecherous wallflower,"
+Karuizawa said.
+I didn't especially care what people thought about me, but it seemed
+like many had written me off as "that guy" or "a gloomy lecher." Was this
+the pathetic fate that awaited a loner who couldn't even make friends in his
+first semester of school?
+"Tf anything, I think Ayanokouji-kun is the culprit. He was acting all
+sneaky this morning, which was pretty suspicious."
+Upon finding the underwear in Ike's bag, I had been pretty inefficient
+and slow. Well, it was true that I'd had Karuizawa's underwear in my hands
+at the time, which did make me pretty suspicious.
+"It's possible... Ayanokouji-kun was at the bonfire until late last
+night..."
+The girls' doubts had intensified, and I had become their next target.
+Doubters began to appear from the boys' side, too. [ke and Yamauchi feigned
+ignorance. Even if I stayed silent or tried to explain, the situation was going
+downhill. I opted to just keep silent. No matter how much the girls doubted
+me, Hirata was holding the evidence, and wouldn't make me out to be the
+culprit. However, despite knowing the truth, being suspected certainly felt
+terrible.
+"Ayanokouji-kun really is the underwear thief, isn't he? He's not
+making any excuses. He's gazed at Karuizawa-san with lewd looks before,
+hasn't he?"
+I heard a doubtful voice from the girls' side. I couldn't recall having
+looked at Karuizawa in a lewd manner before, but right now there wasn't
+anything I could do to conveniently modify my memory.
+"Um... I don't think that A-Ayanokouji-kun would do such a thing..."
+I'd thought that all the girls doubted me and no one would back me, but
+someone rather unexpected spoke up for me. Sakura, cowering behind
+everyone with her back arched, fidgeted bashfully while she spoke out in my
+favor. I couldn't have imagined a girl who disliked being noticed more than
+anything doing such a bold thing.
+"Huh? What do you mean? Why would you say that?" answered
+Karuizawa, seemingly upset about Sakura speaking out.
+The sheepish, nervous Sakura was an easy target for such a popular
+girl. Sakura was definitely easier to confront than Horikita. In an instant,
+Karuizawa changed her target, lashing out at Sakura with her words as if
+sinking her teeth into prey.
+"Huh? Why? How do you know that? How do you know Ayanokouji-
+kun isn't the culprit?"
+"Well...that's because...he isn't that kind of person." Sakura was
+backed into a corner, and barely managed to squeak out her fearful answer.
+"Huh? I don't understand what you mean. That's not an answer."
+Karuizawa folded her arms and laughed mockingly at Sakura. "Oh? Could it
+be that Sakura-san /ikes someone plain and invisible like Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Rather than saying it contemptuously, Karuizawa said it as though it
+were reasonable to assume. It would've been fine if Sakura had just shrugged
+off such remarks, but she took them on.
+"Y-you're wrong!" Sakura stumbled back in a panic, her face
+completely red.
+"Whoa! That's such an obvious reaction. It's like what an elementary-
+schooler would do!"
+The other girls joined Karuizawa in laughing out loud.
+"That's...! W-well... Ah!"
+"Heh, isn't that a good thing, though? You like him, and no one else
+does, right? Hey, will you confess to him here? Ill even help you out!"
+"Ah!"
+Sakura, unable to bear this attention any longer, ran off into the forest.
+Kushida chased after her, wisely judging it dangerous for someone to go into
+the woods alone.
+"What was that about? I was just teasing her. Jeez, that's why she can't
+make any friends."
+Horikita, who had silently watched Karuizawa's public excoriation of
+Sakura, sighed and brushed a hand through her hair, as if she'd observed
+something completely boring.
+"Ts it okay for us to continue the discussion now? This farce is a waste
+of time."
+"Hey, Horikita-san. The way you talk is hurtful and annoying."
+Karuizawa, losing interest in Sakura after she'd run away, made Horikita her
+target once again. "Okay, Horikita-san. Why are you so cold to me? Did
+something happen?"
+"Something? What 'something'?"
+"Well, isn't Hirata-kun so cool? He's smart, too, and he's even kind to
+a girl like you. Any normal girl would fall for him."
+Giggling, Karuizawa tugged on Hirata's arm and pulled him close, as if
+to boast.
+"T suppose I'd say that Ayanokouji-kun is... Well, as for his looks, he's
+probably better than most other guys, but isn't he awful in every other way?
+You're probably just jealous. That's what I think."
+"You're naive, Karuizawa-san."
+"It's shameful to be so jealous."
+I'd heard that the behavior of the collective could bring out an
+individual person's position, personality, and psychological state. Some
+things that couldn't be voiced in our daily lives at school had started to come
+to the surface here. This was especially true for Horikita, who was often
+alone. The other girls in our class treated her poorly, but she managed to get
+along because, well, she just didn't care. Both parties ignored each other.
+Since everyone had to live together now, a clash of tempers was inevitable.
+"It's certainly true that Ayanokouji-kun has many unlikable qualities,"
+Horikita said.
+Hey...I thought you would 've backed me up...
+"But we need to ask if Hirata-kun can trust Ayanokouji-kun. It would
+only be awkward and uncomfortable if you endorsed someone meaningless to
+Hirata-kun. The truth is, there is not one thing that I trust about him, but I
+have no intention of inserting my own personal feelings into the matter. By
+process of elimination, I've concluded that he is the most trustworthy boy in
+the class. Or is another boy in our class preferable? If there 1s, I'd like for you
+to tell me."
+After Horikita finished, Karuizawa glanced over at the boys as if to
+evaluate them, and sighed.
+"Well, I suppose that out of all the guys here, he seems the most
+harmless. He has no presence."
+I couldn't help but agree with that point. The girl's perception was too
+harsh.
+"Well, isn't that good? I have my doubts, but if Hirata-kun is
+comfortable with this, itll do."
+It seemed as though Karuizawa and the other girls had chosen me, but I
+wasn't really convinced. Of course, I didn't dare breathe a word of that.
+There'd only be another fight. Immediately after the discussion had ended,
+everyone started to disperse. Our class unity had broken down.
+"T understand what everyone wants to say here, but I disagree with
+suspecting a classmate without evidence. There shouldn't be anyone in our
+class who'd do such an awful thing," said Hirata, unable to stay silent about
+our worsening situation.
+"You're way too kind, Hirata-kun. So you're saying someone else stole
+it?"
+"T don't know, but I don't want to doubt my classmates."
+The guys probably felt lousy being thought of as criminals by the girls.
+"Hey. What if it was that girl, Ibuki?" someone muttered, shooting a
+look over at Ibuki, who sat at the far edge of the camp.
+Instantly, everyone's doubts were aimed at Ibuki. The collective had
+found new prey.
+"Tbuki-chan is from Class C, right? It wouldn't be strange if she were
+working to sabotage Class D. She could be using tricks to make us doubt
+each other."
+"Knock it off, you guys. The boys are without a doubt the prime
+suspects."
+Shinohara remained highly suspicious of the boys. She kept her
+distance, gesturing with her hands for us to leave.
+"Until the culprit is found, we definitely can't trust the boys. Right,
+Karuizawa-san?"
+"Naturally. One of the boys definitely did it."
+And so it was decided that the guys and girls would live separately.
+6.2
+Ive said it again and again, but Hirata Yousuke is a really cool guy. I
+don't even mean his appearance, but rather, his principled actions. He took
+the initiative to do troublesome things that ordinary people didn't want to do,
+and he conducted himself respectfully even when responding to opponents.
+Hirata, in cooperation with the girls, was setting up their two tents further
+away from the guys. Meanwhile, I was tasked with carrying the stakes for the
+tent, driving them into the ground, and fixing them in place.
+Although I had a hard time at first, what with the stakes slipping loose,
+I'd soon managed to secure the first tent. It was surprisingly easy. Currently,
+I was sweaty and pounding in the stakes for the second tent with a hammer.
+Hirata came around and helped by stretching the rope out and giving me a
+hand driving in the stakes.
+"I'm sorry. I've put you in a tough spot again."
+The other guys were outside, either playing around or fishing.
+"Ah, it's okay. You don't have to apologize, Hirata. If anything, I'd
+feel bad to leave it all to you."
+"Oh, it's not all bad. I do it freely." His sincere smile only enhanced his
+coolness.
+"This question might come off as weird, but why do you work so
+hard?"
+"Work so hard? I don't intend to work all that hard. I just do what
+needs to be done." Hirata said that in a way that wasn't boastful. He was
+dripping with sweat, and wiped himself off with the towel he had hanging
+around his neck. "I think this special test isn't actually some kind of battle,
+but more an important opportunity for us all to become closer. That's why I
+want to cherish this moment. I'm glad to work hard for that."
+I wondered how it was possible for an ordinary person to be so
+overflowing with good intentions without actually being two-faced. Wanting
+to be liked by others, wanting to be showered with attention—most people
+would think like that, but I didn't get that impression from Hirata at all. I felt
+that he just wanted to be good.
+"All right, we have about half left. Let's hurry up and get this done."
+The two of us went over to the other side to hammer in the remaining
+stakes.
+'*'Hirata-kun! Come here for a minute!"
+Karuizawa and the other girls called Hirata's name. In an instant they'd
+surrounded him, and began tugging on his arms.
+"Hey, come on, come here!"
+"Ah, I still have work left to do, though," he said.
+"Tsn't 1t okay to just leave that to Ayanokouji-kun? Can't you?" they
+said, yanking him forcefully.
+Seeing Hirata's troubled face, I let him go, even though I thought it'd
+be a bother.
+"T can do this. Go."
+"No, but it's hard for one person to"
+"It's okay, there's only a little left."
+"S-sorry. Thank you. Ill be right back."
+Although I kind of got the impression the girls had an ulterior motive,
+they went ahead and pulled Hirata into the woods so fast he didn't catch my
+words. He probably wouldn't be back right away. I watched Hirata walk off,
+then took the hammer in hand and hoped I'd get another chance to plumb his
+many mysteries. I continued my work, and managed to finish it all myself
+before Hirata returned.
+"It took more time to finish it alone than I thought it would..."
+There were a lot of things that concerned me, like the tent's orientation,
+the stake placement, and the tension of the rope. It was nearly ten o'clock.
+What should I do now? I couldn't afford to make a mistake now that the
+situation was getting dicey. But first, I needed to refresh my physical
+strength. Working under the blazing sun was way too harsh.
+"Do you have a minute?" Ibuki asked.
+I'd thought I'd rest for a while, but I guess that wasn't to be.
+"What you were talking about this morning sounded really serious. The
+underwear incident, I mean. I mean, Class D isn't a monolith."
+"Well, I guess. Our various troubles are never-ending."
+"Whatever the reason, stealing a girl's underwear is unforgivable."
+Right, but why was she talking to me about this? Yamauchi had taken
+Ibuki in, not me, and Kushida's group was looking after her. We'd only
+spoken a little before, so there shouldn't have been any particular reason for
+her to talk to me.
+"Do you doubt me, by any chance?"
+Ibuki had apparently seen Shinohara and the others treat me like a
+criminal this morning.
+"Are you the culprit?" she asked.
+"No, I'm not."
+"Okay, that's good. Well, it's not like I had any evidence or anything.
+It looks like some of the girls trust you and that boy Hirata. I think the chance
+of you being a villain is low."
+She'd probably come to that conclusion after hearing the exchange
+between Karuizawa and Horikita.
+"Do you have any idea who the culprit is?"
+"Right now, no. I really don't want to doubt the other guys."
+"So who do you think did it?"
+She'd asked that question as if she were testing me. Ibuki glanced at
+me out of the corner of her eye when she said that. When I didn't respond,
+Ibuki continued talking.
+"If a boy isn't the culprit, then they' Il suspect me—the stranger—next.
+I'm absolutely certain some people have already said something about me.
+After all, I could've just made it look like the guys stole the underwear.
+Right?"
+Ibuki laughed self-deprecatingly, perhaps because she was fully aware
+she was already a suspect. In response to that, I spoke impulsively.
+"T think I trust you, at the very least. I doubt you're the culprit."
+I'd answered Ibuki without hesitation. She looked a bit surprised, like
+she wanted to verify what I said was true. When our eyes met, she looked
+away.
+"Thank you. I didn't think you would say something like that."
+"T just gave you an honest answer."
+I was able to understand Ibuki just by looking into her eyes.
+I concluded that Ibuki had stolen the underwear from Karuizawa's bag
+and hidden it in Ike's luggage.
+6.3
+I was the end of the special test's fifth day, and Class D was
+depressed. It was like we were holding an all-night vigil over a dead body. A
+whole day had passed with everyone jumping at shadows. Everyone was
+suspicious, and no one knew who the culprit was. Despite the oppressive
+atmosphere, it was my turn to get the fire going. As I watched the fire's
+condition, I occasionally tossed in some branches. It was monotonous, easy
+work. We had other problems, though.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun! Didn't we tell you to move the tent properly?"
+"T moved it like I was told."
+"It needs to be more to the left. Otherwise we're too near the guys."
+"Okay."
+The girls made unreasonable requests of me, and I had to reluctantly
+accept. The girls seemed resentful.
+"Tt must be really tough, being forced to do routine chores," Horikita
+said.
+"That's rich, coming from you. This wouldn't have happened if you
+hadn't had recommended me unnecessarily."
+"There was no other way. Hirata-kun can't be trusted, and I needed
+insurance."
+""Y ou're the only one in class who doesn't trust Hirata. Life's better
+when you stop believing that all people are two-faced."
+"T suppose that's true. I'm certainly not two-faced."
+That was an understatement. Horikita lived her life completely true to
+herself. She threw my criticism back at me rather skillfully.
+"However, most create a distinction between their public persona and
+how they really are on the inside. You do it, too. I do not trust anyone
+because good intentions and hypocrisy are two sides of the same coin."
+I doubted her words were solely aimed at Hirata. She seemed to refer to
+Kushida as well.
+"At any rate, you seem to trust Hirata-kun very much," she said.
+"Yeah. Well, I can count on him, at the very least. He's really reliable."
+"Count on him? Can you say that he's had a positive effect on the class
+just by being around?"
+Horikita must have had something on her mind, judging by her
+snappish words. She probably thought I was holding onto information she
+didn't have. I answered her with an audacious smile.
+"Well. Hirata is a man of many talents. He helps when we can't bring
+guys and girls together during a dispute. Don't you think that he's working
+hard to bring students together when no one else can?"
+"It's certainly impressive that he's able to take on such a role without
+being sullen about it. However, without good results, the action is
+meaningless. Depending on the situation, such actions might even lead to the
+worst-case scenario. Let me ask you something. Do you know how many
+points Class D has now?"
+"Well, it seems like there were some unexpected expenditures. I can't
+give an exact number."
+"Exactly. Trustworthy Hirata-kun has kept his mouth shut about it."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Come with me."
+I wondered what in the world she wanted to show me so badly that
+she'd leave the fire unattended. As I wondered where she was taking me, I
+noticed we were at the front entrance of the girls' tent. Horikita opened the
+main panel and shoved me inside.
+"This is..."
+Unlike the boys' tent, which was Spartan-like in its lack of comfort, the
+girls' tent was completely different. It was spacious, with a floor mat on the
+ground so that they wouldn't have to sleep on the hard earth. There were
+several pillows inflated with air. On top of that was a battery-powered
+cordless fan.
+"The tent on the other side has the exact same things in it, too. A total
+of twelve points."
+"T thought the girls were putting up with the heat unusually well. So
+this is how you're getting through it."
+They hadn't sacrificed anything from the very start. They'd simply
+bought whatever they needed.
+"K aruizawa-san and the others asked for these."
+Apparently, they'd secretly indulged themselves quite well.
+"T only found out after they'd already ordered everything. It's difficult
+to do anything when the rules say anyone may buy an item and spend points."
+Just like how Kouenji had withdrawn so early in the test.
+"Karuizawa-san reported this to Hirata-kun, so he definitely knew
+about it. But you didn't know, nor did he inform anyone else. I think he
+absolutely should have shared this information."
+Horikita had her arms crossed. She did have a point, but I doubted
+Hirata had stayed quiet out of malice. Maybe he'd just wanted to avoid
+unnecessary confusion? If Karuizawa had reported properly to Hirata, then
+the amount could have been evaluated.
+"T understand what you mean, but there's nothing I can really say about
+it. We can't get spent points back, and there aren't many days left before the
+test ends. Karuizawa and the others probably won't spend any more points," I
+said.
+I'd thought she'd be angered by such a short, blunt response, but
+Horikita seemed to have anticipated my words. She promptly ignored me and
+kept talking.
+"Tf things stay as they are and nothing happens, people will probably
+stay quiet. But things could get bad if the case of the stolen underwear isn't
+resolved. If the culprit is nearby, he or she might be trying to hinder us.
+That's why I want to find the culprit as soon as possible."
+"So, you want me to work with you?"
+"Yes. Now that there's a divide between us and the boys, there are
+many things I can't do by myself."
+The guys and girls were in the midst of a cold war, cut off from
+obtaining new information.
+"Understood. I don't know if I'll be useful, but I'll help."
+Horikita seemed confused by my frank answer.
+"I'm trying to understand you... Do you have some other intention?"
+"It's better for you to just accept favors in a straightforward way. As a
+guy, I'm rather upset that the guys are being treated like thieves. That alone
+should be sufficient motivation. We're united in a common goal."
+Earlier, Hirata had asked me to help him, too.
+"Well, whatever. It's settled then."
+The culprit wasn't stupid. It wasn't likely they would show their true
+colors while suspicions ran high. Horikita probably thought that things would
+turn out all right. Any more disturbances during this test would probably start
+affecting our points as well.
+About the culprit, though... Well, Ibuki would most likely take action
+again. No, she would definitely take action. She hadn't yet reached her goal.
+"You have such a serious look on your face. Do you really hate being
+treated like a criminal that much?"
+"Our class is all messed up because of this. It's a shame, because we
+were doing really well."
+"Our cooperation was a complete coincidence. Class D didn't really
+have any sense of teamwork to begin with. It's ending rather badly, though,
+especially because of the broken trust between the guys and girls. Of course it
+would've been better to stay united until the end of the test."
+"T wonder what the culprit's goal is, whoever that may be. Did they
+intend to steal Karuizawa's underwear, or did they want to throw our
+teamwork out the window? I feel like there's a hidden agenda."
+When I said the words "hidden agenda," Horikita crossed her arms.
+After considering it, she shook her head.
+"Let's not get ahead of ourselves... Sorry, but I'm going back into the
+tent." Horikita turned away, sweeping her hair aside. Her breathing was
+shallow.
+"Hey Horikita, don't you think it's about time you confessed?"
+""Confessed? Confessed what?"
+Although Horikita pretended to be calm, she was sweaty. Enough was
+enough.
+"Y our health has gone rapidly downhill since the test started."
+She'd looked ill even before we started traveling, but it hadn't been
+that noticeable. Due to Horikita's loner personality, she'd likely planned keep
+to her room and avoid socializing.
+"Not really any more than usual."
+"Liar."
+I'd caught Horikita in a lie, and extended my hand to touch her. Feeling
+her forehead, it was clear she had a fever. Horikita tried to escape, but her
+movements were dull. I was easily able to stop her.
+"When...did you notice?"
+"On the deck of the ship, when I asked you what you'd been doing."
+"Yeah, and I told you I'd been reading in my room."
+"You were really sick then, so you were actually sleeping, right?"
+"And on what evidence do you base that conclusion?"
+"When you joined us on deck, your bangs were all disheveled. Proof
+you'd been lying on your side. Also, it was incredibly hot on the boat, but
+you seemed like you were cold. Even now, you're wearing long sleeves, and
+you're zipped all the way up. Even an elementary school student could figure
+it out"
+Horikita, who usually would have responded with strong words,
+instead fell silent.
+"If you could apply that sharp wit toward reaching Class A, you'd get a
+little more recognition."
+"T definitely don't plan to do that. Anyway, do you intend to hide your
+condition?"
+It was pretty clear that she had a fever, close to 38°C. Still, she was
+hiding it for a pretty simple reason. If you reported illness, the class would be
+hit with a bigger penalty. The test's timing was rotten luck on her part.
+"T just need to hang in there for another few days. If I give up now, it'Il
+all be for nothing. Goodnight."
+So she intended to soldier through to the bitter end. She had an iron
+will.
+6.4
+I felt something strange on my cheek, warm and stiff. The warmth
+instantly grossed me out. I tried to get stretch my neck and move my face
+away, but I couldn't move. Someone's arm was holding me tightly in place.
+"Wh-what?"
+I woke up uncomfortable. Instantly, I found myself in a terrifying
+situation. Sudou was asleep, with both of his legs laid across my face.
+"Suzune...I can't hold back anymore..." he moaned.
+"Aahhhh!"
+I shrieked, and escaped from Sudou's iron grip.
+"Gah, shut up... The hell? Ayanokouji, don't wake me up like that."
+This guy had just tried to force a scarring experience upon me. He had
+definitely mistaken me for someone else. Still, this wasn't the type of thing to
+scream about in a crowd of guys in the middle of the night...
+My wristwatch showed that it wasn't even six in the morning yet, but
+my drowsiness was gone. I exited the tent to get out of that humid, steamy
+air. Once outside, I noticed that the scenery had changed drastically from
+yesterday.
+"So, am I lucky or unlucky?"
+Trouble seemed to be at hand as the curtain rose on the sixth day of our
+special test. It was overcast outside, the skies cloudy and gray. It must have
+rained last night, because puddles and patches of mud were here and there on
+the ground. It looked like it was going to start raining hard, probably in the
+early afternoon.
+Of course the weather got stormy right at the end of the test. Just a light
+rain would have been fine, but there might be heavy rain and strong winds. In
+the worst-case scenario, we'd have to move. Many things would need to be
+done, like re-checking the tent stakes and handling our luggage.
+As more people noticed the weather, they began to panic. Eventually,
+we combined the food we'd collected with the emergency food we bought
+using points. There'd been a lot of grumbling over living such a frugal life,
+but since it was the penultimate day, everyone appeared to want to power
+through.
+"T'm glad. We haven't had any incidents," Hirata said.
+That was certainly true. If we'd had another incident like the underwear
+theft, we probably wouldn't have had such a helpful atmosphere. The guys
+who'd been standing watch out in front of the boys' tent were now sleeping
+like logs. It was a deterrent we came up with to prevent a repeat of the
+underwear theft. Hirata gathered up a large group of students and gave them a
+last bit of encouragement.
+He also started sorting people into teams to go out and search for food
+one last time, so we could get through the day. If we got enough food today
+day, we wouldn't need to use points. You could call this a critical moment.
+We all gathered around Hirata.
+"Would it be better if we went, too?" asked Ike, sitting on the riverbank
+with a fishing rod already in hand.
+"No. Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, I want you two to continue fishing. We don't
+have enough time to instruct the other students how to do it."
+After settling on a course of action, Hirata set up groups by having
+volunteers raise their hands. Of course, I didn't raise my hand, but he decided
+that I would participate as a backup. The members of the group were
+Horikita, Sakura, Yamauchi, and surprisingly, Kushida. Horikita's physical
+health still seemed to be as poor as ever, but she held up well. The people
+around her weren't aware that she was feeling ill.
+"Why were you left behind? What about your usual group of friends?"
+Horikita asked Kushida.
+Come to think of it, I didn't see any of Kushida's girlfriends.
+"Ah, yeah. Well, it's..."
+Kushida whispered something into Horikita's ear, as if she was worried
+about the boys overhearing.
+"Well, to tell you the truth, Mii-chan is having her time of the month.
+She always feels awful when it happens. So her other friends are with her in
+the tent."
+I'd been standing next to Horikita, so I happened to overhear.
+"Even if she's not feeling well, it's a natural physiological
+phenomenon. She should be fine. I suppose that's to be expected, though.
+However, why did you deliberately choose our group? You must have had
+other options available."
+Horikita was grilling Kushida like that because she detested her.
+Horikita fundamentally disliked people in general, but especially Kushida.
+Why? Well, for the simple reason that Kushida apparently hated Horikita. I'd
+always felt a uniquely strange sense of discomfort between those two.
+Kushida Kikyou had a hidden side, a dramatic change from her usual
+persona, to the point where she could calmly abuse other people. However,
+I'd only chanced upon this discovery. The everyday Kushida was a
+fundamentally kind, cheerful, and cute girl who loved to help others. You
+wouldn't think there'd be any students who disliked her, unless they were
+jealous. However, I knew Horikita wasn't the sort to be jealous of someone
+like Kushida.
+Philosophers wrack their brains over the tough questions like, "What
+came first, the chicken or the egg?" The chicken 1s literally born from the
+egg, but doesn't that mean the egg came first? I didn't know whether it was
+Horikita who hated Kushida first, or the other way around, or when this all
+started.
+"T wanted to talk to you, Horikita-san, and thought this was a good
+chance. You know, we haven't really talked at all during this trip, have we?
+Well, as soon as it gets dark out, let's head to bed."
+Even though Kushida understood that she was disliked, and disliked
+Horikita in turn, she wanted to try making friends with her. If Kushida's goal
+was to make friends with everyone in class, she couldn't avoid dealing with
+Horikita.
+"T don't have enough free time to spend it with you unnecessarily."
+"You're so mean, Horikita-san. Even though your face is so cute when
+you're sleeping."
+Horikita seemed a little annoyed by Kushida's odd teasing. At any rate,
+I was going to search for food with the rest of the group.
+"Hey, Ibuki. Why don't you come with us, too?" Just as we were about
+to depart, I called out to Ibuki, who was resting under a tree.
+"Me?"
+"Today's the last day. If you don't want to, I won't pressure you."
+"Okay. I owe Class D a debt of gratitude... Sure, Il help."
+Ibuki slung her bag over her shoulder. Yamauchi looked happy about
+this.
+"Hey, that's great, that's great! You know, this kinda feels like a harem
+or something!" he cried.
+The greater the girl to boy ratio, the happier Yamauchi was. Horikita
+didn't have any reason to refuse, so she stepped into the forest without a
+response.
+"The forest is kinda eerie... Or maybe I should say that it's scary, plus
+hot and humid."
+The sky was cloudy, and the forest was completely different from
+yesterday. Visibility was especially poor. Yamauchi, with great sweat stains
+under his armpits, dejectedly flapped his gym clothes to fan himself.
+"Aren't you hot, Sakura?" he asked.
+Yamauchi had been scheming for a way to talk to Sakura. But his eyes
+were focused on her breasts, and it was easy to see that he simply wanted to
+look at her boobs.
+"Eh? O-oh, it's okay. I'm fine."
+Sakura leaned forward, as if to indirectly avoid Yamauchi's gaze. It's
+said that girls are sensitive to the lascivious male gaze. In Sakura's case,
+she'd had a lot of experience in that regard, so she was especially sensitive to
+it.
+"Karuizawa was so mean yesterday, wasn't she? And even though you
+were being so kind by sticking up for Ayanokouji, Sakura."
+"Ah, oh..."
+Yamauchi intended to appear kind when speaking to Sakura, but his
+gaze and topic of conversation had the subtlety of an exploding bomb.
+"Yamauchi. It'd be good if you paid attention to the treetops. They
+might have fruit. Also, we're pretty tall, so we need to be careful around
+here," I said.
+"Y-yeah. Of course."
+Thus I prevented Yamauchi from gazing lustfully at Sakura, at least
+somewhat. Still, a supremely horny guy wasn't going to run out of steam.
+"Rain clouds are approaching from the southwest. The storm will be
+here even sooner than we imagined."
+Depending on how things went, it would be better to get out of the rain
+if at all possible. Rain would make our foraging mission more dangerous. If
+we did happen to get caught in the rain out in the middle of the forest, we
+could be stuck or injured. If that happened, we'd lose a great deal of points.
+"Hmm..."
+We looked for food while walking quietly. Kushida alternated between
+looking at Horikita and me, while appearing lost in thought. Of course,
+Horikita ignored everything.
+"What's the matter, Kushida-chan?" asked Yamauchi, who'd noticed
+Kushida's odd behavior.
+"Ayanokouji-kun and Horikita-san have been on pretty good terms
+from the beginning, right? I was trying to think of what the reason might be."
+"Good question. Why are you two close, anyway?"
+Kushida had opened a troublesome subject.
+"We don't really get along well, though," I said.
+"You always deny it, but you do get along. You're walking side by side
+right now."
+They could say it, but 1t wasn't like I was particularly aware of it or
+anything.
+"Ah. I think I might have found something that Ayanokouji-kun and
+Horikita-san have in common," Kushida said.
+"Something in common? What's that?"
+"Well, look at them closely, Yamauchi-kun. Notice anything?"
+"Hmm?"
+Yamauchi got in really close, until he was about a centimeter away
+from my face. After that, he rushed over to Horikita, and peered into her
+eyes. You idiot, if you get too close...
+Slap! Yamauchi's cheek got smacked. It was a wonderfully vicious
+slap, the kind you'd see from a humiliated actress in a searing drama. After
+being hit with such force, Yamauchi shuddered and shouted. He squatted
+low, cowering, and cried in pain. He didn't use any words, but his eyes
+seemed to ask Horikita, "Why would you do something like that?!"
+"Wh-what're yuh doin'?!"
+"You got too close. Remember to stay out of my personal space."
+This was like the time Ike made a pass at Horikita. Really, anyone
+would feel uncomfortable if a guy you didn't like got extremely close to your
+face.
+"Ha ha... S-sorry, Yamauchi-kun. I started trouble. Are you okay?"
+Kushida asked.
+""Y-you're so kind, Kushida..."
+Yamauchi took Kushida's outstretched hand and stood, his cheeks still
+red. Ibuki watched the scene with a slightly surprised expression. She
+probably didn't see this kind of idiotic exchange in Class C very often.
+"Wh-what's the thing in common that you noticed, Kushida?"
+"Well, don't you know? I hardly see the two of them laugh! That's it.
+It's like, I don't think I've ever seen Ayanokouji-kun or Horikita-san smile."
+Kushida had pointed out something rather unexpected, thinking that
+we'd merely accept her word. Regarding Horikita, though, I'd seen her smile
+many times before when making fun of someone, but her smile never
+contained any kind of affection.
+"It's certainly true that I've never seen Horikita smile before. But /'ve
+smiled, haven't I?"
+"I've seen you with a bitter smile, sure, but never a genuine grin,
+something from the bottom of your heart. I've never seen you laugh so hard
+you had to clutch your stomach, Ayanokouji-kun. Or perhaps you' ve just
+never shown that side of yourself to me?"
+She looked slightly dissatisfied as she peeked up at me. My heart
+started pounding. My pulse spiked. Even though we were on a deserted
+island, a lovely, perfumed scent tickled my nostrils. Embarrassed, I averted
+my eyes.
+"A lot of it's due to genetics. It's the difference between people who
+smile often and those who don't smile at all."
+"Hmm. I don't think I really like that reason, even if it's true."
+Well, genetics probably weren't everything. Happiness could also be
+influenced by the environment in which someone grew up.
+"How about we practice smiling just once? What do you think?"
+"For the time being, let's begin with the area," said Horikita.
+"Huh? Of smiling?"
+"How long do you want to travel? We need to search for food, right?"
+said Horikita sternly. Her tone was forceful. She'd instructed us all to spread
+out immediately.
+"Don't make any moves alone. Search in pairs. Be especially careful.
+Let's go, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Horikita called me, and I started walking with her.
+"Ah... Ah..."
+"Hmm?" Sakura seemed to be trailing behind us with her shoulders
+slumped.
+"Come search with us, Sakura!" Yamauchi yelled.
+He flashed me a thumbs-up gesture. I guessed he dreamed of taking
+advantage of this opportunity.
+"T'm looking forward to working with you, Ibuki-san!"
+Kushida, the last one remaining, paired up with Ibuki. Ibuki was a
+rather blunt, antisocial girl herself, but if she were with Kushida, there likely
+wouldn't be problems.
+"Horikita, how are you going to handle the key card issue?" I asked.
+"T always have it on me."
+Horikita put her hand in her coat pocket to show me she had it.
+"When we update the device, I'Il slip in among the students Hirata-
+kun's gathered so I can be undetected. Ibuki-san and the other students aren't
+supposed to know."
+Well, I wasn't really worried about her handling that part. Since it
+required being conscientious, she'd probably handle it well.
+"Can I see it for a second?"
+'Huh? Here?"
+"Tt's actually convenient to do it here. It'd be too suspicious at base
+camp."
+"Maybe, but what do you plan to do after I show you?"
+I explained the situation to Horikita while she looked suspiciously at
+"To be honest, I'd been keeping quiet. I was with Sakura earlier so she
+can back me up, but on the first day we saw students who had something like
+a key card."
+I told Horikita about seeing Katsuragi in front of the cave, and his card.
+"But I don't know if that was really the key card. I didn't see it well. I
+mean, you'd probably laugh if I made a joke about him picking up a
+telephone card, right?"
+"Er, right. If you have proof, that would be a huge achievement."
+Horikita, satisfied with my reasoning, turned her back on Ibuki and
+stealthily took out the card. I accepted it, and checked the front and back. The
+reverse side sported a typical magnetic strip. Just as Chabashira-sensei had
+said, on the front side was the name "Horikita Suzune'', proof that she was
+the leader.
+Even if I tried, I wouldn't have been able to peel the name off and
+substitute another.
+"Well? Is this the same card that Katsuragi-kun had?"
+"No. I wonder, though. I thought I'd know by looking, but...it seems
+like it's a different color than I remember."
+"The keycards might have a different color scheme based on the class."
+"Yeah, but we don't have enough evidence to make a solid judgment.
+If we make a mistake, we won't recover from it."
+When I tried to return the card to her, I accidentally dropped it. The
+card hit the ground.
+"Ah!"
+I let out a panicked shout, but Horikita quickly snatched it up. She slid
+the card back in her jacket, but we'd attracted attention.
+"What's wrong?"
+Kushida looked worried. Ibuki, too.
+"Oh, it's nothing. There was a bug that surprised me. Sorry, sorry."
+While I apologized, Horikita shot me a terrifying glare.
+"S-sorry..."
+Horikita furiously kept her distance from me.
+"Did she dump you?" Yamauchi asked with a grin.
+"Look, Yamauchi. I need to ask you something. Could you come here
+for a second?"
+"What is it? You know my love consultation fee is high, right?"
+"The ground in this area is all muddy because of the rain, right? I want
+you to take this mud and smear it on Horikita's hair. Can you do that for
+me?"
+"Huh? B-but if I do something like that, I'Il be killed! No way!"
+Of course, I knew he wouldn't immediately agree. But this was far too
+unnatural for me to do myself. I'd thought that a prankster like Yamauchi
+would try pulling this stunt.
+"Listen here, dude. No matter how angry you say you are at Horikita,
+trying to get revenge on her is uncool!"
+"If you do this, I'm prepared to offer you Sakura's e-mail address."
+"Whaa?!"
+"Well?"
+"S-Sakura's e-mail address? Man! I-I guess I have to do this now,
+huh?"
+The boy who lived for love had decided to die for love. That
+decisiveness was amazing.
+"You're absolutely going to do it? If you're lying, I won't agree."
+After I nodded, Yamauchi gathered up a lot of mud and approached
+Horikita from behind. Had she not been feeling ill, she probably would've
+noticed him, but right now she couldn't pay attention to her surroundings.
+Kushida and Ibuki noticed Yamauchi's strange behavior and watched him
+with quizzical expressions.
+Yamauchi did it. He covered Horikita's beautiful black hair with mud.
+Then he patted and smeared it on her with both hands. Well, he didn't really
+need to go that far...
+"Ha ha ha ha! You're all covered in mud, Horikita! Hilarious!"
+Yamauchi laughed and pointed at Horikita, like a little kid. Horikita,
+almost as if she weren't able to grasp the situation, didn't move for a little
+while. Then she stood up, grabbed Yamauchi's pointing arm, and acted
+without saying a word.
+Yamauchi let slip a quick, confused "Huh?" as Horikita threw him.
+6.5
+W. returned to the base camp before noon with nothing to show for
+our efforts. Although the sun hadn't come out, it was even hotter here than
+inside the midsummer forest. It was impossible not to see a thin layer of
+sweat even on Horikita, who insisted that she wasn't sweaty.
+"You'd better wash up right away, Horikita-san. You're really
+muddy..."
+"Yeah... This situation is rather painful."
+Horikita, her hair and clothes completely covered with mud, couldn't
+help but be uncomfortable. It would' ve been uncomfortable even if she
+weren't sick.
+"I'm going to hold a grudge against you for the rest of my life. You'd
+best prepare yourself."
+Yamauchi, who'd been viciously beaten, cowered behind my back as
+he trembled in fear.
+"T, I, I d-did it! S-so, you have to keep your promise!"
+"Don't worry. When the test is over, I will tell you."
+I felt bad for Sakura, but I needed to reward Yamauchi for his act of
+bravery.
+"Oh no, looks like it's impossible to use the shower room..."
+The girls who'd returned from exploring were gathered in front of the
+shower, waiting in line. Unfortunately, the three people in line were
+Karuizawa and her group. If Horikita got in line now, she would have a pretty
+long time to wait. Due to being covered in mud, she didn't want to yield. But
+getting in line behind a hostile Karuizawa make it difficult to cut in.
+"What about the river? That'd be easy and fast, right?" I asked.
+"Right. Looks like I don't have any other choice."
+"T think I'm going to go for a swim. Ibuki-san, do you want to go for a
+swim with me? I got pretty sweaty. If we get permission, 1s it okay for
+someone from Class C to use the river?"
+Using the spot without permission wasn't allowed, but there shouldn't
+be any problems.
+"T'll pass. I don't really like swimming, so I'Il just wait to use the
+shower room," Ibuki said.
+"W-well, I will, too..."
+Sakura, following Ibuki's lead, refused to go swimming. Probably she
+didn't want the boys to see her in her swimsuit. Undoubtedly, taking a
+shower with warm water was best, but since it was quite cloudy outside, it
+was also fairly hot and humid. Horikita probably wasn't confident that she
+could continue waiting in her poor health. Yamauchi, who'd been beaten
+black and blue, headed with me toward the tent.
+"I'm going to rest for a bit. The parts where I got punched really
+hurt..."
+Yamauchi wept a bit as he hobbled inside. Although he'd been a
+suitable person for the job, it was a horrible task. As for Horikita, I couldn't
+see her, so I guessed that she'd already started changing into her swimsuit.
+Meanwhile, the number of people waiting to use the shower had gradually
+increased. Behind Karuizawa's group was Sakura, and behind her was Ibuki.
+Then another girl lined up behind them.
+Quite a few students were swimming in the river, and it looked as
+though they were having fun. A few minutes later, Horikita and Kushida
+appeared in their swimsuits. I went to the boys' luggage pile, then wandered
+around looking for privacy. When I returned about five minutes later, I saw
+Horikita washing herself while standing in the river. The cold river water
+must have felt horrible on Horikita's sick body, but she must have been
+happy the mud was gone.
+"Whoa, looks like it's moving now."
+I nodded at Ibuki, who was waiting at the tail end of the shower line.
+6.6
+La been waiting for about fifteen minutes in front of the boys' tent
+before Horikita appeared. She kept her eyes downcast, as if something was
+wrong. Then she slowly looked up and scanned the area. When her eyes met
+mine, her pupils trembled, like she was frightened. She approached me with
+heavy, plodding steps. Despite her seeming frailty, I couldn't think of her as
+simply weak.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. Could you please come here for a moment?"
+First, I turned around and checked to see if Ibuki was still lined up for
+the shower.
+"What's wrong? Did something happen?" I asked Horikita.
+"Follow me. We can't talk here."
+With that, Horikita walked toward the forest.
+"What's wrong? Are you planning to search for more food?"
+Horikita walked without answering me. She stopped once we'd gotten
+far enough away that we couldn't see the camp anymore. Horikita turned
+around and looked ready to speak, but then hesitated as though having second
+thoughts.
+"This happened because of my carelessness. I am aware that I made a
+mistake. Okay?"
+"A mistake?"
+"It was stolen."
+"W-wait, your underwear was stolen, too?"
+"No. This is much, much worse. The...key card. A complete blunder
+on my part."
+Horikita looked completely disgusted with herself, a look I had never
+seen her make before.
+"T wanted to talk to you because I trust you. I absolutely couldn't
+consult with someone who might be the culprit. This is so humiliating. I want
+to die..."
+I felt honored that she trusted me, but I couldn't exactly rejoice in front
+of someone so depressed.
+"Such a huge failure."
+"No, the one who stole it is to blame. Right?"
+"Even so, this is an issue of responsibility. It has nothing to do with me
+being sick or covered in mud."
+Horikita hung her head. If this got out, it could cause us massive
+damage.
+"T wasn't supposed to let go of the card for a single second. But I..."
+"Don't blame yourself. I doubt this'!Il be any consolation, but I think
+you did your absolute best."
+I didn't know if she heard me. She merely bit her lower lip, as if
+overwhelmed with regret.
+"It's probably better if we don't make this information public. We
+should get to the truth first."
+"Yes. I think so, too."
+Everyone would panic if they knew. I wanted to avoid that at least.
+"T suspect two people. Either Karuizawa-san, or Ibuki-san."
+The former might have done it simply out of hatred. Karuizawa could
+have stolen it because she wanted to see Horikita panic after losing the card.
+"Unfortunately, the chances of that are low. Karuizawa was in front of
+the shower the whole time."
+"You're sure about that?"
+"Yeah. Same goes for her flunkies, too."
+"Tf that's the case, it's highly likely Ibuki-san is the culprit. It's
+possible she came to know about the card this morning, and the timing 1s just
+far too good. But, wouldn't stealing it be an extremely dangerous gamble?
+Since the leader's name is engraved on the card itself, just looking at 1t would
+be enough. Maybe she carried out the crime so she'd get a penalty."
+She looked at me, her eyes full of anxiety, as if searching for an answer
+from me. I placed my hand on Horikita's shoulder.
+"If we examine the timing and talk with Ibuki, we can understand what
+happened. If we suspect Ibuki, we shouldn't take our eyes off of her. Her
+escape would probably be the worst-case scenario, right?"
+"That's right. I'm sorry, but can you go back to camp first? That way
+you can start following her immediately."
+"Sure. I understand. Pll keep an eye on her."
+I felt like Horikita probably wanted to be alone to throw up. I left her
+and returned to the base camp.
+6.7
+Horikita returned about ten minutes later, rejoining the campsite's
+unsettling atmosphere. The cause was dark smoke coming from behind the
+temporary toilet. It was far too early for the bonfire to be lit, and the location
+was rather strange.
+"What's that smoke? What in the world happened?" Ike cried.
+As I joined up with Horikita, I also caught up with Ike, who was clearly
+in a panic. I asked what was up.
+"This is serious. There's a fire! Fire! Something is burning behind the
+toilet!"
+All of the girls who'd been lined up in front of the shower room were
+gone now. They must have left as soon as they heard the uproar.
+"T can't see Ibuki. The fire might have been her handiwork. Where is
+she?" Horikita asked.
+"She noticed the fire, and now she's just walking around."
+I rushed toward the area behind the temporary toilet and saw Hirata and
+some of the others. Ibuki was also there. Horikita looked ready to call out to
+Ibuki, but hesitated when she saw her. Ibuki's expression was just so genuine.
+She couldn't hide her confusion about the fire.
+'Does this mean she didn't do it?"
+Horikita was overwhelmed by doubt. If the keycard had indeed been
+stolen, Ibuki must've done it. If a fire had started, then Ibuki must've caused
+it. Even so, Ibuki remained at the scene, and appeared surprised by the fire.
+When I examined more closely, the source looked like a bundle of paper.
+Some of it was still legible, but most of it had turned into soot. I didn't know
+what it was for a moment.
+However, looking at the legible parts, I finally understood.
+"Did the manual get burned?" Horikita asked.
+"Yeah. It looks like it. Who would do this?"
+"Tt's just one thing after another..." Horikita muttered in a low voice,
+lowering her eyes.
+"I'm responsible for this. The manual was in my bag. We piled the
+bags up in front of the tent and I didn't think that someone would steal
+anything in the daytime. But first, we need to extinguish this fire properly..."
+Rather than searching for the culprit, Hirata headed to the river to
+douse the fire. While he drew water in our plastic bottles, he muttered to
+himself, his expression dark.
+"Why? Who could do something like this? Why can't we all just get
+along?"
+Hirata spontaneously crushed the plastic bottle with all his might. The
+shift in his personality was rather terrifying. Hirata, the eternal leader of our
+class, the one who toiled tirelessly to play peacemaker, was carrying a terrible
+burden.
+"T don't think you need to take so much on yourself." I tried comforting
+him. He stood and responded with a quiet "Thank you."
+"We need...to discuss this incident properly."
+"Right. Most of Class D witnessed the fire. I'm sure they'II want to
+know the truth."
+Depressed, Hirata took the water he'd scooped up and returned to the
+campsite.
+"Hey, who did this? Is there a traitor in our class?" Karuizawa asked.
+When we returned, we found her leading the confrontation between the
+guys and girls, who glared at one another.
+"Why do you suspect us? Isn't this a completely separate issue from
+the underwear incident?"
+"T don't know about that. Isn't it possible you burned something to
+mislead us?"
+"Stop jerking us around. As if we'd do something like this!"
+"Wait a minute, everyone. Please, calm down. Let's talk about this,"
+Hirata cried.
+He gave me the water and I took his place, extinguishing the remnants
+of the fire. Hirata immediately went to the center of the circle and tried to
+play mediator. This might have been residual stress from yesterday's
+underwear theft incident, but both sides were heated up and showed no signs
+of settling down. It seemed like quite a few people in Class D wanted to start
+hunting the culprit right here.
+"At any rate, we don't have to worry about the fire spreading."
+I shook the empty plastic bottles twice, then three times. A few water
+droplets plopped onto the smoldering remains of the fire. I looked up.
+"Rain, huh?"
+Raindrops dripped onto my cheeks. The clouds were even darker than
+they'd been before, proof that heavy rain was about to start. Once, we'd have
+all come together as one to make it through this last pinch. Now, the guys and
+girls were locked in a tense confrontation. They stood, glaring at each other.
+"This is pointless. Seriously, this is the worst. We have underwear
+thieves and now arsonists in our class. This really is the worst."
+"We keep telling you it wasn't us! How long are you going to keep
+suspecting us?!"
+The fight would never be resolved. It would just keep going on forever.
+Hirata should've stepped in and stopped this, but for some reason he just
+stood there in a daze. Was he wondering who the culprit could have been?
+"Hey Kanji, I can't see Ibuki anywhere."
+Yamauchi had noticed Ibuki was gone. I noticed that one of the bags
+was also gone.
+"Perhaps the person who started the fire..."
+"It's rather suspicious. If a fire broke out then, that would mean..."
+The guys directed their suspicions at Ibuki, and even the girls began to
+voice their doubts. However, before we could reach a resolution, the rain
+started to fall, and fall hard.
+"Oh no, this isn't good. Let's discuss this later. It'1l be awful if we all
+get soaked."
+Ike and the others, panicking, began shoving food and luggage inside
+the tents.
+"Hirata, tell us what to do!"
+Ike called for Hirata, but he just stood in the same place. Hirata
+continued staring off into nothingness and didn't budge an inch. Meanwhile,
+the sound of rain kept growing louder and louder. I was a little worried about
+the situation. I approached Hirata, but there wasn't any sign that he noticed
+me.
+"Why...why is this happening? It's just like back then..."
+He muttered something in a low voice. I couldn't understand what it
+meant, but it certainly wasn't trivial. This wasn't like the calm and composed
+Hirata at all.
+Goldenagato | https://mp4diré
+"Why was I doing this? Why was I doing all this until now?"
+"Hey, Hirata! What are you doing?!" Ike shouted.
+It wasn't clear if Hirata heard him at all. I gently placed my hand on his
+shoulder. He looked surprised, but slowly turned around.
+"Tke's calling for you," I said.
+"Huh?"
+Hirata's face was drained of life. He was pale. The second time Ike
+called, Hirata slowly started to regain his sanity. He finally noticed that it had
+begun raining.
+"Rain..."
+"Tt'd be good for you to help Ike and the others. We have to keep our
+stuff dry."
+"Y-yeah. We need to take care of everything quickly."
+"Ayanokouji. Is Hirata okay?" Sudou asked.
+"Looks like he's in shock. I suppose it's probably because of all these
+things going wrong one after the other."
+"You know, in junior high there was this rich kid honor student. He
+had a lot of really heavy responsibilities, y know? Anyway, he took so much
+on himself that one day, he ended up having a breakdown. After that, his
+class became a complete mess."
+"You think there are signs of that with Hirata?"
+"Well, saying he's gonna have a breakdown would be an exaggeration,
+but I think there's danger there."
+I wondered if this was just Sudou's wild imagination at work, but it
+seemed surprisingly accurate. Since this special test had started, Hirata has
+taken on a lot of responsibilities. These issues made the troubles we'd faced
+at school seem easy. Hirata's carefully maintained environment had definitely
+begun to change. The theft of Karuizawa's underwear and the uproar over the
+fire had turned Hirata as unhinged and stormy as the weather.
+"For the time being, let's take care of the luggage."
+We joined up and helped the students put things away. Thankfully,
+everything got secured pretty fast.
+"Okay. All of the preparations are made."
+It didn't surprise me that Ibuki disappeared, but Horikita had vanished
+as well. By my calculations, the possibility had been fifty-fifty, but 1t seemed
+things were progressing favorably. I fixed my eyes on the road that led
+straight to the beach, and stepped onto the path.
+6.8
+I forced my heavy, sluggish body to chase after Ibuki-san while the
+hard rain fell. The sky was covered with rain clouds that blocked out the sun,
+so visibility was poor. Even though I couldn't see Ibuki-san, she'd left
+footprints in the muddy ground. If I just followed them, they'd lead me right
+to her.
+She'd walked about a hundred meters from the base camp, sometimes
+veering off to the right or left. Rather unexpectedly, I found her waiting, as if
+expecting me. | instinctively hid myself, though there probably wasn't any
+point.
+"What are you doing, Horikita?"
+Ibuki spoke without even turning around. Her calm voice cut right
+through the sounds of the falling rain.
+"T noticed you following me. Why don't you just come on out?"
+"When did you notice me?" I asked.
+"Right from the start."
+Her short answer felt ominous. My impression of her as being quiet
+and taciturn didn't change, but something was different.
+"Why were you following me?"
+"Do you really not know?"
+"No, I don't know."
+It was almost like I was the villain here.
+"You clearly know why I was following you, don't you?"
+"T really have no idea what you're talking about."
+Ibuki-san faced me, looking me straight in the eye. I saw no deception
+in her eyes whatsoever. It almost made me want to apologize. After all, I had
+no proof. I only had my intuition.
+"Why should I lie?" she pressed further, as if she noticed my hesitation.
+"Td at least like to hear why you followed me, from your own lips."
+"The underwear theft and the fire. Misfortune continues to befall Class
+***
+"So what?"
+"Do you realize that some people suspect you?"
+"Ah. I suppose since I'm an outsider, there's not much I can do about
+that."
+"That's what I'm talking about."
+"You're saying I'm the culprit? Do you have any proof?"
+"Unfortunately, I don't have a single shred of evidence related to the
+underwear theft. But I think it was you."
+"That's a pretty terrible thing to say. You don't have any evidence, yet
+you suspect me?"
+I had to admit, I was impressed by how she was handling this. She'd
+laid low until day five, and she'd kept her distance from Class D. Contrary to
+normal expectations, she wasn't suspected.
+"T suspect you because of today. You don't need me to explain that, do
+you?"
+I wanted to hear it from Ibuki-san herself. If I explained all of the
+reasons for my doubts, that would almost be the same as admitting my
+identity as the leader. Even if I was 99% confident, so long as there was a 1%
+chance of her being innocent, I needed to avoid being direct.
+"Let me cut to the chase. I want you to return something you took from
+me," I said to Ibuki-san, while I stood and stared her in the eye.
+"T don't know what you're talking about."
+After giving that short answer, she walked away quickly. I followed,
+matching her speed. Ibuki-san changed course and headed toward the center
+of the forest.
+"Where are you going?" I asked.
+"Who knows?"
+It was difficult to walk straight. I'd realized this over the past several
+days. That was even truer in this weather, which impaired visibility.
+However, Ibuki-san didn't seem to care. I couldn't pull back, though, not
+after coming this far to find the truth. Since I'd made the mistake, I had to
+take responsibility and solve the problem.
+I have to make up for my mistake. I have to make up for my mistake. I
+repeated those same words over and over again in my head. I couldn't fail
+here. Besides, I also needed to take responsibility for my mistakes with
+Karuizawa-san, with whom I had been really aggressive. My heart beat fast. I
+was breathless. Little by little, I closed the distance between Ibuki-san and
+myself. Depending on the situation, I might need to retrieve the keycard by
+force. Considering my considerable skills, I could handle it well. J can handle
+it well. I can do it. I can do it.
+I understood all too well that I wasn't calm, but I had to do something.
+I didn't have anyone else to rely on. I'd handled things on my own up until
+this point, and I could continue just the same. The rain and winds were a bit
+easier to deal with in the middle of the forest than on an open road. But the
+visibility had become that much worse, and the footing even more terrible.
+Also, as I went right and then left, I lost my sense of direction.
+But my biggest problem was my physical condition. With every second
+that passed, I grew worse. Up until now I'd only had a slight fever, but as the
+rain came down I reached my limits. My sickness grew steadily worse.
+Ibuki-san stopped, and then unexpectedly looked up at a tree. She
+gazed at a single handkerchief, wet from the rain and tied to the tree.
+"How long are you going to follow me? Don't you think enough is
+enough?"
+"Once you return what you stole from me."
+"Why don't you calm down and try thinking? If I stole the keycard,
+would I have held onto it? If someone saw me with it, that would mean
+immediate disqualification. I'd only end up losing points myself, right?"
+I had only asked she return what she stole. I never once said anything
+about a keycard. Ibuki-san had just confessed. As I was about to press her on
+that point, Ibuki-san gave a thin smile that showed her white teeth.
+"You thought I confessed to something, didn't you? You're wrong."
+"What do you mean?"
+"T'm tired of talking with you."
+Ibuki-san crouched, and started digging in the ground using both hands.
+"Ah, agh..."
+Wracked by intense dizziness and nausea, I leaned my back against a
+nearby tree.
+"Your condition has gotten a lot worse, hasn't it?"
+Ibuki-san turned to look at me. However, she quickly returned to work.
+"Ah... Ah... Ugh..."
+Although I was trying to manage my breathing, I couldn't anymore.
+My jersey, soaked from the downpour, leached my body heat away. I'd tried
+to resist wanting to lie down and rest, but I could no longer hold my head up.
+As I thought about my physical strength, I had no choice but to fight.
+"Tbuki-san. I'm going to investigate you with everything I've got. You
+don't mind?"
+Ibuki-san stopped digging, stood up, and approached me.
+"With everything you've got? Could you be a bit more specific? You
+mean you're going to resort to violence?"
+"This is your last warning. Return it..."
+I'd wanted to avoid coercive methods, but there was no other way. I
+didn't want to show this side of myself to anyone...
+I remembered the incident before, with Sudou-kun, where he'd
+punched some students from Class C. It had led to a trial, with the school
+getting involved. Back then I'd condemned Sudou, who had dealt with many
+unexpected difficulties. 'd abandoned him then, and was getting my just
+desserts now. That I would consider solving things with violence was
+ridiculously funny.
+"My last warning, huh? Oh, I get it. I get it. Why don't you get your
+wish?"
+She dropped the bag to the ground and raised her arms in the air,
+posing as if surrendering. She was obedient, but I saw no resignation in her
+face. Still, I couldn't let this opportunity pass. I reached to check the bag.
+Instantly, Ibuki-san's slender leg went right toward my face. What little
+alertness I had left saved me. I flew backwards, avoiding her kick. Mud
+splashed me, and I struck a defensive posture with both arms raised.
+"Oh, you're good," she said.
+"An act of violence means immediate disqualification..."
+"Someone might see us here, you mean? Weren't you willing to use
+violence, too?"
+While I wondered why she had such a sly grin on her face, she
+suddenly grabbed my shoulders and threw me down. I wasn't able to react in
+the face of such an unexpected action, and collapsed onto the muddy ground.
+"Would you like a moment to rest?" she asked.
+As I was on the ground, already wounded, she sneered at me from
+above. Her face looked all blurry. Ibuki-san grabbed my collar and yanked
+me up. If she hit me, I would definitely lose consciousness. I slipped out of
+her grip and rolled, escaping from her. I desperately tried to raise myself out
+of the mud. That was the first time I was really thankful that I practiced
+martial arts.
+"Oh? You can really move, surprisingly. You practice or something?"
+Ibuki-san, without panicking whatsoever, seemed genuinely impressed
+as she sized me up. She'd perceived my knowledge of martial arts, and
+probably wasn't an average practitioner herself. How could I respond without
+telling her that I was in the worst condition?
+"T've...been nothing but a complete and utter failure in this test."
+I hadn't contributed a single thing to Class D. If anything, I was
+probably a hindrance. The rest of them, all trying their hardest, were held
+back because of my poor physical condition. I wished I'd told them from the
+start. I could have requested that another person become the leader since I
+wasn't feeling well. It would have been fine had I just refused. But my pride
+got the better of me, which was unforgivable.
+I mocked people. I hated useless things, labeling them incompetent,
+while I was useless myself. Ha ha... I laughed dryly in my mind. Was I
+really still making excuses for myself?
+"It was you, wasn't it? You stole the keycard."
+Ibuki-san stopped moving. I shortened the distance between us. She
+pretended like she was going to strike with her right arm, only to instead go
+with a high, fast kick. I avoided her attack, and then stretched out my arm as
+a counterattack. Ibuki-san was aware of the danger and avoided my strike.
+She then switched into her next attack, a dizzying back-and-forth of offense
+and defense.
+The footing around here was bad, but she wasn't worried about her
+footwork. Clearly she had a degree of skill. In addition, she showed no
+hesitation in hurting people. Ibuki-san smiled, flashing her white teeth as if
+she were enjoying this. I never thought I'd see such a big smile on her face.
+Because I'd been moving around so much, I was wracked by intense
+cold and nausea. I was barely able to stand.
+"YY ou've been trying really hard until now. Ill tell you the truth, as a
+reward. I stole the card."
+Ibuki-san thrust her hand into her pocket and slowly took the card out.
+She showed me the side with my name engraved upon it.
+"You gave up the truth pretty easily."
+"It doesn't matter if I admit it or not now. There's no evidence I used
+violence against you. It's not as though the school can make a judgment here.
+Isn't that right?"
+Ibuki-san had the right read of the situation. Nothing could
+conclusively make the school perceive this as it really was. Even if I was the
+only one who got hurt, Ibuki-san could say whatever she liked to get out of it.
+Even if I complained, we'd both be punished. And Class D had points to lose.
+But if I managed to get the keycard back, we might be saved. If we got
+our hands on such reliable evidence, Class C would be forced to admit what
+they'd done.
+Her fingerprints were on the card. Maybe we could assert that it was
+legitimately stolen. If we brought the truth to light, the school might
+investigate the matter thoroughly. I couldn't abandon that hope. However, I
+couldn't get the keycard back unless I bested Ibuki-san. But I doubted she
+was stupid enough to make bold actions.
+If she got away, the card probably wouldn't ever be found. If that
+happened, we couldn't prove it had been stolen. I didn't have enough energy
+to run after her any longer. On top of that, I lacked the strength to even
+clench my fists. But I had to make use of all the strength I had left.
+I wasn't sure if Ibuki-san had a reason to hurry or if she was
+underestimating me, but she rushed over and attacked, a hunter enjoying an
+easy kill. Her eyes glanced at my feet, but it was a fake-out. While she was
+concentrating on the lower half of my body, she instantly swung at my face. I
+narrowly avoided getting hit, but it got so incredibly close that it grazed my
+hair.
+I took advantage of her momentum and applied a little force. Ibuki-san
+lost her balance, but not enough to make her fall over. I tried to grab onto her
+arm, but she understood what was going on and slipped through my grasp.
+She probably realized I was trying to use her power and speed against her. I
+mustered up the last of my strength and drove my left fist into her solar
+plexus.
+"Ah!"
+Ibuki-san couldn't breathe, and fell to her knees in apparent agony. At
+the same time, my physical strength had reached its limits, and my field of
+vision grew distorted. I couldn't chase after her, so I kept her pinned down.
+"This is the worst... I'm already... At my limit..."
+My condition was bad before, but pushing myself so intensely had
+made things hopeless. But I couldn't collapse here. My attack was
+superficial, not enough to knock her down.
+"T don't understand... I thought you were involved."
+Ibuki-san stood, wiping mud off her face.
+"Involved? In what?" I asked.
+Ibuki-san seemed to hesitate, but then muttered, "I didn't burn the
+manual."
+"You intend to keep lying even now?"
+"What would I gain by burning it? It was inevitable that people would
+begin searching for the criminal after the uproar. Besides, people would
+suspect me rather strongly. There was nothing to gain and a lot to lose."
+"Thats.
+I certainly agreed with what Ibuki-san said. She'd stolen the keycard
+before the fire broke out. There wasn't enough time for her to deliberately
+burn the manual and fan the flames. But then, who did? What did burning the
+manual mean?
+"T talked to you in a roundabout way to confirm something. You seem
+different. But I suppose this is probably really hard for you to swallow. Do
+you think he's in Class D? There's a guy who figured me out before you
+did."
+Ibuki-san sighed as if exasperated.
+"So. You can't mean..."
+Right after I conjured the image of that person, I noticed that Ibuki-san
+had disappeared. In the next instant, a blunt instrument slammed me in the
+head, knocking me down hard.
+"This conversation is over."
+I had to get up, so I started to push myself. Ibuki-san lightly swept my
+hand with her right foot, causing me to fall back down. Ibuki-san grabbed my
+bangs and yanked me up.
+"L-Let me go..."
+"Sorry. P've got a lot to do."
+She lightly slapped my cheek with her right hand. My mind and body
+were at their limit, my movements clumsy, and it was impossible for me to
+stop her. I shook off the hand grasping my bangs. I tried to stand and close
+the distance between us. But my feet got all tangled up and my strength was
+exhausted, causing me to collapse again.
+"Do you think they'Il permit such coercive methods?" I muttered.
+"Come on, now. I don't feel like answering that."
+When I drew nearer, she raised her leg high and kicked me in the face.
+How many times would I repeat this same sentence? I...made a huge
+mistake. By attempting to fix that mistake myself, I ended up turning it into a
+situation that couldn't be fixed.
+6.9
+I let out A deep breath while I stood over Horikita, who was
+unconscious. It had been a long since I'd gone up against such a tough
+opponent. Had she been in better health, the match could've gone either way.
+She really was that strong. I resumed my work, and soon I'd dug up a
+flashlight and a wireless transceiver wrapped in vinyl. I would have rather
+gotten by without using them if I could, though.
+"What?"
+Right after I took those two items out of the hole, I was overcome by
+some mysterious sensation. I didn't know the cause of it. Somehow, the items
+seemed slightly different from when I had buried them.
+"Ts it because of the rain?"
+I decided that I was probably just overthinking things, and used the
+transceiver. I reported my current location to the man who'd been waiting to
+hear about my whereabouts, and sat down to rest. About half an hour or so
+passed before I saw the gleam of a flashlight. It blinked twice, then three
+times. It was just like Morse code.
+I responded with the same signal, using the flashlight that had been
+near my feet. The guiding light had gotten stronger, as if both lights were
+resonating with each other. Then I saw an irritating face that I didn't want to
+see. Ryuuen appeared.
+"Yo. Excellent work, Ibuki. You did well."
+"Naturally, yes?"
+"Naturally? If you hadn't made any mistakes until now, I wouldn't
+have had to risk coming over here."
+"That couldn't be helped. I hadn't planned for the digital camera to
+break."
+If only the digital camera hadn't broken, I would have taken a picture
+of the keycard and that would have been the end of it. I would have had my
+definitive proof. I wouldn't have even needed to call Ryuuen using the
+transceiver. But instead, I'd had to take a huge risk and hold onto the card,
+which led to Horikita discovering me.
+"So, where's the card?"
+"It's here."
+I took it from my pocket and handed it over. Ryuuen shined his
+flashlight on the card and confirmed that the name "Horikita Suzune" was
+clearly engraved upon it.
+"You come over here and confirm it, too. That was your condition,
+remember? Relax, it's dark out, and this weather is horrible. There shouldn't
+be anyone here. It's great to be cautious, but don't waste time."
+A man appeared from the shadows. Katsuragi, from Class A. He was
+definitely the calm and dependable type, the complete opposite of our leader.
+I pretended to be calm, but in my mind I couldn't help but be reminded again
+of Ryuuen's awfulness. Immediately after the test had started, Ryuuen told
+me that he would coax Class A into helping us. Apparently he'd done it. But
+how in the world?
+Katsuragi took Horikita's card from Ryuuen and looked it over it
+carefully. You couldn't have made a fake or anything on this uninhabited
+island.
+"It looks like the real thing," he said.
+"Are you convinced now?"
+Although he'd been shown definitive proof, Katsuragi's stern
+expression didn't change. I'd heard he was a cautious man, but to be this
+paranoid seemed like a unique kind of illness.
+"You managed to infiltrate Class D quite well. Weren't you
+suspected?"
+"Under normal circumstances, I would have been. But as for my
+methods, that's a trade secret."
+I unconsciously rubbed my cheek. When we began our spy operation in
+Class D, Ryuuen slapped me to turn a lie into the truth. But the pain and the
+hatred I felt toward him were all quite real. Naturally, the students in Class D
+misunderstood, and thought I'd been beaten and chased out of my class.
+Maybe if I hadn't been injured, they wouldn't have swallowed the lie so
+smoothly.
+"Don't sit there and think about it forever. The situation is black-and-
+white, so make your decision. You're already halfway there. Don't do
+something as stupid as pulling out here."
+"You're right."
+Despite that, it didn't seem like Katsuragi had given his consent.
+Ryuuen noticed this, but rather than get annoyed, he smiled. As if he were
+getting ready to attack his prey, he whispered, "If this wasn't an honorable
+deed, then what are you going to do? Did you know that Sakayanagi's faction
+has dominated ever since rumors spread that you failed to get on the student
+council despite your best efforts? This might be your chance, right?"
+"You bastard. Why are you telling me this?"
+"Class A maintains its position by forming alliances. If you can form
+those, even those who have double-crossed you will return under your wing,
+won't they? Or you could make me your enemy, I suppose? If you do, I
+wonder what would happen?"
+Katsuragi hadn't signed a contract with the devil, but this was much
+more than a simple negotiation. Well, perhaps that line of thinking was naive.
+Once you discussed terms with the devil, you ended up making a contract one
+way or another.
+"Sakayanagi is absent. It's impossible for someone indecisive to rule
+Class A."
+"We've established negotiations, as promised. I accept your proposal."
+With that, Katsuragi stretched out his hand to Ryuuen, who smiled
+audaciously.
+"That's good. You've exercised sound judgment."
+"Wait, what negotiation? Would you explain?" I asked.
+They were free to do whatever they wanted, but I had a right to know
+the details. When I aimed for Class A, I had to decide if being close to
+Ryuuen was the right thing to do.
+"To form an alliance. With Class A."
+"T'll be heading back now. I don't want to risk things by lingering for
+too long." Katsuragi returned the card to me, and disappeared into the
+darkness.
+"What about the negotiation? What was discussed? What are we
+getting in return?"
+A flash of white lightning crackled through the air. Thunder came
+crashing down immediately afterward, a roaring sound coming from the sea.
+Ryuuen didn't even twitch an eyebrow. He told me the details of the contract
+with a creepy smile on his face. The details weren't really complex, but they
+weren't simple, either.
+Even with our problems piling up one after the other, making it really
+difficult to achieve anything, there was the promise of a huge return.
+Everything was going according to Ryuuen's plan, including the fact that
+most of our students had retired. None of us had imagined this situation
+before the test had begun, when we were enjoying our holiday on the boat. I
+hated him so much that I wanted to die, but I supposed he was probably the
+man with abilities closest to those of Class A, after all. I had to acknowledge
+it.
+"But...1s there any guarantee Katsuragi will keep his promise? He
+might renege."
+"T have that covered, of course. He will have no choice but to honor his
+promise."
+I walked toward Horikita and, after carefully wiping my fingerprints
+from the keycard, stuck it back in her hand. There was nothing this girl could
+have done. All she could do now was endure and keep silent until the end of
+the test, all while knowing that Class C had discovered she was the leader.
+This girl didn't trust anyone. Even after she knew the keycard had been
+stolen, she hadn't reported it to her classmates. Even though she'd opened up
+her heart to Ayanokouji alone, he was a loner, too. If we factored in her
+current incompetence, she wasn't any threat.
+Besides, if she had the keycard, then her mistake might not have been
+leaked to Class D yet. I understood her nature, to a certain extent. She was
+patient and stubborn, the type of person who didn't listen to other people's
+opinions. In other words, no matter how painful something was, she would
+endure it silently.
+"Use your smarts to protect yourself."
+Then we disappeared quietly into the dark woods.
+6.10
+I kicked off from the wet ground and chased Ibuki. The weather was a
+bothersome problem. If it got much worse, I might get stuck or have an
+accident. Also, the fact that the sun was going down earlier than I'd
+anticipated made it difficult to push forward without a flashlight. The passing
+showers grew even stronger, and the winds started to howl more violently.
+The weather was just negative all around, no favorable points at all.
+I could only see a few meters ahead because of the pouring rain. Also,
+if I wandered onto any of the side roads, I'd probably get lost. Thankfully,
+two pairs of footprints remained in the muddy ground and made it easy for
+me to follow after them. The footprints just suddenly stopped, though. No, on
+second glance, they didn't stop; they continued deeper into the forest.
+The fact that the footprints suddenly took a sharp turn meant they
+hadn't gotten lost, but rather that they'd intentionally ventured deeper into the
+forest. When I pointed my flashlight toward the depths of the forest, I saw the
+two pairs of footprints going deeper and deeper. There was no reason for
+them to intentionally enter such a dangerous place.
+Just to be sure, I tried shining the flashlight on the route that led to the
+beach, but there weren't any footprints. The ground was clear. I wiped away
+the rain dripping from my bangs, and followed the footprints deeper into the
+forest. Naturally, my visibility got even worse. It was like night had already
+fallen. The atmosphere was creepy and dark, but I pushed forward, relying
+only on the footprints.
+I continued forward for about thirty meters. Suddenly, a bright light
+entered my field of vision. I immediately turned the flashlight off and held
+my breath. Looking in the direction of the light, I saw it shine once, then
+twice more. A flashlight. It was almost as if someone were sending a signal.
+Was it Ibuki and Horikita? No, that wasn't it.
+Neither Ibuki nor Horikita should have had a light source on them. I
+quietly turned in the direction of the light and drew closer to the source. I
+heard people's voices, muffled by the rain, and hid myself. Their
+conversation sounded trivial. So as long as they didn't find me, getting a
+grasp on the situation was secondary.
+Soon, the light moved further away. It was over, apparently. Just to be
+sure, I approached cautiously.
+Near a large tree lay a muddy Horikita. She'd collapsed, unconscious.
+A single keycard lay on the ground near her hand. On her injured body were
+traces of excavated soil. After examining the situation, I confirmed that more
+people than Ibuki had discovered Horikita's position as leader. After picking
+up the keycard, I lifted Horikita into my arms.
+"Neh..."
+Horikita let out a small sound. Slowly but surely, her eyes fluttered
+open.
+"Are you awake?" I asked.
+"Ayano...kouji-kun?"
+She sounded dazed, as if she couldn't understand the situation.
+"Agh... My head...hurts..."
+"You have a high fever. Don't push yourself."
+"T see... I-Ibuki-san... But, why are you here?"
+Even if I told her to sleep, Horikita wouldn't listen, all while her fever
+grew worse. She started to understand the situation little by little.
+"T knew it...Ibuki-san stole my card."
+"T see."
+"T can't be dumber than Sudou-kun and the others."
+She chastised herself and closed her eyes, as if lamenting a situation in
+which she was powerless.
+"This isn't a test where you can just hide for twenty-four hours a day,
+right? No matter what you do, you can be open to attack."
+I'd intended to keep going, but it seemed like anything more would just
+make the heartbroken Horikita even more depressed.
+"T could've avoided this if I knew how to rely on someone..."
+To seriously protect the leader's identity, it was necessary to depend on
+allies that you trusted from the bottom of your heart. If you did that, you
+could protect the card twenty-four hours a day. However, Horikita hadn't
+made a single friend.
+She kept muttering, "I'm so pathetic" to herself quietly over and over.
+"When I was losing consciousness, I felt like I could hear Ryuuen's
+voice... It's strange, I thought he'd already retired..."
+"You were losing consciousness. Maybe you had a dream?"
+"If it was a dream, it was a nightmare..."
+I wondered if she really had heard Ryuuen's voice. Even if she were
+asleep or losing consciousness, her brain had probably heard something. It
+wouldn't have been strange if she picked up Ryuuen's voice when
+unconscious.
+"T'm sorry..."
+While I was silently lost in thought, Horikita apologized.
+"Why are you apologizing to me?" I asked.
+"There's no one I can apologize to except for you..."
+Hmm. That made me think pretty hard.
+"Tf you think things are bad, then make some reliable friends. Start
+there first."
+"That's difficult advice... No one would want to be with me."
+It sounded like she'd resigned herself to unhappiness. Perhaps there
+was a trace of masochism in her. I laughed.
+"It's unpleasant to be made fun of, though..."
+"No, no, that's not it," I said. "It's just that you've started to sound like
+you need allies."
+"Nobody would say that..."
+Normally, Horikita would have been insulting me, but right now her
+words carried a different weight. She was blaming herself, or she wouldn't
+have said something like that. Still, it wasn't going to be easy. Horikita's
+hollow eyes seemed to look through rather than at me.
+"T should have understood this a long time ago..."
+You can't live alone in the world. School and society are composed of
+a great many people.
+"Don't talk. You're sick."
+I tried to convince her to be quiet, but Horikita didn't stop. For
+Horikita, there had never been any choice but to rely on herself. She could
+have chosen no other option.
+"I'm going to try to get up to Class A using my own abilities. [Il
+definitely recover from this failure..." Horikita weakly grabbed my sleeve as
+she appealed to me. "I'm prepared to be hated by everyone else... This was
+all my mistake."
+"According to this school's system, if you fight by yourself, you won't
+reach Class A. We need to cooperate with our classmates. It's unavoidable."
+Horikita closed her eyes, as if lacking the strength to keep them open.
+Her grasp might have been weak, but I still felt it.
+"T can't accept that. No matter how hard it is, I'm still...alone."
+"Ah, shut up already! Stop talking. Right now, you won't be able to
+convince anyone."
+I embraced Horikita tightly.
+"You can't bear every responsibility. You're not that strong,
+unfortunately."
+"So you're telling me to give up? I have a dream to reach Class A, a
+dream for my brother to acknowledge me."
+"No one said you have to give up."
+I looked down at Horikita, who lightly groaned against my chest.
+"If you can't fight by yourself, it's better to fight with a partner. I'll
+lend you a hand."
+"Why? You're not the kind of person who would say such things..."
+"Well, why then? I wonder."
+Shortly afterward, her energy was spent, and Horikita lost
+consciousness again. I had to carry her without anyone noticing. It would be
+easy to have her retire, but I didn't know which button on the wristwatch was
+for emergencies. Besides, if the helicopter were suddenly dispatched, the
+sound would reverberate in the area.
+"Hmm... Did I pick the wrong path? Oh no, oh no!"
+My route had ended in a steep, sheer slope. If I took one step further, I
+would fall. I tried shining a light below to see what it looked like about ten
+meters down. Unfortunately, ''d been walking in the wrong direction. Should
+I go back to the original route?
+I tried to change direction slowly, so as not to burden Horikita, but then
+right after...
+The soil underneath me collapsed, and I lost my balance. Alone, I
+could have braced my legs and grasped the tree, but unfortunately, both of
+my hands were occupied. I couldn't avoid falling. I curled up into a ball so I
+could protect Horikita as we went tumbling down the slope. For several
+seconds, it was like flying. I don't remember very clearly what happened
+afterward.
+At least Horikita hadn't been hurt, somehow. I looked up the slope, but
+with the way things were now, it didn't seem like I could crawl back up while
+carrying Horikita.
+"Well, I sure messed up."
+However, this wasn't the time to accept defeat and die. Carrying the
+unconscious Horikita on my back, I ventured into the pitch-dark forest with a
+single flashlight. The rain poured down on us, mercilessly robbing me of my
+physical strength. More than anything else, the heat radiating from Horikita
+wasn't normal. If she were exposed to the rain for any longer, it would
+become dangerous.
+However, we were deep in the forest. There were no caves or man-
+made shelters. We had no choice but to rely on the power of nature.
+Fortunately, the trees were lush and overgrown, and their branches might
+keep our bodies relatively dry. I looked around the area, found a remarkably
+big tree, and moved right under it. Of course, it didn't block the rain
+completely, but the overgrown leaves did stop a lot of the rainfall.
+I gently laid Horikita down. Her jersey was probably going to get dirty,
+but we had bigger problems now. I sat there, with Horikita's head in my lap.
+If only the area were cool... But the temperature was so high, hot and humid.
+Horikita occasionally trembled, like she was trying to curl into a ball.
+Trying to lessen her burden even a little, I held Horikita close to my
+chest. After some time had passed, Horikita woke up, sputtering out ragged
+breaths. Still in a daze, Horikita wasn't able to understand our situation.
+"Why are you? I...?"
+She didn't seem to remember what had happened. I explained the
+whole sequence of events. I had some doubts about whether she understood
+everything.
+"T see... I remember."
+"That's good."
+"T remember my mistake, so it's probably awful."
+Well, if she was able to crack self-deprecating jokes, then I could
+probably relax.
+"It's already almost six o'clock, Horikita. You might think this will
+sound harsh, but you should retire. Your body is probably at its limit."
+She had made it this far by pretending to be okay, but it wasn't possible
+for her to carry on.
+"IT can't do that. We can't afford to lose thirty points because of me... I
+was the one who confronted Karuizawa-san and the others about using
+points, right? It would make me look like such an idiot..."
+The penalty for poor physical condition was severe. In points alone, it
+was more than what Karuizawa had used herself. Horikita covered her eyes
+with her arm, probably to hide her tears.
+"Not just that... The keycard was stolen from me, too. You understand
+what that means?"
+"Class D will lose another fifty points."
+Horikita gave a slight nod. Class D would only be left with a few
+points.
+"Just leave me here and head back. If you do, [ll be the only one
+absent from roll call."
+"What are you planning to do?"
+"By tomorrow morning, I'll...try to return by myself, somehow. If 1
+can deal with my poor health during roll call, then I'll do something about
+retirement."
+That way, we would be left with a five-point loss.
+"Things aren't that easy. You're feeling really weak now, and our
+teacher isn't kind enough to let you act your way past her. It will be
+impossible for you to get back to camp on your own."
+"Still, there's nothing else I can do... This is so Class D will have some
+points left."
+Putting aside the keycard incident, we might retain some points for roll
+call and retirement. That certainly wasn't a small number.
+"Go 99
+Although Horikita was weak, I felt her indomitable will behind her
+words. She could bear whatever burden she placed on herself, but couldn't
+seem to bear involving others. I rose, and rested her head against the tree. She
+wanted me to leave her.
+"Well then, I'll leave. But if things continue like this, our classmates
+will blame you."
+"Yes. That's the correct decision. Everything was my responsibility."
+Horikita praised my cold, calculating decision. She was ashamed of
+herself for being weak. Trembling, she forced herself to endure the cold. This
+was the kind of hardship that solitary people faced. The weather was still
+stormy, with no signs that the rains and winds would stop.
+"Can you really make it back alone by tomorrow morning?"
+"Yeah... Pll be fine."
+"Horikita. Do you really think that not retiring is the right decision?" I
+couldn't help blurting those words out.
+"Of course I do. Retiring isn't an option for me."
+She was free to exercise her indomitable will as much as she liked, but
+it didn't mean anything if she lost in the end.
+"Hey. Why do you think that we've been backed into such a corner?" I
+asked.
+"T failed due to my negligence. That's all."
+"You're wrong. You're completely wrong."
+Horikita Suzune had fought as hard as she could, and had tried to get to
+the end of the test without making mistakes.
+"Go... Because I think of you as my friend, please listen to my
+request..."
+After Horikita said that, she covered her mouth in surprise.
+"I'm going to make this right... As if it didn't happen at all."
+"No, this is the wrong choice."
+"It's fine. I can... By myself... Ugh..."
+Horikita suddenly stood, but the burden was too much. She closed her
+eyes in pain.
+"Go, please..."
+She lost consciousness again. I gently took Horikita into my arms and
+shifted my position to make her a little more comfortable. Standing, I looked
+up at the boundless darkness and let out a sigh.
+"It would have been easier if you'd just retired of your own free will."
+The stubborn princess didn't seem like she was going to throw in the
+towel. Wonderful. Yes, I thought it was wonderful. You were almost right.
+But unfortunately, Horikita, you were wrong about one thing. Right now, just
+for this moment, I'll tell you.
+I have never thought of you as my friend. I've never cared about you as
+a classmate. In this world, winning is everything. Your methods don't matter.
+I don't care what I have to sacrifice. As long as I have my victory in the end,
+I'll be fine.
+You, Hirata—no, all other people are nothing more than tools. I was
+complicit in what drove you to this. So, don't blame yourself, Horikita. You
+were useful to me.
+I walked down the muddy road, shining my flashlight on the path. My
+shoes were already covered in mud and filled with water. But I didn't care
+about that. First, I needed to get an understanding of the location.
+When I went down the slope, I'd undoubtedly gotten further away from
+Class D's base camp. But I was sure that if I turned the other way, the beach
+would be near. I could press on and walk through the woods for several days,
+relying on the map in my head.
+"It was close, after all."
+Eventually, I arrived at the beach. The ship was floating in the water,
+and the lights were on. It took a few minutes, but I returned to the place I'd
+left. Horikita had collapsed. She remained unconscious as I picked her up in
+my arms. Her beautiful face was splashed with mud.
+I started walking toward the beach, rather than our base camp.
+Somehow, I had managed to make it on time. It was just around seven
+o'clock in the evening. The teachers' tents had been taken down to avoid
+being blown away by the wind.
+I went up the ramp to the pier and reached the ship's deck. One of the
+teachers noticed and raced up to me.
+"You're prohibited from entering here. You'll be disqualified."
+"This is an emergency. She's got a high fever and has lost
+consciousness. Please let her rest right away."
+Once I explained the situation, the teacher skipped the instructions and
+brought out a stretcher. I laid Horikita down.
+"Ts she okay with retiring?"
+"Without question. However, allow me to confirm one thing. Because
+it isn't eight o'clock yet, this shouldn't have any effect on roll call, correct?"
+It was 7:58. I was cutting it close, but we should be safe. I needed to
+get the teacher's promise, though.
+"You are certainly right. It is quite close. However, you're out."
+"T understand. Oh, one more thing. I'd like to return this keycard."
+I took the keycard from my pocket and handed it over.
+"Well then, I'll be heading back."
+I couldn't stay any longer, so I went back to the beach while the rain
+was still falling. With this, Class D would lose thirty points due to Horikita's
+retirement, and an additional five points due to my absence during roll call.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+lbuki Mio
+CLASS: First Year, Class C
+STUDENT ID: S01T004714
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: July 27th
+***
+ACADEMIC ABILITY: c
+***
+She's lacking in cooperativeness and speaks very little. Although our
+evaluation of her was rather low during the interview because of her
+indifferent personality, she is an excellent student academically and
+physically, and we expect much from her. We hope she can make friends
+and greatly improve her communication skills.
+***
+It seems she has built relationships, though with a limited number of
+students.
+Chapter 7:
+The Curtain Rises
+uc 7th. It was finally time for our short stint on the uninhabited
+island to come to an end. Our minor saving grace was that we hadn't spent
+our time rigorously fighting to survive. At least we'd had a moderate amount
+of fun? There still wasn't any sign of Mashima-sensei or the others, even
+when the test ended around noon.
+"We're now tallying up the test results. Please wait a moment. Feel free
+to use the rest area if you would like, or have a drink."
+After that announcement, the students gathered together and headed
+toward the rest area. Underneath the provisional tents, they'd prepared tables
+and chairs for our use, so we could get comfortable. There were no signs that
+Kouenji, Horikita, or any of the retired students were waiting on the cruise
+ship. Sudou, always together with Ike and Yamauchi, looked up at the ship.
+"Ayanokouji. You work pretty well with Horikita, don't you? How
+close are you, really?"
+Rather than sounding angry or upset, Sudou sounded like he genuinely
+wanted to know.
+"There's nothing between us. We're just friends. Nothing more,
+nothing less."
+"Even that makes me jealous, though. I still ain't her friend." Sudou
+sounded a little frustrated.
+"But didn't Horikita acknowledge you a little bit this time?"
+He hadn't caused any trouble. Rather, he'd acted for the sake of the
+class by trying to save Horikita and taking the initiative to fish.
+"T sure hope so. She still hasn't called me by my first name, after all."
+"Good work, both of you. Thank you for everything you did this week.
+You really saved us." Hirata appeared with words of gratitude. He handed me
+one of two paper cups he had. The cup cooled my palm. He handed the other
+to Sudou.
+"T should be thanking you. You covered for me, the class loner. Also,
+you covered for me being late for roll call, and the fact that Horikita retired."
+"T couldn't blame you when I heard the reason. Besides, Horikita-san
+gave us some really important information."
+"Do you believe what she said?"
+"She isn't the type to speak irresponsibly. That's why you get along
+with her, right?"
+This guy would protect an ally even if it meant risking his pure
+reputation.
+"Td be lying if I said there wasn't any risk, but I had to help Horikita-
+99
+san.
+Hirata softly added, "That's a friend." It seemed like there was a faint
+trace of the smile I saw yesterday. Sudou tilted in his head in confusion, as if
+unable to understand what we were talking about.
+"Wait, what did you say? What are you talking about?"
+"T think you' ll understand pretty soon. Anyway, Class C 1s really
+strange... They're on another level."
+Because most of the Class C students had retired on the second day of
+the test, there wasn't anyone here. I saw no sign of Ibuki anywhere on the
+sandy beach, as if she'd retired as well. I saw a rather bizarre sight: Ryuuen
+alone, the only remaining student from Class C.
+"Why is he...? So Ryuuen-kun didn't retire?"
+While Hirata and I tried figure out the situation, Ryuuen turned toward
+us, as if he noticed our stares. He slowly drew nearer, as if thinking of
+something. The tension started to rise.
+"Oh, hey there, sycophants. What happened to Suzune?" said Ryuuen
+as he drew closer, a paper cup in hand, completely ignoring Hirata's
+presence.
+After Sudou heard the name "Suzune" cross Ryuuen's lips, the veins in
+his head bulged, and he shot Ryuuen a glare.
+"I know you've been chasing Suzune's ass. We were together before,
+you know." Ryuuen, having drained the contents of his paper cup, lightly
+crushed it and threw it at my feet. "Throw that away for me."
+Sudou trampled on and kicked the paper cup as hard as he could.
+"What a stupid thing to say. Huh? Pick up your own trash, jerk."
+"But picking up garbage seems like the perfect task for garbage."
+Ryuuen didn't show any signs that he cared, in contrast to Sudou, who
+looked ready to blow his stack.
+"Calm down, Sudou-kun. Here, Ill throw it away."
+While Hirata hurriedly picked up the cup, Sudou clicked his tongue and
+kicked at the sand. Ryuuen looked away, as if we were boring. His torso had
+gotten dirty, and his trousers and jersey were covered in filth. It was an
+unimaginable state for him, since he had groaned about how much he loathed
+hard work.
+"T thought you retired, Ryuuen-kun."
+"Who are you? More importantly, where's Suzune? I've dreamed of
+squeezing her bottom."
+That was the second time he'd said "Suzune." Coupled with his coarse
+language, it was too much. Sudou approached Ryuuen, grabbing him by the
+collar.
+"What are you doing?"
+Ryuuen showed no signs of agitation. He met Sudou's intense glare
+with ease.
+"The next time you say something stupid, I'Il kill you," Sudou
+growled.
+"Huh? What's with you? Getting all excited by yourself, huh?"
+Fists were about to fly, so Hirata jumped in and pulled Sudou away
+from Ryuuen.
+"Horikita-san retired yesterday. She's not here."
+"Retired? Suzune? She doesn't seem like that kind of girl."
+"That's34"
+Just then, we heard the click of a megaphone being turned on.
+Mashima-sensei appeared on the beach. The first-year students hurriedly tried
+to form a line, but Mashima-sensei waved his hands at them to stop.
+"It's fine. We don't mind if you want to keep relaxing. The test has
+already concluded. Now we' ve entered the summer vacation part of the trip,
+so it's all right if you loosen up."
+Even though he'd said that, tensions were naturally running high for
+the students. They all stopped their chatter in an instant.
+"Over this past week, we, your teachers, have closely watched your
+efforts in this special test. There were some students who took on the
+challenge honestly, head-on. There were some who devised schemes to tackle
+the test. Many things have happened, but overall, the test results were
+splendid. Good work."
+The students appeared relieved to receive such straightforward praise
+from Mashima-sensei. It seemed like everyone was finally starting to believe
+the one-week test was really over.
+"Well then, to get straight to the point. I would like to announce the
+results of the special test."
+There probably wasn't a single person, not even our own homeroom
+teacher, who had seen these test results.
+"We will not accept any questions regarding the results, no exceptions.
+We would like you to accept the results you have been given, analyze them,
+and use them to help you for the next test. It is what it is. Don't wet
+yourselves over these results. You must accept reality, you know?"
+"That's what we should be saying to you Class C people. You used up
+all of your points, right? Don't make us laugh." Sudou poked fun at Class C's
+reckless behavior.
+"We have 125 points remaining. I think we'll be quite fine," Hirata
+said.
+He said so proudly, probably irritated by Ryuuen's provocation.
+Ryuuen responded by making a gesture that looked like he was vomiting.
+"Ha. I'm jealous of the nerve of you small fry. How you can be
+satisfied with that amount of points..."
+"It doesn't really matter whatever you say; Class C is still going to stay
+at zero points."
+"Heh heh heh. Don't be hasty. It's certainly true we used up 300 points.
+However, have you forgotten the additional rules of this test?"
+"So you're going to expose a class leader?"
+"That's right. I wrote it on the paper, didn't I? The name of Class D's
+leader."
+Hirata and I tried to not show any emotion, but Sudou looked shocked.
+"Also, those guys in A and B wrote the same thing, too. Do you know
+what this means?" Ryuuen said.
+"Hold on a minute. What are you talking about, huh?! I-If you're
+telling the truth, then..."
+Then Class D would be hit with penalties, and we would lose 100
+points. Mashima-sensei's voice sounded through the megaphone.
+"Now, we will announce the rankings. The lowest class is?Class C,
+with zero points."
+"Bwah ha ha ha! Hey, check it out! You guys have zero points after
+all!"
+When Sudou heard the results, he clutched his stomach in mocking
+laughter.
+"Zero?"
+Ryuuen didn't seem to understand the situation. Mashima-sensei
+continued the announcements matter-of-factly.
+"In third place is Class A, with 120 points. Coming in second place is
+Class B, with 140 points."
+A commotion broke out. No one had expected the rankings or the point
+totals.
+"And then, Class D..."
+For an instant, Mashima-sensei's movements stiffened. However, he
+soon resumed speaking.
+".,.has come in first with 225 points. This concludes the
+announcement."
+All of the students in Class D, save Hirata, were probably more
+confused than anyone else. Even Hirata, who was the only one in the know,
+was still almost unable to believe it. He wore an exuberant smile.
+"What's the meaning of this, Katsuragi?!"
+Voices saying such things echoed from one end of the rest area to the
+other. Class A students circled around Katsuragi.
+"Something is strange... What does this mean?" he muttered.
+"Yahoo! We did it! In your face!"
+As Sudou shouted for joy, all of the Class D students gathered together.
+"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?! Hey, hey!!"
+Ike, filled with both excitement and confusion, asked Hirata for an
+explanation.
+"Tl explain everything. Well, Ryuuen-kun, if you'll excuse us."
+With those final words, Hirata walked toward the boat alongside Ike
+and Sudou. Sudou raised his middle finger while sticking out his tongue.
+Ryuuen could do nothing but watch in silence.
+The exam was over, and the first-year students scattered. The ship was
+going to depart in two hours, and although we were free to play in the sea, we
+were also free to go onto the ship. I walked aboard.
+"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. How was your week on the deserted
+island?" Kouenji, on the ship's deck with a drink in hand, greeted Class D.
+"You jerk, Kouenji! We lost thirty points because of you. You know
+what I'm talking about, don't you?"
+"Calm down, little boy Ike. I was in poor health, and was resting. I had
+no other choice."
+His skin looked smooth and glossy, so it was easy to tell that he had
+spent the week tanning. Also, his evidently perfect health made him sound
+not the least bit credible. While the guys joined forces to yell at Kouenji as
+one, Horikita appeared. She was still pale, not in good health yet. The
+students noticed her presence, and naturally gathered around her.
+"S-Suzune. Are you feeling better now?"
+Sudou tripped over his words a bit, but he approached Horikita and
+called her by her first name, just as he'd practiced.
+"I'm not too bad. I can't say that I'm back to full health. More than
+anything else, retiring was a big mistake on my part."
+"Don't worry about it."
+Horikita had accepted being called by her first name rather naturally.
+That was unexpected.
+"By the way, Sudou-kun. Don't just go around calling me by my first
+name without permission. Understand?"
+"Y-y-yeah."
+Or not. Sudou couldn't offer resistance. All he could do was nod.
+"But...what happened? Why was Class D ranked first?"
+Our leader's identity had been exposed, so I'd made Horikita retire.
+Calculating, I supposed that would have gotten us incredibly close to zero
+points.
+"Th-that's right. What happened, Hirata?! I don't get it at all!"
+Karuizawa asked.
+Before Hirata could answer, something needed to be resolved.
+"Well, Karuizawa-san, I think you should talk to Horikita-san first,
+don't you agree?"
+Karuizawa drew closer to Horikita.
+"Horikita-san, do you have a minute?" he asked.
+"Yes. There's something that we're supposed to talk about. Right?"
+Horikita, seeing Karuizawa nod, closed her eyes. She was thinking of
+the underwear theft, and how she'd accused Karuizawa of spending points
+selfishly while her own identity as the leader had been discovered and she'd
+retired. She had no choice but to eat some humble pie now.
+"T'm sorry."
+Karuizawa said it somewhat bluntly, but with sincerity.
+"Tbuki-san stole my underwear. Ayanokouji-kun told us everything."
+"Huh?"
+Horikita had prepared herself for abuse, so she was puzzled when she
+received an apology.
+"Horikita-san, when you noticed that Ibuki-san was the culprit, she
+tried to run because you questioned her, right? That's why you ended up
+collapsing and getting sick..."
+Horikita suddenly turned toward me, shocked by Karuizawa's words. I
+felt kind of awkward for some reason, and averted my eyes.
+"T heard about it from Hirata-kun first. He said that you found out the
+leaders of Class A and C. That's why we had so many points. So, I'm...sorry
+for everything I said."
+Karuizawa immediately returned to the other girls.
+"Wait a minute. I... You said / found out the leaders' identities? But I
+retired?"
+"There's no need for you to be humble, Horikita-san. We won because
+your answers were absolutely correct."
+Doubts seemed to swirl in Horikita's head. It seemed like the
+mysterious test results made sense to everyone except her.
+"Wait. Ayanokouji-kun, what did you?"
+Horikita called to me in the midst of all the joy and confusion.
+However, being the key player in our victory, she was now surrounded by a
+great number of classmates.
+"Horikita-san, you were so incredibly awesome! You're seriously a
+genius, you know that?!"
+"When I heard that you'd retired I wondered what was going to
+happen, but everything turned out okay!"
+""W-wait a second!"
+She was bombarded with questions from boys and girls alike. I clasped
+my hands and prayed for her safety while I made my retreat. Whew, I was
+sure glad how things ended up. Our class took first place and Horikita gained
+in popularity. Considering her natural poise, she'd probably get through it
+just fine. I wanted to avoid getting caught up in the rejoicing, so I went to my
+room to rest. As I walked away, I was confronted by a goddess of death yet
+again.
+"May I have a word with you?"
+"T don't really feel sociable. Is it okay if I refuse, Chabashira-sense1?"
+"Tf you really don't want to, I can just start talking here. You don't
+mind if we stand outside, do you?"
+"It's hot, so please keep it brief."
+I had walked to the other side of the ship, so Chabashira-sensei took the
+lead. We found a place where there weren't any people around and it was
+completely quiet before we started talking.
+"Ts it safe to say that for the time being, you're satisfied?" I asked.
+"Yes. First, Pd like to say that you did wonderfully. I'm honestly
+impressed."
+"Well, tell me something. Is it really true? Did he demand I be expelled
+from school?"
+Chabashira-sensei leaned against the railing and looked toward the sky.
+"Do you have any basis for saying that the story is true?"
+"T know quite a lot about you. Might not that be the reason, more than
+anything else? Other teachers don't know about your true abilities. But I have
+no doubts."
+I certainly had my doubts. It was true that I stood out because of the
+entrance examination, but it shouldn't have been something all the teachers
+had inside knowledge of. But still, the sequence of events was rather odd.
+Chabashira-sensei had said that man had contacted the school directly. As
+expected, this person was hiding something.
+"I'm sure that you've heard of this rather famous myth, the wings of
+Icarus."
+"Why do you bring that up?" I asked.
+"Icarus flew out of the tower where he was imprisoned in order to gain
+his freedom. However, that wasn't achieved through one person's abilities
+alone. It was because his father, Daedalus, had constructed wings and
+instructed him to fly. He didn't fly because of his own intentions. Don't you
+think that sounds exactly like your current predicament?"
+"T can't understand."
+"That man—no, your father—said this: 'Sooner or later, Kiyotaka will
+gladly chase the means of his expulsion from school.' You're welcoming
+your end, much like how Icarus fell into the sea and died after his wings were
+burned, because he'd flown too close to the sun."
+The wings of Icarus, huh?
+"So, what do you plan to do?" she asked.
+"You should know, Sensei. Icarus won't heed Daedalus' warnings."
+Even though his wings burned, Icarus flew as high as he could in
+search of his freedom.
+7.1
+A fier I returned to the ship, I went back to my room right away. An
+exhausted Hirata was there, asleep on his side. I changed my clothes quietly
+so I wouldn't wake him and headed into the hall. When I turned my phone
+back on, the ringer started buzzing repeatedly. My call history had filled up.
+They were all from Horikita. Scary. For the time being, I just answered
+emails and relaxed in the lounge while I waited.
+She probably wouldn't be convinced unless I explained things. Soon, a
+quite angry Horikita met up with me, radiating a silent pressure.
+"What do these test results mean? What in the world happened?"
+"You look like you don't have any idea at all."
+"T just can't imagine it. I don't understand it at all. I have a mountain of
+questions."
+Horikita ordered a drink from an attendant. I started talking.
+"T'll tell you everything. However, my one condition is that you stay
+quiet on this matter. I won't compromise on this."
+I'd assumed it would come to this, considering Horikita hadn't retired
+of her own will. This story was for Horikita's ears only.
+"What would you like to ask?"
+"What were you doing during the test? Tell me," she said.
+That was a much better question than I'd expected. She wanted to hear
+everything at once.
+"When the special test was announced, I didn't focus on anything
+except for the additional rules. I roughly understood how to manage the 300
+points, but you couldn't manipulate them as an individual."
+"But the additional rules were really difficult to understand. If you did
+things normally, you wouldn't have been able to identify the leaders. Right?"
+"Yeah. First of all, I volunteered to join the search for the base camp.
+Able to move freely, I planned to search out spot locations ahead of everyone
+else."
+"You make it sound simple, but no one should have known the spot
+locations."
+"That's not true. You didn't understand because you were ill and holed
+up inside the ship, but the school already gave us hints about the locations
+when we were sailing around the island."
+Katsuragi had also noticed this when the ship circled the island at an
+unusually fast speed. Horikita fell silent. The ship had been traveling nearly
+three times faster than a usual cruise ship. Besides, if it were just for
+sightseeing, it wasn't normal to use a strange expression like "significant
+scenery."
+Kouenji had noticed this hint, too. Well, it was probably a waste of
+time thinking about Kouenji, anyway.
+"Then, I reached the cave. I thought it was the most important base."
+"The cave was the most important base? Don't you think that the river
+and the well would have been more convenient, though?"
+"The spot itself wasn't what was important. Its location was."
+There were no spots close to the river or the well. However, there were
+two spots near the cave: the hut and the tower. It was the perfect place to
+exercise control. Horikita looked like she understood once I explained.
+"But what advantage is there in going into the cave if you don't have a
+keycard?"
+"Well, Pd intended to explore various things, but in the end I
+discovered the leader's identity."
+"Well, I suppose that Katsuragi-kun was careless."
+No, that wasn't it.
+"There was that guy, Yahiko, remember? The one following Katsuragi
+around? He was the leader. I saw Katsuragi and Yahiko at the cave, but I
+didn't see the moment they occupied it. After the two of them walked away, I
+checked if the cave was occupied or not."
+I explained the situation. When I saw them, Katsuragi had been
+standing near the entrance with the card in his hand. Yahiko came out of the
+cave, and they left together.
+"Wouldn't you have mistaken Katsuragi-kun as the leader?" she asked.
+"Do you think that the leader would have shown off the card so
+carelessly in front of people?"
+Horikita should have known how unbelievably stupid that was,
+precisely because she'd been appointed as the leader.
+"But why? Why bother deliberately holding onto the card, then?"
+"Because he didn't have any other choice. As far as I can tell,
+Katsuragi is a calm and collected man, excessively cautious. There's no way
+he didn't understand the high risk of occupying a spot immediately after
+finding it. In other words, the person who occupied it was enticed by short-
+sighted greed."
+"That's...why there was another person."
+"Yes." When Katsuragi found the cave, he didn't intend to occupy it.
+Nevertheless, he was holding the space down, probably because Yahiko had
+been careless. Even though he thought no one would be watching them, he'd
+probably wanted insurance. By holding onto the card and displaying it, even
+in the unlikely event that a witness was present, he could mislead them into
+thinking that he was the leader.
+"So, aside from their base, Class A held down at least two spots, but
+we didn't confirm how many they were occupying by the end of the test. If I
+correctly guessed the identity of their leader, though, I could invalidate all of
+their points."
+After I'd narrowed it down to Yahiko, putting effort into anything else
+would've been a waste of time.
+"I'm still not convinced. If he figured out the spot's location at such an
+early stage, and if he were acting alongside a lot of other people, shouldn't he
+have avoided trouble? Even if he just had someone standing watch by the
+cave, it should have been sufficient claim of ownership. Why would they
+occupy it?"
+"That was probably Class A's disadvantage."
+Their overall points on the test were high, and they didn't receive a
+negative assessment due to behavior in class like Class D. However, their
+class was divided internally. In other words, there was a reason why
+Katsuragi couldn't rely on other people.
+"Their class appears perfect at first glance, but it actually has a huge
+schism in it."
+That was why my methods had revealed Class A so easily. Well, that
+was simple luck. It was like getting a good score by exploiting a mistake.
+Class A wasn't vigilantly watching for a surprise attack from overhead, so
+there was nothing to be done.
+"That's why I excluded Class A at that stage, and turned my attention
+toward Class C. Katsuragi was easy to understand, but with Ryuuen, there
+were many unknown variables. To tell you the truth, he was gathering more
+information than I was. He'd found out the identities of all of the leaders."
+"W-wait, he found out the identities of all of the leaders... So not only
+Class D, but also the leaders for Classes B and A? But that's strange. We
+were far from being penalized; we ended up getting first place by a wide
+margin. How do you intend to explain that?"
+"This is a little difficult to explain, but the reason I made you retire 1s
+the answer."
+"Wait, the answer is you made me retire? What in the world did you
+do?"
+"Oh, that reminds me. I didn't return it to the school yet."
+I took a single card out of my pocket and handed it over to Horikita.
+"This is a keycard. Why do you...?!"
+Horikita was astonished when she saw the letters engraved on the card.
+"Wait, why does...?"
+The name read "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
+"The test had to be fair. The rules were fundamentally created to be
+fair."
+That was quite natural, something you would have seen if you'd
+carefully confirmed the additional rules. Only one person could be chosen as
+leader. The leader could not be changed. Only the leader held the rights of
+exclusive possession.
+"What do you think would happen if the leader retired because of poor
+health?"
+"That's... The leader would be absent. So the rights of exclusive
+possession would disappear..."
+"Wrong. In the manual, it says, 'It is impossible to change the leader
+without suitable justification." Don't you think that retirement is suitable
+enough justification?"
+It seemed like the additional rules had been made to be broken if
+someone were absent due to poor health or injury. I could predict setting up a
+new leader. I was able to figure this out by looking at the other rules. For
+example, we couldn't change the base camp without suitable justification
+after we'd first decided where it would be, but there were suitable reasons.
+We'd occupied the riverside area, but if we were careless and it was
+taken by another class, then that would have counted as "suitable
+justification." You couldn't stay in the base itself, so if there wasn't a system
+where you could search for a new base camp, everything would collapse.
+"So then, you made me...?"
+Horikita Suzune had retired, and I was appointed in her place. Of
+course, that meant that I was the leader they were supposed to guess at the
+end of the test. There can only be one.
+"That's why even though Class C knew you were the leader, we
+avoided penalties."
+"But wait. Ibuki-san stole my card, but what if I'd protected it really
+thoroughly?"
+Horikita recalled the day of the accident.
+"Did you drop the card on purpose back then? Well, I suppose that
+Yamauchi-kun's actions might have provided Ibuki-san the opportunity to
+hatch a plan to steal the keycard..."
+I'd been holding onto the muddy Horikita, so in that sense I had no
+choice but to give up the keycard.
+"Unless I knew what Ibuki-san was aiming for right at the start, I
+couldn't have done anything..."
+Right. Ibuki had been picked up by Class D purely by chance. I'd been
+almost convinced until I heard about the guy named Kaneda in Class B. He'd
+been sent as a spy by Ryuuen. I wasn't so good-natured as to believe that two
+people just happened to be saved by two separate classes completely by
+chance.
+"Besides, Ibuki has a habit of looking people in the eye when she's
+lying."
+You could say that the bigger the lie, the more obvious the habit.
+"Wait, when she lied she would look the person in the eye? Isn't it
+usually the opposite?"
+"Generally speaking, you avoid eye contact if you have a guilty
+conscience. However, it was the opposite for her. I think that she made eye
+contact to make the person think that the lie was the truth. She probably
+didn't even notice it herself."
+Even when we were talking about the underwear theft, she looked me
+straight in the eye.
+"Her goal was probably to find the keycard, but she might have
+intended to disrupt Class D at the same time."
+What had happened to Karuizawa, and the underwear in Ike's bag,
+might have otherwise been seen as mere coincidence.
+"But I have to wonder why Ibuki-san specifically stole my keycard. All
+she needed was to check my name."
+"That was likely Ibuki's intention from the start. However, she ran into
+unexpected trouble."
+That was the catalyst that led to verifying the leader of Class C.
+"Tbuki had a digital camera in her bag to take a picture of the keycard."
+"To take a picture...with the camera? Why would she go so far?"
+"If she had a picture, then the leader's identity would have been clear
+for anyone to see, right? If she had convincing evidence, she would have
+profited."
+"T don't quite understand... Did Ryuuen-kun not trust [buki-san?"
+"That wasn't it. If the discussion only stayed within Class C, then there
+shouldn't have been any need for her to take a picture with the camera or
+steal the card."
+In other words, that meant there had been people involved who didn't
+trust Ibuki's words alone; they'd wanted reliable evidence.
+"From here on out, I don't have any evidence of what I'm saying.
+Think of it as my intuition, which I derived from the test results. At the end
+of the test, Class A had 270 points."
+In other words, they hadn't used a single point during the test.
+"Classes A and C were connected, working together behind the scenes.
+Class C sacrificed their own points and bought whatever Class A needed.
+Also, by taking all of C's tools, Class A was able to spend the week without
+using any points."
+Ibuki had obtained evidence and given it to someone in A Class.
+"By the way, I became aware of Class C's leader after half of the
+students retired. It was certain that the leader would have remained on the
+island, right?"
+"Even so, we weren't supposed to know who was left."
+"No, I was almost one hundred percent sure that Ryuuen was still on
+the island."
+I figured it out when I saw Ibuki hiding a wireless transceiver in the
+ground. Ibuki had used it to stay in contact with Ryuuen. Retired students
+shouldn't have been able to use a transceiver. In other words, someone was
+left on the island for her to communicate with.
+He'd casually set the transceiver on top of a table while enjoying his
+vacation. No one else was controlling it, just him. His mistake was that he
+didn't trust anyone.
+"My god... I don't even have the words," Horikita answered, facing
+the truth.
+If I were to summarize this test, I'd say that Class A's first mistake
+carried through to the end. They didn't function well due to an internal rift.
+Class B went through the test with a thoroughly defense-oriented strategy,
+which did neither harm nor good. Their only mistake was that, because there
+were so many good-natured people in Class B, they'd permitted Kaneda to
+stay, and they'd believed him.
+I don't know how Kaneda got the evidence, but he'd obtained
+something, and probably told Ryuuen. If you looked at the fact that Class A
+didn't get any points, you might think it was because they hadn't obtained
+any physical evidence. Then there was Class C. We were able to avoid
+damage because I'd been appointed as the leader. In addition to sending
+people off as spies to find out the identities of the other leaders, Class C had
+profited from some kind of negotiations with Class A. Ryuuen might be our
+number one enemy.
+"T don't like this. You completely used me, like a pawn."
+"Yeah. I can't deny that. I wouldn't be surprised if you never want to
+speak to me ever again."
+I was aware of what I'd done.
+"Well, I'll be heading back to my room now. I'm really tired," I said.
+"Wait. We're not done talking."
+"What? I just want to relax in my room, if possible."
+"After you explain everything. There are still some things we need to
+talk about, right?"
+"Well...like what?"
+"The reason why you participated in this special test. Was it to fight
+alone? I don't care that you used me this time. I want to know why you put in
+the effort when you dislike trouble."
+"T wonder."
+Perhaps the explanation I had given so far had been less important to
+Horikita.
+"T don't have any room for doubt. I understand your talents now. If you
+help me, aiming for Class A seems a realistic enough goal. But what are your
+principles? Why did you do this?"
+Of course, I didn't want to talk to Horikita about my personal
+problems. I'd only participated because of a commitment I made to
+Chabashira-sensei.
+"Because I was touched that you tried to fight all alone when you were
+ill."
+"You wouldn't normally say that kind of thing. It's easy to spot the
+lie.
+"Well, what I mean is I don't feel like explaining it."
+I stood up and stretched out my hand.
+"T don't mind helping you get up to Class A. However, I have one
+condition. Do not investigate me. If you promise not to touch on this subject
+ever again, I will help you."
+Horikita took my hand without hesitation.
+"If you don't want to talk, there's nothing I can really do about that. If
+you'll help, I have no reason to refuse you. I'm not interested in digging
+things up that are better left buried. After all, you dislike trouble."
+Horikita's handshake was firm. J work for me. You do things for
+yourself. The battle to raise our class up from the very bottom was about to
+begin.
+Postscript
+Het. this is Syougo Kinugasa. I've started to become health-
+conscious. There's been a sake boom recently, so I've been drinking one cup
+a day, and making sure to relax.
+Anyway, in the third volume we begin to understand the goals and
+policies of each individual class, centered on the special test. The
+protagonist's way of thinking and his classmates' ways of thinking gradually
+become clear.
+Even in modern society, problems arise from the differences in opinion
+between men and women. As long as the human race continues to evolve, I
+don't think there will ever be a perfect solution for the inequalities based on
+gender.
+Well then, do you remember? In Volume 2, my goal was to have
+Shunaku-shi treat me to sashimi. Of course, I remembered. Maguuroo! It was
+incredibly delicious. Thank you very much. Please, let's continue to be good
+partners. As for next time, let's go out for sea cucumber.
+Attention, everyone! We have some news!
+Yes, Classroom of the Elite will be turned into a manga! When I
+received the news from the publisher, I was extremely ecstatic, really happy.
+Ichino Yuyu-sama will draw the manga. I sincerely look forward to working
+with you. I'm very much looking forward to when the series will begin
+serialization in January!
+Phew. Now then, how about we get to the postscript? No, there's one
+more thing to report. Actually, in the previous postscript, there was one other
+thing I wrote about besides the sashimi story. I think no one else cares about
+this at all, but it's a story that makes me hang my head in shame when I
+remember.
+I'1l come out and say it. This is to my past self:
+Did you seriously mean to say something like "I've already finished
+the manuscript early"?
+You moron! Idiot! You fool! You wound up eating your own words!
+Yes! You completely messed it up! Way out of bounds! Yes, I ended up
+causing a lot of trouble for my editor. Even now, as I'm writing this
+postscript, I can see the tear stains of my dear editor, who works so diligently.
+The tears just won't stop coming.
+You really are an idiot, Kinugasa-kun! Reflect on your faults!
+Phew. The guilty Kinugasa has reflected. You can rest assured of that.
+Therefore, the Kinugasa who has reflected on his actions dares to say, "I will
+definitely finish more quickly next time!" Then, he will write it.
+And I'll add that Pll be sorry if I'm late again!
+Well everyone, I will report on the results again next time, in the next
+volume. Hopefully it'Il be good news!
+Author:
+Syougo Kinugasa
+Born in November. Blood type: AB. Primarily responsible for scenario
+and Pc game planning. Most important works are Guards of Daybreak and
+Reminiscence. He has become health-conscious after the results of a through
+medical check-up. After reviewing his dietary habits, some have said that his
+complexion has improved in recent months.
+Illustrator:
+Tomoseshunsaku
+Born in September. Lead animator and illustrator for the Sagittarius
+games. Lead animator for Guards of Daybreak, Reminiscence, etc.
+***
+Neves Yeas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week -
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Summer Vacation
+is Nearly Over
+S azae-san syndrome. Have you heard that term before? Simply put,
+it's the depression that sinks in when you start watching Sazae-san on Sunday
+evening and realize that tomorrow is Monday. Students often feel similarly
+depressed near the end of summer vacation. They start saying things like, "I
+wish summer went on longer," or, "But I wanted more time to relax," and so
+on.
+I don't agree. The years of your life when you can freely do what you
+want are essentially limited to the time when you're in school. If we suppose,
+for argument's sake, that you retired at sixty, the earliest possible age, and
+entered the workforce at eighteen, that would mean you worked for forty-two
+years—a significantly longer period than the twelve years between
+elementary school and graduating high school. During those forty-two years,
+society would restrict your freedoms. Some people even end up stuck
+working after they reach retirement age.
+Of course, there are also people who live outside these restrictions.
+Some are born to rich parents, while others might have great entrepreneurial
+skill. Shortcuts to success do exist, but the chances of lucking into such a
+position are as slim as winning the lottery. In the end, most people spend
+more than half their lives continuously making sacrifices for society.
+From a social perspective, simply being a student is like enjoying an
+endless summer vacation. However, many students become adults without
+appreciating this fact, only to look back on those times once they reach their
+thirties and forties and think of how much fun they had.
+This is a selection of vignettes about students wavering in that space
+between childhood and adulthood.
+Chapter 2:
+Ibuki Mio has
+Surprisingly Good Sense
+ce
+S pecial test." Those words would normally mean a written exam,
+or some kind of athletic trial. However, at the Advanced Nurturing High
+School, special tests weren't trivial affairs. A contest of survival on an
+uninhabited island. A battle of wits aboard a cruise ship. Those outlandish
+tests came one after another during our summer vacation.
+Between the two tests, I, a mere first-year student, had only seven days
+of actual rest. That included today. Soon, the second semester would begin.
+I'd spent the days off rather simply. I didn't call anyone, and no one called
+me. In other words, it had been lonely.
+"Well, I don't really care," I said aloud.
+The freedom was enough. I wouldn't ask for more. Having too many
+friends wasn't necessarily a good thing.
+The more people I connected with, the more troublesome it would
+become to manage all those relationships. If a friend called me, I might have
+been thoroughly overjoyed. But there was also a chance that I wouldn't have
+been.
+Even alone, there were many things for me to do. I was doing one of
+those things today: using my phone to check my remaining point balance
+(106,219 points).
+I transferred 100,000 of those points to someone from my class—
+Sudou Ken. Soon afterwards, Sudou called me.
+"Yo, Ayanokouji. What are you doing right now?" he asked.
+"Nothing much. Was just thinking about what to have for dinner."
+"Gotcha. I just ate some chicken tenders a little while ago. Pretty basic
+stuff. Tastes all right, but I'd definitely get tired of them if I ate them too
+often, so I try to change things up a bit. I can fry 'em, boil 'em... Wait, what
+the hell am I talking about? I wanted to talk to you about fortune-telling."
+Fortune-telling? I never expected those words to come out of Sudou's
+mouth. He was the sort of guy who saw the world in black and white. He
+liked simplicity, like the chicken he just ate.
+"Truth is, I've heard there's this crazy-accurate fortune-teller over at
+the Keyaki Mall, but they're only gonna be there during summer vacation. I
+guess it's big among the seniors. Even when I'm doing club stuff, all anyone
+talks about is that fortune-teller. I got some extra cash, so I felt like having
+some fun, you know? Let's check it out together. My treat, of course."
+The Keyaki Mall was a complex on the school grounds that students
+often went to. Because students were forced to live on the school grounds, the
+school was equipped with all sorts of facilities, although it couldn't give us
+all the options of the outside world. We didn't have idol concerts, amusement
+parks, or zoos. Our world was small. When something new cropped up, it
+naturally became a hot topic among the students.
+Even so, fortune-telling was unexpected.
+Since no one had invited me to hang out in a long, long time, I couldn't
+hide my happiness. "When are we going?"
+"Tomorrow morning. Sounds like it starts at ten, but apparently, if you
+don't get in line early, you'll be waiting forever. I wanted to get there around
+9:30," said Sudou. Apparently, he'd already planned out a schedule.
+"T'm fine with that, since I don't have plans. But will your club be cool
+with it?"
+"Yeah. Tomorrow's my day off. The tournament ended, so it's fine.
+Besides, we've done nothing but train our butts off. If they don't let us rest a
+little, our bodies will fall apart," he told me matter-of-factly.
+Sudou had just played in a basketball tournament. Even though I saw
+him quietly practicing day after day in preparation, I was admittedly kind of
+curious about the tournament's results. One more thing to think about.
+"Did you have any trouble at all?" I asked.
+I made sure to stress the word "trouble." Sudou understood what I was
+referring to.
+"Yeah. It was pretty tough. I mean, they supervise you way more—you
+have the team captain and the coach watching you. It's nothing like playing
+in junior high. I can't open my mouth at all, except when we need to talk
+during a game. The school puts a ton of restrictions on us, even on bathroom
+breaks. I thought it was going to be impossible," Sudou said.
+Even though club activities were separate from coursework, the school
+rules were still strict.
+"Anyway, it all worked out. I did pretty well, 'cause I got the chops,"
+he added.
+"T see. Well, that's a relief. What about Yamauchi?" I asked.
+"T made sure to delete the data before heading back," Sudou said, once
+again referring to our secret business. "I wouldn't worry. I mean, even I'm
+not that dumb."
+Sudou's school life rode on this. He probably wouldn't do anything
+reckless. Even so, it might be a good idea to get in touch with Yamauchi
+later, to confirm that the data was successfully deleted. Just in case.
+"By the way, did you actually get to play in the big game?" I asked.
+"Yeah. I was the only one out of all the first years to play. I even
+scored. We still lost in the end, though, so I'm not exactly that proud."
+I didn't really understand the intricacies, but a first-year student
+playing in a game like that seemed like a pretty big deal. I sensed acceptance,
+rather than frustration, from Sudou. He'd probably practiced hard for the
+tournament, and saw this as steadily making progress.
+He had to have practiced hard, since the first-year students left the
+school grounds to participate in those special exams. That meant Sudou had
+had less time to practice than the older students.
+"So, what are you gonna do? Fortune-telling—you gonna go or not?"
+"Well, I don't really have anything planned. So, sure, Ill go."
+Now that I'd agreed, Sudou cut straight to the chase. "Definitely invite
+Suzune out, too. Definitely. Understand?" he said.
+"IT see," I answered.
+Apparently, Sudou didn't actually want to go see the fortune teller with
+me, but rather, with Horikita. He probably knew that, if he invited her
+himself, his chances of success were rather slim.
+"Well, it's just... I can't imagine that she's interested in fortune-
+telling," I added.
+"Even so, invite her. This is like your one special skill, right?"
+What kind of special skill? I really wish he'd quit trying to use me as
+some kind of Horikita Invitation Machine.
+"Well, Pll give it a shot. But don't expect anything," I said.
+"Giving it a shot isn't good enough," he answered.
+"Not good enough?"
+Sudou's emphatic words contained traces of anger. He seemed to plan
+on Horikita definitely being there tomorrow.
+"You absolutely need to do it. If you don't invite Horikita out, there's
+no point," he told me.
+"Look, I don't know what plans she might have tomorrow. And I don't
+know if she even has any interest in fortune-telling. Wouldn't it be easier to
+invite her to go shopping or check out a film festival?"
+"There's nothing to worry about. All girls love fortune-telling," he
+answered.
+That was an extremely broad generalization. I couldn't really imagine
+Horikita showing any curiosity about things that ordinary girls liked.
+"Got it? Later, after you invite her, get in touch with me. Okay? You
+gotta."
+With that, Sudou abruptly ended the call. I'd thought it was strange for
+Sudou to invite me to check out a fortune-teller. Well, it seemed as though he
+was really after Horikita. While I did feel a little disappointed, I needed to
+call Horikita right away. If Sudou found out later that I ignored his request, it
+would be a huge headache.
+Horikita answered her phone immediately.
+"Hey, Horikita. Do you like fortune-telling?" I asked.
+If there was one woman in the whole world capable of destroying
+anyone's preconceived notion that all girls liked fortune-telling, it was
+Horikita.
+"You open conversations in the strangest way," she answered.
+True. But I didn't really have anything else to say. "You'll be saving
+me if you give me an answer."
+"So, if I don't answer you, there's a possibility that you won't be
+saved?" she asked.
+That was certainly a possibility. The image of Sudou putting me in a
+headlock stuck in my mind.
+"So, are you going to save me?" I asked.
+"Tf you're comfortable owing me one," she answered.
+I'd have to owe her one just for answering a question? I was filled with
+the urge to hit the "end call" button, but I pictured Sudou's angry face and
+resisted.
+"Fine. If you answer me, I'll owe you," I told her.
+Horikita, realizing her answer's value, paused for a moment. "I see.
+Well, I'm not exactly an enthusiast or anything, but it would be a lie to say I
+dislike fortune-telling."
+This was unexpected. "Have you ever had your fortune told before?" I
+asked.
+"Of course I haven't. I've simply noticed horoscopes and such in the
+morning news."
+She was probably talking about the daily horoscope things that were
+usually based on your birth month. I had a hard time picturing Horikita as the
+type of girl who would go change her clothes, or buy new accessories, if
+someone on TV said her lucky colors were red and white.
+"Are you addicted to getting your fortune told, by chance?" she asked.
+"No, that's not it. There've been some rumors going around lately
+about a fortune-teller. Have you heard?"
+"A fortune-teller?" Horikita fell silent for a while, then eventually
+answered in a tone that sounded as though she understood. "Yes, there does
+seem to be quite the uproar. I've heard about it."
+"Well, I was a little curious. They say that the fortunes are really
+accurate, so I was wondering how accurate. But I can't honestly imagine that
+something like fortune-telling would be so spot-on."
+I expected her to agree with me, but she apparently held a different
+opinion.
+"Indeed? I think that someone with real power could be accurate."
+"No way. You'd have to be psychic," I replied. The power to predict
+the future by reading a person's face or hands, or based on their birthdate?
+That was ridiculous, and I didn't believe it existed.
+"No, that's not what I mean. Fortune-tellers don't have the power to
+divine the future. That's obvious, isn't it? That would be as foolish as
+someone saying that they believe in ghosts. However, the big difference
+between fortune-tellers and psychics is that fortune-tellers give readings
+based on a massive amount of past data. In other words, they interpret
+patterns to understand people."
+Horikita wasn't a fanciful girl. Her answer was grounded in logic and
+reason.
+"In other words, you're talking about fortune-tellers' ability to cold
+read, right?" I asked.
+"Y ou're rather cheeky, but I guess you do know some things." Horikita
+sounded slightly amused. "We can't evaluate ourselves objectively. However,
+a good fortune-teller can extract information from the person they're reading
+through a short conversation. They can pick up on things that the person
+themselves hasn't noticed. Don't you think so?"
+Cold reading. Quite literally, that term meant reading someone's mind
+without prior preparation. It referred to a technique which extracted
+information through casual conversation, and thus, gave the person being
+read the impression that you knew more than you did. You used observation
+and deduction to obtain information about your target, then made the person
+believe that you could see their past and future. It sounded simple, but
+actually, being able to extract information without the mark noticing was
+incredibly difficult. It required a high degree of skill.
+"T'm a little interested," I admitted.
+"That's good. I think you should go," Horikita said.
+"How about you come along?"
+"Are you joking?"
+"No, I'm quite serious."
+"T refuse," she answered.
+She'd shot me down instantly, but I couldn't just accept that. "I'm a
+total novice when it comes to fortune-telling. I thought it'd be good to have
+you along, Horikita, so I understand better."
+"Sorry, but P'll pass. You know I don't enjoy dealing with crowds,
+right?"
+That was certainly true. Fortune-telling was so popular, a lot of very
+excited students were bound to be there. Some adults from campus might go,
+too. I certainly couldn't imagine Horikita wanting to enter a crowded place
+like that.
+If I pushed any further, I'd probably just end up souring Horikita's
+mood. As far as I was concerned, I'd received her message loud and clear.
+Sudou probably wouldn't be that big a problem, anyway. Probably.
+After I ended the call, I shot him a brief message. I immediately
+noticed the "read" marker pop up. Shortly afterward, I received a disgruntled
+reply.
+"Then forget about it," the message read.
+I existed only as a means for Sudou to invite Horikita. Since I'd failed
+to invite her, Sudou had no further use for me. Well, it probably would've
+been a little weird for two dudes to see a fortune-teller together.
+"Even so... A fortune-teller, huh?" I murmured aloud.
+After that conversation with Horikita, my interest was piqued. I
+decided to head over tomorrow and check the fortune-teller out.
+2.1
+W ho in their right mind thought it'd be a good idea to go see a
+fortune-teller?
+"T might have messed up," I muttered.
+The intense late-August heat blazed down upon me. I saw a
+shimmering heat haze ahead, above the concrete, and through the roadside
+trees. The dorm rooms came equipped with air conditioning, so we didn't feel
+the heat much indoors. However, it was summer, and in direct sunlight, you
+instantly started sweating buckets.
+The heat reduced people to complete lumps. I desperately sought out
+shade. Fortunately, the school boasted a rather expansive campus littered
+with tons of trees.
+It was 9:30 A.M., well before most student activities, as I made my
+way towards the fabled fortune-teller. Fortune-telling services were supposed
+to begin at ten, but I didn't plan to stick around for long. I'd quickly get my
+fortune read, then leave just as quickly. That was my plan.
+But, as I neared my destination, I realized that my plans were about to
+be shattered.
+I expected Keyaki Mall to be nearly empty. Instead, numerous students
+lounged around in their summer clothes. I prayed that they weren't all there
+for the same reason I was, but I suspected they were. I decided to at least
+escape the blazing hellscape by entering the building, and started looking for
+the elevator, since the fortune-teller was on the fifth floor.
+"Geh."
+I let out a grumble. Nearly ten students were hanging around in front of
+the elevator. I wondered if any of them would understand my plight.
+Whenever I took elevators alone, I was the sort to push the "close" button
+repeatedly. I wasn't good at riding elevators with large groups of people my
+age. I'd need a great deal of courage to mingle with that crowd.
+Although it'd be inconvenient, I decided to take a detour and get ona
+different elevator. Another elevator, across the way, was far less crowded.
+"Calm down," I muttered.
+Getting to the other elevator took more time and effort, but the peace of
+mind it brought me was a lifesaver. After I reached the fifth floor, I made my
+way toward the fortune-teller. However, an even more uncomfortable
+situation awaited me.
+"There are couples everywhere."
+Boys and girls stood in pairs all over. A number of them seemed to be
+in relationships. Of course, there were groups of only boys and only girls, but
+those were far fewer.
+Seeing a fortune-teller about a couple's future and romantic
+compatibility was common, I supposed. However, it made this visit
+significantly more awkward than I'd anticipated. Not many people had come
+alone to have their fortune told. Single guys were fewer still.
+In any case, a line was forming. I decided to queue up. When I did so, a
+woman scanning the area called out to me.
+"Good morning. Will your partner be joining you later?" she asked.
+"Partner? Uh, no, it's just me."
+Of course, it wasn't exactly odd for her to ask me that question, but
+she'd put it rather strangely. I wished she'd be more sensitive to single
+people.
+"Umm..." The line attendant looked at me with a sheepish expression.
+"I'm sorry. I'm afraid that, in order to have your fortune read today, you need
+a partner. So..."
+"T can't have my fortune read if I'm alone?"
+She gave a small nod and pointed at a written notice.
+" Guidance is for couples only. We humbly ask for your understanding
+I now saw why Sudou had insisted on inviting Horikita. He and
+Horikita would've had to line up together and talk to each other.
+"That means he never wanted me along, from the very start," I
+muttered.
+Sudou's behavior took on an entirely different meaning, now. He'd
+never really wanted to invite me. He probably would've found some excuse
+to send me packing once he had Horikita to himself. That was pretty sad.
+"Out of curiosity, is the rule the same for the line next to me?" I asked.
+"Yes. Ukon-sensei is only reading fortunes for couples," the woman
+answered.
+"T understand."
+I bowed my head and slipped out of the line. The students behind me
+advanced one step forward.
+I couldn't believe I'd fallen for something like this. I'd pictured a lone
+woman sitting on a street corner, being paid in small coins, but reality had
+other plans. Apparently, this sort of romantic divination was all the rage right
+now. I would've liked to try the fortune-teller's services, but there was
+nothing I could really do. Trying to invite Horikita again would have been a
+waste of time.
+I decided to just slink away quietly.
+"Huh? So, I can't have my fortune read alone?"
+I heard an angry voice. Another victim of singleness was apparently
+standing in the next line. Feeling somewhat sympathetic, I glanced over.
+Unfortunately, I caught that person's eye.
+"Ah."
+It was Ibuki Mio, a Class C student. When I pretended I hadn't seen
+her, she chased after me. I quickened my pace.
+"Wait!" Perhaps Ibuki thought that I was trying to run away (which I
+certainly was). She grabbed me by the shoulder.
+"Do you want something?" I asked.
+"Where's Horikita?"
+She looked around as she asked this. Ibuki was sort of like Sudou; she
+saw me as little more than a Horikita whisperer. I wished she'd just go see
+Horikita directly and not involve me.
+"Tt's not like I'm with her all the time or anything. I'm alone today," I
+said.
+"Ah, I see."
+During the deserted island test, Ibuki had been sent to infiltrate Class
+D. Her mission was to spy on us and stir up chaos, and she and Horikita
+ended up trading blows in a fistfight. Since then, Ibuki had been rather hostile
+toward Horikita. She probably considered them archenemies.
+Although Ibuki was her usual crabby, unsociable self, she had pretty
+good fashion sense. She looked great. With a slightly different attitude, she
+could have been popular.
+"Fortune-telling is usually something you do one-on-one, isn't it? I
+really didn't expect this at all. Don't you agree?" she asked.
+"Yeah. That's what I thought, anyway."
+"So, are you going to invite Horikita or something?"
+First Sudou, now Ibuki. It seemed like Horikita was the sole topic of
+conversation whenever I was involved.
+"No, I'm not. If you want to talk to Horikita, why don't you reach out
+to her yourself? Try telling her that you want to go have your fortunes read
+together."
+"Huh? Absolutely not. It's not like I have anything to talk to her
+about."
+If that's true, then I really wish you'd stop bringing her up.
+"T wasn't really that interested in having my fortune read in the first
+place, so I'm fine. How about you?" I asked.
+"T'd be lying if I said that I wasn't annoyed, but..." Ibuki shook her
+head in frustration. "Well, I don't really have any choice but to give up. I'm
+bad at making conversation, anyway."
+That answer sounded fishy. Ibuki said she was bad at conversation, but
+unlike Sakura, she had never struck me as a person who struggled with that
+kind of thing. In fact, she seemed comfortable talking to me on equal terms—
+or comfortable being condescending, at least.
+"You could invite Ryuuen," I offered.
+I said that half-jokingly, but Ibuki shot me a scornful glare packed with
+disgust. "You're joking, right? I hate seeing his face, even when I have to. I'd
+rather avoid him during my holidays."
+"But you were always together back on the ship, weren't you? Isn't it
+normal to think that you two might be close?" I pointed out.
+Ibuki looked away. "That was because it was my fault that I didn't
+discover Class D's leader," she answered quietly.
+If that were true, Ibuki had only been working with Ryuuen to atone for
+her failure. That didn't explain everything, but I supposed only Class C knew
+the real reason. That said, Ibuki had learned our leader's identity during the
+survival challenge on the island. She discovered that Horikita was the leader,
+and she hadn't been wrong. She would have contributed significantly to her
+class if I hadn't thwarted her.
+"T wanted to ask. During the survival test, who was Class D's leader?"
+"Who knows?" I shrugged.
+""Who knows?' It's not like you don't know."
+"Even if I did, I couldn't tell you. Honestly, I don't know. Most of us
+in Class D have no idea. I think Horikita acted in secret, and somehow
+managed to pull everything off on her own. That's the only way I can explain
+what happened."
+Ibuki seemed to look right through me. However, I wasn't the sort of
+person to be easily exposed.
+"Tf Ryuuen's not an option, why don't you invite a girl from your
+class? I'm sure you must have a friend or two," I said.
+"Tf I did, I wouldn't be in this situation. I absolutely despise the girls in
+my class," she answered.
+Ibuki was just like Horikita. Actually, she was probably even more
+antisocial than Horikita. With the right opportunity, the two might get along.
+"You know, you're making conversation with me just fine right now.
+Shouldn't you be able to talk to anyone else, too? I don't think you're bad at
+dealing with people," I said.
+"That's not true. When you talk to me, you feel something, don't you?
+I'm all prickly."
+"Well, yeah. I guess so." Interacting with Ibuki always made me feel
+like meat being sliced by a sharp knife. That was the closest I could come to
+describing her desire for isolation. I'm sure other students felt the same way.
+"No matter what I do, the mood always seems to turn sour.
+Understand?" she asked.
+I still had my doubts about Ibuki actually being bad at making
+conversation, but she was undoubtedly standoffish, even with her own
+classmates. I could imagine her headstrong attitude challenging the fortune-
+teller.
+"Tf you're bad at communicating, I'm surprised you'd want to get your
+fortune read."
+"That's the problem. I'm like someone who loves cats, but has an
+allergy," she answered.
+That certainly sounded frustrating. "But you did really well spying on
+Class D," I replied.
+Crabby and unsociable as she might be, Ibuki hadn't seemed at all
+disagreeable while she was working as a spy. Our class had accepted her
+without suspicion.
+"That's different. In any case, talking to people makes me anxious.
+And when I'm anxious, it puts me on edge. I hate it. It's not like I want to be
+this way—wait, why am I even telling you this? People might get the wrong
+impression about us!"
+Flustered, Ibuki abruptly turned away. Really, that should've been my
+line. Everyone who'd been queueing near us had moved ahead, and it was
+just the two of us. The other students might easily have misinterpreted that.
+So, talking to people made Ibuki anxious, huh? If that were true, the
+solution might be unexpectedly easy. Even if I didn't know the root cause of
+her anxiety, I could work with this.
+"Farlier, you said that being a spy was different, didn't you?" I asked.
+"Yeah. Because it's a fact."
+"What's the difference between then and now?"
+Ibuki fell silent for a little while. "I don't know. It's just different," she
+said finally. It seemed like she'd given up on trying to articulate the
+difference.
+"You haven't given it much thought," I said.
+"Well, it's not like I can explain why they're different. I was just
+acting."
+"No, I think it's simple. The difference between you now, and you
+then, is awareness."
+"Awareness?" Ibuki turned toward me, her interest slightly piqued.
+"Your anxiety comes from being hyper-aware of situations. You
+project your insecurities onto others, so you freeze up when you meet
+someone for the first time," I explained.
+"What are you talking about? I mean, maybe it's different for people
+who are good at communicating, but pretty much everyone gets nervous
+when they meet someone for the first time, don't they?"
+"Of course. I'm the same way. But would you still feel nervous if you
+were talking to the clerk at a convenience store?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+"The clerk at a convenience store you visit often. 'Do you have a point
+card? Would you like that warmed up?' You don't get anxious when the clerk
+asks you those questions, right?"
+"Well, th-that's..." she stammered.
+If you thought of communication as a skill, like athleticism, it was
+simple. You had to train your talents. Ibuki got nervous because she was
+acutely aware of who she was talking to . I wonder what they think of me. I
+want them to like me. I hope they're a good person.
+When Ibuki infiltrated Class D, she probably didn't have time to
+consider those things. She was playing a part, not thinking about how people
+would react to her real self. And she usually gave off an outcast vibe anyway,
+which worked as the perfect disguise.
+"T suppose, when you put it that way, you have a point," she muttered.
+"You were ready to talk to the fortune-teller face-to-face. It's natural to
+feel anxious, but there's no reason to. If you don't think about
+communication too hard, that should relieve some of the tension."
+"T see. Wait, why the hell are you lecturing me?" Ibuki glared, looking
+ready to pounce.
+"When you've been a loner for a long time, you understand these kinds
+of things. You wonder why you can't make friends, and you think about the
+differences between the people who make you nervous and those who don't.
+Finally, you think about where people come from and where they're going."
+"You're creepy. You seem like the sort who'Il turn out to be a mass
+murderer later in life. Were you always like this?" Ibuki asked.
+"More or less."
+Things had veered into rather awkward territory. I probably came
+across as a weirdo.
+"Well, I'm heading back. How about you?" I asked.
+"T'll probably head back, too. I can have my fortune read alone,
+anyway. I was really interested in tenchuusatsu, though," she said.
+" Tenchuusatsu ?"
+That wasn't exactly the kind of word you heard all that often.
+"Wait. You came without even knowing what that is?" Ibuki sighed in
+exasperation. "Put simply, it's a type of fortune-telling that tells you what
+times are unlucky for you."
+Was it really possible to pinpoint an aspect of someone's destiny like
+that? My knowledge of fortune-telling was limited to superstitions like "wear
+the color red," and "be careful not to lose something this month." However,
+Ibuki made it sound like there was far more to fortune-telling.
+"That's why I came. Fortune-telling isn't all about romance and such."
+Ibuki sounded disappointed as she looked back at the long line.
+"Maybe some of them came here to check out tenchuusatsu, or
+whatever it's called," I replied.
+"Even so, I get the feeling that the romance stuff is what they're after,
+since the fortune-teller is forcing us to visit in pairs," she replied.
+And with that, Ibuki left.
+aie
+A fter I returned to my dorm room, I did some research into
+tenchuusatsu . It was an incredibly deep subject. Before 1980, tenchuusatsu
+had been something of a hot topic worldwide. However, as its popularity
+boomed, people started to doubt its credibility. There was a news story about
+a famous fortune-teller who was forced to retire after he dropped tenchuusatsu
+Fortune-telling might have some value, even if depending too much on
+it was bad. From a true believer's perspective, it probably seemed fairly
+accurate.
+With that thought in mind, curiosity overcame me. Yet I couldn't
+believe what I read online. It was impossible to divine the future. I wanted to
+try tenchuusatsu out for myself, to see if it was a lie. I wanted what the
+fortune-teller was doing to be simply an extension of cold reading.
+"T wonder if tenchuusatsu is only being offered this month?" I muttered
+Apparently, the fortune-teller's crew was leaving when summer
+vacation ended. There was no information on whether they'd return. A
+fortune-teller might never visit this school again.
+I didn't have anyone to invite. I was completely out of options.
+Horikita would just turn me down if I asked, and I didn't have the courage to
+invite Kushida. I felt like Sakura would probably come with me, but if I
+brought her to a place positively teeming with couples, it'd make her
+uncomfortable. After that were the guys, like Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi, but
+they probably didn't want to spend their few precious remaining days of
+summer vacation getting their fortunes read with another dude.
+"T'm stuck, huh?"
+Besides, I didn't like this couples-only requirement. Ibuki and I agreed
+on that. It seemed like a huge turn-off for people with a genuine interest in
+fortune-telling. I gave up and stopped my online research.
+2.3
+T he day after I'd given up, though, I found myself moving toward
+the fortune-teller again.
+"Ah."
+Yet another bizarre meeting; fate had reunited me with Ibuki. We
+happened upon the same place at the exact same time.
+"Why did you come here again? And by yourself?" Ibuki looked
+disgusted. I got the impression that I thoroughly repulsed her.
+"T could ask you the same question," I countered.
+"Well, I said that I like fortune-telling, didn't I? I thought maybe I
+could have my fortune read, even if I'm alone," she replied.
+So, Ibuki came here hoping the rules had changed since yesterday. I
+wondered if she really did like fortune-telling that much, and if so, which part.
+"I'm going to ask you something directly. Ibuki, do you believe in
+fortune-telling>?" I asked.
+"Are you saying I shouldn't?"
+"No. But it's generally not something people start to believe in all of a
+sudden, right?"
+Not everyone understood that fortune-telling was the mere application
+of techniques such as cold reading. Many genuinely believed in divination's
+mysterious power.
+"T suppose a lot of people start out thinking that way. But if you can't
+move past that, fortune-telling's probably not for you," [buki said.
+"So, you're saying that nonbelievers aren't qualified to have their
+fortunes read?"
+"No, that's not it. Let me put it this way. It's not like I believe in
+fortune-telling unconditionally. However, people who are overly skeptical
+from the very start won't get anything out of it. People who make fun of
+fortune-telling often lead lives riddled with contradictions themselves.
+They' ll say they don't believe in kami or in Buddha, for instance—but when
+they're in trouble, they call on a higher power for help, don't they?"
+That was a good argument. Gods didn't exist, and neither did things
+like ghosts. Yet many who made caustic statements like "God doesn't exist"
+would still visit shrines to bring in good fortune for the New Year. They'd
+pray for freedom from disease, success in business, or fulfillment in love.
+They'd clasp their hands and say, "Please, Kami-sama, listen to my prayers."
+What you believed in and what you wished for were infinitely
+different, and no one could deny that.
+That said, fortune-telling wasn't the same as the existence of a higher
+power. Fortune-tellers were just people, like you or me. Really, I couldn't
+help but be skeptical.
+"Do you understand?" Ibuki asked.
+"Yeah."
+I still had lingering doubts, but I got the gist. I decided to make a
+suggestion.
+"The fortune-teller only offers readings to pairs, but they're not only
+reading for romance, right?" I asked.
+"Yes, obviously."
+"In that case, why don't we go together? We're both genuinely
+interested in fortune-telling. If we're not in a relationship that might have
+future complications, I don't think we have anything to worry about."
+I honestly felt absolutely nothing for Ibuki. My emotions were a flat
+line, neither good nor bad. It was like dealing with a first-time customer in a
+store.
+"Well, I don't mind. I would like to have my fortune read, after all. Are
+you okay with this?" she asked.
+"Even if Horikita were here, she's only a friend."
+"That's not what I meant. Some students still hold a bit of a grudge
+toward me because of what happened on the island."
+Ibuki was looking out for me, in a way. She was worried that, if my
+classmates saw us together, they might resent me.
+"T don't think you really need to worry about that."
+Ibuki craned her neck like she was puzzled. "I don't understand."
+"Tf everyone at this school got along, then yes, what you did would be
+considered a massive moral violation. However, the school believes that
+ability is everything. Besides, the classes were competing against one
+another. Spying and sabotage were natural tactics to employ under the
+circumstances. Am I wrong?"
+"But a lot of people operate based on feelings, rather than logic, and
+they won't be convinced of that. Not everyone's quite as mentally flexible."
+"T don't think people like that would be admitted to this school in the
+first place."
+Ibuki crossed her arms and looked deep in thought for a moment.
+"You're surprisingly shameless, aren't you?"
+"All I am is an unremarkable student. I have no interest in either trying
+to crawl my way up the ladder or being kicked off it. If working with a
+student like Horikita lets me coast by, then I'm lucky."
+"That's not uncommon, though. Every student in this school has their
+eye on the special privileges that come with graduation. But no one foresaw
+that the school would make us compete like this, so I'm sure most students
+are bewildered."
+Apparently, Class C students weren't really that different from Class D.
+That probably meant that Ibuki, who'd caught Ryuuen's eye early on, must
+be formidable. In fact, after her identity as the spy was discovered, Ibuki was
+at Ryuuen's side on several occasions. She said that she was only helping
+him to make up for her failure, but it seemed like he trusted her, at least to
+some degree.
+Ibuki and I both got in line. The clerk I'd run into the other day came
+by once again to confirm that we were a pair, then handed us tickets. There
+were eight couples ahead of us.
+"Looks like we'll be waiting for a while," I sighed.
+If only one fortune-teller was available, Ibuki and I would have to wait
+longer than an hour, even if they managed the time efficiently. How would
+the two of us endure that? I probably couldn't carry on a conversation for that
+long.
+"We're only together to have our fortunes read, so we don't really need
+to make pointless chit-chat, right?" Ibuki asked me.
+"T guess you have a point," I answered.
+She'd picked up on what I was thinking. Good. I'd been saved a lot of
+hassle.
+2.4
+{4
+N ext, please."
+It was the middle of the afternoon when I heard that small voice come
+out of the temporary tent.
+"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
+In the end, fortune-telling for each pair took approximately fifteen
+minutes, which forced Ibuki and me to stand in line for even longer than
+anticipated. Just as I started to wonder if I even cared about fortune-telling
+anymore, I passed through a curtain and entered the room where the fortune-
+teller waited.
+When I entered, I found a chamber that looked like something out of a
+television show. It was dark inside, probably around 30 lux. The fortune-
+teller appeared to be an elderly woman, but a hood obscured her face, so I
+couldn't make out her expression. She sat with a thick book, the contents of
+which I couldn't guess, and some kind of crystal ball. It looked like one of
+those balls you chuck around in the hammer throw in track and field.
+This was excellent atmosphere.
+The crystal ball immediately began to glow, as if it would reflect my
+and Ibuki's futures. There were two backless seats in front of the fortune-
+teller. When we sat down, the fortune-teller chuckled lightly and moved her
+right hand.
+"First...you must pay," she commanded.
+She pulled out a small card reader from under the table and placed it
+before us. Such a product of modern civilization felt out of place, especially
+in contrast to the scene around me. Not that I expected the reading to be free,
+of course.
+"What kind of fortune are you going to read?" asked Ibuki, presenting
+her student ID card.
+"Tt can be about your academics, career, love life, or anything you
+like," the fortune-teller answered with an unsettling grin. The expression lent
+itself nicely to the atmosphere, but she seemed less like a fortune-teller, and
+more like a witch.
+The list of prices she showed us seemed oddly mismatched. They were
+separated into several categories. The "Basic Plan" package seemed to
+include the services the fortune-teller had already mentioned. There were
+several packages, one of which seemed to be related to tenchuusatsu . There
+were even options that let you see the end of your life. Of course, since this
+was a couples' activity, many options were related to romance.
+I wondered what a couple would do if the fortune-teller divined that
+they had poor romantic compatibility. Regardless, every option was rather
+expensive. We'd be spending well over 5,000 points.
+"Tt's a lot of money," I sighed.
+For a Class D student like me, who struggled with points daily, this
+was a tough pill to swallow. Even so, it probably would've been pointless to
+go home without finding out more about tenchuusatsu . I could just listen to
+Ibuki's fortune and head back, but then I wouldn't know how reliable the
+fortune-teller was.
+Just in case, I checked my private points balance on my phone. I had
+roughly 6,000 points remaining: barely enough.
+"T'll do the Basic Plan," said Ibuki.
+Despite her unexpected interest in fortune-telling, she didn't seem to
+want a detailed fortune.
+"And you?" asked the fortune-teller.
+"T'll take the same," I replied.
+It felt as though I was placing an order at a restaurant. I presented my
+student ID card, and the card reader beeped, indicating that it had deducted
+points.
+"Very well, let's start with the young lady. What's your name?"
+"Tbuki. Ibuki Mio," she answered flatly.
+"When I tell fortunes, I see the face, the hand, and then the heart of the
+person I'm reading. I may see something that you won't like. Are you
+prepared for that?" asked the fortune-teller.
+"Do whatever you want," Ibuki replied.
+I saw a bit of the fortune-teller's wrinkled skin under her hood, along
+with the sharp gleam in her eye. She instructed Ibuki to extend both hands,
+then revealed her fortune.
+"First, a palm reading. You have a long lifeline. You have a long, long
+life to look forward to. I cannot see you suffering any major illness so far,"
+the fortune-teller began.
+A typical start. I couldn't imagine that a person could divine such
+things just by looking at the lines on someone's palm. Maybe the fortune-
+teller based her readings off personal experiences?
+If it were me, I'd simply base my answer on the customer's apparent
+health. ''d come to a conclusion based on their complexion, build, and so on.
+But the fortune-teller continued her reading at length, carefully
+providing Ibuki with predictions about academics, financial success, love,
+and so on. The predictions sounded ordinary and innocuous to me, but Ibuki
+listened with seeming satisfaction. The fortune-teller didn't have anything
+particularly negative to say. Most of her predictions were of a bright future.
+She occasionally issued warnings, but they didn't seem to pose a significant
+threat.
+"Thank you very much," said Ibuki. She bowed her head gratefully.
+It now seemed to be my turn, a chance for me to understand this
+fortune-telling business.
+The fortune-teller followed the same process she'd used with Ibuki,
+and the answers I received were largely indistinguishable from Ibuki's.
+Things seemed fundamentally good, but the fortune-teller said that there
+would be a future time when I would need to be careful to avoid disaster.
+"T see... It seems that you had a harsh childhood," she continued.
+A rather broad statement. Most people would claim to have gone
+through one or two harsh experiences during their youth, especially boys. I
+wanted her to give me more concrete answers. More importantly, I found it
+mysterious that a fortune-teller, who should have been divining the future,
+was instead talking about the past.
+Ibuki sat without once interrupting, or even yawning, and listened
+intently. Perhaps this was what fortune-telling was supposed to be like. Or
+perhaps this was a necessary ritual? Maybe the fortune-teller needed to visit
+the past first.
+Humans were creatures of convenience. Once people got the idea into
+their heads that they'd been promised "good luck," they freely interpreted the
+next thing that went their way as a sign of their fortune coming true. Ah, so m)
+fortune was right, they would think. However, the reality was that everyone
+had "good luck" at some point, because life delivered both happiness and
+unhappiness in great and small amounts.
+"This is..." The fortune-teller stopped moving her hands. "You're the
+holder of the fate tenchuusatsu!" she exclaimed.
+"Wha—? Seriously?" Ibuki balked.
+Even though it was my fortune, I was the least surprised person there.
+Tenchuusatsu wasn't a word I'd even been aware of until the day before. The
+fortune-teller and Ibuki seemed way more shocked by this revelation.
+"To put it simply, you've lived a life of constant misfortune since you
+were born," Ibuki explained.
+"This is incredible!" the fortune-teller exclaimed.
+It might have been pure coincidence, but that claim was accurate. Still
+vague, though. Besides, from a cynical viewpoint, more than a few people
+would call themselves constantly unlucky. I supposed it was risky for the
+fortune-teller to make an unhappy prediction, though.
+"So, is this fate tenchuusatsu going to apply to me from here on out?" I
+asked.
+"The little girl wasn't quite right when she said that the tenchuusatsu
+meant you lived a life of misfortune," the fortune-teller replied.
+"Little girl?" Ibuki repeated, annoyed.
+"Fate tenchuusatsu is certainly rare. However, that doesn't necessarily
+mean that your entire life will be marked by misfortune. It's true that the
+overall outlook is bad. There are negatives: you won't have the blessing of
+your parents, or your family. However, the rest is up to you, individually.
+You alone decide what you can do and can't do," the fortune-teller explained.
+She had a grim expression on her face, but I could see compassion in
+her eyes.
+"You don't need to be pessimistic, and you don't need to act like
+you're starring in a comedy, either," she continued.
+I'd heard some interesting things today, but in the end, it was just
+fortune-telling. I wasn't on the edge of my seat with anticipation. When I
+tried to get up, though, the fortune-teller stopped me.
+"T have one more piece of advice for you. Go straight home, without
+taking any detours. If you stray, you might be stuck for quite a long time.
+Even if you do get stuck, don't panic. If you stay calm and work together,
+you should be able to overcome it," she told me.
+What prophetic words.
+23
+ce
+S 0, how was your first fortune-telling experience?" Ibuki asked.
+"How was yours?"
+"T was mostly satisfied, I think. That fortune-teller is actually pretty
+famous. People say that she's highly accurate."
+"T see. It seems like a simple profession, but I guess it's actually
+difficult," I replied.
+Fortune-telling was partly based on templates. A fortune-teller gave
+you hastily thrown together generalizations, but also bits of truth, calculated
+to excite the listener. They didn't just rely on luck, but also on long practice
+and experience.
+"T'm not going to dismiss fortune-telling from now on," I added.
+"Ah, I see."
+Ibuki's reply was short, disinterested. We headed toward the elevator.
+"Geh. It's really crowded again," I grumbled.
+If I continued onwards, I faced hell. If I turned back, I faced hell.
+Students crowded the elevator area.
+"Sorry, but I think I'm going to find another way home. I'll take a
+detour," I told Ibuki.
+"Yeah, me too."
+As we made our way to the other elevator, I remembered what the
+fortune-teller had said.
+"That reminds me, earlier..."
+"The fortune-teller said not to take any detours," Ibuki said.
+My eyes met Ibuki's for an instant. Whether it was coincidence, or an
+inevitability, we decided to take the detour.
+"Well, this might be interesting. Let's see how accurate her prediction
+was," I mused.
+We arrived at the elevator without incident. No one else was around
+when we hit the button to call the car.
+"Ts the first floor okay?"
+"Yeah," Ibuki said.
+It seemed as though our paths would soon diverge. I pushed the button
+for the first floor. The elevator doors closed, and the car began to move.
+Since Ibuki and I had nothing else to talk about, we rode in silence.
+However, as the third-floor light blinked on, the elevator made a heavy
+grinding noise, then stopped.
+It didn't seem like we'd paused because someone had called the
+elevator on the third floor; it seemed more like the elevator had ground to a
+halt. The lights went out, and for an instant, everything was pitch black
+before the emergency lights came on.
+"Ts it a power outage?" asked Ibuki.
+"Seems that way," I replied. If this was what the fortune-teller meant
+about getting stuck, then she was right on the money.
+"Shouldn't we use the emergency phone?"
+There was no need to panic. The elevator had measures in place in the
+event of a breakdown. There were surveillance cameras inside the car, and an
+intercom button connected to an emergency dispatch center. [buki leaned
+against the back wall of the elevator. Although I wasn't really good at talking
+to people, I decided to push the call button.
+However...
+"There's no response," I said.
+I didn't know whether the phone on the other end was ringing or not,
+but I saw no indication that we were connecting to anyone at the emergency
+dispatch center.
+"Ts the call not going through because of the power outage?" Ibuki
+asked.
+"No. Elevators normally have a backup battery that lasts for several
+hours. The fact that the emergency lights are on right now is proof of that
+battery. I think this means there's some other internal failure."
+I pushed the button meant for the hearing-impaired, but got no response
+from that, either. Perhaps the control panel itself was dead. The battery was
+alive, though, and the air conditioning was working. That was a lifesaver, but
+what were we supposed to do?
+"Can you try calling the school from your phone? We should be in
+range," I said.
+"T'm sorry, but would you do it?" she asked.
+"T know you don't want to talk to other people, but can't you do that
+much?"
+"Ugh," she muttered.
+With a disgruntled look, Ibuki pulled out her phone. When she looked
+at it, her expression immediately worsened. She showed her screen to me. A
+message said that the battery was low. Immediately afterwards, it died.
+"T don't have anyone to talk to, so I don't usually notice when my
+battery is about to die. You do it," Ibuki grumbled.
+"Guess I got no choice," I replied.
+I pulled out my phone. Once I saw my screen, I stiffened.
+"Hurry up already," [buki urged.
+"Apparently, our situation is far more serious than I originally
+thought."
+My phone's battery was at only 4 percent. It was like a flickering
+candle flame that the wind could extinguish at any moment.
+"You're messing with me," Ibuki growled.
+"T'm the same as you. Since I don't have a lot of people to talk to, I
+don't really bother checking my battery life."
+"You're such a useless man."
+"You know, you're being kind of mean, even though we're both in the
+exact same position. Okay, where to call now?"
+I looked around to see if I could find contact information for
+emergency services, and discovered a ten-digit number near the button panel.
+However, thanks to some jerk who probably thought they were hilarious, the
+last four digits were scribbled over with magic marker.
+"A prank like this is evil," I muttered.
+"Why don't you call someone you know?" Ibuki asked.
+"Someone I know, huh?" Who would I call? "Maybe Horikita?"
+"Rejected," she countered.
+"T thought you'd say that."
+"Tf you call her, then that would mean she'd come to save us, right?
+Don't make me laugh."
+I didn't think it really mattered who rescued us, though. Besides, it
+wasn't as though Ibuki were somehow responsible for this. The elevator
+simply broke down. There was no reason for her to worry; maybe she just
+didn't like the idea of showing weakness in front of her rival.
+"You don't want things to get messy?" I guessed. Ibuki nodded
+slightly.
+So, we needed someone who would come to our rescue without
+causing a scene, huh? That meant those three idiots were out of the question.
+They'd make a huge deal out of this, and probably tell everyone afterward.
+Sakura wouldn't gossip, but the situation would probably fluster her. It'd be
+difficult for her to help us out.
+Kushida and Karuizawa were probably likewise unsuited to the task.
+Someone who would come help without causing any issues? The one person
+we could rely on was...that guy.
+"T'll respect your wishes, but let me choose the person we contact," I
+said.
+"As long as it's not Horikita."
+I called him right away. After the phone rang for a few seconds, the
+taciturn fellow quietly answered. I explained our situation and asked for help.
+However, not long after I started talking, my phone died. The screen silently
+faded to black.
+"Battery ran out," I told Ibuki.
+"Did he get the message?"
+"Probably."
+The only thing left to do was sit and wait. There was no need to panic
+—someone would definitely notice us before too long. If we tried to escape
+the elevator, like ina TV drama or movie, we'd just risk getting hurt.
+Then, though, the situation evolved in an unexpected direction. I heard
+what sounded like loud grinding inside the elevator. The pleasantly cool air
+emanating from the vent stopped.
+"No way," Ibuki groaned.
+She finally began to look upset. We were trapped in an enclosed space
+in the middle of summer. The temperature would likely rise dramatically. The
+air had only gotten a little warmer for now, but soon, we'd be sweating.
+"Can we possibly escape on our own?" [buki asked.
+"Looks like there's an emergency hatch, but..."
+Fewer elevators seemed to have hatches nowadays, but there was a
+square panel on the ceiling. You saw that kind of thing often in the movies,
+but in reality, it was unusual.
+"How are we supposed to get that open?" asked Ibuki.
+You couldn't normally open the escape hatch from the inside. It was
+there as a last resort, so that rescuers could still enter and get people out when
+the elevator doors broke. The hatch was probably kept locked from the
+outside, except during routine inspections.
+"T think we should wait. In an emergency situation in an elevator, the
+golden rule is to just wait it out." That was the safest and surest path.
+"Tf you can deal with being in a sauna, sure," snapped Ibuki.
+While we snarked at each other, the temperature continued to rise. I
+understood wanting to get out, but I also wanted to avoid poor decisions. I
+took off my jacket and sat on the floor. At times like this, it was important to
+remain calm.
+"How about you sit, too? If it's too hot, take off some clothes," I
+offered.
+"Huh? You can't possibly be thinking something sleazy in this
+situation. Are you?" Ibuki asked. She'd interpreted my words in a different
+way than I intended.
+"T heard you kept up with Horikita. There's no way I could defeat
+someone like you in combat," I told her.
+"Well, that's true, but..."
+"Of course, I'll turn around if you undress. Relax," I said.
+"T'm not taking my clothes off!" she snapped.
+Ibuki quickly sat down with a thud.
+We waited quietly for about thirty minutes, but still hadn't heard from
+anyone.
+"This isn't good," I muttered. [buki's breathing grew ragged.
+Sweat poured down our foreheads and dripped from our hair. My shirt
+was so soaked that it looked like I had stood under a waterfall. The situation
+had gotten significantly more dangerous than I previously imagined. This
+elevator was installed into the Keyaki Mall's external wall. I hadn't noticed
+that before, because of the air conditioning, but it would get extremely hot
+under these conditions.
+Children have died after being stuck in locked cars in the middle of
+summer, and the same danger can apply to adults, too. It felt like the two of
+us were about to suffer heatstroke.
+"T can't take it anymore! Move!" Ibuki shouted.
+She shot up and kicked the elevator wall with all of her might, leaving
+a dent. She kicked the same place again. The elevator wobbled slightly, but
+showed no sign of actually moving.
+"Y ou're just wasting your energy. I can't say sitting here doing
+nothing's the safest option anymore either, though," I muttered.
+Even if someone outside had noticed the malfunctioning elevator soon
+after it stopped, the rescue crew would take roughly thirty minutes to arrive.
+Help might be here any minute, but if we remained stuck much longer,
+heatstroke would be inevitable. Our lives might be in danger.
+"Guess we've got no choice," I muttered.
+I wasn't about to roast to death in an elevator sauna.
+"Should we kick down the door? Hey, should we kick it down?" Ibuki
+was quickly going berserk.
+"Let's try to open the hatch on top," I suggested. The most important
+thing was to make an opening, even if we couldn't escape through it. "The
+ceiling is about two meters up. Probably like 2.2 or 2.3..."
+Even if I stretched as far as I could, I couldn't reach that high.
+"Move," Ibuki snapped.
+Ibuki leaped upwards directly beneath the hatch. It was an incredible
+jump. She reached up and pushed with all her might, but the hatch didn't
+budge in the slightest. When she landed, the shock made the elevator wobble
+wildly.
+"Looks like it's stuck," she said.
+"Guess so."
+"Well, you predicted that it was locked, but how's it locked? What's
+the mechanism?"
+"T think it's secured with a padlock, but if so, what do we do?" I
+honestly didn't have any idea.
+"T'll kick it."
+"No. That's definitely impossible," I said.
+Ibuki might've been extremely confident in her strength, but this
+elevator wasn't something that you could simply kick open.
+"That's an emergency hatch, right? That means rescuers need to be
+able to open the elevator from the outside. If we look at it from that
+perspective, the amount of force needed should be minimal," she replied.
+I got what Ibuki was saying, but the situation wasn't that simple.
+Besides, since the hatch was located on the ceiling, it was going to be hard to
+kick.
+"We won't know if we don't try," Ibuki continued. She started looking
+at the elevator walls. She wasn't planning to kick off the wall and launch
+herself, was she?
+"Wow. So, I guess the fortune-teller's warning really did come true,
+didn't it?" I asked.
+"Huh? What are you talking about?"
+"The old woman told me not to panic if I get stuck. She told me to
+cooperate." I turned my gaze to the elevator buttons. "The emergency button
+didn't respond, and the call didn't connect. But what about the other
+buttons?"
+Since the first-floor button was lit, the battery was probably still alive. I
+tried pushing the second-floor button as a test, and it lit up. This was worth a
+shot. I started pushing buttons at random.
+"Tt's pointless," Ibuki rebuked me. "We don't have any other choice
+but to kick our way out, right?"
+"No, there's another way. Elevators have something like a cancel
+command function, don't they?"
+I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about elevators, but I'd picked up
+a few things. There was a way to cancel a command after you pushed a
+button for the wrong floor by mistake. The command differed, based on the
+elevator manufacturer, but if you kept pushing the cancel button, that could
+stop the elevator.
+When I continued to push the button for the second floor, the light went
+off.
+"There should be some commands in express mode, for sure," I
+muttered.
+"Express?"
+"Say we were on the third floor. If we headed down to the first floor,
+the elevator would normally stop on the second, if people on that floor hit the
+call button. However, if you use the express command, the elevator ignores
+other commands and takes you directly to the first floor."
+I didn't know whether this elevator had an express mode, though.
+"Ts it worth giving it a try?" Ibuki asked.
+"Well, it's better than trying to break through the ceiling."
+In truth, I didn't think I would get the elevator moving by using the
+express mode. I wanted to buy time by changing the subject, and by giving
+Ibuki renewed hope. She was on the verge of losing her cool.
+"Help me think this through. If we both come up with ideas, we might
+stumble onto a solution," I suggested.
+I tried pushing the button for the first floor repeatedly, simultaneously
+pushing the buttons for all the other floors. No matter what I did, however,
+the elevator didn't respond.
+"Let me try."
+"Okay. "
+Ibuki started pushing various buttons. We would really need a plan in
+the event that help wasn't coming. Maybe kicking down the door was
+actually worth considering. Even if we couldn't break it open completely, an
+opening big enough to slip through would be adequate.
+I'd have preferred to get out of the elevator without resorting to violent
+behavior, but as long as we could escape, I didn't really care about the means.
+"T don't really know about canceling commands, but I can't imagine
+you'd be able to activate the elevator's express mode just by punching a
+combination of buttons. Right?" Ibuki said.
+That seemed obvious. Children mash elevator buttons at random all the
+time, and an elevator in express mode would also be pretty inconvenient for
+other passengers. We likely couldn't activate that mode through a typical
+combination of buttons.
+"In that case, it might be better to exclude complex commands," I said.
+Let's say that, to use express mode, you had to enter one, six, five, five,
+four, two, four, and then your destination. That would be difficult to
+memorize, and would have a height requirement of at least six floors. A code
+like that would be odd if your elevator only covered three floors.
+"We should try pushing the emergency button, don't you think? So,
+then...one, two, or three? With the open and close buttons, that makes five
+buttons overall."
+"1 think it's some combination of those buttons," I said.
+If there were more combinations, it would've been extremely difficult
+to test them all. Ibuki started trying out the limited number of combinations.
+As I watched, I mentally crossed off the ones that didn't work.
+"Ah, I can't take it! It's so hot!" Ibuki whined.
+She punched the wall to relieve some frustration. Considering how on-
+edge she was, I decided to drop it.
+"It's not opening. Have we already tested everything?" she asked.
+"Almost. If there are any button combinations left..."
+There was one possibility. I decided to try out one last command.
+"Why don't you try pushing the button for your desired floor, plus the
+close-door button at the same time?" I suggested.
+"The close-door button? All right." Ibuki muttered dismissively, but
+she tested the combination.
+I didn't expect the elevator to respond, but it started to move. Ibuki and
+I looked at each other. After a few seconds, the elevator arrived on the first
+floor, and the doors slowly opened. Cool air flowed inside the car. We found
+two adults looking at us, wearing shocked expressions.
+"Are you all right?! Are you hurt?!"
+"We're okay, we're not hurt. It was just really hot," I answered.
+Looking at our sweaty state, they could probably guess how hot it was.
+They offered us sports drinks right away, and instructed us to head over to the
+doctor's office for examination, just in case.
+"Um, can I ask one question? Could it be that we moved the elevator?"
+"Oh, no, we moved it directly from here."
+A special remote control operated the elevator from the first floor.
+Apparently, Ibuki and I hadn't caused the elevator to move using express
+mode, or anything. We just happened to push the buttons at the exact same
+time the adults operated the elevator remotely.
+"You must have had a rough time in there."
+"Yeah, it was a disaster. Fortune-telling is serious business," Ibuki said.
+As I thanked the adults, a man watching from the sidelines approached
+us.
+"Are you all right, Ayanokouji?" the large man asked. He seemed more
+anxious than someone that size should.
+"You rescued us," I told him.
+This man, Katsuragi, was probably the one who'd saved the day.
+"T got the gist of the situation from the information you gave me over
+the phone. I'm sure you must be glad to be down," he replied.
+"T have to head to the doctor's office now, but I'll thank you properly
+later," I said.
+"There's no need. You and Sudou have helped me a lot. There are
+some lines we can't cross, because we're from different classes, but I happen
+to think cooperation's an excellent thing," answered Katsuragi.
+"Sounds like things went well for you," I said.
+"Yeah. Sudou performed brilliantly. Please tell him once again that I'm
+very appreciative."
+"Sure thing."
+"T should thank you as well, Ayanokouji. Despite the plentiful
+evidence, there must have been considerable resistance to the plan I
+proposed."
+Katsuragi bowed his head in gratitude. I owed him, too. Had I been
+stuck in that elevator any longer, I might have lost it.
+"Tf you need anything else, please contact me. I'll assist you with
+anything...other than exams, of course." Katsuragi chuckled.
+With that, he turned and left.
+Katsuragi and I had started to become real friends. We were as close as
+I was to the three idiots, maybe even more so. But how did I know
+Katsuragi's contact information, even though he was in Class A? And why
+were we close?
+The story of our friendship had begun a little while ago.
+Chapter 3:
+Katsuragi Kouhei is
+Surprisingly Troubled
+A Ithough most Japanese people aren't typically mindful of religion,
+Christianity has influenced them strongly through events such as Christmas
+and birthday celebrations. You could say that was a result of people's faith,
+but also that it came from clever marketing luring them in. The recent trend
+of celebrating Halloween could be chalked up to the same influence.
+What I'm trying to say is that birthdays were rather significant events
+at this school. The convenience stores, shopping malls, and other campus
+facilities had special kiosks set up for that single purpose.
+This particular story began one week before Ibuki and I ended up stuck
+in an elevator, when I received a message from Kushida, the class sweetheart.
+The message read, Next Wednesday is Inogashira-san's birthday.
+Would you care to celebrate with us?
+She had sent the message to our group chat. Inogashira was a
+somewhat quiet, plain girl from Class D, rather like Sakura. She didn't have
+many friends, so the idea seemed to be to help her make some. Of course, Ike
+jumped at the invitation, for a blatantly obvious reason: he liked Kushida and
+wanted to be in her good graces. He'd probably use this event as a way to get
+closer to her.
+He messaged us. You got a message from Kikyou-chan too, right? Let's
+get some presents for Kokoro-chan!
+Yamauchi's response was slow in coming. Well, I don't got any money.
+I should be getting some next month, though .
+That was right—the Class D students were basically broke. We'd
+netted good results in the last special exam, and certain students had been
+promised rather large amounts of private points. Sadly, those points wouldn't
+be deposited until September 1. By that time, the elevator incident had
+happened, so I'd used up a lot of points on the fortune-teller and had almost
+nothing left.
+I would be finishing summer vacation as a poor man. Did these guys
+plan on buying individual gifts? If this were a close friend's birthday, that'd
+be one thing. But none of my friends were close with Inogashira.
+Isn't it all right if the guys just pool their points and buy her one
+present? In that case, we should be able to buy her a proper gift, even if it's
+just 500 points, I proposed.
+I thought Yamauchi would agree to that, but apparently his financial
+situation was dire. He was just barely scraping by, living a life of poverty.
+We had been awarded 8,700 private points at the start of August.
+Compared to an average high schooler's allowance, that was a little
+unsatisfactory, but you could get by on it by if you were smart. Fortunately,
+the school provided a free meal plan, and water was free. So, if you were
+frugal, it was possible to get by without spending a single yen. Still, most
+students ran out of money once the end of the month approached, just like
+when we'd started school there and received 100,000 points in that first
+month. If people had money, they liked to spend it.
+In the end, all three of them agreed with my proposition. We decided to
+go out and buy the present together.
+3.1
+A s I felt the boiling heat on my skin, I wiped sweat off my forehead.
+"But...why is Kikyou-chan not here?! Huh, Ayanokouji?! She's the
+most important person!" shouted Ike.
+The first thing out of Ike's mouth when we met was his concern
+regarding Kushida's absence. I wished he wouldn't turn to me for an
+explanation. I wasn't in charge of Horikita and Kushida's schedules.
+"Try to calm down. Remember, Kushida never said that she'd go with
+us." Kushida had seemingly invited her other girlfriends shopping, rather
+than spend time with a bunch of overheated boys.
+"T'm not convinced! If Kikyou-chan isn't here, there's no point!" Ike
+shouted.
+"Now I have to shop for a present I don't even care about with a bunch
+of assholes!" Yamauchi complained.
+I understood why he wanted to shout, but it wasn't like I wanted to hang
+out with a bunch of dumb guys, either. Well, I supposed I was enjoying this a
+little. It was the first time I'd hung out with other guys during summer
+vacation, besides the special tests. Normal people generally do things like
+shop or go the movies with their friends.
+"Tt's pretty lame to go shopping for a birthday present when it's just us
+three assholes, huh? Haruki, I'll leave the rest to you. Go ahead and pick
+something Kokoro-chan would like," said Ike.
+"Screw that. You wanted to go, so you should do the shopping!"
+countered Yamauchi.
+The two of them bickered until I stepped in.
+"How about you two calm down? It'll be better if we shop together,
+right? Sudou's also entrusted us with his share of the points," I said.
+"That's true, but I don't think it's necessary for the three of us to go,"
+Ike whined.
+"We've come all this way. Let's hurry up, buy the present, and head
+back," I replied. "We're wasting time and energy just standing here and
+complaining in this heat, don't you agree?"
+"Enough, I get it already. Let's just buy it and head back. Ah, this is so
+boring!"
+In contrast to the other two guys, I was a little excited as we headed to
+the store. Passing all the shops lined up on campus, we came to a Store that
+girls frequented. The clerk was an older beauty, and the interior was
+completely pink. Frivolous objects like stuffed animals and cell phone
+accessories lined the shelves. It felt as though the shop was trying to squeeze
+private points out of the students.
+"Well, since the school gave us points in the first place, it's not really a
+loss," I murmured.
+"What are you muttering about? Come on, help us pick what we should
+buy," said Ike. The two of them should have been ashamed of themselves.
+They were ogling the beautiful store clerk and the other girls as they shopped,
+clearly having a good time.
+We split up and hunted around the store to find a birthday present. Of
+course, I'd never intended to pick it myself. I had no idea what to choose.
+"Something Kokoro-chan would like, huh? Honestly, I have no clue," I
+murmured.
+This was my first time giving someone a birthday present, but I wasn't
+sure whether I could categorize this as an individual "first" for me, since the
+present was supposed to come from the three of us. At any rate, I had no
+experience with birthday-present shopping. The only ideas I came up with
+were things like a bouquet of roses, or a ring, which were hardly sensible.
+Those weren't even birthday gifts; they were what you'd bring to propose
+marriage. I wanted to find something safe.
+After circling the shop, I met up with Yamauchi again. He held a small,
+white stuffed bear. I, meanwhile, had a cell phone case. When Yamauchi saw
+that, he grimaced.
+"Just put that phone case away. Kokoro-chan definitely has one
+already. Besides, it's so completely different from what she likes, I think it'd
+just cause trouble, honestly," he said.
+"IT see. Well, how about this screen protector?" I showed him what I'd
+picked out as a backup plan. Yamauchi frowned even more deeply.
+"No, no, no. She doesn't need something like that. You really have no
+sense when it comes to this stuff, Ayanokouji."
+"But wouldn't stuffed animals just clutter her room?" I asked. It wasn't
+like a stuffed animal would be useful.
+"Sure, it might be in the way, but she can use it to decorate. It matches
+her interior. Kokoro-chan likes the white bear series, so she should be happy
+with this present. Besides, I don't want to hear any sass from the guy who
+picked out a screen protector," Yamauchi snapped.
+When he made fun of me like that, it really came as a shock. Still, I
+was honestly impressed that he'd researched the tastes of the gift's recipient.
+I had enough trouble just trying to remember Inogashira's name and face.
+"So, where's Kanji?"
+"T wonder..."
+We found Ike standing completely still over by the keychain section.
+He looked strangely serious, so we approached quietly. Ike was holding some
+kind of object with an orange character motif. He also held a cloth with the
+white bear character Yamauchi had mentioned on it.
+"Hey, Kanji."
+"Wha—?! D-don't surprise me like that! Jeez!" Flustered, Ike dropped
+the keychain. Then, for some reason, he immediately put it back on the shelf,
+as if trying to hide it.
+"D-did you already decide?" Yamauchi asked.
+"Yeah, I thought we'd buy this white bear towel. Ha ha ha," Ike
+replied.
+"Not that. Why were you looking at keychains?"
+"Huh? It's not like I have an ulterior motive or anything. Anyway, let's
+see what's over there." Ike tried to change the subject. Yamauchi eyed him
+suspiciously.
+"Wait. If I remember correctly, didn't Shinohara like that orange
+character?"
+I certainly hadn't expected to hear Shinohara's name. She was a girl
+from Class D. During the test on the uninhabited island, she'd clashed with
+Ike numerous times.
+"R-really? That so? No, I was just wondering what Kikyou-chan would
+think, is all," Ike bluffed. Despite his words, he was obviously shaken.
+"Wait a minute. You're not thinking about Shinohara, are you?"
+Yamauchi inquired.
+"Huh?! What?! No way in hell, dude! That ugly chick? No way!"
+It was certainly true that you might say Shinohara was plain, compared
+to Kushida. But she was plenty cute in her own right. She had a somewhat
+forbidding personality, but even that could be thought of as appealing.
+"Are you for real? Something seems super suspicious here, don't you
+think, Ayanokouji?"
+"Well, that certainly didn't seem like a typical Ike reaction," I
+answered.
+"Look, don't get the wrong idea!" Ike shouted. "Shinohara isn't cute at
+all, and she has too much attitude! If I went out with a girl like her, I'd be too
+embarrassed to show my face anywhere!"
+"Ah."
+Yamauchi and I had both noticed another presence in the store. We
+frantically tried to get Ike to change the subject.
+"Sure, sure. We got it. We understand what you're saying. Let's go
+pick out Kokoro-chan's birthday present," urged Yamauchi.
+"No, you don't get it. You want to know how ugly I think Shinohara is?
+Listen up. It's not just her face, her personality is ugly too, you know? Not to
+mention she's practically a stick—she has, like, no curves. Even among other
+ugly chicks, she's probably the ugliest!"
+"A-all right, we get it already. Knock it off, Kanji! Look behind you!"
+"Huh?"
+Ike slowly turned. Shinohara stood behind him, looking as though she
+was about to start breathing fire. Glancing around the store, I saw her friends,
+including Kushida, some distance away. I supposed that was only natural.
+They were probably at the shop to pick out a birthday present for Inogashira,
+like us.
+"You can just go ahead and die, Ike!"
+With those heated words, Shinohara stormed out of the store. Ike
+watched her leave, seemingly unable to respond. He just stood there,
+dumbfounded, looking at Shinohara as she left.
+"Wh-what does she mean, 'die'? That's rich, coming from an uggo. R-
+right, guys?"
+Despite his shock, Ike tried to pretend he was still composed. We
+couldn't really do anything, so we just nodded.
+"H-hey, check it out, Ayanokouji! The baldy is here!" Yamauchi
+grabbed my shoulder.
+He clearly wanted to change the subject. I immediately knew who he
+meant. A giant man whose forbidding appearance contrasted starkly with this
+cute store looked at a shelf lined with goods. His back was turned to us.
+It was Katsuragi from Class A. He meandered around, wearing an
+intensely stern expression.
+"You think he's gonna shoplift>?"
+I really doubted that. Still, I hid without thinking, and watched him
+with Ike and Yamauchi. Katsuragi's expression remained unchanged, but he
+glanced around as if worried about something. He certainly looked like
+someone thinking about stealing.
+I unconsciously grabbed my phone. If I caught Katsuragi in the act, that
+could be useful later... No. I rejected that idea.
+"Why would I think something like that?" I asked myself.
+"Huh? What'd you say, Ayanokouji?"
+"Nothing." If Katsuragi tried to shoplift, that had nothing to do with
+"H-hey. What's baldy got there?!"
+Yamauchi and Ike were anxious to witness a crime, almost as if they
+were anti-shoplifting undercover cops. However, Katsuragi returned the thin
+box to the shelf. He took down a similar item, then went through the same
+motions again. It looked less like he wanted to steal anything, and more like
+he was just confused about what to buy. Ike noticed the discrepancy as well,
+and looked puzzled.
+"Maybe he doesn't want anyone to see what he's buying?" Ike
+suggested.
+"Yeah, you're probably right."
+So, Katsuragi came here to buy a present for someone. He seemed to
+be nearing a decision. Eventually, he picked a box off the shelf and made his
+way to the counter.
+Ike and Yamauchi rushed over to where Katsuragi had selected his
+present. The boxes looked like thin boards. They grabbed one, turned it over,
+and glanced at the product information.
+"This is...chocolate."
+Ike and Yamauchi trembled, as if something had fired them up.
+"W-wait, don't tell me that baldy already has a girlfriend?!"
+"Seriously?! So, that's the power of Class A?!"
+Ike and Yamauchi were evidently trembling with jealous rage over
+something so trivial.
+"Tt might just be a present for a friend, right?"
+"Who gives a present with such cute wrapping paper to a friend?!
+Would you ?! No, you wouldn't!"
+"T guess not."
+It was certainly difficult to imagine giving such a cute little box,
+adorned with ribbons, to a friend. At the very least, I couldn't imagine that
+you'd give it to someone of the same sex. It had to be for a girl Katsuragi was
+intimate with. That did suggest that he probably had a partner.
+Ike and Yamauchi glanced at Katsuragi again as they hid behind the
+shelves, collecting information.
+"Ts this a birthday present for someone?" the clerk asked Katsuragi.
+"Yes."
+"Would you like to include a birthday card?"
+"Yes, please. The birthday is August 29."
+Katsuragi answered the clerk's questions. Who in the world was the
+present for? Ike and Yamauchi started whispering.
+"Did you hear that? Which girl has a birthday on the twenty-ninth?"
+"T-J have no idea. I mean, today's Sunday, the twenty-first, so...her
+birthday would be Monday next week, right? Do you know who it might be,
+Ayanokouji?"
+"No clue."
+If those two didn't know, there was no way I did.
+3.2
+ce
+H ey. I guess I've already brought this up, but why exactly are we
+in my room?" I asked.
+For some reason, part of our usual group had gathered in my room after
+dinner that night. Ike and Yamauchi were there, as they'd promised. Kushida
+also came, as did Sudou, after he finished his club activities. If Horikita had
+been here, too, it would've been perfect.
+"Kikyou-chan, do you know the other girls' birthdays?" asked Ike.
+"Yeah. I think I've memorized the birthdates of everyone who's told
+me, more or less. Whose birthday did you want to know?" she answered.
+"Well, the thing is, it might not be someone from Class D," Ike added.
+"Tf it's an upperclassman, I don't know most of them, to be honest. But
+if it's a first year, ''d probably know them," said Kushida, just as I'd
+expected.
+"Which girls have birthdays on the twenty-ninth of this month?" asked
+Ike.
+"A girl whose birthday is on the twenty-ninth? Hold on just a minute,"
+said Kushida.
+She pulled out her phone and went through what had to be a birthday
+list. After she scrolled for a little while, she looked back up at us.
+"Sorry, but it doesn't seem like anyone I know has a birthday then."
+"T think it's probably a girl from Class A."
+"Class A? Hmm... I know all their birthdays, though."
+However, Kushida didn't seem to know one girl's birthday, which was
+the day after tomorrow.
+"Tf it's a first-year girl, I should know everyone, but I can't think of
+anyone who fits," mused Kushida. If even her overwhelming social network
+couldn't produce a name for us, it probably meant that the girl was from a
+different class.
+"Does this mean it's probably an upperclassman?" said Ike, throwing
+his arms up in defeat and collapsing onto his back.
+"What's the matter with the girl born on the twenty-ninth?" asked
+Kushida.
+Ike responded matter-of-factly. "Just listen to this! You know that
+baldy in Class A, Katsuragi?"
+"Yeah. Katsuragi-kun is famous. He's the class leader. I was in the
+Same group as him during the test on the ship," answered Kushida.
+"Well, that baldy is giving someone a birthday present on the twenty-
+ninth. Even though he's bald!"
+"Katsuragi-kun lost his hair completely when he was young, due to
+illness. You really shouldn't make fun of him," Kushida warned.
+a Ns ead
+Scolded, Ike fell silent. He should've been fully aware that mocking
+the ill was shameful. Doing so for a cheap laugh made him less likable.
+"Okay, so, from now on, you'!l address him properly, won't you?"
+"O-of course. I'm sorry, Kikyou-chan."
+"Tt's okay, as long as you understand now." There was a brief pause. It
+seemed like Kushida had one more thing she wanted to talk about. "Also,
+about what happened today with Shinohara-san..."
+SOs
+Ike had apparently forgotten about the incident, but Kushida hadn't.
+"You understand what you should do about it, right?" She didn't touch
+on the subject directly, but simply asked that question in a gentle manner.
+"T'll apologize," Ike answered sullenly. He looked dissatisfied, but he
+sounded genuine. He glared at Yamauchi, who was chuckling.
+"Good. If you do that, I think Shinohara-san will forgive you."
+Ike might actually have matured a little bit, thanks to Kushida.
+"So, you were talking about Katsuragi-kun giving someone a birthday
+present?" asked Kushida.
+"Oh, yeah, yeah. I was wondering if you might know something about
+that, Kikyou-chan."
+Kushida seemed to be mentally scanning her social network, but
+couldn't come up with anything. "Hmm. I never got the impression that
+Katsuragi-kun was the romantic sort," she mused. "At least, not before."
+"Could the gift be for an upperclassman?"
+"T suppose so. There's still a lot I don't know, after all."
+It would be pretty impressive if Katsuragi had started going out with an
+upperclassman just a short while after beginning school. I genuinely admired
+the leader of Class A.
+"Since it's come to this, let's locate Katsuragi's girlfriend at any cost!"
+Ike urged.
+I felt badly for interrupting when they were in such high spirits, but felt
+I ought to point out another possibility. "Should we really conclude that
+Katsuragi was shopping for a senior girl?" I asked.
+"Kikyou-chan said she doesn't know any girl with a birthday on the
+twenty-ninth, so there aren't other options, are there? Or am I missing
+something? It couldn't possibly be Horikita-san, could it?"
+It was a completely baseless assumption, but I couldn't exclude that
+possibility.
+"Well, I guess that's possible."
+"Huh? Come on, you're messing with me, right?" Sudou, who'd been
+listening quietly to our conversation, suddenly grabbed Ike by the collar and
+glared at me.
+cam lead
+"Guh! C-come on. I just said 'possibly'!" Ike shouted, panicking.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji. When is Suzune's birthday?" Sudou growled.
+"Dunno," I replied.
+"The hell, dude? You're worthless," he barked.
+I still didn't know when Horikita's birthday was.
+"T don't really think anyone at our school knows her birthday," I
+replied. The only person who might know was her older brother Horikita
+Manabu, the student council president.
+"T see. Yeah, I guess you got a point. Just because I don't know, and
+Ayanokouji doesn't know, don't mean that he knows, I guess." Sudou
+shrugged.
+"T know Horikita-san's birthday. It's on February 15. I don't think that
+has anything to do with this," Kushida announced.
+"Just as we'd expect of you, Kushida," I said.
+I'd praised her without thinking. I hadn't expected even Kushida to
+obtain information about stubborn loners like Horikita and Ibuki, especially
+Horikita. I was one of the few who knew that Kushida hated Horikita, and
+Horikita hated Kushida.
+I hadn't thought they were on such good terms that they'd tell each
+other their birthdays.
+"February 15, huh? Sounds like I've snagged some good info," Sudou
+chuckled. He wore a wide grin. Ike, still in a headlock, tried to tap out as his
+face turned blue. "Oh, sorry. My bad. Kinda forgot about you."
+"Ken, you really gotta be more careful. You're stupidly strong!" Ike
+groaned, wheezing.
+"You asked for it," Sudou answered.
+"Then you should've done that to Ayanokouji, too! Why'd you only
+hurt me?!"
+"Cause you were closest."
+"You single-celled organism!"
+"Huh?"
+Sudou moved to grab Ike by the collar again, and Ike panicked and put
+distance between them. I wished they wouldn't cause a ruckus in someone
+else's room. Or at least, not in my room.
+"Well, the conversation kind of got off track, but I have a different
+idea. There are other potential candidates for Katsuragi's present as well. It
+could be for a teacher, or one of the Keyaki Mall workers. I mean, the people
+we Saw while we were shopping today were all beautiful, right?" I said.
+"T-I see. When you put it like that, you have a point."
+Who knew whether an adult would even consider dating a first-year
+high school student? From a legal and moral perspective, there was almost no
+way they could become a couple. I was sure that Katsuragi understood that,
+too. However, we couldn't exclude the possibility.
+I wanted Ike and Sudou to understand that it was probably best just to
+leave things alone.
+"How about we quit while we're ahead, and not get too carried away
+looking for whoever Katsuragi's partner might be, okay?"
+"Are you seriously okay with that?! Even if that baldy has a girlfriend
+with huge boobs, who's also really into him, even though she's older?!"
+"T mean, he's in Class A. It wouldn't be strange if he's popular with
+older girls."
+We, on the other hand, were from Class D. Just being slightly attractive
+or having a good personality weren't enough to make us popular. That said,
+Hirata was popular with both our class and upperclassmen. Kouenji seemed
+to have a degree of widespread popularity, too.
+In the end, the one thing I had in common with Ike and the other guys
+was that we weren't exactly popular.
+"T absolutely hate the idea of Katsuragi beating me!" Ike whined.
+"Look, there's nothing we can do, right?"
+"That ain't true! Just because we'!l probably lose to him doesn't mean
+we don't have a chance of winning!" Sudou shouted.
+He peered at us, slapping his shorts-clad thighs.
+"In basketball, you can use plays that are just barely allowed. You can
+even commit a foul, if it's absolutely necessary to win. A strong desire for
+victory is what really matters. If Katsuragi giving a present to some girl will
+bring them closer, then we gotta stop him from doing it," Sudou continued.
+That wasn't rationality talking, but personal jealousy. It wasn't good,
+although Sudou seemed fiercely motivated.
+"That reminds me, your tournament's coming up soon," Yamauchi told
+Sudou.
+"Yeah. It's on Thursday. I don't know if I'll get put in the game, but
+I'll be ready, for sure," Sudou replied. Smack! He slammed his right fist into
+his open left hand.
+"All right, that's it! I'm gonna get in his way!" Ike jumped on board
+with Sudou's plan to interfere with Katsuragi.
+"Kushida, please say something to him," I said.
+"Kanji-kun, you can't interfere," she said.
+"Huh? But... Kikyou-chan, you're interested in knowing who
+Katsuragi's girlfriend is, too, aren't you?"
+"Of course I'm curious, but getting in the way is not okay."
+Just like that, Kushida extinguished Ike's excitement like she was
+dousing a fire. Ike looked disappointed. He turned toward me, perhaps
+dissatisfied that Kushida had rejected his scheme to interfere, or remembering
+what had happened with Shinohara before.
+"Okay. You, then, Ayanokouji. You find out the mystery person's
+identity. Find out who Katsuragi is giving the gift to."
+"Impossible."
+"You gotta do it. I mean, you got free time, right?"
+I couldn't deny that, but I preferred that Ike just investigate the matter
+himself.
+"Okay, sure, you want me to find this person. But I'm not even in the
+same class as Katsuragi, and we're not friends, either," I answered.
+Trying to investigate someone whose name I didn't even know, let
+alone gain their contact information and room number, was going to be a
+Herculean task.
+"T have Katsuragi-kun's contact information. Do you want me to give it
+to you?" Kushida asked.
+It wasn't strange that she'd know Katsuragi's contact information.
+Kushida was a beautiful girl with a huge social network. She even knew
+when Horikita's birthday was, after all.
+"How do you know Katsuragi's number?" I asked her.
+"We were placed in the same group during the last special exam,
+remember? I asked him for it." To casually exchange contact information like
+that was honestly amazing. "So, you want me to tell you?"
+"No, that's okay. If I suddenly contacted him, I think even Katsuragi
+would be surprised," I reasoned. He might just ignore an incoming call from
+a number he didn't recognize.
+"You stopped me from interfering in Katsuragi's plans, so you gotta
+take responsibility," Ike told me.
+"Okay, but even if you tell me to take responsibility..."
+"I'm curious, too. You gotta investigate," added Sudou, giving mea
+rather high-handed order.
+"Don't you think you should do it yourselves?" I asked.
+"Huh? I have a big tournament on Thursday. I don't got any free time
+until after. I only got a few more days left to practice, you know?"
+When I remained silent, Sudou glared.
+"Should I force you?" he asked. He swung his arms around, starting to
+wind up.
+It looked as though he intended to put me into a headlock. There'd be
+no escape if he decided to make an example of me.
+"Okay, I understand. I'1l do some digging tomorrow. Just don't expect
+too much. I have no idea how this is going to go," I told them.
+For the time being, I supposed it was better to just grin and bear their
+request. If I reported back to Ike and Sudou later, and said I couldn't find
+anything, that would be the end of it.
+3.3
+ce
+I t's so hot. It's so hot, I feel like I could die..."
+The next day, I parked myself at the crossroads connecting the paths to
+the various dorms, choosing a spot under the trees that lined the road. The
+crossroads were unavoidable if you wanted to meet up with a senior student.
+They also intersected with the path to the Keyaki Mall and the school
+building. No matter where Katsuragi decided to go, I wouldn't miss him.
+It would've been better to wait in the cool lobby, but unfortunately,
+some girls from another class had decided to get together and have tea there.
+Discovering that had felt like entering a restaurant and finding no spots
+readily available. I wasn't confident enough to try to slip into the lobby, then
+sit down and relax when a seat opened up.
+Of course, all the students were dressed casually. That made me think
+of Katsuragi yesterday, still wearing his uniform. No rule stated that you
+couldn't wear your uniform over summer vacation, but even if you didn't
+care much about fashion, the uniforms did get extremely hot. Katsuragi had
+even worn the long-sleeved uniform shirt, rather than the short-sleeved
+summer one.
+Since I was typically low on points, I'd been unaware until recently
+that summer clothes were sold at rather high prices. There were girls in our
+class who wanted them, but had to do without. There were definitely reasons
+why someone would purposely wear their school uniform.
+A couple walked out of the upperclassmen's dorms—a guy and a girl.
+When they saw me, they changed directions and walked toward me.
+"Hey. It's been a while."
+"T was just wondering who would wear their school uniform in this
+insane heat. I guess the answer is Horikita's brother," I muttered.
+Unlike Katsuragi, these two wore summer uniforms. Still, I couldn't
+help feeling like something was out of place.
+"Whoa. President, this student really has a sour look on his face," said
+the girl next to Student Council President Horikita Manabu. She spoke in a
+loud, exaggerated manner. She was a third-year student, Secretary Tachibana.
+The girls' uniforms looked as though they didn't get as intensely hot as
+the boys'.
+"The student council seems rather busy, even during summer
+vacation," I said.
+"We decided to do some reorganizing work in the student council
+room," explained Secretary Tachibana.
+"T see."
+"You know, that was a really stupid response. You should be careful
+what you say, you know? Do you even know who you're talking to? This is
+the fearsome student council president!" Tachibana was incensed.
+Yeah, I knew that. I also knew Horikita Manabu probably wielded an
+incredible degree of influence. I'd considered using a more respectful tone,
+but discarded the idea. Horikita's older brother didn't seem to expect it of me,
+anyway.
+"Do you want to penalize me? Because I'm really running low on
+points." I shrugged off what Secretary Tachibana said.
+I'd thought that Horikita's older brother wouldn't give someone like
+me the time of day. But the student council president narrowed his eyes and
+said, "Ayanokouji, if you have no prior engagements, I'd like you to
+accompany me."
+"P-President?" Secretary Tachibana was caught off guard by the
+invitation. So was I. But...
+"I've got a packed schedule. Sorry."
+"Huh?! You're turning him down?!" Secretary Tachibana sounded
+completely flabbergasted.
+"Whenever you're free is fine. I don't mind finding a time that works
+for you, even if it's after the semester begins," Horikita said.
+Apparently, he had no intention of giving up. Avoiding the problem
+would not help. I didn't want to waste my time later on. It might be more
+convenient to get his request out of the way.
+"All right. Let's just do this now. I have time before my next
+engagement, anyway," I replied.
+"But didn't you just say you had a packed schedule?"
+I ignored Secretary Tachibana.
+"Where were you planning to go? I don't mind changing my schedule
+to accommodate yours," Horikita said.
+"Uh, I was waiting for someone. If at all possible, I'd prefer not to
+move."
+"But isn't it really hot here? This spot isn't suitable for a meeting."
+"T'm well aware of that."
+"Well, I suppose we can just talk here. If you feel uncomfortable, you
+can head back to the dorms ahead of me," the president told Tachibana.
+"No. My instinct says not to leave you alone with this boy, President!"
+Secretary Tachibana gave him a salute, as if she were his bodyguard.
+Horikita turned back to me. "The student council has received reports
+of the results from the island test, and the test on the ship. Were they
+difficult?" he asked.
+"The student council really has a lot of pull, huh? I mean, to think
+you'd be able to get those results," I replied.
+"Well, I don't know how detailed the reports really are. The individual
+actions taken during the tests remain unclear."
+"T'm glad."
+"You're glad that the president hasn't discovered your failure, I bet,"
+Tachibana muttered.
+Secretary Tachibana really didn't seem to like me. Perhaps that was
+understandable, given how casually I talked back to the student council
+president.
+"One way or another, some information always ends up leaked. I know
+that you outsmarted the other classes on the island, and that Class D's VIP in
+the Rabbit group successfully avoided detection," said President Horikita.
+He'd said that things were unclear, but it sounded as though he knew
+quite a bit. I suspected collusion.
+Horikita continued, "The name Horikita Suzune came up after the
+island test. I heard that she became her class's true leader and outsmarted
+everyone. However, I think that you were responsible."
+"Aren't you overestimating me?" I muttered.
+"In the end, the leader's name was changed to yours. How do you
+explain that?"
+"You even know about all that, huh?"
+"The special examination committee and I are the only ones who know
+this. Well, and now Secretary Tachibana. The homeroom teachers don't have
+this information, so you can relax."
+Just how much pull did this guy have? Student organizations were
+usually decorative. They had no real authority. For them to have access to
+information the teachers didn't? Unthinkable.
+"What exactly is the student council?" I asked.
+"The student council itself has no power. The abilities of the person
+seated at the top are paramount."
+"Wow, that's an impressive statement. You really are in Class A, aren't
+you?"
+"Isn't that obvious?!" snapped Tachibana.
+"But there's something I still don't understand. I mean, the difference
+between Horikita and me is vast. If you examine the data, Horikita is far
+superior. Why would you bother with some Class D loser like me?"
+"You misunderstand. I don't consider the people in Class D stupid.
+This school doesn't just shove all the students with superior abilities into
+Class A," he replied.
+"Um, President? You might have said too much," Tachibana said.
+"Aren't you going a little too far>?"
+"There's no problem. I'm sure this young man understands that
+already."
+The student council president had seemed hyper-focused on me ever
+since our first encounter. Just how long did he plan to keep this up?
+"In that case, why do you reject Horikita? Isn't it because she's in
+Class D?" I asked.
+"IT know everything there is to know about my little sister's capabilities.
+She's a failure who belongs in Class D. Nothing more, nothing less," he
+replied.
+He clearly viewed his younger sister in an incredibly harsh light.
+"Everything was Horikita's idea. Your sister doesn't have any friends
+except for me, so she had to employ me to play the necessary parts," I
+answered.
+"That's not true. She'd never think of something like that."
+It seemed as though he had a perfect understanding of Horikita,
+perhaps because they grew up together. Even so, I now understood
+something. This guy probably had his eye on me for the same reason as
+Chabashira-sensei.
+If the president had noticed that I scored exactly 50% on all my
+entrance examinations, he might also have noticed the difference between my
+resume and my student report.
+"Stop fishing for information about my personal life. I just want to
+spend my days here quietly," I said.
+In response, the student council president pushed up his glasses and
+said something completely astounding.
+"T asked you once before. Will you join the student council?"
+Secretary Tachibana's eyes widened in shock.
+"Wow, that sounds super easy. What, there are still positions that
+haven't been filled or something?" I asked.
+"P-President?" Secretary Tachibana stammered. "Didn't we just accept
+a first-year girl onto the student council the other day? We've also gotten new
+appointments from the second-year classes. All the seats should be filled."
+"There's still one open position, isn't there?" he asked.
+"One? Y-you can't mean—?!"
+"Ayanokouji, if you wish, I'll appoint you vice president," the
+president said.
+"W-wait a minute!" Secretary Tachibana seemed to recover her resolve
+in an instant. An interesting person. "This is completely unprecedented! He's
+a first year, and from Class D to boot! We can't suddenly appoint this rude
+boy to the vice presidency!"
+"T've said this already, but I refuse any position," I said.
+"And on top of that, he just refuses!" Tachibana wailed.
+This was all rather odd. I couldn't imagine that the president was
+joking; his evaluation of me seemed honest. Horikita's older brother certainly
+did have access to information, and I could understand why he'd choose me,
+rather than people like Ike and Yamauchi (no offense to those guys). But he
+should've started with people like Katsuragi and Ichinose, or even Hirata.
+There were also other candidates with strong latent abilities, like Kouenji.
+The president had no motive to fixate on me. There had to be a reason
+why.
+"T don't know that this is for me to say, but starting next year, the
+school will change dramatically. Not for the better. When the time comes, I'11
+need the power to combat that change. It might already be too late. The need
+grows stronger every day."
+"President, you're talking about what'!l happen when Nagumo-kun is
+elected president, right? I can't imagine he'd change the school that much for
+the worse," Tachibana said.
+I'd never heard the name "Nagumo" from any first-year students. If the
+president said that the change was coming next year, that probably meant
+Nagumo was a second-year student.
+"There can be two student council vice presidents. There is typically
+only one in any given year, but if you wanted the position, it wouldn't be
+impossible," he told me.
+"N-no, no no no, President! That's impossible...! There's no way
+Nagumo-kun would permit something like that," Secretary Tachibana
+interjected.
+"Look, I don't know about vice presidents, or this Nagumo guy, or
+whatever. I'm not doing it. Besides, you're going to graduate, right? There's
+no need for you to worry about the students left behind. Or is there?"
+I paused for a moment, using that brief silence to stress the importance of
+what came next. "Well, if you want me to help you because you're worried
+about your sister, I might be able to squeeze you in for a consultation."
+"T see."
+Horikita Manabu seemed to have given up on me.
+"Sorry for taking up your time. Please feel free to stop by the student
+council whenever you like. I would be happy to offer you tea," he said.
+Even someone like the student council president was wrestling with his
+own anxieties, I mused. I wanted to go back to the dorms, but I couldn't. I
+had to wait for Katsuragi.
+3.4
+T hirty minutes after I'd spoken with Horikita's older brother, I
+watched Katsuragi approach. He wore the same thing he'd had on yesterday
+and held some kind of shopping bag. Perhaps it contained his purchase.
+What's this all about? I wondered.
+There was still some time left before the twenty-ninth. But if Katsuragi
+was carrying the gift with him now, that probably meant he planned on
+handing it over immediately. Right?
+At any rate, I still wanted to know why he was wearing his uniform.
+Maybe he planned to meet with this person in formal wear, but I honestly
+couldn't imagine doing something so important while wearing a uniform in
+the heat. I held my breath as I watched Katsuragi arrive at the crossroads.
+He didn't take the path toward the upperclassmen's dorms.
+Unbelievably, he headed in a direction I hadn't expected: towards the school.
+I followed, taking care that he didn't notice me.
+"That's why he's wearing his uniform, huh?"
+I finally understood. He wasn't doing so because he liked the uniform
+—it was to enter the school building. Katsuragi walked straight through the
+main entrance, and I couldn't just follow. Entering the school building while
+wearing casual clothes was forbidden.
+Did you meet Katsuragi?!
+My cell phone vibrated with a rather thoughtless chat message,
+undoubtedly sent by someone back in their room. I deliberately put my phone
+away, then changed my plan of attack.
+I headed toward the shop where Katsuragi had picked out the present
+yesterday at the Keyaki Mall. I stood before the stacks of chocolate boxes
+and tried to picture him buying the gift for a man, but it didn't seem very
+likely. The boxes had flourishes such as hearts and other designs that would
+appeal primarily to girls.
+"Ha ha ha! I know, right?"
+Some boisterous female students passed behind me. I felt a light thump
+on my back.
+"Oof."
+Reflexively, my elbow brushed the stacks of boxes. The chocolates
+came tumbling down in an avalanche. The girls, completely absorbed in their
+conversation, did not notice the tragedy that had just unfolded. They kept on
+walking.
+"Jeez," I muttered.
+"What are you doing?"
+"Geh!"
+As I frantically tried to re-shelve the boxes, a giant man called out to
+me. It was Katsuragi. He looked extremely perplexed.
+"IT came here to buy...a birthday present," I stammered.
+That was the only answer I could come up with. Katsuragi looked
+down at the scattered boxes, then bent and started picking them up.
+"Ah, it's okay. I can do that," I said.
+"Don't worry about it. I think this mess might make other customers
+uncomfortable. It's best we clean up quickly. Two are better than one."
+There wasn't any hint of dislike in his voice. I'd probably only spent
+around thirty minutes in the mall. I wondered if Katsuragi had finished his
+business at school so quickly. However, he still held his gift bag. I stealthily
+peeked inside and saw a thin, gift-wrapped box. The present. He hadn't given
+it away yet.
+We finished cleaning up before we knew it. Fortunately, neither the
+clerks nor the other customers had noticed us tidying.
+"Thanks a lot."
+Katsuragi was a good guy. Even on the uninhabited island, he'd shown
+a strange goodwill toward us when we discovered the corn. I didn't expect
+him to be merciful if push came to shove, but he didn't appear to be a bad
+person.
+"Are you giving your girlfriend a present?" he asked me.
+"Huh? Uh, no, I don't have a girlfriend. The present is just for a
+classmate. I think I'll buy something next time, though," I answered.
+I moved farther from the shelves. Katsuragi, as if in sync with me, also
+moved backward. I decided I'd try to extract more information.
+"Are you buying a birthday present?" I asked.
+"Hmm? Why would you think that?"
+"You're holding a bag from this store," I said.
+"T see. Well, yes, you're certainly right. I suppose I didn't think about
+it,' Katsuragi mused.
+His eyes met mine.
+"T couldn't find what I wanted. The selection's not great. What did you
+buy?" I asked.
+"Nothing major. One of the boxes of chocolates. I don't think the
+selection in this store is bad at all, but I suppose it comes down to individual
+preference. I ought to look around elsewhere," he replied.
+Katsuragi walked toward the door, and I followed him. We left the
+store together before I could ask who the gift was for.
+"Why are you wearing your uniform?" I inquired. I wouldn't have
+broached the topic yesterday, but he'd been wearing it for two days straight.
+"Y ou're required to wear your uniform if you enter the school," he
+replied.
+"So, you went to the school?" Of course, I knew that already.
+"Uh, well, I've various private matters to attend to," he replied.
+Although Katsuragi was being vague, he seemed to have something on
+his mind. He glanced in the direction of the school briefly.
+"Hey, have you ever thought about the disadvantages of attending this
+school?" he asked.
+"Disadvantages?"
+"Yeah. I don't mean being divided into classes. I mean something that
+affects all students equally."
+I considered his mysterious question. The class system had its
+downsides, of course, but the problems it created mostly affected the lower
+classes—like Class D's current points shortage. It was hard to imagine Class
+A ina similar situation.
+Since Katsuragi said the disadvantage applied to all students equally,
+that probably wasn't it. But then, what in the world was he talking about?
+Nothing came to mind.
+"You know. The stipulation that you can't contact anyone on the
+outside," he explained.
+"Ah, I see." I personally considered that an advantage, but it was
+probably bad from a normal person's perspective.
+"Don't you want to contact your parents or siblings?"
+"Eh. Well, I do get the feeling that lots of students would agree with
+you," I replied.
+Quite a few girls, in particular, said they felt lonely. The school was
+strict about controlling the flow of information, so it forbade communication
+with the outside world. Breaking that rule could mean expulsion.
+"But the benefits you get from the school are tremendous. That one
+disadvantage isn't enough to make you feel dissatisfied, right?" I asked.
+"True. Both the points system, and the quality of the facilities here, are
+things that ordinary students can only dream of," he replied.
+On top of that, Katsuragi would also graduate from Class A. Wait, why
+was I talking so casually with Katsuragi? And during summer vacation, no
+less.
+"Y ou're close with Horikita, aren't you?" he asked.
+"Ts that misconception making the rounds or something?" I asked.
+"Misconception? I saw you working together earlier."
+"Well, it's just one of those things. It's not exactly what either of us
+wanted, but we were kind of forced into a partnership, I think. We really only
+talk because we're seated next to each other," I explained.
+Katsuragi seemed to understand. He nodded. "Ah, so that's how it is.
+Well, despite seeming like I know a lot about other classes, there's quite a bit
+I don't know. If I offended you, please forgive me. I had no ill intent," he
+replied.
+"Nah, I get that a lot. Don't worry about it. Horikita's pretty active, and
+she does a lot," I answered.
+"It does appear that way." Katsuragi didn't seem as though he was
+going to elaborate any further. Instead, he changed the subject. "To tell you
+the truth, this is the third time I've visited this store. I'm the kind of person
+who tends to agonize over things. Even if it's just a single present, I can't
+make a snap decision when someone's feelings are involved."
+Someone he agonized over giving a present to? Who in the world could
+that be? I decided to try digging a little deeper.
+"You're a really sincere person. I mean, to go out and buy someone a
+birthday present," I replied.
+"Ts it strange to celebrate someone's birthday?"
+Looking at the giant chrome dome in front of me, I did feel like his
+forbidding appearance contradicted his kind actions. But that was entirely my
+own bias. I mean, the world even contained delinquents who'd save a cat left
+out in the pouring rain.
+"Okay, Ill just ask straight out. Who's the gift for?" I asked.
+Questioning Katsuragi in a roundabout way would get us nowhere.
+"Who am I giving it to?" He seemed perplexed. "It's personal. It's not
+for you to hear."
+He'd dodged the question. If we'd been best friends, I might have been
+able to push further, but as it was, I couldn't do much.
+"Please excuse me," he added. With that, Katsuragi headed back
+toward the dormitory.
+I'd managed to solve the mystery of why he was wearing his uniform,
+but more mysteries had sprung up in its wake. Why was Katsuragi going to
+the school building? Why had he returned to the store? I had no idea at all.
+3.0
+ce
+H ey, Ike. I investigated the Katsuragi case."
+"Whoa, seriously? Man, way to go, Ayanokouji! I'm seeing you ina
+new light!"
+Ike slapped my shoulder as he complimented me. Had I really done
+something that warranted him reevaluating his opinion of me? Maybe he
+hadn't thought much of me to begin with.
+"Unfortunately, I couldn't find out who the present was for," I
+explained.
+To be more precise, I couldn't find a girl who fit the bill. As I said
+before, no one in our grade level had that birthdate. I couldn't think of any
+student from another year whose birthday was the twenty-ninth, either.
+Therefore, the person in question might not be a student at all.
+Yamauchi looked up with wide eyes. "Oh man, no way.
+I know what's going on. Whom Katsuragi wants to give that present
+to
+Rather than looking overjoyed, he had a sorrowful expression.
+"Hey, Kanji. Didn't you think that Valentine's was hell, back in junior
+high?"
+"Wh-what the hell are you asking me for? Well, sure. Yeah, it was
+tough. What about it?"
+"T think this is basically an extension of that. I think he actually bought
+the gift for himself," said Yamauchi.
+"No way, that—n-no, wait, I guess it is possible. I can't imagine that
+baldy is very popular..."
+The pair of them seemed convinced. I hadn't considered that
+possibility, so doubts popped into my mind. "You're saying that he bought
+the present for himself? For his own birthday?"
+"You think it's for something else then, Ayanokouji?" They glared at
+People didn't normally buy themselves birthday presents, did they?
+Maybe if you thought of the present as a reward—like when you treated
+yourself to something delicious, or went out and bought something for
+yourself. This was different, however. Katsuragi specifically purchased
+chocolates with girlish packaging, and had them gift-wrapped.
+If he had a sweet tooth, there were probably other ways he could treat
+himself.
+"You seriously don't get it?"
+"Unfortunately, no."
+"Okay. Katsuragi doesn't seem popular with the ladies, right? But right
+now, he is the leader of Class A."
+I refrained from commenting on that.
+"He's got a lot of pride. He'd definitely want people to think that he's
+popular. It's all an act."
+"So, he's going to play this off like someone else bought the chocolates
+for him?"
+Ike and Yamauchi must've felt pretty sure of this conclusion, because
+they both nodded in agreement.
+"T did the same thing, back in junior high," Ike said. "Made it look like
+I got a present from the cutest girl in school."
+"When you put it like that, it sounds hollow."
+"Well, yeah, of course. But, that way, you're saved from the absolute
+despair of not getting any gifts!" Ike sounded angry. Apparently, he
+considered Valentine's Day and birthdays to be significant events.
+"Besides, you're the same as me," he added. "Right, Haruki?"
+"Huh? No, no way. I was popular with the ladies. Didn't you know?"
+"Well then, why would you come to a conclusion like that? It's
+because you thought Katsuragi was doing the same things you did!"
+"Nah, that's not true. In junior high, there was a really unpopular guy
+like you, Kanji. I knew about him. That's it."
+Yamauchi was obviously bluffing, but I didn't have time to prove it.
+"Aren't you just speculating?"
+"No! That's definitely what's going on!"
+They seemed to like this theory, and they didn't appear to have any
+intention of debating further.
+"Hey, Haruki. Maybe we misunderstood the bald—I mean, Katsuragi.
+You think?"
+"Yeah. We treated him like an enemy from Class A, but I suddenly feel
+closer to him."
+"So, you were an unpopular dude who bought himself presents, huh?"
+"Wrong. He just reminded me of my classmate. I felt sorry for him."
+Yamauchi stubbornly denied Ike's jabs.
+"Hey, do you want to help me out?" Ike asked me.
+That was a sudden shift. "Help with what?" I asked.
+"We're going to get him a birthday present." Ike's newfound sympathy
+for Katsuragi appeared genuine. "It's better when you get something from a
+girl, but that's impossible in this case. I suppose getting a birthday present
+from anyone would be a blessing, wouldn't it?"
+That logic seemed strange, but I couldn't completely deny it. People
+would rather receive a present from someone else than buy something for
+themselves. That said, they might not appreciate pity. If Katsuragi really had
+bought himself a gift, would it be a good idea for these two to "help" him
+out?
+Ike and Yamauchi had already started discussing what to buy, but
+doubt still nagged at me. There weren't any girls with a birthday tomorrow.
+However, we hadn't eliminated all the other possibilities. There were still the
+teachers and other academic staff, as well as quite a few campus employees.
+If we broadened our idea of who the girl might be, plenty of candidates
+remained.
+Besides, if Katsuragi did buy the present for himself, why had he
+purchased it so openly? He had been wearing his uniform in the middle of
+summer vacation. He had clearly stood out. It was easy to imagine people
+feeling suspicious if they saw him.
+"Ayanokouji, you contribute some points, too. If we put about 1,500
+points together, then we should be able to get something good."
+I'd had this conversation yesterday, though. My expenses were going
+to double. A thousand points wasn't a small amount.
+"Ayanokouji, this might be a little fast, but let's celebrate Katsuragi's
+birthday tomorrow."
+Ike and Yamauchi acted almost as if a switch had been flipped. They
+went from hating Katsuragi to liking him in two seconds.
+"Are you really buying something?"
+"Of course. Don't you want to save a lonely, unpopular man?"
+This was getting troublesome. I realized I'd better not refuse them. We
+decided to meet up the next day, and dispersed.
+3.6
+W hen we gathered the following afternoon, Kushida was there, too.
+"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+"O-oh, hey," I responded. Why was she there?
+Ike answered my unasked question. "You see, I had a chat with
+Kikyou-chan yesterday. When I told her that we were going to buy a present
+for Katsuragi, she said she definitely wanted to help. She was like, 'Please let
+me help,' and all. Anyway, Katsuragi would probably be happier to have a
+girl celebrate with him, rather than a bunch of guys."
+Ike blabbered on and on about what a good person Kushida was, but he
+probably just wanted an opportunity to get together with her. Also, in her
+eyes, this would probably make him look like a good guy—the type who
+cares about his friends.
+"Katsuragi-kun has done quite a bit for me, too. I'll help out with the
+present's cost, of course," added Kushida.
+Ike looked at her lovingly. Yamauchi also seemed happier with her
+around. Kushida's charms affected him, too, even though he was aiming for
+Sakura.
+"By the way, Ayanokouji-kun, why are you wearing your uniform?"
+asked Kushida.
+"Meh. No reason." I'd taken off my jacket because it was hot, but the
+uniform still made me stand out, unfortunately.
+"Come on, let's get going!"
+Ike and Yamauchi walked on either side of Kushida, while I followed
+behind. Moments after we started walking, they managed to get a
+conversation blossoming.
+As we walked, I saw someone I didn't usually see outside.
+"Hey, sorry. Could you guys go on ahead? I want to stop here for a
+sec," I told them.
+"Sure, but don't keep Kikyou-chan waiting too long," Ike replied.
+"Okay."
+I left them and approached Horikita.
+"Don't you look carefree? Are the four of you just casually going
+shopping? Even after we suffered so much at Ryuuen-kun's hands?" she said.
+"Well, that just means that Class C did something right. There's no use
+worrying about it now."
+"T suppose not. But I'm still uneasy about certain things."
+"Such as?"
+"Never mind."
+She turned away with complete disinterest, like a haughty actress.
+"When are we? Right now?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+"TI mean, at what point in the school year are we now? Do you know?
+The month?" I continued.
+"What are you talking about?"
+"Look, we just finished the first semester of our first year. We don't
+need to ricochet between happiness and despair, with nothing in the middle,
+simply because they've got a small lead on us now."
+"But, even so, we suffered a severe loss. If we don't think of a way—"
+"Although you can't see what's directly beneath your feet, you're
+always looking far ahead. If we're talking academics, then you're certainly
+peerless. But when it comes to unusual tests, well, you just kind of run in
+circles. That's my impression, anyway."
+"T know that," she replied.
+"So, you're aware? I think that it's preferable for you to fall until you
+hit rock bottom," I said.
+"What do you mean?"
+It was good to be thoroughly beaten down from time to time, as long as
+you eventually crawled back up. I thought Horikita had the potential to do
+that.
+"There's an order to things. It's probably better for you not to panic,
+but to take things slowly. Right?"
+"You say there's an order to things, but if that's true, why did you go to
+all that trouble back on the island? Isn't that contradictory?"
+"Yeah, probably."
+It made sense that Horikita found that confusing. She had no clue about
+my dealings with Chabashira-sensei. During the test on the island, I was
+forced to show off my abilities. I'd had no choice but to act.
+Of course, I had no pawns at my disposal during the test on the cruise
+ship, which made it extremely challenging. Various other methods had been
+available to me, but I'd refrained from employing them. I was fundamentally
+disinterested in things like class rankings. By giving Chabashira-sensei only a
+partial display of my abilities, I'd bought some time without making too
+much of a splash. From that perspective, the tests had been hugely successful.
+"More importantly, don't you have any questions about the way I
+look?" I asked.
+"Well, I think your clothes are ill-suited to this weather, but I don't
+really care," Horikita replied.
+She wasn't interested in others, as usual. "What are you reading
+today?" I asked.
+"None of your business." Apparently, she didn't intend to show me the
+book's title.
+"Well, whatever. I'm keeping Ike and the others waiting. Do you want
+to come?"
+"You're kidding, right? I refuse."
+I'd known all along that that would be her answer.
+3.7
+ce
+W hat are you all doing?"
+Katsuragi, usually so calm, couldn't hide his surprise when Ike and the
+others surrounded him. Kushida quickly spoke up. After the last test,
+Katsuragi would be most familiar with her.
+"Sorry for bothering you, Katsuragi-kun. Do you have a moment?" she
+asked.
+"Kushida? What's going on?"
+"To be honest, I heard about all this from Ike-kun and the others. Isn't
+it your birthday today, Katsuragi-kun?"
+"Well, yes, but...I1'm surprised you found out." Katsuragi wore a
+slightly puzzled expression, as if he couldn't remember telling anyone his
+birthday.
+"The four of us wanted to celebrate with you, Katsuragi-kun,"
+explained Kushida.
+"Oh, that's all right. There's no need for you to do anything special."
+Far from being welcoming, Katsuragi appeared guarded. That was to
+be expected. He probably thought this was a trap laid by Class D. The fact
+that he hadn't immediately shot us down was likely due to Kushida.
+"Do you have plans today?" asked Kushida.
+"Well, no. Not exactly."
+Kushida clapped her hands and smiled, almost as if she were saying,
+"T'm happy to hear it!" If an ordinary guy saw that smile, he would've been
+smitten right then and there. Katsuragi, the leader of Class A, probably
+wasn't quite as easy a target.
+"T'm terribly sorry to be rude, but we're not exactly close friends. If
+you have an ulterior motive, please tell me," he said.
+"No, we don't have an ulterior motive. We really just wanted to
+celebrate your birthday, Katsuragi," said Ike, wearing a serious look. He
+probably felt genuine sympathy.
+"Hrm."
+Katsuragi's mouth tightened, and it looked like he was about to turn us
+down. Then I realized that he still held the birthday present bag from
+yesterday. He'd purchased it two days ago; why was he was still walking
+around with it? Ike and the others didn't seem to share my suspicions (or
+pretended not to).
+"T'm sorry, but I have some business in the school building. Excuse
+me," Katsuragi said.
+"School? You know, that reminds me. You've been wearing your
+uniform a lot recently. What's going on?" asked Ike.
+"What do you mean by that?" Katsuragi asked. His expression
+changed, as if he had switched into battle mode.
+"Huh? What do you mean, what do I mean?" Ike looked startled.
+"How did you know I've been wearing my uniform?" Katsuragi glared
+so intently, it was like he was devouring Ike.
+"Huh? Well, no. That's not—" Ike gulped reflexively.
+"After you and I talked yesterday, I met up with Ike and the others. I
+told them. Was that bad?" I asked. Given no other choice, I offered Katsuragi
+an explanation. "TI thought it was rather unusual to wear that uniform during
+summer vacation."
+"T see. Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you're right,"
+Katsuragi answered.
+"Yeah. That's what I was getting at, dude," added Ike.
+"So, why are you going to school?" I asked. I'd successfully changed
+the topic, at least for the time being.
+"It's personal. Nothing to do with you," he replied.
+"Well, maybe I'm prying too much, but is something bothering you?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"You were also carrying that bag around yesterday, weren't you? It's a
+bit unnatural to take that with you to school. You've been holding it since we
+met at the store yesterday. I think I must've seen you with it at least three
+times so far. Right?" I asked.
+"IT have some business with the student council. That's all," he said.
+Once again, a certain organization's name had come up.
+"Were you wearing your uniform yesterday because you were going to
+the student council room?" I asked.
+"That's right. However, they were out," answered Katsuragi.
+"Tf I remember correctly, the student council room was being renovated
+until yesterday. It should've been unusable," I told him.
+Katsuragi looked surprised. He asked how I knew.
+"T happen to have a slight connection to the student council president,"
+I told him.
+"You're an acquaintance of his?" Katsuragi asked.
+"Well, I wouldn't say we're really well-acquainted, but...something
+like that."
+"Ah, I see. Horikita from Class D is the president's little sister, hmm?"
+Katsuragi had arrived at that conclusion rather quickly. "In that case, it might
+be better for you to accompany me, if time permits. Would you mind?"
+With that, I more or less understood what Katsuragi was after.
+"What a coincidence. I also happen to have some business with the
+student council," I replied.
+"Ts that why you're wearing your uniform?" he asked.
+Of course, I'd only worn it to discover Katsuragi's intentions. Now,
+however, I thought I should be able to slip into the student council room
+easily and get close.
+Katsuragi nodded. Leaving the others behind, we headed toward the
+school building.
+"Pardon the intrusion," said Katsuragi in a loud, clear voice, as he
+knocked on the council room door. Student council president Horikita
+Manabu and Secretary Tachibana greeted us. The older Horikita immediately
+noticed my presence.
+"It would seem we have some unexpected visitors."
+I bowed slightly in greeting. Secretary Tachibana looked disgusted.
+"IT came here today with a request. I heard that student requests go
+through the student council," began Katsuragi.
+"Apparently, you stopped by yesterday. The day before, as well. We
+were absent because the room was being renovated. I apologize," explained
+the elder Horikita.
+"Oh no, it's quite all right. It's summer vacation. The fault is mine.
+However, I'm glad to meet with you today. I was afraid I'd have to go
+directly to your dormitory to find you," Katsuragi continued.
+Why did Katsuragi want to come to the student council office in the
+middle of summer vacation? What exactly was he after?
+"The school forbids students to establish contact with anyone on the
+outside while we're enrolled here. I've come to inquire further into that."
+"Tt sounds as though you've looked through the school regulations. No,
+outside contact is not allowed, unless there is a compelling reason such as
+severe illness or injury."
+"Right. However, I'd like to send a package and message to my family
+off-campus. Of course, I don't expect a reply," said Katsuragi.
+He was describing one-sided communication, then?
+"Even if communication is one-sided, it's still not permitted," the
+president replied, in a very professional manner.
+However, Katsuragi wouldn't have come to the student council room if
+he could be discouraged that easily. "I heard that the rules about cutting off
+contact don't apply to packages. Surely, if what is sent doesn't include any
+text, information, or communication, that wouldn't break the rules, would
+ate"
+"The rules prohibit it. The restrictions exist for a reason. When the
+school was founded, the rules weren't quite as strict as they are now," the
+elder Horikita explained. He looked at Secretary Tachibana and nodded.
+"Tt's just as the president says. Originally, shipping a package would've
+been permitted. However, several students broke their promises. They hid
+letters in their packages without first seeking permission. So, such contact is
+now completely banned," she said.
+"And there you have it," added the elder Horikita, dashing Katsuragi's
+hopes with complete and utter rejection.
+Katsuragi wasn't ready to back down. Even though he was a first year,
+he was still tasked with leading Class A. He immediately reassessed the
+situation and composed himself.
+"T must ask you once again. Please allow me to request direct shipping
+at the store itself. I will pay for the package to be sent to an address of my
+choosing, and nothing else. I won't even touch the item. Under those
+restrictions, there's no way for me to commit fraud."
+"But that still violates the rules—"
+"Violates the rules? This school is all about fostering one's abilities.
+I've heard that you can do anything, with enough points. You can buy test
+scores, or even trade with other students. Points have many uses. Am I
+wrong?" he asked.
+"That makes things slightly different." Katsuragi's words changed
+Horikita's brother's attitude. "Before we discuss an expenditure of points,
+can you tell me whom you'd like to send this to?"
+"My twin sister. Since we're orphans, I'm the only one who celebrates
+her birthday," replied Katsuragi.
+That reason was entirely different from the sleazy theories we'd passed
+around earlier.
+"T must make one correction to your theory. The point system is not all-
+powerful. It's certainly possible to use points to buy test scores or barter with
+other students, but those things are never explicitly mentioned in the rules.
+The things that are explicitly prohibited can't be easily altered using points.
+Without the school's permission, it's just impossible," Horikita explained.
+"Well, that's odd. If that's true, the rules are full of holes."
+"There's nothing odd. The school purposefully made rules that allow
+for loopholes," Horikita responded immediately, as if this were easy to
+understand.
+The president was a tricky opponent, even for a quick-witted man like
+Katsuragi. The difference in their positions was stark. Horikita, who was a
+third year, in Class A, and the student council president, had no weaknesses.
+"So, you're saying that there's nothing I can do?" asked Katsuragi.
+"Correct. If school rules forbid something, you cannot circumvent
+them, even with points."
+Katsuragi had probably been prepared to spend a large sum, but this
+looked like the end of the line.
+"Tf you're finished, please leave."
+"T see. I understand. Well then, if you'll please excuse me."
+Katsuragi glanced over at me just once. When I gestured that I was
+going to stay behind, he quietly left the room.
+"You're not going?" asked Horikita.
+"Earlier, you were talking about what happens when a rule violation is
+exposed, right?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"Do you remember an incident that occurred a while ago? Sudou, from
+our class, fought with some students from Class C."
+Horikita nodded. It'd been a huge deal, after all.
+"Back then, the case went to trial precisely because the Class C
+students appealed to the school. Katsuragi, on the other hand, hasn't done
+anything wrong. He only wanted to ask about doing something that could
+potentially break the rules. Only you two, Katsuragi, and I are aware of this.
+Shouldn't you be able to overlook this particular instance?"
+I chose my words carefully, but I was sure they understood what I was
+getting at. Say you committed a traffic violation; you'd be questioned by a
+police officer, but you could bribe the officer to overlook the issue.
+"Shipping a package would normally be difficult, but it's probably a
+simple matter for you. Right?" I asked.
+"T see. You want to resolve everything without involving the school,"
+Horikita replied. Someone as upstanding as Katsuragi would probably never
+think of using such a loophole.
+"Violating the rules! What a terrible delinquent you are," Secretary
+Tachibana cried. I did my best to ignore her.
+"How did you arrive at this conclusion?" asked Horikita.
+"The school rules state that violent acts are forbidden. However, when
+we first met, you showed no mercy, did you? You proved that, as long as the
+school doesn't know, you can get away with anything," I answered.
+President or not, Horikita definitely shouldn't have raised his hand to
+strike someone in public.
+"That's right. There's only one way to contact someone on the outside.
+But Katsuragi didn't realize that, and he missed his chance," admitted
+Horikita.
+"Will you help him now?" I asked.
+"Not at all. I won't violate the rules for his sake."
+"You're pretty strict."
+"Tf you think so, you should have told Katsuragi about the loophole
+before he left. But you didn't."
+Dealing with such a clever guy was a pain. He saw through me
+completely. He understood that I had avoided warning Katsuragi.
+"Well, I'm done cooling off. I'm gonna head back," I said.
+"T could ask Tachibana to prepare some tea, if you like?"
+"No thanks. I have no idea what you'!l put in it, anyway."
+"Wh-what an incredibly rude first-year student!" Tachibana
+stammered.
+For some reason, as I left, Horikita's brother accompanied me to the
+exit.
+"Officially, I didn't meet with Katsuragi today. Even if you act behind
+the scenes, I won't investigate. Do what you will," he said.
+"T don't really feel like doing anything, though."
+"I'm simply telling you that I won't get involved."
+I had the go-ahead to deceive the school as best I could. Horikita's gaze
+cut right through me. He probably saw everything.
+"Jeez, the president is shrewd," I muttered.
+3.8
+W hen I returned to the dorm lobby, Katsuragi was sitting there,
+looking depressed. He immediately noticed me coming and stood.
+"T'm sorry for involving you in such a strange errand," he said.
+"Ah, don't worry. I insisted on tagging along. Sorry I couldn't help," I
+replied.
+"Oh no, not at all. It was hopeless, anyway," said Katsuragi.
+It seemed Katsuragi had given up. He'd wanted to get the present to his
+sister, no matter what, but the school regulations deterred him.
+"Here. Eat these with your friends. I don't really care for sweets," he
+said, handing over the present. However, I didn't take it.
+"Tt's wasted on me."
+"T see. I suppose you wouldn't be happy with a secondhand gift."
+Katsuragi bowed slightly and began to head back to his room.
+"Katsuragi."
+I stopped him in his tracks.
+"What's the matter?"
+"Maybe I can help. I've thought of a way to deliver the present to your
+sister."
+"But the student council rejected me. I can't imagine there's a
+solution."
+"That's because you don't want to break the rules," I replied.
+"T'm not going to do something that risky," answered Katsuragi flatly.
+"T think it's worth hearing me out. Especially if giving your sister that
+present is important." Katsuragi had gone repeatedly to the student council
+room during summer vacation to get permission. This clearly wasn't trivial to
+him.
+"Ts this something we should be discussing in public?" Katsuragi
+looked around at the people and security cameras.
+"T suppose you're right. Want to come to my room?"
+People waltzed in and out of my room all the time, anyway.
+Fortunately, we didn't encounter any students as we made our way there. I
+opened the door and turned on the lights.
+"Come on in."
+"You have quite a clean room. Or, rather, I should say it's spartan. It
+looks the same as when we first arrived at the school," mused Katsuragi.
+"T get that a lot."
+After he sat, I turned on the air conditioner and poured some tea.
+"Earlier, you said something about the school rules?" asked Katsuragi.
+"Let's say that you wanted to send a package from school. Since that's
+generally prohibited, it's not a simple thing to do. You probably wouldn't be
+able to go through the post office, either." There was a post office on campus,
+but it was mainly for teacher use. Students didn't go there.
+"But then, there's nothing I can do. Or are you saying that there's
+another means of delivery?"
+"There is. If you just carry the present off campus, you'll be fine."
+"Don't be ridiculous. Who could do something like that? You're not
+thinking about a campus employee, are you?" asked Katsuragi. Only
+employees at the various campus shops were allowed to freely come and go.
+"The people who work here are employed under strict regulations. They
+wouldn't take a risk like that for a mere student. They might report us to the
+school."
+If they did, Katsuragi would be punished severely.
+"That's not going to happen. I don't think there's anyone we could
+trust to act as a go-between."
+"Wait. You're not saying we should leave the school grounds without
+permission, are you?"
+"Of course not. The punishment would be incredibly severe." The
+entrances and exits were rigorously monitored. We'd be expelled if
+discovered. "You're right that we can't use an employee. However, a student
+is a different story. There are several we can trust."
+"A student? That's even more unlikely, though. Students aren't
+allowed to leave without a compelling reason."
+"Aren't there exceptions related to those 'compelling reasons'?"
+"Exceptions? If the student could leave the campus, then... No, it
+couldn't be!" Katsuragi quickly arrived at the conclusion I'd been leading
+him toward. "Club tournaments, hmm?"
+"That's right."
+During club tournaments, the school had to allow certain students to
+leave the school grounds and travel to outside venues.
+"Y ou're certainly right. In a situation like that, it would be possible.
+However, the school would definitely anticipate that kind of thing. There will
+be bag inspections," reasoned Katsuragi.
+"Of course. But there are ways to get past those, aren't there? It's not
+like the Olympics testing athletes for steroids. They wouldn't search every
+square inch of your body."
+"That's true, but..."
+Katsuragi appeared to be seriously considering the idea.
+"That would be a huge risk for the student. However, judging by what
+you've said, Ayanokouji, you have a talented, trustworthy individual in mind.
+Yes?"
+"Yep, that's right. However, you need to trust me if we want this to
+work."
+3.9
+A n hour later, I contacted Sudou as he returned from club activities.
+He was participating in a tournament the day after tomorrow, and Katsuragi
+and I needed his help.
+"Huh? Don't give me that bullshit. Seriously, who in their right mind
+would want to do something like that?" huffed Sudou. He rejected the
+proposal so strongly that he practically spit out the words. Of course, if
+someone discovered that he'd violated the rules, there was no telling what
+penalty he'd face.
+"Besides, I ain't obliged to listen to a request from baldy over here," he
+added.
+"What now?" Katsuragi didn't seem to trust Sudou. He still appeared
+generally skeptical of the plan.
+"Putting aside whether you'll do it, I want to ask you something,
+Sudou. What kind of inspections does the school perform?"
+"Dunno," he replied flippantly. Sudou didn't appear to grasp the
+situation yet.
+"Depending how things go, Katsuragi might give you a reward," I said.
+"A reward?" echoed Sudou.
+"That's right. I knew that I would need to pay, of course," replied
+Katsuragi.
+Sudou began to give the matter serious thought.
+"They check our bags in the morning, before we get on the bus to the
+tournament. After that, they confiscate our phones. When we get to the
+stadium, we get changed and head onto the court. As for meals, we eat there,
+when the tournament's over. I don't know more exact details, though," Sudou
+explained.
+"What about the changing area? And the bags?" I asked.
+"Normally, we use the lockers n' stuff. When we change, there ain't
+any teachers around, but they do keep a strict watch on us. We even have
+separate bathrooms, so we can't talk to students from another school," Sudou
+continued.
+Katsuragi listened intently.
+"That all sounds quite strict. I doubt it's a good idea to even bring bags
+with you in the first place," he reasoned.
+"Ts it okay to bring food?" I asked.
+"Yeah, if we want. Some people do," Sudou replied.
+"Tf that's true, then it actually sounds reasonably simple to transport the
+gift." I grabbed a lunchbox and water bottle from my shelf, then returned to
+my seat. "I'll put it inside the lunchbox. It should just about fit. As for the
+bag, I'll roll it up and put it in the water bottle. That way, no one should find
+out."
+The teachers wouldn't go so far as to check the contents of someone's
+lunch.
+"Wait. Even if I bring the gift along, how am I gonna send it? I ain't
+got any money or time," Sudou pointed out.
+"Tf you're worried about money, don't be. Just use this." I handed him
+an invoice I'd picked up from the post office. "Watch for an opening, and
+then use that opportunity to mail it."
+"You say that like it's easy. That's the hardest part, right?" Sudou
+retorted.
+"Well, the risks are potentially great," said Katsuragi.
+Not only would Katsuragi be violating school rules, he'd involved
+Sudou. Normally, Katsuragi would have backed out by now, but this must've
+been too important. That spoke to just how meaningful his sister was to him.
+"Unfortunately, I can't trust anyone in my class to handle something
+like this. Would you help?" Katsuragi asked Sudou.
+"Sudou, I know you wouldn't normally do this. But it has significant
+benefits, don't you think?" I asked.
+"Benefits? You mean the reward?"
+Katsuragi nodded. "I'll pay you 100,000 points if you succeed."
+That was quite an amazing offer. Sudou stiffened. For someone who
+struggled day to day on about 1,000 or 2,000 points, 100,000 was an
+incredible amount.
+"Why do you want to go so far to deliver a package?" asked Sudou.
+The reward made him wary.
+"T have a twin sister. Ayanokouji knows that much," said Katsuragi.
+I did. The rest of the reason, however, was far weightier than I
+expected.
+"My sister is sickly. Because our parents and grandparents have passed,
+our relatives currently care for her. I'm something of a substitute parent. If I
+don't celebrate her birthday, who will?" asked Katsuragi. "I understood the
+school rules when I enrolled, but I thought I'd be able to send a package. That
+was my mistake. However, I still want to give my sister a gift, no matter
+what."
+"So, that's why you came to me, huh?" Sudou grabbed my shoulder,
+whispering in a loud enough voice that Katsuragi could hear. "What am I
+gonna do if you decide to betray me? I don't want something to happen, like
+with Class C, you know?"
+That was right. Sudou had fallen into a trap, and as a result, was almost
+kicked out of the basketball club.
+"There's no need to worry. I'm sure he's already thought about that," I
+told Sudou.
+Katsuragi nodded.
+"T'll offer you 20,000 points now, as advance payment. I will pay the
+remaining 80,000 points as a reward after you complete the task."
+The 20,000-point payment would prove that Katsuragi was complicit in
+the act. If either party betrayed the other, they'd both suffer the
+consequences.
+"So, 20,000 as an advance? But..."
+Even though that was a large sum, I understood why Sudou would
+hesitate. He was thinking about his future in basketball. If the school learned
+he'd violated the rules during basketball activities, he might even be struck
+from the team.
+"T think it's a perfect plan. Obviously, if you are discovered, I would
+also suffer greatly," said Katsuragi. The school would probably punish him
+just as harshly as Sudou. This plan wouldn't work unless Katsuragi had the
+resolve to see it through, but I believed he did.
+"So, the issue is just whether I get found out, huh?" Sudou weighed his
+options, thinking about the high number of points involved. What would he
+do?
+His eyes briefly flickered toward me. He appeared to have decided.
+"All right. All I gotta do is take a package? I guess I'm someone who' ll
+take that risk," he said.
+"Are you sure?" asked Katsuragi. Sudou had become his unanticipated
+Savior.
+"T mean, since you told me about your sickly sister and all, it's kinda
+hard for me to turn ya down." Sudou scratched his head, looking sympathetic.
+However, Katsuragi showed no sign of joy. He stood there in silence,
+crossing his arms and looking stern.
+"The hell? I already told you I'd do it. Is there something else?" asked
+Sudou.
+"Maybe he still has doubts. Maybe he's wondering whether we'Il
+betray him," I pointed out.
+"Seriously? Katsuragi's the one who came asking for help, and now he
+doubts me ?" Sudou balked.
+Katsuragi was the type to prioritize playing it safe. Maybe it was just
+his nature to grow more and more suspicious the longer things went well. Of
+course, I already knew that. Unfortunately, it was needless anxiety. Sudou
+wasn't a duplicitous person. Really, the same went for me, too. I'd never
+once thought about laying a trap for Katsuragi during all this. I genuinely
+believed there was value in having Katsuragi owe us one.
+Besides, even if Katsuragi betrayed us, we could take him down as
+well. I'd introduced Sudou as an intermediary after reaching that conclusion.
+I hadn't known how many points Katsuragi was going to offer, but 100,000
+points was quite tasty.
+"Just to be safe, I won't transfer the points directly to Sudou. Instead,
+they' ll go to Ayanokouji. I'm sorry, Ayanokouji, but I'd like you to transfer
+the points to Sudou after he succeeds," explained Katsuragi.
+"Why do we need to go through all this trouble?" asked Sudou.
+"Insurance, I guess," I answered.
+If someone from the school saw Sudou taking out or mailing the gift,
+and the school then saw a large number of points deposited into his account,
+they'd naturally be suspicious. However, if the points went through another
+person, they wouldn't be traced back to Katsuragi. Sudou looked a little
+irritated, but gave his consent.
+"There's one more thing. I want ironclad proof you aren't lying to me,"
+said Katsuragi.
+"Huh? The hell?" Sudou huffed.
+"T can't be certain whether you'!! deliver the gift." Katsuragi was still
+wotried that Sudou was playing him. Because he couldn't contact his family
+on the outside, he'd have to wait until he graduated to find out if his sister
+had received the present.
+I'd thought of several ways to provide "proof." The simplest and most
+reliable method would be photographic evidence via cell phone. However,
+mentioning that gave me pause. I didn't want to mess up and get Katsuragi's
+attention for the wrong reasons.
+"The hell, dude? Ain't no way I'd lie 'bout it. You dumb or
+something?"
+"Of course I want to believe you. But we haven't established that kind
+of relationship yet," explained Katsuragi. He crossed his arms. "How about
+you use your phone? I'd like you to record a video the moment you send the
+package."
+Apparently Katsuragi and I were of one mind.
+"Dude, didn't you listen to me? I already told you the team's phones
+get confiscated," Sudou snapped.
+"Of course. That's why I would like your cooperation in this matter as
+well, Ayanokouji."
+"Meaning?" I asked.
+"There's still space in the water bottle. Put your phone inside. If we do
+that, Sudou can take it with him without being discovered," Katsuragi
+explained.
+As a general rule, each student was assigned one phone. If Sudou
+handed his over during the bag search, there wouldn't be any further
+suspicion.
+"Of course, I intend to offer you a reward, too," Katsuragi added.
+He said he'd pay me 10,000 points. Not a bad deal.
+"T understand. I' Il do it."
+"You sure, Ayanokouji?" Sudou asked.
+"Yeah. I can help, so I'Il do it. Besides, the points' ll be useful to me,
+too.
+"Well, I leave everything to you, then," said Katsuragi.
+He bowed deeply and gratefully before leaving the room.
+"Man, now I'm nervous," Sudou sighed.
+"You okay, Sudou?"
+"This is my second time participating in a tournament. I think I got the
+hang of things, but..."
+I understood why he'd be a little resistant to the idea of helping by
+breaking the rules. That said, Sudou's delinquent history gave him a
+comparatively flexible attitude to this whole ordeal.
+"So, when do ya want me to take your phone?"
+"Oh. Well, it'I] be easy for the school to trace things back to me, since
+a lot of points will be deposited into my account. If at all possible, I'd like to
+use a third party's phone," I told him. The best option would be a phone
+belonging to someone completely unrelated, like Ike or Yamauchi.
+"No way anyone's gonna lend you their phone, though," said Sudou.
+"Tf I say I'll pay them 5,000 points, they' ll lend me anything I want."
+"You know, you're a surprisingly shady guy."
+Sudou and I prepared to deliver the package. To make a long story
+short, he successfully avoided the school's detection, passed the bag check
+without incident, and mailed the gift. He also managed to take a video of the
+delivery, and to send the file to Katsuragi before deleting it. I don't know
+whether Katsuragi's sister received her present, but the parts we controlled
+went well. Sudou handled everything perfectly.
+I wondered if Horikita's older brother had a hand in that. He must have
+been aware that we were going to try something. Being the student council
+president, he should've been able to make the necessary arrangements. On
+the flip side, he also could have observed the exact moment Sudou violated
+the school rules.
+Maybe I was imagining things, but I wanted to know the truth. If the
+president's involvement was a possibility, a greater truth might emerge one
+day.
+3.10
+A fter Katsuragi left Ayanokouji's room, he used the elevator to head
+back to his floor. When he arrived, two male students stood outside his room,
+seemingly waiting for him.
+"What are you doing?" Katsuragi asked.
+"Oh! You're finally back, Katsuragi! Jeez, you're late. Jerk!"
+"Hmm? You're Class D students, aren't you?" Katsuragi had his
+doubts about these two, even though he seemed to remember them from
+somewhere.
+"Meh, that's not important! Anyway, congratulations!"
+Pop! Katsuragi was assaulted by party poppers.
+"Wh-what's going on?!"
+"What do you mean? Your birthday's coming up soon, right?! So, we
+came to celebrate!"
+"Celebrate? But you're from Class D. Why? You don't have any
+reason to." Katsuragi grew flustered.
+"We've got a reason. I mean, we're all virgins here, so let's be friends.
+Right?"
+Katsuragi flinched at Ike's vulgar language as Ike handed over a
+birthday present.
+"Here, eat this. Our idol, Kushida Kikyou-chan, chose this birthday
+cake!"
+"B-but I can't accept..."
+"Dude, it's all right, it's all right!" Ike forcefully shoved the box into
+Katsuragi's hands.
+***
+"Welp, see ya
+With that, the Class D students ran away. All that remained were the
+party popper remnants and the cake.
+"They said it was a cake, but it's actually rather warm," muttered
+Katsuragi.
+He opened the box to see a room-temperature chocolate ice cream
+cake, which had melted into viscous sludge.
+"Ts this some new form of harassment?"
+Katsuragi imagined it was.
+i
+AdirectS.com \
+4
+***
+HY 4
+***
+Wo}
+***
+y
+Chapter 4:
+Dangers Lurk in
+Everyday Life
+I t all began at 6:00 P.M. on a certain day. A text message from the
+school informed us that the entire dormitory wouldn't have water for quite a
+while, due to trouble with the water department. I turned the faucet to
+confirm, and nothing came out.
+It sounded as though the repair work wouldn't finish until the early
+morning. In the meantime, the school was taking the necessary steps to
+provide for its students. It would hand out two liters or more of water in the
+cafeteria as needed, although the text warned us that the cafeteria was
+expected to be crowded as a result. The convenience stores were temporarily
+unavailable, but the Keyaki Mall would provide free drinking water.
+However, we were prohibited from bottling the water and taking it home.
+That really wasn't an issue for me, though.
+No, my big problem would be the toilet. Even though there was water
+in the tank, we had to be cautious, since we could only flush once.
+The tea in the refrigerator should have been enough for one cup, which
+could get me through the day. As for dinner, I'd cook something without
+using any water. I'd just started prepping dinner when my phone suddenly
+rang. The moment I went to answer it, it stopped after two rings.
+I saw that Horikita Suzune had called. It was unusual for her to reach
+out. Even if Horikita had some business with me, she generally texted.
+Curious, I decided to call her back. However, no matter how many times the
+phone rang, Horikita didn't answer.
+I did think it was strange, but I decided to give up. I placed my phone
+on the table and went back to making dinner. Since I already had rice on
+hand, I settled on fried rice as a simple option. Once I added the egg, the
+finishing touches were all that remained.
+Suddenly, my phone rang again.
+By the time I turned off the burner and went to my phone, the ringing
+stopped. Another call from Horikita. I tried calling back again, but she didn't
+answer. This was getting suspicious.
+Maybe Horikita just happened to become busy right after she tried
+calling? Considering her personality, it was hard to imagine that was the case.
+She was the type of person who called only when calm. Even if something
+had happened, ending the call twice in a row, and not picking up afterward,
+was strange. I concluded that Horikita had probably been caught off guard by
+something unexpected.
+"Yeah, right," I muttered.
+Exasperated at myself for reading too deeply into Horikita's call, I
+decided to stop cooking for a bit and send her a text.
+Hey, looks like you tried calling me twice. Did you want something?
+The read receipt instantly popped up, but no reply came. I waited for
+quite a while, but there was nothing.
+I'm cooking right now, so I might not respond right away. Just text me,
+and I'Il get back to you.
+Once again, the read receipt popped up, but she didn't reply. I went
+back to my dinner.
+4.1
+B y the time I finished eating, I still hadn't heard from Horikita. As I
+drank the last of my barley tea, I started feeling like something was wrong.
+"She couldn't be... She's not really in danger, is she?"
+Could she have collapsed somewhere? This whole thing was atypical
+of Horikita, without a doubt. Was her phone malfunctioning? If so, she could
+just have contacted the school.
+If I knew someone close enough to Horikita to go to her room and
+check on her, this would have been over quickly. Sadly, I couldn't think of
+anyone who fit the bill.
+Are you okay? | texted.
+I had to find out what was going on.
+"Oh..."
+The read notification didn't appear. The situation had changed. Maybe
+her phone's battery had run out, or her phone had automatically shut off.
+What other possibilities existed, though? The fact that Horikita called
+in the first place still weighed on me. Why? It was also strange that she
+hadn't said what was going on.
+Logically, my first thought was that Horikita had some business with
+me, but had been interrupted by something else. A teacher might've called
+her, or a classmate. But that theory was very shaky. It was hard to imagine
+someone from the school calling Horikita in the middle of the summer,
+especially at night. She didn't have any friends who'd contact her that way.
+Maybe some accident had stopped the call. Or she just fell asleep and
+forgot to call me back. That might have been it.
+"That doesn't fit."
+Horikita was a gifted and focused student. I couldn't see her forgetting
+to reply.
+"T'm wotried."
+In the end, my options were limited, but I was too concemed to just let
+things be. For the time being, I decided to try calling Horikita again. I dialed
+her number. On the fourth try, I finally managed to connect.
+"Hello?" Horikita didn't seem surprised. If anything, she actually
+sounded tired.
+"Hey. Sorry for calling a bunch of times. I was worried, since you tried
+calling me. Were you sleeping?" I asked.
+"No, I wasn't. I'm sorry for not replying."
+I didn't hear any hint of panic, nor did I get the feeling she'd had an
+accident.
+"T'm kind of in the middle of something right now," she continued.
+I heard a metallic thunk over the phone.
+"What was that?"
+"Nothing. Nothing to worry about. Goodbye."
+She abruptly ended the call. Well, at least I managed to get in touch
+with her, and she said that everything was fine. I decided to forget about this
+for the time being.
+4.2
+I thought that was that, but around 9:00 P.M., my phone lit up. A new
+message.
+Are you awake? read Horikita's text.
+I'm awake.
+Id like to talk to you. Do you have time? It was roughly two hours after
+we'd last talked.
+Pll call you.
+Horikita picked up on the first ring.
+"What's up?" I asked.
+"There's something I wanted to ask you."
+As before, Horikita sounded tired. She paused before speaking again.
+"Let's say that there was a turtle," she began.
+"Huh?"
+Horikita launched into a completely crazy story.
+"Tt's an extremely smart and talented turtle. If I accidentally hit it, and
+flipped it onto its back, that would be terrible, wouldn't you agree? It
+couldn't right itself under its own steam."
+"IT suppose. But actually, in most cases, turtles can extend their necks
+and use their legs to flip over. The only turtles that absolutely can't right
+themselves are giant tortoises and sea turtles," I explained.
+Horikita fell silent at my unnecessary explanation.
+"This would have been easier if you'd just assumed that turtles can't
+get up on their own and listened to me," she said after a moment.
+Yeah. That made sense.
+"Okay. So, they can't get up on their own. Is something wrong with
+that?"
+"In such a situation, what would you do?"
+"T'd probably flip the turtle over. It's not that much trouble."
+I wouldn't have any reason to save the turtle, but I wouldn't have any
+reason to abandon it, either. I thought I might as well extend a helping hand.
+However, I wondered what exactly Horikita was getting at. Maybe she was in
+trouble, like the turtle that couldn't get up on its own?
+I didn't get the impression that she was panicking, though. She seemed
+calm. That probably meant this wasn't a pressing issue.
+"So, what's wrong?" I asked.
+"Well, I'm not upset or anything," she replied.
+"Well, it sure sounds like that's where this is headed."
+"T was just talking about a turtle on its back. It had nothing to do with
+bB)
+***
+"Okay. Then why are we talking about a turtle?"
+"T just...wanted to talk to you about a turtle that flipped over," she
+insisted.
+Okay, this was getting weird.
+"This isn't like you," I said. "Well, I guess asking for help isn't like
+you, either, but... You called me because you don't have anyone else to go
+to, right? If that's the case, then just come out and say why."
+Horikita paused.
+"Tf you say that you can't prevent wanting to help people, then perhaps
+I can't go to you for advice," she said.
+"Huh? It's fine. Talk to me," I told her.
+"T'm just having a little trouble."
+At least she'd finally admitted it. "Where are you now?"
+"T'm in my room."
+"Wait. Are there bugs?"
+If that were the case, I understood why Horikita didn't want to talk
+about it. I was probably right on the money, although the dormitories were
+generally kept clean, and Horikita lived on an upper floor—actually, that
+made the likelihood of bugs rather low.
+"That's not it. I could deal with a bug myself."
+"How would you deal with it? Detergent? Hot water? Slippers?" No
+matter how good my powers of deductive reasoning were, I couldn't imagine
+Horikita's current situation.
+"Well, I'm in trouble because... No, it's fine after all. I'll take care of
+it."
+"You say you'll take care of it yourself, but it's been more than two
+hours, and you haven't done anything yet, right?" I shot back. If she'd called
+with this problem earlier, then she'd been struggling for quite some time.
+"Well. Well... It's true that I'm just about at my physical limit. I'1l tell
+you everything."
+Finally.
+Instead of explaining, however, Horikita suddenly made a request.
+"Could you come to my room?"
+She sounded both embarrassed and disgusted.
+"Now? But it's already past nine," I protested.
+"T understand, but...to deal with this, you need to be here." Horikita
+spoke as though she was frustrated or in pain.
+"Well, I might get in trouble for going to the girls' floor at this time of
+night," I said.
+"IT know, but I can't do this unless you're here," she replied.
+With that, Horikita abruptly hung up.
+"This is kinda scary. But I guess I have to go," I muttered.
+Grabbing only my phone and room key, I hurried out. Wouldn't want
+to keep her waiting.
+4.3
+I didn't want to run into any other girls, so I waited until no one else
+was using the elevator. Sneaking around like that was pathetic, but hey. That
+was me. I managed to reach the thirteenth floor undetected. When I got to
+Horikita's room, I rang the doorbell. After waiting a while, I tried to slowly
+open the door myself. It wasn't locked.
+"Horikita?"
+Horikita's place was a one-bedroom and kitchen model, but I couldn't
+see into the bedroom area. It was hidden behind a closed door. There was no
+sign of Horikita in the kitchen or hallway. Like me, she'd barely decorated
+since moving in.
+"You're alone, right?" I heard her voice from behind the bedroom
+door.
+"Y ou're being way too loud," I told her.
+"Tt's okay. Even if someone came in right now, I'd conk them with my
+right hand," she replied.
+What in the world was that supposed to mean? Cautiously, I entered
+Horikita's bedroom. She had her back to me, so I couldn't see her expression.
+The room was decorated simply. Nothing seemed particularly strange.
+"Okay, I'm here. What's the problem?" I asked.
+"Once you see, you' ll understand."
+Horikita slowly stood and turned to face me. Two radically different
+emotions coursed through me at the exact same time.
+"T see. So. That's it, huh?"
+"That's it, yes."
+I felt some secondhand embarrassment as I looked at her right hand,
+which was completely stuck inside a small water bottle.
+"How do I say this? This is completely unlike you. Don't tell me you
+were just playing around."
+"Don't be dumb."
+"This is like when you challenge yourself to use your fingers to pick up
+a single piece of corn, right?"
+That must've irritated her, because she swung her right arm at me.
+"T-It's just a joke."
+"There's no point telling an unfunny joke. You failed."
+"Tt wasn't funny because I was teasing you, right?"
+"This water bottle got stuck because I tried to wash my hand. Can you
+help me get it off?"
+So, that was what happened. I grabbed the water bottle and pulled, but
+only ended up pulling Horikita toward me.
+"Come on. If you don't pull back yourself, you're gonna stay stuck. At
+least give it a little elbow grease," I said.
+"T already know that. It's just that I'm tired. Let's get this over with
+quickly," she replied.
+After trying to free herself on her own for more than two hours,
+Horikita was exhausted. I grabbed the water bottle again, put a little more
+strength into it, and pulled. Horikita pulled back as I did so, enduring the
+pain. However, her arm remained stuck.
+"It's no use. At this rate, the bottle will never come off," I told her.
+"T see. I suppose I expected as much." Horikita appeared to have
+resigned herself to being trapped.
+"Guess we have to rub your arm down with soap and slowly pull the
+bottle off. Let's head to the kitchen," I said.
+"Did you forget that there's a water outage right now?"
+That was right. We wouldn't have water until twelve. The only usable
+water was in the toilet, but Horikita probably wouldn't like that.
+"T'Il go to the cafeteria."
+We were low on options, but as long as I could get some water, we
+could remove the bottle. I left Horikita's room and headed straight for the
+cafeteria. However, an unfortunate surprise awaited me there.
+"T'm very sorry. So many students came that we're all out," said the
+cafeteria lady.
+Apparently, those who'd needed water for dinner had taken all of it.
+Well then, I'd just go buy some at the vending machine. I didn't need a lot of
+water to free someone's arm from a bottle. About two drinking glasses' worth
+would be enough.
+I walked toward the vending machines, and discovered that our
+misfortune was just beginning. All the water, tea, and juice were sold out.
+"T've never seen a completely sold-out vending machine before," I
+muttered.
+4.4
+oy ou're empty-handed?"
+Horikita, the water-bottle woman, glared at me, but it didn't matter.
+This tragedy was born of multiple misfortunes.
+"So, what are we going to do now?"
+"Tf you're okay with it, we could ask Ike or Sudou for water."
+"Pass," she replied.
+I'd thought that was how she'd reply.
+"T could lie and say it's for me."
+"I'm opposed to using any water they might have. Who knows what
+they've put in it?" she muttered.
+She was treating them like harmful germs or something. I wanted to
+disagree, but lacked the confidence. Those guys did tend to leave uncovered
+tea and water
+lying around. They'd probably try to rustle up clean water for
+Horikita's sake, but they might be a lot less considerate if I said J wanted
+water. Friendly malice was a diabolical thing.
+"Okay. Want to try one more time?"
+"Yes. Even if it hurts," she replied.
+Horikita offered her right arm, bracing herself. She wanted her freedom
+as soon as possible. I saw sweat trickle down her arm.
+"Okay, I'm going to get a really good grip on it."
+I wanted to free Horikita and return to my own room, so I grabbed the
+water bottle tightly, putting myself in a ridiculous pose. I pulled twice as hard
+as I had the last time. Horikita looked as though she was in agony, but
+endured it without complaint. However, the bottle didn't budge.
+"T guess we really do need water," I said.
+The bottle probably wasn't going to come off unless we made
+Horikita's arm slippery. If it was stuck after that, we might need to contact
+emergency services.
+"You're telling me to wait until twelve? Like this?"
+"Well, the only reliable guy left is Hirata," I said.
+"T wouldn't have any concerns about the quality of Hirata's water,
+but...I dislike the idea of owing him a debt," replied Horikita.
+"Well, I'll say I'm the one who needs water, for appearance's sake. It
+won't be your problem," I told her.
+"T suppose that's true," she answered.
+Horikita still sounded somewhat dissatisfied, but appeared to accept the
+fact that you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. I tried to call
+Hirata. No matter how many times the phone rang, however, he didn't pick
+up. Even when I tried to send him a chat message, it went unread.
+"Maybe he's asleep. I'm not getting a response."
+"T see. My emotions are a mixture of joy and despair," she replied.
+"Well, we probably don't have any other options. I think we can only
+rely on Kushida or Sakura."
+"Please ask Sakura-san," replied Horikita immediately.
+"Are you still on bad terms with Kushida?"
+"There's no reason for us to get along. Besides, there are still quite a
+few things about her that I can't accept," she said.
+"What do you mean, 'can't accept' ?"
+"The test on the ship. She abandoned the idea of trying to win right
+from the start. She wanted the Dragon group to end with a draw."
+Horikita crossed her arms as she recalled the events of the previous
+test. Unfortunately, she still had her hand stuck in the bottle, so her
+declaration lacked impact.
+"That's because she's a pacifist. She was probably choosing the option
+where everyone ended up happy," I reasoned.
+"T had no intention of completely rejecting Outcome #1. But it was
+something entirely different for the VIP herself to steer us toward it,"
+Horikita answered sharply.
+During the test, students had been separated into twelve groups. We'd
+played a game where we had to discover the hidden identity of a chosen VIP
+within each group, with four possible outcomes in total. The most difficult
+outcome to achieve was Outcome #1, which required everyone in the group
+to discover the VIP's identity and wait till the assigned time to submit their
+answers, without anyone betraying the group by turning in an answer early.
+The group that achieved Outcome #1 would have 500,000 private points
+awarded to each member, and a million private points awarded to its VIP.
+The only drawback to Outcome #1 was that the VIP's class wasn't
+awarded any class points.
+"Kushida being our group's VIP gave Class D the advantage. All we
+had to do was keep the VIP's identity hidden, but everyone found out that
+Kushida-san was the VIP. I think that Kushida herself had something to do
+with that."
+"But that's just speculation on your part."
+"Yes. The possibility remains, though. Therefore, I assume she's
+guilty."
+Horikita's words grew forceful. I understood how she felt, but the
+seriousness was lessened, since Horikita's arm was still stuck in that water
+bottle. I needed to tread carefully.
+"T understand how you feel, but that won't do," I said.
+"You mean, me saying all this without any evidence?"
+"T'm saying that situation was your responsibility, too. Let's assume
+that, yes, Kushida betrayed us. If so, then you're at fault for allowing her to
+betray us. You have to win at all costs. Am I wrong?"
+Horikita seemed to understand what I meant. Nevertheless, she
+objected. "Don't be absurd. Don't you understand how unrealistic that is?"
+"Unrealistic? I can't imagine why it would be. If Kushida did
+manipulate you all into Outcome #1, that's honestly amazing. In other words,
+she completely outdid you in the exam."
+Of course, this was all assuming that Kushida had truly betrayed the
+Dragon group. Honestly, it'd probably been Ryuuen or Katsuragi. I didn't
+know which. Either way, someone with more power had forced everyone in
+the Dragon group into a certain outcome. Still, the fact remained that Horikita
+had been outsmarted.
+"The VIP was in your class. If you didn't act because you were
+confident in your victory, then the responsibility lies with the people on your
+team. If you're aiming for Class A, you need to be able to manage people
+better," I added.
+"Y ou're talking about very complicated things," Horikita countered.
+"T understand that you're frustrated. But this is the path you chose.
+Besides, you're maturing. If I'd said the same thing to you when we first met,
+you wouldn't have listened to me at all."
+That was true. Slowly, Horikita was beginning to think like an adult.
+She was no longer a girl who rejected everything around her on instinct.
+"T understand. I accept the test results. Perhaps I was too optimistic.
+But, right now, my main objective is getting my arm free," she huffed.
+"T suppose I' ll see if Sakura can help."
+Since it was getting late, I decided to reach out to Sakura using chat.
+Sakura, my room is out of drinking water. The vending machine is sold
+out, too. Would you mind sharing with me?
+I waited for a while after sending the message, but saw no indication
+that Sakura had read it.
+"No good. I don't know if she's asleep or what."
+"Honestly, today is just not my day," Horikita sighed.
+"T take it you want the bottle off right now?"
+"Tf I planned to wait, I wouldn't have called you."
+"Then you have to take a risk, too," I said.
+"Risk?" Horikita was instantly wary.
+"We'll head to Keyaki Mall for water. There's no other way."
+"So, that's our final option." Horikita put her hand to her forehead.
+Honestly, no matter what tragic pose she assumed, she still looked ridiculous.
+"Most people are eating right now, so this is our chance." As a matter
+of fact, I hadn't bumped into any of our classmates this evening.
+"T can't take the risk. Can't you ask one of your friends?" she urged.
+"Unfortunately, I can't. I think they made plans to go out for karaoke.
+They're not here."
+"This is not my day," she sighed.
+"Let's get this over with, then."
+"W-wait. I really can't go outside like this," said Horikita.
+"In that case, do you want to hide your hand? I guess it's already
+hidden in a water bottle," I joked.
+"That was completely unnecessary," she snapped, and raised her hand
+as if to strike.
+"O-okay, I get it. Please put your hand down. Do you have a cloth or
+something?"
+"Cloth? If a handkerchief counts, I have one." Horikita pulled a white
+handkerchief off the shelf. I placed it over the water bottle.
+"This looks painfully suspicious. It's not large enough to cover
+everything."
+"Don't you have anything bigger?" I asked.
+"Will a bath towel do?"
+I placed the towel over her arm. "Well, I guess this works."
+Honestly, I suspected the bath towel might make her stand out even
+more.
+"Tf the towel's even a little lopsided, it'll fall off," said Horikita.
+"Well, can't you hold it with your free hand?"
+Horikita folded the bath towel and held it to her body, giving the
+impression that she was about to take a bath. Yeah, that looked way better.
+"If someone were to see me, what kind of impression would they get?"
+she asked.
+"Hmm..."
+No one would normally walk around the dorms with a bath towel, nor
+take one outside. People would be suspicious.
+"Depending on the situation, I suppose they might think you were
+going to use my bathtub," I suggested. That might have been a leap of logic,
+but that was the way I saw it.
+"Rejected."
+Horikita took the towel off. I supposed that I didn't really want anyone
+to think that about us, either.
+"How about putting your hand inside your bag?"
+"Rejected. Can't you think of anything better?" She was peerless when
+it came to complaining.
+"Why don't we just go there as we are? We'|l avoid worrying about a
+towel or handkerchief falling down."
+"T suppose so."
+All that was left for us was to act. I peeked into the hallway, taking a
+slightly hesitant Horikita with me.
+"Okay, no sign of anyone. Let's go," I said.
+"W-wait a minute. I still haven't put my shoes on."
+Because Horikita could only use one hand, putting on her shoes took
+quite a bit of time. Finally, the two of us stepped out into the hallway.
+"Wait. There's a faucet on the path to school, right? If we make it
+there, we'll be okay."
+If we walked at a normal pace, we'd arrive at the faucet in about five
+minutes. We'd be fine under the cover of darkness, as long as we got out of
+the dormitory. We reached the elevators, but—
+"Tt's no use, Ayanokouji-kun. We can't use them," Horikita said.
+"What?"
+"There's a surveillance monitor in the first-floor lobby, right? I don't
+know who can see us on that."
+A monitor on the first floor did display whatever the elevator cameras
+captured. Horikita was concerned about being seen. Even if she managed to
+hide her arm, she couldn't avoid looking mysterious.
+"Should we take the stairs?"
+That would probably take quite a bit of time. Also, the fact that
+Horikita couldn't use one hand made it a little riskier.
+"1'd rather take the stairs than let someone see me," she confessed.
+Horikita chose pride over safety. Two emergency stairwells were each
+located an equal distance from the elevators. No matter which we took, we'd
+have to pass students' rooms again. There was no getting around that.
+I brought Horikita toward the stairwell. She stayed behind me, as if
+hiding herself from view. I was starting to agree with her words earlier. "This
+is not my day," indeed.
+I heard a door open about three rooms behind us.
+"Th-this is bad. That's Maezono-san's room."
+Maezono from Class D, huh? There was no way for us to escape.
+However, Maezono didn't leave the room. Instead, her friend Kushida
+stepped out. Another piece of bad luck for Horikita.
+"Thank you, Kushida-san. I'll return the favor next time!"
+"Oh no, it's okay. Don't worry about it. Good night, Maezono-san."
+I didn't see Maezono's face. As the door closed with a ka-chak,
+Kushida headed toward the elevator without noticing me or Horikita.
+"That was close," Horikita said.
+"Yeah."
+If Kushida had looked back, she would've noticed us. I was sweating
+an uncomfortable amount. We were far too conspicuous like this.
+We headed to the emergency exit as quickly as possible, but I heard
+Maezono's door open once again.
+"Kushida-san, you forgot something!" Maezono shouted as she stepped
+outside. Kushida turned.
+"Ah, Ayanokouji-kun. Horikita-san. Good evening."
+"Y-yeah."
+Our exchange was brief. It seemed as though Kushida wanted to check
+on what she forgot. She headed back toward Maezono, and Maezono
+inevitably noticed us as well. Horikita froze.
+"You forgot your phone!"
+"Ah, sorry. Thanks! You're a lifesaver."
+"Let's get going, Ayanokouji-kun. There's no need for us to linger,"
+said Horikita. She pushed the water bottle against my back, emphasizing that
+this was our chance.
+If Horikita were seen in this state, her pride would be utterly
+demolished. We reached the emergency exit, and I tried to open the door.
+"Tt won't open."
+"Y ou're joking, right? There's no way an emergency exit door
+wouldn't open, is there?"
+"I'm serious. It won't open." Locking an emergency exit was normally
+prohibited, which meant...
+"Where are you going?"
+Oh no. Kushida approached us.
+"Oh, uh. We were just thinking of taking the stairs."
+That was the best answer I could give.
+"Oh? But the power's out in the east emergency stairwell right now.
+I'm pretty sure it isn't usable. It'd be really dangerous to go downstairs in
+pitch darkness. I think the west stairs are okay, though."
+"So, that's why it's locked. Huh," I said.
+Horikita said nothing, continuing to hide behind my back.
+"Horikita seems to be acting differently than usual. Is something the
+matter?" asked Kushida.
+Horikita raised her voice. "Nothing's wrong!" she replied curtly.
+Her bluntness worked. Kushida stopped.
+"T see. Well, if something's troubling you, please tell me. Okay?
+Maezono-san was in trouble earlier because she had no water. I have more
+than enough," said Kushida.
+Kushida had what we wanted most of all. If Horikita could only ask for
+her help, she'd get water quite easily.
+However, Horikita pushed the water bottle into my back like the
+muzzle of a gun. She didn't want Kushida's help.
+"Well then, good night to you both," Kushida said sweetly.
+"Yeah, 'night."
+4.5
+I t took us quite a while to get to the first floor from the thirteenth. We
+were worried that the lobby might be crowded, but fortunately, no one was
+around.
+"We can go right now," I said.
+"Okay."
+I made my way toward the exit, Horikita trailing closely behind me.
+Then, several male and female students emerged from the darkness,
+chatting as they walked. They didn't appear to be Class D students, but from
+Horikita's perspective, it didn't make any difference who they were. We
+couldn't get out of the dormitory in time. Horikita turned on her heel and
+started to head back, as if returning to her room.
+"At this rate, they're going to see us," she said.
+The students drew nearer, their presence hard to ignore. Flustered,
+Horikita and I opened the door to the west emergency stairs. How unlucky
+could we be? I heard a voice directly above us. It sounded like a male student
+on the third or fourth floor, heading downstairs. Students who lived on the
+lower levels often didn't use the elevators.
+No longer able to go upstairs, Horikita and I were forced to return to
+the lobby.
+"We have no choice now but to use the elevator!" Horikita said.
+"Ts that okay? You'll be seen on the monitors," I said.
+"T'Il have to use you as cover. Since we know the camera's position,
+we should be able to do that," replied Horikita.
+That suggestion was bizarre, but not impossible. I would rather have
+avoided it, but since we lacked an escape route, there was no other choice.
+We hurried to the left elevator and got on. I positioned myself directly in
+front of the camera, and Horikita stood behind me, making sure to hide her
+arm. She was like a ghost clinging to my back.
+I hoped observers wouldn't notice anything. At any rate, we needed to
+get away from the first floor. I pushed a button at random.
+"Well, we're safe for now, but...this is just the beginning," I muttered.
+"Let's give up. I can't go outside like this. I'Il just endure this bottle
+until the water comes back," said Horikita.
+That had to be a tough pill for her to swallow, but if it was what she
+wanted, we just needed to return to the thirteenth floor. I cancelled the
+request for a random floor, and pushed the button for the thirteenth.
+Hopefully our trials were over for tonight.
+Then, just as we relaxed, the elevator suddenly slowed. I was having
+terrible luck with elevators lately. At least it wasn't breaking down, and I
+hadn't pressed the wrong button.
+We had stopped on the fifth floor. That meant that someone had
+pressed the call button. No matter who got on, they'd see Horikita in this
+bizarre state. She might've gone undetected in a big crowd of people, but fate
+continued to be cruel, and the elevator doors opened to reveal a single male
+student.
+Unbelievable. Of all the people we could have encountered...
+Kouenji Rokusuke, a Class D student, waltzed into the elevator with
+his usual haughty air. He went straight to the mirrored wall, not even giving
+us a passing glance. As he gazed at his reflection, he pulled out a comb he
+always carried, and started to style his hair.
+"Elevator boy. Top floor," he said.
+Horikita appeared stunned by Kouenji's incredible display of
+narcissism. I wanted to say a bunch of things right back at him, but it was
+probably best to just stay quiet. I pressed the button for the top floor, the
+elevator doors closed, and we started our ascent once again.
+Kouenji showed no sign of paying attention to us. I would've thought
+that he'd spare us a glance, considering that we were his classmates, but at
+least that meant he probably wouldn't notice the water bottle.
+While Horikita hovered in the camera's blind spot, the elevator passed
+the tenth floor. I wondered what business Kouenji had on the top floor, but
+couldn't ask. Maybe he had no real reason for going.
+When the elevator doors slowly opened, Horikita and I stepped out
+simultaneously. Kouenji never once moved his eyes from the mirror. Things
+had ended without incident.
+Horikita rushed straight to her room.
+"Tt's impossible. Walking around outside is completely out of the
+question," she muttered as she went inside.
+I was about to follow her when my phone vibrated.
+Sorry for the late reply. I was researching something, so I didn't notice
+your text, read the message from Sakura.
+"Sakura-san?" asked Horikita.
+"Yeah." I texted Sakura back.
+You wanted water, right? Of course that's okay. Would one bottle be
+enough? said her message.
+That's plenty, thank you. Can I come get it now?
+Sure. I'll wait for you, Sakura replied.
+It was difficult to hold a conversation with Sakura in person, but when
+we texted, it went smoothly.
+"Good news, Horikita. Apparently, Sakura has water. She just gave me
+the okay to borrow some, so I'll be going now."
+"Thank you. However, please don't tell Sakura-san about me," Horikita
+replied.
+"Well, since you won't be stuck like this anymore, how about we take
+a commemorative photo?" I joked.
+Horikita seemed to be about to start swinging the water bottle at me, so
+I ran into the hall.
+"What a terrifying woman. Considering her physical prowess, if she hit
+me on the head with that bottle, I'd probably die," I muttered.
+If a high school girl with her arm stuck in a water bottle killed me, my
+name would live on in infamy.
+4.6
+ce
+T here—it's off," I said.
+After a long, arduous struggle, we'd finally succeeded in freeing
+Horikita from the water bottle.
+"Honestly, this day was a complete disaster," she muttered. If my hand
+had been trapped in a water bottle, I would've felt the same. "Ayanokouji-
+kun. Please don't speak a word of this to anyone."
+"Before you go issuing warnings, isn't there something else you'd like
+to say first?"
+"Thank you."
+It wasn't sincere, but at least it sounded like an approximation of
+gratitude.
+"T have to say, getting trapped in a water bottle? That's just so unlike
+you, Horikita."
+"Shut up," she snapped.
+I decided that I'd outstayed my welcome, so I headed back to my own
+room.
+Really, though, was it even possible for someone's arm to get stuck in
+a water bottle? I took a bottle out of a box, rinsed it, and then inserted my
+hand as a test. It was an exact fit. The bottle felt surprisingly snug.
+"Rocket punch! Eh, just kidding."
+I gave in to silliness for a moment. When I tried to get my hand out of
+the water bottle, though...
+"T-I think I'm trapped!"
+Chapter 5:
+A Day of Girl
+Troubles and Disaster:
+A Devil Smiles Like an Angel
+ce
+Y ou're gonna do what I say today, Ayanokouji!"
+Woken by the doorbell, I sighed when I saw my visitor. "What're you
+yammering about this early? You sure are energetic, Yamauchi."
+"What, were you sleeping or something? Dude, you're acting pretty
+chill, even though summer vacation is over in a couple days," Yamauchi said.
+"Anyway, I decided that today's gonna be special. Let me in."
+I was being chill precisely because we only had a couple days of
+vacation left. Still sleepy, I didn't exactly follow Yamauchi's train of thought,
+but I let him in anyway. I prepared a cup of barley tea for him and set
+it down.
+"So, am I involved in this special day of yours?" I asked.
+"T'm not gonna let you weasel out of this, Ayanokouji.
+Remember when I wanted to know Sakura's phone number?" he
+pressed.
+Yamauchi's determination was obvious. His eyes were slightly
+bloodshot.
+"T see."
+I couldn't just turn him down. The whole situation was kind of my
+fault, after all. Some time ago, I'd gotten Yamauchi to make a fool of himself
+by promising him Sakura's number. That had damaged his perceived market
+value, especially in Horikita's eyes. I definitely owed him one. Still, since I'd
+made that bargain without Sakura's consent, I wasn't about to give Yamauchi
+her number.
+I did need to repay my debt to him, though.
+"Well, if you've come to ask about Sakura's number, I think that might
+be kinda difficult."
+"Oh no. That's not it. I've given up on that." Yamauchi produced a
+letter. "I've written down all my feelings for Sakura on this paper!"
+"Written down... Wait, this is a love letter?"
+"Right! I've written about just how much I love Sakura! Here, read it!"
+Yamauchi showed me the note in the unsealed envelope.
+Dearest Sakura Airi-sama, you've been on my mind for a long time
+now. Please go out with me.
+"Tt's really...simple. And overly formal at the beginning," I said.
+Yamauchi looked pained. "Even if I write something long, that doesn't
+mean it'll be good, right?"
+That was probably true. Still, this was too little to go on. I could
+honestly picture the letter's recipient—especially Sakura—being
+uncomfortable.
+"Wait. Why is it printed, instead of handwritten?" I asked.
+"T'm not really proud of this, but my handwriting sucks. I printed the
+letter to make it easier to read. I was kind of worried she might not be able to
+understand it, you know?"
+Yamauchi scratched his nose with his index finger, looking a bit proud.
+I didn't think that pride was merited.
+"Besides, even resumes are printed nowadays, right?" he added.
+"Tf you really want to convey your feelings, handwritten is better. Also,
+why'd you use such a scary-looking font?"
+It was the kind of font you'd choose for something like "A strange
+demon appears!" It looked as though it was made for casting curses.
+"Tt's got impact, right? The letter's got this whole 'I've been thinking
+of you for a long time' vibe."
+"For the sake of argument, I' ll let that go. The problem's the last part,"
+I replied, pointing out what he'd written to add to his appeal.
+If you go out with me, I'Il give you all my points every month as
+tribute!
+"That's no good."
+"Whaddya mean? Don't they say that cute girls like men who can
+support them? If going out with Sakura means I gotta hand over all my
+points, I' Il do it. That's how I'll communicate my passion."
+I couldn't deny that girls loved financial stability, but it kind of seemed
+as though Yamauchi was offering to pay Sakura to date him.
+"Tt's fine, dude. Even if she was only after the money, it'd be all right. I
+want to date her. Is that bad?"
+When I affirmed that it was indeed bad, Yamauchi began to grasp just
+what I was getting at. "Are you seriously planning on confessing your love to
+her?" I asked.
+"Yeah. Starting with the second semester, I'm aiming for my dream
+school life! I've already asked Kikyou-chan to help. I got her to call Sakura."
+This was all perfectly normal to Yamauchi, and I found I couldn't
+bring myself to rebuke him. I should probably have stopped him, for Sakura's
+sake, but at least his methods were direct and honest. I considered offering
+him a helping hand.
+"So, what should I do? Proofread the letter?" I asked.
+"Well, yeah, but I have one more really important role for you. I want
+you to deliver the letter to Sakura."
+"What?" I thought I'd misheard him.
+"T want you to deliver the letter. Look, I've been feeling super nervous
+all morning, all right? The last time I felt this nervous, I won the final match
+at the Ryougoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall. That's why I don't have the
+confidence to give the letter to Sakura myself," he explained.
+Wait, what final game had he participated in at Kokugikan? I wanted to
+interrogate that probable lie further. It was honestly a weak statement, and
+uncharacteristic for Yamauchi.
+"Tf you say the letter's the problem, then I'll rewrite it. Please!"
+Yamauchi clapped his hands, bowed his head, and begged me to help. "Any
+past problems between us will all be water under the bridge! If you're ever in
+trouble, Ayanokouji, I'll help you!"
+"Tf you insist, I guess I'll help," I replied.
+"Really?!"
+"But what matters is how Sakura feels. Do you understand?"
+"Yeah, I'm not an idiot. I know my chances aren't that high."
+At least Yamauchi understood that his chances of success were low. In
+fact, Sakura actively shied away from men, which made his chances
+despairingly low. Even so, he was determined to try.
+"T understand. I' ll deliver your letter. Okay?"
+"Ayanokouji! You're a lifesaver!"
+Yamauchi grabbed my hand and lowered his head in reverence, as if
+worshipping a god.
+First, ''d need to review the letter carefully. Considering that it was for
+Sakura, it needed to be gentler if it was going to work. Honestly, this was still
+rather premature. Confessing his love, when he and Sakura hadn't even
+exchanged contact information, was just risky. If Yamauchi wanted to
+increase his chances of success, he needed to actually talk to her.
+Then again, maybe Yamauchi had a point. Romance happened
+spontaneously. People often went from zero to sixty very quickly.
+Like Yamauchi, I had zero romantic experience, but I thought that I
+should at least do something to help.
+"Ah, that reminds me. I want to add one more thing to the letter. I want
+to hear Sakura's response to my confession behind the school building,"
+added Yamauchi.
+"Behind the school building? After Gym Number Two?"
+"Yeah, yeah. It's like, there's this rumor, y' know? If you confess your
+feelings there, it's sure to go well."
+"So, that's the stage you've chosen for this whole production?"
+"T mean, it's not just a rumor. They say, if a student confesses their
+love, it's gotta be behind the school. That's like the golden rule."
+I couldn't see any connection between telling someone how you felt
+and the back of the school building. However, I understood his thinking.
+3.1
+I t took just under half an hour for me to contact Sakura. How would
+she react to Kushida's invitation, I wondered? She probably wouldn't take
+this with equanimity. I, on the other hand, was on standby at the agreed-upon
+spot, waiting for Sakura to arrive.
+My phone vibrated in my pocket. I answered it.
+"Hello?"
+"H-how's it going? Can you see Sakura yet?" Yamauchi asked.
+"Nope. I mean, she's probably not going to show up until about ten
+minutes beforehand, right?"
+"T-I see. Damn, I'm so nervous!"
+Yamauchi waved from where he stood, some distance away. Even
+though he didn't want to be seen, he'd probably gotten curious, and come
+closer to have a look.
+"Hey, Yamauchi. Should I really hand the letter over for you? I think it
+would be better if you gave Sakura this yourself."
+"Th-that's impossible, dude. Whenever I'm really nervous, my hands
+start to shake. I've carried that trauma ever since I was a little kid."
+Most people probably shook under extreme stress, though.
+"T understand that you don't want to mess up, but think about it. Does
+an indirect love letter really have any value?"
+"You know when a cute girl asks you to meet her after school, but
+when you go, a completely different girl from the one you expected shows
+up, and it's this plain Jane confessing to you instead? This plan is sort of the
+reverse. I asked Kushida not to tell Sakura that I'm the one asking her to
+meet. In other words, when Sakura realizes you're waiting for her, she'Il be
+disappointed. But once she learns that it's really me confessing, my chances
+will be a lot better when she compares us, you know? So, when you hand
+over the letter, don't mention me at all. It's better for Sakura to think you're
+the one confessing," he said.
+Yamauchi didn't seem to care that he was completely trash-talking me.
+I had no room to criticize his goals, but he really needed to consider Sakura's
+feelings.
+"Look, I just think getting a confession of love from someone you can't
+see is scary," I replied.
+"Th-that's—"
+I wanted to get him to change his mind. With a confession of love, you
+had one shot. I figured that even Yamauchi shouldn't do it in a way that
+might leave him with regrets.
+"There's still time. I think you should reconsider. That's why you
+wrote this letter, right?"
+"Yeah, I suppose, but... Ugh, should I confess to Sakura in person?"
+Finally, the proper conclusion seemed to form inside Yamauchi's head.
+"Ayanokouji-kun?" Just then, I heard the faint sound of footsteps, and
+a voice called out to me.
+"Tt's Sakura! I'm leaving the rest to you!" whispered Yamauchi.
+Panicked, he hung up.
+Well, there probably wasn't much else I could do at this point. All that
+was left was to hand over Yamauchi's letter.
+"This is a coincidence, right?" Sakura asked.
+"Kushida called you here, right?"
+"Y-yes. She said that she needed to talk to me about something. She
+said it was important," Sakura replied meekly. She looked around, but of
+course, she could see no one but me.
+"To tell you the truth, I asked Kushida for a favor. She called you out
+here for me," I said. Strictly speaking, that wasn't true, but I couldn't help it
+if Sakura got confused.
+"You, Ayanokouji-kun? I-I see. That's a relief. I don't normally talk to
+Kushida-san, so I was worried I did something to make her angry." Sakura
+put her hand to her chest and sighed in relief. She no longer seemed anxious.
+I decided to be direct.
+"Even so, you're pretty early. It's still about half an hour before we
+were supposed to meet," I said.
+"T was feeling anxious, so I came early." Sakura still looked flustered.
+"But it was you, after all, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm really relieved."
+When she patted her chest, her expression became calmer.
+"But why get Kushida's help, Ayanokouji-kun? If you want something,
+you could just ask me directly."
+"Oh, um. About that. It's a complicated situation."
+"A complicated situation?"
+How would I explain? I knew quite enough about the biological
+differences between men and women through my studies, but I had no
+practical knowledge whatsoever of romance. Also, the issue wasn't just our
+different genders. I had to factor in Sakura's personality and feelings, too.
+Even in our modern, effective, intelligent society, this little dance remained a
+complicated mystery.
+Time passed while I considered what to do. The longer I stayed silent,
+the more guarded Sakura would become.
+"The truth is, I had Kushida call you here because I wanted to give you
+this." I offered her Yamauchi's letter.
+"What's this?"
+"Tf you read the contents, you'! understand well enough," I said.
+"O-okay."
+Feeling something akin to guilt, I averted my eyes. Sakura looked back
+and forth between me and the letter, as if trying to grasp the situation.
+"A |-letter...behind the school... A boy..." she whispered. Whoa! She
+thought that I was confessing my love. This was bad.
+"Someone who wants to stay anonymous asked me to give you this. He
+said that, if you read it, you'd understand. He has bad handwriting, but he
+really poured his heart and soul into this letter," I said.
+"Ah, ahhh. Th-this is... Oh my. Oh my. Ahhh!"
+Sakura's composure was gone. She stared into space as if looking into
+the future. I was apprehensive about her reaction if she opened the envelope
+and read the letter, so I decided it was best that I skedaddled.
+"Okay, well. I've handed the letter over. All that's left is for you to
+decide how to respond. You can text or call me if answering directly is too
+hard," I said.
+"T, I, I, I, I, I, I, IC!" she stammered. "I-I just, well...I can't! I mean,
+th-this is a |-love—"
+"Yeah, a love letter."
+"Eek I bP)
+"Whoa!" I rushed to support Sakura as she came dangerously close to
+toppling over. "Are you all right?"
+I could tell she was too warm just by touching her back. This must've
+been really unexpected for her. She was probably trying to figure out who
+sent the letter.
+"Um, um, um!"
+Sakura's eyes shot open. She stiffened and stood up straight. Once I
+was sure she was steady, I let go of her.
+"What about...Horikita-san?! Do you think she'|I be angry?!"
+"Huh? Horikita?"
+Why should Horikita get angry? If she saw me deliver a letter in
+Yamauchi's place, she'd probably just sigh in exasperation, and say
+something like, "Oh my, how difficult it must be for you not to get involved
+in something idiotic." It certainly wouldn't make her angry.
+Did Sakura still think I was confessing? I had made sure to say that I
+was only the messenger.
+"Umm.. Ahh..." Sakura's face continued to redden. She looked as
+though she might pass out. I couldn't imagine that the letter was the only
+thing making her react that way.
+If she did still think I wrote the letter, I understood why she'd brought
+up Horikita.
+"Sakura. Just to repeat myself, this letter is from another guy. Do you
+understand?"
+Sakura's shoulders trembled.
+"Eh? I-It's not from you, Ayanokouji-kun?" she stammered.
+"T already told you that I'm the messenger, didn't I?"
+"T-I see. Of course that's what... B-b-b-but, what do I do with this
+letter?!" she cried.
+"Just read it and answer."
+I tried to walk away, but Sakura grabbed my sleeve. "But I can't...I
+can't do it! I can't..."
+"Has no one ever confessed their feelings to you before?"
+"Never!" Sakura replied instantly.
+Huh. I would've thought she'd been confessed to countless times,
+given how cute she was.
+"This letter... Will you read it with me? Together?"
+Together? Well, Yamauchi had actually written the thing with my help.
+However, if Sakura didn't have the courage to read the letter alone, I couldn't
+really help her. Yamauchi probably wouldn't like that.
+"Can you try to read it by yourself? As the messenger, it's my job to
+ask you that. I hope you understand."
+"Okay..."
+Sakura didn't seem even slightly happy about that.
+"Maybe the letter's from someone you like," I said.
+"That's not possible now," she said sadly.
+"Huh?"
+"Ah, no! That's just, well, that's because I don't like anyone! I mean, I-
+I'll try reading it!" she stammered.
+Sakura hung her head, looking a little depressed as she turned and
+headed back to the dorms. She would probably read Yamauchi's letter in her
+room.
+Yamauchi rushed over as soon as Sakura had safely left the area. "H-
+how'd it go?! How'd she react?! Did she look happy?!" he asked nervously. I
+understood his sense of urgency, but really, it indicated that he should have
+been the one to deliver the letter.
+"She hasn't read it yet. We'Il just wait for judgment," I replied.
+"D-don't use a scary word like 'judgment'! I believe it'll absolutely be
+fine!" Yamauchi responded, frantic.
+"Out of curiosity, what's your basis for that belief?"
+"How she acts when she talks to me, I guess," he answered sheepishly.
+"How she acts?"
+"You know, how she looks away, all embarrassed. She can't look me
+in the face because she's really aware of me, don't you think?"
+Actually, I thought that was probably because Sakura lacked people
+skills.
+"That's not all. Whenever she talks to me, she always kind of sighs
+heavily afterward. Isn't that a sigh of love? You know, when you think about
+the person you like, and then you sigh, like 'Ahh!' It's like a sign, dude," said
+Yamauchi.
+Sakura probably sighed from exhaustion after dealing with someone as
+high-energy as Yamauchi. People were naturally oblivious to reality and
+logic when it came to the girls they liked, though.
+5.2
+I t was the middle of the night, and I was settling in for bed when my
+phone vibrated.
+Are you awake? It was a rather short message from Sakura.
+I looked at my phone for some time without touching it, but saw no
+indication that there'd be more messages. Sakura probably thought I was
+sleeping. I opened the chat window, marking the message as read. Soon, I
+received another message.
+Did I wake you? it said.
+Sorry, I was doing some laundry. It's okay. A small lie.
+She must have felt relieved, because the next message was slightly
+longer.
+I have to meet with Yamauchi-kun at five tomorrow, but...can I meet
+you before that? I could've refused. However, Sakura didn't have anyone
+else.
+Where are you meeting him?
+The same place as yesterday: behind the school building.
+I already knew that, but I'd wanted to confirm. I promised Sakura that I
+would meet her at the same location behind the school. Then it was time to
+Sleep.
+I turned my phone's screen off and set it down. It vibrated again,
+though.
+Um. I'm sorry for bothering you over and over. Is it okay if I call you?
+Her anxiety radiated from her message. It would probably be better if I
+didn't leave her hanging. When I called her, Sakura answered quietly.
+"You can't sleep?" I asked.
+"No. When I think about tomorrow, I get so nervous. Ahh..." Sakura
+sighed over the phone.
+She sounded depressed. She was probably considering how she'd
+answer the confession.
+"T-I don't know anything about Yamauchi-kun. That's a bit scary," she
+said.
+"T see."
+"T just realized that liking someone, or hating someone, actually comes
+with a ton of responsibility."
+I supposed that to Sakura, who had distanced herself from those around
+her until now, that must have come as a shock. In this case, though, my
+ability to help was rather limited. Sakura would have to make this decision.
+Yamauchi would live with the consequences. Even someone like me, a
+complete novice when it came to romance, understood that.
+I couldn't advise Sakura on whether to reject or accept Yamauchi. I
+could only listen quietly to what she had to say.
+"Y amauchi-kun hasn't done anything wrong, but this... I think I just
+don't want this. Still, I do feel sorry for him, since he likes someone like
+bb)
+me...
+Love was a rather complicated matter.
+"T've been thinking about it for a while now, but I just don't know what
+to do." That was understandable. Even over the phone, Sakura's confusion
+was palpable. "Why me? That's what I'm wondering. Why do I have to
+suffer like this?"
+As I'd expected, she sounded troubled about the situation, rather than
+happy.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, this... Well, this might be something you don't need
+to hear, but..."
+"Ask me anything. If I can answer, I will."
+"Well... I'm sorry to bother you, but are you perhaps dating anyone at
+the...present time?" For some reason, Sakura was being rather formal.
+"No, definitely not. I've never dated anyone, and I'm not dating anyone
+currently."
+"R-really?!"
+"You sound happy about that, which makes me feel like you're being
+sarcastic."
+"O-oh, no, that's not... I didn't mean to make fun of you! I was happy
+because you're like me, that's all."
+"T was just teasing," I replied.
+"Oh, you!" It was only a little joke, but it seemed to lighten Sakura's
+spirits. "Well, has anyone ever confessed their feelings to you? Or have you
+ever confessed your feelings to someone else?"
+She was really grilling me. Well, I had nothing to hide.
+"IT have zero experience, same as you."
+"Okay, I see!"
+Sakura sounded happy again. We chatted for a while about this and
+that. After some time passed, she seemed to get drowsy, and we ended the
+call. I hoped she could sleep soundly. Speaking of which, I thought it was
+about time for me to get to sleep as well.
+3.3
+O ur meeting time was four in the afternoon. I showed up ten minutes
+early to find Sakura already waiting, with a pained, complicated look on her
+face. She was probably juggling several preoccupations, since her expression
+kept shifting. She looked crestfallen, then nervous, then worried. I wondered
+what she was thinking about.
+"Did I keep you waiting?" I asked.
+"Oh!"
+Sakura approached me hesitantly. I hoped I could ease her burdens a
+bit.
+"Thank you for coming here, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Nah, it's nothing. So, what's the matter?"
+"Well, it's about the letter you gave me yesterday.".
+"Did something happen?"
+Maybe Sakura was still hesitant to talk about it. She didn't seem able to
+get the words out. I was about to tell her not to hold back when I saw several
+people walking our way down the path. They must've been doing club
+activities, since they wore jerseys.
+"Sorry. How about we walk around a little?" I asked Sakura.
+"Huh? Oh, okay," she replied.
+It wasn't a good idea to let someone see us right then. We headed
+toward the tree-lined spot at the back of the school building. This was a
+hidden spot where most people didn't come, but it looked well-kept.
+It'd be a huge pain in the butt if Yamauchi happened to come early and
+spot us there, so I knew we should wrap things up quickly. Sakura tilted her
+head, extended her right arm, and looked toward the sky.
+"What's the—"
+A single water droplet landed on my cheek. If it didn't come from a
+sprinkler, then—
+"Tt's raining," said Sakura.
+The skies had been clear just a moment ago, but now, it was pouring
+rain. It would probably pass soon, but the downpour was intense. Our clothes
+were soaking wet in minutes.
+"Let's head back to the path!" I shouted.
+Sakura nodded. I led her back the way we came, and we took shelter
+behind the school building. We were only in the rain for a bit, but it came
+down so hard that it completely soaked Sakura's clothes. Even her hair was
+drenched.
+"Man, talk about unlucky. Are you okay, Sakura?"
+"T-I'm fine. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T'm all right."
+I let out a little sigh while I watched the rain, which grew even more
+intense. What bad timing.
+"Here, you can use this." Sakura meekly handed me a handkerchief. It
+was the same one I'd borrowed back on the island.
+"T'm fine. Use that yourself. You'll catch a cold," I replied.
+I couldn't dry myself off when a girl was absolutely soaked. Even so,
+Sakura stood on her tiptoes and wiped the excess water from my hair. Her
+scent, carried by the rain, tickled my nose.
+"I'm surprisingly tough, you know," she said. She mopped the water
+from my face, then my cheeks and neck.
+I looked over at Sakura, who stood beside me in silence. I felt as
+though I could understand what Yamauchi was after now. Sudden rain. The
+two of us panicked, sheltering under the roof. It would have been even more
+magical if Sakura and I had been in our school uniforms, rather than casual
+clothes, since it was the middle of summer vacation.
+There'd be nothing to hide from each other. We'd talk until we ran out
+of things to say. Then, our eyes would meet. We'd each hear the other person
+breathing deeply. It was the kind of scenario boys dreamed about. For some
+reason, I could picture it very clearly. Maybe what Yamauchi desired was
+something like this.
+"T wonder if it'1] pass?"
+"T looked up the weather on my phone just now. Sounds like this is just
+a passing shower. It should stop soon," I told her.
+"T see."
+"Sorry. I let you get soaked, even though you had something important
+to do after this," I said.
+"Oh no, it's fine. It's really not important," Sakura replied.
+In other words, that meant...
+"T...] wonder what I should do..." she continued.
+"Just answer based on how you feel. You can accept Yamauchi, or
+reject him, or you can start by being friends," I said. What she wanted was up
+to her, not me. "Of course, you can always hold off on answering, too. And if
+it's too embarrassing, I can tell Yamauchi for you."
+Yamauchi wouldn't want that, but if Sakura asked, I'd do it.
+"No, I?ll do it myself. I think I probably have to," she replied.
+"T see. I suppose you should, for Yamauchi's sake."
+"Yes. I know. I'm going to turn him down."
+"T see." I'd already guessed as much. It was important that she tell him
+herself, though.
+"Tt's just... Well, I don't think I'm qualified to reject someone. I think
+it might be presumptuous of me, but...but..."
+Sakura appeared overwhelmed by guilt, for some reason.
+"You have nothing to apologize for. When you get down to it, this
+crush is one-sided. There's nothing strange about turning someone down if
+you don't feel the same way. In this situation, there's no such thing as being
+unqualified." I spoke with some force, not wanting her to misunderstand.
+The rain was still coming down hard. I thought it should stop soon, but
+there was no telling when Yamauchi would show up.
+"It's best if I head back now, I think," I said.
+"N-no! If you're not here, Ayanokouji-kun, I won't be able to say
+anything. So, please..."
+Sakura grabbed my sleeve tight.
+"Please don't leave me alone," she pleaded.
+"Tf that's your preference," I replied. Sakura had helped me many times
+before, after all. I decided I should return the favor.
+About fifteen minutes later, Yamauchi arrived, his expression much
+stiffer than I had ever seen.
+"Wh-why are you here, Ayanokouji?" he asked.
+"Sorry. Sakura said she didn't have the courage to talk to you alone, so
+she asked me to stay. Don't mind me."
+I'm sure Yamauchi didn't feel comfortable having me there. However,
+he had no choice except to deal with it. He looked suspicious, but then,
+focused his attention on Sakura.
+"S-sorry to have kept you waiting. So, did you read my letter?"
+"Yes. Um. Please, let me ask you one thing."
+"Sure, anything."
+Sakura grabbed her skirt and spoke as though she was squeezing her
+voice out of her throat. "Wh-why do you like...me? Plenty of people are
+cuter than me."
+"T like you, Sakura!" Yamauchi shouted. Sakura flinched in response.
+"S-sorry. I didn't mean to shout. S-so, what's your answer?"
+Listening in, I could see a number of potential ways to handle the
+situation. But Yamauchi was so incredibly nervous, his heart about to leap
+out of his chest, that he probably couldn't think of any of them, let alone pick
+the best option.
+| Teed
+"T...1'm sorry!" sputtered Sakura, bowing deeply, her eyes slightly red.
+An awkward answer for an awkward confession. Yamauchi's last spark of
+hope crumbled to dust and blew away.
+"T, it's just, w-well, I can't, um, return your feelings," Sakura added. It
+must have taken her a lot of courage to unleash those words.
+"IT see," Yamauchi replied.
+It sounded as though he was desperately trying to digest what had
+happened. His voice shook, just like Sakura's. I couldn't bring myself to
+laugh at him.
+"Thank you, Sakura. For coming all the way here, um, to tell me in
+person," he added.
+"G-goodbye!" Sakura, no longer able to bear the situation, bowed and
+ran away.
+"Ah," sighed Yamauchi.
+He extended his arm weakly, as if to try to catch Sakura as she left. I
+couldn't do anything but stand there quietly, watching the first romance I
+ever saw in person break down. Yamauchi endured the frustration in silence
+for a few minutes, but eventually, he lifted his head and looked at me. Maybe
+he was going to take his anger out on me instead?
+"M-man, talk about embarrassing. Getting rejected by a girl in front of
+your buddy. I feel like my face is on fire." Yamauchi sighed, not blaming me
+at all. I still saw the shock of rejection on his face, but that wasn't all.
+"Whew. It's like... How do I even put it? I almost feel relieved, you know?"
+Yamauchi sounded nearly cheerful now.
+"Like, I was a real idiot. I was just causing Sakura trouble. She tried so
+carefully not to hurt me, a guy she didn't like. I feel incredibly guilty. I mean,
+I'm free to like her and all, but I've learned that conveying your feelings to
+someone comes with responsibility."
+I realized that Yamauchi's clothes were wet. Clearly, he'd been
+standing outside well before he and Sakura had arranged to meet. Perhaps
+he'd been contemplating the confession nervously.
+"You're not as upset as I thought you'd be," I said.
+"Well, it's a shock, but it's not all that bad. Sakura's cute, and I wanted
+her to be my girlfriend. But I was just looking at her face and her body, you
+know? That's a cheap thing to do. I think, like, I didn't really love her. If I
+really liked her, I would've felt worse when she rejected me."
+I didn't dare say anything. I just listened quietly.
+"That's why I'm moving on. I'll find a girl that I really like."
+Apparently, Yamauchi had matured a bit after Sakura rejected him. In record
+time, too. "I'm grateful to you, Ayanokouji. Sorry for involving you in
+something so weird."
+"Tt's okay, because...we're friends," I replied.
+"Here, I'll lend you this. You said you wanted to borrow a phone,
+right?"
+"Didn't you say it depended on your confession being successful?"
+"T'm making an exception. But you better return it right away," he
+added.
+With that, Yamauchi ran off after Sakura. That was when I noticed rays
+of sunlight shining down through the spaces between the rainclouds.
+Chapter 6:
+A Gathering
+Between Classes
+ce
+I t's so hot today."
+How many times had I said that this summer? Still, it really was hot, no
+way around it. Even if saying so out loud made you feel hotter, you couldn't
+stop yourself. Just thinking the words didn't help. Cicadas were probably the
+only creatures who preferred this sweltering heat.
+Heat aside, I'd gotten caught up in yet another unusual incident. If the
+other guys knew about this situation, they probably wouldn't be happy with
+me at all. It was a very nasty problem.
+Well, let's start from the beginning.
+A tree-lined path a short distance from the dormitory led to the school.
+If you went off that path, you'd find a rest area. That's where I was. It was a
+popular spot to sit down and chat. There were several benches and vending
+machines, the view was great, and many students frequented it in the early
+spring.
+The heat made this a rare off-season period for the rest area. It was
+completely deserted, which turned it into a perfect spot for a clandestine
+meeting.
+"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
+As I sat on the bench, Karuizawa Kei walked toward me. She shaded
+her eyes from the blinding sunlight with a hand and looked at the sky.
+"So hot," she muttered. Apparently, we were of one mind on the
+subject.
+Karuizawa's long ponytail bobbed as she sat down next to me. She
+wore an unusually casual outfit: jeans and a simple shirt. Even so, the outfit
+looked coordinated and stylish. I supposed girls had to prioritize fashion no
+matter how hot it was, which had to be tough.
+"T know you're busy right now. Sorry for dragging you out like this," I
+said.
+"Are you being sarcastic? I played around too much this summer. I
+don't have any points to spend, so I've just been hanging out in my room."
+"Do you have plans tomorrow?" I asked.
+"T can't really do anything without money. I'll probably be sleeping." It
+sounded like Karuizawa really was indulging herself this summer.
+"You should get a lot of points next month, though. I mean, after the
+last test."
+During the exam on the cruise ship, Karuizawa—who'd been the VIP
+—had worked together with me. We managed to keep her identity secret until
+the test ended. Because of that, Karuizawa would receive 500,000 points as a
+reward come September.
+"Yeah, I guess. I've picked out the clothes and accessories and stuff I
+want to get. But is it really okay to use all the points like that? Isn't it better
+to save some?"
+"You can hold yourself back?" I asked, teasing her a little. She puffed
+out her cheeks and glared at me.
+"Well, it's not that simple. When I have points, they seem to last less
+than a week," she muttered.
+Karuizawa mimed counting all the things she wanted on her fingers.
+She was out of fingers in no time. Just how many things did she plan to get
+anyway?
+"But, like, even J know how important private points are. The school
+system's really weird, right? You get, like, this ridiculously huge amount of
+points during special exams and stuff. Everyone else is wondering about that,
+too," she observed.
+The regular student body was finally starting to suspect that something
+was up, apparently. I supposed that was natural. If you suddenly received a
+large sum of money, you'd question the school's motives. You'd consider the
+possibility that private points weren't just meant for use on one's private
+desires.
+"That's true. Some students might get as many as 1,000,000 or
+2,000,000 points," I said.
+"Yeah. Is it really okay to give high schoolers that much money? It's
+definitely not normal."
+The points were sort of necessary for us to "survive" at school, which
+was probably why Karuizawa was unsure how best to use them. For example,
+if you made a blunder that could result in your expulsion, you could make the
+problem go away with enough private points. Having a few million points on
+hand as insurance probably was a good idea.
+"There's no reason to think about it too much. Looking too far ahead
+can drive you insane. If you retain ten to twenty percent of your monthly
+points, that should be enough," I said.
+You had to maintain a balance between your wants and needs. For
+Karuizawa, who'd always been a shopaholic, curbing her desires was hard.
+Besides, if a former spendthrift suddenly became miserly, students in our
+class might get suspicious. I didn't want anyone to connect her change in
+circumstances to me.
+"T want to ask you for a favor," I said.
+"What, you're not even going to apologize first for calling me out here
+on such a hot day?"
+"Want this?" I handed her a bottle of tea I hadn't drunk from yet. She
+hesitated, then reluctantly accepted it.
+"It's a little warm," she muttered.
+"That's the weather's fault. Nothing I can do."
+Some places nearby had recorded temperatures of forty degrees Celsius
+or higher. Just thinking the number made me feel hot.
+Karuizawa struggled to uncap her drink. "Hmph. Guess I got a loser."
+"A loser? You don't usually get prizes in tea bottle caps."
+"That's not funny, you know. I'm talking about how hard this is to
+open," she grumbled.
+Well, it had been a poor joke. I reached over, took the drink, twisted
+the cap, and returned it.
+"Thanks."
+After what'd happened on the boat, the distance between Karuizawa
+and I had diminished. Before summer vacation, it would've been impossible
+for us to have this kind of conversation. She probably still didn't trust me, but
+she showed no sign of that.
+Karuizawa really understood self-control. To protect herself and her
+status, she could adapt to any environment.
+"Tomotrrow's the last day of summer vacation. One of my friends
+invited me to make some fun summer memories."
+"What do you mean, summer memories? We don't have fireworks or a
+festival or anything like that here, do we?" asked Karuizawa.
+"The school has a big pool, right? It's normally reserved for the swim
+club. Did you know that the restriction was lifted for today?"
+That pool was even bigger than the one we used during swim class. For
+the last three days of summer vacation, it was open for communal use. When
+a huge crowd of students flooded the pool on the first day, the school put
+additional restrictions in place. Students could only use the pool once during
+those last three days. Apparently, the second day was really busy, too.
+"Ah. Now that you mention it, though, I'm not that interested in
+Swimming," muttered Karuizawa.
+She always skipped swim class by claiming she didn't feel well. Even
+though it was difficult to cut class due to the point system, the school
+couldn't really question a student's poor physical condition, especially not
+woman-specific problems. There were girls other than Karuizawa who
+refused to participate, probably for a variety of reasons. They might feel ill,
+not want other people to know they couldn't swim well, or even hate
+swimming in the first place. Maybe they didn't want to show that much skin
+around boys. And so on.
+However, Karuizawa's circumstances were different. A while ago,
+Karuizawa had been viciously bullied by her classmates. As a result, she had
+a terrible scar on her side. If someone saw it, it would definitely cause a stir.
+"Do you like swimming?" I asked her.
+"Hmm. Well, I don't hate it, I guess. I haven't gone swimming for
+years now, so I've probably forgotten how." Karuizawa drank her tea and
+stared ahead as she replied. I could tell that wasn't how she really felt. "So,
+what, the guys want to make memories at the pool? You're obviously just
+planning to be perverts."
+I couldn't deny that, actually. That was probably exactly their
+reasoning.
+"So, what does this have to do with me?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Before I answer that, let me ask you one thing. Does the school really
+not know that you were bullied before?"
+"Huh?"
+Karuizawa looked puzzled for a moment, then turned to glare at me.
+Her polite facade was gone. I returned her stare.
+"You know I don't want to talk about that, right?" she growled.
+"T'm not reopening old wounds for no reason. I'm asking because it's
+relevant," I replied.
+"But..." This had to be a serious topic for Karuizawa. She seemed to
+come to a decision. "All right. I'm sure you must have a reason for this."
+She tried to swallow her anxieties.
+"T definitely don't think they know the truth about me being bullied.
+They might know about my leave of absence from school, or how many days
+off I took during junior high, but they probably think those were due to me
+being sick or skipping class, you know? Or they might just think I'm stupid.
+That's probably why they put me in Class D."
+Karuizawa sounded self-deprecating, but she was likely right. The
+school must've had a poor impression of her bad attendance record and low
+grades.
+"Even if the school investigates the matter, they probably won't find
+any evidence of the bullying," she added.
+"You realize that the world is magnificently rotten, don't you?"
+"Yeah," Karuizawa muttered. "I suffered for many years. I asked my
+teachers and classmates for help, but that only made it worse. There was no
+escape."
+Human nature included a strong tendency to fall into vicious cycles.
+Bullying was deeply rooted in the human psyche. There was no simple
+solution to it. If a victim pushed back, that might only result in them being
+attacked more fiercely the next time.
+"No matter how often they beat me up, the school ignored the bullying,
+and wouldn't do anything. They gave the bullies light warnings, at most. Of
+course, it got worse, you know?"
+Even if a school acknowledged bullying, they usually wanted to deal
+with it in secret, so as not to risk damaging their reputation. There were
+schools that would stubbornly refuse to admit the truth even after a bullied
+student killed themselves, leaving behind a note.
+Worse, death might bring no salvation. The bullied student might be
+insulted even after they died. People could mock them, or share their story on
+social media for entertainment. What a terrifying era it was, when you could
+be bullied even after death.
+"The school, the people who bullied me, even myself... No one
+admitted the truth. My friends spouted the same lies. That was the only way
+they could answer, no matter how unjust it was."
+Karuizawa spoke almost as if she were talking about someone else. In
+truth, this school had probably investigated her case thoroughly. Had they
+concluded that she was an airhead, didn't take school seriously, and cut
+class? If everyone believed that to be true, then the real truth wouldn't matter.
+It would be buried forever under all the lies.
+"But I'm grateful to the people who bullied me, and the school that
+covered it up," Karuizawa added. "No one here knows about my past. That's
+why I was able to become a new me. I couldn't have done that if everyone
+here had heard of the bullying."
+She'd turned her situation around by obtaining the exceptionally
+popular Hirata's support and protection.
+"Karuizawa, I think you deserve praise, but I should tell you something
+first. From now on, you're forbidden to do anything that supports bullying
+others."
+"Huh? Are you saying that I'm bullying someone?"
+"Tt's one thing to be headstrong, but you've been going after Sakura.
+She clearly isn't the kind of girl who'd bully you. Even if you're doing it to
+prevent yourself from becoming a victim, stop." Despite Karuizawa's past
+suffering, there were things I couldn't tolerate.
+"Sakura-san, huh? You want me to help her because she's so attached
+to you?"
+"Do I need a reason? You should understand how it feels to be
+bullied."
+"My social status is my lifeline. It's not something I'm ready to just
+discard. I do feel sorry for Sakura-san, but the weak exist as prey for the
+strong. Especially those pretending to be strong, like me." She was resolute.
+"T'm asking for Sakura's sake. She's helped me quite a few times, after
+all."
+"Hmph. You openly admit it," Karuizawa huffed. There was no
+dissatisfaction or discontent in her eyes. Only wariness. "You're not
+convincing, but...fine. I'1l be careful from now on. Okay?"
+"Being reasonable is helpful. Besides, Hirata's already established your
+current popularity. You shouldn't be in any danger."
+"T suppose you're right. Maybe I've been overdoing it a little,"
+Karuizawa replied softly. "But, if my position does appear to be in danger,
+then—"
+"When that happens, I'll back you. If necessary, I'll bring in Hirata and
+even Chabashira-sensei to eliminate your enemies. That's a promise."
+"Hmm. Okay then. Deal."
+Karuizawa never struck me as the sort of person who'd resort to
+violence or intimidation in the first place. She could pretend all she liked, but
+she was just playing that part to protect herself. People who'd been bullied
+for years usually couldn't socialize easily, but she overcame that trauma.
+"T wonder why?" she muttered.
+"What?"
+"Tt's just that I don't really like bringing up my past. I thought I'd
+never tell anyone about it. But I ended up telling you, and it felt so
+surprisingly fine that it's kind of odd, you know?"
+Apparently even Karuizawa didn't know why she'd told me about the
+bullying. I wasn't sure of the reason, either.
+"Can I ask you something? Is the way you're acting now the real you?"
+She sounded somewhat guarded. Karuizawa was the only person in our class
+who'd seen both my sides. I crossed my arms and racked my brain for how to
+respond.
+"I'm always like this, I guess."
+"You're completely different, though."
+Well, strictly speaking, this wasn't really me. However, it wasn't the
+same as faking a personality.
+"T want to ask you something. What would you say is the specific
+difference between me right now, and the usual me?"
+"Usually, you're this gloomy guy. You don't talk at all. But now,
+you're assertive. You're being direct. Those traits are polar opposites. The
+way you talk is different, too. What's your deal, anyway?"
+"What do you mean? Don't people simply act differently depending on
+who they're with? Don't you do the same thing?"
+That was probably the best possible rebuttal, although it didn't fit
+exactly. The truth was that it felt like I'd just been born as an individual.
+When I enrolled in this school, I wasn't fully formed. I was like liquid, or
+moldable clay. Developing into a full person took time, and I had yet to
+completely understand how to interact, or the correct way to express myself.
+"Anyway, I plan on just being my usual self," I said.
+"You don't sound like anything like your usual self," Karuizawa
+replied. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.
+"Let's get back to the topic at hand. You can keep an eye on me from
+now on, and determine what kind of person I am."
+"T kinda get the feeling you're dodging the question. Well, all right.
+Let's go back to talking about the school. What's up with it?"
+"Tomorrow, four of us guys—me, Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou—are
+planning to go out, along with Horikita, Sakura, and Kushida."
+"Talk about a bizarre combination. I can't imagine Horikita-san and
+Sakura-san hanging out with those guys. I guess they're both friendly with
+you, but the other three are just going to end up ogling them, right? They
+have my sincerest condolences."
+"T want you to join us," I said.
+"Huh?! Are you serious?!" Karuizawa shouted.
+She had no connection to the group. If anything, there was tension
+between her and them.
+"You can put on your swimsuit at the dorm, wear your clothes over it,
+and come along. It'll probably be unpleasant, but if you return to the dorm
+dressed the same way, everything should be fine," I said.
+"No, no. That's not the problem. I really, really don't want to do this."
+"T sympathize, but you basically can't refuse, can you?"
+"Wow. You're the worst."
+"My decision's final. You'll do as instructed." I pushed a handwritten
+note toward her, adding, "I've shown you some consideration."
+"What the hell? You're using up my whole day, aren't you? And it's
+the last day of summer, too!"
+"You said you planned to spend the day sleeping, right?" I countered.
+"T want you to join us at the pool. But I'm not telling you to participate."
+Karuizawa read my note closely.
+"Wait, what's the difference between 'join' and 'participate'?" she
+asked.
+I explained in detail why I'd called her. Karuizawa heard me out, then
+cradled her head in her hands.
+"What's the matter?" I asked her. "Got a headache?"
+"Of course my head hurts! It hurts because you... No, forget it. It's
+meaningless. Can't you just ask Horikita-san? Aren't you close?"
+"T can't rely on her. She doesn't know how I operate from the
+shadows."
+"Huh? Why?" Karuizawa sounded incredulous. Her disbelief was to be
+expected. The correct plan of action would be to evade her question and
+mislead her, but instead, I decided to take things a step further.
+"This entire time, even back when I contacted you on the ship, I've
+acted entirely on my own. I haven't spoken with Horikita about this, because
+I still can't trust her." That was all true; I spoke no lies.
+"What? You don't trust her, even after all the time you've spent
+together? That's weird."
+"She makes an excellent cover for me, like a magic cloak of
+invisibility. She's conspicuous," I replied.
+"So, you're just using her, then?"
+"Not exactly, but in this particular situation, I'd say that's about it."
+"Hmm? I don't get what you're saying. Seriously, can you knock off
+the vagueness?" Karuizawa flashed me a smile, though. "Still, your schemes
+have been successful so far, huh? I really thought that Horikita-san was the
+mastermind. Seriously, who are you?"
+I didn't respond.
+"Well, whatever. I guess being more trustworthy than Horikita-san is a
+good thing," she added.
+That was right. Karuizawa was infinitely superior to Horikita in some
+ways, although I couldn't explain that to her.
+"So, I just need to carry out your orders?" she asked.
+"Yes. Now that that's settled, would you come with me for a little
+while? We need to take care of something in advance."
+"Well, I don't exactly have the right to refuse." Karuizawa stood and
+brushed dirt from her skirt, demonstrating just how quickly she wanted to end
+this. As for me, I didn't want to waste any precious time, either. Together, we
+made our way toward the pool.
+6.1
+T he night before I met with Karuizawa, I'd been enjoying the last
+fleeting moments of summer vacation in my dorm room when Ike, seemingly
+the three idiots' representative, posted in the group chat.
+Is it really okay for summer to end like this? Our youth's slipping
+away.
+It was simultaneously profound and moronic. Ike continued messaging
+before anyone had a chance to reply.
+Ts it really okay to let the precious summer vacation after our first year
+of high school end without experiencing anything amazing? he repeated,
+although this time, his phrasing was different.
+No, it's not okay! replied Yamauchi, agreeing with Ike's sentiment.
+Considering that an unrequited love had broken Yamauchi's heart, he
+probably yearned for a fresh start.
+Yeah, I want to make the most of my youth, too! added Sudou.
+In that case, we should rise up! Youth won't come to those who wait.
+Now is the time of men who take the initiative! responded Ike.
+Chasing youthful pleasures was all well and good, but how exactly
+were they going to go about it?
+Do you have any good ideas? asked Yamauchi.
+Ike was probably waiting for someone to ask that, because he posted a
+long message immediately afterward.
+I thought of one! Right now, the pool's open to everyone, yeah? We'll
+invite those fine, gorgeous ladies to go swimming! I've got Kikyou-chan,
+right? Haruki, you go with Sakura. And Ken, you're with Horikita!
+Ike rattled off girls' names, managing to casually reopen Yamauchi's
+wounds.
+If Suzune is going, then I'm in. Do you think she'll go ? asked Sudou.
+Leave that to Ayanokouji-sensei! Right?
+I wanted to respond with "as if," but I couldn't just come out and say it.
+I mean, you're going to help, right? You're my friend, right? Sudou's
+message, casual as it was over chat, certainly sounded like a threat. I noticed
+that he only used the word "friend" when he needed something.
+I'Il see what I can do. Don't expect too much, I replied.
+After that, I temporarily suspended the chat and tried giving Horikita a
+call. It wasn't just for Sudou. A part of me also wanted to invite her,
+especially now that her perceived social status had begun to rise.
+"What do you want?" she asked.
+"Can't I call you without a reason?" I replied.
+"Okay, I'm hanging up."
+"Wait, wait! Okay, to tell you the truth, some friends were talking
+about going to the pool tomorrow. They asked me to call you, since you've
+been sitting in your room all day every day."
+"By friends, you mean those three incredible idiots? I can't imagine
+bringing myself to hang out with them."
+Three incredible idiots. It had a nice ring to it.
+"T refuse," Horikita said.
+"Would you come if it was just the two of us?"
+"No."
+Of course not. However, I had a secret weapon.
+"Water bottle."
+Horikita's attitude and aura changed drastically at those simple words,
+even over the phone.
+"What do you mean?"
+"You know, the words 'water bottle' have just been on my mind lately.
+Like getting your arm stuck in a water bottle. That kind of thing."
+"You have a very unpleasant phone manner." Horikita sounded
+increasingly concerned.
+"T just think honesty does us all good."
+"Okay. What do you need me to do tomorrow, and at what time?"
+Horikita was desperate to protect her reputation. She'd do anything to
+keep people from finding out about the water bottle incident, including going
+to the pool.
+"We'll meet at 8:30 in the lobby, and plan to go our separate ways in
+the evening," I said.
+"Understood. But I won't forgive you if you ever try this again," she
+warned.
+"O-okay."
+I had no desire to tempt fate. I didn't think of this as blackmail, but
+rather, cashing in on the favor I did Horikita during the water bottle incident.
+She probably understood that.
+I invited Horikita. I posted in the chat.
+Great work, Ayanokouji! You've avoided being German suplexed onto
+concrete!
+Apparently, my life had been in danger.
+Invite Sakura for me! Please, I beg you, Ayanokouji! wrote Yamauchi.
+He'd just been rejected the other day. Immediately afterward, he sent
+me a private message.
+I don't want them to know I was rejected! Please help me!
+Well, that was sad. The guys would probably love it if Sakura joined
+us, but she wasn't really a sociable girl. She always skipped swim class,
+because her chest size got her ogled by both sexes to a painful degree. It was
+also probably going to be awkward for her to go out with the guy she just
+rejected.
+I decided I'd at least give her a call.
+6.2
+I n the blink of an eye, the promised day arrived—summer vacation's
+final event. We'd agreed to meet at 8:30. Making my way downstairs to the
+lobby, I saw that most of the group had already assembled.
+"You just barely made it, huh?" Horikita prodded.
+"There's still about ten seconds left until we were scheduled to meet."
+"The elevator's really swamped, right? That's why you were late, isn't
+it?" she shot back.
+She was probably still angry about my coercive invitation. Plus,
+chances were she didn't like the company. Since Kushida, Sakura, Ike, and
+Yamauchi were coming to the pool, there wasn't really anyone else for
+Horikita to talk to.
+"G-good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Morning, Sakura," I replied.
+Sakura peeked up at me as she greeted me politely. Yamauchi appeared
+to be checking Sakura out, glancing at her from his peripheral vision. Sakura
+looked somewhat anxious.
+I'd remember for reference that romantic confessions didn't necessarily
+result in happiness—they could cause trouble that persisted afterward, too.
+"Where's Sudou?"
+"He probably overslept," replied Horikita.
+It was well past the time we'd agreed to meet, but there was no sign of
+Sudou. He was probably exhausted from club activities. Since no one was
+trying to contact him, I went for it.
+"It's no use. The call's not connecting," I said.
+The phone just kept ringing and ringing. I couldn't even reach his
+voicemail.
+"Man, what the hell's Sudou doing? It's already 8:30! If we don't
+hurry, we're not gonna be the first ones there!" shouted Ike. He looked at the
+elevator, tapping his foot.
+"A-all right, 'll go wake him up," said Yamauchi. He got onto the
+elevator, looking uncomfortable with the awkward silence between him and
+Sakura. As soon as he left, the heavy atmosphere began to dissipate.
+"Did something happen to him?" asked Horikita in a low voice. She
+must've noted the change. I scratched the back of my head as I considered
+how to answer.
+"Several things happened," I replied. I left it at that. Neither Yamauchi
+nor Sakura would be happy if word got out.
+"Oh, what's this? Horikita-san, everyone, good morning!"
+As we waited for Sudou to arrive, Ichinose came down with three
+friends. Bath towels peeked out of the colorful plastic bags they carried.
+"Are you guys heading to the pool, too?"
+"Yes, that's exactly it."
+The pool was the summer vacation's last special treat. It wasn't really
+strange that they were going.
+"Well, why don't we all go together?" asked Ichinose.
+"Of course, the more the merrier!" shouted Ike, jumping so high off the
+sofa that he looked like he was about to take off into orbit.
+Horikita didn't utter a single word.
+"Well, it's just... I'm sorry, but someone in our group overslept. We're
+waiting for him to come down. Another of our friends went to get him,"
+explained Ike.
+"Gotcha!" replied Ichinose cheerfully.
+6.3
+S udou opened his mouth as wide as a crocodile's, yawning and
+tousling his mussed hair.
+"Sorry I overslept. Got way too exhausted from all my club stuff," he
+said.
+"Don't tell me that," replied Horikita.
+Ichinose and her friends, who'd been waiting for Sudou so we could all
+go to the pool together, were talking with Kushida at the center of the group.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun." Horikita said to me, ignoring Sudou. Sudou,
+for his part, glared at me. "Don't you think this is a little strange?"
+"What is?"
+"At a time like this, Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun would normally be
+pushing their luck, right?"
+Sudou stiffened when he heard Horikita make that sharp observation.
+Since he was standing so close, she didn't miss that.
+"Did something occur to you, Sudou-kun?" she asked.
+"Not really," he muttered.
+That only made Horikita look more guarded. Ike and Yamauchi walked
+together, shoulder to shoulder, both wearing stiff expressions.
+"T can't help but think they have ulterior motives," said Horikita. She
+focused her attention on the bag that Ike held. "Even though they shouldn't
+have brought anything with them except towels and swimsuits, that bag looks
+really heavy."
+Ike's bag appeared to weigh more than any of the guys there, myself
+included.
+"Huh, really? Doesn't seem like that to me," replied Sudou nervously.
+"Tt doesn't? Just look at the bag," Horikita pressed.
+Horikita's suspicions had merit. The bag swung heavily back and forth
+when Ike walked, and it strained against his arm.
+"Don't you guys have plans for after the pool? Maybe he brought stuff
+for that?" I said, backing Sudou up. Sudou grabbed the lifeline I gave him.
+"Y-yeah. I think that's it."
+"T see. I suppose that's credible," said Horikita.
+It was a known fact that those three horny idiots loved women. Given
+how meek they suddenly were, it was no wonder Horikita felt concerned. The
+three were extremely nervous right then, and it wasn't because beautiful girls
+surrounded them. Nor was it because they'd be able to see those girls in
+swimsuits soon.
+I decided to change the subject in order to maintain the deception.
+"Sudou."
+"Wh-what?"
+"How'd your club activities go? Did you get any points?"
+"Huh? Y-yeah, I got a few from playing in the tournament. I think
+about 3,000 points or so," he replied.
+Sudou was being humble. Horikita looked genuinely impressed. "You
+gained points through personal activities?" she asked.
+"Yeah. But lots of second and third years have gotten tens of thousands
+of points, so I can't get too cocky yet. If you accomplish a lot for a club, it
+can even affect your class points. I'm gonna try to do way more in the second
+semester and onward," he replied, crossing his arms and flexing in triumph.
+Horikita, hearing of Sudou's success in a field she could not master,
+offered him honest respect. "The day when you contribute more significantly
+to the class might be near," she said.
+To tell you the truth, I thought the same. If all went well, Sudou might
+become a net benefit to the class. That said, I concerns. Sudou made enemies
+easily. I needed to monitor him and Horikita, who had the same tendencies.
+We made our way to the swimming club's special facility, which
+adjoined the side of the school building. Since it wasn't part of the main
+building, we were allowed to enter without wearing our uniforms. It looked
+as though the pool would be a popular spot, especially considering that this
+was the last day.
+Even before we got to the pool's entrance, students crowded the place.
+Just as you'd expect from a state-of-the-art school, every grade level had a
+separate locker room. It was easy to get lost there, but we followed the
+instructions on a signboard and found our way.
+"Okay, let's meet up back here in twenty minutes," said Ichinose,
+pointing at the hallway that led to the pool. It was good to have an organized
+leader like her around.
+"Hoo... Hoo..." Ike huffed.
+As the girls walked off, Ike started breathing loudly, as if aroused. He
+walked faster, making him the first to arrive at the locker room. Inside, Ike
+and Yamauchi immediately went to the innermost locker, all the way in the
+back.
+"H-hey, you guys. Today is going to be special. Don't you get that
+feeling?!"
+"Yeah. We're going further than anyone in our class has gone. Further
+than anyone in our whole school!"
+Ike and Yamauchi were attracting the attention of people around them.
+Sudou immediately went over and put both of them in headlocks, one in his
+left arm and one in his right.
+"Geh! What the hell, Ken?!"
+"You guys are causing too much ruckus! Look, I know you're
+impatient, but we can't get noticed," hissed Sudou.
+| Teed
+"Y-yeah, guess you're right. Sorry, dude. Ow
+Sudou smashed their foreheads together as a lesson. It was a little
+aggressive, but not a bad method.
+"You're surprisingly calm, Sudou," I said.
+"Guess I just wasn't expecting all that much, honestly. Besides, I
+dunno, it kind of feels wrong. When I really think about this, it'd make
+Suzune sad. I don't want them to see Suzune defenseless, you know? If
+you're a man, you gotta make a girl fall for you," he replied.
+Sudou had the right idea. I wanted Ike and Yamauchi to learn that
+lesson themselves, but for the moment, their primary focus was immediate
+sexual gratification. I checked my phone. I had a message from Karuizawa
+saying that she'd just entered the locker room.
+"Who's messaging you?" asked Ike, his face red and a suspicious
+gleam in his eyes. He tried to take a peek at my phone, so I quickly put it
+away.
+"Come on. It's a girl, isn't it?"
+"Do I look that popular?" I replied.
+"T guess you got a point. All right, let's get changed! Spread out the
+towels!" shouted Ike.
+I kind of wanted him to protest that I did look popular, but I let that
+expectation go. It was time to see how Ike and Yamauchi's luck would hold.
+6.4
+ce
+W hoa, talk about luxury. It's completely decked out."
+The large pool facility, normally used for club activities and regular
+practice, looked completely different today. A number of students crowded
+the area, but food stalls were also everywhere. Snacks and junk food were in
+abundance: hot dogs, yakisoba, okonomiyaki, and more.
+Even weirder, upperclassmen seemed be managing the stalls. There
+were all types, from serious students who worked hard without so much as a
+smile, to students who looked like they were having a blast. It reminded me
+of the special tests.
+Whatever was going on, it certainly seemed festive. While we stood
+around, waiting for the girls, I felt the group's mood begin to lift. I didn't
+know how we compared to other schools, but a lot of people at this school
+were more attractive than average. That included members of our group. We
+were surrounded by many gorgeous students whose names I didn't know. No
+wonder Ike and Yamauchi were so sex-mad.
+Almost all of the male students suddenly focused their attention on a
+single point.
+"Whew. This sure is a huge crowd, isn't it?" Ichinose caught up with
+us, apparently oblivious to everyone looking at her.
+v f
+ff
+"Hey..."
+Unsure where to look, I shifted my gaze toward the wall as I answered.
+"Where are the others? I thought the boys would be faster," she said.
+"They're still changing," I answered. They were also late due to
+other...circumstances. "You got changed pretty quickly."
+"Ah ha ha! I'm pretty confident in my quick-change abilities," Ichinose
+boasted, as though that was something to be proud of. Her sunny innocence
+might just be the secret to her popularity. "Oh! Ayanokouji-kun, you brought
+arash guard?"
+"This might be strange for a guy, but I don't really like showing skin in
+front of people. I heard that it was okay to wear this when we aren't in class."
+"TI see. I think that's fine. It doesn't violate the rules, after all."
+A few other students were also covering up, even guys like me.
+Ichinose poked my vest-covered stomach with her index finger.
+"You're pretty hard. Also, you're slender. You have the ideal amount
+of muscle, without being too muscular," she observed.
+She kept touching me all over, from my arms to my shoulders. I was
+lucky I'd had the funds to buy an outer garment. I needed to thank Katsuragi.
+"Do you work out?" she asked.
+"No. It's probably just the material. I don't exercise daily or anything,"
+I said.
+"Hmm."
+Ichinose lowered her eyes to look at my legs, but at least stopped
+asking questions. Still, standing this close to her made me hyper-conscious of
+her monstrous—er, her very large breasts. How in the world could I swim in
+this condition? I doubted whether I'd even be able to move.
+"Well, those guys are late. I think I'll go check on them," I said.
+I knew full well what they were doing, and why they were late, but I
+couldn't bear seeing Ichinose in her swimsuit anymore. I turned on my heel
+and headed for the men's locker rooms.
+Several minutes later, we completed our preparations. We headed to
+the pool together. All the girls, including Horikita, had assembled.
+"Wow! "
+Ike couldn't help but exclaim when he saw the wondrous spectacle the
+girls presented. Sakura, however, retreated to the back of their group. She, of
+course, was wearing a rash guard, too. Even so, not all the guys were able to
+conceal their delight at seeing the girls wearing swimsuits.
+"Gah, ah! I can see them. Their breasts, underneath those thin
+swimsuits! I can see them!"
+Ike and Yamauchi stared at the girls as if they both had X-ray vision.
+They seemed to be having the time of their lives.
+"Okay, how about we get going? Looks like that spot at the far back is
+open."
+Ichinose led the way as we went to secure a place where we could hang
+out. The guys fell in line right behind the girls, their objective to ogle the
+girls' gently bouncing buttocks. However, Sudou didn't move from
+Horikita's side. They looked good together. I actually thought they would be
+a surprisingly good couple.
+Meanwhile, I walked next to Sakura, which was becoming a habit.
+"Ah. Thank you," she whispered.
+"Why are you thanking me?" I asked.
+"What do you mean?" Sakura appeared puzzled. Then she realized that
+I had no idea what she was referencing. "Um, well. For inviting me out
+today."
+"Huh? It's normal, after all. We're friends. Right?"
+I said the word "friend" smoothly and easily. Sakura looked up
+happily, her eyes sparkling like a puppy's.
+"So, you don't need to thank me," I said.
+Sakura apparently didn't agree. "Still, thank you," she repeated.
+"No, well... Well, okay."
+That was just the way Sakura was. It was why I could relax when I was
+with her.
+Even so, she had become bolder. She'd matured to the point where I
+barely recognized her as the same girl I first met. A classmate had confessed
+romantic feelings toward her, and she hadn't run away, but answered him
+properly. Watching her grow more and more each day, I thought that, maybe,
+I could change, too.
+"T've been thinking, recently—during P.E., the teacher told us that
+swimming would definitely be useful to us later. I think that referred to the
+island test." Sakura made this observation with a fiery look in her eyes. I
+decided not to deflate her.
+"T see. Huh. That's certainly true."
+"See, just like I thought!" She gave a small hop of joy, making her
+breasts jiggle beneath her rash guard. However, her expression turned
+apologetic the next moment. "If I participated properly, I think I'd be more
+useful. I used my poor health as an excuse to run away."
+"As long as you're aware of that, isn't it enough?"
+The students who once lived solely for themselves, with no thought for
+the future, had slowly begun to realize that people couldn't survive alone.
+Unless you planned to be a hermit, living on a mountain, you had no choice
+but to depend on other people.
+The majority of junior high and high school students hadn't noticed
+that yet, however. They lived in hedonistic isolation, spending their time on
+the Internet or feverishly engaging in mobile games. Some delinquents even
+committed crimes ranging from minor offenses to serious felonies. They
+didn't know how to ask for help or cooperate with others. Some would spend
+their entire lives not knowing how.
+This school was different, though. Their methods were unique, but they
+seemed to be trying to teach students how to become functional individuals.
+Sakura had started to recognize that. She'd realized that maybe there
+was something she could do for the class. She might eventually become a grec
+asset to 1-D.
+"TIchinose-san. You guys. You came here today, too, huh?"
+Three male students called out to us as we looked for a spot. I
+recognized one: Kanzaki from Class B. He nodded to us.
+"Yoo-hoo! Shibata-kun, you're here with the guys?" asked Ichinose.
+Shibata raised his hand and looked at us Class D students with a smile.
+"Looks like a fun group! How about we join you?" he asked.
+"T'm totally okay with that, but...is that all right?" asked Ichinose,
+looking at us.
+Kushida nodded with enthusiasm, which annihilated Ike and
+Yamauchi's ability to veto the suggestion. The three Class B students joined
+us, making our group's total number a staggering thirteen members.
+"Sorry for bothering you," said Kanzaki, approaching me. He
+understood that I wasn't especially good at dealing with a rowdy group.
+Sakura quickly took a step back. She'd instantly faded into the
+background, so that Kanzaki wouldn't notice her.
+"That's fine," I said. "It's the last day of summer vacation, after all."
+"Well, it's true that we only have a few opportunities to socialize with
+students from other classes. Shibata and the others seem happy," replied
+Kanzaki.
+"You don't really seem to like them, though," I said. Kanzaki looked
+calm and composed, as always. However, there'd been a slyness to the way
+he approached me, so as not to draw attention.
+"T'm like you, Ayanokouji. I'm not good with crowds."
+As Kanzaki and I chatted about nothing in particular, we heard
+increasingly loud cheers up ahead.
+"Sounds like they're all fired up over something," said Sudou.
+I raised my head to look. At the center of the uproar was a huge splash.
+A person and a ball flew upward into the air. The person delivered a
+powerful, aggressive spike that sent the ball flying to the opponent's side of
+the pool. Apparently, they were playing volleyball.
+"Whoa! Awesome! This is, like, some next-level stuff, huh?!" shouted
+Yamauchi.
+There were three pools in the large facility, all currently being used for
+various activities and games. One pool was for standard swimming. Another
+was built to function like a lazy river with a current. The final pool was
+mainly geared toward activities like sports.
+A large crowd of screaming girls surrounded the sports pool, in which
+students were playing a fierce game of volleyball. I'd never seen many of
+them before. The majority looked a little older than us. They were probably
+second or third-year students.
+One male student, in particular, stood out.
+"He's awesome."
+The object of Sudou's expressed admiration was the same student I'd
+noticed. At first glance, his slender form appeared delicate. Upon closer
+inspection, though, you saw his well-defined abs. The way his blond hair
+swayed whenever he moved, and the composed expression on his face,
+caught the eye. He was so beautiful that you could almost mistake him for an
+illusion, an image flickering on a screen.
+Apparently, this beautiful young man had stolen most of the female
+students' attention.
+"Ugh, he's the kind of guy I hate the most. Even though he's not all
+that talented or hardworking, he's a winner because of his looks," spat Ike.
+I understood Ike and Yamauchi's venomous envy, but they were
+wrong. This handsome man wasn't showered in attention due to his
+appearance. I saw the sharp gleam in his eyes as his attention focused
+upward. The beautiful young man soared into the air to meet the ball that a
+teammate passed him.
+Most of the onlookers went quiet, as though they'd forgotten to cheer.
+Everyone watched with bated breath. The handsome student shot the bullet—
+er, the ball—at a sharp angle and with high velocity. It assaulted the enemy
+team. The student who received the ball was clearly skilled, too. He
+responded quickly and dove to try to keep the ball in play.
+Everyone screamed in unison as the beautiful young man's team earned
+a point. His physical abilities' superior nature was obvious. Looking at how
+developed the lower half of his body was, I guessed that he focused on a
+sport in which he used his legs. Maybe track and field? I could imagine
+baseball or soccer as well.
+"H-he's handsome, he's smart, he's good at sports... Who the hell is
+he?!"
+"People are really getting fired up, huh? That guy completely
+dominates the game all by himself."
+"Looks like it. I'm not sure who he is or where he's from, though."
+Horikita and I didn't know many students from other classes, or what
+their abilities were. The best person to ask was Kushida, whose network was
+wider than anyone else's. She had our answer.
+"That's Nagumo-senpai from Class A. He's a second year. It sounds
+like he's really popular with the girls," she said.
+"Nagumo..."
+I'd heard that name recently. Eavesdropping on our conversation,
+Ichinose explained a bit more. "He's the current student council vice
+president. It's said that he'll take over as president next year. Apparently,
+he's really smart."
+Horikita's shoulders tightened slightly when she heard the key words
+"student council."
+Every time Nagumo showed off his skills, there were loud, high-
+pitched cheers. Other games were going on at the same time, but nobody
+watched. Everyone was fixated on Nagumo.
+"Even though he's popular with the ladies, I've never heard of him
+until now. You didn't know him either, right, Ayanokouji-kun? He's
+obviously skilled, but considering his notoriety, I imagine some of that must
+be hype. I'm sure the student council president would easily surpass him in
+any activity. Wouldn't he?" asked Horikita.
+What a brazen thing to say—praising the president without revealing
+that he was her brother.
+"Yeah. They say the president is amazing. He's possibly the most
+extraordinary student in this school's whole history. Wait. He has the same
+last name as you, Horikita-san. Right?" asked Ichinose.
+"Tt would appear so," Horikita answered matter-of-factly. Apparently,
+she had no intention of giving an honest answer.
+"But there are rumors that Nagumo has comparable skills. In fact,
+during the student council elections, President Horikita and Vice President
+Nagumo both ran for the position of president. At the time, Nagumo was just
+a first-year student," said Ichinose.
+"You're quite well-informed, aren't you?" replied Horikita.
+"When I joined the student council, I inevitably picked up on those
+kinds of things."
+"You did?" Horikita sounded incredulous.
+She couldn't hide her surprise. I recalled that, the day I met her, she
+was talking to Hoshinomiya-sensei, Class B's homeroom teacher, about
+"student council business." I had absolutely no interest in working alongside
+Horikita Manabu, but given how the school was structured, entering the
+student council had to have monumental significance.
+"By the way, what are the prerequisites for joining the student council?
+Not just anyone can join, right?"
+"Hmm. Well, it's a little tricky. To tell you the truth, I was rejected the
+first time I applied. But, since you can apply as many times as you want, I
+persisted," said Ichinose. "The president never confirmed anything, but
+apparently, the final decision came from Vice President Nagumo. Later, I
+heard from Nagumo that President Horikita seemed disappointed in this
+year's first-year students. Apparently, they usually accept two first-years, but
+this year, I'm the only one. That's why I want to hurry up and prove myself.
+It sounds as though President Horikita might be stepping down in October."
+As Horikita struggled to get closer to her brother, Ichinose was trying
+her absolute hardest to gain some ground.
+"My goal is definitely to be like Nagumo-senpai. We both started
+strong, and we get along well. All the student council presidents in this
+school's history originally came from Class A, but Nagumo-senpai is like me.
+We both came from Class B. Then, before anyone realized it, he was next in
+line to become the president. So, that's why I'm going to become president
+after Nagumo-senpai."
+Ichinose paused for a moment, then added, "Just kidding!"
+She clearly held Nagumo in higher esteem than Horikita's brother.
+Looking displeased, Horikita snapped back. "Nagumo's limited
+potential is obvious. He had a delayed start," she spat.
+"Hey, hey," I said.
+Horikita was free to think whatever she wanted, but didn't that logic
+work against her, based on the fact she'd started in Class D? Unless...unless
+she was serious.
+"Wait. Do you still think they assigned you to Class D by mistake?" I
+asked.
+"Tsn't it obvious?" Horikita said without hesitation.
+"Well, I suppose I can understand why you think that. But the school
+doesn't seem to sort classes based on academic ability alone. They examine
+your intelligence, of course, but also your maturity level and collaboration
+skills. They base their decisions on our demonstration of all those abilities, I
+think," mused Ichinose.
+"So, you're saying there's a problem with me overall?"
+"Oh, no. Sorry. I apologize if that's how it sounded. But think about it.
+Basically, Horikita-san, you're the sort of person who believes in herself. If
+we turn that statement around, though, it could also mean that you're self-
+centered. In the real world, there will be times when you need to determine
+who's better suited to a situation: a self-important person, or someone who
+follows instructions. Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis."
+Self-centered people could be hard to handle, even if they had superior
+talent. However, people who could follow instructions would always be in
+demand, a highly sought-after resource.
+"TI can't believe that," said Horikita in a low voice.
+When Ichinose got called over by a friend, I drew slightly nearer to
+Horikita.
+"You didn't announce your candidacy for the student council, did you?
+You chose to attend this school to be by your older brother's side, right?" I
+asked.
+"Those are separate issues. Even you can grasp that much, can't you?
+Even if I did the student council interview, there's absolutely no way I'd get
+in."
+Well, yeah. If even Ichinose from Class B wasn't accepted the first
+time, then Horikita from Class D... The elder Horikita probably wouldn't
+allow his sister to join student council when he wanted her expelled.
+I watched the game go on for a while. In the end, Nagumo's team
+overwhelmed the opposition. The girls who'd cheered Nagumo gathered
+around him as he climbed out of the pool.
+"Hey, wait a sec. That dude's got an ear piercing! How is that okay?!"
+shouted Ike, clearly searching for something to say.
+"But isn't that fine? It's still summer vacation," replied Ichinose.
+"W-well, wait a sec... He's got a hole in his ear, right?! Isn't that a big
+problem?!" Ike persisted.
+"T think that's probably a clip-on earring, actually. He dresses normally
+in school," she answered.
+"Ugh!" Ike grumbled. No matter how much he objected, Nagumo was
+a completely flawless student.
+"Hey, why don't we play some volleyball? With Shibata-kun and the
+other guys on our team, we' ll have six people, and you guys will have seven.
+If we rotate, we should be set," said Ichinose.
+Ike was the first one to agree. "Yeah, for sure! I'll attract all the girls'
+attention, like Nagumo-senpai!" he shouted.
+That was probably impossible, but a lot of students seemed eager to
+play. Since we'd come all this way, they wanted a good experience.
+"U-um, I'm pretty bad at physical activity, so...I'll watch," said
+Sakura, retreating. She probably just really didn't want to play. Since it was
+obvious that she wasn't the athletic sort, no one raised any objections.
+"T don't really feel like playing, either," said Horikita. She seemed
+intractable, even though she still owed me a favor.
+"Horikita-san, are you running away?" Ichinose smiled, as if to
+provoke Horikita.
+"It's not 'running away' when it's just a simple game," snapped
+Horikita.
+"You're certainly right. But this is like a microcosm of our class.
+Who's more ambitious, and who has superior teamwork? In that sense, it's a
+mock competition. Or are you saying that you don't want to compete against
+us?" asked Ichinose. She was treating this like an analytical test of our
+combat ability.
+"Fine. Let's do it," said Horikita.
+The Class B students would be our rivals in the near future. This was
+just a game for now, but they probably wanted to ascertain their opponents'
+abilities, too.
+"How about this? To make the match a little more interesting, the
+winners gets to enjoy a free lunch, courtesy of the losers. Are you okay with
+those stakes?" asked Ichinose.
+"Sure," replied Horikita.
+After we submitted our request to use a volleyball court, each team
+picked its own strategies. The rules we settled on dictated that there'd be
+fifteen points per set, with a three-set match. We would declare the first team
+to get two sets the winner. We would determine who served via rotation, and
+a person who scored would earn the right to serve again.
+"Since we're doing this, we're going to win," said Horikita.
+"You're unusually fired up, Horikita-san," observed Kushida.
+"With a free lunch at stake, sure. But it's more than that. To buy lunch
+for this many people, you might have to spend up to 10,000 points. Even
+though they're just private points, the difference between Class B and us
+could close by that much. On the other hand, if we lose, the gap would widen.
+It's just like the special tests," Horikita replied.
+True. Two thousand points per person wasn't a small expense.
+"All right! Let's definitely win this thing. Ken! Haruki!" shouted Ike.
+"Leave this to me, Suzune. If I'm here, we've got the strength of one
+hundred men. I'|l knock those meatheads down!" shouted Sudou.
+"But isn't meathead a word you'd use to describe yourself, Sudou?" I
+called.
+"The hell, dude? You know, 'meathead.' Someone's who got too much
+meat in their head. Like, their brains are too big, because they study too
+much. Right?"
+Apparently, Sudou had wonderfully misunderstood the meaning of the
+word. Rather like a meathead.
+"Forget it," I replied.
+Although Sudou dragged us down in academics, he might be an
+invaluable ally in a situation like this. I understood that Horikita would
+expect a lot from him. Sudou was the most athletic person in Class D. Well,
+Kouenji might present a challenge to our opponents, but it was probably best
+not to rely on him.
+"Sudou, do you have any experience playing pool volleyball?"
+"Nope. Played a little volleyball in class, though."
+"And yet you sound really confident."
+"Basketball's like all other sports. An upperclassman I respect said
+that."
+Well, Sudou certainly believed in his own abilities. Horikita was about
+to determine whether or not he was all talk.
+6.5
+ce
+A ll right, leave it to me!"
+Sudou, looking up at the ball as it arced down, jumped into the air.
+Then, using his incredible body like a spring, he slammed the ball at the
+opposing team, as fast as a bullet. Ichinose tried her absolute hardest to keep
+the ball in play, but her movements in the water were slow and dull. She
+didn't make it in time.
+No one on the sidelines cheered for Sudou, but his power seemed
+greater than or equal to Nagumo's.
+"Yeah!"
+Sudou struck a victory pose. I guessed that this was what they meant
+when they talked about "taking to something like a fish to water." Horikita
+watched Sudou in apparent admiration.
+"Wow, that was an amazing shot. You really got us good!" said
+Ichinose, scooping up the ball and handing it back to Sudou.
+"Heh. Well, I guess a girl couldn't really repel my attack. Suppose I
+need to dial it down, huh?" he boasted.
+"Are you being sexist now? Don't underestimate us girls," said
+Ichinose, with a smile on her face and not a hint of anger in her voice.
+The game started with Class B serving the ball, but Sudou's incredible,
+furious skills got our team to a seven-to-three lead.
+"Sudou-kun has a wide defensive range and really high attack power.
+We need to avoid his area as much as possible," observed Kanzaki. He was
+clearly growing increasingly cautious of Sudou, who was pulling our team
+forward.
+"Okay, Ichinose. Give me the ball. I've found our target!" shouted
+Shibata.
+"Roger!" responded Ichinose.
+Ichinose received the ball and courteously guided it along. Shibata
+leapt up to strike it. Sadly, he aimed at the space right in front of me. If that
+wasn't a coincidence, then he considered me our team's weakest link.
+"Get it, Ayanokouji!"
+I took a step forward, as Sudou ordered. The ball wasn't really moving
+fast. It shouldn't have been difficult for me to touch it. I extended my arm.
+Bap . The ball made a dull sound as I hit it.
+"Geh."
+It sailed away magnificently in the wrong direction.
+"Yay!"
+On the other side of the net, Ichinose and Shibata high-fived. Naturally,
+Sudou shot me a furious glare and stormed over.
+"The hell was that?!" roared Sudou.
+"Er, I guess it showed the virtue of scoring quietly, rather than
+flamboyantly>" I replied.
+"Don't screw around. It's fine if your angle's bad, but at least get the
+ball into the air."
+This was the first time I'd ever played volleyball in my life. I couldn't
+just become a natural in five minutes.
+"Hey, hey. Calm down, Sudou. I'll get things back with my astonishing
+serve. Check it," said Ike, picking up the ball.
+"Yeah!"
+The ball awkwardly sailed towards our opponents' territory. The girls
+caught it, and Ichinose leaped up to pitch it at us.
+"You guys are useless!" shouted Sudou.
+He blocked the ball that Ichinose sent back and returned it to Class B's
+side once again. This time, Kanzaki sent the ball into the air, and another girl
+lobbed it in my direction. The ball sped toward me, but Sudou took advantage
+of his height to try and intercept it. Covering me, he charged forward and
+successfully tossed the ball back.
+"Eat this!" shouted Ichinose. She jumped upward, her breasts jiggling,
+which instantly snatched the attention of Ike, Yamauchi, and I.
+"Back!" shouted Sudou. Horikita received Ichinose's shot, and sent the
+ball back up, guiding it to a more ideal spot. The game had just begun, but
+already, Sudou was calling the shots.
+None of the girls could stop Sudou's attacks, considering his
+overwhelming power. Kanzaki and Shibata managed to hang on, but Sudou
+had both superior technique and greater strength, so they were on the
+defensive.
+Class B's only viable strategy was to deny Sudou the ball. On Class
+D's side, Horikita and Kushida had above-average offensive and defensive
+power. A stable lineup. On the other hand, the weak links included me, Ike,
+and Yamauchi.
+"Gyah! Sorry!" shouted Yamauchi.
+Instead of scooping up the serve, Yamauchi let Class B score another
+point. Every time they scored, Sudou's frustration grew, and he clicked his
+tongue at us. Then again, all Class B's points were because of us three.
+"Calm down, Sudou-kun. You're doing your best, and it's better if you
+don't waste your energy."
+"But if we lose because of these useless guys, this' ll all be for
+nothing," Sudou lamented.
+Still complaining, Sudou returned to his original position. When Sudou
+couldn't see him, Ike flipped him off. Yamauchi followed suit.
+"Hey, Haruki. You're gettin' the death sentence later."
+"Gyah!"
+Unfortunately for Yamauchi, Sudou had caught him in the act. This
+really wasn't Yamauchi's lucky day. When we resumed playing, the ball
+once again came flying straight toward him.
+"No way, no way!" Yamauchi gurgled, falling face down in the water.
+"Gluuub!"
+"Tt's pathetic that the girls are more useful than you!" said Sudou.
+Talk about kicking us when we were down. No one wanted to look
+uncool in front of girls, but just as you couldn't improve you grades
+overnight, we couldn't become stellar athletes right here and now.
+The ball once again came to me. Remembering my previous failure, I
+tried to figure out how best to receive it. I thought that by watching my arm
+placement, and the ball's rotation, getting it back into the air shouldn't be
+difficult. Theoretically.
+However, I noticed Ichinose gazing intently at me from the other side
+of the net. I decided to receive the ball in a deliberately clumsy manner,
+without moving from my spot. I let my feet slip and fumbled the ball into the
+water.
+"God. You're awful, Ayanokouji!"
+As I resurfaced, Ike laughed at me.
+"Even if it's bad, it's okay, as long as you get the ball up! Good job!"
+shouted Sudou.
+Sudou, who'd been shadowing me, showed off several fierce jumps.
+Even though he should've used up quite a bit of stamina, he unleashed his
+finishing attack over and over again. His strength alone made us a match for
+Class B, even with their superior teamwork. While I observed Sudou, I
+decided to amuse myself by actually playing some volleyball.
+6.6
+ce
+A ww, we lost. Completely," said Ichinose, sounding a little
+frustrated as she got out of the pool.
+Sure, we were just playing, but no one had wanted to lose. Class D
+achieved victory after winning two consecutive sets.
+"That's all thanks to Sudou-kun," said Horikita.
+Sudou smiled smugly at this compliment. He was undoubtedly happy
+that the girl he liked had praised him, especially since Horikita was sparing
+with compliments.
+"You're in basketball. Some boys from our class play, too, but I've
+heard about you, Sudou-kun. They say you're the best first-year student,"
+said Ichinose.
+"Of course," he replied.
+More importantly, that meant word had gotten around to other classes.
+I wondered if this volleyball
+game was just a test. Sudou's athleticism was a match for the
+upperclassmen. Any exam that depended on physical activity would be a
+huge boon for Sudou, and for us. From Ichinose's perspective, Sudou was
+now a threat.
+"Tf you guys hadn't dragged us down, we could've had an
+overwhelming victory," said Sudou.
+"Damn it. Sudou's getting full of himself," said Yamauchi. He
+collapsed outside the pool, glaring at Sudou with frustration. After the
+volleyball game was done, Sudou had kept his promise to deliver a death
+sentence to Yamauchi, and knocked him out.
+"Well, as long as we won, it's all good. This means we can eat
+whatever we want for lunch," I said, redirecting Sudou's focus from anger to
+food.
+"Yeah, guess so. Since we're pretty broke, this is good." Sudou was
+acting a little cocky, but he deserved to. He'd won the game single-handed.
+"Well then, how about lunch?"
+Our stomachs grumbled, right on cue. Ichinose, Sudou, and the rest
+headed toward the food stands. Horikita hung back and followed further
+behind.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. You're not really bad at sports, are you? Even
+though you're a beginner at volleyball, your movements were odd," she
+observed.
+Horikita had seen me fight her brother some time ago. She recalled
+how I'd moved.
+"Ichinose was watching me closely," I answered.
+"You're not going to show your hand yet, then. I suppose the other
+classes must be frantically trying to analyze Class D's combat abilities right
+now," replied Horikita.
+As we arrived at the food stands, Ichinose turned to us. "Just as we
+promised, you can have whatever you like, and however much you want. Eat
+up!" she said.
+"All right! In that case, we're not holding back!"
+The three idiots, their appetites many times greater than anyone else's,
+rushed for the food. Ichinose just stood there, grinning.
+"Wait, are you paying for the whole thing yourself?"
+"Yeah. I'm the one who suggested the bet," Ichinose replied. That
+might be true, but this was going to be stupidly expensive. "I'm pretty frugal,
+so everything should be just fine."
+Kushida appeared puzzled. "But, Ichinose-san, didn't you use up quite
+a few points on stuff like swimwear? I know Class D can't compare itself to
+Class B, but we're just barely getting by."
+"Hmm. Well, I don't really care much about fashion. I kinda wear
+whatever, and I can just rotate outfits anyway. I guess that's sort of weird for
+a girl to say," Ichinose chuckled.
+"Not at all. It's good not to spend a lot, I think."
+In my own prejudiced view, girls cared about looking good. That was
+certainly true of Kushida. I would've thought that Horikita was indifferent,
+but even she seemed to pay attention to her hair and clothes.
+"There might be something more important for me to use points on
+eventually," said Ichinose.
+"All right, then. I won't hold back," said Horikita. She'd always been a
+light eater, but having Class B treating us seemed to make her gluttonous.
+"Sure, that's fine. But it'd be a waste to have leftovers, so eat
+everything!" said Ichinose.
+I was personally pretty interested in the junk food, and chose what I
+wanted.
+6.7
+W hen it was almost closing time, Ichinose proposed that we head
+back before the crowds got worse. We all agreed. While everyone got
+changed, I slipped away and waited for my visitor by the pool.
+"Ah, I'm so drained," I muttered.
+Soon Karuizawa appeared, slapping my back as she walked up behind
+"Good work. How'd it go?" I asked.
+"Tt's just like you said. Honestly repulsive," she replied.
+"Come on, don't say that. It's just youth run amok, right?"
+Karuizawa gestured as though she was going to vomit, then scanned
+her surroundings.
+"How was it? Being at the pool, I mean," I asked.
+"Whatever. I don't feel much of anything, but..." Karuizawa looked
+around once more, as if worried about prying eyes. "Even though it's fake,
+I'm still supposed to be going out with Hirata-kun. If I'm seen alone with
+you, weird rumors might spring up."
+"Really? Well, maybe they would if I were a pretty boy like Hirata.
+Sadly, I'm completely lacking in hotness. At best, people will think you're
+part of our group," I told her.
+This was an innocuous place to be alone with a girl. It would have been
+a different story at night, on a secluded park bench, but not here.
+Hirata, Karuizawa's fake boyfriend, was nowhere to be seen. He was
+probably busy with club activities. I didn't know much about the soccer
+club's schedule, but he seemed like an active guy.
+"We were allowed to wear rash guards today. You saw them, right?" I
+asked.
+"Well, yeah. But are you really okay with spending money on a rash
+guard? They're pretty expensive."
+"It was a necessary expense."
+Karuizawa held out her hand, and I grabbed it. I felt something hard
+against my palm.
+"What are you planning, anyway?" asked Karuizawa.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Why are you different from the others? You could just sit back and
+enjoy the show," she said. Ah, so we were discussing what I held in my hand.
+"Tt could have ended up fracturing the class. I want to avoid that." That
+was why I'd called Karuizawa to meet me, although getting her to enjoy the
+pool had been another of my goals. "Did you invite anyone else?"
+"T'm alone. I was with two others, but I told them to go off on their
+own and have fun."
+"A wise decision."
+I started walking slowly along the side of the pool. Karuizawa trailed
+"Are you aiming for Class A, then?" she asked.
+"Y ou're not interested?"
+"Hmm, I dunno. I do want points, and I'd be happy to get a job
+anywhere, but..." She kicked the air, hands in her pockets. "I don't really feel
+like duking it out with those Class C students, I guess."
+Karuizawa was referring to a specific group of Class C girls. Even
+though I'd managed to contain things to a degree, Karuizawa couldn't face
+the girls directly without triggering the past trauma of them bullying her.
+Until that mental prison released her, Karuizawa could never demonstrate her
+true talents.
+"T want to talk to you about something. Just you," I said.
+"What is it?"
+"T don't know what our next test will be, but I was thinking about
+preparing a certain trick."
+"A trick?"
+As we walked, blending into all the hustle and bustle, we discussed
+extremely important things. Things I hadn't even talked to Horikita about.
+"To have someone expelled."
+"Huh?"
+Karuizawa stopped dead in her tracks, as though she didn't understand
+what I meant. When I continued walking, she hurriedly chased after me.
+"W-wait a minute. What do you mean?!"
+"Exactly what I said. I'm going to have a first-year student expelled.
+The ideal candidates would be those three girls who know about your past. If
+we can't get to them, then perhaps someone else. If that doesn't work, then
+—" | began.
+"Th-then what?"
+"Probably some unnecessary human being from Class D."
+"You do understand what you're saying, don't you? Getting someone
+expelled isn't that easy," Karuizawa replied.
+"You don't think so? That's not really true. I actually have the option
+available right now." Fingers wrapped tight around the object Karuizawa had
+handed me, I drew her attention to my hand.
+"Wait, don't tell me. Is that what it's for?" she asked, incredulous.
+"Depending on the situation, I could get someone expelled in a single
+stroke. Right?"
+"B-but wait. Why are you talking about this? You went all out trying to
+save Sudou-kun earlier, right?"
+It was true that I'd rescued Sudou from the threat of expulsion.
+However, that was before I was forced to commit to reaching Class A. As
+Horikita once said, I had to prepare for the eventuality of cutting off people
+who dragged us down.
+"Even though you saved Sudou-kun, you're going to kick him out?"
+Karuizawa asked.
+"Oh no. I have no intention of getting rid of Sudou. His physical skill
+will be quite valuable to Class D," I replied. There weren't many other
+students in the whole school with comparable abilities, including Kouenji.
+"But what will happen to our class points if someone is expelled?"
+wondered Karuizawa apprehensively.
+"The best option would be to expel someone from another class, of
+course." However, if a student from our class was expelled, fear would
+motivate the survivors to struggle mightily. That wouldn't be the worst thing.
+"You're awful, you know that?" said Karuizawa.
+"Surely you already realized that about me?"
+"T guess."
+I'd threatened Karuizawa. My actions had verged on assault. I couldn't
+imagine that she considered me a good person.
+"How about consulting Hirata-kun?" she asked.
+"T have concerns about that. Hirata still isn't someone I can fully trust,"
+I replied.
+"Huh?"
+"You know about his past?"
+"Oh, yeah. He told me about it when I told him what happened to me.
+His friend tried to commit suicide by jumping, right?"
+That was right. Hirata had told me that he still carried that regret
+around with him, which was probably true.
+"Do you really believe that his friend's suicide attempt turned him into
+a student who'd be placed in Class D?" I asked.
+"Huh? bb)
+"That can't be the only reason for the school to assign a highly
+intelligent and immensely popular student to our class. Don't you agree?"
+Placement in Class D would have been understandable if Hirata had poor
+attendance, or low grades like Karuizawa, but that didn't appear to be the
+case.
+"Wait. You asked about my past because..."
+"T wanted to understand Hirata's situation. Past trauma doesn't equate
+to getting placed in Class D," I replied.
+Confirming things with Karuizawa had convinced me that she was
+someone I could trust. However, Hirata wouldn't be easy to deal with. I'd
+need to discreetly figure out whether he was telling the truth or lying.
+"You keep trying to gather information by poking and prodding, but
+you're not telling me anything," grumbled Karuizawa.
+"Hmm? bb)
+"You're not normal, like, at all. Something definitely happened to
+bb)
+you.
+"Nothing really happened to me," I replied.
+"That's a lie."
+Nothing had happened. I wasn't bullied in the past like Karuizawa, and
+I hadn't had a beloved friend attempt suicide like Hirata, either.
+"T can tell just from your eyes. You look like you could kill someone
+without hesitation."
+"Nothing that dramatic took place in my past."
+There really was nothing. So little had happened to me that I had
+nothing to talk about. My life was a blank slate.
+Karuizawa's eyes locked onto me. She probably couldn't help but
+wonder what her future contained. Holding onto that fear could most
+certainly prove useful.
+However, she'd asked me what I intended to do. Almost as if
+answering that question, I clenched my fist tighter. As I did so, I heard the
+plastic in my hand bend and crack.
+"H-hey!"
+I walked to the garbage bin and tossed away the bits of plastic.
+"T won't expel anyone from Class D. It's about time for me to get back
+to the group. Thanks for today," I said.
+"Okay..."
+"Let's head back, then."
+As the pool closed, students started to flood into the locker rooms.
+Which group you belonged to seemed to determine when you headed back.
+There were groups that left before closing, like Ichinose's, groups that left
+just when the closing call came, and groups that remained in the pool until
+the very last second. I wondered which groups would make it back the
+fastest.
+We quietly watched the other students as they walked away. After
+some time, the area was deserted, except for some lifeguards.
+"You're still not heading back?" I asked.
+"You already know the answer, so why even ask?" Karuizawa lightly
+patted the spot on her rash guard right above her scar. She looked desperate.
+Still, it wasn't like she could go home without changing. She had to wait until
+she was the last person in the locker room.
+"Tt would be fine if you just wore a school-issued swimsuit, right?" I
+asked. No one would notice her scar.
+"Ugh, swim with one of those on? No way. They're too lame. I already
+hate having to wear one during lessons."
+Apparently, the world of girls was crueler than I thought. Even an
+unfashionable bathing suit could demote you on the social ladder.
+"Do you like swimming?"
+"Huh? Well, I don't hate it," she said.
+"How about taking a little swim now? There aren't any students
+around. The only people here are lifeguards, and they look busy cleaning up."
+Karuizawa pondered the idea. After all, it was better than the crowded
+locker rooms.
+"T'm okay," she muttered.
+"Come on."
+"No, I won't 'come on.' I told you, I don't want to."
+"Even if someone sees you, you'll be fine, as long as you're wearing
+the school swimsuit."
+"That's not the problem. Why do I have to show you my swimsuit?"
+she huffed.
+So, that was what held her back. In that case, I thought perhaps I
+should use a slightly more aggressive method.
+"That's an order."
+Karuizawa glared at me.
+"You seriously are the worst. I absolutely hate you." She scowled.
+"You decide whether to obey me or not. So, what' ll it be?"
+"T understand," she replied.
+Karuizawa reluctantly did as instructed, pouting with dissatisfaction.
+She removed her rash guard and left it on a chair. I inspected her in her
+swimsuit. Karuizawa stood with her back to me, not turning around.
+"Maybe this will be the only thing I can wear swimming for the rest of
+my life," she muttered. She was still terrified that her scar would draw
+people's attention.
+I closed the distance between us and grabbed her arm.
+"Wh-what are you—?!"
+I shoved Karuizawa into the pool. Splash! She crashed into the water.
+When a lifeguard heard the noise, she shouted at us with a megaphone.
+"We're closed! Please leave right now!"
+"Pwah! What'd you do that for?!" Karuizawa shouted.
+As she peeked angrily out from the water, I offered her my hand.
+"Did you have fun?" I asked.
+"Being pushed in isn't exactly fun, you know."
+Karuizawa took hold of my outstretched hand. Then, without warning,
+she pulled me into the water. I didn't resist at all, taking care not to crash into
+her when I fell. The resulting splash, even bigger than before, would certainly
+anger the lifeguards. Karuizawa laughed as they rushed over to us.
+When I tried to surface, she held my head down and pushed me deeper
+underwater. Even though the situation was childish, seeing Karuizawa enjoy
+something ended up making it worthwhile.
+6.8
+A fter we finished swimming, I was rather thirsty. The rest of our
+group must've felt the same way, because as dusk fell and we walked back to
+the dorms, one of Ichinose's friends said, "Hey, Honami-chan. I think I want
+ice cream. How about you?"
+"Yeah. Sounds good," Ichinose replied. Even after a refreshing swim,
+the heat was oppressive. "How about we take a little detour before heading
+back?"
+There were no objections. We entered a nearby convenience store, and
+everyone rushed to the ice cream. Horikita had been conflicted over whether
+she wanted something to drink, but now it looked like she wanted ice cream,
+too.
+"T'll have this one! Ultra Choco Monaka!" shouted Ike, pulling out an
+ice cream three times larger than normal. It was nearly four times the price of
+a regular ice cream, too.
+That seemed wasteful, but I supposed if it made him happy, it was
+probably fine. Sudou and Yamauchi wanted shaved ice, while Ichinose chose
+a popsicle. Even in a standard convenience store, the group's individual
+quirks and tastes were clear.
+Sakura, standing behind me, looked around hesitantly.
+"What are you getting?" I asked.
+"Um, I-I... Wh-what do I pick, I wonder?" she stuttered.
+Sakura stood on tiptoe and desperately struggled to look inside the ice
+cream freezer. Honestly, even I could barely see. When Ike and the others
+finally left, I felt Sakura push against me.
+"What should I do?" she muttered. Her hands shook, as if she were
+flustered.
+"You don't like ice cream?"
+"Oh no, I like all kinds. I've probably eaten everything here before,"
+she replied, pointing toward the right half of the case. Horikita, who'd also
+remained by the freezer, chose her ice cream and went to the register.
+"Hurry up, or you'll get left behind!" Ike called.
+Given how sensitive Sakura was, hearing that only made her more
+flustered. "Um, umm... Sorry. I'm the type who takes forever deciding things
+like this."
+"There's no need to panic. He's just messing around. I haven't decided
+yet, either," I told her.
+"What are you going to have, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Me?"
+I shifted my attention from Sakura and looked into the freezer.
+Honestly, everything looked the same.
+"T think I'll have this."
+I picked up a standard soft-serve ice cream, the kind that coils around
+and around. Some of the soft serve had chocolate mixed in, but I'd leave that
+for next time.
+"W-well, I'll have that too, then. It's delicious," Sakura replied.
+It felt as though I'd forced her to choose that, but if Sakura was
+satisfied, then it was probably fine. After we paid and left, everyone gathered
+in front of the store and began to eat. I opened the package and scooped some
+ice cream, letting it melt in my mouth.
+"This is...really good," I said quietly.
+The sweetness and coldness shivered through my body. This could
+become a habit. It was honestly revelatory. Who knew ice cream would be
+this delicious? Eating too much of it could be bad for you, though.
+"Whoa, you sure are enjoying that. It's almost like it's your first time
+eating ice cream," observed Ichinose.
+"Anyone would think it's delicious. Especially in this heat," I replied.
+That should've been obvious.
+"Well, I suppose. It's just...you're eating it like it's something you
+really love. This is the first time I've seen you make a face like that."
+"That's because he has a face like a doll. His expression never
+changes," said Horikita, interjecting on my behalf. Well, she was sort of like
+a doll herself in that regard.
+Horikita and Ichinose began to chatter happily about the second
+semester, which was about to start.
+"Hey, Ichinose. Your popsicle looks pretty rough."
+"Gah! You're seriously right!"
+Ichinose's popsicle was melting in the heat. Flustered, Ichinose licked
+what was dripping and then stuck the popsicle in her mouth.
+"Mmph, famks bery mug," she muttered through a mouthful of
+popsicle.
+Was she saying, "Thank you very much"? It seemed that way. Even as
+it melted, the popsicle did look delicious.
+6.9
+ce
+W hew! What a long day. I'm beat. This was fun, huh?" asked
+Ichinose.
+"Yeah. It was nice to talk to Horikita-san and Sakura-san. We should
+hang out again!"
+The Class B girls seemed satisfied with how they'd spent their last day
+of vacation. Sakura, who looked a little more relaxed, even managed a small
+grin. On the other hand, Ike, Yamauchi, and even Sudou looked anxious.
+After quickly saying their farewells, they rushed into the elevator.
+"We'll come hang out in your room later, Ayanokouji."
+They left it at that.
+"T wonder what's up with them? I thought they were in high spirits
+today," said Kushida.
+"They seemed especially strange. Perhaps a certain someone knows
+what happened, though," said Horikita.
+They both glanced at me, but I refrained from commenting, for my own
+reasons.
+"Okay, then. See you at school, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"See you tomorrow."
+After parting with Kushida and Sakura, only Horikita and I remained in
+the lobby. I thought she'd stayed behind to avoid Kushida, but even when
+another elevator arrived, Horikita didn't get on.
+"Y ou're not going up?" I asked.
+"What about you? Would you like to take a little walk?" she asked.
+"Sure."
+Horikita and I walked along the tree-lined path while looking at the
+sky, now dyed the color of sunset.
+"Surprisingly, I had fun today. I suppose a day off every once in a
+while isn't so bad." That was an unexpected statement, coming from
+Horikita. She spoke slowly, her still-wet hair fluttering behind her. "We start
+the second semester tomorrow. I'm sure even bigger challenges await."
+"Yeah, probably."
+This wasn't an ordinary school. Countless unknown hardships—like
+the survival test on the island, or the test of deception on the cruise ship—
+undoubtedly lay in wait for us.
+"T've thought a lot during summer vacation. About the things I've
+done, and the things I was able to do," Horikita continued.
+"And what do you think now?" I asked.
+"That's a secret. If I told you, you'd laugh."
+She dodged the question, although I didn't know why. Maybe she was
+embarrassed by what she'd been about to say.
+Chapter 7:
+Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou's
+Summer Vacation
+(Extra Stories)
+W hat should a man aim for in life? If you asked men from all over
+the world, you'd probably see a pattern emerge: find a partner and make love,
+produce offspring, raise those offspring. Amusement parks, movies, and
+video games are all very well. However, the plethora of entertainment options
+available to us these days is just a blip in the grand scheme of human history.
+Nearly all living beings have sought to pass the torch on to the next
+generation since ancient times.
+However, young high school boys have no understanding of what it
+means to bring forth the next generation. Instead, they simply seek any and
+all immediate available sexual gratification.
+"Now then, I'd like to hold a strategy meeting regarding Operation
+Delta."
+Ike, from Class D, knelt on the floor. He used his clenched fist to wipe
+the sweat that began to trickle down his forehead. "I'd lay my life on the line
+for Operation Delta. Haruki, how about you?"
+"T feel the same as you, Kanji. If this operation is a success, I won't
+even mind dying!" Yamauchi shouted.
+Sudou, who'd silently observed so far, chimed in. "Honestly, I'm
+against it. I?ll make a decision after I hear you out."
+"So then, Ayanokouji, you're joining in too, right?"
+"Ts it okay if I turn on the air conditioner?" I asked. No good would
+come of the room reeking of sweat.
+"Sure. It's hot."
+They'd denied my first request to switch it on—something about
+"setting the mood"—but since we were meeting in my room, I'd had enough.
+"Why is it always, always my room?"
+"Didn't I tell you before? It's because you have the neatest, cleanest
+place. Other people's rooms have tissues and shed hair and junk everywhere,
+and they're dirty. There ain't even enough room to put a foot down in
+Yamauchi's place."
+"Sudou, your room's the same, right? I mean, you got clothes and
+underwear and stuff all over."
+I wished they'd think about tidying up, rather than comparing their
+levels of filthiness.
+"You know, no matter how much time passes, this room still doesn't
+feel lived in. Nothing's changed since enrollment, y'know? How about, when
+you get some points, you go out and buy something?"
+"The next thing you buy should be carpet, dude. Carpet . My ass hurts,"
+said Sudou, sitting on the floor. He'd made similar statements in the past.
+"T can't just go out and spend precious points."
+For some reason, Sudou kept hounding me. "We got points for the
+island test, thanks to Suzune. Someone as useless as you shouldn't hoard
+points," he shot back.
+"That's definitely true. Actually, with Horikita on our side, it's just a
+matter of time until we get up to Class C's point total, right?"
+Things had changed since our hopeless situation back in May. Now,
+with a fresh new surge of points, we were closing the gap between us and the
+upper-level classes.
+"Come on, guys. Let's think about the tough stuff when we're in
+second semester. Right now, it's Operation Delta."
+"Are you guys seriously doing this?"
+"Very seriously. I mean, this is the prime of our youth, right? Or are
+you saying you don't like Operation Delta?!"
+"Call it whatever you want, but it's basically just peeping. Right?"
+"To peep at girls' naked bodies... What's wrong with that?! That's
+youth!" Ike shouted.
+Actually, it was a crime, and a horrible one at that. It was the kind of
+thing that would land Ike on the news if he were ever caught in the act.
+"What'll you do if the girls find out? They' ll be worse than angry, you
+know." I tried to discourage the three.
+Sudou seemed to sense my doubts, because he voiced the same
+concerns. "It's dangerous, like Ayanokouji says. This isn't the same as
+changing into our gym clothes in the classroom, back in elementary school,
+or peeping at the bath in some old-fashioned inn during a junior high field
+trip."
+"Don't worry. The supercomputer known as Ike Kanji-sama devised
+this plan," said Ike. He got up and confidently, arrogantly, began to explain
+it.
+"When will we be peeping, and from where? Those are your questions,
+right? Don't worry. I've thought everything out. Please calm down, and just
+listen to what I'm about to say. First, we will carefully select our target. It
+would be a complete waste of energy if we ended up half-assing the operation
+and peeping on some uggo. Also, we'll choose from the girls in Class D. You
+can only achieve maximum arousal by seeing the naked body of a cute girl
+you know in everyday life," said Ike.
+"T agree, but none of us have really taken things to the next level with
+any of the girls, right?"
+"Tt's okay. We'Il just get ourselves to the next level. You must achieve
+these kinds of milestones yourself," replied Ike. He tapped his phone and
+turned the screen toward us. "Did you forget? The pool's been open since
+yesterday!"
+"R-really? Okay then, yeah. If that's true, we can peep! Right? I've
+never been there before. The pool, I mean," Haruki yammered.
+Looking at Ike's phone, I saw a notification saying that the pool was
+open for public use for the last three days of summer vacation. Operating
+hours were from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
+"T get that inviting the girls to the pool means they'I!l have to change
+into swimsuits. But I don't see how that's going to give you an opportunity to
+peep," I said.
+I'd never gone to the special swimming facilities before, but there
+would likely be surveillance cameras. If a suspicious man approached the
+women's locker rooms, staff would confront him.
+Ike remained calm, arms crossed. His expression didn't change.
+"Damn, dude. That makes me sad. Do you really think I'm so stupid that I
+wouldn't think of something like that? I've been making preparations for a
+long while now, dreaming of this day."
+"A long while? Okay, then, tell me this crucial peeping method,"
+snapped Yamauchi, unable to stomach more of Ike's boasting.
+"Oh, you want me to show my hand, eh? All right. Feast your eyes on
+this," said Ike.
+He'd actually drawn up a map of the facility. Sudou and Yamauchi
+gasped in apparent wonder, and I was surprised, too. The map was even
+pretty detailed.
+But something was odd. The handwriting on the map was different
+from Ike's.
+"Check it out. The special pool is at least twice as big as the one we use
+for our classes. As you would guess, there are surveillance cameras."
+The pool was a large-scale facility with locker rooms for men and
+women. Naturally, the locker rooms were on opposite ends of the hallway.
+The surveillance cameras' locations were marked on the map.
+Diverging paths separated the locker rooms, similar to men's and
+women's baths. Even if we took a single step toward the girls' locker room,
+we'd be noticed. On top of that, since it'd be the last day of summer vacation,
+there'd probably be a lot of people around. Our chances of success were slim
+to none.
+"T mean, I don't think we're gonna be able to just stroll over and peep.
+Here's the crucial point: the ventilation route that runs along the floor. That
+vent connects the men's and women's locker rooms. What's more, they divide
+the lockers by year, from first-year to third-year students. The men's and
+women's lockers rooms are connected by their respective year, which means
+the first-year men's room is connected to the first-year women's. It's a
+miracle!"
+I understood. If things went according to plan, we'd be able to see the
+girls change through the vent.
+However, could the vent fit a person?
+"The vent's fifteen centimeters high and forty centimeters wide."
+"No one could pass through that."
+"Heh heh. I took everything into account. We also have this!"
+Ike pulled out a small toy car out of his bag. An antenna stuck out the
+top.
+"RC l "
+A radio-controlled car that you could move freely via remote control. A
+camera was installed on the car's roof. It was linked to a small display on the
+remote control. After Ike put in some batteries and started it up, the camera
+feed appeared on the remote. It wasn't high-resolution, but it was enough.
+Ike really had been preparing for a while.
+"This should fit into the vent. After that, all we need to do is move the
+car while watching what's on the camera. We can even save the images on
+the memory card!"
+Ike had concocted his plan in the depths of deepest darkness. I
+wondered just what terrifying things he imagined on a regular basis. This was
+a criminal act, thank you very much. Not even Yamauchi could be okay with
+this.
+"Oh! Awesome! Dude, this is perfect! Right, Ken?!"
+So, Yamauchi agreed. He was happily, gleefully going along with it.
+"Guess so. Kinda feels over the top, doesn't it?" asked Sudou.
+"What do you mean?! This is perfect!"
+It was certainly true that we could probably get away with this without
+being noticed. Really, Ike had taken meticulous care in his preparations. I
+hazarded a guess.
+"Did the Professor have a hand in this peeping operation, by any
+chance?" I asked.
+I could hardly imagine that Ike came up with this all by himself. An
+RC car wasn't cheap.
+"H-how did you—?!"
+None of this was Ike's forte. Besides, only someone who knew the
+locations of the surveillance cameras and ventilation routes could dream this
+up.
+"Damn it. Guess there's no hiding it. You've found me out. You're
+right, I asked the Professor. Shit, dude, and after all the trouble I took to make
+you think I planned the whole thing." Ike groaned.
+"So, what's the plan?"
+Booted back to square one, Ike started explaining again.
+"First, we' ll invite the girls we want to peep on to the pool tomorrow.
+Then, we'll enter the locker rooms at almost the exact same time they do. Got
+it? Inside, we immediately go to the vent in the back. If someone is using that
+spot, Sudou will threaten them, and make them move. After that, we pull out
+towels, act like we're going to change, and form a human wall around the
+vent so that no one else can see. Then I'll remove the hatch and insert the RC
+car. I'll operate it, so I need you guys to hide me. I'll stop the car right in
+front of the girls' locker room, and start recording. Once we' ve determined
+that they're done changing, we'll get the car back out," explained Ike.
+The steps were relatively simple and easy to understand. However,
+some parts felt a little iffy. I couldn't just ignore them.
+"So, I threaten people who get in our way, and make them move. I also
+need to make sure people don't get close to us, right?" That role was
+appropriate for Sudou. Given his reputation, other students probably wouldn't
+approach us casually.
+"You guys see just how incredible Operation Delta is?" asked Ike.
+"B-but, Kanji. This is a crime, dude. Like, the sin is gonna weigh
+heavier on me than the actual peeping."
+"You're certainly right. It's a crime. Strictly speaking, that is.
+However, think about your past. You've committed crimes before, right?" Ike
+gloated.
+"Huh? The hell does that mean? What crime did I ever commit?"
+Sudou snapped.
+"Let me ask you this, Ken. If you're aggressive, and hurt someone,
+that's a crime. Right? If an adult punched someone, the news would report it,
+wouldn't they? And you've used violence before, haven't you?"
+"That's... Fightin' and violence are two different things," answered
+Sudou.
+"Well, I've never been violent in my life," said Yamauchi.
+"But, Haruki, back in elementary school, didn't you once lick that
+girl's recorder? The girl you had a crush on? And you sniffed her gym
+clothes, too. Or did you not do those things?" pressed Ike.
+"Ugh..." Yamauchi seemed to be recalling an unpleasant memory.
+"Tf an adult did those same things? Crime!" shouted Ike.
+"Th-that's true."
+"In other words, it's different when it's another minor peeping on, and
+secretly photographing, girls without their knowledge. If we don't do this
+now, when can we?!"
+His convincing rhetoric pierced Yamauchi and Sudou's hearts. It was
+enough to cleanse them of guilt over committing a criminal act.
+"You in, Haruki? Let the chips fall where they may," asked Ike.
+"Y-yeah. Okay, I'm on board," said Yamauchi.
+"You guys sure about this? Seriously, it is illegal," I repeated.
+No matter how much Ike tried to sugarcoat it, a crime was still a crime.
+"Look, I've been saying this for a while now, Ayanokouji. Licking a
+flute is a crime, and directly peeping on someone changing clothes is also a
+crime. Secretly photographing someone without their knowledge is a crime.
+But this is what youth is for! Boys peeping on girls getting changed don't go
+to jail; we only get a warning. That's what I mean! You get it?" Ike repeated.
+"I'm not interested," I replied.
+"Still, you're cooperating. If you three form a wall, we definitely won't
+be spotted," said Ike.
+He was really going to do this, even if I backed out.
+"All right. 'll cooperate. But promise me one thing, Ike. This plan is
+risky. If we're caught, we're going to get more than just a slap on the wrist.
+So, success or failure, promise me that Operation Delta is the only time you'll
+try this. If you don't, I won't cooperate, and I might report it to the school,
+bb)
+too.
+If I just flat-out objected, Ike and the others would carry out the crime
+regardless. By placing a condition on my offer to cooperate, I could ensure
+that this was a one-time event.
+If we were discovered, Class D might actually come apart at the seams.
+We needed to understand that.
+"All right already. I get it. I don't think it's good to try doing
+something like this multiple times, anyway," Ike whined.
+"That's fortunate, because you'|l be staking your future high school
+career on this," I replied. Then I added, "Let me suggest one thing. If the pool
+opens up at 9:00 A.M., then it'd be best to arrive right on time. If we get there
+first, nabbing the spot in the back of the locker room will be simple."
+"T see! Let's go with that!" Ike agreed. "A red-blooded young man's
+just gotta peep! Let's do this, fellas!"
+And that was the story behind Operation Delta.
+7.1
+O n the day we went to the pool, we were the first people to enter the
+locker room. We went all the way to the back and spread out our towels. The
+boys who entered afterward were lost in their own conversations and paid us
+no attention.
+"Hurry up, Ike," urged Sudou.
+Sudou spread his towel and pretended to change while Ike crouched in
+front of the vent. Ike took out the RC car and screwdriver set that he'd
+wrapped in the towel and removed floor vent's metal fittings. He immediately
+put the RC car inside the vent and started operating it.
+The RC car came equipped with a pen light. It rolled forward,
+transmitting footage of the path ahead, which the monitor displayed faintly.
+"D-damn it! Just like I thought, it's dark!"
+With only the pen light for illumination, the visibility on the monitor
+was getting worse. Even so, the RC car moved forward, little by little, toward
+the light that lay ahead. Even if we went too far, there were metal bars in
+place that would stop the car, so we weren't worried about it falling.
+"All right, just a little farther!"
+The monitor now displayed the locker room. Although the image
+quality was terrible, we could see Horikita and the others clearly.
+"Wh-whoa!"
+Ike's (or rather, the Professor's) plan had succeeded brilliantly. Class D
+students, as well as Ichinose, were visible. If we watched, we'd be able to see
+them changing in real time.
+"Hey, show me too, Kanji. I can't see it at all, dude!"
+"You idiot! Show me, too!"
+Sudou and Yamauchi kept up their demands. At this rate, there was no
+way we'd avoid drawing suspicion.
+"You can record this, right? Isn't it better not to push your luck? People
+are gonna get suspicious," I warned.
+"D-damn, you're right. I guess, right now, it's better for us to just get
+changed," muttered Yamauchi. He clicked his tongue and grimaced in
+frustration. Even if we didn't peep through the monitor, the memory card was
+recording and storing everything.
+Ike manfully endured the temptation. He put the remote control in his
+locker and focused on changing.
+"H-how many minutes should I wait, I wonder?" he asked.
+"T'd like to keep it there for twenty minutes, at the very least."
+If we pulled the car too quickly, we wouldn't see the girls changing.
+On the other hand, if we took too long changing, that might arouse suspicion.
+This would undoubtedly be the longest twenty minutes of these guys' entire
+lives.
+"T'll go on ahead," I told them.
+"W-wait a minute, Ayanokouji! Are you betraying us?! If you ask us to
+show you afterward, we're not going to!" snapped Ike.
+"That's not it at all. If twenty minutes pass without a single guy coming
+out of the locker room, the girls will get suspicious."
+"Ugh. Yeah, I guess you're probably right. Okay, do a good job out
+there."
+"Got it."
+Leaving the other three guys to recover the RC car, I went ahead
+toward the pool.
+7.2
+A t the exact same time that I left the men's locker room, something
+happened in the girls' area. It was the kind of spectacle those three idiots
+longed to see. The camera recorded all the sounds and images.
+"This is kind of neat, isn't it? Using the school pool outside of class, I
+mean," said Kushida, putting her bag in her locker.
+Ichinose, who was changing right next to Kushida, quickly grabbed her
+clothes. "Yeah. It feels kind of like when you go to the public pool just to
+goof off," she replied.
+"Tchinose-san, you have such an amazing figure. You're so well-
+proportioned," said Kushida, sighing as if lovestruck.
+Ichinose, seeming a little embarrassed, looked over at Kushida. "You
+have a great figure too, Kushida-san. I wouldn't compare us."
+Ichinose clearly won in terms of chest size, but Kushida could hold her
+own. Meanwhile, Sakura kept her distance from the other two as she started
+changing. Even being around other girls made her deeply self-conscious.
+Unlike in swim class, though, her salvation was the rash guard that would
+completely hide her upper body.
+"Tchinose-san, could you please not stare at me?" said Horikita,
+noticing Ichinose's passionate gaze.
+"Oh, sorry, sorry! It's just... How do I put it? Your skin is so flawless
+and clear, Horikita-san. I was entranced. I thought I'd admire a cute girl, as a
+fellow girl, you know? Kikyou-chan, you agree with me, right?" asked
+Ichinose.
+"Yeah, Horikita-san is really cute," replied Kushida.
+Horikita resumed changing with a beleaguered sigh.
+"You know, you did come out with us today. I didn't think you'd be
+interested in something like this," said Ichinose.
+"T'm not here because I like this kind of thing. Sometimes you just
+have to grin and bear it, regardless of your wishes," said Horikita.
+"Hmm? That's kind of confusing, Horikita-san."
+Naturally, Horikita couldn't tell anyone how Ayanokouji had called in
+a favor to make her come along. She would take the humiliation of trapping
+her arm in a water bottle to her grave.
+"Why don't you try changing without talking to me?" she retorted,
+instead of explaining her comment.
+Rejected by Horikita, Ichinose looked around for her next target. She
+sighted Sakura, sneakily hiding in the back of the locker room.
+Even though Ichinose wasn't familiar with Class D's internal politics,
+she could easily tell that Sakura needed gentle handling. Ichinose wouldn't
+push enough to make her uncomfortable, but didn't want to completely
+ignore her, either. Sakura might be shy, but Ichinose was sure she could open
+up to people she came to trust over time. If that were true, Ichinose could
+eventually become friends with Sakura as well.
+"It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it, Sakura-san? I suppose,
+since we're from different classes, we don't run into each other all that
+often," said Ichinose.
+"Y-yeah, I suppose so," replied Sakura.
+"Honami-chan, you already know Sakura-san? That's surprising," said
+Kushida, feeling doubtful of the relationship between Sakura and Ichinose.
+"We know each other from a while back. Right?" said Ichinose.
+"Y-yes," said Sakura, looking more rigid than expected. She avoided
+eye contact while she spoke.
+Ichinose gave Sakura's body a quick glance, without staring too
+openly. Sakura's facial features really were cute. She was slender, but still
+had some meat on her bones, and her breasts looked like something you'd see
+on a magazine model.
+With those looks, Sakura could probably have become the most
+popular girl in the school if she'd just been a little more outgoing.
+"That reminds me, Honami-chan. You were with Kanzaki-kun today,
+too. Could I ask you a little about that?" said Kushida.
+"Huh? What about Kanzaki-kun?" replied Ichinose.
+Sakura, recognizing that this was her chance to escape, shifted away
+from Ichinose.
+"Well, a girl in our class is interested in Kanzaki-kun. I wanted to ask
+you a few things," said Kushida.
+"Wow. Kanzaki-kun is surprisingly popular. Girls in our class seem to
+like him, too. But I don't think he's dating anyone right now," said Ichinose.
+"T see. In that case, I think I' I] tell her to call him."
+"Yeah, yeah. Kanzaki-kun will like that, I think. Probably."
+"Why 'probably'?" Kushida laughed at getting such a vague answer.
+"He's aman of few words, you know? Which is fine, I suppose, but he
+completely lacks assertiveness. I don't understand him well," added Ichinose.
+"T see. I guess he is hard to interpret, isn't he?"
+At that point, Ichinose seemed to notice that everyone else was almost
+done changing. "Whoa, we need to catch up!"
+She started pulling her clothes off quickly, without grace, as if she were
+a boy. Her breasts jiggled. Even Horikita, who was trying not to show any
+interest, shifted her attention for a moment.
+"When did you get those breasts?"
+"Huh? You mean, when did they get big? I guess in my third year of
+junior high. They just kept growing bigger and bigger. Why?" asked
+Ichinose.
+"Oh, I understand. That must be why you don't know what to do with
+them." If Ichinose had developed rapidly, in under a year, it was no wonder
+that she still hadn't adjusted to her body's changes.
+Ichinose finished putting on her swimsuit and grabbed her locker key.
+"All right! All done changing!" she shouted at the other girls lagging behind.
+"I'm going on ahead!"
+Ichinose left at a run, her excitement to get to the pool clearly bubbling
+over.
+"She's like a human typhoon, isn't she?" said Horikita. She was neither
+praising nor criticizing Ichinose, just making an observation.
+Horikita wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, but Kushida
+responded. "When Ichinose-san is around, everyone seems to smile."
+Horikita glanced briefly at Kushida, but didn't answer. Meanwhile,
+Kushida's attention shifted to someone who'd just entered the locker room.
+"Oh, Karuizawa-san? Good moming! You came here to hang out?"
+asked Ichinose.
+"What a coincidence! We're here to swim, too." Kushida couldn't hide
+her surprise. Karuizawa almost never swam during class.
+"Heh."
+With that brief response, Karuizawa and the two girls who entered with
+her headed toward the lockers all the way in the back of the room. She
+touched the grating across the vent, and it came off without much effort. That
+wasn't due to her superhuman strength. Someone had entered the locker
+room yesterday and carefully unfastened all the screws with a Philips
+screwdriver.
+"Ugh. They're seriously doing it. These guys are the lowest of the low
+—complete perverts," Karuizawa muttered.
+She found the RC car up against the vent opening. Its camera's
+gleaming lens captured the girls' locker room at an excellent angle. The light
+next to the monitor glowed a faint red, which meant the camera was in the
+middle of recording.
+Doing as Ayanokouji had instructed her ahead of time, Karuizawa
+removed the memory card. She replaced it with a new memory card with no
+data, and put the car back in the vent.
+"That takes care of that." Soon, the RC car would return to its owner.
+"He's the only one who really..."
+As exasperated as Karuizawa was by the guys' grossness, her thoughts
+turned to the only person who acted to stop them from carrying the plan out:
+Ayanokouji. If Ayanokouji hadn't done something, her classmates, and even
+girls from other classes, would've had their naked bodies seen without their
+knowledge. Even worse, those images would've been saved forever.
+"Kei-chan, is everything okay?"
+Sonada, Karuizawa's classmate, spoke behind her. Ishikura, the third
+girl, also looked at Karuizawa with an uneasy expression.
+"Ah, yeah. Thanks. I'm good now."
+Karuizawa had used her friends to shield herself from view as she bent
+down to the vent, just like the guys had done in the other locker room. She'd
+even procured the keys to all the nearby lockers beforehand, so people would
+see them marked as full, and not use them. Now, Karuizawa calmly and
+carefully returned those keys one by one, taking care not to look too nervous.
+She didn't explain what she was doing to her friends. They were people
+who obediently followed instructions without requiring explanations. They
+were not strong-willed, and they feared being ostracized. Karuizawa kept
+such people around on purpose.
+After she finished changing, and confirmed that no other Class D
+students were around, Karuizawa thanked the girls she was with.
+"T have a little business to take care of later. Will you two be here?"
+"Ah, yeah. We were thinking of swimming. Right?"
+7.3
+A fter swimming to the point of exhaustion, I left the pool and went
+back to my room. When I arrived, three excited guys were waiting in front of
+my door.
+"You're late, Ayanokouji! Hurry up and let us in!" Sudou, his patience
+gone, kicked my door. That would only annoy my neighbors and draw the
+dorm manager's attention.
+"Hurry up, Ayanokouji!"
+I opened the door. A bunch of guys unable to contain their arousal
+pushed it from behind. Ike held the memory card he'd recovered from the RC
+car. On that memory card were images of the girls changing—or so the guys
+thought, anyway.
+Pushing ahead of me, they turned on my computer without permission.
+"T-If there are some incredible pictures, let me copy them."
+"Wait, guys. First, I need to confirm somethin'. You guys don't got any
+right to see Suzune's naked body."
+"Calm down, you two. We're all in this together. Heh heh heh!"
+They no longer paid any mind to me, impatiently waiting for the
+computer to turn on. Since it'd been an exhausting day, I sat down on my
+bed.
+"If you could give that back to me after checking the contents, it would
+be a big help," I told them.
+"The hell, Ayanokouji? What are you trying to be all mature for? You
+want to see, too, right?"
+"Tf you want to turn back, now's the time," I warned them.
+"Ah, I get it. Well, if you're going to act like a good little boy, you
+definitely shouldn't look. Heh. Or maybe I'm just not going to show you,"
+said Ike. He stood in front of the computer screen, arms outstretched as if to
+block it from view.
+"Ain't no guy alive who's not excited about seeing a naked woman. Be
+honest," said Sudou, already relaxing, as if this were his room. I didn't really
+feel any need to go to such lengths to look at a naked woman, however. It
+wasn't worth risking expulsion, at the very least.
+"Huh?! Wh-why-why is nothing there?!" screamed Ike.
+The computer loaded the data from the Professor's memory card—only
+there wasn't any data saved on it. The RC car had never recorded properly.
+"N-nothing. The data..."
+"Wait, that can't be true. I-I mean, it was recording, right? Right?"
+The three clicked on the folder, opening it over and over in a panic.
+There was no data, though. Karuizawa had taken out the real memory card,
+and replaced it with an empty one. No matter how hard the guys looked, they
+couldn't find a file that didn't exist.
+"Why isn't it there ?!" shouted Ike.
+And with that, an act of sabotage annihilated the ambitions of those
+three idiots.
+Postscript
+H ey, it's been four months! Kinugasa here.
+I sneakily attended a recent party for some game industry people.
+When I was there, a company president greeted me. He said, "Kinugasa-san,
+I played your games back when I was a student!" That certainly made me feel
+the passage of time.
+Yeah, let's not think about that too deeply.
+This book depicts the events that transpired at the end of summer
+vacation, after the test's conclusion back in Volume Four. It sort of sets the
+stage for Volume Five with the appearance of some new characters. I put a
+swimsuit scene in the main story, and got some amazing fanservice with the
+illustrations! Unfortunately, as a result, my editor also rebuked me.
+The group of girls surrounding Ayanokouji is becoming more
+pronounced. Maybe one of them (or even a character to be introduced later)
+will develop a more romantic relationship with Ayanokouji.
+Starting in the next volume, we'll finally learn something about
+Ayanokouji's past. With the emergence of new rivals, and a new special
+exam, the situation will become more chaotic. There are students who want to
+reach the top by working with their classmates. There are those who want to
+win by themselves, relying on their own power. Finally, there are those who
+use others to get ahead. These three kinds of characters will begin to reveal
+themselves as the story progresses.
+Also, the first volume of the Classroom of the Elite manga is now on
+sale! My heart is pounding, since Volume 4.5 of the light novel is on sale at
+the same time. I'm going to buy a minimum of three books! One for reading,
+one to display on my shelf, and one to preserve!
+I am extremely grateful to you, Yuyu-sama and Ichino-sama. There
+were only men in the manga's first volume, which must have made it a tough
+job, but all the illustrations were exceptional. Perhaps you resent me because,
+with Tomoseshunsaku-sama, I'm putting in more and more beautiful female
+characters? Please channel that resentment into drawing more attractive,
+uncouth male characters (blargh). I look forward to continuing our
+collaboration on the manga!
+Oh, and lastly, there are actually a few bonus stories after this
+postscript. What's the true motive behind Ayanokouji's mysterious actions?
+The three idiots' terrifying plan is revealed!
+Author:
+Syougo Kinugasa
+Born in November. Blood type AB. Primarily responsible for PC game
+development. Most notable works: Guards of Daybreak, Reminiscence .
+Although he's based in Fukuoka, the possibility of moving to Tokyo
+has emerged. However, he's a resolute Hanshin fan.
+Illustrator:
+Tomoseshunsaku
+Born in September. Lead animator and illustrator for the Sagittarius
+games. Lead animator for Guards of Daybreak, Reminiscence, etc.
+Laughs scornfully at friends, saying, "You still play Pokémon GO >"
+But...he still plays Pokémon GO.
+***
+Neves Yeas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/ newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Karuizawa Kei's
+Soliloquy
+I, the end, nothing changed even after I came to this school. No,
+that's wrong... Maybe I never had any intention of changing. For better or
+worse, it's always been the same for me. After all, I understand myself better
+than anyone else.
+I know everything about myself, including my strengths and
+weaknesses. I know that none of the boys or girls like me. Even knowing
+that, I've never thought to change.
+But it doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt me anymore. Because for some
+reason, I want them to feel that way.
+As I got out of the shower, I stood and looked at myself in the mirror—
+completely naked, drops of water trickling down my skin. How many times
+had I thought about smashing the mirror to pieces? Every time I saw that old
+wound on my side, it was like diving back into my disgusting past.
+Dizzy and nauseated, I gripped the sink and vomited.
+Why did I have to have to go through such an awful experience? Why
+do I have to suffer like this? Why, why, why? I've asked that question for a
+long time now. Words don't mean anything. The past can't change. No one
+can change it. God is cruel. My life was destroyed because of that
+nightmarish day. I lost my youth, my friends, and even myself.
+I have to fix that mistake. No matter how much people hate me, it'll be
+better than suffering like that again. I don't need youth. I don't need friends.
+The most important thing is protecting myself. 11 do whatever it takes. ''ma
+parasite, a weak creature that can't survive on its own.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Ichinose Honami
+HESS First Year, Class B
+STUDENT ID: S01T004620
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: July 20th
+***
+As a first-year high school student, she possesses exceptional ability. We
+assume that her potential equals that of Class A students like Katsuragi
+and Sakayanagi. However, based on concerns about some long-term
+absences during junior high school, we have assigned her to Class B.
+***
+| trust this girl wholeheartedly. She has an honest personality and great
+abilities. She quickly rallied Class B when it was in disarray. | wouldn't be
+surprised if she made it to Class A.
+Chapter 2:
+The Gentle Days...
+Tea been three days since the end of that special test on the island. No
+other exciting events had occurred aboard the luxurious cruise ship that the
+Advanced Nurturing High School had provided for us, and we were enjoying
+the respite.
+It went without saying that time spent on a deserted island had caused a
+bunch of young, rambunctious students like us to lose our minds. We, the
+guys, were basically beasts—sex-starved carnivores. While we watched the
+girls chattering and dilly-dallying like herbivores, the boys waited for an
+opening like the predators that we are.
+This luxurious cruise ship, equipped with everything, felt like a dream
+come true. This trip let us forget everything unpleasant. It wouldn't have
+been strange to fall in love here. Rumor had it that many couples had come
+together on this trip.
+Unfortunately, that wouldn't happen to me. I lived a mostly solitary
+life.
+The test hadn't changed my situation... No, that wasn't quite true. My
+environment had begun to change. Against my will, I'd been tasked with a
+major course correction. I'd originally come to this school for a certain
+reason.
+"Contact with anyone outside is forbidden until graduation."
+That rule was the reason I entered. However, a certain man had been
+forcibly trying to establish contact with me. Chabashira-sensei, my
+homeroom teacher, told me that. Then Chabashira-sensei threatened to expel
+me from this paradise should I refuse to work toward Class A. Although I'd
+done nothing scandalous, a powerless creature like me had no choice but to
+accept. I didn't know whether she was lying or not. Therefore, I had to
+assume it was the truth.
+However, I didn't intend to dance to my homeroom teacher's tune
+forever. While I collected the necessary information, I considered that I might
+need to take action. A little devil perched on my shoulder whispered softly in
+my ear: It's better to get them before they get you. I wondered about the
+many ways I could force her to resign. Hmm.
+That troubling thought lasted only a second, though. My mind returned
+to its normal, blank way of thinking.
+"Sigh. If only I had the power to rotate the earth on its axis myself..."
+If I could do that, I'd be able to live freely, without having to worry
+about the small things. I looked out the window and daydreamed about
+Dragon Ball. Three days had passed since the end of the test. Immediately
+after our survival test's conclusion, most of the students had been waiting for
+the other shoe to drop. They'd treaded lightly in case the school was up to
+something.
+But there were no signs of anything malicious. All was gentle and
+peaceful, as if summer vacation had truly started and this was now an actual
+fun, pleasant trip. The students began to relax, and behaved as if the test
+really were over. They thought this second week was purely a vacation.
+Everyone became increasingly lax.
+Despite our outward calm, we maintained a sense of readiness. People
+who know how to relax can be effective.
+"Hmm? You haven't been in the room all this time, have you?"
+Hirata Yousuke, one of my cabin roommates, shook me from my
+reverie while I gazed at the sea. "I don't really have any reason to go out. I
+don't have anyone to hang out with, either."
+"That's not true, though. I mean, you have Sudou-kun and the guys,
+and Horikita-san."
+It was certainly true that such people had categorized me as a "friend,"
+and I reciprocated. But those at the bottom strata of the "friends" category are
+treated differently from other, higher-ranked friends. When someone wants to
+hang out, low-level friends are only invited ten percent of the time. Naturally,
+I was that lowly friend.
+"You might make more friends if you were a little more proactive,
+Ayanokouji-kun. Though I suppose it's none of my business."
+Hirata was very popular and admired by many students. All the girls
+adored him, and he had a girlfriend named Karuizawa. A man with so much
+happiness probably couldn't understand the pangs of loneliness.
+"You're a solid guy, Ayanokouji-kun. I think you might just need the
+right opportunity."
+I didn't need such kind-hearted yet cruel words. I didn't need to hear
+girls say things like, "Oh, but I've heard you're great," because if I responded
+with, "Well then, let's go out," they would reply, "Well, I don't know about
+that..." I didn't need that. J spend time by myself because I can't make friends
+or get a girlfriend. You freaking idiot.
+"I'm planning to meet up with Karuizawa-san and the others at 12:30
+to have lunch. Do you want to come with? I think it'1l be really fun."
+"Karuizawa and others?" I asked.
+"Yeah. There are about three other girls. Want to come?"
+I had to think about that. To be perfectly honest, I'd wanted to interact
+with Karuizawa for a while now. However, there wasn't any need to hurry.
+Besides, if there were other girls, forget about being able to even initiate
+conversation. I couldn't imagine I'd be able to liven things up. In fact, P''d
+probably have a dampening effect.
+"T'll pass. I don't think I'm on especially good terms with Karuizawa's
+group."
+Since the end of the first semester, the relationships in our class had
+been firmly established. How would I go about building friendships with
+other people at this point? I could already picture Karuizawa and the other
+girls' disgust.
+Even though he didn't fully understand my fear of other people, Hirata
+sat next to me. "I can understand that you're feeling hesitant. That's exactly
+why I want you to rely on me."
+Hirata wore that eternal, optimistic smile of his. While it was a
+welcome offer, I shook my head.
+"You only have about ten minutes before you have to meet them. It'd
+be better if you just left me here."
+"There's no need to hurry. Besides, I like spending time with you."
+To an outsider, my words might have sounded like an excuse, but I was
+honestly satisfied with the current situation. Back when I had just started
+school, I'd wanted to make friends. I'd wanted to be able to make a hundred
+friends, but naturally, everyone settled down into their own separate factions.
+It was only a matter of course.
+Even though I'd only been able to talk with the three idiots Horikita,
+Kushida, and Sakura, my school life wasn't all that bad. I really believed that.
+But Hirata wasn't the type to leave someone be if he saw they were alone.
+"Well, how about just the two of us have lunch together, you and me?
+Would that be okay?"
+Just the two of us alone. Sitting on the bed together. Hirata turned to
+me with a serious look. If he lightly pushed me down, things would get out of
+hand. "Well, I don't particularly dislike the idea, but... Didn't you already
+promise Karuizawa?"
+"T can eat with Karuizawa-san and the others any time, but I haven't
+really had many opportunities to eat together with you, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Normally, a guy would do anything to get the chance to eat a meal with
+a girl. Typical male thinking. However, Hirata seemed able to prioritize
+eating with another guy without hesitation. It was enough to give me doubts.
+Perhaps he swung "that way." Hirata was an effortless multitasker, but he
+never did anything without reason. "I'd feel bad if Karuizawa blamed you
+later, though."
+I tried to gently turn him down, but it seemed to appeal to his
+conscience. I wondered if Hirata considered me a trembling newborn fawn
+that couldn't even take its first step. "Don't worry. I don't think Karuizawa-
+san's the kind of girl to hold a grudge."
+No, no. Karuizawa definitely seemed like that kind of girl. Even though
+she pretended to be nice in front of Hirata, she was domineering with other
+ladies. I wondered if Hirata had categorized her as not being "that type of
+girl." It reminded me of that teacher from Yomawari Sensei, who showed
+mercy to bad students.
+"Okay. Pll turn Karuizawa-san down for today." Hirata pulled out his
+phone to call Karuizawa. I tried to stop him, but Hirata shot me a look. "Is
+there anything you'd like to eat?"
+"T can eat just about anything, I guess. Though I'd like to avoid heavy
+food if possible," I muttered.
+The cruise ship had many restaurants. The offerings ranged from junk
+food like ramen and hamburgers to French cuisine. Since it was still daytime,
+I wanted to eat something light if possible. I heard Hirata flatly tell
+Karuizawa that he was cancelling their plans over the phone. I couldn't hear
+Karuizawa's voice clearly, but Hirata abruptly hung up.
+"Are you really okay with this?" I asked.
+"Of course. Well then, shall we go to the deck? If we're just having a
+light meal, eating there should be easier."
+Hirata opened the door, as if to guide me, while I relaxed in bed. Hirata
+was being his usual concerned self, but taking me out when I wasn't really
+that enthusiastic was odd. It seemed kind of forceful for Hirata, especially
+since he could normally read any situation well. He likely had some kind of
+ulterior motive.
+"Thank you for helping on the deserted island. I'm sorry I didn't thank
+you enough for helping to find the culprit, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"You don't need to apologize. I wasn't even useful. Horikita found the
+underwear thief."
+"Even so, I'm grateful to you for helping."
+Speaking of the underwear incident, I had something I wanted to ask. I
+looked around to confirm we were alone, then broached the topic. "Did
+Karuizawa get her underwear back?" I asked.
+"Yeah. When she heard Ibuki-san was the culprit, things went
+smoothly."
+Karuizawa had her underwear stolen on the island, and for a while
+there'd been an uproar. Because the underwear was in a guy's bag, the
+relationship between the guys and girls of Class D had been in a precarious
+state. But Hirata put his quick thinking to use, and concealed the underwear.
+Because of this, things had cooled down. I was really glad. It had been an
+extremely delicate operation, so I was impressed. I'd half-believed that Hirata
+would bungle returning the underwear, despite his skills.
+Hirata's quiet and peaceful resolution to the underwear fiasco proved
+that he was steadily climbing the stairway to adulthood. We took the ship's
+elevator to the deck on the top level. Many of our classmates appeared to be
+enjoying summer vacation to its fullest. Both guys and girls could be seen in
+the pool in their bathing suits, boldly frisking around. The heavy, fraught
+mood that weighed on us during the test had lifted.
+This display of wanton indulgence came from the students' liberated
+desires, which had been suppressed back on the island. We didn't need to use
+points for any of the facilities on the ship, or for food and drinks. Everything
+was free of charge. No one had to restrain themselves. You needed to borrow
+things like swimsuits and other equipment, but that was about it. It was
+heaven.
+By the time we reached the restaurant, over half of the seats had
+already been taken. We slipped past the crowd and secured two empty seats.
+"Honestly, there's something I'd like your advice on." Hirata spoke in
+a slightly apologetic way as he looked down at the menu.
+"Advice?" So he did have an ulterior motive, after all. That was
+probably why he'd wanted time to eat with me. Well, I was grateful. I didn't
+sweat the reason for an invitation.
+"I'm not really the best person to come to for advice. Can you give me
+the short version?" I wasn't exactly a great talker or listener, but he had likely
+selected me for a reason.
+"T wondered if you would act as a bridge to help reach Horikita-san.
+After all, Class D will have to come together and work hard in the future, and
+I think Horikita-san will be indispensable."
+So that's what he wanted to talk to me about, huh? When I nodded,
+Hirata continued with confidence.
+"The other day, Class D got a major boost thanks to Horikita-san. Class
+morale has shot up, and more than anything else, the number of people who
+idolize Horikita-san has increased. This is a big opportunity."
+"Well, I suppose so."
+Horikita Suzune was a student in Class D, and the first friend I'd made
+upon starting school. I was her first friend as well, but she was a solitary,
+standoffish person. She was an honors student, highly accomplished both in
+literary and martial arts. Her weakness was her aloof, independent
+personality. She didn't involve herself with anyone due to her high-handed
+attitude, and she wasn't very good at socializing.
+"That's why I think she should try and get along with everyone right
+now. If she cooperated with us, I think we could get up to Class C, and then
+B... No, we could even reach Class A."
+From anyone else it would have sounded phony, but Hirata had been
+singing Horikita's praises since we started school. He'd been aware of her
+potential from the start, and didn't seem to dislike her at all. I wouldn't mind
+helping him out. The task was simple. I could at least bring Hirata and
+Horikita closer together, but that probably wouldn't lead to a permanent
+solution.
+"But even if I can bring you both together, things won't be that easy.
+Horikita is difficult."
+If I asked her to soften her approach, she'd turn me down. If Horikita
+believed I was trying to manipulate her, things could end in disaster. She
+would distance herself even further. Her response to Kushida's push for
+friendship in the café during our first semester was proof of that.
+"Yes. I do understand, of course. Horikita-san only opens herself up to
+you, Ayanokouji-kun. I don't want to force her confidence. That's why I
+wanted to tell you my intentions, so that you can talk to her. Then, pretend I
+never spoke to you."
+So I was supposed to be the Horikita whisperer, huh? I would be the
+go-between, delivering Hirata's opinions to Horikita. If I did that, Horikita
+would enter into an unseen partnership with Hirata, and never realize it.
+"If I thought she'd listen to me, things would be simple enough. But it
+won't be that easy. I usually just go along with whatever Horikita says. I've
+never really forced my opinion on her. If I just suddenly start voicing strong
+opinions, she' ll probably find it suspicious. If she finds out it's your opinion,
+I think she' Il shut down completely."
+"But I can't come up with anything else right now. I don't think I have
+the confidence to speak with Horikita-san, let alone persuade her. This is my
+last resort."
+"Don't you think it's a little soon for last resorts?"
+Hirata clearly wanted to join forces with Horikita, but he'd have to face
+her directly. I understood it was difficult, but so was coordinating groups of
+people. Horikita would probably agree. No one else in our class cherished
+friendship and community the way Hirata did.
+I was still uncertain about his proposal. It seemed like he'd lost his
+nerve and was doubting himself. Hirata had also been acting strangely back
+on the island. This wasn't a trivial matter.
+I ordered a light sandwich and a drink. Students swam in the pool
+nearby, and others were eating while still wearing their bathing suits.
+Everyone appeared to be having fun. If Ike and Yamauchi were here, they
+probably would've foregone the food and feasted their eyes on the girls
+instead. Hirata didn't pay any attention to the girls at all, but focused squarely
+on me.
+"Yeah, you may be right. Like you said, Ayanokouji-kun. My plan was
+really short-sighted."
+He recognized his error in judgment and gave an honest, flexible
+response. Another of Hirata's many charms. But his desire to work together
+with Horikita was so strong, he showed no signs of giving up.
+"T should probably reconsider how to do this. Horikita-san seems very
+fastidious and hypercritical. How do you manage to get along with her,
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Hirata wanted to become Horikita's friend before establishing a
+working relationship. I thought facing her directly was the right thing to do. It
+was constructive, and I wanted to lend a hand, but...
+"Well, in truth, I don't think I'm on especially good terms with
+Horikita. Recently, I wondered if we could even be called friends."
+"But it does seem like Horikita-san gets along well with you alone,
+Ayanokouji-kun. You're special to her."
+Special, huh? Hard to believe that someone with over forty friends
+would say that to someone barely acquainted with one person. Or perhaps it
+was because he was able to get along with over forty people that Hirata felt
+frustrated at missing a connection with one particular student.
+"There's no need to get impatient, right? The first semester's only just
+ended."
+Bonds between people must fundamentally strengthen over time.
+Sometimes, you can place people together under sudden, harsh conditions,
+like the test on the island, and watch those bonds strengthen overnight. Of
+course, while you might see instant improvement via that method, those
+bonds can often be fragile.
+"Horikita isn't the type to make friends easily." I wanted Hirata to
+understand.
+"That's probably true." Hirata appeared slightly remorseful. Perhaps he
+felt like he was rushing things again. "I wasn't thinking about her feelings. I
+was just thinking of myself." Hirata shook himself from his reverie. Again,
+he smiled. "Sorry. I invited you out to eat and made it all about me. Well,
+let's eat, shall we?"
+With that, we started eating our recently-arrived food. However, Hirata
+looked up and seemed to notice someone approaching us. He shot me a
+nonplussed look.
+"Ah, so you're here after all, Hirata-kun. Let's eat lunch together!"
+Karuizawa approached us, leading a group of girls. She sounded happy and
+carefree.
+"Um... Karuizawa-san, I thought I canceled our plans..."
+Hirata stumbled over his words, looking unsure. Meanwhile,
+Karuizawa and the girls pulled out the chairs from another table, pushed me
+away, and circled Hirata. Our lunch went from peaceful to noisy in seconds
+flat. I wasn't much of a talker, but I wasn't really concerned.
+I was used to dealing with situations like this. It was probably time for
+me to use the special skill I'd acquired since school began, my "Speedy
+Escape." I grabbed my food and got up quietly, without making a sound.
+Hirata's eyes met mine for a moment, but the girls closed ranks and he
+disappeared.
+Maybe this was one of the select disadvantages of having so many
+friends. With so much time devoted to others, you didn't really get any time
+for yourself. Even if Hirata had issues weighing him down, he couldn't talk
+about them with Karuizawa and the others. Instead, he held them unspoken in
+his heart.
+pm |
+A fier Karuizawa monopolized Hirata, I decided to return to my room.
+I didn't have anyone else to hang out with or talk to, anyway. I took the stairs
+rather than the elevator, and returned to my room on the third deck. When I
+got there, I noticed some wet blotches scattered about the hallway floor. The
+blotches appeared to head toward my room. When I followed the trail, I
+discovered an elegant man striding through the corridor, nude from the waist
+up, wearing nothing but a bathing suit.
+"S-sir! Please don't walk through the hallway while you're still
+dripping wet!"
+A young bellhop hurried toward the man, apparently eager to control
+this emergency situation. The bellhop was already holding out a towel, overly
+prepared, like he always walked around with a strategic towel ready.
+"Ha ha ha! It appears you've found me, eh?" the man said.
+"Yes, I've found you. This is the fourth time. I've already told you,
+please dry yourself off after you leave the pool. If you don't, you' ll disturb
+the other passengers."
+Apparently, this man was a repeat offender. That explained the
+bellhop's prepared towels.
+"Disturb? But 've no memory of disturbing anyone. I don't dry myself
+off with a towel on principle ever since reaching the age of reason. Haven't I
+already said? 'A fine man, dripping with water,' hmm?"
+Yes. The man was Kouenji. He slicked back his wet hair, scattering
+droplets of water. The bellhop hurriedly used the towel to dry the spots on the
+carpet and wall. Kouenji stopped. I wondered if he found the bellhop's
+flustered behavior amusing.
+"Do you have a pen and paper on hand?" he asked.
+"Huh? A, uh, oh...due to the nature of my job, I do walk around with a
+notepad and pen, but..." The bellhop, clearly unsure where the conversation
+was headed, fearfully took out a ballpoint pen.
+"Did you know that a prominent celebrity's signature can accrue an
+unexpectedly premium value over time? Abroad, some autographs are valued
+in the millions to even the tens of millions."
+"And...what of it?"
+After Kouenji finished scribbling something on the notepad, he thrust it
+back at the bellhop. It was far away, but I was able to make out the name
+"Kouenji Rokusuke."
+"'Wh-what is this?"
+"Isn't 1t obvious? A signature. Even though it's written on such a cheap
+notepad, it will certainly hold tremendous value in the future. I'm presenting
+this to you as a token for your troubles. Please receive it gratefully and
+safeguard it."
+Apparently Kouenji believed the bellhop would receive this with
+gratitude, or perhaps a sense of awe-inspired devotion. But no one in their
+right mind would want this. If anything, his ballpoint pen and notepad were
+worth more.
+"Please don't look so suspicious. I am the man who will carry Japan's
+future on his back. At that point, I intend to vacation upon a larger ship, but
+I'm prepared to wait until then. Of course, it will be a luxury liner of
+significantly higher quality than the common ship upon which we are now
+riding."
+Well, a luxury liner was still a luxury liner. Personally, I'd be satisfied
+as long as it wasn't fated to sink like the Titanic. Kouenji guffawed,
+seemingly satisfied. The bellhop, completely dumbstruck, continued staring
+at the wet spots on the floor. He had completely lost the will to keep trying to
+stop this man.
+Kouenji was alone all the time because our classmates steered clear of
+him, disgusted by his incredibly selfish personality. Many of our classmates
+had already experienced the same treatment as this poor bellhop. Hirata
+would probably try to speak with him, but he'd most likely be brushed off as
+well. Kouenji was like poison. Anyone who encountered him, friend or foe,
+suffered for it.
+In order to avoid being dragged into something so bothersome, I slunk
+past the two of them. Getting too near a person of such high rank would be
+dangerous.
+"Oh ho? Why, if it isn't little Ayanokouji, hmm? What a coincidence."
+Ugh. Kouenji called my name. There was no way he was actually
+calling me, right? The instant the bellhop noticed that Kouenji's attention had
+shifted over to me, he appeared elated. /'m finally free! is what his look
+seemed to say.
+No, no. How could a crew member act like that? He ought to continue
+serving the customer, no matter how annoying the customer was. It was like
+someone releasing their pet into the river without permission. Especially if
+that fish was a ferocious, invasive species like Kouenji, which would devour
+all the native fish in the river until there was nothing left.
+"Do you want something from me?" I asked.
+"No, no, I've no real business with you. I've simply acknowledged you
+because we are schoolmates. Also, though we are certainly not alike in terms
+of position, you are my roommate."
+Kouenji flipped his hair once again, scattering more water, which
+splashed my face and uniform. Of course, he didn't seem to have the faintest
+clue what he was doing to his victims. Despite what was happening to me,
+the bellhop watched this tragedy unfold with a grin. Oh yes, yes, I sympathize
+with the pain you're feeling...not, he seemed to say.
+"Well, I will excuse myself. Please do take care in the future."
+The bellhop delivered that parting shot as he made his escape, having
+fulfilled the bare minimum for his role. Of course, I didn't exactly want to
+end up alone with Kouenji, either.
+"What were you talking with Kouenji about?" I asked.
+For an instant, the bellhop's expression changed to a look of anger, but
+when Kouenji turned around, the young man's smile returned. He was like
+Asuraman or something.
+"Oh, um. Well, as you can see, he was wet. I tried to offer him a towel,
+and—"
+"So, in other words, you were giving him a warning. I must have
+interrupted you, so I'Il be on my way and let you get down to business."
+I passed the ball, if you will, a blazing fastball that crushed the bellhop
+and gave me a chance to escape.
+"This bellhop came to give me a warning?" Kouenji cried.
+"Ah, no. Well, that is to say..."
+I managed to escape from Kouenji and headed back toward my room.
+"But PIl just bump into Kouenji again there, won't I?" I murmured.
+My room would become less of a sanctuary and more of a hell. ''d
+been alone with Kouenji several times during our trip, and every experience
+was unbelievably uncomfortable. Wanting to avoid such an awkward
+atmosphere, I turned around. I wouldn't return to my room just yet. I'd head
+back to where Hirata and Yukimura, my other roommates, would be.
+A map of the ship was on a nearby signboard, and pretty easy to
+understand. The fact that the map had been placed in a gilded frame might' ve
+been overkill, but also made it seem like something you'd find on a luxury
+liner. I drew a route that'd let me kill a bunch of free time, and immediately
+hopped onto the elevator. I got off on the second deck.
+The ship had nine decks in total, plus a roof. The fifth deck was above
+ground, while the fourth deck was below. The first deck housed both the
+lounge and banquet area, while the rooftop had the pool, café, and other
+facilities. The third and fourth decks were for guest rooms. The guys were on
+the third deck; the girls on the fourth.
+The guys and girls, teachers included, were neatly divided. However,
+there weren't any special restrictions on our movements, so a guy could
+easily wander through the girls' area. We were probably prohibited from
+staying on the girls' level or coming into the area after midnight, though.
+The ship also had various kinds of entertainment options, such as
+movies and a live theater venue. These were everywhere, from the first
+underground level up to the third underground level. On the fourth
+underground level—the lowest level at the bottom of the ship—was some
+kind of switchboard breaker room. That particular level was irrelevant to the
+students.
+The lounge was open twenty-four hours a day. We were free to go
+there no matter how late it was, but a notice from the school urged us to
+refrain from going there as much as possible. As I walked through the
+second-level area, I noticed that the atmosphere felt quite different. The
+rooms were vacant, and I couldn't tell what they were used for. So few
+students were in the hallways that it appeared deserted.
+Just then, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw
+that I'd received an email. A certain girl was calling me. It was convenient,
+since I'd planned on killing time anyway. With no reason to reject her, I took
+the call with pleasure.
+252
+66
+Ann. Ahhh... Ahhh..."
+Sakura, who'd sent me the email, was making several anxious, pained
+sighs.
+"'What's the matter?" I asked.
+"Wah! A-Ayanokouji-kun?!"
+I didn't think I'd spoken in an especially harsh or shocking way, but
+Sakura was so surprised that she looked like she'd been jolted with
+electricity. Her normally hunched posture straightened at once.
+"Sorry for scaring you."
+"N-no, no. I'm just kind of strangely nervous is all."
+If she was that nervous about meeting a friend, her daily life must be a
+drag.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you're roommates with Hirata-kun, Kouenji-kun,
+and Yukimura-kun. Right?"
+"My roommates? Yeah, you're right. What about them?" I wasn't
+expecting her to ask that.
+"Oh. Well, to tell you the truth, I...I'm a little worried about the people
+I'm sharing a room with."
+It sounded like she didn't really have a good relationship with her
+roommates. Sakura wasn't good at socializing, anyway. One look at her
+deeply troubled expression, and I understood.
+"YY ou're worried because even though you want to get along with them,
+you don't think you can?"
+"I'm not sure. I have mixed feelings. I do want to get along with them,
+but I also want to be alone, too. I'm just hopeless, aren't I?"
+Her voice trailed off and she shied away. I didn't know who else was
+sharing Sakura's room, so I couldn't really offer any advice. "By the way,
+who're you rooming with?"
+"Oh. Didn't I tell you? Shinohara-san, Ichihashi-san, and Maezono-
+99
+san.
+She looked incredibly depressed while giving me the names. Those
+were all girls with strong personalities. Shinohara had a close relationship
+with Karuizawa; Karuizawa was like her boss, really. She was a reliable,
+trustworthy girl who didn't run away from a challenge, even quarreling with
+the boys. But she could be rather relentless against people she didn't like. I
+couldn't imagine she thought much of Sakura, so she probably wouldn't go
+out of her way to befriend her.
+Ichihashi was usually rather mature, but also headstrong. I didn't really
+know much about Maezono, but I had a bad impression of her. She had a bad
+attitude and seemed quick to pick a fight. She was probably the hardest type
+of person for Sakura to deal with. Even if Sakura tried her hardest to bridge
+the gap between them, if Maezono didn't like Sakura's attitude, she'd
+probably hate her. I wanted to pat Sakura on the head and tell her how great
+she was. I mean, she hadn't cried until now. She was doing great.
+"But why come to me?" I asked.
+"T...just thought any advice from you, Ayanokouji-kun, would be
+good?" Sakura muttered quietly.
+Apparently she'd come to unexpectedly rely on me. She murmured
+some words of apology.
+"T-I'm sorry to just come to you for help like this out of the blue.
+You're so busy, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"It's no big deal. I don't mind it when you come to me for advice.
+Whether Ill be of much help is another story."
+Since I wasn't really friends with any of Sakura's roommates, I
+couldn't guarantee I'd be able to help. While I was thinking of something I
+could do, a door opened.
+"Huh? Ayanokouji-kun and Sakura-san? What are you doing here?"
+Kushida Kikyou from Class D exited the room. Sakura's bright
+expression immediately disappeared, like the sun hiding behind the clouds.
+The atmosphere around us became uncomfortable. Perhaps Sakura wasn't
+good at controlling her emotions, either. Sakura's response to Kushida's
+bright and cheery appearance was one of rejection, but Kushida continued
+talking without showing any signs that she noticed.
+"Ah, did I interrupt? I didn't mean to. I was supposed to meet up with
+some friends."
+"I'm going back to my room." Sakura retreated as fast as her legs
+would carry her, as if trying to withdraw from Kushida in a panic.
+"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess that was bad timing. I probably shouldn't have
+said anything."
+Kushida clasped her hands together in apology. There wasn't really any
+reason for her to apologize, though. Sakura was just bad at dealing with
+people.
+"Oh, that reminds me, I feel like this is the first time we've talked since
+getting back to the ship. I did see you hanging out with a bunch of girls
+earlier, from a distance."
+Kushida was the most popular person in Class D—no, probably in the
+whole school. On the day of the school entrance ceremony, she'd declared
+that she would make friends with everyone, and had almost accomplished
+that goal now. She was only missing a select few, like Sakura-san.
+"I've made plans to go see some girls from Class C today. Do you want
+to come, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Eh. Is it okay for me to join?"
+"Huh? You'll come?"
+This was shaping up to be a bad day. Kushida's mask had slipped a
+little, and her true self seemed puzzled by my response. Well, there was
+always the diplomatic, socially acceptable way of putting things. In other
+words, I had to find a polite, diplomatic way to refuse.
+"I'm joking. Don't you know by now that I'm not the sort of person
+who joins in on stuff?"
+"Oh jeez, come on. You surprised me a little. Ayanokouji-kun, you're
+funny."
+"R-really?" Deep down, I doubted she truly found me funny, but I was
+scared to hear Kushida's real thoughts.
+"Well, Pll be going."
+As she bid me goodbye, both our cell phones started ringing at the
+same time. There was a loud, dinging sound that meant we'd received a
+message from the school. Usually it was a message with new instructions to
+follow, or some kind of modification to an event. Your phone would make a
+sound even if you had it on silent. Clearly, it was a message of high
+importance.
+"What is it?" Kushida asked.
+She stopped in her tracks and looked puzzled, which was
+understandable. Even though they'd explained this system to us after school
+started, we hadn't received any important messages during our summer
+vacation until now. Simultaneously, an announcement could be heard
+throughout the ship.
+"Attention. This is an announcement to all students. All students should
+have received a message from the school, as indicated in the contact line.
+Please check your individual mobile devices and follow the instructions
+accordingly. In the event that you did not receive a message, we apologize for
+the inconvenience. Please go to the nearest faculty member for assistance.
+Because the contents of the message are extremely important, please do not
+miss it. We repeat—"
+"That was about the message we just got, right?" Kushida asked.
+"Probably."
+I pulled out my phone and saw the following message:
+A special test will begin soon. Place gather in the designated room at
+the designated time. Anyone who arrives later than ten minutes after start
+time may be penalized. Please gather in Room 204 on the second deck by
+18:00 today. Because it takes about twenty minutes to reach the area, we ask
+that you please use the restrooms now if necessary. Either silence your phone
+or turn it off, and make your way over.
+"A special test?"
+This probably wasn't going to be a paper test or physical fitness
+examination, or something you'd see at a regular school—much like the
+survival test on the island. However, nothing in the message implied what
+awaited us. Were we supposed to be able to read into something, or should
+we just be prepared for anything? I didn't know.
+More than anything else, certain points in the message weighed on me.
+They wanted us to gather in the room at 18:00, but we only had about twenty
+minutes to get ready and head over, which was an extremely short amount of
+time. Plus, it seemed like it had been decided rather quickly. Also, why was
+the designated meeting spot one of the ship's private rooms? That couldn't
+make a good exam room by any standard.
+"Can you show me your phone for a second?" I asked.
+Kushida, without hesitation, showed me that she'd received the same
+message. The only difference was the designated time and place. In her
+message, the designated time was set at 20:40, but she was also told that it
+took about twenty minutes to reach the area. I also noticed that her designated
+room was just two rooms down from mine.
+"T wonder why they called us in such a strange way?"
+"T have no idea."
+I only knew that I had a bad feeling about this. I hadn't thought that our
+cruise would end like this. A place where all the first-year students would
+gather inside the ship... I'd already visited places like movie theaters, party
+venues, and buffets. I thought I could speculate about the contents of the test
+based on any suspicious activity I saw, but I'd seen no indication of anything
+of the sort. Why would they isolate students, limit us, and then tell us to
+start... whatever this test was?
+I quickly messaged Horikita via chat on my phone. I saw that she had
+read the message immediately after I sent it, which was unusual. She'd often
+wait about half a day before reading and replying; several days in some cases.
+Was it because we'd received a message from the school around the same
+time? I tried asking her questions.
+Did you get a message from the school just now? I typed.
+Yeah. I did.
+My designated meeting time is 18:00. What about yours?
+Mine says 20:40. That seems like a pretty big difference.
+20:40, huh?
+The same time as Kushida. So were they going to separate the guys and
+girls? That was all I could guess at present. They did tell me that the start
+time for the test was at 18:00, after all.
+I'm curious about the difference in start times. That might be unfair—
+some people will get more time to prepare than others.
+We can't know anything for sure at this point.
+We chatted more about the school's message. Horikita's replies were
+instant.
+There are several things that I'm still curious about, but we don't
+really have the time. We'll just have to show up to the meeting spot. Because
+your time is earlier, I look forward to hearing your report.
+Understood.
+After I sent that short reply, she stopped responding. She had
+apparently shut her phone off already.
+"Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Kushida, as if interested in my chat with Horikita, drew nearer to me. I
+considered talking to Kushida about my conversation with Horikita, but
+didn't want to be a bother to her. I decided to wait and see how things
+progressed. It shouldn't be long, anyway.
+23
+I walked to the second deck, just as the message had instructed. I
+arrived at my destination about five minutes before the designated time.
+There were several students wandering the normally deserted level. I saw
+some people I couldn't identify enter a nearby room. It was more than one or
+two people. They came up to the designated deck and disappeared into the
+other rooms.
+"Are those students from another class?" I wondered.
+At first, I thought about waiting in front of the entrance, but things
+might have already gotten started inside. More than anything else, I didn't
+want other students to see me, so I decided to act. A reply came immediately
+after I knocked.
+"Enter."
+I stepped into the room. The homeroom teacher for Class A, Mashima-
+sensei, wearing a well-tailored suit, sat before me in a chair. My eyes lowered
+to a small table on which some materials waited. Two male students sat
+before Mashima-sensei as well. Both were my classmates from Class D.
+"So, one of the remaining two spots belongs to Ayanokouji-dono, I
+see! Most agreeable!"
+It was Sotomura who uttered that strange, nerdy greeting. People
+affectionately referred to him as "The Professor." An overweight first-year
+high school student with glasses, he fit the stereotypical image of a male
+otaku perfectly. He was very knowledgeable about history and machinery,
+though much of his speech, his actual words, and his inflection all came off
+as unintelligible. Despite that, he was somehow able to communicate with
+others.
+"This is rather odd, isn't it? Ayanokouji?"
+Yukimura, another of my roommates on the ship, sat next to the
+Professor. The Professor and Yukimura. Normally, you wouldn't find the two
+of them together. I wondered why they were here. What had we gotten
+ourselves into?
+"What are you doing? Hurry and take a seat." Mashima-sensei spoke
+without looking at me. I silently took a seat next to Yukimura. One vacant
+seat beside me piqued my interest. At first glance, I guessed that we had been
+put into groups of one teacher and four students, but...why such small
+groups? Maybe the as-of-yet-unseen fourth student would shed light on the
+situation.
+"We are still waiting on one more. Please sit quietly."
+I got the feeling that this definitely wasn't a trivial matter. There was a
+storm coming, the curtain rising on a new test. A powerful omen. No matter
+what we might have expected, it was obvious that this test would be
+something entirely different.
+Ordinarily, it would be normal for everyone to receive the test's rules
+at the same time to ensure fairness. Whether it was a written exam at our
+desks or survival on an uninhabited island, that was the norm. But here we
+were, in a private, enclosed space. Why did they want us in small groups?
+Was I was worrying too much and too early?
+No matter how much I agonized over it, I probably wouldn't find any
+answers by myself. I sat down in the chair. None of us spoke. Although we
+hadn't yet passed the appointed time, I really wanted the mystery person to
+hurry up and get here. There was a clock in the shape of a music box, a
+common feature in every room on this ship. Silence hung heavy all around
+us. Before long, it would be 18:00.
+Mashima-sensei glanced at the clock only once, calm as you like.
+Simultaneously, someone knocked at the door. Mashima-sensei told that
+person to enter, and the door slowly opened.
+'Pardon the intrusion!"
+With that, Karuizawa entered the room. I'd expected our fourth person
+would be from Class D, but I hadn't expected Karuizawa. I'd thought another
+guy would be joining us. This was completely unexpected.
+"Huh? What's going on? Why are Yukimura-kun and these other guys
+here?" she asked.
+My thoughts exactly. I couldn't hide my bewilderment over being
+included in this bizarre gathering. The Professor didn't seem to worry, but
+Yukimura looked puzzled.
+"T believe you were told punctuality was key, and yet you're late.
+Hurry and take your seat," Mashima-sensei said.
+"Okay."
+Karuizawa's response indicated that she wasn't thrilled to be here and
+didn't much care what the teacher thought. She sat down and, after studying
+the three of us, lifted the chair and moved it a little further away from me. I
+felt somewhat depressed that she wanted to get away from me.
+"Sotomura, Yukimura, Ayanokouji, and Karuizawa, from Class D.
+Without further ado, I will now explain the special test."
+Good; at least we were getting an explanation after all. However, the
+reasoning behind selecting this group of four was still a mystery. We were in
+a private room, too. I had a bad feeling about this.
+"W-wait a minute. I don't understand. What do you mean, explain a
+test? The test was already over, right? Also, what's the deal with these guys?
+This is really weird."
+Karuizawa, unable to listen to anyone else talk, immediately barraged
+Mashima-sensei with questions. I wondered if she'd even read the message
+properly.
+"T will not answer any questions at this time. Be quiet and listen." Sure
+enough, Mashima-sensei looked coldly at Karuizawa.
+"Jeez, all right. Fine, Pll shut up."
+Mashima-sensei had a reputation of being rather cold to his students.
+Even now, he seemed aloof during a simple explanation. My own homeroom
+teacher, Chabashira-sensei, was also indifferent, cold, and didn't provide any
+support to her students. Like her, Mashima-sensei didn't seem like the kind
+of teacher who would provide a shoulder for Class A students to cry on. The
+only definite difference between the teachers was that in comparison to
+Chabashira-sensei, who seemed unmotivated and unnaturally uncooperative,
+Mashima-sensei was impossible to read. I wondered if he kept everyone at a
+certain fixed distance, no matter who they were.
+"In this special test, all the first-year students will be divided into
+twelve groups based on the signs of the Zodiac. Everyone will participate
+within their respective group. The purpose of this examination is to test your
+thinking."
+Twelve groups based on the signs of the Zodiac? That meant Class D
+was divided into three groups, and those three groups would represent three
+of the twelve signs. Apparently this would test our "thinking." They wanted
+to test our ability to think, and to process information thoroughly. Was that
+it?
+"What do you mean by 'test our thinking'?" Karuizawa, unable to stay
+silent, reflexively spoke up with another question.
+"T've already told you. I will not be answering any questions."
+After Mashima-sensei's second warning, Karuizawa seemed to feel the
+gravity of our situation. Although she looked blatantly unhappy, she shut her
+mouth and listened. I didn't know how seriously Yukimura and the Professor
+took all this, but they remained silent.
+"Society needs three fundamental qualities in order to progress: action,
+thinking, and teamwork. Those with the necessary qualities will become
+wonderful adults. The previous exam on the uninhabited island focused
+heavily on testing your teamwork. However, we shall now test your thinking
+in four ways: your ability to thoroughly process information, which is an
+essential component of this test. Your ability to analyze your current situation
+and clarify the task at hand. The ability to solve the problem after you've
+clarified the process and identified the task. The ability to utilize your
+imagination, and the ability to create new values. Those are the qualities
+you ll need."
+Although his explanation was rather concise, several question marks
+were still hanging over everyone's heads after his brief explanation. I was no
+better. I still didn't understand anything at all.
+"As I've said, in this test we have divided you all into twelve groups."
+Finally, the words that Karuizawa had longed to hear arrived.
+"Are there any questions thus far?"
+"T don't get what any of this means. Can you explain it in a way that's
+easier to understand? I mean, okay, I understand that we're being divided into
+twelve groups, but why am / together with these guys? What about Hirata-
+kun? Or the other girls? And I still don't get what we're doing. Tell me.
+Come on, please?"
+Even though she attempted politeness at the end, I get the feeling she
+didn't mean it. However, Karuizawa was right to have doubts. Even though
+Mashima-sensei said that he was taking questions, the explanation was
+ambiguous at best. We still didn't know what commonality there was
+between the people gathered here.
+If each class was divided into three groups, there should have been
+twelve to fifteen Class D people gathered here for the explanation, but they
+hadn't done that. Was it due to the size constraint of the rooms? No, this ship
+had several rooms that could host a modest-sized gathering. There had to be a
+reason they'd purposefully sub-divided us.
+"You four gathered here will be in the same group. At this very
+moment, students in other rooms are receiving the same explanation you are."
+Wait, so we were members of the same group? In other words, the four
+of us were allies...
+"If that's true, then wouldn't it be way faster and easier if you just
+gathered all of our classmates together in one place and explained? Also,
+what's the reason for putting me with these three? Why? These guys gross
+me out. Why am I on a team together with boys? Honestly, I hate it...though
+being with Hirata-kun would be fine."
+Karuizawa continued blabbing until Yukimura finally seemed to lose
+patience.
+"How about you shut up and try listening? The test is probably going to
+start soon. If they dock our points because you keep blabbing, are you gonna
+take responsibility? Even back on the deserted island, you dragged us all
+down. Can you try not to cause any more problems?"
+"Huh? When and how exactly did I cause problems? You're pissing me
+off."
+I'd seen guys and girls quarreling with each other many times in the
+previous test. The Professor and I stayed quiet.
+"Calm down, you two. Yukimura, your concerns are groundless. The
+test hasn't yet begun, so you won't be affected. Besides, your attitude has no
+bearing on this test."
+"See? Now you get it, right?"
+Karuizawa looked smugly at Yukimura. Yukimura glared in
+frustration. I should've stayed quiet, but I had to say something.
+"Karuizawa, if you don't change your attitude toward the teachers, it
+might leave a mark on your permanent record. That wouldn't be good,
+right?"
+"Hmph."
+Yukimura snorted derisively, mocking Karuizawa without saying a
+word. Mashima-sensei seemed to develop a headache while watching a fight
+that would be more appropriate between elementary school students. He
+lightly tapped his finger to his forehead.
+"Listen. Your group assignments are a done deal. You cannot change
+them. To gain a good result on the test, you must get along."
+"Ugh, jeez! This sucks! I can't deal with these three! Hirata-kun would
+have been so much better!"
+"Heh. But you know, three heads are better than one. Thus, if the three
+of us join together, we might be able to surpass the good Hirata-dono, my
+dear lady," the Professor said.
+"Gross. Even if there were a hundred or two hundred of you, you still
+wouldn't be worth a single hair on Hirata-kun's head."
+I tried not to care, but hearing her say that kind of thing depressed me.
+Karuizawa clung close to Hirata day and night, except for whenever she was
+with her girlfriends. It's true that we really weren't fit substitutes for Hirata,
+but...
+"Ugh. Well, at any rate, Pll just report it to Hirata-kun later."
+Karuizawa let out a frustrated sigh, then averted her eyes again. Trying to
+work with her was going to be a hassle, but the same was probably true for
+Yukimura.
+"Finished? Please let me continue my explanation."
+"Okay, okay. I understand that we're being divided into these groups,
+but why is it only the four of us getting this explanation? I thought you'd
+explain things after our entire group was gathered together. If this 1s some
+scheme against us, or some kind of harassment, then I want you to knock it
+of} 99
+Karuizawa kept talking without pause, as if intending to be
+disagreeable to the very end. Mashima-sensei remained expressionless.
+"It would appear that you cannot help but be concerned by this small
+gathering. Therefore, I will try to provide an answer. This is neither a
+conspiracy against the students, nor is it harassment. It's rather simple. The
+groups don't consist of members from just one class; they are made up of
+about three to five individuals collected from each class. If we didn't explain
+things in advance, we would run the risk of confusion."
+That was why only a few people were gathered into each room. The
+other three still didn't seem to understand. They fell silent again, as if they
+were going over what Mashima-sensei had said in their heads. Of course, I
+couldn't immediately digest it, either. We were so quiet that we could hear
+the clock ticking.
+"W-wait a minute. What do you mean? I still don't get it at all. We're
+going to be grouped with students from other classes? Isn't that crazy,
+though? Aren't the other classes supposed to be the enemy?"
+"That's right, Sensei. We've been competing against the other classes
+up until now. Now we're supposed to ignore all of that and just suddenly
+team up with them?"
+I understood Karuizawa and Yukimura's point, but the school decided
+the rules.
+"You've been competing until now? Your school lives have only just
+begun. You shouldn't run around like a chicken with its head cut off this
+early, Yukimura."
+"T... P-pardon me."
+"Right now, you shouldn't spend your energy on trying to understand
+this test. Rather, focus on how to think. Your group assignment is 'Rabbit'.
+Here is a list of the members. You will be required to return this list when
+you leave the room. If you feel it's necessary, I would recommend trying to
+memorize it now."
+He passed over a postcard-sized piece of paper. On it were listed
+fourteen names of people in our group. As Mashima-sensei had told us, apart
+from us four, all the others were from Classes A, B, and C.
+Although Mashima-sensei had said we were in the Rabbit group, the
+group name was written in Japanese, placed in parentheses next to the
+Chinese reading. That made it easier to read, and thus easier to distinguish
+who was in our group.
+CLASS A: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Kouji, Morishige Takurou
+CLASS B: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryouta
+CLASS C: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki
+CLASS D: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Karuizawa Kei, Sotomura Hideo,
+Yukimura Teruhiko
+I know some of the students on the list. Ichinose from Class B; Ibuki
+from Class C. Apparently, we were teammates now. At this point, I couldn't
+really imagine what this exam was going to be. Was it even possible for us to
+compete alongside other classes, like Karuizawa and Yukimura had said? I
+quickly glanced out the corner of my eye at Karuizawa. She looked a little
+perplexed. Being placed into the same group as Ibuki was a perverse kind of
+fate.
+"Don't worry. I will answer any questions you have. I believe you will
+be able to understand everything afterward. Probably."
+He tacked on the "probably" because he likely doubted that Karuizawa
+was going to listen. Understandable. Mashima-sensei then explained this
+baffling group's formation.
+"The point of this test is to ignore the prior fraught relationships
+between Classes A through D. If you do, you'll have a shortcut."
+"Tgnore the fraught relationships? What do you mean?"
+"Karuizawa, please. I'm begging you, shut up and listen. I can't
+concentrate when you prattle on," Yukimura begged, completely exasperated.
+"From this point on, you are no longer acting as members of Class D,
+but rather as members of the Rabbit group. Whether you pass or fail this test
+depends on each group."
+I was understanding more and more, little by little, but still couldn't see
+the bigger picture.
+"There are four possible outcomes that can be achieved in this special
+test. No exceptions. We have also prepared handouts with the grade items so
+that you may better understand them. However, you are prohibited from
+taking these handouts, taking photographs of them, or anything or the sort.
+You should verify the contents here and now."
+Some slightly crumpled-up sheets of paper had been prepared for the
+four of us. Most likely, the students who were here before us had already
+looked at them. The basic rules were written as follows:
+***
+This assignment centers on a "VIP" assigned to each group. By
+providing answers to the school via a defined method, you will earn one of
+four outcomes.
+At 8:00 a.m. on the first day of the test, each student will
+simultaneously receive a message informing you that we have chosen
+someone to be the "VIP" in your group.
+The test begins tomorrow and ends at 9:00 p.m. on the fourth day. (You
+are completely free to do as you wish for the first day.)
+Each group should gather twice during the day at a predetermined
+time in a predetermined room to talk for one hour, so that they may discuss
+matters with only their group.
+The contents of each group's discussion shall be left to the discretion of
+the group itself.
+After the test has concluded, the school will only accept answers during
+the period between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on that final night. During that
+time, each group must submit their answer regarding who they think the
+"VIP" is. Each individual may only submit an answer once, but only the first
+answer received from any member of a group will decide the test result for
+that group.
+Answers must be sent only to an email address that we shall provide to
+each group, and only by using your mobile devices.
+The twelve VIPs cannot submit answers.
+You may only submit an answer for the group to which you are
+assigned.
+Test results will be sent to all students via email at 11:00 p.m. on the
+final day.
+A list of fundamental rules was written on the paper. More detailed
+descriptions of the rules and a list of prohibited items were also on the sheet,
+among other things. The terms were stricter than the rules for the test on the
+uninhabited island, with many more precautions. After the rules, I saw the
+four potential "outcomes":
+OUTCOME #1: Ifthe answer submitted by the group after 9:30 p.m.
+on the final day is correct, then everyone in the group will receive private
+points, including those of the VIP's classmates who belong to the group.
+OUTCOME #2: Ifa group fails to submit an answer between
+9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the final day, or if someone from the group other
+than the VIP and their classmates submits an incorrect answer, then the VIP
+will be awarded 500,000 private points.
+These seemed like rather eccentric rules. Since we hadn't received any
+deeper explanation, the mechanisms of the test seemed unclear. The Professor
+and Karuizawa cocked their heads over and over, as if wracking their brains.
+Mashima-sensei, seeing their reaction, gave us a supplementary explanation
+in his flat, unchanging tone.
+"This exam has one critical element. Understand it, and this test will
+not pose a problem. The key element is the existence of the VIP. There is
+only one VIP in the group. In this test, you're after the name of the VIP. It's
+that simple. For example, Yukimura, let's say that you were chosen as VIP.
+The correct answer for the Rabbit group would be 'Yukimura.' That answer
+would be shared with all members of your group. Then, after the test
+concludes at 9:00 p.m. at the end of the third day, the school would accept
+answer submissions only between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. During that time,
+each member of your group should enter the name 'Yukimura' in a message
+and email it to the school. Your group would pass, and we would confirm
+that you've met Outcome #1, and thus every member of your group would be
+awarded 500,000 points. In addition, as a reward for leading their group to
+achieving Outcome #1, the VIP would receive double that amount—
+1,000,000 points."
+"O-one million?! Whoa."
+"Wait, everyone receives 500,000 points? And if you're the VIP, you
+get double?"
+That was such a heinous amount of points to receive that anyone,
+regardless of their regular class, would want it. Also, since the VIP would
+receive twice that amount, he or she would become so wealthy that they
+would jump straight to the top of the class, regardless of grade.
+"Now then, as for Outcome #2... In the event that the VIP's identity is
+not discovered before the end of the examination, and no one in your group
+found out the identity of the VIP or some even attempted to /ie about the
+identity, then only the VIP will be awarded points, just as it says. He or she
+will receive 500,000 points."
+Wait, was this even a valid test? Outcomes #1 and #2 were largely the
+same. In either case, the VIP would receive a large amount of points. There
+was no benefit to Outcome #2, unless you wanted to prevent other classes
+from getting points.
+"Jeez, everyone's gonna be jealous of the VIP! Not being picked for it
+would be unfair! No matter what happens, that person still gets points! And if
+we get Outcome #1, it's a million points!"
+Karuizawa seemed like she wanted to be chosen as the VIP. That was
+natural, though. The VIP received special treatment. Was that the advantage
+of being the VIP? However, so far we'd heard only two of four outcomes.
+There might yet be some tricks that hadn't been revealed.
+"Sensei, what about Outcomes #3 and #4? We don't understand the
+conditions for those yet."
+"Did you understand the explanation for the first two? If you do not,
+then we cannot continue."
+"Of course, we understand. Please continue."
+After a short pause, Mashima-sensei went on.
+"Regarding the remaining outcomes, they are written on the reverse
+side of the handout. However, please wait a bit before turning the paper
+over."
+We had instinctively reached over to flip the paper, but stopped once
+we heard that. As we began to grasp the rules of this exam little by little,
+Mashima-sensei stared at us with sharp eyes. It seemed like the exam had
+already begun.
+"Ah, wait a minute. I'm not following you at all."
+Although Mashima-sensei had given us a rather simple explanation,
+Karuizawa had only been half-listening, so she didn't completely understand.
+Her problem wasn't that she scored poorly on tests like Sudou or Ike. Since
+she refused to listen, her comprehension was abnormally bad.
+"Very well, I will explain in simpler terms. Have you played the game
+Werewolf?"
+"Werewolf? Oh, that game's been popular for a while, right? Yeah,
+yeah, I've played it. It's pretty interesting," she said.
+I couldn't help but be slightly bewildered, and my reaction showed.
+"Wait a second. Ayanokouji-kun, don't tell me you don't know about
+Werewolf? Whoa, I can't believe it."
+She could be amazed all she wanted, but I hadn't heard of it. Besides, it
+was probably a lot more fun playing games with friends than playing by
+yourself. That happy state was way beyond my reach, though.
+Karuizawa seemed to realize this, and appeared sad. "I'm sorry. It's
+just, like, not having friends must be so sad."
+She crossed her arms and began to explain the game.
+"Well, you get together with your friends, and then you divide people
+up as either villagers or wolves. The one who survives at the end is the
+winner. Get it?"
+No, I didn't get it at all!
+So, what, I could be king of the wolves or something? Mashima-senset,
+unable to leave it at that, began to explain the details of the game a little more
+thoroughly.
+Werewolf was invented by an American as a sort of party game. There
+is no limit on the number of players you can have, but you need the minimum
+in order to play. There are several roles that players can adopt, including
+"villager" and "wolf. There seemed to be various other roles, but the
+important thing was whether the villagers or wolves survived. The wolves
+were supposedly dressed up like people and pretending to be villagers.
+The game has two time periods. During the day, everyone gets together
+and talks, including the wolves that are pretending to be villagers. The
+players who are suspected of being wolves are executed. When nighttime
+falls, the wolves prey upon one villager. Those phases repeat, and the number
+of players continues to fall. Then, when enough players have been taken out,
+it's decided which side was victorious and which was defeated. That was the
+simple breakdown.
+However, why was it necessary to use this Werewolf game as an
+example? If we considered the rules that we'd received thus far, then the
+wolves and people should just cooperate and aim for Outcome #1.
+"Although I said that there is only one VIP in the group, if the VIP is
+exposed right away, then Outcomes #3 and #4 will appear."
+"And that's...on the other side of the handout, right? Is it okay if we
+turn it over?" Karuizawa asked.
+Mashima-sensei nodded. We flipped the paper over.
+The remaining two outcomes were written on it. For those two
+outcomes alone, answers would be accepted at any time during the test, or
+during the 30 minutes after the test had ended, just like with the other rules.
+Should you make a mistake in either timeframe, you would incur a penalty.
+OUTCOME #3: This outcome is triggered when someone other than
+the VIP gives the correct answer to the school without waiting until 9:30 p.m.
+on the final day of the exam. That student's class will gain fifty class points,
+and the person who submitted the correct answer will earn 500,000 private
+points. Also, the VIP's class will lose fifty class points as a penalty. At that
+point, the group's testing period will come to an end. However, if one of the
+VIP's classmates is the person who submits the correct answer, this answer
+will not be counted and the test will continue.
+OUTCOME #4: This outcome is triggered when someone other than
+the VIP gives an incorrect answer without waiting until 9:30 p.m. on the final
+day of the exam. That student's class will lose fifty class points. The VIP will
+earn 500,000 private points, and the VIP's class will earn fifty class points.
+The testing period will end for the group that submitted the incorrect answer.
+However, if one of the VIP's classmates is the person who submits the
+incorrect answer, this answer will not be counted and the test will continue.
+The remaining two outcomes made it much easier to see the big
+picture. If we were limited to only Outcomes #1 and #2, there was no
+problem if the VIP shared their identity with everyone. Even if you made a
+mistake, there was no penalty. However, with the addition of these "traitor"
+rules, the test was suddenly flipped on its head. Should the VIP carelessly out
+themselves, traitors would prey upon them.
+Since the school would accept answers any time during the test, no one
+would seriously aim for Outcome #1. Everyone would take actions that
+would garner points. If the VIP wanted to trick the other classes and secure
+their own victory, they could come up with a scheme to make it look like
+another person was the VIP. Your reward would be reduced, but you'd also
+be penalizing the other classes.
+"The school will take anonymity into account during this test. At the
+end, only the outcomes for each group and the increase or decrease in points
+for each class will be announced. In other words, we will not announce the
+names of the VIPs or those who submitted answers. Also, if you wish, you
+may have a temporary ID assigned to you, to which you can transfer points. It
+is also possible to divide points up and receive them that way. If you yourself
+remain quiet, there should be no fear of discovery after the test. Of course, if
+it's not necessary for you to hide your identity, you may receive your points
+openly. That is perfectly fine."
+They'd been thorough; finding the VIP in this text was going to be
+extremely difficult. If you wanted to earn a lot of money just for yourself and
+didn't tell your classmates the truth about the VIP, you could feed everyone a
+steady diet of lies. For instance, if Yukimura were the VIP, I could
+theoretically mislead the students from the other classes and make them
+believe that the Professor or Karuizawa was the VIP.
+This test would become dramatically difficult if there were VIPs in our
+class. In such a case, you'd have to undergo rigorous probing and deceive
+others.
+"Outcomes #3 and #4 are very different from the first two. That's why
+they are listed on the reverse side of the sheet. With that, the explanation is
+complete."
+"Umm, umm. | kind of get it, but I kind of don't."
+"Heh, I must confess that I myself am somewhat confused."
+"You two are idiots. I'll explain it later, so don't keep bothering
+Mashima-sensei." Yukimura, who seemed like he wanted to cozy up to
+school officials, shot Karuizawa down quickly.
+It sounded somewhat close to the Werewolf game, but only somewhat.
+True, the wolves had some advantages, but the villagers were also granted the
+power over life and death. They could shoot their targets dead. However, if
+the villagers were deceived, they might start to kill each other. I tried to
+simplify the rules in my head.
+First, the testing period lasted three days. Compared to the test on the
+island, this was rather short. The school had divided up all first-year students
+in certain ways, and then made twelve groups based on the Zodiac. Each
+group contained a mixture of students from various classes, but within the
+group, you functioned as allies. Although the number of people varied
+slightly, each group had roughly fourteen people. In each group, one student
+was assigned the "VIP" role.
+The VIP was free to tell others, "I'm the VIP, my name is the answer."
+In such a case, winning was a sure thing. Of course, the test was structured in
+such a way that the if the VIP weren't discovered, the rest of the students
+couldn't answer correctly. Of course, it was possible to take a shot in the dark
+and guess correctly after narrowing down the list, but the penalties for
+guessing incorrectly were huge.
+Punishments here carried the same level of severity as on the island. I
+tried to neatly summarize tangible methods for clearing the test.
+The VIP shares his or her identity with the entire group, and we all
+clear the exam.
+Someone else tries to answer at the end, but they incorrectly guess the
+name of our VIP. We win.
+The traitor finds the VIP.
+The traitor is misled about the VIP's identity.
+Four possibilities. Unfortunately, each of the four results yielded vastly
+different amounts of points. The first option, "The VIP shares his or her
+identity with the entire group, and we all clear the exam," required that we
+wait for the test to end, and then have everyone submit the correct answer. In
+that case, the reward would be incredible. The VIP would earn one million
+points, and everyone else would earn 500,000 points. But it would be highly
+difficult to get such an outcome.
+Some groups might have an advantage due to the varying number of
+people on each team. It was highly possible that someone might betray the
+others if they knew the answer. Most people would want to earn a reward,
+and would betray others before they themselves were betrayed. Real harmony
+would be difficult to come by.
+Regarding the next option: "Someone else tries to answer at the end,
+but they incorrectly guess the name of our VIP." That would happen if we
+failed to discover the VIP's identity even after searching within our group.
+This might very well happen. Many students didn't like taking risks, and if
+they weren't sure of the answer, they'd become a traitor. It'd be difficult for
+everyone to answer correctly, and easy for the VIP to conceal themself.
+If the VIP remained quiet, people probably wouldn't discover their
+identity. On top of that, they'd earn 500,000 private points as a reward. Being
+the VIP was like having a ticket to happiness. However, there were some
+unseen disadvantages. Due to the test's format, there would probably be
+many discussions and exchanges within the group. You'd have to come up
+with lies on the spot. Even though anonymity was ideal, it largely depended
+on what you could and couldn't do. Your class and the other classes might
+grow to resent you.
+The third option: "The traitor finds the VIP." In that case, a student
+learns the VIP's identity. They either submit their answer right away, or send
+the school an email after the test ends with the correct answer. Incredibly, in
+this case the test could end immediately after it begins. The traitor would earn
+fifty class points and determine which classes would end up on top. In
+addition, the individual traitor would earn 500,000 private points.
+This meant that someone could deceive another class and contribute to
+their own. For everyone, this would be an ideal result.
+Finally, the last option: "The traitor is misled about the VIP's identity."
+This option had the biggest downside. If you were mistaken and guessed
+incorrectly, the person who submitted the incorrect answer would be slapped
+with a penalty, causing his or her class to lose fifty points. On top of that, the
+VIP would receive private points, and his or her class would receive class
+points. I wanted to avoid that outcome most of all.
+This test was about thinking. The school said this required cognitive
+abilities, which seemed true. This test carried dangers far different from those
+we'd faced on the island. There were twelve groups, with twelve outcomes.
+In the worst-case scenario, we'd end up with a huge difference in points from
+which we couldn't recover. On the flip side, it was also possible for Class D
+to overtake Class A in one go. Of course, such a thing wouldn't happen easily
+any time soon, but just the possibility was amazing. That's exactly why the
+school's rules here were stricter than during the test on the island.
+"There should also be a list of prohibited actions on the sheet. Make
+sure to examine it thoroughly."
+Listed were things like stealing another person's cell phone; using
+threats to confirm information related to the VIP; using someone else's cell
+phone without their permission to submit answers; and so on. The highest
+level of punishment for these actions was expulsion. Furthermore, if any
+suspicious activity were discovered, the school would open up a thorough
+investigation to make sure no one had broken any rules.
+If someone lied about using threatening force, they could be expelled.
+It seemed like we were being monitored heavily, so it was best to keep that in
+mind. Also, the sheet said that discussion among students from other classes
+was forbidden until after the examination ended. If you broke that rule, you'd
+be expelled. I easily memorized the list of rules.
+"Tomorrow, you will go to your designated room at 1:00 p.m. and
+again at 8:00 p.m. Your group's name will be displayed on a nameplate
+outside. Be sure to introduce yourselves when you meet the other members
+for the first time. After you've entered, leaving the room during the
+examination is not permitted. Please use the restroom ahead of time. In the
+event that you feel ill or can't endure it any longer, please contact your
+homeroom teacher immediately and make a request."
+"Wait, we can't leave the room? How long do we need to stay in
+there?"
+"The explanation is written on the sheet. The discussion period is for
+one hour. Aside from self-introduction upon your initial meeting, you are free
+to use that time however you like. Once the hour has passed, you are free to
+remain in the room or to leave."
+So the students dictated the meeting's events?
+"Agh. Well, this sounds kinda annoying, but I guess I do understand
+somewhat. Ugh. I just wish we had a test that was more fun."
+"The school is committed to fairness, so we will be strict and impartial.
+After the VIP has been selected, we will not accept any changes, not even if
+the VIP wants to be changed. In addition, copying, deleting, transferring, or
+modifying emails sent from the school is prohibited. Understand these points
+clearly."
+That was written about in detail on the list. We were decidedly not
+allowed to tamper with emails sent by the school, or use them to spread
+misinformation. On the flip side, that meant that any message sent from the
+school was 100% the truth.
+(74 99
+eee
+"Hey, Ayanokouji. You've been quiet. Do you actually understand
+everything?" said Yukimura, seated on my left. It was unclear whether he
+was angry or concerned.
+"For the most part, I guess. I'd like you to explain the things I don't
+fully understand later, though."
+"For crying out loud, why on earth was I lumped in with a bunch of
+space cadets?"
+After that, the meeting was over, and we were told to leave the room. I
+felt discontent from my neighbors, who seemed to be harboring unpleasant
+feelings. I pretended not to notice.
+"T hate to say this, but if we have to be in the same group, we need to
+put up a unified front. A lot of things will depend on who the VIP is, but for
+now, the four of us should discuss things." Yukimura spoke as we left
+Mashima-sensei and walked down the hallway. However, Karuizawa showed
+no concern at all for the future. Ignoring us, she took out her cell phone and
+walked away.
+"H-hey, Karuizawa. Are you listening?!"
+Karuizawa, totally unconcerned, started to make a call. I was kind of
+impressed. It was like she had nerves of steel.
+"Ah, hi, Hirata-kun? There was something I wanted to talk to you
+about."
+She was probably going to complain to Hirata. She quickly strode
+down the hall and disappeared.
+"Why on earth was I lumped in with a bunch of space cadets?"
+"Oh ho, you uttered that exact same expression word for word not five
+minutes earlier, did you not? Hah!" the Professor chortled.
+Our vacation had come to an end, and round two had just begun. Well,
+I'd expected this. Feeling depressed by this whole situation, I decided to
+return to my room.
+"This has turned into quite a bothersome ordeal. Being partnered with a
+bitch like that, I mean," spat the Professor after Karuizawa disappeared from
+view.
+The Professor often said he wanted to go to the 2D world, and that 2D
+women were perfect. Knowing that, I understood why he'd strongly reject
+real girls like Karuizawa.
+"To be honest, I really hate it. No matter what I do, she' ll only drag us
+down."
+"That is certainly true, hmm? She's an unforgivable bitch. She's a bitch
+among bitches, wouldn't you say?" replied the Professor, as if agreeing with
+Yukimura. He exhaled loudly out of his nose and patted his belly.
+"Maybe in the morning there'II be a notification that one of us was
+chosen as the VIP. If one of us is chosen, it'd be smart not to spread it around
+carelessly. We don't know who might be listening. Let's get to a secure
+location before sharing info."
+I agreed with that plan. Although the ship was rather spacious, people
+might be listening in unexpected places.
+"Karuizawa may be gone, but I want to talk about tomorrow. It makes
+sense to discuss it with just the three of us. Let's go."
+"T am terribly sorry, but I must decline your invitation. For you see, the
+Love Love Alive anime calls, and I cannot afford to miss its siren song. I bid
+you farewell. Hi-ya!"
+He vanished like a ninja. Well, not really—the Professor was well
+visible as he walked away. Yukimura, with only me remaining, sighed as if
+he were giving up and shook his head. He didn't seem to want to work with
+me. Guess we weren't going to have a discussion.
+I supposed I should report to Horikita. I wanted to know if she'd
+received the same information as the Rabbit group. I sent details to her in
+chat, and while I waited on her report, I started to come up with a strategy.
+2.4
+I returned to my room, dying for a moment of peace and quiet. In the
+middle of dozing, I thought I heard a noise, and propped myself up in bed.
+Neither Yukimura nor Kouenji were in the room.
+"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
+Hirata, who'd been putting his luggage back in order, looked up with a
+slightly apologetic expression. He was putting on his uniform, which made
+me think he was getting ready to leave.
+"Nah, I wasn't really in a deep sleep or anything. I'm pretty thirsty
+anyway, so it's a good time to get up."
+I went ahead and shut off the alarm that had been about to go off. ''d
+wanted to check on Horikita anyway, so there wasn't a problem.
+"Would you like to come with me? I was thinking the school's message
+should be coming pretty soon."
+It was just before 20:30, then. Whether due to coincidence or fate, that
+just happened to be the time Horikita had been summoned to her meeting. I
+had no reason to refuse, so Hirata and I stepped out into the hallway, with me
+still wearing my jersey.
+"The test seems really unusual. Well, that's just a feeling I have."
+It seemed like Hirata already knew the test's specifics. I wondered if
+he'd heard about it from another student.
+"T heard it from Yukimura-kun. He told me about it while we were
+eating. He told me all about the Rabbit group. It seems like everyone has
+been receiving explanations of the test. Several people have come to talk to
+me about it."
+Yukimura didn't exactly like Hirata much, but maybe he thought
+telling Hirata would improve our chances of winning. If you understood the
+rules beforehand, it would be easier to glean more information when you
+were listening to the official explanation. Yukimura might have told Hirata in
+order to hear what Hirata thought afterward, and to see if there was anything
+new to think about.
+Of course, that was surprisingly bold. I'd have liked to follow his
+example and team up with a superior student.
+"Did you notice anything, Ayanokouji-kun? If it's okay, Pd like you to
+share it with me."
+"Can't really say. I haven't been thinking about the exam like you,
+Horikita, and Yukimura have. I'm not smart, either, so I haven't really
+noticed much." I tilted my head to the side, as if nothing sprang to mind.
+I wasn't going to tell Hirata anything more.
+"Well, I was wondering why the explanations are so...scattered. I
+thought maybe the school wanted to avoid the confusion and trouble that
+would come from explaining things in one large group, but after thinking
+about it, I don't believe it would take much more effort to announce the rules
+to everyone at once."
+"Yeah, I think you're right, Hirata. It would definitely be more efficient
+to explain the test to all the students at the same time, rather than dividing us
+into groups and doing it in stages."
+Hirata's doubts were right on the money. The school had adopted a
+clearly inefficient method. Perhaps we should consider why they would split
+us up, and for what reason. It was possible that our "thinking" was already
+being tested.
+"I'm planning to ask the teacher about that later."
+I wondered how things would shake out. Hirata normally acted on
+behalf of Class D. Considering he'd be lumped in with other classes, I
+couldn't imagine what he thought of these rules, or what he'd do about them.
+2.5
+Hirata' meeting place was on the second deck, only one level below
+us. We took the stairs instead of the elevator. I saw quite a few students
+waiting around compared to earlier. Some of the students were leaning
+against the wall. Others were sitting down, fiddling around on their phones.
+They looked totally unprepared for the explanation they were about to
+receive.
+"It doesn't seem like all of these people are in my group," Hirata said.
+At a glance, it looked like there were close to ten people here.
+Considering the time, even if some part of the group had already been
+briefed, it did seem rather strange. Did this meeting have some other
+purpose? Were they all checking to see who belonged to which group? If so,
+they didn't need to spend all this time and effort. If you just talked to your
+classmates later, you could figure out the groups right away.
+They glanced up as we passed, but then immediately went back to their
+cell phones, like they were in the middle of something. Sadly, I knew very
+little about the students from the other classes. I wasn't acquainted with most
+people I'd run into here, and I didn't know which classes they were all from.
+"Who are those people?" I asked.
+"That's Morimiya-kun, from Class A. And that one near the elevator is
+Tokitou-kun, from Class C."
+Just how I'd expect a well-connected person to respond. I burned the
+names and faces of the students into my memory. It was a surprising number
+of people. Maybe they'd felt restless, and arrived early to wait. You know,
+like trying to get a table at a popular restaurant. I kept moving, thinking how
+easy this would all be if it operated like that.
+When Hirata and I arrived, several guys and girls were gathered near
+the door. I also noticed a familiar face who'd received the same meeting time
+as Hirata. The meeting hadn't started yet, so we approached the line without
+making a fuss.
+"Unless I'm mistaken, you're also in the group meeting at 20:40, yes?"
+I heard a rather low, deep voice. Katsuragi, from Class A. He had an
+incredibly calm and collected demeanor for a first-year high school student.
+He was cool and composed, and had a good physique to boot. You could
+mistake him for a college student at first glance. Even though Class A
+boasted many excellent students, most had already acknowledged him as
+their leader.
+"Yes, Iam. And what exactly does that have to do with you?"
+answered the girl with long black hair, who faced Katsuragi without
+hesitation.
+"T knew it," he said. "That's good news. I wanted to speak with you
+again. I'm also in the 20:40 group. Starting tomorrow, we will be working
+together."
+Horikita Suzune stared back at Katsuragi. So Hirata had been placed
+with both Horikita and Katsuragi. Quite a team.
+"You wanted to speak with me? Funny. Didn't you completely ignore
+me the other day?" she said.
+During the test on the island, Horikita and Katsuragi had crossed paths
+only once. At the time, Katsuragi showed no interest in Horikita and hadn't
+tried to hold a conversation with her. However, the tables had apparently
+turned. Three guys who probably belonged to Class A grouped around
+Katsuragi, as well as two girls from either Class B or C. They listened in on
+the conversation from a short distance away.
+"You're correct. I certainly haven't acknowledged anyone in Class D
+until now. However, considering the incredible results from the last test, it
+would be impossible for me not to pay attention to you. Wouldn't you agree?
+You laid the groundwork to win, and succeeded handsomely."
+He probably never could have imagined that Class D would be
+triumphant. From Katsuragi's point of view, his contact with Horikita in front
+of the cave had all been a part of her strategy. Horikita had certainly made big
+waves within Class D, and the number of girls who admired her had
+increased over the last few days. Unfortunately, Horikita didn't exactly
+respond well to people who wanted to become friends with her. However,
+compared to how things had gone in the past, she'd hurt and enraged fewer
+people than usual. Her classmates now seemed to interpret her selfish
+demeanor as concern for the class.
+With that in mind, Horikita's refusal to become anyone's friend now
+came across differently. Interactions with her suddenly became more
+nuanced. Even if she gave them the cold shoulder, people didn't really take
+offense. If anything, they might've found it cute. Other classes now viewed
+Horikita as more than a superior student with good grades. Because of the
+results she'd garnered, they viewed her as a puppet master, a mastermind
+who worked behind the scenes. They viewed her as a threat, and were on
+guard around her.
+"T don't know what the future might hold, but...should Class D
+overtake Class C, know that Class A would attack you without mercy."
+"That's rather petty. From Class A's perspective, are we such a big
+deal? I mean, there's a significant gap in points between us."
+"That's certainly true. However, we must be cautious. It's no laughing
+matter when those who have been perceived as weak and stupid begin to rise
+up. If one class manages to change its station, we must be vigilant. I would
+give the same warning to both Classes B and C."
+There wasn't much we could do about being seen as a threat, though.
+Katsuragi's entourage collectively glared at Horikita. An ordinary girl
+would've burst into tears, but Horikita didn't seem intimidated in the
+slightest.
+The situation appeared hopeless, until an unexpected arrival changed
+everything. The girls' faces instantly lit up as a boy walked quietly past us.
+"T don't much like ganging up on people, or threatening other classes."
+This was Kanzaki, a Class B student. Though he wore his hair rather
+long, he didn't come off like a slacker at all. He was an honest type.
+Although I didn't really know him personally, Ichinose—Class B's leader—
+seemed to trust him. Since Horikita and Kanzaki had faced off once before
+during our summer vacation, he knew of her incredible intellect.
+"You don't need to waste time on Katsuragi. He's just trying to get to
+you." Kanzaki spoke like a gentleman to Horikita, even though they weren't
+on particularly good terms.
+"You needn't concern yourself. Class D has always been regarded as
+inferior. I'd welcome any change in our reputation."
+"T see. It appears you feel we've treated you callously up until now.
+Certainly, many in my class have made light of Class D. However, your
+success on the island changed people's opinions." Despite his words,
+Katsuragi made a dismissive gesture, like he was brushing dirt off his clothes.
+"However, just because you got lucky and won by complete chance doesn't
+make us equals."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Anyone could accomplish something like that out of pure luck. It's
+better that you don't grow arrogant and behave foolishly after a win that
+came about by chance. Remember that the difference in our class points is
+still massive."
+Well, that was true. Bridging the gap between us would still be
+difficult. Of course, Horikita understood that. She also knew that the island
+was my victory, but I'd refused to take credit for anything. Right now,
+Horikita didn't seem too happy to take the credit; she didn't love being in the
+spotlight. She'd mainly done it so other people wouldn't discover me. Really,
+it was all for my benefit.
+"We haven't gotten into college yet. I don't think you and I are so
+different. The school arbitrarily divided us into different classes. Don't forget
+that."
+Kanzaki, who'd been standing by watching this scene unfold, saw
+where all this was headed. "Hirata, looks like you landed in a troublesome
+group."
+"Yes. Though if I'm with you, Kanzaki-kun, and Katsuragi-kun,
+struggle has to be inevitable."
+"Oh, I don't think so."
+"Hmm?"
+Someone came up behind me and walked over to Kanzaki, then
+proceeded toward Horikita.
+"Well, well. So many fish in this pond. I've come to take a look for
+myself."
+"Ryuuen." Katsuragi's tone grew grim. Even Kanzaki stiffened.
+"Are you part of this meeting as well? Or were you just walking by?"
+"Unfortunately, it looks like I'm with you."
+Three students followed behind Ryuuen. It was like Katsuragi's
+entourage, but also completely different, more like a king and his servants.
+They all wore terrified looks, and their movements seemed so docile.
+"How about you put on a little show for me? What do you think of
+Beauty and the Beast?" said Ryuuen. He looked at both Horikita and
+Katsuragi, and let out a demented little chuckle.
+In the face of this obvious provocation, Katsuragi stayed calm. "Well, I
+originally thought that our group would be comprised solely of students with
+a high level of academic ability. Now that you and your lackeys are here, I'm
+not so sure."
+"Academic ability? How droll. That kind of thing is meaningless."
+"That's a rather deplorable thing to say. Especially when academic
+success is the most important factor in determining our futures. You realize
+that Japan is often referred to as an academic society?"
+Katsuragi struck back against Ryuuen's cavalier attitude with a sound
+argument. However, Ryuuen wasn't so easily convinced. He gestured to his
+crew, almost as if to ask, "Can you believe what this idiot is saying?" His
+minions agreed immediately, their response mechanical.
+"T won't let you bring your awful attitude to this test."
+"Hmm? Awful attitude? What in the world are you talking about? I
+can't possibly imagine. Can you perhaps tell me how I am, in fact, awful?"
+"Well, it doesn't matter. Since we're in the same group now, we'll be
+able to talk at length."
+For a minute there, I thought there'd be a huge showdown before the
+test had even begun.
+"Huh, Hirata-kun? Oh, Ayanokouji-kun, too? What are you all doing
+here?"
+Kushida approached us, wearing a puzzled look. Apparently not
+everyone in Class D fully understood the parameters of the exam. Our class
+seemed to be one or two steps behind.
+"Wait, Kushida-san. You're not meeting in the 20:40 group, are you?"
+"Hmm? Group? I don't understand. I did get an email telling me to
+come here at this time... Wow, there really are some amazing people here,
+huh?"
+Even though Kushida was somewhat taken back, she still showed
+respect for everyone gathered.
+"Are you okay, Hirata? I think this is going to be an especially grueling
+battle."
+"Don't worry. No matter who is in my group, I'll do my best."
+Hirata was positive, as always. Kushida didn't understand the
+circumstances, but she was smart. By looking at the gathered people and
+listening to their fragmented conversations, she would begin to grasp the
+situation.
+"Um, well. So, it feels like a lot of really difficult things are about to
+come our way," she said.
+"Roughly speaking, yeah. You'd best mentally prepare yourself."
+"Ah ha! Don't worry, it's okay! Like Hirata-kun said, all I can do is my
+best. Oh, I haven't really had many chances to talk with Katsuragi-kun and
+Ryuuen-kun yet. I'd like to get along with you all, too." Kushida spoke to
+everyone present without any anxiety, disgust, displeasure, or joy in her
+voice.
+"If we're going to continue this pointless conversation, I'd prefer to
+just go inside. Besides, it's about time."
+With those cold words, Horikita flipped her hair and turned her back on
+Ryuuen and his minions. | had to give it to her: Horikita didn't back down.
+Weak-willed people tended to lower their heads and ingratiate themselves
+into their group, no matter what. They would beg forgiveness if they were
+isolated or ostracized. But Horikita wasn't perturbed. She acted as she always
+did.
+"Apparently, I don't need to worry all that much."
+Of course, it wasn't clear exactly how far she'd get like that,
+considering who was in her group. Even so, I didn't think she'd get the wind
+taken out of her sails. That was just my intuition.
+"Well then, good luck." I left Hirata with those sympathetic words. He
+had his work cut out for him from now on.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Katsuragi Kouhei
+CLASS: First Year, Class A a
+STUDENT ID: S01T004706
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: August 29th
+***
+We are impressed by his achievements. He has always maintained top
+grades during elementary and junior high school, and as a member of
+the student council, he has brought students together. In the future,
+we would like for him to become a student council member at our
+institution. Because of this, we have decided to place him in Class A.
+***
+He is a central figure in the class, and possesses an extremely cautious and
+composed personality. He has no apparent deficiencies, so as a Class A stu-
+dent, we hope that he will strive to fulfill all expectations placed upon him.
+Chapter 3:
+An Infinite Variety
+of Wishes
+Breakfast time. I avoided the buffet that was popular with a lot of the
+students, and made my way toward the ship's deck. There was a café called
+Blue Ocean, which had hardly any students early in the morning. I took a
+table in the shaded back, where there weren't many people around. It was
+7:55 in the morning.
+Just one minute before the designated meeting time, the person I was
+waiting for appeared. She wore an emotionless expression, like always.
+"You're rather early."
+Horikita sat down next to me. She was the one of the very few people
+at this school whom I could call a friend. She was unusually talented, and a
+thorn in my side, because she knew something about my hidden life.
+"T was waiting for an hour." I tried teasing her a little.
+"That's not my problem, as I've still arrived before the designated
+time. Besides, how would I know if you'd been waiting even ten hours or
+more?"
+It really wasn't easy to tease her. Pointless, actually.
+Horikita wasn't good at chit-chat. After I gave her my information
+yesterday, she hadn't been able to reciprocate. All she did was propose we
+meet here. Was this some sort of trick? "So, did you get any more details?"
+"Just what you already told me. There are twelve groups, and four
+outcomes. Also, the school said they would send the names of the VIPs via
+email at 8:00 a.m. today. Any minor differences in the explanations they gave
+us could be attributed to differences in the way teachers communicate."
+"Who's in your group? How many people do you have?" I'd seen some
+of the lineup yesterday, but she knew that already.
+"The list is honestly surprising. It's biased to the point where I can't
+imagine it's a coincidence."
+Horikita handed over a slip of paper, looking a little depressed. She'd
+written this down on her own notepad, and had memorized all the names. I
+took the list and looked it over. Her group name was Dragon. I understood
+what Horikita meant about bias when I looked at the names.
+CLASS A: Katsuragi Kouhei, Nishikawa Ryouko, Matoba Shinji, Yano
+Koharu
+CLASS B: Andou Saya, Kanzaki Ryuuji, Tsube Hitomi
+CLASS C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuuen
+Kakeru
+CLASS D: Kushida Kikyou, Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune
+First, the Class D students, Hirata and Kushida: They were both
+excellent students, and representatives of our class. Excluding the fact that
+Horikita was far too much of a loner, she definitely had outstanding talents
+that let her stand shoulder to shoulder with the other two. To be perfectly
+honest, it was the strongest hand Class D could have dealt.
+I'd thought they'd have at least one more person, but that wasn't the
+case. In terms of latent ability, Kouenji had an abundance, but he probably
+wouldn't contribute any of it to the team. I didn't know what group he was in.
+"T see. This really seems like an inevitable grouping," I muttered.
+Even if I just limited it to the names I knew, they had Katsuragi from
+Class A, Kanzaki from Class B, and Ryuuen from Class C. All class
+representatives. If you thought of their group like players in the qualifying
+rounds of a soccer league, they were the dream team, and this was a death
+match.
+"But something feels unnatural," I added. I didn't really know many
+students, but it was somewhat unnatural for Ichinose to be in Rabbit and not
+Dragon.
+"You mean Ichinose-san being in your group, don't you? I suppose
+only the Class B students know if she's really excellent or not. A leader's
+qualities and level of excellence aren't necessarily directly proportional," said
+Horikita.
+"Wait, are you talking about yourself?" I asked.
+She glared, so I averted my eyes. However, Horikita did have a point.
+We didn't know the finer details of Ichinose's abilities. Perhaps her academic
+scores were unexpectedly low.
+"From what we can deduce, I wonder if there's a certain method
+they're using to sort us into the twelve groups? Ayanokouji-kun, your grades
+are very similar to Karuizawa-san's. Are they grouping us based on our
+scores? Oh, but Yukimura-kun has high academic ability, and so does
+Kouenji-kun. They're at the top of the class," said Horikita.
+She was taking our midterm grades and final exams into consideration.
+"But there's probably a gap between me and the Professor, same as you
+and Hirata. There are too many details that don't fit the score theory."
+If students were divided into groups based purely on grades, then
+Kouenji should have been at the top. Of course, I agreed that our grades were
+taken into account, but another variable was likely involved in the process. If
+at all possible, I would've liked to see the member lists of the other groups.
+"At any rate, this is probably going to be difficult. Trying to lead the
+group and to outmaneuver everyone, I mean."
+Well, when you had several high-ability people gathered together, the
+inclusion of the rather orthodox Horikita wasn't necessarily advantageous.
+She and Ryuuen were especially incompatible, like fire and water. I didn't
+like it; they were bound to clash.
+But if I told Horikita that, she would probably be pissed. I decided to
+stay quiet. However, Horikita would probably work well with a
+straightforward person like Katsuragi. They both believed that intellect led to
+victory, so they'd get along.
+"Well, it's just about time," said Horikita.
+Once the clock struck 8:00, both of our phones beeped simultaneously.
+We immediately checked our phones. After we'd finished reading the
+contents of the message at almost the exact same time, Horikita turned her
+phone to show me the message. I did the same. We compared what was on
+each other's phones, confirming the finer details.
+"After thorough consideration, you have not been chosen to be the VIP.
+Please remember to be a team player as your group tackles the challenges of
+this test. The exam begins today, and will be held over a period of three days.
+Members of the Dragon group should gather in the Dragon room located on
+the second deck."
+My message was almost the same as Horikita's. Of course, the name of
+the group differed, but everything else matched up perfectly.
+"T suppose neither of us was chosen, then."
+While putting our phones away, we shifted in our seats.
+"No, we weren't chosen. I'm not sure if we should be happy or sad."
+"Yeah. If you're chosen, then you could lead your group to any of the
+outcomes," I reasoned.
+Being the VIP in this test placed you at an overwhelming advantage. If
+you kept up a good poker face, you could easily obtain 500,000 points.
+"Even so, I don't like how they wrote it. It's like they're saying I'm not
+qualified to be the VIP."
+Even though she was on the dream team, Horikita still thought of
+herself as working alone. That was just like her.
+"Tn this test, there's a huge difference between the chosen students and
+the rest. Everyone who wasn't chosen will need to struggle to find the VIP.
+The school said there were no disadvantages, but that was a lie. Unless the
+VIP is in your class, there's a high probability that the point difference
+between classes will widen even further."
+That was certainly true. Depending on how things went, the gap we'd
+managed to close after the first test might widen again.
+"The leaders of each group should be coming up with a number of
+strategies already. If we don't decide early on how we're going to conduct
+ourselves, we probably won't recover."
+"T understand," Horikita responded.
+She gave me a slightly frustrated look. I was trying to figure out how to
+fight this battle. As I considered the members of my group, and the
+underlying mechanics of this test, the goal began to take shape.
+"Are you thinking about the results?" asked Horikita, observing my
+expression. She sounded hesitant.
+"There are some things I can't yet see, like how some of the students I
+don't know will react. I won't know until I meet with them directly. But I
+thought of a way to lead us to victory."
+Of course, we couldn't behave recklessly. I'd need to time my move
+properly, and everything would need to be set up beforehand.
+"T look forward to your results," said Horikita.
+"Me too. Can't wait to see what you do with your group," I answered.
+But something about that message still nagged at me. "After thorough
+consideration," it had said. That odd choice of words wasn't by chance.
+Mashima-sensei had said something to the same effect. The VIP had been
+chosen based on certain considerations. There was something about the
+chosen that set them apart.
+I couldn't get too hung up on phrasing right now. I knew that one
+person had been selected from each group. That meant there were twelve
+VIPs.
+"For the sake of reference, who are you most wary of? Based on how
+things have been going, I wanted your thoughts," said Horikita.
+Horikita's attention had shifted slightly. Since she was assigned to the
+most intense group, that wasn't surprising.
+"Ryuuen," I answered.
+"That was fast."
+"There's no one else I'd choose," I replied.
+"What about Katsuragi-kun? It's because of him that Class A managed
+to quickly hold down that prime spot on the island. Isn't he someone worth
+watching?"
+"Of course. Considering he's only a first-year student, he's excellent. If
+you'd asked me who the most excellent student was, then Katsuragi would've
+been my answer. But if you're asking who I'm wary of, then it's Ryuuen, by
+a mile," I answered.
+Class D had been victorious during the test on the island, without a
+doubt. Ryuuen had come up short in several ways. He'd telegraphed his
+intentions, so it ended up easy to get a read on him. However, it was highly
+likely that Ryuuen had read my intentions, too. I wanted to avoid him finding
+out that I was the one responsible for Horikita's success on the island.
+"I'm curious about some things concerning the VIP's identity. Even
+after reading the message and thinking about it, did you notice any unnatural-
+sounding phrases in the school's email? And the strict—" Horikita said.
+I silenced her by pressing my finger to her lips. Speak of the devil—a
+shadow appeared before us.
+"Nice weather, eh Suzune? You having breakfast with this clingy beta
+male?"
+Two people approached us, each wearing an unsettling grin. One of
+them was Ryuuen, the very subject of our discussion. The other person was...
+"I've warmed you not to call me by my first name, Ryuuen-kun. Also,
+considering you were a turncoat who only pretended to be our friend, it's odd
+you'd show your face, I[buki-san."
+Beside Ryuuen stood a female student, Ibuki Mio. She had a somewhat
+cocksure gleam in her eyes. She also happened to be in the Rabbit group with
+Ibuki seemed slightly disapproving of Horikita's light provocation, but
+didn't snap back. Instead, she bit down lightly on her lower lip. Ryuuen,
+watching things unfold out of the corner of his eye, flashed a satisfied smile.
+During the test on the island, Ibuki had infiltrated Class D as a spy.
+Eventually, Horikita had caught Ibuki red-handed, but ended up catching
+Ibuki's fist during their ensuing confrontation. Horikita firmly insisted that if
+she hadn't been ill at the time, she wouldn't have lost the fight, but right now,
+I wasn't really concerned about who was stronger.
+Ryuuen silenced Ibuki. He appeared to be mocking us. "You should
+have received the message already. What were the results? Were you chosen
+as the VIP?"
+"As if I would tell you. Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your
+message?" Horikita responded.
+"If you wish." Ryuuen straddled one of the two vacant seats. "But
+before that, I want to ask you something. How did you wrangle those results
+on the island test?"
+"T have nothing to tell you," Horikita responded.
+Horikita looked completely calm; she didn't shake or waver in the
+slightest. There was nothing false about her attitude, either. She had
+incredible acting ability. She probably didn't think she was acting, though.
+Even though she didn't show any weakness, Ryuuen wasn't convinced.
+"IT suppose you wouldn't give anything away, but that doesn't matter.
+According to my information, there's no way that your farcical bumbling on
+the island should' ve led to victory," said Ryuuen.
+"I'm not so stupid that I''d let someone like her see through me. Things
+were simply more difficult because of my fever."
+In responsive to that more blatant provocation, Ibuki could no longer
+hide her irritation. "In that case, let's have a rematch," she challenged.
+Horikita kept her cool as Ibuki became more and more riled up.
+"Regrettably, I must decline your offer. Violent actions are considered a
+violation of the test rules. If you do happen to strike me, I will not hesitate to
+report it to the school. At any rate, please feel free to do whatever you
+please," she said flatly.
+"Tch!"'
+Ibuki closed the distance between herself and Horikita, looking ready
+to lunge, but she stopped herself. If you thoughtlessly went on a rampage
+here, you wouldn't escape punishment. More than anything else, though,
+Ibuki was working beneath Ryuuen. She didn't have the right to act freely.
+While Ibuki clearly detested Ryuuen, she was also exceptionally talented.
+That was likely the precise reason why Ryuuen had chosen her as the spy to
+infiltrate Class D.
+"Since we're all together, how about we have some coffee? It seems a
+good time to enjoy a nice cup," Horikita offered.
+She seemed in a strangely good mood as she ordered her morning
+coffee. I ordered the same thing. Ryuuen showed no signs of leaving,
+apparently wanting to continue the conversation. He continued to observe the
+silent Horikita, and opened his mouth once again when the coffee arrived.
+"Yesterday, it seemed Katsuragi was rather cautious of you," he said.
+"Well, that's understandable. He couldn't have guessed that someone
+from Class D would do so well. Isn't that why you and Ibuki-san are here?
+You came to check on me. Am I wrong?" asked Horikita.
+"Heh. Well, I won't deny that. I came here to measure your abilities for
+myself," he answered.
+"Of course," Horikita answered, sipping her coffee. She seemed at
+ease, which was unusual.
+"Katsuragi and I think differently. When I'm dealing with someone, I
+like to keep an eye on them."
+"You're free to do as you please, but what exactly are you thinking?"
+asked Horikita.
+"I'm remembering the test on the island. The result. The process that
+led to it. There are only certain types of people who would' ve been able to
+conceptualize and execute a plan like that. A girl like you is far too serious-
+minded to have come up with it," reasoned Ryuuen.
+"Think whatever you like. Though I wonder...how did you figure out
+my strategy? You only saw the results of the test. How do you know the way
+in which points were gained and lost? Those details are supposed to be
+unknown," countered Horikita.
+In response to Horikita's calm demeanor, Ryuuen flashed his teeth in
+curious amusement. "Katsuragi probably didn't know."
+Based on how he'd said it, Ryuuen most likely did know.
+"Well, why don't you explain it to me? If you're correct, Ill give you
+an answer. If you can answer, that 1s," Horikita added. Ryuuen just laughed
+unnervingly.
+"At the end of the test, I wrote down your name as leader, but that was
+wrong. There's just one reason why that was wrong: Your class leader
+changed right before the test ended. The only explanation," mused Ryuuen.
+"Do you think that was hard to deduce? Any idiot could have figured
+that out if they thought about it for a minute. Even Katsuragi-kun, who
+you've been making fun of," answered Horikita.
+"Ah. However, Katsuragi thinks you planned the whole thing. But was
+that really the case? In my opinion, you becoming the leader and then retiring
+were both unexpected. Besides, I had my own strategy in place. I had Ibuki
+infiltrate your class to find out the leader's identity. You did nothing to
+counter that strategy at first," said Ryuuen.
+"Ts 1t possible that I'd simply taken the proper precautions? Preparing
+for the unknown 1s absolutely basic logic. The moment Ibuki-san met Class
+D, I took all possibilities into account. You were so confident, but your
+argument ended up being flimsy. You've said nothing surprising," responded
+Horikita.
+"The key question is who replaced you as leader. Personally, I think the
+second leader was pulling your strings from behind the scenes during the
+entire test."
+It was exactly as Ryuuen had said. Though he spoke to Horikita, he
+observed me quietly. If I appeared shaken for even an instant, he'd pounce.
+"T'm afraid I can't understand you at all. I have no close friends. The
+closest I have would be Ayanokouji-kun here, and he's always dragging me
+down. I'd be hard-pressed to say that he's working with me. Sad, but true,"
+answered Horikita.
+By specifically drawing attention to me, Horikita had managed to make
+me seem useless. Well done.
+"However, if we did change leaders, he wouldn't be the most likely
+candidate."
+"T see." Ryuuen glanced at me, but quickly looked away. "Well, I
+suppose that's expected of a clingy tagalong."
+"So now you understand. Though I wonder what basis you had for your
+hypothesis," said Horikita.
+"That guy with you is considerably smart. Despite that, he hasn't
+achieved anything significant, or gotten high grades. He has some excellent
+qualities, though I have my doubts," said Ryuuen.
+"You've investigated Class D rather thoroughly, it seems. Ayanokouji-
+kun, we've been putting you down mercilessly. Aren't you going to defend
+yourself?" asked Horikita.
+"T would if I had anything to defend," I responded. My lazy facade had
+become the perfect counterattack. I'm not exactly sure how he figured that
+out, but Ryuuen appeared to understand me. Maybe he'd spent time
+measuring my academic abilities, physical abilities, and even communication
+skills. Grades were objective and reliable. You couldn't deceive others with
+that information.
+"Well, ''m sorry, but what you're saying is complete nonsense. It's a
+child's excuse, used because he's upset that he lost and needs to resort to
+fantasy. Does it embarrass you that a girl managed to see through your
+schemes?" asked Horikita.
+"T see your point. I never imagined you'd trip me up. Ill admit it. The
+results of the test shocked me," answered Ryuuen.
+Even though he'd admitted weakness, Ryuuen laughed. If anything, he
+acted like our actions had been almost irrational.
+"Well, that's too bad. I love surprise attacks, foul play, and subterfuge.
+That level of strategy was totally unexpected, but your victory high will soon
+come to an end. Whether it's you, Suzune, or someone pulling the strings
+behind the scenes, you're stupid. You've already made your best move. Class
+D is one or two steps behind the other classes in points. The challenge will
+only heat up from here. You already played your trump card during the
+survival test, when the game was just getting started. You couldn't see what
+was in front of or behind you. I don't think you'! find this round as easy as
+last time. Tell that to whoever helped you ace the test," warned Ryuuen.
+"My goodness, that was rather thoughtful," said Horikita.
+"What can I say? I'm quite merciful."
+"It sounds like you really want to believe that we have a secret weapon
+in our class," observed Horikita.
+Ryuuen didn't answer. Even though he didn't have any evidence, he
+couldn't restrain from doubting Horikita. Ryuuen believed in himself more
+than anyone else. He refused to accept even the slightest hint of advice from
+others. He didn't appear to want to confirm anything during this encounter,
+only to chat with Horikita and pass the time amusing himself.
+Ryuuen took out his phone and pointed it toward Horikita. He snapped
+a single picture, the shutter from his camera making a clicking sound.
+"Don't take my photo without permission!" snapped Horikita.
+"Relax. Here, Ill show you," said Ryuuen.
+Ryuuen looked at the picture he'd taken of Horikita, which showed her
+wearing a particularly sour expression. He put his phone away, looking
+satisfied.
+"Someone in Class D other than you is quite clever. There's no mistake
+about that," he said.
+"Well, isn't that a good thing? I don't particularly care. Besides, if you
+just arbitrarily jump to conclusions, why bother badgering me to confirm
+them?" asked Horikita.
+"A conversation reveals many subtle things. I'm glad I could talk with
+you, Suzune. It's a game to me. Ill discover who among you is making
+moves behind the scenes. Everyone, including your clingy friend here, is a
+target," said Ryuuen.
+"Let me ask you something. I know it hurts that I saw through you, but
+why are you so fixated on me? Aren't you concerned about anyone else? Like
+Ichinose-san, or Katsuragi-kun? Going by the rumors, there's someone
+named Sakayanagi, too. Shouldn't the people in the classes above C be your
+concern? You should be able to at least answer that, I think," said Horikita.
+Horikita was right to question him. Ryuuen's focus was downright
+obsessive.
+"T already know their abilities, to some extent. Neither Katsuragi nor
+Ichinose is my enemy. If I wanted to crush them, I could do it any time."
+"So what about Sakayanagi?"
+Ibuki asked that, not Horikita. She wanted to confirm that information
+herself, apparently. Ryuuen, who'd been unflappable until now, was silent
+before responding.
+"I'm saving her for the final course. It'd be a waste to eat her now.
+Let's go, Ibuki." Ryuuen stood and left with his lackey.
+"You're a person of interest, Horikita," I mused.
+"And who's responsible for that, hmm?"
+"Are you upset?"
+"Not really. It's just that I hate your sarcastic way of speaking. I've
+always aimed to reach Class A, so I assumed I'd be attracting a lot of
+attention," she answered.
+"I'm glad to hear that. Well, at any rate, this doesn't seem good.
+Ryuuen isn't an ordinary opponent."
+"Really? I think he just doesn't like that I found him out, and wanted to
+trick me into revealing the truth. I can't imagine he narrowed down the list of
+potential candidates to you. Besides, even if he knew your identity, you'd be
+the only one in trouble," replied Horikita.
+I knew he suspected me, but that wasn't important. I didn't know what
+Ryuuen was thinking, but the fact that he showed up here was dangerous.
+"T think we were being spied on. Him suddenly meeting up with us is
+too convenient," I said.
+"Are you talking about Ibuki-san?"
+"Maybe she was forced to keep an eye on us, or maybe she just
+happened to see us by chance. If that's the case, it would help us," I said.
+Ibuki hadn't looked tired. Someone else may have been keeping watch,
+but Ibuki was likely involved, considering she was walking with Ryuuen. If I
+had to guess, Ryuuen was already implementing his new strategy, and using
+this test to do so. I was the first person to join up with Horikita. There
+probably weren't many people he'd suspect to begin with.
+"A mistake," I muttered.
+He'd seemingly meant to say that there was someone smart here,
+someone just like him, but that was a little easy. Our encounter may have
+given Ryuuen an even bigger hint than I'd imagined. Was I just being overly
+concerned about the test?
+"You're overthinking things. No one thinks you're involved. Despite
+what he said, he thinks you're an ordinary person, considering your lackluster
+achievements in the first semester," said Horikita.
+I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, but she certainly had a
+point. No matter how much Ryuuen investigated me, he would find nothing.
+Even so, because I was close to Horikita, I was undoubtedly being watched.
+At any rate, since Ibuki was in my group, she'd be an obstacle. It was going
+to be very difficult to maneuver.
+Students started popping up here and there around us, and I stood up. "I
+think we're done for the time being. I'm still sleepy, so I'm going to head
+back to my room," I muttered.
+Horikita appeared fine with that, like she didn't need any advice.
+"Discussion 1s likely useless from here on out. We'll go our separate ways.
+Anyway, excellent work. If you make any progress, give me a report."
+Despite being surrounded by powerful foes, Horikita was indomitable.
+Well, Hirata and Kushida would hopefully keep her in check. I'd head back
+to my room and sleep until the afternoon. Even though the test had started,
+I'd be useless until the time came.
+3.1
+66
+Sak to keep you waiting! Urrp! Urp! If you eat three heavy meals
+for lunch, you'II naturally have a full belly. I considered going on a diet, but
+it seemed futile," said the Professor. He walked up to me while patting his
+full belly, which was more swollen than usual. He met Yukimura and me
+right in front of the appointed room.
+"Y ou're rather relaxed, considering the test has just begun. Me, I can
+hardly eat."
+"If you're not at full strength, there'Il be trouble. It's like choosing a
+higher difficulty setting in a video game, wouldn't you say?" the Professor
+responded.
+"Stop talking like that. It's weird," said Yukimura.
+Of course, all the Professor's talk sounded like arcane magic to people
+who weren't accustomed to nerd culture.
+Once you got used to it, it was fine. However, if I tried joining in right
+now, I'd probably antagonize Yukimura, so I decided to refrain.
+"Oh ho! Hmm, dost thou not care for my linguistic idiosyncrasies?
+Well then, Yukimura-dono, what wouldst thou like?" The Professor seemed
+like he wanted to antagonize Yukimura.
+"Whatever, I don't care. Just talk normal."
+"From now on, I shall be like the protagonist who appears weak, but
+secretly has massive strength. I normally have no motivation, but I'll become
+a completely OP cheater with enough power to destroy the entire world. I
+mean, I'm just following the current trends!" the Professor mused.
+The Professor seemed like he wanted to become some mystery
+character from a game or anime. I no longer understood what in the world he
+was talking about. If we'd been in a gag manga right now, this would be the
+moment when Yukimura's glasses would probably crack.
+Yukimura stormed away from us. The Professor and I hurried after
+him.
+"Ayanokouji. There's something I wish to ask you. Please give me a
+straight answer," said the Professor.
+The Professor was talking like he was Takakura Ken or something, like
+he really was the protagonist of a story. He even had the same brooding
+expression. I had to hold myself back from instinctively calling him "Ken-
+99
+san.
+"You want to ask me something?"
+"I've considered what kind of speech patterns you might like. Of
+course, a pleasant dialect that a cute heroine character uses would be good,"
+said the Professor. He spoke in a very cool, stoic way, but his words were the
+same as always.
+"No, I don't have a favorite speech pattern or anything. Not especially,
+anyway," I answered. For someone who was born and raised in Tokyo, I
+didn't really know much about other dialects and the like.
+"Have you perhaps encountered a speech pattern that felt moe?" the
+Professor asked.
+Who the hell possessed such a speech pattern, anyway? Well, ''d keep
+talking to him for a little longer, since I wanted to kill time. "Well, Professor,
+what about you? Do you have a speech pattern you like?" I asked.
+"Of course. Pll rank them. In third place would be 'Even if you say so,
+Kudo!' That's the old stand-by, the Kansai-ben! It tends to give a somewhat
+tough or crude impression, but it's the obvious choice. It's an essential
+dialect. In second place is the beautiful girl from a snowy country, the
+Hokkaido-ben! When they say, 'Oh, sorry for the trouble, thanks,' and stuff
+like that, it just makes me swoon! Those unique phrases are so moe they
+make me want to die! It also gets points because it's not used very widely in
+the 2D world!" exclaimed the Professor.
+Uh oh. I had almost no clue what anything he said meant. But before I
+was able to collect my thoughts on the matter, the Professor freely segued
+into the final part of his announcement, using his lips to make a bizarre
+drumroll sound.
+"Dourururururururu... Coming in first place, jumping from little girls
+to the older sister, the universal Hakata-ben! When I hear stuff like 'I like
+ya!' or 'Ya like me?', it just sounds great! In addition to the wide variation
+the dialect offers, you could also say that it's the broadest there is, even at its
+core! Those are the best three by far!" the Professor shouted.
+Unfortunately, he was talking in a language I didn't speak, but his
+passion came through loud and clear. At any rate, we'd killed some time. We
+arrived at a second-level room with a nameplate that read "Rabbit." The test
+had just begun, so the hallways were packed with students. Even so, it didn't
+feel cramped, most likely because the ship was so large.
+"The time for screwing around ended yesterday. From here on out, we
+need to fight for ourselves and for our classes." Yukimura directed that
+statement toward the Professor, but I nodded in acknowledgement.
+"Ugh. No matter how you look at it, we really do have the worst team."
+Karuizawa entered the room, casting her eyes away from us. We had
+eleven people, Karuizawa included, and all sat in chairs arranged in a big
+circle. Given the low number of vacant spots, we were likely the last to
+arrive. I didn't know everyone's names, but aside from Ichinose and Ibuk1,
+there was another student I recognized. It was the boy from Class A who I'd
+bumped into completely by chance during the previous test, who'd proposed
+that I betray Class D. I hardly recognized any of the other guys or girls.
+Rivals up until today, we suddenly had to cooperate with each other.
+Naturally, the other classes were puzzled as well, not just Class D.
+Students mostly divided into natural groups based on their class, but
+Karuizawa and Ibuki both sat a little further away, as if isolating themselves.
+"Why did they...?" I muttered.
+"What's the matter, Ayanokouji? Something on your mind?"
+"It's nothing," I said.
+I'd thought for sure that Karuizawa would confront Ibuki the moment
+she saw her. After all, Ibuki Mio had stolen Karuizawa's underwear back on
+the island. You'd think she'd want revenge, but... Well, maybe Karuizawa
+was more mature than I'd thought, or maybe she'd already gotten her
+revenge. In any case, it was all rather unnatural.
+Before I could speak, a voice came through the ship's loudspeakers.
+"The first group discussion begins now."
+A short, concise announcement. Naturally, no one was taking the lead.
+An awkward pall hung over the room. Then Ichinose Honami cracked a small
+smile and stood up.
+"Your attention, please! I don't know most of you, but I think we ought
+to introduce ourselves. After all, there are probably people here who haven't
+met before," she said.
+It was just like her to immediately volunteer herself as the leader. It
+wasn't easy to take initiative and pull a group of people together, no matter
+how popular you were. The fact that we were enemies didn't make it any
+easier, but Ichinose didn't seem to dislike her role. If anything, she seemed to
+be having fun. Some of the Class A students appeared somewhat perplexed.
+"Ts it really necessary to introduce ourselves, though? I don't think the
+school seriously meant that. I think it's fine if only the people who want to
+introduce themselves do it, right?"
+"Well, if that's how you feel, Machida-kun, I can't force you to do
+anything. However, a microphone might have been installed somewhere in
+the room to record everything we're saying, don't you think? If that's true, it
+may not be an issue for just the people who don't introduce themselves. The
+entire group might end up shouldering the blame," warned Ichinose.
+She had a point. Individual non-cooperation here could be a problem
+for everyone. Put like that, not even Machida could refute her.
+Ichinose introduced herself first. I tried to put a little effort into my
+self-introduction, remembering how I'd failed to introduce myself well
+during the entrance ceremony. But in the end, my introduction was just as
+monotonous.
+"Hey there, Ayanokouji-kun. Looks like we're in the same group! I'm
+looking forward to working with you," said Ichinose.
+She probably meant to comfort and console me. I took my seat. Once
+everyone had finished, Ichinose spoke again.
+"Now that we've finished, how do you think we should proceed?
+Please tell me if anyone disagrees with my taking the lead," said Ichinose.
+Ichinose appeared ready for someone else to volunteer as leader. Of
+course, whoever opposed her would have to publicly volunteer him or
+herself. Some students might've been dissatisfied with how Ichinose handled
+things, but since they likely feared being burdened with leadership, no one
+raised their hand.
+"Well, since it looks like no one especially wants the spot, I'Il take the
+lead. To begin with, I think if there's any point that people don't understand
+or are worried about, we should all discuss it. If we don't, the situation will
+get worse over time. Does anyone have any questions?"
+Because people never want to speak up in front of a group and make a
+fool of themselves, no one raised their hand. Ichinose put a hand on her hip
+and smiled, undaunted.
+"There's something I'd like to talk to you all about. I'd like you all to
+assume that no one here is the VIP, and I'd like for us all to work together
+and clear this exam. In other words, I want to know if you think our best
+option is to pursue Outcome #1," said Ichinose.
+"What the heck are you talking about? Isn't that obvious?" snapped
+Karuizawa.
+Karuizawa didn't understand, but with that simple question, a hierarchy
+formed within the group. The dam had burst. Yukimura and a girl from Class
+C named Manabe followed suit. They agreed with Karuizawa and said they
+obviously wanted to cooperate. If everyone wished for it, we'd all pass the
+test with Outcome #1. A natural thing to say.
+In response, one of the boys from Class B raised his hand. His blue,
+smooth hair swayed slightly. He was a thin, somewhat androgynous-looking
+young man who'd introduced himself as Hamaguchi Tetsuya. "I agree, of
+course. We're a group, and it's only natural for us to cooperate," said
+Tetsuya.
+This had been a good way to start things off. If Ichinose's question
+sounded obvious to someone, that meant they weren't the VIP. The VIP
+would be forced to lie, while checking to see if they shared the group's
+feelings. If someone fell for it, then we could start narrowing down the list.
+Of course, the situation wasn't that black and white. It would be
+dangerous to assume anything based on this one question alone. Ichinose had
+spoken first, and Karuizawa had agreed first. Yukimura and Manabe had
+followed her closely. Then came Hamaguchi from Class B. It wouldn't be
+surprising if one of them was the VIP. Boldly lying would divert suspicion,
+after all.
+I decided to jump in. "I agree, too. We're a group, like you said, and
+we could all use some private points. If it's possible, I'd like us to work
+together. What do you say, Professor?"
+The Professor, who'd been rubbing his swollen belly, recoiled in
+surprise when I called on him. "Of course Ill cooperate. I want points," he
+answered.
+It seemed the Professor was still trying to play the part of "mysterious
+character," based on his answer. I'd never heard him use that tone of voice
+before. The only ones who looked doubtful were the Class A boys. They
+seemed to calmly analyze the situation, considering each individual
+member's opinion.
+"Ichinose, that question was unfair, wouldn't you say? If you say
+something like, 'assume that no one here's the VIP,' aren't you subtly calling
+the VIP a villain? Besides, no normal person would announce that they're
+going to betray anyone."
+Machida spoke these words with an air of suspicion. His response was
+clearly different from those of Classes D and C. Machida seemed doubtful of
+Ichinose, and ready to criticize her.
+Hamaguchi calmly responded to Machida almost immediately. "Isn't
+that a perfectly valid question, though? Ichinose-san didn't threaten us. She
+didn't order us to answer. If you don't want to, you don't have to respond,"
+he said.
+Hamaguchi had coolly brushed aside all of Class A's criticism.
+Apparently, a war of words was brewing. Machida wasn't fazed by
+Hamaguchi at all. Rather, he spoke as though he'd expected it.
+"That's most certainly true. In that case, I think all of us from Class A
+will remain silent." Machida crossed his arms. The other two people from
+Class A seemed to share his attitude. Everyone else who hadn't yet answered
+decided to remain silent as well.
+"Maybe that question was too harsh?" mused Ichinose. She smiled
+bitterly.
+"No, I think that your question was valid, Ichinose-san. Their wariness
+is extreme. I'd like to ask you something, Machida-kun. What question do
+you think would be appropriate? I don't think discussing our favorite foods or
+hobbies would be relevant to the exam. If you simply refuse to engage, then
+I'm unconvinced you can offer anything of value," Hamaguchi said.
+"Nothing to offer? That's not the case at all," said Machida.
+"T don't know specifically why Ichinose-san asked that question.
+However, this test requires us to come to a solution through discussion. If the
+students from Class A want to sit in silence, then we'll have to carry on
+without you. At the very least, why not tell us what you think we should be
+discussing?"
+Hamaguchi was right. Machida knew this, but kept his arms crossed
+and refused to answer. Ichinose looked like she was approaching a locked
+castle gate. She readied her verbal battering ram.
+"Td rather not do this, but think of it this way. Sometimes we may need
+to make decisions based on a majority vote. People will most certainly be
+suspicious of those who don't want to answer the questions, and the group
+might turn against them. What do you say to that?" she asked.
+Ichinose's logic was similar to Horikita's, but the crucial difference
+was that Ichinose could bring people together. Being able to take tactical
+action while also gaining the group's approval demonstrated her powers of
+persuasion. Since most of the people in this room were already on Ichinose's
+side, she was the de facto leader. It was deceptively simple. I didn't know of
+anyone else in our school who matched her talents. Not even Katsuragi or
+Ryuuen could do the same. Even Hirata and Kushida might find themselves
+outmatched, despite their overabundance of friends.
+"Ts that a threat?" asked Machida.
+"Please don't misunderstand me. I just want to talk. You may answer
+however you please, but I want everyone to step up to the plate in this test. In
+other words, I want you to participate," said Ichinose.
+Machida muttered to himself before snapping, "Will this test really be
+settled through discussion, though? Will you really discover the VIP through
+talking? Or are you going to bow your head and ask the VIP to help you?"
+Apparently, Class A's policy had already been decided. But I didn't
+think that Machida himself held the power. I sensed someone else behind
+Machida, pulling the strings.
+"Is there another way, then?" asked Ichinose. Nine times out of ten,
+there wouldn't be. But Class A had apparently been waiting for her to ask.
+"There is. There's a way to clear this test easily, and come out on top,"
+Machida replied without the slightest hesitation or anxiety. Ichinose and
+Hamaguchi couldn't hide their surprise.
+"Would you mind enlightening us?" asked Ichinose.
+"Of course. As a group, we ought to share valuable information," said
+Machida.
+Machida's fake altruism didn't fool anyone. He was talking about a
+Class A strategy. Something extremely simple.
+"T recommend that we don't discuss things at all," he said, speaking
+loudly enough for everyone to hear. Karuizawa and the Professor appeared to
+understand him easily enough.
+"Well, that's a rather unique idea. How exactly will we come out on
+top without discussing things, though? Do you think we should let the VIP
+remain anonymous, and quit while we're ahead?" Hamaguchi spoke up,
+looking mildly irritated.
+"Yes. The shortcut to victory is to avoid extraneous discussion,"
+replied Machida.
+"T can't believe this. If anything, I'm starting to believe that the VIP is
+someone from Class A. Are you just sharing information with the VIP and
+taking measures to protect him or her?" Hamaguchi asked.
+She had a point. Think about it. Let's say the VIP was someone in your
+class. If you gave away that information, discussion would be pointless.
+Hamaguchi's opinion was valid.
+"It doesn't matter what class the VIP is in. You can most definitely win
+if you don't talk. That was Katsuragi-san's proposal."
+"Katsuragi-kun? I see," said Ichinose.
+As soon as Ichinose heard Katsuragi's name, she seemed to
+immediately understand. Machida politely explained in more detail to
+Yukimura and the others, who still didn't get it.
+"There are only four possible outcomes. You all should know what
+those are. Consider. Which outcome do you think we should absolutely
+avoid?" asked Machida. He turned toward Karuizawa, as if choosing her to
+answer.
+"Umm. The outcome where someone figures out the VIP's identity and
+then betrays the group?" she said.
+"Exactly. If a traitor emerges, that will be our downfall. Whether the
+traitor discovers the person or not, we lose. But what if we flip things
+around?" asked Machida. This time, he looked to Yukimura.
+"There won't be any negatives, you mean?"
+"Exactly. There are no consequences in the two remaining outcomes.
+Our class points won't rise or fall much. However, we'd gain a lot of private
+points. The only one who suffers in this scenario is the school. So there's no
+need to try finding the VIP. If we talk, we'll start suspecting someone of
+being the VIP, and then someone might make a mistake," said Machida.
+"T do see what you're saying. But if we don't know which class the
+VIP belongs to, the point gap between classes could be widened further.
+What if the VIP's identity is extremely biased, and all VIPs are only chosen
+from one or two classes? That class would get millions of points. Although
+our class points won't be affected, I'm sure everyone understands the
+importance of private points," responded Hamaguchi.
+Hamaguchi was onto something. Private points were a hot commodity
+at our school. They could be used like pocket money, but also could purchase
+test grades. Depending on the situation, they gave you the power to do almost
+anything except move between classes. Hamaguchi asserted that as long as
+we didn't know how the VIPs were distributed between the classes, we
+shouldn't carry out such a strategy.
+However, his argument wasn't really going to work for Class A. After
+all, we were dealing with Katsuragi, who must have realized the test's
+"trick." Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested this strategy.
+"Think about it. The school wouldn't distribute the VIPs unfairly. They
+hate unfairness so much that they emphasized their commitment to fairness
+even before the test began. The fact that there is only one VIP in each group
+is not that important. What's important is that all classes have equal
+opportunity to produce VIPs. Otherwise, the test would be unfair right from
+the start. Is that possible? No, it's not. After all, the previous test on the island
+was fair, wasn't it? There's no doubt that Classes A through D are starting
+equally," Machida responded.
+Katsuragi proposed that the VIPs had been distributed fairly amongst
+the groups. His plan was to let the test pass calmly so that all classes would
+receive the same number of points. However, Hamaguchi wasn't done.
+"It's certainly true that the school has made a point of emphasizing its
+commitment to fairness. If we believe that, then you'd be right," he said.
+The school probably wouldn't be so careless as to inadvertently favor
+one class. That much was easy to guess.
+"So you understand it now. If we talk amongst ourselves, we create
+doubt, which will tear us apart. As a result, our relationship as a group will
+crumble. We certainly could discover the VIP, but that strategy could inspire
+a traitor who wants victory for him or herself. There's really no need for us to
+overthink things," said Machida.
+"T suppose so. It's not a bad thing if the school is the only loser,"
+replied Ichinose.
+Ichinose seemed receptive to Katsuragi's strategy. Machida looked as
+if he'd expected her agreement, but Ichinose wasn't done.
+"However, it's going to be unexpectedly difficult. It might even be
+more difficult than solving the test through discussion. If you don't doubt
+your partner, you won't betray him or her. All the first-year students would
+have to adhere to that. Because the school guarantees the VIP's anonymity,
+you're asking for trust amongst your classmates. It'd be great if the VIP
+stepped forward and the points were shared equally with the class, but
+couldn't the VIP just monopolize all of those points?"
+"We in Class A have established complete trust amongst ourselves.
+We're not at all worried about that. Private issues ought to be solved by that
+private group," answered Machida.
+Katsuragi's plan was to play defensively, almost like he was putting up
+barriers. In order to pull off his strategy, he'd need the cooperation of
+everyone in the group, a difficult proposition. However, it really was a simple
+plan that anyone could pull off. All it required us to do was not talk. You
+could say that this strategy was a way to break the test.
+"Isn't Class A's strategy fine, though? I cannot say that I can find any
+problems with it. Once the exam ends, the classes can talk amongst
+themselves and share the points," said the Professor.
+The Professor, for some reason, had gone back to using his normal
+nerdy tone. Something must have resonated with what he said, because his
+sentiment spread to Class C. A girl named Manabe shared his opinion.
+"T agree. Everyone sharing the same answer would be the most
+rewarding result, but if anyone lied or betrayed us, we'd be doomed. Finding
+the VIP just isn't realistic."
+Yukimura was lost in thought, but didn't seem opposed to the idea. At
+least, he wasn't able to express an opinion. Conversation really posed a high
+degree of difficulty. Machida, feeling lessened resistance, smiled and showed
+off his white teeth.
+"T see. So, do we agree it's as Machida-kun says? Each individual class
+can deal with the problem after the test has ended?" asked Ichinose.
+Arms crossed, she looked over Classes D and C.
+"T'd like everyone's opinions. Would that be all right? First, those who
+agree with the plan, please raise your hand."
+Yukimura and the Professor raised their hands. All the students from
+Class C, looking somewhat troubled, raised their hands as well, though some
+took more time to think than others. Ibuki was the sole holdout, her arms
+crossed as they had been since the beginning of the test. She didn't move.
+She didn't speak.
+"What about you, Ibuki-san? If it's all right, I'd like to hear your
+thoughts as well," said Ichinose.
+"Whatever. I don't really have anything to add," said Ibuk1.
+She clearly stood apart from the other three Class C students. Manabe
+and the others didn't appear surprised by or suspicious of Ibuki. That must've
+just been how she acted normally.
+"T see. Well, what about you, Karuizawa-san?" asked Ichinose.
+"I... To be completely honest, I'm annoyed. Even though you say we' ll
+get points, whether / get any points is a separate issue. But we may get points
+even if we do have a discussion... I don't want to waste time fighting over
+what we're doing. I just want this test to be over so we can have fun."
+The other students seemed astonished by her response.
+"What about you, Hamaguchi-kun?" asked Ichinose.
+"We leave everything to you, Ichinose-san," he replied.
+It seemed like the trust Ichinose's class had in her was unshakeable.
+The other two students from Class B nodded in agreement.
+"Thank you. Lastly, we have one more person to ask." Ichinose turned
+to me. "What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T mean, the strategy's fine. Besides, I think most people here agree,
+and I've never been good at talking," I answered.
+I promoted accepting the strategy. However, I doubted that Ichinose
+would just accept Katsuragi's plan so easily. No, if she just gave up and went
+with the flow, Class B would be headed toward a dark end. Katsuragi's
+strategy was hiding something.
+"It's decided," said Machida.
+"Wait. Machida-kun. Katsuragi-kun's strategy certainly isn't bad. With
+it, there's no need to doubt, lie to, or hurt anyone. In the end, we'd receive an
+equal number of points. I understand the reason why many would follow this
+plan. However, I want you to consider something carefully. I can't think of
+any downsides to this strategy, but wouldn't you say that being in Class A
+allows you to propose such a strategy? There may be downsides we don't see
+yet," she said.
+Ichinose's comeback was swift and incredible. She was like a
+submarine everyone thought was deep underwater, only for it to suddenly
+surface without so much as a splash.
+"A hidden downside? What in the world could that be?" asked
+Yukimura, sounding flustered. It didn't seem he'd considered that point yet.
+"If we assume that the classes all have an equal number of VIPs, then I
+do certainly think it's possible to earn a large number of points equally across
+the board by not holding discussions. If that's true, this plan has only upsides.
+However, wouldn't it be unfair to the lower level classes to make them throw
+away this chance?"
+"Well, that's—"
+"We don't know how many special tests we' ll have before graduation,
+and the difference between Class A and the rest is remarkably clear. Class A
+also proposed the extreme idea of aligning all the classes back on the island.
+If Class A continues to recommend this strategy every time we have a test,
+our class positions will never change," Ichinose continued.
+After Ichinose pointed out that fact, Yukimura's face visibly stiffened.
+It was like he wondered how he could have missed such a simple thing.
+Machida had cleverly constructed his proposal to focus everyone's attention
+only on the idea of "loss and gain." Yukimura had thought that option was
+better because he couldn't see the bigger picture.
+"T can't just throw away a precious opportunity. Not even if your
+strategy yields solid results," said Ichinose.
+"We agree with Ichinose-san," said Hamaguchi.
+"Wait, Ichinose. I understand what you' re trying to say, but if we
+follow along with what you're proposing, there'!l be only one possible
+outcome. Only if everyone answers correctly will everyone in the group get a
+large number of points. The outcome you want isn't going to happen. Or do
+you intend to discover the VIP's identity through discussion, and then have
+Class B betray the rest of us? You just asked everyone if they wanted the first
+outcome. You aren't very trustworthy, wouldn't you say?" countered
+Machida.
+"You said this wouldn't narrow the gap between classes, but that's not
+correct. There are four students from Class D, and four from Class C in our
+group. There are three from B and three from A. In other words, if we clear
+the test with the first outcome, it's possible for the lower classes to close the
+gap between themselves and the higher classes, wouldn't you agree?" she
+asked.
+"That's true. But would B, a higher-level class, accept such a thing?
+There's no benefit to sacrificing your class so that the classes below gain
+something," Machida said.
+"If we don't follow my strategy, we let Class A lead unopposed. It
+would be especially hard in the event that the VIP happened to be in Class
+A," responded Ichinose.
+Of course, if the VIP wasn't in Class A, Ichinose wouldn't need to risk
+hurting her own class to deal a blow to Class A. However, if it was a
+possibility, she had to insist on establishing a dialogue.
+"T agree. We can't allow Class A to keep securing the lead," added
+Yukimura.
+Katsuragi's proposal had surprised me, but Ichinose and Hamaguchi's
+arguments made it seem like nothing more than a flustered attempt at a bluff
+—something they'd come up with on the spur of the moment. Ichinose's
+understanding of Class A allowed her to turn things around with just a few
+words. The students who had once agreed with Class A's plan were now
+mostly either neutral or aligned with Ichinose. Classes C and D were now
+more likely to follow her. It was like a duel between Class B, led by Ichinose,
+and Class A, led by Machida. Right now, the tide was turning in favor of
+Class B.
+"So, you oppose our proposal. Please remember that Class A has
+already committed to its decision. No matter what, we will discuss anything.
+You may talk amongst yourselves about whatever you wish," Machida
+answered.
+As a demonstration of their separation, the three Class A students stood
+and went to the corner of the room. It looked like they planned to spend the
+rest of the time doing what they wanted. I was betting that the other Class A
+students in other groups were probably doing the same thing. Katsuragi's
+strategy was the ultimate defensive move: something that would keep all of
+Class A behind a gate. If a VIP happened to be in Class A, it would be
+exceptionally difficult to find him or her.
+"Now then, what should we do?" Ichinose faced the other three classes,
+who were still sitting around in a circle. "I wanted to avoid excluding anyone,
+but there's nothing we can do if that's your class policy. If you want to
+participate, just let me know," she said gently.
+However, the Class A students had already lost interest.
+"Tsn't 1t going to be impossible to find the VIP without their help?"
+asked Yukimura, flustered by the sudden change. It sounded like he was
+complaining to Ichinose.
+His attitude had changed from a few moments ago, when he was ready
+to go along with the more convenient Class A plan. Even Yukimura had
+wanted to avoid Class D getting the short end of the stick.
+"Yes. If Rabbit's VIP is in Class A, trying to narrow down the list of
+suspects won't be easy. But in terms of sheer probability, there's a three in
+four chance that the VIP's in one of the other classes. Besides, even if we
+don't know who the VIP is, if we at least know where that person is, we'll
+have some options. Right?" asked Ichinose.
+She didn't seem focused on finding the VIP right off the bat. Instead,
+she wanted to first narrow down which class the VIP was in. At least, she
+wanted to know for sure if he or she was in Class A.
+"Well, since they won't talk to us, this is going to be difficult.
+However, if the VIP does happen to be in one of the other three classes, I
+think everything should be fine even if they don't out themselves. However,
+if the VIP's in Class A, what do you think we should do?" Ichinose was
+boldly striking back against Katsuragi's strategy. She was trying to form an
+alliance.
+"T can't trust you," muttered Yukimura.
+After Yukimura rejected the offer, Manabe from Class C spoke up and
+also refused Ichinose's plan. "Even if the VIP's in Class A, would we be able
+to identify them? Wouldn't that be difficult?" she asked.
+"T don't think it's necessary for us to think that far ahead. Let's just
+start by finding out which class the VIP is in," replied Ichinose.
+From the VIP's perspective, three classes coming together to find you
+was probably terrifying. If they were on their own, or if they had a friend
+from another class, they really should consider the idea of cooperating with
+the search in order to blend in.
+"This is just a spur-of-the-moment idea. If we work together, we' ll
+come up with even better ideas later. The test's only just begun. I think it
+might be better to wait a bit and take our time before deciding whose plan
+we ll move forward with," Ichinose added.
+Those who'd rejected both Machida's and Ichinose's plans had no third
+option. As Hamaguchi had said, it wasn't fair for people to complain without
+first suggesting a plan themselves. At any rate, I decided to lay low until I
+saw how others acted. People with low communication skills tended to be
+highly reactive; they'd act before thinking. I couldn't afford to get impatient.
+"Hey, you're Karuizawa-san, right? There's something I wanted to ask
+you," said Manabe.
+Karuizawa quickly looked up from her phone screen. She hadn't
+expected anyone to talk to her. "What?" she asked.
+"T might be mistaken, but...did you have a fight with Rika earlier in the
+summer?"
+"Huh? What are you talking about? Who's Rika?" asked Karuizawa.
+"She's a girl from our class who wears glasses. She has her hair up in a
+bun, like a dango. Remember her?"
+"T don't know her. Maybe you're thinking of someone else."
+Karuizawa lowered her eyes back to her phone, as if deciding this
+conversation had nothing to do with her. However, the next words out of
+Manabe's mouth changed things.
+"Isn't that strange, though? I'm sure we heard about it. We heard that
+Rika was bulled by a Class D girl named Karuizawa. Rika told us you cut in
+line and pushed her aside when she was waiting at the café."
+"T don't know what you're talking about. Like, do you have some kind
+of problem with me?" asked Karuizawa.
+"No, not really. I'm just checking to see if it's true. If it is true, though,
+I'd like you to apologize. Rika is the kind of girl to bottle everything up and
+stay quiet, so it's up to us to help her deal with situations like this."
+Apparently Karuizawa had a reputation as a troublemaker outside our
+class as well. Class C was hard to deal with as a whole, so this made for big
+trouble ahead. Karuizawa decided to ignore Manabe. Manabe, looking
+frustrated, turned her phone's camera toward Karuizawa.
+"You won't mind if we check with Rika then, will you? I mean, if it
+wasn't you, Karuizawa-san, then there won't be any problem, right?" asked
+Manabe.
+Karuizawa looked up and knocked the phone out of Manabe's hands.
+She must have done it more forcefully than she thought, because Manabe's
+phone tumbled to the ground, spinning as it fell.
+"What the hell?!' shouted Manabe.
+"That's what J should be saying! Don't just take pictures of me without
+permission. I already told you that you had the wrong person," Karuizawa
+snapped.
+Both sides claimed the other was wrong. The conflict was heating up.
+Ichinose watched it unfold, a bystander. It was as if she was trying to
+determine who was right and wrong.
+"What'll you do if my phone's broken?" shouted Manabe.
+"T don't know! Just ask the school for a new one," answered
+Karuizawa.
+"T have some really precious photos stored on that phone, though."
+After hurriedly picking up her phone, Manabe glared at Karuizawa
+with resentment. Two of the other Class C students, who'd been watching the
+situation unfold, came to help Manabe stare Karuizawa down.
+"What? Are you saying J'm the bad guy here?" asked Karuizawa.
+"If it wasn't you, you wouldn't get all angry and deny it like that, right?
+Let us take your picture," said Manabe.
+"But I don't want you to."
+I thought that Karuizawa would've answered Manabe more forcefully,
+but her words were surprisingly weak. Or rather, there was some fear mixed
+in with her "tough girl" act. It might've been my imagination, though.
+"Perhaps the reason you're denying it so much is because it's true?"
+asked Manabe.
+Manabe pointed her phone's camera at Karuizawa, as if intending to
+forcefully take her picture. The other two girls from Class C laughed like they
+were enjoying it. However, Ibuki didn't share their sentiment. She looked
+scornfully over at Manabe, showing her contempt.
+"Stupid," said Ibuk1.
+Stupid'? What? This has nothing to do with you, Ibuki-san. You're
+not friends with Rika, after all."
+"That's right. This absolutely has nothing to do with me. So I said what
+I thought as an outsider."
+Ibuki crossed her arms and looked away. Manabe didn't appear to care
+for Ibuki's attitude at all, but did not confront her. There was probably a
+clearly established hierarchy in Class C, and Ibuki was above Manabe.
+"Anyway, just let me take your picture!" shouted Manabe.
+"No, I don't want you to! Come on. Please, say something to her,"
+Karuizawa pleaded. For some reason, she turned to Machida, begging him to
+intervene. "I won't forgive you if you take my picture without permission.
+What do you think, Machida-kun?"
+"T agree. Manabe, Karuizawa has told you that she doesn't want you to
+take her picture. Stop it,'"" Machida added.
+"M-Machida-kun, this has nothing to do with you," answered Manabe.
+"From what I've heard just now, I think you're the one in the wrong
+here, Manabe. Karuizawa told you she doesn't know what you're talking
+about, so it's wrong for you to forcefully take her picture. Don't you agree?
+I think it's best to talk to your friend again and confirm if the story is true."
+Judging this situation fairly, Machida was correct. I certainly
+understood Manabe's feelings in wanting to take the picture to ascertain the
+truth, but if the person tells you no, taking a picture without permission is
+rude. Confronted with that argument, Manabe and the other girls had no
+choice but to back down, though Manabe didn't seem wholly convinced.
+"Come on, lay off me. Thank you, Machida-kun," said Karuizawa.
+Karuizawa looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude. Even though the
+Class A students had distanced themselves from the rest of the group, they
+weren't bad guys at all. Takemoto and the others didn't appear to be too
+interested, though.
+"All I did was the right thing." Machida blushed slightly.
+Perhaps this was the beginning of a new love? Karuizawa already had
+Hirata, though. Regardless, I got the feeling that the friction between
+Karuizawa and those Class C students would spark some real problems down
+the road.
+3.2
+I, the end nothing was settled, but at least we'd spent the hour in
+discussion like we were asked to. The announcement came that we were free
+to go. The students from Class A all gathered together and left right away.
+"Well, you're free to do whatever you like," they told us.
+After they'd marched out the door, silence enveloped the room once
+again. Ichinose had dismissed Katsuragi's strategy, but hadn't managed to
+reach a new resolution. Was she hiding something else up her sleeve? Or was
+she thinking of something else, perhaps? Let's see what you've got, Ichinose.
+"Well, we have five more discussion periods left. How about we bring
+this session to a close?" Ichinose spoke kindly.
+The consensus seemed to be that it was better to spend some time on
+our own before meeting up again to discuss. We'd all taken in quite a bit of
+information and hadn't had the time to process just yet. At the very least, the
+Class D members were exhausted. The Class C students seemed to be in the
+same boat.
+"Well, I'm going to head back—Aaah?!"
+Karuizawa, completely exhausted, got up to leave but accidentally
+pitched forward. Perhaps her legs were numb from sitting for so long.
+"Ouch!" shouted Manabe.
+In a panic, Karuizawa had attempted to correct her footing, but
+staggered and stepped on Manabe's foot.
+"Ah, I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry," Karuizawa mumbled,
+apologizing quickly before leaving the room.
+"Hey, what the hell?!" shouted Manabe. She yelled at the rest of us as
+we left. I didn't want to get caught in the middle of anything, so I averted my
+eyes and got out of there.
+"Well, we're heading back, too. I want to talk to Hirata about some
+things," I said.
+The other classes were already making their moves. Yukimura seemed
+like he wanted to hurry up and start a discussion about our own strategy. To
+be honest, our class didn't boast a ton of competent planners, so it was a
+difficult decision. The Professor stood up slowly. In the end, the last people
+left in the room were the three Class B students and Ibuk1.
+"I'm hungry again. I wonder if there's a lunch buffet," mused the
+Professor.
+How could he already be hungry again? What kind of body lets you
+digest all that food in just an hour?! Besides, if you eat that much, you'll get
+fat. | kind of doubted that my heartfelt advice would reach him, though.
+"Hey, Yukimura. Wasn't Karuizawa acting strangely?" I asked.
+"She's always acting strangely," he replied.
+Well, that was a straightforward and honest response, but not exactly
+what I wanted to hear. I wasn't sure what, but something felt off about her.
+Maybe I didn't really know her at all...
+The Professor didn't seem to have noticed anything in particular. In
+fact, he forgot it'd even happened. My phone had been turned off in the room
+so I wouldn't be distracted. I turned it back on as we left, and noticed an
+instant message from Sakura. She wanted to meet if we had time.
+"Hmm. Perfect timing," I murmured.
+I wanted opinions from people other than Hirata and Horikita. I wanted
+to hear what they thought about this strange test. I'd probably gain insight
+after learning more about Sakura's group.
+"Let's see, where should we meet?" I asked aloud.
+I thought the same place as yesterday should be fine. When I pitched
+that idea to Sakura, I immediately received a confirmation. There were going
+to be lots of students around right now, but they probably wouldn't pay any
+attention to us. Loners learned the art of dealing with crowds.
+Since the first group discussion had just ended, the elevator was going
+to be intensely crowded. Because only about ten people could ride at a given
+time, it'd be faster to just take the stairs. I made my way toward the deck. On
+the way, I received a new instant message:
+Since there are so many people around, I'm going to head to the bow
+instead. I'm sorry.
+'""Ah. Guess she couldn't deal with the crowds after all."
+I made my way toward the bow. The ship's interior had many
+luxurious facilities, but toward the bow there was only a large deck, which
+provided a good view of the water. Because of that, it was usually quiet.
+There didn't seem to be anyone else around, which meant I had the entire
+deck to myself. Sakura was waiting for me, standing behind a pillar in the
+corner. Deciding not to shout in case I spooked her, I approached slowly.
+"T was thinking about it, but...h-how do I do it?" she murmured out
+loud.
+Hmm? As I drew nearer, I heard Sakura muttering to herself. She spoke
+in a quiet voice, and it was hard to hear her over the wind. I couldn't make
+out what she was saying too well.
+"T-I... wanted to...d-d-d-da..." she stammered.
+I thought she might be talking to someone, but there was no one else
+around. She didn't seem to have her cell phone out, either, so the whole thing
+was a little creepy.
+"Sakura? What's the matter?" I asked, trying not to surprise her.
+""Aaaieeeeeeeeeeee!" Sakura yelped, practically jumping out of her
+own skin. Seemed like I'd surprised her after all. "Wh-wh-when did you get
+here? How much did you hear?" she asked frantically.
+"T didn't really hear anything. I just got here now."
+No one else was around. She was like a frightened little animal.
+Had Sakura been talking to a ghost, or had she lost her mind? I wasn't
+sure which.
+"Were you listening?! Did you hear what I was saying?!" Sakura
+shouted.
+"T only heard bits and pieces. I have no idea what you were talking
+about," I said.
+Sakura appeared relieved.
+"So, why did you call me out here?" I asked.
+"Um, well. You see, it's...ah... I was s-stressing out over the test!" she
+shouted.
+Sakura, looking incredibly depressed, handed me a list. I read over the
+names written on it.
+CLASS A: Sawada Yasumi, Shimizu Naoki, Nishi Haruka, Yoshida
+Kenta
+CLASS B: Kobashi Yume, Ninomiya Yui, Watanabe Norihito
+CLASS C: Tokitou Hiroya, Nomura Yuuji, Yashima Mariko
+CLASS D: Ike Kanji, Sakura Airi, Sudou Ken, Matsushita Chiaki
+It looked like the other Class D students assigned to the Cow group
+were...intense. Considering the boys in her group, like Sudou and Ike, I
+couldn't help but feel sympathy for Sakura. During this test, you had to spend
+time with the other members of your group no matter what. I'd have liked to
+help her out a little bit, but there was nothing I could really do. Once it was
+time for the groups to come together, we had to be part of our teams. We
+couldn't afford to be scattered. I could help her secretly, but if I acted
+unnaturally during the test, someone would immediately notice. In a test like
+this, breaking the rules could mean death.
+"T thought I might know someone from another class but...amazingly
+enough, I don't know anyone. No one who would remotely consider me a
+friend," said Sakura.
+I tried thinking about it, but the only people who could help were
+Ichinose and Kanzaki. But since Ichinose was already in my group, she was
+stuck. I couldn't really leave it to Sudou or Ike to take care of Sakura, either.
+"Sorry. I don't really have any friends, either," I said.
+"Ah, it's okay. You don't need to apologize. It's just that...I don't have
+any friends!" Sakura responded.
+This was a pathetic conversation, the two of us competing to see who
+was worse off. Rather than take pride in our lack of friends, I changed topics.
+"By the way, there was something I wanted to ask you, Sakura."
+"Huh? Me? What is it?"
+"Has Yamauchi gotten in touch with you at all since the discussion
+ended?"
+"Yamauchi-kun? No, he hasn't. Is something the matter?" she asked.
+"Ah, I see."
+During the test on the island, I'd indirectly used Sakura while I was
+also using Horikita. ''d manipulated Yamauchi by taking advantage of his
+crush on Sakura, promising him Sakura's email address. Of course, I hadn't
+intended to give Yamauchi her email address without her permission, but I
+hadn't talked to him about it yet. I was worried that he might've reached out
+to Sakura in the aftermath, but apparently it was all right. Since I'd planted
+the seeds myself, if Yamauchi made a move, I would have to act.
+"For the time being, contact me if something's bothering you. You can
+tell me anything," I said.
+"Is that okay?" asked Sakura.
+"Yeah. That's the least I can do."
+Even though I didn't know how much help I'd be, Sakura's eyes
+sparkled like a child's. Maybe she was just glad to be able to talk to someone.
+"T'll definitely contact you!" she said.
+"S-sure," I responded.
+Sakura was a little different from her usual self. She was overjoyed,
+and had a bit more vigor behind her words than usual. Maybe she was
+becoming a little more assertive or something? Even though only a few days
+had passed since the test on the island, Sakura was developing quickly. It had
+been an insane test, but maybe it changed her life in unexpected ways. She
+hadn't transformed completely, but I sensed she had learned to stay positive
+and keep going in a tough situation.
+3.3
+As soon as I went back inside the ship, a shadow loomed over me. I felt
+hands grabbing me, and the mystery assailant tightened his grip on my neck. I
+frantically tapped his arms, but he showed no sign of loosening his grip. I
+thought that was it for me for a moment. After I shook myself free, I quickly
+turned around and saw the face of my attacker. It was Yamauchi Haruki,
+looking like some sort of oni or an asura.
+"Wh-what's the matter?" I knew the reason, but asked as a formality.
+""What's the matter' my ass! You said you'd tell me Sakura's email
+address, for chrissakes! And you were talking with Sakura just now! I knew
+it. You were after her all along!" he shouted.
+Apparently, my luck was terrible. I needed to think of something. "TI
+never meant to go after her. Well, this is kind of hard to say, but...I lied to
+you before," I croaked.
+"Wait. You lied?"
+"Do you really think that a loner like me would know Sakura's email
+address?" I turned toward him, trying to show my sincerity.
+"So... Wait, so just now you were trying to ask Sakura for her email
+address?"
+When I nodded, Yamauchi looked shocked and fell to his knees.
+"So... You didn't know her email address at all, Ayanokouji. You lied
+to me?" he sputtered.
+"Yeah. Sorry."
+"So how'd it go? Did you get Sakura's email address?"
+"Er, sorry."
+"Sorry? What does that mean? I'm not looking for an apology, I'm
+looking for her email!" Yamauchi muttered to himself, reflecting the depth of
+his disappointment. "How are you... How dare you trick me!" he shouted.
+I did feel bad for tricking him, certainly, but I couldn't give him
+Sakura's contact information without her consent. Since he had obvious
+ulterior motives, I really had to refuse. "Can you give me just a little more
+time?" I asked.
+"More time?! 'Show me a liar and I will show you a thief?!" he
+shouted.
+I never would've expected a Class D student to throw out a proverb
+like that. I was shocked. "Then are you going to make Sakura tell you?" I
+asked.
+"Yeah, that's right."
+He was probably blinded by anger. It seemed like he intended to get
+Sakura's contact information by force, if necessary.
+"You know, Sakura said she hates guys that are all talk."
+"You mean guys like you, Ayanokouji?!" he shouted.
+"Of course she hates me. But it should be obvious why I couldn't give
+you her contact information. I don't want you to make the same mistake I
+did, Yamauchi. If you forcibly asked her, it wouldn't go anywhere. It'd be
+pointless."
+"Y ou're just making excuses. You never knew her info in the first
+place." Yamauchi lowered his head.
+"Yeah. And I'm sorry. But I know for sure that she doesn't hate you," I
+answered.
+"But what the hell should I do?" he asked.
+"Did you know that Sakura loves digital cameras? I've heard that her
+camera doesn't work, and she doesn't have enough points to buy a new one.
+But what if you got one for her, Yamauchi? If you gave it to her as a
+present?" I asked.
+"Oh, she'd be happy, for sure, but...I don't have any points, either."
+"Well, there a few options in this special test. If you were the VIP and
+managed to make it through without being found out, or if you became a
+traitor and sold out your group, or if you managed to guide your group to
+clear the test, you'd get enough points to buy tons of digital cameras. Right?"
+"So if I do my best, there's a chance I can get a new camera for
+Sakura?" he asked.
+Yamauchi was about to burst. He could see the solution to his
+problems.
+"Now, Yamauchi Haruki, you need to achieve real results. Work hard,
+and show Sakura how manly you are. Only then would you be a guy who
+deserves to go out with a former idol."
+Whatever his ultimate goal, Yamauchi clearly had a crush on Sakura. If
+I gave him the right stimulus, he could unearth greater potential.
+"Pll do it, Pi do it, PI do it, Pl do it! PIl give it everything I've got
+and win Sakura!" he shouted.
+"That's right, Yamauchi. You can definitely do it."
+"Yeah! I'm definitely going to win!" he shouted.
+I'd managed to redirect his energy into participating in the test. If he
+didn't get anything out of this, his bitterness and rage might return toward
+me, but this was a temporary fix. Well, if we managed to secure a surprise
+victory, everything would be fine...though if Yamauchi was too fired up, he
+might let the target slip past him. I worried that he could miss the VIP
+completely.
+"Let me tell you something, just in case..." I started. I wanted to urge
+Yamauchi to be careful, but then refrained from doing so.
+"What?" he asked.
+"Nothing. Just do your best. But if you find the VIP, don't let the other
+classes beat you to the punch, okay?"
+"Of course."
+If Yamauchi missed the target by mistake, that would probably be fine.
+The bigger picture was more important than the short term, anyway.
+3.4
+Because only Class A had been promised advancement into higher
+education or employment upon graduation, we'd never gain their
+cooperation. Classes B and D had joined hands to defeat Classes C and A, so
+Classes C and A had likely formed an alliance to defeat us in return. What
+would happen when the classes came together? It would be dangerous, like
+putting carnivores and herbivores together in the same cage. It was almost
+impossible to organize such a group. If people with strong character like
+Hirata and Ichinose took the lead, it might work. Even then, it would be
+absurdly challenging.
+Class A didn't participate in the discussion during our second
+gathering, either. Of course, with one class absent, we couldn't really speak
+frankly, so we had to kill time. I was interested in how students from the
+other classes would act, but the instability already had everyone holding their
+breath. We were all so on guard that it was impossible to be candid.
+"Well, this is the second time we' ve gathered like this. Don't you think
+we should start having open, honest conversation? We' ll only meet so many
+times," reasoned Ichinose.
+Of course, Ichinose had taken the lead and got things moving. As
+expected, she wished for peace. Hamaguchi and the other Class B students
+were exactly like that, too. They were ready to make alliances without
+hesitation. It was like how Hirata operated. They were similar, but still
+fundamentally different. Ichinose and her friends should have been striving
+for a Class B victory.
+Last time, people were flippant, but now things had changed. The
+atmosphere was oppressively gloomy. Everyone was jumping at shadows and
+incredibly wary. However, the three Class A students weren't bothered by
+anything, freely tapping away on their phones. There wasn't any rule against
+contacting other groups, after all. They could even talk on the phone.
+Well, the old saying was true: the rich are rich, and the poor, poor.
+Class A was winning the interclass competition by a landslide, so they had no
+reason to be worried. I thought their loss during the test on the island
+would've changed them, but Katsuragi had them maintaining their calm
+image. It was an exceptionally effective strategy.
+Anyway, it wasn't going to be easy for a lone wolf like me to break
+down Class A's walls.
+"T don't think we need a breakthrough right now, but we do need a
+discussion. Class A might be breaking away from this test, but I think we
+need to pinpoint the VIP," said Yukimura.
+Yukimura's words helped motivate us somewhat. If the VIP was in
+another class, we couldn't afford to let this chance slip by. Or perhaps he was
+the target, and Yukimura was suggesting this as an attempt at camouflage.
+"But can we really find the VIP by talking? I just don't think we can.
+It's just, like, this test is so unfair. It's too hard. The VIP has way too much of
+an advantage," said Karuizawa.
+"T understand, Karuizawa-san. But doesn't that just depend on your
+point of view? I mean, the test on the island was also a surprise to the
+students," said Yukimura.
+"Sunrise?" Karuizawa looked puzzled.
+"Tf it's Sunrise, leave it to me! That's my specialty. I'm fired up!"
+shouted the Professor.
+***
+No, I thought. No, they said "surprise," not "Sunrise.'
+"You know, life on a ship's not bad. It's really fun, right? Even though
+we have to get together twice a day, we're still free to chat and use our
+phones. It's not like class," said Ichinose.
+"Well, yeah. It is pretty fun," said Karuizawa.
+"Right? So, that's why we need to get more comfortable. We need to
+talk like we're all friends. Don't you think it's hard, putting up walls like
+that? Machida-kun and the others always look so stern, you know?"
+Ichinose had a point. This was all an issue of perception. If you stayed
+positive, the test would be easier.
+Machida, who'd been listening to Ichinose's optimism, let out a
+snicker. "You're free to do whatever you want, but you probably won't find
+the VIP. I don't know who the VIP of our group is, but if the VIP doesn't
+share information, they may be devising a way to gain points for themselves.
+They're probably staying hidden on purpose. Besides, the VIP might be in
+Class B, right? How can you trust these guys?" he asked.
+He was trying to shake us all up.
+"But couldn't I say the same thing of you, Machida-kun? Can you
+really trust your allies?" asked Ichinose.
+"Of course I can."
+Machida looked at the student next to him, named Morishige.
+However, he quickly focused again on Ichinose, projecting the usual calm,
+Class A image.
+"We have no reason to fuss over finding the VIP. We have more than
+100,000 points deposited into our accounts every month. No one in our class
+would lie just to get a mere 500,000."
+"Really? You know what they say: An ounce of prevention is worth a
+pound of cure. Are you trying to tell me that no one in your class would want
+even one extra point? It's not like the school will be bothered if you get
+more," replied Ichinose.
+"That's stupid. Go ahead and keep being delusional. You're just
+grasping at straws."
+Ichinose smiled at Machida. She'd certainly gotten a response out of
+him. Even though Machida said he wouldn't participate in the discussion,
+he'd taken Ichinose's bait. If he started talking, we might pull information out
+of him. By using Yukimura and Karuizawa, Ichinose had started collecting
+information. The only problem was, when would Machida notice her ploy?
+Karuizawa sighed and went back to fiddling with her phone. While
+there wasn't any rule prohibiting phone use during the test, doing so while we
+were trying to find the VIP was a little rude. Or maybe she was like the CIA
+or FBI, communicating with Hirata in real time so he could listen to our
+conversation? I'd respect her if that were true, but it probably wasn't the case.
+Of course, knowing that Karuizawa didn't usually put serious effort
+into anything, this wasn't out of character. But something felt off. It felt like
+something had been off ever since the test started. Karuizawa; the reunion
+with Ibuki; confronting Manabe.
+I realized that none of the things she'd been doing lately seemed like
+the "usual" Karuizawa. She was a strong presence in Class D. Whatever her
+reputation, she and Hirata often brought the class together. But here, she was
+practically a background character. She had the potential to motivate others,
+and she wasn't using it. When someone spoke to her, she would answer and
+then immediately shrink away. Hirata was always Hirata, no matter the
+situation, and Kushida was always Kushida. However, that didn't seem to be
+true for Karuizawa.
+If I were to create a hierarchy for the group, she'd be below Manabe
+and the other Class C girls. Maybe that's why she was acting strangely. My
+doubts and suspicions slowly grew.
+For Class D to reach a higher position, we didn't just need to increase
+our points. We needed to create a system in which we could increase points.
+In comparison to Classes A and B, Class D lacked cohesion. And for that
+exact reason, Karuizawa Kei was irreplaceable. She controlled the rest of the
+Class D girls. That's why I was worried about her behavior. I'd thought she'd
+be more aggressive and dominate the field.
+I needed to determine if she was useful or not. Considering that the test
+period was rather short, I couldn't afford to take things slow. I needed to stir
+the pot, even if it meant being forceful.
+The Class A students immediately left the room at the hour's end. They
+were sticking to their class plan and staying quiet for the remaining four
+discussions. As Ichinose watched the students leave, she gave a heavy sigh.
+"Hmm. I suppose this is going to be tough. What do you think,
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Ichinose turned to me. She was even calmer, wittier, and clear-headed
+than I had previously thought. She noticed that I kept quiet during these
+discussions, but didn't put me on the spot. If I had been her classmate, I
+would've had a crush on her. She was just that charming. The Class B guys
+probably weren't alone in falling for her; she had to have admirers from other
+classes, too. She probably rivaled Kushida in terms of popularity.
+"To be perfectly honest, I'm the type to just sit things out. I'm just a
+bystander," I said.
+"It's far too soon to give up. Let's work hard together!" Ichinose
+seemed determined to do her best.
+"Well, even if we keep having these discussions, I don't think anyone
+will come out and say they're the VIP. The benefits of staying hidden are just
+too great, same as the downsides for being discovered. At this rate, Class A's
+worst-case scenario prediction will probably come true," said Ichinose.
+Though her comments sounded negative, she looked fearless. Whatever
+I felt about her, she was clearly always ready for a challenge.
+"At any rate, we're done for today. Good work, you two."
+"No, we didn't do much of anything. Well, shall we?" said Hamaguchi.
+The change was immediate. The three Class B students relaxed, almost
+as 1f someone had flipped their switches to OFF. I still didn't really know
+what the deal with them was. I didn't understand what Ichinose's and her
+group's aims were yet.
+Of course, she might have some kind of strategy that she couldn't tell
+anyone outside of her group. When Manabe and the others from Class C got
+up to leave, I trailed after them. Once they reached the elevator, I meekly
+called out.
+"Hey. Do you have a minute?"
+Manabe looked slightly on her guard, probably because she hadn't
+expected me to come after her.
+"T heard about your problem with Karuizawa. Something about her
+pushing someone at the café, right?"
+"Yeah. Why do you ask?" snapped Manabe.
+These girls wouldn't normally want to chat with me, but that topic
+seemed to interest them. All three focused on me, like they were checking me
+out.
+"I'm not 100% sure, but I think I saw Karuizawa fight with a girl from
+another class," I said.
+"That's... Are you sure?" asked Manabe. Her voice was stiff, and she
+drew nearer. I shrunk slightly and nodded.
+"T think so. Well, I just kind of got this bad vibe, you know? I felt like
+she was acting like a jerk, so I thought I'd go ahead and tell you."
+I kept it vague to set things in motion, and then turned and went back
+the way I came. Honestly, I hadn't actually seen anything. If I'd kept talking,
+I would have probably been exposed as a liar. Now that the fuse was lit,
+Manabe and the others would react. How would the newly docile Karuizawa
+respond? I wanted to find out.
+3.5
+I headed back to my room. It was late, so I sat down on my bed
+without talking to anyone. It was getting close to midnight. I'd thought that
+everyone would be asleep already, but Hirata looked at me anxiously, like
+he'd been worried. Yukimura sat on the sofa and faced me.
+"Good work today, Ayanokouji-kun. You're rather late," said Hirata.
+"Yeah, a bit. Ah, that reminds me. I wanted to talk to you for a minute,
+if you have the time."
+"I'm sure you're tired, but if you're up for it, do you mind talking with
+me?" he asked.
+Hirata and I asked each other the same thing at the same time.
+"Huh? What did you want to ask me?" said Hirata.
+"Oh no, that's okay. You go first, Hirata. We can talk about my thing
+later."
+Yukimura was trembling, like he was on edge. He probably wanted to
+talk about the test, too. I changed into my jersey and rejoined them. Hirata
+moved a bit to give me some space on the sofa. I wanted to talk to Hirata
+about Sakayanagi, since I figured such a popular guy would likely have
+information. But I didn't mind waiting.
+"T just chatted a bit with Yukimura-kun. We decided to share
+information about the test," said Hirata.
+"T did say that it was pointless to include you, Ayanokouji," added
+Kouenji. How nice.
+"T would've been glad if Kouenji-kun participated, but he unfortunately
+declined," said Hirata.
+Yeah. I couldn't imagine Kouenji teaming up with anyone.
+"Sorry, Hirata Boy. I'm far too busy with the pursuit of physical
+beauty."
+Kouenji, naked from the waist up, was doing push-ups. He was soaked
+with sweat, but didn't seem bothered at all. No ordinary high school student
+could pull that off. He really was exceptional in every way. Honestly, I
+wondered if Kouenji was even participating in this test. Hirata seemed to
+guess my thoughts.
+"Kouenji is participating in a group. After all, students are required to
+participate, and points are taken away if a student fails to participate," said
+Hirata.
+Trust Hirata to read the rules thoroughly.
+"To tell you the truth, I got word that two of our classmates have been
+selected as the VIPs in their groups," he whispered.
+"What? Who?" I asked.
+"That's... I can't say. They only told me because they trust me."
+"So you can't trust us, Hirata? If you know, then I have the right to
+know, too. Besides, if you know who a VIP is, that might give us some kind
+of hint. We should all be sharing information with each other in the first
+place. It's only natural, after all," said Yukimura.
+"Yes, you're right. That's why I wanted to consult with you. It's just
+that—" Hirata started.
+"Hey, Hirata. Wouldn't it be better to give us that information by
+phone? We don't know who's listening in on our conversations," I said.
+"Yeah, you're right. Wait just a moment."
+Two names showed up on Hirata's phone. He turned the screen to us.
+"Dragon Group, Kushida-san. Horse Group, Minami-kun."
+Immediately after I saw the names, Hirata erased them.
+"T see," murmured Yukimura. He was careful not to say too much.
+So Kushida was the VIP. Having that position in the extremely well-
+stacked Dragon group meant they had an enormous advantage. However,
+being the VIP was terrifying. Once they knew her identity, she was at their
+mercy. If the VIP had been from another class, we wouldn't have taken the
+brunt of the damage even in the worst-case scenario.
+"Don't worry. Everything is all right," said Hirata.
+He'd noticed I was worried. The three Class D people in the Dragon
+group were the best we had to offer. They'd never be careless enough to
+reveal the VIP's identity.
+"Speaking of Rabbit Group, it's equally possible for the VIP to be from
+any of the four classes. So in Class D, there are two VIPs that we know
+about. There should be one more VIP keeping his or her identity secret," said
+Yukimura.
+"Yeah. I think your logic follows. They certainly haven't talked to me
+about it, but they might've consulted someone else. After all, there's a high
+risk of being discovered if you talk," Hirata said.
+While we talked amongst ourselves, Kouenji started humming.
+Yukimura, who'd been patient up until that point, bolted out of his chair in
+frustration.
+"Kouenji, stop the happy-go-lucky act already! I'm not going to tell
+you to take things seriously, but you need to at least participate. We don't
+want you to screw everything up like you did back on the island," he shouted.
+"Well, I couldn't exactly help it. I was in awful shape. I couldn't force
+myself to do the impossible," answered Kouenji.
+"You just faked being ill to get out of it!"
+"My, this test will be nothing but troublesome, wouldn't you say?"
+Kouenji sniffed.
+He continued his push-ups, then stood gracefully. He grabbed the towel
+from his bed and started wiping his neck.
+"Troublesome? You're not even thinking about this test at all!"
+countered Yukimura.
+"Well, there isn't any point to continuing a test that isn't interesting, is
+there? Finding a liar is simple."
+Kouenji, phone in hand, started to fiddle around. Soon after, all four of
+us, including Kouenji, received a notification from the school on our phones.
+"What did you just do, Kouenji?!"" shouted Yukimura.
+Hirata and I read over the email we'd just received from the school.
+"The test has now ended for the Monkey group. Those in the Monkey
+group are no longer required to participate any further. Please do not disturb
+ad
+the other students.
+"Monkey Group? Hey, that's your group, Kouenji!" shouted
+Yukimura.
+"Of course. And now, I finally have my freedom once again. Adieu."
+He tossed his phone aside before slipping into the bathroom. The rest
+of us were simply dumbstruck.
+"Y-you've got to be kidding me! We're desperately trying to think of a
+way out of this, and that guy, he just..."
+"We still don't know anything yet. He probably had his own ideas,"
+replied Hirata.
+"Y ou're being way too generous! That guy will screw anyone over, so
+long as he's able to enjoy himself and take it easy. This sucks!" shouted
+Yukimura.
+Well, Kouenji didn't take the test seriously at all. That was true.
+However, he was remarkably perceptive and observant. He had boldly stated
+that the test was nothing more than a "simple quiz" to find the liar. If that
+were true, he'd probably hit the mark.
+Kouenji's sudden actions soon became known to the rest of the
+students. Hirata's phone started to beep continuously as new notifications
+poured in. Classmates were desperate to know what'd happened. Katsuragi,
+Ryuuen, and Ichinose would all be surprised by this. Probably no one had
+imagined that someone would turn traitor so soon. Horikita messaged me:
+I'm sorry. Things seem really confusing right now. I'm going to give
+you a call.
+"Damn it. Thanks to Kouenji, things have escalated," said Yukimura.
+"I'm stepping out for a bit," I said.
+Yukimura seemed like he was so irritated he wouldn't be able to sleep.
+I stepped out of the room. Even though the test had ended for Kouenji, I
+couldn't dwell on that. To be honest, I was seeing my own limitations in this
+test. No matter how much I schemed, it would be extremely tough to lead the
+Class D students from all the remaining groups to victory. You could even
+say it was impossible.
+If the students came together, we could do something. Otherwise, we
+were beyond help. We had no connection. You couldn't interfere with
+another group's answers using your own phone. There wasn't enough time to
+find another method, and the risk was high. If I had some information that
+could decisively turn everything around, that would be another matter. The
+ringleaders were Hirata and Kushida. If I could use them...
+"It's impossible," I muttered. There were three days left. Even if I did
+manage to gain their cooperation, I still didn't have enough eyes and ears. I
+needed to understand what was going on in each group's discussions. Of
+course, I might still be able to use Horikita and Sakura, but...
+Well. Right now, I needed to get more eyes and ears on my side.
+3.6
+The starry skies stretched out before me as far as the eye could see. I
+wandered around, and stumbled onto the deck.
+"Wow, that's amazing."
+The view was more beautiful than anything I had seen in a movie or
+envisioned in a book. It was the kind of sky you couldn't see in a large city.
+There were a few couples holding hands, looking up to the stars shoulder-to-
+shoulder. I felt a little lonely. Because there was almost no light, I couldn't
+make out their faces, but I didn't particularly care. I wasn't interested in other
+people's romances.
+But amongst all the couples, there was one student looking up at the
+starry skies alone. A girl, judging by the silhouette.
+I couldn't just walk up and say something like, "Why don't we look at
+the stars together?" I'd probably come off sounding like one of those sleazy
+pick-up artists. Besides, if a boyfriend came along and joined her in the
+middle of me making a move, it would be bad. But part of me was interested
+in discovering her identity. I tried getting a little closer.
+The girl turned toward me.
+"Huh? Oh, Ayanokouji...kun?"
+"That voice... Kushida?"
+Kushida stepped out of the shadows. She looked at me with an
+expression of shock.
+"Are you...alone?" I asked. Perhaps she was waiting to meet her
+boyfriend. Just imagining that made my chest tighten and ache.
+"Yeah, I am. I just couldn't seem to sleep."
+"T-I see," I answered.
+Well, now I knew she wasn't on a starlit date. In that case, I figured she
+wouldn't mind, so I got closer. Kushida wore a jersey. She must have just
+gotten out of the bath, because she smelled nice. It should have been the scent
+from the complimentary shampoos in our rooms, but it wasn't. How
+mysterious.
+"Aren't you cold?" I asked.
+"I'm fine. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Are you all alone?"
+I nodded. When I did so, Kushida laughed happily.
+"So we're both alone? I admit, I felt a little ashamed being alone. This
+makes me feel better."
+(74 99
+eee
+I should've spouted off a witty one-liner. But I couldn't. Besides, being
+alone with Kushida in a place with a ton of couples spiked my heart rate.
+Deep down, though, Kushida must've been thinking how much she hated
+this.
+"Well, I'm gonna head on back," I said.
+"You're already leaving?"
+"I'm getting tired." That was a total lie. I didn't want to sleep in the
+slightest.
+"T see. Well, Ill see you tomorrow. Good night, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Good night, Kushida."
+I turned around and began to make a pathetic retreat.
+"Wait!"
+Unexpectedly, Kushida wrapped her arms around my chest. Even in
+this cold, I felt the warmth of her body through her jersey.
+"K-K-Ku...Kushida? Wh-what's the matter?" I squeaked.
+Of course, I was completely flustered. It was only natural that I'd
+panic. I couldn't understand what was happening.
+But Kushida didn't answer right away. She finally responded in a small
+voice.
+"I'm sorry. I...I just felt so lonely, I think," she whispered. Her words
+hit me hard, like a fighter smacking me right in the jaw. I felt dizzy. Kushida
+buried her face in my chest for a few seconds longer, without saying a word.
+Then she pulled away, flustered, as if breaking from a spell.
+"S-sorry. I, um...I just hugged you so suddenly, Ayanokouji-kun.
+Good night!" she stammered.
+I couldn't make out Kushida's face too well in the dark, but she might
+have been blushing slightly. Kushida quickly scurried away before I could
+speak. I stood there, hand on my chest, feeling the warmth that remained. I
+already couldn't sleep, and after all that, I couldn't just return to my room. I
+decided to wander around the boat before heading back.
+"Now that I've calmed down, I'm feeling thirsty."
+There should've been a few vending machines on the first level, so I
+decided to head there. But as I approached, I found an odd three-person
+group: Chabashira-sense1; the Class B homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-
+sense1; and Mashima-sensei from Class A.
+The teachers were relaxing on the sofa. The area wasn't technically off
+limits to students, but since things like izakaya and bars weren't open to us,
+no one came around. I'd taken this route just for a change of scene, but had
+stumbled onto an opportunity. I hid myself and drew nearer.
+"You know, it's been a long time since the three of us all got together."
+"It is what it is. Fate. After bouncing around from one thing to the next,
+we all chose the teacher's life."
+"Enough. There's no point talking about that."
+"Ah, that reminds me. You were on a date the other day, weren't you?
+You've got a new girlfriend, huh? Mashima-kun, you're quite the playboy.
+And here I'd thought you were the quiet, unsociable type."
+"Chie, what happened to the man you were with?"
+"Ah ha ha! We broke up two weeks ago. I'm the type of girl who
+breaks it off once the relationship starts getting serious. It's just like, see ya
+later!'"' Hoshinomtya-sensei said.
+"That's what you'd usually hear from the guy."
+"Ah, but I'd never do that to you, Mashima-kun. You're my best friend,
+after all. I'd hate to ruin our friendship."
+"Relax. I'm not worried about that."
+"What a shocker."
+Hoshinomtya-sensei poured whiskey into an empty glass. She downed
+it in one gulp. Must've been a drinker. On the other hand, Chabashira-sensei
+sipped her drink like a cocktail.
+"What are you planning, Chie?"
+"Huh? What are you talking about? What'd I do?"
+"It's customary to place all of the class representatives into the Dragon
+group, isn't it?"
+"I'm not screwing around or anything. It's certainly true that as far as
+grades and attitude are concerned, Ichinose-san is number one. However,
+someone's true place in society cannot be measured by numbers alone. I
+determined that she needed a challenge. And besides, rabbits are just so cute,
+aren't they? The way they hop around. Doesn't that suit Ichinose-san?"
+Hoshinomiya-sensei asked.
+"T hope you're right."
+"T think what you're saying makes sense, Hoshinomiya, but what are
+you getting at?"
+"We wouldn't want you to base your judgment on personal grudges."
+"Oh, are you still talking about what happened ten years ago? I thought
+that was all water under the bridge."
+"T wonder. I mean, you can't seem to stop yourself from running your
+mouth. You're not satisfied unless you're one move ahead. That's why you
+put Ichinose in the Rabbit group, isn't it?"
+"T genuinely thought that Ichinose needed to learn a lesson, so I
+removed her from the Dragon group. You know? By the way, Sae-chan, I
+couldn't help but notice you've been focusing on Ayanokouji-kun. Anyway,
+it's just a coincidence. Coincidence, coincidence. When the island test ended
+and Ayanokouji-kun became a kind of leader, you weren't surprised at all,
+were you?"
+"T see."" Mashima-sensei nodded as though convinced of something.
+However, he then strictly addressed Hoshinomtya-senseti. "There's no rule
+against this, but I want to be clear. Stop spying on other colleagues' classes."
+"Agh, it's like you don't trust me at all. Well, I'm not the only one to
+blame. Sakagami-sensei is part of the problem, too. If we evaluated the Class
+C students properly, another student should've been placed into Dragon. But
+they threw Ryuuen in there."
+"That's certainly true. This isn't your average year. The students seem
+rather special."
+With this newfound information, it was about time for me to head back.
+If I stayed any longer, I might be seen. Just knowing that Ichinose had been
+sent to spy on me was enough for this little reconnaissance. Apparently I was
+under heavy scrutiny.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Kanzaki Ryuuji
+CLASS: First Year, Class B
+STUDENT ID: S$01T004662
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: December 5th
+***
+Though he shows no apparent shortcomings as to his grades, and
+despite potential candidacy for Class A, we've determined that there is
+still room for growth. At the interview, he displayed a rather passive, half-
+hearted attitude. We wish to see improvement in that area. His circle of
+friends is superficial, and he appears to be poor at socializing, so we also
+would like to see him make improvements in those respects as well.
+***
+He's intelligent, physically able, and handsome. There have been no signs
+of troublemaking, so he is a very good boy. However, | would like to see
+him be a little more proactive.
+Chapter 4:
+Double Question
+66
+Yi joking, right?"
+The first thing out of Horikita's mouth sounded very accusatory.
+"Unfortunately, it's the truth. Kouenji just ended the test for his group,'
+I said.
+"Are you an idiot? Why didn't you stop him? Wasn't that your
+responsibility as his roommate?" she asked.
+"That's an impossible task. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it
+now. No use crying over spilt milk."
+Kouenji's treasonous act had circulated around the ship, and naturally
+the classes were in an uproar. Even though we'd chatted yesterday, Horikita
+wanted to meet face-to-face today. She seemed unconvinced by my words,
+because she was still shaking her head.
+"When I see him next time, Pll reprimand him myself. P'Il make him
+beg for mercy."
+"You already know that's pointless, right? He won't listen. He'll just
+confuse you and waste your time. It'Il be a headache. For the time being, we
+should concentrate on our own groups."
+She'd keep blaming me for Kouenji because he was my roommate. I
+decided to change the subject.
+"It's true that my group 1s filled with troublesome opponents, but I've
+no intention of falling behind," said Horikita.
+She certainly had an iron will. Well, I supposed I would have to leave
+the matter to her. I had problems of my own, specifically with Ichinose and
+the others who'd been secretly sent by Hoshinomiya-sensei to spy on me.
+"T was thinking. You're a girl, more or less. I wanted to ask you
+something," I said.
+"T really don't like the way you said that. 'More or less'? I am a girl."
+Horikita had misunderstood what I'd meant. She looked disgruntled,
+and turned away from me.
+"Oh, uh, that's not really what I meant. I meant there was something I
+wanted to ask you, as a girl." Since she'd probably get angrier no matter what
+I did, I cut to the chase. "I want information on Karuizawa."
+I'd planned to contact Karuizawa, but had never talked to her before. If
+Karuizawa ranked the boys in our class, I likely would've been last.
+"You want to talk to me about Karuizawa?"'
+"Yes, exactly." I nodded. "Id like to know more about the people in
+my group, but it's not easy. I should be able find out whatever I need to about
+the Professor and Yukimura, but I'm at a complete loss with Karuizawa.
+After the test on the island ended, Karuizawa invited you out to lunch.
+Right?"
+"T turned her down, though. You know that. I have no interest in
+Karuizawa-san. If you want information on her, why not talk to Hirata-kun?
+If he's helping you, you'll be able to contact her easily."
+That was certainly true. Unfortunately, prior to the test, I had also
+passed on the opportunity to have lunch with Karuizawa. Hirata probably
+remembered that, so I wanted to avoid asking him about this.
+"Do you think she's the VIP? Is that what you're worried about?"
+Horikita asked.
+"There's that. But more than that, I can't understand Karuizawa's
+behavior. That's why I'm worried."
+"Well, isn't that none of your business? Besides, her behavior isn't
+logical. I think it's a waste of time," she countered.
+"Horikita, I don't think it's good to write people off like that."
+"Write them off? What are you talking about?"
+"You and Karuizawa don't get along at all because you're both willful,
+so you see her as nothing more than a nuisance. You understand that she may
+also have strong points, too?"
+"She has strong points? I can't really imagine any. Isn't she just
+flawed?"
+In terms of cooperativeness, Horikita was probably at the same level or
+even worse than Karuizawa.
+"When you first see someone, you make judgments based on their
+appearance. You might determine if someone is cool or cute, for instance.
+Basically, you read people. Call it your first impression; that's simple
+enough. Next, you learn about their inner self through conversation and
+seeing them in action. You'll see whether they're sociable, belligerent,
+passive, etc."
+Horikita crossed her arms, acting like my words were obvious. She
+waited for me to continue.
+"But that's still just as superficial as their outside appearance. Their
+innermost thoughts aren't going to be immediately apparent from that. For
+example, take Kushida, Ibuki, or even me. There's a difference between a
+person's outer and inner selves."
+"So Karuizawa has some secret self?"
+"Almost everyone does. They may not be aware of it themselves. You
+do, too." Whenever she came face to face with her older brother, she exposed
+her fragility.
+"I'm still not entirely convinced. However, I imagine you'll learn more
+about her by spending time together," she said.
+Of course, that was easier said than done.
+"So, what are Karuizawa-san's good points?" Horikita asked.
+"T still can't really describe it, but so far I'd say it's her ability to
+assume control. She can take the initiative. In fact, her position in Class D is
+unshakeable."
+However, in the Rabbit group, that part of her stayed hidden, which
+exactly why I needed to uncover Karuizawa's true nature as quickly as
+possible.
+"Okay. Let's say for the sake of argument that you're right, and she has
+that ability. What do you intend to do? Are you thinking of making her your
+ally, too?" asked Horikita.
+"Hmm, I have to think about that."
+While I thought about how to answer, Ryuuen approached us. "Hey,
+you two. Having yourselves a nice date in the shade? Let me in on the fun."
+He wasn't with Ibuki, apparently. He drew closer to us, wearing a
+creepy smile.
+"Tt seems like you have an awful lot of free time. Not that I care, but
+there's nothing for you here," said Horikita.
+"That's for me to decide. Well then, have you decided how to find the
+VIP?" he asked. Ryuuen sat down without bothering to ask permission.
+"Whatever my plans may be, I've no intention of telling you," said
+Horikita.
+"That's too bad. I wanted to get your opinion. However, it looks like
+you haven't made any progress at all in your search."
+"That's an interesting thing to say. Are you saying that you know who
+the VIP is?"
+Ryuuen smirked slightly at Horikita, as if expecting her to express
+disbelief. "I've already started to discover the VIP's identity. Would you
+believe me if I told you that?"
+"No, I wouldn't. You don't have any support like Ichinose-san and
+Katsuragi-kun do. You only have enemies. I can't imagine you have reliable
+information," she countered.
+"Well, you're right that I'm not a professional friend-collector, but
+making friends has nothing to do with whether or not I can gather
+information." He spoke like a teacher rebuking his student for not getting the
+correct answer. "Unfortunately for you, I've already gotten a handle on the
+fundamentals of this test. Depending on how things go, Class C will win by
+an overwhelming majority."
+"No, you can't be..."
+No, what he was saying was probably true. The school always created
+tests with fundamental laws or rules at their core. That was true of our
+midterms, final exams, and even the test on the island. If you understood the
+logic behind those rules, it would be possible to win. This test was likely no
+different. He must have noticed that.
+"It's an extremely simple matter. All you need to do is find out what
+class the VIP is from. Then, your next move is to analyze the group," said
+Ryuuen.
+"T see. Anyone could think of that. But are they going to answer
+honestly? If the school has a rule that guarantees your anonymity, all they
+need to do is lie and gain 500,000 points, right?" Horikita countered.
+Ryuuen appeared calm in the face of Horikita's doubts. "You just have
+to make sure it's a situation where someone can't lie," he said.
+"Where someone can't lie?"
+"T take everyone's cell phones. So if someone lies to me, all I have to
+do is check everyone's email, one by one," said Ryuuen.
+"Are you insane? The school doesn't allow that. If you were
+discovered, you'd be expelled," snapped Horikita.
+"It's not really a problem at all, actually. I'm here because it's not a
+problem. Do you get what I mean?"
+It was a brute-force method that only he could pull off, because he was
+an absolute tyrant. If he forcibly looked at another student's phone, then
+Ryuuen would be punished. However, even if Ryuuen rampaged through
+Class C, he believed no one would lodge a complaint against him. And if no
+one complained to the school, that meant they were practically giving him
+consent.
+Ryuuen's calm proved that what he said was true—that he was
+operating within the rules. His strategy was to forcibly lay bare all of Class
+C's secrets. At any rate, if what he was saying was true, Ryuuen had
+identified three of the VIPs. That was a huge step toward completing this test.
+It was comparable to a quiz where you could turn the page over and
+find the answer written on the back. If you didn't flip the page, no one would
+know the answer, but if you flipped it just a little, you could spy the answer.
+In other words, Ryuuen probably knew the identities of every class's VIP.
+"Looks like you finally understand."
+"Yes. But you haven't got the answer yet. If you had, you would've
+sent an email to the school immediately," answered Horikita.
+"Maybe I'm just playing around?"
+"You don't know when someone else is going to figure it out. You
+shouldn't be so laid-back," Horikita snapped.
+She didn't have any proof, but Horikita was probably correct. If he
+already knew the answer, there'd be no benefit to delaying the result. He
+should have ended it.
+"Now, then. Suppose I'm about to reach checkmate?" he said.
+"Ryuuen-kun. While you're here, I'd like to ask you something. The
+test ended for the Monkey group yesterday. What do you think about that?"
+she asked.
+"T don't think about it at all. I don't really care about small fry. See you
+again, Suzune."
+Ryuuen left. His parting words made me wonder if he planned on
+reporting back regularly. I flipped him off, and Horikita made a face.
+"T don't know how much of what he said is true," she said.
+While we kept silent, we peeked underneath the chair that Ryuuen had
+been sitting in. Under the chair was a single cell phone set to record audio. A
+single chat message had been sent to that phone. There was no sound because
+the phone had been set to silent. I couldn't see everything on the screen
+because of the angle, but I instantly made out the words "Sorry for
+yesterday!"
+Perhaps there was some kind of drama in their class? I didn't want to
+court disaster by continuing to look, so I sat back up. Horikita quickly
+understood, took out her own phone, and sent me a short message:
+If that phone is his, we probably shouldn't say anything careless.
+Well, she wasn't wrong, but who knew what the correct answer was?
+This was difficult, but it would also be suspicious for us to just go silent.
+"Do you think what Ryuuen said was true? About finding out the VIPs
+from every class," I said.
+Horikita looked perplexed for a moment. However, she seemed to
+quickly pick up on what I was getting at.
+"T have to wonder. I can't say I'm 100% sure. But...there's a
+possibility. I don't think we can keep up this test much longer, though."
+"Sounds like things are rough for you, too," I said.
+"I've got a lot of work for you to do. I need you to find the group's VIP
+as soon as possible," said Horikita.
+"Easy for you to say. It's not like / can find them."
+"T won't expect too much from you. I just want information about the
+Rabbit group."
+Our conversation only highlighted Horikita's capability and my
+incompetence. That way, suspicion would probably be directed away from
+me. At any rate, Ryuuen was using his own phone to try and find out more.
+He was looking for anything he could get.
+"If you're not expecting too much, I'll do what I can," I answered.
+Without saying anything else, Horikita got up, walked to the elevator,
+and left. Should I head back to my own room? Or should I come up with a
+strategy to win the test? I left Ryuuen's phone alone and walked away.
+Eventually, I decided to head back to my own room. I could learn more
+detailed information about Horikita's group from Hirata, more or less. Also,
+Hirata would likely approach this test from a different perspective than
+Horikita.
+However, Hirata wasn't in the room when I came in. I only saw
+Yukimura. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking grave.
+"What's the matter?" I asked.
+He was my roommate, after all, so I couldn't just ignore him.
+Yukimura noticed me, but he didn't respond. He sighed quietly and muttered
+something to himself.
+"For crying out loud, why did we get stuck with this group? Why am I
+partnered with Karuizawa and Sotomura? We can't win," he mumbled.
+"What's with you all of a sudden?" I asked.
+"Didn't you hear? There's a rumor going around saying that they use
+guidelines to create the groups. When I heard that all the superior students
+got grouped into the Dragon group, I knew it was true," he answered.
+So that's what he was agonizing over. It was certainly true that the
+Dragon group did seem to feature the best of the best. Considering the
+conversation I'd overheard between the teachers and what Ryuuen had said,
+there wasn't any doubt. Based on pure academic ability, Yukimura certainly
+wasn't inferior to Hirata or Horikita. He was probably dissatisfied at being
+placed in the Rabbit group, which was stuck somewhere in the middle.
+Yukimura didn't use a certain person's name, but when he looked at
+me it was clear he was thinking about Horikita. Unfortunately, I couldn't help
+him. While I continued listening to him, I returned to my bed and laid down
+on my side. I thought I'd take a nap until Hirata returned.
+Unfortunately, I felt a disagreeable gaze on me. Yukimura stared at me
+suspiciously.
+"Ayanokouji. You aren't the VIP, are you?" he asked.
+"Even if I did deny it and said you're wrong, what's the point in
+checking?"
+"Cooperation is vital in this test. We need to adhere to that. If we
+cooperate, we won't lose."
+"T see. Unfortunately, I'm not the VIP."
+"Are you sure? You're not being selfish and trying to hoard points, are
+you?" Yukimura seemed to doubt everyone as a rule, so this didn't surprise
+me.
+"I'm not the VIP. Can I believe that you're not the VIP, Yukimura?"
+"Yes, of course you can. I'm not the VIP. Neither 1s Sotomura, by the
+99
+way.
+That was sort of like a secret handshake, a magic contract between
+allies.
+"T checked with Karuizawa, too. She said that she's not the VIP, but
+whether I believe her is another issue."
+Yukimura normally showed disdain for Karuizawa, so he tended not to
+believe what she said. He'd know the truth for sure if he checked her phone,
+but given that they had a tenuous relationship, that would be difficult. You
+could say their relationship was the embodiment of "good fences make good
+neighbors." They liked to keep their distance. They wouldn't flaunt their
+good fortune to one another.
+Yukimura seemed satisfied for the time being, because he didn't press
+the matter any further. I laid my head on my pillow and closed my eyes. I
+couldn't really relax with someone else in the room, but it wasn't too
+unpleasant. When I really focused on trying to make friends, I could be as
+adaptive as a chameleon, and it seemed even Yukimura was starting to warm
+up to me.
+I fell into a light sleep, punctuated by Yukimura's occasional sighs.
+4.1
+I, the afternoon, I went to the Rabbit group's discussion room.
+Despite the fact that it was a bright, sunny day, the atmosphere could
+completely change depending on the company. I arrived ten minutes before
+the discussion was set to begin and appeared to be the first one there. The
+next to arrive was Karuizawa. When she saw me, her expression changed to
+one of apparent disgust, and she quickly averted her eyes. After that, she
+moved as far away from me as she could and sat down. She took out her
+phone and started fiddling with it.
+We didn't exactly get along. We didn't really fight, though. She simply
+disliked me. But that was actually the most bothersome kind of relationship.
+If she disliked me for a reason, there was room for improvement. However, if
+she just instinctively hated me, then there was no chance of a breakthrough.
+I could've killed time out in the hall until Ichinose and the others
+arrived, but since I was here first, it would look awkward if I left. I decided to
+adjust my posture to look more manly and dignified. What a bother this test
+was. Because it centered around conversation, you /ad to participate no
+matter what, which was difficult for me. Even after the first semester ended, I
+still couldn't bring myself to strike up a conversation.
+Karuizawa didn't seem like she planned to pass the time quietly. She
+put her phone to her ear and started talking. "Oh hi, Rinocchi? How are
+things with you right now? Me? Ah, things here suck so bad. Like, I'm
+seriously fed up with everything," said Karuizawa.
+Since we were the only two people in the room, I could naturally
+overhear every bit of Karuizawa's conversation, including how she skillfully
+wove together expressions of both joy and melancholy. It was an incredibly
+awkward situation with only two people in the room. Immediately after her
+call ended, there came a moment of silence.
+"That reminds me. So, are you the VIP? It seems like... Yukimura-kun
+and that Soto...kun aren't," said Karuizawa.
+Wow, she was talking to me. At least she could remember Sotomura's
+name. Yukimura had asked me that same question a little while ago. I
+suppose it made sense that everyone wanted to check.
+"Nope," I answered.
+"Ah, okay. That's fine."
+However, unlike Yukimura, she didn't double-check. "Do you believe
+me?" I asked.
+"Huh? You said you're not, didn't you?"
+Even though we didn't get along well, she seemed to believe what I
+said. Well, there really wasn't any need to press the issue. I wasn't looking to
+get more points in this test. What was important was ascertaining whether
+Karuizawa could be useful to me.
+"You two sure are early," said Ichinose. The three Class B students had
+arrived together.
+"Nice to see you," I said. I raised my hand slightly. Ichinose spoke to
+Karuizawa as well, but Karuizawa was so busy on her phone, she didn't
+respond.
+Everyone in our group showed up before the start time. However, the
+situation hadn't changed at all from yesterday.
+Class A kept its distance from the rest of us, so the rest of us formed a
+circle. Then, Karuizawa got up and sat down next to Machida from Class A.
+Probably a defensive measure against Manabe. Machida didn't participate in
+the discussion, but we felt his presence very strongly. There was also a power
+imbalance, and Class C, which only had girls like Manabe, didn't really have
+any charismatic members who could go up against Machida.
+Had Karuizawa instead gone to someone weak, like me or the
+Professor, for support, Manabe and the others could have hounded her.
+Karuizawa had definitely made the correct decision.
+"Don't worry. If anything happens, Ill help you," said Machida.
+"Thank you, Machida-kun," she replied.
+Since Karuizawa had started depending on Machida, he seemed very
+conscious of her. I mean, she was a really cute girl, so it was understandable
+that he'd want to protect her. Even if they were from different classes.
+Leaving aside their new (and dangerous) affections, the test was the
+problem. We all understood that. We understood that what separated victory
+from defeat was finding out whether your class had the VIP.
+"Now then. I'm sure we all discussed this amongst ourselves last night,
+but I think we should try and find the VIPs after all," said Ichinose.
+"This again? Don't you get that some people here won't go along with
+it? If we don't all participate, there's no way you'll find the VIP," said one of
+the Class A students mockingly.
+"T don't think that's true, though. It's a problem of trust. That's why
+today, Id like us all to play cards together. Of course, I won't force anyone
+to participate. Only jump in if you want to," said Ichinose.
+She brought out a deck of cards, all while smiling.
+"Ha ha ha ha! Building trust through playing cards? That's so stupid!"
+"You can say it's stupid, but if you give it a try you might like it.
+Besides, spending an hour in complete silence sounds awfully boring. Why
+not kill some time?"
+Of course, all the other Class B students agreed to participate.
+"T shall play as well. I am currently at liberty," said the Professor.
+Well, the Professor was right. We didn't have anything else to do right
+now. No one else was joining, so I slowly raised my hand.
+"Five people, then. Well, I thought we could play Daifugo, but does
+anyone here not know the rules?" asked Ichinose.
+I had a grasp on the rules, to a certain extent. I knew about Daifugo. No
+one seemed to have a problem, so we got into a small circle and started
+playing. The people not playing either chatted amongst themselves, or
+occasionally shot us an indifferent glance. Ichinose shuffled the deck and
+divided the cards evenly among the five of us.
+I had a Joker, a pair of twos, and three other cards. Considering the
+hand I'd been dealt, I could've seemingly overwhelmed the others, but the
+winner isn't always the one with the strongest hand. The smallest upset could
+weaken your hand, and then you'd be defeated.
+However, I clearly had the superior hand. I needed a solid strategy to
+make use of the cards. This game was more profound than I'd expected.
+Also, everyone's idiosyncrasies were on clear display. Ichinose didn't just
+concentrate on her own hand; she played her opponents' as well. Hamaguchi
+focused on the endgame. He also got rather worked up at times, like the
+Professor.
+"Once more!"
+I would' ve thought that the Professor, who was a huge otaku, would be
+relatively calm. But when it came to games, he was the type to get fired up
+easily. At least he was also the type to cool off quickly, since he calmed
+down as soon as the game ended.
+This was probably what Ichinose wanted to see. By learning the unique
+characteristics of our group, she would know how to talk to them. It wasn't
+much, but considering that talking was useless at present, it was effective. It
+also meant that Ichinose was observing my behavior, just as I'd observed the
+Professor.
+I wondered how I looked from Ichinose's perspective. From an
+objective perspective, I probably looked dull. I pushed ahead when I had a
+good hand, but turned passive when the situation went downhill. A common
+kind of person. However, rather than forcibly changing the way I played and
+confusing Ichinose, it was probably better for me to be consistent. I continued
+the game as I normally would. We started off playing Daifugo, and played
+about five games before switching to Old Maid. The hour passed. In the end,
+neither Class A nor Class C joined in, so the five of us played from beginning
+to end.
+"Heh, my my, that was quite enjoyable. Playing a traditional game on
+occasion is no bad thing," said the Professor. He seemed to have enjoyed
+spending the hour playing games rather than talking. However, even after this
+session of psychological revelation, I still couldn't understand Class B's true
+plan. Only Ichinose had that information.
+"Well, I suppose I'll be going now," said Ichinose.
+"Where are you going?" asked Hamaguchi.
+"T can't let Class A just get away from us like this."
+"You're going to see Katsuragi-kun, then?"
+So. Ichinose intended to confront the man who'd devised Class A's
+"castle gate" strategy. Even though I wasn't a fundamentally social person, I
+knew I should take advantage of this.
+"If you don't mind, can I go along with you?" I asked.
+"Hmm? Sure, that's fine with me. Do you want to talk to Katsuragi-
+kun, too, Ayanokouji?" asked Ichinose. She didn't seem wary of me. Rather,
+she looked simply curious. She tilted her head.
+"No, that's not it. Horikita's in the same group as Katsuragi."
+"Ah, okay. Well then, let's go together. See you later, Hamaguchi-
+kun," said Ichinose.
+Hamaguchi nodded and watched us walk off. Even though Ichinose
+had taken the lead, they all seemed to respect one another. That wasn't at all
+the type of relationship that Katsuragi and Ryuuen had with their subjects.
+If the group discussions were happening at the same time, then each
+group would be breaking up at about the same time, too. Ichinose walked
+quickly, hoping to arrive before the Dragon group dispersed.
+"Let's hurry," she said.
+Ichinose picked up the pace. At least the rooms were all on the same
+deck, so it wasn't too long a walk. Since the discussion had only just ended,
+there was a scattering of students in the hall. Soon, we arrived at the Dragon
+group's room.
+We couldn't hear any voices, but we got the sense that people were still
+in the room. We stopped right outside the door. They might still be talking in
+there. I sent Horikita an instant message, but I didn't think she read it.
+"Looks like they're really taking their time," said Ichinose.
+"T can't imagine Ryuuen and Katsuragi holding a discussion. Maybe
+Class B is showing off their power?"
+"I'm not sure about that. Kanzaki-kun isn't the type to take the
+spotlight. On that note, you have Horikita-san in there with some others from
+your Class, right? She's a star player in the Class D line-up."
+Horikita, Hirata, and Kushida were all star players. Ten minutes passed
+until, finally, the door opened. The first person to exit the room was
+Ichinose's target, Katsuragi. Other Class A students trailed behind him.
+Katsuragi immediately noticed Ichinose.
+"Ichinose? What are you doing here?"
+"T'd like to talk to you, Katsuragi-kun. Do you have a minute?"
+"Well, the testing period is three days long. I have several minutes
+available."
+He didn't ignore Ichinose. Rather, he looked happy to engage with her.
+The other Class A students understood and continued on their way.
+"Tt's fine if I stay behind alone, yes?" he asked.
+Ichinose nodded. They moved out of the way of passersby. I somehow
+managed to remain in the conversation, so I stood close to Ichinose. From
+Katsuragi's perspective, I was nothing more than a single spectator. He didn't
+say anything about me being there.
+"T think I know what you're planning, Katsuragi-kun. You ordered
+your classmates to refuse to participate in discussions, yes? Would you
+possibly reconsider? We need communication to get through this test, after
+all."
+In the three discussions we'd had so far, the Class A students had
+passed the time in complete silence. Ichinose couldn't break down those
+walls on her own. She needed someone to lower the castle gate and let her in.
+Now, what would be Katsuragi's response?
+"That's extremely reasonable. But I've heard this question so many
+times that I feel like my ears are going to fall off. Unfortunately, Ichinose,
+you' ve wasted your time," said Katsuragi.
+Apparently Katsuragi's strategy had gotten a lot of attention.
+"T have my own situation to deal with. Katsuragi-kun. I don't think
+forcing people to be quiet is a good strategy. Would you reconsider?"
+Katsuragi, who'd probably been answering the same questions to
+multiple classes over and over, went straight to the heart of the matter.
+"The answer will always be the same. I developed that strategy to win.
+My reasons are good. You think this test requires communication. That's why
+you don't agree with me, but you're wrong. This test is about thinking. If you
+miss that, it's a big problem. So, in keeping with the theme of the test, ve
+decided to stifle discussion."
+"But, Katsuragi-kun, your idea is basically a rejection of the test itself,"
+countered Ichinose.
+"What I've said might sound bad, but it's not. I'm looking out for my
+class, looking for ways to not only preserve our standing in this test, but in
+tests to come. Do you agree that there's nothing wrong with me protecting
+my class?"
+"If this test were a direct competition between the classes, sure. I'd
+agree. But in this test, when all the classes are blended together, do you really
+think that's right?" asked Ichinose.
+But Katsuragi's opinion was correct. There were four possible
+outcomes in this test. As long as you chose one of those outcomes, it was
+legitimate. Katsuragi wasn't interested in small intergroup competitions; he
+was solely focused on maintaining Class A's lead.
+"Any further discussion is meaningless, Ichinose. You can't change my
+mind," he said.
+"So. Like the old saying goes, an immovable object meets an
+irresistible force?" Ichinose wore a wry, pained smile as she rubbed the back
+of her head. She didn't appear disappointed, but she probably understood
+there was no budging Katsuragi.
+"Do you still intend to fight?" asked Katsuragi.
+"Of course. This is a test," answered Ichinose.
+Ichinose and Katsuragi—two powerful, influential forces—were facing
+off against each other.
+"I'm sorry, but the result's a foregone conclusion. If Class A doesn't
+participate, there's not much you can do. There shouldn't be any way for you
+to win," said Katsuragi.
+Even if the three other classes were united, winning wouldn't be easy.
+If they discovered the identity of the VIP, anyone could become a traitor. As
+long as the potential traitor stood to gain something, it'd be difficult to
+maintain cooperation until the bitter end. If the reward wasn't distributed
+evenly, there'd be no reason to cooperate.
+"T want to ask you one thing. If you were Class A's leader, what would
+you do? Wouldn't you implement the same strategy?" asked Katsuragi.
+"Hmm...I wonder. Well, I can't really consider things from Class A's
+perspective. If you're being chased, I imagine it would be better to have
+experience with chasing. Always running is pretty tough, isn't it?" asked
+Ichinose.
+Katsuragi closed his eyes and crossed his arms, as if dismissing her
+words. He then met Ichinose's gaze once again.
+"In my opinion, if you were standing in my position, you would've
+come up with the same strategy I did. If it's to protect my class, I don't
+particularly mind being criticized by others." Katsuragi locked eyes with
+Ichinose.
+In response, Ichinose smiled softly. "I'm sorry for taking up your time.
+I think I understand now. Understand your thoughts and ideas, I mean," she
+said.
+"I'm glad to hear that. Well, if you'll excuse me."
+Ichinose watched Katsuragi leave.
+"This test is easier if you're playing defense. I guess I'll have to do
+even more," she mused.
+The lower classes were frantically fumbling around for hints, but that
+was risky. If you missed the VIP, you'd let down the rest of the class.
+"Anyway, Kanzaki-kun and the others haven't come out yet," she said.
+Only Katsuragi and the other Class A students had shown themselves.
+So far, no one else had left the room. One hour was the minimum
+requirement, but it was okay to discuss things further.
+"Are you going to wait for Kanzak1?" I asked.
+"You're waiting for Horikita-san, right? I wanted to ask her something,
+too. Let's wait together."
+She could talk to Kanzaki whenever, but her chances to speak with
+Horikita were probably limited. Since Katsuragi had brushed her off,
+Ichinose probably wanted to gather opinions from the other classes. But I
+couldn't see how she was planning to break through Katsuragi's strategy.
+We waited for nearly thirty minutes until, finally, the door opened. All
+of the Class C students left, except for Ryuuen. Kushida and Hirata came out
+next.
+"Huh? Ayanokouji-kun, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for
+Horikita-san?" asked Kushida.
+Kushida approached me, looking puzzled. I remembered the scene
+from yesterday and quickly stiffened. Unfortunately, Kushida seemed to have
+gone back to her usual self, as though nothing had changed.
+"Hello, Kushida-san."
+"Oh! Ichinose-san! Hello. Now, this is odd. Well, I should say I didn't
+expect to see the two of you together," said Kushida.
+Apparently Kushida didn't know that Ichinose and I knew one another.
+She couldn't hide her surprise.
+"We're waiting for Horikita-san and Kanzaki-kun. Are they still
+talking?" asked Ichinose.
+"Oh, those two. They're still discussing things with Ryuuen-kun right
+now. Maybe you could step inside?" Kushida gestured toward the door, as if
+inviting us in.
+"Oh no, it's all right. If they're still in the middle of something, we can
+wait."
+"Oh, I think it's fine. Besides, the test period is only one hour. Any
+time after that, we're free to come and go as we please. Besides, they may not
+be talking about the test."
+Kushida opened the door and called us in. Ichinose and I couldn't
+refuse her invitation, so we entered. Hirata and I briefly exchanged looks as
+we passed each other. Inside, Horikita, Kanzaki, and Ryuuen were sitting
+slightly apart from one another. It was a three-way deadlock.
+Although the mood wasn't necessarily tense, it wasn't relaxed, either.
+As we entered, everyone turned their attention toward us. Horikita and
+Kanzaki didn't change their expressions, but Ryuuen chuckled, as if we
+amused him. Then, he raised his hand to Ichinose.
+"Yo. Did you come all the way here to do some reconnaissance? Don't
+be shy. Take a seat."
+"This is a rather interesting group. I want to know what you're all
+talking about, especially since the required hour is up," said Ichinose.
+"Heh. Ah, of course you do. Originally, I thought you would have
+taken Kanzaki's place in here. But you ended up in a different group. What's
+more, you got shoved into a completely hopeless, hapless group. Or maybe
+you are a hopeless, hapless kind of person," said Ryuuen.
+"Come on, Ryuuen-kun. You know that we can't understand the
+school's strategies. We're just doing our best with the information we have
+and the situation we were placed into. But it sounds like you think there's a
+reasoning behind the group formations. Do you think the school had some
+kind of plan in mind?" asked Ichinose.
+Ichinose pretended she hadn't noticed anything, but Ryuuen wasn't the
+type to believe a woman so easily. Chuckling slightly, he drew closer to
+Ichinose. He didn't pay any attention to me. Well, that was okay by me.
+"If you haven't realized it yet, Pll explain it to you. The teachers
+intentionally decided how the groups would be divided. It's obvious, don't
+you think? If so, that means you were put into the losers' group despite being
+at the head of Class B," Ryuuen said. "There has to be a reason."
+"Hmm. So it wasn't random? They deliberately chose how to split us
+up? I noticed that your group is full of exceptionally gifted people, Ryuuen,
+but I suppose the other groups were all made for a reason as well. Thank you
+for the helpful advice. But should you really give me so much information?"
+asked Ichinose.
+She responded as promptly as expected. I noticed Ryuuen's face
+change, though. Normally, when confronted with surprising new information,
+a person expresses shock, confusion, or perhaps even doubt. However,
+Ichinose looked completely calm, and thanked Ryuuen for the advice. Not a
+normal response.
+Of course, she might have been purposefully hiding something.
+Considering how bright and lively Ichinose normally was, you might think
+she was incapable of deception. I didn't know how intuitive Ryuuen might
+be, but he likely recognized that something was going on. It was a brief
+conversation, but both parties seemed to gain quite a bit of information.
+In any case, what Ichinose did or didn't know about the school's plans
+wasn't really important. What was important was that she was staying quiet
+about it. Ichinose and Ryuuen were trying to get a read on each other.
+"Even so..." Ryuuen, looking exasperated, turned to me. "You know, I
+love chasing skirts, but you're on another level. First Suzune, now Ichinose.
+You're always sniffing around some chick, aren't you?" he said.
+I couldn't exactly deny what he was saying. Besides, Ryuuen probably
+wasn't all that interested in me, since he didn't say anything more.
+"Well, you've come at a good time, Ichinose. I have an interesting
+proposal for you," said Ryuuen.
+"A proposal? I suppose Pll hear you out. What is it?"
+"It's completely stupid. Listening to him would just be a waste of
+time." Horikita must have already heard this proposal, because she was quick
+to urge Ichinose to reject it.
+"A proposal to crush Class A. I don't think that's such a bad plan.
+Suzune and Kanzaki seem to disagree, though," said Ryuuen.
+"What do you mean?" asked Ichinose.
+"T told Suzune this earlier, but I already know all of the identities of the
+VIPs from Class C."
+There it was. Just as Katsuragi had his own strategy, Ryuuen had come
+up with a very Ryuuen-like plan. And it seemed like things were evolving
+beyond where they'd been this morning.
+"Three classes will share information about all the VIPs. That way,
+we' ll bypass the school's rules," said Ryuuen.
+So, he wanted the three of us to join forces.
+"Tt sounds like a pretty bold idea, but I don't think it's realistic. How do
+we know for sure that you have all the Class C VIPs, Ryuuen-kun?" asked
+Ichinose.
+"Tt's natural that you wouldn't trust me. In that case, why don't we
+make a contract? We'll pledge to share the identities of our three VIPs and go
+after Class A. That way, our three classes will benefit, but Class A won't."
+If Class A's refusal to engage with us was difficult, this proposal only
+increased potential school-wide enmity.
+"A contract is meaningless, since we won't know who might betray
+whom. If Class C betrays us, itll all be over," replied Horikita.
+Her flat rejection was completely expected. It seemed that Ryuuen had
+already been allied with Class A for a while. Also, during the test on the
+island, Ryuuen had been quick to betray others. That alone was all the proof
+we needed as to how devious he was. His strategy wasn't necessarily a bad
+one, but Ryuuen himself was the issue.
+"Y our thinking is solid, Horikita-san. If we don't have a guarantee that
+Ryuuen-kun 1s telling the truth, then this is meaningless," said Ichinose.
+"There's no point in playing a part anymore, is there? It's not like you
+don't have a handle on all of Class B's goings-on," said Ryuuen.
+The two were all smiles, but the mood changed. It grew tense, and it
+felt like we were all on tenterhooks.
+"You're giving me far too much credit. People don't have that much
+trust in me. Besides, your proposal is high risk, low return. I can't agree to
+it," said Ichinose.
+"Being secretive is prudent, but sometimes you need to act."
+"Maybe from your perspective. You're casting a wide net right now,
+and gathering information. Haven't you ever dreamed of rising up to Class
+B?" asked Kanzaki.
+"Horikita-san rejected your proposal. Therefore, this plan is off to a
+bad start," added Ichinose.
+"Well, there's no denying that. Even if Suzune wanted to agree, there's
+a reason why she can't," said Ryuuen.
+"What do you mean by that?" asked Horikita.
+"You already know what I'm getting at, don't you? For this strategy to
+work, you need to understand your own class perfectly. For Class D, which
+lacks any spirit of teamwork, this is an impossible undertaking. Right? It's
+also impossible for Class A, since they're split into two factions."
+The atmosphere in the room changed again. This time, the air felt
+heavy, like before a storm.
+"But I can make this strategy work, since I rule my class. And it's
+smart for Ichinose, since she's incredibly popular within her class. I
+originally pitched the idea of a three-class alliance, but it's also possible with
+just two classes. The chances of a perfect outcome might be lowered, but
+since it's me we're talking about, I can see it through. If we pull this off,
+Classes A and D will be stripped bare and left with nothing," Ryuuen said.
+He was willing to leave both Class A and D in the dust.
+"You really overestimate me."
+The fact that Ryuuen had openly shared his idea and asked Class B to
+double-cross us right in front of Horikita, myself, and Kushida was very
+unsettling. Even if his proposal wasn't perfect, Ryuuen was actively working
+to discover each class' VIPs, and he could get there without too much
+trouble.
+If so, then this was a crucial point for Class D.
+"T might be overstepping here, but I doubt you'll be able to pull this
+off," Horikita said.
+I thought it'd be smart to sit and observe silently, but apparently
+Horikita thought otherwise. Even if Ichinose decided to ally with Class D, we
+had no idea how much we could trust her. The possibility of Ichinose and
+Ryuuen teaming up was extremely dangerous.
+"So do you understand the situation now, tagalong?" Ryuuen mocked
+me, but I didn't fall for his cheap tricks. Instead, I offered my honest opinion.
+"Suppose Classes B and C did become allies. Wouldn't that mean that
+Classes A and D would become allies as well? I admit that Class D is
+fractured, but if faced with certain defeat, I think we'd come together. I
+believe Class A would do the same."
+"Ichinose and I haven't entered into an alliance yet, so you have no
+way of knowing. Are you sure Katsuragi will cooperate with you?" asked
+Ryuuen.
+Katsuragi was most definitely cautious. He probably wouldn't make
+any moves without evidence. However, since he'd also suffered losses on
+Ryuuen's account, there'd be some room for negotiation. After listening to
+me, Horikita had also realized that we couldn't afford to let Class B and Class
+C's alliance form.
+"There's no point continuing this discussion any further. In the end,
+both parties would just crush each other," she said.
+"What do you mean, Suzune?" asked Ryuuen.
+"T mean exactly what Ayanokouji said earlier. If you insist on
+continuing to act as if this were a strategy meeting, we'll just have to assume
+that this is your intent and respond accordingly."
+"As you wish. I'm looking forward to seeing whether you or not you
+can get your class to come together," replied Ryuuen.
+Despite his open hostility, Ryuuen shamelessly extended his hand to
+ask us to work together. Horikita, meanwhile, was exhibiting her
+determination to fight to the bitter end. This would also be a determent to
+Ichinose. If she betrayed Class D right here, right now, she would probably
+be branded a traitor by all the classes. She'd be seen as someone who'd
+betray her allies whenever convenient, for the sake of a few points.
+If Ichinose got saddled with that kind of reputation, 1t would weigh her
+down for a long time, probably for the rest of her high school days.
+"I'm sorry, Ryuuen-kun. But you've hurt people in Class B with your
+actions. Even if it's possible for us to get more points, I can't ally with you
+on that reason alone," said Ichinose.
+"Well, that's unfortunate," answered Ryuuen.
+He didn't look the least bit disappointed, but rather like he'd guessed
+that his plan wouldn't fly from the get-go. Ryuuen got up and left the room,
+passing us by. As he left, Ryuuen glanced at me one more time. Our eyes
+happened to meet.
+"It can't be," he muttered.
+Of course, I didn't respond. Ryuuen lightly shook his head.
+"Ah, I should be going. My friends are calling me," said Kushida.
+She quickly retreated from the room. In the end, I was left with my
+usual partners in crime.
+"Whew. I guess he saw through me," said Ichinose. Even though
+Ichinose didn't look particularly flustered, she sighed deeply.
+"This will be tough. He's gunning for us," Horikita said.
+"Ryuuen might think himself a dragon, but he's really a snake. He's so
+tenacious that when he finds his prey, he'Il go to any lengths to bring it down.
+But don't you have it worse than me right now, Horikita-san? Ryuuen-kun is
+naturally wary of Class A, after all. He probably thinks that Class B will one
+day be his enemy, too. But right now, he's got you in his sights," said
+Ichinose.
+Well, that was true. Class D had been stuck at the bottom, but the
+island test had allowed us to climb up a bit. Because of that, Class D might
+evolve into real competition.
+"Don't worry. Horikita isn't the type to crack under pressure. Isn't that
+right?" I said.
+"Naturally," Horikita replied.
+Well, she appeared that way from the outside. But even if she were just
+putting on a brave face, it was possible she'd reveal her true, hidden self. I
+just didn't know when she would. Maybe today, or maybe in ten years' time.
+Most people fall short of becoming the people they were meant to be.
+"Horikita-san, Ayanokouji-kun. I wanted to ask you something. Do you
+think this test will create trust between people of different classes?"
+"No one's looking to make enemies, but bringing people together like
+that will always be difficult. Even if two classes could become friendlier, it
+won't be enough. We'd need unwavering cooperation between everyone in
+Classes D and B, and I don't know how we'll make such an alliance," said
+Horikita.
+"Yeah. Just like I'd expect of you, Horikita-san. You understand this
+test very well. Ryuuen-kun's just full of hot air. I was right to choose your
+side." Ichinose seemed happy to be standing with Horikita. "Yes. Ryuuen-
+kun's plan will fail. It's probably best not to worry about it. The real problem
+is Katsuragi-kun's iron fortress strategy. What do you think about it now that
+you've spoken to him?"
+"T said this yesterday, but Katsuragi is completely unapproachable.
+He'll talk to you, but he won't give an inch. I doubt he'! change his mind
+before the exam ends. At this point, I think all of Class A 1s taking the same
+stance. Don't you?" asked Kanzak1.
+"Yeah. I think it's hopeless, too. We have no choice but to find a
+different way," said Ichinose.
+We had three discussion periods left. After that, each individual group
+would have to submit their answers. Did we work in favor of our class, or our
+group? Or should we take action for our own sake?
+"Well, I'm going to head back to my room," Horikita said flatly.
+Since everyone else from the Dragon group had left, Horikita walked
+away without another word. As she made her way out, she met up with
+Hamaguchi, who appeared to be waiting for her. Ichinose watched Horikita's
+back as she left, then turned toward me.
+"Would you walk with me for a little bit?" she asked.
+"Sure. I don't mind."
+I strolled out with Ichinose and two other students from Class B. It felt
+a little crowded. After we split from Kanzaki and reached the ship's deck, we
+slipped into a large crowd of students. Everyone looked as though they'd
+shaken off the test and were in the mood to have fun.
+"T understand what Horikita-san said earlier, but I think there's still
+room for cooperation," said Ichinose.
+"Cooperation?"
+"Yes. I was surprised when Class A distanced themselves, but I think
+we have a chance. But to pull it off, we might have to reveal everything."
+"Everything?"
+"This entire test boils down to finding the VIP. That's the point, right?
+So if we play things by the book, we increase our chances by narrowing
+down the list and finding out who isn't the target. So, Ill tell you right now:
+I'm not the VIP. But I intend to find them and lead my group to victory."
+Ichinose said that with confidence as she looked me square in the eye.
+She continued.
+"You might think that if I'm the target, I could just be hiding my
+identity. But Ayanokouji-kun, the reason I'm not is simple. Everything I do is
+for the sake of Class B," she said.
+Her words held a mystery that was hard to explain. Considering
+Ichinose's behavior until now, there was only a fraction of doubt left in my
+mind. If she wanted my full cooperation, then she needed to take things a step
+further. If she showed me her phone voluntarily, right now, she would gain
+all of my trust.
+However, she didn't display any signs of doing that. She didn't even
+try to take her phone out. Should I accept her statements as the simple,
+thoughtless pledge of an ordinary girl? Or did I detect a layer of intrigue? I
+couldn't tell, and that was why I felt what she said was mysterious. It was
+probably safer to just accept what she said.
+"It must sound strange," said Ichinose, seemingly a little dissatisfied
+with my silence.
+"Ah, no. Sorry. I don't think it's strange at all, really. I was just a little
+surprised that you came straight out, that's all. You said that if you were the
+VIP, you'd choose to lead your class to victory," I answered.
+"I'm not lying. I think that lying might be necessary in competition, but
+I like to be honest as much as possible. I do want my class to win, fair and
+square. I thought the road to victory lay in narrowing down who the VIP is.
+Ah, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, Ayanokouji-kun.
+I just wanted to explain my feelings. I thought if I told you, things might be
+easier."
+"Even if perfect cooperation is impossible, trying to form solid
+relationships is no bad thing. If I don't answer now, it might hurt our
+relationship down the line."
+"No, no, I don't think so." She sounded flustered, but this wasn't the
+time to hide.
+What Ichinose was saying was true. Even if she fooled me and lured
+me into a trap, her reward would be rather small. Breaking the truce with
+Horikita and exploiting Class D would be nonsensical. Sure, I couldn't
+be 100% certain she wouldn't betray us, but I couldn't be 100% certain I
+wouldn't be killed by a meteor, either. No one should spend their time
+worrying about all the things that could possibly happen. I decided to be
+honest with her.
+"I'm not the VIP. Neither is Yukimura, I can say that with absolutely
+certainty. Unfortunately, I don't really know about Karuizawa or the
+Professor...err, I mean, Sotomura. It's not clear yet. Personally, I agree with
+you on principle."
+I'd heard from Yukimura that Karuizawa and the Professor weren't
+VIPs, but I thought it'd be best to leave that part unsaid. If I was careless and
+one of them turned out to be the VIP, I'd only lose Ichinose's trust. I'd
+determined that Yukimura wasn't the VIP through his actions and attitude.
+"S-sorry. It seems like I forced your answer," said Ichinose.
+Ichinose lowered her head, as if burdened by feelings of guilt. She
+didn't need to apologize, though. /'m the one who will need to apologize to
+you someday, | thought.
+"Hey, Hamaguchi-kun. Got a minute?" asked Ichinose.
+"What is it, Ichinose-san?"
+Hamaguchi approached us, looking relaxed. Ichinose filled him in on
+the current situation. Surprisingly, she concealed her cooperative relationship
+with Class D. Considering Ichinose's character, I would have guessed she'd
+get her class' approval.
+"If Ayanokouji's confirmed it, there's no reason for me to refuse. I'm
+not the VIP," said Hamaguchi.
+When I considered his relationship with Ichinose, I believed him.
+There'd be little merit in lying. That just risked fracturing the truce with
+Horikita. However, if we wanted to adopt a strategy without the risk of being
+exposed, we could do better than this.
+"You haven't checked with your own class yet," I observed. Ichinose
+should have been able to get everyone in her class on board without having to
+resort to scare tactics like Ryuuen.
+"T prefer to let my classmates act autonomously. There are people in
+my class who want points. It's not like I can arbitrarily transfer the VIP's
+rights to myself," said Ichinose. "This might sound impertinent, but I'Il check
+with the remaining person myself. If that person answers me honestly, I' Il tell
+you later, Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+"That's nice of you, but it's not like I've told you everything about
+Class D. We still haven't really established an open and honest relationship
+yet, and there's no guarantee I've told you the iron-clad truth."
+"Oh, don't worry. As long as I just have your cooperation, Ayanokouji-
+kun, I'm happy," answered Ichinose.
+With that, real cooperation in the Rabbit group began. I was sure that
+neither Ichinose, Hamaguchi, nor I were the VIP. After considering his
+behavior and attitude, we were convinced that Yukimura wasn't the VIP,
+either. Excluding us four, that meant there were ten suspects remaining. One
+of them was the VIP.
+It'd be just as hard as finding the leader on the deserted island, or
+perhaps an even more difficult task. The VIP would certainly feel the
+pressure, so he or she would naturally try concealing themselves. Though the
+test had seemed unreasonable at first, the school found a way to make it
+balanced.
+"How do you plan on finding the VIP? Even if we try asking people
+directly, I can't imagine that they'Il openly admit to anything. It'll probably
+be difficult to persuade them with words alone," said Hamaguchi.
+"Well, isn't the point of this test for us to figure it out?" asked Ichinose.
+She was right. This was an exceptionally difficult exam. You needed to
+extract information from someone who wanted to conceal the truth. With
+Ichinose making her move, the once-hopeless situation was starting to
+change.
+4.2
+Uitte: you were psychic, finding the VIP wasn't going to be easy.
+People are born liars. If a person ever claims to live their life without telling a
+lie, their life itself is probably a lie. Lies are inescapable parts of us. A kind
+lie is no exception; it's still a lie.
+Somewhere in this group of students was the VIP. We still had time
+until the discussion period began. Like last time, I was the first to arrive. I'd
+come early to observe everyone's behavior.
+A group of Class C girls were the first people to enter. They were
+chatting loudly, looking like they were enjoying their conversation quite a bit.
+However, when they saw me, they instantly lowered their voices and sounded
+disgusted. They made sure to sit a good distance away from me. Next in was
+Yukimura, who was grinning. We briefly exchanged glances, and then he sat
+near me. He didn't seem particularly different from his usual self.
+Next came the Class A group, Machida and Takemoto. Morishige came
+in by himself. Since they'd decided not to discuss anything, they once again
+sat at the far end of the room, close to the Class C girls.
+"Hey, Machida-kun. After we're done here, do you want to hang out
+with us? The three of us were looking to have some fun."
+"T see," replied Machida.
+Even though Machida wouldn't participate, all the girls noticed him.
+Apart from Ichinose and Ibuki, they seemed interested in Machida. I wasn't
+especially jealous or anything... Okay, I might've been a little jealous. The
+girls were probably inviting Machida to hang out because they'd given up on
+finding the VIP. Or maybe that was part of their plan. Was this how men and
+women formed relationships? Machida didn't seem perturbed by this. In fact,
+he looked pleased.
+Next came the other Class D students: the Professor and Karuizawa.
+Rather than coming here together, it looked like they'd arrived at the same
+time by sheer coincidence. Karuizawa appeared openly disgusted by the
+Professor's presence. After they entered, she quickly moved toward the back
+of the room.
+"Hey, aren't you sitting in my seat?" asked Karuizawa. Despite being
+late, she glared at the Class C girls. After seeing them being so friendly with
+Machida, she seemed even more frustrated.
+"T have no idea what you're talking about. What do you mean, your
+seat? Just sit anywhere. Any spot should be fine."
+"Well, that's the seat I want. That's my spot. Move," urged Karuizawa.
+"Huh? I'm talking to Machida-kun right now. He promised to hang out
+with me tonight," said Manabe.
+"Hey, Machida-kun. Could you please tell her that you want me next to
+you?"
+Machida looked a little troubled by the situation, hesitating over which
+girl he should pick. However, Karuizawa quickly inserted herself between
+Manabe and Machida, and grabbed his hand.
+"How about we spend some time together, just the two of us? Or have
+you promised that girl you' ll go with her? I hate two-timers. If you're going
+to mess around with that girl then that'1l be the end of it, I guess," said
+Karuizawa.
+Whoa. I was amazed she could say that with a straight face, given that
+she was already dating Hirata.
+The "just the two of us" part really seemed to strike a chord with
+Machida. It appeared he'd made his decision.
+"Excuse me, but would you please move? That's the seat Karuizawa's
+been sitting in," said Machida.
+"Huh? What the hell? Ugh, this is bull,' Manabe whined.
+The girls, looking upset, promptly got up and left. Karuizawa moved
+into the empty seat. Actually, she scooted so close that she was practically
+glued to Machida. Seriously, they were right next to each other, their bodies
+pressed together. Karuizawa's actions didn't seem petty or frivolous to me,
+but that was probably because I already knew what kind of person she was.
+Karuizawa was dating Hirata. Whether or not Machida knew that, it
+looked like he'd started to fall for her. Appearance-wise, she was most
+definitely cute. Also, from the perspective of someone with a crush, it made
+sense that he'd want to protect her.
+The interesting thing was that, despite how recently our group had
+formed, we'd already developed our own unique hierarchy, including power
+dynamics. The loners were loners, and the popular kids were popular. The
+organizers were organizers. However, not everything was business as usual.
+For example, if there were two organizers in the same place, one would take
+charge, and the other would be dropped. It was like a microcosm of the
+jungle, survival of the fittest.
+The person who lost that battle was demoted in terms of social status.
+In some cases, he or she might drop all the way to the lowest rung on the
+ladder. They'd be so low that their presence wouldn't matter to those around
+them. You could say I was such a person.
+The interesting thing about this exam was that it made people who
+would normally be wary of one another come together and join hands.
+Ichinose might have been incredibly popular among her friends in her class,
+but among people who were obviously her enemies, she had a low level of
+influence. Would Hirata have been able to get us a little more organized?
+"Hello, everyone!"
+Speak of the devil. Ichinose arrived, bringing life into the depressing
+room. I found the air in the room especially heavy today, but thought it best
+not to speak carelessly. Even so, Karuizawa's actions seemed overbearing
+and a little baffling. Even if she really wanted to get to know Machida better,
+she didn't need to openly antagonize the Class C girls.
+However, that weird situation didn't seem all that important to the
+exam itself.
+As someone who knew what Karuizawa was like, I could already see
+how her personality informed her actions. I wondered if Karuizawa always
+wanted to be at the very top, whether it was in class or this group. Of course,
+it wasn't an easy thing for a girl to stand at the top. I mean, if it was an
+extremely charismatic girl like Ichinose, that was one thing. But if you didn't
+naturally excel, it was impossible.
+However, in our school lives, relationships determined whether
+someone placed high or low in the caste system. Through her overbearing
+behavior, Karuizawa had become a leader for the Class D girls. She'd also
+gained a lot of influence over both guys and girls by becoming Hirata's
+girlfriend.
+So if you applied what you knew about Karuizawa's behavior to how
+she was acting now, the truth was clear. She'd forcibly pushed herself onto
+the most confident man, Machida, and with him in the palm of her hand,
+she'd taken control of the room. That was why the Class C students couldn't
+go against Machida, and had reluctantly left their seats.
+If you didn't mind being hated, what did you gain by dominating the
+field? A sense of superiority? Self-satisfaction? The spotlight? I still couldn't
+understand the root cause of her behavior.
+"This isn't good."
+"Yeah. If things continue like this, the VIP will get away."
+Yukimura sat next to me and muttered his concerns. I opted to just roll
+with it.
+"Now then. Will Class A not participate this time, either?" asked
+Ichinose.
+"Of course we won't. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves, though. We
+haven't changed our policy," answered Machida.
+Beside him sat Morishige, who had erased all semblance of human
+emotion from his expression. I had seen him around before this test.
+According to rumor, Class A was divided into two different factions, one led
+by Katsuragi and one by Sakayanagi. Morishige was one of those who'd
+turned against Katsuragi during the test on the island.
+Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't have followed
+Katsuragi's orders, but Sakayanagi was sick and thus absent from the trip.
+Without the presence of his leader, Morishige had no choice but to do as he
+was told.
+I'd thought that Katsuragi would've lost influence, considering the
+damage he incurred by failing the island test. However, it looked like he
+wasn't going to crumble that easily. Since Morishige had remained silent for
+two days now, it looked as though even he had no choice but to follow
+orders.
+"Since it would be a waste to spend an hour in complete silence, how
+about we play cards again?" asked Ichinose.
+Ichinose took out her cards immediately. How you approached your
+goal was a major aspect of this test. She wanted to narrow down the list of
+suspects through open, honest conversation. On the other hand, Katsuragi
+aimed for stability by suppressing all conversation. Then there was Ryuuen,
+who wanted to turn everyone into his enemy while taking complete control of
+his class. He said that he'd found the secret logic underlying the test.
+However, I wasn't sure.
+In the end, we became absorbed in playing cards for the hour, and then
+disbanded. Yukimura frantically searched the area for something, but
+unfortunately it didn't seem like he'd gotten any clues as to the VIP's
+identity. I'm sure it was the same for all the other students.
+Even if we did talk, it wasn't as though the VIP was just going to step
+forward. I watched the order in which all the students left. The Class C
+students were usually the first out the door, but they hadn't moved.
+Meanwhile, the Class A students, typically the last to leave, were the first out
+the door. Well, not everyone in Class A had left yet. Machida and Karuizawa
+were exchanging contact information. Yukimura and the Professor got up.
+"T think it's time to head back. You coming, Ayanokouji?" Yukimura
+asked.
+"Yeah."
+While we spoke, Karuizawa answered her phone and stood. She exited
+the room, chatting away on the phone, seemingly talking about something
+funny or interesting. As she walked away, the three Class C girls brushed past
+me and made their way out.
+"Hey. Did you get a weird vibe from those three just now?" asked
+Yukimura. He turned to me with a slightly puzzled look.
+"You think so? I can't say that I noticed anything of the sort,"
+answered the Professor.
+The Professor's tone was ridiculously pompous. However, I thought
+Yukimura's feelings were right on the money. The Class C girls had looked
+considerably angry. Yukimura and I peered into the hallway to see what was
+going on. We saw the three girls closely following Karuizawa. Being alone,
+she was at a disadvantage. The situation had me worried. Also, Ibuki, who
+might've mitigated the other three, wasn't around.
+"You think they have a bone to pick with her?" asked Yukimura.
+"Let's follow them. I don't think there'Il be violence, but it could lead
+to an uproar."
+"Damn Karuizawa. She's always making people hate her. I wanted us
+to spend our precious time finding the VIP," Yukimura grumbled.
+While the Professor headed back to his room, Yukimura and I quietly
+chased the four girls. When we turned the corner, I heard the ka-chack sound
+of an emergency exit door slamming shut. The elevators weren't even
+crowded, so it wasn't like there was any reason to use the stairs. There had to
+be another reason why they'd gone in there. I opened the door and heard
+voices.
+"Hey. why'd you bring me to a place like this?!"
+"Stop playing dumb! You did push Rika, didn't you? Start talking."
+"H-huh? I already told you, you've got the wrong person!"
+The three girls surrounded Karuizawa, forcing her up against the wall.
+They were preventing her from escaping. However, even surrounded,
+Karuizawa offered no apologies. She continued to deny what they were
+saying. Maybe she really was innocent.
+"Look, I have plans later. Can you please move?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Okay, let's confirm it right now. I'm going to call Rika. If it wasn't
+you, we'll forgive you."
+"T have no idea what you' re talking about. I'Il call the teacher."
+"And what will you tell the teacher, exactly? It's not like we're being
+violent with you or anything. Besides, if you talk to the teacher, we' ll tell on
+you, too. We'll say you pushed Rika. You'll also get in trouble."
+Neither side intended to back down. Karuizawa tried to escape, but the
+girls grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the wall. One of the girls
+took out her phone, probably to call Rika.
+"W-wait!" Karuizawa pleaded with them to not call.
+"What? Why should we wait?"
+"T just remembered something. I bumped into that girl before."
+"You're a total liar. You remembered her from the very beginning,
+didn't you? Well, whatever. So, are you going to apologize to Rika
+properly?"
+"No way. She was in the wrong. She's a complete airhead."
+I would've thought Karuizawa would take responsibility for her
+actions, but instead, she refused. She refused despite knowing it would upset
+them.
+"Y ou're seriously pissing us off. We might've forgiven you if you'd
+actually apologized to Rika. But now, we definitely won't forgive you."
+The girl pressed down against Karuizawa's shoulder.
+"Whatever. You probably never planned on forgiving me."
+After Karuizawa spat out those words, one of the girls, Yamashita, lost
+her patience. "Shiho-chan. I've had enough. Karuizawa's unforgivable."
+"T know, right? She should understand exactly how Rika felt. Why
+don't we bully her for real?"
+She struck Karuizawa's shoulder with a little extra force. Yukimura
+started to throw the door open, but I grabbed his arm. Even if we stepped in
+now, Karuizawa would be threatened again at some point. However, if they
+got even a little violent while we were watching them, it'd be a deterrent for
+later. Also, depending on how violent they got, we could possibly threaten
+them, telling them we'd report them to the school.
+More importantly, Karuizawa Kei looked like she was starting to
+change.
+"Abh...ahh..." She panted as if she were having a hard time breathing.
+She held her head in her hands as if she were in pain. When Manabe and the
+others saw her suffering, they weren't sympathetic. The opposite, actually. It
+irritated them.
+"Act as girly as you want, we're still not going to forgive you."
+They grabbed Karuizawa's hair and forcefully yanked her head up.
+"T've always hated your face, Karuizawa. I mean, don't you girls think
+she's just butt-ugly?"
+"Yeah, for sure. Don't you just want to cut her face?"
+"St-stop. Stop it."
+"<St-stop it', she says. What happened to your big attitude?"
+The more you envied your enemy, the more you hated them, to the
+point where you wanted to strip away their advantages. If we were talking
+looks, then Karuizawa had them all beat. But Manabe, Yamashita, and Yabu
+wouldn't be satisfied until they'd verbally torn Karuizawa's pretty face apart.
+Karuizawa trembled, frightened. She was on the verge of tears, still unable to
+move.
+People show their true colors when they're in jeopardy. A little more
+pressure, and I'd know who Karuizawa Kei really was. However, Yukimura
+couldn't stand by any longer. He threw open the door. The three girls were
+naturally shocked by his sudden appearance. Karuizawa, on the other hand,
+looked like he'd saved her life.
+"What are you doing?!" Yukimura shouted.
+"What? Nothing. Right? We were just talking to Karuizawa-san.
+Yeah?"
+Manabe glared at Karuizawa, as if telling her not to say another word.
+But Karuizawa wasn't the sort to shy away.
+"Yukimura-kun, these girls just abducted me and started getting all
+violent. They're seriously the worst, aren't they? They were being, like, super
+annoying, so I told them to get lost," said Karuizawa.
+She'd normally never talk to Yukimura, but she was probably grateful
+to him now. Meanwhile, the Class C girls glared at Yukimura. Their eyes
+seemed to say, "This has nothing to do with you."
+"Well, I'm just talking with Karuizawa about her problem, what she
+did to Rika. You heard how Karuizawa slammed into her, right?"
+"Don't you think it's better to just let things go? They bumped into
+each other. It's not like Karuizawa was at fault," Yukimura said.
+"You shut up. This has nothing to do with you."
+Under the weight of their glares, he fell silent. Karuizawa shot a look at
+Yukimura, like she thought he was pathetic. She quietly took out her phone.
+"Just leave me alone. If you don't, I'll call someone."
+"Who are you going to call? Hirata-kun? Machida-kun? I mean, I guess
+a Slut like you has a hundred guys on speed dial, right?"
+Fights between girls often got dirty, and unlike with men, violence
+wasn't really an option. This was painful to watch.
+"A teacher was just here. I think it'd be better if you left," I said.
+I had no other choice but to step in and break this up. Class C probably
+didn't want to cause a scene.
+"You better bow your head and apologize to Rika."
+The Class C girls kept intimidating Karuizawa, who desperately tried
+to keep a brave face. But it was obvious that she'd lost her confidence. The
+other girls seemed to know that. They continued their hostility.
+"Are you okay?" asked Yukimura, who seemed unable to leave
+Karuizawa to their mercy. She was hyperventilating.
+"Just leave me alone!" As Yukimura drew nearer, Karuizawa slapped
+his hand away.
+"Hey, what the hell? I only came to check on you because I was
+worried!"
+"God, shut up! Nobody asked you!"
+Karuizawa's breathing grew even more ragged. Yukimura stepped
+back, overpowered. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and stepped back, too.
+Karuizawa glared at me as she opened the emergency stairwell door and
+slammed it as hard as she could after she left.
+"Jeez, what's with her? She's always, always causing trouble for
+people!"
+I understood Yukimura's feelings of resentment. Karuizawa was
+certainly a troublemaker. Yukimura, seemingly exhausted from the ordeal,
+left without saying another word. I stood alone in the emergency stairwell
+and thought about Karuizawa. The leader of the Class D girls had shown her
+vulnerable side. However, the threats hadn't frightened her; she'd been
+terrified for another reason.
+4.3
+I, was the middle of the night on the second day. The pool, which was
+crowded during the daytime, had once again grown silent. There was no one
+around. I took out my phone to make a call. Because the phones already had
+teachers' contact information stored in them, getting in touch with
+Chabashira-sensei was a relatively simple task.
+Though it was the middle of summer, we were still on the ocean, and
+the night wind that passed over the ship's deck was quite chilly.
+"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ayanokouji."
+"It's okay. I'm sorry for calling you so late."
+"An instructor is obligated to consult with a student. It's nothing out of
+the ordinary. Besides, for better or worse, this is the first time you've actually
+called me."
+Chabashira-sensei didn't exactly treat Class D with love. She wasn't
+well-liked by the students. Even if someone was having trouble, they
+probably wouldn't have gone to her.
+"There's something I wanted to ask you, sensei, but... You know, you
+look pale."
+At first I hadn't noticed because it was dark, but Chabashira-sensei
+looked so pale that I thought she might be deathly ill.
+"Don't worry about it. Adult issues. Anyway, what did you want to
+ask?"
+Considering I could smell the alcohol on her breath, I thought I had the
+situation well figured out. "You told me that we can use our points to buy
+anything, but there are still some exceptions to that rule. Right?"
+"Yes. Exceptions exist, naturally. For example, if you request to buy
+the life of a teacher or student, we cannot honor that request."
+"So I was wondering. What's the most expensive thing that someone
+has bought with their points?"
+Right as I was speaking, I felt the presence of someone else nearby.
+"Yoohoo, Sae-chan! How you feeling?"
+Hoshinomtya-sensei arrived. Was it just a coincidence? Unlikely.
+She'd probably followed Chabashira-senseti.
+"You're drunk, aren't you?" Chabashira-sensei said.
+"Hmm? Oh no, of course I'm not, I'm not drunk. I was just acting all
+sleepy, you know?"
+"Jeez. You can really hold your liquor. You handled yourself today,
+and you're fine now, too."
+Apparently, Hoshinomiya-sensei had an iron liver.
+"Good evening, Ayanokouji-kun. How are you doing?"
+Hoshinomtya-sensei was acting a little overly familiar with me. She
+placed her hand on my shoulders, and then hugged me so tight I could smell
+the alcohol on her body and breath. Of course, a minor such as myself would
+have no clue, but was alcohol really that delicious? Just the smell of it made
+me not want to drink it.
+"T'm fine. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here," I said.
+"That answer was so not-cute that I'm impressed! So, Ayanokouji-kun,
+do you love the tsuntsun older sister types, like Sae-chan?" asked
+Hoshinomitya-sensel.
+"Don't wrap yourself around a student. You're getting in the way of
+my work."
+Thankfully, Chabashira-sensei grabbed Hoshinomiya-sensei by the
+nape of her neck and dragged her off. I recalled the teachers' conversation I'd
+overheard the other day. Even the instructors were wary of each other,
+competing with and deceiving others as they aimed for the top class. I didn't
+know if it was because getting to a higher class meant an increase in their
+salaries, or if there was a longstanding rivalry between Chabashira-sensei and
+Hoshinomiya-sensei from their school days.
+I had no doubt that the school and the teachers kept things fair. Leaking
+answers to students would be a huge problem. That meant it was likely that
+Ichinose had been placed into the Rabbit group without knowing why. She
+had keen insight and sharp observation skills, though. Sooner or later, she'd
+probably think something was off. She'd wonder why she was in the Rabbit
+group.
+It'd be nice to write it all off as sheer coincidence, but Hoshinomtya-
+sensei was bad at hiding her emotions. Ichinose might soon discover that
+she'd been put into the group to find out about Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. If that
+happened, how should I respond? While I thought about that, I began to
+choose my next actions.
+"So what were you two talking about in the middle of the night? Isn't
+that in itself a really big problem?" asked Hoshinomiya-sensei.
+"A big problem? As a teacher, it's only natural for me to consult my
+students and soothe their anxieties," answered Chabashira-sensel1.
+"If that's true, wouldn't it be better for you to do it with more people
+around? If you look like you're sneaking around, I can't help but think it's
+suspicious."
+Even though Hoshinomiya-sensei was trying to unsettle her,
+Chabashira-sensei remained calm and collected. "Ayanokouji requested this
+location. He wanted to consult me in private," Chabashira-sensei stated
+matter-of-factly.
+"Hmm. Well, I suppose you're not violating any rules," muttered
+Hoshinomiya-sensel.
+"Good. Now hurry up and leave already. I'll head back soon myself."
+"Okay, okay. But remember, no sexy times," teased Hoshinomiya-
+sensei.
+She left, with that very unnecessary comment as her parting shot.
+"Sorry. She's troublesome."
+"°S all right."
+Chabashira-sensei didn't say anything about being investigated. Well,
+maybe it was just a personal problem. I didn't know what there was between
+them, but it had nothing to do with me.
+"Anyway, picking up where we left off. I was wondering, what's the
+largest amount of points someone spent in the past?"
+Chabashira-sensei nodded, looking like she was lost in thought. "Well,
+I can only speak from my own experience, but it was when someone wanted
+to change the school rules. Of course, you're limited to a certain realistic
+scope. For example, you could change the class start time in order to avoid
+being late to class," she answered.
+Chabashira didn't provide facts, only hypotheticals.
+"Can you give me examples?"
+"Are you dissatisfied with my answer?"
+"Nah, I don't really mind. I understand how the school's systems
+operate," I answered.
+Depending on how you used your points, you could make changes to
+the system in even the most trivial of ways. In other words, the possibilities
+were endless. Private points were of incredible significance.
+"You could have just emailed me that question. I don't understand why
+you wanted me to meet you."
+"If I sent you an email, there would be a record. I wanted to avoid
+that."
+I decided to leave it at that. I walked away, in a different direction from
+the way Hoshinomtya-sensei had exited. While I still had more questions, this
+was good enough for the time being.
+"Tl ask you for a favor in the near future," I called.
+When I looked back over my shoulder, I saw Chabashira-sensei eyeing
+me with suspicion.
+4.4
+iE was around two in the morning when my roommate quietly woke
+up. Taking extreme consideration as to not wake the other three people in the
+room, Hirata slipped out of bed. Since students were required to sleep in their
+jerseys, he stole out of the room while still wearing it.
+After I'd confirmed he wasn't going to the men's room, I grabbed my
+keycard and got out of bed myself. There was no guarantee he'd make a
+move today, but it seemed like my labors had begun to bear fruit. Once he
+realized that I was awake, we exchanged glances without speaking a word.
+Without looking away, I told him there was something I needed to talk
+to him about. He said he'd be waiting in the hall. Then, he stepped out. I
+found him in the hallway, wearing a troubled look.
+"Did I wake you? Or were you already awake?" he asked.
+"The latter. I thought you might be leaving the room tonight," I said.
+"Why would you think that? This was the first time I've left the room
+at night."
+Trying to deceive him would have a detrimental effect, so I thought it
+best to just be honest. "Karuizawa contacted you, didn't she?"
+Hirata seemed to understand what I was getting at, just as I'd expect.
+His comprehension skills were flawless. "Do you happen to know something
+about it?" he asked.
+"Well, I'm in her group. I don't know how much she's told you, but I
+get the situation."
+Hirata waited for me to continue. Well, considering I'd chased him
+down in the middle of the night, it had to appear urgent.
+"You said you wanted to act as a bridge between Horikita and the rest
+of the class, right? This has to do with that," I said.
+"T see. So Horikita-san told you to talk to me, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+He'd saved me a lot of trouble. Now I didn't have to bother with a
+lengthy explanation.
+"She asked me to report on everything that happens in the Rabbit
+group, including Karuizawa's situation. Once I heard about what happened
+with Karuizawa, Horikita told me to keep an eye on you, too, Hirata. She told
+me to follow you. But you said you wanted to be a bridge for her, so I
+thought this might be the chance to finally make that happen."
+"What kind of information does she want?" he asked.
+"Everything you know about Karuizawa. Also, whatever it was you
+talked to her about."
+Hirata probably didn't see why I needed information about Karuizawa.
+However, he seemed to understand the impact this could potentially have.
+"T don't know what I can tell you, honestly. I have to consider
+Karuizawa-san's feelings."
+With that, Hirata started walking away. I decided to just follow him at
+a Slow, unhurried pace.
+Even though I'd been in bed for about two hours, I didn't have
+bedhead. I didn't really worry about personal grooming most of the time, but
+I knew I had to take it into consideration when I was with other people. I
+didn't want to make them uncomfortable when they looked at me.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, I'm sure you won't say anything unnecessary, but
+what I'm about to tell you is extremely delicate. Also, Karuizawa-san might
+refuse to talk and head back to her room. Please understand that first," he
+said.
+I could always eavesdrop on them, but Hirata probably wouldn't like
+that. Since this was something Karuizawa didn't want others to hear, she'd
+called for him in the middle of the night. He'd never approve of me listening
+in from the shadows. My best bet was to just give him a straight, honest
+answer.
+The meeting place was in front of the vending machine near the
+second-level lounge area. Being in the center of the hallway, it was easy for
+people to see us, but its placement also meant that we could see them. Its
+location made eavesdropping difficult.
+Karuizawa was already waiting for Hirata, clad in her jersey and sitting
+on the sofa. When Karuizawa saw Hirata coming, she instantly smiled, but
+when she noticed me trailing slightly behind, her joy was replaced with
+anger. She stood and shouted at me.
+"What're you doing here, Ayanokouji-kun?!"
+"T asked him to come," said Hirata.
+"You did, Hirata-kun? Why? I told you I wanted to talk alone."
+"IT know. But Karuizawa-san, I was worried about what you told me
+earlier. That's why I thought it might be a good idea to bring Ayanokouji-
+kun, since he seems to understand the situation. I'm sorry for not telling you
+first."
+Karuizawa looked upset, but it didn't seem like she'd snap at Hirata.
+"But...I said I wanted to talk alone, just the two of us," she repeated.
+"If you want, we can be alone. But when we spoke earlier, you never
+said anything about it having to be just the two of us."
+I already assumed this was related to the trouble she'd had with the
+Class C girls, but I wondered how Karuizawa would approach the topic. If
+she just wanted to vent her anger, there'd be no reason for it to be just the two
+of them. Karuizawa had wanted to talk about something without any third
+parties present. That meant she wouldn't talk about it if I were here.
+Perhaps because he was impatient, or perhaps because he thought
+silence was pointless, Hirata started talking about their earlier phone call.
+"You were telling me about a fight with Manabe-san from Class C. Is it
+true?" he asked.
+Karuizawa opened her mouth slightly to answer, but said nothing,
+perhaps because she was still wary of my presence. Hirata once again broke
+the silence.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, did you know about the fight with Manabe-san and
+the others?" he asked.
+"Sort of."
+Since this wasn't working, Hirata attempted to shift the conversation. It
+looked like he intended to ask me questions. Karuizawa seemed dissatisfied,
+but she continued to listen.
+"From what Karuizawa-san has told me, it seems like the girls were
+making false accusations. They took her to a deserted spot and started
+hounding her for answers. They were on the verge of using violence," Hirata
+said.
+"Yeah. That's all true. I saw it myself. Yukimura saw it, too."
+"T see."
+Hirata looked momentarily lost in thought and closed his eyes. I
+wondered what he'd do. Would he call Manabe and her friends out and
+reprimand them? Or would he report them to the school?
+"If Manabe-san and her friends got violent with you, we definitely need
+to take action. I absolutely cannot allow violence," he continued.
+When Karuizawa heard Hirata's just words, she momentarily broke
+into a smile. But when she saw me looking at her, her expression changed
+back to anger.
+"Karuizawa-san, they were so cruel that you were completely
+overwhelmed, and couldn't stand it. Right?" I asked.
+"No."
+Karuizawa tried to answer, but seemingly couldn't. She just glared at
+me without saying anything more. I couldn't lie, so I just told Hirata what I'd
+seen. Apparently, Karuizawa and some girl named Rika had some trouble in
+the past. Manabe and her friends wanted to make Karuizawa apologize. But
+then they'd almost gotten violent with Karuizawa. Hirata, after hearing the
+whole story, nodded as if I'd filled in some gaps.
+"T see. So that's why you told me," he said.
+"Told you what?" I asked.
+"Karuizawa-san asked me to take revenge on Manabe-san and her
+friends."
+I hadn't expected such unsettling words. Then again, from the
+perspective of someone who'd been physically threatened, it must've looked
+like a kill-or-be-killed situation. After Hirata spoke, Karuizawa finally broke
+her silence.
+"Why did you tell him?" she asked.
+"Because this isn't like you, Karuizawa-san. You aren't a violent
+person," Hirata answered.
+"But your girlfriend's suffering, right? You should want to help me."
+"Yes, I do. But I don't believe in an eye for an eye. You know that,
+don't you?"
+Their core differences were starting to clash.
+"Let's think this through. If possible, let's find a way to get along with
+Manabe-san and her friends," he said.
+"That's impossible, isn't it? I mean, they absolutely hate me for
+practically no reason. Please, you have to understand!" she begged.
+"No reason? Didn't this start because you had an issue with Morofuji-
+san, Karuizawa?"
+Hirata said Morofuji, but he probably meant Rika. That must've been
+her last name. It was amazing how much information he had.
+"But that's... I didn't have any choice! Shinohara and the others were
+there, and—"
+"So because Shinohara was there, you had no choice? What does that
+mean?" I asked.
+"You shut your mouth!" she screamed. Her voice carried all the way
+down the hallway.
+"Please, I'm begging you. Help me. Hirata-kun. You said you'd protect
+me, didn't you?"
+"Of course Ill protect you. But I can't just hurt Manabe-san and her
+friends for no real reason. Let's try to find a way to resolve things peacefully,
+through discussion."
+"I'm telling you, it's not possible! If I could do that, I wouldn't need
+your help!"
+What she said might have sounded absurd, but I understood how she
+felt. Karuizawa's position was more dangerous than I expected. Things might
+very well end violently. For example, students here weren't allowed to
+smoke, much like many other schools around the world. But there were many
+students worldwide who smoked and got away with it. Not everything could
+be bound by law or governed by rules, and bullying was one of those things.
+Hirata did seem to be worried about Karuizawa, but he was also
+worried about Manabe and her friends. Hirata wanted to think of a way to
+resolve things peacefully for all parties. He wasn't treating Karuizawa like his
+treasured girlfriend, but as another friend.
+"It doesn't matter what the reason is. I can't do what you want. You're
+one of my classmates, Karuizawa-san. If you're in trouble, I'll help you,
+protect you. But I can't hurt someone else to do that, even if they're from
+Class C," he said.
+"You liar! You said you'd protect me!" she shouted.
+""Tiar'? You've known this was my stance since the beginning." He
+stood up. The next words out of his mouth would've taken all the Class D
+students by surprise. "I've told you from the start that we aren't really
+boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't mind pretending to go out with you, but I
+definitely won't fight a war for you."
+Apparently, their relationship was a huge lie.
+"What?! Wh-why are you saying all of this now?!" Karuizawa was
+horrified by what she'd just heard.
+I understood Hirata's intentions. He was using Karuizawa to extract
+information as a tribute to Horikita. That was what it looked like, anyway.
+"Because we need a new option now. I want to help you," he said.
+He wasn't abandoning Karuizawa at all. He was seriously trying to
+help her, in his own way. He approached Karuizawa, who now looked really
+upset, but didn't even try to touch her slender, delicate shoulder. I would' ve
+expected him to do that much.
+"So are you Saying...it's better for me to get violent with them?" she
+asked.
+"That's not what I'm saying. I'll do what I can to help you. When
+morning comes, I intend to speak with Manabe-san and her friends. I'll tell
+them to stop harassing you, Karuizawa-san. You probably won't like this, but
+I'll tell them that you' ll apologize."
+"T don't want to!" Karuizawa had come to Hirata in order to take
+revenge on Manabe and her friends, and that spoke to her true personality—
+her real self. More than anything else, Karuizawa was afraid.
+"If that's the case, then I can't help you. I'm sorry."
+Hirata was calm. Even now, he was composed. But he was also
+extremely reliable, and for someone like Karuizawa who needed that
+reliability, losing it was basically a death sentence.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have any ideas?" asked Hirata. It seemed like
+he was trying to make me take a more active role in this.
+"Whatever! If you're not going to listen to me, then I don't need you!"
+Karuizawa threw the can of juice she was holding down the hall. The
+contents spilled all over the place, and the sound echoed down the hall.
+"Our relationship is over. It's over!" she shouted.
+With that, Karuizawa abandoned us and fled. Hirata seemed annoyed
+not because the truth of their sham relationship had been revealed, but
+because he couldn't help her. He showed no signs of running after her. She
+wasn't his priority.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. I have my limits. I can't do everything. Please
+understand that," he said.
+I'd planned to use Hirata to extract information about Karuizawa.
+However, it appeared that Hirata had used me instead, and used this
+opportunity to task me with saving Karuizawa from her troubles.
+"You said that you wanted to be a bridge to connect people, but that's a
+lie, isn't it? You're everyone's ally."
+"Yes. I'm Karuizawa-san's ally, and I'm your ally as well,
+Ayanokouji-kun. However, my priorities might change depending on the
+situation. You're far more capable than everyone thinks," Hirata observed.
+"You think way too highly of me."
+"Really? I'm good at reading other people. That's why I understand."
+I wanted to ask more about this supposed skill but decided that we
+should resolve this problem first. "Your relationship with Karuizawa sounds
+like it was all for show. Is that really true?" I asked.
+"When you put it that way, it sounds like you already suspected as
+much."
+"You and Karuizawa have been dating for almost four months, but
+your relationship with her hadn't progressed much. Of course, I considered
+the possibility that you were maintaining a pure and platonic kind of
+relationship, but even then, you've always kept yourself distant from her.
+You still call each other by your last names."
+Even if they hadn't gotten closer physically, they should've grown
+nearer emotionally. But Hirata and Karuizawa's relationship had showed
+absolutely no signs of change, for better or for worse. In a romantic
+relationship, such stagnation was exceptionally odd.
+"You're exactly right. We weren't really dating. We were going out
+because we both felt that it was necessary. I suppose you consider that
+contradictory," he answered.
+In other words, theirs had been a mutually beneficial relationship. In
+that case, which one of them had proposed the idea, and which had agreed to
+it? Well, I suppose that was obvious. Karuizawa had asked Hirata to pretend
+to go out with her, and Hirata had simply honored her request. With that in
+mind, her actions made more and more sense.
+"The rumors started roughly three weeks after school began. From that
+point onward, Karuizawa's popularity soared by leaps and bounds," I
+observed.
+A similar phenomenon had occurred in Rabbit Group. By attaching
+herself to Machida, Karuizawa could assert herself more aggressively than
+normal, and her level of influence had increased. To Karuizawa, Hirata was
+basically a host, and she was his parasite. He'd been a tool to enhance her
+social standing.
+"You played the part of Karuizawa's boyfriend so that her social
+standing would improve."
+I'd arrived at the truth. In response, Hirata simply smiled. I'd thought
+that was the entire truth, but then I realized that it didn't explain everything.
+Besides, Hirata hadn't admitted that I was right. Karuizawa had used Hirata
+and Machida to place herself at the top of the school's caste system? No, that
+alone wasn't enough.
+After all, why would Hirata have accepted her request so easily? That
+was a tall order for him. Karuizawa's aggressive attitude was getting more
+and more out of hand every day. She was behaving more like a bully.
+Why would Hirata approve of this and not criticize her at all? Besides,
+did Karuizawa really just want to use Hirata and the others to get to the top? I
+was doubtful. I couldn't say she'd used Machida just to increase her
+influence. If anything, she showed no interest in the group. More often than
+not, she just sat in silence. Maybe she hadn't planned to use Machida at first.
+In that case, what had triggered her to establish contact with Machida?
+I felt like I was starting to discover Karuizawa Ke1's true self.
+"It's to protect herself?" I asked. That was the only remaining answer.
+There was no mistaking it.
+"So, you understand. Honestly, when I heard you say it, I got
+goosebumps," Hirata said.
+"T heard about it from Horikita; that's all. She said Karuizawa had her
+reasons for clinging to you and to others."
+But Hirata wasn't simple enough to fall for my deception.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. I have to be very honest, but... Well, this is going to sound
+very rude, but I honestly find you a little weird. You kind of creep me out.
+I'm sorry if that offends you."
+"Creep you out? Why do you think that?"
+"I've been watching you since school started. The Ayanokouji-kun
+back then and the Ayanokouji-kun now are like two different people. Your
+presence, the words you use... It's like you have two different personalities."
+Hirata was frighteningly observant. It was only natural that he would
+think something was off.
+"T've already told you, it's all because of Horikita's advice. I already
+gave her a detailed report about my group. I'm only following her orders. It's
+just like back on the island. Horikita made the right calls and led Class D to
+victory. She's why we got so many points. I mean, that's good for me, too.
+She's just so awful at communicating with others that she's afraid to try, you
+know? She told me to talk to you and report back."
+I spent a lot of time with Horikita. Because of that, Hirata probably
+wouldn't doubt my words.
+"Well. I suppose Horikita-san must've determined that saving
+Karuizawa-san will give our class a lead," he reasoned.
+"Yeah."
+"But I do think you're amazing, Ayanokouji-kun. You're different
+from Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun."
+"I'm worse than them."
+"Even if you're just following Horikita-san's orders, you're still the
+one talking to me right now, Ayanokouji-kun. It isn't as though Horikita gave
+you a list of prepared responses. I think that you show clear, well-reasoned
+logic. That's not something you can pretend to have."
+Hirata was smarter than I'd imagined. Although I had some concerns
+about his desire to constantly save everyone, he had extraordinary abilities.
+"You've already said as much, but I agreed to act like Karuizawa-san's
+boyfriend so she could protect herself. That's what she wanted. She said she
+wanted me to save her. It might be a little difficult for you to imagine, but
+throughout her elementary and junior high years, she was viciously bullied."
+"Ts that really the truth?" I asked.
+So Karuizawa's hyperventilation had been triggered by memories of
+her past. If she had suffered such deep trauma, it explained why she couldn't
+shake off the earlier encounter.
+"Of course, I only met Karuizawa-san after she started school here. But
+I understood. People who are bullied give off a unique vibe. That's why I
+agreed to go out with her. That way, Karuizawa-san would free herself from
+her past by using her position as my girlfriend. I don't think that Karuizawa-
+san has been showing us her real personality. I think she's just desperately
+trying to act tough."
+That was why she couldn't control her emotions very well. Many
+people who've been bullied tended to have very meek and timid
+personalities, like Sakura. On the other hand, people who were confident,
+aggressive, and selfish—those who acted like Karuizawa—were typically the
+ones doing the bullying.
+So Karuizawa's personality was a facade. A front. That's why she
+needed people like Hirata and Machida. With them, she was able to get that
+assertive personality.
+"Wait a minute. What was in it for you?" I asked. High school is one of
+the prime romantic times of a student's life. Hirata was popular with girls. If
+he pretended to go out with Karuizawa, he couldn't pursue a relationship with
+anyone else.
+"What was in it for me? Karuizawa-san wasn't being bullied. That's all
+I needed."
+It wasn't hypocrisy or love. He didn't have any selfish impulses.
+"T know you're not convinced, but that's the reason I did it," he
+continued.
+"T believe you. But is there some deeper reason as well?" I asked.
+Hirata wouldn't hesitate to save a friend, but he considered Manabe and the
+others friends, too. His concern for others was downright pathological.
+Since he'd told me this much, Hirata probably felt like he had to see
+the story through. He bought a couple of drinks from the vending machine
+and handed one to me, which I gratefully accepted.
+"Until my second year of junior high I was, for lack of a better word, a
+nobody. I didn't stand out at all."
+"You, Hirata? I have a hard time imagining that."
+"Well, I wouldn't say that I was completely invisible. I did have
+friends. I had this one friend ever since I was little, a guy named Sugimura-
+kun. We were in the same class together for six years, throughout elementary
+school. We were neighbors, too. We walked to and from school together
+every day." Hirata spoke like he was recalling some fleeting memory.
+"When we started junior high, we were put into separate classes for the
+first time. At first, we kept going to school together just like we always had.
+Gradually, we walked together less and less. I started to only hang out with
+other guys from my new class. That story probably sounds normal enough, I
+suppose."
+It was perfectly normal to make new friends in a new environment.
+Nothing odd about that.
+"But you see, while I had my new friends, Sugimura-kun was getting
+bullied." Hirata squeezed the can he was holding. I understood where this
+was going. "Sugimura-kun sent me SOSs over and over. He'd show up with
+cuts on his face, or with bruises. But I cared more about hanging out with my
+friends, and never took him seriously. Sugimura-kun was always headstrong,
+quick to get into fights. I didn't think too deeply about what was happening.
+But when we entered our second year, we reunited. By then, Sugimura-kun's
+spirit had shattered. His bright, cheerful personality was gone. That was only
+natural after being beaten down so much. He'd been punched and kicked so
+many times. They hounded him so much that he couldn't even go the
+bathroom; he ended up having accidents during class."
+"So you saw that, and..."
+"Yeah. I didn't do anything. I couldn 't. I was afraid ''d become their
+next target. I was afraid that my new, fun life would be destroyed. So I
+pretended not to see Sugimura-kun, my oldest friend. I came up with
+convenient excuses for myself. I thought someday the bullies would just stop.
+Maybe once Sugimura-kun stopped going to school, they'd leave him alone.
+Or maybe someone else would step in to help him."
+"So, what happened to Sugimura?"
+"That day's burned into my memory, even now. After morning soccer
+practice, I returned to the classroom. When I got near the room, I saw that
+Sugimura-kun was already there, his face swollen. I decided to wait a bit
+before going in. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable. We'd been friends who
+played together ever since we were little, but right then, it felt like were
+complete strangers. I thought, 'If I get involved with him, Ill get bullied,
+too.' Perhaps Sugimura-kun saw how ugly my heart was. He didn't say a
+word, but it was almost like he was sending out a plea for help. That day, he
+jumped out of the classroom window," said Hirata.
+"He jumped? Did he die?"
+"He was declared brain dead. But even now, Sugimura-kun's parents
+believe he'll recover. They're waiting for him. That day was so surreal, I still
+wonder if it was a hallucination. I couldn't believe it. When Sugimura-kun
+jumped, I realized something. By selfishly focusing so much on my own
+desires, I helped drive a treasured friend to his death."
+That incident had given birth to the man named Hirata Yousuke.
+"T don't think Sugimura-kun can be saved, but I wanted to atone. I
+figure the only way for me to do that is to save others," Hirata said.
+"T understand what you're feeling, but the world isn't that simple,
+right? At this very moment, there's someone being bullied somewhere. And
+they might try to take their own life, just like Sugimura-kun. You can't stop
+them."
+"Of course I know that. I'm not a hero or anything. But I want to save
+the people close to me, at the very least. I must help them. That's my penance
+for the sin I committed," he said.
+"So what are you going to do, then? You want to save both Karuizawa
+and Manabe, but that's not possible."
+"T understand that. It's probably why you're here with me right now,"
+he answered.
+Apparently, Hirata knew that he was abnormal himself. At any rate, he
+was a man on a mission.
+"T never thought I'd ever tell this story to anyone. Nobody here knows
+the truth. That's why I chose this school," said Hirata. He tossed his empty
+juice can into the trash. "Will you and Horikita-san keep this confidential?"
+he asked.
+"If you promise not to get yourself involved, I'm sure Horikita will
+stay silent," I answered.
+"Then Ill believe in you two. Our philosophies are similar."
+Hirata had pledged not to involve himself in the Karuizawa issue. From
+this point onward, Hirata would probably come to me for help whenever he
+was in trouble. I had successfully gained Hirata's cooperation, a power I'd
+always wanted. I'm sure he felt he'd gained something as well.
+"Hirata. Since you have a large social network, I have a favor to ask." I
+handed Hirata a piece of paper. He read it and accepted my request without
+so much as a displeased look.
+"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun. There is one more thing I've been hiding from
+you. I know the identity of the last VIP from Class D."
+4.5
+Die next day, I decided to make a move, but rather unexpectedly,
+Sakura called for me. I decided to go talk to her.
+"Looks like the test is over for the Cow group," I said.
+"Yeah..." she replied.
+I checked the email that Sakura, along with the other students, had
+received from the school.
+"The test has now ended for the Cow group. Those in the Cow group
+are no longer required to participate any further. Please be careful not to
+disturb the other students."
+It was exactly the same kind of email we got after the Monkey group
+finished. It was a brief message, devoid of context. Sakura looked at me with
+unease in her eyes.
+"Have I done something wrong?" she asked.
+"No, you haven't. This just means that someone in the Cow group
+reported to the school who they think the VIP is."
+Leaving aside the time Kouenji got carried away and ended the test for
+his group, right now it seemed that people were betraying each other for two
+very different reasons. They were either betraying with certainty, or betraying
+because they felt impatient.
+"Sakura, were you the VIP? Or was it someone else?"
+Sakura quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not the VIP. But I'm not sure
+about Sudou-kun or, um, the others," she answered. She didn't seem to have
+any idea whatsoever.
+"Don't overthink it. I don't know the identity of the VIP in my group,
+either."
+"Okay. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm happy you told me that."
+"How are things with Class A? I heard rumors that none of them are
+participating in the discussions."
+"Yeah, it's just like what the others have been saying. None of them
+have talked at all," said Sakura.
+Katsuragi had been rather thorough in carrying out his plan. If that was
+true, then Class C had to have been the ones to trigger this new turn of
+events. But I was still left with doubts. Ryuuen claimed he understood the
+school's rules, and I had my own ideas. However, it was still impossible to
+know whether I was correct or not.
+If I accidentally misread the rules, the class would self-destruct and
+take massive damage as a result. So far, the test hadn't ended for anyone
+other than the Cow group—proof that Ryuuen still didn't have a sure answer
+either. As we neared the end of this mysterious exam, many students were
+probably feeling perplexed.
+"If there's anything else, please let me know. You can talk to me
+anytime," I told Sakura.
+"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. See you later."
+I bid farewell to Sakura, who waved her hands adorably. Then I headed
+toward the ship's lower levels. I proceeded down to the lowest level, where
+people didn't generally go. Although we were prohibited from going there,
+the area wasn't locked. The crew was probably using it. Although people
+could enter areas like the switchboard room if it was necessary, generally
+speaking, no one went in there.
+There was no one to come if you called, no matter how loud you
+shouted. Including the regular entrance, there were only two ways in or out of
+the room. The other way was a door that led to the emergency staircase, but
+the workers didn't appear to use that. Judging from the dust, I knew that it
+hadn't been used in a long time. If I just kept an eye on the regular entrance, I
+could monitor the situation completely.
+Another convenient thing was that phones had almost no reception
+here. Though you could occasionally get a little signal, sending emails or
+chatting was a pain in the neck, and it was next to impossible to make a call.
+"All the pieces are in place," I muttered.
+All I had to do was make sure everything happened in the proper order.
+First, I would contact Hirata, and then he would call Karuizawa. Since I
+wanted to postpone things a little bit, ''d probably need to have him call
+Karuizawa an hour or so earlier. I returned to the upper decks to make the
+call.
+After our conversation last night, I thought Hirata might be especially
+on his guard. But I knew if Hirata called Karuizawa and said he wanted to
+speak with her alone, she'd respond. Karuizawa had said she was breaking up
+with Hirata, but she'd be the one to suffer if that happened. With Manabe and
+her friends on the attack, Karuizawa absolutely needed Hirata to protect her
+at school.
+I got a message from Hirata. 've promised to meet Karuizawa-san at
+4:00 p.m. I'll send you Manabe-san's info.
+As expected, Hirata had fulfilled his role admirably. As a bonus, he
+even had Manabe's contact information, never mind that she was from
+another class. If he hadn't known it, I would've had to risk asking Kushida.
+That saved me an extraordinary amount of trouble.
+He sent me another message. J have to tell you, I don't want to make
+Karuizawa-san sad.
+"You don't want to make her sad, huh?" If he knew what I was about
+to do, Hirata would've been furious. But that wasn't my problem. Even if she
+were to break here, I'd be fine so long as he didn't find out. This is a rather
+extreme example, but even if you committed murder, you couldn't be
+convicted without proof.
+I quickly typed a message and hit send.
+Hey, you got a minute?
+The message was short and sweet, completely harmless. As a rule, chat
+apps are one account per phone. However, there was a way around that. By
+creating another primary SNS account, your device could hold another. Of
+course, not many students split their account into a main and a sub. The
+benefits of switching between accounts were marginal at best. However, by
+creating a new account, I was able to contact a third party without revealing
+my identity.
+I needed to proceed delicately. If I didn't mess up, everything should
+be fine. Despite the fact that Manabe had received an anonymous message,
+she immediately responded.
+Who is this?
+Only natural she'd ask that question.
+Is there anyone with you right now?
+I'm alone, but who are you?
+Don't show this to anyone. For your own sake.
+Look, who are you?
+Let's just say that I hate the same person you do.
+Although I saw that she'd read my message, Manabe took some time to
+respond. Do you have the wrong number?
+This isn't a mistake, Manabe-san. I want to talk about Karuizawa-san,
+the person you hate. I thought I might be able to talk to you about it.
+I don't know what you're talking about. Please stop sending me
+messages.
+She seemed wary, as if she imagined I might be an enemy. That was
+natural. First, I needed to win her trust.
+I'm a classmate of hers, and it's been difficult dealing with her for a
+long time now. I want to get revenge on her, so I thought we could work
+together. Since I'm in Class D with her, I can't go after Karuizawa-san
+directly. That's why I want your help.
+I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to ignore you.
+Even though she was suspicious, she still hadn't cut off contact. That
+proved how much Karuizawa made her blood boil. That was why she wanted
+revenge on behalf of her friend, Rika. From the way Manabe had dragged
+Karuizawa into the emergency stairwell, her hatred was clear.
+Rika-chan is still scared of Karuizawa-san, even now. Don't you want
+to help her? Your desire for revenge is written all over your face. But you
+couldn 't do it even if you wanted to, right? Karuizawa-san is really cautious
+after what happened yesterday. I'm sure she won't leave Hirata-kun's or
+Machida-kun's side for a while. And she'll always be with other girls, so she
+won't be alone.
+I don't need your help. I just need Karuizawa-san to talk to Rika. Then
+we Il know the truth.
+I wonder if it'll be that simple, though? I can't imagine she'll admit
+that she lied. On the contrary, it would probably just hurt Rika-chan if
+Karuizawa-san says something awful. Oh, and that's not all. If Karuizawa-
+san's holding a grudge, she might bully Rika further.
+What should I do? Are you saying there's a way?
+Manabe's intense desire to settle things was evident.
+If you and I work together, we can safely get our revenge.
+What guarantee do I have? It feels like you're trying to lure me into a
+trap, and then you'll tattle to the school. This smells like a sub account.
+If you think I'm trying to sell you out, Manabe-san, then go ahead and
+show this chat log to the teachers. You can only register accounts on school
+phones. I'm risking being identified by saying I want revenge on Karuizawa-
+san. I'm the one risking my neck here. Am I wrong?
+I'm sure Manabe understood. Even a sub account wasn't perfectly safe.
+If I were exposed, I would obviously receive the harshest punishment.
+So if I show this chat log to the school, what then? It'll be all over for
+you.
+I don't think you're the kind of person to do that, Manabe-san. You
+have to show trust to be trusted.
+I understand. I'll hear you out, at least.
+After that, I repeated some familiar-sounding stories. Stuff about how
+much I hated Karuizawa. How I wanted to do something about it but
+couldn't. How I'd heard about Manabe's confrontation with Karuizawa by
+chance, and that I'd tried to make contact. I played the victim thoroughly.
+Once we returned to land, it would be difficult for me to contact
+Karuizawa directly. The school buildings and dorms were equipped with
+security cameras. Even if you tried to bring her into a private area, it was still
+highly likely that someone would spot you. This ship gave Manabe the
+perfect opportunity. I made her understand that revenge was only possible
+while they were here. I slowly but surely roused her anger.
+So, what should I do?
+Now that Manabe understood, I finally started to reveal my plan. /'//
+call Karuizawa-san. Then, you take your time talking with her, and settle
+things.
+After I sent that message, I followed it up by sending a map of the
+ship's lowest level.
+Since you can't get any reception down there, she can't call for help.
+No one comes down there.
+I see, I see. So since you're her classmate, you can call Karuizawa-
+san?
+I'd like you to tell me right now if you're going along with my plan.
+After I call Karuizawa-san, you can decide whether you'll take your revenge.
+There won't be any problems that way, right?
+She took a long time to respond, the longest for any response thus far.
+Finally, I saw her response, and was sure that my plan would succeed. If my
+attempts to convince her via chat had failed, I had another plan prepared, just
+in case.
+It would have been dangerous, but I would've made direct contact with
+Manabe in person. I had taken pictures when she was threatening Karuizawa
+in the emergency stairwell; I could've blackmailed her with those. However,
+the risks were great. I wanted to avoid drawing attention to myself as much as
+humanly possible.
+"Now. Let's see what Manabe and her friends are capable of."
+4.6
+S cmeiiice a deep, heavy noise echoed throughout the dark level.
+Perhaps it was the sound of the ship changing course, or maybe it was
+because the ship had bumped into something. I wasn't entirely sure. But a
+lone girl came here, a place where all you could hear was the sound of
+machines.
+"What's going on? I can't connect to... There's no signal."
+There were still over ten minutes left before her arranged meeting with
+Hirata. Maybe she'd arrived a little early to calm herself down. After she
+realized that she couldn't use her phone, she put it back in her pocket and
+leaned against the wall, apparently bored. She closed her eyes and opened her
+mouth slightly, muttering something to herself.
+With how quietly she was muttering, I couldn't hear her at all. What
+was she talking about? Unfortunately, Hirata wasn't going to hear it. Once
+four o'clock rolled around, the door opened. I heard the dull sound of it.
+Three girls from Class C stepped through—Manabe and her friends. Wait...
+there was one other person with them.
+She seemed meek, rather like Sakura. This was probably Rika. "It's all
+right," said Manabe. Then she saw Karuizawa. Naturally, Karuizawa noticed
+them, too.
+""Wh-what are you doing here?!" she asked, trembling.
+The passageways inside the ship were narrow, so there weren't many
+escape routes. Running away would be difficult.
+"T just happened to see you come in here, that's all. Well, I suppose this
+is the perfect opportunity. Let me introduce you. This is Rika. Do you
+remember her, Karuizawa-san?" asked Manabe.
+Manabe grabbed Rika, who was hiding behind her, and pulled her
+forward. She and Karuizawa were now facing each other. Karuizawa averted
+her eyes, pretending like she didn't know her, but judging from her behavior
+it was obvious she remembered.
+"Hey, Rika. Karuizawa-san was the one who shoved you, right?" asked
+Manabe.
+"Yeah, she's the one," said Rika.
+After hearing such a clear answer, Manabe smiled, looking happy as
+could be. Karuizawa, on the other hand, appeared increasingly anxious and
+confused. All I could do now was stay quiet and observe the miserable events
+that were about to unfold. Even if Karuizawa were subjected to an even more
+wretched ordeal than I could imagine, I had no intention of saving her.
+"Apologize to Rika," demanded Manabe.
+"H-huh? Who's apologizing? I haven't done anything wrong," said
+Karuizawa.
+"Still acting tough. You're a real piece of work, aren't you? But I think
+I understand now, more or less," snapped Manabe.
+"Understand what?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Your behavior. You're unusually fearful. Karuizawa-san, you were
+bullied, weren't you?"
+"Wha—?!"
+She had been trying to hide the truth, but her past had caught up with
+her.
+"T hit the nail on the head, didn't I? I knew it. I could feel it right from
+the start,' Manabe continued.
+"No, you're wrong!" Karuizawa denied it, but her words were weak.
+Even if she'd been an excellent actress, there wasn't any point. It wasn't as
+though Manabe was highly perceptive or anything. She knew because I'd told
+her everything beforehand. Id told her that Karuizawa had been cruelly
+bullied ever since childhood. That she harbored deep trauma.
+"If you get down on your knees and beg right now, I might forgive you.
+How about it? I mean, you're good at groveling, right? Being on your
+knees?" Manabe mocked Karuizawa.
+"N-no, I won't! P've never done that kind of thing before!" Karuizawa
+shouted.
+Karuizawa tried to slip past Manabe, but Manabe snatched her long
+hair and pulled her back, slamming her into the wall. Manabe was assured
+that the stage had been set for her revenge, so I couldn't control her here. I'd
+only promised that she would "meet" with Karuizawa, after all.
+She should have agonized over whether to use violence. However,
+when she finally had the chance to be alone with Karuizawa, she let go of all
+other concerns. Because her friends were expecting her to get back at
+Karuizawa, I couldn't imagine that this would end until Manabe had dished
+out a great deal of punishment. That's what I'd been aiming for, anyway.
+It was like the Milgram experiment, a psychological study conducted in
+the 1960s. The test, also referred to as the Eichmann experiment, had been
+conducted by two groups of people in an isolated facility. Members of these
+two groups played the role of either the teacher or the student. First, the
+person playing the role of teacher—the subject of the experiment—would
+administer a low electric shock to the student so that they would remember
+the pain and fear associated with it. The student would be separated from the
+teacher and placed on the other side of the glass. Then a device was installed
+on the student's side, one that would transmit the electric shock, while the
+switch to administer the shock was entrusted to the teacher.
+At that point, the proctor overseeing the experiment instructed the
+teacher to give the student a series of problems. If the student made a
+mistake, the teacher was instructed to turn on the electric current. The teacher
+was told to increase the voltage every time the student answered incorrectly.
+The switch could administer shocks exceeding 450 volts, powerful enough to
+prove fatal. On the other hand, though, the shock administered for the first
+wrong question was only forty-five volts, which amounted to mild itching.
+The subject could hear the student's voice, which meant every time a
+shock was administered, the teacher could hear the student's agonizing
+screams. However, unknown to the subject, the electric shock device installed
+on the student's side was a fake. The student only pretended to be
+electrocuted. The teacher could hear the student's suffering, though. At first,
+there wasn't much of a reaction. As the voltage increased, the agonizing
+screams of the student grew louder. Eventually, the student fell silent.
+The subject, the teacher, wasn't threatened. They were only told they'd
+be rewarded and were free to do as they liked. In other words, even if the
+teacher asked to quit the test, they would be fine. Despite that, nearly 66% of
+subjects increased the voltage until they administered electric shocks
+powerful enough to kill someone. The experiment demonstrated that,
+depending on the circumstances, anyone was capable of incredible cruelty
+and brutality.
+"Ow, ow! It hurts! Let me go!" screamed Karuizawa.
+Karuizawa wept at having her hair pulled, and pleaded, but Manabe
+only laughed like she was enjoying it. Right now, they were on the lowest
+level of the ship, a closed environment. Manabe was the subject, and
+Karuizawa the student. I'd successfully set the stage for a situation like the
+Milgram experiment. Even though you could say the conditions weren't
+exactly the same, considering the relationship these two had cultivated, the
+situation was rather like the original experiment. Seeing Karuizawa suffer,
+especially after her proud behavior, probably felt great to them.
+"Agh!" Karuizawa shouted.
+"Whoa, Shiho. Don't you think you're hitting her a little too much?
+Wow, you're harsh."
+Manabe continued to drive her knee into Karuizawa's stomach. Of
+course, Manabe wasn't used to hitting someone like that, so her movements
+were sluggish. It shouldn't have hurt much. But Karuizawa's pain was
+Manabe's greatest reward.
+Seemingly in a great mood, she invited Rika to join in. Rika had been
+standing some distance away, watching anxiously.
+"Come on Rika. You give it a try, too," urged Manabe.
+"N-no. I'm okay," answered Rika.
+"We're doing this for your sake, right? Come on, there's no one
+around," replied Manabe.
+Rika wanted to refuse taking revenge, but that wasn't allowed right
+now. If your friend coaxed and cajoled you to join in the fun, it'd be difficult
+to keep refusing. Rika knew that if Manabe's anger were redirected at her,
+she could become the next victim.
+"O-okay. Ill try."
+There was the sound of a pathetically light slap. Pap.
+"L-Like that?" asked Rika.
+"No, no, that's no good at all. You need to put more force into it, like
+this."
+Whap! The sound echoed through the room. Karuizawa looked like she
+was in pain after that hit. Rika slapped Karuizawa again and again, just as she
+was instructed. Her slaps gradually grew more forceful.
+""S-s-s-stop it!" pleaded Karuizawa.
+"Ha ha. This is fun! Ha ha!"
+Well, maybe it was more appropriate to think of Rika as the subject of
+the Milgram experiment.
+"Please, forgive me!" Karuizawa pleaded.
+Seeing her like that must have felt euphoric for Manabe and the others.
+Rika started to punch and kick rather strongly, to the point where I couldn't
+believe she'd ever been scared. Also, even though she left some marks on
+easy-to-spot places like Karuizawa's cheeks, Rika focused on hitting places
+you wouldn't be able to see normally, like under her uniform or beneath her
+hair.
+Karuizawa collapsed in fear, tears streaming down her face. I moved
+without making a sound. I quietly opened the door, taking care that Manabe
+and her friends wouldn't see. They would all continue to take out their
+frustrations on Karuizawa a little longer. I didn't particularly mind.
+After all, if something has been thoroughly destroyed, it saves me time
+and effort when I need to build it back up. I quietly closed the door and was
+no longer able to hear Karuizawa's screams.
+4.7
+A fier I confirmed that Manabe and her friends were gone, I entered
+the room. Karuizawa should've heard the door open, but she continued to
+cower and cry on the ground. Perhaps she didn't notice me coming in
+because she was so overcome by fear. So this was how the leader of the girls,
+so arrogant and headstrong, really was?
+Perhaps thanks to the advice I'd given to Manabe and her friends,
+Karuizawa's uniform and the parts of her body that you could normally see
+appeared undamaged. If her uniform had been ripped, or if they'd cut her
+hair, it would've been difficult for the Class C girls to go unpunished. While
+bullying is common, our school's unique setup made bullying much more
+difficult to get away with.
+If anything might have been a cause for concern, it was her cheeks,
+reddened from being slapped over and over. The marks would fade by
+tomorrow, though.
+"Karuizawa."
+When I called her, she finally noticed me. She lifted her head. "Wh-
+why are..." she stammered.
+I wasn't supposed to be here. She panicked at being seen like that, but
+couldn't just stop crying and act as though nothing had happened.
+She would eventually stop crying. She would eventually calm down. If
+I left right now, what I wanted to happen wouldn't take place. I continued to
+wait quietly, without trying to talk to her. After some time passed, Karuizawa
+gradually stopped bawling, and she started to calm down.
+If two people were alone together in a dark, closed room, a sort of
+natural intimacy occurred. Even if the people normally hated each other, the
+psychological distance between them would lessen.
+"Have you calmed down a bit?"
+"A little."
+Karuizawa still didn't stand. She wiped the tears away with her
+uniform sleeve. I reached out to help her up, but she didn't move to take my
+hand.
+"'Where's Hirata-kun?" she asked.
+"Sounds like he was supposed to meet you here. I would guess that a
+teacher called him away. I just happened to be with him when he mentioned
+you, so I came here in his place."
+That explanation should have been enough to satisfy her and save me
+the trouble of further questions. There wasn't any need to tell her the truth
+right now. First, I needed to get her to relax, and then fill in the cracks of her
+heart.
+"Why were you crying?" I asked.
+"Manabe and her friends... I absolutely will not let them get away with
+that."
+Karuizawa started trembling as she recalled what they'd done to her.
+Even if she didn't want to reveal this pathetic side of herself, the trauma was
+buried so deep that her pain wasn't easily hidden.
+"You have to keep this a secret. If anyone finds out, I'll never forgive
+you," she warned me.
+Karuizawa's weakness was that she couldn't stand being seen as a
+victim by the rest of the school. If people found out that Manabe and her
+friends had used violence, then the school would inevitably expose the details
+of what had happened and why. To protect her social standing, Karuizawa
+couldn't afford to let that happen. That was why she'd planned to use Hirata
+to stop Manabe and her friends.
+"You know, you could get back at Manabe and the others. Since
+they're girls, even someone like you could win," she suggested to me.
+"That's an insane request," I answered flatly.
+"What, are you scared of getting even with Manabe and her friends?
+And you're supposed to be a guy," she chided.
+"If you attack them, it'll all be over. You should know from what
+happened with Sudou that this isn't a simple matter. Don't you get it? An eye
+for an eye won't solve anything. Things will only get further out of hand. The
+school will carry out an investigation and conduct interviews. You don't want
+that, right, Karuizawa?"
+"So you'll just lie down and take it?" she asked.
+I knew how to respond, but decided to stay silent.
+"But they would... They'!l continue to do awful things to me,"
+muttered Karuizawa.
+She started shaking again. In truth, there was no guarantee that Manabe
+and her friends would stop. Karuizawa could find many ways to escape back
+at school, but she couldn't continue playing hide-and-seek with Manabe
+forever. Her classmates would eventually notice a change in Karuizawa's
+behavior.
+Karuizawa desperately wanted to fix this situation. I'd been waiting for
+that desperation.
+"It would be terrible if things went back to how they were back in the
+old days. I understand that you want to prevent it," I told her.
+"Huh? What are you talking about?"
+Karuizawa should be putting things together by now. Even if it was
+clear how I knew that Manabe and her friends had bullied her, she should
+wonder how I knew about her past.
+"T meant exactly what I said. You've managed to escape by getting into
+this prestigious school and rising through the ranks to reign supreme at the
+head of Class D. But in the end, you haven't really changed at all. You're still
+that bullied little girl."
+""Wh-who are you talking about?!" she shouted.
+"You, Karuizawa."
+I grabbed her arm and forced her up.
+"H-hey, what are you doing?!"
+I pinned her up against the wall and forced her to look me in the eye.
+"Manabe tormented you just now, yes? She and her friends pulled your hair
+and slapped your face. They kicked you in the chest, in your stomach, didn't
+they? That's why you ended up like this: miserable, pathetic, crying on the
+ground."
+(4 'Wha—' 2.
+Our eyes met. We stared as if we were being sucked into one another.
+Of course, there wasn't any hint of love there. Only darkness.
+"You were bullied ever since you were little. You were a victim
+throughout elementary school and junior high. You wanted to act tough so
+you could stop being bullied. Am I right?"
+"—D-did you hear this...from Hirata-kun?"
+"Hirata is everyone's ally, for better or worse. He'll help you, like he'll
+help anyone. Even if you got your position in Class D by pretending to be
+Hirata's girlfriend, he won't be of any use to you in situations like this. He
+isn't a good enough host for a parasite like you."
+Karuizawa was much smarter than other people thought. She had taken
+care not to overdo it in the Rabbit group precisely because she understood
+Hirata's neutral stance. That was probably why she was so reserved at first.
+However, as a display of her status, she'd started trouble with Rika, which
+led to this current predicament.
+"What are you... Why are you doing this, huh?!"
+"Why? It's obvious, isn't it? You need to understand your situation.
+Don't you know who's standing in front of you right now? It's not Hirata; it's
+me. I know everything. I know about your past. I know about your fake
+relationship with Hirata. I even know that Manabe and her friends tortured
+you to the point where you started bawling."
+I knew everything that Karuizawa Kei wanted to hide.
+I had her heart in my hands. Right now, I would decide whether she
+lived or died.
+"If you don't do as I say, I can expose you," I added.
+Karuizawa understood better than anyone how terrifying that was. "D-
+don't screw with me! Who the hell do you think you are?!" she shouted.
+"Someone who knows the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."
+I moved in so close to her that our faces almost touched. When she
+turned her face away and tried to avert her eyes, I grabbed her chin and
+forced her to look at me. She wanted to look away, but with a man's strength
+bearing down on her, she couldn't move. She closed her eyes, as if trying to
+escape my gaze.
+"What, what do you want with me?! You're just after my body, aren't
+you?" she screamed.
+"Your body, huh? You know, that doesn't sound too bad."
+I ran my fingertips across Karuizawa's thighs. She felt so incredibly
+soft that I couldn't even imagine that she was a person like me. Her skin was
+silky smooth. The feel of it was incredibly different from my own.
+"Eek!"
+She tried to escape my touch. I held her tighter and forced her to look
+straight at me. "Don't run. If you try it again, I'Il tell everyone at school what
+I know about you."
+Those words were like a magic spell. She stiffened.
+"You... Grr..." She sputtered.
+Rage, panic, fear, despair: How many negative feelings had Karuizawa
+been carrying? She now realized that I was completely different from the
+meek person she knew from school. She probably found it terrifying.
+"Spread your legs," I commanded.
+Karuizawa slowly opened her legs, tears streaming down her face as
+she did so. Even if she knew that she was about to be violated, she still
+wanted to protect her position. The pain she felt from her years of being
+bullied had won out. I placed my hand on my belt buckle and pretended to
+rattle it. Even so, Karuizawa didn't run. She was trying to accept this. She
+looked at me with empty eyes.
+There was no doubt about it. Karuizawa Kei had become a perfect tool
+for me. I didn't actually care about her body; I just needed to threaten her to
+see how far she was willing to go, how much she would do. She probably
+understood that.
+Revealing my true self to her was a big risk. If Karuizawa reported me
+to the school, I'd be in enormous trouble. However, she feared her past and
+losing her current social status more than anything else. That was why she'd
+go so far as to offer up her body if someone requested it, 1f 1t would protect
+her secret.
+"T'll never bow to you. I won't be bullied by the likes of you. You just
+want to mess with me! You think you can do whatever you want, you
+pervert?!" she shouted.
+Karuizawa roared with anger, as if it was welling up from deep within
+her heart.
+"Well, whatever. It's not like this is the first time someone's used force
+against me. So. Did you know about that, too? How do you think I should act
+in an impossible situation?" she asked. Still trembling, she gave a thin smile
+and looked at me with an intense darkness in her eyes.
+"After a while, I gave up trying to resist. That's right; I was everyone's
+victim. I became cold, robotic. I could cry, scream, or thrash around, but it
+didn't matter. I couldn't do anything. All I could do was take it."
+Karuizawa, as if accepting it all, lifted her skirt and touched her
+panties. I grabbed her slender arm and pushed her up against the wall.
+"What happened to you?" I asked.
+"What happened? All sorts of things. Everything and anything. They'd
+put tacks in my shoes or stuff my desk full of roadkill. When I went to the
+bathroom, I'd get splashed with dirty water. They wrote words like 'whore'
+on my uniform. They pulled my hair and punched and kicked me. Anything
+you could imagine, basically. I was bullied in every way. Countless times.
+What I've just told you was just a fraction of what I've experienced. Those
+were the 'gentler' ways I've been bullied, too. It makes me want to laugh. So,
+why aren't you laughing? Why don't you laugh at the pitiful loser who's been
+bullied all her life?"
+Even after everything she'd suffered, she still got back up. She seemed
+ready to fight again. Her resilience had motivated her to enroll in this school.
+Still...the experiences she'd recounted weren't enough to explain everything.
+"What else have you suffered?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+"Have you told me the whole truth?"
+I believed that something critical had shattered her spirit before this.
+There had to be some other reason behind her abnormal fearfulness,
+something that Karuizawa wanted to hide so much that it was worth giving
+up her body.
+"What are you hiding?"
+"Wh-what?"
+Karuizawa turned her head from me and lowered her eyes to look down
+at her left side. I noticed that, of course. I reached over and touched that part
+of her body, over her uniform.
+""S-stop!" she shouted.
+Her shouts echoed within the enclosed walls of the room. I grabbed her
+uniform and pulled it up. There, on her beautiful skin, was an ugly scar. A
+deep scar, one that had been created by a sharp blade.
+"This is it? This is your darkness?"
+"U-ugh!"
+This wasn't the result of simple bullying. A serious scar like this had
+come from a life-threatening attack. Even though she was burdened with that
+horrible past, she remained tough. She got back on her feet.
+Over the past few days, I'd keenly observed Karuizawa Kei. To protect
+herself, she forced people to become her allies. She protected her status, even
+if that meant being disliked.
+"Despair comes in many forms. And you've experienced despair.
+Haven't you?" I asked.
+Karuizawa's dark eyes met with mine. People who carry darkness
+within are attracted to one another. Slowly, they erode each other. Those who
+conceal a deep darkness will readily embrace the darkness of others.
+"Wh-what are you... you..." she stammered.
+If her past held her captive, then I had to forcefully free her from her
+shackles. Even if we weren't close, I could feel the darkness from her,
+through her skin. Yes.
+There were profoundly dark things left in this world that even
+Karuizawa didn't yet know about.
+"T promise you one thing. From now on, I will protect you from
+bullying. I will be much more reliable than Hirata or Machida," I told her.
+"Wait. You meant that you can stop Manabe and her friends?" she
+asked.
+"Right now, you should understand what I'm saying. If the wind blows,
+a tiny flame goes out. However, a larger flame only grows bigger. It becomes
+so strong that it won't go out, not even in the face of wild winds or pouring
+rain. You will help me, and I will help you. Kindness has nothing to do with
+it. Do you have any problems with this arrangement?"
+"First things first. Pll get rid of your anxieties for you," I added.
+I pulled out my phone.
+"T have a way to stop Manabe and her friends."
+I showed her phone. On the screen was a photo of Karuizawa being
+bullied in the emergency stairway.
+"That's—" she began.
+"If I send this picture to them, they won't get carried away anymore. If
+they still decide to harass you, perhaps by spreading rumors, then I will step
+in and put a stop to it. With this."
+As far as Manabe and her friends were concerned, this incident should
+have been enough to satisfy them. If they got carried away and tried to hurt
+Karuizawa further, they would end up causing trouble for Ryuuen. Then they
+would be in jeopardy themselves. I let go of Karuizawa's chin, and spoke in a
+flat, emotionless tone.
+"All I want is for people to cooperate with me. I want you to assist me
+in the future, doing whatever I need."
+"What? Assist? What do you want me to do?"
+"Tf things continue as they are, Class D will never overtake Class A.
+While the individual students within Class D certainly aren't incapable, we
+lack a sense of unity. Our class is scattered. However, if you control the girls
+for me, the situation will gradually improve."
+Her social pull made her an even more valuable ally than Horikita.
+"What are you trying to..."
+Up until now, she'd only ever seen as me as a lowly, unobtrusive guy.
+Seeing my true self must've terrified her. But I was done explaining. Besides,
+the less I talked, the more terrifying I would appear. The less she would
+resist.
+"Now, the first thing I need. We must guide our group to victory in this
+exam."
+"How am I supposed to help lead them to—"
+"You can, because you're... Right?"
+Though I didn't articulate the key word in that sentence, Karuizawa
+seemed to know what it was. She looked me in the eyes. The truth resonated
+deep within her, in her heart.
+She tried to look puzzled, but that was just an act. After all, a parasite
+couldn't live without a host. By finding a new host, Karuizawa only had one
+way to go on living: with me.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Sakayanagi
+First Year, Class A
+STUDENT ID: S01T004737
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: March 12th
+***
+Due to a congenital heart defect, she is extremely weak, and is
+prohibited from all forms of physical activity. Because she has trouble
+walking, she carries a cane at all times. She must be extremely careful not
+to overexert herself.
+***
+Her grades are leaps and bounds ahead of others at her grade level, and
+she has an almost unfathomably high level of cognitive ability. She is also
+quite calm and considered very trustworthy amongst her classmates.
+However, she needs to be careful about clashing with her fellow Class A
+student, Katsuragi, over his rather warlike manner of thinking.
+Chapter 5:
+Each and Every
+Difference
+W. had reached the final day of the test. Unlike on the island, time
+passed quickly aboard this ship, surrounded by luxury. While Ryuuen
+focused on his united frontal assault, and Katsuragi continued ahead with his
+iron fortress strategy, Ichinose Honami from Class B had not come up with a
+countermeasure.
+"Gah! I drew it again! Am I seriously this awful at Old Maid?"
+Ichinose spread out her remaining cards and collapsed into a heap before my
+eyes.
+Even though this was our fifth discussion period, Ichinose had
+suggested playing cards once again. I would have questioned this approach,
+but no one in Class A entered into the conversation, so no one stopped her. A
+small group of people had simply determined that it was better to spend their
+time playing cards than doing nothing.
+I was a little concerned that Manabe and her friends would try to
+confront Karuizawa, but it seemed like the picture I'd sent them had had the
+desired effect. They were being obedient. Karuizawa was acting normal, too.
+If I were to look at things from Manabe's perspective, she had to be
+thinking that the person who sent her those mysterious messages via chat
+must have been either me or Yukimura, someone who was there during the
+incident in the emergency stairwell. Of course, when I sent her the picture, I
+added that I had received it from a classmate. She could imagine that
+someone had sent the picture to someone else, and it had circulated.
+In the end, Manabe couldn't conclude with absolute certainty that it
+was me. That meant she and her friends wouldn't be able to make a move
+against me. There was no point in looking for whoever took those pictures.
+"Is it okay to just sit here like this?" Yukimura sighed. He sat next to
+me, sounding disappointed and melancholy.
+"You're being a downer today, Yukimura-kun. You ought to play with
+***
+us and shake off that gloom and doom. Come on, let's have a rematch
+urged Ichinose.
+"No thanks. I don't really feel like it. Really, is this okay, Ichinose-san?
+I mean, just doing this until the test ends. I thought you were the one leading
+the group here."
+Ichinose stopped in the middle of shuffling the cards. "Isn't that excuse
+too convenient, Yukimura-kun? If you seriously want to win this thing, don't
+you think you should rely on yourself, rather than someone else?"
+"Yeah. Good point," he answered.
+Yukimura understood full well that he couldn't cope with having that
+responsibility thrust upon him. Despite that, he still wanted a way to change
+all this. If this test were measured solely on academic ability, then Yukimura
+would have been at the top of any group. However, being gifted academically
+didn't make you a natural leader. It didn't mean you could come up with
+novel ideas, either. Some things couldn't be solved by memorizing words and
+formulae.
+In the two tests we'd had over the summer vacation, everyone had
+experienced the bitter sense of their own powerlessness, even Horikita. I
+wondered if Ichinose and Machida felt irritated about being locked into a
+stalemate. However, that frustration can become your strength if it doesn't
+break your spirit.
+5.1
+***
+ell, the test will be over after our next meeting. How do things
+look on your end, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+I was having my last meeting with Horikita. The world outside was
+already cloaked in darkness. Carrying a conversation through chat would
+leave a traceable record. To avoid that, we'd met in person.
+"There haven't been any significant changes. At this rate, it looks like
+the VIP is going to get away. How about you?"
+I didn't think I could expect anything from Horikita, but then...
+"Tl win," she replied flatly.
+"You sure you haven't made a mistake?" I asked.
+"I'm not sure who might be listening to us right now, so I won't go into
+detail. I'll just ask that you believe in me. Everything will be fine."
+I'd already heard from Hirata that Kushida was the Dragon group's
+VIP. Of course, I imagined that Ryuuen and Kanzaki had done everything in
+their power to figure that out, but it appeared Horikita had overcome the
+odds. If she was this confident, there probably wasn't anything to worry
+about. Nothing left to do but wait for the 500,000 points to pour in later. You
+could call this a solid victory for us.
+"Did you want to consult with me?" she asked.
+"No need. Make whatever moves you like." Even if she told me about
+the Dragon group, I couldn't do much to assist her.
+"So what did you want to talk about? I thought we both agreed to avoid
+unnecessary contact."
+Perhaps she was...concerned about Ryuuen, who pursued her
+frantically? "You can't keep being scared of Ryuuen forever, you know," I
+said.
+"Judging from how you phrased that, I'm guessing you can do
+something about it?"
+It didn't seem like she expected much from me, since she appeared
+surprised when I nodded. "I've brought Hirata over to our side. I think we' ll
+see a lot of cooperation from him."
+"T don't particularly want that," she said.
+"Well, that's fine. Besides, I'm not saying you have to get involved
+with Hirata. I'll handle him and maintain things. All you need to do is keep
+up."
+"T don't really like how freely you're operating in the shadows," she
+answered.
+I'd thought she'd say something like that. "In that case, show your face
+when we discuss things. Even if you don't talk, you can follow along, right?"
+"Well, I suppose so," she sighed. She sounded dissatisfied, but if I gave
+Horikita the option to participate, she wouldn't be able to argue with me.
+Besides, Hirata had a huge amount of pull in our class. After seeing his
+leadership skills in action, Horikita would likely come to understand.
+"Td like to introduce you to someone else later. Hirata, too. Make sure
+to keep some time open before they announce the results," I said.
+"Okay, I really don't like this. I don't want you to just go ahead and
+recruit people as you see fit," she snapped.
+"Think of it as compensation for putting yourself on the front lines.
+Anyway, this person will be useful to us."
+"T have a general idea of what you're thinking, but... Well, fine. At any
+rate, let's meet back here after the test is over."
+With that, I looked at the time. There was half an hour until the final
+discussion.
+"T wonder how many traitors will come forward in this test," said
+Horikita.
+"Who knows? I was surprised the test ended so suddenly for the Cow
+group, but I can't imagine we' ll see a repeat of that. In the end, the likeliest
+outcome will be that the VIPs escape, and time will run out."
+"Yes, I think so, too." Horikita briefly averted her eyes, the sort of
+unconscious gesture people made when they were worried about something.
+"What's wrong?" I asked.
+"Nothing. It's just, well... Something about this test doesn't make
+sense. But there shouldn't be any mistakes. I definitely shouldn't lose," she
+replied.
+Some of Horikita's anxiety was finally leaking out. Even if I offered
+her kind words, she'd tell me they weren't necessary, so I just kept quiet.
+5.2
+The Rabbit group was about to enter our sixth and final discussion
+period, still without any hope of making a breakthrough. I'd wanted to
+quietly and carefully gather my thoughts, so when Hirata and the others left
+our room, I headed to the meeting alone. Since there was still about half an
+hour until the discussion started, I assumed no one would be there yet.
+However, my expectations were dashed by someone's presence.
+"She must have gotten here early, huh?" I asked out loud.
+Ichinose slept soundly on the floor. Why should the mere sight of her
+tickle a man's heart in such a way? Ah, this was dangerous; it was really bad.
+Since she was lying on her side, I could see her plump thighs more clearly
+than usual.
+Even though I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't help but look at her thighs,
+then her legs, then her face, and then her breasts. Then back to her thighs.
+While my adolescent desires got the best of me, something near the back of
+her head grabbed my attention. It was Ichinose's cell phone. She must've
+been using it just before she fell asleep.
+Our assigned phones held quite a bit of information. Not only did they
+play a vital role in this test, but they also allowed you to confirm details, like
+how many points someone had. Of course, in order to confirm this, you
+needed an individual's ID and password. But in order to avoid the hassle of
+having to log in each and every time, some students just saved their
+information. In other words, if I snuck a peek at Ichinose's phone right now,
+it might be possible to find out all kinds of information. Like Ichinose's
+living situation, or the number of points she had. And I had confirmed earlier
+that Ichinose saved her ID and password on her device.
+I approached cautiously and carefully, one step at a time.
+"Ooh...ah..."
+As I closed the distance between us, Ichinose stirred slightly, perhaps
+sensing some change in the air. But she fell asleep again, and her breathing
+relaxed. It seemed I hadn't woken her. I tried to get closer again.
+"Mim..."
+What in the world was I doing? Even if this was an effective way for
+me to gather information, if anyone saw me, they'd think I was a pervert.
+What if Ichinose woke up? There'd be a huge misunderstanding. Even
+though it was okay for me to enter the room half an hour early, it was weird
+for me to wait around so openly while a girl slept.
+Well, I didn't have anything to feel guilty about. Therefore, I would
+remain calm. Step by step, I drew closer to Ichinose.
+"Ooh...um..." She muttered something unintelligible.
+This wasn't good. Every time I moved, Ichinose began to wake up. As
+a test, I tried moving my foot back and forth on the same spot, without
+moving forward. If Ichinose showed any response, I'd assume she was an
+exceptionally light sleeper. They say many light sleepers are highly strung...
+Creak, creak. | put my right foot forward, and then moved it back to its
+original position.
+God, I'm pathetic.
+Why did I have to sneak around like this? I'd definitely be branded a
+pervert if someone saw me right now. Realizing my actions were completely
+stupid, I gave up trying to sneak a peek at her phone, and instead moved
+away. I sat down on the other side of the room. From here, I couldn't glimpse
+the hidden place beyond her thighs. I didn't think I'd accidentally wake her,
+either.
+Most importantly, it was still early. Why in the world is she here? |
+wondered.
+About twenty minutes before the discussion period was supposed to
+begin, some cute-sounding music played throughout the room. It came from
+Ichinose's phone.
+"Mmm..." she mumbled.
+Ichinose, eyes still closed, grabbed her phone. She unlocked the screen
+and stopped the music, which apparently was her phone's alarm. Ichinose,
+still looking rather sleepy, started to sit up. Almost immediately, she noticed
+me.
+I'd wondered if she would be disgusted by my presence, but she wasn't
+concerned in the slightest.
+"Oh, good...yawn...to see you, Ayanokouji-kun. Sorry, did my alarm
+startle you?" she asked.
+"Oh, no. Looks like you slept well."
+"Ha ha ha, sorry about that. I just passed out; I slept like a log. You're
+here early, though. Don't we have twenty minutes until the discussion?" she
+asked.
+"T should be asking you the same thing. When did you get here?"
+"An hour ago, I think. I wanted some peace and quiet. Since my friends
+are going in and out of my room, it's kinda noisy."
+Apparently, this was the best place for a nap.
+"Besides, I wanted to gather my thoughts," she added. Rather than
+looking refreshed by her nap, she seemed struck by sudden inspiration.
+"Any results?" I asked.
+"More or less."
+She stood up. Then, for some reason, Ichinose walked over and sat
+down next to me. The two of us were alone in the room. The space between
+us was shrinking. Even though I couldn't hide my nervousness, Ichinose
+didn't seem to notice.
+"There's still some time left until the discussion starts. Why don't we
+have a little chat? If it's not a bother, that is," she said.
+"Oh no, it's not a bother. I don't mind."
+"Okay. To tell you the truth, Ayanokouji-kun, I want to ask you
+something. I've asked all my classmates this question, including the boys.
+But I've been thinking about asking the other classes for a while now. I've
+just been kind of curious. Ayanokouji-kun, do you want to ascend to Class
+***
+I'd been wondering what she would ask me, but the question was
+something surprisingly ordinary.
+"Well, yeah. Of course I do. I've thought about getting up to Class A.
+No, wait...I guess it'd probably be more accurate to say that I must aim for
+Class A."
+"Because of the guarantee of college or a career?" she asked.
+In our school, students from Classes A through D competed against
+each other. The greatest privilege— being guaranteed to advance into any
+school or career path—was only limited to those in Class A. Many might
+think that sounded like a trick. The school pamphlet was rather ambiguous,
+so the details were murky.
+"Nowadays, you can't just enter college or get a job that easily. Jobs,
+especially," I said.
+"T think so, too. But don't you think placing too must trust in the
+system could be dangerous? There's something about that 99.9% percent
+they're not telling us. Something dangerous," Ichinose said.
+Ichinose was referring to the "99.9 % college and job placement" rate
+that the school touted. She had a point about hidden pitfalls. Let's say I
+wanted to be a professional baseball player, but had no experience playing
+the game. How would the school go about making me a pro? Even with their
+professional connections, they were limited. And even if you did play
+regularly in school, that didn't guarantee you'd go pro. Even if you graduated
+from college or went on to graduate school, that didn't guarantee you any sort
+of future. Really, only a fraction of people really managed to accomplish
+what they set out to achieve.
+Statistically speaking, only one of every six students can achieve their
+dreams. At first, you might think that's a high percentage, but the data's
+ambiguous and the statistics are fuzzy. Being a professional baseball player
+isn't the same thing as becoming a top-ranked player. If you gathered up
+everyone who qualified as a professional baseball player, including trainees,
+you'd have about 900 to 1,000 people. However, if the dream is to play as a
+regular on the team and take down your opponents on your first attempt, then
+maybe a hundred people max could do it. Finally, even if you secured a spot
+as a regular player, you must continue playing against your rivals, always a
+linchpin for the team.
+In other words, no matter what you chose, it's unlikely you'd achieve
+your dream. And it's an extremely difficult thing to do. Many students just
+continue boring, tedious lives, with vague lip service paid to dreams as the
+years pass. To actually achieve a dream requires a lot of effort and luck.
+"But this school... Well, it does have an incredible amount of
+influence, right? Most people who get anywhere in life succeed because
+someone influential helps them. Or are you not interested in that, Ichinose?"
+"No, I'm not saying that. I want to graduate from Class A. I have a
+dream I want to make real," she answered.
+Even though she was smiling, her eyes were unwavering and serious.
+"The school system's all well and good, but if you can't graduate from
+Class A, it's a mark of failure. This school is all about ability, and if your
+abilities can't carry you here, it's unlikely you'll ever be labeled an elite.
+Students are ranked based on perceived superiority or inferiority. Right now,
+between the two of us, Ayanokouji-kun, only one can achieve their dream.
+Ah, but then again, we could both lose out on our goals."
+Even though we were chatting like friends, only one of us could win.
+"You've heard there are exceptions to the rules, though."
+"Hmm? You mean when someone manages to accumulate twenty
+million points?"
+"Yeah. There hasn't been a single student in the school's history who's
+successfully pulled that off, but it is theoretically possible."
+"Oh yeah, for sure. I suppose if we factor that in, it's possible for both
+of us to graduate from Class A," she replied.
+"Be that as it may, whether or not you can really earn twenty million
+points is another problem. Even if you score well on the exams and save your
+points, it probably wouldn't be enough," I said.
+Going by this test alone, it seemed possible to earn a great number of
+points, depending on how hard you worked, but we'd only had two such
+exams. From this point forward, it was possible that the number of such tests
+would be reduced, and the chances of being penalized could increase.
+"That's true. Even if you're extremely economical, it's unlikely
+someone could manage to save even half that amount," Ichinose mused.
+"Yeah. Class D's financial situation is especially awful. Even though
+Horikita's trying her hardest, the points from the island test have yet to be
+deposited. Actually, it's entirely possible we'll lose them in this test," I said.
+"Are you a thrifty person, Ichinose? You don't strike me as someone
+struggling to get by."
+"Hmm, I wonder about that. Personally, I'll use points sometimes and
+save them sometimes, just like anyone else would. Even though I'm in Class
+B, I don't really have that many points saved." Ichinose responded to my
+question with ease. I didn't see any indication she was hiding something from
+me, but...
+"Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Hmm?"
+Ichinose suddenly turned toward me. She looked me right in the face.
+"Tt seems like you saw it, a while back," she remarked.
+I couldn't look away from her beautiful eyes. It was almost as if they
+were drawing me in. Ichinose was even cleverer than I'd imagined. I guess
+she'd seen right through my plans.
+"Sorry. When you were using your phone earlier, I just happened to
+look at the screen. I was a little curious, so I was thinking of asking you about
+it."
+"Ha ha, you don't need to feel guilty or anything. It's not like ''m
+blaming you. I mean, it certainly is a lot of points, right?"
+Yeah, it was. Before the first semester had ended, Ichinose had already
+amassed an insane amount of points. Even if I saved all the class points that
+were doled out on the first of every month and didn't spend a single one, I
+still wouldn't have been able to save that many.
+"But I can't really give you any details. Sorry," she added.
+"No need to apologize."
+"Of course, if you did manage to obtain that information, Ayanokouji-
+kun, and even if you shared it with Horikita-san, you wouldn't go blabbing to
+everyone, would you? I mean, even though you saw my phone, if someone
+else decided to ask about it, you wouldn't tell, right?"
+"T don't plan on telling anyone else. Besides, I might've been mistaken.
+I won't pry."
+Even if I did pry, it wasn't like I'd get a satisfactory answer.
+"Have you found a way to win this thing?" I asked.
+"Hmm, I think so. At least, I think I've found a hint." I didn't think she
+would answer that honestly, but Ichinose sounded relaxed and confident. She
+seemed the type of person to act on her own initiative and not waste time.
+"In that case, this contest will come down to a battle between A and B,
+I suppose."
+"We won't know that until the end. My path to victory is—"
+Right before she finished her thought, members of our group poured
+into the room, one after another. The Class A students were first to arrive, but
+they took their seats without giving us so much as a greeting.
+"Oh, what's this? You're here already, Ayanokouji?"
+"All alone with Ichinose-dono? My word, how suspicious. A
+clandestine rendezvous, wouldn't you say?"
+Yukimura and the Professor bombarded me with questions as they
+walked into the room together. I couldn't especially tell if they were
+impatient or depressed, but it seemed they'd given up on winning. On the
+other hand, the Class B students seemed rather relaxed.
+"This is the end, huh? So, have you found any hints?" asked
+Hamaguchi. He spoke gently to me as we waited for the final discussion to
+begin.
+"To be honest, I have no idea. We haven't really been able to talk,
+which means we haven't been able to engage," I said.
+That was my official answer, but I'd already executed the strategy I'd
+been plotting since the test began. My plan involved the phones we all
+received from the school. I had switched the VIP's phones as a means of
+camouflage. Kushida was the Dragon group's VIP, but what if Kushida and
+Horikita switched phones? If someone spied on her phone, they'd suspect
+that Horikita was the VIP.
+Then, if a traitor submitted Horikita's name as their answer, they'd be
+making a mistake. We would win.
+"Good evening. Nice to see you all," Ichinose said warmly.
+She was smiling, just like always. I set the trap immediately. We didn't
+know who else had a hidden agenda, after all. ''d been waiting for Ichinose to
+talk, and decided to cut in before she spoke up again.
+"Um, excuse me. If everyone's okay with 1t—"
+"T have something I'd like to ask—"
+Both Hamaguchi and I started talking at the same time.
+"Oh, sorry. Go ahead, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Oh, no. You can go first. I don't mind," I said.
+How annoying. Well, this didn't get in the way of my plan, but any
+unexpected trouble could make things unstable. I decided to let Hamaguchi
+speak first. 'd chime in after thinking things through. Then, Hamaguchi
+shattered my plans in an unexpected way.
+"For the past three days, I've been thinking of how we could achieve
+Outcome #1," he said.
+Hamaguchi launched into an explanation of his plan which,
+surprisingly, was quite like mine.
+"There is a way for everyone here to achieve Outcome #1," he
+continued.
+A faint glimmer of hope shone in everyone's eyes. "Is that really true,
+Hamaguchi?"
+"Yes. I came up with this idea after listening to everyone here,
+including Ichinose-san and Machida-kun."
+"T can't believe it. There's no way we can arrive at Outcome #1
+without discussion," Machida huffed.
+"Let's hear him out first. Hamaguchi-kun isn't the sort to speak without
+thinking," offered Ichinose.
+"I'm going to show you all my phone. Of course, the school sent us all
+an email. I think you all understand what I'm getting at? Because we're
+prohibited from tampering with or misrepresenting the emails we've received
+in any way, there's no way to deceive one another. That's why the answer is
+simple. We show each other our emails, and then we find out who the VIP 1s.
+That's how we'll discover the truth."
+"This is dumb. Why would anyone show their phone just because you
+told us to? Someone could betray us all the moment we show our emails. No
+one would do this," answered Machida flatly.
+It was a hopeless plan. Naturally, Machida-kun was flabbergasted.
+"It's certainly true that if the VIP knows they could be betrayed, they
+wouldn't show their phone. However, from the perspective of someone who
+isn't the VIP, there's no risk in exposing your identity. The test will be over
+soon. If we don't make a move, we lose our chance of winning. Suppose
+there's a class working together to cover for the VIP. It's true that none of
+them would show their phones. But this way, it's possible to narrow down the
+list of candidates."
+"Even if you find out the VIP's identity or the class they belong to, the
+moment someone decides to betray you, it's over. The problem hasn't been
+resolved. Or are you suggesting that the first to betray us wins?" countered
+Machida.
+Through Hamaguchi's strategy, it was possible to successfully weed
+out the VIP. But that was it. In the end, people weren't going to play nice.
+"In that case, please be quiet and just watch. If you don't participate,
+Machida-kun, it'll still be fine," Hamaguchi answered.
+Hamaguchi showed everyone the email that he'd received.
+"T agree with Hamaguchi-kun. I'Il show mine, too."
+After Hamaguchi showed his phone, Beppu from Class B followed
+suit. This didn't seem like some spur-of-the-moment idea. This seemed like a
+strategy Ichinose had come up with. Strangely enough, her plan was exactly
+the same as mine. However, I didn't know how far she'd thought this
+through, or what her moves were. If she simply believed everyone would go
+along with this, then it was quite simply reckless.
+"T think it's a surprisingly good strategy. I don't have any objections,"
+said Ichinose.
+Smiling, Ichinose reached for her cell phone in her skirt's left pocket.
+"I've been agonizing over this for a long time now, but after hearing
+Hamaguchi's plan, I get it."
+Ichinose pulled out her phone. I decided to step in and interrupt before
+she could execute her strategy.
+"You're serious about this, huh? Well, if you're all going to bet on that,
+I think PII join in, too," I said.
+Before Ichinose could show everyone the contents of her email, I took
+out my own phone and offered it up. But it wasn't actually my phone; I'd
+switched it with someone else's.
+"Ayanokouji-kun...are you okay with this?" Ichinose asked.
+"Sure. After hearing Hamaguchi out, I honestly don't think we have
+another option. I'm really bad at communicating, so all I can do is show you
+the truth," I answered.
+"Wait, Ayanokouji. There's no way this kind of strategy is going to
+work," said Yukimura.
+He tried to stop me, but I showed everyone the email on my phone.
+Everyone saw that I wasn't the VIP. An incredible amount of water was
+building behind this unseen dam. If even the tiniest hole opened up, the dam
+would collapse, and we'd be left with a muddy stream of water. My actions
+opened that hole.
+"Yeah. Okay. So you're not the VIP, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Okay. Ill show mine, too."
+Among the large number of people still scoffing at Hamaguchi's
+strategy, a lone girl agreed. It was the person I'd least expected: Ibuki Mio.
+"Are you nuts? We don't get anything out of this!" shouted Manabe.
+However, Ibuki's response was well-reasoned. "Anyone who isn't the
+VIP or who's not in the same class as a VIP gains nothing if things keep
+going like this. Class B understands that. If we sit around, we won't catch up
+to the classes above us. That's why they're showing everyone their phones. I
+agree with their idea," she answered.
+That' og?
+"Or maybe you 're the VIP," said Ibuk1.
+Ibuki didn't talk to Manabe as if she were an ally. She spoke like
+addressing an enemy.
+"N-no. I..."
+"In that case, show everyone your phone."
+Ibuki's words threatened her classmates. Manabe and her friends, as if
+accepting Ibuki's order, showed everyone their phones. The hunt for the VIP
+had begun. Karuizawa took out her phone, which had a strap attached, and
+handed it over.
+"Wait. It's not just Ayanokouji-kun? You re going along with this,
+Karuizawa? You agree with this?" Yukimura was puzzled.
+"I'm doing this for my own sake. I want those private points," said
+Karuizawa.
+Her email said she wasn't the VIP. Karuizawa was in the clear.
+"Um, so what should I do?" muttered the Professor.
+"Think for yourself, Sotomura. This is voluntary."
+"Uh...well, I don't want to get wrapped up in this, so I'll just get it
+over with."
+The Professor, seeing how the tide had turned, reached for his phone.
+Yukimura grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Do you really think that
+showing everyone your phone ts the right move?" he asked.
+"You know, you've been really jumpy. You're not the VIP, are you?"
+Ibuki asked.
+Yukimura's expression stiffened.
+"Whoa, seriously?"
+"Yukimura isn't the VIP. I heard as much earlier," I said.
+However, some of the students burst out laughing.
+"You expect us to believe that? You could be lying." Manabe cast a
+doubting look over at Yukimura.
+If I continued denying that he was the VIP, it would only invite further
+suspicion. But I couldn't make my move yet. That's because Yukimura
+was...
+"It's too early to draw any conclusions. Yukimura-kun has a point,"
+Ichinose said. Once again, she reached into her pocket and took out her
+phone. "I got a little caught up and missed my chance earlier, but I'll show
+you now," she said.
+Ichinose proved that she was not the VIP.
+"Wait, Ichinose. Earlier, you said you'd been keeping quiet about
+something until now?" Machida clearly hadn't forgotten.
+"Ah, that? I had the same thing Hamaguchi said on my mind earlier,
+and wanted to talk about it. That's it."
+"The same thing?"
+"As Class B's representative, I'm a little jealous that Hamaguchi-kun
+beat me to the punch."
+By now, everyone except the Class A students and Yukimura had
+proven themselves to not be the VIP.
+(74 99
+eee
+Everyone understood the meaning behind Yukimura's long silence.
+Machida and the other Class A students stared at him inquisitively.
+"Fine. Ill show you. All I have to do is show you, right?" he muttered.
+Yukimura, no longer able to deal with the pressure, pulled out his phone.
+"Before I do so, I want you to promise me one thing," he said.
+"Promise? What do you mean, Yukimura-kun?"
+"T don't want anyone here to turn traitor. Especially you, Class A. I
+want you to take out your phones and put them in front of you. That goes for
+everybody. Everyone, put your phones where I can see them," he demanded.
+He directed his statement at Machida, who responded with a snort.
+"What are you talking about?" he asked.
+"Exactly what I said. Nothing more, nothing less."
+"Well, fine. Whatever. If you want to see my phone, here."
+The Class A students, who'd been sitting some distance away, calmly
+came over and placed their phones on the table. After they did that, Yukimura
+made his move, looking downcast. He pulled his phone out and turned it on.
+He entered the six-digit password, and logged in. Yukimura opened the
+school's email and lifted it up so we all could see.
+"I'm sorry for lying to you, Ayanokouji," he muttered.
+Class D was the most surprised by the revelation.
+"T'm the VIP."
+A different email from everyone else's was displayed on the screen.
+"Wha— Y-Yukimura-dono, you're the VIP?!" the Professor
+stammered. He looked astonished, as if he couldn't believe what he was
+seeing. This basically meant we'd given up the 500,000 points that Class D
+had gained. However, I'd exchanged phones with Yukimura in secret.
+"If Pd known things would turn out like this, I would've talked from
+the start..."
+Karuizawa looked genuinely shocked and uneasy. To look at her and
+the Professor, you'd think the two of them could never have imagined that
+Yukimura was the VIP. Machida stood and peered at Yukimura's phone.
+"The email seems authentic. All of the other personal emails are
+Yukimura's, so there's no room for error."
+Machida, after checking Yukimura's private email and chat logs,
+confirmed the truth. He still appeared doubtful, and Ichinose tried to explain
+the situation calmly.
+"There's no way it could be fake. After all, the school explained the
+rules, right? Copying and transferring the email is forbidden. As long as the
+email was sent from the school's email address, there's a 0% chance it's a
+fake."
+She was right. Creating false information was strictly prohibited. If you
+broke that rule, expulsion awaited you. Therefore, everything laid out here
+had to be the truth.
+"So that means it's definitely Yukimura-kun."
+Manabe nodded. The important thing here was the process that had led
+to Yukimura's revelation. Whether the person holding that phone was
+actually the true owner of that phone was irrelevant. In other words, judging
+whether or not that phone belonged to Yukimura was a surprisingly difficult
+task. The idea that someone had switched phones wasn't outside the realm of
+possibility.
+However, showing everyone the process of entering the six-digit
+password and unlocking the phone was a different story entirely. There was
+no way a Student could know someone else's phone password. Everyone
+unconsciously acknowledged that Yukimura must be the owner of the phone.
+This wasn't the result of deduction, but rather of preconceived notions.
+"I'm sorry, Yukimura-kun. This happened because I came up with this
+idea at the very last minute," I muttered.
+"No, it's okay. It's probably for the best. I thought I could lie my way
+out of this, but I was wrong. I'm sure you, Sotomura, and Karuizawa would
+agree this was for the best," said Yukimura.
+Everyone now thought of him as the sort of person who wanted to
+secure points for only himself.
+"Well, now everyone knows the answer. It's me," Yukimura said.
+If we all cleared the test together, everyone in our group would receive
+500,000 points. Outcome #1, which at first had seemed impossible to
+achieve, now appeared to be in our grasp. Ichinose nodded, and pleaded with
+Class A more strongly than before.
+"Please. Cooperate with us. Don't let Yukimura-kun's courage go to
+waste. I don't want you to betray us."
+"We've been acting on Katsuragi-san's instructions from the very
+beginning. We won't do anything on our own," answered Machida.
+He said that, but the group would disperse right before the test ended.
+During that thirty-minute window of time, we had to trust not only in our
+own classmates, but in students from other classes.
+"T want to believe... No, I do believe in everyone." Yukimura begged
+fervently.
+He begged everyone, from every class. I wondered if the students
+who'd spent so much time together over these past few days had started to
+form bonds of friendship. I wondered if they would accept Yukimura's
+wishes, and if everyone would work together.
+No, they wouldn't. I was sure of that.
+Someone would turn traitor. I had no doubt.
+And if that happened, then the ones who had switched phones—Class
+D—would take the victory.
+Yukimura must have believed that, too. I imagined that he was
+practically dying from holding back his laughter. However, his joy
+disappeared when the phone started vibrating with an incoming call.
+Panicking, Yukimura lunged forward to snatch the phone, but dropped it. By
+sheer coincidence, the phone fell face-up.
+Since the phone was on silent, the table shook as it continued to
+vibrate. The caller ID said "Ichinose." Ichinose, holding her phone to her ear,
+looked at Yukimura and me.
+"What are you doing, Ichinose? There's no point in calling Yukimura's
+phone at a time like this," said Machida, looking suspicious.
+Only Yukimura and I understood what was going on. She quietly hung
+up the phone.
+"The school said that altering or copying the emails is forbidden, that's
+true. That's why the email we saw was the real thing. However, there's no
+rule saying that you can't trick people with the phone itself. Do you
+understand what I'm getting at?"
+Ichinose picked up the phone and handed it to me.
+"The person this phone belongs to, the real VIP...that's you, isn't it?
+Ayanokouji-kun? I called you just now, not Yukimura-kun."
+I'd exchanged numbers with Ichinose some time ago. And even in the
+event she hadn't known it, she would've done her research just to be safe.
+"B-but isn't that odd? Yukimura unlocked the phone right in front of
+us. I checked his private email history just to be sure," said Machida.
+"That was all fake. He could've easily gotten the password ahead of
+time by simply asking Ayanokouji-kun. Besides, it's possible to replicate call
+history, email, apps, and so on, though it would take a bit of effort," said
+Ichinose.
+Machida's face flashed a different, angry color. He snatched the phone
+out of my hands.
+"It's not easy for people to lie like that, especially when the goal is
+within reach. In those last moments, either through negligence or
+nervousness, they'll leave some kind of opening. Yukimura-kun lied, and his
+gestures and behavior seemed different from the way he normally acts."
+Ichinose had completely seen through my attempts at subterfuge.
+Yukimura turned pale as she spoke. It was doubtful that he even heard her.
+"We've been thinking about this for a while now, too. If the VIP was in
+your class, one option would be to swap phones. You could mislead people
+by showing off the password to unlock the phone."
+Apparently, Ichinose and the others had come up with the same
+strategy that I had.
+"But you see, there's a weak point to that strategy: a phone number.
+Even if you perfectly duplicate everything from call history to apps, you can't
+change the number. Hamaguchi and I had tried swapping SIM cards once to
+see what would happen, but the SIM cards are locked to their designated
+phones. If you'd swapped them, I wouldn't have been able to call you. It
+doesn't matter who switches with whom: Once I hear the phone ring, I can
+find the owner. If I couldn't do that, I wouldn't have proposed this idea in the
+first place," said Ichinose.
+Ichinose and Hamaguchi had been two steps ahead. They'd probably
+orchestrated everything, agreeing that Hamaguchi should be the one to
+broach the topic. In one second, the truth had come to light.
+"You did everything almost perfectly. But you didn't anticipate that
+our SIM cards are locked to specific devices, did you?" Ichinose gloated.
+An announcement came through the speakers, telling us we had five
+minutes left before the discussion period was over. We were told to break in
+the next five minutes and return to our rooms.
+"Damn it!" shouted Yukimura.
+"Too bad, Yukimura. It was a surprisingly good try, though," said
+Machida. He and the others laughed, furthering the mockery.
+They glanced over at me, the one also complicit in this plan. Yukimura
+was still visibly upset and shaking, and so was the rest of Class C. Classes C
+and A appeared shocked. I'm sure they had many questions, but the rules
+prohibited us from talking any further.
+"Anyway, we've confirmed that Ayanokouji-kun is the VIP. Machida-
+kun, promise me that we'll aim for Outcome #1, and no one will betray
+anyone else," urged Ichinose.
+"Yes, of course. You can trust me. Let's go," Machida said.
+The three Class A students left the room right away, before anyone
+else.
+"There's so much to gain by working together. That's why we'll never
+turn traitor. That's why I want you in Class C to do the same. Please, just
+bear with it for thirty minutes," Ichinose pleaded.
+Manabe and the others nodded and left the room. Yukimura looked at
+the phone I was clutching.
+"T was wrong to go along with your plan. This sucks," he fumed.
+One by one, everyone left the room, leaving me alone with Ichinose.
+"Now all we can do is to trust everyone," she said.
+"Yeah. Guess so," I answered.
+"You're really calm, Ayanokouji-kun. Aren't you worried?"
+"Not especially. I can't do anything but believe, anyway. I'm heading
+to my room."
+There was nothing to gain by staying here.
+"Hey, wait a sec."
+Ichinose placed a hand on my shoulder. In that instant, I felt the tension
+between us.
+"Who came up with the idea of swapping phones?" she asked.
+"Horikita, of course."
+"T see. Please tell Horikita-san something for me. Tell her that her plan
+was a huge success."
+"A huge success? Don't you mean a crushing defeat? We failed, hard.
+You saw through everything."
+"Ha ha ha. You didn't expect us to have come up with the same plan,
+did you?"
+"I'm sorry. Sorry for trying to deceive you like that, especially after I
+agreed to be your ally. Are you angry?"
+"Of course not. We went ahead with our own plan without telling you,
+SO we're even."
+"T see. If you mean it, I'm sure Horikita will be relieved." I grabbed my
+phone and headed for the exit.
+"W-wait, wait a second. We still haven't gotten to the critical part yet,"
+she said.
+"The critical part?"
+"Come on. You're surprisingly bad at dealing with people,
+Ayanokouji-kun. It's true that the SIM cards are locked to their respective
+devices. But there is a way to release that lock. Isn't that right? I checked
+with Hoshinomiya-sensei to confirm. She said that with enough points, you
+can unlock the device right away," said Ichinose.
+In that instant, I felt a faint electric current run down my spine.
+"After a falsehood comes to light, most people will take the answer that
+comes after it to be the truth. Yukimura-kun was determined not to be the
+VIP, even after he showed everyone how he unlocked your phone using the
+password. The moment that lie was revealed, the truth that you're the VIP
+came to the surface. The SIM card was the deciding factor. No one would
+suspect anyone else as the VIP now. But that was the trap. I said the idea of
+swapping phones was an imperfect strategy, but that was a lie. That's because
+swapping phones is extremely effective. Of course, it must be a double-
+layered trap in order to work. In that case, the truth will remain in the
+darkness. There wouldn't be any way for anyone to determine, with 100%
+accuracy, the real VIP's identity."
+Ichinose had seen through my plan. She'd seen through the plan behind
+the plan. She realized the truth I'd kept hidden even from Yukimura. First,
+she knew I was not the VIP, but that 'd approached Yukimura under the
+pretense of being exactly that. As proof, I used the real VIP's phone to
+contact him. But the real target—the real VIP and the owner of that phone—
+was Karuizawa. She'd hidden that fact very well. The only person she'd
+secretly told was Hirata. Hirata kept that from both me and Yukimura at first.
+That's why he pretended not to know who the VIP was when we spoke about
+it. However, after I learned about his and Karuizawa's pasts, Hirata told me
+the truth. Then, after I used Manabe to bully Karuizawa, I took the
+opportunity to swap our phones.
+Of course, I replicated the email and call history, just as I did with
+Yukimura. Naturally, I then used my points to do a SIM lock release. Doing
+so wasn't illegal and could be done free of charge at any major retailer. We
+may have been on a ship at sea, but I'd been positive that the school would
+have something prepared to replace or repair our phones should they be
+damaged. That's why, while using Karuizawa's phone, I was able to transfer
+over my number as well.
+Then, I swapped that phone with Yukimura's. Of course, I had told him
+it was my phone, and he believed me. If my deception were revealed, he'd be
+extremely angry.
+A simple person would have never noticed that Yukimura and I
+switched phones. A clever person would have noticed the swap and accused
+me of being the VIP. But they never would have come to the conclusion that
+Karuizawa was the real VIP.
+"If the VIP wasn't in Class D, what would you have done?" asked
+Ichinose.
+"The same as you. I would've tried to find out who the VIP was,
+borrowed that person's phone, and had another one ready. Then, I'd step
+forward and claim to be the VIP myself."
+If the real VIP then came forward to point out the lie, the writing would
+be on the wall. Simply believing that Ichinose was the VIP meant that the test
+would end with the traitor making a mistake. In the latter situation, Class B
+would be awarded no points, and the gap would either decrease or increase
+between the classes.
+"So I've been found out, huh?"
+Ichinose started pulling phones from both pockets. One belonged to the
+VIP from a Class B student's other group, and the other was a phone from a
+different student who, most likely, wasn't a VIP.
+"This is just my prediction, but based on how today's discussion
+went..."
+Ichinose quickly typed a short message on her own phone.
+"The real VIP is Karuizawa Kei-san. Am I right?"
+She showed me her phone. That was the betrayal message she was
+going to send to the school. However, before anything could happen, both my
+phone and Ichinose's rang at the same time.
+"The test has now ended for the Rabbit group. Please wait for the
+results announcement. "
+"Ahh, I guess someone turned traitor, huh? I wonder, was it Class A or
+Class C?"
+"Why did you think it was Karuizawa?" I asked.
+"The same reason as Yukimura-kun. She's been behaving unusually.
+She normally doesn't seem to care much about you, Ayanokouji-kun, but she
+kept looking over at you, and her face tightened. But there's still the
+possibility that she isn't the VIP, so I couldn't have sent that email."
+Apparently, Ichinose had completely seen through my plan.
+"Why didn't you say anything? At the very least, you could have
+exposed my lie," I said.
+Ichinose smiled. The smile she wore now was perhaps the most
+genuine I had ever seen from her. "That's obvious. If either Class A or Class
+C makes a mistake, that's a win for us. From the very beginning, I never
+intended to clear Outcome #1, or to turn traitor and get Outcome #3. The
+moment I knew the VIP wasn't in Class B, I knew I would let another class
+betray us. I think the traitor was probably from Class A," she said.
+'*"Machida?"'
+"No, no. Morishige-kun. He's a member of Sakayanagi's faction. I
+doubt he'd just quietly go along with Katsuragi's plan. He probably figured
+that, if anything, it was better for him to betray the group and take the points.
+Don't you think?"
+Ichinose laughed and turned her back to me.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you're amazing. You know that? Our conversation
+just now proves how cunning you really are, doesn't it?"
+"You ought to praise Horikita. She just gave me directions, that's all."
+It seemed I needed to re-evaluate Ichinose Honami. She'd managed to
+thoroughly avoid risks while devising a strategy that led her to victory.
+"Well, PIl be leaving then. It would be bad if we broke the rules,
+wouldn't you say?"
+However, the moment Ichinose said that, both of our phones played a
+unique sound. It played four times, quickly.
+"'Wh-what does this mean?" asked Ichinose.
+She seemed completely shocked as she slowly looked from her phone's
+screen over to me.
+5.3
+O.: ship floated on the dark, lonely sea. As we got closer to 11:00,
+more and more people began to gather. The café, which had been completely
+silent, started to fill up with people. Eventually, the place was packed. I
+secured four seats well ahead of time. A lone girl approached me.
+"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said.
+Karuizawa Kei approached me rather meekly. Something about her
+expression seemed different.
+"Sorry for calling you so late."
+"No, it's okay."
+Since I didn't really have anything to talk to her about, I silently gazed
+at the nighttime scenery. However, Karuizawa looked as if she had wanted to
+ask me something. I glanced at her.
+"Ah, um. I was just wondering if everything really went okay," she
+said.
+"Don't worry. I'm positive that one of the guys from Class A sent the
+school an email with my name," I answered.
+I'd had one more piece of insurance up my sleeve, besides the double
+phone swap. But because I'd laid my plans well, there was likely nothing to
+worry about.
+"How can you say that for sure?" she asked.
+"I'm guessing you're talking about that piece of paper you gave me.
+Right, Ayanokouji-kun?" Hirata's approach from behind made Karuizawa
+jump in shock. Well, that was understandable. After all, Karuizawa had
+screamed at him and said they were breaking up the other day.
+"Excellent work on this test, both of you. May I sit?" he asked.
+"Sure."
+Karuizawa shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. She looked away,
+but didn't show any sign that she would refuse him. It was 10:55 p.m. In just
+five more minutes, an email should be sent to all the students.
+"Tt's just about time. Is Horikita-san still not here? Shouldn't we
+contact her?" asked Hirata.
+""She's the type to come at the very last second. We have another four
+minutes," I said.
+"Ah, looks like she's here," said Hirata.
+Apparently, Horikita had arrived earlier than I'd expected.
+"Ahh. When I see you people, I can't help but sigh," muttered Horikita.
+"You're finally here. Hey, who's that behind you?" I asked.
+"Tgnore him. Think of him as a ghost that attached itself to my back,"
+Horikita said flatly.
+"Aw, come on. Don't say that, Horikita. I just thought you might be
+nervous during the test, so I was worried about you. That's why I came to
+check on you."
+Sudou Ken. I hadn't seen him for several days. He stood so close to
+Horikita that they were practically attached.
+"You're in the way. Get lost," she spat.
+"H-hey, don't say that. I gave this test everything I had, you know."
+"In that case, do you believe you'll end up with good results?"
+"T was just one step behind, that's all. Looks like someone else sent the
+email before me," he muttered.
+Horikita stopped paying any attention to his lame excuses and sat down
+in the vacant seat. Sudou quickly went to grab a chair from a nearby table.
+"You're in the way," Horikita grumbled.
+"Come on. It's fine, isn't it? I'm just going to listen. You wouldn't cut
+out a classmate, right?"
+This was a rather unusual group of people. Sudou didn't seem to show
+interest in listening to anyone else.
+"Anyway, about the chain of emails we received earlier," Horikita
+began.
+"Yeah. I was hung up on that, too," I said.
+We were talking about what'd happened two hours earlier. Just as I
+was about to part ways with Ichinose, we'd received four emails at almost the
+exact same time, in rapid succession. They'd informed us about the end of the
+test for several groups. The test had ended for the Rat, Horse, Rooster, and
+Pig groups. They'd all had traitors.
+"Minami-kun was the Horse group VIP, right?" asked Horikita.
+"Yeah. Someone discovered his identity," I reasoned.
+"Did one of us send an email for the other groups?" asked Horikita.
+She was anxious. If you guessed incorrectly, the penalties were high.
+"T was a little apprehensive about that, so I went around and asked
+people in the individual groups earlier. None of the guys said they turned
+traitor," Hirata answered.
+Hopefully, they hadn't lied to him. I thought we could trust them to a
+certain degree.
+"Is Yamauchi okay?" I asked.
+"Ah, he's probably okay. Yamauchi-kun was in the Rooster group. It
+seems he did try sending an email but agonized over it for too long. The test
+ended before he could actually send it," said Horikita.
+"T don't know who it was, but betraying the group before he could was
+a fine move," I said.
+Horikita had predicted that if Yamauchi sent the email, he most likely
+would've gotten the answer wrong. She was probably correct. He might
+consider himself a reckless, daring guy, but the moment he hesitated to send
+that email, it was all over for him. He wasn't the cocksure guy he imagined
+himself to be.
+"But I don't know about the girls," Horikita said.
+"I've already checked. No one sent an email," said Karuizawa without
+hesitation. As controller of the Class D girls, she could be as certain as Hirata
+of her information.
+"T see," answered Horikita flatly. Of course, since Horikita did not have
+the necessary social pull, she had no choice but to accept what she was told.
+"Still, I wonder why only a small group of people were given
+explanations for this exam, in the end?" muttered Hirata, as if he still had
+lingering doubts that he couldn't quite shake.
+"This exam was all about testing our thinking. It's not like every single
+question would have an answer," said Horikita.
+Maybe we'd only truly grasp everything after seeing through all the
+meaningless bluffs. The truth hid among those many doubts.
+"What I'm worried about is that those four emails came in at almost the
+exact same time. The school said we had a timeframe of thirty minutes at the
+end of the test to betray someone, but all the emails came within one to two
+seconds of each other," she said.
+"Tsn't that just a coincidence?" asked Sudou. Apparently, from Sudou's
+perspective, everything was a coincidence.
+"When Kouenji-kun sent the email to betray his group, the school
+responded without delay. If you think about how fast it was, it must have
+been automated," Horikita began.
+"So it's likely that all of the emails were sent together. In other words,
+the betrayal emails all came from one class." Hirata finished her thought.
+That was it. I couldn't think of any other reason.
+"They might have sent the emails at the exact same time as a way of
+showing off their supremacy," Hirata added.
+"Yeah. And there's only one person I can imagine who'd do such a
+thing." said Horikita.
+Horikita and Hirata had a natural rapport. I was grateful they were able
+to do this without me having to jump in. Meeting in this particular café, a
+place we'd used so many times before, had been a deliberate move on my
+part.
+"So. You're all here after all, huh?"
+It was so I could invite a particular sixth guest to join us.
+"Ryuuen!"
+Sudou, after noticing Ryuuen, stood up as if to threaten him, but
+Ryuuen didn't pay any mind. He simply grabbed a vacant chair, forcefully
+slamming it next to Horikita before taking a seat.
+"T thought I'd enjoy finding out the results with you all. Thanks so
+much for gathering in such an easy-to-find place," he said mockingly.
+"Yes. I chose this space because even an idiot like you would be able
+to find it quite easily. You should be grateful," answered Horikita.
+"Anyway, Suzune, you've got a rather large group with you. Have you
+grown more sociable?" muttered Ryuuen, looking out at the other four people
+gathered around the table and ignoring Sudou completely.
+"T disliked your persistent harassment. I was talking to them about it,"
+said Horikita flatly.
+"Don't you hang all over Horikita!" roared Sudou.
+"Sudou-kun, be quiet," Horikita snapped.
+"Oh," he muttered dejectedly. Sudou obediently sank back into his
+chair. He was surprisingly docile.
+"T didn't think you actually had any friends," Ryuuen teased.
+This was a defensive strategy I'd devised specifically to deal with
+Ryuuen. By increasing the number of people in Horikita's social circle, I had
+successfully set up a dummy. With more people to keep an eye on, he would
+be unable to catch everything. He'd become negligent.
+"The results will be announced any minute now. Are you expecting any
+results?" he asked.
+"More or less. You look rather relaxed," Horikita said.
+"Heh. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. Looks like the same crowd as the
+last time," replied Ryuuen.
+"And I remember that the last time they announced results, you were
+acting all high and mighty. But then you lost big," Sudou chided, pointing a
+finger at Ryuuen and laughing.
+Horikita, as if agreeing with Sudou, gave Ryuuen a disgusted look.
+"Stop it, Suzune. You know if you get carried away now, you'll just be
+embarrassed later. I already know our group's VIP," said Ryuuen.
+Whether he was lying or not, Horikita wasn't shaken in the least. She
+was convinced that she wouldn't lose to Ryuuen. "I'm quite glad to hear that.
+I look forward to the results," she replied with confidence.
+"There's no need to wait for the announcement. Want me to tell you
+who the Dragon group VIP is?" he asked.
+"I'm sorry, but I'm hearing the irritating whine of a loser. The test has
+already ended, and no one in the Dragon group has turned traitor. That can
+only mean one thing," she answered. The exam had ended without Ryuuen
+figuring out that Kushida was the VIP.
+"If you could only understand the depth of my mercy, you'd be moved.
+So moved that you'll get wet between your thighs." Ryuuen laughed, as
+though such vulgar language was funny.
+"All right, tell me then. Who is the Dragon group VIP?" asked
+Horikita.
+Ryuuen, as if he'd been waiting for her to ask, covered his smiling face
+with his hand. He peered at us through the gaps in his fingers, like some kind
+of beast in a cage. He looked ready to tear out his prey's throat.
+"Kushida Kikyou."
+"Huh?" Horikita, who had been unconcerned until that point, cried out
+and stiffened. She'd been confident that he'd never get it right. Hirata, also in
+the Dragon group, was flabbergasted as well.
+"I'm sorry, but I've known Kushida was the VIP since the second day
+of the test," Ryuuen said.
+"Y ou're joking, right? If that's true, you would have turned traitor and
+sent an email. But the test didn't end like that. That must mean you realized
+that fact after the exam had ended. There's no other way. Am I wrong?"
+asked Horikita.
+"T just felt so sorry for you. You were oh-so-incredibly confident in
+your victory that you looked down on others. You were desperate to get your
+stories straight, assuming no one would get the answer right. That's why I
+went along with it until the end."
+"How did you figure it out?" asked Hirata. His question contained a
+mixture of curiosity and fear. He must've been curious both because he'd so
+carefully protected Kushida, and because Ryuuen hadn't betrayed anyone.
+"Unfortunately, the answer to that... Well, it involves you, Suzune,"
+answered Ryuuen.
+"Me?" she asked, dumbfounded. Horikita must have been desperately
+trying to remain calm while replaying the test in her head. When, where, and
+how had he gotten the answer?
+"T figured it out because of your body. The movements of your eyes
+and mouth. Your breathing. Your behavior. Your tone. Everything about you
+told me that you were lying," continued Ryuuen in an eerie voice.
+"Stop with the jokes!"
+"Jokes? If it's a joke, then how do I know the truth?"
+"That's... ''m sure you could've just heard it from someone else,"
+Horikita stammered.
+"T understand how you feel. You don't want to admit that you're the
+most incompetent person in the group. But don't beat yourself up, Suzune.
+You merely chose the wrong opponent. Besides, this exam was supposed to
+be pure chaos. At any rate, Class A is in for an especially rude awakening.
+Relax."
+"What? What did you do?" asked Horikita.
+"You'll understand soon enough."
+Apparently, Ryuuen had played a major part in the four betrayal
+emails. Once the clock struck eleven, we received notifications at the exact
+same time. All of us, save Ryuuen, checked the results:
+Rat: Outcome #3. The traitor answered correctly.
+Cow. Outcome #4. The traitor answered incorrectly.
+Tiger: Outcome #2. The VIP's identity was not discovered.
+Rabbit: Outcome #4. The traitor answered incorrectly.
+Dragon: Outcome #1. The entire group answered correctly at the end
+of the test.
+Snake: Outcome #2. The VIP's identity was not discovered.
+Horse: Outcome #3. The traitor answered correctly.
+Sheep: Outcome #2. The VIP's identity was not discovered.
+Monkey: Outcome #3. The traitor answered correctly.
+Rooster: Outcome #3. The traitor answered correctly.
+Dog: Outcome #2. The VIP's identity was not discovered.
+Pig: Outcome 3. #The traitor answered correctly.
+Based on those results, the increase or decrease in class and private
+points are as follows. "Cl" and "Pr" are used to denote "class points" and
+"private points," respectively.
+Class A: Minus 200 cl; Plus 2 Million pr
+Class B: No Change cl; Plus 2.5 Million pr
+Class C: Plus 150 cl; Plus 5.5 Million pr
+Class D: Plus 50 cl; Plus 3 Million pr
+"Class C...came out on top," muttered Horikita.
+Everyone looked stunned by the results.
+"Isn't this great, Suzune? Thanks to your blunder, the Dragon group
+managed to clear this test with Outcome #1. Because of that, all the classes
+should receive a boost in points," Ryuuen crowed. He clapped his hands and
+wore a Satisfied grin. "If you beg for it, Pll tell you the answer. How about
+it?" he asked.
+"Who would—'" Horikita started to snap, but quickly shut her mouth.
+"Ooh, that look you have. It's pretty sexy."
+Ryuuen took out his phone and placed it on the table. On the screen
+was a list, and on that list were the names of the VIPs from Class A in the
+Rat, Rooster, and Pig groups.
+"T made some adjustments and arrived at the root of the test. Then, I
+just focused on the Class A students," he said.
+Ryuuen had managed to clear the test without targeting Classes B or D
+at all. No one should have been able to pull off something like that, but
+Ryuuen did.
+"I'm sorry to tell you, Suzune, but you're my next target. I'm going
+after you with everything I've got. I won't stop until I tear you to shreds, both
+in mind and body."
+Horikita, unable to attempt a comeback, simply kept staring at the
+results. After obtaining such a huge number of points, Class C had gained an
+overwhelming lead. Looking over the results, it became clear that Kouenji
+saved our asses, even though we thought he'd been screwing around. If he
+hadn't done what he did, this victory would've belonged exclusively to Class
+C. Of course, Kouenji's actions had ended up causing stray bullets to go
+flying at other VIPs.
+"I'm looking forward to the second semester," said Ryuuen.
+Ryuuen, his payback for the island administered in full, walked away
+with satisfaction. The rest of us weren't exactly in a celebratory mood. If
+someone saw the stern looks on our faces, they'd imagine we'd suffered a
+crushing defeat.
+"T understand that Ryuuen-kun managed to discover the VIPs in Class
+A, sure, but I'm not convinced he has some kind of preternatural talent. Still,
+how did Dragon Group end up with that result?" asked Hirata.
+No one answered, perhaps because no one could figure it out.
+"T mean, it's not really a difficult problem. If you just put your mind to
+it, it's relatively simple," I told everyone.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Putting aside how Ryuuen found out the VIPs' identities, all he had to
+do was tell everyone 'Kushida is the VIP' before the end of the test, right? Of
+course, no one would believe what someone like Ryuuen says. Especially a
+group of such intelligent, gifted people. However, the final half hour was
+different. Even if you answered incorrectly, there wasn't any risk to class
+points. As such, even someone who'd been playing defensively like
+Katsuragi could vote, right? If there was even a 1% chance that Kushida was
+really the VIP, then they would've gotten Outcome #1, which was the most
+convenient for everyone involved."
+If he'd just planted the seed earlier, it would've been extremely simple.
+But something like that would've normally been impossible. It was a
+tightrope act; something that couldn't have happened unless every single
+person trusted that Kushida was the answer. Was it even possible? As I
+thought about it, I still had doubts. I never would've imagined he could
+succeed. How had he gained everyone else's—excluding Class D, of course
+—trust? I was genuinely curious.
+Perhaps if he had absolute proof?
+"Horikita. I think that we might be in trouble," I said. There was no
+quick fix to our problem. Depending on how things went, Class D might be
+stuck with these obstacles for the long haul.
+"By trouble, you mean Ryuuen-kun? It's true he did very well in this
+test, but there's no guarantee he'll be dangerous in the future. Your group
+won their test, after all. Didn't they?" she asked.
+"You've got a point. I'm probably overthinking things. Don't worry."
+Perhaps my feelings were nothing more than a premonition. But what if
+they came true? These might be our first faltering steps toward despair. But I
+also felt some alien emotion growing inside of me. It was something like
+excitement.
+Postscript
+Him: hmm. (Flipping through the postscript at the end of Volume 3
+to verify.) I see, I see.
+Apparently, Past Me said something to the effect of "I'll finish my
+manuscript soon," when he worked on Volume 3. Well, that's no good. (The
+following has been redacted.)
+Hey, hello! This is Kinugasa. Wow, it's been four months. Anyway,
+here in Volume 4, we have the second round of special tests. Because the
+classes had to work together this time, this was a battle of cooperation. Each
+class made their own moves based on their own personalities, and you could
+see them divided into light and dark groups. I remember my school days,
+when I had to hang out with students from other classes. I was uncomfortable
+because I couldn't really act like myself around them. People who can just
+talk to anyone really are amazing, aren't they?
+Anyway, in the next book, the story heads back to the school. The
+second semester is about to begin. It's possible that a certain figure from
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's past will make an appearance in Volume 5. Also, it
+won't just involve his classmates. Even the upperclassmen will get involved.
+Jeez, how many more people are there going to be, anyway? The characters
+just keep on coming. There's like an endless supply of them. (I haven't
+learned my lesson, I guess.)
+Anyway, if I'm able to pull it off before the next book, I want to
+release a side story. The story was supposed to be something serious and
+dramatic, but sometimes I just want to let off some steam and be silly. It'll be
+rather short, though I might structure it kind of like this story.
+Ah, and lastly... Well, this is a private matter, but I got engaged the
+other day. Sorry, Shunsaku-san! (Some deep meaning there.)
+***
+'stan Meanect
+Author:
+Syougo Kinugasa
+Born in November. Blood type, AB. Primarily responsible for the
+scenario and PC game planning. Most notable works are Guards of Daybreak
+and Reminiscence. Regularly purchases special health drinks, but they're
+crowding up the refrigerator, which is becoming a problem. Switching to two
+drinks a day.
+Illustrator:
+Tomoseshunsaku
+Born in September. The lead animator and illustrator for the Sagittarius
+games. Lead animator for Guards of Daybreak, Reminiscence, etc.
+***
+Neves Yeas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Sudou Ken's Soliloquy
+T. be completely honest, I ain't really a capable person. I know that
+much. After my mom abandoned us to go into the nightclub business, I
+decided to get stronger. I remember that my old man's back was always
+hunched. It made me sick to my stomach that he spent each day toiling away
+as a janitor. Being the idiot I am, I decided to give up on studyin' and go into
+sports.
+At first, I liked sports you could play by yourself, like tennis and ping-
+pong, but I didn't really stick with those. I was good, but I knew I'd never
+become a top-tier athlete. Then I tried basketball.
+I wasn't a team player or nothin', but somehow, I got seriously into
+playing basketball. And I just kept getting better. I was even recommended to
+a high school with one of the best basketball teams in the entire country. But
+I ended up getting in some trouble, and my recommendation got pulled. That
+was when I really understood the painful truth: I was trash, born from trash.
+That was why I chose this school. A dream school that didn't cost any
+money and could guarantee even my future.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Shiranami Chihiro
+First Year, Class B
+STUDENT ID: S01T004744
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Art Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: November 28th;
+***
+She has a calm, gentle demeanor, and makes a good impression on
+others. Her collaborative and academic abilities are average, but she
+lacks athleticism. Some improvement is necessary.
+***
+Chihiro-chan is sweet. She's a soothing presence in class and is like
+everyone's mascot! Ichinose-chan, though, seems to find her a little
+suspicious.
+Chapter 2:
+The School Sports Festival Begins
+66
+The students' surnames were the key to figuring out the VIPs'
+identities. They were assigned in the order of the animals of the zodiac."
+We sat at a table all the way in the back of the crowded café, Pallet.
+Summer vacation had just ended, and I was seated with a bizarre crew that
+included Hirata, Karuizawa, and Horikita. We were trying to review the
+special exam that'd been held on the cruise ship during our vacation,
+comparing notes on the test that divided us up into groups based on the
+twelve zodiac signs.
+"The rabbit is fourth in the zodiac. If you put the names of the students
+in the rabbit group in alphabetical order, it would be Ayanokouji-kun,
+Ichinose-san, Ibuki-san, and then Karuizawa-san," said Horikita.
+"T see. In that case, yeah, I'd be fourth. That's why I was chosen as
+VIP," said Karuizawa.
+She seemed impressed. At first glance, you'd have thought that the two
+girls sitting with me were completely incompatible, but Hirata's presence
+made the discomfort between them mysteriously disappear.
+"But isn't that really, really simple? I mean, practically anyone could
+figure it out. Like, the fifth person in the dragon group was Kushida-san, so
+she was the VIP, right?" asked Karuizawa. She put a straw in her milk carton
+and sipped.
+"It was that simple. However, figuring that out in the middle of an
+exam wasn't so easy. With only three VIPs in your own class, you wouldn't
+have had enough solid data to determine the system behind the selection,"
+explained Horikita.
+If we'd known the names of the three VIPs in another class, we might
+have seen the pattern. However, even if we'd had a theory about how the
+VIPs were chosen, it would have been risky. If we were off, we could have
+taken considerable damage.
+Of course, on the other hand, if we'd bet the farm and won, we
+might've turned everything around in a single stroke.
+"T'm worried about Class C, though. I think Ryuuen-kun figured it all
+out in the middle of the test," said Hirata. He was probably right.
+"Tf that's true, then why did he mess up?" asked Karuizawa.
+"T wondered about that, too. If he understood the rules, he should have
+discovered all the VIPs," said Hirata.
+Horikita offered a different perspective on the matter. "Though it
+appears that Ryuuen-kun rules Class C alone, perhaps that isn't actually true.
+More than a handful of people are probably deeply dissatisfied with his
+dictatorship."
+"Yes. A rebellious student must've tossed out the wrong answer in
+direct defiance of Ryuuen-kun."
+Horikita and Hirata were onto something, but we still couldn't be sure.
+If there was a traitor, Ryuuen would've searched for them relentlessly. Even
+if that person had deleted the email, Ryuuen would probably have gone so far
+as to check people's private points.
+"What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Horikita.
+Hirata and Karuizawa looked to me at the same time. I broke out
+coughing, discomfited by the force of their combined attention.
+"Dunno. I honestly don't have a clue," I lied. Horikita and Hirata
+looked away, losing interest all at once. Only Karuizawa still stared at me. I
+met her gaze, and she diverted her eyes.
+"Tn any case, our first priority is to cement this relationship. I'm glad
+we're discussing this, Horikita-san and Ayanokouji-kun," said Hirata.
+Horikita had never cooperated with Hirata before. However, her
+attitude had finally begun to change after the two special exams. Being driven
+into a corner made her start to realize the truth: that she couldn't do
+this alone.
+"Well, we don't really have a choice. The zodiac exam was a special
+case. If we assume that future exams may have similar elements, though, then
+a certain degree of cooperation will be necessary," replied Horikita. "That
+said, you evaded Ryuuen-kun's clutches quite well."
+The last part was aimed at Karuizawa, who'd been my group's VIP,
+and managed to get through the exam without being discovered. Class D had
+been well rewarded for that victory.
+"Well, I guess. I do have a surprisingly good poker face. Right,
+Yousuke-kun?" asked Karuizawa. She hugged Hirata's arm and looked at
+him with upturned eyes. You'd never have thought that their relationship had
+been strained, though whether that was genuine or an act didn't interest me.
+Wait a minute—Yousuke? When had Karuizawa suddenly started
+calling Hirata by his first name? I kind of wanted to call him by his first
+name, too, but it was impossible. Hirata and Karuizawa had forged a new
+relationship out of their complicated situation, which most likely made them
+closer friends. Hirata returned Karuizawa's smile, then turned to Horikita.
+"T actually have a proposal. Want to hear it?" Hirata asked.
+Horikita gave no response—her way of telling him to speak.
+"First, to bring our class together, I'd like to rope in Kushida-san as an
+ally. I think she'Il complement our group well and add qualities that the four
+of us lack. She could potentially unite a lot of the boys, starting with Ike-kun
+and Yamauchi-kun."
+"Unnecessary," replied Horikita. "I won't deny the fact that she has
+certain skills, but we can do anything she can on our own. That's why I
+selected you and Karuizawa-san. With your combined talents, we can solve
+any problem that faces us...unless you plan to be uncooperative, like a
+certain someone."
+She side-eyed me. How rude.
+"It's certainly true that Ayanokouji might not follow our lead," added
+Karuizawa. She and Horikita nodded, though Hirata did not.
+"Look, you're mistaken if you think /'m the uncooperative one. I'm the
+guy most likely to quietly go along with a group. I'm exactly the sort of
+person you can control. I have no presence," I said.
+"Those who claim that they have no presence usually cast long
+shadows," replied Horikita.
+"Okay. So, are you someone with no presence?" I asked.
+"Me? There's no way J could have no presence. How dare you? Do
+you take me for a fool?" she demanded.
+"Uh...sorry."
+The whole conversation was devolving into some half-baked comedy
+sketch, although Horikita didn't appear to be joking around. You could never
+quite tell when she was playing, but I thought she was definitely serious.
+pm |
+O.: afternoon class became a two-hour homeroom period. When
+Class D's teacher, Chabashira-sensei, arrived, she began to instruct us in a
+detached, matter-of-fact manner.
+"Starting today, classes begin again. However, from September to the
+beginning of October, we will be holding more physical education classes to
+prepare for the school sports festival. We'll distribute new weekly schedules,
+so please review them carefully. In addition to the new schedules, we'll also
+distribute materials related to the festival. Students seated at the front, please
+pass handouts to those behind you, and so on."
+The moment Chabashira-sensei uttered the words "sports festival," the
+class erupted in an uproar. Some students were undoubtedly excited by the
+prospect, but just as many loathed the idea of anything focused on physical
+exertion.
+"The details on the printed handouts can be found on the school
+homepage as well. Please refer to them if necessary."
+"Sensei, 1s this festival another of the special exams?" Hirata asked,
+raising his hand.
+We expected Chabashira-sensei to say, "Naturally," but her response
+was vague.
+"You're free to interpret this however you wish. In any case, this event
+will massively impact each and every class."
+The students who loathed exercise continued grumbling. At an
+ordinary school, you could find a way to sit out or skip a sports festival. If
+this festival affected the entire class's fate, however, then even the least
+athletic of us had to participate.
+On the other hand, some students were really fired up about this.
+Particularly those who, like Sudou, were confident in their athletic abilities.
+This was probably the first exam that would let them contribute to the class
+meaningfully.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, here!" While everyone else agonized over what was
+happening, Horikita—who'd been reading through the handout—pointed
+something out to me.
+I flipped the page over and checked what Horikita was referring to. It
+was, rather unexpectedly, a description of the sports festival's testing method.
+For an instant, I felt as though Chabashira-sensei was looking at me.
+"Some people have noticed this already, but for this year's festival,
+we're going to divide all the students across all grade levels into two groups
+and have them compete against each other. You in Class D are assigned to
+the Red Team. Class A is also assigned to the Red Team, so they will
+compete alongside you," explained Chabashira-sensei.
+Classes B and C were assigned to the White Team. It would be Red
+versus White.
+"Whoa! Seriously?! We're really doing that?" shouted Ike. He'd
+probably assumed that this exam would pit all four classes against one
+another, same as always. This sports festival required a different strategy than
+we'd had during the special exam on the cruise ship. It demanded cooperation
+between students from different years.
+Horikita appeared calm on the outside, but I was sure she was
+panicking internally. Her older brother, Horikita Manabu, was a third-year
+student from Class A. Depending on the circumstances, we might have to
+work with him.
+"At least you have an opportunity to get in touch now, huh?" I asked
+her.
+"Don't talk about that here," Horikita muttered.
+She glared at me. Her pencil tip shook like a cornered rattlesnake's tail,
+and I wanted her to stop.
+"First, let's review the sports festival's potential outcomes. I don't
+want to have to explain them to you repeatedly, so please listen carefully,"
+said Chabashira-senset.
+She went over the text on the printout, tapping the paper forcefully to
+indicate where to look. Still listening, I lowered my eyes to the handout.
+Sports Festival Rules and Team Division
+The sports festival divides all students, across all grade levels, into two
+teams: Red and White. The breakdown goes as follows: Classes A and D are
+on the Red Team, Classes B and C are on the White Team.
+Point Allocation for All Competitors (Individual Competitions)
+Points will be allocated as follows: first place will be awarded fifteen points,
+second place will be awarded twelve points, third place will be awarded ten
+points, and fourth place will be awarded eight points.
+One point will be deducted for coming in fifth place, and one additional point
+will be subtracted for each place below that. (During a team competition, the
+winning team will be awarded 500 points.)
+Point Allocation for Recommended Competitors
+Points will be allocated as follows: first place will be awarded fifty points,
+second place will be awarded thirty points, third place will be awarded fifteen
+points, and fourth place will be awarded ten points.
+Two points will be deducted for coming in fifth place, and two additional
+points will be subtracted for each place below that. (The final competition,
+the relay race, will offer three times the point values.)
+Red Team vs. White Team Outcome
+After reviewing the combined overall scores for each class, 100 class points
+will be deducted from the first-, second-, and third-year batches of the two
+classes on the losing team.
+The Effect of Ranking by Grade Level
+Fifty class points will be awarded to the class that scores highest in each of
+the three grade levels. Classes that achieve second place in their grade level
+will not see any changes to their class point totals. Classes that achieve third
+place in their grade level will have fifty class points deducted, and classes
+that achieve fourth place will have 100 class points deducted.
+"Um, sensei, how many points does the winning team get? That
+doesn't appear to be written anywhere," said Hirata.
+Chabashira-sensei's response to that naive question was cruel and
+brief. "None. Their reward will be not having any points deducted."
+Cries of agony sprang up all over the classroom. It was complete
+pandemonium. Of course, that was hardly surprising. Up until then, whenever
+there was an enormous risk, there had been an enormous reward to spur us
+on. However, that hardly seemed the case in this sports festival.
+"Please keep in mind that points are awarded and subtracted, not just
+by team, but on a class-by-class basis. So, even if the Red Team wins, you'll
+still be hit by the 100-point penalty if Class D holds the lowest combined
+overall score," added Chabashira-sensei.
+So, we didn't just need to worry about our team winning. Supposing
+we scored highest among the first-year classes, and received fifty points? If
+we lost to the White Team, we'd still get a 100-point penalty. If we ended up
+taking fourth place among the first-year classes on top of being on the losing
+team, we'd be penalized 200 points in total.
+Individual Competition Rewards (may be applied to the next midterm
+exam)
+Students who achieve first place in an individual competition will be awarded
+either 5000 private points, or the score equivalent of three points on a written
+test. (In the event that a student accepts the test points, they will not be
+allowed to give those test points to another student.)
+Students who achieve second place in an individual competition will be
+awarded either 3000 private points, or the score equivalent of two points on a
+written test. (In the event that a student accepts the test points, they will not
+be allowed to give those test points to another student.)
+Students who achieve third place in an individual competition will be
+awarded either 1000 private points, or the score equivalent of one point on a
+written test. (In the event that a student accepts the test points, they will not
+be allowed to give those test points to another student.)
+Students who score lowest in an individual competition will have 1000
+private points deducted from their total. (In the event that a student has less
+than 1000 points, they will instead receive a one-point penalty on a written
+exam.)
+Regarding Rule Violations/Foul Play
+Read and comply with every competition's rules. Those who violate the rules
+will be disqualified. Anyone engaging in foul play may be forced to withdraw
+from the festival. In such cases, the school may render all previously awarded
+points invalid.
+MVP Reward
+The student who receives the highest total score across all competitions will
+be awarded 100,000 private points.
+MVP Rewards for Each Individual Grade Level
+The three students from each grade level who receive their grade's highest
+total score across all competitions will be awarded 10,000 private points.
+At first glance, this sports festival appeared worse than previous tests
+we'd taken, but there was a wide range of potential benefits. We needed to
+pay close attention to the risks and rewards of the individual competitions.
+Information that hadn't been previously disclosed could trip us up.
+""S-sensei, sensei! What are the perks you get for first or second place
+or whatever? What does it mean that we can receive points for written tests?"
+shouted Ike.
+Perhaps because the situation was strange to start with, Chabashira-
+sensei let out a slight laugh—an unusual sight.
+"Tt's exactly what you think it is, Ike. In the sports festival, you can
+earn test points as a prize, which you can then apply to a written exam. You
+struggle with English and mathematics, right? Extra points would prove
+incredibly useful for you in the next test."
+The most athletic students among us looked especially excited about
+that. If they went all out in the sports festival, they could supplement their
+scores in the event of a failing grade. That wouldn't do an excellent student
+like Hirata much good, but even in that case, private points were incentive
+enough. The three idiots aside, more than a few students were anxious about
+their academic abilities. Expulsion was always a possibility.
+However, as we soon found out, there was no such thing as a free
+lunch.
+After all competitions end, the school will calculate each student's
+point total and assign penalties to the ten lowest-scoring students in each
+year. The exact nature of the penalties will vary depending on grade level, so
+please consult the homeroom instructor in charge.
+That was a major red flag.
+"Sensei, what kind of penalty would we get?"
+"For you first-year students, the penalty would be a point deduction on
+your next written exam. The ten students with the lowest overall scores will
+each receive a deduction of ten points," Chabashira-sensei explained.
+"Whaaa...?! Seriously?!"
+Now that we'd heard the rules, it was time to look at the different kinds
+of events in this sports festival. They were divided into two categories, "all
+participants" and "recommended participants." "All participants" was exactly
+what it sounded like: an event that literally all the students in a class
+participated in. Individual events like the 100-meter dash fell into that
+category, as did group events like the tug-of-war.
+Meanwhile, only certain select students would participate in
+"recommended participant" events. The word "recommended" implied that a
+person was nominated, but a student could put themselves forward if the rest
+of their class agreed. A single person could also participate in a competition
+meant for multiple people. Events in the "recommended participants"
+category included the scavenger hunt, the mixed-gender three-legged race,
+and the 1200-meter relay race.
+Point gains and losses were determined purely by the event results, but
+the combination of team competitions and individual competitions made the
+festival tricky. We had to be wary of our enemies, Classes B and C, but also
+mindful of our allies, Class A. Class D and Class A would be helping each
+other, but to get first place in the combined scores across every grade level,
+our own class needed to take the top spots in multiple competitions.
+"Details of the events are noted in your handouts. There will be no
+changes whatsoever," said Chabashira-sense1.
+"Ugh, this is crazy hard, though! This is on a completely different level
+than junior high!"
+Events for All Participants
+100-Meter Dash
+Hurdle Race
+Capture the Flag (boys only)
+Ball Toss (girls only)
+Tug-of-War (separate events for boys and girls)
+Obstacle Course Race
+Three-Legged Race
+Cavalry Battle
+200-Meter Dash
+Events for Recommended Participants
+Scavenger Hunt
+Four-Way Tug-of-War
+Three-Legged Race (mixed boys and girls)
+1200-Meter Relay Race (mixed grade level, all three years)
+Thirteen competitions in total—a grand lineup. The numbers indicated
+the order the competitions would be held in. There was some dissatisfaction
+over the large number of events for all participants.
+"There would normally be, like, three or four events for a single
+person! Besides, is it even possible to do all these in one day?"
+"IT appreciate your concern, but the school already considered that,"
+answered Chabashira-sense1. "No events require specific skills, such as
+cheerleading, dancing, or coordinated group gymnastics. The sports festival
+will be a thorough test of your general physical ability and stamina."
+The unathletic students' resistance was in vain. Chabashira-sensei had
+anticipated their every complaint.
+"Another important thing to note is the participation table. Fill it out
+with the order you'!l participate in, and I will submit it to the school on your
+behalf. I don't imagine any junior high has adopted a system like this, so do
+be extra careful not to make any mistakes."
+"Wait. So, we can decide the order in which we'! participate? Exactly
+how much freedom do we have?" asked Hirata.
+It was an obvious question, and Chabashira-sensei answered quickly.
+"Your class must come to a consensus on everything to do with the sports
+festival, such as which students will participate in which events. No changes
+will be allowed once the deadline passes, no matter the reason. The
+submission window opens one week prior to the festival and ends at 5:00 pm
+on the day before it begins. If by some chance you miss the submission
+window, you will be assigned randomly. So, be careful."
+"Excuse me, but I have a question. Is that all right, Chabashira-sense1?"
+Horikita, who'd sat quiet until then, politely raised her hand.
+"Feel free," replied Chabashira-sensei. She smiled thinly at the girl.
+Both Hirata and Horikita understood how this school worked. The
+more questions they asked now, the better they'd understand later. Better safe
+than sorry.
+"T realize that no further changes will be accepted once the submission
+window closes. However, in the event of someone's absence, what do we do?
+In the case of an individual competition, I assume that would be treated as an
+absence, but for group competitions? Especially in games like the cavalry
+battle and the three-legged race, we might not be able to compete at all if one
+important person is missing."
+"Should you fall short of the minimum required number of people for
+competitions for all participants, you will be deemed unable to continue and
+disqualified," replied Chabashira-sense1. "For recommended-participant
+events, however, you are permitted to arrange a substitute—for a price. To
+establish a substitute, you must offer points as compensation."
+We'd have to pay to prove we weren't cheating, huh?
+"While we're on the subject...if an athlete's health suffers, or they're
+severely injured, will it be possible for that person to continue participating if
+they wish? Or will they have to stop and see a doctor?" asked Horikita.
+"We leave that to the students to decide for themselves. Knowing your
+own limits will be an indispensable skill in the working world. For instance,
+you can't simply take a day off just because you have a fever on the date of
+an extremely important conference," replied Chabashira-sensei.
+So, personal responsibility might trump personal health if the stakes
+were high enough.
+"However, if someone's health gets truly poor, then they' Il have to
+drop out," Chabashira-sensei added.
+"T understand. Well, how many points are needed to assign a
+substitute?" asked Horikita.
+"A substitute requires 100,000 private points per competition. That's
+expensive or cheap, depending on your resources," replied Chabashira-sensei.
+"T see. Thank you very much."
+We could afford that, but it wasn't exactly cheap. Depending on the
+circumstances, though, a substitute could be necessary in the future.
+"If there are no more questions, we'll wrap up," said Chabashira-
+sensel.
+She looked around the classroom. Students glanced at one another
+doubtfully and whispered, but made no effort to speak up. This was likely our
+last chance.
+"Next period's location will move to Gymnasium 1, where you'll meet
+with students from other classes and grade levels. That is all," Chabashira-
+sensei said flatly. She checked the time. "You have twenty minutes of
+homeroom remaining. You're free to use that time however you wish."
+With the teacher's permission, the silent classroom exploded into
+chaos. Groups formed, all chattering about the sports festival on their own.
+Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi gathered around Horikita.
+"Let's figure this out, Horikita," said Sudou earnestly.
+"Yeah, yeah, let's think of a way to win!" Ike added.
+Horikita sighed deeply, looking at the boys as if they were someone
+else's problem. "Why do only guys like these come to me?"
+"Tt's a sad fact of reality," I told her.
+Though Horikita muttered a comeback, she seemed to take the matter
+seriously. She flipped open her notebook. "Fine. I'll hear you out for now,"
+she stated.
+"Yes! Yes!" Ike immediately raised his hand. Horikita pointed her pen
+at him, urging him to speak.
+"Td like to have fun and win!" he shouted.
+"That's not a valid opinion." Horikita smacked him down at once.
+"Class D can win this," Sudou said confidently.
+"I'm not really expecting you to dazzle with your logic, but I'll listen
+to what you have to say."
+"T'm not sure about the 'all participant' stuff, but you know I'Il enter
+the recommended-participant competitions. If I do that, we'll win," he
+answered.
+"There is some merit to that suggestion. Within our class, you stand out
+as someone with superior athletic skill. It certainly wouldn't be a bad idea for
+you to participate in all the recommended-participant competitions," Horikita
+said.
+I agreed, but Ike and Yamauchi seemed dissatisfied.
+"We want to have a chance, too! Come on. If we place in the top three,
+we can get some points."
+"So, you'd advance your personal agendas, even if that lessened Class
+D's likelihood of winning?"
+"Well, that's a good point, but...it's just, like, we want a chance to win
+something!"
+"When it comes to the recommended-participant competitions, you
+want people who are good at sports. You're not, Kanji," said Sudou.
+"Hey, you don't know that for sure!" Ike shouted. "I mean, miracles
+happen all the time, right? 'Sides, this should be fair!"
+"TI suppose bringing the entire class into this discussion will complicate
+matters even further," said Horikita.
+She might be able to argue Ike down, but other students probably
+wanted what he did. The potential rewards of winning were very attractive to
+poorly performing students. Those who were constantly at risk of expulsion
+probably wanted this chance so badly they could taste it.
+"Sudou, I sympathize with your desire to participate in all the events,"
+Horikita said. "However, that doesn't mean I can support throwing caution to
+the wind by entering you in every competition."
+"Whaddya mean?" Sudou balked.
+"Stamina isn't an unlimited resource. If you participate in one event
+after another, you will naturally become exhausted."
+"But it's better to leave it to me than put forward someone unathletic,
+right? Even if I get tired out, I can still move better than those guys," Sudou
+huffed.
+He glanced over at the guys—me included—and gave a snort. Ike and
+Yamauchi appeared frustrated, but said nothing.
+"We're not coming to any decisions right now. Let's talk more in our
+next homeroom period," said Horikita, quickly bringing our discussion to an
+end.
+252
+A crowd of over four hundred people, including instructors and
+students, gathered together in the gymnasium during our second homeroom
+period. Horikita scanned her surroundings restlessly. She was probably
+looking for her older brother, Horikita Manabu, who served as the student
+council president. However, with this many people around, she wouldn't be
+able to spot him easily.
+If she loved her older brother that much, perhaps she should have taken
+the initiative to seek him out. But being vulnerable was harder than anything
+else for Horikita. Now that I thought about it, she'd never gone to meet with
+her brother before. He'd always been the one to initiate contact.
+When we sat down on the floor, several students came forward.
+Everyone focused their attention on them.
+"T'm Fuyimaki, from the third-year Class A. It's been decided that I
+will assume command of Red Team."
+Apparently, Horikita's older brother wasn't going to take charge. I
+would've thought that he'd take the lead, being student council president.
+This just made me wonder when he would make a move.
+"T'd like to give the first-year students one piece of advice. The sports
+festival is extremely important. Your experiences here will most certainly be
+applicable to real life. In fact, many of your future exams may look like
+games at first glance. However, each and every one of them is a crucial battle
+in which you stake your survival at this school," said Fujimak1.
+His words were somewhat vague, yet still helpful.
+"You may not feel motivated right now, but we're going to try and win
+this thing. I want you to hold on to that feeling," Fujimaki continued. He
+looked around the assembled Red Team members once again before
+speaking. "The only competition which all classes from all grade levels will
+participate in together is the final event—the 1200-meter relay race. Aside
+from that, all the other events are divided up by grade level. So, please, feel
+free to gather and discuss your strategies, starting now."
+In response to Fujimaki's words, the first-year students from Class A,
+led by Katsuragi, began to assemble in droves. The first-year Class D
+students, on the other hand, appeared to flounder. They felt nervous in the
+company of such elites. In the first semester, Class A's grades had been
+overwhelmingly better than Class D's. None of us had even come close.
+"Well, the circumstances may be rather bizarre, but I'm looking
+forward to working with you. I hope we can join forces without any
+problems," said Katsuragi.
+"T feel the same way, Katsuragi-kun. I look forward to working with
+you," replied Hirata.
+From Class A's perspective, there was no benefit in teaming up with
+the lowest-ranked class of all. However, if our classes didn't work together,
+we'd drag each other down. We weren't agreeing to trust one another like
+siblings, but we were making a pact not to get in each other's way.
+"Hey, check out that girl," whispered Ike, standing beside me.
+I understood why he was whispering. I felt the same way. He was
+pointing at a Class A student, a girl, whom I'd never seen before. She stuck
+out like a sore thumb, but no one said anything. It didn't feel like we could
+say anything right now.
+"Every individual class has its own strategies, but—" Katsuragi just
+continued talking, blithely ignoring Class D's concerned looks and furtive
+whispers.
+"So, you don't intend to hold a discussion?"
+A girl's rising voice echoed through the gymnasium, interrupting
+Katsuragi. Everyone's attention switched to what was happening. The
+speaker was a first-year Class B student named Ichinose Honami. In front of
+her, almost an entire class was in the process of leaving the gymnasium.
+Among those students, Ryuuen Kakeru, Class C's leader, turned around with
+his hands in his pockets.
+"You understand that I'm leaving out of goodwill, right? Even if I
+offered to cooperate with you, I can't imagine that you'd believe me. In the
+end, you'd just probe me for information to see whether I can be trusted,
+right? It's a waste of time," he said.
+"T see. So, you're just saving us the hassle, then," replied Ichinose.
+"Yep, that's it. You should be grateful."
+"Hey, Ryuuen-kun. You really think you can win without
+cooperating?" asked Ichinose.
+"Heh. Hmm, I wonder."
+Ryuuen sneered and walked out of the gym, leading the Class C
+students away. The spectacle merely confirmed Class C's status as a
+dictatorship.
+As Class D watched, Karuizawa's expression soured for just an instant.
+During the special exam on the cruise ship, she'd gotten in a scrap with
+Manabe and some other girls from Class C, which led me to discover her
+history as a victim of bullying. For just a moment, Manabe looked back at
+Karuizawa. Then she immediately averted her eyes, as if nothing had
+happened, and followed Ryuuen out.
+"Class B seems to have it really rough, getting paired with Class C and
+all." The spectacle we'd witnessed was a reminder that Ryuuen really did
+hold all the power in his class.
+Katsuragi offered Horikita some advice. "Since we'll be allies from
+here on out, I should warn you. Don't underestimate Ryuuen. He'll laugh
+while he attacks you in the same instant. Don't let your guard down."
+"T appreciate the warning, but I wonder if you're speaking from
+personal experience," replied Horikita.
+"I've warned you." Katsuragi left it at that and returned to the topic of
+the festival.
+"T wonder if he's going to make a move right away," someone
+whispered, looking in the direction Class C had gone. It was the girl I'd been
+curious about a little earlier. She was petite, and sat all by herself, her eyes
+downcast. She held a thin cane. It was clear that she had trouble walking.
+"That's Sakayanagi Arisu. She's disabled. Please be sensitive about
+that," said Katsuragi.
+So, this girl was Class A's other rumored leader, who had supposedly
+split the students into two distinct factions between herself and Katsuragi.
+Although everyone around her was staring, the girl paid no attention to them.
+She had short, silver hair, a particularly eye-catching feature. I wasn't sure
+whether or not she dyed it. Her skin was pale, and her name—Arisu—
+reminded me of a certain mysterious girl who fell down a rabbit hole to
+Wonderland.
+"Dude, she's super cute!"
+I supposed it was no surprise that the Class D boys would be smitten
+by Sakayanagi. She was as cute as Kushida and Sakura, and had a dreamlike
+quality that made people instinctively want to protect her. Yet none of the
+boys made a move to hit on her or crack jokes like they normally would have.
+Though she appeared weak, you could sense her great strength of will.
+Sakayanagi smiled at us, aware of the stir she'd created.
+"Unfortunately, I won't be very useful in this competition. I'm afraid Ill be
+consistently absent," she said. "Please accept my humblest apologies."
+"You have nothing to apologize for. No one's going to give you a hard
+time over that," said Hirata.
+"The school sure is harsh. They should've come up with some
+accommodation for you."
+"Yeah, that's right. You don't need to worry!"
+"Your kindness overwhelms me," she replied.
+Contrary to what we'd expected, Sakayanagi seemed extremely polite,
+mature, and gentle. She gave no hint of aggression. However, Katsuragi
+watched her quietly. I could see from the way the Class A students arranged
+themselves that there was a clear line between Katsuragi's and Sakayanagi's
+followers. The class definitely had two factions. I'd considered Katsuragi's
+faction superior at first, but I wasn't so sure anymore. There were some boys
+and girls with Katsuragi, including Yahiko, but nearly all the students sat
+with Sakayanagi. Perhaps she was deliberately demonstrating her own power.
+Sakayanagi had not participated in the island or cruise ship tests.
+Though the school hadn't made a statement about it, it was certainly possible
+that she'd incurred a penalty for not participating on the ship, yet she'd
+managed to gain this many allies. She had most likely earned her classmates'
+trust by steadily racking up various other accomplishments. Meanwhile,
+Katsuragi's own failures had probably affected his popularity.
+After apologizing for her shortcomings, Sakayanagi showed no sign of
+wanting to speak further. Instead, she quietly observed Katsuragi, Hirata, and
+the others. Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe she stayed quiet because she
+knew she wouldn't be of any use in the sports festival.
+Katsuragi, ignoring Sakayanagi, continued to talk with Hirata. "I was
+thinking that it'd be best if we just keep out of each other's way. You don't
+mind, do you?"
+"So, you won't share any details about the competitions you're
+participating in?" Hirata asked.
+"Right. Letting that information slip might lead to unnecessary conflict
+down the road. Besides, constantly comparing ourselves to each other will
+only increase the divide between us," said Katsuragi.
+"Yes, I suppose you're right. It's pretty hard to trust other people in
+this school, Katsuragi-kun. Also, even though we're allies in a way, I suppose
+there's no changing the fact that we're still competing with one another,"
+replied Hirata.
+He looked to the rest of our classmates for the final decision. No one
+voiced objections. Even Horikita didn't say anything, so she must've been
+convinced, too.
+"At any rate, we'll need to meet sometime soon to discuss the group
+competitions. Is that all right with you?" Hirata asked.
+"Yes, that should be fine. 'Il consult with everyone else."
+"Thanks. I'm counting on you."
+They certainly didn't waste time. It seemed as though everything was
+going smoothly.
+"What do you think the trick is here, Ayanokouji-kun? What are they
+playing at?" Horikita, on the other hand, seemed to have some ideas of her
+own.
+"It's a sports festival. The school's probably trying to find out which
+students are athletic and which aren't."
+"You're fundamentally correct, of course. But what's another factor,
+other than athleticism, that might influence the results?" asked Horikita.
+"Mere luck?"
+"Luck, huh?" That suggestion was out of character for her.
+"Unlike our other written and special tests, opponents on this test will
+be chosen at random. We don't know who' ll take on whom. Luck is a huge
+factor."
+True, much would be decided by the matchups. Even Horikita, who
+would normally win against 80 percent of the people in the gymnasium,
+could lose if she happened to go up against someone from the remaining 20
+percent. On the other hand, somebody very unathletic, who could only best a
+measly 10 percent of their opponents, might actually win if they were lucky
+enough to be matched up with someone even less athletic.
+"T'm not talking about random chance, though," Horikita said. "I'm
+talking about something definite. | mean, a method that doesn't just rely on
+luck—one that still relies on athletic skill. On the island and cruise ship, there
+were secret clues and pathways we could have detected. This feels the same.
+This time, surely..."" Maybe because of her shame over her mistakes on the
+island, Horikita was now even more obsessed with victory.
+"What do you think makes this different from the previous special
+tests?" I asked.
+"Different? I think it's the same kind of special exam."
+"T won't deny that they're similar, but I doubt that the school considers
+them the same."
+"T don't understand. You think it's different because we're cooperating
+with Class A this time? But we had to work with students from other classes
+on the ship, too."
+"No, that's not it. The basic premise is different." I could tell that
+Horikita was growing frustrated with my coyness, so I explained. "The
+school has never once called the festival a 'special exam.' Only the first-year
+students have been calling it that. The teachers, including Chabashira-sense1,
+all referred to it as a sports festival. That third-year student, Fujimaki, called
+it that, too. The words 'special exam' weren't anywhere in the handout," I
+told Horikita.
+She didn't seem convinced. "Well, why does that even matter? The
+structure that dictates how the sports festival plays out, and the large potential
+increase or decrease in points, make it function pretty much exactly the same
+as a special exam."
+"That's true. But putting aside the fact that you can buy and sell test
+points, the regular written exams are meant to test our abilities. I think the
+sports festival is supposed to do the same with our physical abilities. It's not
+about employing cheap tricks, or coming up with a strategy or tactics—no, I
+think that the class that genuinely challenges themselves in this festival will
+demonstrate their true worth," I replied.
+Of course, that didn't necessarily mean there'd be no cheap tricks.
+Once the sports festival began, however, things would be locked in place. It
+would be much like how, even though you could do things before or after a
+written exam to help your results, you were rather limited during the exam
+itself.
+"We need to make sure that we're prepared. That's all there is to it," I
+said.
+"T already said that I want us to prepare. I definitely want Class D to
+win," Horikita retorted.
+"Wrong. You're not talking about preparation. You're looking for
+loopholes."
+"T don't understand the difference in our strategies," she replied.
+"When I say 'preparation,' I mean figuring out who'll participate and
+in what order, knowing which students in other classes are athletic or
+unathletic, and so on. Finding out what order they '// participate in. And also,
+making sure that they don't discover those things about us. On the other
+hand, 'looking for loopholes' means trying to force someone to bow out of a
+competition or withdraw. Look, you want to win, right?" I asked.
+"So, you're saying that we need to fight clean and fight hard to win?"
+I didn't confirm or deny her interpretation of my words. If I had said
+that Katsuragi and Ichinose were heads, and Ryuuen and I were tails, which
+side of the coin would Horikita choose? I understood why she currently
+wanted to resort to "tails," considering that the people who'd won thus far
+were sneaks.
+However, I was warning her precisely because going with "tails" in the
+sports festival would be extremely difficult.
+"What you do is entirely up to you. What advantage do you think Class
+D has right now, Horikita?"
+"Well, a dispute between Classes B and C will probably help us."
+I had to address the real problem. Horikita Suzune lived her life in such
+solitude that she had tunnel vision. "You're not thinking big enough," I said.
+"Do you think we should dismiss the fact that Ryuuen-kun refused to
+cooperate with Class B? I think that's a positive thing for us."
+"Do you really think that?"
+"Well, they might still reconcile and work together. It's not as though
+Ichinose-san particularly /ikes Ryuuen-kun, but for the sake of victory, she
+might put aside her own feelings. Can't we acknowledge that it's a good
+thing for now, though?"
+"That's exactly what I mean by 'not thinking big enough.'"
+"That's rude. Fine, do enlighten me."
+"What do you know about Ryuuen? He's always looking to win. No
+matter how he behaves, or how polite he 1s, he's always coming up with
+strategies. So, why did he suddenly refuse to cooperate with Class B? Do you
+think he never considered it?"
+"Wait. Are you saying that Classes B and C are working together
+behind the scenes?"
+"Our relationship with Class B 1s different than Ryuuen's. There's a
+good chance that he has a plan in place. If he didn't, he'd have no reason to
+leave. Even if that was a bluff, on the surface, he would gain more by talking
+with Class B, right?"
+"T don't think that's right. It seems unlikely," replied Horikita.
+"So, because earthquakes and fires are unlikely, there's no need to
+have emergency measures in place, just in case?"
+"That?s—"
+"T think that Ryuuen has, at the very least, one or more tactics in
+mind."
+"But if that's true, it's crazy. We only just learned about the festival.
+To have a whole plan in place so soon..."
+"That's why we need to understand his kind of crazy. What would a
+frontal attack from Ryuuen look like? What loopholes could he find? Can we
+come up with something similar? Are there precautions we can take? We
+have to think like that to rise to Class A's level," I said.
+I'd been studying Ryuuen's strategies and thought processes ever since
+the fight that nearly got Sudou expelled. Could Horikita still not see that?
+I was looking forward to finding out just how far ahead she could
+think.
+23
+A fier class finished for the day, I remained in the classroom alone.
+Outside the window, I could hear students engaged in their club activities.
+With the sports festival drawing near, each and every one of them was in high
+spirits. No one slacked at all in their daily training regimen.
+I plugged in my earphones and opened the file I'd received earlier on
+my phone. "I see..."
+I basically had a good understanding of the situation now. I'd thought
+that I might have to lay a few traps, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
+Pleased with this turn of events, I decided to return to my dorm.
+As I passed through the main gate, I ran into Chabashira-sensei. She
+was spraying water around with a hose.
+"You stayed behind longer than usual, Ayanokouji."
+"T suppose you're right. Are you on duty today?" I asked.
+"Something like that," she replied. She kept spraying water in a
+manner that suggested she was used to the task. "Working adults tend to
+multitask, unlike children. That's especially true now that the sports festival
+is imminent. Anyway, what were you doing today? This is the first I've seen
+you roaming around after class alone."
+"Don't you think that's an exaggeration?"
+"Are you prepared for the sports festival?"
+"T think the last homeroom explained everything, more or less. Didn't
+it?"
+"Tn your case, I would have thought that you'd already have some
+eccentric idea or strategy in place," she said.
+"No, nothing like that," I told her.
+"Nothing? But—"
+When her eyes met mine, she stopped talking. Discussing these things
+publicly wouldn't help anyone.
+"T haven't forgotten what you told me, sensei. However, I'm free to
+decide my own path."
+"Yes, you're certainly right. I shouldn't interfere with you
+unnecessarily. But if you don't show me some results soon, Ill stop covering
+for you. It goes beyond the scope of an ordinary teacher's duties, after all,"
+she replied.
+I didn't know what she expected from me. I shouldn't have gotten
+myself tangled in such an aggravating situation. No...really, this
+confrontation had just been a matter of time. It would come to a head sooner
+or later.
+"Excuse me."
+"Sure. Take care."
+Nice of her to urge me to "take care" on my arduous return trip of a
+couple hundred meters.
+I went back to the dorm.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Kaneda Satoru
+First Year, Class C
+STUDENT ID: S01T004662
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Art Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: January 9th
+***
+His objectivity is praiseworthy, and he is admirably calm. His low capacity
+for emotional expression is a drawback, but his academic abilities and
+personal charm are higher than the national average. I'd like him to
+improve in areas where he is lacking.
+***
+We would like to see him take initiative with the other students in class,
+for their sake.
+Chapter 3:
+Class D's Objective
+W. began making comprehensive preparations for the sports
+festival, which was only one month away. The teachers said we could use the
+weekly two-hour homeroom period as we wished, and Hirata, who was the
+closest person we had to a leader, took the initiative. Chabashira-sensei
+moved toward the back of the classroom and didn't say a word. She probably
+intended to watch.
+"Before we start practicing, we need to decide the order we'll
+participate in, and who will enter the recommended-participant competitions.
+I've been thinking about this for a while," said Hirata.
+"Okay, but when you say 'decide,' how exactly are we going to
+decide?"
+"Good question. For example, in the events for all participants, we—"
+Hirata took a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard as he
+spoke. He seemed to be good at this sort of thing. He put two headings on the
+board, "Raising Hands," and "Ability," then explained what those meant as
+he wrote down supplemental information.
+"This is a rough outline, but I think that everything boils down to these
+two approaches. The 'raising-hands' system lets people nominate themselves
+to participate in competitions. The 'ability' system identifies everyone's
+individual talents, and seeks to assign them to maximize efficiency."
+Hirata continued, "Both approaches have their pros and cons, of
+course. The strength of the raising-hands system is, naturally, that everyone
+gets to voice their wishes. The downside is that, if people's choices contradict
+each other, well, not everyone is going to get what they want. The strength of
+the ability system is that we can expect a higher chance of victory than we
+would with the raising-hands system. However, because the ability system
+favors the most athletic people in the class, it reduces the other students'
+chances of winning at something. That's the gist of what I've come up with
+so far, but if you happen to have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them."
+Even the least intelligent among us could understand each system's
+pros and cons. Most everyone was ready to go along with Hirata, especially
+since no other proposals had been made.
+"We should obviously decide based on ability, shouldn't we? I mean,
+the only one who knows a person best is himself, right?" said Sudou. "If 1
+win, then it's more likely our class wins. That puts us way ahead."
+His words were confusing, but true. Sudou's athletic ability would be
+integral to winning the sports festival.
+"Well, it makes me kinda mad, but I suppose you're right," a girl
+muttered.
+The boys also murmured in agreement with Sudou. "I'm really not that
+great at sports. If Sudou's okay handling the recommended-participant events
+single-handedly, I'm fine with that."
+"Then it's decided, right? I'll do all the events for recommended
+participants," Sudou declared.
+"If everyone's okay with that strategy, then I suppose the
+recommended participant in every category will be—"
+"Wait." Horikita cut in just before Hirata approved the proposal. "I've
+got a supplementary proposal."
+The other students turned to look at her.
+"If we have to choose between these two approaches, then I agree that
+we should go with the ability system. However, that single tactic isn't
+guaranteed to carry us to victory," explained Horikita.
+"Sure, that's true," said Hirata.
+"T agree that the most athletic students should take part in events for
+recommended participants. But, even in events for all participants, we should
+group the people who have the best chance of winning. That way, we
+maximize everyone's potential. Put simply, the strongest, fastest students
+should be grouped together," said Horikita.
+"Hold on a minute. Won't that leave slower people high and dry?"
+Shinohara was the first to object. "Privileges only go down to third place. I
+don't want to throw away my shot."
+"Your personal feelings are irrelevant. It's for the sake of the class,"
+replied Horikita.
+"T know it's for the class's sake, but I don't want to lose out on private
+points."
+"If the class wins, the reward will be ample—easy to divide among us.
+Is that not enough for you?"
+"T don't want to miss out on individual rewards, like earning test
+points!"
+"T understand your desire. However, your logic confuses me. If you
+just studied ahead of time, before an exam, you wouldn't need to rely on
+those privileges," said Horikita. "Besides, you probably wouldn't win
+anything anyway. I mean, with your lackluster athletic ability, it's not as
+though you'lI place in the top three."
+"Not everyone is as smart as you, Horikita-san. Don't just lump all of
+us together," snapped Shinohara.
+"Then just study longer every day. I don't want to hear your excuses
+anymore."
+Supporting voices rose throughout the classroom, all in favor of
+Horikita's logic. The athletes, like Sudou, were particularly on board with her
+plan. However, Shinohara still looked annoyed, and she probably wasn't the
+only one.
+"Enough already, Shinohara. If we lose because of you, will you take
+responsibility? Huh?" Sudou, normally the worst in terms of academic
+ability, now beamed with hope and a sense of leadership.
+"That's...ugh."
+"Honestly, what a pain," Horikita muttered in my direction. "It's like
+you're not even paying attention. Instead of messing around on your phone,
+how about you try coming up with ways for us to win?"
+"Well, if I just leave it to you and Hirata, you'll sort out our problems,
+right?" I replied. Still, I turned my phone off and placed it in my pocket. The
+discussion appeared to be over—or so I thought.
+"Hey, excuse me? I object to this, too. You're okay with sentencing the
+unathletic students to lose, like Shinohara said? You think we can all come
+together in a situation like this?" Karuizawa spoke up, supporting Shinohara.
+She glared at Horikita.
+"T've said as much. Do you understand my logic?"
+"No. I don't get it at all. Hey, what do you think, Kushida-san?" asked
+Karuizawa.
+Kushida had been strangely quiet during the meeting. She seemed
+slightly surprised, but spoke after a moment. "It's tough. I've been thinking
+about how both sides feel. Like Horikita-san, I want us to succeed as a class.
+But, just like Shinohara-san said, everyone should have a chance to win. If
+there were some kind of middle-ground solution, that would be ideal. A
+strategy we could all get behind."
+Once Kushida was done, there were a lot of noises of assent. Horikita
+seemed to have anticipated this idea.
+"Of course. I have a compromise that should be agreeable to both
+sides. Students who place at the top, and don't need to boost their test scores,
+will use the private points they win to boost the test scores of students who
+place at the bottom. The entire class will share in the gains and losses of
+private points from the festival. I trust there will be no complaints?" asked
+Horikita.
+So, in exchange for lowering our chances of victory across the board,
+we less-athletic students would also offset the risks in case we were defeated.
+The bottom ten students across each grade level would still be in trouble,
+though.
+"Oh, yeah, that'd be fine,"' said Sudou with a disdainful snort, as if he
+were calling the opposition pathetic whiners.
+"But that's just for points. We're still losing out on chances to win the
+big prize. What does everyone think about that?" Karuizawa wasn't letting
+this go. She looked over to her group of girls.
+"If Karuizawa-san objects, then so do I, I guess." One after another, the
+girls followed her lead.
+"You're objecting just because she objected? That's completely
+illogical. This is an exam. It's only natural that we focus on a winning
+strategy. The other class definitely isn't weighed down by morons like you,"
+grumbled Horikita.
+"You just don't get it, do you, Horikita-san? I hate this plan, and the
+other girls hate it, too. So, you need to take our opinions into account. We
+have to make these competitions fair," said Karuizawa.
+"Calm down, both of you," said Hirata. "If we can't agree, then we've
+got to have a majority vote."
+This had probably been inevitable.
+"T think we should vote," continued Hirata.
+"If Yousuke-kun says so, then I agree," said Karuizawa.
+"Fine. This isn't the time to fight amongst ourselves. At any rate, I've
+offered my opinion. I hope you'll all make the right decision," said Horikita.
+She sat down in frustration and glared at me. "Ayanokouji-kun, can't
+you tell Karuizawa-san to shut up?" she huffed.
+"Uh, no. There's no way I could do that," I said.
+"You've been talking to her lately, though. Haven't you? Isn't that why
+she's getting carried away?"
+"No. Karuizawa's always been like that," I replied.
+"That's certainly true," Horikita muttered. She couldn't hide her
+irritation with Karuizawa, whose opinion lacked logic, or with the girls who
+let someone else lead them around.
+"Now then," said Hirata. "We have Horikita's proposal, which focuses
+on ability, and Karuizawa-san's, which prioritizes the individual. How about
+we decide which plan we prefer by a show of hands? If anyone finds
+choosing a side difficult, they can abstain."
+Horikita wanted to win, while Karuizawa wanted everyone to feel
+valued. The class's future would depend on whether people used their heads
+or their hearts. Of course, I myself had zero interest in the outcome.
+"All right. All those in favor of Horikita-san's plan?"
+"Yeah. I agree with Horikita's plan, of course," said Sudou. "It's about
+winning. When winners win, we all win. Ain't that a good thing?"
+Sudou raised his hand. Those who had no confidence whatsoever in
+their athletic abilities, like Yukimura and Sakura, followed his lead. But the
+more capable students, along with Karuizawa's group, didn't raise their
+hands.
+"Sixteen votes, then. Thank you. You can put your hands down."
+"Wait a minute, Ayanokouji-kun. Don't tell me you agree with
+Karuizawa-san's plan?" said Horikita, who realized that I hadn't raised my
+hand.
+"Relax. It's my policy to abstain from voting."
+"In that case, you could just have voted for my plan," she growled.
+"Your plan isn't necessarily right, is it?" I asked.
+"T can't understand you. Giving the class the best-possible chance of
+winning will ultimately result in netting a lot of private points. Even if we
+only won a few matches here and there, the points would be significant. If
+you say that's wrong, perhaps you can give me a clear reason why?"
+"T didn't say you were wrong. I'm just saying it's not the only answer,"
+I replied.
+The students used as sacrificial lambs, sent out to be destroyed by
+strong opponents, would finish the sports festival without earning any points
+at all. Horikita did understand that much, at least. But she also thought it was
+a necessary sacrifice in order to win.
+"The other students aren't all as ambitious as you," I told her.
+"All right. Next, we have Karuizawa-san's plan. Anyone in favor of
+this plan, to win when we need to and have fun when we want to, please raise
+your hand," said Hirata.
+Along with Karuizawa's group, other students began raising their
+hands.
+"And the results of the majority vote are...sixteen votes for Horikita-
+san's plan, and thirteen votes for Karuizawa-san's. It's safe to say that
+everyone else abstained from voting?"
+Karuizawa hadn't won votes with a well-articulated plan. Rather, she
+relied on her installed support base to do what it could. Apparently, most
+students believed that Horikita's plan was realistic and efficient.
+Class D's strategy would be, not to participate as individuals, but to
+win as a class.
+6s aes ie " Since Karuizawa had approved a majority vote, she
+couldn't complain now.
+"Then it's decided," said Horikita. "Now, Hirata-kun, I'Il leave the rest
+to you."
+I didn't think we'd necessarily made a bad choice. Unathletic students
+wouldn't be taking the initiative in the first place. Inevitably, those asked to
+fill the recommended-participant positions would be jocks like Sudou and
+Hirata.
+"So, regarding the number of participants for recommended-participant
+events..." Hirata continued.
+"T'Il participate in every competition. If anyone's got something to say
+about that, then they can meet me outside, and we' ll talk face-to-face," Sudou
+declared. He had one card, and he was playing it all the way. Furthermore, he
+apparently intended to force anyone who complained to surrender. Too
+ageressive, but the strategy seemed effective, since no dissatisfied grumbling
+could be heard.
+"T will also compete in as many events as possible." As expected,
+Horikita volunteered herself. Karuizawa's face stiffened slightly. The girls
+around her quietly whispered in one another's ears, and I wondered if they
+were badmouthing Horikita.
+The self-nominations and recommendations began pouring in, one after
+another, and soon the recommended participants were decided. Sudou would
+compete in every competition, just as he'd declared. Other students who were
+good at sports, like Kushida and Onodera, also offered to participate, in
+addition to Horikita and Hirata. However, we had only filled about a third of
+the events for all participants. The rest of the spots remained open.
+"Hey, Kouenji. Ain't you gonna cooperate?" asked Sudou, glaring
+daggers at him. Even Sudou recognized that Kouenji possessed potential
+equal to, if not greater than, his own. "You didn't raise your hand earlier."
+"T have no interest in this. You people do what you like."
+"Stop screwing around, you jerk."
+"T assure you, I am not 'screwing around.' I have no reason to let you
+bully me into anything," replied Kouenji. Yep, he was never going to change.
+"We don't need to decide everything right here and now, Sudou-kun.
+Kouenji-kun must have his reasons." Hirata tried to deescalate the situation.
+"At the very least, we've decided what the class's strategy will be, and who
+wants to participate in individual competitions. I think that it would be best to
+take our time with the rest."
+With that, the discussion came to an end.
+3.1
+After class, I had some free time. I decided to contact a certain
+person before heading back to the dorm. As I rose, I exchanged looks with
+Karuizawa.
+She must not have understood my intentions, because she left the
+classroom with two of her friends. Giving up, I grabbed my bag and started to
+head back to my dorm alone, like always. I left roughly one minute after
+Karuizawa.
+Upon descending the stairs, however, I found her seemingly waiting
+for me, standing alone by the main entrance. "Wait," she said.
+"T thought you left."
+"T thought you had something you wanted to talk about, so I waited.
+Was I wrong?"
+I couldn't help my surprise. "I do, I suppose."
+"Well, I have something to talk to you about, too. Mind hearing me
+out?"
+"Go ahead."
+"That message you sent me... What are your real intentions?"
+She showed me her phone. The text displayed on the screen read, "No
+matter what, object to Horikita's plan. Then ask Kushida for her opinion."
+I'd instructed Karuizawa to do that in the middle of class.
+"When it comes to improvising, you're quite fast on your feet. You did
+very well," I told her.
+"Really? You know, I actually agreed with Horikita-san's plan. I don't
+understand why you had me call on Kushida-san, either. What are you
+playing at?" she asked.
+"If you worry over each and every thing I do, you'Il never know peace.
+Besides, I'm under no compunction to answer your questions. Understand?" I
+asked.
+"So, I should just do as I'm told, like a loyal dog, and never ask why.
+Got it."
+"Exactly."
+Karuizawa didn't seem pleased, but didn't object further. "One more
+thing. You didn't raise your hand. Which choice did you think was right?"
+she asked.
+"They could both be right, I guess. Everything depends on the
+individual, anyway."
+"That's not an answer."
+"T have a policy of ignoring questions trapped in the limited 'either-or'
+binary," I said.
+"Huh? I don't get you. What do you even want, anyway? Are you just
+trying to wreak havoc on everyone? Or are you seriously thinking about
+getting from Class D to Class A?"
+"Horikita seems to believe I'm fighting for the latter, at the very least."
+Karuizawa glared, as if to say, That's not what I asked. "I wasn't
+asking what Horikita-san thinks. I want you to knock off the space-cadet act
+and just tell me what you're after."
+"T see. Well, I'm not personally interested in reaching Class A. It's just
+that I think it might benefit me if our class rises to the top," I said.
+"Wait, what does that mean? What's the difference?"
+I decided not to mention my bargain with Chabashira-senseti.
+"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. So, I'm taking several
+precautions to make you believe down the line. One of our classmates will
+betray us during this sports festival. They'll leak internal information from
+our class," I said.
+"Wait, what?! Are you being serious right now?!" Karuizawa was
+incredulous.
+"When the time comes, you' ll understand... what I'm seeing, what I
+can see," I told her.
+"Huh?! Tell me what's going on!"
+"T can't right now. But when the time comes, I will. Right now, you
+should go. We're drawing too much attention here."
+"You don't need to tell me that. If I were seen hanging out with a
+weirdo like you, my social cred would plummet. But...even if someone does
+betray the class, we'll be okay. Right?" she asked.
+"Yes. I've prepared."
+Looking dissatisfied, Karuizawa turned and left. I watched her walk
+away and sighed to myself. Class D's strategy was in motion, as was my own
+personal plan.
+Now then, I wonder what Class A has in mind? Considering
+Katsuragi's personality, their strategy would be solid. But Sakayanagi would
+be good for the White Team, of course, and also for Class D.
+Imagine a hypothetical situation with two people and only one life-
+saving apparatus—let's say a life jacket, meaning that only one of the two
+people can live. One person is able-bodied, and one disabled. If the able-
+bodied person chose to save themselves, they could probably take the life
+jacket by force with relative ease, due to the other person's disability. The
+world is cruel. A crisis tends to bring out the worst in us.
+That said, just because Sakayanagi wasn't physically active didn't
+mean she was harmless.
+"Even so..."
+Karuizawa was better at reading people than I'd imagined, probably
+because of her past. Satisfied with the completion of some rather unexpected
+business, I decided to head back.
+3.2
+Tere was a lot to do before the sports festival. Our physical
+education classes would be free periods from here on out, granting students
+permission to practice however they wanted to.
+Hirata submitted a request to the school and obtained a device for
+measuring grip strength, which he brought to our P.E. period the next day. In
+line with Horikita's plan, we would prioritize ability. Hirata's device was
+simple, but should help. Quite a few of the boys' competitions would require
+pure power.
+"Okay, let's line up. How about we measure the grip strength of our
+dominant hand? I'll record the results. I borrowed two of these, so we can
+split up to save time."
+Hirata handed the devices to the people standing at his left and right:
+Hondou and Yukimura. Sudou, who apparently didn't like that, snatched one
+device for himself.
+"Let's start with me, Hirata. That'll set a high standard," he said. His
+logic didn't track, so he probably just wanted to showcase his own strength.
+"Um... Well then, let's have Sotomura-kun stand next to you and take
+his measurement simultaneously, Sudou-kun," replied Hirata.
+"Check it out, Ayanokouji. This is what a real man looks like.
+Uraaah!" said Sudou, with a suitable bellow.
+His shoulders shook while he tightly gripped the device in his right
+hand. The numbers on the digital readout shot up rapidly. In an instant they
+climbed to 50, then 60, then over 70. In the end, the number on the digital
+display was 82.4 kilograms. Everyone around us went crazy.
+"What the heck, dude? You're stupidly strong!"
+"Heh. It's just 'cause I train all the time. Only natural. Hey, come on.
+You do it, Kouenji."" Sudou displayed his score to Kouenji, almost as if trying
+to provoke the other boy.
+"T'll pass. Ignore me." Kouenji polished his fingernails and blew on
+them.
+"What? You scared of losing to me or something? Guess that's
+understandable. Heh!" It was an obvious jab, but Kouenji didn't respond.
+"Tch. Oh, hey. Ayanokouji."
+Sudou shoved the device into my hand.
+"No thanks. Pll do it later."
+"Huh? Come on, don't mess around. We gotta do it in order."
+Coming from Sudou, that was rich—82.4 kilograms was a
+considerably high number. But it was also true that I was next in line. I
+wondered what the average value was for a first-year high school student. I'd
+used grip strength measurement devices hundreds of times before, but never
+once had I heard the average for people my age. I only had my own personal
+records.
+"Hey, Sudou. What do you think the average would be for a high
+school student?" I asked.
+"Huh? I dunno. Maybe, like, around 60?"
+"Around 60, huh?"
+I grasped the grip strength measurement device so that I could see the
+monitor. Grip strength wasn't simply proportional to your arm's thickness,
+though of course, it wasn't completely unrelated, either. A bunch of muscles
+known as the "flexor carpi radialis" and the "brachioradialis" in your forearm
+were most important. The forearm muscles contracted, pulling on the
+tendons, and thus bending the fingers. The idea was to improve grip strength
+by training those muscles.
+If you had a certain amount of muscle mass, depending on your degree
+of training, you could exceed a grip strength of 100 kilograms. Of course,
+you would need to spend a lot of time training to achieve that.
+I gripped the lever, slowly applying force. Once I passed 44, I started
+to make minute adjustments to my grip strength. Once I passed 55, I further
+adjusted my grip, and once my grip strength reached just slightly over 60, I
+stopped adding any more force.
+"That's it. | can't go any further."
+I released my grip on the device and handed it over to Ike, who stood
+next to me. Then I went to give Hirata my result.
+"My grip strength was 60.6." I delivered my report casually.
+"Heh. You're pretty strong, Ayanokouji-kun," replied Hirata. He gave
+me a smile, as though he were impressed.
+"Huh? Wait, isn't that around average?"
+"T think the average is lower than that, actually. 45 or 50?" mused
+Hirata.
+"Hirataaaa. I got a 42.6. Can you give me a few tiny bonus points and
+make it 50?" asked Ike. That wasn't a tiny bonus.
+Hirata, smiling wryly, wrote down 42.6 in his notebook. Sotomura got
+42, and Miyamoto, who went afterward, got a 48. There were certainly a lot
+of people scoring under 50.
+"T see. So, 60 was high, then."
+I shouldn't have asked someone like Sudou what the average was. I'd
+thought that by placing my strength squarely in the middle, I'd be able to
+avoid participating, but I made a serious miscalculation. At this rate, I might
+be required to enter some recommended-participant events.
+Kouenji aside, I ended up placing second in the class. I'd definitely
+screwed up. Next came Hirata in third place with 57.9. Sudou couldn't hide
+his disappointment in our classmates.
+"Man, I can't rely on a single one of you. The next best 1s Ayanokouji?
+This might as well be over."
+His casual rudeness could be stunning sometimes.
+After the boys finished taking their measurements, we handed the
+devices to the girls. Since there would be mixed guy-and-girl competitions,
+knowing everyone's strength would be necessary.
+Hirata filled out names for recommended-participant events based on
+the results he collected. "Okay, so we can simply go in order, based on grip
+strength, for the tug-of-war and the four-way tug-of-war. That'll be Sudou-
+kun, Ayanokouji-kun, Miyake-kun, and me."
+"What exactly is a four-way tug-of-war, anyway? I ain't ever heard of
+that," said Sudou.
+"T haven't heard of it before, either, so I looked into it. It's pretty much
+exactly what its name says. It's a tug-of-war competition in which four
+people are chosen from each of the four classes, for a total of sixteen people.
+It sounds like it's a tug-of-war contest where those sixteen people pull
+simultaneously," said Hirata.
+Unlike in a normal game of tug-of-war, where you could just rely on
+your strength, some tactics would be necessary. Hirata wrote down the four-
+way tug-of-war participants in his notebook.
+"Hey, Hirata, are we not getting any more chances to enter events?"
+"Oh no, it's not like that. It's just, well, I think that competitions like
+the scavenger hunt are based more on luck than athleticism," replied Hirata.
+"Luck? So, how are we going to decide that?"
+"Simple is best. How about we go with rock-paper-scissors?" Hirata
+suggested.
+Of course, I had no desire to play. I prayed I'd lose, but ended up
+winning in the first round. I prayed even harder that I'd lose as I went into the
+second and final rounds, but ended up winning again. Three boys, two girls:
+we had five students, picked by sheer luck.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, Yukimura-kun, Sotomura-kun, Mori-san, and
+Maezono-san. You five," said Hirata. Adding Sudou, that made six of us who
+would participate in the scavenger hunt.
+"Alas! I-I have been chosen to participate in the scavenger hunt?
+Alack!" the Professor wailed with great dramatic flair. "Why, oh why did I
+throw rock at that moment? Alas."
+"I'm so jealous!" whined Ike.
+How interesting. What to someone was misfortune was a dream to
+another.
+I would've been happy to give Ike my spot, but that would probably
+lead to an argument, so I decided not to bother. Besides, people like the
+Professor clearly didn't want to participate.
+Pretty soon, Hirata completely filled the roster for every event. "All
+done." He closed his notebook, and the class let out a sigh of relief. However,
+this roster was temporary. Depending on how practice went, and what we
+learned about other classes, we could still make changes.
+"This information is top secret, so everyone, please only make note of
+your events and your partners. No photographs," said Hirata.
+He really had thought of everything. One careless picture of the
+notebook, and there was no telling how far that information could spread. As
+Hirata's notebook was passed from person to person, Horikita spoke to me.
+"What's the matter, Ayanokouji-kun? You look more somber than
+usual."
+"Many participants were chosen against their will," I told her.
+"There's nothing to be done about that. In our class, there's an
+extremely wide gap between the athletic and unathletic students," she replied.
+"That's certainly true."
+But the roster wasn't set in stone yet. If a more suitable participant
+appeared prior to the festival, I could probably switch with him or her. I'd be
+more than open to handing over my burdens. In fact, I'd absolutely love to
+hand them over.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Totsuka Yahiko
+First Year, Class A
+STUDENT ID: S01T004681
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: May 12th
+***
+We've determined that, although he isn't an outstanding student, he
+is a natural leader whom others tend to follow. He also seems to have
+unusual worldly wisdom.
+***
+He idolizes his classmate, Katsuragi, another class leader. At present,
+there are no problems with his behavior.
+Chapter 4:
+Everyone's Calculations
+Starting from our next homeroom period, we'd be practicing
+independently to prepare for the sports festival. During Class D's free period,
+we changed into gym clothes and made our way to the athletic grounds.
+"Whoa, check it out." Ike, wearing an unpleasant expression, stared at
+the main school building. Several students were watching us through the
+windows of their classroom.
+"Hey, they're from Class B, right? Guess they're already spying,"
+mused Ike.
+"Class A is checking us out, too."
+If we wanted to train in such a conspicuous place, it was only natural
+that we'd be watched. Even 1f we held back, so the others wouldn't see our
+true skills, that would only hamper our practice and hurt us in the end.
+"They started right away." Horikita had also noticed the curious stares.
+For my part, I was more worried about Class C. Not a single one of
+them was looking at us. It was like they were saying that Class D wasn't any
+threat to them.
+"Are you worried about Ryuuen-kun?" Horikita asked me.
+"Yeah, a little."
+"I'm surprised that he doesn't seem to be carrying out some kind of
+reconnaissance. However, he did refuse to cooperate with Class B. He
+doesn't appear interested in any sort of strategy." Horikita shot me a look that
+seemed to say, / understand, before continuing. "Or so I would have thought
+if you hadn't warned me. Surely the other students must think they're safe,
+though."
+She glanced at the students, who were throwing themselves into
+practice.
+"What you mentioned earlier, about Ryuuen-kun already having a
+strategy? I suppose this means that his plans are already in place.
+Reconnaissance isn't necessary for him." Horikita no longer appeared
+optimistic. On the contrary, she now looked clearly bewildered. "Anyone
+would want information on the other classes. They should want to know who
+is physically gifted, who'll participate in which contests, and so on. But
+him..."
+That in itself proved that Ryuuen already had a secret strategy.
+"The important thing is not to be satisfied just with knowing that
+Ryuuen has a plan," I explained.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Normally, when someone has a secret plan in place, they do whatever
+it takes to ensure that their enemies don't figure it out. However, Ryuuen's
+not even trying to hide the fact that he's up to something. He's making it
+obvious by not bothering to do any reconnaissance," I said.
+"It's almost like he's showing off. You know, I can't help but wonder
+where your powers of observation came from. But, since you've forbidden
+me from asking questions, I suppose I must be quiet."
+What a disagreeable and Horikita-esque way of putting it. Of course,
+no matter how much she poked and prodded, I wouldn't budge.
+"Suzune. You have a minute?" asked Sudou, startling Horikita with his
+late arrival. Sudou interrupting her train of thought clearly irritated her.
+Something else seemed to be bothering her, too.
+"I've told you numerous times. Please do not call me by my first
+name."
+"Aw, what do you mean? Does it really bother you that much?"
+"Yes. I don't want someone I'm not close to using my first name," said
+Horikita. As always, she went right for the heart, sparing none of Sudou's
+feelings. "If you continue to call me 'Suzune' after this warning, I'Il have to
+take more direct action to make you stop."
+A terrifying proposition, truly. Sudou changed the topic.
+"In that case, if I get the best results out of anyone in Class D during
+the festival, will you let me call you by your first name?"
+"Hard work is its own reward. Why should I agree to such an idiotic
+bet?" Horikita probably wasn't aware of Sudou's feelings for her.
+"Well, it's just... Not too long ago, you saved me. That's why I want
+to do things properly, so we can... No, I think I'd like to be friends with you,
+first. This is the first step," said Sudou.
+"T can't understand why you'd go out of your way to request something
+like that. But fine. If you produce the best results, I will allow you to use my
+first name. However, I won't be satisfied if you're just the best in our class.
+Show me that you can be the best out of everyone in our grade," said
+Horikita.
+She'd given Sudou an incredibly high hurdle to clear. But Sudou
+showed no sign of balking. "AII right! It's a deal, then. If I place first in our
+grade level, Pll call you by your first name," he said happily.
+"However, in the event that you don't get first place, I'll forever forbid
+you from saying my first name. Prepare yourself," said Horikita.
+"Y-yeah."
+4.1
+W. started testing everyone's aptitude in earnest. Although Hirata's
+policy didn't encourage forced participation, roughly 90 percent of the class
+took part in the various tests. Only a few, like Kouenji and the Professor, sat
+them out.
+"Hah...ah...phew!" Sakura finished in last place, looking as though
+she was about to collapse, both hands on her knees.
+"Good work, Sakura. You really gave it your all."
+"A-Ayanokouji-kun. Ah...hah..." Sakura wheezed.
+Sakura had always been rather unathletic, but recently, she'd worked
+hard to contribute to the class. Unfortunately, her lack of physical endurance
+was still a problem.
+"Hey, hey! Let's go!"
+Meanwhile Sudou, usually the least serious class member, worked
+harder than I'd ever seen. He needn't have worried. When he was in top
+form, Sudou was unbeatable. No student in our class could stand as his equal.
+"Wow, just like we'd expect, Sudou-kun! You always end up taking
+first place in our class, no matter the event. That's amazing!" said Kushida.
+She jumped up and down in excitement as Sudou finished running the 100-
+meter relay race.
+"Heh, guess so. Even so, I dunno what' ll happen if he runs." Sudou
+glared at Kouenji, who showed no interest whatsoever.
+"You know, that reminds me. I've never seen Kouenji seriously run
+before."
+Back when Kouenji had faced off against Sudou in swimming class,
+he'd beaten Sudou's time. His skill was obvious, but he wasn't going to
+budge unless he wanted to.
+"But, seriously, you're amazing. Really, Sudou-kun, you're definitely
+the sports festival leader," said Kushida.
+"Leader? Me?" Sudou repeated the word, appearing to be a little taken
+aback.
+"Yes." Hirata, who was recording everyone's scores, apparently agreed
+with Kushida. "After all, the sports festival really is an athlete's time to shine.
+Would you mind leading our class for this?"
+"T ain't really suited to be a leader or anythin'..." Sudou looked over at
+Horikita for her opinion.
+"You're not the type of person to speak eloquently. As a
+communicator, Hirata-kun is certainly the superior choice," she said.
+"However, based on your sprint earlier and your other athletic records, I can
+see Hirata-kun's point. You shine when showered with attention. Besides,
+brute strength will be necessary to pull our class along. I wouldn't object to
+you serving as leader in this."
+She didn't encourage him, but she didn't reject him, either. She'd
+acknowledged him.
+"Okay! Pll lead our class to victory," said Sudou. Perhaps being so
+lovestruck was foolish, but he clearly wanted to live up to Horikita's
+expectations.
+"Don't get overconfident and sloppy, because I'll make you pay for
+that," warned Horikita.
+She walked away and returned to practicing. Sudou blushed, clenching
+his fists as he watched her go.
+4.2
+Sudou was serious about being a leader. The next day, he began
+coaching the other students, starting by teaching them how to win the tug-of-
+war. I watched from a slight distance away.
+"You're just pointlessly strainin' yourself. There's no strength at all in
+your pull. At this rate, you wouldn't win, even if you could," said Sudou.
+He grabbed the short length of rope tightly to give us a practical
+demonstration. Ike and Yamauchi faced off against him. The looks on their
+faces suggested that they expected to win, but when the match began, Sudou
+pulled with an overwhelming amount of strength. A disappointingly short
+time later, Ike and Yamauchi fell down and sat on the ground.
+"See? You ain't putting any power into it at all."
+"T don't get it. Hey, Sudou, is there some kinda trick or something?"
+"Well, power's important, but also, don't just use your arms. Use your
+hips, too," said Sudou. His manner was rough, but he gave each and every
+student thorough guidance.
+"Hey, Sudou-kun. Can you come look at this for us? We're not doing
+well with our carriage for the cavalry battle."
+"Sure. Wait a sec. I'll be right there."
+There were more than a few unathletic students, which meant that
+several people asked Sudou for help. I was honestly surprised that even girls
+asked him for his opinion.
+"Well, he seems to be taking this rather seriously."
+"Tt's the first time that people have relied on him. Leadership might
+actually suit him, don't you think?" asked Horikita. "As for me, though...
+well, I wouldn't mind praising him, but—"
+Before she could finish the thought, we heard an angry voice.
+"Look, I'm tellin' you that ain't it!" Sudou kicked at the dirt, sending it
+flying toward Ike and Yamauchi.
+"Gah! Puh...yuck! Dude, c'mon. Stop!"
+Horikita sighed.
+Sudou's rashness was still a problem. A leader needed to be patient,
+like Hirata, who always employed gentle teaching methods. He was currently
+checking some girls' positions in the carriage formation, to make sure that
+they were comfortable.
+"Yeah, I think this formation is great. But don't you feel a little
+cramped?" Hirata asked them.
+"Yeah. My shoulders hurt a little, I guess."
+"Let's change the positioning a bit. If you just move a few centimeters,
+it'll feel different."
+"Oh, wow, you're right! That feels much more comfortable. Thank
+you, Hirata-kun."
+"Hey, can you help us out, too, Hirata?" another cavalry group asked.
+"Why don't you help teach the girls, too?" I asked Horikita. She was
+one of our top athletes; she had a lot going for her as a teacher.
+"TI don't want to teach them. Besides, I don't think anyone wants me to
+teach them, either."
+With that bold statement, she started warming up by herself.
+"T'm already trying my hardest to produce results for myself. How can
+you be so laid-back? I suppose, if you're sure you can win, that's fine," added
+Horikita.
+"Nope, I'm not confident."
+"That sounds about right. You always get average scores. You're
+neither fast nor slow. Your results don't stand out at all."
+"You know that?"
+"T try hard to uncover my classmates' true abilities." She had observed
+me closely, even during physical education. "I'll ask you this just once, but...
+are you holding back, like you did with your test scores?"
+"Would I do something so pointless?"
+"The odds of that are about fifty-fifty to me. So, do you?"
+"I'm sorry to disappoint, but what you see is what you get."
+"So, you're neither good nor bad. That means I shouldn't expect great
+results, hmm?"
+"Yep, that's right."
+"Then you should practice more, starting now."
+"If I could improve in such a short time span, this wouldn't be a
+problem. Unlike studying, trying to do this all at the last minute the night
+before is kind of pointless." Physical ability only improved through repeated
+conditioning.
+"Wouldn't it be a good idea to focus on events where you can improve
+quickly, though? For example, just learning how to grip a rope or form a
+carriage will increase our chances of victory."
+"Maybe."
+I'd tried to slack off and cut class, but Horikita had firmly boxed me in.
+Well, there wasn't any getting around it. I needed to practice for the
+recommended-participant events I'd somehow gotten roped into.
+"Hey," Horikita called out to me again as I walked away.
+"Hmm?"
+"Every class's physical abilities will determine who wins and who
+loses. Right?"
+"This is a sports festival. Physical abilities are key."
+"Yes. Still, that kind of thinking is limited. If I focus on my own
+performance, I'm confident that I can produce good results, but something's
+been troubling me for a while. I might not be able to reach Class A just by
+improving my own skills," said Horikita. It was an uncharacteristically timid
+remark, coming from her.
+"Okay. Let me ask you this. What should we do in the sports festival to
+produce results? To reach Class A?"
+In reply to my question, Horikita just gave me a confused look.
+"Could it be that you' ll win if you enjoy it? This is the long-awaited
+sports festival, after all. Forgetting that this is a test and having fun is an
+option," I said, as if trying to change the topic.
+"You promised me that you'd cooperate, didn't you? You said you'd
+help me reach Class A," said Horikita.
+"That's what I'm doing, isn't it?" I spread out my hands, showing that
+I'd nothing to hide. "I'll participate in the festival. That's cooperating."
+"Are you serious?"
+"You said so yourself, didn't you? Physical ability will determine
+victory or defeat."
+"But there are other aspects to the competition besides physical ability,
+too," she said.
+"Okay. So, on the day of the festival, should I give the Class B and C
+students stomachaches and make them bow out? If I do that, we'll have a
+total victory. We'll win by an overwhelming margin," I said.
+"Stop joking."
+"Look. It sounds like you're saying that a high level of physical ability
+won't be enough," I said.
+"So, you agree that something else is required?" she asked.
+"You'll learn the answer to that soon enough," I replied.
+Somebody was walking toward us. "Horikita-san, you're up next for
+three-legged race practice."
+"Okay."
+Horikita left. Apparently, she was partnering with Onodera, a girl from
+the swimming club who was supposedly a great sprinter. I wondered how
+Horikita would handle it.
+The five pairs of girls lined up in formation, then launched into the
+race. Horikita and Onodera weren't slow, but they weren't fast, either. They
+came in third. The worst team was Sakura and Inogashira, a most unathletic
+pair. They were slow as molasses.
+Dissatisfied, Horikita and Onodera decided to practice the three-legged
+race again. That time went no better than the first.
+"Those two're kinda slow, huh?" mused Sudou.
+"Yeah."
+Finishing their second run, the pair immediately untied the cord and
+faced each other. "Hey, Horikita-san, can't you try to keep pace with me
+better?" Onodera sounded slightly annoyed.
+"It's certainly true that we aren't moving in sync, but that's not my
+fault. You're too slow."
+"What?"
+"Shouldn't you strive to match the faster partner? Deliberately slowing
+my pace to suit yours makes no sense," said Horikita.
+It seemed that my worst fears were being realized. Trying to keep pace
+with the speedy Horikita was no easy feat.
+"Okay. How about we give it a try, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Hirata.
+"Roger." I didn't have time to waste on Horikita, who was fighting
+with her partner. The three-legged race was a first for me, too.
+"To begin with, let's just focus on running. Then we can try and fix
+whatever goes wrong. Okay?"
+I nodded and tied our legs together per Hirata's instructions. It was too
+tight for my liking, and made me feel shackled. Honestly, it was a little
+embarrassing to be that close to somebody. Particularly Hirata, the darling of
+all the Class D girls.
+"Okay then. Let's take our first step," said Hirata.
+I nodded, and waited for Hirata to move his leg so I could match him.
+Keeping up with his rhythm, I stepped with my outer leg.
+"This is really uncomfortable."
+"Tt is, isn't it? But, as you run, try matching your breathing to our
+movements. Okay? I'm going to start running."
+Hirata picked up his pace slightly, and I copied him. Really, my run
+was only at about power-walking speed.
+"Yeah, that's it. That's it! You've got it!"
+Being complimented really did make things easier. As I got used to
+three-legged running, I realized that it was surprisingly simple. If both
+partners understood each other and maintained a similar pace, everything got
+smoother.
+Hirata and I ran a small lap, came back, and untied the cord. Loud,
+high-pitched cheers could be heard from the girls. "So fast! Just like we'd
+expect from you, Hirata-kun!"
+"Tt's really, really easy with Ayanokouji-kun as my partner. Let's all
+practice and do our best during the festival, okay?"
+Yeah, he really was supportive. He'd just finished his own practice,
+and now he was heading off to give other students advice again. Just another
+day in the life of Hirata, a truly superior man.
+4.3
+I was mid-September, and the sports festival was less than two weeks
+away. Sudou remained steadfast and practiced tirelessly. Tempering his spirit
+day in and day out with basketball had made him tenacious. Some students
+among us were holding back and cutting corners, but Sudou always gave
+everything he had.
+Of course, Hirata hadn't forgotten about our relationship with Class A.
+He periodically held meetings with Katsuragi during which they discussed
+how best to compete. Class D, normally just an inch away from disaster, was
+doing almost too well.
+Looking at the big picture, I saw two remaining issues at hand.
+First, Horikita Suzune. She could become an invaluable asset to the
+class, but she wasn't quite there yet. No matter how many times Horikita
+changed partners, they always ended up fighting and dissolving the
+partnership. Eventually, Horikita decided to compete paired with the girl who
+best matched her speed, but even that had fallen apart. Now she just spent her
+time silently alone.
+"Do you have a minute?" I asked.
+"What?" Perhaps because of stress, she seemed even pricklier than
+usual.
+"T think it'd do you some good to compromise a little more," I said. ?'d
+watched her practice, but had seen no sign of improvement. Horikita's overly
+forceful nature was getting in the way.
+"Many people have told me that," she said, rubbing her forehead. "I
+won't compromise, because I'm trying to get the best time. Isn't that a good
+thing?"
+"So, you have no intention of yielding?"
+"That's right. I don't intend to accommodate someone else's
+slowness."
+"But, because of that, no one wants to practice with you."
+"If ''m expected to yield, my partner must put in the effort first. I can't
+work with someone who refuses to even try to improve," she replied.
+"Stick your foot out."
+"What are you getting at?"
+"Partner with me for the three-legged race."
+"Why should I?"
+"There's a mixed-gender three-legged race. Can't we determine how
+compatible we are as partners?"
+"So, you think you can keep pace with me? You'll only drag me
+down."
+"According to your theory, my speed isn't the issue, only my effort."
+"Fine. I'll tie us together."
+Horikita crouched and tied the cord around our legs, as if telling me not
+to touch her. Everyone nearby was focused on practicing, and no one paid
+attention to us. Even Sudou, who'd probably get angry if he saw this, was too
+busy with other people.
+"Well then, let's go!"
+At the beginning, I mirrored Horikita. However, as we picked up
+speed, I started going at my own pace.
+"H-hey!"
+Despite Horikita's panic, I mercilessly went faster. She did everything
+she could to keep up with me, but her stamina and strength couldn't match
+mine.
+"You said that keeping up with your partner isn't difficult, right?" I
+asked.
+"That's... I know!"
+She was obstinate. I decided to shift gears. In the three-legged race,
+speed alone wasn't enough. The important thing was to find a tempo that
+suited both partners, then find your best stride.
+"Toh!"
+Eventually, Horikita had to admit defeat. I grabbed her as she
+stumbled, then came to a stop. She breathed raggedly.
+"This wasn't about fast or slow. Your practices went wrong because
+you didn't look at your partner," I told her. Without saying another word, I
+untied the cord around our legs. "The important thing is to work with your
+partner. How about letting them take the lead?"
+"Think about it."
+Horikita's athleticism meant that she needed to discern her partner's
+ability level and then work with it.
+I didn't know whether she would learn and mature. That was up to her.
+Kushida Kikyou was the second problem. She was something of a
+supporting character—working backstage, but never taking the spotlight.
+Although Hirata and Karuizawa often outshone Kushida, most of our
+classmates liked her, which gave her a level of influence even those other two
+didn't have. In addition to Kushida's exceptional communication skills, she
+was both academically and physically gifted, and had been blessed with an
+incredible figure. In a sense, her assignment to Class D in the first place was
+quite the mystery.
+However, I knew about the darkness within her. Not too long after
+starting school, I caught her angrily ranting to herself on a secluded rooftop.
+And, although I didn't yet know why, it was a fact that Kushida hated
+Horikita.
+But both Horikita and Kushida were vital to Class D's improvement.
+Therefore, the only way to resolve the issue was to have them confront one
+another.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Ishizaki Daichi
+First Year, Class C
+STUDENT ID: S01T004656
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: April 14th
+***
+Although his athletic abilities are slightly above average, we understand
+that he was infamous during junior high for being a bad student.
+However, at our institution, it is necessary to encourage maturity and
+growth, even with the least-promising students.
+***
+Although he has a rather rough exterior, he's improving with the help of
+his classmates.
+Chapter 5:
+There's a Reason for Their Relationship
+Raat, all the spying served little purpose. The key to victory
+ultimately lay, not in the opponent's strength, but in the composition of the
+group-event teams. If you didn't know the names listed in their participation
+table, you couldn't attack other classes strategically.
+Of course, the other classes wouldn't just share that information. If we
+managed to acquire a participation table, our odds would improve
+dramatically.
+There was one exception, and it was the bomb waiting to go off inside
+Class D.
+Two weeks before the sports festival, I made my move immediately
+after school ended for the day. I called to Horikita, who was gathering her
+things next to me.
+"Hang out with me today."
+"And if I say I don't want to?"
+"You can say whatever you like, but then it won't be my fault if Class
+D gets in trouble."
+"Okay. Fine. What do you want?"
+"You'll understand better if you come with me." Saying that, I walked
+away from Horikita and called out to yet another target. "Kushida, do you
+have a minute?"
+Kushida was happily chatting with some other girls from our class.
+"Hmm? What is it, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked. She glanced at Horikita,
+who seemed slightly uncomfortable.
+"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" I asked. Saturday would be a
+day off for Kushida.
+"T don't really have any right now. I was just thinking of cleaning my
+room," Kushida said.
+"Tf it's okay with you, would you mind giving me some time in the
+morning?" I cut right to the chase. If Kushida looked as though she disliked
+the idea, I wouldn't press her.
+"Okay," said Kushida. She smiled, as if to dispel my anxieties. "You
+know, it's really unusual for you to invite me out, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Yeah, I suppose it is. By the way, Horikita will be coming, too."
+"Wait a second," Horikita started. I motioned to her to stay quiet.
+"Okay. I don't mind, but...why in the morning?" asked Kushida.
+"T was just thinking that I wanted to spy on the enemy again, but with
+you along—you know, as someone who knows a lot about other classes.
+Horikita asked me to help her, but there are lots of things I don't know."
+I was being mostly honest, though the part about Horikita was
+completely made up. I knew Kushida wouldn't come unless I told her the
+truth about what I wanted. Also, I needed her to understand her role.
+Kushida nodded. "Yes, I suppose I might be the right person for the
+job. Okay. What time were you thinking? The earlier the better, right?"
+"Yeah. I was thinking sometime like ten o'clock. Would that be okay?"
+"Completely okay. We'll meet in the dorm lobby tomorrow morning,
+then?"
+"Sure. Thanks," I answered.
+As she left, Kushida waved at some girls waiting in the hallway, and
+they walked together toward the dorms. As I started to head back myself,
+Horikita grabbed me.
+"What are you planning?"
+"Doing a little reconnaissance isn't a bad thing, wouldn't you agree?" I
+replied.
+"T don't understand the reason for inviting me. If all you're doing is
+spying, then you and Kushida should be enough."
+"Do you really think that?"
+"T wouldn't say something like that as a joke."
+"We're too visible here. Let's talk while we walk."
+I took the lead, leaving Horikita behind, and eventually, she followed.
+"You remember what happened to your team on the cruise ship?"
+"Of course. Everyone discovered our VIP's identity. A humiliating
+outcome," said Horikita.
+"That's right. It shouldn't have happened. There is most definitely a
+reason why it did," I replied.
+"Yes, but I don't know why. No matter how hard I try, I just can't find
+the answer. I assume Ryuuen-kun was involved somehow," mused Horikita.
+It sounded as though she'd come to a dead end. Doubts and incomplete
+theories, unending and irritating, were probably flooding her mind.
+"Well, I don't have proof, but I have a theory."
+Horikita looked at me as though she were genuinely shocked. "Are you
+saying you've figured out Ryuuen-kun's strategy?"
+"Yeah. To be more accurate, it's not just Ryuuen. One other person
+was significantly involved in the outcome on the cruise ship," I told her.
+We reached the main entrance and retrieved our shoes from the rack.
+Walking outside, we continued our conversation.
+"If you think about it, there was no way the VIP's identity could have
+been discovered. You and Hirata never told anyone else that Kushida was the
+VIP. Correct?"
+"Of course."
+"But what about Kushida herself? What if she intentionally exposed
+her identity?"
+"That's impossible, right? She'd have nothing to gain from that at all,"
+answered Horikita.
+"You can't say that for certain. For example, what about making a deal
+under the table, in which she tells another party that she's the VIP in
+exchange for private points?"
+"Even if that's possible, it would hurt Class D. And it would be very
+risky," replied Horikita.
+"That risk depends on the timing, though. There are many ways to
+establish trust," I answered.
+"So, you're saying that Kushida would betray her allies to gain a few
+measly points?"
+"Maybe, maybe not. Only Kushida knows."
+That was why I'd invited Kushida. To learn the truth.
+"So, you want Kushida and me to come with you to...uncover the
+truth?" Horikita finally seemed to suspect that Kushida might have turned
+traitor.
+"You and Kushida seem to have some kind of connection. A shared
+fate, maybe."
+Horikita awkwardly averted her eyes. "Kushida-san and I have no bond
+whatsoever," she replied.
+"In that case, can you say with 100 percent confidence that she
+wouldn't betray the class and you?"
+NALS e.5*
+"If you're uncertain, you should confirm it. If we don't make sure, it'll
+all be over, won't it? No matter what the exam, our class has no chance of
+winning if there's a traitor in our midst," I said.
+Before we knew it, we were at the dormitory. We entered the first-floor
+elevator and hit the buttons for our floors.
+"You're free to choose whether or not you come tomorrow, but if you
+want to lead the class, think about it."
+I got off on the fourth floor, leaving Horikita with those parting words.
+5.1
+SS stinday morning came, and I was in my room, having a fun time
+talking about stupid stuff with three other people. Of course, I mostly just
+listened to the conversation, only occasionally interjecting to show that I was
+following along. Because the basketball club couldn't use the gymnasium,
+Sudou was getting a little R&R today. Me aside, the three idiots were having
+a good time. They'd all brought along cups of noodles, and proceeded to pour
+hot water in the cups and wait for three minutes.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji. What flavor did you get?" Sudou asked.
+"Extra-spicy tom yum goong. I didn't really know what it was like, so I
+thought I'd try it."
+"Man, that sounds good. Trade with me, please? I'll give you my salty
+ramen." He extended his hand toward me, offering me his noodle cup. It had
+an illustration of a salted squid on it.
+"No thanks." Why did he buy such unappetizing ramen?
+"Hey, Ken. Do you plan on telling Horikita?"
+"Huh? The hell is this about?"
+"Nothin'. Just curious, dude. That's all. Right, Haruki?"
+"Y-yeah." Yamauchi gave a forced smile. He'd suffered an honorable
+defeat after confessing his love for Sakura over the summer.
+"That depends on how the festival goes. If I win, then maybe I can
+make a move."
+"Oh. You mean how you wanted to use her first name, right?"
+Sudou, determined to take first place across every grade level at any
+cost, flexed his biceps. "I mean, there ain't none of the first years better than
+me at sports," he said.
+"Your only real competition's Kouenji, and he probably won't take this
+seriously."
+I decided to cut in and ask about something that had been on my mind.
+"Hey, there's some student in Class A named Sakayanagi, right? The
+disabled girl. Remember her?"
+"Oh, that beautiful girl? Yeah, dude, of course I remember her." Ike
+smiled as he rubbed his nose.
+"Have you heard rumors about her?"
+"Rumors? Like guys she's been with? Dunno. It's like...how do I say
+this? She doesn't really put it out there, you know? I don't think there's much
+going on that way," said Ike.
+Yamauchi agreed. "From what I've heard, people say that she's the
+class leader. She's really, like, mature, isn't she?"
+Well, it didn't look as though I would get any valuable information
+about Sakayanagi from those two. My phone buzzed, indicating that I'd
+received a message. As I checked it, I could feel Ike and Yamauchi's eyes
+upon me. They seemed mistrustful.
+"You know, dude, you've been getting lots of messages lately. Haven't
+you?" asked Ike.
+"Huh? Nah, not really. I mean, isn't this normal?" I answered
+nonchalantly.
+The truth of the matter was that I actually had gotten more messages
+lately, so the suspicious glint in their eyes only became more pronounced.
+"You don't have a girlfriend, do you?" Yamauchi pressed harder.
+"Absolutely not, so relax. Besides, there's no way / could get a
+girlfriend before you guys. Right?"
+"T guess that's true," Yamauchi replied.
+"Look, nobody cares about Ayanokouji being unpopular. Let's talk
+about my future with Suzune," said Sudou.
+"That reminds me. You're partnering with Horikita in the mixed boy-
+and-girl three-legged race, right, Ken?"
+"Yeah. And, when we win, we'll start getting closer. /ntimately
+closer."
+Just as Sudou launched into a discussion I really couldn't have cared
+less about, my phone buzzed yet again. This time, it was an alarm.
+"Sorry, guys. I've got plans," I said.
+"Wait, what? We were just getting to the good stuff. Well, fine. I got
+Kanji and Haruki here to listen to every single detail," said Sudou.
+I'd been hinting for them to get out of my room...but oh well. Rather
+than press the issue, I decided to leave the three idiots where they were, and
+go on my way.
+5.2
+I was just before ten in the morning, the time I'd promised to meet
+Kushida. She was already in the lobby.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida warmly.
+"G-good morning, Kushida." Summer was almost over, so I'd only be
+able to see Kushida in her summer clothes for a little while longer. My heart
+beat faster at the sight. "Sorry for making such a strange request yesterday."
+"Oh, no, it's okay. Really. I didn't have anything planned today.
+Besides, this feels kind of nostalgic," she answered.
+"Nostalgic?"
+"Well, remember how, during the first semester exams, you asked a
+senior student for the previous test questions? I just thought this felt kind of
+similar, is all," she answered.
+"Ts that so?"
+"Yeah."
+I hadn't considered that memory anything special, but Kushida seemed
+pleased by the thought. Honestly, I felt as though this would've been easier if
+I'd brought Karuizawa or Sakura along, but if you want a job done right, find
+the right person to do it. Kushida was absolutely the best person for the job.
+More importantly, there was Horikita to deal with. It was almost ten
+o'clock, and there still wasn't any sign of her. Was she backing down from
+having to meet with Kushida? Just as I wondered that, though, Horikita
+showed up.
+"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
+"Good morning, Horikita-san."
+Kushida welcomed Horikita with an unwavering smile. However,
+Horikita was apparently in a bad mood. She seemed to be trying to hide that
+fact, but it was plain to see. Kushida had to have noticed, but she acted
+exactly the same way as she always did.
+The three of us left the dormitory and headed toward the athletic
+grounds. By ten, the grounds were already filled with students.
+"Wow, they're really going at it!"
+Out on the grounds, the thock sound of someone kicking a ball echoed
+through the air. The ball curved toward the goalpost. It moved in a beautiful
+arc, but was perhaps a bit easy to see coming. The goalie, showing sharp
+reflexes, repelled it with a punch. Hirata was among those playing. Since the
+teams consisted of a mixture of students from first year through third year, I
+didn't know everyone.
+"T feel kind of like a secret agent, spying on clubs to gain information
+about other classes. It's so exciting, my heart is pounding!" said Kushida.
+"It's not that big a deal. The information we can get here doesn't
+amount to much," I said.
+"But Horikita-san doesn't think that. Right?"
+"Information is invaluable. We don't know what might be the key to
+our victory," said Horikita.
+"That's true. But it was really kind of you to do this for Horikita-san's
+sake, Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida.
+"Well, I didn't exactly have a choice. She would've given me grief if I
+hadn't," I replied.
+"I'm impressed that you have the nerve to say that when I'm standing
+right here," said Horikita.
+I ignored her terrifying comment and focused my attention on the
+sports grounds. It looked as though the players were setting up a corner kick.
+The soccer teams casually walked onto the field and got into position before
+resuming. We could feel that the game was about to start.
+As Kushida grinned, I felt uncomfortable about the three of us hanging
+out together like this. Surprisingly enough, the highly agreeable Kushida
+decided to drop the pretense first.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you were the one who decided to invite me out
+today, weren't you?"
+"Why do you think that?"
+"Well, I can't imagine that Horikita-san would invite me," replied
+Kushida. Still smiling, she briefly looked over at Horikita, then returned her
+gaze to me.
+"Why can't you imagine that Horikita would invite you?" I asked.
+"Ha ha! You know, you're kind of an awful person, Ayanokouji-kun.
+You understand that things aren't good between Horikita-san and me, don't
+you?" Kushida spoke frankly. Horikita listened quietly, not attempting to
+deny anything.
+"To be completely honest, it's not that I don't understand it. Rather,
+it's like I half believe it, and half don't."
+The player in the corner kicked the ball, sending it toward a teammate
+waiting near the goalpost. Hirata skillfully caught it. Seeing that he couldn't
+score a goal if he tried for a shot from right there, he passed the ball to a
+teammate, a Class B student we already knew.
+The ball sailed into the goal in a brilliant arc.
+"So, Shibata's in the soccer club."
+"Yeah. Hirata-kun says that Shibata-kun is better than he is. It seems
+like they're close," answered Kushida. As expected, she was especially well-
+informed. As the game started back up, Shibata got the ball and quickly wove
+through the opposing team.
+"He's fast." He seemed even faster than Hirata, in terms of speed.
+Hirata hadn't been lying.
+"Wow, they're really going at it! They're all fired up! This is the best!"
+A tall guy in a soccer uniform walked past us.
+"Good morning, Nagumo-senpai!" said Kushida.
+Apparently, she knew him. Horikita, meanwhile, had a small, nearly
+imperceptible reaction. Nagumo was a candidate to become the next student
+council president, his abilities on par with her older brother's.
+"Oh? Right, you're Kikyou-chan. I see you're on a date. Nice," said
+Nagumo.
+"Ha ha! No, it's not like that. I was just curious, so I came here to
+watch," she replied.
+"Great. Enjoy. We don't really hold back here, so I think this is a good
+way to measure our players' strengths," said Nagumo.
+He winked at Kushida and headed down to meet up with the others.
+Apparently, he'd guessed what we were doing. The soccer club seemed
+excited when Nagumo joined them.
+"Is it okay for someone to be on the student council and in a club?" I
+asked.
+"Tt looks like he's not really in the club anymore," Kushida replied.
+"But even though he quit, he's still the best player. He shows up to practice
+from time to time, to help guide the rest of the team."
+"So, you all set, Nagumo?" asked one of the students.
+"Yeah, dude. I overslept, but after running some laps, I'm all warmed
+up,' Nagumo replied.
+He swapped places with another student, and the game resumed. Both
+the ball and other players moved toward Nagumo immediately. He seemed
+like a reliable teammate and a dangerous opponent.
+Hirata challenged Nagumo and tried to steal the ball. His movements
+were as sharp as before, but Nagumo handled him with ease. Shibata charged
+at Nagumo, too, but Nagumo feinted several times before slipping past. I'd
+thought that both Hirata and Shibata were skilled, but Nagumo was in a
+different league.
+After running past yet another person, Nagumo took a powerful shot
+from midfield. The ball curved past the goalie, and Nagumo scored.
+"So, the title of student council president isn't just for show, huh?"
+"He's just really athletic, that's all." Horikita did not intend to
+acknowledge Nagumo's obvious skill.
+As I spoke to Horikita, I snuck a glance at Kushida. She was all smiles;
+not even a hint of her dark side could be seen.
+"When you stare at me like that, it's embarrassing," said Kushida. Her
+eyes met mine, and she laughed, as though she guessed what I was thinking.
+"If I promise not to ask more questions, would you please tell me one
+thing?" I asked. Despite Horikita's presence, I decided to go for it. "Why
+don't you and Horikita like each other?"
+"Asking me to tell you something by saying you won't ask anything
+else is unfair," said Kushida. Maybe my request was psychological
+manipulation, but Kushida understood both my tactic and my question. "If I
+tell you, that's it, right?"
+"Yeah. I promise."
+"Tt's me," she replied, still watching the game.
+I hadn't expected that. So, even though she was at fault for their bad
+relationship, she still hated Horikita? That was kind of a contradiction. When
+someone hated someone else, they'd normally claim the other person was
+wholly at fault.
+I was relatively good at observing people, but couldn't quite read
+Kushida. I was starting to think that I understood Horikita a little less, too.
+She had known that Kushida hated her from the very beginning, but she
+never talked to me about it. However, based on Kushida's answer, Horikita
+might know the cause of the girl's hatred.
+Of course, if I asked, Horikita probably wouldn't tell me. Why is that?
+I wondered. Was there something that they each didn't want the other to
+know?
+"T get the feeling that just thinking about this is a waste of time," I
+huffed.
+"Yeah. I suppose so. Our priority right now is to spy and gather
+information anyway, right?" asked Kushida.
+"T guess." I shrugged.
+"The player handling the ball right now is Sonoda-kun from Class C.
+He's quite fast, isn't he?" mused Kushida.
+All the students in the soccer club were nimble. The only ones from
+our class who could probably hold their own were Sudou and Hirata, but
+even they'd be hard-pressed to keep up.
+"But Horikita-san is thinking about our class as a whole. That makes
+me happy," said Kushida.
+"T aim to do whatever is necessary to reach Class C, so I've no other
+choice," replied Horikita.
+After a while, the soccer players took a break. Nagumo called to
+Hirata. Then, perhaps because he realized we'd been watching, Hirata
+approached us.
+"Good morning. It's unusual to see you here," he said.
+Shibata, who'd seen us all from a distance, came running over as well.
+That created a rather unusual little five-person group.
+"Good morning, Kikyou-chan. Oh, and...Ayanokouji and Horikita-
+chan, right? Ayanokouji, are you on a date with these two beautiful girls?"
+asked Shibata.
+"No, it's not like that."
+Shibata and I were acquainted, but I hadn't known that he remembered
+my name. That made me kind of happy, though I kept from grinning.
+"So, what's up? This is an odd gathering," Hirata said.
+I boldly decided to tell him the truth. "We're spying. We've come to
+identify students from other classes whom we think we should watch out
+for."
+"Ah. So, that means you've noticed Shibata Man already, huh?"
+Shibata had made no attempt to hide his true athletic abilities. I
+wondered if that was because he was in Class B, under Ichinose's leadership,
+or just because that was his personality.
+"Shibata-kun really is fast, just like the rumors say," replied Kushida.
+"Ayanokouji-kun and I were shocked."
+At being complimented by a cute girl, Shibata bashfully rubbed his
+nose with his index finger.
+"We need to be especially wary of Shibata-kun. He's the fastest in
+Class B. Personally, I'd rather not compete against him," said Hirata.
+"Don't sell yourself short, Yousuke. You're really fast, too. How about
+you, Ayanokouji?" Shibata asked.
+"I'm a member of the go-home-and-do-nothing club," I replied.
+Shibata crossed his arms and laughed.
+We left soon afterward, on the pretext of checking out other club
+activities; that was just a cover. There was something else I wanted to know,
+and I had set the stage for it. How it would play out... well, that was up to the
+two girls.
+"You bore me, Kushida-san," said Horikita.
+"Wow, that's pretty harsh," Kushida replied.
+"But I have to ask you something," Horikita continued.
+"Between you and Ayanokouji-kun, I'm getting a lot of questions.
+Okay, what 1s it?"
+"During the cruise ship exam, did you tell Ryuuen-kun or Katsuragi-
+kun that you were the VIP?"
+I'd expected Horikita to ask in a straightforward way, but she really cut
+straight to the heart of the matter. Kushida looked shocked, but Horikita kept
+talking.
+"Tt's fine if you don't answer. It's meaningless to dig up the past.
+That's why there's only one question I find important. Can I trust you to be
+our class's ally from this point on?" asked Horikita.
+"Of course. I want to get to Class A, alongside everyone from Class D.
+That's what I've said from the very beginning," said Kushida. "I don't know
+why you'd ask something like that, but I want you to trust me."
+Though Kushida smiled at Horikita, she looked very serious.
+"Well then, I'm heading back. I'Il leave the rest of the reconnaissance
+to you two," I said.
+"Huh? What are you saying, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Horikita came up with this strategy in the first place. If you have
+Kushida's extensive network and connections at your disposal, you should be
+fine. Right?" I asked.
+With that, I left.
+5.3
+Wit everyone working hard, the days passed quickly. Finally, only
+one week was left until the sports festival. We needed to decide who would
+participate in each competition and submit our participation table before the
+day finished. While Hirata stood at the podium, Kushida faced the blackboard
+with chalk in hand to record the preparations.
+"Without further ado, let's decide on the entries," said Hirata.
+To choose the order for our winning strategy, Hirata consulted his
+notes, which contained aggregate results of our entire class's daily records.
+We had written down the order, everyone's roles, and the competitions they'd
+enter. Not a single student objected to Hirata's results, which were based on
+hard data and clear testing of people's abilities. Everything proceeded
+without a hitch.
+"Okay. For the final event, the 1200-meter relay, Sudou will be our
+anchor."
+"That seems fair."
+I was impressed by how Hirata managed to respect everybody's
+individual wishes while also taking everyone's abilities into account. In the
+relay, the final event, the star players would be the fastest students, like
+Horikita. No one could have come up with a more ideal lineup.
+However, Horikita—who sat next to me—continued to stare at the
+blackboard with an unconvinced expression. Immediately after the discussion
+ended, she stood up. While I wondered where this was going, she went right
+to Sudou.
+"What's up?" he asked.
+"T want to talk to you about something. Can you come with me?"
+Horikita replied.
+"S-sure." Sudou hurriedly stood straight up at Horikita's command.
+"Oh, Hirata-kun. Can I also have a moment of your time?"
+Sudou, whose heart must have been pounding for a moment,
+immediately looked disappointed.
+"T want to discuss the participation table we decided on earlier. I'd like
+you to give me the anchor position in the 1200-meter relay at the end of the
+festival," said Horikita.
+Sudou looked confused. "But, well...the anchor position is normally
+for the fastest person, right? Do ya feel uneasy having me as the anchor?"
+"No, that's not it. I know your abilities from seeing you practice," said
+Horikita.
+"Okay. So, I can handle it, right? I mean, if the anchor is the fifth
+runner, then—"
+"T have my reasons. You're good with the starting dash, right, Sudou-
+kun? I think that having you breeze past our opponents as the first runner is a
+viable strategy. Starting with the second runner, we' ll allow everyone to take
+the lane they like on a first-come-first-served basis. In the event that we're
+overtaken, the rules state that, from the second runner onward, we're allowed
+to use the outer lanes to overtake other runners," Horikita explained.
+"But..." Sudou didn't appear convinced.
+It was certainly true that, if Sudou did well at the starting dash, the rest
+of our relay team from the second runner onward would have an easier time.
+However, if we used up Sudou's turn right at the start of the relay, our later
+runners would be under pressure if the competition closed the gap. On the
+other hand, Sudou could provide a burst of power in the relay's final leg as
+the anchor. If there were targets for him to chase, he'd be all the more spurred
+on to win.
+"It's just, y' know, the anchor position goes to the fastest team
+member."
+"This school is a meritocracy. Let's not make choices based on
+assumptions or preconceived notions. The other classes will be coming up
+with various strategies as well," Horikita reasoned.
+I understood her logic, but I felt as though she was pushing a bit too
+hard. It didn't make much difference who the anchor was; both she and
+Sudou were sure to perform well. That meant there was another reason
+Horikita wanted to be anchor.
+"T'll definitely produce better results than I've gotten in practice,"
+Horikita asserted.
+"T ain't convinced. This ain't like you, Horikita," said Sudou.
+"Excuse me. Is it okay for me to chime in?" Kushida hesitantly entered
+the conversation. "Uh, I'm sorry. I just think maybe there's some other
+reason Horikita-san wants to be anchor."
+"That?s—"
+"Tn that case, Horikita, would you mind telling us why? If you have a
+request, Sudou and I will take that very seriously. But if we're changing the
+order that everyone decided as a class, I need more information," said Hirata.
+"T agree with Hirata. We need a reason," said Sudou.
+Horikita wore a complicated expression. "It's because I think my
+brother...is an anchor," she said quietly.
+"Your brother? The student council president?"
+"Yes. That's my brother."
+Everyone knew the student council president, but not everyone had
+made the connection that he and Horikita were related. Theirs was by no
+means an uncommon family name. They also didn't really look that much
+alike. Everybody seemed surprised by Horikita's statement.
+"So, you want to be an anchor with your brother? Is that it?" Kushida
+didn't seem as though she fully understood. I decided to cut in and give
+Horikita a little help.
+"Some stuff happened. I guess Horikita and her brother aren't really on
+speaking terms. She probably wants this opportunity to patch things up with
+him," I offered.
+It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. Horikita glared at
+me for an instant, since I had eavesdropped on her conversation, but
+immediately looked back to Sudou and the others.
+"I was wondering what the matter was. So, that's it, huh? Well, to be
+honest, I do still want the anchor position. But if that's the way you feel, then
+I don't mind handin' it over to you," said Sudou.
+"T think it's fine, too. If Sudou-kun is satisfied, then everyone else will
+be too, right?" Kushida added.
+"Right. Sounds good. Well, Ill submit our list after I swap Horikita-
+san and Sudou-kun's places. Is that okay?" asked Hirata.
+"Thank you," said Horikita quietly.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Shibata Sou
+CLASS: First Year, Class B
+STUDENT ID: S01T004666
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Soccer Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: November 11th
+***
+He was actively involved in soccer club during elementary school and
+junior high, and is an excellent student. Because of his considerate
+nature, his classmates and teachers trust him implicitly, and he has a
+great reputation. We absolutely want to help him mature.
+***
+He's like a male version of Ichinose-san. Everyone likes him. He's a
+student with a very promising future, since he's good at both sports and
+communication.
+Chapter 6:
+The Curtains Rise
+A: last, the day had come. The curtains were about to rise on the
+sports festival, and it looked to be a long day. The entire student body, all
+wearing their jerseys, marched together as one. Well, we called it a march,
+but most people just strolled along, taking the movement just seriously
+enough not to disrupt the order.
+"All right, time to really show off for Kikyou-chan!" shouted Ike as he
+walked directly behind me.
+How did he plan to show off when he was bad at sports? The guy was
+all bark and no bite.
+Fujimaki, from the third-year Class A, gave a speech during the
+opening ceremony. Although there weren't many, a number of spectators
+watched from the school grounds' outskirts. They were probably adults who
+worked on campus. The school didn't seem to have put any strict restrictions
+in place regarding who could attend the festival. Occasionally, one of the
+spectators smiled or waved.
+Meanwhile, the teachers themselves watched us without the vaguest
+hint of smiles. Medical personnel could also be seen setting up some kind of
+cottage. It could fit around twenty people and was equipped with an air
+conditioner and water cooler. The school's preparations were as meticulous
+as they had been on the deserted island. They provided tents for the Red
+Team and White Team; these faced each other on opposite sides of the track.
+The school didn't want the teams mingling with each other, except during
+competitions.
+The first event of the festival was the 100-meter dash, and I saw that a
+camera had been installed and pointed toward the finish line. The line
+between victory and defeat could come down to a hair's breadth in
+competitions like these.
+6.1
+66
+Wat group are you in for the 100-meter dash, again?" Horikita
+asked.
+"Seventh," I answered, looking over at the program table, which had
+the participation order and schedule.
+"Hopefully no one exceptionally good turns up. I'll be cheering you on
+for the class's sake."
+"T'll do my best not to come in last, then," I replied.
+With that unambitious goal, I headed to the track with the rest of the
+first-year boys. The festival ordered events such as the 100-meter dash by
+grade level, starting with the first-year boys and ending with the third-year
+girls. Then there'd be a break, after which the order would switch. We'd
+resume competitions in the opposite direction, starting with third-year girls
+and ending with first-year boys.
+The competition was about to start. Now we'd finally learn who would
+run from which class, and in what order. The first-year boys formed ten
+groups in total; mine was seventh. Each group contained eight people, two
+from each class. Sudou was in the first group.
+All of Class D watched, holding their breath. This festival's outcome
+depended greatly upon Sudou. If we won this race, everyone on our team
+could use that momentum to get hyped. If Sudou did poorly, it would
+probably put a dent in our spirits.
+"From my point of view, nobody here's really that big a deal. I see lots
+of fatties and twigs. Sudou's got first place covered!" shouted Ike.
+I couldn't see any students of note from the other three classes in
+Sudou's group. Like Ike had said, Sudou's victory was probably assured.
+"Then again, depending on how you look at it, this could be a big loss
+for us."
+Something about seeing Sudou hunched and ready at the starting line
+inspired feelings of absolute confidence. Even if he did happen to take a spill
+in the middle of the race, he'd still be all right. He could do this.
+As soon as the signal sounded, Sudou shot forward like a bullet. He
+quickly outran all the other boys, leaving them in the dust. He reached the
+goal with such an overwhelming lead that no one else came anywhere close.
+He won by a landslide.
+While everyone watched, Sudou took first place, as anticipated.
+Meanwhile, the Professor—the second Class D student in the first group—
+managed to come in last. We'd anticipated that, too.
+The signal to start the next race came right away, without any time to
+bask in the afterglow. The signals came at about twenty-second intervals,
+which meant that it would take four minutes for all the first-year boys to
+finish running. This event would repeat for all the boys and girls in all three
+grade levels, which meant that the 100-meter dash should finish in about
+thirty minutes.
+"Just as we'd expect from Sudou-kun." Hirata seemed genuinely
+impressed.
+"Yeah. Feels like the other classes were pretty dumbstruck, too."
+We, the seventh group, also had our roles to play. Hirata, who
+belonged to the soccer club and was a fast runner, was sure to place high. I''d
+take a spot at least one place after him, so there was really nothing to be
+anxious about. It was just a question of how to stand out while remaining
+inconspicuous.
+There were several students from other classes to be wary of. I
+wondered which groups had athletic students like Kanzaki and Shibata, and
+which boasted students with a strong presence like Ryuuen or Katsuragi. The
+third group hurried to the starting line.
+"Oh, Baldy's—I mean, Katsuragi's—ain the first lane," said Ike,
+pointing at Katsuragi's head.
+Sunlight shone on Katsuragi's scalp, lending it a brilliant sheen. Next
+to him, I saw another guy I knew: Kanzaki from Class B. So, Katsuragi and
+Kanzaki would be competing against each other, huh?
+Kouenji was also supposed to be in the third group, but there was no
+sign of him in Lane 5, which he'd been assigned. No one from the school
+bothered to search for him. They just marked it as an absence and
+immediately started the race.
+I thought that the third group would be a close match, but Kanzaki was
+fastest. Katsuragi was by no means slow, just outclassed. The race ended
+without much fuss. Kanzaki took first place and Katsuragi third. As the races
+continued, Hirata noticed something.
+"Ayanokouji-kun. There," he said, gesturing at the temporary cottage
+that had been erected.
+When I strained my eyes to look, I saw Kouenji inside, fussing with his
+hair.
+"Apparently, he's not participating."
+Kouenji had cooperated all the way up until the opening ceremonies,
+but in the end, it appeared that he planned to bow out of the competitions. His
+absence weighed heavily on both our class and the Red Team. Class A had
+Sakayanagi, who also wouldn't participate in any events, but at least she had
+a valid reason.
+If Classes B and C had no absentees, the Red Team would need to
+make up for their two missing members. That was quite the handicap.
+The rest of the competition progressed smoothly, and soon it was time
+for the seventh group. I went and stood in Lane 4, with Hirata next to me in
+Lane 5. There was also Yahiko, from Class A, but the rest of the competitors
+were guys I wasn't familiar with.
+This was the first sports festival of my life. I started off with a medium
+dash, neither fast nor slow. Hirata slowly but surely passed me and joined the
+top runners. I saw four people's backs in front of me, which meant that I was
+in fifth.
+Because there wasn't a huge difference in speed between us, we all
+kind of clustered together. As we continued to run, our order didn't change.
+In the end, I finished in fifth place. Hirata narrowly took the top spot.
+"Whew. Good job," he said, taking a deep breath.
+"Sorry. I dragged us down," I replied.
+"That's not true. Everyone was fast. It was a good race," said Hirata.
+Despite my disappointing results, he didn't blame me at all. Instead, he
+gave me a smile.
+We hurried off the track and headed over to the tent. The next group
+would be starting, and we were in the way. After the first-year boys finished
+running the 100-meter dash, they returned to their seats and focused on
+watching the girls with a predatory intensity. They cared about the race's
+outcome, of course, but they also just wanted to watch the girls run.
+"Where's Sudou?" I asked. He should have returned to his seat by now.
+"Who knows? Maybe the toilet? Dude, we've got more important
+things to look at. Check out those jiggling boobs, man, those boobs!" said the
+chipper Ike.
+I immediately had a bad feeling about Sudou's absence. He should
+have been cheering Horikita on, so his disappearance was strange.
+I looked over toward the cottage to see that my intuition was correct.
+Sudou was approaching Kouenj1.
+"This isn't good. I need to stop them," I said.
+"Yeah," replied Hirata.
+Hirata and I ran toward the cottage, where things were apparently
+already heating up. His hand balled tightly into a fist, Sudou confronted
+Kouenji. "Hey, you. What's the big idea, sitting this out?! Don't disregard the
+rest of us, jerk!"
+Kouenji didn't seem to notice that Sudou was even there. He just kept
+admiring his own reflection in the window, which only made Sudou angrier.
+"Looks like you ain't gonna understand unless I beat you up, Kouenji,"
+Sudou growled.
+"No. You can't do that, Sudou-kun. If the teachers find out—" Hirata
+tried to stop them, but Sudou wasn't the kind of guy to be deterred.
+"IT don't care. This is a class problem, right? It don't even matter if I
+beat him up, long as this punk doesn't go crying to the teachers," said Sudou.
+"You're quite foul, aren't you? I came here to enjoy some me time.
+Alone. As you can see, I'm feeling quite ill today. I decided to withdraw so
+that I wouldn't be a burden," said Kouenji.
+"Don't give me that bull crap! If this was just practice, that'd be one
+thing, but you're skipping out on the actual event!"
+I understood why Sudou was shouting. Kouenji looked to be in perfect
+health.
+"No. Don't, Sudou-kun!" Hirata panicked. But before he could
+intervene, Sudou threw a punch. He probably intended to knock sense into
+Kouenji, but Kouenji stopped the blow, catching the other boy's fist in his
+palm.
+A dull slap echoed through the cottage.
+"Stop. You cannot hope to beat me." Kouenji didn't even look at
+Sudou as he spoke.
+Sudou hadn't held back with that blow. Now that the other boy had
+blocked it easily, he had to realize Kouenji's real strength, but that only
+seemed to fire him up even more. "Bring it on. I'll smash 1n your nose,"
+Sudou growled.
+"Goodness. Both you and that girl seem to consider me unreliable,"
+replied Kouenji.
+"That girl?' Who?"
+"That cold girl who's so inflamed your passion. She's been telling me
+over and over that she wants me to seriously participate in the sports
+festival."
+"Horikita?"
+"In any case, leave now. I'm not feeling well," said Kouenji, waving us
+away.
+"You jerk!"
+To prevent a second punch from flying, Hirata stepped between Sudou
+and Kouenji. "Let's all just calm down a little. Kouenji-kun's attitude is a
+problem, but if he says he's not feeling well, then he has the right to rest.
+Besides, violence is bad, no matter the circumstances."
+"But he's definitely lying! He said the same thing back on the island,"
+said Sudou.
+"That is a baseless accusation. My proud carriage serves to disguise
+how poor my health is," said Kouenji.
+"So, you're planning on skipping the rest of the competitions, too,
+huh?"
+"If I recover, I will of course participate. /fI recover," replied Kouenji.
+"The next competition is about to begin, Sudou-kun. As our leader,
+your absence impacts our morale," said Hirata, switching tactics.
+"Fine. I'll head on back," groused Sudou.
+"Thank you," said Hirata. He escorted Sudou from the cottage, and I
+followed a little way behind. We made it to the Red Team tent, where Sudou
+sat back down, clearly still irritated.
+"Damn! Next time, I'm seriously going to punch that jerk," he huffed.
+His anger, rather than dissipating, only continued to swell. In keeping
+with the adage that "a wise man keeps away from danger," people started
+giving him a wide berth.
+Ike, however, was too engrossed in the girls' race to notice Sudou's
+frustration. Before I knew it, the girls' 100-meter dash was nearly over. The
+final group had just entered the track.
+"What are you doing, Ken? The girl you like is about to start, dude
+Ike cheerfully slapped Sudou on the back. Sudou grabbed his arm and forced
+Ike into a headlock.
+"Gah! Dude, the hell?!"
+"Stress relief," said Sudou.
+"Ouch, ouch, ouch! I give, I give!" shouted Ike.
+It was a pitiful sight, but taking his anger out on Ike seemed to help
+1°?
+Sudou. As Horikita's race began, he calmed down a little. If that was all it
+took to heal him, then I'd let him heal.
+As I watched Sudou, Sakura appeared next to me, completely out of
+breath.
+"Abh...ahh...! I-It hurts..."
+She must've used up all her energy when she ran. She was breathing
+very deeply, as though she was in a lot of pain.
+"W-were you watching me, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked.
+She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses.
+Unfortunately, Sakura's race took place while I was chasing Sudou, so I
+hadn't seen a thing. Of course, if I told her that, she'd probably be really sad.
+"You did well," I said.
+My response was brief, but true. One fact that I could be absolutely
+certain of was that Sakura definitely gave everything she had.
+"Th-thank you! This is the first time I didn't come in dead last." She
+beamed.
+***
+lage & \\
+Wa \\
+\ .\ ve
+Whenever we'd practiced, Sakura was always the slowest out of
+everyone by far. It seemed that she'd finally beaten someone else—because
+of her own hard work, too, not an opponent's mistake.
+"Just don't push yourself too hard. You might hurt yourself," I said.
+"O-okay!" she replied with a smile.
+Sakura stood beside me, still breathing heavily, and looked over at the
+next race. I focused on the other girls who would run against Horikita. In the
+third lane was Ibuki Mio, a Class C student. Horikita was in the same group
+as her most bitter rival. What a bizarre coincidence.
+Horikita didn't even look at Ibuki, but Ibuki wore a furious expression,
+as though fire shot from her eyes. She was determined never to lose to
+Horikita, no matter what.
+"Hey, I wonder if Ibuki-chan's good at sports?" the other boys
+speculated.
+"Hell if I know. All I know is Horikita's gonna win, no doubt."
+They didn't realize that Ibuki was highly athletic. Personally, I couldn't
+say for certain who would win.
+When the signal sounded, seven of the girls launched themselves
+forward. Between the two I focused on, Ibuki had the better start. Horikita's
+reaction was slightly delayed, so she lagged behind the rest of the group.
+However, she immediately picked up the pace and began to catch up to Ibuki,
+who seemed distracted. She glanced behind, perhaps curious about Horikita,
+and the distance between them closed. Ibuki remained stuck in the middle of
+the group, neither increasing nor decreasing her distance from Horikita.
+As they neared the end of the race, Ibuki's expression stiffened. She
+and Horikita were neck and neck, running side by side. Horikita, looking
+quite pleased with herself, managed to nudge ahead of Ibuki by a narrow
+margin.
+Ibuki ran harder, fighting to close the distance between herself and
+Horikita, but Horikita managed to cross the finish line first. After an
+incredible race like that, everyone erupted into cheers.
+Ibuki kicked the ground in frustration. I got the feeling that if she
+hadn't been so concerned about Horikita, the race results would have been
+different. Her hyperawareness was the reason Horikita won.
+"Those two completely outran everyone else," said Sudou.
+After the first-year students' 100-meter dash ended, we went to check
+the results. Athletic people like Sudou, Horikita, and Hirata had taken first
+place, as expected. However, the mid-tier students we'd hoped would do well
+hadn't performed so great after all.
+"Come on. Get it together, everyone. Especially you! Your speed's the
+only thing you're proud of, right?" said Sudou.
+"Y-yeah, but that Shibata dude's just too good, man."
+"Nothing we can do about it. Shibata-kun's even faster than me, after
+all,' said Hirata. That was true. I'd seen it during club practice.
+Even though we'd gotten off to a good start overall, tracking our scores
+would get more complicated from here. No notebooks or phones were
+allowed, and though we could talk to one another about the results, we
+couldn't know what the other classes were planning.
+I approached Horikita, who'd just gotten back.
+"That was close," I said.
+"Yes, I suppose. Ibuki was faster than I expected," said Horikita. She
+breathed a sigh of relief.
+"So, you reached out to Kouenji," I said.
+"Who told you that? Well...it seems like it was meaningless anyway."
+Horikita looked over toward Kouenji's little hideaway cottage. "I was
+worried he'd skip out on the competitions, and that's exactly what
+happened."
+"Tt seems like he doesn't care about reaching Class A."
+"Maybe if I was popular like Kushida, I could have gotten to him."
+"T don't know about that. I don't think he's the type to listen to
+Kushida, or even Hirata," I replied. Then again, those two wouldn't have
+tried to berate Kouenji in the first place. Even though Kouenji was clearly
+lying about his illness, they wouldn't have called him a liar to his face.
+"To think you'd wish you could be more like Kushida," I chided.
+"T never hated her or anything." Horikita realized that she'd slipped up,
+and immediately clamped her mouth shut. "You didn't hear that," she added.
+With that, she marched off to watch the third-year students' races,
+which would start soon. She was concerned for our class, but most likely also
+worried about her brother. Of course, it wasn't as though her brother, the
+student council president, cared about his little sister's feelings in the
+slightest.
+Horikita's older brother, as part of the second group to race, naturally
+took first place.
+"He's just as fast as I imagined," I said.
+"That's because my brother is perfect. No matter what he does, he's
+always number one," Horikita answered. She wasn't bragging. She said it as
+if it were a simple fact.
+After each grade level finished the 100-meter dash, the final results
+were tallied. The first round of points for the Red and White teams were
+announced.
+Red Team: 2011 points. White Team: 1891 points.
+The competition had just begun, but the Red Team was slightly ahead.
+6.2
+(ke hurdle race came next. It was like the 100-meter dash in that it
+was based on speed. However, you also needed to clear hurdles while
+running. If you knocked down or touched a hurdle, your time was penalized.
+If you knocked the hurdle down, the penalty was 0.5 seconds. If you only
+touched it, 0.3 seconds. There were ten hurdles in all, placed at ten-meter
+intervals. If you knocked them all down, you'd have five seconds added to
+your time. It'd be completely hopeless.
+Sudou was starting in this competition's final group. "If you guys place
+last, I'm gonna slap you," he said.
+The unathletic students trembled at the pressure.
+"Dude, what kinda tyrant are you?"
+"Hey, um, is Sotomura-kun here? If he's absent, he' Il be disqualified,"
+said the referee.
+"R-regrettably, it would appear that my stomach is upset. Would it be
+permissible for me to take an absence?" asked the Professor. He'd just barely
+cleared the hurdles during practice, and looked as though he was chickening
+out.
+"Huh? Dude, it's fine if you knock all the hurdles down. Finish the
+race at any cost!" shouted Sudou. He stuck his face close to the Professor's
+and glared.
+"Egad! O-okay, I will!" shouted the Professor.
+There was a significant difference between coming in last and being
+disqualified. If you were disqualified, you wouldn't get even one point.
+Participation was vital.
+In the end, the Professor didn't clear any hurdles. He knocked them all
+over and finished in last place. "Ugh, he's useless. It's 'cause he just sits
+around on his butt that he's so fat," grumbled Sudou. "Still, that Shibata guy
+is pretty good."
+Shibata had come in first without much difficulty, and was shaping up
+to be Sudou's main rival. Furthermore, like Ichinose, his leadership qualities
+made others rally around him. If Shibata kept this up, Sudou's goal of being
+first out of every student across every grade level would become a distant
+dream, especially since no one knew what the team competition results would
+be. It was concerning.
+"Next up is the fourth group. Please get ready," said the referee.
+I got into the same lane as before, and saw Kanzaki standing in the
+second lane.
+"We meet again," said Kanzaki.
+"Go easy on me," I told him.
+"Ichinose says you're pretty fast," he replied.
+I didn't know where Ichinose had gotten that idea. Then again, back
+during the incident with Sakura's stalker, she might have seen me running.
+Apparently, she paid close attention.
+"Didn't you see my ranking in the 100-meter dash earlier? I got fifth."
+"It didn't seem to me that you were taking the race seriously," Kanzaki
+replied.
+"There's no advantage to gain from holding back, right? You just
+lose," I responded.
+"When you think of it as a strategy, it's not completely meaningless,"
+he said flatly.
+Apparently, Ichinose and Class B really did their homework. They
+didn't just know my ranking; they also understood my thought process.
+"You know, you're really calm for a high schooler," Kanzaki added.
+"It's scary."
+"Well, feel free to judge me however you want."
+A boy from Class C got between us, cutting our chat short. With the
+exception of Kanzaki, I didn't really know anyone in the fourth group, which
+meant that I didn't know how fast the other competitors were. If my ranking
+rose even a little bit, it could be bad.
+When the signal came, I started running about as fast as I had before.
+Kanzaki overtook me, but because only one other student got in front of me, I
+ultimately ended up winning a fairly respectable third place. There were a lot
+of variables to consider, but for better or worse, I'd been able to maintain my
+inconspicuous position. I walked back to camp.
+"Aah, jeez. I can't keep up," groaned Yukimura.
+He was grumbling to himself, seeming downtrodden. From the looks of
+things, he hadn't gotten good results during his second event.
+"That bad, huh?" I asked.
+"Ayanokouji? Agh, I've been cursed. Seventh and seventh," he
+grumbled. Twice a consolation prize winner, huh? That was pretty rough.
+"Tt all depends on your mindset, Yukimura. Even if you fail here, you
+can ace the written tests. Right?" I replied.
+"T won't fail, but my scores will plummet. Besides, I'll drag down my
+class and my team," said Yukimura.
+Since Yukimura wanted to make it into Class A more than anyone else,
+he also felt the burden of responsibility more intensely than anyone. And
+because he normally criticized students with low academic ability, like
+Sudou, he was probably reluctant to show any weakness here.
+I didn't want to say the wrong thing, so I decided to give Yukimura
+space, and focused on the girls' hurdle races instead. Two people I knew
+were running in the first race: Horikita and Sakura. Horikita, who expected to
+win, didn't seem to feel any pressure. On the other hand, as bad as it sounded,
+we had zero expectations for Sakura. She appeared to be trembling.
+"Hey, um, Horikita-san. This matchup isn't very good, don't you
+think?" said Hirata.
+"Really?" replied Horikita.
+"Class C's fastest students are Yajima-san and Kinoshita-san from the
+track and field club. They're both in your group," said Hirata.
+"T see."
+"Winning might be difficult."
+Hirata turned out to be right. Horikita threw everything she had into the
+race, but the two from Class C got ahead of her, and she ended in third place.
+After the race finished, Hirata looked over at me. I could tell that he felt
+uneasy about the way the composition of Horikita's group had turned out.
+6.3
+Die next competition was capture the flag. Though simple, it was
+still a fierce and slightly dangerous event.
+"All right. We're definitely winning this one, guys. Since that moron
+Kouenji ain't here, we've gotta get that much more fired up!" shouted Sudou.
+He was trying to inspire the Class A and D guys assembled in front of
+him. They were facing off against the guys from Class B, led by Kanzaki and
+Shibata, and from Class C, led by Ryuuen. Some particularly formidable-
+looking Class C students were in that group, although we didn't know them.
+There were Sakazaki and Komiya, two students who had been involved in
+that fight with Sudou a while back. There was also a large, brawny half-
+Japanese and half-black student named Yamada. I'd seen him around school
+on occasion, and wondered just how strong he really was.
+Well, there was nothing to do but fight with everything we had.
+According to the game rules, the group that made two captures would win.
+During their earlier discussion, Katsuragi and Hirata had decided that our
+classes would swap back and forth between offense and defense. Class D
+would be on the offensive first, while Class A would protect the flag. If we
+successfully got a head start, we'd prioritize keeping that momentum and
+continue with our roles.
+"Well, don't worry. I'll beat our enemies to a pulp single-handed," said
+Sudou.
+"Uh, but aren't you supposed to go after the flag?" I was getting a little
+worried.
+"Can't make any promises. I'm all pissed off, thanks to Kouenji. Grr,"
+Sudou growled.
+He flipped the other team off, not even trying to hide his hostility.
+"Better keep my distance," Ike muttered.
+The offensive team (mainly Sudou, though) waited impatiently,
+standing at the ready. On the other hand, the defensive team—consisting of
+Katsuragi and the others—checked the status of their formation several times
+over, making sure to establish a solid defense.
+Blatant violence, like punching and kicking, was naturally prohibited.
+However, the school would overlook a certain degree of roughhousing.
+Pushing, grabbing, and such were expected.
+"Ugh. I'm starting to feel a little scared. This is the first time I've
+played capture the flag."
+"Wait. Didn't you have it in a junior-high sports festival or
+something?"
+"No one ever told me that it was gonna be dangerous! Have you played
+this game before, Ayanokouji?"
+"Nope. This is a first for me, too," I replied.
+"The hell, dude? A first for you, too?"
+While we talked, the signal went off. Sudou charged in headfirst, ahead
+of everyone else. Soon the more assertive players followed right after him.
+"Dude, this is bad! Let's go, Ayanokouji! I really don't want Sudou to
+kill me for trying to skip out!" Ike wailed.
+The less-aggressive students included Ike, Yukimura, and myself. We
+slowly brought up the rear. Like us, the B and C group had neatly divided
+their forces between offense and defense. It looked as though Class B was
+defending the flag in the first round. They waited for us up ahead.
+It was forbidden for an attacking team to come into contact with the
+other side's attacking team. The rules stated that the offense had to focus as
+much as possible on capturing the flag.
+"Anyone who wants to die, bring it!" Sudou drove right into the
+opponents' defensive line. Using his height, and a level of power
+unimaginable for a first-year high schooler, he tore through the students
+around the flag, one after another.
+"Stop him! Stop Sudou!" shouted someone from Class B. A number of
+students on the defending team surrounded Sudou.
+"Hey, you guys. Come quick! Here, Pll clear the way!" yelled Sudou,
+not even looking back while he shouted instructions to his advancing allies.
+Of course, it wasn't that simple. As the situation grew increasingly chaotic,
+the players kicked up dust to cloud the air. I decided to make myself as
+useless and inoffensive as possible, and relied on the Class B students to
+overcome the situation.
+"Shit. Just how many of you are gonna come after me?!"
+Three or four guys pushed up against Sudou, managing to overpower
+him. The advancing group got cut off just as they were on the brink of
+breaking through. Class D's problem was that, despite Sudou's offensive and
+penetrative powers, no one else could claim to be particularly strong.
+Students who were especially unaggressive, like the Professor and me,
+inevitably became a weak link in our offense. In contrast, many Class B
+students had above-average strength.
+"Dude. This is bad, Ken! Class A! That one half-Japanese guy,
+Yamada or whatever, he's going on a rampage!"
+"Huh?!"
+Sudou turned around to look. The Red Team's flag, which Class A had
+been protecting, looked slightly askew. Class C was full of violent people
+like Sudou. Actually, it was full of students who were almost martial artists,
+in a way. It was pretty clear who held the advantage.
+We needed to do something. But four or five people blocked Sudou—
+our side's crucial player—so he was helpless. We were completely locked
+down. Sudou desperately tried to race for the flag, but unfortunately, the
+whistle blew. In the end, the White Team managed to get the first point.
+"Ah, come on! What are you guys even doing?! C'mon, fight like your
+lives depend on it!" shouted Sudou.
+"Dude, you telling us that doesn't help. It's just, like, those guys are
+really strong, you know? Ouch! Uh, I got a scrape, man."
+"Come on, it's just a scratch! Grit your teeth and man up. I don't care
+what you do. Bite, kick 'em in the knees, but do something to fight back,
+man! You're useless!" shouted Sudou.
+I understood how he felt, but either of those actions could be
+considered foul play, and a way to get expelled in one go.
+"There's no use complaining. They won the first round. Next time,
+let's make sure to protect our flag properly," said Hirata, gently patting
+Sudou on the shoulder.
+"Tch. All right, this time we're definitely gonna protect our flag. Right,
+everyone?!"
+"Y-yeah, we got it. We'll do whatever we can."
+"No, don't just 'do whatever you can.' We' re definitely protecting it,
+for sure. Even if it's for an hour—or two hours!"
+Class D also lacked things like unity and motivation. Meanwhile, Class
+B was completely united. The students were highly motivated, so they made
+formidable foes.
+"Ayanokouji, don't let the flag go down, even if you die! Even if it's
+just a joke, you're still number two in the class!" said Sudou.
+Apparently, ranking right below Sudou in terms of strength meant that
+I needed to protect the flag alongside him. I couldn't slack off with him
+watching.
+"All right, no screwing around! We can't let 'em get another win! I'm
+gonna send that jerk Ryuuen flying!"
+During the first round, Ryuuen had been on the attacking team.
+However, he had really just stayed back and observed, probably because they
+were already dominating our side. Sudou likely hated that.
+"All right. Come on and attack, C. Come and attack us, C," Sudou
+muttered.
+He could mutter all he liked, but if Class C assembled and launched an
+attack, we'd be in trouble. It would be better for us if Class B went on the
+offense. The second round was about to begin. Then, sure enough...
+"They're coming! They're coming, they're coming!"
+Apparently, things were progressing exactly as Sudou wished. The
+powerful Class C students geared up to launch their attack, Ryuuen laughing
+fearlessly from the rear. As if he were a general commanding his troops in
+battle, he gave the order to charge.
+Students who looked as big and brawny as Sudou rushed us headfirst.
+The Class D students screamed. Our outer wall of defense was rapidly
+crumbling.
+"Stand! Grab their legs and pull them down!" Our opponents' angry
+roars drowned out Sudou's words of encouragement.
+The Class C students repeatedly used elbow strikes, which were nearly
+foul play. In practically no time at all, they broke through to the center.
+Katsuragi from Class A had also advanced to where he could nearly touch
+their flag, but I wondered if he'd make it in time.
+"Gah!"
+I heard an agonized cry from Sudou, who was supporting the already-
+tilted flag. The half-Japanese guy, Yamada, had gotten up close. His physical
+mass far surpassed Sudou's.
+"Who the hell punched me in the stomach?!"
+In the chaos, someone had attacked Sudou directly. Judging by how
+angry and pained he sounded, it probably hadn't been just once or twice,
+either. However, there was nothing Sudou could do about it. With our flag in
+his hands, all he could do was bear it and brace himself, like a turtle trying to
+hide in its shell.
+"Ow. Damn. That hurts, you jerks!"
+However, Class C showed no sign of stopping. Sudou fell to his knees
+in pain, and someone stomped on his back. It was a fiendishly low blow, even
+in the midst of a particularly messy and chaotic match. Of course, the
+perpetrator was none other than Ryuuen.
+""Y-you bastard! Ugh!"
+Ryuuen bore down hard again mercilessly, with such force that I feared
+he might break Sudou's spine. When Sudou collapsed, the flag lost its
+support, producing a cloud of dust as it fell to the ground. In the blink of an
+eye, it was over.
+Still collapsed on the ground, Sudou glared up at Ryuuen.
+"Uh-uh, you jerk. That was foul play!"
+"Hmm? Oh, I didn't notice you," replied Ryuuen. He picked up the
+flag without any hesitation. Sudou tried to go after him, but due to the pain,
+couldn't yet stand back up. The Class D and A coalition had suffered a great
+loss.
+"Hey, is your back okay?"
+"Ugh. I think I'm all right, somehow. Damn! Goddamn it!" Sudou's
+anger seemed greater than his pain. "That smug ass! The next time I run into
+him, I'm gonna lay him out flat!"
+"You'd only cause another scandal. Do you want a repeat of last
+time?" I asked. I was referring to the day when Sudou got into a fight with
+Class C students, and was almost expelled as a result.
+"So, it's okay when he does it, but not when I do it?! Look at my
+back!" Sudou shouted.
+"T get it, but they'll probably just claim it happened in the heat of the
+moment," I told him.
+"Ah, I'm so pissed! And here I was, planning on winning every
+contest!" he grumbled.
+The Class A students could hear this, and some guys sent glares
+Sudou's way. Katsuragi stopped them before they could retort. "I apologize
+that we weren't of much use," he said.
+"No, / should apologize. It's because we couldn't protect the flag. Let's
+do our best in the next game," replied Hirata.
+For the time being, we disbanded and returned to our own tents.
+6.4
+Wit no time to rest, the first-year boys got ready for the tug-of-war.
+Meanwhile, the first-year girls were making steady progress in their ball toss.
+The team competitions continued. I hadn't paid much attention at first, but
+the competition order was fairly arduous. It took a lot out of us.
+"How much of a gap between the teams do you think there is now?"
+asked Sudou.
+"Dunno. Things just got started. No use thinking about it yet," I
+answered.
+"That's true, I guess. Still, a loss is a loss. They're one step ahead of us
+now, right?" said Sudou. He fidgeted while he watched the girls' match,
+unable to stand the fact that we'd lost. "It'Il be good if the girls win this one,
+at least," he muttered.
+Because we were some distance away, we couldn't clearly discern how
+the ball toss would end. All I could think was that it looked like a close battle.
+The game finished soon afterward, and the teacher in charge counted up the
+points while clearing away the balls.
+"With fifty-four points total, the Red Team wins."
+The girls had canceled out the boys' disappointing capture-the-flag
+results. Our relief was fleeting, because the referee called us over to start the
+tug-of-war.
+"All right, let's do this!" said Sudou.
+"Hey, is your back okay, Ken?" asked Ike.
+"S'okay. I'm tougher than most, so I'm all right. Besides, even if it
+hurts, there's nothing I can do about it," said Sudou.
+Even though we were worried, Sudou stood strong. The rules for tug-
+of-war were extremely simple. It was almost exactly the same as capture the
+flag; the first team to get two points won.
+"If we make a comeback in the tug-of-war, we can turn the team
+competitions around. Besides, in tug-of-war, there's no physical contact. That
+means both sides have to rely purely on their own strength. It shouldn't turn
+into some ridiculous brawl," said Hirata.
+Hirata was always mindful of those around him. Sudou looked pleased.
+"Guess you're right. That's exactly why we can't lose this," Sudou
+said.
+A pure test of strength; our power and wits against theirs. Who would
+triumph? As the four classes gathered, we split into two groups to the left and
+right. Katsuragi drew near Hirata and whispered something quietly into the
+other boy's ear.
+"Okay. Just like we discussed, we'll use our strategy to beat them in a
+single stroke. Sound good?" asked Katsuragi.
+"Yes. Got it. All right, everyone. Get in position," said Hirata.
+We'd come up with a strategy under their leadership, like we did for
+capture the flag. After Hirata gave us instructions, Class D took our positions
+on the field. The strategy was simple, boiling down to "line up in order of
+height." By doing so, we could apply our strength without any unevenness.
+The opposing team would see this, but even if they tried to imitate us, they
+couldn't line up by height in such a short time span.
+However, our Class D/A coalition already had another problem. Unlike
+the guys in Class D, half the Class A guys didn't budge an inch.
+"Hey, Katsuragi-kun, stop ordering us around," said one boy.
+"What do you mean by that, Hashimoto?" asked Katsurag1.
+Hashimoto took one step forward. A tall, somewhat distant-looking
+guy, he had his long hair swept to the back of his head. He wore a gentle
+expression, but he had harsh, cynical eyes.
+"Exactly what I said. It's your fault that Class A is in a slump now. Are
+you sure this strategy will let us win?" asked Hashimoto.
+I couldn't imagine that he was acting alone. The timing was too
+strange. While Class A focused on Katsuragi and Hashimoto, I looked back
+toward our camp, searching for Sakayanagi. Sakayanagi, who'd been
+observing from the very beginning, wore a thin smile. It could only mean one
+thing.
+She instigated this whole thing. Perhaps she intended to do whatever it
+took to crush her opposition, Katsuragi. Her behavior was unsettling, but in a
+different way than Ryuuen's.
+"What do you say, Katsuragi-kun? Can we really win?" asked
+Hashimoto.
+Despite the fact that he'd been betrayed, Katsuragi didn't appear to be
+panicking. "We're upsetting Class D. We should proceed calmly," he replied.
+"That's not an answer." The half of Class A following Hashimoto
+showed no sign of obedience.
+"Hey, Katsuragi-san's telling you to do something. Hurry up and do it!
+***
+Enough with the shameful behavior!" Yahiko, from Katsuragi's faction,
+shouted at Sakayanagi's faction. He thrust the rope toward one of the rebels.
+"T understand the doubts you might have about my leadership. But if
+we lose because of meaningless bickering, 1t won't be our lack of cooperation
+or skill to blame. It will be Sakayanagi's fault. Do you want that?" asked
+Katsuragi.
+"You really are blind, huh, Katsuragi-kun?" Hashimoto sneered. The
+referee approached us, looking as though he was about to give us a warning.
+Hashimoto gripped the rope and settled into his designated position. "Shall
+we? Like you said, it would be ever so annoying if we made you think we
+weren't cooperating."
+Class A's internal strife seemed to have subsided for the time being.
+We got into position.
+"Man, those Class A guys really are bloodthirsty, aren't they?"
+"I'm really, really worried now. They might just be a bunch of noodle-
+armed nerds, after all."
+Even Sudou could tell that Class A's internal conflict was dangerous.
+At any rate, everyone followed Katsuragi and Hirata's orders, and lined up in
+order of height. Sudou was the furthest back.
+On the opposing side, the B/C group didn't seem to be cooperating,
+their forces cleanly divided by class. Class B took charge at the front of the
+rope, but they chose the strategy opposite ours, lining up with the tallest in
+front. Since Class C had lined up completely at random, their lineup would
+just fall apart. They did have some tough-looking students in the far back, I
+supposed, but I couldn't shake the feeling that they were a mess.
+"Heh! Class B put their biggest dudes up way up in front. They just
+don't get it at all, do they?" Sudou gloated.
+"T wouldn't necessarily say that's true. When you're pulling the rope,
+an elevated position is advantageous," said Hirata.
+"Even so, that don't change the fact that we got the advantage. Come
+on, let's do this!" shouted Sudou.
+Just then the signal went off, and we immediately pulled on the rope.
+"And pull! And pull!"
+The D/A coalition worked together with great vigor, shouting the
+standard tug-of-war battle cry. At first, it looked as though the two sides were
+evenly matched, but after a few seconds, the game started to shift in
+our favor.
+"Go, go, go! Come on, easy!"
+Before long, we heard the signal that the match had ended, and that the
+D/A team had scored a point.
+"Hell yeah! You see that?! Serves 'em right!" Sudou howled.
+In response, the Class B guys confronted Class C, their discontent
+obvious. "Hey, it'll be really bad if we don't work together, you know? These
+guys are crazy strong," Shibata said to Ryuuen.
+But Ryuuen ignored him. "All right, time to switch things up. Line up
+with the shortest in front," he barked at his class instead. He issued directions
+to the scattered Class C, adjusting them so that they stood in order of height.
+We now formed a perfect bow shape.
+Shibata shook his head, shouted words of encouragement to his class,
+and grabbed the rope once more.
+"We got this. With those guys lined up like that, there's no way they'll
+win," said Sudou.
+"We can't say that for sure. Everyone, keep your guard up. The next
+round won't be like the first," said Katsurag1.
+"Why, though? It was an easy win, man. Look, they ain't even lining
+up by height, like we are," said Ike.
+The signal went off.
+"And pull! And pull!"
+The D/A coalition pulled, just like we did the first time. However,
+facing a new level of resistance caused our group to panic a little. No matter
+how hard we pulled, the rope didn't budge. Anxiety started to creep in.
+"Hey, you guys better stick this out. If you lose here, Pll kill you,"
+warned Ryuuen.
+We felt an intense surge of power come from our opponents' side,
+starting to drag us over the line. It couldn't possibly have been that their
+strength welled up just from Ryuuen's one command alone. Something about
+the bow-like shape of this arrangement gave them more leverage.
+"Geh! Ow! Oww!"
+I could hear pained cries from Ike and the others holding the rope in
+the rear. I was also pulling with everything I had, but the resistance I felt was
+completely unlike the first round. The D/A coalition was dragged forward,
+little by little, until we lost.
+"The hell? Why was it different from before?! Hey, is someone holding
+back?!" The students on our team started to turn on their allies.
+Katsuragi immediately stepped up and spoke.
+"Calm down. We lost because our opponents used the right formation
+to beat us. Of course, it's probably true that some students on our side felt
+overly confident going into the second round. Understand that, even if our
+opponent's teamwork is in shambles, they can still put up a fight. Brace
+yourselves, focus your minds, and make sure to check your position. Also,
+when you pull, make sure that you do it at an angle," said Katsuragi.
+Once both sides were ready, the crucial third round began.
+"And pull! And pull! Pull!"
+Just like before, things weren't decided immediately. The white flag
+attached to the rope fluttered above the center line without moving.
+"Keep on it, guys! We're definitely going to win!" shouted Sudou. At
+his words, everyone started working together in unison.
+"And pull! And pull!"
+The white flag moved slightly toward the D/A coalition's side.
+"No slacking off! Come on, one more pull! Puuullll!" shouted Sudou,
+bellowing a war cry.
+Suddenly, the incredible resistance we'd been facing vanished, and
+everyone on our side tumbled over backward. Unable to immediately grasp
+what had happened, students started yelling at one another.
+Our opponents had let go of the rope.
+"Hey, what the hell? Don't screw with us!" Some Class B students had
+fallen over, too, so they clearly hadn't expected this turn of events. Before
+long, everyone directed their ire toward Ryuuen and his group.
+"T decided to take a break, since I thought we couldn't win," said
+Ryuuen. So, they'd given up? He turned to us and sneered. "Good for you.
+You managed to pick up a meaningless win. It's hilarious to see you all
+crawling on the ground."
+Even though he'd lost, Ryuuen smiled.
+"Jerk!" Sudou stood up and charged at Ryuuen, still angry over the
+capture-the-flag incident. However, Katsuragi grabbed Sudou's arms and
+stopped him.
+"This is all part of Ryuuen's plan. He wants to make us waste our
+energy. He might also be trying to egg us on to violence, so that we're
+accused of foul play."
+"But—"
+"What they did was unsportsmanlike, but it wasn't a violation of the
+rules," said Katsuragi.
+Katsuragi wasn't in Class A for no reason. His control was masterful.
+Ryuuen turned his back on us, perhaps because he knew that further
+provocation would get him nothing.
+"Okay, get up!" he shouted at his group. The boys from Class C
+immediately stood.
+"Tt looks like we got lucky. Thank goodness we don't have to try
+working with Class C," said Katsuragi as he patted Sudou on the shoulder.
+"Man... We won, but I don't feel good about it at all. Damn it," Sudou
+grumbled.
+I understood his feelings. We'd finally won a team competition, but
+Ryuuen managed to put a damper on it. We were all frowning a little. With
+the tug-of-war ended, we went back to our tents.
+On the way, Katsuragi came up to Hirata and offered him a quiet
+apology. "Sorry for earlier. I wasn't able to lead my class," he told Hirata.
+"Oh, please, don't worry about it. It's our fault we let our guard down
+in the second round. Right?" Hirata looked to me for confirmation, so I
+nodded.
+"Things are rough in Class A, huh?"
+"Yeah."
+Katsuragi didn't elaborate any further on the matter. All we knew for
+certain was that he seemed to be in quite a difficult position. Meanwhile,
+Sudou had already shifted gears to thinking about the upcoming competition.
+"Next up is the obstacle course race. If anyone does bad, I'm gonna lay
+°em flat," said Sudou.
+"Ugh. Why do you have to hit us?"
+"Cause I'm the leader. I need to kick the asses of the people under me.
+It's a tough job," said Sudou.
+No one really wanted such a leader, but you couldn't exactly oppose
+Sudou.
+"For reference, what outcomes would you consider disappointing?"
+"Ain't that obvious, dude? I won't accept anything besides victory!"
+"Harsh!"
+6.5
+66
+Han. ..hah... Man, I ran my heart out, and I still only got sixth
+place! H-has Ken not gone up yet? Puh..." Ike breathed heavily as he fell to
+his knees. He was probably terrified of Sudou's wrath. "You don't think he'd
+get, like, fourth place or something, do you?"
+I understood Ike's concern. If Sudou didn't win his own race, he'd
+surely take that out on the rest of the group.
+"What place did you get, Ayanokouji?" Ike demanded. "Will you get
+Sudou's death penalty?"
+"Just barely managed third place," I answered.
+"Ugh, no way. Seriously? Man, talk about being saved by the lineup,"
+said Ike.
+Well, it seemed like invoking Sudou's ire would be a hassle. That was
+why I decided to put in a little effort.
+"Looks like Sudou-kun is going up against Shibata-kun."
+"Uh, yeah."
+Shibata was doing light warm-up exercises as he waited for his race to
+start. Sudou had a formidable opponent.
+"Huh?! Wait—the other guys Ken's up against are Nomura and
+Suzuki! Dude, not fair!"
+Ike looked genuinely frustrated upon seeing what a fortunate lineup
+Sudou had. The two Class C students in question were said to be especially
+unathletic. The two Class A students in the group weren't really that good,
+either, so Sudou's victory was pretty much guaranteed.
+However, Shibata was different. He was rumored to be Class B's
+fastest runner, and he was undoubtedly going to fight to reach first place. In
+the two competitions leading up to this, he had won first both times.
+"Who do you think's going to win?" I asked Hirata. He knew Shibata
+well.
+"T don't know, honestly. If it were a purely straightforward match,
+Shibata-kun might take first place, but Sudou-kun overcame all the obstacles
+without much difficulty during practice. I think it's going to be an incredible
+race."
+Hirata wasn't sure. Sudou thought that there was no possible way he
+could lose. Hopefully, his pride wouldn't get in the way of his running. I put
+aside my worries as the race started.
+Both Sudou and Shibata got off to a good start. They were neck and
+neck as they headed toward the first obstacle, the balance beam. Though
+Sudou was tall and large, he was able to cross the narrow balance beam faster
+than anyone else. He had incredible balance. Shibata was in second place.
+Despite the fact that he lagged slightly behind Sudou, he also managed to
+safely cross the beam.
+After sprinting a short distance, they crawled through a net placed on
+the ground. Sudou advanced like some kind of wild beast. Shibata chased
+after him, looking as though he was having fun. The last obstacle was a sack
+race. Everyone jumped in their sacks and started hopping. Sudou managed to
+clear the race with dexterity that belied his large frame, but Shibata was
+closing the distance between them.
+"This is the most intense match so far today," said Hirata.
+Sudou and Shibata seemed to be physically matched, so it looked as if
+they were trying to change up their strategies. Shibata kept a steady pace.
+Sudou started to rush for the first time. He probably heard Shibata closing in
+on him. However, Sudou managed to stay ahead, and in the end, was the first
+to cut through the tape at the finish line. Going all out like that clearly
+affected him. Even from this distance, you could see him breathing heavily.
+Sudou and Shibata had been evenly matched in speed. It was like
+Hirata had said: in pure speed alone, Shibata might actually have been
+superior. Sudou wasn't invincible after all.
+In any case, Sudou had managed to win first place three times in a row.
+He was, without question, one of the best athletes in our entire school.
+Sudou, making his proud return, immediately confronted a shrinking
+Ike. "Hey. I was watching you, Kanji! The hell, man, sixth place?!"
+"H-hey, you almost didn't get first just now, dude! We're practically
+equal!" blubbered Ike.
+This equality was utterly imaginary. Sudou pinned Ike's arms behind
+his back, putting him in a nelson hold.
+"Phew. Got first place. Still, though, that Shibata guy was really fast.
+Thankfully, I managed to beat '1m," said Sudou.
+6.6
+W. didn't have any time to slack off before we needed to prepare
+for the three-legged race. Meanwhile, it looked as though things were getting
+rocky for the first-year girls on the obstacle course. Horikita was doing her
+best, but the two Class C students had put some distance between themselves
+and her right at the start of the race.
+"T've seen this happen before."
+"Looks like she's in the same group as Yajima-san and Kinoshita-san
+again."
+Horikita was gifted at both athletics and academics, but trying to beat
+someone who specialized in one of those two wasn't an easy task. When the
+race started, Kinoshita had dashed forward, bolting straight toward the
+balance beam. She made it there first and put a lot of distance between herself
+and those behind her. Yajima was now in second place. Horikita followed
+in third.
+Unlike the 100-meter dash or the hurdle race, both of which relied
+purely on speed and stamina, there were numerous unknown variables in the
+obstacle course. After the girls passed the balance beam, the distance between
+them shrank until they were practically all neck and neck.
+"Looks like she's got a chance."
+Sudou cheered Horikita on, his hands tightly balled into fists. By the
+time the girls started crawling through the net, Horikita had taken the lead.
+However, Kinoshita was fast. In between obstacles, she closed and shortened
+the distance between herself and Horikita. She managed to stay in second
+place.
+Yajima wasn't about to be thrown out of first. Horikita sprinted
+forward with everything she had to try and steal second place. When
+Kinoshita was thrown off balance during the obstacle course's final leg, the
+sack race, Horikita closed the distance between them. When she passed the
+girl, Horikita raced forward as quickly as possible. The distance between
+herself and Kinoshita could only have been one or two seconds.
+Horikita ran at top speed for the final fifty meters of the race. However,
+she must have been concerned about Kinoshita closing in on her, because she
+repeatedly glanced over her shoulder. That caused her speed to drop, and
+soon the two were once again side by side. Suddenly Horikita, who'd been
+trying to slip past Kinoshita, and Kinoshita, who was trying to catch up,
+became entangled and fell down.
+"Whoa! Hey, something big just happened!"
+I was too far away, so I couldn't tell who had run into whom. While
+they got back up, other students passed them by, and Horikita and Kinoshita
+plummeted to the bottom of the rankings. They both desperately struggled to
+get back on their feet amid a cloud of dust.
+Although they kept going, the incident affected them. In the end,
+Horikita finished in an unbelievable seventh place. Kinoshita ended up
+getting last place due to significant pain in her leg, which rendered her unable
+to continue to run.
+Horikita had placed first, then third, and now seventh. We had no
+choice but to say that it'd been an unfortunate accident.
+(74 99
+"What's the matter, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"If an 'accident' were to happen again, that might be too much to
+believe," I answered.
+"You think so, too? I'd say the others are also starting to realize that.
+This doesn't bode well," Hirata replied.
+Unfortunately, he was right on the money. "Can I leave you to take
+care of everyone?" I asked.
+"Of course. That's my role, after all. But isn't there something we can
+do?"
+"T wish," I answered.
+It was a relief to see Hirata accept the task without even a hint of
+disgust. I headed over to Horikita, who had a sullen look on her face.
+"Does it hurt?" I asked her.
+"A little. But it won't affect the competition. If I rest, Pll be okay."
+She tried to look tough, but she was having a difficult time just sitting
+down. Preparing myself to be pummeled, I lightly touched her injury.
+"Ow!"
+"This isn't going to affect the competition, huh?"
+"Don't just go touching me. Leave me alone. I'll grin and bear it," said
+Horikita.
+To be in a position of so much responsibility could be hard. Especially
+for people like Horikita, who took pride in their ability to produce results.
+"Well, I suppose you won't get any points if you withdraw. I
+understand your desire to hang on."
+I expected her to glare at me for poking her, but she changed the topic.
+"That girl's a sneak. It's like she was looking to hurt me," said Horikita.
+"What do you mean?"
+"While she was running behind me, she called my name over and
+over."
+So, that was why Horikita had looked behind so many times during the
+race.
+""As soon as I turned back to see her, we ran into each other. It looked
+like an accident, but if so, then why was she calling my name? Honestly, I
+can't keep up with this. To think that we're still in the middle..." said
+Horikita.
+She was the third student to be injured. One second-year had fallen
+during the race, and had to withdraw because of the pain, but that at least had
+seemed to be an isolated incident among the upperclassmen.
+"Anyway," Horikita said. "Don't worry about me. Worry about
+yourself. Your results are worse than mine, aren't they?" She currently had
+thirty points. I had twenty-seven.
+"Tl do everything I can. But don't push yourself, all right?"
+"T'll participate, even if I have to crawl," said Horikita.
+I left her and started preparing for the next competition, the three-
+legged race.
+"How's Horikita-san doing?" asked Hirata. He sounded worried.
+"It's pretty serious. It'll probably affect other events," I replied.
+"This is bad," he responded.
+Hirata and I continued talking while he tied our legs together for the
+first-year boys' three-legged race. The races followed right on one another's
+heels. It was incredible execution on the school's part, structured as
+effectively as a live television program.
+Because a three-legged race meant two people per team, only a scant
+four teams could run at once. Sudou, who was one group ahead of us, was
+starting the race. He was partnered with Ike, and clearly still suppressing a lot
+of bottled-up rage.
+Sudou bolted down the track with all his strength, practically carrying
+Ike with him. "Aaahhh!" Ike cried in agony.
+It came close to foul play, but still just barely counted. They
+successfully nabbed first place, Sudou forcibly supporting Ike so that he
+wouldn't collapse.
+"Sudou-kun can be incredibly reliable, can't he?" asked Hirata.
+"Yeah. But if we want to win, then Sudou alone isn't enough," I
+replied. If Sudou was uncontrollable, he could very well be a double-edged
+sword that would hurt us.
+"All right, we're up next," said Hirata.
+We started the race. Fortunately, no other notable people were running
+with us. Since we were highly compatible partners, we ended up finishing in
+first place. No one could complain about that.
+"Whooo! Hirata-kun's so cool!"
+However, it was painful to listen to all the girls cheer only for Hirata.
+Next came the first-year girls' three-legged race. Horikita, who was
+learning to compromise, and Kushida, always willing to compromise, were
+paired and set to go for the second round. Their relationship was especially
+awful, but maybe a desire to win would bridge that gap. To me, they were a
+truly bizarre pair. But to the rest of Class D, they probably looked like a safe,
+reliable team.
+They got off to a good start, taking second place. Not bad. Cheers came
+from the onlookers.
+"Go, Suzune!" Sudou got a little carried away and called out Horikita's
+still-forbidden first name. His voice probably didn't reach her, though, so he
+was likely safe.
+However, Horikita and Kushida slowed down, and their ranking
+dropped. Before we knew it, two girls from Class A took first place. They
+were beautiful young women with the same haughty aura as Horikita. The
+Class C team, which included Yajima, came second.
+"Something seems off," I muttered.
+"Huh? What does?" asked Sudou.
+"Well, Horikita's movements look stiff," I replied.
+"Now that you mention it, yeah. They do," said Sudou.
+During practice, Horikita had always pulled her partner along, but in
+the actual event, Kushida was taking the lead. Just as I'd expected, Horikita's
+leg pain was affecting her.
+She was desperately pushing herself to keep up, but her body just
+couldn't handle it. The gap between the first and second place teams began to
+widen, rather than shrink. In last place came the Class B pair. Horikita and
+Kushida shifted into the next lane so that they wouldn't lose. Were they
+trying to obstruct Class B?
+Class B doggedly tried to slip past, but couldn't, since they were
+moving at the same speed as Horikita and Kushida. The audience cheered at
+this struggle for third place. Focusing too much on obstructing Class B meant
+that Horikita and Kushida let their guard down for a moment, which gave
+Class B a chance to turn things around.
+"Awww, that's so disappointing!"
+They did their best, but Horikita and Kushida came in last. Our victory
+was, once again, far out of reach.
+6.7
+W. had a ten-minute break, so people went to the bathroom, or off
+to get a drink of water. Horikita said that she was going to the nurse's office
+for a poultice and headed toward the school. I supposed it was better than
+nothing.
+I didn't go anywhere. Instead, I stayed and observed the other classes.
+It was possible to pick up all sorts of information just by observing from afar.
+Class A was especially interesting, as I'd suspected.
+The rivalry between Katsuragi and Sakayanagi was visible from my
+location. The two distinct factions were obvious; there was practically no
+contact at all between them. It was by no means strange for a class to have
+two appointed leaders. Even though Hirata was the head of our own class, we
+still had Karuizawa and Kushida, and Sudou was leading us in this sports
+festival. Despite many upheavals, however, Class D weren't fractured by
+infighting the way Class A was. Their blatant hostility was incredibly clear
+during this festival.
+"Amazing that they've gotten this far with such internal discord," I
+said.
+Sakayanagi's faction had greater numbers. When Hirata came back
+from washing his hands, I decided to ask him a question. "What kind of
+student is Sakayanagi?"
+"So, you're also curious about her, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Well, yeah. I got curious when I heard that she matched Katsuragi as
+a leader," I replied.
+I didn't understand Sakayanagi's mindset, her way of doing things.
+During this festival, she hadn't given a single order, remaining completely
+silent. Still, she looked as if she were plotting to get in Katsuragi's way. She
+wasn't interested in fighting with other classes; her focus was on Class A
+alone. It looked as though she was willing to lose out on points if it meant
+Katsuragi's downfall.
+"She's very polite, she's good with people, and she's mature. I didn't
+think there was anything especially strange about her. Students from other
+classes probably feel the same, but it seems like Class A disagrees. I've heard
+people say that Sakayanagi is aggressive and ruthless," said Hirata.
+However, we couldn't just take the word of her opponents as gospel,
+either. We hadn't even had a conversation with her yet. Besides, it'd be hard
+for her to interfere in the sports festival. Since her body prevented her from
+physical exertion, she might not intend to act openly.
+"T don't think we need to be concerned about Class A right now. We're
+allies here, after all."
+"Yeah, that's true." At the very least, Class A probably wasn't
+scheming to get in our way or anything. Nothing like that had happened so
+far.
+On the other hand, I wouldn't have been surprised if Class C was
+plotting to disrupt us somehow. I looked toward their camp and saw male
+students gathered around Ryuuen, as if he were a king holding court.
+Right now, his strategy was the most alien of all. Even in the sports
+festival, he was trying to cause psychological harm. He wanted to create
+lasting damage. Sudou, in particular, had been on the receiving end of
+Ryuuen's tactics, and was deeply unsettled. I was sure Ryuuen had more
+tricks up his sleeve.
+Finally, I wondered how Class B was doing. Working together with
+Class C while the possibility of betrayal was very real, and going against
+Class A, a formidable opponent, had to be intense. Ichinose and the others,
+cheerful and fair, were giving the competition their all. At a glance, they
+hadn't changed their usual behavior. Watching their smiles and happy
+gestures, it basically seemed as though they were genuinely enjoying the
+festival.
+6.8
+After our short break, the contests ran in reverse order. It was time
+for the first-year girls' cavalry battle. This would be yet another showdown
+between the D/A and B/C coalitions.
+The cavalry battle ran on a time limit, and the rules were the same for
+boys and girls. They dictated that points would be awarded based on the
+number of enemy units your team defeated in a three-minute period, and how
+many allied units you had remaining. There were four horsemen to every
+cavalry unit.
+Four students from each class were horsemen, which meant it was an
+eight-versus-eight battle. Extra students were kept as reserve units, to be
+substituted as needed. Each horseman was worth fifty points. One horseman
+in each class was designated the "general," and they were worth 100 points.
+You could still get points, even if your opponent was left standing, so long as
+you stole their headband.
+Horikita had been chosen to jockey for Class D. Ishizaki, Komiya, and
+Kondou were supporting her. They weren't bad at all. Mori, Kushida, and
+Karuizawa were the other jockeys.
+The problem was that Mori's unit was filled with unathletic students.
+There was a good chance that they'd go down first. Their strategy was to
+make a weak horseman the general, which meant that the weakest link could
+stay out of the fight, and the three remaining horsemen could protect them.
+Once the signal went off, the Class B and C horsemen quietly began to
+close the distance to Classes A and D. Unsurprisingly, Ibuki was out for
+blood. A jockey herself, she issued an order and headed right for Horikita.
+However, Ibuki wasn't the only one.
+'""H-hey, what the hell?" shouted Ike as he watched the match. Sudou
+clenched his teeth.
+Class C didn't bother attacking Class A at all. They didn't even pay
+attention to Class D's general or other horsemen. Horikita was their sole
+target.
+Four horsemen attacked her. Was their plan to crush us individually,
+one after another? Or did they only care about defeating Horikita? If Ryuuen
+was in command, both seemed possible. The Class D horsemen were
+outnumbered, but Class A showed no sign of even trying to help. Perhaps
+they intended to use us as bait, and swoop in to get the points after we were
+done.
+"They're just going after Horikita, aren't they, dude?
+"Damn. Ryuuen probably ordered that. Scumbag!" Sudou growled.
+"There's nothing we can do about it. Everyone knows that Horikita is
+Class D's best player on this field."
+Ryuuen's tactics weren't bad. Whether in war or competition, the best
+bet was taking out the opposing side's leader.
+Karuizawa and her horsemen rushed to Horikita's rescue first.
+Shinohara hurried over to support Karuizawa. However, Class B's general,
+Ichinose, blocked their path. Unlike Class A, Class B was actively supporting
+their ally team. Now they were on a collision course: Karuizawa versus
+Ichinose.
+Unfortunately, the three girls supporting Karuizawa weren't exactly
+athletic. Their unit had formed so that they could hang out with their friends.
+Bad tactics. Meanwhile, Ichinose's unit contained some of the best and most
+capable people in Class B. Showing no fear, Class B dodged the attack.
+Ichinose went for a direct attack, but her movements weren't sharp.
+Karuizawa managed to react well and launch a counterattack. It was a contest
+of unity versus maneuverability, and looked as though it would drag on for a
+while.
+"Dude, this is an awesome game
+***
+1°?
+The audience cheered. As Karuizawa's group made their move, a
+horseman's headband was snatched off. Horikita's, as ''d expected.
+Four horsemen had attacked her simultaneously. She fell off her unit
+quite dramatically, collapsed to the ground, and tried to get up, looking
+frustrated. However, she had nothing to be ashamed of. In a situation like
+this, even someone like Sudou couldn't have won. Class A and their lack of
+defense were responsible for her defeat.
+In any case, that was that. Horikita's loss triggered an all-out melee.
+Class D, now down a horseman and pursued by Class B, lost any semblance
+of coordination in the blink of an eye. Some players fell off their horses,
+while others had their headbands snatched.
+The two horsemen other than Karuizawa tried to resist, but 1n vain.
+Karuizawa, who was locked in a fierce battle with Ichinose, found herself in
+an eight-to-one fight for a moment. Then, at the very end, she managed to
+snatch a headband from a Class B horseman thanks to her near-suicidal
+resolve.
+Even though they'd lost a horseman, Classes B and C attacked the
+remaining Class A units and completely wiped them out. Our opponents had
+only lost a total of two horsemen, but the A/D coalition had suffered a
+great loss.
+Horikita returned to camp grinding her teeth in frustration. Sudou
+called to her right away.
+"Hey, don't worry *bout it. It was hopeless. Besides, it's the others'
+fault for being so slow," said Sudou.
+"That doesn't change the fact that I lost. Their momentum completely
+overwhelmed me," replied Horikita.
+Class C had primarily targeted Horikita, though. Under those
+circumstances, no horsemen could've stood a chance.
+"Leave it to me. I'Il get °em back for you," said Sudou, trying to sound
+cool.
+Normally, his words wouldn't have reached Horikita at all. However,
+in her weakened condition, they seemed to resonate. "I'd expect no less of
+you," she replied.
+"All right! Let's go, you guys!" shouted Sudou.
+The boy's cavalry battle began. I took the role of a horse on the right of
+my unit. Sudou was squarely in the middle, and Miyake was on the left.
+Hirata was our jockey. Thus, our class's strongest unit was born, a warrior
+without peer, capable of achieving victory even if our allied horsemen were
+defeated.
+"Hey, Hirata. Focus on not getting your headband stolen, and don't get
+knocked down. Okay?" said Sudou.
+"So, we're using that strategy, huh?" asked Hirata.
+"Well, it's 'cause we lost horribly at capture the flag. We got beat
+really bad. This time, we're gonna show 'em no mercy," said Sudou.
+"T have an idea, if it's okay with you guys. While I was watching the
+girls' match earlier, I thought of a way to win. I already told Katsuragi-kun
+about it. We can't keep losing at this speed," said Hirata.
+When the signal went off, Hirata gave the order. Class D's horsemen
+joined Class A's. We became one large mass of people, the two classes
+indistinguishable from each other. Though Class A had basically abandoned
+Class D entirely during the girls' match, they weren't rooting for us to lose or
+anything.
+Class C's general, Ryuuen, laughed fearlessly as, on Katsuragi's
+orders, eight horsemen from the D/A coalition rushed at the enemy.
+"Aim for that shitty Ryuuen's head! Raaah! Send him packing!"
+In the blink of an eye, Hirata's horse, Sudou, bolted ahead at top speed.
+A horseman from Class B tried to get in the way.
+However, Sudou slammed into the enemy with full force, knocking
+them off-balance. "Get outta my way!" he roared.
+"Uwahh!"
+The enemy, lacking Sudou's superior physique and ability to fight
+back, could only collapse, jockey and all.
+"Yeah, how about them apples?!"
+Like a wild beast, Sudou looked down at the defeated enemy, then
+turned toward his next prey. Normally, hitting someone would be considered
+foul play. However, the school had already said that this battle's rules were a
+bit different. Our strong opening salvo instilled fear in the other team, making
+them flinch.
+However, this strategy did have its drawbacks. If we knocked down a
+jockey, it would count as a self-KO, not stealing a headband. Those fifty
+points would vanish into the ether. Still, if we focused solely on stealing
+headbands, it would be risky.
+Sudou clearly relished this strategy, but we couldn't drop our guard.
+There was a good Class B general whose unit consisted of Kanzaki and
+Shibata. There was also Ryuuen, and he was riding guys with a lot of power
+and muscle mass.
+The D/A coalition couldn't win unless we took those two out, but it
+was so hard to read Ryuuen.
+""Sudou-kun, let's defeat the opponents around us first and leave
+Ryuuen-kun for last."
+"Huh? C'mon, don't be boring, man. Let's aim right for the general's
+head!" said Sudou.
+"If we get emotional, we'll play into his hands. Let's do what's
+necessary to win," said Hirata.
+"Teh!"
+Two Class C horsemen launched their attack at us. Sudou, despite his
+grudge against Ryuuen, listened to Hirata.
+"All right, all right. Let's kick the crap outta these guys!"
+We needed focus, and our wits about us. During capture the flag, the
+enemy's power had overwhelmed us, but things were different this time
+around.
+Sudou defeated three enemy horsemen with ease. Keeping the
+momentum going, Katsuragi and other Class A students successfully took
+down Shibata and Kanzaki's unit, despite losing three of their own players.
+Ryuuen was the sole remaining enemy. Both Hirata and Katsuragi's units had
+survived, and one additional Class D horseman remained. We had a chance.
+"Yeah! Yeah!! It's three on one now, right? We got this!"
+As we surrounded Ryuuen, Katsuragi and Hirata exchanged looks. The
+other horsemen kept their distance, but still targeted Ryuuen. Since he'd been
+able to steal a headband, I realized just how powerful Ryuuen's unit was.
+But, even so, we outnumbered him.
+However, Ryuuen didn't panic. In fact, it was the opposite; he looked
+as though he was actually enjoying this.
+If Hirata and Katsuragi attacked him at the same time, one of them
+could snatch Ryuuen's headband, even if that meant sacrificing the other. In
+that case, our victory would be practically guaranteed. This was the moment
+to go for the kill.
+"Oh, I remember your name. Sudou. When I stepped on you earlier, it
+looked quite painful," Ryuuen sneered.
+"Yeah, keep talkin'. I'm gonna return the favor," replied Sudou.
+"You talk a pretty big game for a simple beast of burden. I have to say,
+it feels good to look down on you," said Ryuuen.
+"Heh. Just because you're ridin' on top don't mean you're a big deal
+yourself," snapped Sudou.
+"Oh? I guess this is all meaningless, unless we settle things one-on-
+one," said Ryuuen.
+"Huh?"
+"If you can only beat me when it's two against one, I suppose that's
+that. However, 'winning' only means something when the playing field is
+level," said Ryuuen. "But could you handle that?"
+"The heck?!"
+"Sudou-kun, don't listen. This is a bad idea. Let's cooperate with
+Katsuragi-kun," said Hirata.
+"You just don't get it," Sudou told Ryuuen.
+"No, you don't get it, Sudou. You've taken down those who got in your
+way before, but you used cowardly means to do so. You could never beat my
+trusted subordinates with a frontal attack," Ryuuen gloated. Some of his unit
+happened to be members of the basketball club, the ones who'd started a fight
+with Sudou.
+"Stop screwing around. Those dudes are weak garbage who can't even
+fight," snapped Sudou.
+"Tough words, but with nothing to back them up. If you're so very
+strong, then face me one-on-one. If you can beat me then, I'Il kneel before
+you," said Ryuuen.
+"Fine. Don't forget what you just said, Ryuuen! You heard all that,
+Katsuragi? Don't you dare stick your nose in this!" said Sudou.
+"What are you talking about? We can't let this chance go. We should
+use a pincer attack to defeat him," replied Katsurag1.
+"Stick your nose in this, and Pll bust up your unit!" said Sudou. He'd
+taken Ryuuen's bait hook, line, and sinker. Ryuuen understood Sudou's
+personality, and took full advantage of it.
+"You're determined to fight him on one-on-one, Sudou-kun? Fine. If
+you're doing this, then win," said Hirata. He understood that, once Sudou's
+switch was flipped, there was nothing to be done.
+"All right. Hirata, make sure your headband doesn't get snatched!"
+With a bitter expression, Katsuragi watched the battle unfold as Sudou
+charged forward, ramming into the enemy. However, their horsemen weren't
+knocked down. Their power was just about equal to ours. The horse
+protecting Ryuuen in the center was the half-Japanese guy, Yamada Albert.
+His strength was incredible, just like the rumors had said.
+Miyake and I, who were supporting Hirata from the sides, couldn't
+bring as much strength to bear as Sudou. We both had maybe half Sudou's
+power. However, in Ryuuen's unit, Yamada's power seemed equal to
+Sudou's. The other guys were nearly as tough, too.
+"Come on; come on, then. Or are you going to lose to my Albert?"
+Ryuuen gestured for us to attack him.
+As I supported Hirata, I watched his battle with Ryuuen as best I could.
+From what I could see, they were almost evenly matched. However, Ryuuen
+only attacked with his words, not wasting any effort on physical attacks. He
+conserved his stamina, responding with only one attack for every three of
+Hirata's.
+"Not yet, Hirata?" Sudou sounded pained, since he was the only one on
+the receiving end of most of the enemy's attacks.
+"Just a little more!" Hirata extended his arm, feinting, before launching
+an attack. As Ryuuen tried to sway and dodge, Hirata grabbed hold of his
+headband, but only managed to snag the edge.
+Hirata tried his hardest to pull the headband off. He couldn't snatch it
+away, and the headband slipped out of his hand.
+"Huh?!"
+"What are you doin', Hirata?! Take it! I'm usin' up an awful lot of
+strength here!" said Sudou.
+"Sorry. My hand was slippery!"
+Sudou, breathing heavily, launched another attack. Ryuuen waited
+fearlessly. Meanwhile Hirata, who had only been on the offensive so far, was
+breathing heavily.
+"What's wrong? That all you got?"
+"Ugh! Sorry, Sudou-kun! Fall back for now!" said Hirata.
+We put some distance between Ryuuen and ourselves. We were
+exhausted compared to Ryuuen, who had barely even moved. He was
+probably conserving his strength to fight Katsuragi after he defeated us.
+Sudou, his breathing ragged, repositioned himself.
+"Make the next try the last, Hirata... Make sure you snatch it!" said
+Sudou.
+"Got it. I'll try my best!" Hirata took a deep breath and focused.
+"Eat this!" shouted Sudou.
+Sudou summoned the last of his strength and slammed into the enemy,
+but they still didn't fall down. Once again, a fight between the jockeys
+ensued. However, Hirata took a gamble and, assuming that Ryuuen wouldn't
+attack, extended his arm and left himself open. The results were well worth
+the risk.
+"Got it!"
+Hirata's aim was straight and true. Again, he successfully grabbed hold
+of Ryuuen's headband. However, once again, the headband slipped.
+"What?!"
+Ryuuen took advantage of Hirata's bewilderment. He reached out to
+grab Hirata's headband, gripped it tightly, and effortlessly snatched it from
+Hirata's head. Sudou sensed that we had lost and dropped to his knees,
+causing Hirata to fall.
+Ryuuen raised Hirata's headband up high. Soon afterward, a referee
+came over and warned us to leave the field.
+"Damn it!" Sudou, looking wild and unruly, glared at Ryuuen. If
+Sudou didn't start moving, I didn't know what kind of warning we'd receive
+next. I pushed him, directing him to leave the field.
+"How pathetic," Ryuuen sneered.
+It was too early for us to accept defeat, though. Katsuragi was still in
+the fight, and now that Sudou had withdrawn, his unit joined the remaining
+Class D horsemen to start a two-against-one strategy. However, when they
+grabbed Ryuuen's headband, things played out in a similar way. They
+couldn't pull the headband off.
+In the end, Yahiko and another Class D jockey lost their headbands.
+Even though he'd moved as little as possible, Ryuuen demonstrated superb
+strength and survived until the very end.
+As we heard the signal heralding the end of the game, Ryuuen took off
+his own headband and swung it around, reveling in his victory. That was
+another piece of provocation—another piece of his strategy.
+"Dang it, he's the one guy I didn't want to lose to! Get your head in the
+game, Hirata!" Sudou's frustration was at an all-time high. I half-expected
+him to go on a rampage and tear the place apart.
+"Sorry, Sudou-kun. His headband was so strangely wet, I couldn't
+seem to pull it off," said Hirata. "At first, I thought it was sweat, but
+something was a little odd."
+He showed us his hands. Some kind of clear, slightly sticky fluid
+gleamed on them.
+"That's not sweat," I said.
+"Wait, that means... That jerk!" said Sudou. He charged over to
+confront Ryuuen. "That's foul play! You slathered your headband with
+something!"
+"T don't know what you're talking about. If there's anything on my
+headband, it's probably just hair gel. Don't be a sore loser," chided Ryuuen.
+Maybe he'd been able to clean his headband while he showed off his
+victory, or maybe he wiped it on the ground. Either way, Ryuuen's headband
+just looked dirty. The evidence was gone.
+""Sudou, we're going to cause a scene. Let's head back to our tent," I
+said.
+The referee glared at us. We couldn't prove that Ryuuen had coated his
+headband in anything. In truth, Ryuuen probably had used hair gel. Anything
+else would be too risky, bordering on foul play. He wasn't stupid.
+"You know what? You're at fault here, too, Ayanokouji! You need to
+provide more support!" snapped Sudou.
+Even after we returned to the tent, Sudou didn't calm down. I kept my
+distance to let him cool off. Karuizawa called to Hirata and me.
+"Isn't this bad news, Kiyotaka?" she asked.
+"What is? Wait. Why'd you use my first name?" I asked.
+"Why? Well, I call Yousuke-kun by his first name, so I thought I'd try
+using yours," she replied.
+Then why had she dropped the honorific in my case? Was she implying
+that I was lower than Hirata?
+"At any rate, I want to discuss Horikita-san. Hasn't she been struggling
+for a while now? Even during the cavalry battle, she was in really rough
+shape," said Karuizawa.
+"Yeah," I replied.
+Horikita was in a bad way, and not just in the team contests. Her
+rankings had fallen greatly across every event. The reason was clear: the fall
+during the obstacle course had injured her right leg. We normally would've
+suggested that she withdraw, but if she did, then Class D would be penalized.
+"T don't really think I can blame her, though. Her opponents were just
+too much," said Karuizawa.
+True. Horikita had gone up against difficult opponents each and every
+time. If she kept facing off against students who were the best in their
+respective clubs...
+This was far too much to be mere coincidence. "It's no use. She's
+being targeted," I said.
+"Targeted? So, it's not accidental that she keeps facing all these
+incredible students?"
+"Tt's the only reason I can think of. You know how athletic she is, too,
+right?" I replied.
+There was just one person who might order such a thing: Ryuuen
+Kakeru. Only he would prioritize humiliating Horikita over leading Class C
+to victory.
+"He's definitely harassing her," I said.
+"Someone is harassing Horikita? But why?" asked Karuizawa.
+"It's not just Horikita. They seem to know all our strategies for the
+competitions, and the composition of all our teams. We're being played like a
+fiddle."
+"So, information about our class got leaked? Someone sent out our
+participation table?"
+"Yes. They handed all that information over to Ryuuen," I replied.
+"That's... Well, actually, Horikita was always up against Yajima-san
+and Kinoshita-san. Does this have anything to do with the traitor you were
+talking about?" asked Karuizawa.
+I gave her a small nod.
+"But, wait, how did you find out? Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if
+you just came out and said you were the traitor or something... I mean, that's
+not what you're saying, right?"
+"Unfortunately, no," I replied.
+Putting aside the question of "who" for now, the crucial bit was that the
+traitor had leaked our class's information. Ryuuen knew everything, and he'd
+done two things in response.
+First, he'd intentionally set up his weaker students against our more
+talented athletes, like Sudou and Hirata. Then he put his more athletic
+students up against our hopelessly unathletic competitors, like Ike and
+Yamauchi. That way, he could snag even more wins by beating them.
+Second, Ryuuen was targeting Horikita. However, that really had no
+direct bearing on leading his class to victory. He wanted to crush Horikita for
+the sole purpose of destroying her. And, in truth, Horikita had been crushed.
+She'd completely lost face.
+These strategies revealed much about Ryuuen Kakeru. He could have
+switched around his players to keep us from figuring out his plans, but he
+wanted us to know. He wanted to rile us up.
+"So, you're not going to help her?" asked Karuizawa.
+"How would I do that?"
+"Well...I don't know," she replied.
+"The participation table is already set in stone. There's nothing I can
+do."
+"You're saying that Class D is going to lose?"
+"Guess so."
+"Isn't there anything we can do?"
+"You should ask Hirata about that."
+"That's... well, that's true, I guess. But...I thought if I talked to you,
+you'd think of something."
+The sports festival was playing out right in the open. Thus, there
+weren't many chances for subterfuge, like there had been on the island. It
+would be a Herculean task to pull the wool over the entire school's eyes. Our
+two options were fighting fair, and taking opponents like Ichinose and
+Katsuragi head-on, or using cowardly tactics while taking dangerous risks.
+Ryuuen was only committing these acts of foul play after careful
+rehearsal and lots of practice. Nearly all these results had been decided before
+the sports festival even started.
+"What do you think of Horikita?"
+"What? I don't like her. She's all high and mighty and full of herself,"
+Karuizawa replied.
+"But you're worried about her."
+"Well...maybe I kinda understand what she's dealing with."
+Karuizawa knew the bitterness and agony that came of being targeted
+by a bully. In that way, she could empathize with Horikita.
+"Class D is in last place right now, yeah? Is there no way for us to
+win?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Don't worry. Everything so far has been going according to plan," I
+told her.
+"T knew it. You did think of something. Then how do we win this
+thing?"
+"Win? I have no intention of winning. What's important right now 1s to
+do nothing," I replied.
+"Huh?" Karuizawa's mouth hung open in shock.
+I was trying to think up a way out of this incessant questioning when I
+heard a very angry roar.
+"I'm seriously going to beat the crap out of that jerk!"
+Sudou, bristling with all the aggression of a demon, was storming
+toward Class C. All Ryuuen's provocation, from stepping on Sudou to
+targeting Horikita, seemed to have finally had its intended effect.
+Hirata got in Sudou's way. "I understand what you're saying, Sudou-
+kun, but you need to calm down. You know what'!l happen if you get violent
+with Ryuuen-kun."
+Sudou shoved him aside. "Shut it! He's the one who should be sorry!
+He's done nothing but cheat!"
+"Okay, yes, I do think he's been cheating. But isn't that difficult for us
+to prove?" asked Hirata.
+Trampling someone during capture the flag and letting opponents fall
+over in tug-of-war weren't very sportsmanlike conduct, but they were a gray
+area. As for Ryuuen using hair gel on his headband during the cavalry battle,
+that was only speculation. The evidence was gone. Sudou completely losing
+his temper and confronting Ryuuen wouldn't solve anything. In fact, it would
+probably have the opposite effect.
+"I'm the leader here! So, listen up, Hirata. Let's confront Ryuuen
+together," said Sudou.
+"TI know you're the leader. If we're talking about the sports festival,
+you're the leader without a doubt. But look around you. What do you think
+the class wants from you, as their leader?" asked Hirata.
+Sudou looked around, starting with Ike and the others, who cowered in
+fear. Most of the students kept their distance from Sudou now. They didn't
+want to suffer his wrath. Even Horikita looked at Sudou with worried
+exasperation.
+Currently, Class D was swimming in fear and discomfort.
+"But I'm trying my hardest for the class's sake," said Sudou.
+"Ts that really the case?" Yukimura interjected cuttingly. "It seems like
+you just want to show off how amazing you are. Your emotions are
+completely out of control, and they're making all your decisions for you. If
+you're going to pretend you're the leader, then you need to act like it and
+help all of us."
+"Shut up."
+"I feel the same way, Sudou-kun. It's precisely because we're relying
+on you that I want you to see the bigger picture, and take all your teammates'
+feelings into account," said Hirata.
+"Shut up!"
+"You should be able to do that, Sudou-kun. That's why—"
+"T'm tellin' ya to shut up already!"
+***
+I saw Hirata, who'd been standing next to Sudou, topple over and hit
+the ground. Sudou, his eyes bloodshot, didn't appear to realize the mistake
+he'd just made. The next person to speak would probably get decked too.
+Actually, he looked on the verge of punching Yukimura anyway.
+However, hitting Hirata earned Sudou everyone's attention, whether he
+wanted it or not. The teachers were now eyeballing him as well.
+"What's going on?" Chabashira-sensei approached Hirata, who still lay
+on the ground. When she saw how enraged Sudou looked, it was pretty easy
+for her to deduce what'd happened. "Did you hit him?"
+Sudou didn't deny it at all. "So what if I did? What then?" he huffed.
+Hirata quickly climbed back to his feet and corrected her. "No, that's
+not it, sensei. I just fell down, that's all."
+"Tt hardly looks that way."
+"Well, you'd be wrong to think he hit me. Look, I fell, so there
+shouldn't be a problem," said Hirata.
+We couldn't afford to let the truth come to light. Hirata had made a
+wise decision.
+After a moment, Chabashira-sensei spoke again. "If the victim says
+that nothing happened, then there's no problem. However, I can tell there's
+something going on here. Keep your distance from each other. Ill be giving
+my superiors a report later as a preventative measure."
+"There's no trouble here at all, but I understand," said Hirata.
+Thanks to Hirata's calm response, that was that. Meanwhile, Sudou,
+unable to contain his anger, kicked a nearby chair and sent it flying.
+"Whatever, do what you want. Go ahead and lose for all I care, you
+scum. This sports festival thing can go to hell," Sudou growled.
+He glanced over at Horikita for just an instant, but quickly averted his
+eyes and started walking back toward the dormitory.
+"Things have gotten pretty bad, Ayanokouji," Karuizawa said.
+"That has nothing to do with me, though," I replied.
+Kouenji was absent, and now Sudou had walked off. Class D's chances
+looked really bleak.
+6.9
+Waite Class D dealt with its own problems, the second- and third-
+year students' cavalry battle proceeded. Horikita kept staring at her brother,
+whom she couldn't approach.
+Sudou didn't return to camp even after the cavalry battles ended and
+the final event, the 200-meter dash, began. The show went on, no matter who
+was absent. Absentees would simply be disqualified, unable to earn any
+points. The rules were clear.
+Ryuuen approached us. "Hirata, what happened to Sudou? He taking a
+dump?" Ryuuen had to have seen it all happen, but spoke as if he didn't
+know anything. Was he trying to mess with Hirata?
+"Something came up. Sudou-kun is taking a break. He'll be back
+soon," said Hirata.
+"Heh. I really don't think lying suits you," replied Ryuuen.
+"You've taken first place in all the individual competitions so far,
+right, Ryuuen-kun?" asked Hirata calmly. He seemed placid, but you could
+hear him getting riled up.
+"So?"
+"Tt looks like the only reason you' ve come in first is because you went
+up against much weaker people. You're quite lucky, Ryuuen-kun."
+"Guess luck is on my side."
+"T don't know how much longer your luck will last, though. Anything
+can change," said Hirata.
+"Huh?"
+"T know what you' re thinking," Hirata continued.
+Ryuuen snorted, indicating that he had no idea what Hirata meant.
+Hirata continued.
+"You got Class D's participation table, and you obtained detailed
+information about all our students' athletic abilities, too. You've made good
+use of that information. We're not stupid. We have a few tricks hidden up our
+sleeves."
+"Ooh. I'd be scared if that weren't such an obvious bluff. Look at how
+far apart Classes C and D are now. Doesn't it fill you with despair? Even if
+you know the truth, it does you little good now," said Ryuuen.
+"T just have one thing to say to you. Before the day ends, I'm going to
+show you something interesting," said Hirata.
+"Something interesting, huh? Pll be looking forward to it."
+Ryuuen didn't sound fazed in the slightest. He probably had no reason
+to be, considering that he went on to handily take first place in the 200-meter
+dash.
+"There's a little over an hour left until Sudou's turn, huh?"
+The dash continued for the second- and third-year students, followed
+by a fifty-minute break. If Sudou didn't return before the break ended, it'd be
+checkmate. With our ace in the hole gone, we'd never win. Only one person
+in our class could get to him.
+I wondered if Horikita understood just how vital her role was. After I
+placed third in the 200-meter dash, I waited for her to finish her own race.
+"Horikita, do you know what happened with Sudou?"
+"T saw it. He realized what a disappointment he was, then ran away."
+"Well... yeah, I guess that's true."
+"Why are you here? You're not going to request that I bring Sudou-kun
+back, are you?"
+"If you already know, then don't ask. Do you understand you're the
+only one who can help?" I inquired.
+"T don't think so. There are other people who can do something.
+There's no way IJ possibly could," she said.
+Was she serious? Yeah, she probably was. She had no idea that Sudou
+had a crush on her.
+"Besides, I'm not exactly in a position to worry about other people
+right now," Horikita added.
+She was indeed suffering. She had a lot to deal with on her own. I
+understood her feelings. Besides, pretty much no one wanted to go find
+Sudou. They'd abandoned him, although they knew that he could save us in
+the sports festival. Everyone's trust in him had evaporated. If Hirata or
+Kushida had stormed off, the entire class would've gone looking for them.
+"Here's how I see it," I said. "You can't take care of your classmates,
+and you can't control yourself. What's the point of you, then? You're nothing
+but a burden."
+"That's an awful thing to say. I'm sorry I got hurt, but I had bad luck.
+Some things you can't control, right?"
+"Bad luck, huh? You see your injury as just that—an injury. You
+haven't realized a thing."
+"Don't make fun of me. I understand the seriousness of the situation.
+Clearly, we have a traitor who leaked our participation table to Ryuuen-kun. |
+never thought that someone in our class would want to destroy us, but there's
+nothing I can do about that right now," said Horikita.
+"What else have you noticed?"
+"What else? I know that Ryuuen-kun provoked Sudou-kun."
+"That's right. Even with all the information in the world on Ryuuen's
+side, Sudou—our class's MVP—was still nearly undefeatable. So, Ryuuen
+needled and provoked him on purpose, until he got Sudou to drop out."
+"Yeah, and that's why our class is in shambles right now."
+"Have you noticed anything else?"
+"Wait, you can't mean... You want to speculate?" asked Horikita. "Do
+I think that Ryuuen-kun set a trap for me? Yes, I certainly do. I guess he told
+Kinoshita-san to trip me. But it's hard to blatantly, deliberately cause injury
+when we're under such heavy scrutiny. I can't imagine Ryuuen and his team
+would intentionally injure me so badly I couldn't satisfactorily continue with
+the competition."
+If I had wanted to, I could have offered her evidence that the injury
+was certainly intentional. But that wasn't really important. Instead I said,
+"How long do you plan to be useless, Horikita?"
+Unless I took drastic measures, Horikita Suzune would never wake up.
+"On what grounds do you call me useless?"
+"I'm calling you useless because you are useless."
+"How dare you? I'm a highly capable student and athlete. I have the
+utmost confidence that I can triumph over any of these good-for-nothings.
+Besides, since the information on our class already leaked, isn't it too late for
+us to do anything? It's not just me—we're all powerless here. So, why label
+me useless?"
+"If you were an ordinary student, it would be fine for you to say that.
+But that's not the case, is it? If you're aiming for Class A, and want to lift
+your classmates up with you, then it's about time that you develop an ability
+to see the big picture."
+"That's why I asked you for evidence!" Horikita shouted.
+Our classmates turned toward us to see what was going on.
+""We have a traitor who leaked our participation table.'" I repeated
+Horikita's words back at her. "'Ryuuen-kun provoked Sudou-kun,' 'I guess
+he told Kinoshita-san to trip me.' It's certainly true that you can't do anything
+about those things—because you didn't do anything about them. And, as long
+as you continue to do nothing, nothing is going to change. Do you plan on
+whining like this when Ryuuen pulls off another brilliant scheme? You don't,
+do you?"
+"That's... But, what could I possibly...?"
+"You can either prioritize improving your own ranking while Sudou
+remains absent, or you can let your ranking plummet while Sudou returns and
+helps pull the class forward. Which of those best serves Class D?" I asked.
+"There's no need to answer that, is there? You aren't nearly as valuable as
+Sudou right now. It's time you get the fact that you're completely useless
+through your skull. Sudou's methods are clumsy, sure, but he's contributed
+more to our class than anyone else in this festival. And he's been trying his
+absolute hardest to win. Is it really okay for you to give up on him just
+because you claim you can't afford to care about other people? You're going
+to let him sit this out?"
+Horikita had to understand that much. Even if what I said hurt her, she
+needed to wake up. I wanted her to acknowledge exactly what she had to do
+from this point on.
+"This is so obvious that even an elementary school kid should get it.
+There's only one thing we can do to prepare a counterattack." Ryuuen had
+strategically taken out Sudou, which meant that we had to strategically get
+Sudou back.
+"You're throwing away a chance to obtain a weapon that belongs to
+you, and you alone," I said.
+'""A weapon for me alone?"
+"If you're aiming for Class A, there's a limit to how much you can do
+on your own. Right now, you're in a situation where you can't do much of
+anything. You're going to face more and more exams like this in the future.
+When those take place, Sudou will definitely become a valuable asset. For
+you to make use of that asset, what should you do right now? Pray that your
+injured leg heals miraculously?"
+Just as I used Hirata and Karuizawa as my weapons, Horikita had the
+opportunity to obtain a weapon of her own. It would be foolish for her to let
+that chance go by.
+"T'll let you think about it. That's my only advice."
+There was nothing more for me to tell her. Right now, Horikita needed
+defeat and rebirth.
+6.10
+The morning half of the sports festival ended with Class D stuck in
+the worst-possible position. Since we were free to do what we wanted during
+the break, some people ate lunch in the cafeteria as usual, while others ate at
+a designated space on the field. The festival seemed to afford more
+opportunities to eat together with upperclassmen regardless of gender.
+If we were asked what we liked best about the sports festival, it would
+probably be the lunch. A mountain of bento boxes had been provided. The
+meals weren't made in the school cafeteria, but were high-quality catering
+brought in from outside campus. Only one type of lunch was free, so nearly
+everyone chose that option. Some students left the field without touching the
+lunchboxes, though, and Horikita was among them. Perhaps my words had
+finally reached her, and she was looking for Sudou.
+Kushida also abstained. After telling some other girls that she was
+going to look for Sudou, she took off.
+"Gah! God, I'm so tired! Why do I gotta suffer through this, dude?!"
+Ike cried.
+"Because you lost!"
+After losing at rock-paper-scissors, Yamauchi went off to grab
+everyone's lunches. "Man, I'm starving. I'm gonna inhale this!"
+Ike and Yamauchi showed no real interest in Sudou's whereabouts.
+Since they'd known Sudou since day one, they understood his personality all
+too well. They weren't going to chase after him.
+Sudou's absence would be bad for the Red Team. Then again, some
+people probably felt grateful that his reign of terror had ended. Most of the
+girls had seen him punch Hirata. Any minor goodwill people might have
+developed for Sudou had gone completely out the window.
+"Let's just find someplace to eat for now."
+As the three of us decided to move, Hirata showed up with several
+guys and girls in tow. "Is it okay if we come along, too?" he asked Ike and
+Yamauchi.
+Yamauchi and Ike were momentarily shocked that Hirata was reaching
+out to them, since the three weren't normally close friends. However, with
+cute girls in Hirata's group, they had no reason to object.
+"Yeah, dude."
+Our group now contained ten people, including both guys and girls.
+After finding a suitable spot, we started eating. As people finished up, Hirata
+and Karuizawa approached me. Smartly done; with a bunch of classmates
+around, it wouldn't look odd or unnatural for such a trio to form.
+"Looks like Ryuuen-kun's making his move, as expected," said Hirata.
+"So, who's the traitor? You know, don't you, Yousuke-kun?" asked
+Karuizawa.
+Hirata just gently shook his head. "There are several things I don't
+understand."
+"Well, I can't say who the traitor is," I told them.
+"Huh? Why?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Because, right now, we'd only throw the class into even more turmoil
+by identifying them. We need to deal with the traitor quietly and calmly," I
+told them.
+"Okay. I won't hound you. But why did you submit the participation
+table to the school when you knew there was a traitor? Couldn't we have
+adjusted the table ourselves? We could have flipped the script on Class C,"
+said Hirata.
+"Probably," I said. In truth, I'd wanted Horikita to discover the spy and
+deal with it appropriately.
+"Wait. The traitor might be someone nearby, right? It might even be
+someone among us right now. Can we afford to take it this easy?" asked
+Karuizawa.
+She scanned her surroundings, suspecting everyone at the gathering.
+Traitors were certainly troublesome, but depending on the circumstances, it
+could be more convenient just to leave them alone.
+Besides, even if we'd used Hirata's strategy, it probably wouldn't have
+worked against Ryuuen. Right now, it would be difficult to make Hirata and
+Karuizawa understand why, so I lied instead.
+"T've taken stock of the traitor's moral fiber," I said.
+"Moral fiber?"
+"T think they want to reform without being cornered."
+Hirata stared at me intently. "And this is all on Horikita's orders, right,
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+If Hirata was already suspicious of me, then he would soon no longer
+trust me. Even so, I needed him to believe me right now, if only for
+appearances' sake.
+"Yeah. Everything is going according to Horikita's plan."
+Hirata didn't question me any further. He seemed convinced.
+"So, where is Horikita-san? What's she doing?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Something only she can do. At least, I hope that's what she's doing," I
+said.
+"Wait. Are you talking about Sudou-kun?" Hirata glanced around,
+noticing that Horikita and Sudou were nowhere in sight.
+"Without Sudou, it won't be easy for us to win the second half of the
+sports festival, right?" I asked.
+"Yeah. We're relying on Sudou-kun," said Hirata.
+Karuizawa looked a little dissatisfied by the prospect, but she
+understood. The sports festival's outcome now depended on Horikita. If my
+words hadn't reached her, it was game over.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Hashimoto Masayoshi
+First Year, Class A
+STUDENT ID: S01T004690
+Lt = Tennis Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: April 24th
+***
+He answers every question clearly, and is very goal-oriented. He's also
+adept at blending in with the group. We want to further improve his
+strengths.
+***
+He's highly connected to the rest of his class. Even though he's only a
+first-year high school student, he has a keen eye.
+Chapter 7:
+For Whose Sake?
+I headed toward the nurse's office alone, feeling battered and bruised
+after Ayanokouji-kun's verbal beatdown. Since he usually followed his so-
+called policy of noninterference, I never would' ve imagined he would speak
+to me like that. I'd been so shocked, I couldn't give him a satisfactory
+answer.
+"No, that's not it," I said to myself.
+Ayanokouji-kun had been absolutely right, and I'd had nothing to say
+in reply.
+"Tch."
+At any rate, if I would be chasing after Sudou-kun, I had to take care of
+my leg, which still wouldn't move as well as I wanted. Emergency medical
+treatment was available on the field, but I wanted to avoid standing out as
+much as possible. Instead, I headed to the nurse's office at the school.
+When I got to the infirmary, I saw that someone else was already there.
+Of the three available beds, one was curtained off. I couldn't see who was in
+it.
+"How's it look, sensei?" I asked.
+During our brief break before lunch, I'd had an emergency first aid
+staff member tape my leg, but that only had a minimal effect.
+After inspecting my leg, the nurse looked up. "I already said this, but
+participating in more competitions will be difficult."
+The nurse had diagnosed me with a sprain, and it didn't seem to be
+getting any better or worse. At this point, I could only barely run, but at least
+I could run. I just couldn't summon up enough strength to win a race. I'd
+desperately fought to make it through the individual competitions, but the
+events for recommended participants would likely be even more difficult. If I
+took part, I'd never win. I couldn't let that happen.
+"Do you plan to take part in the recommended-participant events?"
+"T was planning to, but I think I've changed my mind. If I tried to
+participate with my leg like this, I'd only drag the rest of my class down," I
+said.
+"That's a wise decision."
+Fortunately, I'd obtained numerous points during previous exams.
+Even if I withdrew, I could compensate for my absence. If I prepared a
+substitute participant to take my place for all three competitions, the total cost
+would come out to 300,000 points. That was no small expense, but if it would
+raise our class's chances of victory even a little, then I had to pay it. My
+dream of running alongside my brother would end, though.
+Well, worrying about personal issues was meaningless. What mattered
+was who my substitute would be.
+"Thank you very much."
+With that, I left the infirmary. I headed toward the main entrance to
+make my way back to the field. In the window, I saw my limping reflection.
+Feeling pathetic, I bit my lip. I did suspect Kinoshita-san of tripping me, but I
+was to blame for falling and getting injured. There was no changing that.
+I tried my hardest to appear calm and collected, so that others wouldn't
+notice my pain. When I was just about to go back outside, Kushida-san ran
+up to me in a panic.
+"I'm so glad I found you, Horikita-san! I need to talk to you about
+something," she said.
+"What is it? I have some business I need to take care of."
+"Okay. This isn't a good place to talk, though. Sorry. Would you mind
+coming with me? Things are going to get difficult," said Kushida.
+"Can't you explain here? I'll decide after hearing how difficult this is,"
+I answered.
+After Kushida-san looked around, she whispered in my ear. "It sounds
+as though Kinoshita-san actually suffered a serious injury. It's bad enough
+that she can't even get up right now. So, that's why...well, Kinoshita-san
+wants to talk to you, Horikita-san."
+I couldn't hide my surprise. "Where is she?"
+"This way."
+Kushida led me back to the nurse's office.
+7.1
+Wien I returned to the infirmary, Chabashira-sensei was there.
+"Good. I was just saying that you'd barely missed Horikita-san," the
+nurse said to her.
+"T had Kushida fetch you. Looks like she was quick about it," said
+Chabashira-sensei. Kushida-san listened to the adults talk, appearing uneasy.
+"What in the world is going on?" I asked.
+Behind that closed-off curtain I'd noticed earlier, I could hear someone
+sobbing. Chabashira-sensei pulled the curtain open, giving me a glimpse of
+Kinoshita-san, who lay in the bed. Then she let the curtain fall back into
+place and gestured me into the hallway.
+"Kinoshita fell on the obstacle course this morning. Do you remember
+that?"
+"Of course. She bumped into me," I replied.
+"Well, Kinoshita says that you deliberately knocked her down,
+Horikita."
+For an instant, I couldn't understand what Chabashira-sensei was
+saying.
+"That's not true at all. It was completely by accident. If anything, it—"
+"Tf anything, it? what?"
+I'd been about to say that it was part of Ryuuen-kun's strategy, as
+Ayanokouji-kun stated. I believed that Ayanokouji-kun was completely right,
+but we had no proof.
+"Never mind. It was just a coincidence, that's all."
+"T'd like to believe that, but the situation isn't good. Kinoshita claims
+that, during the race, you repeatedly looked back at her. We checked the
+video footage, and you certainly did look back twice," said Chabashira-
+sensel.
+"That's because she called my name," I replied.
+"She called your name? I see. Even if that's true, though, she claims
+you kicked her. In fact, she's been absent from all the subsequent
+competitions. We had a teacher inspect her injuries, which appear rather
+severe. They believe those were caused intentionally."
+"Even if she's badly injured, she's still lying. I didn't do anything," I
+replied.
+"T believe you're innocent, but as long as we have no proof one way or
+the other, we must consider the matter," said Chabashira-sensei.
+"That's idiotic."
+"That's not all. The other teachers already know about this, of course.
+But, if this drags on, the student council will hear of it. You haven't forgotten
+what happened to Sudou after his fight, have you?"
+If this continued, my brother would hear about the incident. He'd feel
+irritated and ashamed of his idiotic little sister. However, since I was
+innocent, I had no choice but to plead that innocence. Whether this was
+Ryuuen-kun's strategy or just an unfortunate accident, I couldn't lie.
+"If you called me here to ask what happened, I told you the truth. I
+didn't do anything. Now, I have some business to take care of, so if you'd
+excuse me?"
+I needed to find Sudou-kun as quickly as possible and bring him back.
+But, as I turned to leave, Chabashira-sensei spoke.
+"Under the circumstances, it would probably be easy for the school to
+believe that the incident was intentional rather than accidental. Kinoshita-san
+has been absent from festival events ever since the obstacle course. If we
+prove that you committed foul play, that will invalidate the scores you've
+acquired thus far, and you won't take part in the recommended-participant
+events. Well, with your leg in that condition, I suppose participating would be
+impossible anyway, but... Kinoshita is an athletic student. In terms of speed,
+she's as good or better than you. It's hard to believe that her injuries are a
+mere coincidence."
+"T was going to withdraw from the recommended-participant events,
+anyway. I don't mind being marked absent for those events, like Kinoshita-
+san. However, I didn't intentionally cause her to fall and get injured."
+I wondered whether that would be enough.
+"Kinoshita won't accept that," Chabashira-sensei replied. "She says
+she' ll report this incident to the school. Her testimony, and the footage, make
+this fairly damning. From her perspective, she's suffered a massive loss.
+Class C is also in a tough spot due to Kinoshita's absence, and it seems
+unlikely that they'd sabotage themselves like that on purpose. You
+understand what this means, right?"
+"It's a case of the Devil's Proof, isn't 1t?"
+A logical dilemma as old as time. To prove that aliens existed, all you
+had to do was capture one alien. But to conclusively prove that aliens didn't
+exist, you'd have to search every inch of the entire planet and of outer space
+itself, which would frankly be an impossible task. That was the definition of
+the Devil's Proof.
+Chabashira-sensei was saying that, if it was impossible to prove my
+innocence, I'd need to prepare myself.
+"How did you hear about this, Chabashira-sense1? Who else knows?" I
+asked.
+"Kushida consulted me on the matter. She said she didn't want it to
+blow up, but didn't know what else to do."
+"Sorry, Horikita-san. Kinoshita-san asked me to talk to a teacher," said
+Kushida.
+"TI appreciate your concern. If a teacher from another class heard about
+Kinoshita-san's claim, this might have escalated quickly. However, I have
+some questions. Why exactly did you hear about this from Kinoshita-san?" I
+pressed Kushida-san.
+She anxiously looked toward the infirmary. "I'm good friends with
+Kinoshita-san. When I went to check on her during our break, she told me."
+"T see."
+It was a believable reason, considering that Kushida-san had a vast
+social network. At any rate, the only ones who knew about the accusation
+right now were Kinoshita-san, Kushida-san, Chabashira-sensei, and me. I
+wanted to resolve this here and now.
+"May I speak with Kinoshita-san?" I asked.
+"I'm not sure about that. She seems frightened, and might be
+emotionally unstable," replied Kushida.
+"Please. I don't want to aggravate things," I said.
+I bowed, and Kushida-san bowed her head in return.
+"Please allow me to do this, sensei," I said.
+"Okay. I'll let you try," replied Chabashira-senset.
+At that moment, I heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway.
+Someone was walking straight toward the nurse's office. He had both hands
+in his pockets, strutting around as if he owned the place.
+"Looks like things have gotten really serious."
+"Ryuuen-kun..."
+Why was he here? I did my best to shake off any confusion, trying to
+appear calm and collected. However, Ryuuen-kun sneered and stopped right
+in front of us. He saw through my act.
+"T rushed over after Kinoshita asked for me. To think someone did this
+on purpose..." He passed us and entered the nurse's office.
+We followed him in a panic. Ryuuen-kun ignored the nurse's attempts
+to stop him and opened the curtain to Kinoshita-san's bed.
+"Hey, Kinoshita. You all right? Looks like you' ve had a rough time,"
+he said.
+Kinoshita-san looked startled upon seeing Ryuuen-kun. She trembled
+in fear.
+"T heard your leg was injured. Show me." He pulled Kinoshita-san's
+leg out from beneath the sheets. "Whoa, this looks bad. I'm impressed you've
+held up, considering all you're dealing with."
+Kinoshita-san's right leg was bandaged tightly. Her injury looked
+painful.
+"Sorry. I tried my best, but...my leg just won't listen. That's why—
+hng!"
+"Don't blame yourself, Kinoshita. I know you wanted to participate in
+the three-legged race," said Ryuuen.
+"We ran into each other by accident, Kinoshita-san. Why are you
+saying that I made you fall?" I interrupted.
+Kinoshita averted her eyes. Ryuuen-kun stood in front of me. "You
+really did this on purpose, didn't you?" he asked me.
+"Stop joking around. You think I'd do something like this?"
+"You can never really know someone, can you? Convenient, isn't it?
+Kinoshita-san, who just so happens to be better at sports than you, suffers a
+serious injury and has to withdraw. She was going to compete in all the
+recommended-participant events, too. Meanwhile, you continue taking part
+despite your injuries. I'm not supposed to find that suspicious?" he said.
+I understood all too well the significance of losing a teammate. But,
+after hearing the eloquent speech Ryuuen had prepared, my doubts about him
+only grew. Had Kinoshita-san purposefully run into me on his orders? Had he
+chosen her specifically to collide with me, since she was more athletic than I,
+and Ryuuen could deflect any suspicion?
+But what did he stand to gain from having Kinoshita-san run into me,
+when she had a higher chance of winning the race to begin with?
+Furthermore, if she'd planned to take part in all the recommended-participant
+events, Class C would lose about 400,000 points paying for her substitute
+competitors. Would Ryuuen make such a sacrifice simply to defeat me and
+bask in his superiority?
+No matter how hard I thought, I couldn't find any benefits in such an
+ineffective plan.
+"What are you thinking?" Ryuuen-kun asked. He leaned toward me,
+hands in his pockets, looking as though he saw right through me. "We can
+keep going back and forth on this, but it won't settle anything. Isn't that right,
+Kinoshita?"
+"Horikita-san..." Kinoshita hesitated. "When I fell, you said...that I
+definitely wouldn't win."
+"T said no such thing. Why are you lying?" I asked.
+"Horikita, you only looked behind you when you raced with Kinoshita.
+Why did you do that?" Chabashira-sensei asked me again.
+"Because she kept calling my name when she was behind me. At first I
+ignored her, but then I thought something was strange, turned, and looked
+back."
+"Ts that true, Kinoshita?"
+"T never called her name," Kinoshita said.
+"She denies it, sensei. Besides, even if Kinoshita did call Suzune's
+name, what's the big deal? That doesn't constitute foul play. It was probably
+a cry of desperation, born from a desire to win. I mean, Kinoshita has way
+more spirit than anyone else. She's strong-willed and hates to lose. That's not
+a crime," said Ryuuen.
+This argument would go on forever. Besides, I was positive that
+Ryuuen and Kinoshita had rehearsed this whole act in secret.
+"Um...Kinoshita-san, Ryuuen-kun, I think this is all just bad luck. I
+can't imagine that Horikita-san would deliberately hurt her opponent."
+Kushida-san spoke up quietly in my defense.
+"But Horikita-san said that she definitely wouldn't let me win! She
+said that!"
+"Don't you think your desire not to lose just got to you? I mean, I think
+that Horikita-san was really upset when she fell. I think she was just trying
+her best," said Kushida.
+I didn't say anything. I endured in silence. However, Kinoshita-san
+spoke again.
+"T can't forgive Horikita-san for this. Now I have to take a break from
+track and field practice," she said.
+"Don't you feel any shame at all?" I asked. "Is lying like this to entrap
+someone fun for you? Or did Ryuuen-kun devise all this? I can't imagine it
+was coincidental that he just happened to show up right now." Kinoshita-san
+was lying. I needed to wrangle control of the conversation before things got
+worse.
+"So, you're saying it's my fault that Kinoshita got hurt?" Ryuuen asked
+me. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you?"
+"Please. You messed with Sudou-kun earlier. Don't pretend you forgot
+about that. You're just trying to use the same trick this time around."
+"T had nothing to do with that. It's ridiculous to try and tie those things
+together, anyway." Ryuuen wasn't about to admit anything. "It's clear you
+did this, isn't it? You bumped into Kinoshita deliberately. It's an open-and-
+shut case. There's no room for any further debate, so let's report this to the
+higher-ups right away."
+"That's... Would you let me talk things over a little more with
+Horikita-san, please?" Kushida begged Ryuuen-kun. I wanted to tell her that
+concern was unnecessary, but I didn't want this issue to get more out of hand.
+I was trapped in a spider's web, and all I could do was struggle.
+Ryuuen-kun appeared to consider her request, then made a proposal.
+"T don't have the time to drag this out," he said. "The recommended-
+participant competitions are coming up right after lunch. I'll be competing in
+those, so I'd like to finish this. It'd be easiest to leave the judgment to the
+higher-ups."
+Looking at me, Kushida-san, and Kinoshita-san, Ryuuen-kun
+continued. "We can strike a quick deal, though."
+"Strike a deal?" I asked.
+"You should compensate Kinoshita and Class C for any losses."
+"This isn't a joke. I don't have to listen to this," I replied. If he wanted
+that, the cost wouldn't be cheap. Besides, it would mean accepting their lie as
+truth.
+"You won't strike a deal, and you don't want us to report this to the
+higher-ups? Then we're done here."
+"What exactly do you want, then?" Kushida-san asked Ryuuen-kun.
+"At least one of you has a good grasp of things. Let's see. If you hand
+over a million points, I'1l have Kinoshita withdraw her complaint. That way,
+we can prepare a substitute for the recommended-participant events, and
+Kinoshita will receive some incidental income. Simple, right?"
+"Don't be ridiculous," I said. "I haven't done anything wrong. I don't
+need to pay one single point."
+"Then go ahead and prove that, Suzune. Lay it all out in black and
+white for us."
+"You two sound sure of yourselves. You think your lies won't be
+exposed?"
+"We can prove that we aren't lying. Let's hurry up and have the
+student council president render his judgment," said Ryuuen.
+Ryuuen-kun knew about my relationship with the president, my older
+brother, and was provoking me. I absolutely couldn't do anything to trouble
+my brother. If the rumor spread that his little sister deliberately hurt someone,
+it would do immeasurable damage to his reputation.
+It was a dirty trick, but there was no way out of it. Back when the boys
+from the basketball club had attacked Sudou-kun, they lied and pretended to
+be victims. Their mistake had been thinking that no one else was watching.
+However, this was different.
+This time, the entire student body was a witness. Ryuuen had the
+advantage. Kinoshita-san was just as athletic as I was, if not more so, and
+there was video evidence that showed me looking back. Also, Kinoshita-san
+had planned to take part in all the recommended-participant events. She'd
+sustained injuries severe enough to prevent her from competing. There was
+nothing I could do to save myself.
+Worst of all was the timing with which they'd sprung their trap. They
+hadn't done it right after Kinoshita-san was injured. Instead, Ryuuen had her
+lay low, so that her performance would be more convincing. By having her
+stoically bear the pain, they made their plot look like the truth.
+Everything they'd done had been meant to trap me, as though they
+were weaving a net to catch me in.
+The situation had already passed the point of no return. They'd been
+plotting since the moment I entered the festival. I understood the full extent
+of my mistake now, although I still felt baffled by the many remaining
+mysteries.
+"Um...could I use my points, Ryuuen-kun?" Kushida-san asked.
+"Huh?"
+"T don't believe Horikita-san would do something like this on purpose.
+That's why I don't want this to turn into a big deal. But...I don't think
+Kinoshita-san would lie, either. Couldn't it just be an unfortunate accident?"
+"Oh, that's quaint. Sorry—using your points is a no-go. I believe
+Suzune did this out of malicious intent, to hurt Class C. This apology is
+meaningless unless we get money out of her. Of course, I won't stop you if
+you're willing to pay up, too," said Ryuuen.
+The longer this went on, the worse things would get. But I couldn't
+break.
+"Very well. Kinoshita, we're going to report this to the teachers, then
+to the student council." Ryuuen-kun ordered. Kinoshita, her face twisted in
+pain, sat up. "The school officials should understand how serious this is," he
+added. "They certainly wouldn't stand for something so mean-spirited and
+vicious."
+I had to choose. I could pursue the truth, disputing Ryuuen-kun and his
+lackey's claims. Or I could compromise right here. I wanted to do the former,
+but I had no evidence to prove the truth. I would only be wasting time and
+everyone's trust.
+I had to strike a deal with Ryuuen-kun right here.
+"Wait." I squeezed out the word.
+Ryuuen-kun and Kinoshita-san stopped walking. "What is it, Suzune?"
+he asked. "Have anything to contribute?"
+"If I pay you, you'll make it so this issue never happened, right?"
+"You're admitting to foul play?"
+"No, because I'm not a liar."
+"Well then, why exactly are you paying us?"
+"Your strategy beat mine. That's why," I said. It was humiliating, but it
+was true.
+"Did you hear that, Kinoshita? She doesn't think she's in the wrong.
+Can you forgive her?"
+"No, I can't," Kinoshita-san replied.
+"Well, there you go." he told me.
+"Grr..." I growled.
+"Still, I know that you have your pride, too," he added. "I understand
+that you don't want to admit you're the bad guy in front of your teacher and
+your friend. That's why Ill accept your offer. I have a kind heart, after all.
+However, whether Kinoshita will accept your apology is another story."
+He flashed me a wicked grin. I wanted to be free of this.
+"If I pay you a million points, you' ll act like nothing ever happened.
+That's what you said. No other conditions, right?" I asked.
+"That was certainly the previous offer. You declined it once, right? If
+we're going into a second round of negotiations, I have more conditions."
+Just how much did Ryuuen-kun intend to torture me?
+"How about you get down on your knees and beg? Maybe then my
+feelings, and Kinoshita's, will change."
+"Ryuuen. This is going too far." Chabashira-sensei finally spoke up.
+"Teachers should stay out of this. It's a problem between students,"
+Ryuuen-kun replied. He showed no fear at all. "Well, I won't force you to
+decide right away," he told me. "The teachers are watching us, too. Ill wait
+to hear your answer when the sports festival ends. Will you kneel before me
+and offer a million points, or will you let the school deliberate? Which will
+you choose?"
+He added, "Don't think that this ends with the sports festival, either.
+I'm not done with you. Kushida, bring Suzune to me after the festival."
+Ryuuen-kun and Kinoshita-san both left. I stood there, at a loss.
+"Are you okay? Horikita-san?" Kushida-san asked.
+"T'm okay. More importantly, how long has it been? Sensei, how much
+time is left for our lunch break?" I asked.
+"You still have about twenty minutes. You haven't eaten yet, right?
+You should hurry up," said Chabashira-sensei.
+I didn't have the time to sit down and eat now. I had to find Sudou-kun
+as soon as possible.
+"Excuse me."
+I left the two of them behind and ran from the nurse's office.
+72
+Tis was all due to my carelessness. I'd only thought of myself. I
+hadn't anticipated that Ryuuen-kun would get hold of our participation table
+with the primary intention of taking me down. I wasn't prepared.
+I was miserable. My stride felt heavier than before.
+"I'm so pathetic."
+As I approached the school entrance, I saw two people walk inside. I
+ordinarily would have ignored them, but these two were different.
+"Big brother..." I barely whispered it, my words quickly disappearing
+into the ether. The school's student council president, my older brother. With
+him was a girl from the student council, Secretary Tachibana.
+Tachibana noticed me, but my brother didn't even glance my way. I
+was used to that treatment from him. Honestly, I wanted to talk to him, but as
+a Class D disgrace, I didn't have the right. I cast my eyes downward. My
+brother wasn't going to stop for me, anyway.
+At least, that was what I thought. But then...
+"Do you understand Class D's situation right now?"
+He was speaking to me.
+"I'm starting to," I responded.
+It was an honest answer. I'd done everything wrong, made every
+mistake. In every possible way, Class C had outsmarted me.
+"Don't worry. I won't bother you, big brother."
+I'd do what I had to do. Ryuuen wanted me to kneel before him and
+offer up a million points. Considering that Chabashira-sensei had witnessed
+that whole thing, he probably wouldn't change his mind at the eleventh hour.
+I was all right with that, as long as it meant I wasn't causing trouble for my
+big brother. But I wanted to have a proper conversation, not something like
+this. ''d hoped to have that chance during the final relay.
+That dream had vanished when I injured my leg. I couldn't expect any
+sympathy from my brother, and I had nothing left to lose. Besides, there was
+still one last thing I could do.
+"Please excuse me," I said.
+I rushed through the entranceway and headed outside. Despite the pain
+in my leg, I ran everywhere, looking for Sudou-kun. However, it would take
+more time than I had to scout a campus this large. When only ten minutes
+remained, I returned to the field. Maybe Sudou-kun had come back after all.
+He'd been trying his hardest to take first place out of the entire school. I
+hoped he still wanted that.
+But it was no use. He wasn't on the field.
+"So, he didn't come back."
+Then, he... Ayanokouji-kun...appeared right before me. "You sound
+like you're out of breath," he said.
+"T'm looking for Sudou-kun. He hasn't shown up, has he?"
+"Nope. Does this mean you want to talk to him?"
+"Yes. He's a valuable asset. I accept it, even though I don't like it," I
+replied.
+"And that means?" Ayanokouji-kun seemed to notice how poorly I was
+doing, but there was no use telling him about Ryuuen-kun. What could he
+have done, anyway? I wanted to keep that embarrassment between Kushida-
+san, Chabashira-sensei, and myself.
+Our break was nearly over, but no one had seen any sign of Sudou-kun.
+Class D was in dire straits already, but in Sudou-kun's absence, our defeat
+became a certainty.
+"Do you have any idea where Sudou might be?" Ayanokouji-kun asked
+me. "Time is almost up."
+"No, I don't. But there're only so many places he can go. If he wants
+privacy, he probably returned to his dorm room," I replied.
+"Is your leg all right?"
+"No, but I can run. Are you coming?"
+"T'll pass. ''d only end up getting in your way."
+"T see." I swallowed the pain and started walking.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Shinohara Satsuki
+First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004742
+IS =$Cooking Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: June 21st
+***
+She's not a troublemaker, and she's about as sociable as anyone else.
+However, her academic abilities are below average. We hope that she
+develops within her group.
+***
+She's generally honest with her classmates, and doesn't currently exhibit
+any problematic behavior.
+Chapter 8:
+What You and I Lack
+The bell rang, and the second half of the sports festival began. It was
+time for the recommended participants' events. Only elite students from each
+class would take part in the remaining four competitions.
+"You're participating in the scavenger hunt, right, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Td rather not, if possible." There was nothing I could do about it,
+though. I'd lost at rock-paper-scissors.
+"The problem is that Sudou-kun's not here."
+Since Sudou was gone, he'd simply be marked absent. Had we
+prepared a substitute competitor? Horikita also had yet to return to our camp.
+Hopefully, that meant that things were proceeding well.
+"Tf it's all right with you, Id like your opinion on something,
+Ayanokouji-kun. I would've asked Horikita-san as well, but she's not here."
+"Hirata, you don't need my opinion to make a sound decision, right?"
+"T think we need a substitute. In the individual competitions, our class
+ranks right at the bottom. To win in overall points, we need to win the next
+events," he replied.
+"Tn that case, who do we choose as the substitute?"
+"We need 100,000 points to put in a substitute. Pll figure something
+out with the points. I think we'd do well substituting Ike-kun or Yamauchi-
+kun," said Hirata.
+"That's because, if they do happen to take first place, they'll be able to
+put points toward their tests. Right?"
+"Yeah. We can use that to our advantage."
+That was a good plan for the scavenger hunt, in which luck had a
+significant part in the outcome. Ike and Yamauchi played a round of rock-
+paper-scissors. In the end, Ike won, and triumphantly joined the scavenger
+hunt team. "All right. P'll do my best, for Sudou's sake!"
+He seemed to have fighting spirit to spare, at least.
+The referees explained the competition before it started. "Some items
+in the scavenger hunt are quite difficult to procure. To pick a new item, you
+can request a redraw, but there will be a thirty-second waiting period. You
+must make your redraw request to the referee when you draw your lot during
+the competition. The game ends when three players reach the goal. That's
+all."
+After that explanation, we started getting ready for the second-round
+scavenger hunt, which I was participating in.
+"Hey." Someone called to me. I didn't even need to look to know that
+it was Ryuuen.
+"So, that muscle-headed moron won't be participating in the scavenger
+hunt, huh? I thought he'd take part for sure. Suzune's not here, either. They
+couldn't be doing each other backstage, right?"
+"No idea. That has nothing to do with me," I replied.
+"What a shitty answer." Losing interest in me, Ryuuen left. It looked as
+though he would be running in the second race, too.
+Pretty soon, the first race started. The other classes had put forward
+their more athletic students, so Ike was overtaken right at the start. But speed
+wasn't all that counted in the scavenger hunt—the real deciding factor was
+which item you drew. Ike chose his lot and checked the contents.
+The students in the lead searched this way and that way, leaving the
+field to find their items.
+"Whoooooooa!" Ike struck a victory pose and took off running back
+toward the starting point. "Ayanokouji! Lend me your left foot! Your left
+foot!"
+"My left foot?"
+"Your shoe, dude! Your shoe! That's my item!"
+Ike showed me a slip of paper with the words "Your classmate's left
+foot (shoe)"' written on it.
+"If I give it to you, I can't run anymore, though."
+"Geh?!"
+He couldn't use a competitor's shoe. Ike panicked and rushed toward
+the camp. However, it looked as though the other students were also having a
+hard time with the scavenger hunt, since no one was heading toward the goal.
+Thanks to his luck during the draw, Ike—somehow—ultimately found
+his way into first place. "Not bad, not bad at all," he said.
+Moments later, Class A came in second, followed by Class B, and then
+Class C in last place. Soon afterward came the signal for the start of the
+second race. I went to draw a lot, lagging slightly behind the other students.
+I reached inside the box, touching several slips of paper in turn.
+Carefully, I took one out and unfolded it. "Now then, what will mine say?"
+"Ten friends."
+"Youre kidding, right?" I felt myself blacking out. Just one friend
+would have been bad enough, but ten? They had to be screwing with me,
+right? I couldn't even think of ten people I was on speaking terms with.
+"Dude, why are you spacing out? Hurry up, Ayanokouji!" Ike sounded
+a little full of himself, still on a high from taking first place. But there was
+nothing I could do. Two of the only classmates I could count as friends,
+Horikita and Sudou, were absent. Since Ichinose and Kanzaki were currently
+my enemies, I couldn't count them, either.
+"Td like to request a change."
+The other students were already running off to find their items. In
+accordance with the rules, I waited thirty seconds, then redrew my lot.
+"A person you love."
+"No, no, no. No, no, no, no."
+What in the world was up with the slips I had drawn? They were
+screwing with me.
+"Ch-change, please."
+I could sense Class D's confusion, but there really was nothing I could
+do. If I showed that slip of paper to a member of the opposite sex, it would
+have been the same as confessing romantic feelings for them. Even if I lied
+and asked them to play along, it would have been incredibly embarrassing.
+So, before I could even start looking for my item, I had to take on a one-
+minute handicap.
+"A table clock."
+My third draw finally produced something I could actually obtain, but
+I'd have to go inside the school to find a table clock. I checked the teachers'
+tent, just in case, but came up empty-handed. While I did that, the other three
+contestants reached the goal.
+"This isn't good."
+Lady Luck had snubbed me, and I came in last.
+8.1
+Te afternoon competitions would be starting right about now. At
+least I'd found the red-haired student I was looking for sitting on a sofa in the
+dormitory lobby.
+"Sudou-kun." I called out gently, so as not to startle him. He turned to
+look at me.
+"Horikita." He appeared surprised. He probably simply hadn't
+expected me to show up. "Why are you here? Don't tell me you came to
+persuade me to go back?"
+"Do I look like the type to come all the way here to persuade you?"
+"That... No, you don't. So, did you come here just to scold me or
+somethin'?"
+"T don't know about that. I must admit that I'm not sure what to say at
+all."
+"Huh?" Sudou-kun tilted his head like he didn't quite understand. I
+wondered why that was. I'd finally found Sudou-kun, and I felt as though I
+couldn't really say anything. I tried to remember why I'd tried so hard to
+find him.
+"If you stay out of the competitions, Class D has no hope of winning."
+"Probably not. Guess we're in a lot of trouble right now, huh?"
+"Yes. We're at the very bottom of the rankings. To turn things around,
+we need to take first place in all the recommended-participant events. Even
+then, we won't make the top spot."
+Despite having excellent athletes like Sudou-kun, Class D as a whole
+was Clearly inferior in this sports festival.
+"And after I carried everyone on my back. That Hirata," Sudou-kun
+huffed.
+"He did nothing wrong by stopping you from going on a rampage. On
+the contrary, you should be grateful to him. If you'd hit Ryuuen-kun, you
+might have been disqualified," I replied.
+"T just couldn't stand being on the receiving end of that. What Ryuuen
+did was foul play."
+"You may be a bit of a problem child, but you certainly gave it your all
+today," I said.
+Sudou hadn't acted like himself. That alone was a miracle. For his
+classmates' sake, he'd been as good a leader as he knew how to be. He was
+hot-headed, as usual, but at the root of that was a desire to win. He'd
+performed excellently in the group events, and I needed to acknowledge his
+worth.
+"That said, there's still a lot you need to work on," I continued. "The
+fact that you're here alone right now is proof."
+"The heck does that mean?"
+"If people could truly rely on and trust you, you'd have a lot of
+classmates coming after you, not just me. People who wanted to convince
+you to come back, I mean."
+Sudou-kun kicked the table in irritation.
+"That's the problem right there," I continued. "You try to bully your
+way through Class D. It happened during the midterm exams, and during the
+dispute with Class C. Now you've snapped and flipped out."
+"You're seriously tryin' to preach to me? Give me a break, Horikita.
+I'm really pissed," Sudou grumbled. "Look, I messed up, but I just can't stop
+myself from doin' it. Nothing to do in that case, right?"
+"T thought you said you were going to carry everyone in the class?"
+"T never said that. The other guys were asking me to, remember?" he
+replied.
+"Even so, you have a certain degree of responsibility."
+"God. Shut up, already. I don't care about that," he huffed.
+"You're as childish as always. That's not going to work in the real
+world, is it?"
+"Shut up!" He shot me a fierce glare, as if trying to intimidate me into
+being quiet. But I wasn't going to give up.
+If anyone else had been here, they probably would have caved. Seeing
+that I didn't waver, Sudou-kun lost his patience and looked away.
+"Your weakness is completely obvious," I said. "What will happen if
+you don't study? What will happen if you lash out? You lack the foresight to
+think ahead."
+"Ah, enough already. Come on! Just leave me alone and knock it off!
+Your preaching is gonna make me puke!"
+I believed that Sudou-kun wanted to stay at this school and do well.
+There had to be a reason he was the way he was. Unless I found the source of
+that problem, he would be trapped in an endless cycle.
+Even if he wanted to be alone, I couldn't leave him. Right here and
+now, I would make myself understand him.
+"If you don't like it, feel free to hit me," I said.
+"Huh? What? You... There ain't no way I could do somethin' like
+that!"
+"Because I'm a woman? I've said this before, but I am quite strong. I'll
+knock you to the ground before your fist reaches me."
+"Youll fight me? Man, you really are a weird lady. Well, like you
+said, no one else came after me. But you did. Just you."
+Ayanokouji-kun had pushed me into it, but I didn't feel the need to tell
+Sudou-kun that. Perhaps Sudou-kun was tiring. He mumbled in a low voice
+now, as though his anger was leaking away.
+"T took the leader job because I thought the sports festival would be
+easy as pie. I haven't lost to anyone from the other classes. If we did the
+individual competitions again, I wouldn't lose to anybody. But when people
+are draggin' ya down in the team contests, there's nothin' you can do. We
+lost capture the flag and the cavalry battle 'cause of those useless guys. I
+couldn't stand that."
+"T can tell just by looking at you that you hate losing when you're good
+at something. But is that all there is to 1t?"" Something else was going on here.
+Sudou-kun appeared lost in thought for a moment, then replied,
+"Maybe I just wanted to see how it felt for people to pay attention to me and
+give me some respect. I guess I wanted to show all the people who made fun
+of me. Pretty lame, right?"
+As he admitted his desires, and that he'd abandoned his goals, he
+scratched his red-dyed hair.
+"So, now I'm completely alone, huh? Well, that's fine. Things' Il go
+back to exactly how they were in junior high," he added.
+I wondered if my words would reach his heart. Ayanokouji-kun had
+verbally destroyed me in an argument, Ryuuen-kun had defeated me, and my
+brother had abandoned me. I couldn't believe for an instant that I had any
+right to reprimand Sudou. I'd always considered him beneath me, but now I
+felt as though that wasn't true.
+Sudou-kun was clumsy, the type of person to act impulsively. He had a
+volatile personality. But, if I changed my perspective, I could see that he had
+also been fighting all alone. The fact that he'd had the courage to confront his
+loneliness meant he was far superior to me.
+I awkwardly continued our conversation. "You know, it's strange. My
+feelings are basically the same as yours."
+"Huh? Whaddya mean?"
+"The feeling of wanting to be respected. The desire to fight alone. I
+understand those," I told him. "When I think back, there were signs. During
+the midterm exams, I felt irritated at the students who couldn't study, you
+included. I got angry when they couldn't do something so obvious. I didn't
+want to work with them at all. But in the sports festival, you performed
+impeccably. You did a lot to carry our unathletic classmates."
+Academics and sports. Different as they were, the principles at the
+heart of both were the same. What I'd felt toward Sudou-kun and the others
+during the midterms was probably what Sudou-kun was feeling quite strongly
+right now.
+"Then you understand how I feel. Right now, I wanna be alone," he
+replied.
+"And I truly, truly want to leave you be. But if we lose you now, Class
+D's defeat will be set in stone." This wasn't just Sudou-kun's problem. It
+would impact our whole class.
+"You abandoned the class, though, just like me. Right? So, you don't
+got any right to lecture me," he replied.
+"No, I suppose not."
+That was why my words held no weight. Until this very moment, I'd
+thought the same thing as Sudou-kun.
+"You're disappointed in me, right? I'm used to it," he said, dejected. "I
+was born to worthless people. That's why I'm worthless, too. I came here
+because I definitely didn't wanna end up like my parents, but I'm turning out
+just like them."
+"It's incorrect to conclude that someone with worthless parents will
+inevitably turn out worthless themselves. You can't blame other people for
+how you are or will be. I reyect your hypothesis."
+"What do you mean?"
+"You're still a nobody. Who you will become, though, depends on you
+and only you. At the very least, you possess incredible athletic ability. You
+have a rough manner of speaking, but you helped advise a lot of students
+during practice. That shows me you're not a worthless person. Right now,
+though, you're trying to run away. If you keep doing that, then you will be
+worthless."
+"Fine. Then just brand me worthless, already. Go ahead. I don't even
+care anymore," he replied.
+"So, you're going to throw in the towel because things aren't going
+your way?"
+No matter what I said to him, he wouldn't respond. Perhaps I was
+incapable of getting him to open up. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
+The afternoon competitions were about to begin. Sudou-kun definitely
+wouldn't make it back in time for the scavenger hunt.
+"Go back, Horikita."
+"No. Not unless I bring you with me."
+"Fine, do what you want." Sudou-kun headed toward the elevator.
+"Tl wait here. Forever."
+"Do what you want."
+I didn't take my eyes off him until the elevator doors closed.
+8.2
+66
+Usa Well, that was unfortunate. Just a bit more, and we might've
+beaten Class B."
+"Yeah."
+Even with a substitute for Sudou, our opponents crushed us in the four-
+way tug-of-war. As a result, we'd been knocked down to the bottom ranking.
+We tried to coordinate better as a class, but Hirata got hit the hardest.
+He'd shouldered the burden of paying for the substitutes, which cost him a lot
+of points. We were in a desperate situation, and Sudou—our ace—was still
+absent.
+"T don't think Sudou-kun's coming back."
+"Hirata, are you going to pay for the next competition, too?"
+"Yeah, Iam. We need it," he replied.
+Hirata had paid three times so far, twice for Sudou and once for
+Horikita, who'd also planned to participate in the four-way tug-of-war. That
+was no small expense. If he had to pay for the next competition, the total
+would be 500,000 points. No matter how many private points he said he had,
+that was still far too much.
+"Well, Sudou aside, Horikita should be able to repay you," I said.
+Fortunately, Horikita had obtained a ton of points from the last exam, much
+like Hirata. "Shouldn't you just let them bear the point burden this time? The
+participants, I mean."
+"You might be right, but 100,000 points is a lot, and it's hard to save
+that many. Also, I'm the one who gave the go-ahead to use substitutes, so I
+can't exactly go asking for points," he replied.
+"Don't you think the people who withdrew are the ones to blame?"
+Besides, Sudou had punched Hirata. But Hirata didn't really dwell on
+that.
+"T suppose there's the class's victory to think about, but if we place
+well here, our winnings will give us an advantage on future tests. It's better if
+people participate. But if they have to pay their own way, a lot of students
+will probably pass on subbing for Sudou."
+The students who most needed points for tests also suffered frequent
+financial troubles. They couldn't risk losing both money and test scores.
+The only competitions that remained were the mixed-gender three-
+legged race and the last event, the 1200-meter relay. Hirata was going to see
+if anyone wanted to participate, but at that moment, Kushida came running
+over to him.
+"Um, Hirata-kun, would you mind if I helped, too? I'd like to
+participate in the three-legged race. Of course, I'll pay the points for it. Is that
+okay?"
+"Huh?"
+"T can't let you bear this burden alone. Besides, I want to try my best
+for the class, and for Horikita-san and Sudou-kun's sake."
+"Since you're pretty good at sports, Kushida-san, your offer is
+welcome."
+"Thank you. I'll go tell Chabashira-sensei that I'll participate in
+Horikita-san's place, then," said Kushida. With that, she ran off.
+"Now for a guy. Ill ask around," said Hirata.
+"Hey, Hirata. Could I go in as Sudou's substitute? Ill pay the points. I
+can't guarantee I'll be much help, but I'll try," I said.
+"Well... Yeah, sure. I don't mind, of course, but...are you okay with
+that?" asked Hirata.
+"T don't feel right making you shoulder this alone. Besides, I'm a little
+anxious about the next test. I'd like to get at least one extra point."
+With Hirata's permission granted, I chased after Kushida, interrupting
+the conversation she was already having with Chabashira-sensei.
+"So, you're going to be Sudou's substitute, Ayanokouji?" Chabashira-
+sensei asked.
+"Yes."
+"Rather unusual, since you tend to prefer watching on the sidelines."
+"You're taking Sudou-kun's place, then, Ayanokouji-kun? I'm looking
+forward to racing with you!" said Kushida.
+"Yeah, same. I'm not all that fast, though, so you' ll have to forgive
+me," I replied.
+"Tn the three-legged race, coordination's more important than simple
+speed," said Kushida.
+"Yoo-hoo! Ayanokouji-kun! Oh, Kikyou-chan, too. Looks like we're
+competing in the same group, huh?" said Ichinose, walking up to us. Beside
+her was her partner, Shibata.
+"Oh, wow, real tough opponents!" Kushida said. "To think the two of
+you are teaming up..."
+"Well, Shibata-kun might be tough, but I'm really not all that special,
+you know? I haven't gotten first place in anything yet," said Ichinose.
+"Really? Wow, that's unexpected," replied Kushida.
+"T placed second one time, but I got fourth or fifth for all the rest of my
+events. To tell you the truth, someone else was supposed to participate in this
+three-legged race, but I guess she sprained her ankle before lunch. Quite a
+few people got injured this year," said Ichinose. Apparently, Class B had
+some absentees of their own.
+"Hey, Shibata-kun," Ichinose said to her partner. "Is it okay if I tie the
+cord now?"
+"Okay."
+The Class B pair cheerily tied their legs together.
+"Well then, I suppose we should... Um, would it be okay if you tied us
+up? It'd be weird for a guy to do that," I told Kushida.
+"Sure. But isn't that strange? I mean, you tied the cord when you
+practiced with Horikita-san, didn't you, Ayanokouji-kun?" Wow, she really
+had been observing the class like a hawk.
+"She's... well, an exception. I can't act the same way around other
+girls."
+"Are you saying Horikita's special, then?"
+It'd be more accurate to say she was someone with special status, but
+that would be difficult to explain.
+"Anyway, I can't believe Horikita-san went off looking for Sudou-kun
+like that," Kushida commented. "It's just that, well, she absolutely never cuts
+class. She's very conscientious. Don't you think it's odd?"
+"Yeah, I was surprised."
+"You didn't really look all that surprised, though." As Kushida said
+that, she crouched down and pulled the cord around my leg.
+"T suppose it's hard for people to read my face. Always has been."
+"You mean, you have a good poker face?"
+"Kushida."
+"Hold on just a little longer, okay? I'll be finished soon," Kushida said
+sweetly while she expertly tied the cord around our legs.
+I decided to cut to the chase.
+"It's you. You're the traitor who leaked Class D's participation table to
+Class C."
+"Come on, Ayanokouji-kun. What's the matter with you? Even as a
+joke, that's a cruel thing to say," she replied.
+"I saw you. You took a picture with your phone of the participation
+table we drew on the blackboard."
+"T did that to record the information, so I would remember."
+"Didn't we all decide to write down our turns by hand, though?"
+"Oh, really? Sorry, I forgot." As Kushida finished tying us together,
+she slowly stood, beaming her usual smile. "Is that all that made you suspect
+me?"
+"Sorry, but I'm sure I'm right. If it weren't true, Class C couldn't have
+massacred us like this," I replied.
+It was rare for me to be standing this close to Kushida, just the two of
+us. This was the perfect opportunity for a chat.
+"Um, but even if someone leaked Class D's participation table, that
+doesn't necessarily mean Class C could crush us, right?" Kushida asked.
+"That's right." Class C hadn't been completely unmatched in every
+competition, which made it difficult to level any accusations. Even if they'd
+figured out Class D's entire order, they still wouldn't have known everything
+about Classes A and B. However, the leak would've significantly raised Class
+C's chances of winning.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Assuming that I am responsible for leaking
+Class D's information... If my taking a picture led you to determine that, it
+must mean you knew the participation table was leaked, right? In that case,
+why didn't you change the table after I took the picture? Couldn't you have
+submitted a new participation table later as a countermeasure? If you did that,
+the picture I took would've been useless, don't you think?"
+"Pointless. That wouldn't matter if the traitor was a Class D student."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Say we altered the participation table just like you said, Kushida.
+Even if we submitted the new table secretly, as long as the traitor was from
+Class D, they could inspect the new list at any time. Anyone in our class had
+the right to see it," I replied.
+"But if you hid the table until the last possible minute before
+submitting it, even if someone did happen to see it, they wouldn't have had
+time to meddle."
+"That's true enough, I suppose."
+"Ah, but doing something like that might end up throwing the rest of
+the class into chaos later. That wouldn't be good, either."
+Kushida was right. If we'd waited to submit the table just before the
+deadline, like she said, we'd have reduced the likelihood of traitors—but also
+severely confused our classmates. Likewise, the other students would've
+resented us if we secretly changed the roster without consulting them. The
+ideal countermeasure would have been to consider the possibility of a leak
+from the very beginning, come up with multiple versions of the participation
+table as a class, and submit one at random.
+"T understand what you're getting at, but I'm not the culprit, okay? I
+don't want to suspect any of my classmates, either," said Kushida.
+"Tn that case, how about we check with Chabashira-sense1? I'm sure
+she can tell us whether any students specifically asked to see the participation
+table after we submitted it," I replied.
+Kushida shut her mouth. For the first time that day, her smile
+disappeared. She'd just implicitly confirmed my suspicions. However, a thin
+smile crept back onto her lips right away.
+"Hee hee. You really aren't an ordinary person, are you, Ayanokouji-
+kun?"
+She laughed. This was a face I'd seen before. The face of the secret
+Kushida.
+"T suppose there's nothing I can do, now that I've been found out. Yes.
+I leaked the participation table," she told me.
+"You admit it?"
+"Yes. If you asked Chabashira-sensei, you would've found me out
+anyway. It was just a matter of time. Besides, even if I tell you the truth,
+Ayanokouji-kun, I'm confident I won't be exposed. You haven't forgotten,
+have you? About my uniform, which you touched?"
+She was threatening me. "No. I can't expose you as the culprit. That's
+certainly true. Incidentally, this reminds me—during the exam on the cruise
+ship, we ended up with the results we did because you had Ryuuen tell all of
+the students that you were the VIP, right? Then you asked Ryuuen for a favor
+in exchange for that information."
+"And what would such a favor be? What could I want enough to betray
+the whole class?"
+"It's what you asked me about before, isn't it?"
+"Ah ha ha! Yes, that's it. You really figured it out, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Td like to hear it from your own lips," I told her.
+"T wanted to expel her. Expel Horikita Suzune. That's what," she
+replied.
+"T just don't understand why you're going after Horikita so
+relentlessly." I'd hoped for the two of them to resolve their issues before the
+sports festival, but it hadn't worked out that way.
+"I'm going to get Horikita-san expelled, no matter what you say. I
+won't change my mind," said Kushida.
+"And you're okay with sabotaging Class D to do that?"
+"That's right. I don't care if I never make it to Class A, if 1t means
+Horikita-san gets expelled. Oh, but don't misunderstand me—once she's
+gone, I'll unite everyone, and we'll work toward reaching Class A together. I
+promise," said Kushida.
+Apparently, there was no changing her mind. She was entirely focused
+on her goal. If she had to, she'd probably rope in people like Katsuragi,
+Ichinose, or Sakayanagi to aid her.
+"Oh, but I reconsidered one thing. I added you to the list of people I
+want expelled, Ayanokouji-kun. After you and Horikita have been
+eliminated, then I'll aim for Class A," said Kushida.
+She still wore that gorgeous smile. Her expression was almost
+dazzling.
+"Have you considered that Ryuuen might expose you?"
+"T'm not an idiot. I obviously wouldn't do anything that left any
+evidence behind. Ryuuen-kun is a liar who entraps people without batting an
+eyelash. Well, I gambled on whether or not he would betray me," said
+Kushida.
+I wanted to tell her that there were plenty of ways to deceive someone.
+A real mastermind would have found a way to make someone else the traitor
+in their stead. A pawn to help them achieve victory.
+"Horikita-san's taken a real beating in this sports festival," Kushida
+added. "It's too bad you couldn't save her, isn't it?"
+I wasn't so sure about that.
+With that conversation done, we ran the three-legged race, silent
+hostility in the air between us.
+8.3
+Aiisse an hour had passed since Sudou-kun left. That meant the final
+competition would begin any minute now. I imagined that Hirata-kun and the
+others would put up a fight, but they couldn't really expect much.
+I was helpless. I could do absolutely nothing except stand around in a
+pointless daze. I'd spent an hour right in front of the elevator.
+Even if I returned to camp and withdrew, I didn't have the funds to get
+a substitute. Ryuuen-kun was getting all my points using blackmail. But that
+wasn't why I couldn't leave. If Sudou-kun returned to find me gone, he'd be
+heartbroken. Besides, despite the fact that Class D's defeat was practically set
+in stone, I wanted to do whatever I could. I believed Sudou-kun would come
+back. That was all there was to it. And then...
+"Did...did you seriously wait around here?"
+"You came back, Sudou-kun." I kept my cool, but inside, I was glad. I
+was so glad.
+"It's already over, isn't it? The sports festival, I mean."
+"Tt might be. But if we go back right now, we may still make it in time
+for the last competition," I said.
+"So? What's the point? We've already lost," said Sudou-kun.
+"You're right that the outcome 1s bleak. I had to withdraw due to my
+injury, and Kouenji-kun was absent from the start. And you left partway
+through, Sudou-kun. Compared to the other classes, our classmates don't
+stand a chance at winning." The recommended-participant events I'd wanted
+to compete in would've ended disastrously, anyway. "Since you've come
+back, can I assume you want to return to the competition?"
+"Nope. I just came down here to see if you were still hanging around,
+is all."
+"T see. Well, while I waited for the past hour, I've gone over some
+things. What kind of person I am, what kind of person you are... Things like
+that. I concluded that you and I really are similar after all."
+"We ain't got anythin' in common. You and I are way too different."
+"No. We're very similar. The more I think about it, the more I see that
+it's true."
+I spoke from the bottom of my heart.
+"Always alone. Always solitary. But you believed you could do it, and
+you tried," I continued. "If there were a difference between us, it would be
+that one of us wants acknowledgement from a single person, and the other
+wants it from a large group. You already know a bit about the student council
+president, right?"
+"Yeah, that prim-and-proper guy?"
+"He's my older brother."
+"Oh? So... Wait. You said something about fighting with him, right?"
+asked Sudou-kun.
+"My relationship with him is far from good. Because I lack talent, we
+aren't close. My older brother is incredible, and dislikes being associated
+with someone incompetent like me. That's why I've tried my absolute
+hardest to become an incredible person, too. I put everything I had into trying
+to achieve that goal, from academics to athletics. Even right now, I'm trying."
+"W-wait a minute. Aren't you already really smart and good at sports?"
+"From the average person's perspective, I suppose. But compared to
+my brother, I'm nothing special." He had likely reached my current aptitude
+while he was in junior high, or perhaps even earlier. "That's why I've been
+running straight ahead, not caring what anyone else thinks of me. As a result,
+I'm always alone. I thought that was fine, though. I believed that, as long as I
+was an astounding student, my brother would care about me. I thought that, if
+I participated in a ton of competitions, he would stop and look at me. That
+was why I told you that I wanted the anchor position in the relay. I had this
+idea that, if I was the anchor, he might cheer for me."
+By confronting Sudou-kun's weakness, I'd also confronted my own.
+"He really doesn't acknowledge you? Even though you're tryin' so
+hard?" asked Sudou-kun.
+"He doesn't. But I finally realized something: I'm not incredible.
+Ryuuen-kun's thoroughly beaten me, and I haven't gotten one single result
+I'm satisfied with, either. I want to make it to Class A to earn my brother's
+respect. That hasn't changed. But the methods I've used to achieve that goal
+have been wrong. I'm not alone. If I have allies, I'm closer to my goal."
+"You're not givin' up?"
+"If there's a difference between you and I, that might be it. I will never,
+ever give up. I'll strive to become someone worthy of my brother's
+admiration," I answered.
+"That sounds like a painful path to take."
+"T suppose. But we aren't alone in this world. There are billions of
+people on this planet, and innumerable people in our lives. We can't ignore
+them."
+A person couldn't survive alone. The sports festival had certainly been
+an ordeal for our class, but at the same time, it had been revelatory.
+"T said that you'd turn to violence again, then coldly pushed you away.
+But that wasn't the right answer. If you ever stray from your path in future,
+Pll bring you back to it. So, until we graduate, please lend me your strength. I
+promise that Ill lend you all mine, too." I looked him right in the eye and
+didn't avert my gaze.
+"Just a little while ago, it didn't seem like that was the case at all. Why
+do your words seem so serious now?" he asked.
+"It might be because I've finally admitted the truth, which is that I'm a
+worthless person. I've avoided that fact." I wouldn't have said that to just
+anyone. "Ill ask you again, Sudou-kun. Lend me your strength."
+"Horikita..."
+Sudou-kun balled his hands tightly into fists, then hit himself on the
+forehead.
+"Ah. What the hell am I feelin' right now?! I don't get it, but it's like...
+I feel like I've finally had my eyes opened."
+He stepped toward me.
+"Tl work with you, Horikita. I...I feel like someone's finally noticed
+me outside basketball."
+As he said that, I felt myself smile. I'd never experienced this before. I
+wondered what the intense throbbing in my chest was. I knew that it wasn't
+friendship, or love. It was something else.
+Embarrassing as it still felt to admit to myself, I now had an ally. That
+was different from Ayanokouji-kun, or my brother. It was something I'd
+lacked.
+Perhaps I had just taken my first small step forward.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Kamuro Masumi
+First Year, Class A
+STUDENT ID: S01T0047 14 $
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Art Club
+***
+y]
+February 20th |
+***
+Her academic abilities and intelligence are average, but she hardly
+speaks at all. She lacks cooperativeness. There is room for improvement
+in her speech and behavior.
+***
+She hasn't done anything to drag down the class. However, she's made
+almost no new friends.
+Chapter 9:
+The Turning Point
+The last event of the sports festival, the 1200-meter relay, was about
+to begin. Everyone—other than Class D—was amped.
+"The final event, huh? I guess we need to choose a substitute for this
+one, too."
+"Huh...! Puh...! Hey, sorry to keep you all waiting! What's going on?"
+Sudou, completely out of breath, returned with Horikita lagging slightly
+behind him.
+"Sudou-kun, you came back!"
+"Yeah, sorry. My bad. It took way longer to take a dump than I
+thought."
+Sudou looked as if he was in a bright, cheerful mood—all smiles.
+However, many students glared at him icily. He didn't flinch from their
+stares.
+"Sorry. I punched Hirata and crashed our morale because I lost my
+temper. It's my fault that Class D is about to lose," he continued.
+Sudou bowed deeply. The Sudou of an hour ago couldn't have done
+that, even if it were an act. Something must have happened. After a stunned
+moment, Hirata laughed happily. His cheek was slightly swollen, and looked
+painful, but he didn't seem to care about that.
+"The heck, Ken? This isn't like you," said Ike.
+"T gotta admit, I did somethin' wrong after doing somethin' wrong. I
+want to apologize to you, too, Kanji," Sudou replied.
+"Tt's not like it's your fault I lost or anything. I'm just no good at
+sports, really. Sorry I wasn't useful," said Ike.
+"If you haven't decided on a sub for the relay, please let me run," said
+Sudou.
+"You're the only person we'd want doing this, Sudou-kun. Right,
+everyone?" said Hirata.
+Both guys and girls would run the final 1200-meter relay. Three guys
+and three girls from each class had to participate.
+"Can I ask for a substitute? I wouldn't run very well with my leg like
+this," said Horikita. She sounded apologetic.
+"Are you okay with that, Horikita?" Hirata asked. "You really wanted
+to be in this relay."
+"There's nothing I can do about it. In the state I'm in right now, I'm
+not sure I could even win against Ike-kun. Sorry," Horikita replied.
+She bowed deeply, as Sudou had done earlier. I wondered if she'd ever
+been that honest before. Ryuuen had crushed Horikita's body and spirit.
+She'd craved the anchor position, reached for it, because she envisioned
+herself running alongside her brother. Now—though her hands trembled in
+apparent frustration—she accepted the reality that, 1f she forced herself to
+compete, then Class D would lose the relay.
+Hirata nodded, and decided that Kushida would take Horikita's place.
+Our list included Hirata, Miyake, Maezono, and Onodera, with Sudou at the
+top. With Kushida as Horikita's replacement, that made six people. There
+really weren't any other sprinters in Class D who stood a chance.
+After confirming the team members, Hirata opened his mouth to speak.
+"Um, I apologize for the suddenness of this, but..."
+However, someone else cut Hirata off. "Sorry, but...would you please
+let me withdraw, too?"
+Miyake was speaking. He looked as though he was dragging his right
+leg a little.
+"To tell you the truth, I twisted my ankle before lunch during the 200-
+meter dash. I thought it would feel better after I rested, but it still hurts."
+"In that case, it looks like we'll need a replacement from the boys as
+well." Hirata looked around, but no volunteers came forward.
+I decided to speak up. "In that case, would it be okay if I ran? I'll pay
+the points to go in as a substitute, of course."
+"You will, Ayanokouji?" Miyake asked. "Wait, though. Are you that
+fast?"
+"T support him. I've been watching everyone, and I think Ayanokouji
+will do well," said Hirata.
+That was all it took to shut down dissenting voices. Hirata's words had
+weight.
+"However, we can't really say that Class D is putting forward its best
+runners," Hirata said. "That's why getting a head start on the competition
+should be our strategy. What do you think, Sudou-kun? If you get us off to a
+good start and overtake the other runners, I think we might be able to put
+some distance between us and the other classes. I'Il maintain that lead and
+make sure the next student keeps things going."
+Lanes couldn't be prepared for each of the twelve competing students,
+so we had to start side-by-side. The rules stated that you could take an inner
+lane from an opponent after you overtook them. In other words, your initial
+position was the most important one. If you could get ahead of the others
+during the starting dash, you wouldn't end up in a chaotic free-for-all.
+"Well, guess we don't got much choice. There ain't any other way for
+us to win," said Sudou.
+He would go first. Hirata, sufficiently speedy himself, was second.
+After that the three girls—Kushida included—would have their turns, and
+then I'd go last. Class D must have been counting on me more than I
+expected, to have made me the anchor.
+The chosen elites assembled in the middle of the field. Horikita's older
+brother, and that second-year student Nagumo, were among them.
+"We're leaving it all to you, Sudou-kun!" shouted Hirata.
+Kushida and the other runners also cheered. Sudou, looking motivated,
+got into his lane. The first-year students appeared to be in a slightly
+advantageous position, since Class D had the innermost lane. They'd
+arranged it so that the third-year Class A students were in the outermost lane.
+Class D didn't have any chance of winning the festival, but 1f we were
+victorious here, it might help us down the line. Supportive cheers came
+roaring from our camp.
+"Man, that was close. A couple seconds more, and I would have
+withdrawn," said Hirata.
+"Yeah. Miyake's injury was unexpected," I replied.
+The plan from the start had been for me to participate in the final relay
+as Hirata's substitute. Of course, only Hirata and I knew about that.
+"This is okay, right, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Yeah. Sorry that you had to make all the arrangements."
+"It's only natural for me. Besides, I'd hate it if Ryuuen-kun beat us
+again. Think he'Il be surprised that you're running?"
+"T'll do my best not to disappoint you. More importantly, though, let's
+cheer Sudou on."
+The instant the signal sounded, Sudou got off to a strong start. His
+starting dash had the best time of any I'd seen thus far. He launched himself
+forward with such momentum that, after his first stride, he managed to pass
+eleven people.
+"Whoa!" the racers shouted.
+"Dude, he's so fast!"
+The second-year guys and girls were left to struggle desperately for a
+position, and got caught up in a chaotic free-for-all. Sudou, taking advantage
+of that opening, continued to leave the others in the dust. When he finished
+his leg of the relay, he'd secured an advantage of at least fifteen meters.
+"Tt's up to you, Hirata!"
+Class D brimmed with excitement. Sudou passed the baton to the next
+runner, Hirata. As a man who excelled in both studies and sports, he was
+glorious. The racers chased Hirata, one after another, but they couldn't reduce
+the gap we'd created. We maintained our lead as we transitioned to the third
+runner, Onodera.
+This was where problems might start. For a girl, Onodera was fast, but
+the guys chasing her were starting to close in. A guy from the second-year
+Class A overtook her as she ran.
+New students ran one after another. One third-year Class A guy also
+passed Onodera, and other third- and second-year Class A students after that.
+By the time Onodera passed the baton to our fourth runner, Maezono, our
+lead was almost gone.
+However, the race was full of surprises. A girl from the third-year
+Class A, who was her team's fourth runner, took a spill and fell about fifty
+meters behind the runner she was supposed to pass the baton to. Panicking,
+the girl tried to get back in the race, but a Class A second year took advantage
+of that opening and created a significant gap.
+By the time Maezono passed the baton to Kushida, our fifth runner,
+Class A had overtaken Class D, and we'd fallen to seventh place.
+The first-year students just couldn't compete at the same level as the
+seniors. Only Class B's first-year students had managed to get into third
+place, and their ace, Shibata, had apparently received the role of anchor. He
+was waiting his turn, just like me.
+As the fourth runner from the third-year Class A tumbled, the situation
+between the guys in the anchor positions changed.
+"Looks like victory is ours this time, President Horikita. I would've
+liked to run against you directly, if possible." Nagumo laughed as the second-
+year Class A's top runner approached him. There was a thirty-meter gap
+between him and the third-year Class A student in second place. "Looks like
+we're going to win in overall points, too. Guess this is the dawn of a new era,
+eh?"
+"Do you seriously plan to change this school?" the student council
+president asked.
+"You're too traditional. And even though you're strict, you're weak.
+Your rules are too generous, and they stop people from getting expelled. All
+I'm going to do is help make this school the ultimate meritocracy," said
+Nagumo.
+He walked forward as he spoke, getting in position to receive the baton
+as it came his way. Not too long after Nagumo nabbed it, Shibata also
+received his baton. "All right! Nice! Leave the rest to me!"
+Fire blazing in his eyes, Shibata chased down Nagumo. My eyes met
+Horikita's brother's for an instant. I could tell this man was fighting some
+internal struggle.
+"To think that you're the anchor," he said.
+"I'm just a substitute. Originally, your sister planned to be in this
+position," I replied.
+"T see. I suppose she's struggling to make it through," he responded.
+Horikita had probably dreamed of having a conversation with him, or
+at least telling him what she felt.
+"I've observed your class," the student council president told me. "Up
+until a short while ago, I thought there was no hope for you. However, I don't
+get that impression from you at all in this relay. What happened?"
+"You don't really need to pay attention to first-year Class D, though.
+Right?"
+"TI keep an eye on every class. No exceptions," he replied.
+"T suppose, if anything's changed, it would be your sister."
+"T see." No look of surprise. He looked as composed as always.
+"What about you? I can't feel any excitement from you."
+"I'm not interested in the sports festival. I already know the outcome."
+The class's feelings.
+Sudou's feelings.
+Horikita's feelings.
+I had no interest in any of those. All I had was a single premonition.
+"You probably won't be around to see this, but our class will become
+stronger," I told him.
+"I'm not interested in such a fanciful future," Horikita's older brother
+replied.
+As he shifted his gaze toward his teammate, I spoke. "In that case,
+would you be interested in learning exactly what kind of person I am?"
+"What?"
+"Tf you'd like, Ill race against you seriously," I added.
+"You really say some interesting things. I thought you hated standing
+out or getting involved. Why change that now?" he asked.
+"If you give up your chance at second place in order to race me, I'Il
+accept your challenge. It's not often that a first-year and third-year have the
+opportunity to compete like this, is it?"
+Horikita's brother stood still and turned to face me. "Interesting."
+He didn't seem as though he was going to move at all. His team's fifth
+runner passed him the baton, looking perplexed, but the older Horikita took it
+and stood completely still. "You did well. Great work," he said.
+"Uh, thanks. Hah..." The third-year student left in a mild state of
+shock.
+Everyone in the audience noticed this bizarre spectacle. One after
+another, other runners passed the third-year Class A, and Horikita just stood
+there. Finally, Kushida approached me at full speed. She'd be here in
+seconds.
+"T'll say one thing to you before we race."
+"What?" Horikita's brother asked.
+As the two of us got ready, I said only, "Run as fast as you can."
+I got the feeling that the older Horikita, whose face was in my
+peripheral vision, wore a slight smile. Finally, the baton passed to me.
+"Ayanokouji-kun!" Kushida cried.
+I bolted down the track at full throttle.
+I'd never, ever run seriously in my entire life. Until then. It was as
+different as could be from all the times I'd run in that cold, sterile room. It
+was still only the beginning of October, but the cold wind washed over me. I
+didn't really care about overtaking the runner in front of me. All that mattered
+right now was competing against the man next to me.
+We ran at full speed, almost as though we were cutting through the
+wind, and closed the distance between us and the frontrunners.
+"Whoa! No way!"
+We passed a shocked student and left him in our dust. I could no longer
+hear the cheers. Strategies and resourcefulness were irrelevant. There was
+only this one-on-one battle against Horikita Manabu, who ran next to me.
+Beyond the first curve, beyond the straight line that followed, and then to the
+last curve.
+All right. I'm going to go even faster.
+Cheers that sounded like angry bellows resounded across the grounds.
+9.1
+66 ;
+Vou were super fast." Karuizawa averted her eyes as she spoke to
+"Wasn't it just that my opponent was slow?"
+"No, no. No way! Can you really say that after seeing everyone's
+reactions?"
+"Jokes aside, I still didn't beat the student council president in the end,
+did I?"
+"Well, there wasn't really anything you could've done about that. The
+runner in front of you fell down, after all."
+True. That runner ended up blocking my path. I'd avoided hitting him,
+but the slight delay was a significant loss, and Horikita's older brother had
+pulled ahead. I didn't know what would've happened without that accident,
+but I didn't really care.
+At the very least, I was certain that I'd probably gathered the whole
+school's attention during the final competition. Many students looked at me
+with puzzled expressions.
+"Ayanokouji! You really are super fast, dude. Whoa! Have you been
+holding back until now?!" As he came running up, Sudou slapped me on the
+back with all his might. It really hurt.
+"Running's pretty much my only specialty, but I overdid it. That's the
+power of being fired up, huh?" I replied.
+"That still doesn't explain it, though. That speed. You liar." Horikita
+walked up to me, still dragging her leg slightly.
+"You guys, this isn't how you should treat a soldier who fought with
+everything he had," I whined. Horikita jabbed my abdomen. "Ow, that
+hurts!"
+Karuizawa moved out of the way, so as not to get between Horikita and
+I. Sakura was also looking at me from afar, but because there was a big
+crowd around me at this point, she didn't get close.
+"If you'd run like that from the very beginning, this situation would've
+been different. But now you're going to be basking in lots of attention," said
+Horikita.
+She was right. Unlike Hirata, Shibata, or Sudou, I'd held back until
+now. Still, it shouldn't have been too hard to plausibly claim that I'd done
+that as part of Hirata and Horikita's strategy, masterminded behind the
+scenes. That tactic was particularly effectively against someone like Ryuuen,
+who tried to outsmart his opponents.
+"Looks like they' Il announce the results soon. Let's get going."
+The results would be announced during the sports festival's closing
+ceremonies. All the students looked toward the gigantic electronic
+scoreboard.
+"Well now announce the results of this year's sports festival!"
+"Red Team" and "White Team" were displayed as separate entries on
+the scoreboard. The tallied numbers started to rise, showing the total points
+the teams had acquired from all thirteen events. The winning team was...
+The words "Red Team Wins" appeared on the board along with the
+team's score. The competition had been incredibly arduous, but the Red
+Team D/A coalition appeared to be victorious.
+"Next, we will announce each class's overall points."
+The board divided the twelve classes into three categories, and it
+displayed the overall points for each class all at once. We didn't really care
+about the details of the second- and third-year scores. What was crucial for us
+was Class D's position.
+1S' Place: First Year, B Class
+2"d Place: First Year, C Class
+34 Place: First Year, A Class
+4'4 Place: First Year, D Class
+"Ugegeh! I knew it! We lost!"
+"Well, I thought things would end this way."
+We were overjoyed that Red Team had won, but apparently, us first
+years had dragged the team down significantly. That was probably inevitable,
+though. Two absentees, Kouenji and Sakayanagi, had factored majorly into
+that. The second- and third-year Class As took first place with overwhelming
+leads. Their Class Ds secured second and third place, which indicated
+stability.
+Unfortunately, even though we'd won as part of the Red Team, the
+first-year Class A only placed third in terms of overall points. That meant
+they'd be hit with a fifty-point penalty. Because Class D had come in last
+place, we faced a 100-point penalty. Since the White Team had lost, Class C
+would also lose 100 points. Class B had won first place in terms of overall
+score, and so gained fifty points; however, they would also lose fifty points
+because the White Team lost. None of the classes had really won.
+Everyone was thoroughly exhausted and overwhelmed. Even though
+we'd tried our best, our class points had decreased. Of course, the students
+who had won individual competitions would have an advantage on future
+tests, so the sports festival wasn't completely pointless.
+"Lastly, we will announce the MVP for each school year."
+This was probably the part that Sudou was most looking forward to. If
+he could take first place, Sudou would likely be all smiles, since he would get
+permission to call Horikita by her first name.
+However, the words "First Year MVP: Shibata Sou" appeared on the
+electronic scoreboard.
+"Gaaahh! I knew it!" Sudou let out an agonized cry. Shibata had
+consistently taken first or second place in each of the events. Sudou placed
+first in all his individual competitions, but being absent must have had a
+major influence on the results. The fact that we lost a heavily-weighted event
+like the relay was probably a big part of it, too.
+Sudou continued staring at the scoreboard in apparent frustration even
+after the closing ceremonies ended.
+"You didn't take the top spot for our school year, Sudou-kun. You
+remember our promise, right?" Horikita asked.
+"Yeah," Sudou replied. "It's unfortunate. But a promise is a promise.
+Pll call you Horikita from now on."
+"Your dedication is impressive." Horikita laughed in a slightly teasing
+way. "I forgot to tell you one thing, though. You pushed those conditions on
+me, so they were rather one-sided. I never mentioned whether I had any
+conditions of my own."
+"Whaddya mean?"
+"If you took first place, you could have used my first name. Isn't it
+only natural that I make a request of you in return?"
+"Well, yeah. I guess so."
+"So, I'm going to give you a penalty for not achieving your goal. You
+are forbidden from ever using violence without a justifiable reason ever
+again. Can you promise me that?" asked Horikita.
+"It's my punishment, right? I promise," said Sudou.
+"Of course, you're not the one who gets to decide what a 'justifiable
+reason' is. That's up to me or a third party."
+Sudou obediently accepted that condition as well. He might have
+realized his own foolishness and decided to act more mature.
+Horikita slowly turned and started to walk away, then stopped.
+"Oh, that reminds me. During the festival, I wasn't able to live up to
+everyone's expectations, either," she added.
+"Huh? That's just cause you were injured, though. Nothing you
+could've done about that," replied Sudou.
+"Be that as it may, I can't forgive myself. I need to be punished, too,"
+said Horikita. "So, if you want to call me by my first name, I don't mind
+giving you permission."
+"Huh? H-hey!"
+"That's my punishment."
+That was Horikita's compromise.
+"Even though we did get last place, I have hope for the battles to come,
+thanks to you. I'm truly grateful," said Horikita.
+Sudou bashfully rubbed his nose, as if he blamed the setting sun for the
+redness of his cheeks. With an impressive shout, he raised both arms to the
+sky. "The sports festival is the best! It's the best, Suzune!"
+"T'm happy for you, Sudou."
+"Yeah!"
+"Sorry about cutting in while you're celebrating, but do you have a
+minute?" someone asked as we headed back toward the school.
+She was a calm, composed girl. I didn't know her name, but she was a
+Class A student I'd seen back in the cavalry battle.
+"Would you mind coming with me after you finish changing?"
+"Why me?" I asked.
+"Because I have something to talk to you about. At five o'clock, go to
+the front gate."
+"H-hey, Ayanokouji. Wh-what's going on, dude?" said Sudou.
+""What's this?!"
+For a moment, I imagined that the request would lead to something like
+a romantic confession. However, I didn't get that kind of impression at all
+from this girl.
+"Hey, what do you mean?" I asked. But the girl left without paying me
+any more attention.
+"What was that? Has springtime come for you, too?" Sudou asked.
+"Tt doesn't look that way to me."
+"T mean, there's a chance that girl fell in love with you after she saw
+you run as the anchor."
+"For crying out loud," I huffed.
+After I changed into my uniform in the locker room, I returned to the
+classroom. Horikita, now also clad in her uniform, entered the classroom
+slightly later than I did and sat next to me.
+"This time, we were defeated soundly. Completely." Yet, as Horikita
+said that, she didn't appear depressed. "But I feel like I grew today. I never
+imagined a day would come when failure would nourish me, but...that's
+really how I feel."
+"T see. That's good, right?" I asked.
+"This class 1s going to get stronger. Then we'll definitely climb the
+ranks to the upper classes," replied Horikita.
+"Honestly, this optimism is kind of freaking me out. It's not like you,"
+I told her.
+"T suppose not. It's different, isn't it?" She bashfully averted her eyes.
+"We're facing a ton of challenges. There are also problems I need to take care
+of. But I suppose, first of all, I have to get down on my knees."
+"On your knees?"
+The phrase concerned me, but Horikita didn't expand any further. "It
+doesn't involve you. Thank you for today," she added.
+9.2
+Dis students, having used up all their energy during the festival,
+began to leave the classroom one after another, looking completely drained.
+Because there weren't any club activities today, Sudou-kun left while
+chatting with Ike-kun and the others. Ayanokouji-kun must have been
+heading back as well, since he got up from his seat rather quickly. He looked
+over at me, so maybe he was curious about what I was up to.
+"You're not going back yet?" he asked.
+"That's right. I'm...well, I have some trifling matters to take care of," I
+replied.
+"You usually head back right away, though. This is unusual."
+"Well, these things do happen. Thank you for everything," I told him.
+"Sure. See you tomorrow."
+Everyone left the room one by one, and before I knew it, I was the only
+person left. I was prepared to respond to Ryuuen-kun. During the sports
+festival, he had me dancing in the palm of his hand. By the time I had
+realized what was happening, it was too late. With no planned
+countermeasures in place, I was thoroughly defeated.
+But, somehow, I felt cheerful. I also felt as though I'd been thoroughly
+crushed. I understood that I was much, much more pathetic that I'd imagined,
+and I felt I needed to thank Ryuuen for teaching me that.
+"Sorry to keep you waiting, Horikita-san. I got caught up talking with a
+friend." Kushida-san came back in, putting her hands together in an
+apologetic gesture.
+"Tt's fine. We still have a little while before the appointment. Shall we
+go?" I asked.
+9.3
+66
+So, you didn't run away, Suzune. You came," said Ryuuen.
+"If I had run away, I truly would've been hopeless. I'm going to face
+my problems," I told him.
+"You've got a good heart. You've become a finer woman than before,"
+said Ryuuen.
+I wasn't exactly pleased to hear that from him. "Before we talk, why
+don't we put an end to this ridiculous charade, Kushida-san?" I asked.
+"Huh? Charade? What in the world do you mean?" she replied.
+As the setting sun colored the school building, I stared directly at her.
+"If you want to pretend to be a good person, I don't particularly care. But
+you're not, are you? You leaked the information. That's how Class C was
+able to
+pull off what they did. That's why I'm here right now, like this, with
+Ryuuen-kun. Am I wrong?"
+"Come on, now. Who did you hear that from? Hirata-kun?
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Neither. These are my own feelings on the matter. I couldn't shake off
+my uneasiness. Ryuuen-kun's the only one here right now. Don't you think
+it's time we cut to the chase and confront each other?" I asked.
+"Confront each other? What do you mean?"
+"Way back at the start of our first semester, I saw you trying to
+convince Kouenji-kun to give up his seat on the bus. To be completely
+honest, I didn't recognize you. But immediately afterward, I remembered."
+I looked Kushida-san square in the eye as I spoke. If she was working
+with Ryuuen-kun, she'd continue to conspire against me. The only reason she
+hadn't yet acted more directly was that she thought she didn't have to.
+"Kushida Kikyou-san, you attended my junior high," I said.
+For the first time ever, I saw her expression change, but then another
+smile crept onto her face.
+"Of course you remember. I was quite the problem child, I suppose,"
+Kushida-san replied. She lowered her eyes in silence.
+"T don't think that's entirely accurate. You weren't a problem child.
+Everyone trusted you, just like everyone in Class D now trusts you. But—"
+"Can you please stop? Stop bringing up the past."
+"T suppose. It's meaningless to talk about what's already been done," I
+replied. Ryuuen-kun smiled while he listened to our conversation, looking as
+though he was enjoying himself.
+"Well then, you understand what I'm after, right? You know what I
+want to do?" Kushida-san asked.
+"Yes. I've already realized what you want. You want to chase me out
+of this school. Aren't you taking quite a large risk, though? If I exposed the
+truth, you'd lose your popularity."
+"Me or Horikita-san? It's obvious which of us is more loved. I suppose
+you could say I'm someone who hedges her bets," Kushida-san replied.
+"Even if no one believed what I said, there'd still be lingering doubts.
+You can't deny the fact that we attended the same junior high," I told her.
+"T suppose you're right. But if you do happen to tell anyone about me, I
+will drag the brother you so love and respect into this," she said.
+I reflexively stiffened in response. That was the perfect defense against
+me. There wasn't a single opening I could exploit.
+However, Kushida-san couldn't take action easily, either. If she were
+to openly involve my brother in all this, she'd know that I had nothing left to
+lose, and be afraid that I'd do anything in my desperation. That was precisely
+why she came up with this strategy to chase me out instead.
+"Can't you simply ignore me?" I asked. "You know I don't involve
+myself with other people or stick my nose where it doesn't belong, right?"
+"For now. But there's no guarantee for the future. I want anyone who
+knows about my past to disappear, so that I can be me. Otherwise, I' Il be in
+trouble," she replied.
+"Since Ryuuen's seen your true face, does that make him your prey,
+too?" I asked.
+"Yes, I suppose so, depending on the circumstances," she answered. It
+was a bold move, since she and Ryuuen-kun were supposed to be allies.
+"Heh heh. What a shrewd woman. Well, I guess I decided to work with
+you because I like this side of your personality."" Ryuuen-kun snickered.
+"Let me tell you one thing, Horikita-san. I will have the school expel
+you. If I need to make a deal with the devil to do so, so be it," Kushida-san
+said. She walked past me and stood next to Ryuuen-kun.
+"That's really a shame, Suzune," he told me. "Betrayed by such a
+trustworthy ally."
+"You were a step ahead of me this time, Ryuuen-kun. No...I suppose
+you 've been a step ahead for a while. The test on the cruise ship, the one on
+the island, and the incident with Sudou-kun... I've just kept on losing and
+losing," I told them. The words poured out of my mouth easily, without
+pause.
+"Then I think the time for talk is over," he replied. "I'll tell you this,
+though: Kinoshita running into you earlier was a total accident. She didn't
+have any ulterior motive or ill intent. That's just the way the world is."
+"Perhaps so. There's no evidence, so it was obvious that I'd be framed
+as the aggressor," I replied. "But let me say this, in turn. You were behind
+that incident. You ordered Kinoshita-san to make sure I took a fall. I'm sure
+of it."
+"You're delusional," he answered.
+"T don't care if I'm being delusional. But I'd like to ask you why you
+did it."
+"It's quite a long process just to get you to kneel." Ryuuen-kun
+laughed as if he was enjoying himself. "Before the sports festival, I had
+Kushida get her hands on Class D's complete participation table. I put the
+right people in the right places to ensure good match-ups, and took the wins.
+Of course, that's not all. I thoroughly researched Class A as well," he added.
+"Brilliant leadership. You beat us both," I replied. Although they'd
+fallen short of Class B in terms of overall strength, there was no doubt that
+Class C had fought well. "But couldn't you have won more effectively? To
+crush me, you pitted two of your aces against me, and even had one of them
+withdraw after she was injured. That's incomprehensible."
+"T wanted to crush you. That was reason enough. I had no interest in
+winning the sports festival," he replied.
+"But your strategy also relied on luck. Good for you. When you
+ordered Kinoshita-san to knock me over, two coincidences saved you. One,
+that I just so happened to be unable to continue participating, and two, that
+Kinoshita-san injured herself. You couldn't plan for either of those factors," I
+told him.
+That was where my world had fallen apart. If Kinoshita had only been
+slightly injured, the situation wouldn't have gotten this serious.
+"Your injury was coincidental, yes. If Kinoshita deliberately aimed to
+injure you, that would've been obvious. That's why I had her carefully
+practice hitting an opponent and making the fall look completely natural,"
+said Ryuuen-kun.
+What had he done to make her obey him to that extent?
+"Actually, about Kinoshita's injury," Ryuuen said. "Do you really
+think it was an accident?"
+"Huh?"
+"She certainly did fall, yes. But injuries that serious don't just happen
+at the drop of a hat. That's why I had her pretend to be in pain and then drop
+out of the sports festival. Before she got medical treatment, I injured her
+myself. Like this."
+He stomped on the floor with all his strength. BAM! The sound echoed
+unnervingly through the hall.
+"You injured...her?" I asked.
+"She agreed when I told her that I'd pay her 500,000 points. Man, the
+power of money is a terrifying thing, isn't it?"
+So, he'd decided from the very beginning that Kinoshita-san would
+sustain a serious injury. His schemes, and his ability to execute them, were
+both terrifying. He'd do anything for the sake of winning, but I was shocked
+that he'd speak of that so openly.
+"Ts it really okay for you to just blab on and on?" I asked him.
+"What?"
+"If I happened to be recording your confession, what would you do?"
+As I asked that question, I pulled out my phone.
+"Did you come up with that bluff just now?"
+"T bet everything on it. Still, 'm surprised you told me so much." I
+pushed a button on my phone and played back the recording from a specific
+point.
+"Before the sports festival, I had Kushida get her hands on Class D's
+complete—"'
+"If you complain about me, or demand that I pay you points or bow
+before you, Ill use the evidence I now hold in my hands. If I do, which of us
+will be in trouble?" I asked.
+"Wha—?!" Ryuuen-kun's smile disappeared for the first time. His
+words failed him. "Suzune...you..."
+"T don't want to cause any panic. That's why I'd like to settle things."
+"Heh heh! Ha ha ha ha!" Ryuuen-kun suddenly burst out in laughter.
+"You really are an entertaining woman, you know that? I said so from the
+very beginning, didn't I? The contents of our current conversation are, at
+best, complete fiction. I was just humoring your delusions. All I did was
+anticipate the story you conjured up inside your own head," he replied.
+"T could delete the part where you said it was a delusion and edit the
+recording, couldn't I?" I asked.
+"Well, in that case, I'd just have to hand over the original recording.
+Then there would be no problem at all." Ryuuen, smiling boldly, took his
+own phone from his pocket. "Do you know what this is? The full audio
+recording, from beginning to end. In fact, I actually took video."
+As he said that, he aimed his phone camera at me. It was a kind of
+insurance more reliable than audio. Ryuuen-kun had already imagined that
+Id try betting everything on one final move...which meant that I was
+between a rock and a hard place.
+"So, do you admit it, Suzune? The reality of your defeat, I mean."
+Kushida-san also smiled boldly now. I fully understood what a fool I
+was. Ryuuen-kun wasn't the kind of opponent that my strategies could take
+down. My last hope had ended up misfiring.
+"Abandon your pride and get on your knees, Suzune."
+I quietly knelt. "I understand... I admit..."
+Ding! A strange sound came from Ryuuen-kun's phone, which was
+right in front of me. I thought he wouldn't pay much attention, but for some
+reason, he looked at the screen.
+Ryuuen-kun's face stiffened for a moment. He started fiddling with his
+phone without even so much as glancing at me. Mixed together with a variety
+of other sounds, I heard a recording.
+"Listen up, you guys. We're going to set a trap for Horikita Suzune. I
+don't care what it takes to completely crush her. I have a plan in mind. I'll
+show you something interesting."
+That was Ryuuen-kun's voice. Was it from a previous conversation? In
+the recording, he went into detail about what he'd so proudly explained to me
+just moments ago.
+I heard Ibuki-san's voice. It sounded like she interrupted Ryuuen-kun.
+"Look, I'm not discounting your strategy or whatever, but give me a chance
+to fight Horikita."'
+Ryuuen-kun's voice again. "Run against Suzune during the obstacle
+course, and collide with her. Do whatever it takes to knock her over.
+***
+Afterward, I'll injure you myself and get you some money from her.'
+I didn't know what in the world was happening right now.
+"What's going on, Ryuuen-kun? What's with that recording?"
+Kushida-san seemed puzzled.
+"T see. I see, I see. I see now! Heh heh! Isn't that interesting? Do you
+know what this means, Kikyou? There's a traitor in Class C, too. They made
+not just you and Suzune dance in the palm of their hand, but me as well. This
+person predicted everything, including your betrayal and Suzune's
+debasement. Ha ha ha ha! Interesting! So interesting! The person pulling the
+strings is incredible! The best!"
+Ryuuen-kun swept his hair back, giving a deep belly laugh.
+"You were used, Kikyou. They predicted that you'd betray your class
+and leak the participation table. They read us like a book."
+"Who could be responsible for this? Could it be Ayanokouji-kun? I
+mean, I didn't think he was that fast, either," said Kushida-san.
+"Well, he's one candidate, but I'm not drawing any conclusions yet.
+Someone managed to get this recording without leaving a trace behind.
+Suzune, Ayanokouji, and—depending on the circumstances—even Hirata
+might have been positioned where they were because someone was
+puppeteering them. I'm going to investigate this thoroughly. I've failed to get
+points from Suzune or have her kneel, but I'm happy with all that I
+procured," said Ryuuen-kun.
+There was no doubting it. I didn't know how he'd done it, but he'd
+used someone from Class C to record Ryuuen-kun's strategy. What I saw him
+do in the relay against my brother was completely incomprehensible, too. It
+was unlike him to draw attention to himself that way, but that was how I
+knew it had to be true.
+The mastermind had to be Ayanokouji Kityotaka-kun.
+"Well, this is over for now," Ryuuen-kun said. "Whoever sent this
+email probably won't hound me further."
+"Ts that really okay, though? What if they threaten you with the
+recording?" Kushida-san asked.
+"If they intended to submit it to the school, they already would've. I
+couldn't get Suzune on her knees, but I accomplished half of what I wanted
+to. A good show."
+9.4
+A fier I changed into my uniform, I went to the front gate as
+promised. Just as she'd said, the girl was waiting for me.
+"You wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked.
+"Follow me," she said.
+"Follow you where?"
+"The special building."
+The girl started walking without any further explanation. We arrived at
+the special building's third floor, one of the few places where no
+surveillances cameras were installed.
+"What exactly—"
+The girl just told me to wait and walked off on her own. She headed
+around the corner and quietly whispered, "Can I go back now?"
+"Yes. Excellent work, Masumi-san. I'll count on you again in future."
+"Yes." Masumi quietly nodded and left. The voice's owner slowly
+came into view. Carrying a cane in one hand, she looked at me with a cold
+smile.
+First-year Class A Sakayanagi.
+"You wanted to see me?"
+Sakayanagi didn't answer. For a silent moment, she and I just stared at
+each other. The school building began to get dark.
+"You drew quite a lot of attention in that final relay, Ayanokouji
+Kiyotaka-kun." That was all she said.
+"Oh, sorry. Can I send one little message? I've got someone waiting," I
+replied.
+"Go ahead." Sakayanagi smiled, not appearing displeased at all.
+I sent off the message I'd prepared via my phone. "So, can I assume
+you're the one who called me here?"
+"Yes."
+"What do you want? I'd like to wrap this up quickly, if possible."
+"After seeing you run, I remembered something. I called you here
+because I wanted to share the shock I felt with you. It's almost like the
+buildup toward a romantic confession, don't you think?"
+"T really have no idea what you' re talking about."
+Clack. Clack. Sakayanagi, still gripping her cane, moved right next to
+me.
+"It's been quite a long time, Ayanokouji-kun. Eight years and 243
+days, actually."
+"You're joking, right? I don't even know who you are."
+"Heh. No, I suppose not. It's just me who knows you, after all."
+Clack.
+Clack.
+Her cane's tapping gradually grew quieter. What in the world was this
+about? I decided I was done here, and turned to walk away from Sakayanagi.
+"White Room," Sakayanagi said.
+I stopped dead in my tracks at those two simple words. They cracked
+my composure.
+"Tt's unpleasant, isn't it? When only your opponent knows your
+secrets."
+"You..."
+"This is a reunion. I just wanted to come give you a proper greeting."
+Reunion? Though I kept my back to Sakayanagi, I turned my head to
+look at her. I had never seen her before. I didn't remember this girl, and I
+wasn't missing any memories of my past. I had met Sakayanagi for the first
+time at school. There was no arguing with that fact.
+"Oh, it's quite all right that you don't know me. But I know you. We
+have a strange sort of bond, you could say. To reunite with you in a place like
+this... To be honest, I never thought I'd see you again. But now, all the
+mysteries have been cleared away. The island, the cruise ship, and Class D's
+expulsion uproar. I couldn't imagine that everything was on account of
+Horikita Suzune. So, you were the one pulling the strings."
+"What are you talking about? There are lots of smart people in my
+class," I retorted. I needed to be calm. I needed to get through this without
+panicking. I'd have time to think later.
+"When you say 'smart people,' are you referring to Horikita Suzune-
+san? Or perhaps Hirata Yousuke-kun? Either way, now that I know who you
+are, I suppose it doesn't really matter who anyone else is," she replied.
+Apparently, she wasn't lying. She really did know me.
+"Please, relax," she added. "I've no intention of telling anyone about
+you at present."
+"Wouldn't things be easier if you did?"
+"T don't want anything to get in my way. I'm the perfect person to bury
+false genius." Clack. Her thin cane clattered against the floor. "I've found
+little pleasure in this boring school life."
+"Can I ask you something else?"
+"Please, go ahead. I'm honored to have you ask me a question. If you'd
+like to know, I'm even happy to tell you how I know about you."
+"No, I'm not interested in that. There's just one thing I want to know."
+My eyes met Sakayanagi's.
+"Can you bury me?"
+"Hee hee!" Sakayanagi chuckled softly to herself, and smiled once
+more. "Sorry for laughing. I don't intend to insult you. I know quite well how
+incredible you are. I've been looking forward to this. I'Il be able to realize my
+dearest wish by destroying the greatest masterpiece that your father ever
+made."
+I wanted that, too. My destruction—my defeat—would mean that the
+old man would lose.
+I wanted the sad contradiction that I carried within me to be destroyed.
+I wished for that from the bottom of my heart.
+Postscript
+Hen: Happy New Year! Syougo Kinugasa here. It's been four
+months, and Volume 5 has been released. To be honest, I planned to get it out
+earlier, but it ended up taking four months to finish. "Earlier next time for
+sure" 1s what I'd like to say, but since nothing good will really come of me
+declaring that, I won't.
+In this volume, the second semester begins, and the opening act is the
+battle of the sports festival. This time, the protagonist acted behind the
+scenes. The story focused mainly on the class as a whole, with Horikita in the
+lead. Someone who knows about the protagonist's past also finally appeared!
+Furthermore, volume five includes the catalyst that makes the rest of the
+school aware of the protagonist's existence. The story is most definitely still
+in its early stages, but I'm going to keep working hard on it, so please look
+forward to the rest.
+Quite a few people have helped me over the last year, most of all my
+illustrator, Tomoseshunsaku-sama. And even though I call him pointlessly,
+and we end up chatting a bunch, I'm also greatly indebted to my editor, who
+is the most reliable of all. I sincerely hope that we have another good year.
+To my readers, and all associated parties—I look forward to what the
+new year brings you.
+Author:
+Syougo Kinugusa
+Born in November. Blood type AB. Primarily responsible for the
+scenario and PC game planning. Most notable works are Guards of Daybreak
+and Reminiscence. Wants a PlayStation 4, but won't have time to play it at
+all, so currently resisting the urge. Has a feeling that the PlayStation 5 will be
+out before he knows it.
+Illustrator:
+Tomoseshunsaku
+Born in September. Lead animator and illustrator for the Sagittarius
+games. Lead animator for Guards of Daybreak, Reminiscence, etc. Recently
+went out and got a brand-new game that he wanted, but felt as if actually
+playing it would be delusional. Satisfied with having the game in its
+packaging on his shelf.
+***
+Seven Seas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Kushida Kikyou's Soliloquy
+D. people live according to their own ideals, I wonder? Well, I do.
+I've become my ideal self. Other girls acknowledge that I've been blessed
+with a wonderful figure, my memory 1s sharper than most people's, and I'm
+academically gifted. I'm good at sports and confident in my conversational
+skills. I have pawns at my disposal, I'm shrewd, and I'm adaptable to any
+situation.
+Wouldn't you say I'm perfect?
+Of course, I wouldn't say that I am. There are girls cuter than me, and
+many who are smarter or more athletic. That's obvious. Yes, that's quite
+obvious. However, it's also fair to say that most people hate to lose. Whether
+it be a question of looks, academic performance, singing, or even video
+games, it's only natural to feel frustrated when you lose to someone else at
+something you excel at.
+I hate losing far more than the average person does.
+Every time I lose to someone I know, it shakes me to my core. Every
+loss deepens the darkness inside my heart. I once vomited from the intense
+emotional stress that losing caused me.
+Reality is cruel. I know I'm not average, but I'm not a genius, either.
+When I was a child, people fawned over me every time I completed even a
+small task. They called me a genius, a wunderkind. It felt wonderful. It made
+my heart dance.
+I was the best at everything—until I started junior high. Then people
+began to overtake me in multiple aspects. I just couldn't beat certain
+opponents, and that ate at me, so I searched for an escape. I wanted
+something that I could never lose at. I wanted people to respect and envy me.
+I couldn't achieve that in academics or sports. So, I decided I'd get
+people to trust me instead. They'd love me more than anyone else. I would
+extend my hand in friendship to disgusting, asocial boys, and to girls
+unattractive and bitter enough to turn anyone's stomach. I suppressed my real
+emotions and wore a smile, exuding false kindness.
+I became really popular. I was loved by my classmates, by both
+upperclassmen and underclassmen, by my teachers and guardians, even by
+strangers. When it came to likeability, I was unparalleled.
+Trustworthy people receive access to secrets. When people find
+someone they can truly trust, they lay themselves bare. I racked up that
+currency. I learned everything from the secret desires of the most popular boy
+in class to the smartest kid's secret troubles. I obtained information both
+insignificant and gravely serious.
+Every time someone confided in me, my heart danced with joy.
+Every time someone trusted me with information that meant the world
+to them, I shook with delight. I was trusted—the most trustworthy person
+around. That became my reason for being. But my power came from living a
+life of lies. I spent my days being slowly crushed by the weight of that stress.
+Then...that incident happened. Well, that's not quite true. The incident
+didn't "happen." Someone made it happen.
+But there was nothing I could have done, anyway. Everyone had
+rejected me by then.
+If you hurt someone, you can't complain when they hurt you back. If
+someone hurts you, you pay them back in kind. That's only natural, right?
+Still, the ideal persona I'd constructed for myself shattered. The respect
+and envy people felt for me disappeared, replaced by fear and hate.
+That wasn't what I wanted.
+I only wanted one thing.
+I wanted to be everyone's favorite. To feel that sense of superiority
+once more.
+I promised myself I'd never go through that again. I swore to myself
+that it wouldn't happen. As I thought about my new life in high school, my
+heart pounded in excitement.
+This time, I would succeed.
+But the beginning of my new life turned out to be a disaster. On the
+first day of high school, I bumped into Horikita Suzune on the bus.
+She knew about the incident.
+As long as she was here, I'd never have peace.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Yukimura Teruhiko
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004708
+DATE OF BIRTH: July 11th
+***
+Although he achieved excellent results in both the interview and
+written exam, his poor social skills mean he doesn't have any friends. He
+doesn't engage in clubs or volunteer activities, either, and he tends to
+judge others on their academic achievements alone. We expect to see
+improvement in this area.
+His classwork is excellent. However, he hasn't progressed with making
+friends. | will continue to keep an eye on him.
+Chapter 2:
+The Changing Class D
+Tie sports festival was over.
+It was mid-October, and getting chilly outside. The student council
+held an election, complete with a ceremony to honor the outgoing members
+and swear in the new ones afterward. That event was significant, with the
+entire student body assembled in the gymnasium, but most first-year students
+couldn't have cared less. They nearly fell asleep during the ceremony,
+quieting their breathing so that the teachers and upperclassmen wouldn't
+notice them.
+"President Horikita has some final remarks he'd like to share with you
+all."
+The moderator stood aside as Horikita Manabu slowly took the stage
+and approached the microphone. Once, the younger Horikita would have
+shrunk back in fear at the sight of her brother. Now, she remained steadfast as
+she watched him leave his position so that the new president could be sworn
+in.
+"I'm very proud to have led the student council for nearly two years.
+I'm also quite grateful. Thank you all very much," Horikita's older brother
+said to the crowd. His address was brief and unemotional, delivered with the
+air of a solemn obligation, and he retreated to his original position once it was
+done.
+The ceremony didn't end there. The other student council officers
+remained on the stage. "President Horikita, thank you for all your hard work.
+Now then, we'd like to welcome Nagumo Miyabi, a second-year Class A and
+the next student council president, to say a few words."
+Nagumo walked onstage and stood in front of the microphone.
+Ichinose, a first year, was among the student council members who watched
+him attentively.
+"Hello. ''m Nagumo, second-year Class A. Student Council President
+Horikita, I sincerely appreciate the strict yet kind guidance you've shown me.
+I'd like to express my respect for you, while also emphasizing what an honor
+it's been to serve alongside the most capable president in this school's
+history. You've exhibited the strongest leadership possible."
+Nagumo bowed his head deeply toward Horikita's brother. Then he
+faced the student body once more.
+"Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Nagumo Miyabi,
+and I will be assuming the position of student council president at the Tokyo
+Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. I sincerely look forward to
+working with all of you."
+Nagumo had behaved enigmatically during the sports festival. Now, he
+was the picture of politeness. However, that courtesy didn't last long. He
+donned a small, thin smile, and the atmosphere changed almost immediately.
+"This may be sudden, but for my first order of business, I pledge to
+change the term length for student council members, as well as the general
+election method. The previous student council president held the general
+election in October instead of December each year. This arrangement, which
+saw the next generation of leaders move into their roles early, yielded mixed
+results. Therefore, the new student council has determined that it's time to
+take things a step further. From now on, the student council president and
+officers will have indefinite terms while attending school, so that they may
+serve continuously until graduation. At the same time, we'll annul both the
+current general-election system, and any restrictions on the student council's
+size. The council will constantly accept new officers. In other words, an
+excellent candidate may join the student council no matter how many people
+are currently on it. Also, if someone is determined to be unfit for office, they
+can be removed by a majority vote. Please allow me to confirm this to all
+students, teachers, and student council members who served under the
+previous president. To bring this school into the future, I intend to thoroughly
+destroy the past."
+Nagumo spoke forcefully, as if he meant his remarks to deny the
+achievements of the previous student council president, who still stood right
+behind him.
+"T wanted to implement these changes at once. Unfortunately, a newly
+elected president must deal with many obligations and restrictions first."
+Nagumo glanced at Horikita, then immediately turned back to the student
+body. "A revolution is coming. Students with real ability will rise to the top,
+and students without any will fall. I intend to turn this school into a true
+meritocracy, so please, give me everything you've got. I look forward to
+seeing what you can do."
+The entire gymnasium had been silent during his announcement, but as
+soon as he finished speaking, almost every second-year student shouted with
+sheer delight. Apparently, there was some kind of tension between the second
+and third-year students that we first years didn't know about.
+2.1
+die second semester continued.
+My surroundings changed bit by bit. Class D had made it through
+major events like the uninhabited island and the sports festival, and slowly
+but surely, we were coming together as a class. People's friend circles
+gradually expanded, and they began to show marked academic improvement.
+Even our problem child, Sudou, was changing for the better. Before the
+sports festival, he'd slept through class as if it were no big deal. Now, he
+actually took notes, probably because Horikita checked in on him after. He
+still got sleepy on occasion, but that was probably because he put in intense
+practice for the basketball club. He also softened his rough treatment of Ike
+and Yamauchi.
+Sudou was maturing, and people's opinions of him began to improve.
+However, he wasn't the only one changing. I saw it in myself, too.
+Whether that was a good or bad thing remained to be seen.
+"Are you by yourself?" someone asked, pulling me from my musings.
+"Ts it bad to be by myself?" I asked.
+Horikita appeared to chuckle at me. "Your dear friends Ike-kun and
+Yamauchi-kun haven't been inviting you out much. Isn't that right?"
+Ike and Yamauchi had left the classroom with the Professor in tow,
+heading toward Keyaki Mall. I thought I'd maintained a Buddha-like calm,
+but Horikita apparently saw through me. Yeah. After the sports festival, my
+two closest friends had invited me to hang out much less often. Actually, it
+was more like they'd completely cut me out.
+"It's hardly surprising," Horikita said. "They used to think that all of
+you were in the same terrible-student boat. Then they discovered that you
+were actually hiding remarkable physical ability."
+"What remarkable physical ability? I'm kind of fast on my feet, that's
+all."
+"Very fast, especially for a student. Besides, they probably noticed that
+you scored much higher than average when you measured your grip strength.
+You understand, don't you? People tend to fundamentally resent those who
+excel. In your case, though, they resent you because you concealed your
+excellence." Horikita sighed. "Well, enjoy your life of solitude."
+With that sarcastic remark, she left, her long hair swaying as she exited
+the classroom. Even though she was usually all alone, too, her dignified
+conduct was worth at least a little respect.
+As Horikita left, Karuizawa cast a strange look in my direction.
+However, as our gazes met, she moved her eyes away again. There was
+clearly some meaning in the look, but she followed it by getting up and
+leaving right behind Horikita.
+Karuizawa's short, fluttering skirt caught my attention. It was a little
+shorter than the other students' skirts. In cases like those, one or two
+centimeters made all the difference in the world.
+"What's she...? Well, whatever," I muttered to myself.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun."
+I didn't know Satou's first name. She was the same kind of fashionable
+gyaru as Karuizawa. She got along with Ike and Yamauchi, but she and I
+hardly ever talked. It seemed as though Satou wanted the kind of social clout
+Kushida had, but she wasn't all that popular with the guys, though Ike
+described her as "the sort of girl who's used to being around guys."
+Right now, Satou seemed to have been waiting to get me alone. She
+glanced around the room as if anxious.
+"Do you need something?" I asked. I didn't know what else to say.
+"Uh, yeah. Several things, I guess." She evaded the question. I couldn't
+guess what she was getting at. "Well, it's like this. Can I borrow you for a
+bit? I want to talk."
+This was strange. I steeled myself and put up my guard. It was easier to
+summon up the courage to accept her request than to summon up the courage
+to turn her down.
+"Well, it's just..." Satou began. "Is it okay to do this somewhere else?"
+Before I could answer, though, she got up and walked out of the classroom.
+I followed her.
+Just as I left, Sakura made a sound, as if she wanted to say something.
+"Ah..." However, no words came out of her mouth. She didn't follow me,
+either.
+Satou and I went into the passage that led to the gymnasium. It would
+probably be crowded after lunch, but since everyone was off eating right
+now, it was an ideal place to talk. She clearly didn't want anyone else to
+witness this.
+Satou stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. "I'm going
+to ask you something odd... Ayanokouji-kun, are you going out with
+anyone?"
+"Uhh, what do you mean?" I asked.
+"T mean exactly what it sounds like. I'm asking you if you have a
+girlfriend. Do you?"
+The answer was "no." Though saying as much would reveal just how
+unpopular I was, I couldn't exactly lie. "I don't."
+"Hmm. I see. Well, does that mean you're looking for a girlfriend nght
+now?"
+She didn't ask it like she was making fun of me, or inquiring out of
+pity. Actually, she had a small smile, as if she was happy. I started to
+understand where our conversation was headed. Was this a trap? I looked
+around, but saw no sign of anyone watching.
+Why the sudden interest in me? Maybe this had something to do with
+what Horikita meant when she said I was fast?
+"If you're okay with starting out as friends, then... Well, how about we
+exchange phone numbers?" Satou asked.
+AR on bal | ry
+; € ~ N x Nt i
+V, | & ik .
+Ss —_ > "bn 7 -. A) |
+This was... Well, it was halfway to a romantic confession. I had never
+imagined I would receive a proposal like this from a girl, but I couldn't really
+come up with a reason to refuse.
+"All right," I said. "Sure."
+"Okay. Got it." Once I entered Satou into my contacts, the words
+"registration complete" displayed on my phone screen. Having more girls in
+my contacts was amazing. After I put Satou's number in my phone, there was
+a strange feeling of tranquility in the air.
+"This might be kind of blunt, but why did you suddenly want my
+contact info?" I asked.
+Satou blushed and averted her eyes. "Why? Well, it's just...the sports
+festival, the relay. I guess you looked so incredibly cool, Ayanokouji-kun. Or
+I guess it's that I just never noticed you before now...like you were
+completely off my radar. I thought the best guy in class was, you know,
+Hirata-kun. But since he's Karuizawa-san's boyfriend, there's nothing I can
+do about that, right?"
+Satou looked back up at me, seeming almost panicked.
+"Uh, I'm not saying I think you're worse than Hirata-kun or anything
+like that, Ayanokouji-kun. To be honest, after getting a good look at you,
+you're even cooler than Hirata-kun, and more mature and gentler, too. S-so,
+anyway, that's..."
+I didn't hear the end of her sentence, since she chose that time to turn
+and run like the wind. I stood completely still, unable to wrap my head
+around what had just happened.
+I'd received a romantic confession from an unexpected person, at an
+unexpected time, in an unexpected place. No one can see the future, it's true,
+but I could never have imagined this. What was I even supposed to do? I
+didn't feel anything for Satou, good or bad. In fact, I saw her only as a
+classmate, nothing more. So, should I have turned her down?
+Then again, Satou hadn't said that she wanted to go out with me or that
+she liked me. All she did was ask whether I had a girlfriend, and if we could
+exchange phone numbers. She'd added that she wanted to "start out as
+friends." If I turned her down, she could just say I misunderstood her. That
+would be embarrassing.
+It was one thing to observe romance as a bystander, but it was weird to
+be confessed to. Now I understood how Sakura had felt back when Yamauchi
+said that he liked her.
+As I made my way back to the building, conflicted, I bumped into
+Katsuragi and Yahiko from Class A. I planned to just walk by, but Katsuragi
+stopped in his tracks and said to Yahiko, "Sorry, but you go on ahead. I have
+a little something to discuss with Ayanokouji."
+Yahiko immediately nodded and agreed to Katsuragi's orders.
+"Horikita isn't with you," Katsuragi said.
+"Tt's not like we're joined at the hip," I replied. Talking to other guys
+was much easier than talking to girls. I felt like an idiot for struggling so hard
+to make friends.
+"IT suppose that's true. I just wanted to say that I was surprised by your
+performance in the sports festival's final relay. I doubt anyone could've
+expected it," he said.
+"Class D won't always be the losers," I said.
+"Perhaps. But most of your own classmates looked shocked, too.
+Unless everyone in your class is a talented actor, it appears that few of them
+knew how fast you are."
+In the midst of all that chaos, Katsuragi had observed me closely. He
+was conscientious like that.
+"Tmagine whatever you like," I told him.
+"No matter. I didn't think I'd get anything more from you."
+"You thought you'd only get a little bit of information from the
+enemy? Or are you saying Class A will never see Class D as a threat?" I
+asked.
+Katsuragi looked slightly troubled. "I have enough problems right now.
+I simply can't afford to focus on other classes," he said.
+"You told Horikita to be wary of Ryuuen, though."
+"He'll do anything for the sake of winning. Even if that means
+resorting to blackmail or violence."
+Ryuuen wasn't the only person Katsuragi feared. He also had to be on
+his guard around Sakayanagi Arisu, another Class A power player, but I
+wasn't going to bring that up. Sakayanagi was a mysterious student who
+knew me. If I stirred the pot, it might not end well for me.
+"Blackmail and violence, huh? Sounds like Ryuuen would be in
+trouble if the school found out."
+"He's a clever person," Katsuragi replied. "Please warn Horikita not to
+underestimate him. I understand why you may not trust me, but Ryuuen is
+everyone's enemy."
+Yes, but there was evidence that Katsuragi teamed up with Ryuuen at
+one point. I wasn't sure whether I could trust Katsuragi, and he seemed to
+sense my feelings. "You don't believe me?"
+I decided to probe further. "To be honest, I'm not sure I do. I can't tell
+you my source, but there are rumors that you worked with Ryuuen. Is that
+wrong?"
+"Where did you hear that? Well, I suppose that doesn't matter. I regret
+it. Even though I felt that I had no other options at the time, I should never
+have gotten involved with Ryuuen. That's precisely why I'm warning you."
+Katsuragi's words were persuasive. "I should've known the risks of teaming
+up with him."
+"So, you want to join forces against Ryuuen?" I asked.
+Katsuragi quietly chuckled to himself. He seemed tense, so I asked
+something else.
+"T understand that you're wary of Ryuuen, but isn't that mainly Class
+A and Class B's problem? I saw the class point totals back in October," I told
+him.
+Katsuragi pursed his lips. After the uninhabited-island test, Class A
+saw their points increase to 1,124. However, their points fell during the
+special exam on the cruise ship. After the sports festival, they were down to
+874. Class B was closing in on them with 753 points. Plus, Class C was
+sitting at 542 points. Class D had 262 points.
+"T admit we're in a bad situation. I didn't understand how the school
+was structured, and my inability to grasp the point system didn't help," he
+replied.
+He was right. The point system was a problem. It appeared simple at
+first, but there were strangely unclear layers to how it functioned. The school
+was particularly tough on absences, tardiness, and poor class behavior; Class
+D had been hit hard by that. In one month, our class lost all the points we'd
+started out with. The memory still haunted me. Students now took class more
+seriously, but I doubted the penalties were all completely gone.
+"This is unlike any high school I ever imagined." Katsuragi crossed his
+arms, looking dissatisfied. "The school operates on a mysterious,
+incomprehensible system. Students in the same grade should get along, not be
+hostile toward each another."
+The school thrived on competition, without a doubt. The animosity
+between classes could increase the cohesion within a class, but, well, only
+Class B seemed peaceful right now. Several students in Class D chipped
+away at our sense of unity, and Class C was a dictatorship. Then there was
+Class A, currently divided between two factions locked in a power struggle.
+"Aren't you concerned, Ayanokouji?"
+"Honestly, no. This school is fascinating. With a certain degree of hard
+work, we don't need to worry about necessities like food, clothing, and
+shelter, and we can use our points to enjoy ourselves. The facilities provided
+are all more than satisfactory, so I have no complaints," I answered.
+"T agree. If anything, the environment they provided us 1s foo perfect. I
+can't imagine that it's good to treat teenagers like this. Anyway, to return to
+the point, please warn Horikita about Ryuuen."
+I promised I'd tell her. Ryuuen was certainly Class D's enemy.
+"Guess you just want to live in peace, too? Our problems never end," I
+muttered.
+2D
+That night, Karuizawa called me while I hung out in my room. She
+got right to the point. "I have something to ask you."
+"Tf I can answer it, then sure."
+""Satou-san confessed her feelings to you, didn't she?"
+That blindsided me. How did Karuizawa know?
+"A lot of girls in class already know."
+"Good lord. Teenage girls are faster than the internet. Who's your
+source?" I asked.
+"What do you mean, 'who'? Satou-san herself. She told me in advance
+that she was going to confess to you," Karuizawa replied.
+Was this like insider trading or something? "Is that why you looked
+over at me this afternoon?"
+"You noticed?"
+"Tt shouldn't matter who confesses to whom. Why pay attention to that
+kind of thing?" I asked.
+"Because that's just how girls are."
+Was this kind of like wanting to write your name on your possessions?
+Guys did similar things, if not in exactly the same ways. Even so, this didn't
+make sense.
+"Tt's not a competition," I said. "Why do you care if someone makes a
+declaration?"
+"People will be super turned off if you suddenly proclaim that you're
+going out with someone. It'! make you look really pathetic. Anyway, I don't
+care about that. It's... whatever. What I want right now is your answer," she
+replied.
+As if this wasn't nerve-racking enough already. "My answer to her has
+nothing to do with you."
+"Well, I guess that's true. But it's not like it isn't my business at all,
+right? I mean, you threatened me. You made me do all kinds of things for
+you. The girls' information network is pretty wide, and I don't want lots of
+rumors floating around. Every time I get myself involved in something for
+you, it puts me at risk. Understand?"
+In other words, Karuizawa wanted to make sure I wouldn't tell Satou
+anything about her if Satou and I started dating. Or maybe she was afraid that
+I'd stop protecting her if I only cared about Satou? It was clearly eating at
+her, but I was still missing something. Karuizawa was a logical person, but
+she was pushing too hard this time.
+"Well, you don't need to worry about it," I said.
+"Does that mean you're thinking about going out with her?"
+"T didn't say that."
+"You are, though. You didn't say that you were turning her down. Ew!
+I can see right through you. You're happy Satou confessed to you, because
+now you're just going to go dream up some naughty, perverted stuff. Guys
+are So gross," she said.
+This was nuts. Karuizawa was like a parent raving about their kid
+becoming an Olympic athlete one day just because they started crawling
+early. "Well, even if guys are perverts, I don't have any feelings for Satou," I
+replied.
+"Okay then. Prove it. What's your reason for refusing her?" she asked.
+"Prove what? She didn't even confess her feelings to me. She just said
+she wanted to start out as friends, and we exchanged phone numbers."
+"T see. So, it was like that."
+Why did I have to talk to Karuizawa about this stuff? "I didn't need to
+respond to a confession. It just ended with us exchanging contact
+information."
+"Hmm. Well, I suppose we can leave things at that for today," she said.
+Karuizawa was acting like a condescending spymaster. Since I had her
+on the phone right now anyway, I decided to confirm something. "Manabe
+and those other Class C girls haven't tried anything with you since we were
+on the cruise ship, have they?"
+"No. It's okay, at least for now." Karuizawa's voice got low. She
+didn't want to think about that incident.
+"I've taken countermeasures, but in the event something does happen,
+let me know right away. Ill make sure it's resolved," I told her.
+I heard Karuizawa hold her breath over the phone. Had I been too
+bold?
+"T see. I know that if I'm not useful to you, it'1l be bad for me," she
+replied.
+To survive at this school, Karuizawa needed to keep her current social
+standing. To do that, she had to conceal the truth of her past. Manabe and her
+friends didn't really know that truth. The problem was Ryuuen pulling the
+strings from behind the scenes. I might have to confront him at some point,
+and that time was most likely nigh.
+"Anyway, back to our earlier topic. What do you plan to do about
+Satou-san? Since you exchanged contact information, it's possible things
+could move to the next level, right?" asked Karuizawa.
+"T'm putting things on hold. I mean, I don't know Satou. She may not
+even call."
+"So, if Satou-san pursues you or tries to cling to you, you'! dump
+her?"
+"What do you mean, 'dump'? All we did was exchange numbers. It's
+not like I'm going to go call her myself." I didn't have the guts to just ask
+Satou out on a date, or to make a romantic confession.
+"T suppose." Karuizawa seemed mollified.
+"Karuizawa."
+"What?"
+"Make sure to erase records of our calls from your phone."
+"Yeah, I've already been doing that. Emails, too."
+"Just as expected." Karuizawa knew how to handle herself.
+"Tf that's all, I'm going to hang up," she said.
+"Sure." With that, the call ended.
+To be honest, I wanted to say one more thing, but decided not to.
+Talking about what was to come would just put pressure on Karuizawa,
+anyway.
+I didn't want to tell her about the potential danger we faced. Not yet.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+cuss: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004739
+DATE OF BIRTH: February 28th
+***
+She was diligent and earnest in elementary school and earned relatively
+high grades. In junior high, she started focusing on goofing off with
+friends, and she was noticeably absentminded for most of her first and
+second year. Although her behavior improved in her third year, her
+current academic performance can only be described as sluggish. We
+hope that she continues to develop her cheerful attitude and proactive
+nature, and that she strives to improve her abilities.
+She gets along with everyone, boys and girls alike. I'd like her to make
+some good friends.
+Chapter 3:
+The Paper Shuffle
+A few days later, our class's atmosphere was heavy. The feeling
+wasn't disappointment so much as nervousness. Class D's homeroom
+teacher, Chabashira-sensei, appeared to sense it.
+"Take your seats. It seems you prepared quite a bit in advance for this,"
+she remarked.
+The moment Chabashira-sensei walked in, everyone went quiet and a
+bit stiff. We should've behaved like that originally. It was the natural way for
+a Class to be, but Chabashira-sensei didn't hide her surprise at our mature
+conduct.
+"My, my. You all look so serious. It's hard to imagine you're Class D."
+"It's because today's the day you announce the midterm results, right?"
+Ike looked slightly nervous.
+Chabashira-sensei grinned in response.
+"That's exactly right. The school will expel you immediately if you fail
+the midterm or final exam. I told you as much before, so I imagine it's fresh
+in your memory. I'm happy to see that you've matured, but results are results.
+If you received a failing grade, you'Il need to prepare for the consequences.
+So, without further ado, I'Il now post the results. Read them carefully."
+Her warning was genuine. The classroom's surveillance cameras
+always had their lenses trained on the students, observing everything. If
+someone acted out after seeing their test scores, the school would
+undoubtedly respond with draconian measures.
+"So, we can see everyone's test scores?"
+"Of course. It's allowed by the school's rules."
+There was absolutely no privacy, nothing concealed. Just like a
+company might post up every salesman's profits, our chart exposed the
+capable and the incapable alike.
+The threshold for failing hadn't changed from the previous test, but the
+situation was a little different.
+"A score of forty or higher is considered a passing grade for all
+subjects. Anyone with a score under forty will face expulsion. These scores
+also reflect your results from the sports festival. If anyone achieved a score of
+over one hundred points on this test because of their sports festival results,
+the school will treat them as having received a perfect score."
+Meanwhile, the school would deduct ten points from the midterm
+scores of the ten students with the lowest sports festival results. Sotomura
+was one of the worst-scoring students in the sports festival from any grade, so
+he needed to score ten points higher in every subject to compensate.
+Ike and Sudou wore stiff expressions. Many students waited with bated
+breath as Chabashira-sensei slowly posted the scores on the blackboard.
+However, Horikita didn't seem nervous at all.
+"Wh-what?! No way!"
+The results started with those students who scored lowest and went up.
+Many students naturally expected to see Sudou's name at the bottom of the
+list, because he'd scored lowest on the midterm and the final exam. However,
+the first name to come up was "Haruki Yamauchi." Next was "Ike Kanji."
+Following that came Inogashira, Satou, and Sotomura. Sotomura
+always had middling scores, but I imagined that the penalties he'd incurred
+from the sports festival resulted in him ranking this low.
+"Oh no! Dude, did I seriously get the lowest score?!" wailed
+Yamauchi.
+Fortunately, he'd scored over forty points in every subject, his lowest
+grade being a forty-three in English. He barely passed overall, with an
+average just slightly below fifty points. Yamauchi probably felt as if his life
+flashed before his eyes for a moment. He broke out in a cold sweat.
+Sudou's results were more surprising. Until today, he'd always ranked
+at the very bottom of the class, but now he'd moved up significantly, going to
+twelfth from the bottom. Even if you took away his sports festival points, his
+results were still incredible. Everyone looked shocked; he had an average
+score of fifty-seven points.
+"T just obliterated a personal best! Dude, I almost got an average score
+of sixty!" Sudou shouted. He shot up and began literally dancing with joy.
+"That's not good enough to merit such a fuss," said Horikita.
+"Especially since your sports festival points helped."
+"Guh! Y-yeah..." Sudou sat back down, looking despondent at
+Horikita's rebuke. He was just like a faithful dog responding to his master's
+orders.
+""Sudou got an average of fifty-seven points. Study group gets results,"
+I remarked.
+Even in his worst subject, English, Sudou had remarkably managed to
+score fifty-two points. Apparently, Horikita had tutored Sudou and the other
+failing students. I wasn't invited to help tutor the group, but that was only
+natural. From the others' perspective, I wasn't in the "smart people" category.
+"The study group had an impact, yes. However, other significant
+factors helped. Sudou was lucky that this midterm test was made up of
+relatively simple problems," Horikita said.
+"That might be true." This midterm had been, without a doubt, a bit
+easier than usual. Some questions were so easy I thought the school might've
+included them by mistake. That said, Sudou's hard work definitely paid off.
+Horikita tutored all her students equally, but Sudou had taken things a step
+further, giving up his free days to study one-on-one with her. The power of
+love really was a terrifying thing.
+"You have an average of sixty-four points. That's so mediocre. Why
+don't you stop fooling around and get serious?" Horikita asked me.
+"That was the absolute best I could do." I usually scored around fifty
+points, so it'd attract attention if I suddenly got a perfect score. I thought it
+would be best if I made slow but steady progress. That said, Sudou's
+breakthrough meant I could probably afford to increase my score a little
+more.
+"Tt's so insipid that you're still playing the clown. Honestly, I can't
+listen to you anymore."
+"T don't think you' ve ever listened to me," I replied.
+"T suppose that's true."
+At any rate, because the test problems had been simple, there were a
+few perfect scores among those students at the top of the class. Chabashira-
+sensei even gave us a genuine compliment. "As you can see, no one has to
+drop out of school due to their midterm scores this time. All of you managed
+to pass."
+"Obviously. I'm looking forward to next month's private points,
+sensei!" said Sudou, his elbows propped up on his desk.
+Chabashira-sensei responded with an unchanging smile. "That's right.
+It would be reasonable to expect a private point increase in November. I must
+say, in the three years I've taught at this school, no other Class D has held on
+this long without any students dropping out. Well done."
+Chabashira-sensei had never shown us this side of her personality until
+today. Quite a few students seemed hesitant to believe that it was genuine.
+"You praising us feels weird." Horikita was hard to fool. Although it
+was wonderful that no one had failed, she understood that Chabashira-sensei
+wasn't the type to end on a positive note. The gentler Chabashira-sensei
+acted, the creepier we all felt.
+Our teacher's hair, tied up into a ponytail, swayed bewitchingly.
+Chabashira-sensei slowly passed between the rows of desks, as if intending to
+make a trip around the classroom. When she arrived at Ike's desk, she
+stopped.
+"You managed to pass, but I want to ask you something. What do you
+think of this school? Id like to hear your honest evaluation."
+"Well, I guess...it's a good school. If you do well, you can get tons of
+spending money. The food's tasty, and the rooms are nice and clean," said
+Ike. He counted on his fingers as he listed more things. "You can buy games
+and stuff. Plus, there're movies to see and karaoke. And the girls are cute."
+That last part wasn't really the school's doing, of course.
+"Um...d-did I say something wrong?" asked Ike, looking fearfully at
+Chabashira-sensel.
+"No. From a student's perspective, this is quite a paradise. Even as a
+teacher, I feel that this school is almost excessively lavish. It treats the
+students here so well that it almost defies common sense," she replied.
+Chabashira-sensei began to walk once more, heading for my side of the
+classroom. I had the feeling she was going to ask me a question in front of the
+rest of the class. Don't talk to me.
+Fortunately, it seemed my request was heard, and Chabashira-sensei
+stopped next to Hirata's desk this time. "Hirata, do you like this school?" she
+asked.
+"Yes. I've made lots of friends, and I'm enjoying a fulfilling life."
+Hirata's response was exemplary.
+"Don't you feel anxious, knowing that you could be expelled if you
+happen to make a single mistake?"
+"Whenever I'm nervous, I work harder with everyone else," he replied.
+Chabashira-sensei returned to the podium. It seemed as though she was
+trying to confirm something, but I didn't understand what. Maybe she wanted
+a better sense of our class's morale. Was she gauging our stamina, to see
+whether we could handle what was to come?
+"Next week, in preparation for the second semester's final exam, there
+will be a short test with problems from eight subjects. I'm sure that some of
+you have already started studying, but I just wanted to remind you," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+"Geh! And I was just recovering from the midterm! Another test?!" Ike
+wailed. Obviously, tests were an important part of student life, but in the
+second semester the intervals between them were rather quick. "That means
+there's only a week left until the next short quiz! I haven't heard about this at
+all!"
+Actually, the teachers constantly reminded us about the upcoming quiz.
+Ike's obliviousness made me want to sigh deeply.
+"Saying that you haven't heard about it won't do. Don't worry, though,
+Ike.' Chabashira-sensei smiled as if she were throwing Ike a lifeline, but she
+did nothing purely out of the kindness of her heart. We knew her better
+than that.
+Well, most of us did.
+"Really, sensei? So, I can relax and take it easy? Woo!" shouted Ike.
+Chabashira-sensei looked away from him. "There will be one hundred
+questions on the test, making for a total of one hundred possible points.
+However, the questions will be on a third-year junior high school level. This
+test is meant to confirm that you remember your fundamentals. Furthermore,
+much like the mock test you took in the first semester, it won't affect your
+grades."
+"R-really? Good!"
+"However—this test's results will have an enormous impact on your
+next final exam," she added.
+Of course. Nothing could be simple at this school. Our next challenge
+was about to begin, it seemed.
+"Wait, what kind of impact? Can you tell us?" Sudou asked. I
+understood his frustration. Chabashira-sensei had purposefully drawn things
+out to exacerbate the class's anxieties.
+"T would love to help you understand, Sudou. The school has decided
+that this next quiz's results will help determine which students to partner in
+class," said Chabashira-senseli.
+"Partner?" Hirata sounded suspicious.
+"That's right. Pairs decided based on this test will go on to take the
+final exam together. There will be eight subjects on that exam, each worth a
+total of one hundred points. Four hundred test questions, fifty for each
+subject. There are also two possible ways for you to fail that exam. If your
+pair scores under sixty in even one subject, then the school will expel both
+students. The sixty-point total, by the way, refers to the partners' combined
+score. For example, let's say Ike and Hirata were partners. Even if Ike scored
+zero points, they'd both be safe as long as Hirata scored sixty points."
+Everyone gasped. With an excellent partner, this would be an easy test.
+However, this still left the second method of failing.
+"There's one additional hurdle to overcome. The school has decided
+that you must secure a certain overall score to avoid failing. Even if you get
+sixty points or more in each of the eight individual subjects, failing to meet
+this overall score requirement will mean expulsion."
+"So, the overall requirement represents both partners' combined
+score?"
+"Yes, exactly. The school hasn't yet determined the exact score
+required, but in years past, it's been around seven hundred points," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+Seven hundred points. With two people working together across eight
+subjects—sixteen scores in total, two for each subject—you'd need a
+minimum average of 43.75 points in every subject. Even excellent students
+like Horikita or Yukimura could be at risk, depending on their partner.
+"You mentioned that the overall required score is still unclear. Why?"
+asked Hirata.
+"Don't be so hasty. P'll explain the overall requirements in more detail
+later. The final exam will be held over two days, with four subjects per day,
+and I'll let you know the subjects' order. In the event that someone is absent
+due to poor health, the school will investigate the absence's legitimacy. If it's
+confirmed to be unavoidable, the student will receive points based on a rough
+estimate of what they would've earned given past test results. However,
+should the school find that an absent student didn't have sufficient reason to
+miss class, they will receive a score of zero points for all tests missed,"
+Chabashira-sensei replied.
+We couldn't avoid taking this exam. The school was telling us that
+caring for our health was another test of ability.
+"At any rate, you're starting to behave like proper students. If this
+announcement were earlier in the year, you'd probably all be wailing by
+99
+now.
+"Well, we've gotten used to it," Ike responded.
+"Well said, Ike. Many of you probably think the same thing, which is
+why I'm going to give you just one piece of advice. Don't assume that you
+understand how this school works just because you've finished the first
+semester of your first year. In the future, you'll face countless exams far more
+difficult than those you face now," Chabashira-sensei replied.
+"P-please don't say such terrifying things, sensei," said one of the girls.
+"Well, it's the truth. In years past... We call it the 'Paper Shuffle,' but
+one or two pairs are usually expelled due to this test. Most of them are from
+Class D. This is by no means a threat; I'm just telling you the facts."
+The class's optimism rapidly faded. But what did Chabashira-sensei
+mean by "Paper Shuffle," exactly?
+"The school will expel any failed partners without exception. If you
+think this is a mere threat, then it might be good for you to talk to an
+upperclassman. You should've started building connections with them, after
+all," said Chabashira-sensei. "Lastly, although this is obvious, cheating is
+forbidden. Anyone who cheats will immediately be disqualified and expelled,
+along with their partner. The same applies to all midterm and final
+examinations."
+If this were an ordinary high school, the punishment for cheating
+would probably be an automatic zero in all subjects, a stern warning, or
+suspension at the very most. Chabashira-sensei was giving us ample warning
+to prevent students from panicking and making mistakes. However, the pair
+system was still a real problem.
+"After I get the short test's results, I'll tell you how the all-too-
+important partners will be decided," Chabashira-sensei added.
+I quietly picked up my pen. Horikita grabbed hers at almost the exact
+same time and started writing something. Since she was taking notes, I put
+my own pen down. If Horikita was on it, I was useless.
+"If you get partnered with the student at the bottom, won't you be in
+deep trouble?" Sudou asked.
+"Ugh! Ken's humiliating me! I'm going to study hard and turn things
+around!" Yamauchi cried.
+"Don't push yourself. You're all talk. You haven't seen anything yet;
+I've been studying a lot," said Sudou.
+Yamauchi slumped, looking as though he were writhing in agony.
+Sudou's words weren't empty; as long as Horikita kept helping him, he really
+would work hard.
+"One more aspect of this final exam will challenge you," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+While the rest of the class was slightly agitated by this, Horikita
+appeared mildly exasperated. "So, there's another thing we have to do?"
+"Yes. First, the school will ask you to create your own questions to
+appear on the final exam. They' Il use the questions you come up with for one
+of the other three classes. That means classes will be able to attack one
+another, so to speak. The school will compare your class's overall score to
+the overall score for the class that received your test questions. The class that
+scores higher will take points from the losing class. Fifty class points,
+specifically," said Chabashira-sensei.
+To sum up, pairs needed to score above seven hundred points in
+aggregate or be expelled. Meanwhile, we also needed to score sixty points or
+higher for each individual subject or be expelled. Furthermore, our entire
+class's overall score had to exceed the overall score of the class whose test
+questions we set.
+"But let's say Class A attacks Class B, and Class D attacks Class A,"
+said Horikita. "If Class A successfully carries out their attack on Class B
+while simultaneously defending against Class D, they'Il gain a total of one
+hundred points. However, if Class A attacks Class D and Class D attacks
+Class A, won't things just cancel each other out?"
+"In the event of a one-on-one confrontation of that kind, class scores
+may go up or down by a hundred points at a time. Don't worry. Although this
+is unlikely, if the overall scores are tied, then the matchup will end in a draw,
+and no class will lose or gain points," said Chabashira-sensei.
+"So, we have to come up with problems for the other classes to solve.
+I've never heard of anything like this. How will this be executed? If someone
+devises absurdly hard questions..."
+"Yeah, yeah! That's right! They could pick stuff we haven't learned
+yet! This is impossible!" Ike and some other students threw up their hands in
+frustration.
+"Teachers will evaluate the questions you create. If they exceed what
+you have been taught, or cannot be answered with the information provided,
+they will be revised. We'll ensure that each class submits fair questions and
+answers. Do you understand, Ike?" asked Chabashira-sense1.
+"Uh, yeah, I guess," he replied. It sounded deceptively easy, but
+probably wasn't that simple.
+"Creating four hundred questions, huh? That'll make for a pretty tight
+schedule," said Hirata.
+We had about a month left until the test. A single person would have to
+come up with ten to fifteen questions per day to get them done in time.
+Although we could put several people to work devising questions, that would
+cause some variation in quality. If we had to make any revisions after
+submitting the problems to the school, we'd need to work quickly. If you also
+took Class D's flaws into account, finishing the questions would come down
+to the wire. Hirata must have understood that, because he looked flustered.
+"If you don't complete the questions in time, certain measures are in
+place to help you. After the submission deadline passes, the school will
+utilize its own premade questions. However, please keep in mind that those
+questions will be easier," said Chabashira-sense1.
+Only a mixed blessing, then. We had to create our own questions, no
+matter what, which meant someone would have to do the lion's share of that
+work in addition to managing their own studies. This test would be brutal.
+"You may consult teachers and students from other classes, and you
+can use the internet. There are few restrictions. As long as the school accepts
+the questions, we don't care about much else," said Chabashira-sensei.
+"So, our final test will obviously include questions from another class,
+right?"
+"Exactly. Each class will choose another class to compete against, and
+I will report that request to my superiors. If another class makes the same
+choice, representatives will draw lots. However, if there are no duplicate
+nominations, your choice of class will be honored. Ill accept your
+nomination for the class you'd like to go up against next week, the day before
+the short test. You should think very carefully," she added.
+The final exam was us against the school—but this time, it was a street
+fight. Who we'd be paired with was the least of our worries right now.
+"That's all for the preliminary explanation. The rest is up to you," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+With that, our classes ended for the day.
+3.1
+OW ; 5 ;
+e're holding a meeting, Ayanokouji-kun. Can you get Hirata-
+kun for me?" Horikita asked.
+"Roger."
+I went to talk to Hirata, and Horikita walked over to Sudou. Horikita
+and Hirata were gradually becoming the class's prime movers and shakers. I
+couldn't stay in the shadows much longer. So far, ''d kept up the pretense of
+not being the sharpest tool in the shed. However, after running that relay race,
+I became well-known practically overnight. Ryuuen and Ichinose wanted the
+identity of the person pulling Horikita's strings, without a doubt.
+What should I do about that? Distance myself from Horikita? That
+would look suspicious, though. Should I stick close to her and wait for things
+to pass? I'd be under suspicion so long as I remained around her, too.
+Our list of enemies was growing. I'd been able to hang out with
+Horikita as much as I did because she'd had very few friends, but things were
+changing. Maybe I'd put some distance between her and myself, then. I
+needed to keep Chabashira-sensei happy, and if Horikita and the others could
+handle the class without me, it would take a load off my shoulders.
+Chabashira-sensei probably didn't need me, specifically, to help Class D.
+Anyone would do. As for why she wanted to threaten me into helping Class
+D rise to Class A, well, I didn't really care.
+At any rate, it wasn't time for me to release Horikita just yet. If I let go
+right here and now, I'd lose control of Class D, and everything might
+collapse. First, 'd make Horikita even more influential. Then, I'd quietly
+fade away.
+I returned to Horikita. "Hirata's on his way. Same with Sudou." I'd
+seen him duck out, probably to go to the bathroom.
+"So, what do you think?" Horikita cut to the chase.
+"Tt's just like Chabashira-sensei said. This exam will be difficult. The
+bar is high, and the partner system makes it worse. To top it off, if another
+class comes up with the problems we have to solve, the test could get
+extremely tough. Depending on how the question's worded, even something
+straightforward could appear unsolvable."
+"That's true. This time, it's not just about studying. We have to be
+creative," said Horikita.
+Simply tutoring the weaker students among us wouldn't be enough.
+Understanding the other classes' strengths and weaknesses would be ideal,
+but they wouldn't show us their hands easily. Still, we'd overcome trials
+based on intelligence and teamwork before.
+In a sense, this test might be less difficult than the ones on the island or
+the cruise ship. If the sports festival had tested our class's accumulated
+physical strength, this was a test of accumulated academic knowledge.
+"I feel as if Chabashira-sensei was hinting at something," I told
+Horikita.
+"Yes. I noticed," she replied quietly. "The school packs hints into
+everything. The three key points Chabashira-sensei made were that the short
+test won't affect our grades, that the criteria for the combined scores hadn't
+been decided yet, and that they'd determine our partners after the short test."
+I instinctively smiled in response to Horikita's perfect, concise
+breakdown. Not long afterward, Hirata joined us.
+"Sorry to have kept you waiting. You wanted to discuss plans, right?"
+Hirata called to Karuizawa to join us. Though she glared at us as if it was a
+huge bother, she came.
+"Sorry. I thought that we should talk things over right away," Horikita
+said. A few months ago, it would've been shocking for her to initiate a
+meeting like this. Now, though, she was the class's commander. "I'd like to
+start right away."
+"Huh? Wait, right here? No way. If we're talking things over, we
+might as well go to Pallet. Right, Yousuke-kun?" asked Karuizawa.
+Karuizawa tightly hugged Hirata's arm, snuggling close to him. It was
+her usual method of getting what she wanted. Pallet was a café on school
+grounds, one that mostly catered to girls. During lunch breaks and after class,
+it often overflowed with people.
+My eyes met Karuizawa's for an instant. Though I didn't know why,
+she quickly let go of Hirata's arm.
+"We don't know where the enemy might be watching us from, but...
+Well, it's fine, I suppose," replied Horikita. She probably understood that it
+would be unwise to antagonize Karuizawa right now. She might not have
+been consciously aware of it, but Horikita was definitely maturing.
+"Excuse me, but would it be all right if I joined you, too?" Kushida
+Kikyou asked. "Is that okay...?"
+"T'm fine with you joining us. You understand our class very well,
+Kushida-san. Besides, I'd like to hear several people's opinions," I said.
+"Of course, Kushida-san. I planned on inviting you, anyway," said
+Horikita. That was a surprising move. "Could you three head over to Pallet
+first? I have a few things to take care of."
+Kushida, Karuizawa, and Hirata agreed and left without any particular
+objections. I turned to Horikita.
+"Ts that really okay? Bringing Kushida in?"
+Kushida Kikyou was a valuable asset, but she also hated Horikita. I
+couldn't say for certain that she wouldn't try to sabotage us. Furthermore,
+during the sports festival, Kushida's betrayal put Class D in a tight spot.
+"Wouldn't it seem weird to refuse her?" Horikita replied.
+"Sorry to make you wait, Suzune," said Sudou, coming up to us.
+"Tt's all right. Hirata-kun and the others are meeting us at Pallet,
+anyway."
+"Okay, sure. Hey, uh, sorry about this...but, um, would it be okay if I
+peeked in on my club? The upperclassmen asked for me to be there. It should
+be over in, like, twenty or thirty minutes," said Sudou.
+"T don't mind. Come join us as soon as you finish," replied Horikita.
+Sudou flashed a smile, grabbed his bag, and hurried out of the
+classroom. Horikita picked up her own bag and headed to the door.
+"T think I'm gonna head back to my dorm. Give it your best," I told
+her.
+"Wait a minute. You were invited, too. You're absolutely
+indispensable as the intermediary between Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san. I
+still can't control either of them," said Horikita.
+"You say that, but I think you're a capable leader. Besides, the final
+exam will test everything we've learned. You and your study group handled
+the midterm without my help."
+"That might be true. But if Kushida-san is in the group, it's a different
+story. Can you at least participate in today's discussion? Or don't you want
+the truth about Kushida?" asked Horikita.
+"If I said I wasn't interested, I'd be lying." Kushida showed no
+favoritism toward anyone, and treated everybody in class equally, so I wanted
+to know why she held such animosity for Horikita alone.
+"T'Il tell you everything I know about her," said Horikita. "Honestly, I
+don't want to go around spreading rumors, but I think informing you is
+necessary."
+"T wonder why you're so interested in talking to me about Kushida."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Well, you kept quiet about her until now. When did you two start
+fighting?"
+Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Horikita went quite stiff. "I
+can't talk to you about it here. Understand?"
+Even the walls had ears, after all. "I understand. I suppose I'll come
+along with you."
+I imagined that the story was worth going to a meeting.
+Out in the hallway, Horikita spoke to me in a hushed whisper. "Where
+would you like me to start?" she asked.
+"From the beginning. All I know is that you two aren't on good terms."
+I wanted more information on Kushida's dark side, but I didn't dare bring it
+up. I wasn't sure how much Horikita was aware of.
+"T really don't know much at all about Kushida Kikyou. When did you
+first meet her?" Horikita asked.
+I answered honestly. "On the bus."
+"T see. I also saw Kushida-san on the bus on the first day of school,"
+she replied.
+I remembered that an elderly woman on the bus had been forced to
+stand because there weren't any open seats. Kushida had asked if someone
+would give the old lady a seat, a good deed in and of itself, a faultless act of
+kindness. However, no one gave theirs up right away. As one of those who
+hadn't offered, the scene had left a deep impression on me.
+"You think Kushida started hating you back then? Kouenji also refused
+to give up his seat. I didn't give mine up, either," I told her. "But you're the
+only one she hates."
+"T didn't know Kushida-san back then. Well, to be more accurate, I
+didn't remember her," said Horikita.
+"So, you knew each other before you met at this school?"
+"Yes. We attended the same junior high, but it was in a completely
+different prefecture. Even in her wildest dreams, she probably never imagined
+that someone from her junior high would end up here too," Horikita said.
+"T see." Horikita had solved one great mystery.
+"T remembered her after the first-semester study group. My junior high
+was an enormous school with over a thousand students. I was never in the
+same class as Kushida-san," said Horikita. "I didn't know her."
+That wasn't really a surprise, if I assumed that Horikita had been as
+solitary back in junior high as she was now. She'd probably immersed herself
+in studying.
+Horikita and I didn't head straight for Pallet. Instead, we spent time
+wandering around school, taking a detour. The farther away from the café we
+went, the fewer people were around.
+"What was Kushida like in junior high?"
+"No idea. Like I said, I didn't interact with her. However, she was
+incredibly popular. Looking back, I remember classmates rallying around her
+during all kinds of events. She was nice to everyone, sociable, and well liked.
+She had the same level of influence as the student council," said Horikita.
+"T don't think she hates you just because she couldn't befriend you," I
+said.
+"You're right. The crucial part comes next. However, please keep in
+mind that this is nothing more than a rumor. Only Kushida-san herself knows
+the full truth." With that preface out of the way, Horikita continued. "In
+February of our third year, just as graduation approached, one entire class fell
+apart."
+"Fell apart? What, like they all got sick?"
+"No. Apparently, a certain female student triggered an incident that
+destroyed her class. They didn't recover until graduation," said Horikita.
+"T don't even need to ask who that girl was, do I?"
+"Tt was Kushida-san. But I don't know the details. The school
+completely buried the incident. If it became public knowledge, their
+credibility would take a hit. It would even affect graduates who wanted to
+advance to higher education or find a job. Still, the school couldn't suppress
+everything. Rumors started to spread," said Horikita.
+"Do you know anything, even if it's just a fragment of a rumor?" I
+asked.
+"Some students said that the classroom was in complete disarray right
+after the incident. The blackboard and desks were covered with all kinds of
+slanderous scribblings."
+"Covered with slander, huh? Is it possible Kushida was bullied, then?"
+"T don't know. So many rumors floated around. Someone was being
+bullied, or they were doing the bullying. I even heard rumors about violence,
+though the details were vague. But then the rumors stopped in the blink of an
+eye. No one wanted to talk about it. Even though a whole class nearly fell
+apart, people suddenly acted as if nothing had happened."
+"Stil, it's not like it's your fault that Kushida made that class fall apart.
+I'm sure you weren't paying attention to what happened, anyway."
+"You're exactly right. I knew I wanted to come to this school, so I was
+utterly focused on preparing. I didn't care that much about anything else,"
+Horikita replied.
+I couldn't imagine the Kushida I knew doing any of that. However, if
+this were true, then I understood why she couldn't allow anyone who knew
+the truth about her to stick around. If people found out, Kushida would lose
+all the social capital she'd gained.
+"So, Kushida did something bad, but you don't know the specific
+details. However, she doesn't seem to know that you don't know. She
+believes that, because you attended the same junior high, you know
+everything that happened."
+"She isn't exactly wrong. I do know that she caused the incident."
+Horikita sighed.
+The tension between them was all thanks to Kushida's one-sided
+misunderstanding and hostility. Kushida would do anything to keep her past
+hidden. Even if Horikita said that she knew nothing about the incident,
+Kushida wouldn't believe her. If Kushida knew what we were currently
+discussing, she would've taken it as proof that Horikita knew about her past.
+"T still don't understand," Horikita said.
+"About the incident?"
+"Yeah. It's just all so weirdly mysterious. How does a class with no
+problems collapse all of a sudden?" She shook her head.
+"It's possible that Kushida triggered it, but how could one single
+student have that much power?" I replied. This didn't come down to simple
+bullying. If that were the case, only a few people would've been involved.
+"Honestly, I can't imagine," said Horikita.
+Even if I'd wanted Class D to fall apart, I couldn't cause it just like
+that. "You'd need a powerful weapon," I said.
+"If you wanted to destroy our class, what would you do?"
+"To answer your question with another question, what's the deadliest
+weapon in the world? What can Kushida manipulate? Think about it," I said.
+"As I've said before, violence is the deadliest weapon a human being
+can wield. It has rather unique power. No matter how clever the scholar or
+how influential the politician, no one is physically invulnerable," said
+Horikita.
+"You're not wrong. Violence is one of the deadliest weapons.
+However, Kushida didn't use violence to corner everyone. If that were true,
+you'd have heard." If Kushida had gone on a rampage with a chainsaw, the
+media would've had a field day. "What about something that can compete
+with violence's unique power?"
+"Do you have something in mind?" asked Horikita.
+"Let's say that I was the one setting out to destroy our class. In that
+case, I can think of something I'd use. Can you?"
+"Wait." Horikita gave it some thought. "I want to say 'authority,' but
+how many students have authority like that?"
+"Authority is a powerful weapon, but even the student council
+president couldn't create that much mayhem. There's no way someone like
+Kushida could reduce a class to nothing through authority."
+"Then what is it? What can bring an entire class to its knees?"
+"Forget Kushida for a moment. What powerful weapon is available to
+anyone? Lies. People are natural liars by birth. Anyone can lie. Depending on
+the time and the place, a lie can do more damage than simple violence."
+Statistics show that people lie two or three times a day, on average.
+You might think that seems impossible, but the definition of a "lie" is rather
+broad. "I didn't get enough sleep," "I caught a cold," "I didn't notice that
+email," "I'm fine." Everything we say is full of lies.
+"Lies. I see. You might be right."
+Lies were incredibly powerful. A single lie could even drive someone
+to their death. "Ill cut right to the chase. If you used violence and lies, could
+you cause Class D to fall apart? Think about it."
+"T can't say for sure. Hypothetically speaking, I couldn't overcome
+some people in our class with violence. I can't imagine defeating Sudou-kun
+or Kouenji-kun with my bare hands. Besides, there are also people like you
+whose strengths I don't fully know," said Horikita.
+"Right. Anyone can use violence, but not everyone can use it
+effectively," I told her.
+"T can't see Kushida-san using much violence. So, if the options are
+violence or lies, it's only natural to conclude that she lied to destroy her
+class," said Horikita.
+"CSc.
+"But...could she really do that?"
+"Dunno. For her, it might not be impossible," I said. Still, bringing
+down an entire class was an extensive undertaking. "Can Kushida really
+command such power? Or maybe..."
+Maybe Kushida had a secret third weapon? Regardless, she'd certainly
+been the culprit. If she wasn't the one who destroyed her class, she wouldn't
+be this hostile toward Horikita.
+"Kushida-san told me that she'd use any means necessary to get rid of
+anyone who knew about her past. That she'd even work with Katsuragi-kun,
+Sakayanagi-san, or Ichinose-san to drive me out. She's already formed an
+alliance with Ryuuen-kun to entrap me. She won't stop as long as I'm here,
+even if Class D suffers," said Horikita.
+"So, she's prepared to destroy our class to hide her past."
+"T have no doubt."
+That couldn't be an idle threat. Yet, even though Kushida had declared
+war, she'd wanted to work with Horikita and Hirata today. Maybe that choice
+was designed to maintain her position in class, but it was likely a hostile act.
+She was probably trying to gather information.
+Still, even if she was a spy, we needed Kushida. She'd built up
+significant goodwill in Class D. If we started treating her like an outsider, the
+other students wouldn't trust us.
+"How do you plan to deal with Kushida, Horikita?" I asked.
+"My options are limited. I can tell her that I don't know any details
+about the incident, or that I won't say anything to anyone, and hope I'Il
+convince her."
+"It probably won't be that simple. Kushida will remain suspicious, and
+she likely won't forgive you for even knowing about her past." Horikita had
+turned to me for help, which Kushida probably anticipated. It wasn't
+surprising that Kushida included me on the list of people she wanted to have
+expelled.
+"T still think my best option is to talk to her. Am I wrong?" asked
+Horikita.
+"No, I agree with you. Trying to convince her is probably the only
+solution." For now. Eventually, Kushida would push back in a big way. "I
+might be jumping too far ahead, but if we're going to reach Class A, we
+might need to give up on Kushida."
+Horikita glared at me. "You mean we should get Kushida-san
+expelled?"
+I nodded quietly. Strike your enemy down first; that was basic strategy.
+However, Horikita looked disgusted.
+"T didn't think you'd propose something like that. When I decided to
+let Sudou-kun fail months ago, you were the one who convinced me to help
+him instead. And I understood. We couldn't turn our backs on a person with
+something to offer. To tell you the truth, if ''d abandoned Sudou-kun back
+then, the sports festival probably would've ended even more disastrously.
+And you saw how much he improved on the midterm. Am I wrong?"
+The once-solitary Horikita had changed greatly. I was surprised to see
+such a radical transformation in her. Still, her plan wasn't realistic. She'd
+done a good job of getting Sudou on our side, but I doubted that Horikita,
+who wasn't silver-tongued to begin with, could successfully win Kushida
+over.
+"This is different from just tutoring someone. To be honest, I don't
+think Kushida's feelings are solely what drive her. This is more than just a
+simple lack of understanding on her part. As long as you're at this school,
+Kushida will attempt to sabotage you, and Class D may pay the price. Are
+you sure you won't regret letting her stay?" I asked.
+Horikita didn't look swayed. On the contrary, she appeared more
+determined than before. "She's an excellent student. Not only can she win
+people's hearts and minds, she's also a keen observer. If we make her our
+ally, she'll be a great asset."
+True enough, but could it even be done?
+"This is my responsibility. I can't just abandon her. I'm sure she'll
+understand," said Horikita.
+"Tf that's what you want, then all right. Pll keep watch." I wanted to
+believe it might work out. I wanted to see whether Horikita could really
+befriend Kushida, just as she'd turned Sudou into someone she could trust.
+"T didn't say I wanted your help," said Horikita.
+"Yeah, you're right. This has nothing to do with me," I responded.
+We'd almost completed a lap around the campus. We would arrive at Pallet
+shortly.
+"T told you about Kushida-san because I thought that you'd keep it
+secret, and that you'd understand," said Horikita.
+"Sorry I didn't give you the answer you wanted."
+"Since I provided all this information, would you answer a question?"
+she asked.
+"What is it?'
+Horikita stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at me. "What did
+you do to Ryuuen-kun at the sports festival?"
+"What did J do? I compromised, that's it. All I did was ensure that
+Ryuuen's plans were crushed," I told her.
+"You mean, you recorded the conversation Ryuuen-kun had with the
+Class C students? When he discussed his strategy?"
+I nodded.
+"Tt can't have been easy to get that recording. How did you do it?
+Ryuuen-kun said there was a spy, but you're not friends with anyone from
+Class C, are you?"
+"T have my ways. I used what I had at my disposal." Of course,
+Horikita didn't know about the trouble Manabe and her friends had caused
+Karuizawa back on the cruise ship.
+"Another thing. I was angry that you came to my rescue like that,
+because it meant that you thought I would fail. But I suppose I was about to
+fail, so...I can't argue with you. Since you forbade me from prying into your
+affairs, I can't demand that you tell me more. Though it was troubling, it...
+Well, if you hadn't done anything, I would've... Well, thank you," said
+Horikita.
+"That was an amazingly roundabout way of thanking me."
+"Are you sure you're okay with being this conspicuous? Ryuuen-kun is
+now convinced that someone in Class D is working behind the scenes, and
+you're probably on his list, Ayanokouji-kun. I think the peaceful life you
+wanted is in jeopardy," said Horikita.
+True, my high school life was becoming more stressful than I ever
+wished it to be. But peace might never have been an option. Chabashira-
+sensei had already mentioned a certain man who wanted to see me. Then
+there was Sakayanagi, who knew my past.
+"Good point. We'll have to be especially cautious."
+"I'm starting to understand you less and less," said Horikita.
+"You never understood me at all."
+"T suppose that's true."
+At any rate, Horikita didn't have time to focus on Ryuuen or me. If she
+didn't deal with Kushida, her days at this school might be numbered.
+3:2
+As soon as we entered Pallet, Karuizawa glared at Horikita. "Jeez,
+what were you even doing?! You're so late! At least apologize."
+"Let's get started. After all, Hirata-kun has club activities, right?" said
+Horikita.
+"Wow, you just ignored me. Typical," said Karuizawa.
+Besides Horikita and myself, the group now consisted of Hirata,
+Karuizawa, Kushida, and Sudou. Horikita was right that there wasn't much of
+a grace period before club activities. It was already 3:50 in the afternoon, and
+clubs convened at 4:30. Hirata, who was in the soccer club, should have been
+the most anxious, but he remained calm and collected. Maybe he was
+sincerely looking forward to this meeting, since his eyes shone.
+After Horikita took her seat, she immediately launched into the
+conversation. "Let's discuss the upcoming short test, shall we?"
+"Ts it really that important? I mean, the school pretty much guaranteed
+that our grades won't reflect our test results," said Karuizawa.
+"I wasn't going to force people to study. However, the school isn't
+making us take this test simply to measure our academic ability. We just
+passed the midterm, after all."
+"We all passed because the midterm had easy questions, right?"
+"So, there's some special significance to the short test? Does the school
+want to measure something other than our academics?" asked Hirata-kun.
+"Huh? What? What are you talking about?" asked Karuizawa, perking
+up considerably as Hirata spoke.
+"The short test's results will influence partner selection for the final
+exam. That's why it matters," explained Horikita. Sudou looked somber. "Do
+you understand, Sudou?"
+"Just barely." Sudou's grasp on the current situation appeared dubious
+at best.
+"There must be some kind of process to select the pairs," Horikita
+continued. "If we discover that process, we can gain a clear advantage in the
+final."
+"What's that mean, Ayanokouji?" Sudou whispered. He most likely
+didn't want to interrupt Horikita's explanation.
+"Tt means that controlling the short test's outcome is necessary to clear
+the final exam," I answered.
+"Yeah, that's what I thought." Sudou's lie was so incredibly obvious.
+"So what? Will they match up the people who scored closest together
+or something?" said Karuizawa.
+"Or maybe they' ll pair someone who got an answer right with someone
+who got the same answer wrong?" asked Sudou.
+"Either is possible," said Horikita.
+Hirata seemed to have some doubts, since his expression turned
+serious. "I'm a little skeptical about this."
+"About what? Please, I'd like to hear it,"' said Horikita.
+"If there is some kind of partner selection method, then I think we
+should confirm it with an upperclassman," Hirata said. "If it's the same test
+from previous years, then the rules probably haven't changed. Maybe the
+teachers would deliberately try to hide that?"
+Kushida had listened quietly up to this point. After Hirata's comment,
+she spoke. "I was a little curious, too. I think an upperclassman I'm close
+with might be willing to tell me."
+"Wow, just as expected, Yousuke-kun! You're right!" Karuizawa
+showered Hirata with admiration.
+Horikita side-eyed her. "As Hirata-kun said, it's certainly true that we
+don't know the facts. However, the school hasn't tried to stop us from finding
+out what the rules are. In fact, discovering them might be one of the test's
+prerequisites."
+"What do you mean, Suzune? Can you explain it like we're dumb?"
+asked Sudou. He looked as if he'd racked his brain so intensely that smoke
+was about to shoot out of his ears.
+"So, the test begins once we find out the rules? In that case, not
+learning what they are could be disastrous," said Hirata. He was probably
+imagining a scenario in which the school expelled half the class.
+"This is all just hypothetical, but if we don't discover the process
+behind the pairing, the results could be devastating. Chabashira-sensei said
+this is the first time that Class D has made it this far without anyone being
+expelled. She also said that, in previous years, only one or two pairs were
+typically expelled, right? Isn't that strange?" asked Horikita.
+"Nope," said Sudou. He banged his forehead against the table in
+resignation.
+"T see what you mean," Hirata said. "Horikita-san is trying to say that,
+if we understand how this all works, we might not suffer any serious harm.
+Right?"
+"Correct."
+"Why do you say that?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Because we're taking the final exam in pairs."
+"Yeah," added Hirata. "If two failing students were paired up, it'd be
+pretty bad."
+"Again, Chabashira-sensei said that only one or two pairs were
+expelled in past years. That's far too few, isn't it? If the school partnered our
+class's weaker students together, it'd probably force close to ten people to
+drop out," said Horikita.
+"Y ousuke-kun, what does this mean?" asked Karuizawa. "I'm getting a
+little confused."
+"Forget trying to figure out the rules for a moment. Imagine if we took
+the exam without knowing that these rules even existed. What do you think
+would happen?" asked Hirata.
+"Umm, it'd be bad? If the dumber students got paired, we'd probably
+see the school expel a lot of people," said Karuizawa.
+"Yeah, I think so, too. But, in past years, only one or two pairs from
+Class D were expelled."
+"Isn't that kinda weird?" Sudou seemed to realize what we were
+saying.
+"The pairs seem balanced," Hirata said.
+Indeed. That seemed to be the trick.
+"The pairs are made up of a high-scoring student and a low-scoring
+student," said Horikita. "It can't be any other way. So, if I scored a hundred
+points, and Sudou-kun scored zero points, we'd be the pair with the most
+significant difference between our scores. That means we'd produce balanced
+results on the test, because our scores would even out."
+Karuizawa seemed basically convinced. "I see. But doesn't that mean
+the average students are the most at risk?"
+"Yes. The more average someone's grades are, the greater the danger,"
+said Horikita. "We need to confirm this with upperclassmen. Then we can
+plan our next steps. Hirata-kun, Kushida-san, would you please talk to some
+senior students?"
+"Of course," said Kushida.
+"T'1l check with the upperclassmen in my soccer club," said Hirata.
+"Td also like to ask one more thing," said Karuizawa.
+"Go ahead."
+"They said we're being paired up, but what if there's an odd number of
+students?"
+"T doubt we need to worry about that right now. At the time of
+enrollment, all classes from A to D had an even number of students. No one's
+been expelled yet, so our class sizes haven't changed. However...if someone
+were expelled, it might place their class as a whole in an excruciating
+situation."
+"Really? Wouldn't it suck to suffer just because one person was
+absent?" Apparently, Kushida thought that the school should be gentler.
+"We started the year with an even number of students. If someone is
+expelled or withdraws due to unforeseen circumstances, their class will have
+to bear the consequences," said Horikita.
+During the test on the island and the sports festival, the school imposed
+merciless penalties on nonparticipants. Horikita might've been right that, if
+even one student were kicked out, we'd likely suffer serious disadvantages in
+future exams. She was probably realizing just how important it had been to
+save Sudou.
+"Do you understand?" Horikita asked.
+"Yeah, I guess so. I just feel like thinking about it 1s a waste of time,"
+said Karuizawa.
+"Now that we've discussed the short test's importance, we can move
+on. But there's one more thing. Which class do we nominate as our
+opponent? In my mind, we should be going after Class C," said Horikita.
+"Their collective academic ability is their big weakness. Class C 1s inferior to
+Classes A and B in academics. Looking at the class points so far, that's plain
+to see."
+She wasn't wrong. Deliberately challenging an academically superior
+class would be nearly suicidal.
+However, Hirata offered his own two cents. "I agree, Horikita-san. But
+Classes A and B will naturally think the same way. If Class C is so inferior
+when it comes to academics, then multiple classes will likely go after them.
+That might be bad news for us."
+Hirata wrote down the imaginary situation in his notebook.
+Class A nominates Class D a No conflicts with other classes a Class D
+is the target
+Class B nominates Class C a Wins the lottery a Class C is the target
+Class C nominates Class B a No conflicts with other classes a Class B
+is the target
+Class D nominates Class C a Loses the lottery 4 Class A becomes the
+target by default
+"Although this is a worst-case scenario, it could happen," said Hirata.
+"Whoa, that'd be awful. We'd have to solve problems the smart kids
+made, and we'd have to make problems for them to solve, right? There's no
+way we could win," said Karuizawa.
+"Yes, you're right, the other classes will probably target Class C. But
+there's no reason we shouldn't pick Class C too, don't you think? We have to
+do anything we can to try to win." Horikita didn't care that we might lose
+the lottery.
+"There's a clear academic gap between Classes A and B, isn't there?
+I'm curious how different we are from Class C," I said.
+"There's no doubt Class A is better academically. But I don't think the
+difference is that extreme. There does seem to be quite a stark difference
+between B and C, I think. Hmm, I'll have to investigate this," said Horikita.
+Truthfully, we didn't know too much about the other classes. We only
+knew the difference in points, and based solely on that, we couldn't gauge
+how smart each class was. Maybe that was the reason for these tests.
+Still, I shifted my attention to Sudou.
+Horikita did the same. "You're awfully quiet, Sudou-kun. Usually,
+you'd be complaining by now."
+"T just don't get this conversation. Besides, if I started complainin', it'd
+disturb you," he replied.
+We all fell silent.
+"What? Did I say somethin' weird?" asked Sudou.
+"No, it's just...what you said was so observant and restrained, I was
+surprised."
+"Well, we just gotta defeat our opponents one-on-one, right? We can't
+immediately jump up to Class A in one shot. So, attacking the class we're
+closest to—C—nakes the most sense," said Sudou.
+"T see what you mean," said Horikita. "If our combined score wins
+against theirs, then the point gap between their class and ours will go down
+dramatically."
+"Okay, but wouldn't it be a good thing if Class A attacked C? I mean,
+Class A would have no problem beating them. Then Class C would definitely
+lose points. Wouldn't that be good for us?"
+"That depends."
+If the goal was to reduce Class C's points, then it might be better for us
+to let Class A or B attack them. However, Class D also wanted to gain points.
+To increase the chances of that happening, it would be better to compete
+against a weaker opponent. Avoiding Class C would mean having to defeat a
+stronger enemy.
+"Tt seems like everyone agrees with Horikita-san's plan. So, Pll go
+along with it, too," said Hirata.
+"Thank you. I think we can move on to the next stage."
+We disbanded a little after 4 p.m. Hirata and Sudou both left for their
+respective clubs. Karuizawa followed Hirata.
+"Well, Pll go ask the senior students about the exam and report back,"
+Kushida said as she left.
+"We're counting on you." Horikita turned to me. "What are you
+planning to do, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Nothing. It should be fine if I leave the plans to you and Hirata, right?
+Honestly, you've handled everything so far almost perfectly."
+"So far. But to ace the final exam, we need to be able to tackle it head
+on," said Horikita.
+"Yeah. If Class D doesn't study and improve, we'll get nowhere. If
+necessary, I can adjust my score in order to team up with a specific person," I
+said.
+"So, I can count on you?"
+"Tf it's within my power, sure. I can join your study meetings if
+needed. But I won't be a leader."
+"Because you plan to act the mediocre student as long as possible,
+right?"
+"T prefer doing whatever is the least hassle." I thought it was a fair
+compromise.
+However, Horikita was the furthest thing from undemanding. "Let me
+think about it. You're a member of Class D, after all, and I'd like to give you
+an appropriate role. I want us to win," she said.
+"T'1ll consider it."
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Sotomura Hideo
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S$01T004686
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: January 1st
+***
+Nothing about this student stands out. He dislikes exercise and is poor
+at sports. He's shown skill with computers since junior high, and he's
+repeatedly earned good grades. We hope that, while he continues to
+improve in his preferred field, he simultaneously expands his interests to
+things like sports.
+***
+Because of his significant weight gain, I'll encourage him to engage in
+appropriate kinds of physical activity.
+Chapter 4:
+Class C Makes Its Move
+Meanwhile, in a different classroom, the atmosphere was quite cold
+and strained. The assembled Class C students appeared greatly intimidated by
+the person standing at the podium before them.
+"There've been many unnatural goings-on, wouldn't you say?" he
+asked.
+Ryuuen Kakeru was Class C's leader and dictator. Yamada Albert,
+Ishizaki, and other students adept in martial arts stood next to him. They were
+willing to dispense punishment with their fists, should someone oppose
+Ryuuen.
+"First there was that test on the uninhabited island, and then the sports
+festival. Someone lurking in Class D knows how to think like me."
+"Someone thinks like you, Ryuuen-san? I can't imagine someone like
+that in Class D, though," said Ishizaki. To him, Ryuuen was a strange,
+incomprehensible being who commanded both respect and contempt.
+Ryuuen smiled at Ishizaki. "I thought so, too. But not anymore."
+"So, are the events on the island and at the sports festival connected
+somehow?"
+"Yes, exactly. But don't worry. I'm starting to see how this person
+handles things. Listen up, all of you! From here on out, we're going to hit
+Class D with everything we've got. We'll put Classes A and B aside for the
+time being. I'Il smoke out the person working in Class D's shadows," said
+Ryuuen.
+No one objected to his plan. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't.
+They'd already made a deal with the devil himself.
+"Ryuuen-san, is there really anyone competent in Class D, besides
+Horikita or Hirata?"
+"Yes. And someone in Class C can expose the puppet master's true
+identity."
+"What are you trying to say, Ryuuen?" asked Ibuki, crossing her arms.
+She stood near the window, her posture defiant.
+"Heh. Ibuki, can't you even listen quietly?" asked Ryuuen.
+"T don't have that luxury. Besides, you're just trying to intimidate the
+entire class. I gain nothing from silence, right?"
+"You know, someone with no authority shouldn't be talking. Besides,
+you made a rather disgraceful blunder, didn't you?" said Ryuuen.
+"That's..."
+Ibuki's failure in the sports festival had been significant. She'd
+requested to challenge Horikita directly, but been narrowly defeated.
+"Like you, then?" said Ibuki, glaring at Ryuuen. "I mean, you also
+failed to crush Horikita in the sports festival, or to get the private points you
+expected. You're the same as me."
+"The same as you? Don't make me laugh. My strategy was perfect,"
+said Ryuuen.
+"So, how do you explain the results? You never explain anything. You
+seriously expect to convince us that Class D has some master strategist?" said
+Ibuki.
+Hearing Ibuki's comeback, the other students trembled in fear. They
+wanted to avoid incurring Ryuuen's wrath.
+However, Ryuuen only smiled thinly. "Don't you think that a perfect
+strategy is meaningless if someone leaks information?"
+"Leaks information?"
+"Class D's success is due to the maneuverings of a mysterious person
+Pll refer to as 'X.' X has an ally in Class C—my class. There's a spy among
+us," said Ryuuen.
+Everyone looked slightly confused.
+Ibuki's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, are you serious?" she asked.
+"It's true. It seems that my control over you isn't strong enough. It's
+extremely unfortunate," said Ryuuen.
+He smiled as if he enjoyed the possibility of being spied upon.
+Everyone in the room started praying that this would be over quickly.
+"This nonsense is coming to an end right this instant," said Ryuuen. He
+slammed the top of the podium, silencing everyone. "First, I'll ask directly.
+The person who betrayed me, raise your hand."
+Of course, none of his classmates put up their hands. Some averted
+their eyes and feigned ignorance, while others looked around to see whether
+anyone came forward. Some stayed completely still to avoid drawing
+attention to themselves.
+"If you just step forward now, I'll forgive you," said Ryuuen. The
+continuing silence seemed to delight him. "Yes. I knew that a spy would plan
+to stay hidden. Don't come forward. In fact, stay hidden at all costs."
+"Wait, what? You're not seriously going to accept that Class C has a
+traitor, are you?"
+"Shut up, Ibuki. Don't get in the way of my fun. [ll bury you if you
+do." Ryuuen had been all smiles before, but his face twisted as he glared at
+Ibuki. "I've actually tried not to get too violent so far. You may think I'm
+lying, but it's true. I've taken it easy on my opponents."
+He slammed the podium twice. BAM! BAM! It was the class's death
+knell.
+"But maybe that was foolish. I mean, now we have a traitor among us."
+Ryuuen struck the podium once more. BAM! The sound reverberated
+through the room. The timid students shook.
+"So, we're going to play a little game. A silly, childish little game
+where we try to find the spy. For most students, there's really no need to be
+afraid. This shouldn't take long at all; just thirty minutes," said Ryuuen.
+Despite his words, it was obvious that everyone was terrified. Even
+Ibuki started to feel apprehensive.
+"First things first. Take your phones out, and place them on your desks.
+I'll come by and check personally. Are there any idiots who didn't bring their
+phones? They should step forward immediately. One of them is the culprit,"
+said Ryuuen.
+The students immediately put their phones on their desks. Ishizaki
+went around the room and collected them, attaching a label with the owner's
+name to each phone. The labels seemed to have been prepared ahead of time.
+Ibuki handed her phone over to Ishizaki, looking dissatisfied.
+"Ryuuen-san, I collected everyone's phones," said Ishizaki.
+"Good work. Well, I think it's time for a thorough investigation, don't
+you?"
+"What should we check? The call histories?"
+"Come now, as if someone trying to hide their identity would make an
+incriminating call! Look at the email histories. Then look at the texts. Read
+all of them, even if it's just a minor conversation. The traitor might have used
+an alias."
+""W-wait a minute! There are lots of really private messages on my
+phone, though!" shouted one girl, her desire not to have Ryuuen see her
+personal information outweighing the risk of him suspecting her.
+"You really don't want me to read what's on your phone, Nishino?"
+"Of course I don't! Even if it's just you, Ryuuen-kun!"
+"Don't be ridiculous, Nishino. You gave Ryuuen your phone on the
+cruise ship, didn't you?" said Ishizaki. "Why are you so—?"
+"Th-this is different from back then! All he did on the cruise ship was
+check the email I received from the school!"
+Ryuuen listened to Nishino's appeal with cold indifference. "You
+know that this will make you a prime suspect, Nishino?"
+"T-I will obey you, Ryuuen-kun, but there are some things I can't
+accept!"
+Nishino wasn't the type to argue, but in this case, it looked like she was
+dead serious. She'd loudly announced that she had something on her phone
+that she didn't want other people to see.
+"Are you the spy, Nishino?" asked Oda.
+"No, I'm not the spy!"
+"But the fact that you're hiding something is pretty suspicious."
+"T just want to protect my privacy!"
+Ryuuen showed no interest at all in the current conversation. He
+grabbed one of the phones. "This is your phone, Nishino?"
+"Hey!" Nishino panicked, sure that he'd start reading her messages.
+However, Ryuuen handed Nishino's phone to Ishizaki. "Give this back
+to her."
+"T-Is that okay? You didn't check the contents."
+"T told you to give it to her."
+Ishizaki quietly returned Nishino's phone. She and the other students
+shook.
+"Really, it's not such a mystery. I confirmed your innocence, so I
+returned your phone. That's only natural, right? If it's not the traitor's phone,
+then looking at it would be a waste of time and effort," said Ryuuen.
+"Tf anyone here thinks that what I'm doing is unacceptable, like
+Nishino said, raise your hand," he added. "However, prepare to come under
+even more suspicion than she did."
+Faced with those two options, four girls and two boys raised their
+hands, despite their fear.
+"Six people are standing up to Ryuuen-san. The spy is definitely
+among them, I'm sure of it! Nomura-san, you were the last one to raise your
+hand. You're not jumping on the bandwagon to save your own skin, are
+you?" said Ishizaki.
+***
+"N-no, that's not it! I'm not doing that!" said Nomura.
+While Ishizaki hurled accusations, Ryuuen wore an eerie smile.
+"Gather their phones."
+"Yes, sir."
+Ishizaki collected six phones and immediately handed them to Ryuuen.
+"So, you're okay with being my prime suspects as long as I don't look
+through your phones?" asked Ryuuen.
+All six students agreed.
+"You took quite a bit of time before you raised your hand, Nomura."
+"Huh? No, I didn't—"
+"You've been looking around all shifty-eyed. And you're sweating,
+hmm?"
+"Huh?!"
+Nomura had a very timid personality, and he seemed on the verge of
+fainting. Ryuuen let out an amused chuckle before turning to Ishizaki once
+more. "Ishizaki. These six are all innocent. Return their phones," he ordered.
+A second shock. No one other than Ryuuen himself could understand
+this reasoning.
+"Will you explain what's going on here?" asked Ibuki.
+"Later." Ryuuen ran his hand through his hair and picked up Ibuk1's
+phone. "Well then, let's investigate the rest of the phones. I'll start with
+yours, Ibuki."
+"Do whatever you want."
+4.1
+Ree checked everyone's phones himself. The whole process took
+about twenty minutes, no more than one minute per phone. He couldn't have
+checked all of them thoroughly. Even though the students had their doubts,
+no one said anything.
+For the spy, every second must have been agonizingly stressful.
+"T see. No information seems to be recorded on these phones."
+"So, one of the people you thought were innocent—like Nishino—is a
+traitor after all," said Ibuki.
+"No," said Ryuuen.
+"What are you doing here? Is there really even a spy?" asked Ibuki.
+In her heart of hearts, she wondered whether Ryuuen had come up with
+a story about a traitor to hide his own failure. Ryuuen had believed some
+shadowy figure was puppeteering Horikita since the island test. So far,
+however, there hadn't been one shred of evidence that this mastermind even
+existed. In fact, everyone else had focused on Horikita Suzune.
+"Evidence trumps theory," said Ryuuen. "Listen. I assume this is
+something you all know quite well, hmm?"
+He replayed an audio file that X had sent. The voice on the recording
+was Ryuuen's, explaining his strategy to Class C.
+"T received this recording when I was about to force Suzune to kneel,"
+Ryuuen continued. "Never mind the points—because of this, I didn't get to
+see Suzune beg. Do you understand now?"
+"Wait a minute. Even if we assume that you didn't just record that file
+yourself, there are still questions that you need to answer. We never
+discussed the details of getting Horikita to kneel before you. This other
+person managed to anticipate everything, including the time you were
+meeting her? That's impossible," said Ibuki.
+"It was a coincidence. The best time for this other person to strike was
+immediately after the festival ended. Besides, I don't think he was interested
+in saving Suzune," said Ryuuen. "X, Class D's mastermind, had this audio
+file. X clearly understood the details of the strategy I came up with. If he
+knew all my plans, including leaking the participation table, he could have
+foiled my attacks on Suzune at the sports festival. He could have prevented
+Suzune from being crushed and having to beg for forgiveness. But he didn't.
+Even though X knew about my strategy, he allowed me to go about my
+business and let Suzune suffer. She was injured, unable to keep competing,
+and she had to suffer the guilt of injuring someone else as well."
+"So, by letting you get that far, this person turned the audio file into
+incriminating material?" Kaneda asked. He was a bespectacled boy with a
+mushroom cut.
+"How very clever you are, Kaneda," said Ryuuen.
+"This X person's thought process is so cruel. I mean, he just let his
+friend get hurt."
+"Yes. X wasn't bothered by me having Suzune kneel. That's why there
+wasn't any text in his message. I think he couldn't have cared less whether
+Suzune's pride was hurt or not," said Ryuuen.
+"T can't understand that," said Ibuki. "If they're from the same class,
+shouldn't he have protected Horikita from the start?"
+Other students probably shared Ibuki's feelings. X had had several
+options available, including altering Class D's participation table to prepare
+for Class C's strategy, or sending the audio file to Ryuuen in advance.
+"Wouldn't X have thought to submit the audio file to the school?"
+If X had given the audio file to the school after Class C carried out
+their plans, it would've hurt Class C badly. If the school found out that Class
+C had intentionally targeted Horikita and tried to extort points from her, it
+probably would've kicked Ryuuen out.
+With October already half over, however, that possibility had
+practically vanished. Why would X do all this?
+""X's naivete accidentally saved us. Or perhaps he isn't taking full
+advantage of his assets. If Horikita-shi had finished transferring private points
+over to Ryuuen-shi, then X would've been defeated," concluded Kaneda.
+"No, that's not quite right," said Ryuuen. "Even if Suzune had given
+up her private points, X probably could've recovered them by presenting the
+audio. He could have threatened us with exposure, and that would've been
+it."
+"So, he deliberately chose not to threaten us?"
+"Yes. X allowed me to make Suzune kneel. That's different from
+winning or losing points. It's not something a person can undo, right? I'm
+saying that X is letting me torment Suzune."
+"I don't get it. So, X has been helping Class C?" Ibuki said.
+Unlike Ibuki, Ryuuen understood what X had done.
+"Heh. So, you really don't intend to reveal yourself, all the way to the
+bitter end, eh?" he said to Class C.
+If Ryuuen kept digging for the audio file's source, he'd eventually
+force X to reveal himself. He could even contact the school and request that
+they provide him with email and call records. After thorough investigation,
+he'd probably arrive at X's identity.
+In addition, Ryuuen didn't get the feeling that X was fixated on
+moving up to Class A at all. Gaining assets didn't matter to X.
+"I'm not sure what method X employed, but I'm certain that he thinks
+like me, and that someone here is spying for him. If the spy knew X's
+identity, it'd be game over for X the moment I found them out. Therefore,
+I'm certain that X used email or similar tactics to remain anonymous," said
+Ryuuen.
+"But there wasn't any proof on anyone's phone," said Ibuki. "You
+didn't even look at them carefully."
+"Of course I didn't. That was just for show."
+"Huh? But you said you'd know the spy's identity if you looked at our
+phones."
+"Apply some common sense here. If you were the spy, would you
+intentionally leave a suspicious email on your phone?"
+"Well, no, I wouldn't. That's why I thought that checking our phones
+was a waste of time."
+"Right. It was obvious how investigating everyone's phones would
+turn out. The spy is someone who thought that they could look innocent just
+by giving me their phone. Therefore, those who didn't show me their phones
+are innocent, whereas the spy wouldn't have taken that chance," said Ryuuen.
+So, it had all been a stunt. Ryuuen hadn't actually been looking for an
+incriminating message on Class C's phones. Rather, he was evaluating how
+much the class feared him, and how much influence X had over the spy. And
+his conclusion was...
+"T'm going to ask the spy to show himself again."
+Ryuuen looked at each individual in the class, studying their body
+language.
+"Are you scared of this mysterious X? Or are you scared of me? Which
+one should you truly fear? Are you sure you're not making a big mistake?
+Remember what happened after the entrance ceremony? You saw what
+terrible fate befalls those who oppose me. Right, Ishizaki?"
+"Y-yes..."
+Ishizaki started trembling. Albert, who stood quietly by Ryuuen's side,
+also reacted slightly. Both Ishizaki and Albert had resisted Ryuuen at first,
+but the violence he wielded had ultimately brought them to their knees.
+"Violence is the most powerful force in the world. I will not yield to
+authority. Even if the school tries to expel me, I'1I kill the traitor before they
+kick me out. Do you understand? If I end up getting expelled because of this,
+I will stomp the life out of the spy, like crushing a bug."
+This wasn't former-president Horikita or current-president Nagumo's
+style of authority. Ryuuen wielded his insane violence like a sword.
+"T'll welcome the traitor's confession even now. However, this is your
+last chance. If you step forward and honestly admit what you've done, I
+promise to forgive and forget. I also swear that I won't let your classmates
+harass you. As I said from the very start, if you believe in me, I'll raise us all
+to Class A. As long as you follow me, I will protect you."
+Ryuuen stepped down from the podium, gazing over every one of his
+classmates.
+"Do you understand what it means to make me angry?"
+He looked them in the eye, one by one. Ryuuen stopped beside a
+female student, standing right in front of her. Of course, 1t wasn't random.
+He'd been targeting her since the start.
+"What's wrong? Can't look me in the eye?"
+"Ah...ah...I..." Her breathing was ragged. She appeared so terrified
+that she seemed on the verge of tears.
+"Heh. It's you, isn't it, Manabe? You're the traitor."
+Most of the students were dumbfounded.
+"Don't be afraid, Manabe. Although you didn't come forward and tell
+me, I knew you were the spy from the very beginning. You've looked sick,
+like it was written on your face. There was no way you could hide."
+Ryuuen brushed aside Manabe's hair and caressed her face. Manabe
+began trembling.
+"I-'m...1'm sorry. I-I—"
+"Don't worry. I forgive you. I will handle this with tolerance and
+magnanimity. Tell me about it, hmm? Tell me about who this X really is."
+Ryuuen turned from Manabe Shiho, fixing his sharp gaze upon her
+friends, Yabu Nanami and Yamashita Saki.
+4.2
+After Ryuuen finished grilling everyone, he released Class C and
+cleared the room. Only Ryuuen himself, Ishizaki, Kaneda, Ibuki, and the
+three spies remained.
+"Do you know who gave you instructions?"
+Manabe and her friends denied it.
+"Next question. Why did you betray Class C? Tell me."
+"That'?s—"
+"There's no point in hiding. If you choose to stay quiet right now, then
+tomorrow I won't treat you as classmates anymore. You'll all be treated like
+worms, forever."
+Manabe and her friends had no choice but to tell the truth. "Do...do
+you know a girl named Karuizawa Kei, from Class D?"
+"Just her name and face. She's Hirata's girl, isn't she?"
+"She, um, well, she acts all tough, but...it seems she was bullied long
+ago."
+"Oh?"
+"Well, Karuizawa treated Rika horribly, so we thought we'd give her
+some payback..."
+Manabe explained to Ryuuen what'd happened on the cruise ship. She
+told him the truth about everything, including how they were in the same
+group as Karuizawa, and about Karuizawa's past. The spies even told Ryuuen
+about what they'd done to Karuizawa.
+Manabe said that she began spying because she'd received threats
+promising to expose her and her friends for what they did. If the truth came to
+light, Manabe and her friends would be suspended, or worse.
+"T see. Well, it sounds like you've been having quite a wild time."
+"What?" said Ibuki. "If they're being threatened by someone they
+don't know, that hardly seems 'wild.'"
+"Come on, Ibuki. When humans are cornered, they become such weak
+creatures." Ryuuen didn't chastise the spies any further. "Here's the big
+question. Was anyone else there while you were bullying Karuizawa?"'
+Manabe and her friends nodded. "At the time, Yukimura-kun and
+Ayanokouji-kun from Class D saw us."
+"Someone sent us a picture after. It was a photo of us with Karuizawa."
+"T see," said Ryuuen. "I expected that there was some kind of evidence.
+So, someone took your picture, huh? Where is it?"
+"T-I deleted it. If someone saw it, then we..."
+"T understand completely."
+"So, that means it's either Yukimura-shi or Ayanokouji-shi, right?"
+said Kaneda, who'd been quietly listening.
+"Hold on, Ryuuen. I don't know much about this Yukimura guy, but I
+can't really imagine that Ayanokouji is the one pulling the strings. Can you?
+I've met him, and I don't see him as the type."
+"Well, I suppose that Yukimura does look a little suspicious. He seems
+pretty smart," added Ishizaki.
+"Can we really say that for sure, though? Ayanokouji-shi is always
+with Horikita-shi, isn't he? Moreover, Ayanokouji-shi hid his athletic
+abilities until the sports festival. I think he's the more suspicious of the two,"
+said Kaneda.
+"T think they're both irrelevant. Ayanokouji is just quick on his feet,
+and Yukimura is only good at studying, right? The mastermind would need
+more than that."
+"Who else could it be?"
+"There are other capable people in Class D. People like Hirata."
+"Him? I can't imagine he's this type of person."
+Ryuuen wore a thin smile while his classmates talked on and on. Then,
+SLAM! He pounded his fist against the podium.
+"Shut up."
+A terrified silence enveloped the entire room.
+"Did I ask for your opinions? I will find Class D's puppet master. You
+are nothing more than my pawns. Right now, the facts state that only
+Yukimura or Ayanokouji could have taken that picture. However, concluding
+that one of them is the mastermind merely because of that? No. They, too,
+might be mere pawns acting under someone else's orders," said Ryuuen.
+That was where things got complicated.
+"But, Ryuuen-shi, shouldn't we be especially suspicious of
+Ayanokouji-shi?" Kaneda dared to speak up.
+"T agree," said Ryuuen.
+With regard to Ayanokouji, he had felt something was fishy from the
+beginning, primarily because of Ayanokouji's connection to Horikita Suzune.
+However, if Ayanokouji were the mastermind, and had been close to Horikita
+Suzune from the beginning, he would never have let her be hurt.
+"So, you're saying that the real mastermind's hiding right under our
+noses? I find that hard to swallow."
+The situation felt hopeless.
+"How about we try using him?" said Ryuuen.
+They'd come this far; it made sense to go further. Ryuuen made his
+next move and sent a text message.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Hasebe Haruka
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S$01T004686
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: November 5th
+***
+She has a slight attitude problem when dealing with those of a higher
+social standing. She's also a little too outspoken about the things she's
+good at and the things she's not, as well as what she likes and dislikes.
+She is focused. We hope she can further develop that aspect of herself,
+while also receiving a proper education which she can apply to a wide
+range of topics.
+***
+This student has had many absences from physical education classes. |
+am attempting to guide her.
+Chapter 5:
+A Means of Escape
+A fier homeroom began at 6 p.m., Chabashira-sensei left the
+classroom. Hirata, glancing sideways at the perplexed students, stood and
+went up to the podium. No more time for games. We were about to have a
+serious discussion.
+"During homeroom today, I'd like to discuss our strategy for the short
+quiz tomorrow. I've received Chabashira-sensei's permission. First, Horikita-
+san, would you please come up?"
+Horikita stood and went to Hirata. Some students probably felt it was
+weird to see the two in solidarity. Hirata had always welcomed a partnership
+with Horikita, but until now, she never took him up on the offer. Horikita had
+always fought alone.
+The Swiss biologist A. Portmann said it best. He said that human
+beings are born physiologically premature. He argued that, from a zoological
+point of view, humans are born about a year early in comparison to other
+mammals' developmental states. When a human baby is born, its sensory
+organs are developed, but its motor skills are not. On the other hand, many
+large animals, like deer, are capable of moving on their own soon after birth.
+Horikita might have been reborn, but she was still underdeveloped.
+However, she contained limitless possibilities. Perhaps she still felt
+conflicted, deep down. She was probably struggling. The best course of
+action would be for her to change and accept tt.
+I thought Horikita would immediately start discussing the final exam,
+but she didn't. "First, there's something I'd like to say. Please allow me to
+apologize."
+Something appeared to have festered inside her heart for several weeks
+now. "My performance during the sports festival was disappointing. Though
+I act tough in front of you all, in the end, I didn't do anything for Class D. For
+that, I apologize."
+Horikita bowed her head deeply. Naturally, this display shook many
+students. Onodera, who had become a little distant with Horikita after the
+three-legged race, spoke up in response.
+"B-but it's not like it's only your fault we lost, Horikita-san. Please,
+don't bow to us. You don't have to," she said.
+"That's right, Suzune. I mean, Haruki and the Professor weren't really
+much help, either." Sudou's words were sad but true. Yamauchi and
+Sotomura shot vexed glares at him.
+"Regardless of whether you win or lose, a humble attitude makes it
+easier to move on. But that's not what I'm talking about here. I contributed
+almost nothing to any area of the festival," said Horikita.
+She looked over at Sudou for an instant. By giving him that look, she
+implied that the one thing she'd gained was becoming Sudou's ally. Sudou
+couldn't have missed that message. While he scratched his cheek in
+embarrassment, he smiled quietly.
+"But now, I'm finished apologizing. Next, I'd like to use my energy to
+take on the upcoming short quiz. Unless we all come together as a class, we
+won't get through this challenge."
+"T can understand that, but do you have a plan? Like, we don't even
+know how they choose the pairs yet."
+"Actually, the partner selection process has already been made clear. If
+we handle things right, each student could feasibly end up with their ideal
+partner. Hirata-kun, if you would."
+Hirata, now playing the role of Horikita's support, wrote out the rules
+on the blackboard.
+Deciding How Pairs Are Formed:
+After the school looks at the class as a whole, it will pair the highest-
+scoring and lowest-scoring students.
+This process will continue with the second-highest and second-lowest-
+scoring students pairing up, and then the third-highest and lowest, and so on.
+For example, the student with one hundred points will pair with the
+student with zero points. The student with ninety-nine points will pair with the
+student with one point.
+"Simple, right?" Horikita said.
+"Wh-whoa! You cracked the code, Horikita! Awesome!"
+"It's fairly obvious. However, remember this: though students who
+earn lower grades will almost automatically partner with students with higher
+grades, there are always exceptions. I'm going to explain a strategy that we
+can use to end up with reliable, appropriate pairs," said Horikita.
+She walked to Hirata and faced the classroom. Horikita was shy about
+public speaking; it had to be taking all she had to keep facing forward.
+"T'd like to have the students who worry about their grades partner up
+with high scorers. However, looking at our grades so far, the truth of the
+matter is that we can't cover everyone," said Horikita.
+Eleven students had an average score of eighty points or higher. Only
+six students had an average of ninety points or more. Meanwhile, the number
+of students with an average of sixty points or below made up more than half
+the class. In other words, it would be impossible to pair every low-scoring
+student with a high-scoring counterpart.
+Instead, therefore, Horikita aimed to create stability by forcing the top
+ten and bottom ten students into specific partnerships. Hirata listed the
+lowest-scoring students' names on the blackboard, one by one.
+"Um, I don't really get it. What are we supposed to do?" asked
+Yamauchi.
+"It's okay for the ten lowest-scoring students, whose names are written
+here, to simply score zero points on this test. Since your final grades won't
+reflect your scores, that'Il do you no harm. Conversely, the ten highest-
+scoring students should definitely try to score eighty-five points or above.
+Similarly, we'll divide the remaining twenty students in the class into two
+groups of ten. The higher-scoring of those two groups should aim to score a
+maximum of eighty points, while the lower-scoring group only needs to score
+one point. By doing things this way, we automatically achieve a good balance
+in our pairings," said Horikita.
+The important thing was to ensure that the students who scored zero
+points and those who scored one point weren't paired. We needed to ensure
+that the school partnered the students with the most significant differences in
+academic ability.
+"T think this is a great plan." Hirata didn't dissent. He wanted to create
+a harmonious atmosphere.
+Kouenji usually refused to participate in anything, but he didn't appear
+to either support or reject the plan. Actually, it was more like he didn't seem
+interested whatsoever. His social skills were even worse than Horikita's, but
+for once, it didn't matter that he was up to his usual tricks. Kouenji had
+avoided the kind of results that would get him kicked out of school so far.
+However, this time, it was possible that you could still fail the final exam
+even if you got a perfect score, depending on how well your partner did.
+That said, if we got Kouenji into a preselected pairing, he'd probably
+be fine. In other words, while he might not be interested, he basically seemed
+willing to cooperate. Actually, we didn't know how Kouenji would react, in
+some ways. He might be unpredictable.
+"Do you have any objections, Kouenji-kun?"
+"No. What a nonsensical question. Naturally, I fully grasp the
+situation." He rested his long legs across his desk and started combing his
+hair, like always.
+"Then would it be appropriate for me to expect you to score eighty
+points or higher?"
+"Well, I'm not too sure about that. Wouldn't that depend on the test's
+contents?"
+"If you intentionally scored a zero, and got matched with one of the
+higher-scoring students, you'd destroy the balance we're trying to achieve.
+Do you understand that?"
+The only thing to fear from this test was someone getting an irregular
+score. If an academically gifted student like Kouenji deliberately held back,
+he could throw off the class's balance. We needed to avoid having highly
+gifted students like Horikita and Kouenji paired together.
+"T will consider the matter carefully, girl."
+Even though Kouenji's response was suspicious, Horikita couldn't
+pursue the matter any further.
+5.1
+Tie day of the short quiz arrived, and though I expected us to start
+immediately, Chabashira-sensei had something to discuss first.
+"We will begin shortly, but I'd like to say something. You nominated
+Class C as the class you wanted to attack for this test. Since there was no
+conflict with any other class, your nomination was approved," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+"Did Classes A and B both nominate Class D, then?" It seemed we'd
+managed to overcome our first obstacle, and Horikita was relieved.
+"Class C will attack Class D. They also had no competing nominations
+that conflicted with that decision."
+So, the battle was going to be Class D versus Class C, and Class B
+versus Class A.
+"That's an ideal match-up," said Horikita.
+"Seems that way."
+Sakayanagi had likely chosen Class A's nomination. Katsuragi
+probably would've nominated Class D, as that would give Class A the
+highest chance of winning. You could sense that Katsuragi's influence was
+on the decline.
+Class C was our challenger, just as Horikita had hoped it would be.
+"At any rate, you look like you're doing quite well, Ike. Yamauchi, you
+usually have dark circles under your eyes right before you take a test. Did
+you happen to come up with some secret strategy?"
+"Heh heh heh. Watch and learn, sensei." Ike was completely self-
+confident, as expected. He hadn't needed to study at all. He could just write
+down his name and turn in a blank sheet of paper. If he seriously tried to take
+this unique exam, it would only increase the risks we'd face.
+Chabashira-sensei had to see what was happening. "Don't do
+something you'll regret later. It would be better if you took this quiz
+seriously."
+"Wh-what do you mean? This isn't going to have an effect on my
+grades, right?"
+"Right. Your final grade won't reflect your score on this at all."
+"Tn that case, I don't need a good score," said Ike.
+"Sure. If things go the way you expect them to go, that is."
+What Chabashira-sensei said stirred our class's anxiety. "Should we try
+to get good scores after all?" muttered Sudou.
+"Don't get flustered. There are no problems with our plan," said
+Horikita.
+Her calm, collected response managed to settle the students. Sudou
+regained his composure instantly. "Yeah. All I have to do is believe in
+Suzune."
+Chabashira-sensei produced the quiz papers. "Well then, let's begin. I
+needn't remind you that no form of cheating is allowed. If someone gets
+caught cheating, then there will be no mercy."
+The teacher handed stacks of paper to the students in the front row and
+had them pass the tests back. Because we had to keep the paper facedown
+until the test started, I immediately flipped mine upside down when I
+received it.
+"Aren't you worried that you're wrong about how the pairs are
+selected?" asked Chabashira-senset.
+"Not at all. ''m confident that I'm right," said Horikita.
+She was unfazed by what Chabashira-sensei said. Ike and the others
+could stand tall because of their leader's confidence.
+Class D was changing.
+"Begin." Chabashira-sensei gave the signal, and the test started.
+I slowly turned the papers over. "Oh..."
+I couldn't help but make a noise. I probably wasn't the only one who
+was surprised. Though we'd expected that the difficulty level would be rather
+low, it really was extremely easy. Even small children could have completed
+this test. Of course, there were a few difficult questions in there, but even
+someone like Ike could easily score around sixty or higher if he didn't panic.
+It was a very tempting trap. If we'd gone rushing into this test
+thoughtlessly, it could have been a disaster. However, that was exactly why
+Horikita came up with her strategy.
+5.2
+The short quiz ended without incident. The results were announced
+the very next day. Class D had previously sat all its exams while lacking any
+kind of cohesion, but we were so united this time that it felt almost too good
+to be true.
+"The best part is that it looks like I didn't need to get involved," I
+muttered. I really was grateful for that.
+"Well, I will now announce the pairings for the final exam," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+The short quiz's results were as follows: Horikita Suzune and Sudou
+Ken, Hirata Yousuke and Yamauchi Haruki, Kushida Kikyou and Ike Kanji,
+Yukimura Teruhiko and Inogashira Kokoro.
+The pairs were almost perfectly in line with what we'd predicted. My
+partner was...Satou Maya.
+"God really does have a bad sense of humor."
+How had it ended up like this? Satou noticed that she was paired with
+me, and looked in my direction with a smile. I raised my hand to let her know
+I'd noticed, too.
+"It looks like Kouenji-kun acted just as we hoped he would this time."
+Kouenji was partners with Okiya. It seemed he'd gotten a sufficiently
+high score. Well, he'd scored highly on every test thus far, so it was more
+like business as usual. Kouenji crossed his arms, grinned, and let out a laugh.
+"The results indicate that some among you understood this short quiz's
+purpose," said Chabashira-sense1, sounding quite impressed as she glanced
+over the list of partners. "Students were to be paired based on the difference
+in points, with the highest scorer partnered with the lowest, and so on. If
+students had the same scores, the pairings would have been determined at
+random. It's probably not necessary for me to explain the system, but I
+thought I would anyway."
+Knowing that we'd been right on the money was a relief. "There don't
+appear to be any blatant problems with the pairings," I said to Horikita.
+"Yeah. Everything's been going so smoothly it's almost scary. But the
+real challenge starts now. How will we come up with our exam questions,
+and how will we overcome the final? You're paired up with Satou-san. You
+should be fine."
+I hadn't intentionally chosen Satou or anything. And I wasn't entirely
+safe—she might fail the exam. I needed to keep my scores high from this
+point onward.
+"Tl hold study groups until the final exam to raise our class's average
+scores," Horikita said. "If Hirata-kun and Kushida-san agree, I'd like to hold
+two study sessions per day. There will be a two-hour session beginning at 4
+p.m., right after classes end, until 6 p.m. The other two-hour session will be
+held from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. We'll each lead a session in turn. I'll be counting
+on you, Hirata-kun," said Horikita.
+"Because of my club activities, Ill take the second study group. Let's
+all work together and do our best," Hirata replied.
+Things were certainly moving forward.
+Horikita and Hirata discussed the study sessions' format until they
+nailed down the finer details. Kushida would attend both sessions and adopt a
+unique role, tutoring the students who were worried about whether they could
+reach fifty points.
+That being said, this plan wasn't free of problems. Compared to the
+first-semester study group, significantly more students wanted a tutor, and
+only three could handle being tutors. Naturally, the more students there were
+per teacher, the lower the quality of instruction would be. When lunch came,
+Horikita met with Hirata and Sudou.
+"Dang it! Suzune's not leading the second group? There goes my
+motivation, man." Sudou couldn't attend the first session due to his club
+activities, and was clearly unhappy to miss Horikita. Then again, the old
+Sudou probably would've lashed out by now.
+"No matter who's teaching, it'll bother me if you don't try. Okay?"
+said Horikita.
+"Okay. We're a team, after all," he replied. Horikita had excellent
+control over the untamed stallion that was Sudou.
+"Your efforts reflect on me," she added. "I'd appreciate it if you
+understand that. Besides, I'll try to make appearances at the evening sessions
+as often as I can."
+"Yeah! All right, 'm ready for this! I'm countin' on you, Hirata."
+"Likewise. Let's do our best together, Sudou-kun."
+"Excuse me, may I talk to you?" Miyake Akito asked, approaching
+Horikita. I hadn't ever really spoken to him before. He looked apologetic.
+"What's the matter, Miyake-kun?" asked Horikita.
+Miyake was with Hasebe, a beautiful girl who was a frequent topic of
+discussion amongst the boys. These two normally kept quiet and rarely
+interacted with anyone. It was unexpected for them to approach Horikita.
+"Wait, you two are paired together for the final exam, right?" asked
+Hirata.
+"Well, yes. We're partners, but we're equally good and bad at all the
+same subjects. We're a little nervous about how we'll perform in the final, so
+we wanted to ask for your advice."
+Miyake handed Hirata their completed answer sheets for both the short
+test and the midterm. Their scores on the short test stood in stark contrast,
+with Miyake getting seventy-nine points and Hasebe getting one point, as
+intended. However, their midterm scores were sixty-five and sixty-three,
+respectively. There was almost no difference in academic ability between
+them. They were both exceptionally average, but they'd still been split
+between the upper and lower groups.
+At first glance, it looked as though they could probably score high
+enough to pass the final, but there was a problem. Miyaki and Hasebe got the
+exact same kinds of questions wrong. To pass, they needed a score of at least
+sixty points for every subject. This would be a perilous bridge to cross.
+"T see," said Hirata. "This is a little unexpected. Let's make sure to
+check the other pairs later."
+"I'm sorry to bother you, Hirata, really," replied Miyake. "I'm always
+causing trouble for you, between the cruise ship and the sports festival."
+That made me think back to the sports festival. Miyake withdrew from
+the final relay because he hurt his leg. It looked like he moved without any
+problems now, so his injury must have completely healed.
+"Please, don't apologize," said Hirata. "If I had trouble, I'm sure you'd
+do the same for me."
+The answers that Miyake and Hasebe got right and wrong on their
+sheets were extraordinarily similar. In fact, they were so similar you might
+think the same person took both tests.
+"This is really unfortunate," added Miyake. "I don't want to complicate
+your plans or mess up the study groups."
+You could tell that the two were by no means unintelligent. The
+problem was that they were too similar. Because of that, group tutoring was
+going to be insufficient. One-on-one tutoring was necessary.
+"Kushida-san, could I ask you to take on additional students? These
+two should have a pretty strong foundation that won't bring down the group's
+overall cohesion," said Horikita.
+"Sure," replied Kushida. "If you're all nght with that, Miyake-kun and
+Hasebe-san, I' ll do it."
+Miyake didn't appear to accept or reyect Kushida's offer, but Hasebe
+spoke up. "I'm going to pass, I think. I don't get along too well with
+Ichihashi-san and the others." Fortunately, Ichihashi and the other girls
+weren't in the classroom and didn't hear that remark. "Besides, I'm not really
+good at studying in a group with a lot of people."
+It seemed Miyake was the one who had wanted to come to Hirata for
+help, while Hasebe hadn't been too keen on it.
+"But if you take the final exam as 1s, even if you clear the overall score
+requirement, you might score under sixty points somewhere," Horikita said.
+"Yeah, I know," replied Hasebe. She averted her eyes from Horikita
+and started walking away.
+"Where are you going?"
+"Miyacchi, I'm sorry to have wasted your time, but I guess this just
+isn't the right fit for me," said Hasebe. With that, she left the classroom.
+"Sorry, Horikita,'" Miyake muttered.
+"T don't mind. Well, even if it's just you, would you mind studying
+with Kushida-san?" asked Horikita. If Miyake improved his weakest subjects,
+he could effectively cover for Hasebe, too.
+"T'll pass. I don't really feel like I could study with a group of just
+girls. I'll try and do it on my own," he replied. He got up, grabbed his bag,
+and left.
+Horikita couldn't force anyone to study. If a student didn't participate
+of their own free will, it would be nearly impossible to get any results. It
+would probably lower the serious students' morale to boot.
+"What now?" asked Hirata. "I think we should follow up with those
+99
+two.
+"Yeah. If only we had another tutor," said Horikita.
+She glanced at me, so with my own eyes, I sent her a message saying
+"absolutely not." Putting aside whether I could even do the tutoring, I wasn't
+sure I could communicate with Miyake and Hasebe.
+"T'll see if I can make time," Horikita muttered.
+"T don't think that's a good idea. You'll overwork yourself. If you do
+that, you won't be an effective tutor. Besides, Horikita-san, you also have to
+create Class C's test problems," said Hirata.
+"But what other choice do I have?"
+"Tn that case, I'll take care of tutoring them," said Yukimura, inserting
+himself casually into our conversation.
+"We'd be glad to have you aboard, Yukimura-kun. You're diligent and
+academically gifted. But are you all right with this? I thought you didn't
+really like this kind of thing?"
+"If I don't help out where I can, we won't be able to pass the test,"
+Yukimura said. "Same goes for you, Horikita. You can't do everything
+yourself. There's just one problem. I can teach Miyake and Hasebe how to
+study, but I'm not friendly with them. After seeing what happened here
+earlier, I get the feeling that talking to them will be tricky. I was hoping you
+could do the work of convincing them to study with me."
+That was a small price to pay, under the circumstances. Horikita was
+overjoyed. Yukimura was like the cavalry in a movie—the sort who arrives in
+the nick of time, charging over the hill to save the cornered protagonists.
+"T'll think of something," Horikita promised. Yukimura left the
+classroom, and she turned to me. "Is it okay to be optimistic for now?"
+"Not necessarily. You don't know how to talk to those two, either," I
+told her.
+"Hirata-kun, do you think Miyake and Hasebe will listen to Yukimura-
+kun?" she asked.
+"I'm not sure. All three of them are loners," said Hirata.
+Horikita turned to me after a moment of thought. "Hey, Ayanokouji-
+kun. Would you manage Yukimura-kun and the others?"
+"Manage?"
+"You were Yukimura-kun's roommate on the cruise ship, so I thought
+you might have broken the ice with him. Miyake-kun and Hasebe-san could
+be difficult, but with you as the middleman, I think itll be easier for us to
+communicate with them," said Horikita.
+Well, it was probably as good a plan as we had. Still, why me? I'd been
+happy not getting involved for once.
+"All you need to do is help corral them into studying with Yukimura. I
+didn't say I wanted you to teach them." Although that was true, just
+managing Miyake and Hasebe likely wouldn't be an easy task. "Can I count
+on you?" Horikita asked.
+Her request was morphing into a threat. All I could do was nod. I just
+didn't want to have to do anything truly exhausting, like tutoring or preparing
+test questions.
+"Tl do what I can." I sighed, but made sure that Horikita didn't notice.
+5.3
+I started preparing immediately. I spoke to Yukimura, then got in
+touch with Miyake. We talked about holding a study session later.
+Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be so easy.
+As soon as class ended, Hasebe vanished from the room. "Huh?
+Where's Hasebe?"
+"Did she run away?" muttered Yukimura.
+"Hasebe isn't like that," said Miyake. "Maybe she just went on ahead
+of us?"
+"Why would she need to?"
+"A bunch of different reasons." Miyake seemed to understand Hasebe
+quite well, and wasn't especially worried.
+We decided to head toward Pallet, our designated study hangout. En
+route to the café, we saw Hasebe in the hallway.
+"Why did you rush out?" pressed Yukimura.
+"What? Maybe I just don't like standing around. Hanging out in a
+group 1s a little awkward," she replied.
+Yukimura seemed to take this as a personal attack. "So, you hate being
+seen talking to us?" he asked.
+"That's not it at all. There are a lot of reasons."
+"Don't sweat it, Yukimura. Hasebe's just like this," said Miyake.
+"Well, all the seats at Pallet will probably be taken while we stand
+around talking. Let's keep moving," I suggested. I understood how Yukimura
+felt, but we needed to stay on target.
+"Yeah, you're right. Let's go," replied Yukimura, regaining his
+composure and taking the lead.
+"You should be a little more careful about what you say," Miyake told
+Hasebe.
+"Was it that annoying? Ill think about it, I guess," she replied.
+We managed to secure four seats at Pallet. Yukimura sat next to me,
+while Hasebe sat across from us. Miyake was beside Hasebe. The four of us
+clearly felt incredibly uncomfortable and out of place.
+"Um, I guess I'm counting on you, or whatever," said Hasebe.
+"Well, if you have any questions, feel free to ask," I told everyone.
+Hasebe raised her hand. "So, you can talk, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Ts that really the question you're going to ask?"
+Hasebe looked as if her interest was piqued. "I guess I don't have any
+impression of you at all. Do people even notice when you're not there?" she
+continued.
+Well...I mean, I didn't talk to Hasebe on a regular basis, or at all. So,
+maybe it was understandable that she had that kind of impression.
+Miyake brought up the sports festival. "But Ayanokouji was awesome
+in the relay."
+"Seems that way. But I went to the bathroom during that race, so I
+missed seeing it. It all feels kinda bizarre to me. Didn't you compete against
+the former student council president? That's what everyone was buzzing
+about right after the festival ended," said Hasebe.
+"Did you do track and field back in junior high, Ayanokouji? After
+seeing you run, a talent scout from the track and field club came looking for
+you," said Miyake.
+"Ah, yeah. I got some offers. But I refused," I replied. The track and
+field club's enthusiasm was only temporary. They couldn't keep trying to
+recruit me forever. The people in the club probably weren't talking about me
+anymore. "To be honest, I've never been in a club before. I don't really know
+much about that stuff."
+"Oh, really? What a shame," said Miyake.
+Yukimura just listened, never speaking once. Hasebe, disinterested,
+switched the conversation's topic to Miyake. "Miyacchi 1s in the archery
+club. Is it fun shooting bows every day?"
+"T wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun. By the way, you don't shoot the bow,
+just arrows," he replied.
+"I'm just not interested in clubs, I guess. I'm fine with spending time
+by myself," said Hasebe.
+My current impression of these two was quite different from what I'd
+previously imagined. They were far more talkative than I thought.
+"Hey, Miyacchi. Is it okay for you to miss your club stuff?" asked
+Hasebe.
+"T took time off."
+"Wow. You shouldn't do that."
+"When something takes priority, I focus on it. Besides, my club's
+pretty lenient."
+"Excuse me? I'd like to say something before we begin," said
+Yukimura. Finally, he'd spoken up. He focused not on Miyake or Hasebe, but
+on me. "No hiding anything, Ayanokouji."
+"Huh? What do you mean?"
+"Studying. Horikita says you're quite capable."
+"Ugh, Horikita," I muttered. What a blabbermouth. I needed to give
+Yukimura something if I wanted to earn his trust. "Well, I'm relatively good
+at memorizing things. I think I can get a pretty high score if I concentrate."
+"Are you the type to hide his abilities?"
+"Well, I can't hold a candle to you, Yukimura. Please don't expect too
+much of me. I'm not very good at teaching," I replied.
+"You should take this study group seriously, then. With me tutoring
+you, you'll definitely score higher than you did on the midterm." Yukimura
+turned to Hasebe and Miyake. "Did you bring your answer sheets from the
+midterm and first semester exams like I asked?"
+"Yeah," said Hasebe.
+Miyake nodded as well. They took their test papers from their bags and
+handed them over. I glanced at their papers and scores.
+"Both of you excel in the sciences. Your humanities scores are a
+complete disaster," said Yukimura.
+Miyake and Hasebe had scored relatively high in math, earning around
+seventy points. But they only got about forty points in language and world
+history. It was obvious why the two of them were worried.
+"T didn't know you two were so close," added Yukimura.
+"Well, Hasebe came and talked to me when I was studying in the
+library one day," said Miyake.
+"Miyacchi and I are both independent people. We don't really fit in
+with everyone else," Hasebe added.
+"T feel the same, in a way," said Miyake. "Even in this group, I feel
+awkward and distant."
+"So, why did you agree to join us?" asked Yukimura.
+"Because this isn't really a club, I guess. It's just a study group.
+Besides, it' ll be quiet, right? When I study by myself, nothing bothers me or
+gets in the way."
+Suddenly, I felt as if someone was watching me. I turned around.
+Several male students, each on the phone with somebody, were in fact eyeing
+us. I recognized three of them; all were from Class C. I only recalled the
+name of the one in the middle, Ishizaki.
+Hopefully, they weren't about to drag me into another troublesome
+mess. It didn't seem like Ishizaki and the others were picking a fight.
+Although they looked at me now and again, they walked over to the display
+case next to the register. The case was lined with various cakes, which you
+could either order to go or enjoy there in the café. The strawberry shortcake
+and blancmange appeared especially popular, but I wasn't exactly
+knowledgeable about that stuff.
+The cashier seemed to be having some difficulty hearing what the
+Class C students wanted to order. Before long, she looked anxious and
+apologetic.
+"There's no way you can do it?!" roared Ishizaki. The lively café
+quieted at once.
+"Sir, we need to have at least one week's advance notice for any
+special-order cakes," the cashier replied. "I'm afraid it's not possible to
+prepare something on the same day."
+After hearing the cashier's response, people began chatting 1n the café
+once again.
+"What's that all about?" asked Hasebe. She twirled her pen around and
+looked at Ishizaki and his friends with disgust.
+"Who knows? Doesn't have anything to do with us," replied
+Yukimura. He was writing something down on Hasebe and Miyake's test
+papers, probably figuring out which subjects they were having trouble in and
+coming up with a plan.
+"Cake, huh?" I wasn't the least bit interested in what Ishizaki was
+talking to the cashier about, but the topic of cake reminded me that it was my
+birthday tomorrow. Honestly, I didn't know how to spend a birthday like a
+normal person. My birthday always meant that I was simply another year
+older.
+I knew that a birthday was often celebrated with family, a lover, or
+friends. I just didn't understand what I should feel.
+"What's the matter, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Nothing."
+Tomorrow was October 20. Some other students or teachers might
+share my birthday. The only difference between those people and me was that
+I didn't have anybody to celebrate with. I wondered whether someone would
+acknowledge my birthday next year.
+5.4
+66
+Lm going to get another coffee," said Hasebe.
+"Me too," said Miyake. More than thirty minutes had passed, and
+Yukimura still hadn't looked up from their papers.
+Hasebe and Miyake went to the counter with their empty cups. Pallet
+had a policy that, if you brought your receipt, you could get another cup for
+half price. The coffee was inexpensive and delicious, and the café offered the
+perfect amount, so it was becoming quite popular amongst the first-year
+students. Hasebe and Miyake were already on their third cups. Yukimura,
+still focused, had half of his first coffee remaining.
+"Seems like hard work," I said.
+"I've never really taught someone else how to study before. I mean, a
+long time ago, I taught this one junior-high
+idiot to pull an all-nighter, but I couldn't stand it. I wasn't able to
+concentrate on the material, because he didn't have the fundamentals down,"
+said Yukimura.
+He briefly set down his pen and looked up at the ceiling.
+"Even now, I can't forget the time I wasted. I thought it was so stupid,
+trying to teach people how to study. When you and Horikita rounded up those
+guys who were about to fail, and held those study sessions, honestly, I was
+laughing at you. The same goes for Hirata's group. I mean, doesn't it seem
+like a waste? Nearly everyone who hates studying just can't study in the first
+place. I felt like teaching them to cram for a couple days was useless, since
+they'd just go back to how they were before."
+"So, why did you decide to help tutor?" I asked. This test was unlike
+anything in junior high. Yukimura was taking on some significant
+responsibility. If Hasebe and Miyake did get expelled, he might blame
+himself. That was the kind of person he was.
+"T was useless in the sports festival. I got tripped up by the thing I
+dismissed as unimportant. Just being able to study isn't enough for this
+school. Just being athletic isn't enough. If you combine those two things, that
+still isn't enough. Even people like Horikita and Hirata, who are gifted both
+academically and athletically, definitely can't make it through the challenges
+ahead with just those skills alone. Intuition, insight, and taste. We have to
+rely on those traits, which are essential for living in society. Working as a
+team is vital. That's the only way we win," said Yukimura. "So, I decided to
+help. Also, I was self-centered. I thought I'd be fine as long as I could study.
+All I worried about was myself. I was just like my selfish mother. That's why
+I took a good hard look at myself, and... Ah, that's not important. Forget it."
+He looked down. "If I had to tutor Ike and the other guys, I'd probably
+have a much worse time of it. Miyake and Hasebe both take their studies
+seriously, so it might be easy. Besides, they're already good at science. It
+shouldn't be too hard to cover the rest. I don't know much I'Il be able to help,
+but we'll probably see at least some improvement."
+Such positive thinking. Well, Yukimura probably realized that this was
+where he could do the most good.
+"I'm going to the bathroom," I said.
+Hasebe and Miyake hadn't returned. Since it seemed like it'd be a little
+while yet before our study session started, I got up to leave.
+The real reason was that I felt Ishizaki and his friends gazing at me.
+Also...I felt someone else's presence. Someone was secretly watching
+me, so I walked straight over and sat next to my new stalker. She didn't seem
+to notice me stroll up.
+"What are you doing out here, Sakura?" I asked.
+"Hyaaah?!" Sakura practically jumped out of her seat in fear. "I-It's
+just a coincidence, Ayanokouji-kun!"
+"A coincidence, huh?"
+"Yes, a coincidence."
+"Well, I thought you were looking over at me from time to time."
+"Well, that's... I mean... I'm sorry." Sakura immediately apologized.
+"Is there anything you want to talk to me about?" If it wasn't urgent,
+she could just have called or sent an email. She wasn't the type to hang out at
+Pallet with friends. "Did you want to join the study group?"
+"Wh-wh-why do you say that?!"
+"Well, I see study materials in your bag." That was odd, because
+Sakura would never choose to study in such a crowded place.
+"Ah...um!" Sakura panicked and tried to close her bag, but it was too
+late. The way she was acting screamed that she wanted to participate.
+"Well, why not sit with us? I'Il ask everyone else."
+"B-but I...I've hardly ever spoken to them before." Sakura wasn't
+good at interacting with people. I understood that much.
+"Well, you probably came here for a specific reason. I mean, the
+Sakura I know likely wouldn't come all the way to Pallet and risk bumping
+into people pointlessly," I told her.
+Being in public still wasn't easy for Sakura. She'd probably been
+tempted to leave or run back to her dorm, but managed to keep herself here.
+That meant something was going on in her mind.
+"Well, you decide, Sakura. It's not totally up to me. We have to
+consider how Yukimura, Hasebe, and Miyake would feel," I said.
+Sakura might be dejected to hear me say that, but her passivity could
+be bad for her. If I wanted her to step up and grow, the best plan of action
+was to keep my distance and watch over her. Then again, I felt as though
+communicating with Miyake and Hasebe was relatively easy, compared to
+the rest of our classmates. I'm sure Sakura felt the same.
+"It's okay if you want to think about it. We'll probably be here for
+another hour," I told her.
+Though it might have been a little cold of me, I left Sakura and
+returned to my seat. Yukimura glanced at me and said nothing. After about
+two minutes, Miyake and Hasebe returned.
+"Did you finish checking everything?" Miyake asked.
+"Just a little longer," replied Yukimura.
+"Ah, that reminds me. There's something I want to ask you,
+Ayanokouji-kun," said Hasebe.
+"Knock it off, Hasebe," said Miyake. Well, this sounded ominous.
+"Come on, it's fine. It's not like it's the end of the world if someone
+hears," said Hasebe.
+"That's not the problem. There's a time and place for this," he replied.
+Very ominous.
+"Well, classes are done for the day. Isn't right now the absolute best
+time to talk?" Hasebe countered.
+Miyake shook his head, as if he didn't know what to do. What in the
+world was Hasebe up to?
+"Ayanokouji-kun, are you going out with Horikita-san?" she asked.
+"Nope. 99
+"Whoa. Not even a pause to think about it? I'd say it sounded like that
+answer was pretty well-rehearsed. Kinda suspicious, don't you think?"
+"Several people already asked, that's why. It's not like Horikita and I
+are always together or anything," I answered.
+"T suppose. But you know what they say—rumors about love are half
+truths, half lies."
+For a solitary girl, Hasebe really seemed interested in romance. I
+suppose a sensible man in this situation would see whether Hasebe had a
+boyfriend. Of course, I wasn't going to do that.
+"Okay." Yukimura suddenly lifted his head. It seemed he'd finished
+checking everything. "I feel like I've figured out where you two struggle. I'd
+like to propose a detailed study plan."
+He handed Miyake the test papers, his comments written in the
+margins.
+"T tried coming up with some sample questions for you to solve. Ill
+have Hasebe work on the same problems later, so don't write your answers
+directly into my notebook. The time limit is ten minutes. There are ten
+questions in total," said Yukimura.
+Miyake took the notebook. After he'd struggled for ten minutes, he
+passed it to Hasebe so she could do the same.
+When the twenty-minute testing period ended, Yukimura immediately
+began writing down their scores.
+"Seriously, you two..."
+He returned their answer sheets, letting out an exasperated sigh.
+Miyake and Hasebe had each gotten only three answers correct and six
+incorrect, and each scored half points on one question. What was really
+surprising was that they managed to get the exact same questions right and
+wrong.
+"You don't just have similar strengths. You also tend to memorize
+things in exactly the same way," said Yukimura.
+"Wow! Doesn't it feel as if this is kind of like fate, Miyacchi?" Hasebe
+asked.
+"No, it doesn't."
+"Oh, come on. You never play along. But, uh, isn't this kind of a
+problem?" she asked Yukimura.
+"Actually, this situation is convenient. It'll only take half the effort to
+solve."
+If Hasebe and Miyake's academic skills and tendencies were that much
+in sync, then Yukimura could basically think of it as actually teaching one
+person. Of course, there'd be at least a few minor differences between them,
+but everything would proceed more smoothly than expected.
+"Do you think this is going to be easy?" Mikaye asked.
+"Well, that depends on how much effort you' ll put in. Even though the
+questions I came up with were kind of basic, your scores weren't good. I'd
+like us to meet up seven or eight times before the final. Rather than tutoring
+constantly, it'll be good to give you some time for self-study, too. Are you
+three okay with that? Miyake, you might have conflicts with club activities,
+right?"
+"Since the final exam is getting closer, we'll probably take a break
+from club activities, but let me ask for the time off," replied Miyake.
+Yukimura nodded. That just left Hasebe.
+"Okay, so let me just ask one thing," she said. ""Won't this just feel like
+typical studying? I mean, I don't like studying or anything, but if this is just
+reviewing stuff, I think I can do it on my own. So, how does a group help?
+Obviously, I understand that having a smart person tutor me is good and all.
+But I came here because Miyacchi recommended it, and I'm still on the
+fence."
+"This isn't a normal study group. If this were a regular test, the school
+would prepare the questions. But this time, another class will write them.
+These questions won't be standardized and easy to study for. With other
+students making problems, there are unknown variables. It'll be difficult to
+anticipate them. That's exactly why studying's necessary," said Yukimura.
+Miyake was convinced. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sure Class C will try
+to trip us up."
+"Yeah," Yukimura said. "Well, the questions might seem impossible
+for us to imagine right now, but what if we identify the people coming up
+with them? Personally, I think Kaneda will do it."
+I'd heard that name before.
+"He's that one creepy weirdo with the glasses, right?" asked Hasebe.
+"T don't know if I'd put it like that, but yeah. He's the best student in
+Class C," said Yukimura. It was reasonable to assume that the best student
+would make the questions.
+"But if Class C is trying to trick us, won't Ryuuen or maybe Ishizaki
+come up with some, too?"
+"No way. Without a thorough understanding of the subject, they won't
+be able to come up with anything. Take you two, for example. Think about
+subjects you're poor at, like the humanities. Do you really think you'd be
+able to create a tricky question?" asked Yukimura.
+"No. I wouldn't even be able to think of a question."
+"Yeah. Besides, what kind of social studies problems would even be on
+the test?"
+"Exactly. At best, you'd think of the most obvious problems. Even if
+you scoured the textbook for the really difficult parts, if you didn't establish
+the problem properly, the school would probably turn it down," said
+Yukimura.
+"It's ultimately up to the school to decide whether to use a question,
+right?" I interjected.
+"True," said Yukimura.
+"So, if Class D deliberately submits a number of extreme questions that
+border on going too far, that would give us a better sense of what's
+acceptable?" I asked.
+"That's certainly a good idea," said Miyake.
+"You're really smart, Ayanokouji-kun," said Hasebe.
+"We'll probably need to come up with provisional questions as soon as
+possible so we can identify the school's standards. I'll try to create questions
+myself, but would Horikita and Hirata be willing to help out?" Yukimura
+asked.
+"T dunno. I'm just spitballing here."
+""You're the only person who can get in touch with them, Ayanokouji,"
+Yukimura said. Miyake and Hasebe nodded.
+"Well, P1l do whatever I can. Just don't expect too much of me," I
+replied. Did Horikita and Yukimura both intend to make me their
+middleman?
+"Yeah. Okay." Hasebe smiled, her doubts about the study group gone.
+"Well, I'm not in any clubs, so I'm good. Let's decide when to meet based on
+what works for Miyacchi."
+Miyake looked over at Hasebe in surprise. "I thought you were going
+to back out, Hasebe. This is unusual. You don't normally want to get
+involved in anything."
+"If it were just me getting expelled, I wouldn't care. But I don't want to
+drag you down with me, Miyacchi. You know?"
+"Well, I suppose this is enough for today. The first study session is the
+day after tomorrow." Yukimura brought things to a close.
+As we got up to leave, I realized Sakura still hadn't come over to talk
+to us.
+5.5
+A fier I returned to my dorm, I immediately contacted Horikita for
+instructions.
+"This is good. We'll definitely want to test the school," she said.
+"Hirata and I are already making progress coming up with questions, but I'd
+like to know just how far we can go. I'm glad that everything seems to be
+going well, but are we really sure that Kaneda-kun will be the person in Class
+C creating questions?"
+"There's no way to be sure," I replied. "But trying to anticipate the
+kinds of questions Kaneda would come up with is certainly one way we can
+handle these study sessions."
+"T suppose. If we imagine that this test will be full of difficult
+questions, we might need to try to get eighty or ninety points," said Horikita.
+"By the way, how did the study group go?"
+I told her what had happened, though I did exaggerate a little. I tried to
+make it sound as though I'd managed to make friends. Horikita didn't touch
+on that subject at all. She only cared about Hasebe and Miyake's academic
+abilities.
+"It's quite the coincidence," she mused.
+"IT know, right? For the time being, I'Il see what I can do. They seem
+easy enough to supervise, anyway," I said.
+"Thank you. Also, there's one more thing. On the days when
+Yukimura-kun's study group doesn't meet, would you please come to mine?"
+"That's not what we agreed."
+"You don't have to tutor. I just want you to manage everyone,"
+Horikita replied.
+The word "manage" was vague, so vague that I had absolutely no clue
+what she meant. I understood it as much as I understood the expression
+"more than friends, less than lovers." Which was to say, not at all.
+"What do you mean, 'manage'?" I asked.
+She sighed heavily.
+"Too many people need tutoring, compared to the number who can
+teach. I can't keep my eye on everyone, no matter how hard I try. I'd like you
+to make sure everybody studies properly," said Horikita.
+"The teachers manage to teach dozens of students all by themselves,
+right?"
+"At the risk of sounding self-aggrandizing, it's not as though even our
+teachers can watch everyone by themselves. That's why you have some
+students, like Ike-kun, who fall behind. Even if they fool the teacher into
+thinking they understood, in the end, they struggle to keep up," said Horikita.
+"Yukimura-kun isn't accustomed to tutoring, and I'm having trouble with the
+sheer number of people I have to teach. Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun are
+especially problematic. They have shorter attention spans than a
+kindergartener. Any objections?"
+"None."
+"Excellent."
+"It's okay if I don't go to the night sessions, right?"
+"That's fine. The nighttime study sessions are significantly better than
+the daytime ones, anyway, though some of the girls in that group can be
+troublesome," said Horikita.
+I guessed that some girls only showed up at the sessions to be around
+Hirata and didn't mind that Karuizawa was there. That had to be an
+interesting dynamic.
+I realized that Horikita didn't mention Sudou among those causing
+issues. "Has Sudou been behaving?"
+"Yes. He's taking this seriously, though he still hasn't reached junior
+high level yet."
+"I'm counting on you." I still didn't have a good feeling about this.
+"Oh, yeah. While we're on the subject of the study groups, what about
+Kushida?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"Has nothing changed with her?"
+"Of course not. I do think that she' Il help. She also promised to attend
+the study sessions every day," said Horikita.
+I supposed that, as far as Horikita was concerned, there wasn't much to
+worry over. After all, it was just the very first day of the study sessions. From
+my point of view, though, we simply couldn't kick back and casually watch
+this problem develop.
+"Have you started creating test questions?"
+"Of course I have. Mine, Hirata-kun's, and Yukimura-kun's will form
+the fundamental basis. I wanted more people to help, but the more classmates
+I involve, the greater the risk that the problems will leak to Class C," said
+Horikita.
+"Tt'd certainly be difficult to rule out any possibility of leaks if we
+factored in Kushida. Wait, aren't you and her both participating in the
+evening study sessions?"
+"Yes, but as long as we don't ask for her help with the test questions, it
+should be okay."
+This was pure speculation on both our parts. "Our test questions and
+answers are Class D's lifeline. If that information leaks, we're doomed," I
+said.
+"T'll keep things locked down. But that alone won't solve the issue,
+will it?"
+"I'm not worried about the 'creating questions' part. If anything, I fear
+what comes after we submit them to the school. If you give the final
+questions and answers to Chabashira-sensei the day before the test, then
+they' Il be out there, ready to be stolen," I told Horikita.
+Kushida had employed a similar tactic with the participation table
+during the sports festival. It was more than likely that Ryuuen would make a
+similar request of her again.
+"So, the only way we can deal with this is by talking it out with
+Kushida," said Horikita.
+"But what do we do if she leaks our questions to Class C?" I countered.
+"T don't want to think about it," she said.
+"You have to. This is about all of Class D. No matter how much we
+study, if our opponents get a hundred points across the board, we have no
+hope of winning," I told her. If Class C memorized all our answers, defeat
+was certain.
+"T see what you're saying. But I'm dealing with it. It's already past ten
+o'clock. I'd like to come up with at least one more question before I go to
+bed."
+She hung up. My phone's battery was low, so I plugged it in to charge.
+Horikita said she was working on countermeasures, but I didn't know
+how well they'd go. I wasn't criticizing her strategy to persuade Kushida
+directly, but rather, didn't have much to say about it. If I had to bring
+Kushida over to my side, I'd threaten her like Karuizawa. No—I'd probably
+need to do something far worse to make Kushida surrender to me. However, I
+didn't know the details of Kushida's past, and she might not fold under
+pressure.
+"What should I do?" I muttered.
+Then, I received an email from Ryuuen.
+After the sports festival, I'd asked Manabe and her friends for
+Ryuuen's email address and sent him a message. I hadn't received a response
+until now.
+What are you?
+That was the entire message. I wasn't nice enough to answer him, and
+besides, he couldn't trace my email. It was a dummy account.
+I decided to go to sleep.
+5.6
+Tie library bustled after classes ended, absolutely full of students.
+Although it was crowded, it was quiet. Most students were completely
+immersed in studying.
+"Wow. So, this is the library, huh?" muttered Satou. She sounded
+interested.
+Ah, yes. That brought me to my own little problem. Satou had decided
+to join the study session. I hadn't spoken to her since we exchanged contact
+information. This was extremely awkward.
+"This is my first time here. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T've been a few times," I replied.
+"You're so studious!"
+"Well, it's more like I come here to kill time."
+"You come to the /ibrary to kill time? That's strange."
+Apparently, my pretty-generic answer was weird. I had no idea what to
+think. I just didn't know what Satou was trying to do.
+"Hey, um, Ayanokouji-kun... I'm not a bother, am I?" she asked.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Well, I did just suddenly tell you I was joining the study session and
+all."
+"T don't mind. Horikita and Kushida are the ones tutoring, and they
+should be happy to have more people."
+'"That's not what I mean."
+Satou looked a little depressed. Being in the library was kind of
+annoying; I had to whisper to avoid bothering other students, and as a result,
+got far closer to Satou than I normally would've. I could practically feel her
+breath on my skin.
+Was this a youthful moment of hedonism? If so, youth was kind of a
+pain in the butt. I wasn't enjoying this in the slightest. I was nervous and
+worried about Satou.
+I basically just wanted to go home.
+But...did I really?
+I tried to examine my current situation. I could certainly grow
+perplexed when faced with the unknown. From my perspective as a nobody, I
+was always prepared for immediate rejection.
+But hadn't I come to this school because I was looking for something
+other than routine?
+"Wow. Everyone looks so serious," said Satou. "They're really
+studying."
+"The library's a pretty normal place to study, actually," Horikita
+replied, appearing out of nowhere.
+I regained my composure and cleared my mind. I wanted to get
+through this study session.
+"Okay, you guys," Horikita said to Ike and Yamauchi. "No commotion
+tonight, okay? Next time you make a scene, there's a chance they'Il kick you
+out of the library."
+"Y-yeah, we know already. Sheesh."
+Horikita went to secure us seats. Even though more than half the chairs
+were vacant, that didn't necessarily mean that they were free. It was an
+unspoken rule that the seats near the café window and next to the library
+drinks station were for senior students only. In this territorial division, first-
+year students were only allowed to use the noisy area near the entrance.
+However, we had an additional concern this time. We wanted to avoid
+being near Class C students as much as possible.
+"What are you doing, Horikita?" I asked.
+"Tf it's the thing you're concerned about, Ayanokouji-kun, don't worry.
+I'm already dealing with it."
+Directly ahead of us, Ichinose Honami—a Class B girl—entered the
+first-year students' area. She waved, inviting us to come talk to her. Eight
+other Class B students, four guys and four girls, hung around Ichinose. I
+glanced over at Horikita. Judging by her expression, she wasn't perturbed by
+this. Ichinose approached us.
+"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Horikita.
+"Oh no, not at all. We just got here ourselves," said Ichinose.
+"T met with Ichinose-san yesterday and suggested we form a joint study
+group. Since we aren't competing against Class B in this exam, I thought we
+could help each other," said Horikita.
+Well. Every silver lining has a cloud, as they say. Ike and Yamauchi,
+who'd managed to keep calm up until now, suddenly jumped.
+"Tke-kun, I warned you, didn't I?" Horikita grabbed Ike's arm. He
+locked up in terror, like a frog being glared at by a snake. Why had he and
+Yamauchi suddenly become so excited? I supposed getting together with
+Class B girls was appropriately stimulating.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, you came, too!" said Ichinose.
+"T was pretty close to failing. I might need your help," I replied.
+"Oh no, I'm sure I'm the one who needs help," she said.
+Even though the library was a quiet space, you could still hold a
+conversation. Because Ichinose managed to secure us some corner seats, the
+music playing throughout the library completely drowned out our low voices.
+The music was Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral." It was something I
+could relax to; a pretty good choice.
+To think Horikita had actually formed a joint study group. Assuming
+that we were able to work together with Class B, this would likely help us.
+The more varied perspectives, the more creative test questions.
+However, we were also taking certain risks. If any Class B students had
+ties to Class C, our information might leak. Of course, Horikita already
+understood that. She probably chose to bring us together because the benefits
+outweighed the risks.
+"Sit here, Ayanokouji-kun." Satou urged me to sit beside her, so I did.
+"Yeah, sure."
+"What's going on, Satou? You're sitting awfully close to Ayanokouji-
+99
+kun.
+"Tt's only natural, isn't it? Since we're partners."
+I took out my textbook and notes right away. Even if it was just for
+show, I probably still needed to study.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun, what would be the best way for me to
+prepare?" asked Satou.
+"You should ask Horikita," I replied.
+"But this is a good opportunity, isn't it? You're partners, after all. Why
+don't you take care of Satou-san, Ayanokouji-kun?" drawled Horikita.
+"My test scores are only slightly different from Satou's, so there's
+probably not that much I can teach her. Besides, I wanted to get some
+tutoring myself."
+"T see. In that case, I'Il tutor you both," said Ichinose.
+"Let's do our best together, Ayanokouji-kun," said Satou.
+"Y-yeah." I was starting to feel pretty anxious about this study group.
+"You're always so calm, Ayanokouji-kun. You just have this really
+mature vibe. What were you like back in junior high?" Satou drew closer to
+me, looking into my eyes. Her uniform was slightly unbuttoned, and I caught
+a glimpse of her cleavage. I wasn't sure whether she noticed, but her
+breathing was a little heavy.
+"T guess pretty normal. I didn't particularly stand out. Not very
+different from now. Maybe that's why people say I'm gloomy." I tried to inch
+away.
+It was fine if Satou had a crush on me, but people were staring at us
+right now, and I hated it. Ike and Yamauchi, in particular, glared
+incredulously at me.
+"You're not gloomy at all, Ayanokouji-kun. I think you're cool," said
+Satou.
+"T don't think 'cool' applies to me," I said.
+"Really? Well, I don't know about other people, but that's what /
+think."
+No matter what I said, Satou interpreted it as interesting. I needed an
+escape plan. "Okay, how about we find out what our weaknesses are? Did
+you bring your midterm with you?"
+"T did."
+She took some crumpled-up test papers out of her bag. She'd scored
+around fifty points across the board in every test. Although she'd answered
+simple questions correctly, anything of medium difficulty or higher was
+disastrous. It was actually a mystery to me how Satou managed to stay in this
+school for this long.
+"It's kind of bad, isn't it?" she asked.
+"Yeah...a little. Since we seem to be about the same level, we should
+study together."
+"Yes!" Satou looked incredibly excited, but I wished she wasn't so
+loud.
+"Aren't you two getting along a little too well?" asked Ike, his eyes full
+of suspicion.
+"We're partners. It's only natural, right?" replied Satou.
+"Ike, why don't you study, rather than concentrate on things you don't
+understand?" said Horikita, evidently not caring who got along with whom.
+"Tch. Yeah, yeah. I know."
+Ike's discipline. The gift that kept on giving.
+5.7
+Ou: study session ended without incident, and everyone started to
+head back to the dorm.
+"Aw, I'm beat!" Ike whined.
+For people like Ike and Yamauchi, who couldn't even concentrate
+during normal school hours, an after-school study session was the very
+definition of hell. They beamed with delight at being finally free, but Horikita
+glared icily at them.
+"Today's not the end. We have another session tomorrow," she said.
+"C-come on, I know that. Isn't 1t okay for me to be at least a little
+happy? I worked hard!" Ike shot back as the two idiots raced out of the
+library.
+"Wow, Class D sure is lively. I almost wish you'd share some of that
+energy with us!" said Ichinose.
+"Yeah, but they're lively about all the wrong things. To be honest, I
+envy Class B," replied Horikita.
+She wasn't mistaken to feel that way. The Class B students were more
+focused than Class D; they were calm and composed, and cooperated with
+one another.
+"Goodbye," Kushida said to Ichinose. "Horikita-san, goodbye to you,
+99
+too.
+"Yeah, goodbye," Horikita replied.
+Kushida left without incident, a few other girls in tow. So, she was
+playing it cool for now. It seemed that both she and Horikita were checking
+each other out.
+"Ichinose-san, can I ask you a few questions?" asked Horikita.
+"Hmm? What kind of questions?"
+"Td prefer it if this was just between you and me. It'Il only take a few
+minutes," said Horikita.
+"A few minutes? All right. Sorry, everybody, but could you please wait
+for me in the hall?" asked Ichinose.
+"Should I stay?" I asked.
+"Tt doesn't matter either way," said Horikita.
+I thought she was being sarcastic, for a moment, but then realized she
+was probably employing reverse psychology to make me stick around.
+"What did you want to talk about?" asked Ichinose.
+It felt a little strange that the pair of them were alone like this. Ichinose
+and Horikita, two people with opposite personalities, stood shoulder to
+shoulder.
+"Ichinose-san, if a friend or an ally were in trouble, you'd help them.
+Right?" asked Horikita.
+"Um, yeah? Isn't that only natural?" replied Ichinose.
+"Mm-hmm. And it's very kind of Class B to help us with these study
+sessions. So, if someone reached out to you for help, you'd offer them a
+hand. Right, Ichinose-san?" asked Horikita.
+"Of course," Ichinose answered immediately. There was no indecision.
+"Then, do you have clear criteria for determining who is and isn't your
+friend?" Maybe Horikita's conflict with Kushida prompted these questions.
+"Hmm. What do you mean?"
+"Well, would you be unconditionally willing to help someone, as long
+as they were from Class B? Even if that student didn't contribute much to the
+class?"
+"No matter how the other person acted, I'd be on Class B's side. If
+someone were in trouble, I'd definitely try to help."
+"Maybe this is a silly question, after all," said Horikita. "Well, let me
+ask you another silly question. Let's suppose someone in Class B hated you.
+Would you be able to like that person? Or would you end up hating them in
+return?"
+"Hmm. I'm not sure. If they really hated me, my best option would be
+to avoid contact as much as possible, to keep them from disliking me even
+more," said Ichinose.
+"And if that person were in trouble, what would you do?"
+"Help them," said Ichinose immediately. "Even if they really hated me,
+I'm always Class B's ally."
+"Class B seems extremely important to you," said Horikita.
+"Yes. They're all good kids. I admit that, at first, I was sad I wasn't in
+Class A. But now, I think I'm in the best class. Don't you feel the same,
+Horikita?"
+"Well...home is where you make it, I suppose. Class D isn't too bad,"
+said Horikita.
+"Oh?" I muttered.
+"What, Ayanokouji-kun? Have something to add?" Horikita glared at
+"Sorry to insert myself into your conversation, but can I ask you
+something, Ichinose?" I said.
+"Sure."
+"T understand that your classmates are unconditional allies. I do think
+it's necessary to be friends with everyone in your boat, so to speak. However,
+are the Class A, C, and D students your friends?"
+"Well, you and Horikita-san are dear friends to me, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Then what if we're in trouble? What if we came to you, begging you
+to lend us a million points?" I asked.
+"If there were a good reason, I'd help. The amount doesn't matter,"
+said Ichinose.
+"Sheesh. Your generosity knows no bounds. You'll really help
+anyone?"
+"Ideally, yes, but I know it's not always that simple. There's a limit to
+how much I can do myself. If Ryuuen-kun were in trouble, I couldn't help
+him like I help others. But if it's within my power, I'Il help," said Ichinose.
+"As long as you're my friend, a problem's nature or intensity doesn't matter."
+"Although I appreciate that, I have my doubts. So, if I came crying to
+you, begging for help...?"
+"T'?d welcome you with open arms."
+"Tn that case...what would you do if Kanzaki-kun and I had the same
+problem?" Horikita asked.
+"You mean if I had to pick one of you?" Ichinose was at a complete
+loss. "Sorry. I don't know how to answer that. In a hypothetical scenario like
+that, no matter who I helped, I'd hurt someone else."
+That was just like Ichinose. Horikita seemed both genuinely surprised
+and impressed.
+"TI don't believe purely good people exist. Humans are crafty animals
+who want their virtues rewarded," said Horikita. "But after hearing what you
+said... Maybe there really are good people in this world."
+Ichinose seemed taken aback. "You're giving me far too much credit,
+Horikita-san."
+She'd been honest and straightforward with us so far, but now, her eyes
+darted around the room.
+"Well, I at least think you're a better person than anyone I've ever
+met," said Horikita.
+"I'm really not so wonderful," replied Ichinose. She couldn't even look
+Horikita in the face.
+"Really, it's not a big deal." Horikita obviously noticed Ichinose's
+strange reaction. "I'm sorry. Perhaps I went a little overboard. I didn't mean
+to make you uncomfortable."
+"It's okay. You didn't really make me uncomfortable." Still, Ichinose
+was clearly shaken. "Is that all you wanted to talk about? Chihiro-chan and
+the others are waiting on me. Can we call it a day?"
+"Thank you for answering my silly questions," said Horikita.
+"No problem. Well, Ill see you tomorrow," replied Ichinose.
+After she left, Horikita and I, a few third-year students, and the library
+staff were all that remained.
+"Let's head back," said Horikita. "I still have things to do."
+"What are you going to do about Kushida? It sounds like you came up
+with something," I said. Horikita probably didn't like being asked that
+question over and over, but I had to make sure.
+"She's special. Pll have to be extra careful," said Horikita.
+"Special?"
+"T've been thinking about several things. About the kind of life
+Kushida Kikyou would've had at this school had I not enrolled here.
+Everyone in class would've trusted and leaned upon her. She could have
+studied and played sports without any concerns. She would've carried on like
+that until graduation. However, my presence took that easy future from her.
+She worked with an enemy, Ryuuen-kun, in a desperate bid to drive me out.
+She didn't hesitate to attack her own class. Of course, that isn't my fault. It's
+just bad luck that we ended up at the same school."
+"T have a suggestion," I told Horikita.
+"What kind of suggestion?"
+"T believe I found the puzzle piece you' ll need to reconcile with
+Kushida."
+"What do you mean?"
+"Would you agree that Ichinose is a good person?"
+"Yes. I wouldn't doubt it, even if I caught wind of unpleasant rumors
+about her," said Horikita.
+"So, why not get a good person to mediate between you two? Frankly,
+I think nothing will come from a one-on-one conversation with Kushida. She
+would never reveal her true nature to anyone in Class D."
+"Maybe not... But even so, I don't think it's right to have Ichinose
+mediate," said Horikita.
+"T don't think this' resolve everything. I'm just saying it's a step in
+the right direction. Right now, you and Kushida aren't even on good enough
+terms to talk. If Ichinose mediated, you could probably have an actual
+conversation."
+In fact, Ichinose was just the first step in resolving this problem. More
+puzzle pieces were yet to come.
+Horikita shook her head. "I can't accept that. I'm going to settle things
+with Kushida myself."
+That didn't sound like a terribly good idea.
+5.8
+| \Geane was waiting for us. When she saw Horikita and me, she
+gave a small wave and smiled brightly.
+"Kushida-san. Sorry to have kept you waiting," Horikita said.
+"Tt's all right. There's still a little time left before we were scheduled to
+meet. What were you talking about with Honami-chan?" asked Kushida.
+"Nothing important."
+"Td still like to know. Is it something you can tell me?" Kushida's tone
+of voice and smile remained unchanged, but the tension rose.
+"Sure. After all, it's completely unrelated to you," said Horikita. "I
+asked her how I could talk to people equally, without showing distinction or
+favoritism."
+"Oh?"
+"T'm not going to lie. I was asking about you, Kushida-san," said
+Horikita.
+"Listen here, Horikita-san. While you and I may not get along, I'd
+much rather talk about this without Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida. "Or
+could it be...that Ayanokouji-kun and Ichinose-san now know something?"
+She glared at us. Horikita, however, didn't flinch.
+"Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun, but could you head back without me?" said
+Horikita.
+"Looks like I'm getting in the way," I muttered.
+I left them and made my way toward the exit. After changing my
+shoes, I headed to the dormitory. En route, I got a call from Horikita and
+answered it.
+I heard Horikita's muffled voice through the phone's speaker. "We
+attended the same junior high. Because I know about your past, you want to
+get me expelled. Do I have the facts correct?"
+Apparently, Horikita called me with her phone in her pocket. She was
+letting me listen in.
+"Well, this is certainly sudden. Why bring up the past? I don't like
+talking about that."
+"T don't like it, either. But we can't avoid it."
+"Well, we've rarely had the chance to be alone like this. But you're
+certainly right—I do want you to disappear from this school, Horikita-san.
+And, yes, it's because we were in junior high together, and you know about
+that incident."
+"Although it's true that I heard about an incident, I didn't care. I
+didn't have any friends back then, anyway. All I heard were rumors. I don't
+know what the truth really is."
+"But there's no guarantee you don't know, is there?"
+"You're right. That's why you can't let it go. No matter how much I
+deny it, you can't be sure I'm not lying. I imagine that you'd like to have me
+kicked out of school because you can't forgive me for knowing that there was
+an incident at all."
+Kushida didn't deny it.
+"How about we place a bet, Kushida-san?"
+"A bet? What are you talking about?"
+I couldn't imagine that this was something Horikita just came up with
+on the fly. She'd most likely planned it.
+"You don't like that I'm here. I can't do anything about that, right?"
+"Right. As long as you're here, Horikita-san, I can't rest easy."
+"But we're both in Class D. If we don't work together, we can't
+advance to Class A."
+"Actually, I think expelling you will solve the problem."
+"Do you plan on dropping out, too?"
+"Of course not. Only you'll drop out, Horikita-san."'
+While their voices were muffled, both of them sounded very calm.
+"T have no intention of dropping out," said Horikita.
+"Then there's nothing we can do. I don't think we can get along."
+"You might be right about that. I've been trying to come up with a way
+we can coexist. But I concluded that, no matter what I do, it's impossible."
+"T think so too, Horikita-san. This won't be over until one of us is
+gone.
+***
+"We aren't children. We can't just fight. But you don't trust me.'
+There was a brief silence. Then Kushida spoke.
+"What did you mean when you said 'place a bet'?"
+"If I score higher than you on the upcoming final exam, you'll
+cooperate with me from now on without any hostility. I'm not expecting us to
+be best friends; I just want you to stop trying to hurt me. That's all."
+"That's ridiculous, Horikita-san. I didn't beat your midterm score.
+Even if we based this bet on our total scores, it would still be hard for me to
+win. Besides, I'd gain nothing from winning."
+"Yes. That's true. So..." Horikita's voice was barely above a whisper
+now. "Let's determine the winner based on one of the eight subjects. You're
+free to choose whichever subject you're best in. If your score is higher than
+mine, I'll drop out of school. That's my offer."
+I couldn't believe this. Horikita was taking a huge gamble, and she
+gave Kushida rather favorable conditions to boot by allowing her to choose
+her best subject. If Kushida lost, she wouldn't need to drop out. She'd just
+have to stop getting in Horikita's way. On the other hand, if Kushida won,
+Horikita was done for.
+"But this is just a verbal agreement, Horikita-san. If you lose, you
+could act like the bet never happened. Of course, I might not uphold my part
+of the arrangement, either. Can we both really trust what the other person
+says?"
+***
+"To make things official, I intend to involve a reliable witness.'
+"A reliable witness?"
+"Tf you would, please...niisan."'
+"Wha—?!"
+Kushida seemed honestly shocked. I was, too. Horikita was so deadly
+serious about this agreement, she'd brought her older brother to act as
+witness.
+"I'm terribly sorry to ask this of you, niisan. But I absolutely need your
+help."
+That's right. She'd actually summoned Horikita Manabu, the former
+student council president and her older brother, to the spot.
+"It's been a long time, Kushida,"' | heard him say. "Do you remember
+me?"
+***
+"I don't forget people.'
+The Horikita siblings had attended the same junior high as Kushida.
+But Horikita's older brother graduated before the incident involving Kushida
+happened, so he couldn't know that she'd caused it.
+"T trust my brother the most in this school. You can trust him as well,
+Kushida-san. Don't worry, I didn't tell him any details."
+"T was called to act as witness, nothing more. I'm not interested in
+anything else."
+"Are you okay with this, Horikita-senpai? If your little sister loses,
+then—"'
+"She made the bet. It has nothing to do with me."
+"T also swear that I won't say a word to anyone if I lose, Kushida-san.
+I'd bring shame on my brother's name if I went around breaking promises. I
+would never do that."
+The deal couldn't possibly get any better for Kushida.
+"Youre serious, aren't you, Horikita-san?"'
+"T'm not the kind to wait around for people to strike. '
+"Fine. I accept your challenge. And I'm all right with the terms of the
+bet. I choose mathematics. Can I assume that if we end up getting the same
+score, neither one of us wins?"
+Horikita must have nodded. They'd agreed to terms right in front of
+Horikita's brother. There was no way to back out now.
+"T will fulfill my role as witness. Should either of you violate the bet,
+***
+you'd best be prepared for the consequences. '
+Even after retiring as student council president, Horikita's brother still
+held a great deal of authority. Kushida would honor the arrangement until he
+graduated, at the very least.
+***
+"Thank you very much, niisan.'
+The conversation went silent. Kushida and Horikita were probably
+waiting for Horikita's brother to leave.
+***
+"I'm looking forward to the final exam, Horikita-san.'
+***
+"Let's give it everything we've got. Both of us.'
+"Yes. Give my regards to Ayanokouji-kun, too."
+"Why?"
+"Because you told him, didn't you? About my past."
+"That 's—"
+"Ah, you don't really need to answer that. I don't trust you, Horikita-
+san, so it doesn't matter. I won't violate our bet's terms, so you can relax.
+Besides, Ayanokouji-kun has seen a little of my bad side."
+I felt Horikita's panic through the phone. "Yes. I told Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T knew it. By the way, are you using your phone right now? You see,
+I've tried calling you over and over for the last few minutes, Horikita-san, but
+it seems like you've been on a call."
+It wasn't just intuition. Kushida had some guts.
+"Care to join us, Avanokouji-kun?"'
+It was probably best for me to obey.
+5.9
+I headed back to Kushida and Horikita.
+"Yoo-hoo!" said Kushida. Although she had a cheery expression, I
+couldn't tell what her true feelings were.
+"You really got me, Kushida-san. You're incredible," said Horikita.
+"Thank you. But, really, I'm merely observant," replied Kushida.
+"Why did you call for Ayanokouji-kun?" Horikita asked. "I thought
+our conversation was over. If you're angry that I had him listen in, just say
+so."
+"T'm not particularly displeased. It's just that I'd rather speak to you
+both face-to-face. I was wondering whether you would mind me adding
+another condition to the bet," said Kushida.
+'**"A condition?"
+"If I beat your score, Horikita-san, I want Ayanokouji-kun to drop out,
+too.
+I'd thought that Kushida might propose this.
+"No," replied Horikita.
+"T want to make everyone who knows about my past disappear. Even if
+you're no longer here, Horikita-san, if Ayanokouji-kun remains, so will my
+troubles."
+"Maybe. But this is my gamble, so I can't involve him."
+"Well, that's too bad. I could've killed two birds with one stone."
+"So, you want me expelled too, huh?" I asked.
+"Ha ha ha! There's no need to look so disappointed. It's not your fault,
+Ayanokouji-kun. It's just bad luck that you learned about my true nature."
+"There's no problem if he doesn't tell anyone, though," said Horikita.
+"Tf that were all it took, Horikita-san, you wouldn't have challenged
+me to this bet."
+"Well, you're vital to Class D, after all."
+"You've changed. You wouldn't have said that before."
+"If 'm always fighting with my peers, then I'1l never make it to the
+higher classes. I'll be stuck in a vicious circle," said Horikita.
+Had the two of them ever talked this openly before? Yet they couldn't
+see eye to eye. Such a tragic fate. If they hadn't attended the same junior
+high, Kushida probably would have cooperated with Horikita. In that case,
+Kushida would've influenced the classmates Hirata and Karuizawa couldn't
+reach, and Class D might have united much sooner.
+"Can I join this wager? I bet that Horikita will win," I said.
+"Wait a minute," said Horikita. "What are you saying, Ayanokouji-
+kun? This has nothing to do with you."
+"Tt started out that way. But now it does have something to do with me.
+Besides, I eavesdropped on your conversation."
+Even if Horikita won the bet and was temporarily free from Kushida's
+attacks, Kushida could just focus her offensive on me instead. If I protected
+myself now, it would make things easier in the long run.
+"T'd be happy to have you join," said Kushida.
+"But I also have a condition."
+"Hmm?"
+"T want you to tell me the specifics of this sunior high incident." I was
+entering dangerous territory.
+"That's—"
+I didn't hold back. If I acted swiftly now, I could secure an advantage.
+"It's my right to ask for this much. I don't know any details, and yet you're
+trying to get me expelled. You're acting on the belief that Horikita knows
+about the incident, right? So, just explain it to us right now. As long as you
+beat Horikita on the test, the school will kick us both out, and you won't have
+to worry."
+"I'm not interested in her past," said Horikita.
+"Well, I am. I can't accept that Kushida's threatening my whole life
+here on a selfish whim," I replied.
+"Tt's true that you're now involved, Ayanokouji-kun. I can't deny that.
+If Horikita-san really hasn't told you the details, I understand your feelings.
+But if I do tell you, there' Il be no turning back. Understand?" asked Kushida.
+"Haven't I already passed the point of no return?" I asked. Kushida had
+designated me her enemy.
+"Yes. You're way past it."
+"Tn that case, tell me why it's worth taking this gamble."
+Horikita probably wondered why I was going this far—why I would
+risk being expelled. Her eyes said as much, but she wouldn't question
+anything in front of Kushida.
+Sorry, but I can't do what you want, Horikita. I finally have the chance
+to expose Kushida Kikyou's past.
+"Ayanokouji-kun, is there something that you're the best at? Better
+than anyone else?" asked Kushida.
+"I'm just an average person. What you'd call a jack of all trades,
+master of none. If I had to pick something, I guess I'm a little faster than
+average."
+"Then I wonder if you can understand what I'm feeling. Don't you
+think that the best thing in the world is feeling valued in some special way?
+When you get the highest score on a test, or win first place in a race,
+everyone's eyes are on you. You know those moments when people shower
+you with attention?" asked Kushida.
+Of course I understood. People naturally desired the approval of others.
+Working hard enough to earn praise for accomplishments was fundamental to
+how human society functioned.
+"T think that I'm probably addicted to that feeling," Kushida said.
+"More so than normal people. I can't help wanting to show off. I can't help
+wanting to stand out. I can't help wanting to be praised. When I am, I truly
+feel how wonderful it is to be alive. But I know my own limits. No matter
+how hard I try, I won't be number one in school or in sports—and coming
+second or third won't satisfy my cravings. So, I thought I'd do something that
+no one else could—be nicer and kinder than everyone else."
+That was the root of Kushida's kindness? It was better to be a
+genuinely kind, helpful person who made mistakes than someone two-faced
+who just bragged about being perfectly good. A kind but flawed individual
+was more honest than a saintly liar.
+"Thanks to that, I became popular with both boys and girls. I took
+pleasure in being trusted and relied upon. Elementary school and junior high
+were really fun," said Kushida.
+"Isn't it agonizing, though? Doing things that you don't want to do? If
+it were me, I couldn't take it. I think I'd break down," said Horikita.
+"Of course it's agonizing. Day after day, I'm under so much stress I
+feel like I'm going to go bald. I've pulled my hair out and vomited from
+anxiety. But I can't let anyone see that side of me. That's why I continued to
+endure, and endure, and endure," said Kushida.
+How had she kept this act up for so long?
+"My blog saved me. It was the only place where I dumped out this
+hidden stress. I could tell it all my most painful secrets. Of course, I posted
+everything anonymously, you know? But I wrote the facts just as they were,
+and it made me so happy when I received encouragement from people I
+didn't even know. Then, one day, a classmate discovered my blog. Even
+though I hadn't named anyone, it was clear my posts were all based on real
+events."
+"That's how this incident started?"
+"The next day, my posts were shared with the entire class. Everyone
+condemned me. I'd helped them so much, and yet they all turned on me.
+Selfish, right? The boy who'd told me that he liked me actually shoved me. It
+was understandable, though, since I'd posted that his romantic confession
+grossed me out and I wanted him to die. One girl I'd comforted after she was
+dumped even kicked my desk. I'd posted in detail about why she was
+dumped and made fun of her. Over thirty students decided I was their mortal
+enemy that day."
+"So, how did you make it through? Violence? Or lies?" That was the
+mystery that Horikita and I still didn't know the answer to.
+"Neither. All I did was tell the truth. I revealed all my classmates'
+secrets. Who hated who, who thought who was a disgusting creep. I exposed
+truths I hadn't even written on my blog."
+Of course. Truth was a weapon that you could only obtain through
+trust. Horikita and I didn't have that. Although truth might seem harmless, it
+was actually a powerful double-edged sword, only usable at the cost of more
+trust.
+"At that point, my classmates stopped being angry at me and started
+hating each other. The boys got into fistfights, the girls pulled each other's
+hair and shoved each other over. The entire classroom descended into
+complete chaos. It was honestly incredible."
+"So, that's how it happened."
+"Because of everything I exposed, the class could no longer function.
+The school rebuked me, but my blog was anonymous, and all I technically
+did was tell my classmates the truth." Kushida spoke indifferently, but every
+word she uttered carried weight. "I still don't know that much about my
+fellow Class D students. However, I know enough to destroy a few people.
+That's my only weapon."
+A threat. If we told anyone about her, we should prepare for the
+consequences. If Kushida felt it was necessary, she would tear a rift in Class
+D right after we'd finally started bringing everyone together. If that
+happened, the harmony we'd established would disappear.
+"It was a mistake to use the internet to vent my feelings. Everything
+you put up there is saved forever. That's why I stopped blogging. Now, I
+blow off steam by saying what's on my mind out loud when I'm alone."
+Like the first time I'd seen that other side of her.
+"Do you want to remain as you are right now?" I asked.
+"This is my reason for being. More than I love anything else in the
+world, I love everyone respecting and noticing me. When people trust me
+with their secrets, I feel joy that surpasses my wildest imaginings."
+Knowing the anxiety, suffering, embarrassment, and hopes that people
+held deep within their hearts was Kushida's forbidden fruit.
+"Boring, isn't it? But to me, it's everything." Kushida's smile
+disappeared. Now that she'd told us about her past, we became true enemies
+in her eyes. From this point onward, she wouldn't show us the slightest
+compassion. "Don't forget. If I score higher in math, both you and
+Ayanokouji-kun will drop out."
+"Yes," said Horikita.
+And that was that. Satisfied, Kushida left to return to her dorm.
+I turned to Horikita. "Are you sure about this? Kushida's involved with
+Ryuuen."
+"If you knew it was dangerous, why did you join? Because you believe
+I won't lose?" Horikita countered.
+"Well, yeah." Truthfully, I went along with the bet because I had some
+ideas of my own.
+"Even though Kushida might be able to help Ryuuen-kun, I really have
+to wonder whether itll come to that," said Horikita.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Do you think that Ryuuen-kun really wants me to drop out?" she
+asked.
+"It's doubtful."
+Ryuuen wanted to entrap Horikita, but he wasn't trying to get her
+kicked out of school. He hoped to see her brought low, and her expulsion
+would end those aspirations. Besides, would he really let Horikita go without
+finding out who was working with her in secret? Would he let her get
+expelled without exposing me first?
+"But what if Kushida lies to get the questions from him? She might say
+that she wants to improve her personal score, and keep our bet's details
+secret," I said.
+"Ryuuen-kun would see through something like that. If Kushida-san
+asked for the math answers, he'd want to know why," said Horikita.
+"You're probably right. But this is dangerous."
+"There'll always be danger. It helps to have things you're willing to
+put on the line."
+"There's no turning back from this. We definitely need to win."
+"Of course."
+Horikita was making her biggest gamble yet.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Miyake Akito
+CLASS: First Year, Class D
+STUDENT ID: S01T004700
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: Archery
+DATE OF BIRTH: July 13th
+***
+He joined the archery club in junior high and has kept it up ever since.
+He's even participated in prefectural competitions. Regarding his
+academics, he's clearly better at some subjects than at others, but he's
+mature and has no attitude problems. However, he received counseling
+after starting several fights in the past. He needs to develop into a
+properly well-rounded student.
+***
+The archery club speaks highly of him, and his passion for his sport is
+palpable. | hope to see him direct more of that energy into class.
+Chapter 6:
+The Ayanokouji Group's Formation
+ihe flew by, and soon it was time for Yukimura's fifth study
+session with Miyake and Hasebe. We'd held the prior sessions at Pallet, but
+we decided to gather at the café inside Keyaki Mall today. We anticipated
+that Pallet would be exceptionally crowded, since all the clubs had ceased
+activities in order for the students to focus on the final.
+"Wow, it's even noisier than I imagined," said Yukimura.
+He looked overwhelmed by the number of students in the café. We
+managed to secure seats, but Pallet was practically at full capacity. It was
+packed with students from all grades sitting in their own study groups.
+Despite how focused everyone was on cramming, the library would definitely
+have been quieter.
+"We should've met in the library," said Yukimura, echoing my
+thoughts. "Or in my room."
+"No way. It's easier to do it here. Right, Miyacchi?" asked Hasebe.
+"Yeah. Archery club is already quiet and tense enough," replied
+Miyake.
+No one wanted to be stuck in a stuffy room. The modern method was
+to study while chatting with friends. Degenerative evolution.
+"Well, you're the ones who'll be studying. If you say that you can
+concentrate, then I believe you. Here, I prepared some material," said
+Yukimura.
+He handed Hasebe and Miyake notebooks full of questions on the
+humanities. The two accepted the material indifferently. The questions were
+lined up closely, like food stalls packed together at a festival with a fireworks
+display. Yukimura looked all keyed up. These problems he'd created
+wouldn't be easy to solve.
+"Whoa. You really went overboard. You're merciless, Yukimuu!" said
+Hasebe. Since she didn't exactly like studying, let alone studying her weakest
+subject, I was sure this was torture for her. Miyake, meanwhile, looked as
+though he was about to vomit. He kept his hands over his stomach while he
+perused the notebook.
+"How can you be so terrified before you even start?" asked Yukimura.
+"It's just... There are clearly way more questions here than last time,
+and they look harder."
+"That's a mediocre student's mindset. Think about what you can do
+first, and challenge yourself," said Yukimura.
+"Tn that case, are the questions simpler than last time?" Hasebe asked.
+"Of course not."
+"Yeah, I knew they'd be tough."
+Honestly, the problems Yukimura had come up with really were
+brilliant. He could probably become a real teacher someday if he tried. He
+chided students, but never gave up on them, and never raised his voice or lost
+his patience when they didn't understand something. Had Yukimura, like
+Horikita, matured? It was incredible.
+In the first semester, Horikita and Yukimura had both insisted they
+were placed in Class D by mistake, as both were superior students. That felt
+like such a long time ago.
+"Come on, Hasebe." Miyake understood that there was no point in
+grumbling.
+"Wow, you're getting pretty gung-ho there, Miyacchi. What's up with
+you? Is your blood boiling?" she asked.
+"T finally got a break from club stuff, but I don't want to spend all my
+free time studying. Can I head back after I finish?" Miyake asked Yukimura.
+"Of course."
+Yukimura and Horikita had different teaching methods. While Horikita
+designated a fixed amount of time for studying, Yukimura was more flexible.
+His sessions lasted until the students got through all the material, and could
+therefore finish earlier or later than expected. The method's effectiveness
+depended on who Yukimura tutored—if he tried this with lackadaisical
+students like Ike, for instance, 1t would be a bust. They'd probably just
+answer without thinking so they could finish early and escape.
+"If you don't have any free time, why not quit the club?" asked
+Hasebe.
+"T want to be in the club. I just also want free time," replied Miyake.
+"Wow, selfish."
+It seemed that Yukimura really had a positive impact on them both. I
+didn't think they had any remaining doubts about his method's effectiveness.
+"All right, Ayanokouji. Starting today, I'Il have you do these, too."
+"Huh...?"
+"You get good enough grades, but your partner is Satou. You'! need to
+prepare and review thoroughly so you don't both get kicked out," said
+Yukimura.
+"No, [_—"
+"Just do it, Ayanokouji-kun. Let's all die together," said Hasebe,
+dipping her head low so her hair hung down. She grabbed my hand, as if she
+were a vengeful spirit trying to drag me into a well.
+"Welcoooome," she moaned.
+A shiver ran up my spine as I was swallowed by the terrible darkness
+of the humanities questions.
+6.1
+66
+live reminds me. There's a guy named Yoshimoto-kun in Class C,
+right? Do you know him, Miyacchi?"
+"Yoshimoto Kousetsu? Yeah, he's in the archery club."
+"T heard that he started going out with a second-year. You know about
+that?" Hasebe, tired of studying, started to gossip.
+"Nope. But, come to think of it, he's been 1n a real hurry to leave as
+soon as club ends lately. That must be why."
+If you were an adult in your thirties, an age difference of a year or two
+didn't matter much. For high school students, though, trying to date someone
+even one grade above you was tricky. At least, I was fairly sure that was how
+things worked.
+"Tt seems as if Yoshimoto-kun's really into it. He said they're going to
+get married someday. Jeez, guys are morons, aren't they?" Hasebe and
+Miyake's conversation completely derailed their focus.
+"Talk about the future later. First, get your work done," said Yukimura.
+"T know, I know. We're just taking a short break," said Hasebe. She
+didn't seem to care what Yukimura said.
+"Yes. Very short."
+"Wow, okay, I feel those sarcastic vibes. I'm gonna get a refill."
+"You're having even more sugar? Your coffee's so ridiculously sweet,
+I'm shocked you can drink it," said Miyake.
+"Well, I struggle to understand why anyone would drink their coffee
+black." Hasebe started to get up, but stumbled slightly over the backpack
+she'd placed at her feet. "Whoa!"
+She dropped her empty cup. My eyes followed it as it rolled along the
+ground, until it stopped rolling by a particular student's feet.
+"Ah, sorr—" Hasebe started to apologize. However, the student's foot
+crushed the cup.
+"My, you seem to be enjoying yourselves. Mind if we join?" asked
+Ryuuen.
+"What are you...?" Hasebe glared at the Class C guys. An
+understandable reaction. Ryuuen had a smug grin on his face. Ishizaki,
+Komiya, and Kondou, the evergreen trio of goons, stood behind him.
+There was also one girl with them whom we hadn't seen before. She
+stood next to Ishizaki, and appeared extremely calm.
+"Hey!" said Hasebe. "Why'd you stomp on my cup like that?"
+"Tt rolled up to my feet, so I thought you were throwing it away. I
+stomped it to save you the trouble," said Ryuuen.
+He kicked the crushed cup back toward Hasebe, laughing. A little of
+the remaining liquid splashed onto the ground.
+Miyake slowly stood. "Hey, Ryuuen. Knock it off."
+"Oh? And whom exactly do you think you're speaking to, buddy?"
+Ishizaki grabbed Miyake by his collar.
+"T wasn't talking to you. Lackeys should mind their own business,
+Ishizaki," said Miyake, shaking off his grip.
+"Bastard!" shouted Ishizaki, attracting other patrons' attention.
+Surprisingly, that outburst enraged Ryuuen most of all. "Shut up. Are
+you really trying to throw down, Ishizaki?"
+"S-sorry. Miyake was getting full of himself, so I—"
+"Reckless idiots amuse me, but I need you to behave yourself for
+99
+now.
+"Yes..."
+Ryuuen was right to rein in Ishizaki. Senior students, store clerks, and
+several surveillance cameras surrounded us. Nothing went unseen here, and if
+Class C started trouble, they would pay for it.
+"T have no business with you. I'm interested in those two," said
+Ryuuen to Miyake, glancing at Yukimura and me. "Did you receive my
+gift?"
+Naturally, Yukimura was bewildered. "What in the world are you
+talking about?"
+Ryuuen looked to me. Without a doubt, the "gift was the email he'd
+sent me the other day, the one that said, What are you?
+"Who knows?" I feigned ignorance. Ryuuen's methods were heavy-
+handed. I wouldn't dig my own grave by answering his questions.
+"So, how about it? Did you catch something, Hiyori?" Ryuuen glanced
+at the girl with him.
+"T can't say anything at this stage," she replied.
+A lot of the students working under Ryuuen were terrified of him, but
+this Hiyori was completely calm. She kept looking back and forth between
+Yukimura and me. What in the world was Ryuuen planning?
+"Both their faces are weak. I'Il probably forget them immediately," she
+added.
+"Heh heh, come now. These are our future friends, after all."
+"Yukimura-san, Ayanokouji-kun, Kouenji-kun. Who was the other
+guy?" she asked.
+"Tt was Hirata."
+"Yes, that's right. Hirata-san. Why are faces and names so hard to
+remember?" Hiyori was a complete mystery. I was concerned that Ishizaki
+was being this polite around her.
+"Tt looks like the only one you'll remember is Kouenji."
+"Well, he's unique," she replied.
+So, Ryuuen suspected Hirata and Kouenji as well. Though Kouenji was
+far from a team player, it was only natural that Ryuuen was cautious of his
+talent. That said, I had a hunch that Ryuuen would never consider Kouenji a
+suspect if he knew what a natural-born weirdo Kouenji really was.
+"What the hell do you want, Ryuuen?" asked Miyake aggressively.
+"We're busy. If you've got something to say, say it."
+"Nothing. I just came to say hello. But Pll tell you something. We'll be
+seeing you again real soon," said Ryuuen.
+""What does that mean?"
+Ignoring Miyake, Ryuuen left with his lackeys in tow. At his departure,
+the café immediately grew lively again.
+However, Hiyori remained, still watching us. We couldn't concentrate
+under these circumstances.
+Hasebe spoke up. "What is it? You're getting in the way of our
+studies," she grumbled.
+"Just wait," replied Hiyori.
+"Huh? Look, I'm telling you that you're distracting us, so just go away.
+Understand?" said Hasebe, in a bad mood now that Ryuuen had crushed her
+cup.
+Hiyori responded with an odd smile. She grabbed her bag and walked
+over to the cash register.
+"What was that about?" asked Hasebe.
+"Who knows? I don't want to know," said Yukimura.
+"That's Shiina Hiyori from Class C. I've seen her before," said
+Miyake.
+Hiyori placed an order at the register, then returned with two cups.
+"Please accept this," she said.
+"What are you up to?" asked Hasebe.
+"It's quite all right. You needn't be so wary of me. Please allow me to
+apologize on Class C's behalf. I went ahead and took the liberty of adding
+some sugar. Do you mind?" said Hiyori.
+"Adding some...hmm? Wow, this is tasty! It's exactly the same as
+what I was just drinking!" exclaimed Hasebe.
+"T noticed that a lot of sugar had collected at the bottom of the cup
+Ryuuen crushed, so I assumed that you liked your coffee sweet. I'm glad to
+see I wasn't mistaken," said Hiyori.
+"Tt tastes like you put in the exact amount of sugar I did. Coincidence?"
+asked Hasebe.
+"T used the amount of undissolved sugar to estimate how much you put
+in at first," replied Hiyori.
+"Huuuuh?! You can do that?!"
+"Despite how I may look, I'm actually quite perceptive." Hiyori fixed
+her gaze on Yukimura, then me, and then Miyake. "You're holding a study
+session, aren't you?"
+"Girls like you just totally sap my energy," grumbled Hasebe.
+Yukimura hurriedly closed everyone's notebooks.
+"Do you happen to think that ''m a spy?" asked Hiyori.
+"We definitely think you're a spy."
+"T wouldn't, if I were you. I generally keep my distance from Ryuuen-
+"Wait a minute. Didn't Ryuuen-kun just call you by your first name?"
+"T insisted that he let me accompany them to see you. Class D interests
+The rest of the study group tilted their heads in apparent confusion,
+unable to understand Hiyori's words or intentions. I imitated them, cocking
+my head to the right as I pretended that I didn't realize what was going on,
+either.
+"You don't know?" asked Hiyori. "It's all anyone in Class C talks
+about right now. They say a master tactician's hiding in Class D, disguising
+his or her true identity. Apparently, this tactician has contributed significantly
+to Class D's successes, from the island test to the cruise ship and sports
+festival. You really don't know?"
+Hasebe, Yukimura, and Miyake almost had question marks floating
+above their heads. "I honestly have no clue what you're talking about," said
+Yukimura. "Do you mean Horikita?"
+"Yeah. The only person I can think of is Horikita-san," Miyake agreed.
+"It's not Horikita Suzune-san," said Hiyori flatly. "Ayanokouji-san,
+you spend a great deal of time with Horikita-san, right?"
+"Not so much recently, but I've probably spent more time with her
+than with others," I replied.
+"You do sit right next to her, don't you?"
+Hasebe and Miyake backed me up. "But there's no one smarter than
+Horikita-san is."
+"Yeah. She comes up with all Class D's strategies."
+It was important that I appeared like a typical Class D student right
+now.
+"T see," said Hiyori. "You all feel the same, is that it?"
+"Can you please stop interrupting our study session?" muttered
+Yukimura.
+"T apologize. I'm disturbing your studies, aren't I?"
+"Yes, you're exactly right. You are," said Yukimura.
+"You don't have to be so harsh, Yukimuu," Hasebe said.
+"If you're fine with failing and getting kicked out of school, go ahead
+and chat with her. I'1l head back," said Yukimura.
+"T-I'm sorry, really. Please forgive me. I'd like you to keep tutoring
+me," said Hasebe. She bowed her head.
+Hiyori stood up from her seat, looking apologetic. "I'm very sorry.
+You're right that it'd be a real risk not to take this test seriously," she said.
+Was that a dig at the bad students? Although I got the impression that
+Hiyori was naturally rather aloof, I wasn't certain whether she could be
+trusted or not.
+"Let's talk about that stuff after the final exam's over." Hiyori picked
+up her cup and made to go.
+"Thank you for the coffee. It was yummy," said Hasebe.
+"No problem at all. Goodbye," said Hiyori.
+With that, she left alone after showing up with Ryuuen. She might have
+come here as part of Ryuuen's plan to trap me, but I couldn't be too careful. I
+decided to investigate Hiyori.
+6.2
+Since we all lived in the same dormitory, we walked back together.
+Fiddling with his phone, Yukimura recorded today's progress.
+"It's been a long time since I studied this hard!" Hasebe said. "Six
+hours in class, plus another two hours afterward, right? There's gotta be, like,
+almost no students in the world who have to study that much, huh?"
+"Those Class C students interrupted us and wasted our time, though,"
+said Miyake.
+"But we didn't let them throw us off. We studied hard today!" replied
+Hasebe.
+An irritated look flashed across Yukimura's face at their happy chatter.
+"You've got to be joking. When university entrance exams begin, you'll need
+to study for at least three hours after class. Four hours, if you can manage it.
+And I mean every day. When exams are close, you'!! want to study ten hours
+a day on your own."
+"Huuuh? No way, no way! There's no way I can study like that. Come
+on, you know that, Yukimuu," said Hasebe.
+"My older sister is a teacher. She always studied that much before an
+exam as her usual routine."
+"Well, maybe you just come from a really elite lineage! Yukimuu, are
+you thinking of becoming a teacher?"
+"There's nothing particularly 'elite' about becoming a teacher. If I
+wanted that, why would I come to a school like this, one unlike any others in
+the world?"
+Yukimura had a point. If you wanted to be a teacher, there wasn't any
+particular benefit in specifically choosing this school.
+"So, why did you come here?"
+"It doesn't really matter. Do you want to ask everyone why they
+decided to enroll? If you had someone trying to pry into your business, you'd
+understand how it feels,' said Yukimura.
+He was clearly trying to shoot Hasebe down, but unfortunately, his
+response appeared to have the opposite effect. Hasebe didn't look particularly
+upset. Rather, she volunteered her own life story.
+"T got interested in the school because of the promotional advertising
+they ran, you know? I mean, advancing to higher education or getting a good
+job just because you graduated from here? Who wouldn't choose this place?
+Isn't that good enough for most people?" she said.
+"A lot of people also enroll here because it's free. We don't even have
+to pay for our dorms, and the campus is set up so that we can survive without
+using any points. Right now, I appreciate that more than any guarantees after
+graduation," said Miyake.
+"Don't you think that's kind of lame? I mean, being able to go to
+university or get a job anywhere 1s incredible," said Hasebe.
+"Look, talk about your dreams after we're done with the final exam.
+The system you expect great things from won't do anything for you if you
+don't graduate from Class A, Hasebe," said Yukimura.
+"There's gotta be some kind of bonus, though, right?" she replied.
+"Like, maybe the school lied about how only Class A wins. If we manage to
+graduate, who's to say we can't do whatever we want?"
+"That's not very likely. If that were the case, we'd have heard about tt,
+and I've heard nothing of the sort, not even during club activities. Besides,
+the second and third-year Class D students seem pretty miserable," said
+Miyake.
+He had a point. I'd sensed no drive or ambition from the third-year
+Class D student I met earlier in the year.
+"If we don't make it to Class A, graduating from this school could even
+have a negative impact on our careers. That's why I absolutely must graduate
+from Class A," said Yukimura.
+"Ah, wow. That'd be the worst," agreed Hasebe.
+Good colleges looked for people who'd attended prestigious schools
+and boasted impressive personal accomplishments. However, as far as the
+Advanced Nurturing High School was concerned, you were a defective
+product if you graduated from anything other than Class A. Universities and
+corporations had to know that about our school.
+"Miyacchi, you've really committed to this study group, huh? And here
+I thought you'd quit right away," said Hasebe.
+"Well, don't you think it's odd that you 're still here? You usually don't
+want anything to do with anyone," said Miyake.
+"Well, sure. But if it's a study group with you three, it's all right," she
+replied.
+"Hasebe, do you mind if I ask you a question?" I said.
+"Hmm?"
+"Are you and Satou close?"
+""Satou-san? No, not especially. I don't really like big groups, anyway.
+If you're curious about her, shouldn't you ask Karuizawa-san?"
+If I could do that, I wouldn't be this stressed out. 1 didn't want to talk
+about this with anyone too close to Satou. "Well..."
+I couldn't tell Hasebe the truth. Yukimura noticed that I was in trouble
+and spoke up. "I understand why you're concerned," he told me. "She's your
+partner. Not knowing her strengths and weaknesses has to be nerve-racking."
+"Ah, yeah," added Hasebe. "That's right, you did say you guys were
+paired together."
+""Satou and I don't have anything in common, so I can't just talk to
+her," I replied.
+Hasebe put her hands together, as if offering condolences. However,
+she seemed to have a new idea. "If it's hard to ask Karuizawa-san, why not
+try asking Kyo-chan? She and Satou-san are close."
+"Huh? Kyo-chan?" I didn't recall ever hearing that nickname before.
+"T'm talking about Kikyou-chan. You hang out with her a lot, don't
+you, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+This particular task certainly suited Kushida. She knew a lot about the
+class's internal affairs. If it weren't for the issue with Horikita, I wouldn't
+have hesitated to ask her for help. However, I doubted that she was someone
+I could rely on.
+Miyake added his two cents. "Yeah. Asking Karuizawa might be one
+thing, but Kushida should be good, right? She gets along with everyone,
+doesn't she, Hasebe?"
+"Mm-hmm. There're a lot of girls I hate, but I like Kyo-chan. She does
+so much for the class without even batting an eye, and she's always cheerful.
+Normally, I don't like talking to other people, but Kyo-chan is special. She
+actually listens to you, and she'd never ever go around telling others what
+you said."
+"Even you need some girl talk, huh?" said Miyake.
+"Rude, Miyacchi. Young maidens have lots of things to talk about,"
+said Hasebe.
+"What kinds of things?"
+"Why should I tell you? You'd definitely spill the beans to everyone."
+"Would not. Well, probably not. Depends on what it 1s."
+"If you're worried about anything, it's probably best to discuss it with
+Kushida," Yukimura told me.
+"Right?" agreed Hasebe. "I don't know whether you like Satou-san or
+not, but if you told Kushida-san, she definitely wouldn't let it slip."
+"What? You like Satou, Ayanokouji?" said Miyake.
+"T didn't say anything like that. I just asked whether Hasebe was close
+to Satou, that's all."
+"Isn't that kind of suspicious, though?" said Hasebe. "You haven't
+exactly been tight with Satou-san until now, right?"
+"Ayanokouji said that he was worried about Satou because they're
+partners. Did you already forget that?" asked Miyake.
+Hasebe didn't back down. "Because of the way he asked, it just feels
+like there's more to it, y know?"
+Girls had a powerful radar for secrets that I couldn't comprehend.
+"That reminds me. Is it okay if we swing by the convenience store real
+quick?" Miyake's proposal derailed the conversation. Thank goodness.
+Kushida was clearly a vital asset that Class D couldn't afford to lose.
+From the very beginning, she'd been involved in everything. She dedicated
+herself to supporting other students, and now she was seeing the fruits of her
+labor. Everyone in our class liked her. When someone wasn't present, people
+usually griped about them, so it was remarkable to hear only good things said
+about Kushida in her absence.
+"Ah, yeah. I need to make a stop for some treats, too. Come on, guys,"
+said Hasebe.
+"You're such a child," said Yukimura. Still, he joined them.
+6.3
+Tis four of us stood outside the convenience store, eating ice cream.
+"Whew, having ice cream when it's slightly chilly outside is a trip,"
+said Hasebe, bringing a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to her mouth.
+Yukimura must not have eaten ice cream much, because he was
+reading the ingredients. "This is just a smorgasbord of preservatives and food
+coloring."
+"How do you enjoy anything if you're that worried about every single
+detail?" said Hasebe.
+"Tm particular about what I eat. I've been thinking about how I was in
+such poor shape when we were on the island. Now, I buy my food from the
+organic section in the supermarket."
+"You sure are serious," said Hasebe.
+"Besides, convenience store food is expensive. If you just make the
+short trip over to the mall, you can get the same things at a lower price. Why
+not buy your groceries more efficiently?" asked Yukimura, pointing to the
+grocery bags that Hasebe carried.
+"Yukimuu, you're not one of those penny-pinching misers, are you?"
+"I'm just conscientious about money. Also...what's with calling me
+"Yukimuu'?"
+"You're Yukimura-kun, so, Yukimuu. When I make friends with
+someone, I give them a nickname. Miyacchi, Yukimuu, and Ayanon. Hmm...
+for some reason, Ayanon doesn't really roll off the tongue," said Hasebe.
+There it was. My first iffy nickname.
+"Quit calling me Yukimuu. It's embarrassing."
+"You don't like it?"
+"T didn't say that. I said it's embarrassing."
+"Come on, it's not a big deal."
+"Tt's just that calling me Y-Yukimuu in front of other people is a
+little..." Yukimura trailed off.
+Hasebe responded with a surprisingly serious look. "You know, I think
+our friendship is coming along nicely," she said.
+"A friendship where we can use nicknames, you mean?"
+"Well, you and Ayanon are like me and Miyacchi. We're all loners,
+right?" said Hasebe.
+"Hmm. I suppose so."
+"Now that I've actually tried becoming a member of this group, I feel
+more comfortable than I expected. Also, Yukimuu and Ayanon, you don't
+have many friends, right? We're more than halfway through the second
+semester, so I thought I'd like to be friends with a new group. It's not like
+I'm trying to make up for lost time or anything. I just wanted to give you
+guys nicknames so that we could open up to each other. What do you two
+think?" asked Hasebe.
+Miyake spoke up. "Yeah. This isn't too bad. I feel like P've gotten used
+to being in a group. I don't get along well with Sudou and those guys, and I
+think Hirata's kinda in another league. He's always surrounded by girls."
+"Right? So, what do you two think?" Hasebe repeated.
+Both Hasebe and Miyake seemed to want the four of us to be friends.
+Would Yukimura turn them down?
+"T just wanted to oversee your studies. When the test is done, this study
+group will end. But...I suppose there will be more tests. So, I don't mind
+forming a group for the sake of efficiency," said Yukimura.
+"Okay, that was a little insulting. But...thanks," said Hasebe.
+"Well, y-yeah. We want to keep the school from expelling anyone,
+after all," Yukimura replied.
+"That just leaves Ayanon. Oh, but Ayanon, since you're already in a
+group with Horikita-san, will this be difficult for you? You hang out with
+Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun, too," said Hasebe.
+"Well, I'm not better or worse than any of our classmates, but I think
+I'm a little different," I replied. "There are lots of ways Ike, Horikita, and I
+aren't compatible. I suppose it's good that I don't have to pretend to be
+someone I'm not around you guys. Horikita and I just sit next to each other in
+class. It's not like we're in a clique or anything."
+"T see. Well then, it's decided. From now on, we'll be known as the
+Ayanokouji Group. Nice to meet all you group members!"
+"Wait. Why'd you name the group after me?"
+"Well, you brought us together, more or less. Isn't that enough?"
+"T don't object. Besides, it'd be weird if we called ourselves the
+Yukimura Group," said Yukimura.
+"One more thing. From here on out, let's ban the use of formal
+surnames in the Ayanokouji Group," said Hasebe.
+"You can go ahead and ban whatever, but I won't say M-Miyacchi,
+or...A-Ayanon, or anything like that. It's embarrassing," said Yukimura.
+It would definitely feel really weird for Yukimura or me to call Miyake
+something like "Miyacchi." I was relieved that Yukimura felt the same.
+"Well, let's at least use first names. My name's Haruka. You can call
+me whatever you want. What's your first name again, Miyacchi?" said
+Hasebe.
+"It's Akito."
+Hasebe looked expectantly at Yukimura and me.
+"Akito, huh? Easy enough. Ayanokouji, your first name's Kiyotaka,
+isn't it?" said Yukimura. We'd been roommates during the cruise.
+"And your first name's Teruhiko, right, Yukimura?" I replied.
+Yukimura's expression darkened for some reason. "You remembered?"
+he asked. He looked troubled by that.
+"So, Yukimuu's first name is Teruhiko, huh? Wonder if I should think
+of another nickname," said Hasebe.
+"Knock it off," snapped Yukimura. Hasebe shrank back.
+"Is something wrong?" I asked.
+"T'm okay with calling you all by your first names. I accept that much.
+But will you please stop calling me Teruhiko?" he replied.
+"So, you're fine calling us by our first names, but you hate being called
+by your first name?!" asked Hasebe.
+"Tt's not that I don't like any of you. It's just that I hate my name. I
+never really had to worry about it before, because no one called me by it,"
+said Yukimura.
+"Tt's not especially unconventional. Isn't it actually pretty common?"
+asked Miyake. "Is there any particular reason why you hate it?"
+"Yes. My mother named me Teruhiko. She's a contemptible woman
+who left the family when I was little, so I reject the name she gave me," said
+Yukimura. Hasebe and Miyake's faces stiffened, and Yukimura changed the
+topic. "Sorry. I made you uncomfortable."
+"No, no, I'm sorry. I just blurted out your name without permission,
+after all," said Hasebe.
+"You don't need to apologize. You didn't know. Most people like
+using their first name, after all. I'd prefer not to ruin the mood, so why don't
+you call me Keisei from now on? It's the name I've used since I was a child,"
+said Yukimura.
+"Keisei? So, you have two first names, Yukimuu? This is crazy
+complicated."
+"Keisei isn't my real name. It's the name my father wanted to give me,
+so I made it my own after my mother left. You could call me Keisei or
+Yukimura," he replied.
+If that was what he wanted, that was what we would do. Besides, it
+wasn't weird for someone to have two different names. Ordinary people
+made a habit of it, as did celebrities.
+"Well, I didn't mean to use a name you didn't like. Right, Miyacchi?"
+"Yeah. Nice to meet you, Keise1."
+"Sorry for being so selfish about that...Kiyotaka, Akito, and Haruka,"
+replied Yukimura.
+"No worries. Everyone's got their own issues," I said.
+Just like I had a past that I didn't want exposed, Yukimura...no,
+Keisei...also had a past he wanted to hide.
+I tried saying everyone else's names just like Keisei had done. "Akito,
+Keisei, and... Haruka, right? I'1l remember those," I told them. It was even
+more stressful to call a girl by her first name.
+"Anyway, Kiyotaka? We won't call you 'Ayanon,' but what about
+'Kiyopon'?" Haruka seemed stuck on the issue of my name. "Yeah, that one
+definitely rolls off the tongue better. Yukimuu, do you want to call him that,
+too?"
+Whoa. I'd gotten an even more embarrassing nickname. Just thinking
+about Hasebe calling me "Kiyopon" in front of people gave me goosebumps.
+"T won't call him that. It's embarrassing. I already decided to call him
+Kiyotaka," said Yukimura.
+In the end, we decided to call one another by our given names. Before
+long, it felt completely natural.
+I looked behind me to check on the person following us.
+Were you okay with just listening in, Sakura?
+Every time we'd held a study session, Sakura had tailed us. Today, she
+watched from a slight distance. She probably couldn't hear everything we
+said, maybe enough to just barely get the gist of our conversation. The
+moment this new group formed was probably her last chance to join.
+If she didn't assert herself, then...
+"Well, now that we've all learned one another's names, let's start over.
+From here on, the four of us will be known as—"
+"U-u-um, excuse me!"
+CRASH! The trash can next to us rattled. Sakura clambered back to her
+feet and walked over, tense and nervous.
+"Sakura?" The others said her name simultaneously.
+"T-I also want to join Ayanokouji-kun's group!"
+Sakura summoned up every last bit of courage she could to force those
+words out. She was incredibly nervous, her face turning a deep shade of red.
+She was so flustered that she didn't notice that her glasses were crooked.
+"Do you want to join the group because you're anxious about the
+exam? I mean, when you consider your own scores and your partner, it'd be
+understandable if you were worried, Sakura," said Keisei. "Personally, I think
+you should join Horikita's group. I'm not sure I can tutor too many people.
+Besides, your situation's different. You probably need to work on other
+subjects."
+Sakura tried again. "N-no, it's not that. I just... I genuinely want to join
+the group!" she answered.
+As the saying went, shame committed on a journey could be left
+behind. Or, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
+"Come on. It's fine if Sakura participates. She kinda fits in with the
+group," said Akito.
+"Ts letting me join really all right?" she asked.
+"T mean, adding one person's not a big deal. Besides, it isn't like you
+need any qualifications to take part. We're all loners, so I think it's
+appropriate. Am I wrong?"
+"Loners, huh? Well, I guess you're right," I mused. "Keisei, 1s it okay
+with you?"
+"T have no objections. But I don't want our group to grow any larger
+than this. Sakura is easy to accept, but if someone annoying joins, I'm done,"
+said Keisei.
+"Th-thank you, Miyake-kun... Yukimura-kun..."
+The only person left was Haruka. She was usually welcoming, but this
+time, she didn't have a smile on her face.
+"Sorry, Sakura-san, but you haven't convinced me yet," said Haruka.
+"Ah...so I-I, uh, I can't...?"
+"Well, look. I'm really looking forward to being part of this group. Or,
+rather, I get the feeling I'm going to enjoy it. So..." Haruka pointed at
+Sakura. "If you want to join, you have to follow our one big rule. We call
+each other by our first names, or by nicknames. So, Sakura-san, uh..."
+Haruka looked at me. "Wait, what's her first name again?"
+"Airi," I replied without missing a beat.
+"We'll all call you Airi, and you'll use all of our first names. Are you
+okay with that?"
+Sakura wasn't good at dealing with interpersonal relationships. We all
+knew that, which was why Haruka was testing to see whether she could
+manage this.
+"U-um..."
+I tried to help the bewildered Sakura. "Keisei, Akito, and Haruka."
+"K-Keisei-kun, Akito-kun, Haruka...san... Whew..." said Sakura,
+barely whispering the words.
+"There's no need to use honorifics, right?" Akito said.
+"Yeah. As long as you use our first names, that's good enough. Now,
+all that's left is using Kiyopon's nickname."
+Sakura's face reddened. A mysterious sound escaped her lips. "Ah-
+hyuu!"
+"You've seemed pretty close to Kiyopon for a while now, so calling
+him that shouldn't be a stretch, right?" said Haruka. She was merciless.
+"Kiyotaka 1s fine," I said. Kiyopon was a bridge too far. It was
+embarrassing even in my head.
+"Ki-Kiyo-Kiyo...pyo!"
+Everyone focused on Sakura. She hated attention, which made her
+stammer, which made them pay more attention. It was turning into a vicious
+cycle.
+"T don't know what kind of effect this group will have on you, but I
+think it's good that you're joining, Sakura. You've taken a big step forward.
+Just one more step can't hurt," I told her gently.
+"Yeah...K-Kiyotaka-kun. I look forward to studying with you all."
+Sakura looked me square in the eye.
+"Okay, you passed. I'm in favor of Airi joining us," said Haruka. With
+that, Sakura became part of the group. "Come on, Kiyopon, try calling Airi
+by her first name."
+"Uh...hi, Airi."
+"H-hello!"
+Even though we were stiff and nervous, we both managed.
+"From now on, we five are the Ayanokouji Group. Looking forward to
+it!" said Haruka.
+Apparently, the group would be named after me whether I liked it or
+not.
+6.4
+Ana so, the Ayanokouji Group (saying it still felt weird) was
+officially established. We began to make plans together, including Airi.
+Haruka created a group chat, making it much easier to talk when we weren't
+physically together. Because we were often alone in our rooms, our chats
+were lively and long.
+After we finish class tomorrow, do you all feel like seeing a movie to
+take our minds off things? Haruka texted.
+Wait, are you talking about that one new movie?
+Yeah, yeah, that one. I heard that it comes out tomorrow. Since
+everyone's studying right now, scoring tickets should be easy!
+I suppose that taking a break is a good idea. When you say "you all," I
+assume I'm invited?
+Of course! You're part of the group, Yukimuu. But I guess I did spring
+this on you guys. If you don't have time, we can wait and go after the test.
+Akito hadn't seen these messages yet, but when he did, he'd probably
+agree to go. I wondered whether I should take the initiative here. Even though
+I was a little nervous, I replied in the group chat. /'7/ join you.
+A message from Airi came only a few seconds later. J want to go, too.
+All right. If Akito goes, I'll come as well, replied Yukimura.
+Akito himself sent a response in a couple minutes. Sounds good to me.
+Can you reserve our tickets?
+Sure. I'll collect points from you later. Thanks, everyone!
+The group chat quieted down after that. Haruka had probably switched
+over to her web browser to reserve our seats online.
+I'm looking forward to seeing the movie, Airi texted me.
+Yeah, me too.
+I'm really excited about tomorrow, Kiyotaka-kun. Goodnight. She
+ended the chat on that especially polite note.
+"So, I'm going to the movies with a group, huh?" I muttered to myself.
+It seemed I was somehow developing a social life. This'd be normal
+for anyone else, but I trembled with a kind of excitement I'd never
+experienced before. I decided I should probably hit the sack early to make
+sure I wasn't sluggish tomorrow.
+My phone rang, and I answered it. "Seems like you're awake," said
+Horikita.
+"Tt's still only ten o'clock. Do you need something?"
+"The library study groups are just about finished. After tomorrow's
+session, I'd like to make some final preparations for the exam. Can you come
+along with me? If you could tell Yukimura-kun as well, that'd be a big help."
+"Tomorrow, huh?" That was the day I'd just agreed to see a movie.
+"Tf that's inconvenient, the day after tomorrow is fine. But Thursday is
+the limit. The questions are almost complete, but I think we need to change
+some of them."
+"T'll talk it over with Keisei. Is it okay if we're late? We should also
+get in touch with Hirata and Karuizawa ahead of time, if we need to," I told
+Horikita.
+"Keisei? It seems like you and Yukimura-kun have gotten quite close.
+You don't need to worry about the other two. I already talked to them," said
+Horikita.
+I wasn't the only one who'd gotten closer to others, evidently. Horikita
+seemed to have successfully bridged the divide between herself and the
+students in her study sessions. I'd be delighted if she got on good terms with
+Hirata and Karuizawa, at the very least.
+Just as I hung up, I received another text. Apparently, I was popular
+tonight. This time the message wasn't from Airi, though, but from
+Karuizawa.
+I confirmed that a girl was walking around today asking whether
+people saw how much sugar Hasebe-san puts in her coffee. Apparently,
+Hasebe puts a ton in, so people had noticed.
+Just as I thought. Rather than being incredibly perceptive, Hiyori was
+quick-witted. She'd pretended to display remarkable powers of observation to
+shake us up.
+I think that Horikita's going to contact you about tomorrow, but we
+plan to meet around & p.m.
+Isn't that pretty late? Karuizawa asked.
+I'm busy before that. I'm going to a movie with my study group.
+A movie? Are you seeing that new one, by any chance?
+Seems like you know it. Anyway, I have a favor I'd like to ask of you.
+I gave Karuizawa detailed instructions. Once she finished reading
+everything, she sent me an irritated reply. This is another super-annoying
+errand. What are you even after?
+I'll explain when it's done. It's for your own sake.
+Yeah, sure. See ya tomorrow.
+I thought that was it from her. However, immediately afterward, I
+received another message. There wasn't any text, but there was a little
+sticker. It was a cute strawberry shortcake with a bunch of candles in it.
+Happy belated.
+That additional message popped up after the cake. Karuizawa didn't
+text me again.
+"She noticed that it was my birthday? But how?"
+I hadn't told anyone about my birthday. Then I recalled that our chat
+app had a field for your birthdate, in addition to the fields for your name and
+email address. I hadn't chosen to keep that information private.
+I'd thought that no one would notice my birthday this year. Karuizawa
+was the first.
+After finishing my conversation with her, I deleted all the texts.
+Though I hesitated, I also deleted the birthday sticker she sent. Afterward, I
+accessed Karuizawa's profile and saw that her birthday was March 8.
+'""Guess I'1l remember that."
+6.5
+Css the next day felt surprisingly long. Maybe that was because I'd
+gradually begun to look forward to the study sessions with my friends. When
+school was done, I headed toward the movie theater with Yukimura and the
+others.
+"Tt kinda feels exciting to go out with everyone...K-Kiyotaka-kun,"
+said Airi, walking next to me. She sounded reserved, but also upbeat. She
+was like a child, but I felt the same way, so I guess I was childish, too.
+"Yeah, it does. It's not a bad feeling."
+"Hee hee. Kiyotaka-kun."
+"What's up?"
+"Huh? What do you mean?"
+"You said my name."
+"T-I did?! S-sorry, you must've heard wrong!"
+I didn't think I'd misheard her. Upon arriving at the Keyaki Mall, we
+immediately went to the movie theater. Haruka had bought the tickets ahead
+of time, and she handed them out to us one by one.
+"T'm looking forward to this."
+"Ayanokouji-kun!" Satou Maya's voice called out to me. Why was she
+here?
+"Hey, are you going to see that movie right now? You know, that one
+everyone's talking about?!" she asked excitedly. "To tell you the truth, I
+came here to see it, too. So did Karuizawa-san and the others," she added.
+Behind Satou, a crowd of girls approached the theater. "Looks like it,"
+I replied. "Did Karuizawa invite you?"
+"Nope. When I mentioned wanting to see a movie after our study
+group, Karuizawa-san said that she wanted to come, too. So, we all decided
+to go. Since we're all here, let's see it together!" said Satou, quickly latching
+on to my arm.
+"Huuuh?!" Airi yelped.
+"H-hey, knock it off," I told Satou.
+"Huh? Why? This is okay, isn't it?" she asked. Satou sounded calm
+and composed, but her face was red. She was trying a little too hard.
+"Oh, what a coincidence. Yukimura-kun, Ayanokouji-kun. Oh, and
+Hasebe-san and Sakura-san, too," said Karuizawa in a slightly condescending
+manner.
+It wasn't a coincidence at all. I'd told her last night.
+"What an unpleasant coincidence. I'm going inside." Keisei went on
+ahead by himself, looking rather indignant.
+"Well, guess Pll go, too," I said.
+Separating myself from Satou somewhat forcefully, I followed Keisei
+inside the theater. It was almost entirely full, and the scent of popcorn and hot
+dogs tickled my nostrils. We'd reserved the five seats farthest to the back and
+right. Satou, Karuizawa, and their group had gone to buy popcorn and soda,
+and hadn't come in yet.
+As I sat down, Airi leaned over and whispered to me. "Um, K-
+Kiyotaka-kun?"
+Since everyone around us was chatting loudly, I didn't think she
+needed to speak that softly. "What's the matter?"
+"Well, Kiyotaka-kun, it's... Recently, you've gotten along pretty well
+with, um, Satou-san, right?" she asked.
+Considering what Airi had seen, it wasn't surprising that she was
+curious. However, I needed to keep that particular rumor from spreading.
+"That's not how it is. Satou and I are exam partners. We've been studying
+together."
+"B-but...p-people don't normally walk, um, a-arm-in-arm like that, do
+they?"
+"That wasn't really arm-in-arm. She just grabbed me," I replied.
+"Well, if you dislike it, you could just, um, shake her off," said Airi.
+While timid, Airi's comeback was correct. I'd passively gone along
+with Satou.
+"T understand. I don't think there will be a next time."
+'""A-also..."
+There was more?
+"Before we partnered up, you went somewhere with Satou-san alone,
+didn't you?" she asked.
+I remembered the day Satou had called me over in the classroom.
+Hadn't Airi watched me?
+"T-Is there s-something g-going between you two?"
+"No."
+Well, that wasn't entirely true. Then again, all Satou did was get my
+contact information. Besides, Airi and I had also exchanged contact
+information. It was nothing to feel weird about.
+"Not convinced?" I asked.
+"N-no, I am. S-sorry. I've been asking you all these strange
+questions... Did I make you uncomfortable?"
+"Not at all. If there's something bothering you, you can ask me any
+time," I told her.
+"T'll keep an eye on you, then, Kiyotaka-kun," she replied. "L-Leave it
+1?
+to me
+Er, thanks? Not too closely, I hope.
+Well, I didn't want to burst Airi's bubble. She looked very confident
+now.
+After that, I enjoyed the movie in peace and quiet. Well, as much as I
+could. The movie itself was very strange.
+6.6
+'Dee were many shops in the Keyaki Mall. Most were
+establishments people frequented daily, like supermarkets, but there were
+specialty shops as well. For example, there were stations that helped deal
+with any electric, gas, or water utilities problems you might have, and a
+delivery service that brought items from the convenience store to your room.
+There was also a dry cleaner's that a salaryman would probably use
+frequently, but students at this school didn't need as often. Unless you
+happened to get a blazer dirty, of course.
+It was past eight o'clock on Thursday night, and our test was next
+week. It was closing time for the shops, so everyone from Class D gathered
+in a karaoke room. You could hold a meeting there without having to worry
+about anyone overhearing. Although it probably would have been best to do
+this in someone's room, none of us wanted to.
+"Hey, is it okay if I sing?"
+"Wait, Karuizawa-san. We didn't meet here to have fun," said Hirata.
+"Even though we came all this way, and there's karaoke right here?"
+"We came because you said that you didn't want to use the dorms to
+study."
+"Yeah, fine. But, come on, isn't it kinda stupid to go all the way out to
+a place that has karaoke and not sing?"
+"Just enjoy the food and drinks and deal with it," said Horikita.
+Karuizawa had already put in an order. There was a bunch of junk food on
+the table, plus the drink she'd gotten for herself.
+"Then let's sing a duet together after the meeting's over, Yousuke-
+99
+kun.
+"Sure," said Hirata. "It'll be nice to relax afterward."
+"T agree," replied Karuizawa. "I do want to make sure we discuss this
+test, but it's been quite a while since I could do karaoke."
+"Okay, I'm going to start," said Horikita, ignoring Karuizawa. "First,
+our study sessions. To be perfectly honest, I think the results have been
+fantastic. The boys were imbeciles at first, so I was worried, but fortunately,
+they studied hard."
+"Tt's like an English dictionary is just flying out of my mouth all the
+time, dude!" said Sudou.
+"Sudou-kun has improved significantly compared to where he started.
+His concentration, in particular, got better by leaps and bounds. However,
+Sudou, don't forget that your basic abilities are still inferior to a first-year
+junior high school student's," said Horikita.
+"T studied this hard, and I'm still only at a first-year junior high level?"
+replied Sudou despairingly.
+"Considering that you began at an elementary school level, that's
+amazing," said Horikita.
+"H-Horikita-san, don't you think that's going a little too far?" Hirata
+asked.
+"He didn't even know that the mathematical constant pi existed until
+recently," Horikita countered.
+Dang. To think Sudou had lived this long without knowing what pi
+was.
+"Huh? That's so stupid!" said Karuizawa. Even though Karuizawa
+wasn't very studious herself, she was certainly better than that.
+"Shut up, Karuizawa. You probably don't even know it either," said
+Sudou.
+"No, no, no, I do. Even J know pi is 3.14," said Karuizawa. Our
+conversation was rapidly devolving. Everyone involved would end up with a
+headache.
+"Please stop." Yukimura said. "Horikita, is Sudou really going to be
+okay?"
+"Like I said, his fundamental scholastic abilities are low. But if we just
+focus on the things a first-year, second-semester high school student needs to
+know, then I think so. He definitely shouldn't expect to fail this exam. What
+about you, Yukimura-kun? Did you manage to resolve Hasebe-san and
+Miyake-kun's issues?" asked Horikita.
+"Of course. Ayanokouji watched everything closely, so he can back me
+up on that. Right?" Keisei asked me.
+"T don't think there was a better method we could've gone with. I'm
+not worried about anyone," I replied.
+"T'm glad. I'd absolutely hate to lose anybody from Class D," said
+Kushida.
+"Yeah. But are we really going to do okay?" said Karuizawa. She still
+seemed unsettled. "Look, I hate the idea of having fewer classmates. But this
+test always gets someone kicked out, right? So, like, there's no guarantee
+Sudou-kun and I won't fail, right?"
+"Well, I can't guarantee that," Kushida said. "But..."
+"Then don't act like it's a done deal."
+The somewhat relaxed atmosphere became tense.
+"You know, Kushida-san, I kinda feel as if you've been paying us lip
+service for a while now," said Karuizawa.
+"R-really? But I just want everyone to pass," said Kushida.
+"Man, it sure must be nice. Being smart, I mean. You don't have any
+idea what's gonna happen to me," snapped Karuizawa.
+"It's okay, Karuizawa-san. You studied hard in your group," said
+Hirata.
+"Kushida-san, I've wanted to say this to you for a while now. Don't
+you think you're taking this goody two-shoes act a bit too far?"
+"Uh...r-really?" stammered Kushida.
+"Can you please calm down, Karuizawa-san? We're in the middle of
+discussing our final exam. Don't waste our time," said Horikita.
+"Be quiet, Horikita-san. Hey, Kushida-san. Are you making fun of me
+in your head right now? Thinking about how stupid I am?" asked Karuizawa.
+"T wouldn't do something like that," said Kushida.
+"Then don't patronize me. Tests are always hard for me, no matter how
+many I take. Are you going to be responsible if I fail?" asked Karuizawa.
+This was getting absurd. Karuizawa's inexplicable anger baffled not
+just Kushida, but everyone else. Then, in a move no one saw coming,
+Karuizawa picked up her glass of grape juice and dumped it over Kushida.
+The juice soaked into Kushida's blazer.
+"Karuizawa-san!" Hirata grabbed Karuizawa's hand, which still held
+the cup. "You can't do this. That's not okay."
+"B-but... Are you saying I'm in the wrong here?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Yes, Karuizawa-san. Kushida-san hasn't done anything bad to you,"
+said Horikita. Even she, locked in a cold war with Kushida, couldn't defend
+this.
+"I'm fine, really. I don't mind. Please don't blame Karuizawa-san,
+okay?" said Kushida.
+"No. Karuizawa is at fault here," said Keisel.
+"Oh, sure. /'m the bad guy. Kushida-san is the class's favorite, after
+all,' said Karuizawa. She turned toward me, as if I were her last hope. "Hey,
+Ayanokouji-kun. Whose side are you on?"
+"Whose side am I on? There are no sides. You're in the wrong,
+Karuizawa," I told her.
+"T knew it. Everyone is my enemy," said Karuizawa. She got up and
+grabbed her bag.
+"Karuizawa-san. If you leave now, you'll regret it later. I don't want
+that," said Hirata.
+"So, what do you want me to do, then?" barked Karuizawa.
+"First, apologize to Kushida-san. That's the most important thing," said
+Hirata.
+Karuizawa wouldn't even listen to her supposed boyfriend. She stood
+her ground. "So, even though I don't think I did anything wrong, J have to
+apologize?" she asked.
+"You have to talk to her," said Hirata.
+Karuizawa stood completely still and silent for a moment. Then,
+slowly, she spoke. "Sorry."
+"No, it's completely all right. I should've been more understanding of
+how you felt, Karuizawa-san," said Kushida. She could have been angry,
+under the circumstances, but forgiveness came easily from her lips.
+Karuizawa looked guilty as she sat back down next to Hirata. "I guess I
+lost my cool. Sorry," she said again. Kushida responded with a gracious
+smile.
+"Thank you." Hirata patted his chest and let out a sigh of relief.
+However, this didn't necessarily mean that everything was settled.
+"Kushida-san, do you have a spare blazer to wear tomorrow? Will you
+be okay?" asked Horikita.
+"Ah, no. My first blazer got damaged, so this was the only one I had
+left," said Kushida.
+The school had provided us with two blazers each when we first
+arrived, but accidents happened, and students could simply outgrow their
+uniforms. A store in the Keyaki Mall specialized in student uniforms.
+However, it took time and cost many points to tailor clothing.
+"Ain't there a dry cleaner and a laundromat? I could bring your blazer
+in with some of my sweaty basketball clothes. If I take them in today, you
+should get the blazer back first thing tomorrow morning," said Sudou.
+"T didn't know there was a dry cleaner," replied Kushida. "That sounds
+like a good solution."
+"Well, it's not exactly an apology, but at least let me cover your
+cleaning fee," said Karuizawa.
+"Really, don't worry about it," said Kushida.
+"Td feel too guilty if I didn't."
+"Are you sure?"
+"Yeah. Please let me do this much," said Karuizawa, and so, she paid
+the fee.
+6.7
+O, the way back to my dorm, I came across Katsuragi standing next
+to a water fountain. He didn't seem to be looking for anyone in particular, so
+I called out to him.
+"What are you doing?" I asked.
+"Ayanokouji? Oh, nothing. Just thinking a little about the final exam
+next week," he replied.
+"Tn a place like this?"
+"T wanted some time alone to think in peace and quiet," said Katsuragi.
+"Do you feel like the exam will go well?"
+I decided to respond honestly. "Dunno. But everyone's studying really
+hard."
+"Is that so? It would be nice if no one were expelled," said Katsuragi.
+I didn't feel as if he was particularly concerned for his classmates.
+"Did something happen?"
+"When you were in junior high, were you ever class representative or
+on the student council?"
+"No, wasn't interested at all," I replied.
+"T've been a student council member since elementary school. I even
+served as student council president in both elementary and junior high. But,
+after coming to this school, I had to make some significant course
+corrections," said Katsuragi.
+"Come to think of it, you didn't join the student council here."
+"T wanted to, but I couldn't get Student Council President Horikita's
+attention."
+So far, this had nothing to do with the final exam.
+"At first glance, the student council president and class representatives
+don't appear to have much authority. Most students think that participating is
+nothing more than a waste of time and effort. That's why only a few people
+want to join the council," said Katsurag1.
+I shared the majority's feelings on that. I didn't want any management
+position.
+"However, those roles come with certain privileges. There's a divide
+between people who hold the positions and people who don't—one that can't
+be crossed. I've lost those privileges," said Katsuragi.
+"But your standing in Class A is still good, right?"
+"If that were the case, we absolutely wouldn't have chosen Class B as
+our target for the final exam," he replied.
+True, someone like Katsuragi would've picked Class C or Class D.
+He'd have chosen the path of strong defense and decisive victory.
+"Is it okay to talk to me about your class's internal politics?" I asked.
+"Tt's fine. You understand what it's like."
+"You know, you should cut yourself some slack. You're trying to
+singlehandedly carry Class A, but I bet if you relaxed a little, they'd still be
+fine. The important thing right now is to maintain your position," I told him.
+"T suppose. Hmm...to be told to maintain my position by a Class D
+student who should be chasing after us," he responded, clearly amused.
+"Perhaps I can see things objectively precisely because I can't catch up
+with you."
+When the two of us got to the dormitory, we found a crowd in the
+lobby.
+"It's pretty noisy in here. Did something happen?" Katsuragi asked.
+"Dunno. Should we try asking around?" I caught sight of the Professor
+and called to him. "What happened?"
+"Oh, Ayanokouji, is that you? It seems that all us first years somehow
+received the same missive in our mailboxes."
+"The same letter?'
+I slipped through the crowd, went over to my mailbox, and unlocked it.
+Others peered over my shoulder as I opened the door.
+I took out a letter folded into fourths and walked back to Sotomura.
+"Ts this...?"
+"Yes, it would seem so!"
+A few moments later, Katsuragi returned with a similar piece of paper.
+We unfolded our letters at nearly the same time. They said:
+First-year Class B student Ichinose Honami may be collecting points
+illegally. —Ryuuen Kakeru
+Sotomura showed us the same message on his paper. Katsuragi
+mumbled, "What is that guy planning by signing his name to this? If this
+claim is baseless, the school will take disciplinary action against him."
+"If he's risking that, does that mean his claim is true?"
+"Well, I suppose that this is something I could see Ryuuen doing. If
+people start to suspect Ichinose of fraud, it'11 make her life difficult,
+regardless of whether it's true. What Ryuuen is doing could be considered
+defamation, but he wouldn't care about something like that," Katsuragi
+explained.
+It was true. Ryuuen had no reputation to lose.
+"Hey, Ryuuen's back!" said one student as Ryuuen entered the
+building. I wondered whether he knew what had caused all the commotion.
+1°?
+"Hey, Ryuuen. What're you trying to pull?
+grabbed him.
+"Hmm? What in the world are you talking about?"
+One of the Class B guys
+"This! Your letter! This nonsense you handed everyone!"
+"Oh, that. Pretty interesting stuff, huh?" said Ryuuen.
+13?
+"What's so interesting about it?! Look, this is going too far
+"Fine then, let's see some proof that Ichinose isn't collecting points
+illegally," Ryuuen replied.
+"That' s—"'
+"How about it, Ichinose?" asked Ryuuen, still holding the letter. He
+looked at Ichinose, who'd just arrived.
+"No matter what I say to you right now, you probably won't believe
+me, will you, Ryuuen-kun?"
+"That's right. Besides, it's up to the school to decide whether you're
+doing something wrong."
+"T suppose so. Sorry, everyone. But please don't worry. I'll report to
+the teachers tomorrow and prove that this is just a misunderstanding on
+Ryuuen-kun's part," said Ichinose proudly.
+"How exactly do you plan on proving that, Ichinose?" asked Ryuuen.
+"T'll explain everything in detail. I'Il tell them how many points I have,
+and how I acquired them. If I do that, will you be satisfied?"
+"Report it to the school? Why don't you prove it right now, in front of
+all of us?"
+"Will you believe me if I just explain it to you, Ryuuen-kun?" Ichinose
+countered.
+"No, I won't. Spewing lies is probably as easy for you as breathing,"
+Ryuuen taunted.
+"Then it stands to reason that, if I report my total points to the school,
+there shouldn't be any room for fraud, right?"
+"Heh. I see. I suppose you have a point," said Ryuuen.
+"Are you convinced?!" shouted a Class B student.
+"Humans are nasty, lying creatures. Isn't it possible that Ichinose is
+coming up with some kind of scheme to hide the evidence right now?" said
+Ryuuen.
+"What is that guy plotting? Even if Ichinose has lots of points, she's far
+from the kind of person who'd steal them. Ryuuen has absolutely no chance
+of succeeding," said Katsuragi. His expression grew even sterner.
+"In that case, what can I do to make you believe me?" Ichinose asked
+Ryuuen.
+"First off, say how many points you have right here and now. Second,
+explain how you acquired those points. Ill report that information to the
+school tomorrow. If you do that, you' Il convince the students who distrust
+you, right?" said Ryuuen.
+"T can't accept, Ryuuen-kun."
+"So, you admit that you committed fraud?"
+"That's not what I'm saying. It's precisely because I didn't obtain my
+points illegally that I can't just show you all my cards. If I explain everything
+to the school tomorrow, they should investigate. On top of that, if I did
+commit fraud, they'd make everything public anyway, right?"
+"There's no guarantee that you'll report your total points to the school
+like you say you will."
+"Then go yourself, Ryuuen-kun. Tell them just what you wrote down
+in this letter," said Ichinose.
+"Really? Heh. Seems like you're pretty confident." Ryuuen snickered.
+It was true. A guilty person might have been nervous, yet Ichinose remained
+as calm as ever. "Well, Ill be looking forward to tomorrow."
+Ichinose watched Ryuuen board the elevator with a bold smile on his
+face.
+"Once the seed of doubt is planted, that doubt will grow until it's
+eradicated. Even an exemplary student like Ichinose isn't exempt. The deeper
+the doubt, the greater the loss of trust," said Katsuragi.
+He was right. The same thing applied to politicians. However high
+their approval rating, one damaging lie could cost a great deal of support.
+Once the lie proved entirely groundless, approval ratings might rebound,
+perhaps even soar higher than ever. But, generally, it was hard to entirely
+dispel allegations once they spread.
+The next day, Ichinose did as she'd said she would. The school issued
+an official notice that there was no fraudulent activity. They cleared her of all
+suspicion.
+A while back, I'd noticed that Ichinose possessed well over one million
+personal points. She'd probably accumulated even more by now.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Shiina Hiyori
+First Year, Class C
+STUDENT ID: S01T004735
+HUTS Tea Ceremony Club
+DATE OF BIRTH: January 21st
+***
+A quiet student. According to reports, she's been solitary since
+childhood. While she has barely any friends, she also doesn't appear to
+want any. Even though we don't see any problems with her academics,
+study habits, or intelligence, we would like her to learn to collaborate
+with others, build friendships, and improve her ability to communicate.
+***
+| hope to see her cooperation skills improve, but she is an excellent
+student and approaches her classwork seriously.
+Chapter 7:
+A Difference in Determination
+Nie ticked away as we continued to cram for the upcoming exams.
+Students' spirits dipped under the onslaught of grueling, endless work they
+had to do. December arrived, and the final exam was less than three days
+away. Tomorrow, we'd be off for the weekend, the final exam waiting for us
+on Monday.
+To be honest, the exam itself wasn't too dangerous. As far as the Class
+D students were concerned, we were more united than ever. Even Sudou and
+the other slackers did their best. The issues were Ryuuen and Kushida.
+Ryuuen's two goals were to beat Class D, and to smoke out the puppet
+master hiding behind Horikita. If he wanted to win in overall points, that
+limited his tactics. The best he could do was get Class C to study extra hard,
+or come up with extremely difficult test problems, both of which were
+relatively ordinary strategies.
+I didn't know how fully Class C had united, or if they'd studied
+extensively. We hadn't seen them in the café, the library, the classrooms, or
+anywhere else. Was it simple coincidence? Or were the Class C students
+working somewhere in secret? Even if they did study extra hard, as long as
+they didn't surpass Class D, we'd be fine. At any rate, though, I had no idea
+what their strategy was.
+"Thinking about something?" asked Horikita.
+"Oh, sorry," I replied.
+Horikita looked up at me from the base of the stairs. I hurried down
+after her. She held a large manila envelope stuffed full of the questions she
+and Hirata had slaved over for the past month. That envelope held Class D's
+fate, which was exactly why Horikita kept it as confidential as possible. She
+wouldn't even let me see the questions. Ultimately, she was the only one who
+knew all of them.
+"'What are our chances?" I asked.
+"Hard to say. Don't expect too much. The school made many
+adjustments. However, there's no doubt that we've completed the most
+difficult part of the exam so far," said Horikita.
+She exuded confidence, so she'd probably done a solid job. The issue
+was what came next. How would we protect these questions?
+While making our way to the staff room, Horikita and I bumped into
+Ryuuen in the hallway.
+"Yo, Suzune." Ryuuen wore a bold smile on his face. He also held a
+manila envelope.
+"Is this a coincidence? Or an ambush, perhaps?" asked Horikita.
+"Tt's inevitable. I was waiting for you."
+'""An ambush, then." Horikita let out an exasperated sigh and walked
+past Ryuuen.
+"You're submitting your test problems at the last minute too, huh?
+Let's go together," said Ryuuen, holding out his manila envelope. "Anyone
+might try and sneak a peek at this, so I understand your caution."
+"You're not worried about any traitors in your own class?" asked
+Horikita somewhat mockingly.
+"Ha. There's no way anyone would be stupid enough to betray me,"
+said Ryuuen.
+"Yet you waited until the last minute to submit your questions," said
+Horikita.
+Ryuuen probably couldn't help but enjoy her ire. Horikita and I walked
+on, and he followed us.
+"T really hope that whatever intelligence you squeezed out of those
+defective pieces of garbage in your class works in Class C's favor," he said.
+Horikita ignored him. "Ayanokouji-kun, have you been studying
+properly? How are things with you and your partner?" she asked me.
+"T think we should be safe," I replied.
+"Thinking isn't enough. We can't afford to have a single student drop
+out. Don't get complacent, even though I'm sure we can handle whatever
+Class C throws at us," said Horikita.
+Ryuuen responded to that verbal jab. "Oh ho! That's an interesting
+remark. You sound pretty arrogant."
+"Hmm, who knows? Maybe it was simply cheap provocation? Just
+your style," said Horikita.
+"Maybe so," Ryuuen replied.
+As soon as we arrived at the staff room, Horikita called Chabashira-
+sensei. Similarly, Ryuuen called Sakagami-sensei, who appeared first and
+took the manila envelope from Ryuuen.
+Moments later, Chabashira-sensei showed up and took Sakagami-
+sensei's place. She already seemed to know what we were there for, and her
+gaze focused only on the manila envelope. She paid no attention to Ryuuen,
+off to the side.
+"These are the final questions, Chabashira-sensei," said Horikita.
+"T'1l hold on to them," said Chabashira-sensei.
+Ryuuen watched with a creepy smile. As Chabashira-sensei reached for
+the envelope, Horikita paused.
+"Td like to ask you one thing, if I may," Horikita said to Chabashira-
+sensel.
+"Yes?"
+"These questions are linked to either Class D's victory or defeat.
+They're two sides of the same coin. We must avoid a leak at all costs. After I
+hand these papers over to you, could you please not show them to anyone
+else? Myself included."
+"You want me to turn down absolutely anyone who asks to see them?"
+Chabashira-sensei asked.
+"Would that be a problem?"
+"That's not the issue. I understand that you're afraid of information
+leaking, and the school has no right to refuse your request. However, there
+are conditions," said Chabashira-sensel.
+"Conditions, you say?"
+"The entire class needs to agree to this. Has everyone approved this
+measure?"
+"T didn't receive permission from every individual student, but...I
+don't think they'd object. No one wants their class to lose," said Horikita.
+"You can't say that for sure. Some students might very well want to
+lose," said Chabashira-sensel.
+"That' or
+Chabashira-sensei continued. "On that note, can you guarantee that
+these are the exam questions your class wishes to use? Not everyone in class
+saw and agreed to all of them, right?"
+"Are you asking me to prove that? You want me to show the questions
+to everyone in class and confirm that they're okay with them?"
+"I'm saying that it's not that simple. I can't be entirely sure that you,
+Horikita Suzune, are acting for your class's sake. That said, I'll honor your
+request. If any student asks, I absolutely won't disclose the questions and
+answers you created," said Chabashira-sensei.
+"Thank you very much. Now I can face the exam in peace."
+"However, I will say this—generally, it's not ideal to restrict
+information in this manner. It proves that the class isn't united," said
+Chabashira-senseli.
+"A painful lesson to learn. I'Il work harder to bring the class together,"
+answered Horikita confidently.
+Chabashira-sensei smiled a bit. "You've changed, Horikita."
+"Some things can't stay the same."
+"As I said, Pll honor your request. In case of unforeseen
+circumstances, though, I'd like to add one provision to our arrangement. As
+long as they have your permission, Horikita, I'Il disclose information to those
+asking to see the questions. Is that okay?" asked Chabashira-sensei.
+"Yes, as long as I'm present at the time," said Horikita.
+"Of course. Someone might lie about having your permission, after all.
+In the event that someone comes looking for the questions, well, I'll tell them
+everything you said. As a teacher, I can't lie," said Chabashira-senset.
+Horikita breathed a sigh of relief. Something had finally gone right.
+This plan was foolproof, and should've precluded the possibility of
+underhanded tricks like the kind we saw in the sports festival. Even if
+someone tried to pay to see the questions, it wouldn't be allowed.
+However, something still felt off to me.
+Everything was going smoothly. The test questions that Horikita and
+Hirata had devised were undoubtedly very difficult, and Horikita had put
+preventative measures in place to ensure that they didn't leak. Even if
+Kushida tried to obtain the answers for Ryuuen, she'd need Horikita's
+presence and approval. Everything was rock solid. No holes anywhere.
+Chabashira-sensei solemnly accepted the test questions and motioned
+for us to leave. Still, Ryuuen's resolute attitude felt off—something about the
+fact that he didn't seem flustered at all.
+"Let's head on back, Ayanokouji-kun. Our business here 1s finished."
+I ignored Horikita and looked into Chabashira-sensei's eyes instead.
+She stared at me in return.
+See it, Horikita. Before it's too late.
+I couldn't say anything in front of Ryuuen. Horikita started to walk
+away, then immediately stopped dead in her tracks.
+"Chabashira-sensei. You said that you wouldn't lie, didn't you?"
+"That's right. That's required of me, as a teacher," she replied.
+"In that case, will the school accept the questions I just submitted to
+you?"
+Horikita had noticed. She'd figured it out herself.
+"Not until we confirm that there isn't anything abnormal about them,"
+replied Chabashira-senseti.
+"What's the matter, Horikita?" I asked.
+Horikita didn't pay any attention to me. "Let me rephrase that. Have
+you already accepted other test questions?"
+Our teacher became quiet. ""What do you mean by that?"
+"T'd like to hear the answer from your own lips, Chabashira-sensei."
+"My response is that the school already accepted and finished
+reviewing questions from Class D."
+Our reality imploded.
+""So...does that mean someone else already submitted test questions
+and answers?" asked Horikita. She couldn't seem to process what was
+happening.
+"Correct. The school won't use the questions you just handed me," said
+Chabashira-sensei.
+"Please cancel acceptance of the previously submitted test questions. I
+have the correct ones here," said Horikita, pointing to the manila envelope.
+"Unfortunately, Horikita, I already finished reviewing another
+student's questions. That student shared similar concerns. They wanted me to
+keep the questions secret, too. This student said that, in the event that another
+student selfishly showed up and asked to change the problems, I should
+merely accept the new questions and hold on to them. They also wanted me
+to tell them who asked to swap those questions afterward," said Chabashira-
+sensei.
+"What in the world?" The fight drained out of Horikita, and she
+slumped over. This was far too cruel. "What student? Please tell me."
+"Kushida Kikyou."
+The answer was obvious. Horikita had thought that she would prevent
+Kushida's betrayal. However, Kushida had struck first. Our knowledge of her
+past made her take bold, drastic measures.
+"But under the right circumstances, Class D can change the questions
+the school already accepted, yes?"
+"Yes. However, the deadline is the end of today. If you wish to change
+the test questions, please bring Kushida here," said Chabashira-sensei.
+"That..."
+It was hopeless. Kushida wouldn't agree to that. Even if we started
+looking for her now, there was a 100 percent chance that she'd turned her
+phone off and holed up in her dorm room—or somewhere else, even.
+"T can only speculate about which one of you is lying, Horikita. I don't
+know the truth. I also acknowledge that an unknown third party might be
+pulling the strings here. If you don't resolve this dispute within your class,
+itll be bad," said Chabashira-sensel.
+"How much time do we have left to correct the questions?"
+"Until 6 p.m."
+I checked my phone. It was a little before four. We only had about two
+hours left.
+"Ha ha ha ha ha! What are you even doing, Suzune?" Ryuuen sneered.
+The guy had undoubtedly known about this situation from the very start; he
+laughed raucously at our despair. "This is already checkmate, don't you see?
+The questions that you struggled so hard to come up with are completely
+meaningless!"
+"Were you behind this? Did you instruct Kushida-san to do this?"
+asked Horikita.
+"Hmm, who can say? I mean, it's not like / know anything about Class
+D, right?"
+Horikita raised her voice. "I'm not going to tolerate this outsider
+eavesdropping on the conversation any further!"
+"Oh ho, how scary. Guess I'Il just head back to my dorm like a good
+boy. I sure am looking forward to the exam's results," said Ryuuen.
+"Aren't you going to look for Kushida, Horikita?" Chabashira-sense1
+asked.
+"T dislike futile gestures." Even if we did manage to find Kushida,
+there was no way she'd comply. The game was already over. "Did Kushida-
+san instruct you not to show the questions to anyone?"
+"No, I received no such instructions," said Chabashira-sensel.
+"Please show them to me, then."
+Chabashira-sensei showed Horikita the test questions that Kushida
+submitted. After only a brief glance, one thing became apparent.
+"These are incredibly difficult," Horikita said.
+"Yeah. They definitely are," I replied.
+Kushida's questions didn't appear any easier than those Horikita and
+Hirata had prepared. These were excellently constructed problems. In fact,
+they were so well-structured that you'd never guess that Horikita herself
+didn't come up with them. Since Ryuuen was involved, chances were high
+that Kaneda made them.
+If Kushida's problems had been so easy that even Sudou could have
+solved them, she would have been suspected of sabotage. These questions
+made things much, much more complicated. If you knew the answers ahead
+of time, it didn't matter how difficult the problems were. As long as all of
+Class C shared the answers with one another, they would get high scores.
+Horikita had promised that she wouldn't expose Kushida's past. Hirata,
+afraid of internal class conflict, probably wouldn't say anything. That meant
+that the student who struck first won the day. If Class D lost, Horikita, who'd
+assumed leadership, would unavoidably take the blame. Kushida would
+siphon away Horikita's power while simultaneously using Ryuuen to drive
+her into a corner.
+None of this was as dire, however, as Horikita's bet with Kushida. If
+Kushida and Ryuuen had colluded, there was no doubt that Kushida received
+Class C's test questions in exchange for her cooperation. If that had
+happened, Kushida would most likely score a perfect one hundred points on
+her math exam. If Horikita answered even one question incorrectly, she
+would have to drop out of school.
+"So, is there nothing more to be done?" asked Horikita.
+It looked as if she was out of options. This all came down to the
+naivete of her plans. /fit'd been me, then...
+"Tt's all right, Horikita. Ryuuen left," said Chabashira-sensei to
+Horikita, who still hung her head. What was going on? Chabashira-sensei
+didn't look shaken in the least.
+"Sorry. I wanted to take extra precautions just in case, so I kept up the
+act," said Horikita, lifting her head. She didn't look depressed at all.
+Then, I understood.
+"You knew this was coming?" I asked.
+"Yes. I couldn't allow myself to be defeated the same way I was at the
+sports festival. When the final exam's details were announced, I immediately
+consulted Chabashira-sensei. I had two requests. One, that I alone submit
+Class D's usable test questions, and two, that Chabashira-sensei pretend to
+accept any other questions submitted," said Horikita.
+In other words, Horikita had tricked Kushida into thinking that her test
+questions were accepted.
+"Now that they definitely believe that Kushida's test problems were
+used, if any Class C students aren't studying for the test, they may just fail,"
+said Horikita. I would never have imagined that she'd devise such a
+wonderful counterattack. I couldn't even have come up with anything like
+this myself. Ryuuen had to be completely unaware of the damage Horikita
+was about to do.
+"At any rate, this is a difficult situation," said Chabashira-sensei, a rare
+look of genuine concern on her face. "I've never had a request like this in all
+the time I've managed Class D. I didn't expect such caution and deception.
+However, you won't always take the day, Horikita. If there are traitors like
+this among your classmates, you're doomed to fail."
+Chabashira-sensei was right. Even Class A, currently divided between
+Sakayanagi's and Katsuragi's factions, would never have done something
+like this.
+This meant we needed to be careful in dealing with Kushida.
+"T understand. However, this ends with the final exam." I felt
+Horikita's determination.
+"Really? In that case, I look forward to it."
+Horikita sighed in relief as she watched Chabashira-sensei go back
+inside with the manila envelope. Once the two of us were alone, she bowed
+her head and apologized to me.
+"Sorry for keeping quiet about this."
+"No, that's all right. To be honest, I had no idea." I'd underestimated
+Horikita.
+"Ryuuen's knocked me down so many times now. I thought that it was
+about time I learned," said Horikita.
+This had not only crushed Class C's decisive victory, it had put Class
+D a step in the lead. However, Horikita's final challenge remained.
+'"*All that's left now is to beat Kushida-san's exam score."
+7.1
+Die first part of the final exam was here. The minimum overall score
+each pair needed to pass was 692 points, which was lower than expected, but
+we couldn't afford to be careless. The first day covered four subjects: social
+studies, English, Japanese, and mathematics. That meant that the outcome of
+Horikita and Kushida's battle would be revealed very soon.
+As I walked into the hall on my way to the classroom, I met up with
+Satou. For better or worse, she seemed to have been waiting for me.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun. It's almost time for the test, isn't it?"
+"Yeah. Did you sleep well last night?"
+"T studied until about one o'clock. I feel a little nervous," said Satou,
+putting her hand to her chest and taking a deep breath.
+"Well, I can't say it's going to be easy, but let's do our best. You
+should do well if you just apply everything you've learned," I told her.
+"Okay!"
+No matter what, we were partners in this. I couldn't deny our shared
+destiny. If either of us failed, so did the other. Each of us could drag the other
+into the abyss with them.
+"Good morning, Satou-san."
+"Oh, good morning, Karuizawa-san."
+"Did you already have plans with Ayanokouji-kun? It's rare to see the
+two of you together," said Karuizawa.
+"N-no, we met up by chance."
+"Ts that so? Well, how about we go get a drink at Pallet before class?"
+asked Karuizawa.
+"Okay. Well, see you later, Ayanokouji-kun," said Satou, turning away
+bashfully. Karuizawa looked at me for an instant before heading away.
+"Those two are close, huh?" I muttered to myself.
+"T think Karuizawa-san is a surprisingly jealous person," Hirata said,
+walking over.
+"Huh?" I said.
+"Good morning."
+"Good morning. What did you mean?"
+"T've pretended to be Karuizawa-san's boyfriend for a while now. I
+noticed that she's been paying more attention to you lately, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T don't think that's right." Karuizawa had been forced to remove
+herself from Hirata and attach herself to me, kind of like a remora with a
+shark.
+"Really? Well, I'm glad. I don't think it's healthy to be in a fake
+relationship. That's probably selfish of me to say, though," Hirata replied as
+we made our way to the classroom. "Horikita-san's questions will definitely
+sting Class C. I don't think it should be that difficult for Class D to win,
+provided that everyone handles the exam well."
+Hirata overflowed with self-confidence. Despite one unforeseen
+matchup, everything else had gone according to plan.
+"To tell you the truth, there was something I wanted to talk to you
+about, Ayanokouji-kun," Hirata added. "Do you know Shiina Hiyori-san?"
+""She's in Class C. We met the other day when she showed up at
+Keisei's study group," I replied.
+"She came by my study group, too. It seems that Class C is looking for
+the mastermind hiding in Horikita-san's shadow."
+"Seems like it."
+"You're the one pulling Horikita's strings, Ayanokouji-kun," said
+Hirata. It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. "I wouldn't tell anyone
+else, of course. I'm sure that you have something planned. Besides, you've
+saved Class D many times over."
+"T see. I'm grateful to hear you say that."
+"So, you don't deny it?"
+"Even if I did, you wouldn't believe me."
+"T suppose I wouldn't."
+"T'm not some kind of hero. I just don't want to draw attention," I told
+him.
+"T assume that you had a reason for what you did at the sports festival.
+Still, are you okay? Class C is on the offense. If required, I've got your
+back," said Hirata.
+Although I appreciated Hirata's offer, it wasn't necessary. "I'm good.
+I'll come to you if I need to, though."
+"T understand."
+We arrived at the classroom. I observed Sudou and the other guys from
+a distance, noticing that they looked quite different from how they had during
+previous exams. Instead of huddling and cramming in a panic, they calmly
+used their time to review final details. Nearly half the students were seriously
+concentrating on the material.
+"Quite a difference, huh?" Hirata said.
+"Definitely." If you'd told me months ago that this was what Class D
+would look like now, I wouldn't have believed you.
+Horikita was reading a book instead of studying. "Are you prepared?"
+"You're reading just before the test?" I asked. "What're you reading?"
+"And Then There Were None," replied Horikita.
+"Agatha Christie, huh? Well, let's hope there're more than 'none' left
+when this is over," I joked.
+Horikita closed her book and shot down my dark humor. "Nobody is
+leaving the school. It goes without saying that neither you nor I will
+disappear, either."
+"The look on your face says that you're going to win no matter what,"
+I told her.
+"Of course. That's because I prepared to take first place in our grade
+this time around," she replied.
+"If the questions Class C set turn out to be really simple, that's going to
+be tricky."
+"Even so, Pll win. That'! only motivate me more," she replied.
+Well, now I really looked forward to this. Come on, Horikita. Show me
+your stuff.
+py
+As the bell rang to signal that the test was going to begin, everyone
+started to pack up their study materials. We had to store any and all objects
+unnecessary for the exam in the lockers at the back of the classroom. The
+only things we were allowed to have were writing utensils. If our pencils
+broke, we ran out of lead, or we used our erasers up, we had to request
+additional supplies from Chabashira-senseti.
+"We will now start your final exam. Your first test subject is
+contemporary Japanese. You are forbidden from turning your papers over
+before I give you the signal to begin," said Chabashira-sense1.
+Rather than have the students at the front of each row pass the test
+papers back, Chabashira-sensei placed the papers on each student's desk
+herself.
+"The exam will be fifty minutes long. Please try to avoid leaving sick
+or using the restroom. In the event that you aren't able to wait, please raise
+your hand and let me know. You won't be allowed to leave the room during
+the exam for any other reason," she continued.
+Chabashira-sensei finished handing out test papers. Not a single
+student was talking by this point. Everyone focused on their papers. Shortly
+afterward, the next bell rang, signaling the official start of the exam.
+"Begin."
+We all flipped our test sheets over at the same time.
+If everything went as Keisei had predicted, I thought the
+countermeasures we'd developed should be enough. I quickly skimmed the
+questions from start to finish, trying to judge whether my classmates could
+solve them. It was a cruel lineup, but they weren't impossible. We'd
+predicted quite a few questions with near-pinpoint accuracy, so if we just
+stayed calm, we had this. Keisei's plans were right on the money.
+Moreover, the school had altered several test questions significantly. I
+could see traces of where Class C had attempted to trick us, but the school
+had made edits.
+This test would be hardest for Class D's most average students, like
+Haruka and Akito. They needed to do the best they could and ace the
+humanities like their lives depended on it.
+Horikita, sitting next to me, immediately picked up her pen and
+answered the first question. I twirled my pen in circles as I meditated on what
+I should do. Satou had been relatively more enthusiastic than the other
+students when it came to participating in the study sessions, and I anticipated
+that she'd score higher than Ike or Yamauchi. However, I needed to
+complement her score with an appropriate score of my own.
+Considering what was to come in future, I decided to aim for a sixty-
+point baseline. More than that, the important thing was that I wanted to see
+how Kushida Kikyou reacted to the test.
+I raised my head.
+So far, Kushida appeared to be checking something as she scanned the
+test sheet over and over. She stayed still for about two or three minutes.
+Finally, she started answering questions.
+The exam continued in tense silence.
+There was a minor incident in the fourth period during the math
+portion. That section, of course, would decide Horikita and Kushida's
+competition. The incident happened immediately after we flipped our exams
+over.
+"Why?" squeaked Kushida.
+"What's the matter, Kushida?" asked Chabashira-sensel1.
+"N-no, it's nothing. I'm sorry," she replied.
+Kushida's audible slipup must have concerned our classmates, but she
+immediately started answering the questions regardless. Kushida, normally so
+calm and composed, was in an agitated state we'd never seen before. She was
+shaken.
+Horikita continued working steadily, undistracted by Kushida's unrest.
+This was a true, fair battle now, powerful in its simplicity.
+With my troubles rapidly fading, I concentrated on the exam.
+7.3
+66
+Wrew," Horikita sighed and quickly glanced up at the classroom
+ceiling.
+"Looks like you're all finished," I said.
+"T've never considered studying particularly stressful, but I studied
+harder for this exam than ever before in my life," she replied.
+"What score would you say you got for the math portion?"
+"A hundred. Or, at least, that's what I'd like to say. Since there was
+one part where the question seemed ambiguous, I can probably only say I got
+ninety-eight points for certain. A few reasonably difficult questions were
+mixed in."
+"It's possible that you might've written something incorrectly or
+missed an answer, though. Is there a chance that your score is any lower than
+ninety-eight?" I asked.
+"None. I'm certain that I overcame this test. I think I managed to get
+near-perfect scores in the other three areas as well."
+"Well, that's amazing."
+"T made this bet with Kushida-san assuming that she'd score a hundred
+points. I was incredibly thorough in my preparations so I wouldn't suffer
+even a trivial mistake. Still, it's a shame that I might've missed two points in
+the end," Horikita continued.
+The questions Kaneda had set were by no means easy. I didn't know
+whether even someone like Keisei had managed to score above ninety. If
+Horikita had truly gotten ninety-eight points or more, the top spot in our class
+was hers. Despite tutoring so many students, she'd pushed through thanks to
+her own willpower and
+spirit.
+""Suzune, there's something I want to tell you. Can I head back to the
+dorm with you?" asked Sudou. He approached Horikita with his bag in hand,
+looking somewhat drained.
+"Something you want to tell me? Sorry, but can't you just tell me
+here?"
+"About today's test... I'm not sure if I hit the forty-point mark in every
+subject. I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry," said Sudou. He seemed sincere.
+"That's not terrible. Considering what was on the test, you did well,"
+Horikita said. True, the exam had been more difficult than usual. "I have a
+little something to take care of, so head on back with your friends."
+"You're staying, Ayanokouji? Or are you two going back together?"
+Sudou gave me a skeptical look.
+"My business has nothing to do with him. I'm meeting Kushida-san. Is
+there a problem?" asked Horikita.
+"Kushida? Then no, none," said Sudou. Once he knew Horikita was
+meeting a girl, he didn't care. "Well then, I'm gonna head back and study."
+"All right. But, considering what's coming tomorrow, make sure to go
+to bed early," said Horikita.
+"T know. Come on, Kanji, Haruki. Let's go back," said Sudou.
+He didn't sound perturbed in the least.
+"By the way, what are your plans with Kushida?" I asked Horikita.
+"It's not a big deal. Since we can estimate our respective scores, I just
+want to confirm something with her," said Horikita.
+It would be some time until we received our test results, but I was
+convinced Horikita Suzune won. That was clear just from looking at Kushida,
+who got up and quickly left the classroom.
+"What's the matter with her, I wonder?" said Horikita.
+"She probably assumes that her score is lower than she expected, don't
+you think?"
+"T hope so. Ryuuen can be rather tenacious."
+"Are you worried about him?" I asked.
+"If he gave her the answers, she likely would' ve gotten a perfect score.
+If that happened, then you and I would've had to drop out."
+"So, if that time came, would you have prostrated yourself before
+Kushida and begged for forgiveness?" I asked.
+"Was that sarcasm?"
+"What?"
+"Nothing, forget it."
+Horikita pursued Kushida. I decided to follow.
+She walked into the hallway and called Kushida's name. "Kushida-
+99
+san.
+Kushida slowly came to a stop. "What 1s it, Horikita-san?" she asked.
+Fatigue and exhaustion were written on her face.
+"Do you have a moment? I'd like to confirm something with you. But
+there are people around, so how about we go somewhere else?" asked
+Horikita.
+"That depends on what you want to talk about," said Kushida.
+"Ayanokouji-kun will come along, since he's involved in this matter.
+You don't mind, do you?" asked Horikita.
+Kushida didn't answer, but she didn't refuse, either. She checked the
+time on her phone and nodded. She had probably arranged to meet someone
+else afterward.
+Since there were still quite a few students left in the school, we decided
+to head to the special building.
+"You want to discuss our bet on the final exam. Right?"
+"Yes. Though the results haven't been announced yet, we should be
+able to estimate our scores well enough ourselves," said Horikita. "I'm
+confident that I scored a ninety-eight or higher. What about you?"
+Kushida didn't look surprised to hear this. Rather, 1t was like she
+already knew.
+"We don't have to wait for the official results," muttered Kushida. "IT
+couldn't have scored any higher than eighty. No, I probably didn't even get
+eighty. You won the bet, Horikita-san."
+"T see." Horikita seemed slightly puzzled by Kushida's low score. "I
+thought you would have scored higher."
+"This is what I am," said Kushida, sounding disappointed.
+"T suppose it won't be confirmed until the results are official, though."
+"There's no need for that. You won the bet. Are you satisfied,
+Horikita-san?"
+"So, can I trust that you won't get in my way from this point on?"
+"T'll keep my promise, no matter how much I hate it. Do you want that
+in writing?"
+"No need. Let's just start by trusting each other," said Horikita. She
+held out her hand.
+Kushida stared at Horikita's outstretched hand, her eyes blank. "I hate
+you, Horikita-san."
+"T know. But I think I can work hard to change that," said Horikita.
+"T feel like I'm growing to hate you more and more," said Kushida.
+She walked right past Horikita without taking her hand.
+"T won't do anything to impede you. But I'll never cooperate with you.
+Don't forget that," said Kushida.
+"T see. That's a shame," said Horikita.
+"Remember, Horikita-san, the terms of the bet were that I wouldn't get
+in your way. That's all," said Kushida. The darkness lingering in her eyes
+seemed to latch on to me.
+"That' s—"'
+Kushida left immediately. It was as if she didn't want to face Horikita
+for even one more second. She no longer had her sights on Horikita, but it
+might be my turn next. There hadn't been anything in the bet's terms about
+leaving me alone.
+"T should' ve thought this through more carefully," said Horikita.
+Kushida wouldn't keep her promise forever. Our presence destroyed
+her hope for a peaceful future. The most I could expect for the time being was
+a temporary ceasefire.
+7.4
+A fier Horikita headed back to the dorm, I thought about what was to
+come. Ryuuen Kakeru wasn't the type to leave unfinished business. Horikita
+had certainly handled things well this time around, containing Ryuuen and
+manipulating Kushida with a preemptive strike. In a healthy class, her
+strategy probably wouldn't have been very useful, but it was effective for
+dealing with a traitor.
+My phone vibrated.
+What are you planning? the message read.
+I wasn't the only schemer here. You're planning something too, aren't
+you, Ryuuen?
+Another message showed up. /'m definitely going to make you pay.
+An image file was attached to the last message. When I opened it, I
+found a single photograph that spoke a thousand words.
+"So, Manabe and her friends spilled the beans, huh?" I muttered.
+Of course, I'd known that when I ran into Ryuuen and Hiyori. Ryuuen
+had probably threatened the girls to reveal who might've seen them attack
+Karuizawa, and now my name and Keisei's name were running through his
+mind. However, he had no evidence. That was why he was trying to corner
+me. That was what he was thinking by sending me this photograph.
+The fact that Ryuuen had the photo meant that he knew the
+circumstances surrounding it. Depending how things played out, Ryuuen
+would probably go after the person in the picture. If anything, this was a
+declaration of war.
+Did he enjoy the hunt that much? Enough. I was fed up with his
+obsessive persistence.
+I closed my phone and steeled myself. Half-measures wouldn't do
+here. If Ryuuen was dead serious about picking a fight, I'd return the favor in
+kind.
+"Come at me with everything you've got. Ill play your game," I said
+aloud.
+Despite myself, I couldn't help but feel a little excited.
+12
+66
+Voce late, Kikyou. What, couldn't slip past your classmates?"
+asked Ryuuen.
+"What are you plotting, Ryuuen-kun?" Kushida demanded. She drew
+closer to Ryuuen on the isolated rooftop.
+"Huh?" said Ryuuen.
+"The questions and answers you gave me were completely different
+than the ones on the exam."
+"Oh, yeah. I switched 'em out before the deadline. What about it?"
+Ryuuen snorted derisively, then took a sip of bottled water.
+"T told you, didn't I? I wi// get Horikita expelled, no matter what. I
+betrayed my classmates and switched out our questions on the condition that
+you gave me the math test answers. If you kept your promise, Horikita
+would've dropped out of school. But you betrayed me," said Kushida.
+"What? You mad about something so trivial?"
+"Trivial? You want to win against Class D and give us nothing in
+return?"
+"You're mistaken, Kikyou. Your questions weren't used on the exam,"
+replied Ryuuen.
+"Huh? What are you even talking about? I turned them in right away,
+just as you instructed me to. I even confirmed everything with Chabashira-
+sensei."
+"You really haven't noticed? Suzune acted ahead of time to stop the
+school from formally accepting your questions. Thanks to that, not only did
+we lose, we just barely avoided catastrophe. Everyone in my class depended
+on that strategy," said Ryuuen.
+"Wait. Ahead of time? That's... No way."
+"Go ahead and wait for the results if you doubt me. In all likelihood,
+Class C lost to Class D. That rendered our agreement invalid. I'm not giving
+you the correct test questions if I get nothing in return," said
+Ryuuen.
+"Grrr!"
+"How about showing me some gratitude instead?"
+"Gratitude? I just lost to Horikita! What should I be grateful for?!"
+Kushida recalled the humiliation she'd felt at admitting defeat in front of
+Horikita. She was so enraged that she felt her blood boiling.
+"So trusting, to get snared without even knowing it," taunted Ryuuen.
+Grabbing Kushida's uniform, he forcefully unfastened a button on her blazer
+and reached inside.
+"Hey, what are you doing?!" shouted Kushida, backing away to put
+some distance between herself and Ryuuen. Ryuuen smiled.
+"Come on. I'm not doing anything. Go ahead, look in your pocket," he
+said.
+"Tn my pocket?" Still on her guard, Kushida slowly reached into her
+blazer. She felt paper, which she didn't expect. "What is this?"
+Ryuuen couldn't have had enough time to put something in her pocket
+just then. That meant he'd placed the paper there beforehand. When Kushida
+unfolded it, she found a list of questions and answers for the math test.
+However, they weren't the questions that were actually on the exam in
+the end. They were the ones Ryuuen had supposedly given her.
+"Why were these in my uniform?"
+"That's probably not all there is. I assume that several pieces of
+evidence of cheating are scattered throughout your belongings. I'm sure
+you'll see them if you go digging later," said Ryuuen.
+"T don't understand," said Kushida.
+"Someone in Class D was prepared to go in for the kill. What if I had
+still given you the right questions? Come on. Say you scored really high on
+the exam and then someone accused you of cheating, and they found those
+papers? What do you think would happen then?"
+"Wait, you mean I'd be expelled?! Even though I didn't cheat? That's
+stupid!" Kushida balked.
+"If you were innocent, it would be stupid. But you got your hands on
+the questions beforehand by working with me. There'd be nothing you could
+do about it," said Ryuuen.
+Of course, Kushida could have claimed she was framed. Even if she
+pulled through, however, it would've tainted her reputation. It wasn't against
+the rules for someone to offer their class's questions to another class, but it
+was considered disgraceful. That probably would've invalidated Kushida's
+test results and threatened her position in Class D, even if she avoided
+expulsion. Class C would have been in grave danger, too.
+"When did this cheat sheet get in my—?"
+"You really don't have any clue? Have you noticed any strange people
+around?"
+"No way, it can't... No, wait. I went to our final test meeting at a
+karaoke room last week with Horikita and the others. A girl got angry and
+poured her juice on me. Afterward, she asked if she could take my blazer to
+the cleaners. It was understandable, given that situation, but...for some
+reason, it keeps nagging at me," said Kushida.
+"Let me guess who that girl was. Karuizawa Kei," said Ryuuen.
+"H-how did you know? Don't tell me you saw?"
+"How could I have seen? It's simple deduction," said Ryuuen. He
+tapped his finger against the side of his head. "Explain what happened from
+the beginning."
+Though Kushida felt disoriented, she told Ryuuen everything. She
+explained that Horikita and Hirata had invited everyone, and that
+Ayanokouji, Sudou, and Karuizawa all sat together. In the middle of their
+meeting, Karuizawa started a fight and poured juice on her.
+After quietly listening, Ryuuen took his deduction a step further. "No
+doubt in my mind. Someone set a trap for you."
+"That's not possible. It's true that my blazer went to the cleaners, but I
+checked my pockets when I got it back. Besides, the clerk would've told me
+if there was something inside it!"
+"That's not what Karuizawa was going for. Did someone want to know
+whether you had a spare uniform?"
+"A spare? That's impossible," said Kushida.
+"What makes you say that with such certainty?"
+"Are you trying to say that everyone there set a trap for me, and I
+couldn't see right through it? I'm not an idiot. I observe everyone's behavior.
+If they were lying to me, I definitely would've noticed."
+"Well, you're probably right about that. However, only one or two
+people at most lied to you," said Ryuuen.
+"Huh? How would—"
+"If someone there read the situation perfectly, then it's likely that
+person deceived you. Someone who could figure out everyone's thought
+processes, behavioral tics, and habits. Someone who guessed what kind of
+remarks they'd make. Someone who could read all those things perfectly.
+Someone who wrote the script, so that you'd act your part in their play," said
+Ryuuen.
+Kushida denied it, but then thought back on what had happened. Hirata
+was consistently a pacifist. He would worry about Kushida's blazer being
+stained, and would want to placate Karuizawa's unreasonable anger. And,
+because the meeting took place right before the test, he would definitely ask
+how many blazers Kushida had.
+"Once they learned that you had one blazer, the only thing left to do
+was plant the cheat sheet on you during gym class. The real question is, who
+came up with the idea? It wasn't Suzune or Karuizawa. They aren't the kind
+of girls who could do something like that," said Ryuuen.
+"So, you're saying I was tricked? By who?"
+"Shortly before the test, a letter accusing Ichinose of doing something
+illegal went out, right?"
+"Yeah, the letter you tried to trap her with, Ryuuen. Why did you do
+that?"
+"It was part of the mastermind's strategy," said Ryuuen.
+"Huh?"
+"T wasn't the one who sent that letter. The person from Class D who set
+you up did it."
+"T don't understand."
+"Do you really think I'd put a letter accusing Ichinose of fraud in every
+single first-year student's mailbox and deliberately add my own name to it?
+Well, putting my own personality aside, it was only natural that everyone
+thought that I did it," said Ryuuen.
+"If it wasn't you, then you should've just denied it."
+"Do you really think I would do that?"
+"No." Kushida understood immediately. Ryuuen tended to pursue
+things that excited him. If someone sent out letters and put Ryuuen's name on
+them, Ryuuen would find it tantalizing. Furthermore, because he hadn't heard
+any rumors of Ichinose's supposed fraudulent activities before, he'd be
+tempted to learn more.
+Then why had someone deliberately put down Ryuuen's name as the
+sender? Because an anonymous message had less credibility.
+"But what was the letter's point? To put you on your guard?" said
+Kushida.
+"Who knows? I've thought about it at length, but it's still unclear. Did
+the culprit simply want to know whether Ichinose had a lot of points? Or
+maybe... No, that's impossible. Couldn't be something that stupid," said
+Ryuuen. Whatever he'd considered was just far too removed from reality.
+Either way, the strategy had been well prepared and flawlessly
+executed. Ryuuen's interest in the person he called "X" had only increased.
+"Hey, Kikyou. I don't know anything about your past, and I'm not
+interested. However, if you keep trying to get Horikita kicked out of school,
+you're going to disappear. Get it?"
+"You're in a dangerous position yourself, aren't you? If Class C loses
+collective points for this exam, isn't that bad?"
+"Yep. With this stroke of luck, your class probably has a chance of
+being promoted to C," said Ryuuen.
+"How does it feel to be knocked down a peg by the 'defectives' in
+Class D?"
+"T feel like I don't have a care in the world right now. Whether it's
+Class A or D, we're only scratching the surface of our battle," said Ryuuen.
+"What do you mean?"
+Of course, Ryuuen couldn't answer her. However, his objective hadn't
+changed one bit since he'd started at the school. While there had been
+moments when he stumbled, his preparations to reach Class A were still
+progressing smoothly.
+"Do your absolute best," said Ryuuen, turning and starting to walk
+away.
+""Wait—the cheat sheet! Something's not right here!"
+"Heh."
+"What's this all about? Tell me, Ryuuen!"
+"You noticed?"
+"Why did someone in Class D have these test questions? Only you and
+I should have them."
+"Because I gave them to X, I suppose," said Ryuuen.
+"So, you betrayed me?"
+"No. It was a necessary deal."
+Ryuuen's eyes lowered to his cell phone. On it were pictures of the
+questions and answers before he'd changed them. He had sent those pictures
+to an unidentified email address.
+"However, X understands me very well," he added.
+He'd received a message from X with the word "Transaction" in the
+subject line. The message read as follows: Provide me with the questions and
+answers that Class C devised for our final exam, or make significant changes
+to the questions you gave Kushida Kikyou.
+Normally, Ryuuen wouldn't dignify that with a response. However,
+moments earlier, X had freely given him information beneficial to Class C
+with no strings attached, by warning him that Horikita Suzune had seen
+through Ryuuen's plans and taken preemptive action to get her questions
+approved instead of Kushida's. That had come as quite the shock to Ryuuen,
+whose whole strategy depended on the questions he thought Kushida had
+submitted. Without X's warning, the Class C students who didn't study
+enough might' ve failed.
+Knowing that, Ryuuen had had three options.
+The first was to defy X and give Kushida the correct questions for the
+math test, letting her win her bet against Horikita. However, Ryuuen wanted
+to avoid Horikita being expelled at all costs.
+The second was to leave the test questions as they were and let
+Kushida's cheating be exposed, so she'd get kicked out of school. However,
+Ryuuen didn't want to give X exactly what he wanted. Playing into X's ideal
+scenario was no fun.
+The final option, and the one Ryuuen eventually chose, was to give
+Kushida the wrong questions and let Horikita win.
+"So, X protected Suzune while managing to keep you in check,
+Kikyou," said Ryuuen. When he'd realized that X turned his strategy to use
+Kushida against him, he'd barely held back his laughter. "But I'm about to
+drive him into a corner. If he doesn't reveal his identity—"
+Ryuuen pulled up an image on his phone—the same image he'd sent
+the mysterious mastermind. The person in the photograph would be
+instrumental to discovering X's identity.
+"Then I'm going to destroy her."
+Postscript
+Wau. that's all for Volume 6.
+Syougo Kinugasa here. Lately, I've been pretty worried about an
+epidermoid cyst on my body, which has grown to about the size of a golf ball.
+Scary.
+Next up, the seventh volume of Classroom of the Elite. The sixth
+volume was a kind of calm before the storm, giving me a chance to explore
+each character's internal changes. The seventh volume will greatly advance
+the story. It will include things like a look into Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's past,
+and a decisive battle with a certain enemy.
+And then...yes, there will be an anime adaptation of Classroom. That's
+thanks to all of you, and you have my utmost gratitude. Tomoseshunsaku-
+sama and I are both overjoyed, especially since we recently celebrated ten
+years of (metaphorically) licking each other's wounds. I'I1 definitely have the
+seventh volume out by the time the anime starts broadcasting! (I've never had
+a confident declaration like that go well for me, but there's a first time for
+everything.)
+Including the editors, publishers, anime producers, and everyone else, a
+lot of people are involved with this project now, and I'Il do my absolute best
+to ensure that their efforts aren't wasted. Again, thank you. I'm looking
+forward to working with you all.
+***
+Seven Seas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+First Winter
+IL WAS STILL SNOWING HARD on the morning of December twenty-fifth,
+a day of Christmas celebrations. People all over the world would be spending
+time with families or lovers, while some fortunate students here would spend
+it with their boyfriends and girlfriends.
+Speaking of, it was almost time for the date I'd agreed to go on. I
+started getting ready, taking care to groom myself properly.
+"T've been here over eight months now, huh?" I muttered. Time had
+flown since I enrolled at this school. Maybe I enjoyed being here, at least a
+little.
+I gently opened my balcony window, letting in a cold wind. I heard
+girls laughing. It sounded like they were heading to Keyaki Mall.
+"T should probably get going."
+It was already past eleven o'clock, and I'd promised to go out with
+Satou Maya today. I had no idea what, if anything, was going to happen—but
+I had a feeling that this day would be significant.
+Falling in love with someone. Considering them precious. Sharing
+happiness merely by being together. Elation. I wondered whether I'd ever be
+able to experience such strong feelings.
+This winter-vacation story began on December twenty-third, the day
+before Christmas Eve.
+Chapter 2:
+Love's Arrow
+Decenser TWENTY-THIRD. Clear skies. I woke up feeling great, so
+refreshed that I almost couldn't believe it. Even though I'd just gotten out of
+bed, I felt as though I was still dreaming.
+I felt different. What'd changed, exactly? If someone asked me, I'd
+have said nothing at all. But that wouldn't really have been true. There had
+been a change. A dramatic one.
+I, Karuizawa Kei, was now free of my horrible past. No, that wasn't it
+—it was more like I'd gained enough power to overcome that past.
+It'd happened yesterday, after the second semester's closing ceremony.
+Ryuuen Kakeru summoned me to the roof and bullied me viciously. It sounds
+lame when I say it like that, but it's the truth.
+Faced with his cruelty, I hit rock bottom. I thought I was cursed,
+doomed to hell once more. I'd run to this school in search of salvation, only
+to be trapped all over again. I learned shocking things that day on the roof.
+I learned that Kiyotaka had goaded Manabe and her friends into bullying me.
+At first, I felt despair. Then anger.
+But, in the end, I was saved. By Kiyotaka.
+When I left the roof, the former student council president and
+Chabashira-sensei were waiting for me. They didn't say much, but they were
+considerate, taking care to avoid attracting attention. If it weren't for them, I
+probably wouldn't have made it back to the dorms. They told me that they
+were acting on Kiyotaka's instructions. Maybe they knew that was the only
+way to put me at ease.
+I thought of what'd happened on that rooftop. If I'd had the power to
+shake off my past, I wouldn't have been afraid. No one would've discovered
+who I was in junior high.
+But that wasn't really true, was it? This was my fault, too. I'd acted
+arrogant to make myself look big and strong. No wonder Manabe and her
+friends had hated me. My attempts to save myself from bullying just got me
+bullied again.
+"Ahh," I sighed. Not a bad sigh, exactly. A sigh filled with emotion? I
+didn't know how to describe it. I was certain of only one thing—whether I
+was asleep or awake, Kiyotaka was always on my mind. Since yesterday, I
+hadn't been able to stop thinking about him.
+Even though I didn't have a fever, I felt hot. I closed my eyes, trying to
+suppress that heat.
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. First year, Class D.
+At first, I hadn't noticed he even existed. He was just a background
+classmate, that's all. Some classmates thought he was cool or whatever, but I
+wasn't interested. Besides, they forgot Kiyotaka soon after. You had to be
+able to talk to people to be popular, and Kiyotaka lacked that skill. It didn't
+matter how good you were at school or sports—if you couldn't make others
+want to follow you, you'd never have a lot of influence. That was why
+Yousuke-kun, Class A's Tsukasaki-kun, and Class B's Shibata-kun were way
+more popular than Kiyotaka.
+As it turned out, though, the real Kiyotaka was a good talker. He was
+smart, mature, calm, and so good at sports that he even held his own against
+seniors. He was also unbelievably strong.
+He could be cruel and coldhearted, too, but... well...he'd still saved me
+in the end.
+"Huh?!" Wait a minute. Had I...? Don't tell me that I... For
+Kiyotaka... "No! No, no, no! No way!"
+I held my hands over my beet-red face and shook my head. Blushing
+like this, I was acting like a fairy-tale princess in love for the first time. I
+mean, I would 've liked to fall in love. But...part of me just didn't want to
+admit that I thought about Kiyotaka that way.
+"Yeah. There's just no way. I mean, it's because of him that all those
+bad things happened to me."
+If anything, Kiyotaka should've been grateful that I wasn't holding a
+grudge. Stealing my heart, on top of everything else? I couldn't forgive such
+selfishness.
+I brushed my messy hair in front of my mirror, wondering whether a
+normal person could've forgiven Kiyotaka for everything he did. Probably
+not. Actually, it'd be impossible. They'd definitely bear him a grudge. Only a
+person with a generous heart, like me, could forgive such a thing. Just be
+satisfied with that, Kiyotaka.
+As I talked to myself, I tried to shake off my wild fancies. I didn't
+know what to say when I was actually in front of him, though. I couldn't tell
+Kiyotaka that I already forgave him. Maybe I should give him a hard time?
+Let him know I was angry that he used me?
+While I thought about that, a message popped up on my phone. Today
+at eleven. I'm counting on you, Karuizawa-san.
+"Ah, yeah. That thing."
+The text was from my classmate Satou Maya. She'd told me that she
+wanted to meet up and get some advice from me. Satou-san and I belonged to
+different friend groups, so we didn't usually interact all that much. Of course,
+it wasn't that we didn't get along. We did. But this was the first time she'd
+invited me to hang out alone.
+"Despite everything, I'm feeling pretty good," I said to myself.
+Given that I'd had buckets of water dumped over my head in the
+freezing outdoors yesterday, I was proud of how well I was holding up. I'd
+taken a hot bath right after, but a normal girl probably would've caught a
+cold. She might've slept for three days and nights after torture like that.
+"I'm just used to that kind of treatment, I guess."
+The self-deprecating joke slipped out almost too easily. I thought I'd
+changed who I was, but really, I hadn't. I'd been terrified of bullying ever
+since I started at this school, and that darkness had always been there, deep in
+my heart.
+Now, however, I saw everything clearly. Maybe I could change.
+I took off my pajamas and stood in my underwear. I couldn't stop
+looking at the scars on my body, but they didn't bother me as severely
+anymore. It was unbelievable how much I could change in one day.
+Still, I absolutely couldn't let a boy glimpse those scars, since girls
+should have soft, smooth, beautiful skin. I'm sure the sight would cool even
+the hottest love. Although...
+Kiyotaka was different. He'd looked at my scars without disgust.
+Maybe he hadn't wanted to say how repulsive they were. Or maybe it'd been,
+like, really dark in that room on the ship. Or maybe he was too busy
+intimidating me to be grossed out.
+Maybe, deep down in his heart, he thought I was disgusting. Or...
+maybe he didn't.
+As I went over the memory again and again, I realized something.
+"Wait. He touched me, didn't he? He put his hands on me."
+It hadn't really sunk in back then, but that'd happened, hadn't it? He
+touched my thighs. I'd never even held hands with a boy before. What in the
+world had he done to me?
+"Augh! Jeez! I'm thinking about it again! I'm such an idiot!"
+Enough with this! For the time being, I banished all thought of
+Kiyotaka and got dressed.
+2.1
+I WAS RUNNING LATE at this point, so I had to hustle. Students on winter
+vacation crammed Keyaki Mall, making it way more crowded than usual.
+"T guess that makes sense. There isn't anywhere else to go," I muttered
+to myself.
+I made it to the café in the nick of time, waving to Satou-san, who
+waited by the entrance with her cell phone in her hand.
+"Good morning, Satou-san," I said.
+"Ah, Karuizawa-san! Good morning!" Her eyes sparkled as she waved
+back. She must've just gone to the salon or something, because her hair was
+styled beautifully.
+I hid my exhaustion. No one could know about yesterday's torture on
+the rooftop. I had to be my usual cheery self, which was why I'd agreed to
+meet Satou, even though I could've turned down her invitation. Besides, I'd
+been curious about what she was up to for a while.
+"Sorry for inviting you so last minute," said Satou-san.
+"Nah, it's no big deal."
+"Whew! I'm so glad to hear that."
+Satou-san looked delighted as we entered the café. It was completely
+packed, but a group got up to leave, allowing us to take their spot. Perfect
+timing.
+"Wow, it sure 1s a full house," I remarked. It was absolutely crazy in
+here.
+"IT wonder if any classes have exams over winter break," said Satou-
+san. It sounded like she was thinking the same thing I was. We first years had
+gone to sea on a luxury cruise ship over summer break, but this time around,
+there didn't seem to be any special exams in the works.
+I wondered whether the school was being merciful by giving us winter
+break off. Or maybe there'd be some kind of exam as soon as the new year
+started. I hoped not.
+"If you haven't eaten breakfast, go ahead and order anything you want.
+My treat," said Satou-san with a smile. Taking her up on that kind offer, I
+ordered an American scone and a café au lait.
+Satou-san and I sat down at our small table for two.
+"So, what did you wanna talk to me about?" I asked. If she was paying
+me in food, it had to be a pretty big ask.
+""Y-yeah. Here's the thing. To tell you the truth, I...I'm gonna go ona
+date soon," said Satou-san.
+"A date?" I was surprised, but I kept my shock and minor anxiety in
+check.
+"Yeah," said Satou-san, her face turning red.
+I had a bad feeling about this. If I wasn't misreading Satou-san, her
+date was... "Uh, so, with who?" I replied. It seemed like she was waiting for
+me to ask.
+"Well, with Ayanokouji-kun, actually. It's...pretty surprising, huh?"
+She sounded embarrassed, but happy.
+I heard a slight ringing in my ears, but tried to pretend I was
+completely calm. I picked up the scone and took a large bite. Some crumbs
+landed on the tray. The inside of my mouth was all dry from the flaky pastry,
+so I washed the scone down with the café au lait.
+"Oh. So, you're going after Ayanokouji-kun, huh? That definitely is a
+surprise." I knew Satou-san had liked Kiyotaka for a while, but since we'd
+never discussed it, this was probably the safest answer.
+"T know, right? I'm a little surprised too, actually. But remember that
+relay race during the sports festival? When I saw Ayanokouji-kun run, well, I
+felt my chest tighten. I started falling for him, I guess."
+Satou-san spoke with such excitement that it gave me secondhand
+embarrassment. She really did look like a fairy-tale princess in love.
+"But he doesn't really stand out, does he?" I asked. "I mean, this 1s you
+we're talking about, Satou-san. I'm sure lots of other guys would be great for
+you. I dunno, maybe a guy like Tsukasaki-kun from that other class?" He was
+pretty handsome. A lot of girls were crushing on him at one point.
+"T don't think so," Satou-san said. "It sounds like he's going out with
+an upperclassman in his club."
+So, someone had already nabbed him. No wonder no one talked about
+him anymore. Male or female, celebrities always took a hit to their popularity
+when they started a relationship.
+"Ah, okay. I see. Well, how about Satonaka-kun? He should be single
+now, right?" I asked.
+"Well, I think he's cool and all, but...I guess I just don't feel that way
+about him," Satou-san replied.
+My attempts to suggest other, more popular guys weren't making much
+of an impression on her. It didn't seem as if she only liked Kiyotaka for his
+looks—not that he could compare to Tsukasaki-kun or Satonaka-kun in the
+looks department. Still, Kiyotaka was among the top-ten cutest boys in
+school, and Satou-san must've realized that fact.
+A good-looking partner was a status symbol. Dating a cool guy ora
+cute girl was enough to boost your reputation. When I'd started "going out"
+with Hirata-kun, my star rose higher than I ever expected. If Satou-san started
+dating Kiyotaka now, her popularity might explode in the near future. If
+Kiyotaka revealed his real talents, his reputation might eclipse Hirata-kun's.
+Even though Kiyotaka had gotten a lot of attention from the relay race,
+he still wasn't really popular with the girls—probably because of his quiet
+demeanor, plus the fact that he only ever seemed to talk to Horikita-san. Plus,
+most girls really disliked his guy friends, such as Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun,
+and Sudou-kun.
+In any case, Satou-san couldn't have spoken to Kiyotaka all that much
+before. Now she was crushing on him just from seeing him in that relay race
+the one time? Wasn't that kind of shallow? I knew Kiyotaka way better than
+she did. I knew his true nature. I knew the deep, dark part of him that Satou-
+san had no idea even existed.
+Agggh! No, no! {had no reason to badmouth Satou-san. I needed to
+support her. Why? Because I was dating Hirata Yousuke-kun. I had no reason
+to block someone else's path to romance. I had to be Karuizawa Kei, Hirata-
+kun's girlfriend, leader of all the girls in Class D.
+"Look, I know this might sound weird, but are you seriously going for
+him? For real?" I asked. The "real" Karuizawa Kei would ask that question in
+such a skeptical way.
+"Yeah." Satou-san answered without hesitation. She was determined.
+This wasn't a prank.
+"Well, it's a good thing you found someone you like, right?
+Ayanokouji-kun should be single right now," I said.
+"That's right. That's why I thought this might be my chance. I felt like
+I had to hurry."
+It was the oldest tale in the book. You confessed your crush to a friend,
+and that friend snatched up the guy you liked. I understood why Satou-san
+was cautious. She probably figured that I was safe, since I already had a
+boyfriend who ranked higher in the class hierarchy than Kiyotaka.
+Even so, I'd never imagined the two going on a date during winter
+vacation. Despite what'd happened on the rooftop, Kiyotaka really was going
+out with Satou-san, even though he didn't seem interested in her at all.
+Rip. | unconsciously tore open the paper wrapper on my straw.
+"So, has our little chat got anything to do with your date?" I asked.
+Satou-san's eyes sparkled as she nodded. She was annoyingly radiant
+right now. "Yes. I just, like, wanted to ask what makes a successful date. You
+know? I wondered how you and Hirata-kun got together."
+Yousuke-kun and I were the only ones in our class who'd announced
+our relationship. If Satou had sought help from people in other classes, their
+response would probably have been something like, "Kiyotaka? Who's that?"
+It made perfect sense that she came to me for help.
+"Karuizawa-san, you started going out with Hirata-kun soon after we
+started at this school, right?" she continued.
+"Yep. Well, I guess so. Yeah. It's really not a big deal."
+"But it is a big deal. It's amazing. I totally respect you!" Satou-san
+grasped both my hands in hers. "Please, teach me your ways! Your skills!"
+"Tt's not like a 'skill' or anything."
+I couldn't give Satou-san the answers she was looking for. At the start
+of the year, I'd only just escaped the hideous bullying from my junior high
+days. I was determined to make my high school experience better, so I
+approached Hirata-kun and asked for his help. Looking back now, I was
+lucky he was such a good guy. It'd been a huge gamble. If he'd refused to
+play my pretend boyfriend, my life would've been very different now.
+But Yousuke-kun was the kind of guy who genuinely wanted peace
+and harmony. If he could help me by pretending to be my boyfriend, he was
+happy to do it. I could tell he was a good person, which was why I'd chosen
+him.
+Being his "girlfriend" worked out better than I ever could've imagined.
+Some other girls in class seemed jealous at first, but that went away soon. I
+remembered how the popular girls had acted at my old school and copied
+their behavior. I went out a lot, shopped indulgently, demanded that girls give
+me money. Before long, I was queen bee of the Class D girls.
+And I was living a lie. Satou-san asked me to give her tips on romance,
+but I had none to give. How could someone who'd never had a boyfriend
+know the secret to dating?
+I didn't want to let Satou-san down. The old me would've faked her
+way through it, boldly showing off "knowledge" she'd come across in
+magazines or on TV. But I was changing. I didn't want to disappoint Satou-
+san, who'd put her trust in me, but I was sick of playing an arrogant, self-
+absorbed girl. I wanted to tell Satou-san the truth about myself.
+I couldn't, though. I had to be Yousuke-kun's confident girlfriend. I
+lived a lie to keep myself safe. But did I still need to live that way? Was fake-
+dating Yousuke-kun still necessary? These thoughts swirled through my
+mind.
+Manabe, Ryuuen, and their friends had been a real threat to me, but
+Kiyotaka took care of them. Now, no one would ever know I'd been bullied
+in the past. Even if something did happen down the road, I believed that
+Kiyotaka would save me.
+Being Yousuke-kun's girlfriend came with a ton of advantages, but I
+wouldn't instantaneously lose my position in class if I stopped seeing him,
+right? I mean, asking Yousuke-kun to "break up" after I'd asked him to
+"date" me would be pretty lame, but I had a feeling it'd work out well. If it
+did, I'd be single and free...and able to go after my true love.
+Wait—I couldn't think about this stuff right now. Satou-san was
+waiting for me to give her an answer. I could ponder my fake relationship
+with Yousuke-kun later.
+"So, you don't want this to be—like—something casual, do you?" I
+said. "You're saying that you want a serious date with Ayanokouji-kun.
+Something that'Il make you an official couple, right?"
+"Yes," she answered. She wanted Kiyotaka to fall for her tonight.
+"What should I do?"
+"Let's see..." Think. How to help Satou-san start dating Kiyotaka?
+I had no idea how to make a guy fall for you. Besides, Kiyotaka was
+clearly different from other guys. Would a normal romance even satisfy him?
+Or maybe he was the sort of guy who secretly longed for a normal romance.
+It was hard for me to tell either way.
+While I debated what to do, Satou-san took out her phone. "Maybe I'm
+being too vague. Umm, you see, I'm still a total amateur when it comes to
+this. ve been trying to make up the perfect date. What do you think?" She
+showed me the plan she'd typed on her phone.
+Meet at noon a Lunch a Movie theater a Shopping a Romantic
+confession under the legendary tree? a Present
+It looked incredibly simple. Well, lists made everything look simple.
+One detail immediately jumped out at me. "Wait a second. Are you
+planning on telling him you Jove him during your first date?"
+"T guess I thought I'd go big or go home—but only if I can summon up
+the courage."
+I thought she'd want to deepen their relationship bit by bit, slowly but
+surely. She was more decisive than I'd imagined.
+"Don't you think you're going, like, too fast?" I asked. "I mean, it'd be
+fine if you waited until the second or third date. You'd still be moving at a
+good clip. Besides, you might find out something about him that you don't
+really like."
+Even girls with romantic experience sometimes didn't know how to
+start a new relationship, and Satou-san seemed like an absolute beginner. I
+hoped she'd take things slowly.
+Though, as another total beginner, what'd I know?
+"Also, what's 'the legendary tree'?" I added. "One of those things
+where, if you swear your love under it, you' ll be together forever or
+something?"
+Did this school even have a tree like that? Was it an urban legend?
+Even if that mysterious power really existed, binding yourself irrevocably to
+someone for ten or twenty years sounded like a bad thing.
+"Well, it's not really that famous. I saw something about it on the
+school bulletin board. It said that, if you tell someone how you feel under the
+tree, they' Il like you back. It sounded like there're a lot of stories of it
+working."
+Hunh. Maybe I should look into it. I pulled up the school's bulletin
+board forum on my phone and saw that the stories were true. The tree existed,
+and several successful romantic confessions had happened there. Apparently,
+some bigshot gave the tree to the school when it was founded. The tree was
+supposed to be over fifty years old now.
+From what I read, the romantic confession had to take place in the
+evening, before sunset, sometime between four and five o'clock. The posts
+also stated that no one else could be around. If you met all the conditions,
+there was a 99 percent chance you'd succeed.
+That sounded pretty fishy.
+"Isn't such specific timing difficult to pull off, though?" I asked.
+"Yeah. They say that if anyone else shows up the moment you say how
+you feel, it won't work."
+Being alone seemed like a tall order, especially because lots of people
+would be around at that time of day. Besides, what if a whole bunch of
+couples wanted to test the theory at the same time? This really just sounded
+like superstition, but people would do anything for the sake of making some
+once-in-a-lifetime romantic confession successful. If it were me, I'd probably
+want to raise my chances of success any way I could, too.
+"Um, so...like, why did you fall in love with Ayanokouji-kun?" I
+asked.
+"Huh? Why?"
+"Sorry," I added. "It's just that I don't know anything about him. It's
+hard to even picture him. Like, just what're you attracted to? If you tell me,
+it'll give me ideas for your date."
+Satou-san's cheeks went red with embarrassment. She hid her face
+with her hands as she spoke. "Hmm. Well, first of all, he's really cool, isn't
+he? He's so quiet and mature. Also, he's a fast runner. He scores higher than
+me on tests, so he's not an idiot. You know, besides Hirata-kun, most of the
+guys in our class are really immature."
+She probably meant Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun. I definitely agreed on
+that point—most of the boys acted like total children. It was hard to believe
+we were all the same age. No wonder most girls went after upperclassmen.
+"Pl-please keep this just between us," Satou-san added. "Don't tell the
+other girls, okay? I don't want them to figure out how great Ayanokouji-kun
+is, or how inexperienced I am."
+"It's okay to talk about it with me, though?"
+"Well, you're Hirata-kun's girlfriend. There's no competition."
+Satou-san was relying on me. It felt nice to be valued...but why did it
+have to be Kiyotaka? If this were about any other guy, I would've supported
+her fully and honestly. I wouldn't feel so mixed up. Was this just cruel fate?
+"Ahh." I couldn't help but let out a sigh. This one was heavy.
+Satou-san's expression turned sad. "I...I'm being a bother, aren't I?"
+she asked.
+"Oh, sorry. I didn't sigh about that at all. Honest." I felt as if a cloud
+hung over my heart. It wasn't like I was in love with Kiyotaka or anything,
+though. I just...had a unique relationship with him. Still, right now, I had to
+help Satou-san. "Okay, let's revisit your date plan. It might be better to
+schedule lunch for after the movie. That way, if things get weird, you can
+always talk about the movie or whatever."
+"Okay. Good idea, Karuizawa-san." Satou-san took out her phone.
+"So, when's the big date?" I pulled up the movie theater's homepage to
+check whether the ticket times could be changed.
+"The day after tomorrow."
+"Okay, pretty soon. Wait—the day after tomorrow?! That's the twenty-
+fifth!" I almost stood without thinking, but caught myself. Flustered, I sat
+back down.
+"Hee hee!" Satou-san giggled.
+Don't you "hee hee" me!
+December twenty-fifth. One of the most important days of the entire
+year. Ugh—Kiyotaka! What the hell was he thinking, going on a date on
+Christmas?! That was a day for lovers to spend time together and deepen
+their relationship. A day to confirm their love. It wasn't meant for starting a
+relationship.
+He should've gently declined and suggested moving their date to the
+twenty-sixth. Actually, that might've backfired, too. It might have gotten him
+slapped with a reputation for being a guy who only wanted to be naughty, not
+nice.
+I was so worried that my brain was going haywire. I sighed again.
+"What's the matter, Karuizawa-san?"
+"Uh, nothing. Don't worry about it." Why was I getting all flustered? It
+was none of my business. I had no say in the specifics of their date. That was
+for them to decide. "The twenty-fifth, huh? Well, I guess it's better than
+Christmas Eve."
+Movie theaters were packed on Christmas Eve. If you didn't care too
+much about the time of the showing or where you sat, you could spend the
+whole day there.
+"So, if you start watching the movie at 11:50, it'Il be over around
+1:30," I continued. "If you start lunch before two, you can probably leave the
+restaurant around three. That gives you time to tell him your feelings after
+four. Good?"
+Satou-san gave a satisfied nod.
+"You'd better make reservations for lunch, too," I added. "You want
+seats near the window, right?" Since it wouldn't be peak lunch-hour traffic, I
+was sure she could make a reservation. "Also, if you order in advance, the
+restaurant can make you things that aren't on the everyday menu."
+"T never even thought of that. Just what I'd expect from you,
+***
+Karuizawa-san
+I thought people should accommodate a special Christmas date.
+Honestly, the boy should've been the one making these arrangements. Still,
+this was setting the stage for Satou-san's romantic confession, so it was
+probably fine.
+Probably. I wasn't sure. Pathetic as it was, I'd never been on a real
+date.
+2D
+Asvrer SATOU-SAN AND I TALKED, we headed back to the dormitory. We
+kept chatting as we walked.
+"The snow's really been coming down since this morning. They say
+it's supposed to snow even more from tomorrow," she said.
+I glanced around us. We might have snow on campus all the way to the
+new year if it kept falling at this rate.
+Snow reminded me of the year before last. I remembered someone
+telling me that muddy snow was chocolate shaved ice before stuffing it into
+my mouth. For once, I recalled that memory from far away, as if I were
+fondly reminiscing. Somehow, it seemed so long ago.
+"What was so fun about doing something like that, anyway?" I asked
+aloud.
+"Eh?" said Satou-san.
+"Oh, sorry. Just talking to myself." Maybe because of what'd happened
+yesterday, memories kept coming back to me.
+Satou-san's expression stiffened. I thought it was because I'd been
+talking to myself, but apparently, that wasn't it. "Actually, um, there's one
+more favor I wanted to ask."
+"Well, don't hold back. Hit me," I replied, thumping my chest for
+added emphasis.
+"Thanks, Karuizawa-san. You see, um, I'm really happy to be going on
+a date, but...this is the first date I've ever been on. I have no idea what to
+do."
+"You've never gone out with a boy before?" I asked.
+Well, based on what she said earlier, it made sense. Still, 'd assumed
+that a trendy girl like her had at least gone on a date.
+Satou-san shook her head, looking embarrassed. "I'm telling you this
+because you're, well, you, Karuizawa-san. I've never gone on a date, and I'm
+starting my second year. If I told anyone else that, they'd laugh at me. They'd
+say I'm slow or something. You think so too, don't you, Karuizawa-san?"
+"W-well, no. You might be a late bloomer, but that just means it took a
+while to find someone you really like, yeah? It means you respect yourself
+too much to settle for less." Even as I lied, I supported her. Not for Satou-
+san's sake, but for my own.
+"Thank you for saying that," she replied. "Well, um, here's the thing. I
+think I'm going to be so nervous that it might mess up the date. So, I was
+wondering if maybe you and Hirata-kun could come along and make it a
+double date? I want you to be my wingwoman!"
+I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. "D-double date?! W-
+wingwoman?"
+"T really should've asked sooner, right? I had you help with all the
+reservations and stuff, too," said Satou-san sheepishly.
+The reservations hadn't really been a big deal. What mattered was that
+she wanted me, someone totally inexperienced in romance, to play Cupid.
+What could be more hilariously wrong?
+"Tt's probably a bad idea," Satou-san added. "Right?"
+"Well, that's—" J should say no. I was sure to mess up, exposing my
+inexperience for all to see. Augh! Since this was Satou-san's first date,
+though, maybe she wouldn't notice? Should I act cool and composed, and
+cheerfully accept? "Well, I was thinking I'd like to spend Christmas alone
+with Hirata-kun. Just the two of us, you know?"
+Normal partners would probably also spend tomorrow and the day after
+together. That should've been an obvious conclusion, but my mind was still
+racing. I agonized over what to do.
+"Oh." Satou-san looked anxious. "It's just...you and Hirata-kun are so
+perfect together. I want to have a relationship like yours."
+From Satou-san's perspective, I smoothly sailed through life. That
+wasn't true, of course, but...something kept bothering me, and it wasn't
+Kiyotaka.
+I didn't actually like Yousuke-kun in that way, and we weren't actually
+dating. We were a fake couple. As long as we continued, neither of us could
+find true love. The thought nagged at me.
+Even Kiyotaka wasn't attracted to me. How could my lies help Satou-
+san?
+"Well, I don't know." I thought I might decline, but I stopped myself.
+Constantly thinking of Kiyotaka wasn't good for me. I needed to get
+him off my mind. If I could encourage him and Satou-san to get together,
+then... Well, it'd eliminate the possibility of Kiyotaka dating me, unlikely as
+it was.
+"T_-Leave it to me. I'll handle it," I said.
+"Really?! Thank you, Karuizawa-san!" Satou-san took my hands,
+hopping up and down.
+She really does like him that much, huh? In that case, I should support
+her first love. | scooped up some snow and pressed it against my forehead to
+cool off.
+As I did, I reflected.
+I wasn't the person I'd been in junior high. I wasn't the same despair-
+filled girl of three years ago. I wasn't even the same student who started
+school here eight months earlier. Playing a part for my classmates hadn't set
+me free; it'd been a way to protect myself. That was no good. If someone
+needed your help, you had to be honest. You couldn't be a true friend
+otherwise.
+But, if I went on the double date, other issues would come up. First, I
+had to know whether Yousuke-kun was available. Since the whole school
+knew we were together, we didn't need to appear in public much, so we'd
+meant to relax and take it easy this Christmas. If someone asked what we did,
+we'd decided we would just tell them we had a date in one of our dorm
+rooms. Even if someone saw us outside alone during the day, we could say
+we had plans in the evening.
+"Oh...um...one more thing," said Satou-san. "I kind of hoped you
+could act like you and Hirata-kun met up with Ayanokouji-kun and me by
+accident."
+Jeez, another request. "You don't want it to be, like, a pre-established
+double date?"
+"Ts that all right?"
+"Oh, it's fine." Of course she wouldn't want that. I thought about it,
+then advised, "Let's not go that route. I think it's probably better to say up
+front that you want this to be a double date."
+"T see. What if Ayanokouji-kun doesn't like that, though?" asked
+Satou-san.
+"Won't he be more upset if he finds out later that we manipulated
+him?"
+"Yeah, you're probably right." She looked troubled.
+"It's up to you, Satou-san." I couldn't force her one way or the other,
+but I thought lying to Kiyotaka was a bad idea. Sooner or later, he'd figure it
+out...not that I could tell Satou-san that. Saying something like, "Kiyotaka's
+surprisingly perceptive. Don't try to trick him," would be weird. As far as
+anyone knew, Kiyotaka and I never hung out.
+However, I couldn't definitively say that a double date was a bad thing.
+Maybe I'd go online and find an article to help. Something like Why Double
+Dates Are Ideal for Beginners.
+"Could you just join up with us naturally on the day of our date? I
+think that'd be good," said Satou-san. My suggestion of honesty clearly
+hadn't found purchase. She wanted to keep our double date covert.
+"If you're fine with that, sure. I don't mind." Now, all that was left was
+to keep Kiyotaka from noticing our deception. Maybe this was a good time to
+test how much I could sneak past him. "If Yousuke-kun doesn't want to go
+on a double date for whatever reason, I'm sorry," I added.
+With that disclaimer, we headed back to the dormitory.
+23
+Wir IGOT TO MY ROOM, I lay on the bed with my phone in my hand
+and stared at the ceiling. A bunch of weird emotions welled up inside me.
+My discussion with Satou-san, the fact that she loved Kiyotaka, her
+asking for my help to make them an official couple... That stuff pissed me
+off, but I also felt restless. [f this were just about romance, that'd be one
+thing. I think I'd be able to help Satou-san out. But...
+Did Kiyotaka plan to go on a date with Satou-san just to "study" what
+girls were like on dates? What if he wasn't interested in her romantically at
+all—but, instead, planned to use her like he did me? I might've been
+overthinking it, but this was Kiyotaka. I could never tell what he really
+thought.
+Maybe he was dating her to see whether she could be useful to him. I
+was afraid that he saw Satou-san as the key to making his life at this school
+easier, the same way he'd once used me. What if Kiyotaka decided Satou-san
+was better than me? He might stop protecting me.
+I picked up the phone and dialed, muttering, "I haven't even
+memorized my own phone number, and yet..."
+All I had to do now was touch the call icon. What did I even plan on
+asking him? Do you really think Satou-san will be more useful than me? No,
+that was stupid. It sounded as if I wanted him to use me, and that wasn't true.
+I just, well, wanted to protect myself. I wanted my Kiyotaka protection
+policy. Yeah. That was obviously it.
+"Maybe I'll try asking him directly." I told my thumb to hit "call," but
+my thumb didn't budge. It wouldn't even touch the screen. In the end, I
+couldn't make myself do it. "I'm such an idiot," I sighed.
+What I really wanted to ask was, "Are you done using me?"
+Then my phone rang. "Huh?!" It was Kiyotaka's number. "H-hello?" I
+stammered, answering in a panic.
+"T want to ask you something." His tone was the same as always, flat
+and apathetic.
+"What? What do you want to ask?"
+"Is anyone there right now?"
+"No. I'm in my room."
+Maybe he wondered whether I was sick, and called to check. Even so,
+it was too late in the evening for him to call me like this. Still, my heart
+fluttered to think he cared.
+But Kiyotaka crushed my hopes in a second. "I need you to investigate
+something for me, Karuizawa."
+"What? Didn't you say you weren't going to rely on me anymore? You
+told me to erase your contact information," I snapped.
+After what happened yesterday, shouldn't he check on me? I didn't
+expect something caring, like "You didn't catch a cold, did you?" Still, it'd
+be nice to at least get an "I'm sorry," or something like that.
+Kiyotaka had manipulated Ryuuen and the others into bullying me. I
+should've hated him. Anyone else would've reported him to the school. The
+least he could do was apologize. Yet the first thing he said was "I need you to
+investigate something."
+Listen up, Kiyotaka. Who do you think you are? I don't owe you
+anything anymore. Actually, you owe me protection. For free.
+I ought to have said something bold like that, but those words remained
+stuck in my throat. I was afraid that if I actually did, Kiyotaka would walk
+away from me.
+"What do you want me to investigate?" I asked instead.
+*"Satou."
+"Satou-san?" This situation was getting weirder and weirder. I said
+nothing about my meeting with her today. "What about her?"
+"T want to know who she usually hangs out with. What her behavior
+patterns are. I'd also appreciate it if you could fill me in on her personality,
+hobbies, and likes and dislikes. If you already know all those things, our
+conversation will be brief."
+I don't know any of that stuff. "Unfortunately, Satou-san and I hang out
+in different groups. I don't know much about her."
+"Not very well-informed, eh? So, there're lots of things that even you,
+the girls' de facto leader, don't know."
+"Hey, did you know you're being a jerk right now?"
+"If you don't have the answers, then do some digging for me. I'd prefer
+that Satou remain in the dark about this," he said.
+"Well...if I ask Shinohara-san, I might be able to find out some
+things."
+"Do whatever you think would be best, please. I leave everything in
+your hands," Kiyotaka told me.
+"All right, fine. Pll try asking around...but tell me the reason why."
+"Send me the details via e-mail." Kiyotaka hung up without even
+responding to my question.
+"What the hell is his deal? Ugh. God, I was an idiot to expect anything
+else from him." J should've coughed during the call or something to hint that
+I didn't feel well.
+Grumbling, I sent a chat message to Shinohara-san. If nothing else, I
+could be proud of myself for acting professionally, even while Kiyotaka was
+being a jerk. Shinohara-san responded, and soon, I effortlessly turned the
+topic of conversation to Satou-san.
+Shinohara-san and I chatted for a while, and once I'd gotten everything
+I could, I sent the information to Kiyotaka's other e-mail address. I didn't get
+a reply, as usual, but I was sure he got the message.
+So, Kiyotaka was actually interested in Satou-san? He was clearly
+collecting information before the date to make sure it went well. If it did,
+would the two of them start going out for real? Or maybe...maybe he was
+trying to turn Satou-san into his pawn? I just couldn't figure it out.
+"Argh! Come on! What the hell's up with that guy?!"
+I couldn't sleep that night. Tomorrow would be a long day.
+Chapter 3:
+Ibuki Mio's Disastrous Day
+IL. WAS THE MORNING of December twenty-third, two days before my
+Christmas date with Satou, when I went alone to Keyaki Mall with a specific
+purpose. I walked briskly into a store and looked around for something I
+needed.
+"T've never used this stuff before," I muttered.
+After doing some online research, reading reviews, and asking a
+salesperson for their thoughts, I chose two of the item in question. The clerk
+put them in a small paper bag, and I paid. Astonished at how expensive they
+were, I left the store with the bag in hand and headed back toward the
+dormitory. All I needed to do now was pick up a few things at the
+convenience store, and then my plans would be in place. Afterward, I'd go to
+Keyaki Mall and watch a movie nearing the end of its theatrical run. That was
+my plan for the day.
+However, my plan began to fall apart when I ran into a certain
+someone.
+Before I reached the mall exit, a girl approached me slowly. She
+walked with a cane. "Good day to you, Ayanokouji-kun." It was First Year
+Class A student Sakayanagi Arisu, the school chairman's daughter, who
+knew my history with the White Room.
+The school grounds appeared vast, but the spaces students could
+actually access were relatively compressed. You could bump into just about
+anyone when you were out.
+"You're out and about early today, huh? Alone," I said. Sakayanagi
+usually had an entourage hanging around, but they were absent.
+"T came to spend time with Masumi-san, but she's not here yet,"
+Sakayanagi answered. She noticed the bag I carried. "Are you not feeling
+well?"
+"Oh, no, I'm completely fine. Healthy as a horse." I spread my arms
+wide, showing her that I was okay, then put the small paper bag in my
+pocket.
+"I'm glad to hear that. If you aren't busy, would you like to hang out
+for a bit?" she asked.
+I didn't even try to pretend I wanted to. "Ill pass, thanks. You're
+conspicuous, and I don't like drawing attention," I told her.
+"Heh. That's a shame."
+At any rate, Sakayanagi almost certainly didn't enjoy my company.
+She just wanted a chance to taunt me. If she intended for people to know
+about my time in the White Room, she would've acted already. But she'd
+told no one, not even Ryuuen.
+Sakayanagi probably planned to deal with me on her own.
+"Then I assume standing here and talking won't be a problem?" she
+asked.
+"You want to talk here? Any particular reason?"
+"He gets ever so angry when I call him this, but Dragon Boy was after
+you, wasn't he? 'The puppet master who controls Class D' was how he
+described you, actually. Whatever happened there?" she asked.
+Only the people specifically involved should' ve known what happened
+on the rooftop, and how the matter resolved. Still, I wouldn't have been
+surprised if she'd managed to get her hands on some information.
+"It seems that there's been a falling out between the Class C students.
+Things have gotten quite bad. Were you aware of that?" Sakayanagi added.
+I was. The story was that Class C had suffered an "internal dispute." I
+was sure Sakayanagi had heard about that.
+"T don't really know the details," I replied.
+"Supposedly, Dragon Boy quarreled with his underlings. But,
+somehow, that story doesn't ring true. I was certain that you were involved,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Why would I get mixed up in that? You're assuming I'm this 'puppet
+master,' right? I just think the whole thing's surprising. I mean, I thought that
+Class C was pretty organized."
+"Class C's 'pretty organized,' hmm?"
+"Well, they're an efficient unit, even if it's because they suffer under a
+dictator," I said.
+"T see. Well then, it seems you had nothing to do with the incident,
+Ayanokouyji-kun. From what I can see, you don't appear injured at all."
+Sakayanagi watched my expressions and gestures closely, but she'd get
+nothing. "The story about Class C's infighting may be true. However,
+Ryuuen seems no closer to moving in on Class D," she added.
+"Probably because there're quite a few talented candidates for puppet
+master in Class D. Kouenji, in particular, is very capable," I replied.
+"T see. Well, Kouenji certainly seems like a suitable opponent for
+Dragon Boy. I suppose we'!I understand the truth of the matter once the third
+semester begins," Sakayanagi said.
+"Can we change the topic?"
+"Yes, of course." Sakayanagi didn't comment on the bluntness of my
+request.
+"When I saw you a few days ago, I thought it was strange that you and
+Ichinose were getting along so well. I didn't think you'd be that friendly with
+someone from another class," I said. I remembered Sakayanagi and Ichinose
+walking around together; they'd appeared close. You didn't spend a precious
+day off with someone if you didn't get along.
+"Heh," Sakayanagi chuckled. "Please, enough with the jokes. She and I
+aren't friends, you know."
+"Meaning?" I asked.
+"Actually, she thinks that you and / are close, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Sakayanagi paused. "Since Class C seems so obsessed with Class D, I've
+gotten a little bit jealous. I like messing around with Class B to stave off
+boredom." Toying with her opponents entertained her, apparently. "Once the
+third semester begins, will you play with me?"
+"Sorry, but no. Play with Horikita and the others if you want," I
+replied.
+"She isn't a suitable opponent for me."
+"Then pick a fight with Ryuuen or the senior students. I'd rather you
+just ignore me."
+"I'm afraid that's impossible. I'd like to fight you as soon as I can,
+Ayanokouji-kun." Sakayanagi wasn't backing down. My humble act
+probably wouldn't work on her. As long as she knew about the White Room,
+she wouldn't give up.
+"If I just ignore you, what then?" I asked.
+"Are you sure you can afford to do that? If you won't be my opponent,
+Ayanokouji-kun, I'Il just have to find another. I'm afraid you can't hold me
+responsible if Class B, with which you've had such a collaborative
+relationship, collapses."
+"So, you already selected your pawns, huh?" This conversation was
+starting to get entertaining.
+"Until you're ready to play, Ayanokouji-kun, I'1l amuse myself with
+Class B. Who knows? If that whole class falls apart, maybe you and the rest
+of Class D can rise one rank."
+I wasn't ready to assume that Sakayanagi actually meant any of this.
+This might've been a provocation, or just her way of having fun. But if she
+turned her sights from me to Ichinose, she might leave me in peace.
+"Can you really win against Ichinose and her class?" I asked.
+"Whatever do you mean?"
+"Class B has worked together since school started, while the Class A
+students have dragged each other down. Even if you claim you're more
+capable, your credibility's questionable."
+"T see. You think that, because this is all hypothetical, you can go
+ahead and say whatever nasty things you like," Sakayanagi said. Her calm
+exterior was crumbling a bit.
+I added a little more fuel to the fire. "I've also discovered your true
+identity. You're the school chairman's daughter."
+"T see. How did you learn this information, I wonder?" Sakayanagi
+took the bait.
+"That doesn't matter. What's clear is that your father's influence
+played some part in your assignment to Class A. I can't say for certain that
+you were selected for that class based on merit alone. You can boast about
+how you'll beat Ichinose, but I have trouble believing you."
+I was betting Sakayanagi didn't like having people question her
+abilities.
+"Then how do you explain the fact that many people within my class
+support me?" she countered.
+"Support from your class doesn't necessarily say anything about your
+abilities. Even Ryuuen and Ichinose, whom you deem beneath you, have their
+respective classmates' support. If we're talking about Class D, then Hirata
+does, too. He's the best example, even. The ability to bring people together
+doesn't always indicate skill in other areas," I reasoned.
+Sakayanagi threw her cane to the ground. It clattered on the floor.
+"It seems I can't use simple tricks against an opponent such as you,"
+she said. "Transparent ploys won't work. My apologies for such rudeness.
+However, Ayanokouji-kun, do you think you might be getting a little
+arrogant? I think you're intoxicated with your own success—the first success
+to come out of the White Room. Don't you think?"
+I hadn't thought about it that way before. If I had to describe myself as
+either a success or a failure, I'd undeniably be a success. If I weren't, then
+that man...my father...wouldn't be so obsessed with me.
+"You seem mistaken about one thing, Ayanokouji-kun. You think the
+White Room made you remarkable, don't you? Certainly, the amount of
+knowledge you've acquired since childhood is extraordinary. And, while
+you 've attempted to conceal your abilities here at this school, I have no
+doubts regarding the extent of your academic and athletic prowess. However,
+this institution is where the 'have-nots' receive the means to become
+geniuses, if at all possible. One might say that natural-born geniuses have no
+need for such a place," Sakayanagi said.
+That was certainly what my father believed—that genetics were
+irrelevant, and greatness was a product of the education a person received
+from the moment of their birth. Controlling every aspect of how someone
+was raised, from their sleep schedule to what they ate, was how you created a
+superior individual. My father thought that this was the only way to produce
+the manpower that could take Japan into the future.
+"Why're you so hostile toward me?" I asked.
+"Beating you, Ayanokouji-kun, will prove that no ordinary person can
+defeat a natural-born genius. No matter how much effort you expend, we're
+different breeds. That's my hypothesis," she replied.
+So, she didn't doubt the fact of her genius, huh?
+At that point, Kamuro appeared behind us. She must've been searching
+for Sakayanag!.
+"So, this is where you've been? You shouldn't just have left the spot
+we agreed to meet at. You're the one with bad legs, after all," Kamuro told
+Sakayanagi. She had to have noticed me, but she didn't make eye contact.
+"T apologize. I arrived early, so I felt like taking a little walk," said
+Sakayanagi.
+"Tn that case, at least let me know ahead of time."
+Now that Kamuro was here, our conversation was pretty much over.
+Sakayanagi had absolutely no interest in making my abilities common
+knowledge. She'd hate it if others started gunning for me and snatched her
+prey from her.
+"This may come off as rather sudden, Masumi-san," Sakayanagi said,
+"but what do you think of Ichinose Honami-san?"
+"You're right. That really is sudden." Kamuro seemed puzzled. My
+presence likely made the question even more awkward.
+"You see, I was just discussing how to conquer Ichinose-san with this
+young man here," said Sakayanagi.
+"Conquer, huh? Well, if you ask me, Ichinose's a model student. She
+really cares for others, and she's good-natured. Is that what you mean?"
+"Yes. Her being a model student is clear, isn't it? She always scores in
+the top percentile on tests, and she leads her class well. What do you think,
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T agree," I replied.
+"Do you think that defeating a model student like Ichinose-san would
+be simple, Masumi-san?" Sakayanagi asked.
+"Tt'd be hard, wouldn't it? Class B's pretty united. They won't crumble
+under outside pressure. Bribery won't work against Ichinose. You could
+launch a frontal attack, but even if our own class cooperated, it's doubtful
+we'd win."
+"Indeed. At first glance, it appears that conquering Ichinose-san would
+prove a difficult task."
+"At first glance? You mean, that's not the case?"
+"No. Everyone has a weakness, even Ichinose-san. An Achilles heel,"
+Sakayanagi laughed. "The fact that she's a model student, which you both
+acknowledge, is undeniable. However, can you say with certainty that her
+caring, good-natured temperament reflects her true self? Don't you think
+there's another side to her? That she looks down upon others, deep in her
+heart?"
+"T dunno. I think most people are like that, at least a little. They may
+say nice things, but we really have no idea what's going on in their heads.
+That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. It's perfectly reasonable for
+someone to act in their own self-interest. But I do think that Ichinose might
+be genuinely good-natured," Kamuro reasoned.
+She was right; we all had a secret self. Usually, that hidden personality
+wasn't as extreme as Kushida's, but all humans had a dark side. However,
+Ichinose Honami seemed to have no secret mean streak.
+"You don't think she looks down upon others?" Sakayanagi continued.
+"No. She's extremely kind—nice without rubbing it in your face."
+"So, you're saying that she's stupidly good-natured?"
+"Yes. Exactly."
+Sakayanagi smiled. "In that case, you and Ichinose-san are very similar
+—aren't you, Masumi-san?"
+"Huh? Whaddya mean? We're totally different. Are you being
+sarcastic or something?"
+"Not at all. You might be surprised by this assessment, but you and
+Ichinose-san are remarkably alike." Kamuro seemed exasperated, but
+Sakayanagi continued. "I mean that Ichinose has the same problem you do,
+Masumi-san."
+"The same problem? What?" asked Kamuro.
+Sakayanagi looked at me, seemingly to check whether I'd caught on.
+Having no idea what she was talking about, I shook my head.
+"Don't you understand? Your secret, the one in my keeping, is the
+same as hers. Well, the problems are the same, but they played out to
+different ends," Sakayanagi said.
+Kamuro looked as if she understood. "So, you're saying that Ichinose
+did the same thing I did?" She sounded shocked.
+"Surely such an occurrence isn't that uncommon," said Sakayanagi.
+"Did Ichinose tell you that? Do you know for sure?" asked Kamuro.
+She was normally calm and composed, but this clearly shook her.
+"Naturally. She told me about it in detail, in fact. She opened her secret
+heart to me. I merely performed a cold reading," said Sakayanag.
+"Cold reading" was a conversational technique by which someone
+extracted information through careful observation and leading questions.
+Perhaps Sakayanagi had gathered data beforehand and gone in prepared.
+"Human beings lie to make themselves look better. You and Ichinose-
+san are just the tip of the iceberg. People really are interesting creatures. No
+matter how exceptional they are, they slip up so easily." Sakayanagi gazed
+pointedly at me. "I'm afraid those are all the hints I can give you right now
+regarding Ichinose-san. I intend to thoroughly crush her. Hopefully, you can
+figure out why."
+Sakayanagi seemed to want me to compete with her, but sadly, I wasn't
+interested. She could rampage as much as she pleased.
+"Well then, shall we be going, Masumi-san?" They started walking
+away. I left as well, passing them. As I did, Sakayanagi spoke once more.
+"You didn't say anything, Masumi-san."
+"Huh? About what?"
+"You saw Ayanokouji-kun and I speaking together. We were
+discussing strategies. Even so, you asked no questions. Normally, you'd
+barrage me with queries, but..."
+"Wh-what are you talking about? I'm not interested, that's all."
+"Is that so? You tend to blather on about anything you notice. Yet this
+time, you're incurious. I wonder why that is?" Kamuro didn't answer.
+Sakayanagi continued. "Could it be that you already possess information
+about Ayanokouji-kun? If so, I wonder where you obtained it. Is it possible
+you two had a meeting of which I'm unaware?"
+Like a bloodhound following a scent, Sakayanagi looked sharply at me.
+I neither spoke nor made eye contact. If she had a problem, let it be with
+Kamuro. "Heh," she laughed. "Well, since I'm in quite a good mood today, I
+won't press it further. Have a wonderful day, Ayanokouji-kun."
+With that, Sakayanagi left with Kamuro in tow. Kamuro sure had it
+tough, being used like a pawn by Sakayanagi even during winter vacation.
+Whatever Sakayanagi had on her was probably bad. Maybe it was for the best
+that we'd had this conversation. The part about Ichinose and Kamuro having
+the same problem, in particular, interested me.
+Sakayanagi would get nothing out of lying to me, but I similarly gained
+nothing by taking what she said at face value. If the truth got out, and
+Ichinose did fall from grace, well, that'd be fine.
+"Should I at least tell Horikita about this now? Hmm."
+Horikita was currently allying herself with Ichinose, and might back
+the girl. Personally, I thought it'd be better to just leave things alone. But the
+class leader got to call the shots, and that was currently Horikita. Maybe I'd
+contact her.
+Later. This wasn't urgent. With Sakayanagi gone, I strolled to the
+dorm. I was back on track to fulfill my original goal—delivering the items I'd
+purchased.
+However, my objective was once again derailed.
+As I approached Keyaki Mall's exit, I passed a rather energetic-looking
+girl. She didn't notice me, since she seemed to be in a hurry. She was almost
+running. She went into a store to join up with her friend, then disappeared.
+After watching her, I decided to forego heading back to the dormitory.
+"Guess Pll go see a movie," I said.
+3.1
+I WENT TO THE MOVIES fairly often on my days off. Some people
+might've considered spending points on a film to be a waste of money, but I
+thought it was important to have a variety of interests, and films were
+becoming something of a hobby of late. In addition to being a way to relax,
+they let me acquire new knowledge, exposing me to different ideas, cultures,
+and points of view.
+That said, the movie I saw today wasn't award-winning cinema. Nor
+was it the type of saccharine love story couples flocked to over the holidays. I
+was watching an action story with gunfights, focusing on a conflict between
+small-town gangsters.
+Some days, I just wanted to turn my brain off and be entertained.
+Since the film was about to leave theaters after a short run, it was by no
+means a masterpiece. It was a pathetic B movie at best. Thus, I'd been able to
+book a ticket online and get a good seat for any time I wanted. Still, I kept
+hesitating over whether I was actually going to go watch it. In the end, I
+decided to go anyway, since I was already out for another reason.
+I went to the counter, where I chose which movie I was going to see
+and the showtime I wanted. I received a laminated sheet with a seating chart
+on it. I realized then that something was wrong. The seats toward the back of
+the auditorium, the ones I always chose when I went to the movies, were
+already full. In fact, there didn't seem to be many free seats left.
+Apparently, a popular film scheduled at the same time had been
+postponed, so a lot of people had decided to see this gangster movie. With
+Christmas approaching, most of the seats had been reserved in pairs. People
+probably thought, Well, better to watch something, rather than nothing. Or
+something like that.
+I told the employee that the exact center of the front row would be
+good. Fortunately, a few seats were still available. Why were the seats at the
+ends of rows so popular? Did it have anything to do with couples? I didn't
+really know the specific psychology of movie theaters.
+Since I had about twenty minutes until the movie started, I killed time
+by hanging around a rack of pamphlets. With ten minutes to go, I entered the
+auditorium alone. Couples sparsely filled the seats behind me. In the center of
+the front row, I waited for the movie to begin.
+The seats filled up relatively early. I kept looking at the screen. I quite
+enjoyed watching the previews, seeing what movies were coming soon to
+theaters. That was why I always made sure to sit down before the previews
+started. Watching them on the big screen excited me in a way the previews
+didn't at home, in front of the TV.
+The auditorium lights were still on as a commercial advertising a
+convenience store played onscreen. I watched scenes of someone stirring
+soft, plump rice with a spoon, then lightly toasting nori on a net, until finally,
+children ate the finished onigiri.
+As it got close to showtime, and the seats gradually filled up, I looked
+around. My row was mostly full now. There were couples to the right and left
+of me, leaving one seat open. Both couples were taking advantage of the
+theater's dim lighting to hold hands. I guess couples went to see action
+movies too.
+Since the seat directly to my left was still open, it'd probably remain
+empty. I mean, who else would do something like seeing a movie all alone on
+Christmas Eve? I put my phone on Do Not Disturb mode, then, to be extra
+cautious, turned it off.
+As I did, the lights dimmed, and the previews played. This is where the
+fun begins. Just then, a shadow appeared on my left. A lone student sat down
+in the vacant seat.
+So, another odd person. Someone who'd see a movie all alone on
+Christmas Eve. Honestly, I admired their taste in movies. I turned to look at
+my fellow cinephile.
+My mouth fell open. The lone wolf was none other than Class C's
+Ibuki Mio. The incident on the rooftop popped into my head, and I felt
+awkward. Fortunately, the auditorium was dark; Ibuki didn't notice me. Her
+eyes focused only on the screen.
+I was a firm believer in staying all the way to the end of the credits, but
+if I lingered until then, the lights would come back up. That settled it. Today,
+I'd make my escape as soon as the credits rolled.
+However, I'd miscalculated. It was the problem that came up time and
+time again in movie theaters: the armrest.
+If I were sitting at the end of the row, I definitely could've used both
+the left and right armrests, but other seats were a constant battle. As far as
+movie theater etiquette went, there was no official rule, but the early bird got
+the worm, so to speak. Since the couple to my right had already made use of
+the armrest, I'd thought the one to my left would be open. However, Ibuki
+casually placed her elbow on it. There was enough space on the armrest for
+two people, but then our arms would touch.
+Maybe Ibuki thought about the same thing, because she looked to see
+who was sitting next to her. Naturally, our eyes met.
+"Geh!" She gave a disgusted grunt. The previews were silent at just
+that moment, so I heard it quite clearly.
+I thought that saying nothing would be weird, so responded with
+something simple. "What a coincidence, huh?"
+Ibuki just looked away. She intended to ignore me, apparently. Well,
+that helped make things easier. I concentrated on the screen.
+When the movie started, however, I felt Ibuki gaze over at me on
+occasion. Maybe she was just curious about my presence, but she didn't seem
+focused on the movie. I wanted to turn to her and say something like, "How
+about you watch the screen instead of me?" I couldn't speak loudly in the
+auditorium, though. Should I try whispering it into her ear? No, she might
+snap at me. I should just watch the movie, pretend not to notice, and put up
+with her. Fortunately, I'd been used to people monitoring me since
+childhood.
+I wouldn't let myself look agitated. I'd just watch the movie.
+However, the film itself wasn't particularly good—truly a B movie.
+Seriously, the plot's so repetitive and dull. Shouldn't it try something
+different? Well, at least we were nearing the climax, with the protagonist
+about to ride into enemy territory and save the day.
+Just before that thrilling edge-of-your-seat conclusion, though, the
+screen suddenly went black. At first, I thought it was an artistic decision on
+the filmmaker's part. We all remained silent and kept watching. However,
+after ten or twenty seconds, neither the picture nor the sound had come back.
+Just as I started to wonder what was up, an announcement came over
+the auditorium speakers. "We sincerely apologize for the delay. The
+screening has been temporarily halted due to an equipment malfunction. We
+understand that this may be an inconvenience. Please bear with us until the
+problem has been addressed. "'
+The students grumbled and complained at first, then settled down to
+chat quietly and wait.
+"Jeez. I really have no luck at all." Ibuki sighed, seemingly directing
+her comment at me. Did she mean to imply that I'd caused the malfunction?
+"I'm pretty shocked, too. I mean, I never imagined you'd come see a
+movie today," I replied.
+"I'm free to decide when I see a movie, aren't I?" she retorted.
+Guess she didn't like what I suggested. "Well, the same goes for me," I
+said.
+""Y ou—'" Ibuki opened her mouth to speak, but stammered. She glared
+before speaking again. "All this time, you've made fun of me. I can't forgive
+you for that."
+I understood why Ibuki might be angry. Consoling her, or saying that
+that wasn't true, wouldn't work. I adopted the strategy that I thought was
+best. "That's power, Ibuki."
+"Huh?" A disquieting air hung around us. She gave me a sharp glare
+full of irritation and bloodthirst.
+I continued speaking. "If you have enough power to overcome your
+opponent, you win. Whether your opponent hid the true extent of their
+abilities doesn't change that. If you could've stopped me, Ryuuen would've
+won. Or, at the very least, we could've ended in a draw."
+I would've looked extremely lame if I'd been beaten up on that rooftop
+after taunting Ibuk1.
+"That's..." Ibuki definitely couldn't argue. One should rely on one's
+own strength. Whether an opponent hid their abilities should' ve been a non-
+issue.
+"Besides, unlike Ryuuen and Sakayanagi, I'm not aiming for the upper
+classes," I continued. "Naturally, since I don't want to stand out, I don't make
+it a point to show off what I can do. I only fought Ryuuen after weighing
+many other options. There was no getting around it. It's never been my
+intention to mock or condescend to my opponents."
+"T really don't like that." No matter how logical my argument, it was
+difficult for Ibuki to accept. "You say you don't want to stand out, but that's
+bullshit. If you hadn't done what you did back on the island and provoked
+Ryuuen, things wouldn't've turned out this way. Even before that, if you let
+the whole thing with Sudou slide, that would've been it."
+"You may be right." If ''d let Sudou get expelled, Ibuki defeat Class D
+on the island, and Ryuuen game the cruise ship's test, then Ryuuen wouldn't
+have had it out for Class D the way he did. He probably would' ve turned his
+sights on Class B long ago.
+"You say one thing, then do another," Ibuki accused. "You used your
+abilities even as you stayed hidden."
+She turned back to the blank screen, probably figuring that any further
+conversation would be a waste of time. I decided to let things go. With any
+luck, the movie would resume soon, and this encounter would come to an
+end.
+3:2
+However. MY PLAN to leave as soon as the credits rolled went up in
+smoke. I waited and waited, but the movie didn't start. Either the equipment
+malfunction was just that severe, or the workers were slow.
+Ibuki sighed repeatedly. Well, it was perfectly reasonable to sigh in
+this situation. I'd already started to lose interest in the movie.
+"So, what do you think's going to happen?" I asked.
+I couldn't take the silence anymore. Since Ibuki still hadn't left, she
+was probably curious about the end of the movie. Or maybe, since no one
+else was moving, she couldn't get to the exit without crawling over everyone.
+Ibuki rested her cheek on her fist, her arm placed firmly on the armrest.
+She made no attempt to look in my direction. Her body language screamed,
+"You're annoying, so don't talk to me!"
+Maybe I should quit poking the beehive. When in the world was the
+movie going to start?
+A few students here and there grew tired of waiting and left. I thought
+Ibuki would follow, but she showed no sign of getting up. Maybe she simply
+wanted to see the rest of the movie after all.
+For my part, I wanted to see how it ended. If I didn't stick around, then
+coming here would've been meaningless. Time to display my tenacity.
+I turned my phone on and checked the time. About twenty minutes had
+passed since the movie stopped. The equipment malfunction was going to
+impact not just this screening, but the next one as well. Looking around, I
+saw that the number of people remaining had dwindled. Only a few audience
+members stayed, including Ibuki and me.
+People who came alone to the movie might stick it out, but couples
+probably didn't want to waste their time in here. Guess they left before the
+amorous mood died.
+"You aren't heading back?" asked Ibuki as I stared at my phone. Her
+face was turned away, and I couldn't see her expression.
+"T've already watched 80 percent of the movie. I'm honestly curious
+about how it ends. Since we've been waiting twenty minutes now, it should
+be back up anytime."
+"If you're that curious, you could just look it up online," she replied.
+"T don't really feel like reading someone else's opinion," I answered.
+I used reviews as a guide to determine whether I wanted to watch a
+movie, not as a means of evaluating it. Besides, if reading one or two lines
+explaining the ending was enough to satisfy you, why would you go to a
+movie in the first place?
+"T don't care about this movie anymore. I just don't want to leave
+before you do," she said.
+"You're very blunt." Ibuki wasn't going to win this game of chicken. I
+had no intention of getting up until the movie ended. That was an advantage a
+guy who had no Christmas Eve plans possessed.
+A sad announcement definitively ended the battle. The faulty
+equipment couldn't be fixed, so they'd decided to cancel the screening. The
+staff explained how refunds would be processed.
+"T really have no luck," Ibuki sighed.
+If I wanted to know what happened, I'd have to either wait until the
+movie was available to rent, or read spoilers online.
+Even though the movie was canceled, Ibuki showed no sign of moving.
+I decided to just get up and leave. My business here was done.
+3.3
+Maver BECAUSE OF THE TENSION I'd endured, my shoulders felt stiff.
+After unsettling interactions with Sakayanagi and Ibuki, I didn't feel like
+taking any detours on my way back.
+As I left the theater, a voice called out to me from behind. "Hey. Do
+you really think you can just go on hiding your identity like this?" It was
+Ibuki. She'd chased after me to ask that?
+"Did you not listen to a word I said? Just keep what happened to
+yourself," I told her.
+"This isn't a joke. All this time, you've been laughing at me," she
+replied. She didn't need to repeat that she couldn't forgive me. It was written
+on her face.
+"Well, what're you going to do about it? Spread the word about me?" I
+asked.
+"No. After all, I wouldn't be the only one in trouble if I did. Right?"
+"That's right. Depending how things played out, it wouldn't just affect
+the people who were on the rooftop. Manabe and her friends might get caught
+in the crossfire."
+If school officials followed the series of events all the way back, they
+might trace things to me. However, I could come up with as many excuses as
+I needed to give them the runaround. The most they could possibly do was
+suspend me.
+"Besides, this school's built on student conflict. You're barking up the
+wrong tree by blaming me," I told Ibuk1.
+"T know that. It's just, well...I can't stand you."
+I contemplated Ibuki Mio. She'd probably studied martial arts since
+childhood. There was hardly any difference in strength between male and
+female bodies before adolescence, so with her skill, it would've been easy to
+overpower the opposite sex.
+With time and puberty, though, things got more complicated. You
+could categorize Ibuki as fairly strong for an average high-school student.
+There was no way a man without martial arts training could contend with her.
+But against a man with the same talent, one who'd trained at the same level
+or higher, she couldn't win.
+Ibuki wasn't ready to acknowledge that.
+"You went quiet. What're you thinking about?" she asked.
+"TI was contemplating how I can resolve this matter amicably."
+"And?"
+"Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with anything. No matter what I
+said, nothing would convince you."
+For the first time today, the corners of Ibuki's mouth twitched into a
+small smile. "You're right. I won't back down."
+As I'd suspected, I might need to employ an all-out attack. "So, do you
+like movies?" I asked.
+"Huh?" I understood why she looked stunned by the non sequitur.
+However, I daringly continued a normal conversation. "I mean, you'd
+go see a movie alone. And an obscure one at that."
+"So? That's my goal."
+What an odd response. "Goal?"
+"To see every movie they screen at this school. It's not a big deal."
+That was surprising. Everyone at this school had goals—to make
+friends, to go out on days off, to graduate without being marked late or absent
+even once, to always place first on tests. Ibuki's "see every movie" goal
+might've seemed simple by comparison, but it was actually difficult to
+achieve. Going to a movie you wanted to see was easy, but sitting through
+something that didn't interest you was tiresome. Most people probably
+would've considered such a goal frivolous. However, establishing a goal and
+then seeing it through was hugely impressive.
+"Are you making fun of me?" Ibuki glared, interpreting my silence as a
+bad thing.
+"Hmm. I wonder." I could've complimented her, but I was afraid to.
+It'd probably be best if we parted ways before people noticed us "hanging
+out." "So, what're you up to now? Want to grab some tea?"
+"Don't be a jerk. I'm leaving."
+I wasn't surprised by the refusal. "Well, if you're headed right, I'Il turn
+left. Have a nice day."
+"Trust me, I don't want to spend a second more with you, either."
+Truly, we were a match made in heaven. Ibuki immediately turned
+right. I went left. However, she was suddenly beside me, yanking my arm.
+"Hey. What?" I asked.
+"Shut up. Ishizaki and the others are headed this way."
+Ibuki dragged me off to a hiding spot, then stealthily observed what
+was going on. Soon after, Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondo passed by. Ishizaki
+was in the group's center. Ryuuen would normally have been with them, but
+obviously, he wasn't there.
+"You okay, Ishizaki? You're still staggerin' around."
+As Ishizaki walked, his face twisted into a pained expression. "Shut it.
+I'm fine, already. Aw—owww!"
+Komiya looked around anxiously. "About earlier...did you really get
+into it with Ryuuen-san? For real?"
+"Yeah. Albert and Ibuki were with me too. Ryuuen-san's...no,
+Ryuuen's time is over. From now on, he's done giving orders."
+"That's a relief, man. But wait. Who's gonna come up with strategies
+and stuff?"
+"Hell if I know. Kaneda'll probably do it, I guess."
+They walked past us while they talked.
+"Phew. They didn't see us," said Ibuki. She probably didn't want her
+classmates to notice the two of us together. Especially not Ishizaki. There was
+no telling what his reaction would be.
+However, Ibuki and I had both overheard what Ishizaki said.
+"T got an e-mail from Ishizaki a while ago. He said Ryuuen didn't drop
+out of school," Ibuki told me.
+'That so?"
+She drew nearer. "You did something. Ryuuen wouldn't have given up
+on dropping out otherwise."
+"My involvement aside, didn't you try to stop him yourself?" I asked.
+It seemed like I hit the nail on the end. "I hate Ryuuen's guts," Ibuki
+replied. "But I hate that you took him down, when you're not even our
+classmate. I hate that even more."
+"T beat him precisely because I'm an outsider. Besides, there're things
+you can do, as members of Class C, that I can't. Like how Ishizaki intends to
+carry out his duty," I said. Ishizaki might hate Ryuuen, but he was still trying
+to do his part. I could tell it was because he had a certain amount of respect
+for the other boy.
+"Do you really think so?"
+"Do you?"
+"He should hate it. Ryuuen treated him like shit. Still, even if it took
+three people to bring him down, Ishizaki's position in the class has to
+improve now that Ryuuen's defeated."
+"T see. I suppose you can look at it that way." I nodded as though she'd
+convinced me.
+Ibuki lightly kicked the back of my knee. "Thought you'd dodge that."
+"Look. I'm not psychic. I can't anticipate every attack."
+"So, what'd you think of what Ishizaki said?" she asked. Maybe she
+didn't want to be the only one with an opinion.
+"Even if Ishizaki says he hates the guy, he still probably respects
+Ryuuen's abilities."
+Ishizaki likely recognized the downsides of Ryuuen dropping out. He
+was playing along with Ryuuen's cover story about their falling out, at any
+rate. Ryuuen, meanwhile, seemed to be keeping his promise; he wasn't
+telling anyone about me. I hadn't thought he would, but that was no
+guarantee. There was always the chance that Ryuuen would change his mind
+and rat me out. If he decided to talk, even Karuizawa might be in trouble.
+"Albert probably won't say anything, but do you think Ishizaki will
+stay quiet?" asked Ibuki. She knew what I was thinking.
+"If he talks, he talks. P1l cross that bridge when I come to it."
+"T see."
+As Ibuki saw that I wasn't rattled, her interest seemed to fade. Since
+Ishizaki and the others had left, I decided to finally break away. I crouched as
+Ibuki came at my head with a high-speed kick.
+"So much for not being able to dodge," she said.
+"Because that was a frontal attack. Plus, you just kicked with all your
+strength, didn't you?" A roundhouse kick from an experienced martial artist
+could've given me a concussion.
+"You're so strong, but you won't show it. Why?"
+"Do you go around telling everyone how strong you are?" I asked.
+"Well..."
+"Tt's true that if you don't display your skills, no one will even know
+you have them. But, unlike Sudou and Ishizaki, I'm not the hotheaded type."
+"Fight me," said Ibuki.
+"What?"
+"T want you to fight me one more time. Go all out."
+She just wouldn't give up. "How did we even get onto this topic?" I
+asked.
+"T hate you. I hate your lying, two-faced bullshit. You show the world a
+fake personality and keep the real you locked away."
+"TI see."
+For better or worse, guys like Ryuuen and Ishizaki were exactly what
+they appeared to be. Ibuki was the same. Even when she spied on us during
+the island test, she'd acted like herself.
+"T've always been this apathetic," I said. "But it's pointless to argue,
+isn't it?"
+"Yep. Everything else aside, I won't be satisfied until I pay you back
+for the rooftop."
+Ibuki wouldn't listen. I could run, but it would cause me a lot of grief if
+she hounded me for the rest of the school year.
+Ibuki must've guessed what I was thinking. "You don't want me to
+cause trouble, do you?" she asked.
+She was threatening me. Even if she didn't tell people about me, they'd
+notice her following me and ask questions.
+"If you want me to back down, have another match with me," she said.
+She said "match," but it sounded like "battle."
+"Wouldn't you rather throw down in a game of go or shogi?"
+"T don't know how to play."
+Unfortunate. | was good at both those games.
+"Let's settle this," said Ibuki. She took a fighting stance, right in the
+middle of the crowded mall. That was how she decided things—in the most
+direct, black-and-white way possible.
+"This won't change anything," I told her.
+"Hah. You mean, the results will be the same?" Ibuk1's lips curled. A
+vein bulged slightly in her forehead. The faint smile she wore just a moment
+ago now seemed like a distant memory.
+"Not just the results. Your way of thinking too, Ibuki." No matter how
+badly she lost, Ibuki wouldn't accept defeat. Even pretending to let her win
+would be like pouring gas on a raging fire.
+"So, you don't accept my challenge?" she asked.
+There was no way I'd accept under normal circumstances. Deep down,
+I really didn't want to do this, especially when I was so tired. However...
+"Are you free now?" I asked.
+"Yeah, I guess. I didn't have any plans besides the movie. Does that
+mean we're doing this?" Ibuki apparently hadn't expected that I'd go along
+with the fight. She looked quite taken aback. In fact, she stepped away.
+"Were you joking?" I asked.
+"No, I want this," she snapped. "Do you accept or not?"
+"Suppose we have a match. What should we do about the location?" I
+asked.
+The mall was hardly the best place. That said, anywhere on campus
+was basically out of the question. Since it was winter vacation, there was no
+telling who might see us. We could probably take the fight to one of our
+rooms, but if we were spotted, that could be even worse.
+Ibuki understood that too. "Let's go look."
+"You're not going to give up on this, huh?"
+"Our chance meeting today sealed your fate." With that dramatic line,
+Ibuki started walking off. She seemed to want me to follow her.
+"What if I run away?" I asked.
+"T'll chase you. And, when I find you, Ill dropkick you."
+Well—there you had it. I followed her.
+"Before we go any further, let me say this. Our first and only goal is
+finding a place suitable for our fight." If she couldn't pick a suitable location,
+I was done.
+"Yeah."
+Ibuki walked briskly through Keyaki Mall, searching for a quiet,
+isolated spot. She wouldn't find one easily. Even in abandoned areas, there
+were security cameras. If students weren't around, there would be employees.
+Maybe we could've fought at the school building or something, but we
+couldn't enter without our uniforms, and changing into those just to fight
+would be bizarre.
+"Why don't we just give up?" I suggested. "I mean, finding a secure
+spot here is—"
+"Wait a minute," said Ibuki, looking at a door with a glass window
+bearing the words Staff Only.
+An employee pushing a flatbed cart came out that door. He wore a
+yellow apron. A nametag on his chest read Kimura and Keyaki Mall
+Pharmacy in a large font. The cart held three cardboard boxes, and the
+employee was headed toward the mall pharmacy, most likely restocking
+supplies.
+"Follow me," Ibuki said.
+"Hey, that's—"
+She opened the door and led us into a deserted warehouse. The space
+was dimly lit, full of cardboard boxes of snacks, gauze, and the like. The heat
+wasn't on, so it was chilly.
+"No one will see us."
+There wouldn't be any security cameras installed here. However,
+shouldn't this place have been locked? Did that employee forget to lock up
+behind him? Or maybe he'd be back soon? In any event, we'd be in trouble if
+we were discovered.
+"We'll just say we walked in by mistake. We're not stealing anything;
+in fact, we're completely empty-handed," Ibuki said. "This works, yeah?"
+"T suppose, but...if a staff member shows up, what then?" I asked.
+"We'll just have to settle things before that happens." Ibuki closed the
+door with a ka-chunk.
+"What if that guy forgot to lock up? He'll come back and see us."
+"No need to panic, is there?"
+"Look at the doorknob," I said.
+Ibuki frowned. "Hey, wait a minute. Why isn't there a way to unlock
+it?"
+"Some glass-window doors have no thumb-turn lock on the inside.
+That thumb-turn part is what unlocks them," I replied.
+"So, in other words, we're trapped?"
+"That would be the case."
+"What the hell? Why is it that every time I encounter you, I get
+trapped? Agh! Just remembering that time in the elevator makes me sick."
+"This isn't my fault. You chose the location."
+"Huh? So, it's my fault?"
+Who else deserved the blame? Last time, we were stuck in an elevator
+in the middle of summer. This time, we were in an unheated warehouse in the
+middle of winter. What a world.
+"The windowpane looks like it's made of ordinary glass," I noted. "We
+can smash it ourselves."
+"So, we can still get out!"
+"They'd definitely know we broke in here, though."
+"Fine. I'm going to stay positive," said Ibuk1.
+"T have a bad feeling about this."
+"Whatever. This just means no one's going to see us fight." Ibuki
+slowly reassumed a fighting stance. "You decide the rules. Fight until one of
+us admits defeat? Or until someone loses consciousness?"
+"Until someone admits defeat," I said.
+"On second thought, Pll decide the rules," she said.
+"Hey."
+"If we do what you want, you'll just give up and take the loss before
+we even start." She was absolutely correct. "We go until a clear, black-and-
+white winner is decided."
+She was so damn pushy. "Since we're adding conditions, I have one of
+my own," I said.
+"What is it?'
+"If we settle things here, you can never challenge me again. Okay? If
+the school makes us fight as part of an exam, that's different. But this is the
+very last personal battle we' ll have."
+"Fine by me."
+With that decided, I had no choice but to get in battle mode. I'd
+honestly thought the rooftop incident would end things, but there was no
+getting out of this. The real problem, however, would come after I defeated
+Ibuki. Let's finish this.
+"You're so annoying," said [buki. "You just want to get out of here."
+"This location isn't ideal." No one would believe we walked in here by
+mistake. They'd probably assume we came in to steal things.
+There was no time to think, though—Ibuki started launching kicks at
+me, all the while keeping up a strong defense. Her fighting stvle's mostly
+focused on footwork, eh?
+Continually dodging kicks inside a cramped space was no simple task,
+especially since I had to avoid damaging the cardboard boxes at all costs.
+Break it, buy it. Between my personal expenses and the large number of
+private points I "loaned" to Karuizawa, I really wanted to avoid excess
+spending.
+Just countering Ibuki wouldn't be enough, though. In fact, she
+probably wouldn't admit defeat even if I knocked her out cold. I needed to
+beat her decisively, but I didn't want to leave visible bruises, which limited
+my options. I had to make her admit defeat without injuring her. Not an easy
+task.
+I avoided Ibuk1's kicks, moving as little as possible. Then, I raised my
+left, nondominant hand. S/ap! The base of my palm smacked Ibuki's temple
+hard.
+The fierce sound and pain knocked Ibuki over. "Ah!"
+If P''d struck her with a little more force, she probably would've lost
+consciousness. Even if I could knock her out, however, I couldn't easily
+knock the will to fight out of her.
+"You're not even taking this seriously?" Ibuki held her forehead and
+glared at me.
+"If you're an experienced martial artist, you should understand what
+I'm doing," I said.
+"T do understand. I don't need it pointed out to me. But...some things I
+Just can't accept."
+Ibuki let out a cry and unleashed another kick. She left herself wide
+open in the process, focused on pumping as much power into the attack as
+possible. She might've been going for a decisive one-hit knockout—or
+maybe she hoped we'd end up hitting each other, and was preparing to
+counter?
+Either way, I had no intention of taking the attack. With my right arm,
+I guarded against Ibuki's repeated kicks. I used my left hand to grab her
+throat.
+""Gah!"'
+Ibuki couldn't breathe properly. She used both hands to grasp at my
+left arm, frantically struggling. She dug her nails into my flesh, but I didn't
+relax my grip on her throat.
+"Decide, Ibuki. Do you want to stop? Or do we have to continue this
+pointless farce? If you choose to fight, you might very well die," I told her.
+If Ibuki could've been moved by mere words, we wouldn't have been
+here right now. However, it was worth a try.
+"Ryuuen showed me what he had. How about you, Ibuki? Can you
+show me that?"
+"Guh!" Ibuki glared at me with pure hatred, but her hands shook. She
+weakly tapped my arm three times, her eyes drifting closed.
+I understood and gently loosened my grip, releasing her.
+Ibuki huffed. "I didn't think you'd go easy on me just because I'm
+female, but you really were merciless."
+"Well, you're not an opponent I can hold back against." If I'd gone
+easy on her, she would've grown even angrier. It was true that I'd scarcely
+tried, but that was another matter. The important thing was that I didn't seem
+like I held back.
+"Ah, come on. Why?" sighed Ibuki. Frustrated, she sat down. "Fine.
+You win."
+I didn't care about winning or losing. If Ibuki was convinced now, that
+was enough for me. We'd both gotten what we needed from this fight.
+"You're the strongest person I've ever seen. Stronger than any adult.
+How'd you get that strong?" she asked.
+"Daily training. Obvious to anyone who understands martial arts,
+right?"
+"Yeah." Ibuki sighed in exasperation, giving up. "Okay, so now, how
+do we get out of here?"
+"It's simple." I looked up the Keyaki Mall Pharmacy's phone number
+and called them. "Excuse me. Is a clerk named Kimura-san available? Would
+you mind putting him on the phone?"
+Shortly afterward, Kimura answered. I let him know that we were
+stuck.
+"Won't this be a problem?" asked Ibuk1.
+"Well probably incur some kind of penalty. Play along so we can
+wrap this up quick."
+Soon afterward, the staff member who'd locked the door earlier
+entered the warehouse. Spotting us, he asked why we came inside, and why
+we didn't contact anyone sooner.
+"Sorry. I just got a little too excited. We were on a date and looking for
+an isolated spot. I didn't even notice," I said, playing the part of half an
+idiotic couple on a romantic Christmas outing. Of course, I didn't go so far as
+to explicitly call us a couple. "Right, Mio? You should apologize, too."
+""H-huh? What're you—"
+Ibuki jolted when I called her by her first name, but quickly understood
+what was up. I'd considered the small chance that she might betray me, and
+prepared accordingly. This way, she couldn't tattle on me without
+incriminating herself in the process.
+"T'm really sorry." Even though she seemed annoyed, Ibuki lowered
+her head in apology.
+Going with the flow, I swore that we hadn't touched anything. Kimura-
+san just kept grilling us, but eventually said he wouldn't report the incident.
+After all, it made him look bad too. That was why I'd called for the specific
+person who forgot to lock the door.
+Once Kimura was done lecturing us, we quickly escaped, and he
+locked the door and returned to work.
+"We made it," I said.
+"You memorized that clerk's name in the second we passed him?"
+Ibuki was apparently more interested in that than in the fact that I'd called her
+by her first name earlier.
+"Tt just happened to enter my field of view."
+"T see." Her voice was cold. "In any case, I won't fight you again."
+"Thank you."
+"But I want your opinion."
+"My opinion?"
+"You know that a student needs twenty million points to get to Class
+A, right? For an entire class to do so, they need a combined total of eight
+hundred million points. Do you think it's even possible to save such an
+absurd number?" she asked.
+"It's impossible. Everyone dreams about it, but they have to face
+reality in the end," I replied.
+"You're probably right."
+"Ts that the last thing you wanted to ask?"
+"Yes, that's all. Bye." She quietly walked away.
+And so, I severed my ties with Ibuki. At least, I hoped so. We'd spend
+three years at this school, though. I was sure we'd face off again before we
+graduated.
+3.4
+66
+Tovays BEEN A DISASTER."
+After having my plans derailed multiple times, I was finally on the way
+back to my dorm. Going out during winter vacation was clearly a dangerous
+activity.
+When I checked the time, I saw that it was almost three in the
+afternoon. As I walked through Keyaki Mall, I noticed three girls slightly
+ahead of me, all Class D students: Satou, Shinohara, and Matsushita. They
+were having a friendly chat as they walked.
+Since I already had plans to meet Satou the day after tomorrow, my
+gaze went to her. I made sure the three girls wouldn't notice me, but stayed
+close enough to hear their conversation. If I picked up any useful
+information, the day wouldn't be a total wash.
+"Well, we weren't able to get ourselves boyfriends before Christmas,
+huh?" said Matsushita, looking at all the couples.
+"You complain, but you could easily get one right away. You're so
+cute," said Shinohara, poking Matsushita with a playful grin.
+"T'm not willing to settle."
+"Yeah, I guess not. But, you know, I really do want a boyfriend."
+"Well, do you have any candidates in mind?" asked Matsushita.
+Shinohara crossed her arms. "Not a single one. Our class's a
+catastrophe."
+"Karuizawa-san's already claimed the only real prize." Of course, she
+was talking about Hirata.
+"Since we've done nothing but fight with the other classes, we haven't
+had any free time to make friends. Maybe it's better to try going out with the
+seniors, you know? Though a university student would be even better," said
+Matsushita. Dating anyone in the same year was apparently out of the
+question.
+"The seniors, huh? I guess I kinda think the opposite. If we're talking
+romance, I'd prefer someone my age," replied Shinohara.
+"What about you, Satou-san?"
+"Huh? Me? Oh, well...I guess I'd prefer a classmate, like Shinohara-
+99)
+san.
+"No, no," corrected Shinohara. "I never said anything about
+classmates." So, the same grade level was fine; Class D was not.
+"Speaking of which, Satou-san, haven't you been talking with
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Uh, maybe I should make myself scarce. I turned around and quickly
+abandoned pursuit. Putting more distance between the girls and myself, I
+decided to kill time at the bookstore. I stared at a magazine that ranked
+everything from school supplies to home appliances. It answered important
+questions like which detergent brand was best.
+"Rankings for trendy goods. Exciting." Since the magazine was clearly
+so interesting, I looked through it. "Maybe I should buy it and just head back
+to the dorm," I muttered.
+The section on the best car accessories didn't address my current
+needs, but since it was a bonus, I accepted it. Maybe I could use the magazine
+as a reference guide for buying appliances.
+Okay, Satou and the other girls had to have left by now. Relieved, I
+looked around; however, I could see Shinohara standing there alone. The
+other two must've gone to the restroom or something. Guess I'll have to look
+at some more books.
+There were quite a few customers in the bookstore, but I instantly
+spotted someone who didn't quite fit in—who radiated bad intentions.
+Ryuuen Kakeru.
+He was looking at academic books. With his back turned, I couldn't
+see his expression. Without his cronies around, he seemed kind of lonely. It
+was impressive that he was up and about after the beating I'd given him just
+the other day, but maybe I should've expected that.
+Even if Ryuuen noticed me, we didn't exactly have a friendly
+relationship. I decided not to approach him.
+As I continued to browse the shelves, I heard Shinohara. She sounded
+bewildered. I looked up and saw a guy and girl, probably seniors, glaring at
+her. "Hey. You're a first-year, aren't you?"
+aq tad
+"Were you staring at us right now?"
+"N-no, I wasn't. I''d never..."
+I didn't recognize the senior girl, but the guy was familiar. He was the
+third-year Class D student who sold me old test answers at the start of the
+year. Quite a few second- and third-year students had gotten expelled since
+then, but though he'd been just scraping by—living off vegetable meal sets—
+he was still here.
+The two upperclassmen wore gaudy matching polka-dot outfits, clearly
+broadcasting "couple" vibes. Their arms almost touched. No doubt they were
+an item.
+"You were totally staring," the senior girl told Shinohara. "What, can't
+face forward when you're walking?"
+"Come on, let's just go already. Don't mind her," said the guy.
+His girlfriend seemed pretty angry, though. "You're just a first year.
+And you're a Class D student too, aren't you?"
+"Well, um, yes. But...but I wasn't staring."
+"Don't lie to me. You're the one who bumped into us!" I was willing
+to bet she and Shinohara had shoulder-checked each other accidentally. Since
+neither seemed to have any injuries, it couldn't have hurt that much. "You
+should do something about that attitude. Bumping into a senior? Apologize."
+"B-but you're the one who wasn't paying attention, so—"
+"Huh? Are you saying it's my fault?"
+Shinohara tried, but she couldn't take the pressure. She reluctantly
+bowed her head. "N-no. I'm really sorry."
+However, that wasn't enough for the senior. Her fuse was lit, and she
+was ready to explode. "Hmph. With an attitude like that, the apology means
+nothing."
+"A-attitude? But you weren't looking ahead, Senpai."
+"Don't screw with me! You were the one being a space case."
+"But—"
+Maybe I should've lent a helping hand. But I hadn't seen them bump
+into each other, so it wasn't like I could stand witness. As I mulled it over,
+ready to put back the magazine I held, another student appeared. He noticed
+Shinohara and approached her. I continued to watch.
+"Hey. What're ya doing, Shinohara?" asked Ike Kanji, ignoring the
+seniors.
+"Ah...Ike-kun. Um..." From the expression on Shinohara's face, she
+seemed caught between two brewing storms. Ike brought trouble wherever he
+went, so that was a perfectly understandable reaction.
+"Who are you? Piss off," snapped the senior girl.
+"Uh, sorry, Senpai. But, hey, this girl's my classmate. Did she do
+something?" Judging from Ike's tone, he seemed to have a grasp on the
+situation.
+"Did she do something? She crashed into us. On top of that, she got all
+huffy and mean and kept glaring at us."
+"Ah, I get it. She glares at me, too," Ike laughed. Shinohara looked
+dumbstruck. "But, hey, her face just /ooks like she's always glaring, y' know?
+She wouldn't have the guts to actually glare at an upperclassman. She's just
+got resting bitch face or something," said Ike. "At any rate, we better not
+cause a ruckus. A teacher was just here." He directed his comments to the
+guy, not the girl.
+It appeared to be an effective strategy. "Let's go," said the third-year
+boy.
+The senior girl still looked dissatisfied, but her anger apparently faded.
+"Hmph!" she said, and strode ahead with her boyfriend.
+After the two upperclassmen left, Shinohara let out a sigh of relief.
+"Thanks," she said.
+You'd think that Ike would've been overjoyed to have a girl thank him,
+but he acted surprisingly cool. "No need to thank me. Not a big deal."
+"Still, that stuff you said was not okay. It's not like 'm always glaring
+at people or something. My face isn't like that."
+"T just said that to help you."
+"Couldn't you think of a better way?"
+"Well, no."
+"Well, um...th-thank—"
+"Y-yeah. See ya. Hey, enjoy your Christmas without a boyfriend!" Ike
+taunted.
+"Huh?! You wouldn't be able to get a girlfriend if you spent ten
+thousand years trying!" Shinohara snapped back.
+For some reason, Ike had given Shinohara a mean comment as a
+parting gift—maybe because Satou and Matsushita were coming back from
+the restroom. Upon meeting back up with Shinohara, the girls looked
+suspicious.
+"Hey, was that Ike-kun? What happened?" asked Satou.
+"Was he messing with you again? Ugh. Why's our class full of idiots?"
+asked Matsushita.
+"N-no, that's not what happened. Not really." I thought Shinohara
+would vent her anger upon their return, but she didn't even try to bring up
+what'd happened. Instead, she quietly turned and watched Ike leave.
+Well. I decided to head back too. It didn't seem like I'd pick up
+information on Satou here.
+3.5
+Ox THE WAY TO MY DORM, carrying the bag containing the magazine
+I'd bought, I received a call. The caller ID said Hasebe Haruka. I answered.
+"Hey, it's me," said Haruka. "This might be sudden, but how about we
+all get together the day after tomorrow and par-tay?"
+"Hmm? Get together and do what?" I asked. My schedule for the day
+after tomorrow was already decided, after all.
+"You don't know what par-tay means? Par-tay, like 'party.'" Language
+was bizarre. "Our little get-together's theme would be 'Christmas isn't just
+for lovers,' or something." Apparently, the holiday's romance had a crippling
+effect on single people.
+I did think it sounded like fun, but had to decline. "Sorry. I already
+have plans."
+"Oh, yeah? The day after tomorrow is Christmas. What do you mean,
+you have plans?"
+If Haruka and the others met up, they might see me. It was probably
+better just to tell her directly. "I promised I'd hang out with Satou."
+"""Satou'? Is that code for sweets or something? Like, you're gonna buy
+biscotti, put some in your pockets, and walk around?" Haruka was a special
+kind of idiot. "Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Could it be that you're going on a
+date? On Christmas?" She took a minute to get there, but she finally arrived
+at her destination.
+"It's not really a date. We're just going to hang out."
+"People all around the world would call that a 'date,' though."
+Maybe, but I was avoiding the use of the word "date." "We haven't
+been able to hang out yet, so she asked me to go someplace on the twenty-
+fifth."
+"Uh, that's kinda bad, isn't it?"
+Since enrolling at this school, I'd learned a lot about social norms. I
+understood the significance of a guy and girl going out on Christmas. But I'd
+accepted Satou's invitation, and she chose the twenty-fifth. That was it.
+"Just checking, but you're not 'going out' or anything, right?" Haruka
+asked.
+"Tt's the same as that time with Shiina. I'm not dating anyone."
+"Well, it's not really my place to say it, but...well, what about Air?"
+"Airi?"
+"If you're not hanging with us, Kiyopon, she'!l probably wonder why.
+It's not like you can pretend to be sick. Well, whatever...Tll handle it.
+Where' re you going on your not-date?"
+"Does this mean you're going to move your plan around?"
+"Tve got no choice, right? If Airi sees you and Satou-san on a
+Christmas date, chances are she'll faint, Kiyopon."
+That was probably an exaggeration, but then again, this was Airi we
+were talking about. It might actually happen. She might even get severely
+depressed.
+I sensed Haruka's demeanor change on the other end of the call.
+"Haven't you noticed Airi's feelings?" she asked.
+We were heading into dangerous territory. "Well, it's obvious that
+what she feels for me isn't what she feels for most people," I replied.
+"Wow. Weird way to put it, but all right. At least you're not that dense,
+I guess. Since you understand, I'm not gonna push you for an answer."
+Push me, huh?
+The way I saw it, Airi was like a baby bird that'd just begun leaving
+the nest. At this point in her life, it wasn't surprising that she'd develop
+feelings for me, since I was one of the few members of the opposite sex she'd
+grown close to. She needed to mature, however, and get to know lots of other
+people. By doing so, she could experience emotions like simple friendship
+before diving into romantic love.
+It was the same for me, too. What was school? What were friends?
+And what did it mean to love someone? I didn't understand those things very
+well yet, and I couldn't jump into the deep end before I explored the
+shallows.
+"Tl call you, okay?" said Haruka.
+"Sorry I wasn't available," I replied.
+"Well, our group formed specifically to get away from normal
+friendship rules, right? We hang out when we want to, and when we don't,
+we don't. That's what makes it fun, ya know?" With that, Haruka hung up.
+"That's certainly true," I said to no one.
+I realized then that I was grateful to be part of such a group.
+Chapter 4:
+How We Spend Our Time
+L WAS THE TWENTY-FOURTH of December. Christmas Eve.
+Today and tomorrow, even busy couples would go out of their way to
+spend time with one another. To most students, these were still ordinary days,
+but I was curious about how people would spend them.
+I left my room before seven o'clock in the morning. I had separate
+engagements with two different people—one whom I'd asked to meet, and
+one who'd invited me out. Bizarre.
+When I left the dormitory, everything around me had turned
+completely white. It seemed like a true winter morning.
+"Snow sure piles up, huh?" I muttered. Nature was certainly incredible.
+The snow fell heavily, but according to the forecast, it was supposed to
+stop around seven. Even though the temperature was almost the same as it
+was yesterday, the sight of such heavy snow made me feel colder. J should
+probably start wearing gloves and a scarf now.
+Since it was before seven in the morning, most students were still
+asleep; the campus was empty as I approached a bench near Keyaki Mall.
+Clearing off some snow, I sat. Soon, a man appeared.
+"Tt's rude to ask somebody to come out so early in the mornin'," he
+Spat.
+Ryuuen Kakeru, Class C's leader—ano, its former leader—glared
+sharply at me.
+"T needed to meet you when I was sure no one else would be around."
+"That's your problem. It's got nothin' to do with me." True. I had more
+to lose being seen with Ryuuen than he did with me. "So, what do you need?"
+"T thought we could make small talk."
+"Hah. That's a real funny joke for a real shitty morning."
+"Come to think of it, I saw you yesterday," I said. "Plus Ishizaki and
+some other guys."
+"What, are you happy you stopped me from dropping out?"
+"I'm impressed. Even though you're all alone, you're not hiding in
+your room and sulking."
+"IT do whatever I want, wherever I want. Does it scare you to see me
+out? After all, you don't know when I'm gonna take revenge."
+"And after you take revenge, I'll regret that I didn't get you expelled?"
+Ryuuen kicked snow off the bench, then sat beside me.
+"T'd like you to hold off on that, if possible. I'd rather live peacefully.
+Fighting you again would just be a pain," I told him.
+"Then don't ask me to meet you! Don't draw my attention back to
+99
+you.
+I decided to dispense with the small talk and cut straight to the heart of
+the matter. If I dragged this out too long, Ryuuen would just get up and leave.
+"Regarding what happened on the roof the other day... I wanted to add
+something to that story," I said.
+"Add something?" Ryuuen sounded wary. Analyzing his defeat
+wouldn't be fun for him.
+Still, I had to show him the truth he couldn't face. "If you'd been alone
+up there, you could've stuck it out. You would've been able to keep
+fighting."
+However, Ibuki, Ishizaki, and Albert had been there. Their presence,
+and the knowledge that they'd share the blame for whatever happened,
+might've hastened Ryuuen's decision. He surrendered after seeing that
+possibility down the road, not just because of what happened in the moment.
+It was a wise move. Of course, I'd manipulated him into it. But in
+terms of living up to my expectations, Ryuuen had a great deal of potential
+after all.
+"You really are a piece of work, huh?" Ryuuen snapped. "I'm amazed
+at how far you'll go just to screw with people. I thought that was my
+specialty, but you put me outta business."
+"T'm only speaking the truth."
+"I'm guessing that this benefits you in some way, and that's why you
+used Ishizaki and the others to stop me from dropping out?"
+Hmm. I'd hoped that Ryuuen might catch on by now, but it seemed that
+wasn't happening.
+"Do you really think you can still make me your puppet?" he
+demanded.
+"Puppet? What do you mean?"
+"Don't play dumb. I'm talking about using me to take down the other
+classes. Why else would you keep me at this school?"
+"You're a man who enjoys battle, aren't you?" I asked.
+"Even if, for argument's sake, I crushed Classes A and B—with you
+around, it'd be meaningless."
+Quite a definitive statement. "What? Did I break you that badly after
+just one defeat?" I asked.
+Anger sparked in Ryuuen's eyes. "You wanna go? Right here and
+now?"
+"T said too much. Please forgive me."
+If the whole incident on the roof hadn't happened, Ryuuen probably
+would've punched me out. This guy didn't know fear.
+But he'd learned it since then.
+Even so, Ryuuen would likely have fought me right here and now if I
+pushed him enough. Still, he had to avoid dropping out or being expelled if
+he was ever going to mature.
+"We've already settled the score between us," I said. "I won't bring up
+the rooftop anymore after this. I promise this is the last time. So, let's talk."
+Of course, Ryuuen didn't believe a word I said. "Talk is pointless. I
+can't see what I get outta this. I'm leaving."
+He stood up, looking angry.
+"You might get something useful," I replied, stopping him in his
+tracks.
+Ryuuen sat back down without looking at me. He'd probably risen to
+draw something out of me. He had no intention of going home empty-
+handed.
+"Interpret this however you like, but don't you think these simple
+battles are getting boring?" I asked.
+Ryuuen looked annoyed. "Simple battles, huh?"
+"Class D beats C, then B, and finally A. Then, Horikita and the rest of
+us become Class A ourselves," I said. "It sounds like the formula for a big-
+budget movie. But we needn't adhere to such a formulaic structure, right?"
+Real life didn't conform to a narrative. We were free to strike Class A
+before going for Class B, or even to ally with our enemies, Class C.
+"Interestingly enough, it seems that Class A will attack Class B once
+the third semester begins. We could take Class A out with a single strike
+while they're focused on that," I told Ryuuen.
+He suddenly looked interested. "How credible is this information?"
+"Td say about fifty-fifty." I had to consider whether Sakayanagi was
+bluffing. If I read her correctly, though, there was a ninety percent chance
+she'd told me the truth.
+"If your information's solid, this'd be a good chance. But I thought you
+Class D folks had a whole non-aggression thing going on with Class B?
+Striking at Class A is all well and good, but they'd crush Class B in the
+meantime. Ichinose can't beat Sakayanagi," said Ryuuen.
+"T don't care who wins or loses. I don't plan on getting involved."
+"So, you're just gonna watch her burn, huh?"
+"If Sakayanagi crushes Ichinose, that saves me the effort. It could clear
+Class D's path to Class A. Besides, this's Sakayanagi we're talking about. It
+might be time I looked up what kind of infractions the school punishes with
+expulsion."
+"There's a lot I don't like about this. You have no ambition to rise.
+Don't you want to stay invisible?" Ryuuen asked.
+"I do, but if people around me take their own actions...well, I'm fine
+with that. I'm not opposed to the idea of us rising to Class A easily," I told
+him.
+"So, you're just gonna sit back and observe?"
+"T need a problem taken care of. There's someone rather troublesome
+in my class."
+"Kikyou, huh?" Ryuuen didn't even need to think about it. "Yeah,
+she's certainly giving you a lot of trouble. The way this school works, having
+an enemy on the inside's real bad."
+Kushida was targeting Horikita at the moment, and causing enough
+problems in the process that she—rather than moving up to Class A—was my
+primary concern. Since I'd been a bit reckless during the incident on the
+rooftop, I couldn't afford to make an enemy of Horikita Manabu, the former
+student council president. If Horikita Suzune, his sister, was expelled while
+he was still at this school, he'd show me no mercy.
+I wanted to avoid anything that endangered my school life's
+tranquility.
+"Kikyou contacted me the other day, actually. She was askin' when I'd
+attack. Unfortunately, I was engrossed in hunting you down, so I didn't
+respond. Seems she hasn't given up on getting Suzune expelled. She's
+looking for the opportunity to pounce. Heh. She's quite a girl," said Ryuuen.
+"If you'd made good use of Kushida, you could've dealt a heavy blow
+to my class."
+"To Suzune or your class, sure. But Kikyou's way too weak to take
+down someone like you. You don't care about anything."
+True.
+"So, what're you planning?" Ryuuen demanded. "You can slow a
+cancer's growth, but it's not going away till it's excised, y'know? That shit
+can spread."
+And then we'd all die. "I know that."
+"Oh? Then let's hear your plan, Ayanokouji. How're you gonna end
+Kikyou?"
+"Do I need to answer that?"
+"Whether I help you might depend on your reply." A faint smile
+appeared on Ryuuen's lips, but maybe his mouth was still tender where I'd
+hit him, because the smile immediately faded.
+It'd gotten colder. Staying outside for too long right now wasn't wise.
+"In the third semester, Class D will be promoted to Class C," I said.
+"However, we'll probably fall back down to D when I get Kushida Kikyou
+expelled."
+"Heh heh. Ha ha ha ha!" Ryuuen howled with laughter despite his pain.
+"You really are terrifying. You'll sink your class if it means taking down
+your enemies, huh? I knew you had it in you, Ayanokouji."
+"We can help each other with this particular endeavor without formally
+establishing an alliance, don't you agree?"
+"Heh. This talk about getting rid of Kikyou tickles me. But going along
+with your bullshit and recklessly attacking Class A? Different story."
+"Tt could work, though."
+"Save it. If I'm going to throw down, I'd rather target you." Some of
+Ryuuen's vigor had returned, judging by his heated gaze. Even after learning
+fear, his eyes still had that sharp gleam. "It seems like you plan on using me,
+Ayanokouji. But I have no intention of being used."
+"Seems that way." Ryuuen appeared ready to disappear from center
+stage. Maybe he had plans to enact in the wings. "Let me give you a piece of
+advice," I said. "Your plan with the private points—it's not a bad strategy,
+but it's flawed. Even if one or two people make it, taking the entire class with
+you 1s impossible."
+"Tbuki spilled the beans, huh?"
+"She didn't spill anything. She just asked me whether it was possible to
+save eight hundred million points."
+That was likely Ryuuen's strategy. Never in this school's history had it
+worked. I initially thought he was only saving enough points to buy his own
+way to Class A, or perhaps to promote himself and those closest to him. He'd
+surrendered his private points on the rooftop because he'd meant to drop out.
+I would've expected him to go underground and collect private points again
+if he planned to stay in school.
+However, judging from what Ibuki said, Ryuuen was trying to find a
+way for his entire class to win. To be a tyrant, you had to provide your
+followers with some acceptable quid pro quo.
+Of course, he could just as easily renege on a promise. "Perhaps you
+were only pretending to save eight hundred million points?" I asked.
+If he'd deceived Ibuk1, too, this conversation was over.
+"Even if you exhausted the points you have now, the contract with
+Class A's still in place," I continued. "If you bring in eight hundred thousand
+points per month, you' ll need twenty-five months to reach your goal. You'd
+just barely make it before graduation. If you factor in the private points you
+need to use every month, you'll squeak past."
+Of course, that was based on the assumption that Class A wouldn't
+collapse in the interim, and that Ryuuen could avoid unnecessary
+expenditures.
+"You're certainly a clever guy, Ayanokouji, but you're far from
+perfect." Ryuuen wasn't joking. He sounded like he was mocking me, but not
+like he was bluffing.
+"So, you have some secret plan to save your entire class, Ryuuen?"
+"Listen. An enormous amount of private points move around in a year.
+There are a hundred and sixty people per grade, if we assume no expulsions.
+If we add all three grades together, that's four hundred and eighty students. If
+I can squeeze a hundred thousand points out of every student per month, that
+alone gives me forty-eight million points. If I get two hundred thousand
+points or more a month, I can snag up to one hundred million."
+After just eight months, he'd save about eight hundred million. But
+even if those calculations checked out in theory, they wouldn't work in
+practice. The school would probably strengthen its surveillance if it noticed
+massive numbers of private points moving around, for instance. If they
+caught Ryuuen in the act, they'd immediately reclaim those points and hit
+him with a penalty.
+I did the math in my mind with a mental abacus.
+Assuming that Class C's cooperation was a given, and assuming that
+Ryuuen got the highest possible level of points—one thousand points per
+month—that made about fifty million points in a year. Doing well at the
+special exams might net an extra ten million points or so. That averaged out
+to sixty million points a year, not even two hundred million.
+I stared at Ryuuen as I thought. "You can't reach that number. Or can
+you?" What strategy did he have in mind? What couldn't I see?
+"You and I have similar methods, but fundamentally different thought
+processes," he replied.
+"My policy is to avoid choices with low probabilities of success," I
+told him.
+"Of course. But you can see it, can't you? The strategy?"
+"Yeah. Originally, I thought you had a zero-percent chance of success.
+Now, I'd estimate five percent or higher."" However, to pull it off, a few
+things were absolutely essential.
+"Anyway, Ayanokouji...why're you covered in snow?" Ryuuen
+brought my focus back to my physical appearance.
+"Ah. It just... happened. The sensation of snow is quite refreshing. Is
+that weird?"
+I'd remained still during the snowfall, allowing it to blanket my head
+and shoulders. I was grateful that Ryuuen pointed it out, but I didn't brush it
+off. It'd melt on its own soon enough.
+Goldenagato_
+"You really are an odd one," said Ryuuen.
+"Well, now that you've heard my pitch, I think we might work
+together," I told him.
+"It sounds too good to be true. Something stinks," Ryuuen retorted.
+"You'd get rid of anyone, even your allies, without hesitation. How can we
+work together when we're thinking about stabbing each other in the back?"
+"If you're afraid of someone outsmarting you, then you simply have to
+outsmart them first. That's all there is to it, Ryuuen." I wasn't looking to
+make a friend. Ryuuen and I merely had shared interests. In some sense, that
+was the perfect basis for a relationship.
+"Tn that case, Ayanokouji, Pll lay the groundwork."
+"Lay the groundwork?"
+"Next semester, Kaneda and Hiyori will probably lead Class C...no,
+Class D. Pll let them know that it's in our best interest to attack Class A
+instead of you guys," said Ryuuen.
+"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." If Kaneda and Hiyori did decide
+to attack us, though, it'd be a hassle. Ishizaki and Ibuki, in particular, disliked
+me. They might try to influence their class to challenge mine.
+"However, my help comes with a price. If you give me what I want
+when you guys move up to Class A, we can work together."
+"So, you'll be pulling Shiina's strings behind the scenes as well?" I
+asked.
+"Impossible. I already told 'em I'd step down."
+"You want a lot for a small favor."
+"IT don't come cheap, Ayanokouji."
+I thought about his contract with Katsuragi. Ryuuen was happy to slip
+a hand into his opponent's pocket.
+"Well, I'm fine with your terms, but we can't put them on paper. It's a
+verbal agreement," I told him.
+"Heh. I didn't exactly expect a signed document, since you like
+working in the shadows. Remember, if you welch on our deal, I won't show
+you any mercy. Ill make you regret it."
+"Answer me one thing. Even if you and I reach an agreement today,
+doesn't the whole strategy fall apart if you can't convince your class?" That
+would require a fair amount of skill and luck. If anyone had those things,
+though, it was Ryuuen.
+"T don't know. That'll be up to Kaneda and Hiyori," he answered.
+In other words, Ryuuen was merely setting the stage. As the guy who'd
+ruled Class C with an iron fist, he probably thought it was the least he could
+do to make amends.
+"Our negotiations are finished, then," I said, shaking Ryuuen's hand.
+He couldn't be controlled that easily. Even though he was "retired"
+now, I would need to work hard to keep him out of my way. I couldn't afford
+to be careless.
+"So, that's it? In your original invitation, it sounded like you wanted
+me to meet somebody, but I can't imagine there's anyone worthwhile among
+the first years."
+"That's right. It's no first year," I replied.
+"Huh?"
+"Tt's time."
+Punctual as ever, a young man approached us. Upon seeing who it was,
+even Ryuuen couldn't hide his surprise. "Really? This is who you wanted me
+to meet?"
+I ignored Ryuuen and spoke to Horikita Manabu. "Sorry for calling
+you out so early."
+"It's no bother. This is a good time for a secret meeting. A good place,
+99
+too.
+The school campus provided limited options. At our current position, I
+could see anyone coming from a mile away. That had its uses.
+"Seems like you're pretty close with the former student council
+president. That's probably useful for Suzune too, eh?" asked Ryuuen,
+chuckling. Of course, he'd already guessed that she was Manabu's younger
+sister.
+"T thought you'd be alone, Ayanokouji." Manabu didn't sound
+especially shocked to see Ryuuen, though. The elder Horikita briefly noted
+that I was thoroughly covered in snow. Then he continued, ignoring the sight
+utterly. "I assume Ryuuen Kakeru is a coconspirator. I'll speak quickly, then.
+There's no telling who might spot us."
+"Wait just a second. Who are you calling a coconspirator?" asked
+Ryuuen.
+"At the very least, he's not an enemy," I told Manabu.
+"Ayanokouji, do you recall the promise you made when you sought my
+help earlier?" Manabu asked.
+"Yeah. It was about helping you stop Nagumo Miyabi, right?"
+"Nagumo? The new student council president?" Ryuuen asked.
+Ryuuen was here because I wanted him to know what concerned
+Horikita's older brother. "It seems he doesn't really like Nagumo's way of
+doing things," I explained.
+"T see. So, you plan to use Ayanokouji to stop Nagumo? Word has it
+he's dominatin' the second years. That means you gotta use a first-year
+student to deal with him, huh? Tell me, Horikita, since when have you had
+your eye on Ayanokouji?" asked Ryuuen, addressing the upperclassman
+condescendingly.
+"Since soon after he enrolled. It appears that your path to
+understanding him has been longer and more arduous," replied the elder
+Horikita. He sounded more indifferent than defensive.
+"Heh. I'm the type of guy who thoroughly enjoys the journey," said
+Ryuuen.
+"Yet you appear to have been beaten," Horikita Manabu shot back.
+Ryuuen glared. "If you think I'm so easy to beat, care to put your fists
+up and find out?"
+"T'll pass, thank you," answered Horikita calmly.
+"Heh. I thought so," Ryuuen snorted.
+He crouched—tthen launched a front kick, sending snow flying toward
+Horikita's face. His goal was to blind Horikita. Ryuuen jabbed at his
+opponent's abdomen, but Horikita blocked the attack completely, even
+though Ryuuen had obstructed his vision. He pushed his glasses back up the
+bridge of his nose, looking completely unfazed.
+"T thought you were some intellectual jerkoff who only had book
+smarts, but you ain't half bad," said Ryuuen—a rare compliment.
+"T already told you I didn't choose to fight," Horikita repeated.
+"What's the matter? If you're not happy, you can come at me anytime.
+Or maybe you don't fight against first years?" taunted Ryuuen.
+"You've made quite a fascinating friend, Ayanokouji." Horikita
+brushed snow and dirt from his clothes.
+"Well, whatever. I suppose you're somewhat capable, Horikita-
+senpai." Ryuuen tacked on a sarcastic honorific.
+"Likewise. You aren't fit to serve on the student council, but I suppose
+you've some measure of worth."
+"Whoa. Complimented by the former student council president. What
+an honor."
+Now that the two had finished their back-and-forth, the elder Horikita
+got to the point. "I'd like Ayanokouji to preserve and maintain order at this
+school. I don't care by what means. Ayanokouji, you may choose whatever's
+most convenient, whether that's having Student Council President Nagumo
+Miyabi removed from his position, or simply obstructing his plans. Once the
+third semester begins, Nagumo's power will only grow. He'll move quickly."
+"So, how exactly are things going to change?"
+"The student council isn't all-powerful, of course. But it does wield a
+certain degree of authority, unlike the councils at most ordinary schools. At
+present, whenever a problem arises within the student body, the student
+council takes the lead in resolving it. Both of you should be aware of that."
+The faculty hadn't presided over Sudou's trial during the assault
+incident. Rather, it'd been the student council, headed by Horikita's brother.
+"The student council also plays a role in designing the special exams.
+The first years' desert-island test was based in part on a student-council
+proposal."
+That meant Nagumo could create a truly terrifying special exam.
+"Nagumo's just tryin' to make this shitty, boring-ass school into
+something fun, from the sound of it. We should be happy," said Ryuuen,
+snorting in amusement.
+"If he did it correctly, yes. However, Nagumo's unorthodox measures
+have resulted in many expulsions. As a matter of fact, seventeen second-year
+students have already been expelled. According to their exit interviews,
+Nagumo was involved in over half the cases," said Horikita.
+Seventeen people. No small number.
+"If he can get that many students expelled, it won't be hard for him to
+rule the school," I said.
+"And, now that he's student council president, he can control first- and
+third-year students, too. His influence will only grow in the third semester,"
+Horikita continued.
+"Ain't this Nagumo guy just being rational? If those seventeen people
+were worthless nobodies, then that's why they got crushed."
+"The school will expel rule breakers. That's only natural. However,
+shouldn't a leader strive to help the entire student body graduate, without
+leaving anyone behind?" countered Horikita.
+"Are you saying you'd never let a single person get kicked out of
+school, oh-so-venerable Horikita-senpai?"
+"I'm speaking of the ideal scenario. Currently, no first-year students
+have been expelled. Pursuing the scenario where that continues isn't a bad
+thing, wouldn't you agree?"
+"So you say. What do you think, Ayanokouj1?"
+"T think it's fine," I answered. "But I can also say that Ryuuen and I
+aren't the type to pursue such a best-case scenario."
+"Heh. Exactly."
+If anyone was such an idealist, it'd probably be Ichinose Honam1.
+"Of course. I'm not trying to convert you," Horikita said. "If you can
+stop Nagumo, that's enough."
+It sounded simple. If it were, however, he wouldn't be asking for our
+help.
+"Well, ''m gonna head back before I get roped into becoming a
+coconspirator for real." It seemed Ryuuen had no interest in student-council
+drama. "It was a pretty interestin' chat, but any more would be a waste of my
+time. See ya."
+I called out to Ryuuen as he walked away. "Do you plan to go it alone
+from here on out?"
+"Save it. 've always been alone," Ryuuen answered. He trudged off
+through the snow, leaving only those words behind.
+"Why did you let Ryuuen hear all that, Ayanokouj1?"
+"Mostly to shift his attention away from me," I replied.
+If Ryuuen felt as though he had to fight the student council, he'd be
+less likely to come after me. Besides, he'd probably have a lot more fun
+battling someone like Sakayanagi. Of course, he didn't seem to want to fight
+anyone anymore.
+"Well, you'll need all the friends you can get. In that sense, someone
+familiar—like Ryuuen—could be an asset," said Horikita.
+"Familiar, huh?" Otherwise, what I needed right now was to collect as
+much data as I could. "I barely have any information on the seniors. Can you
+get me that?"
+"Of course. I've already prepared it." Horikita pulled out his cell
+phone. I gave him my number and received a text soon afterward.
+As I scanned the message, he explained. "I'll tell you which student
+council members to keep an eye on. One is Vice President Kirtyama, from
+the second-year Class B. Next is Secretary Mizowaki. Then there's Secretary
+Tonokawa. Both secretaries are Class B students who've stuck with Nagumo
+through thick and thin. They're also among the few students Nagumo will
+listen to. And now, the remaining members."
+Horikita handed over documents with attached photos, almost like
+resumes. I deduced who belonged to which class with only a glance. Since
+several students were in Class A, including the vice president, I could guess
+Nagumo's real power. This was valuable information.
+It wasn't easy to contact students from other grades. I couldn't afford
+to be careless, especially when it came to the student council's circle. It
+must've taken Horikita a considerable amount of time simply to gather the
+information he just gave me.
+"The only people who know Nagumo's real personality and intentions
+are most likely those in his grade. Even though we were both in the student
+council, I don't know much about him myself," Horikita continued.
+"But the second years are in his grip, which makes things more
+difficult."
+"Exactly. However, one second-year student opposes Nagumo," said
+Horikita.
+"Who?"
+"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you at the current stage. I can't guarantee
+their safety if Nagumo finds out."
+"He might try to get them expelled? Is that 1t?"
+"IT can protect them while I'm enrolled here, but after I graduate, that
+protection will be gone."
+Why was he telling me this? "You want to get me and this second-year
+student together, don't you?"
+"T want to mention you to them as a capable first-year student."
+Figured. If this second year had to stay undercover, that meant I should
+offer my name instead. I'd be in less danger. Still, I didn't want word of me
+getting around.
+"What you do is entirely up to you," Horikita added.
+Normally, I'd have declined. However, people like Sakayanagi and
+Ryuuen had already learned about me. Sakayanagi, in particular, knew a great
+deal about my life in the White Room. The more I tried to keep it secret, the
+more power I gave her. Even if I turned down Horikita's offer, I gained
+nothing.
+"Understood. Tell them about me."
+"A bold decision, but the correct one," Horikita replied.
+"Now, all that's left 1s to see whether this works out."
+"If you don't join forces with this student, you can't bring Nagumo
+down."
+"All right. Let's do it your way, then."
+I just wanted to be left in peace. As such, I had reservations about
+putting myself in Horikita's power. If I abandoned his orders after he
+graduated, what happened then?
+"Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" I asked.
+"You're thinking about what happens after I graduate," he answered.
+Superb.
+"T didn't think you'd broach the topic yourself," Horikita added.
+"T can't read you," I replied. "I have to know."
+"T don't mind if you only cooperate until I graduate."
+"Until then, though, what if I can't beat Nagumo?"
+"T wouldn't entrust so important a mission to someone incapable."
+Did Horikita's brother truly think this highly of me? Or was he simply
+trying to flatter me? Either way, I couldn't get a read on him. "T'll try, but I
+can't guarantee that I'll succeed before you graduate," I said.
+"T understand."
+Why was this guy relying on a complete unknown like me? If he cared
+so much about the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, he
+should've recruited a more enthusiastic person.
+"T don't expect you to move heaven and earth because of a single debt.
+You don't intend to go above and beyond, either. Am I wrong?" Horikita
+understood everything quite well.
+"As the former student council president, you still have some authority.
+Influence, rather," I replied. "I figured making you my ally would be useful."
+As long as I was enrolled here, I faced no shortage of risks; having friends in
+high places could help.
+"Drop my name all you like, but don't expect too much of me."
+"T don't plan to. I may call in one last favor, but that'd be it."
+Hopefully, Pd have no need of that.
+"As you wish. Taking down Nagumo won't be simple, after all."
+"T'll start on a strategy. But, before that, I want to know something
+about your little sister."
+"You can use Suzune in any way you wish," he replied.
+"Tt's not that. I've watched her in action for nearly a year now, and I
+think she possesses a certain talent. How is it you haven't noticed that? You
+grew up with her."
+"Talent? What makes you think she's talented? Her academics? Her
+athletic ability?" he asked.
+At least he'd noticed that she was gifted in those areas. "I mean
+overall. She's clumsy in some respects, but generally very capable."
+"My sister's incompetent. She always chased after my shadow. She's
+made it her goal to catch up to me. That's foolish," he spat.
+"Is her earnestness the problem?" I asked.
+"You may interpret things however you wish. It's not going to change
+anything."
+"Yeah, you're probably right." Still, I was beginning to understand
+why Horikita's brother treated her so harshly. "If I told you that your sister
+was joining the student council, would you help her too?"
+"T'd cooperate."
+With that in mind, I began formulating a strategy to best Nagumo.
+"T have the data," I said. "I understand what's at risk. All that's left for
+you to do is wait."
+"Very well. Remember, this school's future depends on you."
+Laying that exorbitant pressure upon me, the elder Horikita left.
+4.1
+Asvrer THAT UNUSUAL MEETING, I headed back to the dormitory.
+There, I hung around aimlessly until noon, surfing the web and reading
+books. My next move was to send a message to Horikita. With the promise of
+her elder brother's attention as a reward, she'd probably consider joining the
+student council.
+I need to talk to you.
+Horikita was probably also cooped up in her room. She was
+fundamentally a loner; besides, she didn't seem to like the cold that much.
+A few minutes after I sent that initial message, I received a reply. J
+don't mind. Can we do it over the phone? Or must it be in person?
+In person, if possible. Would that work?
+I'm at a café right now. Come here, and I'll listen.
+Contrary to the isolated image I'd conjured up, Horikita was actually
+out. Leaving again would be annoying, but the sooner I looked after this, the
+better.
+I'm headed over. | sent the reply and put on my coat.
+When I arrived at the lobby, I saw Ike, Yamauchi, and even Sudou.
+They didn't appear to notice me as they headed out the door, and I didn't call
+out, choosing to follow and eavesdrop on their conversation.
+"So, Horikita just turned ya down for a Christmas date? Dude, what the
+hell, Ken?"
+"Shut it, Haruki. Just drop it."
+"Man, we're all gonna end the year without girlfriends, huh? I feel
+empty inside."
+"Tch. I'm just going to take things slow. It's not like Suzune's got a
+boyfriend or anythin'. It's just... I dunno, she doesn't seem interested in stuff
+like romance. I'm not gonna rush things."
+Apparently, Sudou had put the moves on Horikita, but been shot down
+in a spectacular fashion. An honorable defeat. He was far from giving up,
+though; he'd chosen to press on.
+"You really got it bad, huh? Hey, Kanji, how about we pull an all-
+nighter at karaoke? Let's belt out lonely Christmas songs with everything we
+got!"
+"Huh? Wh-what?"
+"Whaddya mean, 'what'? I said we should do karaoke all night."
+"Oh, uh...sorry, Haruki. I kinda can't today."
+"Huh? You can't? You don't have anything to do on Christmas Eve, do
+you? The only hot date you've got's with your right hand."
+"You know, I actually got stuff to do, dude." Ike was clearly agitated,
+but he wouldn't say why he couldn't go to karaoke.
+Sudou, smelling blood in the water, pounced. "Hey, Kanji, don't tell
+99
+me...
+"T-It's not like that." Ike sputtered. He lowered his gaze. "Look, I'm
+just going out to dinner with a friend, that's all."
+Anyone could tell that this "friend" wasn't a man. A scene from
+yesterday flashed into my mind.
+"Who is it?! Who're you hanging out with?! Spill it!' shouted
+Yamauchi, losing his cool and grabbing Ike's collar.
+"T-It really ain't that big a deal, but...Shinohara."
+"Shinohara? Wait a second...you mean, from our class? That
+Shinohara?!"
+Ike nodded slightly.
+"Dude, why Shinohara? Aren't you two always fighting?" asked Sudou
+in disbelief. Yamauchi seemed to share the sentiment. Ike and Shinohara
+were an unexpected pair, to say the least.
+"Like I said, we're just having dinner," replied Ike. ""Come on, there's
+no way I'd go for a girl like her, right? She just had some trouble a little
+while back, and I helped her out. She said she wanted to thank me!"
+"Uh, no, dude. I dunno about 'thanking' you or whatever, but it's
+1"?
+Christmas Eve
+"It's no big deal!" Ike cried. "I mean, me and Shinohara going out?
+There's just no way. Not even if the world was ending!"
+"T don't believe you! Come on, Ken, let's tail 'em!"
+"Dudes, knock it off! If rumors about me and an uggo like Shinohara
+get around, it'll be a huge pain in the ass!" shouted Ike.
+Ike and Shinohara, huh? They might actually be a well-matched
+couple. Of course, who knew how any of this would turn out?
+4.2
+Mos: STUDENTS HUNG OUT at Keyaki Mall during winter vacation,
+and the place was packed. Since more than 80 percent of the café customers
+were female, I couldn't find Horikita right away. After wandering a bit, I
+finally spotted her.
+"I'm here."
+"That was fast," she replied. I noticed that she wasn't alone.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida.
+This was a wholly unexpected pair. They had to be with someone else.
+I looked around.
+"No one else is with us," Horikita said, noting my confusion. I thought
+that Hirata would be here as a peacekeeper, but apparently he wasn't.
+"Not to sound strange...but which of you initiated this get-together?" I
+asked.
+Kushida smiled gently.
+"Me. I invited Kushida-san," said Horikita.
+I hadn't anticipated that, but it made sense now that I thought about it.
+Horikita was trying to bury the hatchet with Kushida, and meeting in public
+put restrictions on what Kushida could do or say. Horikita had played
+this well.
+"By the way, Horikita-san, how have things been with Sudou-kun
+recently?" asked Kushida.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Well, aren't you spending Christmas with him?"
+"Td never do that," said Horikita flatly.
+"Really? Didn't Sudou-kun ask you out?"
+"That doesn't have anything to do with the topic at hand, does it?"
+Kushida had attempted to use my arrival to change the subject, but
+Horikita wouldn't allow it. She could afford to be blunt, because she had two
+advantages: she'd won their previous bet, and the café was full of people.
+"How long do you plan to stand around, Ayanokouji-kun? If you have
+something to say, spit it out." Horikita clearly wanted to keep talking to
+Kushida.
+"Sorry. I didn't think there'd be someone else here. Another time."
+However, Kushida had apparently decided that my presence was
+welcome. "Come on, Horikita-san. How about we have Ayanokouji-kun join
+us for some tea?"
+I stopped in my tracks, but didn't sit down, feeling the pressure of
+Horikita's angry silence. "Maybe next time," I said, trying to escape.
+"Wait. Say what you came here to say," replied Horikita.
+"No, it's nothing."
+"There's something you don't want Kushida to hear?" Horikita asked,
+guessing what I was thinking.
+"Ts that true, Ayanokouji-kun?" Kushida wore a sad look.
+I intended to deny it, but Horikita cut me off. "Kushida's a member of
+our class. There's no need for secrets."
+"This has nothing to do with the class. This is between you and me,
+Horikita," I told her.
+"T see," she replied. "This does have something to do with me, then,
+right? Well, out with it."
+"Tl pass."
+"If you won't say it now, I absolutely won't listen to it anywhere else."
+Horikita's determination was steely. Maybe she thought total
+transparency would improve her relationship with Kushida. Kushida, for her
+part, smiled as sweetly as ever. Her smile always made you want to believe
+her kindness was genuine, no matter what unease you felt.
+I might've been able to come up with a convincing lie, but I doubted
+that Horikita would be receptive to my real proposal once she found out. "In
+that case, I'1l come right out and say it."
+"Good."
+No use beating around the bush. "Do you want to join the student
+council?"
+"T'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm not following you." Horikita tilted her head.
+"Why do you ask?"
+"T have my reasons."
+"Then continue."
+"Um, is this okay, Horikita-san?" asked Kushida.
+"Is what okay?"
+"Ts it okay if I overhear this? If this is about the student council, it
+might involve your brother."
+"You've known about my brother since junior high. It's a little late to
+Worry."
+I steeled myself and sat at the table. "A certain person has a burning
+desire to see you on the student council."
+"A certain person?"
+"Your brother."
+Strictly speaking, Horikita's brother had said nothing of the sort.
+Rather, he'd said I was free to decide whether to use Horikita. To get her to
+act, however, I had to dangle her brother like a carrot.
+"Why would my brother say that he wants me to join the student
+council? That's unbelievable." Horikita looked discouraged.
+"It's true."
+"If it were really true, my brother should've told me. Why did he go
+through you?"
+"Is he the type to tell you things directly?"
+"No. But he's also not the sort to ask me to join the student council in
+the first place." She just wouldn't believe me. Was their relationship really
+that poor? "I have no intention of listening to your lies."
+"Tf you think that ''m lying, why don't you confirm it yourself?" I
+asked.
+"You're being really stubborn."
+"Stubborn or not, just contact him."
+"Um...do you know his phone number?"
+"No. Don't you know it? As his sister?"
+"T don't know it."
+"Well, how about we try contacting Tachibana-senpai?" asked
+Kushida.
+"Tachibana? My brother's secretary?"
+"Yeah. I've talked to Tachibana-senpai a lot. I know her contact
+information." Just as I'd figured, Kushida was making friends in the most
+unexpected places.
+"Are you really okay with me calling him, Ayanokouji-kun? If it turns
+out you're lying, the consequences will be severe."
+"Do as you wish." Horikita's brother would recognize this as part of
+my strategy and cover for me; he'd say I was telling the truth.
+"Thank you, senpai. Yes, I understand. Goodbye," said Kushida,
+who'd just called Tachibana. She hung up and fiddled with her phone.
+Horikita's phone buzzed. Kushida had forwarded the contact
+information. "Thank you, Kushida-san."
+"Oh, you're welcome." Putting on a friendly face with Horikita had to
+be quite the struggle for Kushida.
+Horikita stared at her phone's screen. You might've thought that she'd
+call immediately, but her fingers didn't move. She clutched the phone with
+both hands.
+"Whew." Horikita let out a deep breath. Being this nervous about
+calling a family member definitely wasn't normal. "If this all turns out to be a
+lie, prepare yourself."
+"You don't need to remind me," I said.
+My clear confidence unsettled her. I could tell she suspected I might be
+telling the truth. Horikita mustered all her courage and pressed the call
+button. She held the phone to her ear. The person on the other end of the line
+must've picked up, because her face grew even more nervous.
+"Excuse me. I-It's Horikita Suzune." Horikita spoke formally, as if
+talking with a stranger. "I asked Tachibana-senpai for your contact
+information... Um, well, so I could call you, ontisan."
+Wearing a confused, flustered look that seemed out of place on her
+face, Horikita asked her brother the all-important question about the student
+council. Though I couldn't hear, he seemed to confirm my version of events.
+"Yes. Th-thank you very much. Goodbye." Horikita ended the call and
+gave me an intense glare.
+"T told you the truth, right? Why the angry face?" I asked.
+"Why're you the intermediary? That's what baffles me." Gosh, she was
+paranoid.
+"Are you joining the student council, Horikita-san?" asked Kushida.
+"No, I'm not."
+"Wait a minute. Your brother just told you to join, didn't he?" I asked.
+"He told me that joining would be good for me...but I can't imagine
+that's true."
+Even if I pushed Horikita, no good would come of it. At this point, I
+just wanted to stop giving Kushida information. "I understand. Well, I hope
+to talk to you later."
+""Wouldn't further conversation be a waste of time?"
+"Probably." I stood.
+"See you later, Ayanokouji-kun." When Kushida spoke so gently to
+me, I sensed that something was amiss.
+4.3
+IL WAS NOW TEN O'CLOCK at night. Christmas Eve slipped away with
+every tick of the clock. Rather than go out and party with my guy friends, I
+stayed in and watched TV alone. A live broadcast showed people in Tokyo
+celebrating, all chock-full of Christmas spirit. I flipped through the channels,
+but every single program was Christmas-related. I did find a show ranking
+presents to give girls—though Christmas Eve was a little late to think about
+such things—and also a ranking of presents for children, but none of it
+looked particularly interesting.
+I shut off the TV and turned on my computer, craving something non-
+Christmas-related. I scrolled through the news at random, noting accidents
+and incidents, articles on foreign athletes, and other miscellaneous stuff.
+Apart from it being almost Christmas, it was a day like any other day.
+Nothing ever really changed.
+My doorbell rang. Not the lobby intercom—my actual doorbell.
+"Coming." I made my way to the entrance.
+"G-g-good evening, K-Kiyotaka-kun!" stammered a familiar voice as I
+unlocked the door.
+"What's up, Airi? It's pretty late." It was already past ten, yet judging
+from her appearance, she'd just gotten back to the dorm. "Were you out? I
+thought the gathering wasn't until tomorrow."
+"Yes, that's right. I was doing something different. I've been hanging
+out with Haruka-chan since two in the afternoon."
+"T see." That was a long time to hang out. "Did you have fun?"
+"T'm a little tired, but yes."
+"I'm glad to hear that." I probably didn't need to worry about Airi. At
+the very least, she'd be safe with a member of our group.
+"T heard from Haruka-chan that you have something going on
+tomorrow, Kiyotaka-kun. That means you won't be able to come with us."
+Ah, right. | had indeed talked to Haruka about that. Hanging out with
+Airi was probably her way of "handling" things.
+"Yeah, I do have plans. Sorry I can't join you," I told Airi.
+"No, that's perfectly okay. To tell you the truth, I planned to give you
+something tomorrow, but..." Airi handed me a package tied in a cute red
+ribbon. "Um, well...I hope...that'll you like it."
+A Christmas gift.
+"For me?" I asked.
+"Yeah! I-I, um, got a gift for everyone else too."
+In that case, it was easy to accept. I took the present, wondering what
+was usually done in these situations. Should I open it now, or after Airi left?
+As I agonized, Airi spoke. "I-I don't mind if you open it now." Well,
+that answered that question.
+Inside the package, I found warm-looking gloves. "I've thought for a
+little while that you could use gloves, Kiyotaka-kun. You don't have a pair,
+do you?" she asked.
+"T was thinking of buying some. Thank you, Airi."
+"Hee hee hee! You're welcome," she answered.
+The plain-blue gloves were simple in design, much more to my taste
+than the patterned ones I saw other students wear. I put them on right away—
+the first time I'd ever worn gloves, though I didn't say that, of course. After
+putting on the left glove, then the right, I flexed my hands over and over to
+get used to them.
+Airi happily watched me. "H-how do they feel?" she asked.
+"They're the perfect size, and warm." If I'd bought gloves for myself, I
+would' ve picked these.
+"I'm glad," said Airi. "Well, uh, sorry for dropping by so late. Good
+night, Kiyotaka-kun."
+Airi turned to leave. I wouldn't have minded getting her a cup of tea or
+something, but it was pretty late. On top of that, having a girl in my room on
+Christmas Eve might've gotten me in trouble.
+As Airi headed for the elevator, she glanced back once, perhaps
+because she felt me looking at her. She gave a tiny wave, then hopped on the
+elevator.
+After seeing her off, I went back inside. "When would be a good time
+to show my gratitude?" I muttered.
+If you received a present on Valentine's Day, you gave one back on
+White Day. I knew that much. What about Christmas gifts, though? I'd have
+to look that up later.
+Chapter 5:
+The Turbulent Double Date
+Cains DAY HAD ARRIVED. In the past, this day had meant little to
+me, but that wasn't the case this year. For the first time in my life, I'd spend
+Christmas Day with a member of the opposite sex. I wondered whether Satou
+would enjoy hanging out with me. Much as I'd have liked her to, we still
+didn't know each other all that well.
+I'd never been on a real, honest-to-god, one-on-one date before. That
+should've been significant, but there was still so much I didn't understand.
+"Just go with the flow, I guess."
+I left my room and took the elevator to the lobby. If I remembered
+correctly, Satou and I were going to catch a movie. We'd agreed to meet at
+11:30, but I decided to get there a little early.
+5.1
+U corny: IT WAS cloudy outside, and it promised to be cloudy
+all day. I got to our meeting spot ten minutes early, but when I looked up
+from checking the time, I saw Satou walking toward me. She seemed
+somewhat uneasy as she scanned her surroundings. Then our eyes met, and
+she grinned.
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" she called, hurrying over.
+When she came up to me, I couldn't help noticing that she smelled
+nice. "You're early," I remarked.
+"You too, Ayanokouji-kun. Did I keep you waiting, by any chance?"
+"Nah, I just got here." A cliché line, but true.
+"Really?" Satou leaned forward, playfully eyeing me like a cat that
+spied a mouse.
+I nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed already. Well, we had a few
+minutes left until our date was officially supposed to start, but perhaps we
+should just begin. I was ready to get a move on, but for some reason, Satou
+looked around the area again.
+"Should we head out?" I asked.
+"O-oh, yes. S-sorry, just give me a minute." She reached into her bag
+and rummaged through it, muttering to herself loudly enough for me to hear.
+"Did I forget it...?"
+"You forgot something?" I asked.
+"No, sorry. I just wondered what happened to my phone."
+Looking into Satou's bag, I noticed a long, narrow box covered in
+wrapping paper. I strategically averted my gaze. "I can call your phone for
+you," I told her.
+"Oh, thanks. You're really kind, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Helping someone find their phone didn't seem especially kind. Most
+people would've done the same.
+Satou continued to speak, sounding a bit awkward. "If I remember
+right, this morning..." She paused. Then she shrieked, "Ahh! Found it!"
+Good news, then.
+She held up her phone and put it in her pocket, laughing. "Sorry to
+keep you waiting! Shall we go?"
+But then...
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Turning around, I saw Hirata Yousuke, looking as bright and cheerful
+as ever. I offered a wave in reply. Next to Hirata was his "girlfriend,"
+Karuizawa Kei. Were they on a Christmas date? I knew their relationship was
+fake, but they might've been doing this to keep up the act. Very clever.
+"Good morning, Karuizawa-san," said Satou.
+"Morning," Karuizawa replied, smiling.
+"This is a rare sight, you two together," said Hirata.
+"Are you on a date, too?" I asked.
+"Yeah. I didn't really make any Christmas plans, just in case," he told
+So, he'd left his schedule open for his fake girlfriend Karuizawa's
+sake. Hirata always put others before himself. Though I admired him, I
+acknowledged that it wasn't easy to pull off.
+"T thought one of your friends would' ve invited you out. No?" I asked
+Hirata. He was popular among our classmates, and even among the seniors in
+the soccer club.
+"No, I think they probably wanted to give us alone time," he replied,
+glancing at Karuizawa.
+From the outside, Hirata and Karuizawa embodied an ideal couple. No
+one wanted to get in a happy couple's way at Christmas. However, as long
+this fake relationship continued, Hirata couldn't get close to another girl. I
+felt kind of bad for him. Even if he developed feelings for someone, he'd
+never do anything to hurt or embarrass Karuizawa.
+No wonder she chose him as her protector.
+"Karuizawa-san's always been popular with the girls in class, but I
+didn't know she was this close with Satou-san," whispered Hirata, looking at
+the girls warmly, as if they were his sisters or daughters.
+"T thought they hung out a lot, like, on their days off. Is that not the
+case?" I asked.
+"Well, I didn't think so."
+"Really?"
+"What do you think's going on?"
+"T dunno."
+In any case, I figured we shouldn't hold up Hirata and Karuizawa any
+longer. I checked my phone. It was already 11:40, close to the movie's start
+time. We should've made tracks for the theater, but Satou and Karuizawa
+were deep in conversation, apparently enjoying themselves. They were
+whispering, so I couldn't pick out the words.
+Feeling lost, I met Hirata's eyes. He seemed to grasp the problem and
+interrupted Karuizawa. "Karuizawa-san, I think maybe it's time to let them
+have their fun. Shall we?" he asked in his usual gentle tone.
+"Hey, when did you guys start going out, anyway?" asked Karuizawa.
+It was a perfectly natural question.
+"Huh? I-It's not like we're actually dating or anything, right?! R-Right,
+Ayanokouji-kun?" said Satou. She looked flustered. I shook my head in
+response.
+However, Karuizawa regarded us with obvious suspicion. "Eh? I mean,
+you guys are on a date on Christmas Day. That means you're going out,
+right? Don't you think so, Hirata-kun?"
+"Well...I suppose that's what people would assume, yes."
+"That's, well, um... I only invited Ayanokouji-kun to hang out," said
+Satou, fidgeting bashfully. "I-Is this okay, A-Ayanokouji-kun? Spending
+Christmas with me?"
+"If I didn't want to, I would've declined your offer," I told her.
+"Hee hee!" Satou lightly scratched her cheek.
+"Hunh. So, does that mean you're interested in Satou-san, Ayanokouji-
+kun?" asked Karuizawa.
+"C-come on. Stop it, Karuizawa-san," said Satou, blushing bright red.
+She fanned her face, as if attempting to cool it.
+Karuizawa kept going. "So, why don't you just start dating already?
+Christmas is a time for romance."
+"T really don't think it's our place to say that to them, Karuizawa-san."
+Hirata politely tried to rein her in.
+"Sorry, sorry. I'm being nosy, huh? Sorry, Satou-san."
+"Oh, no, it's okay. I don't mind," replied Satou.
+"Hey, don't you think a double date sounds like fun?" asked
+Karuizawa.
+"A double date?" I replied. Hirata and I glanced at each other.
+"Yeah, yeah! Me and Hirata-kun could go with you two. Doesn't that
+sound like fun? I just thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to hang out, you
+know?"
+If we'd arranged this beforehand, that'd be one thing. But Karuizawa
+proposing a spontaneous double date baffled me. The plans Satou and I had
+made would go up in smoke. Judging from Hirata's expression, he felt the
+same. However, Satou didn't show even the slightest hint of surprise.
+"I'm sure that these two have other plans," Hirata told Karuizawa, but
+his words had no effect.
+She continued, undeterred. "Satou-san just told me that she thought it
+sounded fun. Right?"
+"Yeah, it does sound fun." Apparently, they'd already discussed this.
+Regardless, Hirata looked concerned. "How about next time? If we're
+going on a double date, I think it'd be better to plan in advance."
+"Well, I guess. But doesn't the fact that it's unplanned make it kinda
+fun?" asked Karuizawa. She sounded excited, as if her heart was set on the
+double date.
+Unlike Hirata and I, who grew anxious without a plan in place,
+Karuizawa seemed to thrive on spontaneity. Maybe she was looking for a
+thrill precisely because her romance was fake? I wasn't so sure. I knew her
+well enough to doubt this would really be that fun for her. Still, why else
+would she propose a double date?
+"Remember, it's Christmas," stated Hirata. He wore a troubled
+expression.
+"You don't want to, Hirata-kun?" Karuizawa asked bluntly.
+"T'm fine with it, personally, but isn't this up to Satou-san and
+Ayanokouji-kun?" he asked.
+Satou gave Karuizawa a look that seemed to say, "This isn't too much
+bother, is it?" I wondered how she really felt about this double-date proposal.
+"It might be a little sudden, but I'd like to try it...I think," she said.
+Maybe Satou just couldn't refuse a proposal from Karuizawa, the
+queen bee of Class D. That really didn't seem to be the case here, though.
+"What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Satou.
+First the baton had passed from Hirata to Karuizawa, then Karuizawa
+to Satou, and now from Satou to me. I couldn't carelessly drop it. "Well..."
+Hanging out with just one girl was stressful enough. But a double date?
+It was a daunting prospect for a dating newbie like me. Still, I didn't want to
+be the sole dissenting voice. I supposed that, if Satou was willing, I shouldn't
+object.
+This still left some problems. Satou and I had planned to watch a
+movie, and I didn't know whether that would even be possible anymore,
+since we might not be able to get seats next to one another. Or maybe
+ditching those plans was part of being spontaneous?
+This date wasn't going the way I'd expected. Still, I couldn't say a
+double date was all bad. There might've been awkward moments of silence if
+I were all alone with Satou, but Hirata and Karuizawa could keep the
+conversation going smoothly. Besides, even though Haruka said that she'd
+make sure Airi didn't bump into us by chance, it might still happen. In that
+case, it'd probably look more natural if four of us were hanging out, rather
+than just Satou and me.
+"Tf you three are okay with it, I don't have any objections," I said.
+Karuizawa immediately took action. "All right. Where were you two
+planning on going now, anyway?"
+Satou looked just a little relieved. Maybe she'd been nervous, too?
+Maybe she was anxious about being alone with me. "Um, well, Ayanokouji-
+kun and I planned to see a movie," she said.
+"The one that just opened today?" Karuizawa asked. "Oh, that's lucky
+for us. We were also planning to see it. Whoa—it looks like we even picked
+the same screening! That's amazing!"
+The two girls were incredibly excited about this coincidence. I couldn't
+help noticing Satou's stiff expression, though.
+"What a coincidence, huh, Ayanokouji-kun?" This serendipity seemed
+to surprise even Hirata. Since the movie had just come out, it was quite the
+stroke of luck.
+"What do we do about the assigned seats, though? We can't change
+them, can we?" I asked. It was time to see whether these coincidences just
+kept coming.
+"No, we can't. Let's see." Karuizawa fiddled with her phone.
+"How's it look, Karuizawa-san?" asked Satou, peeking.
+"Tt looks like...we're sitting in different places. Oh well." Karuizawa
+showed Hirata their seats. We were in completely different spots. So, this was
+where the coincidences stopped.
+"Okay, I think it's about time we get going, Ayanokouji-kun!" said
+Satou.
+When we first met up, she'd looked so meek and nervous. Running
+into Karuizawa and Hirata seemed to restore her usual vigor, and she stuck
+close to me as we walked. Very close. The four of us, now on a double date,
+made our way toward the movie theater. We walked through the mall lined
+up side by side: me, then Satou, then Karuizawa, and finally Hirata.
+"Whoa. The two of you look good together," muttered Karuizawa,
+watching Satou and me.
+"R-really?" asked Satou.
+"Yeah. I mean, you guys look like a couple that's used to spending
+Christmas together. You know, you just give off those warm, fuzzy vibes,"
+said Karuizawa.
+"Hee hee! She says that we look like a couple, Ayanokouji-kun. Isn't
+that embarrassing?" asked Satou.
+"Guess so." Well, we were out on a Christmas date. The observation
+made sense.
+"But you two aren't, like, officially going out?" Karuizawa asked. "Or
+are you, hmm?"
+1?
+"N-no, we're not. Really. It's not that kind of relationship!" sputtered
+Satou.
+"Reeeally? If you're hiding something, you better spill," said
+Karuizawa.
+Karuizawa was clearly teasing us, but Satou didn't actually seem to
+mind. If anything, she seemed like she enjoyed it. It was difficult to wrap my
+head around at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
+If people thought that I was dating one of the hottest girls in school, I'd be
+embarrassed when they teased me. But, at the same time, I'd feel pretty
+pleased with myself. That said, I doubted that Satou felt so strongly about
+me.
+"That reminds me, Satou-san. You don't have a boyfriend yet, right?"
+asked Karuizawa.
+"Y-yeah, that's right."
+Karuizawa was relentless. I half-listened to the conversation, trying to
+decide how I could survive this double date with my dignity intact. Before I
+knew it, we were at the theater.
+"Well, I guess we gotta part ways for a bit. Don't mind us, you two,"
+said Karuizawa.
+That was it? She was just taking off? I could usually predict
+Karuizawa's behavior, but so much was going on here that I didn't
+understand. So, even though this was a double date, it'd just be Satou and me
+for a while? I didn't get it, but I decided to go with it.
+More to the point, I didn't know what to say to Satou. I knew almost
+nothing about her. I'd tried scrounging up information during these past
+couple days, but I'd gotten nowhere. I hadn't been able to talk to her at all
+since before winter vacation. I was sure she was similarly out of her depth.
+Granted, I had a few generic questions up my sleeve about things like
+favorite foods, hobbies, and so on. Now that the moment was here, however,
+those questions evaporated right out of my head. I didn't want her to think
+something like, Whoa, this guy does whatever online self-help guides tell him
+to.
+As I agonized over what to do, Karuizawa's eyes met mine.
+"You're being pretty quiet, aren't you? Isn't the quiet type a tough role
+to play on a date?"
+"I'm not playing a part. I genuinely have no idea what to do."
+We communicated that with a mere exchange of glances. Or maybe I
+just imagined that was what Karuizawa was thinking. The seconds kept
+ticking, and no one said anything.
+"Satou-san, maybe Ayanokouji-kun doesn't know what to talk about?"
+asked Karuizawa. Her question cut through our silence like an arrow.
+Satou looked relieved. "Do you like idols, Ayanokouyji-kun?" she
+asked. Maybe she'd wondered what to ask me, too.
+She'd lobbed the conversation ball at me; a nice, gentle toss, and easy
+to catch. "Idols? To be honest, I'm not all that familiar with them. I don't
+really like or dislike them, though. Do you like them, Satou?" I asked.
+"Yeah, quite a bit. I like those 'cool' idols, but I guess girl idol groups
+are 'in' right now. Have you heard anything about those? There're, like, so
+many of them."
+"Yeah. They're on TV every day. You mean those groups that do their
+own original song-and-dance routines, right?"
+"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I really love them. There're so
+many good songs, too."
+'"'Hunh." I nodded at Satou's relentless idol lecture.
+"Ooh—I especially love this one group's debut single! I'Il lend you the
+CD," Satou added.
+"Thanks."
+I'd made a conversational error. The discussion was going to fall apart
+if I only responded "hunh" and "thanks." Satou would end up doing all the
+work. She'd tossed me the ball; now, I had to throw it back to her.
+"What kinds of songs do you listen to?" she asked.
+This time, I'd toss the ball right. What kind of songs did I listen to?
+That was a surprisingly simple question, but the answer got stuck in my
+throat. If I opened up to Satou about my interests and hobbies, how would
+she respond? I mean, if I mentioned Beethoven or Mozart, that'd definitely
+be a swing and miss. On the other hand, saying that I liked "natural" sounds
+like rainfall or chirping birds would seem bizarre.
+I shouldn't tell her about my tastes. She wants me to discuss current
+music, right?
+"There was a really popular movie this year, right?" I asked her. "An
+anime."
+"Uh, yeah. That romance movie, right? It was super moving, wasn't
+it?"
+"T've been listening to stuff by that one group...you know, the group
+that performed the theme song. That kinda stuff." I didn't remember the
+band's name, but I iad listened to that theme song countless times. I hoped
+that'd keep the conversation going.
+"Ah! I know that band! Yeah, I so love them, too!"
+I'd returned the ball, and Satou caught it. However, we couldn't stay
+on this topic too much longer.
+"You really know a lot about them," Satou added.
+"You think? I just know basic things, really."
+Man, girls were better at conversation than I'd anticipated. It might've
+had something to do with the different expectations that'd existed since the
+beginning of time for gender roles.
+"You're not part of any clubs, are you? Weren't you in track and field
+before?" asked Satou.
+This choice of topic was easy to understand; it was likely due to my
+participation in the relay during the sports festival. "No, I've never been in
+any clubs," I told Satou.
+I mean, I'd been a member of the "go home right after school" club for
+as long as I could remember.
+However, my running skills had clearly impressed Satou. "Really?!
+Even though you're super fast?! That's incredible! I mean, you were even
+quicker than the student council president!" she exclaimed.
+Maybe because of Satou's giddiness, Karuizawa cut in on our
+conversation. "Wasn't the student council president just slow? Like, maybe it
+was a race between two slowpokes," she said.
+"T don't think that's true at all, Karuizawa-san," replied Satou. "Both of
+them were really fast."
+"Hmmm. I find that hard to believe. Ayanokouji looks like he'd be no
+good in a fight. Besides, he's a really cold dude, you know. Like, if someone
+close to him came down with a bad flu, he wouldn't even visit them," said
+Karuizawa. Her voice positively dripped with sarcasm.
+She'd brought up fighting for no reason at all. I understood the cause of
+her anger now, at least. Karuizawa resented me because she thought I didn't
+care about her. After her horrifying ordeal with Ryuuen on the roof, she
+could've gotten very sick. Maybe she'd proposed the double date to interfere
+with my plans?
+"T don't see him that way, though. I think Ayanokouji-kun's a kind
+person," said Satou.
+"Huh? Really?"
+"T think Ayanokouji-kun's kind, too," said Hirata.
+"Well, now I feel like you're ganging up on me," Karuizawa said.
+Even though she sounded annoyed, I got the feeling that she teased me
+precisely to make Satou rise to my defense. Almost as if she wanted me and
+Satou to be an official couple.
+"U-um, well, it's just...you know...well, um..." Satou stammered. She
+wasn't smiling anymore. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but
+couldn't find the words. "U-um, hey, is there anything you'd like to ask me,
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Well, the conversation had been pretty one-sided for a while. It was
+only fair that I take a turn.
+"You know how we can't contact anyone on the outside while we're
+here at school? Does that ever bother you at all?" I asked.
+Satou pondered her answer. "Yeah. I've been worried about a lot of
+stuff." She thought a moment longer, then continued. "Back in junior high, I
+had a cat. I think my mom's taking care of it for me, but not being able to see
+it's been really hard."
+It made sense that being separated from family would be difficult for
+most. Not being able to see a beloved pet had to be tough, too—almost like a
+parent not seeing their child.
+"Not seeing your cat for three years certainly sounds hard."
+"Did you have any pets, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Uh, no. I wanted a dog, but my parents didn't allow it." That was
+basically true.
+"T see. Speaking of dogs, I saw a little puppy on campus the other day,"
+said Satou.
+"Huh? Really?" asked Karuizawa. Apparently, she was done letting
+Satou and me talk. She seemed to have really listened to our conversation.
+"Yep! It was someone's pet doggy," replied Satou. "It was so cute!"
+"Since students can't have pets, it was probably an employee's or
+teacher's," said Hirata. True, a dog wouldn't just wander around campus on
+its own.
+"It'd be so nice having a pet," said Karuizawa. "It'd be the best thing
+ever."
+"T agree," Satou replied. "It'd be great to have a pet shop around here."
+"Why aren't we allowed pets, anyway?"
+"T know! It's totally not okay."
+The two girls got all worked up while Hirata and I walked along in
+silence. Although pets did a lot for emotional health, I could see numerous
+reasons why the school wouldn't want them in the dorms. Even one animal
+per person would mean potentially hundreds in the building. Besides, if
+everyone left their pet all alone half the day to attend class...
+The girls didn't seem interested in logic right now, though. They were
+more preoccupied with the fact that dogs and cats were cute.
+I was being a stick-in-the-mud, and kind of unreasonable. Even I was
+aware of that much. What a stupid thought. Logic wasn't the point here. If I
+cut in to remind the girls that they couldn't have pets, I'd only end up souring
+the mood.
+"Td like to get a rabbit. They're relatively easy to raise, and they're
+docile," said Hirata, joining the conversation with ease. Both girls smiled.
+Men who could easily talk about anything were always popular.
+Before I knew it, the time came to switch topics. As I thought about
+what to say, my eyes met Satou's. "H-hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Um..."
+Satou had been fine a minute ago, but now she stammered again. Her
+nerves always seemed to give way whenever she really wanted to ask
+something. Was she like this with everyone, or just the opposite sex? She
+seemed ready to speak, but then closed her mouth again. It was probably an
+extra-difficult question.
+"So, what's your type, Ayanokouji-kun? In girls, | mean?" Before
+Satou could get the words out, Karuizawa asked me that question.
+"T-I'm curious about that, too," said Satou, sounding relieved. Maybe it
+was the very question she wanted to ask. In that case, perhaps this double
+date wasn't such a coincidence after all. I'd had a vague suspicion of that
+from the beginning.
+Either way, I needed to answer. The kind of girl I like, huh? "That's a
+tricky question," I said.
+Satou's eyes sparkled, but Karuizawa glared at me. Hirata, meanwhile,
+looked like he was enjoying this.
+"Spirited, I guess?" I finally replied. The moment I said it out loud, I
+knew that wasn't exactly the right word. Many—maybe even most—girls
+might consider themselves "spirited." Satou and Karuizawa didn't seem
+thrilled by my response, either.
+"Hunh. I didn't think you'd be into girls like that, Ayanokouji-kun,"
+remarked Karuizawa.
+Were Satou and Karuizawa both the spirited type? They definitely
+weren't as dour as Horikita. But Kushida and Ichinose were spirited, too.
+Right?
+"Wait, do you think there're only two types of girls, Ayanokouji-kun?
+The spirited type, and the quiet, gentle type?" Karuizawa added.
+"Ts that true?" Satou asked me.
+"No, it's not. It's just that I'm relatively quiet, so I thought it'd be nice
+to date a girl who was sort of the opposite. If I misspoke, I take it back," I
+told Satou and Karuizawa. I had a feeling I might've insulted them.
+"So, what's going on between you and Horikita-san? What's the deal
+there?" asked Karuizawa.
+Still with the interrogation. | wanted to say it was none of Karuizawa's
+business, but Satou's expression had clearly changed. This might be another
+question she also wanted to know the answer to.
+Very few people understood my relationship with Horikita, but I knew
+that Karuizawa did. Therefore, she'd asked for Satou's sake. If Satou had any
+affection for me, she must've confided in Karuizawa about it, resulting in the
+double date. In other words, Satou must've asked Karuizawa to back her up,
+so Karuizawa was digging for information, helping where she could.
+I didn't know which of them initially came up with the double-date
+idea, but I assumed that Karuizawa concocted the plan's finer points.
+it ike, ay aN
+***
+"There's nothing going on between Horikita and me. I mean, we're
+both doing our own thing on Christmas." The proof of the pudding was in the
+eating, as they said.
+"But that doesn't necessarily mean that nothing's going on, right?"
+asked Karuizawa. She really wasn't letting this go. "Maybe you're interested
+in Horikita-san, but she's not into you. Maybe you don't have the guts to
+actually ask her out. Hmm, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T suppose it's possible." I mean, anything was possible.
+""S-so, was hanging out with me a bother, then?" asked Satou
+anxiously.
+"Like I said, if I didn't want to, I would've said no."
+"T see. ''m relieved to hear that."
+"But there're totally guys out there who try to keep their options open
+when the girl they actually like doesn't like them. You know, they have a girl
+they can fall back on if their crush doesn't work out," said Karuizawa.
+A rather nasty thing to say. If I responded with something like, "Do I
+seem like someone with that much game?'', she might answer "Yes," and
+then I'd be stuck. Was she hounding me like this for Satou's sake? I felt as if
+I were trying to ford a crocodile-infested river.
+"Do I seem like someone with that much game?" I asked.
+"Yes, you do."
+"Hey." Just as I thought, I'd jumped in the river and been spectacularly
+devoured.
+"Maybe you're really in love with Horikita-san, but hanging out with
+Satou-san like she's a consolation prize, right?" said Karuizawa. Now she
+was just trying to make me look like a jerk. Maybe she didn't want things to
+work out between me and Satou.
+"T don't think that Ayanokouji-kun is the kind of person who'd do that,
+though," said Satou. "Right, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"I'm not that clever," I replied.
+The moment I said that, Karuizawa changed her angle of attack.
+"Aren't you pretty close to Kushida-san too, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"R-really?!"' Satou jumped as if she hadn't noticed who I hung around
+with at all.
+"T think Kushida gets along with everybody," I said. The crocodiles
+weren't just in the river anymore. They'd abandoned the water to fly through
+the air, chasing me.
+"Aren't most guys in love with Kushida-san, though?" Karuizawa
+mused.
+"What do you think, Hirata?" I asked. I needed him to save me from
+these flying crocodiles.
+"Kushida-san's quite popular, but I don't think everyone necessarily
+wants to date her. Anyway, I doubt Ayanokouji-kun has feelings for anyone
+in particular," he replied.
+Hirata to the rescue. He'd swooped in and solved all my problems,
+exactly as I'd hoped.
+"If Yousuke-kun says so, I suppose it must be true," said Karuizawa.
+She still seemed dissatisfied, but she relented. Hirata's words carried weight
+that wasn't easy to dismiss.
+Go, go, Hirata.
+"Hey, you four. Got a minute?" As we were about to enter the movie
+theater, someone called out to us. We turned around. "You're Ayanokouji,
+right?"
+"Yeah, I am."
+I was going to ask who he was, but the words got caught in my throat.
+He had a sharp gleam in his eye and a certain je ne sais quoi about him. I'd
+seen him on several occasions. There probably wasn't a student at this school
+who didn't know Nagumo Miyabi from the second-year Class A.
+Several students hung around Nagumo, probably his friends. Among
+them were student council members: Secretaries Mizowaki and Tonokawa,
+and Vice President Kirtyama. There was a single first-year student, too:
+Ichinose Honami, from Class B. When I noticed her, she only gave me a
+gentle smile.
+After the arrival of such distinguished upperclassmen, the double
+date's atmosphere grew tense. The student council members paid no attention
+to me, continuing their conversations.
+One senior, however, glanced at me. I recognized the girl. She was the
+upperclassman who'd dropped her phone charm when we passed each other
+some time ago. "You're a first-year, right? Miyabi's friend?"
+"T've never actually talked to him before," Nagumo told her. "You
+don't remember? He was the student who squared off against Horikita-senpai
+in the relay race."
+"Ah, okay. I thought I recognized him from somewhere."
+"Hey, can we talk for a minute? You have some time, right?" Nagumo
+asked me.
+It was obvious that the four of us were hanging out. Even so, being
+invited to talk to a senior student—and the new student council president, to
+boot—was an offer I couldn't refuse. Satou shrank back, and Karuizawa
+looked slightly upset.
+Hirata stepped forward. He was probably the only person in our group
+who could face off against Nagumo. Still, he couldn't just say "another time"
+to an upperclassman. I wondered how he'd settle this.
+"Good morning, Nagumo-senpai."
+"Hi, Hirata. How's soccer going?"
+Before taking on the student council president role, Nagumo played
+with the soccer club. Hirata clearly intended to make use of that.
+"We're giving it all we've got. You should join us for practice next
+time. Excuse me, senpai, but did Ayanokouji-kun do something wrong?"
+asked Hirata.
+"Huh? Oh, no. I wouldn't pick on one of my underclassmen, would I? I
+just wanted to talk to him, is all," Nagumo laughed. From the look in his
+eyes, however, it seemed more serious. If I didn't step in soon, things might
+get worse.
+"Can I help you with something?" I asked in a formal, stiff tone.
+"Come on, don't get all nervous. Well, I guess that's too much to ask.
+You guys go on ahead," Nagumo said to his friends. Maybe he thought the
+large crowd intimidated me.
+"Hurry up, okay?"
+"Got it."
+Nagumo sent his entourage off. As we watched them leave, he spoke
+again. ""We're going to karaoke. You guys wanna join us later?"
+"Well, I—"
+"T'm joking. I mean, if someone like you joined us, it'd ruin the
+mood," he replied with a scornful laugh. "So, you're the student Horikita-
+senpai's been so fixated on. I'm just following the rumors, 1s all."
+"Are you talking about the relay race, Senpai?" asked Hirata, expertly
+jumping into the conversation.
+"Yeah. You watched that too, huh?"
+"Yes. I already knew that Ayanokouji-kun was really fast." A lie, but
+Nagumo had no way of knowing that. "Besides the race, what's Ayanokouji-
+kun done to make you notice him?"
+"On the outside, he's an ordinary student, except for how fast he is.
+Hmm," said Nagumo, wearing a stern look. He grabbed my arm.
+Satou, Karuizawa, and Hirata looked shocked. It probably seemed like
+we were on the verge of a brawl. Even Hirata, who knew Nagumo, froze.
+"President Nagumo, you're totally nuts," Karuizawa laughed, clearly
+trying to defuse the situation.
+"Oh, did I scare you? Sorry. My bad," replied Nagumo, looking at her
+amiably. He didn't let go of my arm. "I do have a high opinion of Horikita-
+senpai's instincts," he told me. "If he sees something in you, you must be
+special."
+"You must really trust his opinion. The student council president's, I
+mean," I replied.
+"Former student council president. After he graduates, I have a whole
+year at this school. Won't you play with me?"
+I knew things were fraught between the elder Horikita and Nagumo,
+but I hadn't thought that they were intense enough for Nagumo to
+preemptively attack me. I'd taken him for the type who was happy as long as
+people around him were content. That didn't seem to be the case anymore.
+He wanted to make a show of his strength as a threat.
+"May I ask something?" I asked. Until now, I'd been completely
+passive. Nagumo smiled. "When you became student council president, you
+said that things would get interesting at this school. You said that talented
+students would rise to the top. What're you planning?"
+I might as well ask at this point.
+"T imagine that you first years have had some shitty, boring tests so far.
+I've had it up to here with those banal games. What if we had a special test
+based on a popular online game? Don't you think that sounds really
+interesting?" he asked.
+"An...online game?" I blinked in surprise.
+Nagumo chuckled. "Don't be so serious." He let go of my arm, still
+laughing, but his eyes remained dead. "Sorry for pushing in on your date. See
+ya around." With that, Nagumo followed his friends toward the karaoke
+place.
+We were all silent a moment.
+"Whew. Now, that sure was something, wasn't it?" asked Hirata,
+relieved that nothing had happened.
+Satou, who'd been utterly silent, suddenly bubbled over with
+excitement. "Th-that's amazing, Ayanokouji-kun! W-wow, to think the
+student council president thinks so highly of you!" she exclaimed.
+"It's really not that big a deal," I said, but Satou remained starry-eyed.
+"T dunno. I mean, the only thing Ayanokouji-kun has going for him is
+that he's, like, a fast runner," said Karuizawa, giving Hirata a smile.
+""Y ousuke-kun's a hundred times more amazing. He's super fast—like, the
+fastest. And he's really smart, too. I mean, if Nagumo had his eye on anyone,
+it'd be Yousuke-kun, right? Isn't this weird?"
+"T definitely think that Hirata-kun's amazing, but...but...but I don't
+think that he could beat Ayanokouji-kun!" Satou stammered.
+It was nice that Satou believed in me, but she didn't need to go that far.
+Besides, she'd make Karuizawa snappish if she kept saying stuff like that.
+"Y ousuke-kun couldn't beat him? Uh, aren't Ayanokouji-kun's grades
+totally lame compared to Yousuke-kun's, though?" asked Karuizawa.
+"W-well, that's... He's still smarter than me!" said Satou.
+I mean, she wasn't wrong—but I wished she wouldn't say it so
+proudly.
+"Isn't that great, Ayanokouji-kun? Satou-san thinks so highly of you.
+Though it's weird that you get all this attention just by running fast," said
+Karuizawa.
+"T guess," I said. AA yes, Karuizawa. My biggest admirer.
+I had a sinking feeling that she was going to be like this all day.
+5.2
+Tis MOVIE THEATER was even fuller than it'd been the other day,
+which made sense, between them fixing the equipment malfunction and the
+release of some hot new titles. I didn't see Ibuki. Maybe she wasn't interested
+in an American animated film, or maybe she was just avoiding the crowds,
+planning to see it later.
+Everyone got their tickets, and we went in.
+"Oh, uh, that reminds me, Karuizawa-san. Would you please come
+with me to the bathroom?" asked Satou.
+"Sure. The movie's gonna start soon, though, so let's hurry."
+Satou dragged Karuizawa to the bathroom, leaving me with Hirata.
+"How do I put this? Nicely done," said Hirata. "Karuizawa-san's the
+first classmate I tried to save, you see."
+He was wasting his Christmas on a fake date with Karuizawa. Could it
+be that he genuinely had feelings for her? No. His neutral expression gave me
+the sense that that wasn't the case. All I saw was Hirata Yousuke, someone
+who always put others ahead of himself.
+"I'm really grateful for what you did for Karuizawa-san, Ayanokouji-
+99
+kun.
+"T didn't do much."
+"I'm glad that you and Karuizawa-san were in the same group during
+the ship test. She can stand on her own two feet now, without me."
+""She's not quite there yet, though. Right?"
+"You mean, because I'm still pretending to be her boyfriend?"
+"Yeah." Karuizawa had grown. She was stronger and more resilient,
+and Hirata sensed that. She wouldn't truly be free until she left him, though.
+"Tt's just a matter of time, I think," Hirata said. "We barely talk
+anymore. Apart from her plans today, I don't think she needs me now."
+"This might be blunt, but are you really okay with wasting your
+Christmas on this?" I asked.
+"Yeah. I'm Karuizawa-san's boyfriend, after all. I mean, I haven't
+wanted to date any other girls. I probably won't in the future, either."
+"Really?"
+"You see, Ayanokouji-kun, if everyone else is happy, then I'm happy,"
+he said.
+"So, you don't need romance?"
+"T don't. That's how I feel right now, anyway."
+Hirata was blessed with such good looks, a great personality, and so
+much talent. What a waste.
+"What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Do you want to go out with Satou-
+san?" he asked.
+"Well..." No, not really. But saying that would be like negating the
+date itself. "I don't know. I can't really say right now."
+"This might not be my place, since I just said that I don't need
+romance...but I think it might be good for you to go out with someone,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+"What, are you gonna hit me with the 'you've never had a girlfriend
+before, better get on that' speech?"
+"Ha ha ha! No, no. I mean, it's certainly true that you don't seem to
+have had a relationship. But I don't think that's because you're unpopular. Is
+it because you just haven't found anyone you like romantically?" he asked.
+"Honestly, it's both. I've never been popular, and I haven't found
+anyone."
+The White Room didn't specifically forbid romantic relationships.
+There just wasn't any way for romance to blossom. Playtime, holidays—they
+didn't exist there. We were monitored constantly, except during toilet breaks
+and bath time. You couldn't grow close to someone under those
+circumstances.
+"Isn't it exhausting, though? Always putting yourself second?
+Sacrificing yourself for the class's sake?" I asked.
+"Exhausting? On the contrary, it's a lot more exhausting to see the
+class in disarray. Honestly, my anxiety's gone way down since I started at
+this school."
+True. Back on the island, when the class had nearly fallen apart, I saw
+Hirata come close to his breaking point. He'd clearly improved now that
+Class D was coming together.
+Hirata Yousuke was one of Class D's real leaders. He was
+indispensable, but also worryingly fragile. The island test worked out fine in
+the end, but I couldn't predict what'd happen to Hirata if the class broke
+down again...due to Kushida, for instance. Back in junior high, she'd caused
+her class's total collapse. Even now, she was working against Horikita,
+implying that she'd destroy her own class if she deemed it necessary.
+If that happened, Hirata might snap. If the class's very heart stopped
+beating, who knew?
+Since the two girls hadn't returned yet, I switched topics. "How much
+do you know about Student Council President Nagumo, Hirata?" I asked.
+They'd been in the same club, after all.
+"Not much, really. Outside the club, I don't really interact with him.
+And since he became student council president, we only really ever say hi to
+each other in the hall."
+"Okay then, what's your impression of him?"
+"T guess I thought that he was an interesting upperclassman. He
+introduced bold, exciting new ideas, even for soccer practice. They didn't
+always work, but they were fascinating, even when they made practice
+especially tough." Hirata chuckled. "Anyway, he always gets results.
+Apparently, he's even led his team to victory in major tournaments."
+"So, he's the perfect upperclassman, huh?"
+"Well, ''m not sure I'd put it like that." Hirata shook his head. "The
+road to glory is hard. Quite a few people have left the club."
+"T haven't heard any rumors about that."
+"Probably because those students aren't here anymore. The second
+years who butted heads with Nagumo-senpai quit the club and dropped out of
+school."
+"Isn't that a little extreme?"
+"T don't know the details...like how much Nagumo-senpai was
+involved."
+Maybe Nagumo wasn't the sole reason the students had dropped out.
+Maybe they left for personal reasons. What bothered me was what Horikita's
+brother had said earlier, about how Nagumo removed anyone who stood in
+his way.
+Nagumo was the light, and those who opposed him were shadows. He
+wanted to thoroughly eradicate that darkness, but it wasn't so simple. Where
+there was light, there were always shadows. No matter how many you
+eliminated, new ones arose.
+"Are you joining the student council, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Hirata.
+A reasonable deduction, given our conversation thus far.
+"No, I'm not." I made sure to be very clear. Even if Horikita ultimately
+refused, I absolutely wasn't going to join. That would be more than a small
+favor, and it would have a huge impact on my life. /'m sure I could install
+Karuizawa in my place as a puppet, if it came to that.
+She wasn't the best candidate for the job, though. I needed someone
+who would follow my orders without question, who was talented enough to
+join the student council on their own merits, and whose presence wouldn't
+seem odd. Hardly anyone in our class cleared all three hurdles.
+"T see. I think you'd do quite well if you joined, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T should be the one saying that to you, Hirata. You're student-council
+material."
+"I'm not a good fit. Besides, I don't want to quit my club." He liked
+soccer that much, apparently.
+If Hirata did join the student council, I'd have another card to play. I
+wasn't going to press him any further, though. I was still happy in the
+outfield, catching whatever came my way.
+"Well, student-council issues aside, we'll probably have a tough time
+starting next month, won't we?" Hirata asked.
+"You mean, because the school will bump us up to Class C?"
+"Yeah. A and B will be wary of us, and the new Class D will try to trip
+us up. If we make a wrong move, we could be Class D again as early as
+February."
+It was natural to be apprehensive. Class point totals rose and fell all the
+time. Even a trivial mistake could make Hirata's fears come true.
+"T do think everyone wants to reach Class A, though," Hirata said.
+"Do you think they' lI still feel that way if it takes backbreaking work?"
+"That's exactly the problem. Aiming for the top requires a lot of the
+class." Just as Hirata was about to say something else, the girls called us.
+"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ayanokouji-kun!"
+Karuizawa and Satou were back, halting my conversation with Hirata.
+Since the movie was about to begin, we headed into the auditorium together.
+5.3
+I DIDN'T NORMALLY WATCH animated films, but this movie exceeded
+my expectations. The animals were surprisingly expressive, and the story was
+moving, if simple. I left the theater with Satou, who tightly clutched the juice
+she'd bought.
+"That was really good!" she exclaimed.
+I couldn't help but agree. I was just getting hungry, too—with perfect
+timing. Hirata and Karuizawa exited slightly after us, and we hurried to our
+lunch reservation.
+While we walked, Satou resumed our conversation. "Hey, um,
+Ayanokouji-kun. Do you mind if I ask you something that might sound
+kinda...insensitive?"'
+Maybe because we'd both enjoyed the movie, Satou was walking
+closer to me than before. It wasn't just physical closeness. Our emotional
+distance had closed by about a half step.
+"Fire away." If I could answer, I would.
+"T have a question too!"" Even though we were having separate
+conversations, Karuizawa butted in again.
+Hirata spoke up as well. "Why don't we all take turns asking each
+other questions?"
+Hmm, not a bad idea. | could ask Hirata some things that'd been on my
+mind for a while.
+"Sounds good! Ill go first," replied Karuizawa. She immediately
+looked at me. "Have you ever gone out with anyone before, Ayanokouji-
+kun?"
+Hirata had asked me the same question. To be more precise, he hadn't
+asked so much as discerned the answer. It was hard to believe this had been
+brought up twice in a single day. It wasn't a comfortable topic, but
+Karuizawa and Satou both fixed their gazes on me.
+"Right now, no." I tried to keep it vague. It felt like Karuizawa was just
+messing with me.
+"In other words, your age equals the number of years you haven't had a
+girlfriend," replied Karuizawa.
+Well, that was brusque.
+"You know, Ayanokouji-kun, that's just the kind of evasive answer an
+unpopular guy would give," she added.
+"Really? Even if I had a girlfriend in the past, I don't have one right
+now," I said.
+"So, you had one, then?"
+"Well...no."
+"See, I told you!" Karuizawa exclaimed. She bounced up and down.
+Satou seemed glad, too. "I don't think that's bad, though. Like, if you
+were obviously unpopular like Yamauchi-kun or Onizuka-kun, that'd be one
+thing. But it's more like you're just not in a rush. That's all. Right,
+Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"You understand Ayanokouji-kun pretty well, Satou-san."
+"T...wish I understood him, but I still don't really know much about
+him at all. That's why I'd like to ask him some questions. Hey, um,
+Ayanokouji-kun. Which do you like better? Girls with long hair, or girls with
+short hair?" Satou asked.
+Fairly straightforward questions: the type of girl I liked, whether I had
+a girlfriend, and now, what kind of hairstyle I preferred. Together, these
+questions seemed designed to construct a specific girl's image.
+"T don't really care. As long as it suits the girl, it doesn't really matter,"
+I replied.
+"That's a boring answer," Karuizawa shot back. She loved pointing out
+my failings.
+"T feel the same way. Whether it's a guy or girl, if it suits them, it's not
+an issue," replied Hirata, swooping in with the assist.
+Karuizawa gave him a smile. "Honestly, I think the same thing, you
+know? Even though some girls change their hair to suit their partner's taste,
+it's pointless if it doesn't look good on you. Right?"
+She always supported Hirata's ideas in public. Still, this was becoming
+ridiculous. If Karuizawa wanted to get Satou and me together, why was she
+going to such lengths to paint a negative picture of me?
+"T think that's great, not caring about hairstyles and things like that!"
+said Satou.
+Far from seeing me in a negative light, Satou's eyes sparkled.
+Karuizawa looked at her with something like respect. No matter how hard she
+tried to knock me down, Satou would lift me back up.
+"Hey, Hirata. Are you aware of how popular you are?" I asked.
+Karuizawa glared at me when I asked that. Satou assumed a weird
+expression, too.
+"You should ask Satou-san questions, not Yousuke-kun," said
+Karuizawa.
+"That's right. It feels like Ayanokouji-kun and Hirata-kun are gonna
+propose marriage to each other or something," Satou joked.
+"Okay, but..." I trailed off.
+Since Satou didn't know my extensive history with Karuizawa, I
+couldn't just start talking to her. It was still hard for me to jump into
+conversation with Satou, since I didn't know her very well. Therefore, I'd
+turned to Hirata. No matter how delicate the situation, Hirata could handle it.
+Besides, there were things I wanted to know about him.
+"You can ask me anything, Ayanokouji-kun," said Satou.
+"Let ssee..."
+As I struggled to escape this nightmare, we arrived at the restaurant.
+The conversation came to a merciful halt. Since Satou made reservations
+beforehand, we were instantly guided to our seats. The table had hand towels
+and disposable chopsticks...for four people.
+"Huh? It's for four?" The reservation was for two. It should just have
+been Satou and me.
+"Uh, I asked Satou-san about this place when we went to the bathroom.
+I added seats to the reservation. Right, Satou-san?" said Karuizawa.
+"Y-yeah."
+"You've really got this handled, huh?' I said.
+"T mean, I guess. When it comes to things like this, I've got /ots of
+experience. Guess you could say I'm a battle-hardened veteran," said
+Karuizawa.
+"You liar." I told her silently, with my eyes.
+She glared back at me. "Don't give me that, Kiyotaka. You've never
+gone out with anyone before in your life!" Her eyes were very expressive.
+"Is there anything you want to ask Satou-san, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+Karuizawa repeated. Apparently, I wasn't escaping this conversation.
+"What do you usually do on your days off?" I asked.
+Karuizawa reacted with blatant shock. "Seriously? That's the best you
+can do?"
+Even Hirata looked perplexed by the irritation Karuizawa radiated at
+this point. She probably wondered why I wasn't using any of the information
+she'd helped me acquire about Satou. However, I hadn't done research with
+the intent of specifically leveraging it to make this date succeed or anything. I
+wanted to know more about Satou as a person. That was all.
+"It's okay, Karuizawa-san. I'm happy that Ayanokouji-kun asked me
+something," said Satou with a smile. "Hmm. Well, I like to hang out with
+friends, I suppose. It's boring to be all alone."
+She was probably talking about her group of girlfriends. I could clearly
+picture them hanging out.
+"But, sometimes, I like to read about stuff on my own. Like fashion
+design, for example," Satou continued sheepishly. "I just think that becoming
+a designer might be pretty cool, I suppose."
+"Oh? This is the first I'm hearing about that. So, you're one of those
+people, huh, Satou-san?" asked Karuizawa. I had absolutely no idea what she
+meant. It seemed like girls had their own secret code that only other girls
+understood.
+Satou nodded. "I thought if I graduated from Class A, I could get in
+somewhere good."
+It wasn't a bad thing to aim for Class A, but Satou should also have
+considered what to do if she graduated from Class B or below.
+"Have you thought about what you'll do in the future, Ayanokouji-
+kun?" asked Satou, gently tossing the ball back at me.
+Since I hadn't given any real thought to my future, I gave a safe
+answer. "College, I guess."
+"Ugh, no thanks. Not for me. I definitely don't want to have to study
+even more," said Satou. "I mean, compulsory education ends after junior
+high, but it seems like it doesn't really end until after high school, right?
+People make fun of you if you stop at junior high."
+It was certainly true that the social norm was to finish high school. It
+was still sort of compulsory education, in that sense.
+"I'm probably gonna go to university too. College clubs seem like
+they'd be really fun," said Karuizawa, surprising me by not rejecting the
+notion of higher education. Her answer was vague too, but everyone seemed
+to be thinking about the future.
+It was kind of fun hanging out in a group I didn't normally spend time
+with—but exhausting at the same time. Doing this every day would've been
+extremely tiring.
+5.4
+Arte WE FINISHED EATING, we wandered around Keyaki Mall for a
+bit. It was after four now, and the double date—which had gone for almost
+five hours at this point—was nearly over. The day was unexpectedly fun,
+despite Karuizawa's attempts to introduce complications. Still, I didn't want
+to do it again.
+"So, what next?" I asked. I knew it was possible that Satou wanted to
+add another stop to our date.
+"Well, maybe we should head back, huh, Yousuke-kun?" asked
+Karuizawa, switching from happily bullying me to being suddenly
+considerate. Her goal from here on out was to leave Satou and me alone. I
+could see her and Satou signaling one another via eye contact.
+Hirata nodded. "Yeah, it's getting late. Let's head on back, Karuizawa.
+It was fun hanging out with you today, Ayanokouji-kun. See you later. You
+too, Satou-san."'
+Spending an entire day with Hirata had convinced me that he was truly
+a person of noble character. A saint. Hirata could get along with anyone. If
+this double date had succeeded, it was entirely due to him.
+"Thank you both so much," said Satou.
+Hirata and Karuizawa walked off at a brisk pace. Satou waved
+goodbye.
+"So, what are we going to do now?" I asked.
+"Oh, um...how about we take a little detour on our way back?" she
+suggested.
+With no particular reason to decline, I agreed.
+"Okay, then let's go."
+We got back on the path to the dorms. Satou, who'd chattered rapid-
+fire up until a little while ago, grew quiet.
+"I'm sorry about this turning into a double date and all," she said.
+"T was surprised at first," I admitted.
+"Those two really are amazing, aren't they? They're just, like, made
+for each other," said Satou. "I really look up to them, you know?"
+"Definitely."
+Even though we were walking close together, our hands weren't
+touching. Not a single ounce of the boldness Satou displayed in front of
+Karuizawa and Hirata remained. It wasn't awkward or anything, but the
+mood had changed for sure.
+"Thanks for inviting me today. I had fun," I told her.
+For some reason, Satou still looked anxious. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun...
+you didn't really have fun today, did you?"
+"No, I did." I was being genuine, but for some reason, Satou didn't
+believe me.
+"But..."
+"Why would you think that?" I asked.
+"Well, it's just...you didn't smile once today, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T didn't smile?"
+Satou kept going. "I would've liked to see you smile at least once,
+but..." I really didn't have any complaints about how the day went, though.
+As I wondered how to explain that, Satou spoke up again. "Does the fact that
+I once wanted to mess with Horikita-san have something to do with it?" She
+looked anxious, like she was about to cry.
+When we first started school, Horikita had been something of a loner,
+with a strong tendency to mock her classmates. Understandably, this didn't
+make Satou fond of her. As a matter of fact, Satou once proposed messing
+with Horikita in a group chat. I shot the idea down, but Satou clearly
+remembered.
+"T really don't mind," I said. "I completely forgot about that."
+"Really?"
+"Well, it's not surprising that people didn't like Horikita back then.
+Besides, Horikita herself wasn't in the group chat when you brought it up,
+and it's not like you actually did anything to her. I wouldn't judge someone
+based on such a trivial thing," I told Satou.
+Everybody gossiped. As long as you didn't actually hurt the person in
+question, it wasn't a big deal.
+"Really?" asked Satou.
+"Yeah. Really."
+"But you still didn't have fun, did you? I mean, you didn't smile."
+"Well, I'm just genuinely bad at smiling, 1s all."
+I had no idea whether Satou believed me. She probably thought I said
+that to console her. Truthfully, I might still disappoint her. I just didn't feel
+the way about her that she clearly felt about me, so, in a sense, her concerns
+about my not having fun weren't entirely off the mark. I had enjoyed hanging
+out, but I hadn't enjoyed it in the way Satou hoped.
+"You're not convinced?" I asked.
+"Well, it's not that I'm not convinced, but..." Satou trailed off. She
+turned away briefly, got something out of her bag, and held it behind her. "U-
+um, hey..." She steeled her gaze, as though gathering all her courage for
+some mighty task. Apparently, she was about to confirm my fears. "Um...p-
+please go out with me, Ayanokouji-kun!"
+A strong gust of wind whooshed past.
+It was the first romantic confession I'd ever received.
+Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone hiding in the bushes,
+but I ignored them for the time being. Prolonging this would only hurt Satou
+more. I chose my words immediately, being as honest as I could out of
+respect for Satou's courage.
+"T'm sorry, Satou. I can't be that for you."
+"Oh! I-I see. I guess it's hopeless, huh?" Satou, clearly fighting not to
+break down, gave me a small smile. "W-well, for future reference, could you
+maybe tell me why? Is there someone else you like?"
+"Tt's not like that. I'm just not ready for a relationship. It's really me,
+not you," I told her. "No matter who asked me out right now, my answer
+would be the same...whether it was you, Satou, or someone like Horikita or
+Kushida. I can't go out with someone if I don't love them back."
+I'd give Airi the same answer if she ever decided to tell me about her
+feelings.
+"This might sound kind of lame, but I've never had feelings for anyone
+yet. I'm not rejecting you, personally. I just haven't really matured enough to
+handle romance," I said.
+"IT see."
+There wasn't anything else I could say.
+"Maybe I rushed things. It's not like you can really know a person after
+just one date," Satou reasoned. She nodded as if having a conversation with
+herself. Frankly, such an honest confession had required a tremendous
+amount of courage on her part.
+"T might've missed out on my chance," I said quietly. I'd turned down
+a girl who was honest and brave. Some part of me felt like I was making a
+mistake. It was the part of me that wanted a fun, normal high school career,
+including finding a girlfriend. But I didn't say anything.
+My phone vibrated in my pocket. I didn't know who was calling me,
+but I couldn't answer it right now.
+Satou put the gift-wrapped box back into her bag. "Thank you for
+everything today, Ayanokouji-kun."
+She understood that my reply and feelings wouldn't change. Even if
+Satou liked me in this moment, she might not feel that way tomorrow. Maybe
+she'd find a new love. However, I'd never forget that Satou was the first to
+say she loved me.
+"Ts it...okay if I ask you to hang out again?" she asked.
+"Of course. I had fun with you, Satou. I'd like to hang out, too." I
+really meant it.
+"Yeah." Satou nodded.
+Even though the awkwardness was still there, things were rapidly
+returning to normal. The winter cold pierced through us.
+"It's freezing. Should we head back?" I asked. We couldn't just stand
+around here forever. However, when I started to move, Satou remained
+firmly in place.
+"Satou?" I looked back to see tears welling in her eyes. She quickly
+wiped them away with her arm and smiled at me.
+"Sorry. I think P'Il go on ahead!" With that, Satou ran through the
+snow, leaving me behind.
+I quietly watched her go. "Guess I understand."
+I waited until she was out of sight, making sure we wouldn't bump into
+each other in the dorm lobby, before resuming my walk home.
+If my issues with the student council and my father didn't exist, maybe
+I could've answered Satou differently. If she'd told me her feelings before the
+relay and my father's visit, I might've accepted. Ironic, since the relay was
+what made her develop feelings for me.
+A normal boy in his first year of high school might've taken up the first
+girl to offer him affection. But I wasn't normal. Better to keep things simple.
+"Now then..." I had to take care of some unfinished business before I
+could call it a night. As I headed for a patch of bushes, my phone rang again.
+Onscreen were the words unidentified caller. For a moment, I thought about
+ignoring the call, but then accepted it and brought the phone to my ear.
+The mystery caller remained silent, even after a few seconds.
+"Hello?" I said. However, there was no reply. "I'm hanging up."
+"Can I trust you?" came the voice on the other end.
+"Who are you? Why should I trust you?" I threw the question back at
+them.
+"What Horikita-senpai talked about. Taking down Nagumo. Are you
+willing to help?"
+Ah. So, Horikita's brother told that previously mentioned second-year
+student about me. Still, calling from an unidentified number? This person
+sure was paranoid.
+"What's your name?" they asked. The elder Horikita gave them my
+phone number, but not my name? Well, if they had my phone number, they
+could figure the rest out with a little digging.
+"T don't think you need that right now," I answered.
+"Fine. I have a pretty good idea of who you are, anyway. I recognize
+your voice." That narrowed down the options for who they were, too. Not
+many second-year students were that familiar with my voice. "I want to meet
+you right now," they continued.
+I'd expected as much. "Shouldn't you be more careful about this?" I
+asked. It was almost dusk. It'd be dark soon.
+"Tt's fine. Can you meet me immediately?"
+I glanced over at the bushes. "Yeah. You're in luck, too."
+"Tn luck?"
+"To be honest, if it were any other time, I would've refused."
+I'm sure the mystery caller found this baffling. "There's a secluded
+spot next to the school building," they said. "Meet me there in ten minutes."
+"Sorry, but I've got a little business to take care of. Is it okay if we
+meet in twenty?" I asked.
+"Fine."
+The call ended. It wouldn't take longer than five minutes to reach the
+meeting spot, but I'd given myself a little time buffer. That meant I should
+conclude my business in the next fifteen minutes. Someone was waiting for
+me, and it was cold out here.
+"If you stay there, you'll freeze to death," I said to the person in the
+bushes.
+No one answered.
+"T have to go. Is it okay if I leave you here?" I asked.
+Finally, a voice answered hesitantly, "When did you notice me?"
+"Right at the start. You heard Satou confess her feelings, right,
+Karuizawa?" I asked.
+"N-not really. I only heard a little." Karuizawa stood up from her
+hiding place. Since she'd hidden in the bushes, snow had fallen on her
+shoulders. "Brr...it's cold."
+"What happened to Hirata?" I asked.
+"Dunno. He probably went home." She stepped onto the path, brushing
+the dirt and snow off herself. She'd waited in the cold so long that her nose
+was red.
+"Tt's freezing, huh?"
+"T guess."
+Still acting tough, then.
+However, something was bothering Karuizawa more than the frigid
+night. "Anyway, why did you turn Satou-san down?"
+"What do you mean? You said it yourself, didn't you? It's despicable
+to go out with someone you don't actually have feelings for."
+"Well, sure, but...don't they say something like 'if you don't eat, you
+don't get a toothpick'?"
+"Uh, I think the expression you're looking for is 'not eating the meal
+set before him is a man's shame.' Like, it's shameful to spurn a woman's
+advances," I replied. "Still, Satou's a normal girl. She wants a normal
+romance. Do you really think I can give her that?"
+"That's... well, it's kinda hard to picture."
+Karuizawa understood me better than most people. She knew how
+much I'd actually have liked a normal life. Still, I couldn't give Satou what
+she wanted. Even if I made myself date her, I'd waste her time. These few
+years at school were a precious resource.
+"Look, it might not be my place to say, but don't you think you're
+being a little too humble?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Humble?"
+"T mean, yeah, you're not like normal guys, Kiyotaka. On top of that,
+you pretend to be someone you' re not, right?"
+"T think it's more that I choose not to reveal everything."
+"So, yeah, some girls would probably be disappointed by who you
+really are. But when someone's really in love, that kind of stuff doesn't
+matter, y know? I mean, I think Satou-san would've accepted you as you
+are," said Karuizawa.
+"Ts that what you meant by 'humble'?"
+"Yeah. Well, since you already turned her down, I suppose you can't
+take it back. Even though I, like, went through all the trouble of shooting
+love's arrow at you. I didn't even miss; it just bounced right off you."
+"Love's arrow?"
+"Forget it. It doesn't matter." She gave a devilish chuckle. "Girls get
+over stuff fast. Satou-san will probably fall for another guy soon, won't she?"
+"Nothing I can do about that."
+"Whoa. I think I hear some regret in your voice."
+"Knock it off. This was my decision."
+Karuizawa seemed unconvinced. "Couldn't you have tried going out
+with her to see what it's like? I'm sure you were aware of her feelings for
+you. Inviting someone out on Christmas isn't what someone who's 'just your
+friend' does. When you accepted the invitation, didn't you know what she
+wanted?"
+"Isn't it possible that going on the date allowed me to determine that
+I'm not compatible with Satou?" I asked.
+"That's... Well, sure. But, from what I saw, things looked like they
+were going well. You seemed to be having a lot of fun."
+"To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of dating
+Satou."
+"S-see? I knew it."
+"T probably could've had some good times with her," I said.
+Karuizawa looked angry now. "What do you mean, 'good times'?"
+"T mean, exploring things. All the way. You know." I tried to convey
+the idea as mildly as I could.
+Karuizawa understood what I was getting at. "Huh?! Y-you mean, you
+would've gone out with her for such a gross reason?!" she shouted.
+"Haven't you ever wanted to do it?" I asked.
+"T-I don't know! I don't know anything about that kind of stuff! It's a
+whole different world to me!"
+"And you've never thought about exploring that unknown world?"
+"That's...that's, well... Doesn't it matter who your partner is?" she
+asked.
+"Well, I guess you wouldn't just want to do it with anyone." Ideally,
+you'd want your partner to be someone you genuinely cared for.
+"Obviously!"
+"But that's what I'm saying—I'd be okay with that person being
+Satou."
+"W-well, why'd you reject her, then?! You could've experienced this
+ay?
+whole 'unknown world'!"' Karuizawa barked.
+"Hey, don't get mad."
+"T'm not mad!"
+She most definitely was. I had a pretty good idea of why, too.
+"If I chose to date Satou, would you still be standing here with me?" I
+asked.
+"Huh?"
+"That's why I didn't say yes to her."
+If I'd started going out with Satou, school would've been better than
+ever. I'd have had a partner to share my joys and sorrows with, and our
+relationship would've deepened with time.
+But I knew that dating Satou would affect Karuizawa. Choosing Satou
+would've meant that it'd be harder to work with Karuizawa. Karuizawa
+would've become warier of me.
+The rooftop incident had been a turning point for Karuizawa. Her trust
+in me grew exponentially, and I knew now that she'd never betray me. If
+Ryuuen, or Sakayanagi, or even someone like Nagumo approached her, she
+wouldn't crumble. The only thing that'd break her would be my dating
+another girl.
+She'd be scared that I didn't need her anymore. She'd panic. She'd
+become useless to me, and I didn't want that to happen.
+Now, if Satou was a good replacement for Karuizawa, that'd be an
+entirely different story. But after today, I knew that Satou couldn't fill
+Karuizawa's shoes. She wasn't as charismatic as Karuizawa, or as good at
+thinking on her feet. The double date made that abundantly clear. Karuizawa
+had adeptly played it off as a coincidence, while Satou struggled to keep up
+the lie, looking visibly upset at times.
+The confrontation with Nagumo had clinched it. Karuizawa took action
+to defuse the situation, while Satou just stood by. That boldness was
+important. I could ignore the student-council issue, but I couldn't ignore
+Sakayanagi or my father. If either of those two really went to war, it'd
+jeopardize my life here. Until I eliminated those threats, I needed Karuizawa.
+On top of that, there was Chabashira-sensei and Chairman Sakayanag1.
+I didn't sense trouble at the moment, but they were still potential targets. As
+such, Karuizawa Kei was indispensable. The chairman had power over us
+students, but I might be able to take him down if I used Karuizawa as a
+honeypot. She'd probably balk at sexual stuff, but she was still highly
+versatile.
+"Maybe I'm just crazy, but I feel like you only view people as tools,
+don't you, Kiyotaka?" she asked.
+I'd used Karuizawa as a tool too many times to deny it. "I don't view
+people like that because I choose to."
+"Hey, um, this might sound naive, but...have you ever actually fallen
+in love with anyone?"
+"Right now, no." I'd have liked to fall in love with somebody. But the
+opportunity hadn't presented itself. Maybe I was incapable of love. Though I
+understood the biological differences between men and women, everything
+else was alien to me. My time in the White Room had seen to that. "In the
+end..."
+"What?"
+"Uh, nothing."
+I'd left the White Room physically, but some part of me would always
+be stuck there, where we lived in a state of constant self-defense. You
+shouldn't need your guard up at all times in normal, everyday life. Going out
+with Satou would've let me experience normal joys, a normal relationship...
+but I couldn't visualize what "normal" might look like for me yet. I'd worked
+to protect myself against any opponent who might arise; I didn't know how to
+stop. No one else mattered, so long as I won.
+Maybe I'd be this way until the day I died.
+As I walked, Karuizawa followed. She didn't walk at my side, but
+stayed close enough that we could converse. This way, no one would know
+we were together if they passed.
+"Ugh. I put in all that effort for Satou-san's sake, and it ended up being
+a waste of time," she complained. Her tone was so playfully bratty that you'd
+never have thought she suffered a traumatic experience just a few days
+before.
+"You're doing pretty well, considering everything that happened to
+you," I said.
+"It's been years since I was bullied like that," she replied.
+"You said it started in elementary school, right?"
+"Uh, yeah. That's right. Sorry, Kiyotaka. I lied a little bit about my
+past."
+"You lied?"
+"T told Yousuke-kun that I was bullied for nine years. That was a lie. I
+thought that saying I'd been bullied since elementary would make him want
+to save me more than if it'd just been since junior high. I mean, he wouldn't
+want me to be the victim of even more constant bullying," she explained. She
+chuckled and stuck out her tongue playfully.
+Ah, so she lied to manipulate Hirata. That just proved her
+resourcefulness and determination.
+"Anyway, aren't you going to apologize again? For putting Manabe
+and her friends on my case?" she asked.
+"Now that you mention it, you're right. The double date made me
+forget all about that."
+"Oh, and another thing. You said you weren't going to contact me
+anymore, but then you did. You know, you're sending me mixed signals."
+"T take back what I said about not contacting you anymore. If it's okay,
+I'd like to apologize to you another time," I told her.
+"Tt doesn't sound like your heart's in it. I'm not going to get my hopes
+up, So just apologize now."
+"Now? How?"
+"T've told you lots of different things. Now you tell me something,
+Kiyotaka."
+"About what?"
+"This afternoon. Student Council President Nagumo. What's the deal?"
+she asked. She wanted this information as part of an apology? "I don't know
+what made you go all out during the sports festival relay, but I feel like more
+and more people are noticing you," she continued.
+"T'll nip that in the bud. Fortunately, the class is more united now. I can
+take a step back."
+"Yeah, I guess. But Class B is way, way more tight-knit than us. We
+can't beat them in that area," Karuizawa replied. "Anyway, unity aside, you
+really just want to step back?"
+"You got it," I said.
+"It seems a bit weird that you're getting all this attention just because
+of the sports festival, right?" she asked. She'd noticed, correctly, that it was
+odd to attract Nagumo Miyabi's attention just by being a fast runner.
+Since this was Karuizawa, I could tell the truth and save myself trouble
+in the future. "Bear in mind that Horikita from our class and the former
+student council president are siblings."
+"I figured as much. That reminds me...during the relay race, you and
+the student council pres—no, I guess the former student council president—
+you two started together. Do you know each other, Kiyotaka?"
+"Yeah. Through his little sister. That's why he notices me."
+"So, he knows who you are beneath the mask?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Beneath the mask, huh? No. He only knows what's on the surface. No
+one else at this school knows me as deeply as you do," I said.
+"Hmm. That sucks." Yet she didn't /ook unhappy. Knowing someone's
+secrets could be a heavy burden, but it also made you feel special. Karuizawa
+and I knew each other's secret selves.
+"Besides, the 'former student council president' title comes in handy. I
+do owe him a debt from the rooftop incident," I explained.
+"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I did meet him there."
+""He's pressing me to return the favor."
+"Does that have something to do with why Student Council President
+Nagumo's suddenly paying attention to you?"
+"Horikita's brother and Nagumo oppose each other. They're rivals.
+The fact that her brother's been talking to me probably doesn't sit well with
+Nagumo. He seemed like he was fixing for a fight during the relay."
+"Wow. This is complicated. So, you're in the middle of a fight between
+those two?"
+We were getting to the heart of the matter now. "Horikita's brother
+wants me to drag Nagumo off his throne and remove him as student council
+president."
+"He put you in charge of that, Kiyotaka?"
+"Talk about a tough job, huh?"
+"If anyone could stop that incredible student council president, it's
+99
+you.
+"You think that I can do it?"
+"If you can't, no one else can."
+It seemed Karuizawa's opinion of me had improved significantly in the
+blink of an eye. No amount of humility on my part would fool her now.
+"Speaking of all this, I'm supposed to meet a certain second-year
+student right now," I said.
+"A second year? Who?"
+"Dunno. Their identity's still a mystery. They haven't confirmed who I
+am, either. I just know that this is the only second year who isn't quite so
+fond of Nagumo."
+"Am I in the way, then?" asked Karuizawa.
+"If you want to hang around, that's fine by me. What're you going to
+do?" I knew she'd follow, but wanted to confirm it.
+"T'll come along," she replied.
+I turned my phone off. Then the two of us headed to the school
+building to meet the mystery caller.
+Chapter 6:
+Where the Arrow Landed
+Ces DAY. Students were on their way back to the dorms from
+club activities. It was unlikely that anyone would see me, even a teacher.
+There weren't enough lights on in the building to attract attention.
+"It's cold. They're not here?" asked Karuizawa.
+"They're late," I replied.
+It was twenty minutes past the agreed-upon time. No one was nearby.
+"They're this late after calling you out here? Talk about rude," said
+Karuizawa.
+"Maybe they're nearby and scoping us out," I replied.
+"What? That's unfair, isn't 1t? They confirm your identity, then head
+back?"
+"T'm sure they'd like to, but they probably can't afford to do that."
+I was almost certain that this person would contact me. I'd brought
+Karuizawa to add some camouflage. I'd look odd if I showed up alone in an
+isolated spot, but today was Christmas. Karuizawa and I could pass as a
+couple. Even if the mystery person tried calling me again via a blocked
+number, my phone was turned off. The only way for them to be certain of my
+identity was by talking to me directly.
+As Karuizawa and I waited patiently, a lone student approached us. I'd
+seen him before. The moment our eyes met, I understood. He was definitely
+not who I expected.
+He didn't say my name. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
+"We just got here, Vice President Kirtyama."
+His eyes widened in surprise. "It seems you've gathered some
+information on the student council already. Your name's...Ayanokouji.
+Right?"
+It wasn't strange that Vice President Kiriyama remembered my name.
+He'd stood nearby when I spoke with Nagumo earlier today.
+"T never imagined that the vice president, of all people, would want to
+take on President Nagumo," I remarked.
+"Before we get into that, let me ask you something." He looked at
+Karuizawa. "Who's this? I don't know her."
+"She's trustworthy. She's my partner," I replied.
+Karuizawa looked momentarily excited before she quickly regained her
+composure.
+"Trustworthy, huh? Well, why not? This situation's already hopeless if
+I have to turn to a first year for help," Kiriyama said. He'd accepted
+Karuizawa's presence very easily. Either he was that dissatisfied with
+Nagumo's regime, or he trusted Horikita's brother that much. "Can we cut to
+the chase? I don't want to draw this out."
+"Same. Ill catch cold if I stay here much longer."
+"T've never agreed with Nagumo once. I joined the student council
+because I admired Horikita-senpai. He was my senpai from Class A. Well, he
+used to be, I suppose." Kirtyama's defeat at Nagumo's hands had knocked
+him down to Class B. Frankly, I was surprised Nagumo had kept him on as
+vice president. "I wanted to stop Nagumo from becoming student council
+president, but it was impossible. It's beyond the scope of my abilities."
+"The story about President Nagumo bringing all the second-year
+students under his control... How much of that is true?" I asked.
+"Almost all of it. There are those dissatisfied with the situation, but not
+enough to vote Nagumo out. They've resigned themselves to his rule,"
+Kirtyama replied.
+"Hey, Kiyotaka. I understand uniting your own class, but how could
+you possibly make other classes your allies? Isn't everyone competing to
+reach Class A?" asked Karuizawa.
+"I'm sure Vice President Kiriyama will explain."
+"Nagumo promised reform," Kirtyama told her. "He said capable
+students would be promoted to Class A, no matter where they'd started.
+There are a lot of dissatisfied people at this school who feel they were placed
+in the wrong class."
+Karuizawa appeared slightly confused. I clarified. "He means people
+like Horikita and Yukimura."
+"T see. But that wouldn't be enough, right?" Karuizawa asked. "I mean,
+most of the students from the lower classes aren't that talented."
+"Nagumo says that every student will be given a chance," explained
+Kiriyama. "I don't have any more concrete details yet."
+"Isn't that kinda suspicious?"
+"Yes, but those are his terms. Anyone in Class B or below already feels
+the pressure mounting. The gap in class points between Class A and everyone
+else is widening."
+"Shouldn't you be seizing the opportunity to return to Class A, Vice
+President Kiriyama?" I asked. "I mean, you oppose the president and lose,
+that'Il never happen, right?"
+"If I believed there was really a chance Nagumo's idea could work,
+sure. But I don't think he'Il actually give everyone a fair chance at climbing
+the ranks. There's just no way. He can't guarantee that."
+"Didn't you think about resigning from the student council when
+Nagumo became president? I mean, no one wants to work under somebody
+they oppose, right?"
+"If I left, what then? Nagumo would be even more free to wreak havoc.
+I thought it best to infiltrate his inner circle and collect information...try to
+find an opening I could exploit. If I hand that information to Horikita-senpai,
+I'm sure he can do something with it."
+Even though Kirtyama spoke in a detached, matter-of-fact way,
+frustration seeped into his words.
+"Do you understand how hard this is for me? Having to stand by and
+grit my teeth, knowing that if I can't stop this, the school's done for?" he
+asked. Unfortunately for him, I didn't. "Well, I suppose there's no way you
+would. There are no first years like Nagumo. But that doesn't mean you're
+safe, either. Nagumo's watching Horikita-senpai and the third years for now,
+but once they graduate...the first years will be his next target."
+"Ugh. He sounds like the worst," said Karuizawa.
+So she said...but I could see benefits to following Nagumo. If he could
+make former rivals fall so readily in line, he had to be both competent and
+persuasive.
+"Well, forget about fighting back or whatever. Wouldn't it weird for us
+to poke our noses in student-council affairs?" asked Karuizawa.
+"Until now, yes," replied Kirtyama. "But you'll be seeing a lot more of
+the senior students from this point on. Once the third semester begins, the
+school holds a special exam that brings all three grade levels together. I went
+through the same thing last year. First, and second, and occasionally even
+third years battle it out."
+In other words, our class would be rubbing shoulders with
+upperclassmen this January.
+"That's also when Nagumo will start compiling his list of persons of
+interest among the first years," added Kirtyama. Students that could
+potentially threaten Nagumo's reign.
+I would've preferred to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, I had a hunch that
+my wish wouldn't be granted. "What happened in last year's exam?"
+"Probably nothing resembling this year's exam. Most special exams
+are designed to be completely different from year to year."
+"Even so, information about last year's exam might prove
+advantageous."
+"Maybe. But I can't give it to you. Even if Horikita-senpai endorsed
+you, I can't break school rules. If anyone found out, I'd be expelled."
+Made sense. If Kiriyama was part of Horikita's faction, that meant he
+held school rules in high regard.
+"Our options for fighting back against Nagumo are limited.
+Expulsion's the surefire route, but hard to achieve lucky. The next-best
+option would be revealing to everyone that he's unfit to serve as student
+council president. If Nagumo is removed from office, many second-year
+students will cut ties with him. That'd mean no harm will come to you first
+years, or to the incoming freshmen starting next year," explained Kirtyama.
+The problem here was that I didn't know the true Nagumo Miyabi.
+Even Karuizawa couldn't get me that information; we just had so little
+interaction with the seniors. Because Nagumo had accrued so much
+influence, was incredibly wary of others, and had Hirata's respect and envy, I
+could only conclude that he was no average student.
+I would've preferred Kiriyama to find second-year students who shared
+his opinion to help him take Nagumo down. Sadly, he didn't have that option,
+which meant he had to hassle first years.
+"Wait. Getting Nagumo expelled, or pulled out of office—that's pretty
+serious, isn't it?" asked Karuizawa.
+"You wouldn't resort to such measures in the face of a mortal enemy?"
+"T've never even thought of doing something like that." Karuizawa
+looked suspicious, but I ignored her.
+I didn't know how much I could trust Kirtyama. From what I saw,
+there was no doubt that he hated Nagumo. But I also saw that he was being
+very careful with his words, maybe to manipulate me. At present, I lacked
+enough information to reach a definite conclusion.
+I'd only shown him one card I held: Karuizawa.
+"Tell us what you want," I said. "We'll decide how to go about it."
+"So, you can't trust me, is that it?" Kirryama asked. "Maybe I sound
+like I'm going too far. I don't need to be responsible for stopping Nagumo.
+But I can't bear seeing my juniors go through the same hell I did. That's the
+truth."
+So, he was just doing this for his juniors, huh? I found that selflessness
+hard to believe. Honestly, if Kiriyama said that he hoped to get back to Class
+A by eliminating Nagumo, I'd have trusted him more. Guess it's just human
+nature to play the saint, huh?
+"Think whatever you want," Kiriyama added, "but just remember this.
+Every student who got on Nagumo's bad side has been expelled. Across the
+board."
+"Tf that's the case, maybe I shouldn't get on his bad side, either."
+"So, you won't cooperate?"
+"T will. I have reasons I can't back down either."
+"All right. You're on Nagumo's radar now, anyway. Sorry, but you're
+about to find out just what kind of person he 1s. I'Il keep you informed on his
+movements from here on. As long as that's within the scope of the school
+rules, of course. Beyond that, you can do as you please."
+So, he was putting his fate in my hands?
+Kirtyama seemed to sense that I wasn't as enthusiastic as he might
+have hoped. "To be perfectly honest, you're kind of unreadable to me. If it
+weren't for that relay race with Horikita-senpai, I probably wouldn't ask for
+your help at all. In fact, the relay was what made Nagumo notice you," he
+said.
+Had I known about Nagumo in advance, I wouldn't have drawn
+attention to myself during the relay. Unfortunately, what was done was done.
+"If I think you're incapable of seeing this through, Ill stop contacting
+you," Kirtyama added.
+"Wouldn't that put you in more danger, Kirtyama-senpai?" asked
+Karuizawa.
+He silently nodded. "I won't make direct contact with you after this.
+I'll create a random e-mail account and get in touch through that."
+Good. Communicating via burner e-mail accounts was the safest
+option.
+"Also...you know what'|l happen if your incompetence leads Nagumo
+to find out that I colluded with you," he added. In other words, he'd take me
+down with him. Of course.
+With those parting words, Kiriyama quickly left.
+"Uh, does this whole thing kinda give you a bad vibe?" asked
+Karuizawa.
+"Yeah."
+There was no room for error.
+6.1
+Koaruzawa AND I made our way back to the dorms. Walking a bit
+behind me, she spoke up. "It kinda seems like things are getting out of
+control."
+"What do you think of what Vice President Kirtyama said?" I asked.
+"Uh, I don't know. I mean, I still don't really get why he hates
+President Nagumo that much."
+Karuizawa and I were on the same page. A wise man didn't court
+danger. I'd been temporarily ready to make an enemy of Nagumo if it meant
+making Horikita's brother my ally, but I was starting to think that wasn't the
+right choice. If I could make Nagumo think my performance in the relay had
+been a fluke, he'd promptly forget all about me. If things went in the wrong
+direction, though, he'd try to eliminate me.
+"By the way, what was that about earlier?" asked Karuizawa. "The
+'partner' thing."
+"What, you didn't like it?"
+"If you just arbitrarily make me your partner, it's not like I can do
+anything about it, right?"
+"Should I take it back?" I asked.
+"If you want me to officially be your partner, then you gotta show
+appreciation," she replied.
+"Can you explain to me specifically what you mean by appreciation?"
+"Money?"
+"Hey."
+"I'm just joking. I mean, you don't seem to be in a position to lend me
+a lot of points, Kiyotaka," she teased.
+I'd expected her to say that. Thanks to the outcome of the test on the
+cruise ship, Karuizawa had more private points than I did.
+"Wait a second. Is Horikita-san okay with this? I mean, she'd be a
+better partner for you, Kiyotaka. Right?"
+"She just sits next to me in class. Nothing more and nothing less."" How
+many times did I have to repeat myself?
+"Then I'm the only person who really knows you?" asked Karuizawa.
+"You're capable. That's helpful to me."
+"O-okay."
+Horikita was capable too, but I wanted her in another role. I wanted to
+see her develop the qualities of a true leader. Led by Horikita, with Hirata and
+Karuizawa supporting her, Class D could become quite a force to be
+reckoned with. Whether that would come to pass, though, depended on
+Horikita.
+"Well, guess I don't have any choice. I'Il be your partner," said
+Karuizawa. "Sticking with you might turn out well for me."
+"Don't get your hopes up. You might get caught in the crosshairs
+alongside me, you know?"
+"You mean, by the student council president?"
+"Mainly, yes."
+"Well, you can handle him. Right, Kiyotaka? I mean, this is you we're
+talking about."
+"If it came down to either physical strength or academic skill, I doubt
+I'd lose."
+"T figured as much," Karuizawa replied with a grin.
+"But there's no telling what rules of engagement this school will set us
+next," I added. "If Nagumo's prepared to sacrifice his own people or destroy
+others, he could defeat us and get us expelled."
+"Destroy others?"
+"Well, think about that one fight between Sudou and those Class C
+guys—Ishizaki and his friends. If the student council president had backed
+those Class C boys, Sudou's fate might've been massively different."
+"Um, I didn't pay attention to that whole fight thing."
+"T see. Well, don't worry about it. All told, it's actually relatively easy
+to get someone expelled." Provided you were willing to sacrifice what you
+needed to make that happen.
+"If he's not afraid to play dirty, that could be really bad news for you,
+huh, Kiyotaka?"
+Karuizawa had hit the nail on the head. "Yep. That's exactly it."
+There was way to be completely insured against defeat. The best I
+could do was invest in smart strategy and good allies.
+"If it comes to that, PIl save you," said Karuizawa.
+"You're very kind."
+"Do you really mean that?"
+"Yeah."
+"I-I see. Anyway, Kiyotaka, I was wondering...what were you like in
+junior high? I mean, you weren't a normal kid, right?"
+"Why do you say that? I could have been a completely average, run-of-
+the-mill student."
+"No way. If you're normal, then the world's gone totally nuts."
+Karuizawa made a dramatic gesture, as if pushing the idea of my normalcy
+aside. "You're smart, and you're good in a fight, but you're really quiet.
+Sometimes you seem naive about how the world works...and sometimes you
+do really messed-up things."
+"What do you think I was like in junior high, based on what you' ve
+seen?" I asked.
+"I'm asking because I don't know," she said, pouting.
+"Take a guess." I wanted to hear the answer.
+"Hmm." Karuizawa crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I mean, if
+we were in a manga or something, I'd say you were, like, some secret agent
+raised in an intense facility since early childhood. I dunno. I can't really think
+of anything else." She gazed far into the distance. She was way closer to
+hitting the mark than she knew. "Ugh. I have no idea. What's the answer?"
+'"That's a secret."
+"Wha—?! Come on, you're not gonna tell me?"
+"T never said I'd tell you."
+"I'm definitely going to make you explain it all to me one day."
+"Tt's not a very interesting story. Don't get your hopes up."
+Karuizawa didn't seem to be listening to what I said. "Ah! It's
+snowing."
+So it was. After looking at the sky, I lowered my gaze to see
+Karuizawa was staring at me.
+"That reminds me. Satou-san didn't end up giving you anything, did
+she? A Christmas present?"
+"T dunno."
+"It's no use trying to trick me. Did you notice the present the moment
+you met up with her?" asked Karuizawa.
+She'd gotten to know me too well. She was right; the moment I'd met
+up with Satou, I'd noticed a present peeking out of her bag and known it was
+probably for me. Something Satou probably intended to hand over if her
+romantic confession went well.
+"How's it feel to have missed out?" Karuizawa asked in a teasing tone.
+""You've probably never gotten a present, have you? I mean, this is you we're
+talking about."
+She pulled a small package from her bag and presented me it to me;
+making sure not to meet my eyes.
+"It's a Christmas present from me to you. Take it, and be grateful."
+"Are you sure?"
+"You can think of it as a consolation prize for not starting a
+relationship today. Oh, and pay me back for about twice the amount it's
+worth," she teased.
+"This kind of feels like I'm getting scammed." I accepted the gift. "Did
+you buy this for me?"
+"Obviously not. Yousuke-kun and I are supposedly dating, so I got this
+just in case I needed to make a public gesture or something. I went Christmas
+shopping with some other girls, so it wasn't a total waste of time."
+"You don't miss a thing, do you? Shouldn't you have given it to
+Hirata?"
+"T guess I would've. Normally." Karuizawa was being kind of evasive.
+She immediately changed gears. "Hey, Kiyotaka. Sorry to bother you with
+this, but since we got on the subject of Yousuke-kun earlier..."
+"Hmm?"
+"If I happened to, say...break up with Yousuke-kun...would I stop
+being useful to you?"
+"Ts that why you didn't give Hirata your present?"
+"Yeah. Is it wrong to talk about this, since things didn't work out with
+Satou-san?"
+Karuizawa was terrified that I'd find Satou more valuable than her. In
+truth, her breaking up with Hirata posed certain risks. It might decrease her
+social currency. Even if she was devalued, though, I'd still have use for her.
+"You're no longer the old Karuizawa. Even without Hirata, your
+current position wouldn't change," I told her.
+"But me and Yousuke-kun breaking up isn't something you've thought
+about before?" she asked. Her anxieties clearly weren't trivial.
+"If your value lay only in your relationship with Hirata, I'd tell you to
+never break up with him. The fact that I didn't is my answer."
+That statement was more reassuring to Karuizawa than anything else
+could be. Since she understood the way I thought, she knew I wouldn't lie. If
+Hirata Yousuke were an indispensable pawn to me, Karuizawa assumed I
+would've ordered her to protect my interests.
+The truth, however, was that I'd anticipated Karuizawa would want to
+break up with Hirata. In fact, ''d nudged her toward it. My objective was to
+persuade her to disengage from Hirata and attach herself to a new host: me.
+Everything had gone according to plan so far. Though her crashing my date
+with Satou had been a surprise, I'd furthered my hold on Karuizawa as a
+result.
+"T-I see. To tell you the truth, I talked about this with Yousuke-kun a
+little. About how dragging this out any longer probably isn't good, since it's
+just a pretend relationship. I've been hesitating," said Karuizawa. "Besides,
+playing Yousuke-kun's girlfriend gives me power, but it's, like, also a lot of
+pressure."
+What a cute little lie.
+I had no problem with her breaking up with Hirata, but from
+Karuizawa's point of view, this was a mistake. If I'd been in her position, I'd
+have kept some insurance, just in case. I would have sought to keep both
+Hirata and me around in case one of us turned out useless. They say an ounce
+of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
+Karuizawa understood that, too. Still, if she was willing to surrender
+her insurance, that was fine. It was better for her to focus her attention on one
+of us than lose both Hirata and me to carelessness.
+"T'm sure the class will be really surprised when the third semester
+starts," mused Karuizawa.
+"T suppose so."
+As a couple, Hirata and Karuizawa were a big deal. They were well-
+known even outside our class. Hirata, in particular, would have potential
+girlfriends lining up at once.
+"Do you think he'll go out with someone else?" I asked.
+"I'm not sure. It's not like I know that much about Yous—I mean,
+Hirata-kun. But in some ways, he's kind of cold like you, Kiyotaka. He might
+not even be that interested in romance."
+"Even though you're back to calling Hirata by his last name, you're
+still calling me by my first?"
+"Oh. Y-yeah. Should I use your last name?" asked Karuizawa,
+appearing a bit crestfallen.
+"That's not what I meant. Address me however you like." Thought I
+wasn't on a first-name basis with all my friends, some used my first name.
+"This might be a good opportunity," I mused. I stopped in my tracks and
+turned to Karuizawa. "Ill call you Kei from here on out."
+"Huh? Wha...?!"
+"Huh what?"
+"'N-n-nothing! Never mind! Why're you gonna use my first name,
+Kiyotaka?!"
+"It feels kind of weird if I called you by your family name and you use
+my given name."
+I wasn't quite sure how much distance existed between us,
+emotionally, but if Kei wanted to call me by my first name, it was only
+natural to reciprocate. Regardless, everyone else would see our relationship
+as a bit distant—Ayanokouji and Karuizawa. That wouldn't change.
+"By the way, you came up with the idea of this whole double-date
+thing, right?"
+""Wh-what do you mean?"
+I could see Id hit the bull's-eye. "You played your part pretty well, but
+Satou was off in a few places."
+"Ah. So, you noticed, huh? I also thought Satou-san was a little
+awkward."
+I reached into my pocket and touched a small paper bag. "Oh, yeah. I
+have a Christmas present for you, too."
+"Huh? You're kidding!"
+"T am indeed kidding."
+"Huh? You wanna get smacked?"
+"Well, it's just a regular gift. You may not find it necessary, but here
+you go." I took out the paper bag and handed it to Kei.
+"Wait a second. A drugstore bag? Are you making fun of me?" Kei
+peeled off the cellophane tape. Inside the bag, she found neither a fancy
+accessory nor a cute stuffed animal. "Two kinds of cold medicine and a
+receipt?"
+"Just toss the receipt."
+She scanned it meticulously. "Hey, wait, the date says 10:55 a.m. on
+the twenty-third."
+"After buying that cold medicine, I was headed back to the dorms, and
+happened to see you and Satou together at Keyaki Mall. That's when I
+realized you were concocting plans for a double date. Up to that point, I
+thought you must be sick after what'd happened on the roof. It seems I was
+wrong."
+"Then...that means you didn't call me to check up because—"
+"T didn't even see you wearing a mask. I could tell you were healthy."
+"I-If you were worried about me, then... you could' ve visited me, or at
+least called once. You don't have to do things in such a roundabout way. You
+could've confirmed that I was all right."
+"Tt wasn't like I could just go to your room without being seen. Calling
+you would've been effective, sure, but I figured you might just act tough.
+You're not good at showing other people your weakness, after all."
+"B-but... Wait, so you just wasted your money on cold medicine for
+me?" she stammered.
+"The cost's no big deal. If you don't want those, I can save them for
+another occasion."
+"Now I feel like an idiot for thinking you weren't worried about me,"
+said Kei.
+"T played a major part in what happened to you on the roof. It was
+cruel. If you wanted to take a swing at me, I wouldn't resist, to tell the truth. I
+avoided contacting you because I thought it would stress you out to hear me.
+Sounds like I was wrong, though."
+Kei drew closer to me. "Y-yeah, that's right. Don't underestimate me."
+"So, let me confirm one more thing, strong-hearted Kei."
+"What?"
+"T intend to avoid drawing attention from here on out. However, there
+may be times when I need to move covertly. When I do, please help me."
+"Isn't it kind of late to ask me that? You should've mentioned it when
+we talked about being partners earlier."
+"T suppose you're right."
+After a brief silence, she sighed loudly. "Fine. Ill lend you a hand. In
+exchange, protect me. Okay? If my relationship with Hirata-kun ends, there
+could be all kinds of trouble."
+"Sure. I promise."
+The sun began to set behind the clouds.
+"Christmas is already over, huh?" said Kei.
+Which meant the first year of our high school lives was almost at an
+end, too.
+"Think we should head back?" I asked.
+"Yeah."
+I started walking. Kei soon followed.
+Kei was the person I'd grown closest to over the past year, and she
+probably felt the same about me. She became indispensable, somehow,
+before I even realized it. Perhaps, if I aimed for Class A and ended this drama
+with the student council, we could eventually be friends. Maybe even
+something more.
+Postscript
+Wirew! It's sure cold lately. Have you avoided getting sick?
+Hey, it's Syougo Kinugasa here. Just when I thought my immune
+system was improving, bam. Disappointment. I got sick twice at the end of
+the year alone. I feel like I'm doing much, much better than in previous years
+though. I'Il achieve my final form in the near future, so please stay tuned.
+I spent all my time working this past year, but I'm glad I did. Work can
+be tough, but it's amazing to have something to do. Still, having my schedule
+completely packed for the next three years or so is hard. You know, once in a
+while, I'd like to spend a month relaxing and taking it easy—like, in Hawaii,
+or Vegas, or something. You know? Go abroad?
+I've actually never traveled abroad. Japan's the best.
+Anyhow, that's how 2017 went. I greeted 2018 with some really
+expensive sake called Juyondai during the New Year (I have another bottle of
+expensive alcohol, but I haven't opened that one yet). I feel invigorated. I'm
+looking forward to the coming year.
+Volume 7.5 is something of a supplementary story following up on the
+last volume, and gets into what certain characters thought after the rooftop
+incident. Also, I only just realized that the entire book takes place over three
+days. Huh.
+As far as publishing goes, the next volume should be done in the first
+three months of the year. So, when will I deliver Volume 8 to you all? When
+exactly am I going to write it, you ask? Well, I can't tell you exactly, but
+you'll know when I do.
+Volume 8 will mark the start of the third semester. The brief respite is
+over, and the students are thrown into another special exam. We've been
+focusing on Class D's rivalry with Class C so far, but that's about change.
+Will Sakayanagi go to war with Class B, like she said? Will Ayanokouji and
+Nagumo go head-to-head? Keep an eye on Class C, too, even though
+Ryuuen's out.
+Well, see you all again at the end of April!
+***
+Seven Seas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Ryuuen Kakeru's Soliloquy
+IL WAS SOON AFTER STARTING elementary school that I realized I was
+abnormal.
+I found a large snake on a class field trip. I wasn't afraid of being
+bitten. Some students watched with great interest from a safe distance, some
+were scared, and still others couldn't care less. Most, however, wanted the
+snake to die. Even the adults panicked, crying out for someone to help.
+So, I grabbed a big rock and bashed in the snake's head. I might have
+gotten bit, but I wasn't afraid of that.
+My classmates screamed, and the teachers were in a panic. I didn't
+really care. I wasn't trying to be a hero by destroying the snake everyone
+feared; I just didn't see the need to be afraid of it.
+I learned something about myself that day.
+The moment an enemy succumbs, I feel a huge rush of adrenaline. Fear
+and pleasure are two sides of the same coin to me; violence rules the world,
+and the effectiveness of your own particular brand of violence determines
+what you accomplish. The snake's death was my first unshakeable victory,
+and the sight of its flattened corpse gave me such pleasure.
+The fact remains, however, that people are hostile toward those they
+sense are different from them. I've had many enemies since that day, both
+internal and external.
+Even so, I was never afraid. All I thought about was how to get
+revenge, and how to turn the tables on my enemies. Eventually, they would
+all bow to me. Those who possess an unparalleled capacity for violence are
+truly the elite.
+There was just one problem, and it grew as I did. It became
+increasingly difficult for me to feel pleasure.
+I was bored. Bored because no one could fulfill my dearest wish—to
+be overthrown.
+Perhaps I'd only meet my match in death.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Amikura Mako
+CLASS: First Year, Class B
+STUDENT ID: S01T004741
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: October 2nd
+***
+PHYSICAL ABILITY: c
+***
+She's a serious, earnest girl. One of her best qualities is her
+cooperativeness, a trait we hope she'll continue to develop.
+***
+She's always cheerful. She spends most of her time with Ichinose-san
+and her group, and seems close to them. Even when things are rough,
+she supports her friends and they support her.
+Chapter 2:
+The Sound of Footsteps in the Middle of Winter
+\ \ E WERE HALFWAY THROUGH December, and it was suddenly
+freezing cold. More and more students donned scarves, gloves, and long
+socks. Clouds hung low in the sky. It looked like it was going to snow.
+Come to think of it, ''d never seen snow before. I'd watched it on
+television and read about it in books, but never touched it, never felt the
+sensation of it on my skin. I decided I'd like to experience it.
+Yukimura Keisei, Hasebe Haruka, Sakura Airi, and myself—all
+members of Class D—met up at Keyaki Mall after class. (Keisei's real name
+was "Teruhiko," but we'd started calling him Keisei in accordance with his
+wishes.) Their faces were becoming a familiar sight to me. We'd grown close
+of late, and now met regularly just to talk, without any specific purpose in
+mind.
+Sometimes we hung out for over two hours, and other times, we split
+after only thirty minutes. They were a casual, easygoing group who came and
+went as they pleased. We did often hang out together after class on Fridays,
+because our currently absent fifth group member, Miyake Akito, had a
+situation to contend with.
+"T really thought Class C would've tried something else by now. Those
+questions they gave us weren't easy at all," said Keise1, just as some Class C
+girls happened to pass by.
+"Class C doesn't seem any more capable of studying than us," Haruka
+answered, eyes on her phone. "Miyacchi says he'll be here soon. Sounds like
+he just left his club."
+She was texting the very person we were waiting on. Akito was the
+only group member who belonged to a club, and couldn't hang out with us
+immediately after class.
+"But it's good that we made it through this exam, isn't it? Besides, I
+don't want to see someone expelled, even if they're from another class," said
+Airi. She didn't have the stomach for cruelty.
+"Well, yeah. I get that you want to get along, but that's kind of hard,
+with how this school is designed. Rising in the ranks means kicking another
+class down," said Haruka.
+"Exactly," said Keisei, sounding impressed. "I understand what you
+mean, Airi, but it's eat or be eaten at this school. I don't want us to be eaten."
+"T suppose," Airi replied, disheartened.
+"Well, wait a minute. What if, after the final exam, all four classes had
+the exact same number of class points? Then everyone could graduate from
+Class A... Just kidding. That'll never happen," said Haruka.
+"T think that'd be wonderful, though," said Airi.
+"Unfortunately, it's impossible," said Keisei.
+"How can you be sure?"
+"T've heard the upperclassmen talk about it. If all the classes happened
+to have equal points after the final exam, the school would hold an additional
+special exam to determine our rankings," he said.
+"What kind of exam?"
+"Who knows? I've only heard rumors. Apparently, it's never happened
+before."
+"T still think it's an interesting idea, though," said Haruka.
+"So, only one class can be A in the end, huh?" asked Akito, arriving to
+join us.
+"Hey, Miyacchi. How did practice go today?" asked Haruka.
+"How did what go?"
+"You know. How did you handle your bow or whatever?"
+"Like normal. Not really great, not really bad. You don't have to
+pretend to be interested," said Akito.
+"Come on, isn't it nice to ask? We're just having a casual conversation
+between friends, right?"
+"Well, do you know anything about archery?" asked Akito. He sat
+down, looking somewhat suspicious of Haruka.
+"You just hit the target with your bow, right?"
+"No...but I guess you have the general idea. Just forget about it."
+"Well, how do I put this? It's not like I have any interest in archery
+myself. I never have. I just want to know what youthful missteps led you to
+care about it, you know?" replied Haruka.
+"Yeah. Come to think of it, why archery? It's not like this school's
+archery club is legendary or anything, right?" asked Keisei.
+"Back in junior high, an upperclassman I was friends with belonged to
+the archery club. So, I thought I'd give it a shot. That's all there was to it. No
+particularly deep reason," said Akito.
+"Ah, so this other student made you want to join?" Airi chimed in more
+and more often these days. It was a welcome sight, if a surprising one.
+"Airi, you have a digital camera, right? That's a fad these days, huh? I
+suppose I understand why you prefer something like photography," said
+Haruka.
+"What, like posting pictures to Instagram and stuff? That's more of a
+girls' hobby, I guess. I don't quite get it," said Keisei. He sounded critical.
+"Hey, that's sexist," said Haruka. "There're lots of dudes on the 'gram
+these days, you know."
+"Really? I don't think it's a good idea to make your personal
+information public like that."
+"What about you, Kiyotaka? Are you into photography?"
+"No. I don't know anything about it," I replied.
+After all, at this school, you couldn't communicate with the outside
+world at all. The only people who'd see you on social media would be other
+students.
+"Kiyopon doesn't really look the type. Actually, if he used Instagram,
+I'd be super surprised. Are you secretly the sort of person who impulsively
+snaps a photo when you're out partying, or at the pool at night?" Haruka
+asked me. "Or when you have an ice cream in hand and make, like, a cute
+face... You ever do anything like that?"
+"No." I didn't want her to picture me doing anything of the sort. "Do
+you use it, then? Instagram?"
+"Not at all. It's a pain, and I don't like putting myself on display," she
+replied.
+"T'm with you," said Keisei.
+Airi was quiet, but she looked hurt by their dismissal. Although she
+was taking a break from it at the moment, her hobby was posing for pictures
+and uploading them to the internet.
+"Well, it's pretty popular worldwide. It's not that strange a hobby," I
+said. I didn't want to depress Airi. She probably intended to hide her true
+feelings, but it was obvious that she cared what I said. She always reacted
+when I helped her, and Haruka and the others immediately noticed it, too.
+"Well, I'm not the person to ask about what's cool these days. I
+apologize to anyone who happens to like Instagram and stuff like that," said
+Haruka.
+"Just because it's not for me doesn't mean I should dismiss something
+other people like out of hand. That's on me. I didn't think it through," Keisei
+apologized to Airi.
+Airi patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
+"Sorry to change the topic, but I was wondering about something," said
+Akito as the discussion calmed down. He sounded slightly irritated. "Doesn't
+Class C seem strange lately?"
+"Class C? They're always strange. What're you talking about?" Haruka
+tilted her head to the side.
+I knew what Akito referred to. He was describing the people who'd
+followed us over the past few days. Even now, one watched us from his
+hiding place: Komtya, a Class C student and one of Ryuuen's henchmen. He
+was undoubtedly monitoring our group, but sat just far enough away to be
+able to deny it as a coincidence. We would risk being labeled the aggressors
+if we confronted him. Akito understood that we still didn't have any solid
+proof.
+More importantly, another person was currently watching our group.
+Someone Akito hadn't noticed yet.
+"During our study sessions, those Class C students came over and
+messed with us, right?" he asked.
+"You mean Ryuuen-kun and Shiina-san? It's them again?"
+"Well, they sent different people this time around. Komiya and Ishizaki
+showed up today at archery club. They said they came to observe, which the
+upperclassmen readily accepted. But they just glared at me the entire time,"
+said Akito.
+So, Komiya was following Akito, then? Ishizaki was probably no
+longer accompanying him to avoid getting too conspicuous. Of all of us,
+Akito was clearly the most bothered by Ryuuen's surveillance.
+"Maybe they're interested in the club?" asked Airi, who couldn't
+possibly know Ryuuen's plots.
+"That'd be nice if it were true. But it doesn't seem like it," said Akito.
+He rotated his arms, as if his shoulders were stiff.
+Ryuuen was continuing to pressure us, and lately, he'd turned up the
+heat. I could almost hear his bold laughter, hear him say, "Sooner or later,
+you'll give way."
+"Did they do anything to you? Like heckle you, or sneeze to distract
+you when you were shooting? Or throw rocks at you?" asked Haruka.
+"They couldn't do anything of the sort in front of the coaches or senior
+students, obviously. They left around the time practice ended," said Akito.
+Although nothing had really changed for me personally, Ryuuen and
+his cronies had clearly marked us since the last exam. I had to assume they
+marked Karuizawa, too. They'd probably narrowed down their list to a few
+prime suspects by now—and I was sure that included me. One final piece of
+decisive evidence would lead them to conclude that I was the one they were
+after, and Karuizawa Kei could give them that evidence.
+The fact that Ryuuen was treading lightly was proof that he thought
+about this very carefully. How would he go about finding his puzzle's final
+pieces? If I examined his movements thus far, it wasn't hard to guess what he
+might do. It was a matter of "when," not "if."
+As I pondered that, Akito and the others continued talking. Keisei
+offered his thoughts about why Class C was bothering us.
+"Maybe it has something to do with Class D's growth. We had zero
+points shortly after we started school, but now we're within arm's reach of
+Class C. Factor in the Paper Shuffle test's results, and there's a chance we
+might overtake Class C by our third semester. They should be panicking," he
+reasoned.
+"You're right. We're going to overtake them. Us, the same people
+they've been making fun of!"
+"But...that shouldn't be possible, right?" asked Airi, clearly thinking
+back to when our class point totals were announced.
+"Correct," Keisei said. "When the school announced the class point
+totals at the start of December, Class D had 262 points, and Class C had 542.
+There was a 280-point gap."
+Class D had faced off against Class C in the Paper Shuffle, and won
+decisively. One hundred points were transferred from C to D, letting us close
+the gap by two hundred points total. The difference between Class D and
+Class C was now a measly eighty points.
+Class C was currently in the lead. However, something unrelated to the
+exam was brewing in Class C.
+"It seems that Class C did something to severely violate the rules. The
+school's keeping the details hush-hush, but Class C had a hundred points
+docked."
+"T wonder what they did? Sounds like a very Class C thing, though."
+Haruka seemed amused...not that Class D had any room to talk. We'd
+managed to lose a thousand class points within a month of starting school.
+"Well, whatever the reason, their internal conflict's doing some real
+damage. If things continue this way, our class might be promoted after winter
+vacation," Keisei said, though he didn't sound cocky.
+"Is that why Class C started messing with Miyacchi?" asked Haruka.
+"T think it's likely," Keisei replied.
+From Ryuuen's perspective as Class C's leader, being demoted had to
+suck. He was probably looking for a weakness in Class D that he could
+exploit to help him maintain his position. At least, that was consistent with
+his previous actions.
+"Classes trading places, disruptive as it may be, is inevitable given the
+way the school works. But I think it's also something that doesn't happen
+often. Class D's growth after its initial severe fall has to be making Class C
+panic. It's only natural that they want to ascertain the reason for our growth."
+"Ryuuen-kun acts all high and mighty, but he's still their leader. His
+reputation's gonna hit rock-bottom if we overtake them."
+"TI suppose I understand his desperation," said Akito, sounding pleased
+by the thought of Ryuuen's pride taking a hit.
+"Still...Class D hasn't really changed that much, has it? I mean, we
+closed the gap, but why? Is it because Class C fumbled?"
+It was certainly true that most of the students in our class simply faced
+the exams they were presented with, oblivious to the battles that went on
+behind the scenes. It was understandable that they wouldn't know exactly
+why the gap between our classes had shrunk.
+"We beat all the other classes during the island exam. Ryuuen defeated
+us on the zodiac test, but we made a comeback in the Paper Shuffle.
+Meanwhile, Class C have been using their class points willy-nilly, haven't
+they?" Keisei pointed out. "Even on the uninhabited island test, they quickly
+used up all the points available to them."
+"So, in other words... C Class is self-destructing?"
+"You could see it like that. Their recent rule violation was certainly
+self-destructive."
+The special exam on the uninhabited island had been conducted right at
+the start of our summer vacation. Each class had been allocated 300 points
+for their own use during the exam, and we had to use those points we were
+given over a period of one week to clear the test. Then, whatever points we
+had remaining were added to our class point total after the exam ended. Each
+class, D included, did everything they could to have at least one point
+remaining, but like Haruka had said, C Class had quickly spent all 300 points
+they had.
+"Is that why D Class was able to close the gap by that much?"
+Even though there were certainly many twists and turns along the way
+for D Class, we had successfully managed to save 225 points.
+"That's probably it. Besides, I have to wonder if Class C even did
+anything to try and counter us. It did look like they really enjoyed their
+vacation, though. I might be a little bit jealous that they didn't really know
+what we had to endure."
+"Ryuuen's just reckless. He's an idiotic child who thinks that doing the
+unexpected somehow makes him cool. That's why it doesn't mean anything
+to him if his class loses."
+From Keisei's fiercely logical perspective, spending class points
+haphazardly must've seemed completely incomprehensible. However,
+Ryuuen hadn't wasted the points he received. He hadn't just used all his
+points, either—he'd also handed all of Class C's stuff over to Class A during
+the island challenge, including their toilets, tents, and excess rations. He
+certainly didn't do that out of the goodness of his heart. Intangible properties
+like trust or friendship meant nothing to Ryuuen; if he'd helped Class A, it
+was because he got something in exchange, most likely private points.
+There were only a few students who knew the truth. And Keisei
+seemed like he belonged to the group of people who didn't know.
+"Wow, must be nice to be a boy," said Haruka. "You guys have it so
+easy. Don't you think so, Airi?"
+"Y-yeah. A lot of the girls had it real bad on the island during that time
+of the month. If it had gone on much longer, I think I might've been in
+trouble too," Airi whispered, her cheeks red.
+"Why would you have been in trouble if the test continued?" asked
+Keisei, who clearly didn't know the first thing about how women's bodies
+worked.
+"W-well, that's..." Airi, unable to tell him anything about the time of
+the month all girls went through, averted her eyes.
+"You know what, Yukimuu? It's cute how dumb you can be, but you
+really need to know when to shut up. Get it?" Haruka shot back scathingly at
+Keisei.
+"What do you mean?"
+Desperate for this to end, Akito gently tapped Keisei on the shoulder.
+"People have a lot of problems, dude," he said.
+"IT don't have a single clue what you're getting at. What do you mean,
+'a lot of problems'?" Keisei, ever the dogged pursuer of knowledge, was
+desperate to uncover what he was missing.
+Akito changed the subject. "Class D won because Horikita saw through
+Ryuuen's strategy, right?" He looked to me for acknowledgement.
+I nodded. "If she hadn't done that, we would've lost."
+"All Class C did was party. They pretended they had to retire, but why
+did Ryuuen-kun stay on the island? He's their leader. Shouldn't they have left
+someone less conspicuous behind?" Haruka's reasoning wasn't totally off-
+base, but anyone could've been nominated as leader for the purposes of that
+test. There had been no way to rule out the possibility of another, more
+inconspicuous Class C student hiding in the shadows.
+"Hey, Kiyotaka, tell us the information you got from Horikita," said
+Keisei, a serious expression on his face.
+"What're you talking about?"
+"What's Ryuuen thinking and planning? After everything that
+happened during the sports festival and Paper Shuffle, we really need to work
+together as a class from now on."
+"T agree. It really creeps me out, being followed by Ishizaki and those
+guys," said Akito.
+It seemed they were starting to realize that cooperation was more
+important now than ever before. Even Akito and Haruka, who didn't
+normally pay much attention to our class's problems, seemed to be on board.
+"T can only tell you what I've heard secondhand, but..." I started.
+I wanted to suggest calling Horikita, but Keisei spoke up. "That's fine.
+Just tell us what you know," he said.
+The four of them stared at me. It was a lot of pressure. "All right. Well,
+don't blame me if I get something wrong."
+With that disclaimer out of the way, I explained what had happened on
+the island, starting from the very beginning. The moves I described were
+mine, of course, but the official story credited them to Horikita.
+I told them how Ryuuen had used a radio to communicate with a spy
+while he hid somewhere on the island. About how, in addition to Ibuki, other
+spies had infiltrated the other classes. About how Ryuuen had been obsessed
+with Horikita ever since the exam on the cruise ship. I told them about the
+strategy Ryuuen used on the ship, and how he won, but I hid the fact that
+he'd planned to crush Horikita in the sports festival. I said nothing about
+Kushida's betrayal, either.
+"That's generally how it went down. It's not really any different from
+what you guys already know, Keisei," I told them.
+Keisei crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought. "Then, like
+Haruka said, why did Ryuuen stay behind on the island?" he asked.
+"Horikita thinks it's because Ryuuen doesn't trust anyone," I said.
+"That seems as if it's the likeliest answer. I mean, gathering intel on other
+classes while learning their leaders' identities probably seemed like too
+important a job for him to trust another student with, right?"
+You would've had to issue commands to your spy, exercise deductive
+reasoning, and have the endurance to survive on the island for a few days
+with only the bare necessities. Though I didn't say that part aloud, it also had
+to be someone who had a connection with A Class and could work with them.
+It wasn't far-fetched to think that Ryuuen was the only person in Class C
+capable of pulling it off.
+If the leaders had been nominated after everyone had gathered, then
+Ryuuen would probably have had a different strategy. However, the manual
+that was distributed out to us on the uninhabited island clearly stated that the
+nominations would be held immediately after our roll call on the final day. In
+other words, it was done before each class had assembled. Ryuuen probably
+went with that strategy he did because he saw that.
+Keisei and the others mulled it over.
+"Just as I've come to expect of Horikita. I could never think that far
+ahead."
+"We had all that trouble with rations and sanitation, someone burned
+our manual, and someone's underwear even got stolen. Class D was in
+complete shambles. We didn't have the time or energy to conduct
+reconnaissance on other classes," said Akito.
+"It was pretty bad, wasn't it?"
+"Horikita-san 1s amazing."
+"She really is. To think she figured out all that stuff," said Ari,
+sounding genuinely impressed.
+"Considering how she saw through Ryuuen-kun's strategy, I
+understand why they have it out for her."
+"Tn fact, it looks like they're still trying to get in our way, even now."
+Rather than deny it, I decided to just tell them how things were.
+"It seemed like there was some kind of dispute between people in the
+same group during the zodiac test, too."
+"T suppose I can understand what happened on the island and the cruise
+ship. But why come all the way to spy on me during archery club? That's not
+normal, right?" asked Akito.
+He had a point. If Horikita was Class C's main target, why waste time
+tailing all of us?
+"They might be trying to find weak links in Class D," I said. "After all,
+it doesn't seem like Horikita has any weaknesses they can exploit. Maybe
+their plan is to destroy those around her."
+"T suppose."
+"Wow, Kiyopon's girlfriend is really incredible," teased Haruka.
+"Don't call her my girlfriend."
+""Y-yeah. I think that's rude to Kiyotaka-kun," said Airi.
+"Ah ha ha! Sorry, sorry."
+It was also frankly insulting to Horikita to pair her up with someone
+like me. Sudou would blow his top if he even heard Haruka joke about it.
+"Even if she isn't your girlfriend, don't you like her?" asked Haruka.
+"Or have you already got a girlfriend?"
+"T don't really like her, and I don't have a girlfriend."
+"IT see. Then I guess that settles it. We're all going to be lonely this
+year."
+"Lonely?"
+"Look around. It's almost Christmas, isn't it?" Haruka whispered. She
+had a point. The mall was so festooned with Christmas decorations that it was
+hard to believe we were on a school campus. Happy couples walked past
+where we sat.
+"Tt's not that special a day, right?" said Keisei. "It's just like any
+other."
+"That might be the case for you, Yukimuu, but it's important to us
+girls," Haruka replied.
+"R-rumors might go around."
+"Yeah, yeah. Stuff like who's dating, and who isn't. Or who spent the
+night together, and who didn't. You know? Even if you're just single because
+you like being alone, they'll pity you," said Haruka.
+"We're first-year high school students. Our priority should be our
+studies," Keisei insisted.
+"What, so you've never, ever thought even a little bit about dating?
+You're blushing."
+"Shut up."
+"This mango juice 1s way too sweet. Whew," said Akito, handing me
+the cup while pretending to vomit.
+"But it's so good!" said Haruka, sounding shocked. "Anyway, I think a
+bunch of stuff is going to happen in Class D over winter break. Just my two
+cents."
+"You mean like people asking each other out?" Airi inquired.
+"Probably. If couples go out, other couples are going to break up. A lot
+can happen at Christmas, after all." Haruka nodded sagely, as if she'd spent a
+lot of time observing the battlefield of relationships.
+"Putting aside who might start dating, what about who might break up?
+The only couple in Class D is Hirata and Karuizawa, right?" Akito clutched
+his throat while talking, as if the mango juice's sweetness was throttling him.
+It was super sweet.
+"Love can bloom anywhere, Miyacchi. It's not as though your only
+romantic options are the people in our class. If there's a girl you like, you
+gotta make a move before someone snatches her up," said Haruka.
+"Sadly, archery is my only love," said Akito.
+"Dude, that's so lame. You're not even all that passionate about it.
+Super uncool."
+"Shut up!" he averted his eyes as if embarrassed. "Anyway, I'm not
+taking time off from club activities during winter break. I suppose it might be
+a different story if I had a girlfriend, but I don't."
+"So, you would like to get a girlfriend?" asked Haruka. She mimed
+holding a microphone up to Akito's mouth.
+"T mean, I'm not going to broadcast it to the world like Ike and those
+other guys, but I imagine both guys and girls want the same things, right?"
+"Well, if my ideal guy's out there, I'd love to find him. What'!] you do
+if a girl says she likes you, Yukimuu?" Haruka pressed.
+"What? ll I do? It'd depend on the relationship I had with that girl, I
+guess."
+"Oh, so you wouldn't date her just because she was cute? I see, I see.
+You're quite the serious little boy," she teased.
+"Knock it off."
+"Kiyotaka-kun, do you have any plans for Ch-Christmas?" asked Airi.
+"Whoa, Airi. Does that mean you're inviting Kiyopon on a date? So
+bold!" Haruka exclaimed.
+"Th-that's—I mean—that's not what I mean! I'm not asking that!"
+"What else could it be, then? Kiyopon just said that he didn't have a
+girlfriend."
+"That's not what I was getting at. It's only... I mean... Well, I wanted
+to know what his plans were. It's just that ''m curious about what you want
+to do, when you spend Christmas all alone," said Airi.
+"Hmm, that makes sense. Miyacchi probably has club stuff, but what
+about you, Yukimuu? What are you up to during Christmas?"
+"T'll be studying," Keisei answered. "If the school promotes us to Class
+C in the third semester as planned, we have to switch from climbing the
+ladder to holding our position. We don't have all that many academically
+skilled students in our class, so I'd like to stay ahead." So, he wanted to
+contribute his strongest talents to the class. He seemed to have grown more
+confident after tutoring Haruka and Akito.
+"T don't know how much I can help on the academic front. Pll leave
+that to you, Keisei," Akito said.
+"That's fine, but even if we manage to graduate from Class A, you
+should try to do better in your studies. Those academic scores will follow you
+through life."
+"Yeah, you're probably right. Pll slide right back down if I start
+slacking off now."
+"You can't slack off and graduate from Class A, anyway."
+"What about Airi's question, Kiyopon? Are you going to be alone on
+Christmas?" Haruka asked.
+"Yep. I'm not doing anything special. Ill probably spend the day
+quietly in my room."
+"Christmas is just a normal holiday, right?"
+The closing ceremony was on December 22". Christmas was almost
+here.
+"Heh. Hee hee!" Airi chuckled to herself. She tried frantically to stifle
+her laughter, but failed.
+"Is something funny?" asked Haruka.
+"S-sorry. No, it's just... Well, I'm having fun. I'm having so much fun
+I started to laugh."
+"You're laughing because you're having fun?" Haruka and the others
+looked as though they couldn't quite understand. I looked too, noticing tears
+welling in Airi's eyes.
+"Tt's just that I've never had such a fun time before. I'm really happy,"
+she answered, revealing her heart to us.
+"Seriously? We're just talking about stupid stuff."
+"That's fine with me. I like talking about stupid stuff," Airi replied.
+"Well, I don't really get it, but I'm glad. I'm having fun too," Haruka
+concluded.
+Our conversation topic switched again.
+"Since we're all here now, why don't we grab dinner together before
+heading back?"
+Everyone was down with that. As we started to head out, I spoke up.
+"Hey, I'm going to use the bathroom quick. You guys mind going on ahead?"
+"We'll just wait here."
+"Nah, itll be really crowded at this time of day. It'd probably be faster
+if you got in line. Save me a seat."
+Convinced, everyone headed toward Keyaki Mall's restaurant. This
+was only possible because Airi could now act on her own, to some extent,
+without me being there.
+Komu1ya, after concluding I was heading to the bathroom, followed
+them. I watched them leave, then headed in the opposite direction from the
+bathroom, approaching a girl who'd sat by herself while my group chatted.
+"Can I have a minute?" I asked.
+The girl was Kamuro, from Class A. She messed with her phone as if
+she hadn't noticed my presence.
+"Hey, I'm talking to you," I said again.
+"Huh? Me? What?" Her body language told me she'd only just noticed
+I took a chair next to Kamuro. You could've cut the tension in the air
+with a knife.
+"You've been following me. What do you want?" I asked.
+"Hmm? What're you talking about?"
+"TI saw you after class yesterday. Two days ago, at Keyaki Mall. Four
+days ago, at Keyaki Mall. Six days ago, after class. Seven days ago, after
+class. You were always there. That's quite a string of coincidences, isn't it?" I
+asked. On my phone's screen, I showed her several pictures I'd taken of her
+spying.
+"That's... But when...?"
+"You were trying to be discreet, so you couldn't exactly meet my eyes
+when I looked in your direction. No wonder you didn't notice me taking
+pictures of you."
+"Well, so what if ''m following you? Do you have a problem with
+that?"
+"Not especially. It's not hurting me or anything. I'm not going to tell
+you to stop, either."
+"Exactly. This is just a coincidence."
+"But I have to wonder...what will your boss think when she finds out
+about this?" I asked.
+"Boss? What're you talking about? You've been watching way too
+many movies."
+"Then I suppose I'll report this to Sakayanagi. I'Il tell her you're not
+really very good at tailing me."
+"Wait a minute," said Kamuro, grabbing my arm as I stood up.
+"You're devoted, aren't you?" I asked. "To Sakayanagi, I mean. She
+asked you to tail me day after day, and here you are, still doing your job. You
+must be close to her."
+"Don't give me that. I'm nobody's lackey."
+"There's really no need for you to lie. You're spending your precious
+time doing something as boring as tailing me, and you're doing it precisely
+because you trust and respect Sakayanagi."
+"Absolutely not. I''d honestly never speak to her again if I could,"
+Kamuro spat.
+"Then why do you follow her orders?"
+"Does it matter?"
+"If you're not doing it out of goodwill, then it must be because she's
+got some dirt on you."
+"What're you trying to say?"
+"T'll report your clumsy efforts to tail me to Sakayanagi. I'll expose
+your inability to act on her behalf. Then that weakness of yours she's
+exploiting will probably come back to bite you."
+"So, you're threatening me, too?"
+"Too," huh? That just about confirmed that Sakayanagi was indeed
+using some weakness of Kamuro's. She'd fallen hook, line, and sinker for my
+ploy.
+"So, what's your deal?" Kamuro demanded. "Why is Sakayanagi
+targeting you?"
+"Who knows? I honestly have no clue," I said.
+"You're the Class D student that Ryuuen's looking for, aren't you?
+That's the only thing I can think of."
+"What're you going to do about it?" I chose not to deny it. If
+Sakayanagi knew what I was doing, there was no point covering it up.
+"You're trying to threaten me, but I could give Ryuuen some friendly
+advice, if I felt like it,' Kamuro said.
+"So, you're threatening me in return, huh? In that case, how about
+this?" I decided to make her a proposal. "Feel free to tail me as much as you
+like. I won't say a word, and I won't rat on you to Sakayanagi. In exchange, I
+want you to keep quiet. Don't tell anyone other than Sakayanagi what you
+know about me."
+"So, those are your conditions?"
+"T don't think it's a bad deal."
+"You're right. I have no real interest in helping Ryuuen, either."
+Kamuro nodded in apparent agreement and stood. "I'm going home now. I'm
+tired."
+With that, she headed for the exit.
+"Whatever Sakayanagi has on her is dynamite, I bet," I muttered to
+myself.
+ADVANCED NURTURING HIGH SCHOOL DATABASE DATE: 7/1
+Yamada Albert
+CLASS: First Year, Class C
+STUDENT ID: S01T004708
+CLUB AFFILIATIONS: None
+DATE OF BIRTH: January 16th
+***
+He appears to be a calm, obedient student of few words, though he's had
+some trouble with senior students in the past. We hope he'll develop into
+a fine student, but would like to monitor him closely.
+***
+He's fluent in English, and | must praise his dedication to classwork.
+However, he has considerable room to improve when it comes to math
+and the Japanese language.
+Chapter 3:
+Reunions and Farewells
+66
+Wiaars up with those guys?!" Sudou grumbled irritably as he
+walked into our classroom the next day, bypassing his seat and approaching
+Horikita. The look on his face made it immediately clear that he was
+extremely pissed off. "Hey. You got a sec, Suzune?"
+"What's the matter?" Horikita couldn't exactly ignore him when he
+cornered her at her desk.
+"Those jerks from Class C! That Ryuuen guy and his lackeys. They've
+been followin' me since this mornin', trying to pick a fight. They even
+blocked my way in the hall. They're seriously getting on my nerves!"
+"You haven't shouted insults or taken swings at them, have you?"
+asked Horikita. She gave Sudou a slight glare, prompting his immediate
+answer.
+"T didn't, no way. I completely ignored 'em."
+"T see. It seems you followed my instructions perfectly, then," replied
+Horikita.
+"What's she talking about? What instructions?" I asked Sudou.
+"Oh, Suzune told me that whenever I run into something I can't deal
+with properly, I should just ignore it," said Sudou. That was certainly sound
+advice. If Sudou rebuked the Class C students, it would probably only add
+fuel to the fire, so to speak.
+"Well, I guess I did bump their shoulders a little when I forced my way
+through," he added. "The students from the other classes knew I was boxed
+in, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about, right?"
+"T don't think they'd try anything, no," said Horikita.
+They'd already gotten the school and student council involved once
+before, and it had caused an uproar. If Sudou punched someone, that would
+be bad, but if he just pushed his way through, it should be fine.
+"So, what did they say to you?"
+"They called me a monkey, an idiot, childish stuff like that. They were
+tryin' to start a fight." Smack! Sudou pounded his fist into his palm. I
+wondered whether this was a continuation of Class C's plans, like when
+they'd appeared at the archery club yesterday.
+"Some Class C guys also tailed Akito—I mean, Miyake," I told Sudou
+and Horikita.
+"Miyake-kun? It seems Class C's quite active these days," Horikita
+replied.
+"Do you think they're plannin' on staging another fight, like that time
+they tried to get me in trouble?" asked Sudou.
+"Who knows? I can't say at this point. But I'Il consider
+countermeasures, just in case. If they happen to approach you again, make
+sure you don't get physical," said Horikita.
+"T understand. I ain't gonna break my promise to you. Even if they start
+throwin' punches, Ill stay calm," said Sudou.
+He sounded much more mature now, and Horikita seemed to believe
+what he said. After Sudou finished giving his report, he returned satisfied to
+his seat and casually started a conversation with Ike and Yamauchi.
+Watching him, Horikita spoke up. "I wonder if Sudou-kun's finally
+become a normal, well-adjusted person," she mused.
+"Yeah," I replied. "His speech 1s still a little crude, but that's fine."
+"Tt looks like it's time for him to take the next step." With that cryptic
+comment, Horikita got a notebook and started scribbling something down.
+"What are you talking about? What next step?" I asked. When I tried to
+sneak a peek at her writing, Horikita quickly closed the notebook.
+"That's a topic for another time. Besides, we have more problems than
+just Sudou-kun right now," she said.
+I didn't know what she meant, and honestly didn't care. Lately,
+Horikita had thought and acted independently of me with increasing
+frequency. She'd gotten better at communicating with Sudou, Hirata, and the
+others, too.
+"At any rate, Ryuuen-kun's been a busy bee—we only just got done
+with the Paper Shuffle," she continued. "I wonder what he's plotting now?"
+"There aren't any exams in the immediate future," I said.
+"Think back to the time they attacked Sudou-kun. Now, it seems as if
+Ryuuen-kun's plotting against Ichinose-san and Class B. He apparently likes
+challenging his enemies when no exams are involved," said Horikita. She
+shot me a withering look, as if to say, "Don't you already know that?"
+I pretended not to notice and shrugged the look off. "I wonder what
+he's after this time?"
+"Do you really not know? Or are you just pretending?" Horikita asked.
+"What do you mean?"
+"He's looking for the person controlling Class D from behind the
+scenes."
+"Tn other words, he's looking for you?"
+Horikita pinned me with an intense glare. "You can't use me to hide
+from Ryuuen anymore."
+"What makes you say that?"
+"If he thought I was the puppet master, so to speak, he would approach
+me directly. But he hasn't done anything of the sort," said Horikita.
+"Perhaps your strategy during the Paper Shuffle was more effective
+than he expected? He might be moving more carefully this time. Taking a
+while to remove the obstacles in his way first," I said.
+"T wonder. I don't think that's it, though. It's more like he lost interest
+99
+in me.
+"Does this mean you miss Ryuuen's attention?" I asked.
+"Does that mean you want me to kick you?"
+"IT do not want to be kicked." She was definitely the kind of person
+who would actually kick me, too.
+"Maybe our class's clandestine leader foolishly called attention to
+himself? Play dumb if you like, but do you really want to discuss this here
+and now?" asked Horikita.
+It was just before homeroom, and all our classmates, Kushida included,
+sat at their desks. It didn't seem as if anyone was listening in, but this wasn't
+a conversation we could risk having overheard.
+"At any rate, you apparently understand Ryuuen quite well. I'm not
+teasing. I mean it," I added quickly, because Horikita glared at me again.
+"His modus operandi has remained essentially the same. If he plays the
+same tricks over and over, I'm going to learn from it, even if I don't like it.
+That's how I predicted that he'd use Kushida-san during the Paper Shuffle.
+Of course, it goes without saying that I would've preferred that not happen,
+but..." Horikita trailed off.
+No one liked a traitor. Horikita was probably thinking that we wouldn't
+have had to struggle quite so hard if Kushida hadn't betrayed us.
+However, Ryuuen had felt secure precisely because of the internal
+threat Kushida posed. For better or for worse, Kushida allowed us to see our
+enemy's attack patterns.
+"That wasn't Ryuuen-kun's only miscalculation. I intended to pull the
+rug out from under him during the Paper Shuffle," Horikita continued.
+"Isn't that what actually happened, though?"
+"Yes. Honestly, some of Class C's lowest-scoring students should' ve
+been expelled, but that doesn't seem to be the case."
+If you could get your hands on a complete set of questions and
+answers, then there was no need to study. Horikita was saying it wouldn't
+have been surprising for some students from Class C to be kicked out of
+school after having let their guard down. Keisei and the others seemed to
+think the same thing.
+"Class C must have some smart people, right? Students acting in
+support roles for their classmates, unlike Ryuuen," I replied.
+"T suppose so. If they're putting in that much effort, they're doing a
+good job," said Horikita. "At any rate, I imagine his tricks will only escalate
+from here."
+"That's not my problem. It's yours."
+"T know that. Being your decoy seems to be my fate in life."
+"You sound surprisingly accepting."
+"Because I have no choice but to accept it. It's not like you're going to
+quit now, are you?"
+This optimism wasn't a bad thing. Horikita was perceptive. She had
+quite a lot of potential. If she improved her communication skills to Hirata's
+level, she could stand among the ranks of the elite.
+"So, what's your plan?" asked Horikita.
+"For what?"
+"Do you have a strategy to counter Ryuuen-kun's hunt to expose you?"
+"Nope."
+"There you go again." She huffed, looking irritated. "Let's change the
+topic. Are you still participating in those meetings?"
+"Meetings? You mean, with Keisei and the others? Is there some kind
+of problem?"
+"T can't imagine there's much benefit to being in that clique. That
+study group formed specifically to help Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun in
+certain subjects, correct? Now that the exam's over, it's no longer necessary."
+"Tt's not about necessity. I just feel at ease when I'm with them," I
+answered. Horikita's life revolved around her quest to ascend to Class A. It
+was all she ever talked about. Since I didn't share her enthusiasm on that
+front, I had little reason to hang out with her the way I did with Keisei and
+the others.
+If Horikita ever came to talk to me about something that wasn't a class
+problem, then maybe, I could engage with her the same way I did with Keisei
+and the others.
+"Will you cooperate with me?" asked Horikita.
+"T will. As much as I can," I answered.
+She didn't look very convinced.
+3.1
+Orr LAST MORNING CLASS ended, and it was lunchtime. As I pondered
+meeting up with Akito and Keisei, Horikita stared at me.
+"What? Did you want to continue our talk from this morning?" I asked.
+"No. I have a request."
+"Tf it's a hassle, I'm going to pass."
+"Tt shouldn't take much time." Horikita reached into her bag and took
+out a library book. "Didn't you say last week that you wanted to read this?"
+"Farewell, My Lovely, huh?" A masterpiece by Raymond Chandler. I'd
+been interested in it for a while now, but the book seemed strangely popular,
+because it was always checked out. I'd given up on borrowing it. "I'm
+impressed that you managed to snag it from the library. Are you offering to
+lend it to me?"
+Technically, Horikita should've returned it so it could go to the next
+person on the waiting list. But this seemed like the most reliable method of
+getting my hands on it, underhanded though it may have been.
+"Tf you'd like. It's also due back today. I was hoping you could take it
+to the library for me, then check it out for yourself," said Horikita.
+"Is this because you don't want to go to the trouble of returning it?" I
+asked.
+"Even if I returned it myself, you'd still need to go to the library to
+borrow it. From a purely efficient standpoint, this is the correct course of
+action," she replied.
+True enough. This just saved Horikita the time and effort of having to
+return the book herself. You needed a student ID card when you wanted to
+check out a book, so trying to check out a book in someone else's name
+would be impossible. On the other hand, you didn't need to present anything
+if you were simply returning a book.
+"If you refuse, I'Il just head over to the library. I don't know when
+you'll be able to get your hands on this incredibly popular book that's in such
+short supply, though."
+I wondered whether this was Horikita's warped way of showing
+kindness, since she knew I wanted to read the book.
+"Fine. Ill take it," I told her.
+"Thank you." Horikita handed it to me. "I don't care when you return
+it, as long as it's sometime today. If I hear that it's overdue, I'll be coming for
+99
+you.
+"T know." I hadn't borrowed a book from the library before, but I
+understood the process. If a book was overdue, private points were deducted
+from your account. "Well, there's no time like the present. I'll just go now."
+3:2
+Tie LIBRARY WAS surprisingly empty at lunch, like a cozy little
+hideaway. Students weren't allowed to eat in here, so only a few people were
+around, guaranteeing that the return process would go smoothly.
+"Since I'm already here, I might as well check out another book," I
+muttered to myself.
+Farewell, My Lovely in one hand, I walked over to the mystery section,
+hoping to find another of Raymond Chandler's works. As I arrived there, I
+saw a lone female student struggling to grab a book on a high shelf. It was
+Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronté. A masterpiece penned by the middle of
+the three Bronté sisters, all of whom were literary legends.
+A conventional blurb could make that book sound like a mystery, but
+wouldn't it have fit better in the romance section?
+Wuthering Heights was perched at a strange angle, just barely within
+reach, which might be why the girl wasn't using the stepstool. I stood in front
+of her and grabbed the book.
+"Sorry, I don't mean to butt in, but..." I looked at her and trailed off.
+"Wait a minute. You're from Class C. You're..."
+Shiina Hiyori. I'd seen her with Ryuuen a short while ago. It seemed
+that she recognized me, too.
+"You're Ayanokouji-kun, right?" she asked.
+"Yeah. Uh, here you go," I said, handing her the book.
+"Thank you very much."
+fa
+***
+i iy
+ay
+"Do you like her work? Bronté?" I asked.
+"T don't really like or dislike the book. It was in the wrong section, so I
+thought I'd return it to its proper place," she replied.
+"IT see."
+"By the way, that book you have—Farewell, My Lovely, right? It's
+wonderful," said Shiina. Her eyes started to sparkle.
+"T managed to borrow it from a friend of mine today."
+"Wow, that's lucky. It seems as though Raymond Chandler's quite
+popular among the second-year students. I've been wanting to reread it
+myself, but I wasn't able to find a copy today."
+"T guess it was bad of me to borrow it from a friend," I said
+apologetically.
+"Tt's all right. I've already read it. Besides, I was fortunate enough to
+find another good book while I searched for that one. The school library's
+quite large. If I tried to read everything on its shelves, I'd probably graduate
+before I could finish," said Shiina. She clutched Bronté's book, a small smile
+on her face.
+"Yeah. You're probably right. Sorry for disturbing you, by the way."
+She'd come here during the lunch break instead of eating, so she
+probably didn't want to waste time chatting to a student from another class. I
+decided to leave her be.
+"If you just came to return Farewell, My Lovely and then borrow it for
+yourself, you could've done that at the service desk. Are you looking for
+another book to check out?" Shiina asked, stopping me in my tracks.
+"T thought I'd come back and try another time, so..." I replied. Shiina
+was already scanning the mystery section. "Hey, what are you doing?" I
+asked.
+"Have you already read Dorothy L. Sayers?" she asked.
+"No. I've read Christie, but not Sayers."
+"In that case, I would most definitely recommend Whose Body? That's
+the first book in the series featuring Lord Peter. If you read that book, you'll
+inevitably want to read the rest." She pulled several books from the shelves
+and handed them to me.
+"Uh..." Her behavior left me puzzled. I struggled to figure out how to
+respond.
+"I'm sorry, I was rambling. Am I bothering you?"
+"No," I told her. "I was just a little surprised. Since I'm already here, I
+might as well grab some more books."
+"Sure." Shiina looked extraordinarily happy. She smiled so widely that
+her eyes scrunched up. "The lunch break isn't over, right? Would you like to
+eat with me?"
+"Huh?"
+This was even more bizarre than a book recommendation. It was
+probably safe to assume that Ryuuen had told Shiina to ask me this. Still,
+whether I accepted her invitation or not, her impression of me was unlikely to
+change. I'd make sure that she saw me as neutral and unreadable.
+"No one in Class C likes reading, so I don't really have anyone to talk
+to," she added. Perhaps the silence was getting awkward.
+"Won't this cause trouble?" I asked. "Class C is currently hunting
+someone in Class D, right? I feel like I'm on the list of suspects."
+Shiina had probably heard that either Keisei or I were likely candidates
+for the person pulling Horikita's strings. It was very likely that was why she
+was trying to talk to me now.
+In some ways, Shiina Hiyori was even creepier than Ryuuen. She was a
+completely unknown quantity. I might be able to extract some information
+about her by using Karuizawa, but that was too risky, now that Karuizawa
+was Ryuuen's target. Keisei, Haruka, and Horikita, of course, were all poor
+spies. I could try to use Hirata, but he was fundamentally neutral.
+"Please don't worry. I just play along so that Ryuuen doesn't bother
+me. I've never been interested in conflict. Or is it that you think talking with
+me will be a problem on its own?" Shiina asked.
+"No, not really. I have no personal issues with you."
+"T'm glad. I wouldn't want our classes to clash over something so
+trivial. ''d prefer we all get along," she said.
+"Clash," huh? Considering that this school was designed to foster
+competition, her hopes were doomed to failure. Still, most students acted as if
+this were a normal high school. Hirata and Kushida, for instance, were
+popular because they showed no favoritism in how they interacted with
+classmates.
+"Well, should we go? Time is wasting," said Shiina.
+"Let me head to the service desk and take care of these first," I replied.
+Who could've predicted this would all result from a simple library
+visit?
+3.3
+Suma AND I made our way to the cafeteria. It was twenty minutes
+into our lunch break, and the room was packed. Most students were eating,
+though, so hardly anyone was in line to get a meal ticket. I chose the daily
+special, but Shiina seemed unable to come to a decision. Her finger hovered
+over the buttons, and she looked at all the options carefully.
+"Sorry, sorry..." she said. I waited another two minutes. Finally, she
+ended up choosing the same meal I had. "Sorry. I'm so indecisive."
+"No worries. It's not like there was anyone in line behind us."
+After we turned in our tickets, two meals were placed on the counter.
+Shiina struggled to adjust her schoolbag to take her tray.
+"Your bag's in the way," I said. "Here, let me."
+"Oh no, I couldn't bother you with it..."
+"Don't worry about it. You don't want to fall and drop your tray."
+"Sorry." She handed over her bag, which turned out to be quite heavy.
+Did she carry all her textbooks in it? "It's a lot, isn't it? Thank you very
+much."
+We avoided the crowds, found some empty seats, and sat across from
+one another, slowly tucking into our late lunch.
+"Do you usually eat in the cafeteria?" I asked.
+"No. I usually buy lunch from the convenience store in the morning
+and then eat in the classroom. Do you come here often, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"Convenience store food isn't my favorite. Food tastes best when it's
+freshly made."
+Shiina used her chopsticks to elegantly raise a morsel of food to her
+mouth. I watched her in admiration. She handled her chopsticks with such
+grace.
+"Hmm, I see. The cafeteria food certainly is delicious, isn't it? I'll keep
+that in mind," she replied.
+"This isn't your first time eating here, is it?"
+"Looks like I've been found out."
+"T was thinking that that might be the case, since you struggled to
+choose at the ticket machine."' We were at the end of our second semester. It
+was rare to see a student who'd never used the cafeteria.
+"I've always wanted to try it, but if you miss out on your initial chance
+to do something, you kind of drag your feet, don't you? I figured this was a
+good chance to go," Shiina said.
+I understood those feelings. You didn't want to let people see that you
+didn't know how to do something they could do, after all. Pride made you
+cautious, like when I was reluctant to buy drip coffee at the convenience
+store.
+"Does that mean you'll come here again?" I asked.
+"Yes."
+Shiina and I continued to talk while we finished our lunches. Since
+we'd come in late, most other students finished and left before us. A few
+hung back to chat idly, or to take their time savoring their food.
+Shiina placed her bag on the table with a thunk. "I think I'll head back
+to the library. Have you read any of these before, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+William Irish, Ellery Queen, Lawrence Block, and Isaac Asimov.
+"Wow. You've got good taste."
+"You know them?"
+"Yeah. I like mystery novels."
+"Ts that so?" Shiina laughed and clapped her hands.
+I suddenly realized that there was something off about the books.
+"Wait. These aren't from the library, are they?"
+"They're from my personal collection. I've been walking around with
+them, hoping I'd meet someone who shared my tastes and would want to
+borrow them. I started out just carrying one, but I suppose I accumulated
+more and more books while waiting to find that certain someone," Shiina
+explained.
+"Is that so?" This girl was definitely...odd.
+"Please, don't hold back. Take whichever you'd like."
+"Well... I suppose Ill check out Ellery Queen, since I haven't read any
+of his."
+"Go ahead."
+If Shiina was acting, this was quite the performance. I got the feeling
+she just genuinely loved books. I'd made a strange connection in a rather
+strange place. I would remain wary, of course, just in case this was a Class C
+plot, but it really felt like a coincidence. After I promised to return the books,
+the bell rang, signaling the end of our lunch break.
+3.4
+Asvrer CLASSES FINISHED, I got the customary ping from my group
+chat.
+Come to Keyaki Mall if you can. Usual spot. A casual, chatty message
+from Haruka.
+The moment I started typing a response, Horikita aimed some sharp
+words at me. "That grin's really creeping me out."
+"Whose?"
+"Yours. You do have some degree of self-awareness without me
+having to deliberately point it out to you, right?"
+"T absolutely wasn't grinning." I had no memory of the corners of my
+mouth curling up.
+"Are you playing dumb again? I'm talking about your inner self," said
+Horikita. Apparently, she smelled my joy like a bloodhound. "You've found
+a cozy little nook, haven't you?"
+With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed off to the dorms by herself.
+"T was grinning, huh?" I muttered.
+Of course, it felt good to be contacted by a friend. Still, shouldn't
+Horikita be glad about that?
+Did she really want us to continue being loners?
+I got ready and left the classroom. Most groups would've met up there
+and then headed over to Keyaki Mall together, but we were all too
+lackadaisical for that. When I arrived at our usual hangout, the rest of the
+group was already there.
+"Akito, don't you have club stuff?"
+"I'm skipping today."
+"Looks like those Class C dudes showed up at archery again. It doesn't
+seem like they threw punches or got into any fights, though."
+"T told the seniors I felt distracted, so I was going to take today off. The
+club's pretty lenient," Akito explained. That was pretty blunt. I supposed that
+he wouldn't have been able to come meet us here if he'd lied and said he was
+feeling ill.
+"What if we tried talking to the teacher?" Haruka suggested.
+Akito simply shook his head. "There's nothing the teacher can really
+do. If Class C trespassed in our private places, that'd be one thing, but they're
+free to observe the archery club," he explained.
+"Ugh. Class C really are annoying, aren't they? Oh, speaking of. I saw
+it. | saw it. How deplorable of you, good sir," said Haruka, speaking like
+some old-timey aristocrat as she jabbed me with her elbow.
+"Saw what?" I asked.
+"What do you mean, 'what'? I'm saying that I saw you eating with
+Shiina-san from Class C, Kiyopon! Airi's so worried about it, she's been
+spilling rice all over herself."
+***
+"Wah! You promised that you wouldn't say anything, Haruka-chan
+Airi wailed.
+"Oh, did I?" said Haruka. "Then, Kiyopon, pretend I never said
+anything."
+Well, that wasn't exactly possible, but now I understood what was
+really going on.
+"Don't tell me you're about to rush into a last-minute romance right
+before Christmas?" Haruka demanded.
+"Really, Kiyotaka? I didn't think you were that kind of guy," said
+Keisei, sounding slightly annoyed.
+"Naive. Much too naive, Yukimuu. All roads lead to romance in the
+end. Young people these days live life at a much faster pace," said Haruka.
+"Faster? What do you mean, faster?" replied Keisei. "We're in our first
+year of high school."
+"Look, if you experience your first love or whatever in high school,
+you're already behind the curve. Back in elementary school, some of my
+classmates were already dating junior high or high school students."
+Keisei's mouth hung open. "I-I've never heard of anything like that
+before."
+"That just means you never paid attention, Yukimuu. I mean, most
+girls aren't interested in childish boys," said Haruka.
+Wasn't it normal for elementary school kids to be childish? At any
+rate, I had to correct this immediately. "Sorry to rain on your parade, but
+there's nothing going on," I told them.
+"Really? You're not just saying that to hide your embarrassment?"
+"S-see?" said Airi. "I told you, but you wouldn't believe me, Haruka-
+chan."
+"I had some business to take care of at the library, so I went during
+lunch. I just happened to run into Shiina there. I think she was spying on me,
+like Ishizaki and those guys at Akito's club. She asked me a bunch of
+questions. If I flat-out turned her down, it would've attracted extra attention,"
+I told them, trying to lend my story more credibility. Besides, it wasn't really
+a lie. Even though Shiina and I met by accident, it was likely that she'd been
+scoping me out.
+"So, you've been marked too, Ayanokouji. Does that Ryuuen dude
+hate the thought of losing to Class D that much?" asked Akito. He sounded a
+bit resentful, like it made him less special that he wasn't the only person
+Class C targeted.
+However, Keisei considered things from another point of view. "That
+might not be the case. You heard the rumor going around that we've got a
+master schemer hiding in Class D, right? Maybe that's why Ryuuen's been
+tailing us. Ayanokouji, what kind of questions did Shiina ask you?"
+"A bunch of different things, but she did ask about the mastermind," I
+answered.
+"T-I see. So, it wasn't a date or anything." Airi patted her chest and
+sighed in relief.
+"T couldn't really think of anything to say, so I didn't answer. To be
+honest, it wasn't a lot of fun," I added.
+"Even so, it looked like you had a pretty good time," said Haruka.
+"Hmm."
+"T couldn't just let her see me looking disgusted, right? She's still a
+Class C student."
+Haruka seemed suspicious, but Keisei changed the topic. "Putting aside
+Haruka's imaginary romance, Class C is becoming a problem. I feel bad for
+eavesdropping, but apparently Sudou got wrapped up in something and went
+to Horikita for advice."
+Ah, so Keisei overheard their conversation this morning.
+"Are you all right, Keise1?" Akito asked.
+Keisei looked deep in thought. "Nothing's happened to me so far, but
+I'm still worried. ve seen Class C students around a lot lately, and they're
+all Ryuuen's lackeys. I'm probably being targeted as well."
+"IT see. They haven't done anything to me, though," said Airi, raising
+her hand timidly.
+"Me neither," said Haruka, raising her hand like Air.
+"Well, maybe someone's been watching us, and we just haven't
+noticed it yet," Airi replied.
+"Eh? What, like a stalker? Creepy."
+Of course, a guy tailing girls might lead to various problems. Ryuuen
+might be using girls to act on his behalf.
+"Watching us, huh? Maybe..." Akito brought his hand to his mouth, as
+if he'd just thought of something. "I usually finish up with club stuff and
+meet you guys kind of late, right?"
+"Yeah. Generally after six or seven, I think."
+"There're usually an awful lot of Class C students around, considering
+the time. When I met up with you guys the other day at Keyaki Mall, Komiya
+was there. He's here today, too," said Akito.
+Akito was the quick-witted one in our group. His observational skills
+were sharp. Haruka tried to look around, being extremely obvious about it,
+but he stopped her.
+"Don't. We don't know what they're after. It's better not to react," he
+said.
+If Akito hadn't stopped Haruka, I would've. It'd be best to avoid
+adding fuel to the fire right now.
+"Gross," spat Haruka, looking at Komiya and not disguising her
+disgust at all. "So, it's really true about there being a secret Class D
+mastermind?"
+"We don't know whether or not that person exists," said Akito.
+"Ryuuen spews lies as easily as breathing."
+However, Keisei thought in a different way. "Ryuuen has people
+following us precisely because he believes that there is such a person. But if
+Class D contains a master manipulator, like Ryuuen says, who could it be?"
+"What? You think this person exists?"
+"If they don't, then what Class C is doing makes no sense."
+Akito didn't seem entirely convinced. "That's assuming that there's
+any rhyme or reason to Ryuuen's thinking," he countered.
+"What do you think, Kiyopon?"
+"Putting aside whether or not the Class D mastermind exists, that's
+probably why Class C is tailing us," I answered.
+Haruka crossed her arms. "So, we're talking about someone who isn't
+Horikita-san, and who's helped us through all the exams so far? Like
+Yukimuu, maybe? He's smart. As a matter of fact, he's always top of the
+class on our tests."
+"It's not me. All I did was help out during the island test and the zodiac
+game." Keisei let out a deep sigh, as if he found the subject irritating.
+"Tn that case, how about Kouenji-kun?" Haruka suggested. "I mean, his
+personality's, well...off. He's brilliant, he's athletic, he's perfect in every
+way."
+"Impossible," replied Keisei. "Like you said, he's a jerk. Do you really
+think he'd do anything for our class?"
+"Maybe it's an act?" asked Haruka.
+"You mean, his ridiculous personality's just a front?"
+"Maybe he's really a cold, calculating schemer. You think?"
+Everyone shook their heads.
+"Absolutely not," said Akito. "He's nuts."
+"Besides, Kouenji retired on the very first day of the island test," added
+Keisei confidently. "He wouldn't have known what was going on with us. If
+there was another mastermind on that island aside from Horikita, it couldn't
+have been him."
+"Oh ho, I see. You're pretty persuasive, Yukimuu."
+"But this is all conjecture based on the assumption that there really is a
+mastermind, like Ryuuen believes. Even if there is, we're not sure they were
+involved in a// the tests."
+"T see. Yeah, you're right."
+"But I do think the mastermind exists," Keisei added.
+"Why do you say that?" Akito asked.
+"Just a feeling. I guess it's because of Class D's rapid progress."
+"But how could Ryuuen-kun know for sure that the mastermind isn't
+Horikita-san?"
+"Maybe Hirata-kun's the mastermind?" suggested Keisei. "Back when
+we were on the island, he got some advice from Horikita-san, I think."
+"So, Hirata's the one giving the orders?" Akito asked.
+"T don't see him as the type, but it's not impossible."
+"Tt definitely sounds like he's on Ryuuen's list."
+"T think Ryuuen's got his eyes on about ten people."
+Someone from Class C was probably tailing Hirata, too. But he was
+bound to remain neutral and abstain from conflict, and I barely spoke to him
+lately. I wouldn't risk it while Ryuuen and his goons were on the hunt.
+"H-hey, Kiyotaka-kun?" Airi timidly spoke up.
+"Hmm?"
+"Please don't be upset, but I wanted to ask you something," she said.
+"Ts it possible that maybe you 're the mastermind?"
+The other group members all looked at me simultaneously.
+"Why do you think that?" I asked.
+"W-well, it's just...you're calm, and smart, and...reliable, so... I
+thought that you gave Horikita-san all kinds of helpful advice, so..." Airi
+stammered.
+"Does Kiyopon get good test scores?" asked Haruka.
+"Tf I recall, not great, not bad," said Keisei, pushing his glasses up.
+"S-sorry. It's just, well, I kind of thought that, for some reason or
+another. Maybe because of the advice you gave, that Ryuuen-kun might be
+after you. I felt bad for you..." Airi continued.
+I supposed it was just her nature to ask an honest question. I doubted
+she meant ill. "Unfortunately, I'm the one always getting advice from
+Horikita."
+"Well, I guess Kiyopon does have a mysterious quality, you know?
+Also, since he's close to Horikita-san, it's reasonable that you'd suspect
+something," Haruka told Airi.
+"Come to think of it, that might be nght. It might be why Shiina
+directly confronted him," offered Akito.
+"It certainly seems reasonable to be suspicious of Ayanokouji. Even if
+there isn't really a mastermind, just being close to Horikita might make
+people think that he's the one."
+"If that's true, it's bad news for you, Kiyopon," said Haruka.
+"Yeah, it really is."
+"What a drag. Hey, if they give you trouble, feel free to talk to us about
+it," said Akito, placing his hand on my shoulder.
+"Yeah. I'll do that," I told him.
+This surveillance couldn't continue forever. When he saw his
+opportunity, Ryuuen would definitely choose to attack.
+3.5
+Ax UNEXPECTED PERSON approached me after class the next day:
+Satou from Class D. Her skirt fluttered slightly in the breeze as she stopped in
+front of me.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you free today? If so, would you like to
+have some tea or something before going back to the dorms?" She twirled her
+hair on her finger, as if it were pasta on a fork. She was bold—and obviously
+looking for a date.
+Horikita, who sat next to me, didn't seem to care at all. After gathering
+her things, she left the classroom. However, I felt the other members of the
+Ayanokouji Group observing. Why's a popular girl like Satou talking to
+Ayanokouji? they likely wondered. Haruka seemed deeply interested.
+"OW ellis.
+I didn't really have any plans. Hanging out with our group wasn't
+mandatory, so they wouldn't mind. I was a little worried about the way they
+were staring, though.
+"Is this a bad time?" Satou sounded slightly anxious.
+"Sorry, Satou. Today's not so good for me," I replied.
+It was a tough decision, but I turned her down—mainly due to the
+source of my discomfort all day. My shoulders were tense thanks to that
+person constantly staring at me. Her eyes remained fixed on me even now, as
+I talked to Satou.
+Chabashira-sensei was still in the classroom. She pretended to deal
+with paperwork, but she was faking. She was undoubtedly waiting to
+approach me.
+"T-I see," said Satou. "Well, talk to you later, Ayanokouji-kun."
+I felt bad for making Satou sad, but this was just terrible timing. I
+exited the classroom as if I was walking her out, and as soon as I did,
+Chabashira-sensei followed me into the hall. Clearly, I was correct to think
+that she had some business with me.
+I took care to avoid the main hallway, instead heading over to the
+stairs.
+Once we had privacy, Chabashira-sensei called out to me.
+"Ayanokouji."
+"Do you want something?" I asked.
+"Yes. Follow me. We need to talk."
+"That's going to be difficult. I promised Horikita I'd meet her," I
+answered, coming up with an appropriate-sounding lie.
+"As a teacher, I don't want to be careless. But circumstances being
+what they are, this is necessary." Chabashira-sensei, who was usually
+inhumanly composed, wore a strangely vulnerable expression.
+"T have a bad feeling about this," I said.
+"Unfortunately, you can't refuse. This is extremely urgent," she
+replied.
+Resistance was futile. I decided to follow her, and we moved from the
+student area to an even more private location.
+"Why are we headed over here?" I asked. "It's too early to counsel me
+on my post-high school career, isn't it?"
+"You'll understand soon."
+I tried to lighten things up with a joke, but it didn't seem like she was
+going to answer a student's question. However, rather than what was on the
+other side of the door, what I was worried about right now was Chabashira-
+sensei. She sounded almost flustered, and that worried me. She was normally
+so composed. Whoever she was taking me to see—even if it was the person I
+imagined—this wasn't normal behavior for her.
+She knocked on an office door. "Principal, I've brought Ayanokouji
+Kiyotaka-kun."
+I heard a gentle voice that carried the dignity of age. "Enter."
+Chabashira-sensei opened the door. A man of about sixty sat on the
+sofa. He was certainly the school's principal; I'd seen him multiple times
+before, at the entrance ceremony and during the end-of-the-semester
+ceremony. He didn't look calm, either. In fact, sweat trickled down his
+forehead.
+One other person was there, sitting opposite the principal.
+I now knew the reason I'd been called here.
+"You two may talk now," said the principal. "I trust this is
+acceptable?"
+"Of course."
+"Very well. Pll take my leave now. Excuse me," the principal said. He
+bowed out humbly, despite the fact that the person sitting opposite him was
+only in his forties.
+"T'll excuse myself as well." Chabashira-sensei bowed graciously to
+the man and left with the principal. The final look she gave me was visibly
+nervous. As the door closed, the only sound I heard was the heating system's
+faint whirring.
+As I stood completely still and silent, the man spat out his first words.
+"How about you take a seat? I came all the way here to meet with you, after
+all."
+It had been one year—no, a year and a half since I'd heard this man's
+voice. His way of speaking and tone hadn't changed at all.
+"I'm not planning to have a long conversation. I promised some friends
+I'd meet them."
+"Friends? Don't make me laugh. There's no way you're capable of
+making friends," the man sneered. Typical. He just assumed that was true,
+even though he hadn't seen me in so long.
+"Whether we talk or not, it won't change anything."
+"Then I assume you're going to do as I say. No need to discuss
+anything; I'm busy anyway."
+"T don't know what you want from me," I said.
+He cut straight to the heart of the matter. "I've prepared the documents
+necessary for you to drop out. I spoke to the principal about it. All I need is
+for you to say yes."
+"T have no reason to drop out," I told him.
+"For you, that might be true. But I have my own reasons."
+He looked right at me for the first time. The sharp gleam in his eye
+hadn't faded. If anything, it'd only grown sharper. His gaze was a blade,
+threatening to slice to the very heart of you. I was sure that gaze had
+wounded many people.
+"Does a parent have the right to ruin their child's life for the sake of
+their own selfishness?" I asked.
+"Parent? You've never recognized me as your parent before," he
+countered.
+"You're certainly right." I doubted that this man had ever regarded me
+as his own child. In truth, we only recognized each other as father and son in
+the most technical way possible.
+"The fact is that you've been behaving selfishly. I ordered you to
+remain on standby," the man declared, no longer urging me to sit. "You
+defied me and enrolled at this school. It's only natural that I tell you to drop
+out immediately."
+"Your orders are absolute inside the White Room. But outside it,
+there's no need for me to do as you say. Right?" I countered.
+It was simple logic. Of course, he wasn't convinced.
+"You've become quite talkative in the short time since we last met. I
+suppose that's due to this absurd school's influence, hmm?" The man rested
+his chin on his hand, looking at me as if I were less than filth.
+"Answer my previous question, hmm?"' | said.
+"You mean the pointless query about no longer needing to obey my
+orders? You're my property. A man may do as he wishes with his property.
+Whether I keep you alive or kill you is up to me," he answered coldly. That
+he could say such things in a law-abiding country, and mean them, spoke to
+what a fearsome force he was.
+"Badger me all you like. I'm not dropping out," I told him.
+We could keep going back and forth on this, but it didn't matter. We
+weren't going to agree. He knew that, and hated wasting his time on pointless
+conversations. So, what would he do?
+Of course, he prepared his next attack.
+"Don't you wonder how Matsuo's doing? The person who told you
+about this school and gave you the idea to enroll?"
+"Not especially." I remembered Matsuo. His face immediately popped
+up in my mind.
+"T hired him to manage you for a year in his capacity as a butler, but he
+chose to go against his employer."
+He said it in one breath, without pausing, then stopped cold after the
+word "employer," a pause designed to etch that final word into the listener's
+heart. The tone of his voice and the dramatic pause indicated that a
+conversation of grave importance was about to begin. His dark look was
+designed to make me fearful. To cause me to wonder just how bad things
+were about to get.
+"He told you about this school as a way for you to escape my control.
+You ignored your real father's wishes and selfishly enrolled without my
+permission. Truly foolish." He picked up his tea and took a sip. "An
+outrageous, unforgiveable act. Naturally, Matsuo had to be punished."
+It wasn't a threat. He was merely stating the truth.
+"You can probably guess what I'm about to say," he continued, "but he
+was disciplined and dismissed."
+"If he went against his employer, that's an appropriate punishment," I
+said.
+My butler, Matsuo, was nearly sixty years old. He was exceptionally
+good at taking care of people, and quite amicable. Any child would've liked
+him.
+Matsuo married young, but hadn't been blessed with children right
+away. He was over forty when he had his first baby, but sadly lost his wife in
+childbirth. His son was about my age, and Matsuo's pride and joy. I'd never
+met the boy myself, but Matsuo said his son studied diligently every day so
+that he could achieve great things and repay his father's sacrifices. His smile
+as he said those words still burned in my memory.
+"You know about him, I assume. Matsuo's son, his pride and joy."
+He'd predicted my train of thought. He saw right through me.
+"When you enrolled at this school, Matsuo's son also managed to pass
+the difficult entrance exam for a wonderful, prestigious private high school.
+He worked exceptionally hard, and achieved it all on his own."
+He paused.
+"But now he's been expelled."
+His meaning was plain. He'd forced the school to rescind the boy's
+acceptance as a form of payback. That was the sort of power he wielded.
+"So? For a man like you, that's a mild punishment," I replied
+sarcastically.
+"Matsuo's son was strong. Even though he was expelled from the
+school on which he'd pinned his hopes, his determination didn't fade. He
+bounced back and immediately tried to enroll in other schools. I did whatever
+was necessary to crush his attempts to advance. I made him give up. I did the
+same to Matsuo, too. I tarnished his reputation, leaving him unable to find a
+job. His son also lost his way, and is now unemployed," said the man.
+Matsuo and his son had lost everything because of my selfishness. The
+man before me wasn't making this up. Every word he said was almost
+certainly true.
+If he came all this way to spout this nonsense at me, then he was in for
+a disappointment.
+"T imagine you're not surprised by any of this. Because Matsuo acted
+against me, it was necessary that I repay him in kind. However, it seemed that
+this was more than he could bear. He was always a nice, conscientious man,
+who lost his wife young and raised his son alone. Racked with guilt for
+having robbed his child of a future, Matsuo concluded that there was only
+one way to save him. He begged me to leave the boy alone, and committed
+suicide last month by self-immolation."
+So, that was what he came here to say. That my selfish actions led to a
+man's death.
+"Right now, his son's working part-time, earning enough to live on and
+nothing else, with no guarantee of a future. No dreams. No hope. His family's
+tragedy is your fault. The boy must surely bear a deep grudge against you.
+Even in death, he won't forgive you."
+The corners of the man's mouth curved slightly upward in a despicable
+grin.
+"The man who took care of you, who saved you, has died. And you
+show no reaction whatsoever. If Matsuo could see you now, he'd be full of
+regret."
+What kind of joke was this?
+Dead people felt no regret. The man before me was the reason why
+Matsuo and his son lost everything—why Matsuo killed himself—and he
+wasn't even trying to make me feel guilty. He was simply stating the fact that
+he had no mercy for those who angered him. That was what he wanted to
+convey to me.
+"First of all, there's no evidence that what you say is the truth," I
+argued.
+"Matsuo's death has already been recorded. If necessary, I can send for
+the papers confirming it." He was basically daring me to ask for them.
+"Tf he really is dead, then that's all the more reason for me to stay in
+school. Matsuo helped me enroll, even though he knew you'd punish him. I
+must honor his wishes." A ridiculous reply for a ridiculous story.
+"You've changed quite a bit, Kiyotaka."
+I'd always followed his orders before. Well, I followed the White
+Room's orders. It had been my entire world. This man's sole failure was the
+one year he left me with Matsuo.
+"What happened that year? What made you so determined to go to this
+school?" he asked.
+"Tt's certainly true that you supplied me with the best possible
+education," I told him. "Even though you used methods that must be kept
+from the public, I can't deny what the White Room offered. I don't plan on
+revealing my past to anyone, nor will I do anything that would endanger you.
+However, I'm the result of your absolute pursuit of an ideal. That was your
+mistake."
+I was a first-year high school student. I was only sixteen years old, and
+already, my knowledge far exceeded what a normal person could learn in a
+lifetime. That was precisely what allowed me to recognize the infinite bounds
+of human curiosity.
+"You taught us all kinds of things. Not just the liberal arts and
+sciences, but martial arts and self-defense techniques, and bits of worldly
+wisdom too numerous to mention. Learning fascinated me. I wanted to learn
+about the common, everyday world that you deemed worthless and turned
+your back on," I continued.
+"Ts that what led you to run away?"
+"Do you think I could learn what I have at this school if I stayed with
+you? What's freedom? What does it mean to be unconstrained? I couldn't
+have learned that in the White Room," I replied.
+That part alone was something even he couldn't deny. The White
+Room might have been the most efficient facility for nurturing and training
+someone in the entire world, but you couldn't learn everything about the
+world there. It was a facility that cut away anything it deemed unnecessary.
+To the extreme.
+"Matsuo told me that this school was the only place in Japan where
+you couldn't reach me." If I hadn't chosen this school, but just waited as
+instructed, or chosen another option, I would probably have been put back in
+the White Room again. I was absolutely not going to drop out.
+"T don't entirely understand, but it seems that I have no choice but to
+accept. I suppose that temporarily suspending the facility's activity was a
+mistake. To think that a plan sixteen years in the making could be ruined in
+just a year..." he replied.
+The White Room's temporary shutdown would be a hard blow to this
+man. But if he was finally contacting me after more than six months,
+something else was likely happening behind the scenes.
+"T understand why you're here," he continued. "But if you think the
+matter is settled, you're naive. As with Matsuo's son, I can force you to quit."
+"T can't imagine you'll be able to do anything, considering that the
+government backs this school," I told him.
+"That's a statement made without proof."
+"Firstly, I don't see any of the bodyguards who normally follow you
+everywhere. You shouldn't be without them, since so many people hold
+grudges against you. But your bodyguards aren't in this room, nor are they in
+the hallway," I countered.
+The man swallowed his remaining lukewarm tea. "There's no need to
+bring a bodyguard along to visit a high school."
+"That'd be sloppy, considering that you're the sort who has guards
+escort him to the bathroom. No, you couldn't bring them here even if you
+wanted to. The authorities didn't allow it." If he hadn't obeyed, they wouldn't
+have permitted him to enter.
+"You still lack proof."
+"Secondly, if you had the power to simply force my expulsion, you
+would've done so immediately. But you didn't. You came all the way here to
+try to convince me to drop out. Something's off."
+He hadn't met directly with Matsuo's son. He just brought the hammer
+down on him, so to speak.
+"One more thing. You could easily consider this school enemy
+territory. If you took aggressive action here, and the public found out, your
+dreams of making a comeback would disappear forever, wouldn't they?"
+"Did Matsuo put that idea in your head? Even in death, he's still
+impeding me."
+"T couldn't possibly deduce all that from things Matsuo said." I'd heard
+no details from Matsuo, but I could easily guess what was going on. "Putting
+aside the facility's temporary suspension, there's another problem you never
+considered. No matter how perfectly you train someone, sooner or later, a
+rebellious phase occurs."
+A mere fifteen years of education couldn't possibly go against the
+ancient traditions in our DNA. Adolescent rebellion was ingrained in us all.
+"Why would someone like you veer off your path? You were taught
+from the very beginning that there was no point learning unnecessary things."
+"Because of my insatiable curiosity, my inquisitive spirit. And also,
+because I want to decide my path for myself. It's that simple," I replied.
+"Utter nonsense. The only path in this world is the one I prepared for
+you. You will one day surpass me, and become the person who guides Japan
+into the future. Why can't you understand that?"
+"That's just a story you tell yourself."
+"Tt seems I can't get through to you."
+"Looks like we agree on that point."
+Our statements only went in circles, not intersecting. We'd never see
+eye to eye.
+"The White Room has resumed operations. This time, my plans are
+perfect. Nothing will get in the way. I'm prepared to make up for lost time,"
+he said.
+"In that case, you must have quite a few candidates to succeed you.
+Why fixate on me?"
+"It's certainly true that things are going well. However, there's no one
+who exhibits the talent level you do."
+"Am I to assume a parent can't lie to their own child?"
+"This is the last thing I'll say to you, Kiyotaka. Consider very carefully
+before answering me. Which would you prefer? To run away from this school
+of your own free will, or to have your parent force you to leave?"
+This man was determined to drag me back there. I didn't know what
+measures he expected to take, but I didn't want to listen.
+"You have no plans to return?" he concluded after a long, deadly
+silence.
+"T don't know if there's any help for a man like you, but I have no
+intention of giving up. This school is developing its students' talents, even if
+it goes about it differently from you. I expect to learn a lot here," I told him.
+"How foolish. This school's nothing more than a barn full of common
+rabble. I'm sure that your own class holds many such worthless bottom-
+feeders with no hope of salvation."
+"Worthless bottom-feeders? Not at all. This is a place where I may
+discover whether human beings are made equal or not. I find that quite
+interesting."
+"You think that even incompetent morons can stand toe-to-toe with
+geniuses?"
+"That's what I hope."
+"You want to destroy my ideals, then."
+"We should end this. We know that, no matter how long we talk, we' ll
+never agree."
+Just then, someone knocked at the door. "Please excuse me."
+A man in his forties slowly opened the door. His expression was grim
+at the sight of our unexpected visitor.
+"It's been quite some time, Ayanokouji-sensei," he said, bowing low
+like a subordinate addressing a superior.
+"Sakayanagi. Seeing you gives me a rush of nostalgia. It's been, what
+—seven, eight years?" the man asked.
+"T suppose it's been that long since I succeeded my father as school
+board chairman. Time flies," replied the visitor. Sakayanagi? Like
+Sakayanagi Arisu, from Class A. "You must be Ayanokouji-senset's...
+You're Kiyotaka-kun, are you not? It's nice to meet you."
+"We finished speaking, so I'll be heading back."
+"Ah, would you mind waiting just a moment longer? I was hoping to
+speak to you both, Ayanokouji-sensei. Please, have a seat."
+I couldn't refuse that request from a third-party, let alone the board
+chairman of the school. I sat down. The chairman sat beside me.
+"T already heard from the principal. You intend to make him withdraw
+from the school, hmm?" Sakayanagi asked the man.
+"That's right. Since it's what his parent wishes, the school must
+immediately take appropriate action."
+Chairman Sakayanagi's eyes met my father's. "I'm afraid that's
+incorrect. It's certainly true that parents have a significant say in a student's
+attendance here, but we must examine the reasons they might wish for their
+child to drop out. For example, if a student were subject to terrible bullying,
+we'd certainly take that into account. Are you being bullied, Kiyotaka-kun?"
+"Absolutely not."
+"This is a farce. I want him to quit attending a school he enrolled at
+without his parent's permission."
+"High school isn't considered compulsory education, and attendance
+isn't mandatory. Students are free to attend any high school of their choosing.
+If parents paid tuition, it might be a different story, but the government
+covers all this school's fees. Our students' autonomy 1s our top priority," said
+Sakayanagi.
+I finally understood what Matsuo meant when he told me, "If you go to
+this school, you can escape from the White Room." He'd said that because of
+Sakayanagi, who now spoke to my father without a hint of cowardice or fear.
+Unlike the principal, who groveled before people in positions of
+authority, Sakayanagi held firm.
+"You've changed, too. Where did the old, agreeable you go?" my
+father asked.
+"T still respect you, Ayanokouji-sense1. However, it's precisely because
+I share my father's vision for this school that I intend to follow in his
+footsteps. I'm sure you understand that well. None of these policies have
+changed since my father's time."
+"You're free to succeed your father and carry on his wishes. However,
+if that's your intention, then why did you allow Kiyotaka to enter this
+school?" the man inquired.
+"Why, you ask? Because we determined that he qualified for admission
+based on his interview and exam results."
+"Don't dodge the question. This school's fundamentally unlike
+ordinary schools. Kiyotaka should never have been a suitable candidate for
+admission. I know that the interviews and exam are just for show," the
+man countered.
+Chairman Sakayanagi had worn a pleasant smile so far. However, after
+hearing those words, his expression changed.
+"Even though you could say you've retired, you remain an impressive
+figure, Ayanokouji-sensei. You're quite well-informed," said Sakayanagi.
+"He was recommended to this school in secret. The moment that
+happened, his acceptance was decided. To put it in other words, it's strange
+that any and all students, no matter who they are, would be disqualified if
+they don't have a recommendation. Am I wrong?"
+It certainly seemed they were discussing some things a student like
+myself should never have been privy to.
+"Kiyotaka never should've been among the possible candidates in the
+first place. It's abnormal that you didn't disqualify him."
+"You're correct that he wasn't originally on the list of students we
+planned to admit. We normally reject unexpected applications from students
+not on our list, and we have an interview and exam to camouflage that fact.
+He's the only student I've approved for admission based solely on my own
+judgment. You may be here because you wish to take him back, but he's one
+of our valued students now, and in our care. I have a responsibility to protect
+this school's students. Even if this request comes from you, I'm afraid I must
+refuse. As long as Kiyotaka himself doesn't wish to quit, that is," said
+Sakayanagi, looking in my direction.
+"Don't screw with me," spat the man.
+However, the chairman continued speaking. "If you still wish us to
+dismiss him, we'll arrange a three-way discussion with you, Kiyotaka-kun,
+and a school representative until we reach an agreement."
+The chairman had essentially reyected my expulsion. The man had no
+cards left to play.
+"Tf that's how things stand, I'Il find another way."
+"What do you intend to do? If it's anything extreme, then—"
+"T understand. I haven't the slightest intention of putting any pressure
+on you," said the man. "You should have no complaints if Kiyotaka's
+expelled in accordance with school rules, correct?"
+"Yes. I can assure you that the school won't give him special treatment
+just because he's your son," said Sakayanagi.
+"In that case, we're done talking. If you'll please excuse me." The man
+got up from the sofa.
+"When will we meet again?"
+"Certainly not here."
+"Tl see you off."
+"No need."
+I spoke up. "If you call yourself a parent, why not come by the school
+now and again?"
+"Coming to a place like this once is quite enough." With those cutting
+words, the man left the office.
+"Whew," said Sakayanagi. "It sure feels like you're on pins and
+needles when Ayanokouji-sensei's around, doesn't it? You must've had a
+tough time of it."
+"Nah, not really," I replied.
+It was now just the two of us. Chairman Sakayanagi looked at me with
+kind eyes.
+"Tn truth, I've known about you for a long time now," he said. "I never
+spoke with you directly, but I had my eye on you. Sensei always spoke highly
+of you."
+"Ah, so that's how that mechanism was removed."
+"Mechanism? What do you mean?"
+"Nothing. More importantly, Chairman Sakayanagi, do you know a
+Class A student who—"
+"Arisu, right? She's my daughter."
+"T see."
+"Oh, but she's not in Class A just because she's my daughter. Our
+assessments are fair."
+"No doubt. I just wanted to ask you something." At least now I
+understood how she knew me. "I'm curious about what that man—that is,
+what my father—said earlier."
+"About your admittance to this school?"
+"Exactly."
+"T see. Well, it's as Ayanokouji-sensei said. We only admit students we
+believe deserve placement. We contact and work with junior high
+administrators to conduct preliminary nationwide surveys and determine
+who's qualified. The interview and exam are for appearances' sake. A student
+might screw around in the interview, or get a zero on the exam, while their
+admission was already decided. Of course, students from all over the country
+do apply here, so the tests are a convenient smokescreen," said Sakayanagi.
+So even if someone scored a perfect 100 points or performed perfectly
+in the interview, they'd still be turned away, huh? There was no way a
+student who got rejected would be able to ascertain the truth, either. That
+made sense. Poor students like Sudou and Ike, and ones with troubled pasts
+like Karuizawa and Hirata, had been able to enroll despite their issues.
+Shining records and academic ability were clearly not all that mattered to this
+school.
+"The moment I decided to admit you, your acceptance was guaranteed.
+Scoring exactly fifty points on all your written tests had no effect on your
+success or failure," he continued.
+This was an exceptionally peculiar school. I doubted that there was
+another like it in all of Japan.
+"T'm sure both you and Ayanokouji-sensei have questions. You'll
+come to understand with time. You'll see the nurturing policy we strive for,
+and the effect we hope it will produce," said Sakayanagi. His voice brimmed
+with confidence. "I can't tell you more than that. You're a student, and I'm
+the one running the school, after all."
+He probably only told me this much because that man was targeting
+"As the person in charge, Ill protect my students according to the
+rules. Do you understand?"
+In other words, if I didn't follow the rules, Sakayanagi couldn't help
+me. "Of course. I also understand what that man's going to try to do now.
+Please excuse me."
+"Very well. Keep doing your best."
+With that, I left the reception office. As I stepped out, I saw
+Chabashira-sensei some distance away. She'd clearly been waiting for our
+conversation to end. I gave her a slight bow and tried to walk past, but she
+walked alongside me, matching my stride.
+"How did it go with your father?" she asked.
+"It's pointless to probe me so clumsily. I understand everything," I told
+her.
+"You understand what, exactly?"
+"Almost everything you've told me has been a lie, Chabashira-sensei."
+"What are you talking about?" She wasn't looking me in the eye.
+"Chabashira-sense1. Almost everything you've told me has been a lie."
+"What are you talking about?"
+"You're trying to hide how shaken you are, but it's obvious just from
+looking at you," I told her.
+The fact she wasn't looking me in the eye. Her choice of words. She
+was trying to conceal her emotions from any outside observer to the best of
+her ability, but even so, she couldn't hide her unrest completely.
+"That man never contacted you. And he didn't push you to expel me,
+either."
+"Umm...no. Your father wanted my cooperation. I've been trying to
+get you expelled."
+It was certainly true that my father was pushing for me to drop out.
+However, judging from his behavior, and that this was the first time he set
+foot on school grounds, I was fairly sure he'd never been in contact with a
+teacher. I didn't have any solid proof, though.
+"Look, stop lying to me. Chairman Sakayanagi told me everything. He
+informed you about me the minute the school admitted me."
+"The chairman told you?"
+I chuckled wryly.
+In that moment, Chabashira-sensei understood her mistake.
+"Ayanokouji, did you trick me?"
+"Yes. The chairman said nothing about you, Chabashira-sensei. But
+your involvement in this matter has become clear."
+The second Sakayanagi said he was aware that I deliberately scored
+fifty points on all my tests, 'd known for sure.
+"Allow me to explain," I continued. "First, I wanted to come to this
+school. Chairman Sakayanagi knew of me, and acted independently to
+confirm my enrollment, as well as my assignment to Class D. He put me in
+Class D because you, Chabashira-sensei, have shown no real drive to rise
+through the class ranks. At least on the surface. Every other teacher
+desperately wants to have their class promoted."
+I'd attract attention in a high-performing class. Sakayanagi had wanted
+to put me somewhere I could lay low.
+"But Sakayanagi made one mistake. You, a teacher who shows no
+affection for her class and appears apathetic, secretly desire to reach Class A
+more than anyone else."
+awuetagtt " Chabashira-sensei remained silent, probably because she
+knew she'd lose the argument if she responded carelessly.
+There was one more thing I wanted to be certain of.
+"You're obsessed with Class A. However, the students the school's
+assigned you so far have been subpar. That's why you act indifferent,
+concealing your feelings. Am I wrong?"
+She was now totally unable to look me in the eye. "That's just
+speculation, Ayanokouji."
+Her denial had no force behind it.
+"Your situation changed because of my arrival. Although many Class
+D students have various character defects, you did luck out on a few fronts.
+Horikita, Kouenji, Hirata, and Kushida are all students who, if guided well,
+have a chance of being promoted to the upper classes. They gave you hope.
+Your concealed desires began to burn brightly once again... It all makes
+sense when I think back to Hoshinomiya's comment to you around the time I
+started school here."
+Hoshinomiya, who was an old friend of Chabashira-sensei's, knew her
+hidden desire to rise to Class A. I remembered her teasing Chabashira-sensei
+about wanting to "be dominated by a younger man," and how that wasn't
+possible for her. Maybe she'd actually been implying that Chabashira-sensei
+was incapable of submitting to authority. That she desired for a lower class to
+supplant a higher one; the inferiors overthrowing their superiors.
+"You want me to be your ticket to Class A. And now the chairman has
+said he'll watch over me. Put it all together, and you're at my mercy. All you
+can do is stand there and pretend not to hear any the abuse I'm throwing at
+you right now," I added. "You've been stuck with Class D for an eternity, all
+the while hankering to rise u to Class A. You can't pass up on this
+opportunity. You even decided to lie about being in contact with my father in
+order to use me. That was the reason why you contacted me, and Horikita
+was nothing more than a pawn for you to use to that end. However, things
+aren't so simple."
+I'd had no desire to excel when I first started at this school. I never
+intended to aim for Class A. Even though she hadn't yet known what to do
+with me, Chabashira-sensei made her first move during the test on the island.
+"You knew we had to win when the special exams started, or we'd
+never catch up to the other classes. You panicked and made up a story to tell
+me. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose."
+Class D had done pretty well, ever since. But Chabashira-sensei had
+miscalculated. And now my father had finally contacted the school directly,
+and all her lies had been laid bare.
+"You probably intended to corner me," I said. "Instead, you're the one
+with your back to the wall."
+"T see," she said. "Your abilities certainly aren't those of an ordinary
+first-year high school student. 'Wise beyond your years'—1isn't that how the
+saying goes? I guess that describes you pretty well."
+She took a deep breath and nodded. Her shoulders slumped.
+"You're right," she continued. The composure she'd so struggled to
+maintain had collapsed. "I never met your father before today. But I really
+could have you expelled if I wanted to. I could claim you committed a serious
+violation of the rules. Expulsion is the one thing you absolutely want to
+avoid, no?"
+Really, to do all this and now threaten me more? "So, you're not giving
+up on your ambitions?"
+"Exactly."
+"Unfortunately for you, you can't get me expelled."
+"May I ask why you're so certain?"
+I'd allowed myself to appear to grow agitated to ascertain her true
+intentions. Now, I calmed down, returning to my usual tone of voice. "The
+current situation. This year's Class D is unusual. Compared to years past,
+we're doing well. Horikita and the others are getting stronger. They might
+still reach Class A, even without my help."
+Class D had risen for months. We were on the cusp of overtaking Class
+C, and if the school expelled one of us now, it would ruin that. This meant
+Chabashira-sensei's hands were tied.
+"Even if I step down, the fight will continue. You still have reason to
+hope, Chabashira-sensei, and that means you're going to leave me be."
+"So even though you know everything now, you're still done trying to
+reach Class A?" she asked.
+Of course. The teacher who'd tried to manipulate me into aiming for
+Class A had turned out to have no secret connection to my father at all. I had
+nothing to fear from her now. Still, I didn't completely shoot her down.
+People will cling to the tiniest ember of hope, given the chance.
+"At the very least, I think I'm done taking my turn onstage," I said.
+"Now, please stay back, stay quiet, and watch me. If you try to manipulate
+me to the tune of your personal desires again, it'1l only hurt the other
+students."
+"And if I keep after you? What then?"
+"You'll never see your dream come true. Not a smart choice."
+"Allow me to rephrase the question. Are you so certain that I won't
+take you down with me when I do lose hope?"
+"Not at all. It's certainly possible that something in the future will
+devastate our class points. If that happens, and you lose all hope, feel free to
+come at me." She wouldn't stop even if I asked her to. Better to let her do as
+she pleased. "Just remember that your position as a teacher isn't rock-solid,
+either."
+It was an empty threat for now, but it should be at least somewhat
+effective against Chabashira-sensei, given what she knew. As I walked away,
+she said nothing, so it seemed as she was out of ammo.
+Reuniting with my father wasn't pleasant, but I'd made some
+significant progress today. I no longer needed to help reach Class A. No
+matter what Ryuuen did from here, I didn't have to get involved for Class D's
+sake. And no matter what happened to Karuizawa, it wouldn't hurt Class D.
+Of course, my identity would be revealed if Karuizawa were caught or
+betrayed me, but so what? Even if Ryuuen hunted me down, provided I did
+nothing else for Class D from this point on, we'd probably still end up
+winning narrowly. He would achieve nothing.
+3.6
+A: DUSK, I walked a path lined with trees. I looked up and exhaled.
+White steam curled from my mouth and vanished into the night sky.
+"Cold," I muttered.
+Every time I breathed out, that white steam rose into the air. I exhaled
+and inhaled, over and over again. I tended to forget because of the extremely
+temperature fluctuations from day to day, but winter was here. Last year
+around this time, I'd always been indoors.
+A girl passed me, shivering in the cold. She chatted happily with
+someone on her phone.
+"Seriously, right when you became student council president, our
+relationship flatlined, Miyabi. Ah ha ha! Come on. I'm joking, I'm joking.
+Besides, it's not like I'm angry or anything. But I am going to ask you to treat
+me in celebration, so be prepared!" she said.
+Her thighs peeked out from beneath her skirt. Exposed to the winter
+air, they were probably really cold. I caught the fragrant scent of shampoo on
+her shoulder-length hair.
+"Student council? Sorry, but I'll pass. I'm not interested. Besides, you
+still haven't settled things with the former student council president, have
+you, Miyabi? Wait, what? Why are you suddenly confessing your feelings for
+me? Come on, I know you've made passes at lots of other girls. Well, if you
+win against President Horikita, then Pll consider it, okay? Talk to you later."
+I didn't want to eavesdrop, but if she was going to talk that loudly, then
+I couldn't help but overhear to. Based on the contents of her conversation,
+she was probably a second-year student.
+The girl finished her phone call and exhaled deeply, steam escaping her
+mouth.
+"Jeez, that Miyabi. Getting all cocky. Still, that student council
+president was pretty useless. In the end, Miyabi will win," she said to no one
+in particular.
+I wondered whether she'd noticed me, but she continued walking.
+However, when she reached the fork in the road where the path split off
+toward the dormitories for each grade level, her foot slipped and she took a
+truly impressive tumble to the ground.
+"Wah!"
+The girl immediately got up and looked around, her face red. That was
+when she noticed me for the first time, and forced a slightly embarrassed
+smile. She didn't seem injured at all, and she took off in the direction of the
+second-year students' dorm.
+"So, she really was a second year, huh?" I said to myself.
+It seemed students didn't really mingle with those from different grade
+levels very much at this school, outside of student council or club activities.
+That was why I hadn't really had any opportunity to commit their faces to
+memory.
+"Must be hard to be a girl in winter," I muttered. Apparently, the
+school prohibited them from wearing leggings underneath their uniform
+skirts, which made no sense to me.
+This was the first "winter" I'd experienced. It was so chilly. There was
+a song about a dog that got super excited after seeing snow for the first time,
+and I understood that feeling now. Was it going to be this exciting every time
+it snowed?
+I let out a deep breath, and thought back on the events of the day. I
+spoke directly with my father, met Chairman Sakayanagi, and ascertained
+which of the school's policies were meaningless. Seeing through Chabashira-
+sensei's lies was a huge gain. This should allow me to make quite a bit of
+progress.
+"Should I stop?"
+I'd been careful to remain behind the scenes so far, but 1f Class D
+continued to flourish, I wouldn't be able to avoid attracting attention.
+Ryuuen's scrutiny would intensify, and eventually, his investigation would
+bear fruit. Though I'd tried to prop Horikita up as the class mastermind, he'd
+seen through it. Sakayanagi knew about my past, and Ichinose probably had
+her doubts, too.
+If I wanted to turn back, this was my last chance.
+Hasty decisions led to ruin, so I needed to consider both options: push
+forward or retreat. Right now, Ryuuen was my main problem.
+I took out my phone and texted a particular person, asking her to
+contact me as soon as she could. The read receipt showed up immediately
+after I sent the text, so she must've been back in her dorm already. That was
+odd. She was usually out with friends at this time of night.
+I manually entered the 11-digit phone number and called her.
+"Hello?"
+The owner of that somewhat listless voice was first-year Class-D
+student Karuizawa Kei. Unbeknownst to her, she was one of the people
+Ryuuen had his eye. She also knew that I was the one manipulating Class D
+from behind the scenes, far more so than Horikita.
+Of course, there were plenty of things she didn't know, such as
+precisely how involved I was or what exactly I'd been doing. If anything,
+Karuizawa probably considered me an intensely creepy person right now.
+"Just wondering what you're up to," I said.
+"You're joking, right? You wouldn't call without a reason," she
+replied.
+I'd planned to start off with some small talk, but Karuizawa wasn't
+having it. "You don't enjoy our conversations?"
+"If you don't enjoy them either, that's a dumb question."
+"T suppose you're right." She wasn't the Class D girls' leader for no
+reason. She understood people. "Did Manabe and her friends contact you?"
+"No. That's not a problem right now. Is that why you called?" she
+asked. Rather than surprised, she sounded exasperated.
+"It's been quite some time, huh? Guess there's nothing to worry about
+anymore," I said.
+The wind howled, turning my bare face raw from the chill. "You're
+still outside," said Karuizawa. She probably heard the wind over the phone.
+"I'm on my way back to the dorms. Seems like you turned in pretty
+early today yourself. You're normally out much later than this, aren't you?"
+"Even I feel like heading back early sometimes." She sounded a little
+standoffish.
+"Ah!" I cried, noticing something.
+"What?" Karuizawa demanded, thinking that it was directed at her.
+"It's nothing," I replied.
+At the fork in the road, a red charm lay on the ground where that girl
+had fallen a little earlier. I wondered whether she dropped it. It might've been
+better to just leave it, but it would likely snow this evening, soaking the
+charm. There were no signs that the girl was coming back for it, so I decided
+to pick it up so I could hand it over to the dorm manager.
+"Hey," Karuizawa said. "There's something I wanted to confirm with
+you, since we're already talking."
+"Something you wanted to confirm?" I asked. I picked up the charm
+and walked toward the second-year students' dormitory.
+"You're smart and all, but why don't you let people know? I mean,
+Class D's pretty much full of morons. If you came forward like Yousuke-
+kun, people would like you more, right?"
+"T'm smart, huh? What makes you think that?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"There's nothing for you to base that evaluation on, is there? My test
+scores are pretty average. I don't contribute much in class, either."
+"That's not what I'm talking about."
+Of course, I knew what Karuizawa wanted to say. I'd recruited her help
+many times at this point, like while stopping the Idiot Trio from sneaking
+photos and peeping, and during the incident with Kushida in the Paper
+Shuffle. It was obvious to Karuizawa that I was more than I seemed.
+"Tt's just that you were open about the things you did, your reputation
+would improve, wouldn't it? You'd probably even draw the school's
+attention, just like during the sports festival," she continued, sounding almost
+excited even though this should have had nothing to do with her.
+"You know I'm not the kind of person who wants that, right?"
+"Then why are you doing all this? If you didn't want attention, you
+could've just hung back."
+"That's a very good question." I hadn't wanted to do any of this.
+"Something came up that forced my hand, so I helped Class D. That's all
+there is to it."
+Normally, I'd never reveal that much. But today was special. I was in a
+good mood.
+"T kind of feel like that's a waste," she replied.
+"T never intended to take control. Never have and never will," I told
+her. I needed to make sure Karuizawa was clear on that point. I didn't want
+people coming to me for help if Class D ran into problems in the future.
+"Tt's you, isn't it? You're the one that Ryuuen's searching for."
+Class C's surveillance increased day after day—it wasn't just Sudou
+and Akito—and rumors had spread well beyond Class D's walls. Talk was
+going around about how Ryuuen had been defeated by someone in Class D
+and was now out for revenge. Karuizawa had probably known it was me right
+away.
+"That's kind of related to what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted
+to apologize," I told her.
+"Apologize?"
+"T've been helping Class D so it could earn points. I did so because
+something compelled me to. But that's no longer the case."
+"So what? You're just going to stop helping?"
+"Yeah. PII leave it all to Horikita and Hirata. I don't want the hassle of
+Ryuuen discovering my identity; I'm done. You've been a great help to me—
+for instance, that time at karaoke, and getting in touch with Kushida. I've
+imposed on you quite a lot."
+"T see. So, that means I'm finally free, huh? I won't be working with
+you anymore?"
+"That's about right."
+Karuizawa had served me better than I could've anticipated. That was
+also why I could cut her off without hesitation.
+"This will probably be the last time I call you," I told her clearly.
+"Huh?" Her response was delayed. Maybe she hadn't heard me?
+"This is the last time I'Il call you," I repeated.
+She had to have heard me this time.
+"It's only natural, since I don't need anything from you now. Besides,
+no one knows that we've been talking. It'Il be suspicious if we continue to
+make pointless contact," I told her.
+"Yeah. I guess. I suppose you're right," replied Karuizawa, though it
+sounded like she was struggling with the words. Something seemed to be
+bothering her, but I just kept going, selfishly.
+"Of course, I'Il help you if you ever need me to. I made a promise, and
+I'll honor it. You can contact me if there's an emergency, but please delete all
+traces of our conversations. I already deleted your contact information."
+"W-wait a minute. Why are you doing this?"
+"What do you mean?"
+"It's just...very cold."
+"Well, our relationship has always been cold, hasn't it?"
+If | hadn't gotten involved in Manabe and her friends' bullying of
+Karuizawa, we would probably never have spoken. A gloomy loner like me
+and a popular girl like her were as different as night and day.
+"You hated being used by me, didn't you?" I asked.
+"Well, yes, but..." Karuizawa was stumbling over her words more and
+more. The stretches of silence were getting longer. Best not to drag this out
+much longer.
+"T think we're done. Did you have anything you wanted to say?" I
+asked, pressing her to speak.
+"T understand." She sounded unenthusiastic, but any response was
+good. Perhaps she'd accepted there was nothing she could do. "So, this is the
+last time I can talk to you like this, Kiyotaka?"
+"Are you reluctant to stop?"
+"Of course not."
+"Then there's no problem." I said it flatly, without the slightest bit of
+emotion. Emotion had no place here.
+"T guess Ill hang up then..." Even over the phone, I could tell
+Karuizawa was in the grip of some strong emotion.
+"See you."
+"Ah..." Karuizawa seemed ready to say something, but only silence
+followed. After a few seconds, I hung up, erased my call history, and put my
+phone back in my pocket.
+Attaching herself to me like a parasite must've given Karuizawa some
+peace of mind. Coldly pushing her away like this had undoubtedly left her
+very shaken. The anxiety and loneliness I sensed from her on the phone
+would probably continue to intensify. If Ryuuen came after her when she was
+like this, then...
+It was almost guaranteed that she would crumble.
+"Well. I took a few detours, but I'm finally back where I was when I
+started school, huh?" I said to myself.
+Horikita, Karuizawa, Ryuuen, and Sakayanagi were now irrelevant to
+me. I didn't care about them. I probably wouldn't push myself in any tests
+going forward, either. If there were any loose ends left to tie up, they didn't
+matter, though they might require my collaboration.
+I gave the red charm to the second-year students' dorm manager and
+went home.
+Sf
+I PICKED UP THE DAMP CLOTH I'd been using to mop up dirt and dust,
+and threw it in the garbage bag. After washing my hands, I sat on my bed,
+listening to the creak of the springs.
+Since it was December, I decided to use the weekend for some end-of-
+year cleaning. I wasn't much of a packrat, so it only took about half a day to
+finish everything. Had I managed to return my room to the pristine condition
+it was in when I first moved in?
+"A clean room's such a great thing," I muttered.
+I turned on my teakettle, thinking that I would take a little breather. I
+was somewhat hesitant about using the sparkling cup I'd just cleaned, but
+there was no other option. Deciding to sort out my future while the kettle
+boiled, I took out my phone and accessed the school app, scrolling aimlessly
+through things like class points and personal balances.
+Let's start at the beginning.
+Why had I enrolled at this school in the first place? So, I wouldn't have
+to return to my old environment. It wasn't that I was particularly dissatisfied
+with the White Room, though it was quite problematic from a human-rights
+perspective. Still, you could receive the best possible education there, and it
+was that education that had shaped my personality and abilities.
+However, even after my father praised me as his greatest masterpiece,
+I'd felt a discontentment that I couldn't put into words. Even if I was the
+most superior human specimen that existed... was that really something to be
+proud of?
+It was because I'd lived my life believing there was always something
+more to learn that I considered learning to be meaningful. So, what happened
+when there was finally nothing left to learn? Life would be horribly boring,
+wouldn't it?
+Well, to tell the truth, I didn't care about all that.
+I needed to consider what I should do from here on out. I had always
+known that my father would contact me someday. I'd been prepared for it
+from the moment Chabashira-sensei insinuated that she would get me
+expelled, though even then, I'd had my doubts about whether she spoke the
+truth. If my father really came for me, Chabashira-sensei couldn't stop him.
+He wasn't the kind of foe someone like a class teacher could thwart.
+But, knowing my father, I couldn't be sure. So, I did as she said,
+putting on the appearance of cooperation, devising strategies to help us rise to
+Class A.
+The kettle started to whistle.
+Having come this far, I'd established that Chabashira-sensei's words to
+me had been full of lies. Ironically, given that it had all revolved around my
+father, she turned out to have no connection to my father at all. Whatever
+history or trauma she carried with her had left her transfixed by the idea of
+making it to Class A, just like Horikita or Keise1... no, if anything,
+Chabashira Sae was even more obsessed with the idea. She would never have
+the courage to actually expel me.
+Initially, I might have thought her actions proof of her willingness to
+be self-destructive if necessary. Until we closed the gap with the test on the
+uninhabited island, Class D had been in a pretty bad place. A place that made
+it hard to cling to hope. Chabashira had mixed lies with the truth to
+manipulate me, but now, I'd seen through the lies hidden within the truth.
+With her true colors revealed, she had no power to order me around anymore.
+If my goal was to spend three ordinary years at this school—whether
+that be in Class D or Class A—I had no reason to dig myself in deeper by
+trying to help the class. People like Ichinose and Sakayanagi had started to
+take an interest in me, but if I stepped back now, that interest would fade.
+The one remaining problem was Ryuuen Kakeru.
+If he did figure out that I was Class D's secret mastermind, he might
+create an uproar by circulating that information. It would have been ideal for
+my identity to remain completely concealed, though that seemed impossible
+now. Even if I cut all ties to Karuizawa Kei, we were still bound by an
+invisible thread. If I left things the way they were now, someday, beyond a
+shadow of a doubt, Ryuuen would find that thread. Would it take a week? A
+month? A year?
+That uncertainty was what troubled me.
+The kettle whistled and shut itself off.
+"Guess I'll have some tea."
+My cabinets overflowed with teabags, since I used to have all kinds of
+visitors stopping by. I'd amassed an extensive range of supplies, from coffee
+to black tea to green and roasted tea. Just as I put a black tea bag into my cup,
+someone buzzed me from the first floor.
+A classmate would just have rung my doorbell. Who could this be? I
+went to check the screen and found myself looking at a surprising face. I
+could've pretended not to be home, but I opted for honesty. After all, this was
+someone I'd been thinking about going to see myself, and he'd come all the
+way out here.
+"Td like a moment of your time. Or should I come back later?" my
+visitor asked through the intercom.
+"Nah, now's a good time," I replied.
+It was Horikita's older brother, who'd been student council president
+until recently. What an unusual visitor. I buzzed him into the building, and
+poured boiling water into my cup while I waited.
+Soon after, the doorbell rang.
+"T'd prefer to speak privately, so please come in," I told him.
+""T agree."
+If Horikita saw her brother and I chatting in the hallway, she'd cause a
+fuss. Besides, I wanted to avoid being seen with the former student council
+president as much as possible. I let Horikita's older brother into my room.
+The older Horikita noticed my tea as soon as he entered. "I just thought
+I'd make myself something to drink," I told him.
+"For a first year, you keep your room quite clean," he said.
+"T just don't have that much stuff." I decided not to tell him that I'd
+cleaned my room today. Of course, he probably deduced as much from the
+garbage bag full of damp paper towels. "To come all the way to the first
+years' dorm... Do you have business with me, former student council
+president?"
+"The second semester ends next week. My time at this school is
+running out."
+True. He had a little over two months left. It'd be over in the blink of
+an eye.
+"There's something I wanted to tell you before I leave. About Nagumo
+Miyabi."
+Nagumo Miyabi was a second-year Class A, and the current student
+council president. I'd only exchanged pleasantries with him at the sports
+festival, but he seemed like an intense person. Whatever he was, though, it
+had nothing to do with me.
+"T can't imagine what you have to say to me," I replied. "I'm not part
+of the student council like Ichinose."
+"T didn't intend to discuss this with anyone. However, circumstances
+have changed. I've adhered to this school's traditions because I believe in its
+system and rules. Nagumo wants to uproot those foundations. Most likely, an
+unprecedented number of students will be expelled next year."
+Nagumo had yet to take any overt actions, but I supposed it was just a
+matter of time.
+"You were already student council president when Nagumo was a first
+year, right? Doesn't that make you responsible for bringing him in?"
+"You might say that." Horikita's brother made no attempt to deny it. "I
+made one mistake after joining the student council. I failed in training my
+successor. Nagumo was the only one I believed had potential, but his
+ideologies differed from mine. Now, he's managed to bring almost all the
+other second-year students under his sway."
+"That's odd. I understand Nagumo controlling everyone in the second-
+year Class A, but to the other classes he'd be an enemy, right?"
+"He's already won over the entire school."
+Huh. I didn't know what this guy was doing, but apparently it was
+pretty crazy.
+"Two first years applied for student council positions this year:
+Katsuragi and Ichinose. They're both talented students with a lot of promise,
+but I decided not to admit them, precisely because of their talent. I was
+concerned Nagumo would snatch them up. However, Nagumo worked behind
+my back to establish contact with Ichinose, eventually forcibly adding her to
+the student council."
+"Why are you giving me all this insider information?"
+"If you don't want to draw attention to yourself, use Suzune as you've
+done in the past. It'Il be fine. ll be the bridge between you and the student
+council," he told me.
+"This is a pretty absurd request. If you were on the student council,
+your little sister would happily join, but she's probably not interested now
+that you've stepped down. Besides, irrespective of what Horikita does, I have
+no wish to get involved."
+I waited a few moments, then took a sip of my tea.
+"Traditions change, even the ones you staunchly uphold. That's just
+how the passage of time works, isn't it?" I asked.
+There was a lot about this conversation that I still couldn't grasp, but a
+picture was beginning to form. Horikita Manabu, now reduced to an ordinary
+student, wanted to derail the student council's plans. And he wanted to use
+me to do it.
+"You might be right." He must've known he couldn't cajole me into
+helping him, but perhaps the elder Horikita was so desperate he'd swallowed
+his pride and come here. "Forgive me for bothering you."
+"Would you mind at least giving me your contact information?" I
+asked.
+"What?"
+I unplugged my phone from its charger. "I'd like time to think about
+putting your little sister on the student council and manipulating her behind
+the scenes."
+"So, you'll consider it?"
+"You came here despite the assumption that I'd refuse, huh? It'd be
+rude if I didn't at least think it over," I said.
+My unexpected reversal must've surprised the elder Horikita, but he
+gave me his phone number without asking for anything in return. That alone
+was proof of how closely he intended to watch Nagumo Miyabi's student
+council.
+"If I decide to cooperate, Pll contact you," I said.
+"T expect nothing, but I'll be waiting."
+Horikita's brother left my room without taking tea or even sitting
+down.
+"T really don't think there's any need to be that hung up on the student
+council, though," I said out loud to myself.
+Even if I put myself in the shoes of someone who was about to
+graduate in a couple months...there wasn't much I could do about the
+situation, here. Still, I was now slightly concerned.
+3.8
+Tis FIRST SNOW of the season arrived late Saturday night. It was just a
+dusting, and melted at dawn, leaving puddles of water on the concrete.
+Despite the fact that it'd snowed the day before, the high temperature for the
+day was seventy-five degrees, close to summer. It was so mild you could
+even go out in short sleeves.
+"So, the second semester's finally going to be over next week, huh?
+Wow, it's barely felt like any time at all."
+On Sunday morning, I went to check how Akito was doing with his
+club. Then we hung out at Keyaki Mall with the rest of the Ayanokouji
+Group until evening. We shopped, chatted at the café, got some lunch and hit
+up a karaoke room. It was a good day, and I enjoyed it doing ordinary things
+that ordinary students did.
+"By the way...ahem. Ah, my throat hurts."
+"Singing five songs in a row is really overdoing it, Yukimuu. Still,
+you're surprisingly good. I was shocked," said Haruka.
+"My throat hurts because of the punishment game, not the singing."
+Keisei scowled at her.
+There was a variety of food at the karaoke place, some of which was
+designed to use in games of chance. For example, the takoyaki came as six
+pieces, one of which was extremely spicy. Whoever got the spicy one had to
+sing immediately after eating the whole piece, and additionally, wasn't
+allowed to drink water until they were done singing. I didn't quite get the
+point of it, but we all had a blast, so it clearly fulfilled some kind of purpose.
+Hilariously, Keisei drew the spicy takoyaki a couple times in a row.
+We decided to see just how long his streak of bad luck could go, which
+turned out to be five times. The exact probability of that happening was one
+in 7776.
+"So unlucky..."
+"On the contrary, doesn't that mean you're really lucky?" asked
+Haruka. "Think of it like you used up all this year's bad luck at once. You've
+probably got lots of good stuff awaiting you for the rest of the year."
+"There're only two weeks until the year ends! You did this on purpose,
+Haruka."
+"Sorry, sorry." Haruka clutched her stomach and laughed out loud, but
+still apologized. "They were really that spicy?"
+"T thought I might start breathing fire. I know they said 'spicy,' but
+there has to be a limit. Come on." Keisei was still sticking his tongue out
+from the lingering heat.
+"Hey, I saved you from the last one. It was seriously spicy," said
+Akito. He'd ended that particular hot streak.
+"Let's do this again next time we go to karaoke," said Haruka.
+Everyone, Airi included, looked aghast at her proposal.
+"Okay, but you might draw the spicy takoyaki, too," I said. "You know
+that, right?"
+"T know, I know. I'm not gonna wimp out after suggesting we all do it
+again," said Haruka.
+"You sound pretty confident in your spice tolerance," I said, trying to
+probe the apparent confidence she always had on show.
+"Ah, have I been found out?"
+"T didn't think you were hiding anything..."
+"T can even eat super-ultra-spicy ramen without breaking a sweat. I
+actually kinda like it, you know?" she said.
+Well, now I felt like we didn't have a level playing field for this game.
+"T wonder whether I can eat that stuff at all?" said Airi, who'd been
+anxious even before the game started.
+"Don't worry, don't worry. If it's too spicy, you can just spit it out.
+We're not gonna force you to eat anything," said Haruka. Certainly right.
+Akito and Keisei probably wouldn't force Airi to do anything she didn't want
+to, either. "Anyway, I already said this about Yukimuu, but you're a good
+singer, Airi. Was that really your first time at karaoke?"
+"Y-yeah. It, um, was really embarrassing, though." Even though she'd
+been painfully shy, Airi had given it her all.
+"If you gave it a little more oomph, it'd be perfect."
+We headed back to the dorms. It wasn't even five o'clock yet, but the
+sun was already setting.
+"It was really warm today," said Airi. "Everyone's out in pretty light
+clothing, huh?"
+"You could even walk around in short sleeves this afternoon, so that
+makes sense."
+"T'm not good with the cold," said Haruka, sounding melancholy as she
+looked up at the sky.
+"T don't handle it well, either."
+"Well, a little chilliness is good for me. It means I don't sweat during
+club, which makes practicing easy," said Akito, making him the only member
+of the group to prefer the cold.
+"Looks like it's going to get cold again tomorrow."
+"Guess that means I need to buy some stuff to prepare...that's going to
+cost me."
+Our pace gradually slowed to a stroll as we walked and chatted. Then,
+we heard a voice.
+"Thank you for going out with me today, Sakayanagi-san."
+"Oh, no, no. The pleasure's mine."
+Turning, I spotted a rather unusual pair: Ichinose and Sakayanagi.
+Ichinose, noticing our group, raised her hand and waved. Sakayanagi didn't
+look in my direction, but rather, gave our entire group a cursory glance as we
+went past. Even though she'd made what amounted to a declaration of war
+against me, she'd done nothing since the sports festival.
+"It's unusual to see you in this group, Ayanokouji-kun," Ichinose said.
+"Really?" She thought / was behaving unusually? The strange sight
+was the Class A and B leaders hanging out together like friends on a day off.
+"Well, based on what I've seen, you're with Horikita-san a lot of the
+time. This is different," said Ichinose, taking a long look at our group's
+members. "That reminds me. I heard that you won against Class C in the
+exam. Congrats! We lost to Class A, unfortunately."
+"Only by a slim margin. Two points. I think we were just about evenly
+matched," said Sakayanagi. The battle had been close, and it seemed Class B
+was just barely lagging behind Class A by the end. "With this win under your
+belt, Class D might actually become Class C next semester, right?"
+"Wow! Class B's going to have to be really careful, or we might get
+overtaken ourselves!" said Ichinose.
+"We do intend to overtake you," Keisei interjected, overtly serious as
+always. "We'll make it to Class A eventually."
+Sakayanagi closed her eyes and chuckled. Keisei seemed to find that
+insulting, but he had to remember that we were still Class D for now. No one
+in our group was especially close to Ichinose, and since we weren't really the
+type to force smiles or engage in small talk, the conversation ground to a halt.
+"Ah, sorry. Guess we're bothering you guys. See you later," said
+Ichinose graciously.
+Sakayanagi neither spoke to me nor made eye contact, just followed
+Ichinose away.
+"They're rivals, right? Those two?" asked Haruka.
+"There's no doubt they're enemies." Keisei eyed them both
+suspiciously, pushing his glasses up.
+"That's just like Ichinose, though, right?" It was a well-known fact that
+Ichinose could make friends with anyone.
+"Tt's just, like, how do I put this?" muttered Airi. "It's like Ichinose-san
+lives in a different world from us or something."
+"As a fellow woman, I kinda don't like her."
+"What? Do you dislike Ichinose, Haruka?"
+"T don't dislike her, it's just...she's way too perfect at everything. You
+can't be human without at least a couple flaws, right? I sorta almost hope that
+she's actually rotten on the inside."
+"You have a point. She's so flawless it's almost creepy. Saying you
+hope she's rotten inside is going a bit too far, though," said Akito.
+"That's true. I'm just saying that being flawless and totally sweet is
+boring, even in a manga," said Haruka. She thrust her hands inside her
+pockets as she watched Ichinose walk away.
+"1... think it's good that she's like that, though. If Ichinose-san really
+was a bad person like Haruka-chan said, no one would believe it," said Airi.
+She sounded anxious, as if she really didn't want that to be true.
+"T guess so. Maybe there really are unbelievably kind, perfect people in
+the world. We may just not even know them when we see them," said
+Haruka.
+"We're going to make it to Class A. When that happens, Ichinose will
+be our enemy. I think it's best if we don't get too close," said Keisei.
+He had a point. If Ichinose was as kind and benevolent as she seemed,
+it would make her a tougher opponent to oppose. Someone as awful as
+Ryuuen inspired no sympathy, but I wondered whether our class would have
+the heart to crush Ichinose if it came to it.
+If our class was promoted, more conflict down the road was inevitable.
+We'd be attacked from below by Ryuuen and the newly demoted Class C,
+who'd be raring for revenge. It was unclear what would happen to Horikita
+and Ichinose's currently cooperative relationship in the future, too. In an ideal
+world, we'd work together with Ichinose to attack Class A. Then, once
+Classes B and D were promoted to Classes A and B respectively, we'd end
+our alliance and turn on each other.
+Of course, I doubted that things would be that simple.
+"Looks like the road ahead is strewn with pitfalls, huh?"
+/t
+***
+First-Year Class D Teacher Evaluation
+Class Point Total as of 12/1:
+262
+***
+Class D was uncoordinated and seemed unable to cooperate with one
+another. Some students were overconfident, while others gave up at the
+start. Their future seems full of challenges.
+***
+Unlike previous years, Class D managed to come out on top this time.
+However, their cooperation abilities haven't improved. They seem to have
+won through luck.
+***
+Working alongside other classes led Class D to finally recognize their own
+lack of coordination. In addition, establishing new relationships led to
+various personal revelations.
+***
+Class D managed to work together and cooperate as a team for the first
+time. They might've been able to triumph, but they still need to develop
+their fundamental abilities. We hope to see more effort from every student.
+***
+Class D conquered the exam, resorting to clever counterattacks when faced
+with unforeseen circumstances. However, many students remain unaware
+of all of the school's rules, so we'll continue to monitor their progress.
+Chapter 4:
+Insanity
+Orn: DAY, shortly before winter vacation, a storm hit Class D. It
+happened just after the end of homeroom. Our classroom door swung open,
+and Ryuuen and his fellow Class C students strode inside. The entire class
+immediately erupted into chaos.
+Chabashira-sensei glanced at Ryuuen and the others, but left without a
+word. It would've been one thing if a brawl broke out right then and there,
+but there was no issue with students from another class coming to visit.
+Ryuuen and his classmates had observed Class D from a distance so
+far. Since they hadn't gotten the answers they'd been looking for, they'd
+finally decided to take a direct approach. Or perhaps they were acting on a
+strategy I couldn't yet understand. In any case, they'd clearly decided to
+confront us.
+Horikita, who was packing up her things to leave, stopped and stared at
+the Class C group consisting of Ryuuen, Ishizaki, and Yamada Albert.
+Komiya and Kondou were there, too.
+With all these opponents gathered together in force, the mood was
+tense.
+"Hey, what's goin' on? This is Class D." Sudou was the first to react.
+He was usually quick to pick a fight, but seemed more defensive this time.
+More importantly, he probably felt he needed to protect Horikita.
+He stood and approached Ryuuen; Hirata panicked and hurried to stand
+between them, probably afraid that they were about to get violent.
+"Do you have some business with our class, Ryuuen-kun?" Hirata
+asked.
+In response, Ryuuen exaggeratedly raised his hands. "Is there any
+reason I can't visit my classmates? That does happen at this school, doesn't
+it? Visiting a pal. Why're you all shaking?"
+The statement sounded like a provocation, but Hirata remained cool
+and composed. "That's normally true, yes. But this school isn't normal, is it?
+Besides, you've never visited Class D before."
+"We've been too estranged. I thought we should be a little more
+assertive about buddying up," said Ryuuen. He placed his hand on a nearby
+girl's desk, showing off his white teeth in a grin. "Man, you guys sure did
+great in the Paper Shuffle. Class C lost because of your brilliance. Well, the
+results still aren't out, but word is you guys might be Class C next semester.
+That's huge."
+"Heh. Guess the only thing big about you is your head, you
+incompetent monkey. Time for you to get a taste of being Class D," said
+Sudou.
+Hirata grabbed Sudou by the shoulder to reign him in, clearly
+panicked. "It's because we've been working hard."
+"Working hard, huh?" said Ryuuen. "I mean, the concept of hard work
+seems completely foreign to Sudou, yet he's still here. I thought he'd be the
+first to get kicked out."
+"So, you do remember my name," said Sudou.
+Ryuuen and Sudou stared each other down. The air between them was
+electric. Several classmates who'd been heading out stood frozen in place.
+"Could you tell us why you're really here?" asked Hirata. Perhaps he
+wanted to bring the situation under control as soon as possible, and was
+therefore trying to keep Ryuuen from dragging it out. Or perhaps he was just
+being as straightforward as always.
+"I'm giving you a fair warning, Class D," said Ryuuen.
+"Warning? What do you mean?"
+"T have no intention of explaining things to an idiot. Or are you just
+pretending not to understand?"
+It might've seemed as if he was trying to provoke Hirata, but in fact,
+Ryuuen barely even looked at him. He was busy scanning the entire
+classroom. He might have aimed his statement at me, or Keisei, or even
+Akito.
+Ultimately, his gaze landed on a rather unexpected person. The
+individual in question didn't even realize Ryuuen was staring at him—or
+perhaps he just didn't care. In fact, he was heading back to the dorms.
+Kouenji got up and nonchalantly left the classroom, apparently
+unaffected by Ryuuen's presence. Ryuuen gave a quiet chuckle and signaled
+his comrades to follow him. They left immediately, and as the door closed
+behind them, the tension in our classroom dissipated at once and was
+replaced by an uproar.
+"Hey, hey, that Ryuuen dude looked like he was gonna do something
+crazy! This is unreal!" Ike exclaimed.
+"They're plannin' to do something to Kouenji," said Yamauchi.
+"Right?"
+Indeed. Kouenji Rokusuke, Class D's resident enfant terrible.
+Conspiracy theories flew every which way, starting with Ike and Yamauchi.
+Unusually, Kushida stayed out of it. She'd stopped getting as actively
+involved with class issues, perhaps due to her defeat at Horikita's hand. Even
+now, though she was murmuring to some other girls about Ryuuen and his
+crew, she wasn't actively contributing to the conversation.
+"This is really bad, isn't it?" asked Horikita, while I was deep in
+thought. Even she, who wanted to avoid entanglement with Class C as far as
+possible, couldn't leave this situation alone.
+"Maybe," I said.
+It did seem as though Ryuuen had some business with Kouenji, but that
+puzzled me. me think. Kouenji was weird, sure, but even to an outside
+observer, the possibility of him being a big mover and shaker in Class D had
+to be low. There had to be a reason why Ryuuen was trying to make contact
+with him in such a blatant way, while simultaneously scoping out a number
+of other people.
+"Should we go check it out, Kiyotaka?" asked Akito.
+"So many people are around, though. There's not much Class C can
+99
+try.
+"They may have something planned."
+"T suppose... I guess even though lots of people are watching, that's no
+guarantee Ryuuen won't try something."
+This was odd. Even from an outside perspective, the probability that
+Kouenji was Class D's secret savior was low. In the unlikely event that Class
+C assaulted Kouenji, other members of Class D might get in trouble for
+jumping into the fray. Then again, if we held back when we could've helped,
+we'd regret it.
+When I went into the hallway with Akito, Keisei trailed me. "Ill come,
+too. Safety in numbers," he reasoned.
+Horikita lagged slightly behind us, and Sudou followed her. Hirata also
+came along, looking worried. This was shaping up to be a real storm. I asked
+Keisei and Akito to wait, then went to talk to Hirata.
+"Wouldn't it be better if you stayed behind, Hirata? If you come, other
+students might follow. If people like Ike and Yamauchi join in, it'll add fuel
+to the fire," I said.
+"That's true...but will Kouenji-kun be all right?"
+"Horikita's coming. Keisei and Akito are too. In the worst-case
+scenario, if it looks like things are getting violent, I'll call you."
+"Keisei? Huh. Okay. Just don't do anything rash, sound good?" Hirata
+looked puzzled at the way I referred to Yukimura, but went back inside the
+classroom.
+"That was the right decision, Kiyotaka." Keisei nodded. "Besides,
+Hirata's better suited to calming the rest of the class down."
+The next problem was figuring out where Kouenji and the others went.
+Even Ryuuen and his goons couldn't start trouble in the school building. If
+they were going to try something, it would probably be outside, but I had no
+idea where Kouenji might've gone.
+"Where does Kouenji normally go after class?" I asked.
+"No idea."
+"T don't know, either." Akito and Keisei tilted their heads to the side,
+apparently clueless.
+"Does anyone know anything about Kouenji?" Practically none of us
+ever spoke to him at length.
+"He usually heads straight back to the dorms."
+"How do you know?"
+"T see him fairly often. Let's head to the entrance for now."
+If his shoes were still there, we could confirm that he was still in the
+school building. In that case, we probably still had enough time to deal with
+this. We hurried there, keeping pace with one another.
+"Could be a serious fight," said Sudou to Horikita, clenching his fists.
+"Don't be funny. Violence between Classes D and C is nothing to
+laugh about. More importantly, why are you following me?"
+"Well, 'cuz I'm worried about you, Suzune, you know? There are
+rumors that Ryuuen will even hit girls."
+"I'm not so soft that I need your protection," said Horikita.
+"Don't say that."
+Horikita was as bullish as ever, and Sudou's chivalry was misguided.
+A girl could easily take down a boy if she had the requisite martial arts skill.
+However, Sudou was Sudou, and the idea that Horikita was strong enough to
+hold her own probably hadn't occurred to him.
+"Besides, though I may be worrying needlessly, what about your
+club?" asked Horikita.
+"Not to worry. Still got a little time left until practice. Let's hurry up
+and find Kouenji." Sudou was going nowhere.
+"For crying out loud. I don't want a troublemaker tailing me around,"
+she muttered.
+Still, if Horikita got hurt taking these Class C guys on by herself,
+Sudou would go nuclear. If the school caught him picking fights again, he
+was done for. Letting him come along might've been the best way for us to
+keep an eye on him.
+4.1
+| Weare THE SCHOOL BUILDING, we took the tree-lined path back to the
+dormitories. Since class had just ended, barely anyone was around, but we
+saw a bunch of Class C guys on the path ahead. Ibuki was with them, though
+she hadn't accompanied Ryuuen when he visited our classroom. Some
+distance in front was Kouenji, walking alone.
+It seemed Class C really planned to attack him. As Ryuuen drew
+closer, he ordered Ishizaki to block Kouenji's path.
+"Tt's just like Suzune predicted. Let's stop 'em," said Sudou, looking to
+Horikita for orders.
+"Let's wait and see what happens. We still don't know what Ryuuen-
+kun's after," reasoned Horikita.
+As Ryuuen himself said, it was well within the rules to simply talk to
+someone from another class. We approached slowly, observing the situation.
+"Hey, Kouenji. Lemme pick your brain, eh?" Ryuuen called.
+"What're you doing? I don't recall behaving in any way that'd warrant
+you flagging me down." Because Ishizaki was in the way, I couldn't see
+Kouenji's face. But his tone of voice was arrogant as usual.
+"You don't get to decide that."
+"Hmph. You certainly don't, either," replied Kouenji. He looked at
+Ryuuen and his goons without the slightest hint of anxiety.
+"You remember me, don't you?" asked Ryuuen. Both hands still in his
+pockets, he walked up to Kouenji.
+"Of course. You're Class C's obnoxious dictator, aren't you?" said
+Kouenji.
+"T missed you last time, but now you're coming with me, freak," spat
+Ryuuen.
+"My apologies. I'm afraid I must've been busy, whenever you missed
+me," said Kouenji, smoothing his hair back. It didn't seem like much of an
+apology. "However, you just said something I'm afraid I cannot overlook.
+When you said 'freak,' were you referring to me?"
+"Who else could I be referring to?"
+"Well, even though I find your statement entirely baffling, I suppose
+Pll just let it go. ''m quite a magnanimous fellow, you see. I have a date, so
+let's wrap things up quickly, shall we?"
+"Sorry, but you're going to have to postpone your date."
+"So, you've no intention of backing down?"
+"What'll you do if we don't leave?"
+Kouenji crossed his arms and appeared deep in thought for a moment.
+"Well, I suppose we'll discuss your business over there," he said
+eventually, pointing to a rest area up ahead.
+"T don't care where we go," said Ryuuen.
+"Then follow me."
+They trailed Kouenji to the rest area up the path, threatening to leave
+our sightline.
+"Seems like we'd better go over there, too," said Sudou.
+Horikita stopped him at once. "Don't say or do anything reckless.
+Understand?"
+"Y-yeah."
+Sudou took the lead, with Horikita in hot pursuit. The rest of us
+followed slightly behind, and we headed over. "Ryuuen-kun," Horikita called
+to Ryuuen. "What are you planning? If you try anything, we're going to have
+trouble."
+"Heh. So, you took the bait, huh?"
+Ryuuen looked over his shoulder as if he'd known someone would
+follow him from the very beginning. He scanned our entire group. Though
+Kouenji likely interested him, this was a trap designed to narrow down
+Class C's list of suspects. That was why Ryuuen deliberately marched his
+fighters into Class D. His aim had been to smoke us all out, and he had.
+"Ayanokouji, Miyake, and Yukimura, huh? Well, that's acceptable."
+"I'm here too, Ryuuen," said Sudou, smashing his fists together.
+"What happened to Hirata?" Ryuuen added.
+"Who knows? Haven't got a clue. You aren't interested in him
+anyway, right?"
+"Oh, spare me. That guy's sense of justice is so strong, it wouldn't be
+strange if he showed up here," said Ryuuen.
+"This isn't going to go the way you think," said Horikita.
+"Well, that's fine. For now, anyway."
+Ryuuen lifted his chin in a signal. On his command, Ishizaki and the
+others surrounded Kouenji.
+Akito, watching the situation unfold, couldn't hide his disgust. "It's
+like he thinks he's a king. Bossing his classmates around just by moving his
+chin," he spat.
+"Sorry, Miyake, but I was born this way," replied Ryuuen. Hands still
+in his pockets, he drew closer to Kouenji.
+"Stop," Horikita said.
+"Stop? What should I stop? As you can plainly see, I'm not doing
+anything."
+No one had laid a single finger on Kouenji yet.
+"T don't particularly mind playing around, but it seems that my
+presence here isn't a necessity. Would you agree?" asked Kouenji.
+Ryuuen faced him once again, ignoring Horikita's warning. "That
+reminds me. You've got the lead role today, Kouenji. You owe me a debt."
+"A debt? I haven't the foggiest notion of what you mean."
+"The zodiac test. Thanks to you, I lost the chance to capitalize on more
+points," said Ryuuen.
+"Ah. If I impeded you, you have my apologies."
+So Kouenji said, but he sure didn't look the least bit apologetic. Ina
+brazen gesture, he took his hand mirror from his breast pocket. The Class C
+goons eyed him suspiciously, and he responded in a courteous manner.
+"It's quite windy today. I'm making sure my debonair hairdo isn't
+mussed up." Turning his face left and right, he checked his reflection. ""Hmm.
+I'm looking tragically disheveled. Sorry, but would you mind holding this?"
+Kouenji presented Ryuuen with his hand mirror. Ryuuen took it,
+smiling.
+"You may aim the mirror toward me," said Kouenji. Retrieving a small
+container of hair wax from his bag, he scooped a glob onto his finger and
+started styling his hair with both hands.
+Class C, taken aback, couldn't do nothing to respond...until a
+shattering sound cut through the air. Ryuuen had thrown the mirror to the
+ground, cracking it. Still wearing that smile, he grabbed Kouenji's arm.
+"T wonder how long you can keep up this freakshow?" he said.
+Kouenji, still arranging his hair, sighed gently. "You really are quite
+the scoundrel. That mirror was rather expensive, you know."
+"Sorry. My hand slipped," said Ryuuen.
+"Tch. In that case, will you kindly release my arm so I may finish
+styling my hair? Of course, I'm the kind of man who'd look good even with
+disheveled hair," said Kouenji.
+We were on pins and needles as the tension grew. Ryuuen slowly let go
+of Kouenji's arm. Doing this in public was risky behavior, but in keeping
+with his usual style of trying to push his enemies to their limits.
+"Knock it off, Ryuuen-kun."
+"Quiet, Suzune. I'm playing with Kouenji."
+"Aren't you just attacking him? This seems one-sided. He doesn't want
+this." Carefully picking up fragments of the broken hand mirror, Horikita
+glared at Ryuuen.
+"Pll do it. You might hurt your hands," said Sudou to Horikita.
+"T don't mind. It'd be more of a problem if the glass cut you, because
+you have your club."
+"Don't say stupid stuff like that. I can't let a girl get hurt." Sudou
+moved Horikita aside and began picking up the fragments.
+"T'm not doctoring you if you get cut," said Horikita. Sudou ignored
+that and kept picking up the pieces.
+"My, this is quite an interesting collection of people, isn't it?" someone
+said.
+As if summoned to the rest area by some unseen cue, Sakayanagi and
+her coterie strolled up to us. I saw Kamuro Masumi among her followers, but
+knew nothing about the two other guys, though I remembered their faces.
+"Sakayanagi, huh? What suspiciously perfect timing."
+Sakayanagi stopped and lightly tapped her cane on the concrete. This
+was turning into quite the crowd. Including Kouenji, six of us were gathered
+here from Class D, five from Class C, and now four from Class A, making a
+total of fifteen people.
+"I'm here purely by coincidence," said Sakayanagi.
+"Don't make me laugh," Ryuuen said.
+"To think I''d stumble on Class C's major players having it out with
+some Class D students. Are you planning a Christmas party?"
+"Back off. I don't have any business with you," snapped Ryuuen.
+"Come now, there's no need to say that. If you're party-planning, the
+more the merrier. Wouldn't you agree? May I join you?"
+"Tf you plan on sticking around, don't get in my way."
+"Of course. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing the party organizer,"
+said Sakayanag1.
+She took a seat on a nearby bench. The three other Class A students sat
+around her, as if shielding her with their bodies. There were no surveillance
+cameras in this rest area, after all, though we were surrounded by students
+walking back to the dorms. There was no telling how many people might
+walk by.
+Kouenji Rokusuke, still wearing that bold, fearless smile, spoke once
+more. "I don't mind that our audience has grown, but isn't it about time that
+we end this? If we aren't going to talk, Pll be on my way."
+"Wait, Kouenji. Ryuuen-san said not to let you run away this time."
+Kouenji wore a thin smile. "My apologies that our conversation was
+delayed. I think we should get to the heart of the matter. I surmise that you're
+fixated on defeating whomever gets in Class C's way, or whomever forms an
+alliance with another class to do exactly that. Am I wrong?"
+"T'll crush every such insect in my way, yeah," said Ryuuen.
+"And now, such an obstreperous person has appeared within Class D.
+So, you're searching for this hindrance," said Kouenji. He seemed to
+understand the situation very well for someone who showed no interest in
+anything around him.
+"Exactly."
+"In that case, I'm afraid I don't fit the profile. I have absolutely no
+interest whatsoever in Class D's future, nor in any of the other classes. I've
+contributed nothing noteworthy to any exam thus far, and I have no intention
+of doing so. Tell me, are you truly fixated on making such a person your
+enemy?"
+"Well, how would you explain the zodiac exam, then? Talk's gotten
+around," said Ryuuen.
+"Oh ho. You seem to be quite the knowledgeable fellow."
+During the zodiac exam, Kouenji had rather brilliantly discovered the
+identity of the Monkey Group's VIP. Even understanding that Class D won
+after seeing the results, however, it should've been difficult for Ryuuen to
+pinpoint any specific student as the one who figured that out. He really had
+done his homework. Or perhaps he guessed that Kouenji was assigned to the
+Monkey Group?
+"Oh, that. I was simply saving time. I didn't really feel like
+participating in those bothersome meetings, so I decided to end it and enjoy
+my freedom again. Nothing more," said Kouenji. He got his phone and used
+the camera to appraise his face. It was sufficient as a makeshift hand mirror,
+apparently.
+"We can't rule out the possibility that you helped with other tests," said
+Ryuuen. "That means there's no guarantee that you aren't controlling Class
+***
+"TI suppose that's possible. But if it's the conclusion you've settled on,
+it must mean you're a moron with a paltry intellect," said Kouenji.
+Ishizaki looked ready to charge, but Ryuuen smiled and stopped him. I
+had to admit that I admired Kouenji's comeback. If Ryuuen was harassing the
+wrong person, he'd come off looking pretty stupid.
+"Heh. You're certainly right. If you are telling the truth, then you're
+completely and utterly harmless."
+"Yes. You're quite perceptive, Dragon Boy."
+Sakayanagi started laughing at the nickname "Dragon Boy."
+Ryuuen changed the topic entirely. "What if I tell these guys to
+pummel you unconscious as payback for the zodiac exam? What'! you do if
+I come at you with senseless violence?"
+Horikita tried to reply to that disturbing question, but Kouenji cut her
+off with a laugh. "Now that's just nonsensical. You wouldn't do that here,
+with this large of an audience. It wouldn't benefit you at all."
+"I'm quite capable of going on a rampage even in this rather
+inconvenient place, benefits aside," said Ryuuen.
+"T see. I suppose that if you did choose that option, I'd defend by pride
+and knock down everyone who came at me," said Kouenji.
+"You could do that by yourself?"
+"T find it harder to imagine why I couldn't."
+Sakayanagi, still listening, merely grinned.
+"Looks like my reasoning was off," said Ryuuen. "Kouenji doesn't
+seem to be X. He is completely nuts, though in a different way from me.
+Seems that's all there is to it."
+"So glad to have cleared up this misunderstanding," replied Kouenji.
+"But let me ask you one thing, Kouenji. Class D's points are steadily
+increasing. Someone has to be responsible for that. If it's not you, who is it?
+One of the people who followed us here like a flock of slack-jawed sheep?"
+asked Ryuuen.
+For the first time, Kouenji glanced at us. Then he sneered and
+shrugged, having immediately lost interest. "I'm happy to tell you, but—"
+"May I have a moment?" Sakayanagi seemed as if she was trying to
+keep Kouenji from speaking. "This is a fascinating conversation. Someone in
+Class D is getting in Class C's way, are they? I heard rumors that Dragon
+Boy-san was searching for such a person, but is that really true?"
+"T told you to shut up already, Sakayanagi. And if you call me that
+again, Pll kill you. Got 1t?"
+"My, my, you don't like it? I think it's a wonderful nickname. Sorry.
+Anyway, there's something here that I don't quite understand."
+Ryuuen laughed in response, but Sakayanagi paid him no mind.
+"Someone in Class D saw through your plans and defeated you," she
+continued. "Is that all there is to it? This school is fundamentally designed to
+pit classes against each other. You and I have clashed numerous times in this
+manner. I don't know who this Class D student is, but they're employing
+excellent strategy by remaining anonymous while waging war on you. Are
+you really going to expend all this energy on interrogating an unrelated
+student? Honestly, I can't see your actions as anything but rather pathetic."
+"T'll admit that X screwed up my plans," replied Ryuuen, "but that's
+not the problem here. I'm doing this to draw out the person acting behind the
+scenes. I'm going to drag him kicking and screaming to the forefront."
+"T see. So, you intend to resort to extortion and blackmail if you must?"
+"Yep. I'm prepared to use violence, too, if necessary. I rather enjoy my
+way of doing things."
+"If you do that, not only will you appear pathetic, but you'll also reveal
+your own incompetence. I heard quite a bit already from Masumi-san and
+Hashimoto-kun about the strategy you used on the island, and how your
+tricks failed. If you regard the situation objectively, it's clear that Kouenji
+wasn't involved, isn't it? Besides, I heard that the mastermind was Horikita
+Suzune-san, the girl standing right over there. I wonder—does this person
+you're searching for even exist in the first place?" Sakayanagi asked,
+excoriating Ryuuen with her sharp gaze and words.
+"Are you sure you're not just trying to cover up your own failure,
+Ryuuen-kun?" muttered one Class A student.
+"That's going too far, Kitou. Ryuuen isn't that much of an idiot,"
+replied another. I think it was Hashimoto, or whatever his name was.
+Ryuuen showed no sign of agitation at Class A's provocations. He
+understood that type of strategy better than anyone, after all. Rather than
+argue about what Sakayanagi said, he switched tracks.
+"Youre the idiot, Sakayanagi. I used Katsuragi. I made him sign a
+contract with me."
+"A contract? Ah. 'In exchange for assistance provided to Class A by
+Class C, private points will be paid as compensation,' or something to that
+effect, yes? Specifically, there was a clause that said 'twenty thousand private
+points will be paid per person per month until graduation,' right?"
+Sakayanagi rattled off smoothly.
+"Huh? What?! Are you really okay with that?" cried Sudou.
+"It's not against the rules," said Sakayanagi. "It's a contract both
+classes mutually agreed upon. We'd receive the class points that Class C
+should've received, and compensate them with private points in exchange."
+I knew that classes A and C formed an alliance during the island exam,
+but the exact nature of the deal had been unclear to me. Apparently, after
+using up all their points and leaving their 270 remaining points (minus the
+thirty deducted due to Sakayanagi's absence) to Class A, Class C had
+requested twenty thousand private points in exchange.
+At first glance, it might seem like Class C came out on the better end of
+the deal. However, what was most important was whether you could lead in
+class points at the end of the exam. Class points determined the class
+rankings, after all. You might even say the private points were only awarded
+as a bonus. If Katsuragi hadn't taken the deal, the island test could've gone
+much worse for Class A. They would have had barely any class points
+remaining now, and the gap between them and Class B would be much
+narrower.
+However, why bring this up now, after keeping it quiet all this time? It
+looked like Sakayanagi was trying to show up Ryuuen. He'd accused her of
+being stupid, and she'd made a fool of him in response by showing she'd
+known about the contract all along. Maybe?
+"Well, I'm not the one who's gonna be in trouble if those details leak.
+You will," said Ryuuen. "Other classes will find out we've been getting
+twenty thousand monthly points from you, won't they?"
+"If you wanted to tell everyone, you would've done so already.
+Besides, it was Katsuragi-kun who suggested the contract in the first place,"
+Sakayanagi replied definitively.
+She hadn't been present on the island, and could avoid taking
+responsibility for the decision. It was even possible that she instructed her
+followers in Class A to let Katsuragi go ahead, but we couldn't know. What
+mattered was that Katsuragi was keeping a low profile right now, while
+Sakayanagi appeared to be in control of the class.
+"Ugh. So, Class C's basically got a guaranteed monthly allowance?"
+grumbled Sudou.
+"Don't let them fool you, Sudou-kun. Class C could've obtained those
+class points themselves, but they wasted them. They gained nothing," said
+Horikita.
+"Ts that really true, Suzune?" asked Ryuuen. "It's no different than
+getting two hundred class points the real way, back on the island. Besides,
+our private point income is going to continue indefinitely. We'll keep earning
+those points until Class A loses their standing."
+"Wrong. It seems similar, but it's not. All you're getting is private
+points. They have nothing to do with class points."
+In that regard, Horikita was correct. However, eight hundred thousand
+private points flowing from Class A to Class C every month was significant.
+Even if Class C continued to lose class points from here on, they were
+guaranteed an allowance. Though Sakayanagi's faction was coming for them,
+Katsuragi's faction had given Class C a free ride.
+"Are we finished here? I have no intention of denying you your fun,
+but I'd like for you to get out of my way. I've wasted enough time listening
+to your meaningless drivel," said Kouenji.
+"Wait, Kouenji. You haven't answered yet."
+Kouenji looked at the sky, as if trying to remember. "Something about
+a clever person in Class D, was it? To be honest, I hadn't even considered it.
+At any rate, it's probably better if I don't tell you, nght? You're doing
+whatever it takes to hunt this person down, even if it means putting yourself
+at risk. I don't wish to rob you of your fun. As for me, I don't care for anyone
+in this school. I'm simply enjoying the halcyon days of my youth, romancing
+beautiful women and basking in my own beauty."
+"So, you're saying you won't help your own class?"
+"T haven't, and I won't. I said that all along. From my perspective,
+Class A and Class D are the same. All of you people are so dreadfully
+boring."
+"Ryuuen-san, this jerk's looked down on us for the last time! Let's
+teach him a lesson!"
+Ishizaki raised his fists, but the person who spoke up to stop him
+wasn't Ryuuen. It was Sakayanagi, who had simply sat on the sidelines and
+smiled at us so far. Kouenji had said something she couldn't overlook.
+"There's something you said that interests me," she began. "Dragon
+Boy-san aside—"
+"Whoa!"
+Ryuuen rushed Sakayanagi and launched a kick. Hashimoto hurried
+between them in a panic, blocking Ryuuen's foot with his left arm. He went
+flying, landing hard on the concrete, but if he hadn't intervened, Ryuuen
+probably would've kicked Sakayanagi in the face. A white-gloved Class A
+boy, Kitou, immediately took a fighting stance.
+"Oh, did I hurt your feelings?" asked Sakayanagi.
+"T told you I'd kill you if you called me that again."
+"Stop this at once. What you just did is horrible," Horikita started, but
+Sakayanagi stopped her.
+"Is there a problem with what just happened, Hashimoto-kun?"
+"No. I fell over." Hashimoto slowly got back up, dusting himself off.
+"There you have it, Horikita-san."
+"Tch. Both you and Ryuuen-kun are lunatics," Horikita said.
+Even in the face of a deliberate act of violence, the Class A students
+led by Sakayanagi showed no signs of discontent. If anything, they looked
+entirely ready to trade blows.
+"I'm sorry, Ryuuen-kun. I've teased you too much," said Sakayanagi.
+She focused back on Kouenji. "To return to my original question—what do
+you mean when you say that everyone here, myself included, is boring?"
+"For crying out loud..." muttered Horikita. Her exasperation was
+understandable.
+"Did I really hurt your feelings that much, little girl?" Kouenji pointed
+at Sakayanagi, approaching the bench where she sat.
+"Tsk. Little girl, hmm? That's a wonderful nickname," Sakayanagi
+replied. Ryuuen snorted in amusement, as if that was payback for Kouenji
+calling him Dragon Boy. "Kouenji-san, was it? Your English could use some
+work. I'm not a little girl."
+"That's not for you to decide. Calling you a little girl 1s appropriate,
+considering your age and physique," replied Kouenji.
+"That 1s precisely where you're mistaken. The appropriate usage of the
+words 'little girl' would be to describe girls of elementary school age. You
+cannot alter the rules of the world at will," said Sakayanag1.
+"Being a slave to common practice isn't my style," said Kouenji. He
+brushed his fingers through his hair.
+"Knock it off, Kouenji," said Kitou, stepping forward. He motioned as
+if to remove his white gloves, which I initially thought he wore to protect his
+hands from the cold. Apparently, that wasn't it.
+"The heck is with that guy? Will a demon appear if he takes those
+gloves off or something?" Sudou muttered.
+"What?" I asked, surprised.
+"You don't know? It's from this old manga that used to be real
+popular. There's this dude, and when he takes off his white glove, a demon
+shows up to fight devils," said Sudou. I'd never heard of it in my life, but
+then again, I'd never read any manga.
+"T have no business with Class A. Leave now," commanded Kouenji.
+"Allow me to correct this boy's behavior," said Kitou to Sakayanagi.
+"Ha ha! Well, I don't mind you fighting over me. Unfortunately, my
+tastes in both men and women run toward older people," said Kouenji. He
+was toying with both Sakayanagi and Ryuuen, the representatives of their
+respective classes. Maybe lunacy was a kind of power after all, much like
+both violence and lies.
+"We've concluded our business. Now get lost," snapped Ryuuen.
+Dealing with something like Kouenji had to be exhausting, even for him.
+"Very well, then. See you," said Kouenji. He turned on his heel and
+walked away.
+The storm we'd feared would break might just have been Kouenji, not
+Ryuuen.
+With that source of controversy gone, everyone grew quiet. Sudou had
+collected most of the broken mirror's shards, and it seemed that the tension
+had dissipated for now.
+"Well, show's over," said Sakayanagi. "Shall we head back?"
+"Better be on your guard for the third semester, Sakayanagi," warned
+Ryuuen.
+"Of course. If you're so certain you' ve defeated Class D, I'll be your
+opponent anytime," Sakayanagi shot back as she left with her entourage in
+tow.
+"Should we head back too, Horikita?'' I asked.
+"Yeah. I can't stand being here a moment longer. Although...I must
+say, Ryuuen-kun seemed less interested in Kouenji-kun than I anticipated,"
+mused Horikita.
+Ryuuen's actions clearly still puzzled her, and it seemed Class C
+shared some of the same doubts.
+"Should we really let him go that easily?" asked one of Ryuuen's
+flunkies.
+"If he were the one, I wouldn't have let him leave," answered Ryuuen.
+"He seems super suspicious to me, though. He could've been lying."
+"His way of thinking doesn't match mine. Whoever X 1s, he and I think
+the same way. Besides, does he even look like the type to join forces with
+Horikita?"
+"It's hard to imagine, true. But then why'd you target Kouenji?"
+Ryuuen stopped watching Kouenj1's retreating back and turned a
+creepy grin on us. "Yo. What do you guys think about Kouenji?"
+"You've been muttering a bunch of crap for a while now," grumbled
+Sudou, clenching his fists. "I don't get what you're sayin' at all."
+"Idiots should stay out of this," said Ryuuen.
+"What—?!"
+Horikita stopped Sudou in his tracks with a look and a wave of her
+hand. "Your actions are bizarre and incomprehensible, Ryuuen-kun," she
+said.
+Ryuuen seemed to take that as a compliment. "In that case, I must be
+doing something right. I narrowed down my suspect list quite a bit today,
+Suzune. Down to that weird creep lurking behind you."
+"I'm not listening to anything you have to say. This 1s a waste of time.
+In future, stop approaching my classmates," said Horikita.
+"I'm free to approach or not approach whomever I want. It's not
+against the rules." Ironic, considering how often he broke the rules.
+"Anyway, the show will be over soon. Can't wait for the grand finale."
+Ryuuen glanced briefly at Sakayanagi's retreating form in the distance,
+then left.
+"Finally. Let's go. We should tell Hirata-kun about this," said Horikita.
+"What's Ryuuen's deal? You think he's up to something?" Sudou
+groused.
+"Who knows? I doubt anyone truly understands how his mind works."
+It sounds like Ryuuen's preparations are nearly complete, | decided as
+I watched him and his goons walk off. It wasn't a pleasant thought.
+***
+First-Year Class C Teacher Evaluation
+Class Point Total as of 12/1:
+542
+***
+It seems to me that Ryuuen Kakeru, the unofficial Class C leader, has laid
+down some ironclad rules for his classmates to follow. It is my hope that
+he'll lead them to many victories.
+***
+Ryuuen Kakeru executed his own strategies. | must praise him for em-
+ploying such unusual tactics without placing too much of a burden on the
+other Class C students.
+***
+After acquiring no points at all during the island test, Class C turned things
+around and achieved the best possible results on this exam.
+***
+Class C showed a burning desire to win, deploying various Ideas and
+schemes toward that goal.
+***
+The difference between their academic abilities should've been marginal,
+but unfortunately, Class C lost to Class D. We must proceed with care as
+we enter the third semester.
+Chapter 5:
+Time to Settle Things
+66 . ; ;
+Dns BRINGS US to the end of homeroom," said Sakagami-senset1,
+Class C's teacher. "I'd like to remind everyone to please be on your best
+behavior, even during winter vacation, and to make good use of your time.
+That's all."
+I took out my phone as I listened to his gracious, meaningless words.
+Today was the day of the closing ceremony—the final day of the second
+semester. Our classes finished early, leaving us free by afternoon. There were
+no club activities today, either. The school encouraged students to head back
+early, so hardly anyone would be left in the building.
+In other words, it was finally time to strike.
+"T eliminated everyone I can, but that still leaves about ten possible
+candidates," I muttered to myself. Some were people I'd never even spoken
+to, but it couldn't be helped. I would've preferred to do this without using
+Karuizawa, but X had eluded me so far.
+"Well, I guess this just means I get to have some more fun."
+To be honest, there was a particular person I'd had my eye on all along,
+but I couldn't jump to conclusions yet. If anything, it would be all the more
+fun to be able to confront X with a clear head and no doubts.
+I'd taken certain steps after the Paper Shuffle. I mobilized every Class
+C student and assigned them targets to spy on. Of course, it wasn't like
+tailing people was likely to get me much closer to discovering X's identity. I
+excluded the weaklings, narrowing my list of suspects to delinquents like
+Sudou and Miyake, and conservative people like Hirata.
+The Class D punks had noticed they were being tailed—except for
+Sudou, who was so dumb and oblivious I'd had to have my people provoke
+him directly. But being noticed was fine by me. I wanted them constantly
+aware that I was watching. I wanted X to spend their days trembling with
+fear, terrified of having their identity discovered.
+Yet they'd continued to use Suzune as a cover, stubbornly keeping
+themselves hidden. Which meant I had to tighten the noose.
+One more thing. Though I'd all but told X I'd target Karuizawa, I had
+yet to make a move. I was sure they'd been on edge these past two weeks or
+so, probably wondering how and when I'd contact Karuizawa, how I'd
+extract information from her. Chances were, they were asking her daily
+whether anything out of the ordinary had happened. The uncertainty would
+take it out of them. It would confuse them. They'd be exhausted, paranoid,
+and jumping at shadows, constantly imagining me breathing down their neck.
+Which made today the best day for me to strike. Now, I was ready to
+corner them.
+Even though it'd only been a few minutes since dismissal, more than
+half the class had left. The clock on the wall seemed as if it was ticking
+slower than normal.
+"Heh heh..."
+My heart raced. It'd been years since I felt this kind of exhilaration.
+Ibuki had asked why I risked so much just to identify X. She called it
+meaningless. She was right that I didn't care about anything past discovering
+X's identity, at least. Ibuki thought I'd feel disappointed once I found out
+who X was. That might be true of normal people, but fighting Class D had
+led me to understand that X thought and moved like me. I'd never met
+another person like myself before. That fascination drove me onward.
+I wondered how I would feel when I came face-to-face with X, and
+what my next goal would be. X had entertained me for so long. The thought
+of meeting them made my pulse quicken, almost like first love.
+I would do anything, use any means, to find them. The text I'd sent to
+X this morning was already marked as read. They knew what was going to
+happen today. What would they do, then? What kind of plan would they
+devise?
+"Ryuuen-kun," said Shiina Hiyori, who sat right beside me.
+"What?" I asked.
+"Everyone seems really restless today, don't they?" she asked,
+surveying the room. The remaining students all drew nearer to me. "What are
+you planning?"
+"I'm going to confront my entertaining quarry of these past several
+months. You wanna come?" I asked.
+"No, I must decline. I don't quite see how that would be fun." Shiina
+paused, then said, "Do you really need to hunt them down?"
+"Huh?"
+"Nothing. I suppose that's for you to decide, Ryuuen-kun, as our
+class's leader." She stood. "Dll be in the library. If there's any trouble, please
+contact me."
+"Tt's not like you'll be of any use, though, is it?" I asked.
+"T suppose you're right. Well, have a nice winter vacation."
+She said that calmly, without a trace of fear, then left. Hiyori was
+clever, but she hated conflict, which made her useless as a pawn. People who
+obediently followed me around were much easier to use.
+I finished my final preparations, then gathered my people.
+"Tt's time, isn't it, Ryuuen-san?" said Ishizaki, looking restless.
+"Let's make the most of today," I told him.
+I handed Ishizaki a bag with certain indispensable items in it. Ibuki and
+Albert stood up, too. I didn't need large numbers for this. I needed people
+who were tight-lipped, because we were about to do something that would
+shock this proper, well-behaved school to its core.
+5.1
+fre MINUTES AFTER homeroom ended, winter vacation had begun.
+The campus was practically deserted. As with summer vacation, the students
+stampeded back to their dorms, leaving barely anyone to witness our bold
+movements.
+"So, where are we going? Cut the crap and tell us," said Ibuki.
+I'd said nothing of my current strategy to anyone, to eliminate the
+possibility of spies like Manabe and her friends. Ibuki and the rest only knew
+that I'd ordered Ishizaki and the other guys to keep an eye on Miyake and a
+few more people. Therefore, they didn't know the real reason I'd pressed
+Kouenji.
+I had no doubt that X would do whatever necessary to keep their
+identity hidden. So, I'd hidden my plans as much as possible to improve my
+chances of cornering them.
+"Concerned, Ibuki?"
+"You make me nervous, dragging me into all your stupid schemes."
+Ishizaki might have been curious about my true intentions as well,
+because he drew in closer, too.
+"You remember Karuizawa, right?" I said. "She's the reason Manabe
+and her friends were strong-armed into spying on us for Class D."
+"That loud girl from Class D, right?" Ibuki had infiltrated Class D on
+the deserted island, so she knew its students quite well.
+"T sent Karuizawa a message today, asking her to come to the rooftop.
+Karuizawa knows I was the one who sent it, too. I got her email address from
+another girl in her class." I avoided saying the traitor's name. It wasn't
+necessary for me to reveal Kushida Kikyou's part in this yet.
+"Huh? The rooftop? No way Karuizawa will come if you ask her."
+"She'll definitely show. I told her that, if she doesn't, P'Il expose her
+past."
+If that pathetic bullying story went public, it would cause an uproar.
+Her social life would be dead in the water. She had no choice but to bite the
+bullet and turn up.
+"Even if Karuizawa does show, do you think she'd tell you X's
+identity?"
+"T suppose she wouldn't let that slip, normally..."
+"Normally? No." X had almost certainly promised to protect
+Karuizawa from all her enemies. "But I sent X a message, too. I told them I
+was meeting Karuizawa today, and that I was going to learn their identity
+from her. That I'd use any means necessary to get what I wanted. That way,
+I'm not just threatening Karuizawa, but also threatening X at the same time."
+"But...you sent a threatening message to Karuizawa, right? What if she
+tattles to the school? If X puts the idea in her head, she might." Ibuki glared
+at me, as if demanding to know why I hadn't thought that far ahead.
+"She won't do that. If she does, I'Il expose her right away. No matter
+what she tries, Karuizawa can't turn the tables on us."
+The only countermeasure at their disposal would be if X showed up to
+confront me directly instead of Karuizawa.
+"The worst-case scenario," I said, "will be if X shows up instead of
+Karuizawa. Regardless, it's going to be fun to see what Karuizawa does."
+"T can't imagine it's worth the risk."
+"That's not true at all. Crushing Karuizawa means taking one of X's
+most valuable pawns off the board. It seems they' ve been using her in various
+ingenious ways."
+"How do you know that? I mean, I understand that X threatened
+Manabe and her friends to protect Karuizawa, but..."
+Even I had only recently realized that Karuizawa was one of X's pawn.
+I had arrived at that conclusion precisely because of several incomprehensible
+things that happened during the Paper Shuffle.
+"Heh. Well, eyes forward, Ibuki. X aside, you'll definitely get to see
+Karuizawa terrified by the threat of me exposing how she was bullied in the
+past," I said.
+"If Karuizawa does show...what are you going to do if you can't
+extract X's identity from her?" asked Ishizaki. Both he and Ibuki seemed
+concerned.
+"According to Manabe and her friends, Karuizawa was bullied quite
+viciously in the past. People who've been through such traumatic experiences
+tend to lose control of themselves when placed in a similar scenario. Why
+don't we go ahead and reproduce those memories for her? Let's put on a
+show. We'll reenact her past until she tells us X's identity."
+"No way. This is insane!" said Ibuk1.
+"This is extreme, Ryuuen-san. A bunch of us ganging up on and
+bullying a girl? I mean, there are cameras on the rooftop!"
+"I'm fully aware of that. I have a plan."
+I began ascending the stairs to the roof. Halfway up, I stopped and
+looked back at Ibuki and Ishizaki, who were lagging a couple steps behind.
+"If you don't like it, run," I told them.
+"T-I won't run. Pl follow you, Ryuuen-san."
+"What about you, Ibuk1?"
+"Tt all depends on your plan. If I think it's dangerous, I'Il leave." She'd
+been curious about X's identity for some time now, too.
+I had Ibuki, Albert, and Ishizaki wait near the rooftop door, taking the
+bag from Ishizaki. I removed the necessary tools, then handed the bag back.
+"This is..."
+"Wait."
+I opened the door. It was rare for a school rooftop to be accessible
+year-round. The reason this one did was because it had both proper fencing
+and a surveillance camera. Any dangerous activities would be recorded.
+Students knew this, which was why they behaved themselves up here.
+However, the roof was also a secluded spot. With its cafes and mall,
+the campus had many much more popular hangouts. I was probably the only
+one eccentric enough to often come all the way up here.
+There was also a limit to the number of cameras the school could
+install. There was only one surveillance camera on this particular roof,
+positioned above the door, which was the only real place a camera could be
+installed here. The one camera was more than enough to capture nearly the
+entire rooftop in its field of view, leaving almost no blind spots. The flipside
+of this, of course, was that if that one camera stopped functioning, the rooftop
+would be unmonitored.
+It was the same kind of camera as the ones in the school building:
+vandalism-proof, with a strong polycarbonate lens and tough steel body that
+would be tough to break. But violence wasn't the only way to disable a
+camera.
+I stood directly underneath it and looked into the lens. I took the can of
+black spray paint I'd brought with me, pointed it at the lens, and sprayed.
+"There. Safe from prying eyes," I said.
+I'd done my research. Of the hundreds of cameras installed throughout
+the school, only a limited number displayed footage in real time, and this
+wasn't one of them. The school authorities wouldn't notice what was
+happening up here in time to stop it. ''d painted a different surveillance
+camera before, to test my theory, and my only punishment when I reported
+what I'd done to Sakagami was paying to have it cleaned.
+The school was bound to be on low alert today, when most of the
+students had left.
+"Albert, remain on standby down the stairs. When Karuizawa comes,
+let her pass. If anyone unexpected pays us a visit, like one of the teachers,
+call me right away."
+Albert nodded and went back downstairs.
+"You painted over the camera?" asked Ibuki. "Isn't that a punishable
+offense?"
+"Just a simple prank. Nothing to get worked up over."
+"We'd better hope Karuizawa shows up."
+"She'll come. This is a matter of life and death for her."
+All that remained was to wait.
+5.2
+IL. WAS ALMOST Two in the afternoon, just shy of the time I'd set for
+Karuizawa, when the rooftop door opened to admit a lone student. The
+leading lady of today's show appeared, stiffening in the cold air.
+"Heh. I knew you'd come, Karuizawa."
+I turned off my phone and slipped it into my pocket. Ibuki and Ishizaki
+faced Karuizawa, both looking a little nervous.
+"The message you sent," said Karuizawa. "What's it supposed to
+mean?"
+"There's really no need to ask me that. You're here precisely because
+you understand what it meant."
+My message had read, Manabe and her friends told me everything
+about your past. Come to the rooftop after class, alone. If you talk to anyone,
+word of your past will spread through the entire school.
+Just mentioning Manabe and her friends was enough to guarantee
+Karuizawa would understand what the message meant. She had no choice but
+to understand it.
+"I'm guessing you told no one, as I instructed? Well, it's not like you
+had a choice. You can hardly let just anyone know about your past, after all."
+Karuizawa might've panicked and alerted X, considering that X alone
+probably knew her secret, but I didn't really care. As I told Ibuki and the
+others, I'd sent X a message myself.
+Today, I'd pass judgment on Karuizawa. And then, I'd hound her for
+X's identity. Whether or not she'd asked for help, it didn't matter. The end
+result would be the same.
+"You came alone after all, huh?" I asked.
+"You told me to, didn't you?"
+"Heh. Suppose so."
+It wasn't like X, who'd done so much to hide their identity in the first
+place, was going to carelessly show up here. And Karuizawa couldn't ask for
+help from anyone other than X, because if she did, then her past would be
+exposed. The same applied to X, who wanted to keep their identity hidden. In
+other words, both of their options were severely limited.
+"Look. I really don't, like, have a single clue what you're talking
+about, but it's cold out. I wanna finish this quick." Karuizawa rubbed her
+arms, as if she had a chance of pretending she didn't know what was going
+on. She was a poor actress.
+"Tn that case, why come here? You should've just ignored me."
+"Well, that's...because I didn't want any lies spreading around."
+She was trying her hardest to appear calm, but I easily called her bluff.
+"Lies, huh? Everyone here knows the truth... that you were bullied before
+you started high school."
+"Ah..." When confronted with that, her behavior changed.
+"Tt was a stroke of luck that Manabe and her friends found out. If you
+want to blame anyone, blame yourself for not handling them better."
+"What do you want? What do you gain by threatening me?"
+"What would you do if I told you I'm just killing time?" Though I still
+had plenty of leverage, Karuizawa was already out of options.
+"If you do anything to me...I-Ill tell the school," she stammered.
+"You came here alone because you know you can't do that."
+"Aren't you getting carried away, Ryuuen? She might still have
+something up her sleeve," Ibuki said. She still seemed to suspect something
+was up, since Karuizawa had come to the rooftop alone.
+"Karuizawa's powerless to do anything but rely on X. No need to be so
+cautious. Even if she records this conversation, it's not like she can do
+anything with it. Having her past exposed is her greatest fear. As long as we
+hold that card, she's at our mercy."
+"But—"
+"Enough. Shut up."
+I already knew what Ibuki wanted to say. She was going to say that
+Manabe and her friends had been threatened with evidence of them bullying
+Karuizawa. They'd been forced to lay off her, made to promise they wouldn't
+speak a word of it to anyone, and then strongarmed into digging their own
+graves by giving away information about Class C.
+Ibuki was anxious that evidence of what we were doing up here might
+be used to blackmail us the same way, but that wasn't going to happen. I
+would make sure of it.
+Karuizawa's past was our weapon. As long as I made good use of that
+weapon, we had nothing to fear. Anyone trying to drive us into a corner
+would be doing the same to Karuizawa. And the danger there went both
+ways, of course. It was a double-edged sword.
+I had to use the information at my disposal to cause enough disruption
+to be effective, but if I went ahead and entirely exposed Karuizawa's past to
+the school, I'd have nothing left to threaten her with. I'd crush Karuizawa,
+but X would get away. I had to find the person hiding behind Karuizawa. I
+had to learn X's true identity here and now, and to do that, I needed to gauge
+the strength of the connection between Karuizawa and X.
+"Let's stop going in circles. You want me to let you off, right? Tell me
+the identity of the person hiding behind you. If you do, I'Il keep quiet about
+your past," I told her.
+"T don't, like, get what you mean." Karuizawa looked upset. She'd
+known that I was looking for the Class D mastermind, but until now,
+probably hadn't realized that we'd figured out her connection to them.
+""X saved you from Manabe and her friends, right?"
+"H-huh? You're wrong."
+"It's pointless to hide. 've got evidence."
+"Evidence?"
+It seemed X had kept more details from Karuizawa than I'd thought. I
+would slowly and methodically exert more pressure on her until her back was
+up against the wall.
+"How do you think X protected you from them?"
+"T have no idea. Besides, they weren't bullying me. Even if you say
+this stuff about X, or whatever—"
+"Okay, okay. I get it. If you're not going to fess up, I'Il just tell you."
+Looked like she wasn't going to spill the beans unless she had the facts laid
+out for her. "X threatened to expose Manabe and her friends for bullying you
+if they didn't do as they said. That's how they got them to keep their mouths
+shut."
+Karuizawa didn't answer. All she did was glare at me.
+"Heh heh. I see... So, you did know how X kept Manabe and her
+friends quiet, then."
+"T-I didn't say anything."
+"No, you didn't. But your eyes told me the truth quite well on their
+99
+own.
+I continued speaking.
+"Tf that was all X did, I wouldn't care. But that wasn't enough for
+them. You see, X forced Manabe and her friends to betray me during the
+sports festival, too. They made them be their spies and leak information to
+them by threatening to expose the fact that they'd been bullying you."
+"What are you talking about? Seriously, I have no clue—"
+"Your eyes are shifty, aren't they? Seems like this is the first time you
+heard about the sports festival."
+There's no way, | thought. Perhaps Karuizawa actually didn't know
+who X was? If X always contacted her with an anonymous email address,
+then...
+No. I didn't think Karuizawa would follow orders from someone she
+couldn't see and didn't know. If she really had no idea who they were, why
+not just admit she'd worked with them to an extent but knew nothing more?
+If she was denying that she knew anything, there had to be a reason for it.
+"All I want is X's name. The name of the person who's been attacking
+me. I honestly couldn't care less about your past. Wouldn't it be wisest to
+comply?"
+"No matter how many times you ask, my answer's the same. I don't
+know anything. Seriously, it's cold out here..." She was wearing extremely
+thin clothing. Perhaps she hadn't intended on being out here very long.
+"Yeah, it sure is cold, isn't it? Don't you want to finish our little chat
+quickly and head back inside?"
+"T have nothing to say."
+"T see. If you insist on covering for X, then I have no choice. You're
+okay with me exposing your entire past?"
+""T 99
+eee
+Karuizawa was truly up a creek without a paddle. No matter what I did
+to attack her, she'd have no choice to keep her mouth shut. Whatever she
+chose, she'd be making an enemy. She could think about it all she wanted,
+but all that would do was waste time.
+"There's no point fighting me," I said. "You can't brainstorm your way
+out of this situation. You know your options are limited. If you want to save
+yourself, you know the correct choice is to tell me their name."
+"T-If there really is someone hiding in the shadows like that, you have
+no way of knowing whether the name I give you is actually the person you're
+looking for, right?" asked Karuizawa.
+Ishizaki, perhaps because he was also hung up on that point, cut into
+our conversation without permission. "Ryuuen-san, she's right. We have no
+way to know if she's telling us the truth."
+The idiot was just giving Karuizawa an escape route. I shot Ishizaki a
+look to tell him to be quiet. Realizing his mistake, he shut his mouth.
+"If I find out you lied to me, Pll expose you later," I told Karuizawa.
+TT hat—"
+"The only way you can save yourself is to tell me everything you
+know." I laughed at her, but Karuizawa just looked at me sideways and
+countered my words.
+"I'm not that stupid," she shot back. "It doesn't matter if I tell you the
+truth now, or lie. Either way, you'll just try to use this against me again down
+the line. Sorry, I'm not going to be a pawn you can use whenever you want."
+"Heh. Yes, I suppose you're right. There's no guarantee I won't keep
+using this against you, like X used Manabe and her friends. Even so, what
+choice do you have?"
+"T can neither confirm nor deny that there's someone hiding behind me.
+I'm not going to just blurt out a name to you, either. In other words, I have no
+answer for you."
+Apparently, Karuizawa had determined that silence was the only
+correct answer. It wasn't a bad option, but I could hardly say it was the best
+one.
+"And if I expose you as a result?" I said.
+"You think that someone's controlling Class D from the shadows, but
+you wouldn't have contacted me unless you'd failed to discover their identity
+so far. In which case, I'm the only lead you have, and you can't afford to
+throw me away."
+"T see. So, if I expose your past before I get anything out of you, I'm
+screwed, eh? You won't tell me anything, and my hunt for X's identity will
+be delayed even further," I reasoned.
+Karuizawa averted her eyes, as if to say, "Yes, that's exactly what I
+meant."
+"Honestly, I don't really care if I don't learn X's identity from your
+lips. ''m happy to take my time figuring out who they are. You think that I
+won't have plenty of opportunities to catch X in the future?" I asked.
+"That's assuming X comes at you again. If they notice that you're
+trying to figure out their identity, won't they be extra careful from now on?"
+she replied.
+She was smarter than I thought. A clever, sharp-tongued woman. If X's
+mind really worked the same way mine did, they'd probably chosen her
+because they felt her social clout within Class D made her a valuable tool. X
+had no qualms about using people, which meant they probably had no qualms
+about abandoning her, either.
+There was no doubt X was moving to advance Class D's prospects.
+What I couldn't rule out, however, was the possibility that if forced to
+choose, X would prioritize keeping their identity hidden over advancing
+Class D. If I went ahead and exposed Karuizawa, I might never find out who
+they were. That would really spoil my fun, huh?
+"You really came up with some good self-defense measures, huh? All
+on your own, too?" I asked Karuizawa. I was guessing she'd racked her
+brains to get here. It was possible X had fed her some ideas... but the chances
+of that seemed slim.
+"Get the picture? Don't you think the best option would be to just
+quietly let me go?" she shot back in return.
+I checked my phone. No texts from anyone. Had my attempt to contact
+X gone south?
+Well, it wasn't like I hadn't known it wouldn't be easy to pin X down.
+I decided it was time to take things to the next level.
+"Look, all you need to do is tell me who X is," I told Karuizawa. "If
+you know, I'm going to extract it from you one way or another."
+This is your fault, X. This is the result of you trying to have your cake
+and eat it too; both saving Karuizawa and hiding your identity.
+"If your threats don't work, how do you intend to make me talk?" she
+asked.
+"That's obvious, isn't it? Torture is a time-honored tradition."
+"Ryuuen-san, are you serious?"
+"Tbuki, hold Karuizawa down."
+"Why me? You can do it yourself, can't you?" Ibuki didn't seem very
+willing to join in.
+"Do it," I commanded.
+"T won't be complicit in this. It's too risky," said Ibuki.
+"Pathetic. You're wimping out after failing me so many times ina
+row?" I grabbed the rebellious Ibuki's arm and pulled her close. "This is how
+you earn back my trust. Pll take responsibility for what happens here. Don't
+hold back."
+"Tch..." Ibuki clicked her tongue, but approached Karuizawa.
+"Wh-what?" Karuizawa squeaked.
+"Look, I've got problems of my own. Sorry," said Ibuki. She moved
+behind Karuizawa and grabbed her hands.
+"Ow!" shrieked Karuizawa.
+Despite Ibuki's initial reluctance, she held Karuizawa easily in place.
+There was nothing Karuizawa could do against someone with martial arts
+training.
+"Ishizaki, go fill some buckets with water. Let's start with two. There
+are two cleaning buckets in the men's bathroom one floor below. No one
+should be using it right now."
+"Huh? Water? What for?"
+"Are you going to defy me, too?"
+"N-no. [ll get them!" Ishizaki panicked and ran past Ibuki, looking as
+if he was about to trip over his own feet.
+"Now, let's enjoy a nice little chat until Ishizaki returns," I said.
+"No! Let me go!"
+Karuizawa thrashed desperately, but couldn't break free of Ibuki's
+grip. She probably guessed what was going to happen, which was precisely
+why I was having Ibuki restrain her in the first place—not to prevent her
+from escaping, but to amplify her fear of what was to come.
+"If you lay one finger on me, I'II tell everyone!" Karuizawa shouted.
+"Heh heh. It was pretty cocky of you to show up here. Did you think X
+would protect you this time, too?" I asked.
+No matter how many times I asked her, the answer was the same. She
+stubbornly refused to admit whether this X person really existed.
+"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess X, Class D's hidden puppet
+master, promised to protect you from things like this. Right?" I asked.
+Karuizawa's eyes darted around. She might have thought she was
+hiding her thoughts, but they were plain for all to see.
+"If not, this doesn't add up. If your past became known, your
+headstrong, bossy attitude would work to turn people against you, even girls
+from other classes. Manabe and her friends wouldn't be the only ones
+targeting you," I said.
+Ibuki took her eyes off Karuizawa and looked over at me.
+"You must spend every day racked with fear that they' II all learn the
+truth. But you managed to get this far without your secret getting out. Why?
+There's only one possible explanation. It's because of the person who saved
+you and supported you."
+"And you think that person's X?" asked Ibuk1.
+"For now. But that's only been the case recently, right?" I asked
+Karuizawa. "X only learned the truth about your past after your spat with
+Manabe and her friends. You made Hirata pretend to be your boyfriend to
+protect yourself, didn't you?"
+Karuizawa's pupils dilated. "Y-you're wrong..."
+"But I'm not, am I? Don't lie to me, Karuizawa." I peered deep into
+her eyes, as if I could see all the way to the darkness buried within. X
+must've done the same.
+"Ah...?! She was really panicking now. It was cute.
+"How could you know that, Ryuuen?" Ibuki sounded shocked, too.
+"Chalk it up to experience. I've dealt with tons of rotten people in my
+life," I told them.
+"Ugh...oof. S-sorry to have kept you waiting." Ishizaki returned,
+carrying two buckets almost completely full of water. Their contents splashed
+violently.
+Ibuki barraged me with questions again on seeing the buckets. "You
+said that there were two buckets. How did you know? Did you investigate
+this all beforehand''"?
+"Do you know how many surveillance cameras this school has? I bet
+you don't even know that much."
+"Huh? Of course not."
+"You won't know if you don't investigate. But if you do your research,
+youll begin to comprehend everything that you see around us," I told them.
+Every day, little by little, I'd scoped out all the locations where
+surveillance cameras were installed throughout the school. As a result, P'd
+also learned about the buckets stored in that particular bathroom for cleaning
+purposes.
+"One of the experiments I used to ascertain all this was the time I had
+Ishizaki and the other guys attack Sudou," I said. "Because they're idiots, it
+seems there was a witness from Class D there at the time."
+As a result of the witness's presence, Ishizaki and the others had been
+tricked into confessing by a fake surveillance camera. Ishizaki wore a look of
+shame on his face as I mentioned the incident. If not for the witness, C Class
+could have gained quite a bit that time.
+"T told you before, Ishizaki, didn't I? Never admit any wrongdoing."
+"Y-Yes... I was j-just, well, that just shook me a bit..." he stammered.
+"The school might appear to strictly enforce a code of behavior, but
+that's not entirely true. There are loopholes that allow the use of forceful
+methods, if you play your cards right," I continued. There were clues
+scattered all through our normal, everyday lives to hint at that. "I'm sure you
+guys don't get it, but the cleverest members of the student body are the ones
+constantly testing the boundaries of what the school allows."
+The very first thing I'd done after enrolling at this mysterious school
+was look for its "rules," and how to beat them. The second thing I'd done was
+something vital to understanding the system: test the importance of private
+points.
+"For instance," I said, "have you ever noticed one particular thing
+that's strange about all these tests? The uninhabited island test, the cruise ship
+test, the Paper Shuffle—whatever the test, you'd think the senior students
+would be able to give us some advice, wouldn't you? But if you try and ask
+them, not a single one will give you a satisfactory answer. Why do you think
+that is?"
+"*,.Maybe the exams are conducted differently each year? Like, it's
+possible the rules are different."
+"Yeah. I don't think the exams are exactly the same each year. Strictly
+speaking, though, it's probably more accurate to say the rules for every grade
+level are different."
+"What do you mean, Ryuuen-san?"
+If you could clear exams by with from senior students, then they'd
+hardly be exams at all. Everything would just turn into stupid competitions to
+see who could butter up the seniors more. There had to be rules put in place
+to prevent that from happening.
+"What if there was a supplementary rule that stated 'any second- or
+third-year students will be expelled immediately if they leak exam
+contents'?" I asked.
+"That's... They would never talk."
+"That's right. Even if a freshman asked them, they wouldn't say a
+word. No way would people who fought to avoid expulsion for a whole year
+risk getting expelled over making a careless comment. In fact, I tried and
+utterly failed to negotiate in second-year Class-D students by offering them
+private points. Proof that talking carries considerable risk."
+"But... Well, I suppose you might be right. Komiya and Kondou said
+something like that a while ago, too. They said they tried to ask some
+upperclassmen for hints and got nothing. If anything, it kind of felt like they
+weren't even allowed to ask."
+Which was precisely what gave rise to the feeling that it had been
+forbidden for generations. It was very likely the actual rules were more
+detailed, but we'd learn them eventually.
+"T've always tried to push the boundaries between what's acceptable
+and what's considered a violation of school rules," I explained. Researching
+the surveillance cameras, bribing the senior students, and making the back-
+alley deal with Class A were all part of my experiments to ascertain what I
+could and couldn't do. "What we're about to do to Karuizawa is one such
+experiment, too."
+Karuizawa started to shiver in the cold.
+"Trauma can be awakened more strongly through the senses than
+through words," I added.
+Based to what Manabe and her friends had told me, the fierce
+Karuizawa would quickly buckle when subjected to this.
+I signaled Ishizaki with one glance. Ibuki pushed Karuizawa forward
+and then stepped away. In accordance with my orders, Ishizaki dumped a
+bucket of water on Karuizawa's head.
+"Ah!"
+Being doused outdoors, in the middle of winter, would chill anyone to
+the bone. Karuizawa collapsed, shivering, and hugged herself tight. Her
+bravado was gone, washed away by just one bucket of water.
+"Do you remember the baptism you received at your previous school?"
+I asked.
+"N-no!" She covered her ears and sat there, her whole body trembling,
+as if she were a little girl afraid of ghosts.
+"Come on, we're just getting started." I took out my phone and began
+recording. I pushed Karuizawa's wet bangs from her eyes, watching her spirit
+begin to break. She was probably flashing back to being bullied right now. "If
+you won't talk, then I'll circulate this video throughout the school."
+That was a lie, but Karuizawa was no longer in any state to tell.
+"Come on, scream. Beg me to have mercy."
+"N-no!"
+The deeper the scars, the more they hurt when you uncovered them.
+"T can't watch this. I knew I shouldn't have helped you," said Ibuki,
+averting her eyes.
+"Bullying the weak is pretty fun though, right? It really gets you
+going."
+I thought back to a particular occasion when some people had attacked
+me, long ago. There was one guy who started out all cocky, but then wound
+up bawling like a baby when I turned the tables on him.
+Karuizawa's case was a little different.
+"Even though you were so persistently bullied, you stood tall in D
+Class. I'm impressed," I told her. "That's not easily achieved. In a way, you
+might be a girl with the spirit to stand up to me."
+Despite being so weak, she'd held her head high. She'd created a new
+identity for herself, then maintained that position by using Hirata and through
+X's protection.
+But bullying makes people servile. Once experienced, the trauma is
+easily reawakened. That's just the way it 1s.
+I crouched beside Karuizawa's trembling form and continued to mock
+her. "Here's the thing about human nature. People don't change. You were
+designed to be bullied, not to bully. Remember that."
+I picked up the other bucket and dumped the water over Karuizawa.
+ce 99
+ot
+Letting out a silent scream, she curled into a ball, shrinking in
+fear.
+"Ishizaki. Get more."
+"Y-yes." Ishizaki picked up the two empty buckets and headed
+downstairs.
+"Who's protecting you and keeping Manabe and her friends quiet?" I
+demanded.
+1?
+"There's...no one... No one, no one, no one!" Karuizawa screamed.
+She shook her head fervently.
+"Heh. Still trying to hide it? I guess you do have spirit. Or maybe it's
+just that you're so used to being bullied? Maybe this doesn't even qualify as
+bullying for you." I grabbed Karuizawa's arm and yanked her to her feet.
+"T can't watch this," Ibuki said again.
+"This is where the fun begins," I said.
+"You're evil. This is disgusting." But Ibuki didn't leave. She leaned up
+against the door instead. "I'Il leave after you get a name out of her," she said.
+"Fine by me."
+I wasn't doing this to entertain Ibuk1. I was breaking Karuizawa for my
+own pleasure.
+5.3
+I WAS FREEZING. Icy water dripped from my hair. They'd dumped
+water over me four times now. My uniform was soaked right through; even
+my underwear was wet. But what scared me wasn't the way my body
+violently trembling from the cold. What scared me was the ice in my heart.
+I was facing down a deep darkness, so intense and bitter that 1t made
+me hate the entire world.
+Why am I being bullied? Slowly, my feelings changed to, Why am I
+alive? What did I do wrong?
+I started blaming myself. My heart was frozen and my body was being
+devoured. The deep scars etched into my being started to throb again, like
+they were hot.
+"Come on. That's enough, Karuizawa. Make things easier on yourself.
+There's no need to suffer any further," Ryuuen sneered.
+That was a dead end, though. If I told him about Kiyotaka, it might
+reprieve me temporarily, but there was no guarantee that Ryuuen wouldn't
+try to blackmail me again. He might even command me to betray Class D.
+Like the tragic finales you saw on television, misery was all that awaited
+people who continued to betray others.
+I would hold on to hope until the very end. I'd believe in Kiyotaka's
+words, and his promise that he'd protect me. That was my final defense
+against my heart being swallowed up by the darkness.
+"T know what you're thinking. If you give up X, you'll lose their
+protection. All hope will be lost," said Ryuuen.
+My teeth loudly chattered from the cold, making my terror audible to
+all. I struggled desperately to stop, but my mind had already abandoned me.
+Repulsive memories thrashed around in my brain. The past and present
+overlapped.
+"Do you want to die holding onto hope? Are you okay with going back
+to the way things were?" Ryuuen's vicious words cut me. "X can't save you.
+I can, if you give me their name."
+I was scared.
+"If you won't cooperate, though, I have no choice but to destroy you."
+Save me.
+"I'm going to list everything there is to know about you, everything
+you pretend to be, and circulate it to the whole school."
+I'm scared.
+"When that happens, will you be able to keep your position in your
+class? Will you still be a leader?"
+Save me.
+"No. You'll just go back to being what you were before. You'll be
+back to the real you, that pathetic girl who was always bullied."
+The cruel memories of the bullying I'd endured long ago continued to
+play in my head on loop. I never wanted to return to that dark, miserable
+world where all I could think about was how much I wanted to die.
+"No, no, no no no! No no no no!"
+"Then make things easier. Protect yourself."
+"Please, forgive me! Please, forgive me!"
+My pride had already shattered. No, that wasn't true. It'd shattered
+before, and I'd clumsily pieced it back together with tape. The Karuizawa Kei
+who made a new life for herself was dying. I could feel my second chance at
+a happy school life crumbling into dust.
+"T'm not merciful like Manabe and her friends," said Ryuuen. "We
+know your secret. Even if you get me expelled, it's not just me who knows.
+I'll spread rumors of your past. Your own classmates will smell blood in the
+water and turn on you!"
+"No, no, no..."
+"Then remember. Remember how painful it'Il be to go back to how
+you used to be."
+Even though I hated it, I remembered.
+For a moment, my mind went completely blank. All I saw was endless
+white. And then immediately after, there was darkness.
+Despite myself, I remembered. I remembered junior high and the hell
+I'd created for myself over the most trivial of things. I was stubborn,
+headstrong, and right after starting school, I made enemies of the other girls
+for no reason. What followed was a completely nightmare.
+Writing hateful graffiti on my textbooks and throwing my notebooks
+away? That was just cute. They dumped water on me while I used the
+bathroom. More than once. It even became a routine. They punched and
+kicked me. They recorded me getting beaten up and circulated the videos.
+They put thumbtacks in my shoes and dead animals in my desk.
+I remembered all of it.
+They pulled my skirt down in front of our classmates. They hid my
+underwear and uniform after swimming class. They made me confess
+romantic feelings to boys I didn't actually like. They made me lick their
+shoes. They even made me pick garbage off the ground and eat it.
+I remembered experiencing one humiliation after another.
+Yes, that was right.
+I remembered.
+In times like these, the defense people have is to just accept whatever
+happens. After a while, I learned to do that. To accept reality. Accept that
+Ryuuen and his follower were bullying me again. It would be easier if I just
+accepted it.
+Was I really going back to those days? If that happened, I knew my
+heart couldn't take it. I couldn't endure it if the girls who were now kind to
+me, who were my friends, started to change.
+My old school had abandoned me. The only good thing it ever did for
+me was tell me about this school. They threw me a lifeline by letting me go
+someplace where no one knew me. If no one knew me, then I—
+I looked up at the sky as tears ran down my face.
+Why do I have to suffer like this?
+No. I didn't want this.
+That feeling began to grow within me.
+I didn't want to go back.
+Ryuuen said he just wanted to find the person he was looking for. In
+other words, if I gave him Kiyotaka's name, I'd be free. But there was no
+guarantee he wouldn't reveal my past anyway. It might be public knowledge
+come tomorrow. If that happened, I wouldn't just lose Kiyotaka's trust, but
+all my friends.
+But—
+It was still possible. I might be saved. If I just gave him Kiyotaka's
+name, it was possible this cruel, painful torture would come to an end.
+I'll save you.
+Kiyotaka had promised me that, but he wasn't here. Even if I kept faith
+in him, that didn't change my current situation. Didn't he see the message I
+sent him? I'd also looked at him, begged him quietly. Our eyes had met. He
+definitely saw me.
+He told me he'd protect me. Had I just imagined it? Had I been a fool
+to believe him? I didn't know anymore. There was no way I could be sure,
+anymore. Our relationship was far too shallow. He cut me off with no
+guarantee he'd keep Manabe and her friends at bay. He quoted selfish reasons
+like how it was no longer necessary for him to manipulate the class further.
+I was just an afterthought. Had I been betrayed? Had he abandoned
+me?
+"Do you see anyone coming, Albert? I see." Ryuuen sighed quietly,
+standing in front of me, "I assume you're holding on to the hope that
+someone's coming to save you. But it doesn't look like it."
+Ah. So, I'd been abandoned after all. Well, what was I supposed to do,
+now if not believe? Kiyotaka had told me he'd save me. And the truth of the
+matter was that he did protect me from Manabe and her friends.
+"Tt seems like you trust X quite a bit, Karuizawa." Ryuuen sighed in
+exasperation. "You were tricked."
+"No, that's wrong."
+"T'm not wrong. I'll tell you the truth about the cruise ship test. The
+truth X never told you."
+"The tr-truth?"
+Ryuuen's smile disappeared.
+"Manabe wanted to get back at you for being mean to her friend,
+Morofuji, but she couldn't find a good opportunity to do it. I mean, even if
+she tried to summon you somewhere secluded, it wasn't like you'd show up.
+But then, for some reason, you went down to the lowest floor alone. Why?"
+"That was—" Because Yousuke-kun had asked me to. Back then, I'd
+been emotionally unstable. I'd had no choice but to rely on Yousuke-kun, the
+host I attached myself to like a parasite. That was why I went.
+Then Manabe and her friends showed up...
+"Do you really think that was a coincidence?"
+Once again, Ryuuen saw right through me.
+"Manabe and her friends couldn't follow you around all the time,
+especially not on such a big ship. Them showing up wasn't coincidental, but
+an inevitability."
+So Yousuke-kun had tricked me?
+No...
+That couldn't be.
+I knew right away that that wasn't it.
+"You know it already, don't you? X secretly contacted Manabe and
+then set you up. They tricked Manabe by claiming they hated you too, and
+would help her get you. You were an idiot for taking the bait so easily."
+I did remember how strange it'd seemed. Yousuke-kun asked me to
+meet him there, but in the end, he never showed. I understood now that
+Kiyotaka had instructed Yousuke-kun to get me there alone.
+"X set you up. They intentionally let Manabe bully you so they could
+record it to use against her. Unjust of them, don't you think?"
+I wanted to tell him that he was wrong. But what Ryuuen was saying...
+I couldn't easily deny it. So, Kiyotaka showing to save me wasn't
+coincidence, either?
+"You weren't saved. You were trapped. Pretty stupid, huh?"
+I'd been...tricked?
+"Look around you. Is X here right now? Is X saving you?"
+Kiyotaka...had been deceiving me from the very start?
+"It's safe to assume that X cut all ties with you when their identity was
+about to be exposed," Ryuuen said.
+No, that wasn't...
+That couldn't be...
+I...can't be saved. Even though I'm suffering so much...
+I'd been caught in Kiyotaka's trap. He let me think he might save me.
+He even made me help him with so much stuff. But at the crucial moment,
+when I needed him, he abandoned me.
+"You finally get it, yeah? That's right. You've just been bullied all
+over again."
+I was completely shrouded in dark. I couldn't escape this never-ending
+vicious circle of bullying.
+"Well, there's still one way for you to save yourself," said Ryuuen.
+A name.
+Kiyotaka's name.
+"That's right. It'll all be over." Ryuuen laughed again, as if reading my
+mind. "If you give me the name, I promise never to bother you again."
+If I give Ryuuen his name, will this be over... ?
+All I had to say was "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." I didn't know if I could
+believe Ryuuen. But if he heard the words emerging from the bottom of my
+heart, I was sure he'd understand. It was the only thing I was sure of right
+now.
+Against my will, my trembling lips began to part. Despair and anger at
+being betrayed rose up to fill my heart. But no sound came out. It was too
+cold to speak.
+"Just take it slow. Give me the name."
+"K..." Iwas trembling all over, shaking with fear, but finally got one
+sound out.
+"K...?" Ryuuen repeated the noise back to me.
+"K...t..." Slowly, very slowly, I managed to squeeze more sounds out
+of my throat. This was it. If I did this, I'd be free.
+"One more time." Ryuuen put his face closer to mine.
+"K-knock...it...off. No matter how many times..."
+The words were coming out now, but they weren't those words. I'd
+never had any intention of telling him.
+Because I...wouldn't...
+"No matter how many times you ask me...I' Il never, ever tell you...
+creep."
+At that, Ryuuen's smile vanished. It felt like a single ray of light
+pierced the cloudy sky. My words hadn't changed at all, but with those
+words, I'd made my choice.
+"Even if I lose everything I built at this school starting tomorrow... No
+matter how much you put me through..." These weren't Ryuuen's words or
+Kiyotaka's. They were mine. And they were something I could believe in, no
+matter what. "Ill never give you the name."
+Warmth flooded my chest.
+"Are you certain, Karuizawa?"
+***
+I'm okay with this.
+I might come to regret it.
+But, I'm okay with it...!
+"Even though X was just using you, why you're still protecting him?"
+I wanted to ask myself the same question.
+"T don't know why." But there was one thing I did know. "I want to
+stand tall until the very end!"
+My vision, which had grown hazy, suddenly sharpened once more.
+"T see. That's too bad, Karuizawa. I don't want to do this, but you've
+left me no choice. Still, you have my respect. Despite all your trauma, and the
+one person you could rely on betraying you, you didn't sell him out.
+I honestly admire you."
+This is fine.
+This is fine.
+I kept telling myself that. I was going to be broken, now, but somehow,
+I couldn't help but feel proud of myself. Even though he'd betrayed me, I
+hadn't betrayed him. I'd protected him. If I could somehow help him find the
+peace he sought, that wouldn't be so bad, would it? It even made me pretty
+cool. Right?
+My life had never been very interesting, except when I worked with
+Kiyotaka. Helping him out with all his different schemes wasn't so bad. In
+fact, it was exciting. I had fun. I felt like I was playing the role of supporting
+actress, aiding the hero from the wings. I didn't understand a lot of what we
+were doing, but somehow, it was extraordinarily fun.
+Besides, no matter what happened, the truth was that he'd saved me.
+That was why I had no regrets.
+But, well...deep down, I still hoped he'd come and save me. Those
+fleeting feelings within me were...real, I guess. Ah, I was such an idiot. I'd
+only ever been dancing in the palm of his hand. Guess you reap what you
+sow, huh?
+First Yousuke-kun, then Kiyotaka, had protected me. I was a girl who
+couldn't do anything on her own.
+Somehow, underneath the cold winter sky, I felt glad.
+Goodbye, fake me.
+Welcome home to the cold, empty Karuizawa of the past.
+***
+First-Year Class B Teacher Evaluation
+Class Point Total as of 12/1:
+753
+***
+Class B got along well with Ichinose-san as their leader. | expected more
+internal conflict, but it looks like they're on track to give it their best over
+the next three years.
+***
+Class B spent a whole week having fun, training, and enhancing their
+teamwork, rather than trying to win. | find them really wonderful kids,
+more so than any other class.
+***
+It seems that Class B didn't perform well because they weren't very good at
+suspicion or subterfuge. Even so, their strong resolve and honesty should
+see them through to Class A.
+***
+Class B worked extremely hard, striving to be open and honest with Class
+C, who aren't very friendly. | wish Ryuuen-kun would learn to cooperate a
+little more.
+***
+Although Class B unfortunately lost to Class A, | really want these cheerful,
+positive kids to rise to the top.
+Chapter 6:
+Intersecting Thoughts
+Roucuy TWO HOURS before Karuizawa left to see Ryuuen,
+Chabashira-sensei lectured us about important things to remember during the
+upcoming winter vacation.
+"Parts of the school will undergo renovations, so those areas will be
+off-limits. Also, all clubs will take the day off after the closing ceremony. Be
+sure to head back as soon as you can."
+For some reason, our teacher gazed soundlessly around the classroom
+after she was done speaking. We waited, but she showed no sign of
+dismissing us.
+Ike, clearly itching to leave, raised his hand. "What's the matter,
+Sensei?"
+"I'm sure that many of you are already aware of this, but your
+promotion to Class C is almost guaranteed. Well done."
+"W-wow. Sensei just praised us. This is rare." Ike wasn't the only one
+who felt that way. I was sure the rest of the class was equally amazed.
+"However, don't get sloppy. If you get in trouble over the break, it
+might affect your class points. Don't forget, even during the holidays, you
+represent this school." With that, Chabashira-sensei dismissed us, bringing
+the second semester to a close.
+"This really is unusual," said Ike. "Chabashira-sensei being nice and
+giving us a warning, I mean."
+"Yeah, you might be right," I replied.
+As I put my textbooks in my bag, I glanced over at Karuizawa, who
+was talking with some other girls. She turned and looked back at me.
+That morning, I'd received a text from Karuizawa at the email address
+I reserved for emergencies. The message said that Ryuuen had asked to meet
+her on the roof at two o'clock today, and that it had something to do with
+Manabe and her friends.
+Having already gotten a message from Ryuuen about the meeting, I
+was unsurprised. Ryuuen didn't care if Karuizawa tattled on him. His only
+goal was to lure me in.
+I didn't reply to Karuizawa's text. And yet, she left the room with her
+friends looking satisfied, perhaps because she felt confident that I'd gotten
+her message. Maybe she intended to leave the classroom and then come back.
+An hour later, though, almost all the students had left the school building.
+"Hey, we were talking about going over to Keyaki Mall. What do you
+think? Want to come?" asked Keisei.
+"Sure," I said. "I don't have anything planned. I'll head over after I
+finish getting ready."
+"We'll wait in the hall."
+Maybe I should take some textbooks back to the dorm with me, just in
+case? I might need them over break.
+"Hey. Are you busy today, by any chance?" Satou called, sounding
+rather sheepish.
+"Yeah. I just promised Yukimura and the others I'd go hang out with
+them," I replied.
+"I-I see. Bad luck, I guess," said Satou, her shoulders slumping.
+"...Today's no good, but are you free over the winter break?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+"T mean, I feel bad for turning you down twice now. If you're okay
+with it, Satou, I just thought..."
+"R-really?!"
+"Y-yeah."
+Satou hugged me without warning, leaving me a little overwhelmed.
+"T-It's a date!" she said, hopping up and down while blushing.
+Why in the world was she so interested in me? I wasn't complaining,
+exactly, but there were still people in the classroom. This was kind of
+embarrassing.
+"Anytime tomorrow or after is good," I said. "Ill send you a message
+with more details."
+"Got it! See you later, Ayanokouji-kun!"
+Beaming, Satou rejoined Shinohara and her group, who eyed me
+suspiciously before leaving. I went over to Keisei and the others, who were
+gathered in the hallway, chatting among themselves. I could guess what they
+were discussing, based on Haruka's creepy grin and Airi's downhearted
+expression. Haruka seemed ready to start trouble as we began walking, so I
+beat her to the punch.
+"Nothing's going on," I told them.
+"T haven't even asked you anything," said Haruka. "What's up?"
+"Nothing's up. You were about to ask something, that's all."
+"T mean, yeah. Just looking at Satou-san, it's not hard to imagine that
+something's going on, right?"
+"You're such a playboy, Kiyotaka. First Horikita, now Satou?" said
+Keisei. For some reason, he sounded kind of angry.
+I decided I'd better offer some clarification. "She just invited me to
+hang out with her, that's all."
+"A girl inviting a boy out is rare, though. There must be something to
+it, don't you think?" asked Haruka.
+"Y-y-you don't think that S-Satou-san is interested in Kiyotaka-kun, do
+you?!" asked Airi frantically. We'd already been through this.
+"T don't know how to answer that..." I said.
+"A last-ditch effort to find romance just in time for Christmas? Oh,
+my," added Haruka. "What an amazing turn of events!"
+"At any rate, where are we going? The mall's probably pretty crowded
+today. Since break starts tomorrow, there should be quite a few students
+hanging out until late tonight," said Keisei, pressing us to make a decision.
+"Well, can't we just kinda wander? We don't have to rush," replied
+Haruka.
+As we talked, Akito walked along silently, his expression stern. He
+seemed to be concentrating on whatever was behind us, as if searching for
+someone.
+"No sign of anyone tailing us," he mumbled, sounding relieved.
+It seemed that Ryuuen planned on settling things once and for all
+today. He must've decided that following us was no longer necessary.
+"Hey, you know, even though Keyaki Mall's got pretty much
+everything, I think I wanna go off campus after all," said Haruka, looking
+into the distance at the main entrance. "I really want to go to Shibuya or
+Harajuku, or see the lights in Omotesando, you know?"
+"T suppose campus isn't a good substitute for either of those places,
+other than the inside of Keyaki Mall..." The school hadn't really decorated
+the campus roads for the occasion, so everything looked the same as usual.
+"T'm okay with staying here..." said Airi. "Plus, the campus has almost
+everything we need. Do you feel the same as Haruka, Kiyotaka-kun? About
+going off campus?"
+Unlike Haruka, Airi definitely didn't strike me as the kind of person
+who liked to hit the town at night. I supposed it would be okay if I didn't
+force myself to be carried along for once.
+"I'm happy to stay here, Airi. But I get why people want to go off
+campus," I replied.
+"T know that it's in the school rules, but isn't saying that we can't
+contact our families for three years kind of extreme? I mean, you'd think
+people would be concerned about their kids, right?" Maybe this was a tender
+subject for Akito, because he was glowering. "My mom's a worrywart. She's
+probably really anxious," he added.
+"T've heard that the school takes care of that. Apparently, they
+regularly send out report cards and stuff."
+"That...might worry her even more. Guess I should study a little
+harder," Akito said.
+"Parents probably worry more about girls than boys, though."
+"Ah, no worries. That's not the case with me. My family's fine," said
+Haruka, smoothly dodging the topic. It seemed there might be something that
+she didn't want to touch on. "So, are we heading over to karaoke? It might be
+a bit crowded."
+"We're not going to play that punishment game again, are we?" asked
+Keisei.
+"Of course we are. So Yukimuu can have his revenge."
+As everyone chatted about where we were going next, I stopped in my
+tracks.
+"What's the matter, Kiyotaka-kun?"
+"Sorry," I said. "I'm heading back."
+"But it's only two," Akito said, checking the time on his phone.
+"To tell you the truth, I pulled an all-nighter, and I'm kind of beat.
+Let's hang out again over the winter break," I told them.
+Airi looked disappointed, but I trusted Haruka to make sure that she
+had a good time, even without me around. I said my goodbyes to the group
+and left, pulling out my phone to call Chabashira-sensei once I was a safe
+distance away.
+"Hello. I need to talk to you about something. Do you have a
+moment?" I asked.
+"What are you planning? Didn't you wash your hands of me?" replied
+Chabashira-sensei.
+"Yes, but there're still a few loose ends that need tying up. I'd like to
+discuss this in person. Can we meet at school?"
+"T'll wait in the classroom," she replied.
+"Understood. I'll be there in a few minutes."
+I returned to our classroom, which was now empty of students.
+Chabashira-sensei stood near my seat, looking out the window.
+"Tf this is like previous years, it'Il probably snow," she said.
+"Do you like snow?"
+"T used to. Then I grew up and came to hate it." Chabashira-sensei
+pulled the curtains shut and turned around. "You said that you have
+something to discuss. What do you want with me?"
+"T was just wondering. Why do you want to make it to Class A so
+badly that you'd go so far as to use me to do it?" You'd think a teacher might
+hesitate to lie and manipulate a student unless she had good reason for it.
+"This school's designed to make teachers, as well as students, compete
+with one another. It's only natural that everyone wants to rise up the ranks."
+"T can't imagine that's all there is to it. If you really aimed for Class A
+from the very beginning, you'd never have put Class D at a disadvantage the
+way you did." During our first midterm exam, Chabashira-sensei had
+deliberately withheld critical information from us.
+"That's different. It was personal. I have nothing to say to you," she
+replied.
+"You hesitated, right? You weren't sure this class really had the ability
+to aim for Class A. You weren't sure it was even worth trying." I didn't really
+care what her secret feelings were. The important thing was whether she
+could be of use to me.
+"Tt seems that this is a waste of time. I'm going back to work."
+I spoke up again as Chabashira-sensei turned to leave. "If you won't
+answer, then you might as well give up on trying to use me."
+"Is that what this is about? I thought you already wriggled free of my
+grasp, didn't you?"
+"This is crucial. If you don't take action now, Class D will never make
+it to Class A. If anything, it's unlikely we'll even reach Class C."
+"What are you talking about?"
+I looked at the clock on the wall, making it obvious that I was checking
+the time. "It's already two p.m. Ryuuen is putting on a very interesting show
+right about now, after calling Karuizawa to the roof."
+"Ryuuen called Karuizawa?"
+"So, even you don't know, Sensei? Karuizawa was horribly bullied in
+the past."
+"This is the first I'm hearing of it."
+"That information will probably be all over the school tomorrow.
+When that happens, Karuizawa will retreat into her shell, and maybe even
+voluntarily drop out of school. If we can prove Class C was responsible, we
+might be able to retaliate, but the damage done to each class will be
+unfathomable," I told her.
+I didn't know what the penalty to Class D would be for someone
+dropping out, but it was probably bad. I could tell that much just from
+looking at Chabashira-sensei's face.
+However, she immediately regained her composure and fixed me with
+her usual intense gaze. "I see your ulterior motive. You can't resolve this
+situation on your own, but a teacher has powers you don't, and I could help
+conceal your involvement. A perfect resolution, yes?"
+"So, you'll help me?" I asked.
+"Don't get carried away, Ayanokouji. I have no intention of
+cooperating with you," she said.
+"Naturally."
+"The school doesn't exactly look kindly on teachers intervening in
+problems between students."
+True enough. A teacher going up to the rooftop alone, not just to stop
+Ryuuen from bullying Karuizawa, but also to prevent word of Karuizawa's
+past from getting out...it was a dream scenario, too perfect to ever come true.
+"Can you really afford to turn me down?" I replied. "There's no
+guarantee that I won't do anything to sabotage Class D in the future, is there?
+I'm more than capable of ensuring we never rise through the ranks."
+"To think that a student would threaten a teacher. The tables have
+certainly turned."
+"If you do this for me, I promise Ill do nothing to hinder or sabotage
+Class D going forward. I think that's significant, don't you?" I asked.
+"If refusing to help you with this means that we never make it to Class
+A, then so be it."
+Well, then. It looked like Chabashira-sensei wasn't going to budge.
+Fortunately, relying on a teacher for help never once factored into my
+calculations.
+"Relax," I said. "I had no intention of recruiting your assistance."
+"What?"
+"T was just testing you, that's all. So, why not come observe this little
+drama's conclusion?"
+6.1
+iE ALL WAS GOING in accordance with my predictions, about thirty
+minutes should've passed since Karuizawa went to the roof. Chabashira-
+sensei and I waited a safe distance from where Yamada Albert stood guard,
+watching as Ishizaki came downstairs looking panicked and went back up
+with buckets of water. Judging by the amount of water spilled on the floor, he
+must've done this several times. Probably part of Ryuuen's scheme to force
+Karuizawa to relive her past trauma in order to get her to confess.
+However, Karuizawa must not have spilled the beans right away,
+because neither she nor the Class C students showed any sin of coming back
+down. It was possible things were going slightly differently from how I'd
+envisioned. Still, putting my initial assumptions aside, this was a change for
+the better.
+"What are you planning, Ayanokouji? How long do you intend to
+wait?" asked Chabashira-sensei.
+Just a little longer. I'd come this far; I didn't need to rush to take
+action. The further I let the situation on the roof develop, the more likely it
+became that things would go my way. Being late carried its own risk, but a
+necessary one.
+"Let's chat," I said.
+"Right now?" Chabashira-sensei asked, incredulous.
+I ignored her response. "I'd like to discuss something that happened
+shortly after we started school, back when we wanted you to sell us one point
+for Sudou's test."
+"Yes, I remember. You and Horikita together paid a hundred thousand
+points for that."
+It'd been over six months since then. Time sure did fly.
+"There's nothing you cannot buy with private points. That's what you
+said, right?" I asked.
+"That's true. Sudou wasn't expelled, was he?"
+"If purchasing points was permissible, there would never be any
+expulsions, would there? Any time someone got a failing grade, someone else
+could cover for them the way we did."
+"Tt's not that easy to get private points. This year's Class D has
+managed to accumulate a decent number, but that's a departure from normal.
+Most years, Class D has about half that amount. Besides, not every student in
+the class gets along. At least not enough to use their private points to save a
+classmate, even if that means accepting a drop in class points," she countered.
+"True. But that's a flaw in the system, isn't it? If salvation through
+private points is always an option, it dramatically lowers the danger of
+expulsion based on test performance," I reasoned.
+"That might be true." Chabashira-sensei didn't deny it, but she didn't
+look me in the eye, either.
+"Back when I asked you to sell us that single point, you added a value
+to it, Chabashira-sensel."
+"Do you think it was too expensive?" she asked.
+"No, that's not what I mean. I'm asking whether exchanging one test
+point for one hundred thousand private points was something you came up
+with on the spot, or if you had some basis for attaching that price to it. At the
+time, I thought you sounded like you came up with it off the top of your head,
+but since then, I've come to doubt you arbitrarily decided that on your own
+without consulting the school."
+"What are you trying to say, Ayanokouj1?"
+"This school has taken great care to legislate, in writing, all matters
+related to points, hasn't it? It's not far-fetched to think that it might've
+anticipated someone trying to purchase a test score increase. I would believe
+it."
+"In other words, you're asking whether the price I named you and
+Horikita was something that the school decided on in advance?" she asked.
+"That's right. If you can answer, please do."
+There was a pause. Chabashira-sensei, who'd had a ready reply to my
+every query thus far, was silent.
+"Tt's not like I can answer any question you ask of me," she said.
+"Should I interpret that to mean you can't answer?" I asked.
+"Think whatever you want."
+"Very well. Pll happily draw my own conclusions. The school
+prepared a manual to consult in every conceivable situation. It was
+determined in advance that it cost one hundred thousand private points to
+purchase one test point. If we go from there, it begs the question: can we can
+purchase one test point for a hundred thousand private points on more than
+one occasion?"
+""Speculate as you wish, but this is an odd conversation, given the
+circumstances. Karuizawa is—"
+I cut Chabashira-sensei off. "Is the hundred thousand points per test
+point rate only available for a limited time after we've enrolled? Does the
+price go up every time we make a purchase? Or are we only allowed to make
+such a purchase once? The more I think about it, the more questions I have.
+Please tell me if I'm correct."
+"Enough. Do you think I can answer those questions? Even if I were
+able to, there's no way you could confirm the truth."
+"There is. I just need to ask you directly, Sensei." She tried to avert her
+eyes, but I wasn't budging. "How many points would I need to buy one test
+point on the next midterm right now?"
+iediragiiv "» Chabashira-sensei went completely silent.
+"As a teacher, you're obligated to answer that question, right? If you
+won't, I'll go ahead and ask another teacher. And if they answer me, I'll
+report to the school that Class D's homeroom teacher is discriminating
+against us. Don't forget that I can do that," I told her.
+Of course, it was possible that the other teachers would be similarly
+prevented from answering, in which case I could imagine several
+possibilities. There might be a rule that stated they could only sell us points
+once, or that they could only do so if someone would otherwise get a failing
+grade.
+Even so, her inability to answer was an answer in and of itself. It told
+me there was established procedure to be followed in situations like these.
+"Are you trying to find a gap in the rules?" Chabashira-sensei asked
+"A few students are already doing just that, aren't they? Look at
+Ichinose and Ryuuen, both accumulating private points." They were each
+trying to find a strategy that benefited their respective classes, undergoing a
+process of trial and error every day.
+"Understood. Very well, I'1l answer your question. It's true that the key
+to beating the system lies in understanding the actual rules surrounding
+private point use. Students from previous years have approached the problem
+from various perspectives, as you're doing now. Even Class D, the collection
+of 'defective products', is no exception. Some students have been quicker
+than others on the uptake, though. Additionally, the school has established
+thousands of detailed rules to cover every possible scenario. Buying and
+selling points, sweeping violent incidents under the rug, preventing expulsion
+—there's a point value attached to every single one of those. However,
+teachers are very limited in what we're allowed to reveal or allude to. In fact,
+we're prohibited from revealing most of this information. There might even
+be rules the teachers aren't aware of yet."
+"So, you truly can't answer my question?"
+"Correct."
+One mystery solved. Our teachers could only reveal the private points'
+special uses to us when certain conditions were met. In other words, the price
+of buying a point for the next midterm had already been set; I just hadn't met
+the conditions necessary for Chabashira-sensei to disclose that information to
+me. Now that I knew that, I could begin to devise countermeasures, though
+the ambiguity would keep us from being too reckless.
+"Does this conversation have anything to do with what's happening
+now?" asked Chabashira-sensel.
+"Not at all. I was just having a friendly chat," I replied. Chabashira-
+sensei had no idea what my real intentions were. "I suppose it's time,
+wouldn't you say? Time for this game to be over."
+I checked my phone and saw that it was past 2:40 p.m. I sent a certain
+person a message instructing them to come here immediately.
+"T don't fully understand what's happening, but I do know that
+Karuizawa is suffering terribly at Class C's hands. If you have no intention of
+stepping up, you should call someone else," said Chabashira-sensei.
+"T'm heading to the roof," I replied.
+Chabashira-sensei couldn't hide her surprise. "Are you insane? If you
+do, the entire school will know your identity."
+"It doesn't matter. Even if Ryuuen learns that I orchestrated all Class
+D's strategies so far, he now gains nothing. If anything, he might assume I'm
+involved next time, and end up sabotaging himself."
+"If you do this, you'll be the talk of the school. You'll destroy all
+possibility of leading a quiet life here."
+I could guess at the thought smoldering within her mind. Chabashira-
+sensei was probably thinking that as long as my identity remained hidden, she
+had leverage to make me cooperate. But if I revealed myself to Class C,
+Ryuuen would know for certain that I was X. Even if he didn't know for sure,
+it would all be over as soon as he decided I was his prime suspect.
+Chabashira-sensei looked away. "Perhaps I was mistaken," she said.
+"Mistaken?"
+"Chairman Sakayanagi told me about you before you enrolled. He said
+that you were an extremely special student. A superior one. And that you
+were a student we must protect. That you were raised in an environment that
+was far from loving. The chairman and I concluded, after much discussion,
+that we wanted you to feel attached to this school, and to want to stay here.
+Then I told you that your father wanted you expelled. It wasn't true at the
+time, but it appears to be now," she explained.
+"T see. Well, you were certainly correct that it's easier for people to
+become attached to something if they have a goal to strive for. But you
+needn't worry. I choose to stay here. I have no intention of going back to
+being under that man's control."
+"So, my mistake was in trying to use you so carelessly, hmm? I
+suppose I got carried away, chasing my pipe dream of Class D overtaking
+Class A." Chabashira-sensei spat those words with resignation. Ironic how
+quickly she was giving up on her ambitions.
+"It's not a pipe dream. Class D is about to rise to Class C. Soon,
+Horikita will unite our class. I'm sure of it," I replied.
+"T suppose. You've already achieved what past classes haven't. Do you
+really think Horikita can do that, though?"
+"Such skepticism is unbecoming of a teacher. Horikita is more than
+capable of leading Class D."
+It seemed Chabashira-sensei only saw Horikita as a means to
+manipulate me, no more.
+"Ultimately," I said. "Horikita is starting to mature. The same goes for
+many of our classmates. Continue to guide them as their teacher, and our
+position as Class C will be secure...and so might our path to Class A." Of
+course, we'd need some very different skills to get that far.
+"Are you really planning to step back?"
+"Yes."
+Teachers were almost certainly forbidden from trying to manipulate
+students' emotions to gratify their own. Chabashira-sensei had to be well
+aware of that. I hadn't brought her here to act as insurance; I'd done it so I
+could prove to her once and for all that I was stepping back from actively
+participating in inter-class competition.
+"Back to the topic at hand. You're free to make your grand entrance
+and expose your identity. But will that really resolve the problem?" she
+asked.
+"T can't guarantee it. At most, I can say Ill deal with the situation
+based on my evaluation of Ryuuen's personality and behavior." I caught sight
+of the person I'd texted approaching us. Chabashira-sensei was free to leave
+if she wanted, now. It would no longer hinder me. "Well then, thank you very
+much for accompanying me this far."
+As I said that, the person I'd texted joined us.
+"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ayanokouji," said Horikita Manabu,
+the former student council president.
+Chabashira-sensei looked shocked to see him. "What's going on?"
+"He's here as a witness. After all, Ryuuen will try to win by any means
+necessary, and I'd like to avoid this becoming violent."
+Having a teacher stand witness was the ultimate trump card, of course,
+but not as feasible to implement. I'd chosen to use the next best thing.
+"Are you planning to have Horikita go to the rooftop in your place?"
+"Does the former student council president look like someone who'd
+ever do that sort of thing?"
+Chabashira-sensei looked over the elder Horikita for a moment, and
+immediately arrived at the conclusion that it was impossible.
+"There will be a person on the rooftop who will witness what happens
+there. As long as that holds true, then we'll be fine," I concluded.
+It was for that purpose that I'd come to an agreement with Horikita's
+brother. Not that that was relevant right now.
+I turned to the elder Horikita. "A few minutes after I head up, I'd like
+you to stop halfway up the stairs. There's no need for you to talk to the
+students who come back down from the roof, nor is it necessary to punish
+them. Just make sure they see you on their way down. I need them to be
+aware you were here."
+"That's fine, but don't forget our arrangement, Ayanokouji," he
+replied.
+"Of course. If I go back on my word, you may choose to forget what
+happens here today," I said.
+"As long as you understand. Try to wrap this up quickly."
+"Wait, Ayanokouji. What would you have done if Horikita didn't agree
+to help?" asked Chabashira-sensei as I started down the hallway that led to
+the rooftop.
+'Hmm. Who knows?"
+I probably would've used Sakayanagi instead, since she knew about
+me. And if that weren't possible, then... Well, there was no point in thinking
+about plans I no longer needed to be.
+"T'll be back in ten or twenty minutes."
+6.2
+I CLIMBED THE STAIRS step by step. A shadow loomed in front of me,
+blocking the path to the roof. It was Yamada Albert, the perfect gatekeeper
+for the task. I didn't know much about him, other than the fact that he was
+one of Ryuuen's underlings.
+He looked me over as if sizing me up. "May I pass?" I asked.
+He continued watching me, not moving a muscle. Did his silence imply
+refusal, or did he not understand? His large hands swiftly withdrew his
+phone.
+"Don't panic. I'm the one you want," I said to him in English.
+Albert stopped moving, but said nothing,
+"I'm ending this today. No one else will interfere," I added.
+Albert seemed to give this some thought. He stood aside and silently
+signaled me to pass, apparently having acknowledged me, but I needed him
+on the roof for what was to come.
+"T intend to crush Ryuuen. He doesn't stand a chance without your
+help," I told him, switching back to Japanese.
+Albert looked downstairs once more. After he confirmed that there
+wasn't anyone else around, he followed me to the roof, stopping by the door
+and watching me from behind.
+The gray clouds hanging in the sky threatened rain. I saw Karuizawa
+near the fence, cowering away from the door. Having noticed the door open
+and close, Ishizaki and Ibuki looked over at me, as did Ryuuen. I checked the
+area for surveillance cameras, noting that the sole camera's lens was painted
+black. He'd covered it with spray paint, huh?
+I turned my gaze back toward Ryuuen.
+"Ayano...kouji?" asked Ibuki incredulously. She was the first to speak.
+Karuizawa had noticed me. She said nothing, but I could tell that she
+was shocked and wondering why I'd come.
+"Sorry I'm late," I told her.
+"Why...why did you come?" asked Karuizawa, barely squeezing out
+the words.
+"What do you mean, 'why'? I made a promise, didn't I? I promised
+that I'd save you."
+"R-Ryuuen-san, does this mean Ayanokouji is X?!" Ishizaki panicked.
+"There's no way. It definitely can't be him," Ibuki denied before
+Ryuuen could say anything. "X is just using Ayanokouji. Don't be fooled,
+Ryuuen. X probably told Karuizawa in advance that he'd send someone to
+come and save her!"
+"Shut up, Ibuki."
+Ryuuen laughed, putting distance between himself and Karuizawa as
+he drew closer to me. He stopped about five meters away, clearly wary.
+"Well, well. Who do we have here? It's that guy who clings to Suzune
+all the time. Ayanokouji, huh? What brings you all alone to the rooftop on
+this fine first day of winter vacation?"
+"Karuizawa emailed me. She said she wanted me to save her." I
+deliberately failed to mention that Ryuuen himself also contacted me. As for
+why I was here...it was because Ryuuen, thinking himself the hunter, had
+foolishly invited me to the hunting ground to turn him into prey instead.
+"Oh?"
+"It's obviously a lie," said Ibuki. "You came here on someone else's
+orders, Ayanokouji."
+"What's the matter, Ibuki?" asked Ryuuen. "It seems you want to
+believe that Ayanokouji isn't X."
+"It's not about what I want to believe. I'm telling you; he can't be.
+He's... This guy's stupidly good-natured. He's a softie. Besides, he probably
+doesn't even know about Karuizawa, and X, and everything—don't you
+think?"
+"Good-natured? What makes you say that?" asked Ryuuen.
+"When we were on the island, I hid Karuizawa's underwear in a boy's
+bag to sabotage Class D. Everyone went straight to suspecting me, since I'm
+from Class C—except Ayanokouji. He even told me straight out that he
+didn't think I'd done it."
+"Did that make you happy?"
+"Quit joking around. Of course it didn't make me happy; I was actually
+guilty of the crime. It just told me that he's an incompetent student who
+doesn't know how to doubt someone clearly suspicious." In other words, she
+couldn't imagine someone like that being able to manipulate Class D from
+the shadows.
+mp4directs.co
+"Do you believe it, Ryuuen-san? That Ayanokouji's X?" asked
+Ishizaki.
+"T've had my eye on Ayanokouji from the start. He's always clinging
+to Horikita, who's reputed to be quite exceptional herself."
+"But that's so obvious... isn't that way too out in the open for someone
+trying to hide their identity?"
+"Certainly. I understand what you're trying to say, Ishizaki. That's why
+I made sure to very carefully narrow down my list of suspects. After I learned
+about the incident with Manabe and her friends, certain candidates resurfaced
+as my primary suspects. When I considered the speed and means by which
+Karuizawa's bullying incident had been dealt with, I thought it had to be
+either Ayanokouji or Hirata."
+"Stop trying to make yourself look cool. You didn't even target
+Ayanokouji or Hirata until well after that, did you?" demanded Ibuk1.
+Well, this was a strange situation. I'd admitted to being X, but Class C
+was divided on whether they believed me.
+"It's precisely because I was the most suspicious that I did things that
+way. Or perhaps it was because I had no other method available to me other
+than using Horikita?" I told them.
+"But—!"'
+I decided to throw out a vague yet helpful statement to stir them up.
+"I'm the person you've been searching for."
+"Hah! Isn't that suspicious?" Ibuki added. "Would X really just come
+right out and say that?"
+An understandable response. It made sense they wouldn't jump to
+believe me, considering that I had been keeping my identity hidden until
+now.
+"T think this is fishy, too. He might've been told to step forward and
+claim he's the mastermind as part of a ploy," said Ishizaki.
+"You predicted that X wouldn't show up, right?" continued Ibuk1,
+joining Ishizaki in urging Ryuuen to question the certainty he exhibited
+moments ago.
+"Yes, I certainly did," replied Ryuuen. "This looks like a bad move on
+your part, Ayanokouji. Your best option would've been to abandon
+Karuizawa Kei, not walk into an obvious trap. I suppose I understand why
+Ibuki and Ishizaki don't believe you. If you're really X, tell me how you plan
+on getting out of this dilemma."
+"Am 1 in a dilemma?" [ asked.
+Ryuuen and his lackeys looked completely unamused by my foolish
+question.
+"T only came here because Karuizawa asked for help. If you want proof
+that I'm X, you could just wait until the next exam and see what I do," I
+added.
+"That's not true. We know your identity. We also know Karuizawa's
+secret. Awful things will happen tomorrow if you leave here without doing as
+we say," replied Ryuuen.
+"Awful things?"
+"Enough already. Stop playing dumb and show me what you' ll do."
+"What I'll do? There's nothing I can do."
+"T bet Sudou and those other guys are waiting nearby," said Ishizaki,
+glancing at the half-open door.
+"Nope," Ryuuen said flatly.
+"T-Is that so?" Ishizaki asked.
+"If her classmates knew about Karuizawa's miserable past, her social
+life would be dead without me having to say a word. Try and use your head a
+little."
+"T-I see."
+"Still, I gotta say, you must think you're a real big deal if you're still
+trying to play dumb."
+"That's enough, Ryuuen. There's absolutely no way X would just stroll
+up here alone," said Ibuk1.
+"Man, oh man. Now this is a problem. Ibuki and Ishizaki don't seem to
+believe that you're X," said Ryuuen.
+He shrugged, appearing exasperated, as he looked over at Ibuki and
+Ishizaki.
+"You say there's nothing you can do, Ayanokouji? But I need to
+ascertain the truth of the matter here. For that to happen, I think you need to
+let these two know what's going on and make everything clear. Is that all
+right with you?" he asked, looking over at me with a broad smile on his face.
+"T've already admitted to it. But if you won't believe me, then allow
+me to explain, Ibuki," I said, turning my gaze on the person who wouldn't
+stop doubting me. "The island exam. You were instructed to take pictures of
+our leader's keycard, but your digital camera got damaged somehow. Am I
+wrong?"
+"H-how did you know that?!"
+"It was me. I used water to short-circuit the camera without causing
+visible damage. When I met you in the forest, Ibuki, your fingers were
+covered in dirt. There were signs that you were digging nearby. When I
+returned to the spot later that night, I found a wireless transceiver. That was
+so you could communicate with Ryuuen, right?"
+Even within Class C, not many people could have known they had a
+digital camera. The only people who could have seen Ibuki's hands covered
+in dirt at the time were me, Yamauchi, and Airi. In other words, this was
+definitive proof of my claims.
+"You have to admit it now, Ibuki," said Ryuuen. "Ayanokouji is X."
+""Wait—wait a second. Yeah, he might be really clever, but that isn't
+enough to say for sure that he's X, right?"
+"Seriously, is there any reason to debate this further?" Ryuuen looked
+even more exasperated than before.
+"Tt just doesn't make sense! If Ayanokouji really is X, the mastermind,
+why would he just show up here?! He wrecked all your plans so far, didn't
+he?!"
+"He probably has a trick up his sleeve. A miracle beyond our
+imagination. If he doesn't, then...well, he's an idiot."
+"Trick?" I said. "There's no trick I can pull in a situation like this. You
+already know Karuizawa's big secret. I understand what' ll happen if I get
+careless here. You took plenty of precautions to corner me. Right?"
+"Exactly. So, what're you gonna do about it? I can reveal your identity
+whenever I want. And I still have the threat of exposing Karuizawa's past to
+use against you. You're powerless."
+"Indeed. I can't exactly report what you just did to Karuizawa to the
+school, either," I said.
+Instances of violence between students during exams were punished by
+expulsion, but the same wasn't necessarily true of spats that occurred at other
+times. Even if I could give the school real proof of what they'd done, it was
+unlikely I'd be able to deal Ryuuen and Class C any real damage.
+"And if you try to tell the school what we did up here, we'll leave
+Karuizawa high and dry in retaliation," said Ryuuen.
+So, we'd both go down in flames if I tried anything, and Class D would
+probably be the one going down hardest. Ryuuen had switched from using his
+knowledge of Karuizawa's past to attack her, to using it to defend against me.
+"No matter how you slice it, I win," he said.
+"Okay. Well, are you satisfied? If so, Ill be taking Karuizawa back
+with me," I said.
+"Come now, don't be so anticlimactic. You came all the way here. We
+might as well take our time." Ryuuen grabbed Karuizawa's arm and yanked
+her up.
+"Ack!" she squealed.
+"You wouldn't expose your identity without a reason. What're you
+planning?" Ryuuen extended his hand to me, as if challenging me.
+"Sorry, Ryuuen. I can't fulfil your expectations."
+"Huh?"
+"T was just dancing in the palm of your hand. That's all."
+No one present could've imagined that X would say something like
+that. They'd anticipated either a cruel man who would abandon Karuizawa to
+protect his identity, or a clever student who would swoop in and save her
+while keeping his identity secret.
+For the first time since I stepped onto the rooftop, Ryuuen's smile
+began to fade.
+"All this time spent hyping up the mysterious 'X,' and he's nothing but
+talk. What a disappointment. Maybe the digital-camera thing was just dumb
+luck," said Ibuk1.
+Even though they were allies, Ibuki had always distrusted Ryuuen,
+which was precisely why she dared question him so openly. Seeing an
+opportunity, I made my next move.
+"T may have revealed myself to you, but that doesn't mean I'm in
+trouble. Only Horikita and Karuizawa from Class D know who I am, so if
+this information makes its way to other classes, I'll know one of you leaked
+it."
+"So what?" Ibuki demanded.
+"If you spread word of my actions, Ill report everything that happened
+here to the school," I said.
+"We just established that we have you cornered because you can't do
+that."
+"T can. All I have to do is sacrifice Karuizawa."
+"Huh?"
+"You assumed from the start that I'd abandon Karuizawa. But when I
+showed up here, you started talking as though you thought I wasn't going to.
+Am I wrong?" I asked.
+"Now, hold on, that doesn't make sense," said Ryuuen. "You could've
+kept yourself hidden if you sacrificed her to start with. You came all the way
+here precisely because you couldn't sacrifice her. Don't try to trick me."
+"Fine. If they already know about you, Kiyotaka, they can go ahead
+and tell everyone they like about my past," said Karuizawa, looking over at
+me as she slowly picked herself off the floor.
+I kept my eyes fixed on Ryuuen. "You heard her. Believe what you
+like, but if you spill the beans about me to the other classes, itll be war," I
+said.
+"Um..." stuttered Ishizaki. "Well, we know X's identity now. Maybe
+that's enough?"
+"T agree. Ayanokouji might actually sacrifice her," Ibuki said. Clearly,
+neither of them wanted to pursue things any further. They'd smoked X out,
+and were content with that.
+"Heh heh heh!" Ryuuen suddenly clutched his head and laughed.
+"Well, you've got that right. If either side spills the beans, it'1l be open war."
+Both classes would be wounded in the ensuing conflict, whether those
+wounds were shallow or deep. Further, there was no guarantee Karuizawa
+would be destroyed by it. The image of a girl who held her head high despite
+being bullied was a compelling one.
+If Ryuuen declared this to be the end, we'd be done. But he'd never
+choose that option.
+"Man, this is anticlimactic. Not only did you give up your identity so
+easily, but you have no choice but to leave the decision up to me, your
+opponent! Even then, there's no doubt in my mind that Ayanokouji is X, the
+one who's been keeping me entertained. Which means I'd be missing out if I
+don't have you entertain me to the very end. Isn't that right, Ishizaki?"
+mY aves
+"See, everything is a game to me. Not just getting to Class A, but
+crushing Ichinose; crushing Suzune; crushing classes D and B; even finally
+crushing Sakayanagi, whom I've been saving as a special treat for last... It's
+all just my way of staving off boredom."
+Still chuckling, Ryuuen grabbed Karuizawa's hair. Her face twisted in
+agony, but there was no fear in her eyes.
+"Heh. You were so full of despair moments ago, but now your eyes tell
+me that you have absolute faith in Ayanokouji. I bet you'd tell everyone
+about your past yourself if it'd protect him, wouldn't you? Relax. Your role
+here has ended," said Ryuuen.
+Seeming to lose interest in Karuizawa, he let go of her hair and shoved
+her away.
+"You really have entertained me, Ayanokouji. You might be just
+another Class D defect, but you saw through my plans time and time again.
+Even more than that, you think like me. How could I help but want to draw
+you out of hiding? I didn't think about what would come next. I thought I'd
+choose that once I met you." His tone was almost pleasant. "Now I've
+decided."
+""...What are you planning to do, Ayanokouji?" asked Ibuk1.
+"Why do you sound so irritated, Ibuki?"
+Ibuki drew level with Ryuuen, and looked him right in the eyes,
+without fear. "What you're about to do puts Class C at risk," she said.
+"Heh. You, the eternal lone wolf who never tried to cooperate with her
+classmates, talking about risk to Class C? Don't make me laugh," said
+Ryuuen.
+"T cooperated with you because I thought you were acting for the
+class's sake. But this is a step too far. Ayanokouji clearly has nothing up his
+sleeve." Ibuki sounded as if she was releasing months of pent-up anger and
+frustration. "Iwon't be a part of what you're about to do."
+"You think you know what I'm going to do?" asked Ryuuen.
+"Yes, because I've watched you since April. You're going to hurt him,
+aren't you?"
+As Ibuki said those words, Ishizaki's body went rigid.
+"Ishizaki. Komiya. Kondou. Even Albert. You beat every single one of
+them until they were ready to obey you at all times," Ibuki continued.
+"Violence best demonstrates the power difference between us."
+"Isn't that difference already plain to see?"
+"Ayanokouji has been a thorn in our side. We have to return the favor."
+"I'm telling you, that kind of thinking is going to endanger our class!"
+Ibuki cried.
+Smack! Ryuuen struck her across the face, and she fell silent
+immediately.
+"As long as I'm having fun, I don't care," he said. "Violence is easy to
+understand."
+As illustrated by what he'd just done. So, that was his answer, huh? I
+supposed the outcome was inevitable once we passed the point where we
+could continue to delude ourselves.
+"Listen, what matters right now is what each side will do with the
+information they've gained. Ayanokouji wants to wrap things up here without
+anyone else finding out what happened, including his identity and
+Karuizawa's past. It's also true that we blackmailed Karuizawa and dumped
+freezing water on her. If that gets out, we'll be punished. To put it simply, as
+long as both sides keep what happened here secret, no one needs to know."
+A logical conclusion, considering what had happened so far.
+"No matter what happens, both sides have no choice but to grit our
+teeth and accept it."
+And yet, not everyone C Class thought so.
+"T think I understand why you revealed your identity so late in the
+game," Ryuuen told me. "It's so we can't take this fight somewhere else.
+Shut the door, Albert."
+Albert closed the door that led from the stairwell to the roof.
+"But, in the end, it was still a bad move," continued Ryuuen. "You
+might've thought that fight would end here, but I'm not letting things go."
+Everyone present could feel in their bones what was about to happen.
+Ryuuen wasn't about to change his methods.
+"My escape route's gone, huh? Well, I guess you got what you
+wanted," I told him.
+"First, I'm going to wipe that calm look off your face and replace it
+with fear. You're underestimating me, aren't you? You think I won't do it."
+"Are you really going to resort to violence?"
+"War isn't just a battle of wits, you know. You can win just as well by
+assassinating an army's leader as by outsmarting its tactician. Violence is the
+most powerful force in the world. It doesn't matter how crafty you are—
+violence will bring you to heel."
+Even now, with a brawl moments from breaking out, I momentarily
+glanced over at Ryuuen, Ibuki, Ishizaki, and then Albert.
+"I'm going to burn the image of your gangly, beaten body into my
+eyes. Then, starting next semester, Ill take a bite out of Ichinose," said
+Ryuuen.
+"Violence is a powerful tool. I can't argue with that. However, you
+have to be stronger than your opponent for that to work to your advantage.
+Understand?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+"The four of you won't be enough to stop me."
+"Wha...?" Ibuki raised an incredulous eyebrow.
+"Heh heh heh. Ha ha ha ha ha!" Ryuuen clutched his sides in raucous
+laughter. "Oh? I think Ayanokouji's saying he's not to yield to violence from
+the likes of us. Then show me what you' ve got. Ishizaki."
+"A-are you sure?" Ishizaki hesitated. It would' ve been one thing if his
+opponent were someone like Sudou, who was known for getting into fights,
+but I was a regular student. His resistance was understandable.
+"Don't hold back. Take him out."
+"But—"
+"If we give Ayanokouji a thorough beating, there won't be anything
+more to worry about."
+"Wait!" cried Karuizawa as Ishizaki approached me. "Why are you
+doing something so stupid?! You have nothing to gain by beating up
+Kiyotaka!"
+"Hey, hey. Stay out of this, Karuizawa. You served your purpose here.
+Thanks to Ayanokouji's sacrifice, your secret is safe. Show some gratitude."
+Ryuuen grabbed Karuizawa's hair once again.
+""Guh!"'
+He shoved her away. "Stay out of it."
+Even so, Karuizawa bared her teeth at Ryuuen for my sake. She got
+back up and tried to leap at him.
+"Don't worry, Karuizawa," I said, stopping her in her tracks.
+"B-but—"
+"There's nothing to be anxious about."
+"That's right. You 're the one who oughta worry," Ishizaki told me,
+stepping forward. "I'm not a bad guy, Ayanokouji. I'm just following
+Ryuuen-san's orders."
+"T don't really care," I told him.
+This was all going according to plan.
+Ishizaki casually threw a punch at me—no, it was more like the swat
+you might give a naughty child. A slow, monotonous motion that even a
+junior high or elementary school student could have avoided. His right fist
+came at me in a wide arc, and I caught it with my hand.
+"Huh...?"
+"If you're going to do this, you better take it seriously," I warned him.
+He didn't seem to take the hint, even though I'd completely blocked
+his blow, perhaps because it had been such a lazy blow to start. So, I
+squeezed his fist. My right hand still clamped down on his, I applied more
+and more pressure.
+"Huh? Ah...ugh...huh?!" Ishizaki's face went taut, and his knees
+trembled.
+"What's the matter, Ishizaki?" asked Ibuki, sensing something was
+wrong.
+"Ah...ngh...ah! T-time out... Stop!" Ishizaki buckled at the knees and
+fell. Unable to take it any longer, he grabbed my arm and tried to free
+himself, but it was futile.
+Albert was the first to grasp the reality of the situation. He didn't wait
+for Ryuuen's order, but swung at me with his thick arm, which was the width
+of an electrical pole. He attacked from my left even though I was free on that
+side, probably anticipating that I would take a defensive stance after Ishizaki
+freed himself. He was wrong. I could've dodged the attack, but instead, I
+steeled myself and caught Albert's punch with my left hand, prepared to take
+a little damage.
+SMACK! An almost-electric jolt traveled from my elbow all the way to
+my shoulder.
+"Just as I thought. That hurts," I mumbled.
+It was difficult to read Albert's expression behind his sunglasses, but
+he was probably catching on.
+"No way. Y-you're not messing around, are you? Albert? Ishizaki?"
+Ibuki asked incredulously.
+Maybe she couldn't tell Albert really had swung at me with all his
+might, or that Ishizaki was in pain. Or maybe she just didn't want to believe
+her eyes. I released Ishizaki, who crouched and clutched his arm.
+"Do it, Albert," Ryuuen ordered.
+Albert charged at me, his powerful fists swinging. I'd intentionally let
+him land the first blow, but I couldn't take too many more hits of that caliber,
+so I dodged under his swing and went in for a frontal attack, punching him in
+the gut. I didn't hold back, either. It wouldn't be wise to underestimate an
+opponent whose abilities were still largely unknown to me.
+Based on the slight change in Albert's flat expression, and how hard
+his body had felt against my fist, I judged that I'd dealt minimal damage.
+He'd clearly trained his body well—but it still had all the weaknesses human
+bodies did. All this meant was that I would have to work a bit harder to crush
+him. The human body had numerous weaknesses—the solar plexus, for
+instance, was a part you couldn't strengthen through training. At best, you
+could accustom yourself to pain so it was easier to endure.
+He must've realized that I was going for his solar plexus with my next
+strike, because he twisted away to evade it. However, I'd been feinting in
+anticipation of just that, and quickly jabbed his throat with my palm like a
+sword.
+"Ghh!" Albert gurgled in pain.
+"Ayanokouji!" shouted Ishizaki, charging at me.
+"If youw're going to come at me, don't shout," I said exasperatedly.
+At least he'd saved me some trouble. I kicked Ishizaki's left knee,
+sending him to the ground. He was so easy to read. Albert had also fallen to
+his knees, so I spun and delivered a kick to his face, using my momentum to
+punch Ishizaki in the jaw on the return. He collapsed, and all was silent on
+the rooftop.
+Ryuuen, Ibuki, and Karuizawa stared, burning that unbelievable
+spectacle into their eyes.
+"Well, I guess we underestimated him. He acted so tough because he
+was confident in his skills, huh? I didn't expect this," said Ryuuen.
+"S-so, you're saying that Ayanokouji turned the tables on you?" Ibuki
+stammered.
+"Are you serious, Ibuki?" I asked.
+"Huh?"
+"Ryuuen's always been the sort to use violence. Do you think I'd
+voluntarily allow him to engineer a situation where he could rampage without
+repercussion?"
+"Hmm?" Ibuki tilted her head in confusion.
+Ryuuen seemed to have doubts as well. "Wait a minute, Ayanokouji.
+Now even /'m not following. / set up this meeting."
+"You still don't get it, do you?" I sighed deeply. "Our confrontation
+here was determined long in advance. I knew that, when faced with a
+stalemate, Ryuuen Kakeru would resort to violence to settle things."
+Ryuuen thought that everything that had happened so far was his
+doing. He couldn't have been more wrong.
+"If I never intended to reveal my identity, I wouldn't have used
+Manabe during the sports festival. I knew you'd identify her as the obvious
+culprit once you heard that recording. That is what led you here, right? I
+anticipated that you'd question them, and learn that I was blackmailing them
+for bullying Karuizawa," I explained.
+Ryuuen couldn't deny a single thing I'd said so far, naturally.
+"You were convinced that a link existed between Karuizawa and me.
+You had Ishizaki, Komiya, and the others tail Class D students, and moved
+openly against Kouenji yourself, thinking that it would put pressure on X. I
+imagine you genuinely enjoyed yourself, but you actually gave me some time
+to think."
+"Heh. My, now you're saying some pretty interesting stuff. So, you
+purposefully made it look like I had you in the palm of my hand?"
+"To be more precise, you were dancing in mine," I replied.
+"Allow me to apologize, Ayanokouji. You really are clever. The
+advantage I thought I had is gone, and now I'm in trouble. What should we
+do, Ibuki?" Ryuuen smiled happily.
+"Seriously, what's the deal with you two?!" Ibuki seethed.
+Something seemed to snap within her, leaving her frustration free to
+spill forth. She launched a kick at me, apparently unconcerned that I could
+see her underwear. Well, it was probably more than it hadn't even occurred to
+her in her fury. I took a step back and calmly evaded her kick.
+It was like a switch had been flipped inside of her. Ibuki took a couple
+steps toward me, closing the distance between us, then kicked again, leaving
+me little room to dodge. She was good. Even if Horikita had been in the pink
+of health during their fight on the island, Ibuki would've beaten her.
+And yet, I evaded all her kicks. Ibuki stopped attacking and clicked her
+tongue in apparent frustration. "Seriously, what are you...?"
+"You really don't know?" I replied.
+"You honestly make me mad. I'm not sure why, but you piss me off!"
+She leapt at me once more. This time, rather than dodge, I immediately
+closed the distance between us.
+I wasn't averse to playing with Ibuki, but I didn't want to drag this out
+much further, either. I grabbed her by the neck and slammed her to the
+ground, giving her no chance to dodge or guard. Her eyes went wide, and she
+stopped moving entirely. Slamming her head would've been even more
+effective, but this wasn't a fight to the death.
+"Violence isn't a tool only you and your goons possess," I said to
+Ryuuen.
+Ibuki, Ishizaki, and Albert—all of Ryuuen's right-hand men—lay
+collapsed on the ground. Karuizawa was unable to utter a word.
+"I'm impressed you're still keeping your cool after seeing that play
+out," I added.
+"You're not just clever, but also capable of dishing out violence when
+called upon. I underestimated you." Ryuuen clapped in genuine respect as he
+walked up to me. "Do you know what I'd like to say now, Ayanokouji?"
+"Nope."
+He sounded calm, as if he didn't register the weight of his predicament
+at all. It probably wasn't a bluff. This was something characteristic of
+Ryuuen; something he excelled at. It was what had enabled him to move so
+confidently for so long.
+"Physical strength alone doesn't determine victory or defeat. You gotta
+be tough on the inside, too!" said Ryuuen.
+He adjusted his stance so that he was lower to the ground, then thrust
+his left fist toward me, aiming not for my face but my abdomen. I leapt
+backward to evade, and he followed in hot pursuit, jabbing with his right arm.
+"Sorry, but I won't let you hit me," I told him.
+I evaded him once more, then grabbed his hair with my left hand. He
+reacted instantly, pushing my arm away. The moment I had his attention
+focused on my arm—lI kicked him hard in the side.
+"Gah!" Ryuuen immediately put some distance between us to avoid my
+follow-up attacks.
+"Not bad, Ryuuen." He far surpassed Ishizaki in overall strength. I was
+honestly impressed. He'd taken a serious hit, but showed no sign of being
+about to collapse. I still had trouble picturing him being a match for Albert,
+though.
+"This is so much fun!" Ryuuen laughed louder than before. "Turning
+the tables even after being brought to the pits of despair! This isn't enough
+for me. I need more, Ayanokouji."
+He charged at me once more, holding nothing back. His movements
+weren't those of a trained martial artist, but clearly self-taught, a style shaped
+by countless brawls. I couldn't dodge all his attacks forever.
+"Why don't you show off your fighting skills more often?" Ryuuen
+demanded.
+"T have my reasons."
+"That so? After I beat you, how about you tell me them?"
+"Do you think you're going to win?"
+"Do you think you can't lose?"
+"Can't really imagine it, sorry."
+"Sure, you might win this time. But what about tomorrow? The day
+after?"
+"So, you're saying if we keep doing this over and over, you'll win
+eventually?" I asked.
+"What about when you're in the middle of pissing? When you're
+taking a shit? Pll come after you when you least expect it," Ryuuen said.
+"Aren't you afraid of losing?"
+"I don't get afraid. Never felt fear once in my life."
+"No fear, huh?" Now that was interesting. This was probably the
+source of his confidence.
+"You'll understand once you know pain," Ryuuen said. "Pain gives
+way to fear for ordinary people."
+"Teach me about pain, then."
+"With pleasure!" Ryuuen grabbed my shoulders and kneed me in the
+stomach.
+"Kiyotaka!" Karuizawa screamed. But I'd taken the attack head-on on
+purpose. Nothing to worry about.
+"Just a few more hits and you'll get it!"
+Ryuuen moved forward to kick me, aiming for the same spot he'd just
+hit. He closed the distance between us, and I guarded my face with my left
+hand. He lashed out with his right arm, and when he pulled it back, struck me
+again with his right knee. It was his strongest blow yet. I staggered back,
+feeling pain shoot through my entire body.
+"How about it? You get it now?"
+"Unfortunately, I don't 'get' anything," I said. "This is just pain."
+"Are you trying to say you're the same as me? That you don't feel
+fear?"
+"That's not it, Ryuuen. That's not what I'm saying."
+I knew all about fear born through pain. I knew the terror and misery of
+being a loser. I'd seen people destroyed by it before my eyes, time and time
+again. But eventually, I stopped feeling fear. Instead, I just felt cold, because
+I'd come to realize that no matter how much suffering or despair others
+experienced, the same would never happen to me.
+If you have the means to protect yourself, that's all you need. If you
+can keep yourself safe from all harm, you win.
+"Then let's play some more!" Ryuuen showered me with blows,
+concentrating attacks on my abdomen. I lowered my hips, intercepting his
+kick. "Tch! Saw through that, huh?"
+I would deal with this by dodging his attacks and keeping my cool. I
+absolutely would not take any critical injuries.
+"What's the matter? Aren't you gonna play, Ayanokouji? Why didn't
+you dodge those easy blows at first, huh?"
+"T was testing a hypothesis. I wanted to see whether I could feel that
+fear you talked about," I replied.
+"You've got some nerve with that condescension, you freak!"
+He'd sensed the gulf in power between us, but he was unfazed.
+Usually, the more confident a fighter was in their skill, the deeper the despair
+that overcame them when they discovered themselves outmatched. But I
+didn't get that feeling from Ryuuen. He wasn't in a reckless rage that blinded
+him to the truth, either.
+I'd let him think he held all the cards, then flipped the table in an
+attempt to break his spirit, but I'd underestimated his resilience. That was a
+miscalculation on my part. Of course, misreading his upper limits was a
+trivial error. It just meant this would take longer than anticipated. Ryuuen
+would just have to suffer that much more pain.
+"Where'd you get this kind of strength? This isn't normal,
+Ayanokouji."
+True enough. You didn't get skills like mine just through brawling. I
+said nothing, but closed the distance to Ryuuen, who was clearly waiting to
+strike back, his sharp gaze fixed on me.
+"You've got all this power, but you keep it hidden?" he asked. "Do you
+get off on looking down on mere mortals? Does that turn you on? Make you
+feel good?"
+"T've never looked down on anyone. Whether other people succeed or
+fail has nothing to do with me."
+Ryuuen didn't seem to like that answer. He pushed his hair back and
+laughed, as if rejecting the very notion that a person could be that apathetic.
+"Impossible. Humans are made of greed."
+Of course I experienced greed, among many other things. But that was
+beside the point. Indulging Ryuuen's games wasn't going to change his mind.
+I readied my stance again, getting in position.
+"All right, then. Pll just keep pounding you until you do feel fear!" he
+barked.
+That's enough, Ryuuen.
+As he shifted, preparing to drive his knee into my head, I grabbed his
+left arm and forcefully pulled him in close. Then I delivered a vicious right
+hook directly to his face.
+"Gah!" he cried.
+The blow would have rendered another person unconscious, but
+Ryuuen just went flying backward. I had no intention of knocking him out
+with a single blow, anyway. He hit the concrete and I was on top of him in a
+moment, raining punches on his unprotected torso.
+"You said you've never felt fear, didn't you, Ryuuen?" I asked.
+"Ah...ah...heh, that's right. I don't know fear. I've never known it."
+His face bruised, his eyes nearly swollen shut, Ryuuen still fought
+back. But his strength was all but gone, and it was all he could do to swing
+weakly at the air. I responded with a powerful but precise blow to his solar
+plexus, and his expression turned rigid.
+"Ugh...ugh! I'm a confident fighter, but it's not like I've never lost
+before. No, it's precisely because I've been beaten more times than other
+people that—gah!"
+I punched him again and again, alternating left and right fists in quick
+succession. Blood trickled from Ryuuen's mouth.
+"Gah! ...Ah, damn it, it's getting hard to talk again."
+And yet, he showed no signs of fear.
+"Violence shows you who people really are. The ones doing the
+beating, and the ones being beaten." He closed his eyes and chuckled weakly.
+It was like he was provoking me, daring me to hit him as much as I wanted.
+"Ah, ahh...heh. Ha...this is probably fun, huh, Ayanokouji? You can afford
+to be cocky, with strength like that. You're free. You can do whatever you
+want. Show me, Ayanokouji..."
+He opened his eyes. I hit him again, aiming for his already-swollen
+face. He was bleeding freely now, both internally and externally, and yet, I
+saw no fear in him. What should've been an intrinsic emotion was nowhere
+to be seen.
+"Isn't this enough, Ryuuen?" I proposed. But he wouldn't accept that,
+of course.
+"Heh. What's the matter, Ayanokouji? I haven't given up yet. Come
+on, choke the life out of me."
+He was goading me. All but handing his life to me on a silver platter. I
+took another swing, and his face contorted into an expression of pain for an
+instant.
+"Ow...that hurts. But that's all...just pain."
+His eyes hadn't changed. He believed in losing the battle but winning
+the war. He had no doubts.
+"Even if you win today, I'll keep coming at you, no matter how times it
+takes," he taunted. "No matter where you are at school, I' Il find an opening
+and attack. And eventually, Pll win."
+He'd probably survived this long by making those sorts of comebacks.
+Even the strongest opponent wasn't invincible. Ryuuen's self-confidence
+seemed to be rooted in his ability to strike back at his opponents and find
+openings to hit them where it hurt. He used violence to fill their hearts with
+fear.
+The fear that, once you'd made him your enemy, you'd never know
+when he'd attack again or how badly he might hurt you.
+"Go ahead. Enjoy this temporary delight. Your victory's right in front
+of you, Ayanokouji," he taunted. "This feels good, doesn't it? It feels good to
+face off against a weaker opponent, doesn't it? And lurking underneath that
+pleasure is...fear!"
+Fear? Lurking underneath?
+"Do you want to win? Do you want to lose? What are you feeling,
+Ayanokouji?"
+Do I want to win?
+Do I want to lose?
+"Are you laughing at me now that you're on top? Are you angry?
+Excited, overjoyed? Maybe frustrated? Tell me!"
+I had no idea what he was talking about. I couldn't see my own face or
+read my own expression, but I was certain of one thing. Something this
+insignificant would never shake me. I felt no emotions, and definitely not
+fear.
+I hit Ryuuen in the face again. I'd lost count of how many times I'd
+struck him at this point, but I kept going, punching him over and over as his
+face twisted in pain. Yes, that's it, Ryuuen. Now you see, don't you?
+He had to see, now, that the feeling known as fear certainly existed
+within him.
+I landed one last blow, more powerful than any before, and Ryuuen
+finally lost consciousness. He wanted to toy with my emotions. Unfortunately
+for him, there was nothing there. I had no heart for him to manipulate.
+I slowly got off his limp body and stood. I couldn't afford to leave
+Karuizawa out in the cold any longer.
+"Sorry. I put you in a really difficult situation. Are you hurt?" I asked
+her.
+"T'm...fine. I'm just cold. 've kind of lost feeling in some places..."
+I extended my hand toward Karuizawa, who'd sat there the whole time,
+watching the scene from beginning to end. When she took it, her fingers felt
+like ice.
+"Are you disillusioned with me now?" IJ asked.
+"Of course I am. You betrayed me from the very beginning."
+"Yeah, I suppose you're right. So why didn't you sell me out to
+Ryuuen?"
+"For my own sake. That's all there is to it," she replied before
+collapsing into my arms, trembling. "I was scared. I was so scared!"
+"Don't think about it anymore. What happened today, what's happened
+so far. You can think about that stuff later. The only thing that's for certain
+right now, in this moment, is that your curse has been lifted. Manabe...no, no
+one will dig up your past again. As for what's to come, well, you can just
+keep going the way you always have," I told her.
+Karuizawa was depending on me to hold her body upright, perhaps
+because she lacked the strength to support herself right now. If I looked at
+things from her perspective, these had been a disastrous few months. She'd
+been bullied by Manabe and her friend through a stroke of bad luck, then
+been intentionally targeted for bullying as well. Finally, Ryuuen had dug up
+the scars of her past, and she'd realized it was all because of me.
+Her spirit had to be shattered. She must be emotionally unstable,
+exhausted.
+"You've managed to overcome your past and create an identity as the
+person you are now," I told her. "Starting tomorrow, you can just pick up
+where you left off."
+This was Karuizawa Kei we were talking. She could do it. 'd been
+sure of that from the moment I met her on the rooftop.
+"T hurt you. I won't ask you to forgive me. But please remember just
+one thing. If something like what happened today happens again, I will come
+save you."
+"Kiyo...taka..."
+Despite everything she'd been through, Karuizawa couldn't bring
+herself to stop clinging to me like a parasite. She'd reached a point where she
+couldn't survive at this school without me around. No matter what happened,
+as long as I was here, she would endure.
+I wondered what would have happened if I'd showed up to save her
+earlier. I felt quite certain that if I'd fulfilled my promise more speedily, her
+dependency on me would only have grown stronger. Conversely, if I had
+never showed up at all, abandoning her to being bullied once more like she
+had in the past, it would have intensified her despair.
+By delaying my arrival and still ultimately showing up, though, I'd
+strengthened her belief that she could hold onto her faith in me till that last
+possible moment. At the same time, it had allowed me to ascertain that she
+wouldn't easily betray me.
+Of course, if she had given Ryuuen my name, she would feel guilty,
+and I could manipulate that guilt in my favor. After getting my hands on a
+pawn like Karuizawa, letting her go would be a waste. How necessary she
+was to my plans was secondary; what mattered most was ensuring she stayed
+under my control.
+"A few steps below us, the student council president—well, the former
+student council president—and Chabashira-sensei are waiting. They know the
+circumstances to a certain degree, so they should be able to handle things,
+including taking care of your soaked uniform," I told Karuizawa.
+"O-okay. What about you, Kiyotaka?"
+"T've still got a few things to tidy up here. Besides, we don't want to be
+seen together. It's best if you go first."
+I lightly pushed her back. Karuizawa left the roof, heading back down
+the stairs, and I assessed my next move.
+"All right then..." I muttered.
+I couldn't just leave the four unconscious people spread across the
+rooftop where they were. Chabashira-sensei aside, it'd be bad if another
+teacher found them. Starting with Ishizaki, I gently slapped their cheeks to
+wake them up, saving Ryuuen for last.
+aa el res
+"Awake, huh?"
+"Do you think this...1s over, Ayanokouji?"
+"Tt's over," I said. No matter how you looked at it, this fight had been
+decided. "Surely you're not about to say you want to keep going?"
+"T'll use any means necessary...to win," said Ryuuen, slowly sitting
+up. "Even if it means...all-out war."
+"Are you going to report me to the school?"
+"Heh. That would be really, really lame...but it is an option. What if I
+made it look like you set a trap for us?" he asked.
+"Let me give you some advice. I don't recommend it. The former
+student council president is waiting on the stairs as we speak. He may not
+know all the details of what happened here, but it's obvious you were the one
+setting a trap, Ryuuen...especially since you were caught on video spray-
+painting the surveillance camera. I, on the other hand, was at Keyaki Mall
+when you did that. I can produce many alibis as I need to prove it."
+It was smart to have as much insurance as possible, after all.
+"So, you could've had a third-party witness everything...but you
+didn't?" Ryuuen demanded.
+"Yes. I knew you wouldn't stop attacking me until I struck you at least
+once."
+"You seriously think I'm just gonna lay down and accept defeat?"
+"Yeah, I do. There's a reason I defeated you, Ryuuen. You made a
+mistake choosing the order of your foes. If you'd cut your teeth fighting
+Ichinose, and then Katsuragi and Sakayanagi, you might've been closer to my
+level by the time you chose to challenge me. But your curiosity got the better
+of you. You overplayed your hand." I didn't sugarcoat my words.
+Ryuuen wore a bitter smile. "You sure are direct."
+"Td like to say I'd be happy to have a rematch, but I'm done drawing
+attention from here on out. Target someone else," I told him.
+I'd expected him to lash back at that, but instead, Ryuuen silently
+contemplated what I'd said.
+"Since you deliberately had a witness keep his distance, that means
+you're keeping that card in play to use against us in the future if you have to,"
+he said. "Even if it means admitting your identity and Karuizawa's past."
+"Td like to avoid that, but yes."
+"And I wouldn't be the only one going down if that happened. So
+would Ishizaki, Ibuki, and Albert, huh?"
+Probably so. I wasn't sure exactly what would happen to them, but it
+was safe to say it would involve a suitably harsh punishment.
+"Your overconfidence in relying on my identity and Karuizawa's past
+was your undoing. If you'd been less reckless, you would've either mounted
+a larger-scale attack or posted more lookouts," I told him.
+"In other words, Class C's in trouble as long as I'm in charge, huh?" he
+asked.
+"Not necessarily. As long as you make no further attempts to attack us,
+I won't use this incident to advance myself."
+"I'm not naive enough to take you at your word on that. If Class C ever
+corners you again, you'll report what happened today to the school. Am I
+right?"
+"Maybe," I said. It was certainly true that I couldn't promise him that.
+Who knew if Class C was even capable of functioning normally if they were
+forced to keep their heads down? "But what are you going to do? You can't
+undo what happened, Ryuuen."
+"Shut up. My fight with you is finished. My own battle's over, too."
+Ryuuen looked at Ibuki and the others, then took out his phone and
+typed something. He slid the phone across the roof, where it stopped by
+Ibuki's feet.
+"What?" Ibuki, who had been listening quietly to our conversation,
+glared at both of us.
+"T take responsibility for everything," said Ryuuen. "Before I do, ''m
+transferring all my points to you."
+"Huh? Ryuuen, what are you saying? Are you nuts?" Ibuki cried.
+"Y-yeah, Ryuuen-san! It's not like anyone's gonna blab about this,"
+Ishizaki babbled. "You don't have to take responsibility!"
+Neither side could talk publicly about what'd happened here today, but
+Class D held an overwhelmingly advantageous position. Ryuuen realized
+that. There was only one way to cut his losses.
+"Ayanokouji, I'm the sole perpetrator of this incident. My expulsion
+should be enough, don't you think?"
+"Oh? That sounds serious. Taking responsibility and all."
+"Don't be dumb," snapped Ryuuen, wiping some more blood from his
+mouth. "A tyrant can only reign as long as his power holds meaning. If I've
+lost after coming this far, no one's gonna follow me anymore."
+Class C had permitted his tyrannical behavior so far because he
+produced results. Ryuuen's methods were aggressive and heavy-handed, but
+once beaten, he realized that he was no longer qualified to rule. I had to give
+him credit for that.
+It would seem I'd made the right decision by choosing to set this stage
+and let him go on a rampage.
+"Stop screwing around! Why would you entrust your points to me?!"
+demanded Ibuk1.
+"Because you hate me. Divide the remaining points among everyone.
+Once the school expels me, I bet Katsuragi and Sakayanagi will void our
+contract, but there's nothing to be done about that," replied Ryuuen. If the
+person named in the contract dropped out of school, that was probably
+exactly what would happen, too.
+"Ryuuen-san, are you serious?!" exclaimed Ishizaki sorrowfully.
+"Shut it. No need to shout, I can hear you just fine." Ryuuen chuckled.
+"T'Il leave the rest to you. Later."
+It seemed his mind was made up. He stood, and approached the stairs,
+deaf to both Ibuki and Ishizaki's final words to him.
+"Are you sure? I think you'll come to regret this," I said, stopping him
+in his tracks.
+"Why do you care?" he shot back.
+"If you leave without knowing why you lost, you won't grow," I told
+him.
+"Huh?"
+"Are you really fine with not knowing why you lost to me?"
+"Let it go. There's no point trying to save me. You've got nothing to
+gain by sparing me now that I know about you and Karuizawa. I could
+expose you at any time."
+"True enough. If I must name a reason for sparing you...it'Il work to
+Class D's advantage to have you crush Sakayanagi and Ichinose for us.
+Besides, if your contract with Katsuragi remains in place, Class A will
+continue to hemorrhage points. Most importantly, though, if you suddenly
+drop out of school, Sakayanagi and Ichinose will assume that X beat you.
+That spells trouble for me down the line," I said to Ryuuen. "So, trust me,
+this is to my benefit. Even if word of what happened up here gets out, I took
+no noticeable injuries. It would just look like you guys fought among
+yourselves, wouldn't it?"
+Ryuuen ignored me.
+"This is what happened here," he told Ibuki, instead. "I tried to punish
+the four of you for your failings, but you turned the tables and beat me up
+instead, then forced me to withdraw. I'll leave it at that."
+"Are...are you really okay with that?" she asked.
+"Allow me to add just one thing," I said. "You are free to drop out of
+school of your own volition and you're free to doubt me. But I have
+absolutely no intention of telling anyone about today unless you force my
+hand. The former student council president has similarly promised to keep it
+to himself. Nothing about this situation is forcing you to withdraw—but if
+you do, I won't stop you."
+"Then don't stop me. I don't trust you," snapped Ryuuen.
+With those words, he opened the door and vanished from sight.
+Ishizaki and Ibuki, left behind, looked like they didn't agree with his actions
+in the slightest.
+/t
+***
+First-Year Class A Teacher Evaluation
+Class Point Total as of 12/1:
+874
+***
+| think Class A truly got off to a strong start by electing two cooperative
+leaders. While they've maintained high standards, they've also proven to
+be modest, and not conceited in the slightest.
+***
+By partnering with Class C, Class A successfully cleared the test while
+maintaining a record-high amount of class points. The final results were
+disappointing, but still indicative of their potential.
+***
+In the absence of Sakayanagi Arisu, a class representative, the Class A
+students poured everything they had into this test.
+***
+The athletes of Class A took the field. No particular problems occurred
+when Class A temporarily allied themselves with Class D during the
+festival.
+***
+The Class A students studied diligently and the test proceeded without
+incident.
+Chapter 7:
+What Ryuuen Wins and Loses
+Ta NIGHT, I dreamed about my childhood. About that time I killed
+a snake. If I'd grabbed it and taught it to feel fear before killing it, would I
+still have slaughtered it in the end?
+"Freakin' stupid."
+That line of thought was pointless. You only got one life, and it didn't
+have an undo button. Some days you won, and some days you lost. Yesterday
+just happened to be the latter. The number of times I'd been beaten was
+probably in the triple digits by now. Heck, yesterday hadn't even been the
+first time I'd lost to Avanokouji.
+So, what made this different from everything that'd happened so far?
+At eight o'clock the next morning, I left the dorms and made my way
+to the school building. Although this was the first day of our winter vacation,
+club activities were still being held, so the building had been left open.
+School rules required uniforms be worn within the building, but I didn't need
+to pay attention to that particular rule anymore.
+The clubs were already engaged in their morning practice, which
+generally started around seven. Since Keyaki Mall didn't open until ten, I
+was probably the only student heading toward the school building now.
+**..Achoo!"'
+Along the way, I encountered a lone student standing by the side of the
+path, trembling from the cold. I ignored her and kept going, but she called out
+to me.
+"You finally came."
+I just kept walking.
+"Hey, wait a minute!" she said, chasing me in a panic. She grabbed my
+shoulder.
+"What are you doing? Don't just touch me like that," I growled.
+"T don't exactly want to touch you. You foisted your phone on me,
+remember? I'm just giving it back," said a red-nosed Ibuki, thrusting the
+phone at me.
+"You could've done this at a better time. How long have you been
+waiting?"
+"Who knows?"
+That probably meant she'd waited for quite a while. Why was she so
+sensitive when it came to pointless things like this? I didn't take the phone,
+but Ibuki grabbed my arm when I tried to slip past.
+"Are you really going to quit?" she asked.
+"Didn't you just say you only wanted to give my phone back?" I
+snapped.
+Ibuki glared at me. "Do you remember what you said back when you
+fought Ishizaki and Albert? You said that the strongest person is whoever
+wins in the end, no matter how many times they lost before. That's exactly
+how it went when you fought them."
+"So what?"
+"Are you really going to end this after losing to Ayanokouji one time?"
+"T misread the situation and sealed my fate. Besides, I couldn't care
+less anymore," I replied.
+"What? That's super lame."
+I didn't care anymore. Guess that guy was a big deal after all, if he
+could make me feel this way.
+"Maybe," I said, responding to Ibuki with complete indifference.
+"Don't give me 'maybe,'" Ibuki huffed. She hadn't let go of my arm.
+"You wanted me to quit school, didn't you? Isn't this perfect?" I asked.
+"T cooperated with you because you said you'd get us to Class A. Now
+you' re just going to leave us in the lurch?"
+Ibuki had her outbursts every so often, but 1t seemed like this had been
+building for a long time. She had more to get off her chest, apparently,
+because she showed no sign of stopping.
+"T tolerated your tyranny. I put up with it because we had the same
+ultimate goal. Even when Class C got our points docked the other day, and
+you wouldn't tell us why, no one complained. We all believed you'd get us to
+Class A someday. And now you're just going to drop out? That's lame. So,
+lame."
+She took a breath, and added one more thing. "Is there anything more
+pathetic?"
+"You really gonna spin this however's most convenient for you?" I
+asked.
+I stopped walking. I had to move carefully, because my body hurt all
+over.
+"Yeah, I told you good-for-nothings that if you followed me, I'd get
+you to Class A. That was just me dangling a carrot before your noses while I
+used violence to sow the seeds of fear. You do know about my contract with
+Class A, don't you? That was all for me. Just me. I couldn't give a shit about
+the rest of you."
+"You're saying you planned to make it to A Class alone?"
+"Yup. There's really no way Id try to take you lot with me. Don't you
+agree?"
+I was sure even Ibuki would be convinced by this much.
+"Eight hundred million private points," [buki said.
+"Huh?"
+"After you tossed your phone over to me yesterday, I agonized about
+whether I should transfer your points to my account. But then I decided to
+have a look at what else was on your phone."
+Ibuki turned the screen toward me. It showed the three-year-long
+strategy I'd been working on.
+"If you were trying to make it to Class A alone, two million points
+would've been enough. So why come up with a strategy that includes this
+number? Eight hundred million is the number of points necessary to get all of
+Class C up to Class A, isn't it? Though I can't imagine how we'd ever save
+up that many points..."
+"Quit dreaming. I was only messing around when I wrote that." I
+snatched my phone back. "Hiyori and Kaneda will probably lead Class C
+from here on out. As long as Ayanokouji makes no move, it's still possible
+for you to rack up that many points."
+"That's not what I'm talking about."
+Ugh. Stupid Ibuki. She hadn't transferred any of my private points at
+all. What a pain. "What do you want me to say?"
+"If you're going to drop out, then fight me," she replied.
+What an absolutely crazy proposition. Idiots made good pawns, but the
+downside was that they ran wild every so often, like this.
+"With the injuries you got yesterday, and how cold it is today, you
+probably can't move too well, hmm?" I mused out loud. I'd noticed already
+that her grip on my sleeve was weaker than usual.
+I pulled my arm free and started forward—and she hit me. I went
+flying, landing hard on the pavement.
+"Ow. God, I can't even take a fall," I groaned. That bastard
+Ayanokouji had done a number on me.
+"Ah. That felt great. Well, if you're going to quit, hurry up and do it,"
+snapped Ibuki, before turning to head back toward the dorms.
+I wondered just how long she had been waiting for me.
+7.1
+Ubon REACHING THE SCHOOL, I paid a visit to my homeroom teacher.
+I'd called ahead and made an appointment on the dorm's landline. I was
+doing this the very next day to forestall the complications of the whole mess
+on the roof as much as I could, especially considering I'd tampered with a
+security camera and the former student council president knew what had
+happened.
+"T gotta talk to you about the thing I reported yesterday, Sakagami."
+"T understand," said Sakagami. "Please accompany me to the
+counselor's office."
+"Sure."
+"But first, there's something we must address."
+"What?"
+"Would you step outside, please?" Sakagami called to someone in the
+faculty room.
+"Ryuuen-san..."
+Ishizaki and Albert emerged to join us in the hallway. First that idiot
+Ibuki, now them? Why were they here?
+"They've been waiting since early this morning, wondering whether
+you'd come by. Even when I told them to contact you directly, they wouldn't
+listen. Quite troublesome. Before we have our meeting, I need you to do
+something about these two," said Sakagami.
+"What're you even doing here? Beat it, or I'Il kill you." I glared at
+Ishizaki.
+"We—"
+Piast
+"About the surveillance camera being destroyed—did these two have
+anything to do with it?" asked Sakagami, touching his glasses.
+"T did that by myself," I replied. "Come on, let's get on with it."
+If Ishizaki and Albert said anything careless, they'd put the noose
+around their own necks. I shook them off, ignored Sakagami, and started
+walking to the counselor's office.
+Sakagami had to suspect something was up, but he told Ishizaki and
+Albert to head back and followed me. "I have a general idea of what
+happened, based on what you said over the phone, but walk me through this
+once more, Ryuuen. First of all, you admit to defacing the security camera by
+spray-painting the lens?"
+"Yeah. I did that on my own."
+"Okay, one more thing. Is it true that a fight broke out between you,
+Ishizaki, Albert, and Ibuki?" Sakagami asked.
+"Yeah, it's true. I take complete responsibility for it. I threw the first
+punch. They retaliated." No need to involve them in this losing battle.
+"Well then, this'Il be quick."
+"Please wait, Ryuuen-san! We did have something to do with—" cried
+Ishizaki, who was still following us.
+I kicked him. Violent outbursts before a teacher didn't really matter
+when you were going to drop out of school, anyway.
+"Ryuuen?!" rebuked Sakagami. "What're you doing?"
+"How many times do you plan on making me say it? Did the beating I
+gave you yesterday not satisfy you?" I spat at Ishizaki, who crouched on the
+floor in pain.
+We'd made it to the counselor's office. I looked away from Ishizaki as
+we entered, leaving him and Albert outside. Time to wrap this up.
+"You can add that outburst just now to whatever my penalty is," I told
+Sakagami.
+"It seems there's a misunderstanding here, so allow me to offer some
+corrections," said Sakagami. "We've confirmed that there are inconsistencies
+in your statement."
+"Huh? Hold up. Inconsistencies?"
+"Based on my understanding, there's some kind of problem between
+you and Class D."
+No way. Had Ayanokouji done something? If he reported what'd
+happened to the school, then this wouldn't end with me. The school would
+punish Ibuki and Ishizaki, too.
+"Did they file a complaint or something?" I asked.
+"A complaint? No, from what I've heard, a single Class D student was
+also involved in destroying the security camera."
+"What did you just say?" The words made no sense.
+"Class D already paid the private points necessary to cover the repair.
+What I wanted to confirm with you was whether you wished to split the
+blame."
+"You've gotta be screwing with me."
+If you think this'1l prevent me from dropping out, you're making a big
+mistake, Ayanokouji.
+"T'm dropping out," I told Sakagami.
+"There's no problem here, though. You still want to drop out, despite
+that?" Sakagami was no fool. He had to have figured out that something
+serious had gone down on the rooftop yesterday.
+"That's right. I see no point in staying at this school any longer."
+"T see. If that's your final decision, I can't stop you," Sakagami said,
+pulling out a piece of paper. "Please write your name, student ID number,
+and reason for withdrawal on this form."
+"Just a second," I told him.
+I picked up a pen, and Sakagami pulled out two more forms. "Once we
+finish processing your withdrawal, please deliver these to Ishizaki and
+Yamada."
+"What? They've got nothing to do with this."
+"You're certainly right. But this was their wish. They said that, should
+you choose to drop out of school, they would quit too. They wouldn't listen
+to reason."
+That Ayanokouji... Had he put this ridiculous idea in those idiots'
+heads? He was basically holding Ishizaki and Albert hostage to prevent me
+from withdrawing. If I chose to drop out here and now, those two would go
+with me, and my own withdrawal would become meaningless. I'd be putting
+the cart before the horse.
+"Shit."
+"Personally, I would find it rather regrettable for anyone in my class to
+drop out," said Sakagami, his gaze lowering to the withdrawal form in my
+hand. "As things stand, the matter can be resolved with a simple punishment
+for damaging school property. This is your first and last chance."
+"What is the point of me even staying, though?" I muttered to myself.
+Ayanokouji had my number. He knew I wasn't gonna cause more
+trouble for Sakayanagi and the other two.
+"Fine. I won't drop out."
+I handed the paper and pen back to Sakayanagi and left.
+py
+Soon AFTERWARD, strange rumors started spreading among the first-
+year students—rumors that Ryuuen Kakeru had abandoned his position as
+Class C's leader. That Ishizaki and the others were no longer his entourage.
+That he no longer talked to anyone, but spent all his time alone.
+It was like looking in a mirror—a mirror of the person I'd been when I
+first started at this school. I wondered whether there would come a day when
+Ryuuen regained what he lost. I was sure of one thing, though. He and I were
+similar.
+And I could still use him.
+Postscript
+Hy. it's been five months since last time. Syougo Kinugasa here.
+To update you on what's been going on in my life, I had the atheroma
+that's been growing in my back for the last ten years (and got to be about
+seven centimeters in diameter) surgically removed. I'm glad to be rid of it,
+but, well...I couldn't lie on my back for a whole week. At least I'm healing
+up nicely.
+The anime adaptation is out there now. Did you all enjoy it? I was
+deeply moved to see my story brought to life in a way only animation can
+achieve. There's been a huge increase in the number of people reading
+Classroom of the Elite since the anime came out, and I'm exceedingly
+grateful—especially for those of you who read the books before they were
+adapted. Your support allows us to keep publishing these books. Thank you
+all very much.
+Ayanokouji seems to have settled things with Ryuuen for the time
+being, but that's not necessarily the end of Class C. The third semester will
+be a brand-new stage, involving not only the student council, but the second-
+and third-year students, too. Class A and Class B will be facing off, and
+previously minor characters will take the spotlight more often. In the near
+future, you'll see Ichinose and Sakayanagi's stories, as well as Katsurag1,
+Hirata, and others. Who will become enemies? Who will become allies? Pay
+close attention, and find out.
+Meanwhile, I'm hard at work on the Volume 7.5, a compilation of
+short stories about the events of winter vacation. They'll center on Christmas,
+and the main story will focus on the girl featured on the next cover, and her
+romantic endeavors. I say "short stories", but really, Volumes 4.5 and 7.5 are
+books in their own right, bridging the gaps in the main story by covering the
+times classes aren't in session, such as spring and summer break. Please keep
+that in mind as you read.
+And, as always, thank you very much for your continued support.
+***
+Seven Seas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Horikita Manabu's Soliloquy
+Ture ARE THINGS people would be surprised to discover—for
+example, that I didn't choose to attend this school to satisfy any burning
+ambitions. I'd always tried to excel, but in an aimless sort of way. I didn't
+know what I truly wanted out of life. I didn't aspire to be a politician, a
+doctor, a researcher, or anything else.
+For better or worse, I liked to avoid drama. I spent my days working,
+indifferent and detached, merely focused upon completing the tasks assigned
+to me.
+Setting an "example."
+Being a "role model."
+I believed that this was the right thing to do. However, Nagumo Miyabi
+continues to take direct action against me, trying to clear me from his path.
+Perhaps 'a bulldozer' is the description that fits him best.
+As a matter of fact, I'd given up on taking action against him by the
+time graduation neared. I'd also never actually tried to make a friend whom I
+could truly trust from the bottom of my heart. Such things were still foreign
+to me.
+At the end of those three years, though, it finally hit me. I realized my
+mistake—and the regret that it had left me with.
+And, I realized, that this was just the beginning.
+Chapter 2:
+A New Special Exam:
+Mixed Training Camp
+O,x A THURSDAY MORNING, shortly after the start of the third semester,
+several buses traveled in a row down the highway. The buses carried not only
+first-year students, but second- and third-year as well—the entire school
+jointly embarking on one big road trip.
+The bus that carried us—the first-year Class C students—entered a
+tunnel. My ears were assaulted by the pressure change.
+This was the second time I'd ridden a bus since enrolling at this school.
+No one had explained where we were headed or what we were doing. All we
+knew was that we had to wear jerseys, and it was strongly recommended we
+pack several spare jerseys and changes of underwear before we left. This
+didn't sound like a vacation, though.
+Since the bus ride was about three hours or so, everyone had brought
+along fun items considered acceptable by the school. Cell phones were a
+given, but people had also brought books, playing cards, and snacks and
+juice. Some had even brought along game consoles.
+Our seats were designated, with our names written on them, and I was
+seated next to Ike Kanji. I'd intended to get along with him when I enrolled
+here, but our relationship was still at the "just fellow classmates" stage, and
+opportunities to hang out with him had decreased dramatically. Instead of
+talking to me, his literal seatmate, he knelt on his seat, turned around, and had
+a loud conversation with Sudou and Yamauchi, who were seated further
+away.
+I occasionally heard the girls tell them off for being annoying, but they
+didn't pay much mind. It was uproarious in here, anyway, so it was no
+wonder that they weren't holding back. I felt a bit lonely, but there was
+nothing I could do about it.
+On the bright side...the recent round of exams had let me grow closer
+to students like Akito and Keisei.
+The atmosphere on the bus was pleasant, but I could tell this wouldn't
+be a mere field trip. If we'd done this in the middle of winter vacation, I
+might have held out hope of it being just a fun outing, but the third semester
+was already underway. It would probably be for us to anticipate an exam like
+the one we'd had on the deserted island, just so we could prepare ourselves
+mentally. It wasn't as though Ike and the others hadn't matured at a// since
+then. Probably.
+Chabashira observed the students doing as they pleased with a look of
+deep interest. She stood close to the driver, rather near my seat, as she stared
+at us. Since I didn't want our gazes to meet, I decided to stare out the
+window. This was a long tunnel. It'd been two or three minutes since we
+entered.
+Just as I thought that, it began to get brighter. We'd made it through.
+Chabashira, who had been waiting for us to emerge from the tunnel,
+started to move. At the same time, the pain in my ears increased.
+"Sorry to interrupt your enthusiasm, but be quiet," she said, addressing
+the students through a hand-held microphone. "I thought you might like to
+know where this bus is headed, and also what you'll be doing once we
+arrive."
+"Well, yeah, 'course we're curious. We're not going to another
+deserted island, are we?" asked Ike.
+Chabashira answered quickly. "I see that special exam is still seared
+into your collective memory. Allow me to give you some peace of mind; we
+don't hold special exams on that grand a scale very often. Nor are we so cruel
+as to put you through something like that when it's no longer summer.
+However, as you can already guess, there is a new special exam ahead.
+Compared to the island, though, you'll be in significantly better living
+conditions."
+So she said—but I didn't trust her. The island aside, every special
+exam we'd faced so far had been insanely difficult from an average student's
+perspective. Hanging over our heads was the ultimate penalty of failing one
+of these special exams: expulsion.
+"Now, the special exam that you Class D students will—"
+Chabashira paused. My classmates smiled with a touch of pride as,
+immediately after, she bowed her head in apology.
+"I'm sorry. You are Class C now. Allow me to give you newly
+promoted students an overview of the special exam."
+Having been formally promoted to Class C in the third semester, our
+class seemed to be trying its best to calmly face the upcoming exam.
+Receiving an explanation of how that special exam worked on the bus meant
+we could prepare countermeasures, or at least try to. We couldn't just get up
+and walk around while the bus was in motion, but the bus was small enough
+that everyone could hear you if you spoke, and we could always use our
+phones to correspond privately with specific people.
+Ike and the other noisemakers shut up, listening to what Chabashira
+had to say. Proof that they had matured, if only a little.
+"We are taking you to a school camp in the mountains. We will arrive
+in just under an hour. The less time I have to spend explaining, the more time
+you'll have to strategize," said Chabashira.
+An hour until the exam started, huh? In other words, if it took twenty
+minutes to explain the rules, we'd have forty minutes left over to plan.
+"Don't students normally attend school camps and stuff in the
+summer?" asked Ike, who used to be a boy scout. He knew quite a bit about
+the mountain range we could currently see from our seats as we traveled
+down the highway. It was covered in white snow, even now.
+"Please be quiet and listen. Remember, this is the only time you have,"
+Chabashira rebuked, but she sounded gentle, rather than angry. Ike scratched
+his head sheepishly and apologized. A brief moment of laughter ensued.
+School camp. I'd never heard of it, so I looked it up on my phone.
+"Typically held in the summer months on days when the weather is
+nice. Commonly held in locations where greenery is abundant, such as the
+mountains. Group activities are conducted with the express purpose of
+promoting the development of healthy bodies. Can also refer to an
+educational facility."
+Just as Ike had said, it sounded like these school camps were usually
+held in the summer. Clearly, however, they could also take place any time of
+year.
+"Normally, opportunities to connect with senior students are few and
+far between, especially for those not involved in club activities. At this school
+camp, you'll participate in inter-class group activities for eight days and
+seven nights, making this a step beyond the Sports Festival. The name we've
+given this special exam is the 'Mixed Camp.' Since I'm sure a verbal
+explanation won't satisfy you, Ill be distributing printed materials now,"
+Chabashira continued.
+She handed a stack of printouts to the students sitting in the front row,
+who each took one and then passed the rest back. The syllabus consisted of
+about twenty pages. Since she hadn't specifically told us not to look, I began
+to flip through it.
+There were clear photographs of what I assumed to be the camp,
+including the dormitories, public baths, cafeteria, and so on. It was actually
+kind of exciting to look at these; I felt like I was paging through a travel
+guide. The all-important words special exam, however, curbed our
+enthusiasm.
+Still, this was twenty pages of documentation on top of a verbal
+explanation. We'd only received a brief verbal explanation for the Paper
+Shuffle, which meant this exam was probably shaping up to be pretty
+annoying.
+After confirming that everyone had received the handouts, Chabashira
+resumed speaking.
+"Feel free to keep reading, but I'm going to explain the Mixed Camp
+now. These materials will be re-collected before you get off the bus, so please
+make sure you clearly understand the rules. Questions will be accepted at the
+end, so pay attention. Do you understand?" asked Chabashira, looking at Ike
+as she spoke.
+Ike nodded.
+"The main goal of the Mixed Camp is to foster your mental
+development. In order to accomplish this, we're going to start with the
+fundamentals of participation in civilized society—ensuring you can build
+stable relationships with people you don't know very well. Each and every
+one of you will learn these skills."
+So that was why they were making us do group activities with senior
+students, huh?
+As Chabashira had just said, students who were in clubs might have
+already developed relationships with their juniors or seniors. Even so, those
+interactions were mostly limited to the club activities themselves. As for
+students who weren't in any clubs, hardly any of us had interacted with
+upperclassmen at all. You might think the school would want us to fraternize
+voluntarily, without need for exams or club activities to serve as incentive. Of
+course, it wasn't that simple in reality.
+So, how did they plan to get the upperclassmen involved in this?
+Unless the need for direct contact was a high priority, most students would
+probably keep their distance from one another, just like we had during the
+Sports Festival. Well, we were headed into the mountains to a place
+designated as a camp, so that might be easier said than done...
+At any rate, if the rules for the special exam weren't set in stone, it
+should be easy to find loopholes. There was a marked difference in maturity,
+both physically and mentally, between first- and second-year students. A year
+is a significant period of time in the life of a teenager. I couldn't say how
+extreme the gulf would prove to be, but the reality of the situation was that
+we wouldn't be on a level playing field.
+"Once we arrive at our destination, we will divide you by gender. Next,
+we'll hold a school-wide discussion with all grade levels and then further
+divide you into six groups."
+"Divide men and women, then make six groups..." muttered Ike, as
+though he were trying to memorize the information.
+Chabashira continued, "The minimum and maximum numbers of
+people in each group have already been decided. Take a good look at the
+guidelines on page 5 of your handout."
+The students all looked at once.
+Group numbers are calculated based on the total number of students,
+then separated by grade and gender. For instance, if there are 60 or more
+male students in the same grade level, the minimum number of participants in
+a group is &, and the upper limit 13. If the total is 70 or more, the limits are 9
+and 14. If the total is 80 or more, the limits are 10 and 15. However, in the
+event the number of students is under 60, please refer to a separate table.
+Let's assume the ratio of boys to girls in a class didn't vary between
+grade levels. If there were 40 students in one class, with a boys to girls ratio
+of 1:1—20 boys and 20 girls—then that meant, basically, that there were a
+total of 80 boys across the four classes of a single grade level. That would
+mean between 10 and 15 people per group, with a total of six groups overall.
+But the fact that the syllabus referenced the total number of students first
+meant that these numbers would change depending on how many people had
+been expelled across all grade levels.
+"You're probably already aware of this, but sorting you into six groups
+divided by gender means that students from different classes will be mixed
+together. For the duration of the test, your group members will be your allies.
+Youll be in the same boat, as it were."
+"Isn't it kinda ridiculous to ask us to be in groups with people from
+other classes? I mean, they're our enemies," muttered Ike loud enough so that
+Chabashira could hear him.
+He'd probably been unable to contain himself any longer. But his own
+words must have jogged something in his brain, because he brightened.
+"Yeah, that's it! We don't really have to do that, do we? We can divide
+Class C into two groups. That'Il take care of it, right? Ayanokouji?" he
+asked, lowering his voice.
+It was certainly true that Class C could form two groups of ten.
+However, Ike's idea just wouldn't work.
+"A good idea, but things aren't that simple. The rules forbid forming a
+group with students from just one class. As long as groups abide by the
+approved headcount, you are free to team up with any class you wish. But
+each group must have a combination of students from at least two classes.
+More importantly, these groups aren't selected through discussion. They must
+be agreed upon unanimously," said Chabashira.
+What she'd just said was written plainly in the syllabus. "Every group
+must consist of students from at least two or more classes."
+"So this means we have to make friends with the enemy?" Ike blurted
+out. It was less of a question and more of something that had just slipped out.
+"Yes, exactly," replied Chabashira, looking slightly exasperated. "Of
+course, you could form a group that consists a/most entirely of students from
+your own class. If you can get just one student from another class, you' ll
+meet the requirements."
+In other words, we could form a group of ten people—the lower limit
+—and then have nine of those students be from Class C. I couldn't imagine
+that kind of group composition would be unanimously approved when we
+held our school-wide discussions, though. Very few students would be
+willing to join a group almost entirely composed of people from another
+class.
+However, I doubted a group like that would meet unanimous school-
+wide approval. Very few students would likely be willing to join a group that
+only had members from another class.
+Also, was it better to have more people, or fewer? The same number?
+If the difference in numbers could create an advantage or disadvantage, a
+smaller group was a risk. But we couldn't know which number would be
+superior without learning the test's conditions. Our luck would depend on the
+nature of the exam.
+"I'm sure you're wondering if it's better to have more people in a
+group or fewer. Numbers will certainly be significant to this test, as you'll see
+if you turn to the section marked 'Outcomes'," said Chabashira wryly. "I will
+explain it now."
+Apparently, it was easy to tell we'd all been thinking the same thing.
+"Excuse me, but could you please continue explaining the rules first? I
+want to learn about the outcomes, but before that, I'd like to know what we' ll
+be doing as a group," asked Hirata.
+"T suppose you're right. If I respond to every one of Ike's concerns, we
+won't get anywhere."
+Ike scratched his head apologetically again.
+"Each group will function like a temporary class. I say temporary, but
+your time together will be significant. Group members will take classes
+together, of course, but will also cook and clean, bathe and sleep together.
+You'll be sharing a variety of life experiences."
+Both guys and girls let out agonized wails when they heard the words
+'bathe and sleep together.'
+"T really don't feel like I could live with people from the other classes
+though," grumbled Ike. I understood how he felt. Though we'd cooperated
+with another class during the Sports Festival, that had been a brief and
+temporary alliance. we hadn't spent much time together. We hadn't exactly
+been together through thick and thin.
+However, this exam was about to collapse those boundaries.
+Depending on how things went, some groups might even wind up with a mix
+of people from all four classes.
+"As for outcomes, those are determined by a comprehensive test given
+on the last day of camp. The contents of this rather significant test are
+outlined on page 7 of your handouts. Give it a look."
+Everyone checked that section.
+Ethics
+Fortitude
+Discipline
+Initiative
+These weren't typical school subjects. This exam was going to be
+something removed from the course of normal classes like English or
+mathematics, which tested academic ability, huh? Unfortunately, I doubted
+the tests we were about to face would have clear answers. The four concepts
+outlined in the syllabus were abstract ones. I had yet to see any concrete
+details of how the test would be conducted.
+The schedule laid out in the syllabus only proved my point. After
+waking up, we'd do morning assignments. Then we would gather at the dojo
+and engage in zazen, meditative discipline exercises (such as cleaning),
+followed by breakfast, then by various lessons in a classroom setting. After
+lunch, students would work on afternoon assignments, and then practice more
+zazen. Then we would have dinner, bathe, and go to bed. Quite the departure
+from our lifestyle up until now.
+Incidentally, unlike our usual school routine, there would be additional
+lessons on Saturday mornings. We'd only have Sunday off.
+"More details about your schedule will be announced upon arrival at
+camp. Right now, I cannot tell you what kind of exam you will face on the
+final day," added Chabashira.
+So we'd need to stay on our toes and play things by ear during the
+special exam. Maybe the final day would test us on things like zazen,
+including fine details like posture and manners. Words like Speech and
+Production jumped out at me as I scanned the syllabus. They didn't feel like
+good signs.
+"Choosing your groups will be of the utmost importance. All six
+groups must work together and get through the week-long school camp as a
+unit. No matter the reason, you cannot withdraw from your group at any time,
+nor can members be changed. If a student has to withdraw due to illness or
+injury, then their group must simply deal with their absence and operate as
+though that student is still part of the group."
+In other words, we'd get nowhere if there was discord within the
+group, or if we antagonized each other. It was looking more and more like we
+were going to have to juggle vying with other classes with balancing the
+internal functioning of our own group.
+Going by the schedule, lessons began tomorrow morning, which was
+Friday. We'd be in session until Wednesday of next week. Next Thursday, all
+grade levels would take the final exam.
+"Once the first-year students have finished creating their groups, they
+will rendezvous with the second- and third-year students, who will form their
+own groups at the same time. In the end, we will have six final groups, each
+consisting of a mix of approximately thirty to forty-five first-, second-, and
+third-year students."
+It was already tough forming a group within the same grade level, but
+now we were adding other grade levels on top of that. The bus got weirdly
+quiet.
+"To put it more simply," Chabashira said, "think of groups formed of
+students in the same grade level as small groups. The groups formed from
+students in all grade levels, on the other hand, will be large groups."
+Each of the six groups formed by students in the same grade level
+would be a small group. Then those small groups would join with the second-
+and third-years to ultimately form six large groups.
+"Outcomes will be determined based on the average exam results of all
+members of the six individual large groups. The strengths and weaknesses of
+the other grade levels will heavily influence your results."
+What concerned me here was the difference in group membership
+numbers. The large groups would consist of about forty people. Averaging
+out our results should help reduce inequality, but depending on how the
+smaller groups were formed, there might be significant differences in the
+number of people in the large groups.
+How we chose to form those large groups was now the most important
+thing. If this were an academic exam, a large group with only exceptional
+students in it would easily win. Conversely, students who were deemed
+unexceptional would inevitably be excluded from the top groups, thus forced
+to form a lower ranked group. However, this exam couldn't be won by
+simply gathering the academically gifted in one place.
+"T think you've probably got the gist of things now. I'll conclude with
+the most important piece of information—that is to say, the results of this
+special exam."
+Good question. What did we stand to lose?
+"The members of large groups whose averaged scores take first
+through third place will receive both private points and class points. Large
+groups whose average scores place fourth or below should expect to have
+points deducted," explained Chabashira.
+The details were, naturally, outlined in the syllabus.
+Basic Rewards
+1°" Place: 10,000 private points. 3 class points.
+2"4 Place: 5000 private points. 1 class point.
+34 Place: 3000 private points.
+The aforementioned rewards will be distributed to each individual
+student.
+So if a small group of ten people included nine people from the same
+class, that class would be awarded twenty-seven class points as a result of the
+group taking first place. Of course, that was describing an ideal scenario, but
+it would be best to aim to have as many students as possible from our class
+take first place.
+However, the more students from the same class there were in a group,
+the more points that class would have deducted if the group ranked fourth or
+below. And the larger the group, the trickier it would be to control everyone.
+The negatives at stake outweighed the relatively few positives.
+4th Place: —5000 private points.
+Sth Place: —10,000 private points. —3 class points.
+6th Place: —20,000 private points. —5 class points.
+The aforementioned penalties will be deducted from each individual
+student.
+Private points and class points couldn't fall below zero, but the
+deductions would remain as a cumulative deficit that would be applied
+against any points awarded for future exams. It was something the school had
+never done before. If the rewards seemed relatively small, compared to the
+risks, it was because there was a trick to it.
+Chabashira read the next section aloud.
+"Depending on the number of classes represented in a small group,
+rewards may be multiplied. They may also be multiplied based on the total
+number of people in a small group. Please relax, though. These multipliers
+only apply to rewards gained from placing first, second, or third. They do not
+apply to the point deductions for fourth place and below."
+These potential reward multipliers went as follows.
+If a small group comprised students from two classes, they would
+receive only the base rewards. However, a small group comprising students
+from three classes would be rewarded with double the amount of class and
+private points. A group comprising students from all four classes would be
+rewarded with triple the amount of class and private points.
+Finally, the multiplier changed depending on the number of people in a
+small group. A group of ten people got the base reward. A group of fifteen
+people got 1.5 times the reward. In the special event that a small group had
+only nine people, their reward would be 0.9 times the default.
+In other words, if a group comprising students from all four classes
+obtained first place, they'd hit the 3x multiplier. If that same group also had
+the maximum number of allowed members, 1.e., fifteen, they'd earn an
+additional 1.5< multiplier. Rounded to the nearest whole integer, this meant
+each member of the group would be awarded 45,000 private points and
+fourteen class points.
+So far, this seemed like a standard special exam; tricky but interesting.
+But what came next changed everything.
+"Also..." Chabashira said. "There is a significant penalty for the large
+group that comes in last place."
+"A penalty...? No way."
+"Yes. The penalty is expulsion."
+No surprises there.
+"Granted, not every member of the large group that comes in last will
+be expelled. If we did that, we'd be expelling nearly forty students at once.
+Expulsion will only apply to the small group within that large group whose
+average score falls below the threshold set by the school."
+So overall rankings were calculated based on the average score of each
+large group, but when it came to expulsions, it was the average scores of the
+small groups that were taken into account. That was troubling.
+"If a small group fails to meet that standard, then that small group's
+representative will be expelled."
+"How do we pick the representatives?"
+"You will discuss it with the members of your small group and appoint
+somebody. That is all."
+"The hell? Who'd willingly want to be the representative knowing they
+might get expelled?"
+I doubted there'd be many volunteers.
+"There are significant benefits to being a group representative. The
+representative and the representative's classmates will receive double the
+rewards."
+"Did you say double?" muttered Horikita, who had been silent until
+now.
+"That's right. To secure the highest possible payout from this exam,
+you would have to form a group comprising twelve Class C students and one
+student from each of the remaining three classes. If you then appoint
+someone from Class C as your representative and take first place..."
+"Wh-what do we win?" asked Yamauchi, unable to perform the
+calculations himself. He was practically hyperventilating.
+"You'd get 1.08 million private points and 336 class points."
+"Th-three hundred thirty-six?!"
+If that happened, it would overturn the class rankings entirely. Even
+jumping all the way to A Class as a result of this exam wasn't out of the
+question, depending on how the other groups scored. The more risks we took,
+the greater the rewards—and the odds of securing the highest achievable
+reward weren't too low, either.
+"Once the small groups have been decided, you will have until
+tomorrow morning to appoint your representative. In the event a group
+cannot choose a representative, that group will immediately be disqualified,
+and every single one of its members will be expelled. Of course, no group
+would ever be so stupid as to make such a mistake."
+So the school wouldn't be picking representatives—it was solely up to
+us to decide who to appoint. A difficult decision, to be sure. If no one
+volunteered, we might wind up having to draw straws or play rock-paper-
+scissors...an inevitable conclusion in light of the fact we'd all be expelled
+otherwise, but in an already fraught situation such as this, it would put a
+strain on the group's unity.
+"Finally, the representative who is expelled may choose one other
+person from within their group to share their fate. We're calling this one the
+solidarity rule. Think of it as going down together.'"
+"H-huh?! What's with that?! That's just crazy! So, if we appointed
+some random dude as the representative, they could take down the leader of
+another class?!"
+I couldn't imagine it would be that easy. Selecting a representative
+would involve a certain degree of screening. We probably wouldn't be
+picking obvious sacrificial pawns to fill the role, and if we did, it would be
+the group's fault. It was unlikely we'd find someone willing to both sacrifice
+themselves for the group's sake and take down a student from an enemy class
+in the process...unless, of course, we were talking about someone who'd
+been trapped in Class D for years and was on the verge of dropping out
+anyway.
+But if there were students who were contemplating giving up in that
+way, their peers were probably aware of the fact.
+"Don't worry," Chabashira said. "The representative can't just take any
+student down with them. Only students whom the school deems contributory
+to the group's failure can be selected for expulsion in this way. Unless you
+deliberately score poorly or boycott the test, you'll be fine."
+Well, that was something, at least. However, I had my doubts about the
+representatives for this exam. This was unlike any previous situation we'd
+been in—particularly the fact that this time, the exam was the same for all
+grade levels. The other classes were probably receiving the exact same
+instructions right now.
+In other words, many different strategies were currently in the process
+of being formed. This wasn't just a fight between the first-years. The second-
+years were battling other second-years and third-years other third-years.
+I sent off a text message to a certain individual, hoping to clear a few
+things up. I wanted to know if the student council was somehow involved in
+creating this special exam.
+"One more important detail. If a student is expelled, that student's class
+will be penalized accordingly. The specifics of the penalty change depending
+on the exam. In the case of this test, one hundred points will be deducted
+from the class. If the class has insufficient class points to pay off the penalty,
+they will be in debt. Until that debt is paid off, their total will remain at zero."
+The benefits were enormous, but the negatives were just as vast. The
+promise of doubling your points by being a group representative was
+tantalizing, but it came with the risk of being expelled. No one would
+willingly volunteer for such a role unless they were confident in the abilities
+of their small group. Nor, however, would they want the spoils of the
+representative's victory to go to another class.
+Then there was the solidarity rule, which was clearly designed to leave
+you at an impasse.
+"That concludes my explanation. I will now open the floor for
+questions."
+Hirata immediately raised his hand.
+"If someone were to be expelled... would there be any way to help that
+person, like a lifeline?" he asked.
+"If you're expelled, you're expelled. Nothin' ya can do 'bout it,"
+replied Sudou.
+Hirata rejected that outright. "That can't be true. You were almost
+expelled once, Sudou-kun, but were saved thanks to Horikita-san's quick
+thinking. It would be strange if there was nothing we could do."
+Chabashira smiled.
+"That's correct. You can buy a Revocation of Expulsion using private
+points as a last resort. Naturally, the price will be high. The Revocation of
+Expulsion costs twenty million private points and an additional three hundred
+class points. This lifeline will only prevent a student's expulsion. It won't
+cancel out the penalties suffered by the class as a result of that expulsion. Of
+course, if you don't have the points to pay for the lifeline, then that option is
+unavailable."
+An exorbitant price. It meant a minimum of four hundred class points
+would be required to save a student on the brink of expulsion, which made it
+a lifeline we were unlikely to extend. The whole class would have to pay a
+great toll to save one person.
+"Regarding the twenty million points you mentioned, can the entire
+class pitch in?" asked Hirata, who was clearly considering a future where we
+might use the lifeline.
+"Yes, everyone may pitch in. But this is completely irrelevant, since
+you have only a few points available."
+With that, Chabashira was done reviewing the materials.
+"There isn't much time left before we reach our destination. You are
+free to use the remaining time however you like. Right before we arrive, I
+will re-collect the handout. Also, the use of phones will be forbidden for a
+week. I will be collecting those shortly. Other than that, you are free to bring
+daily necessities or playthings along with you, but not food. Perishables must
+be consumed before we arrive, or you' ll have to throw them away before you
+get off the bus. That's all."
+Students who hadn't reacted to the dangers of the special exam now let
+out agonized wails at that last comment. We'd already gone through this on
+the uninhabited island, but I supposed it was painful to have your phone
+confiscated for a whole week.
+"T have a question!" Ike raised his hand energetically. "You said that
+guys and girls would be separate, but, like, exactly how spread out are we
+gonna be?"
+Chabashira wore a wry smile. "There are two buildings at the camp.
+The boys will use the main building, and the girls will take the other. The
+buildings are next to one another, but you'll be living apart from each other
+for a week. You will not be allowed to go outside during recess or after
+school without permission either."
+"So we won't be able to talk to each other?"
+"No, boys and girls will take meals together in the cafeteria in the main
+building for one hour a day. The school issues no directives to students
+during that time period. You can do as you please then. Understand?"
+"Yes!" Ike rejoiced, probably happy he'd be able to talk to girls.
+I sat up slightly and glanced at Shinohara, who was sitting nearby.
+While she looked slightly exasperated, her face brightened at Ike's words.
+Maybe their Christmas dinner had gone well.
+"If there are no further questions, that' II be all," said Chabashira,
+probably anticipating a lot of silly questions coming her way.
+"Sensei. May I borrow your microphone?" asked Hirata.
+"Of course."' Chabashira handed it over and returned to her seat. Hirata
+took her place at the front of the bus.
+"Based on what sensei said, we're running out of time. Still, I'd like to
+try to hear everyone's opinions. How can we get through this exam? What
+kind of groups should we shoot for?"
+"Wouldn't it be best if we tried to get as many of our classmates in as
+possible? Pick twelve toppers and then get one person from every other class.
+That'd be perfect," said Sudou.
+"That would be ideal, but I doubt three students from other classes
+would want to join that group. They'd naturally be on their guard."
+It would be obvious that such a group wanted to win badly. I couldn't
+imagine single students from each of the other classes being willing to join
+them. Besides, if such a group ranked poorly, the damage to the class would
+be considerable.
+"Hey, if all the smart people get in one group, then the rest of us don't
+stand a chance," said Yamauchi. Apparently, he still hadn't figured out that
+this wasn't about academics. "I mean, we really wanna get some private
+points ourselves."
+His complaints were understandable. This issue had come up during
+the exam on the cruise ship too. The large group who ranked first would earn
+private points, but the students in the bottom groups gained nothing. In fact,
+they would lose a great deal. Given that, most people obviously wanted to bet
+on the winning horse by joining a large group that was likely to win.
+"If everyone here agrees, I'd like to propose an even distribution,"
+Hirata said. "We don't know which group will come out on top. If any of us
+gain private points from this exam, we'll distribute those points evenly across
+the class. That should be fine, since point transfers are allowed."
+And if we got hit with a deduction, it wouldn't be so bad, since
+everyone would be sharing the load.
+"Ah, I see. That's okay."
+Of course, the more exceptional students would complain about this,
+but considering what was at stake, a consensus seemed likely.
+"Heh."
+After hearing Hirata's proposal, Chabashira chuckled, facing away
+from him.
+"T didn't tell you this because you didn't ask, but as a reward for your
+promotion to Class C, I will give you one bit of helpful advice."
+Advice?
+Hirata looked cautious, not ready to accept this reward at face value.
+"When the rules don't forbid it, you're certainly free to transfer points.
+Be it in the middle of an exam or in the course of your daily life—you can
+transfer points as much as you please, as long as you don't break any rules in
+the process. However, private points are not pocket money. You'd do well to
+remember that."
+"Are you saying we could, like, transfer to any class we wanted if we
+accumulated like twenty million points? Or is this about the lifeline?"
+"I'm saying there are many different ways of using private points.
+Having as little as one point can help you in a time of need. Getting along and
+supporting each other isn't always going to be the correct answer, you
+understand? For example, let's say Ike made a mistake that would lead to him
+being expelled unless a million private points were paid right away—and the
+school disallowed transferring points in that instance. Ike would have to
+produce the million points himself or be expelled. What then? If you divide
+your points up equally, you might end up doing something you can't take
+back."
+Ike gulped loudly when he heard himself used as an example.
+"You can't count on other students to save you, because every single
+one of them might find themselves in need the next moment. The only one
+who can protect you is you, yourself," said Chabashira. "People who work
+hard are rewarded. That much is obvious. Once you enter the real world, it's
+exceedingly unlikely you'll find people who'd gladly share their salary and
+bonuses with friends."
+Perhaps we should be grateful for the advice...but this was just going
+to make it harder to unite the class. I didn't doubt everything she was saying
+was true; I couldn't imagine any teacher at this school would stir up trouble
+just because there was no precedent for something. Chabashira always played
+by the rules.
+That said, there was more to this conversation.
+I was sure there had been prior instances of individuals saving up
+private points. But conversely, I was equally sure there had been incidents
+where students were saved because their classmates had accumulated a great
+many points. How did I know this? Well, from personal experience. In the
+past, Horikita and I worked out a solution to provide Sudou with points when
+it seemed he was about to be expelled. That then set a precedent.
+Ultimately, sharing points evenly among ourselves could be seen as a
+preventative measure to be deployed in unforeseen situations. Having
+individual students hold onto a large number of points raised the risk of that
+person embezzling those points or betraying the class.
+Chabashira had just said something that disrupted her own class's
+chances at cohesion. I couldn't reject the possibility that it was just school
+policy, of course, but...
+"Well, shall we put it to a majority vote? I'd like to at least hear what
+everyone is thinking. Can the people who want to split the rewards please
+raise your hands? It's okay if you change your mind later," said Hirata. He
+lifted his hand at once.
+Only a few hands went up. Most of my classmates looked worried.
+Coming together as a class was important, sure, but when push came to
+shove, you had to have a way to protect yourself. Most students probably had
+only somewhere between ten thousand to a hundred thousand private points.
+Given that, it was no wonder many wanted to keep those points as a safety
+net.
+Students who lacked confidence in their own abilities, on the other
+hand, were more likely to want points to be shared across the class. There
+were a few more such students than I'd expected, but in the end, less than
+half the class raised their hands.
+"Thank you."
+The majority was against point splitting. Hirata's motion had failed.
+"Was my advice unnecessary, Hirata?" Chabashira asked.
+"No, I'm thankful for it. It's valuable information at this stage."
+My phone vibrated. Thinking the certain individual whom I'd
+messaged might have replied, I took my phone out of my pocket—but it was
+his little sister, Horikita, who'd texted me. Naturally, it was about the special
+exam.
+"Do you have any ideas?" she wrote. Jeez, always trying to make me
+do things.
+"None, '' I replied. After thinking it over, I sent another message.
+"Guys and girls are going to be separated in this exam. I can't help with
+anything. Do your best."
+My attempt to offer her some encouragement. I was sure Horikita had a
+lot she wanted to say in return, but I didn't want to listen. I closed the text
+thread and checked on another of my group chats: that of the Ayanokouji
+Group (named after myself, but not in a boastful way).
+Keisei, Akito, and even Airi and Haruka all happily discussed the
+exam. I read through their texts, closed the chat without adding any
+comments, and resumed listening to Hirata.
+"We don't have enough time to come up with a strategy," he was
+saying. "If the boys and girls are going to be separated, sending advice to
+each other will get tricky."
+"No way..." The girls looked understandably uneasy at the prospect of
+being unable to turn to Hirata, who held the class together and had always
+been a guy they could rely on.
+"Since the boys won't be able to lend a hand, I think the girls should
+decide on a leader right now. Will you accept the role, Horikita-san?"
+Hirata had probably been chewing over this since Chabashira began to
+explain the exam. He'd singled out Horikita because she was the only one
+capable of handling the role.
+"Very well. If anyone's having difficulties, feel free to approach me at
+any time. I don't mind," replied Horikita. She showed no signs of
+displeasure, but, even though she was gradually becoming more of a person
+our classmates could depend on, she didn't warrant anywhere near the level
+of trust that Hirata did. Of course, being Horikita, she was surely aware of
+that.
+"However, I'm sure quite a few of the other girls will find me lacking,"
+she continued. "I don't like to say this of myself, but I have a somewhat
+abrasive personality."
+Yeah, that really wasn't something anyone would want to admit.
+"Which is why I'd like Kushida-san to assist me. What do you think?"
+said Horikita, directing this to Kushida, who sat near the front of the bus.
+"W-will I even be useful?" asked Kushida.
+"Of course. Everyone in our class trusts you."
+"Um... Well, okay. If you'd like, I'Il help."
+"Thank you. In the event someone finds it difficult to speak directly
+with me, you can do so via Kushida-san. I don't mind. I will respond to any
+issue, no matter how trivial."
+While Kushida's trustworthiness was a matter of some concern, this
+strategy was unquestionably the best we had right now. The exam rules made
+it fairly difficult for guys and girls to meddle in each other's affairs. Despite
+being held in the same general facility, our classes and tests would take place
+in separate locations. The guys would have no opportunity to participate in
+any of the battles being fought on the girls' side. With our phones being
+confiscated to boot, our only opportunity for contact would be the one hour
+we had for dinner.
+That being said, it was vital we be able to gather as much information
+as possible. I was going to need a gofer to funnel information to me from the
+girls. Kushida worried me. This left Horikita or Kei as options, and the
+former had a lot on her plate right now. I also had to consider the fact that she
+tended to read too much into my intentions and take unnecessary actions.
+More importantly, if she was going to be fielding consultation pleas
+from the other girls, she probably wouldn't have energy to spare for much
+else. I supposed I'd have to use Kei after all, though I couldn't force her to
+survey the entire group by herself.
+I sent the bare minimum of necessary information over to Ke1's phone.
+She immediately replied with a blank message to confirm receipt. Given we'd
+just learned that the unique nature of this test would force the guys and girls
+to do battle separately for a while, she must have assumed I'd be contacting
+her.
+Kei probably wanted some advice herself right now. Considering the
+rules of this exam, particularly the ones about the representatives and their
+ability to take someone down with them, it wasn't outside the realm of
+possibility that Kei might wind up as a sacrificial pawn. I couldn't say she
+was doing well at the moment, whether in terms of her test scores or her
+behavior in class.
+That was why I was going to teach her a few tricks to protect herself.
+They weren't things that every student could pull off, but they could keep
+you safer, if only slightly so.
+As for me, I couldn't really care less about the special exam. I had no
+intention of executing any winning strategies. All I wanted was to make it
+through safely and without incident.
+This didn't mean I wouldn't be making any moves at all—like what I'd
+just done by giving Kei advice. In a worst-case scenario, this special exam
+could lead to several students getting expelled from C Class. I couldn't
+protect the entire class by myself. I had to narrow down the list of people I
+wanted to safeguard.
+Besides myself, I wanted to protect Kei, who'd become a staunch ally,
+and Hirata. Considering my involvement with the student council, I needed to
+ensure that Horikita stuck around, too. Then there were my friends: Keisei,
+Akito, Haruka, and Airi. They couldn't be my top priority, but as their friend,
+I certainly hoped they wouldn't be expelled.
+Finally, given this rare opportunity for grade levels to intermingle, I
+should keep an eye on Nagumo's movements. Any other minor skirmishes
+that occurred around me were beneath my notice.
+2.1
+Tis BUS GOT OFF the highway and began to drive up the paved
+mountain road. I wondered why our school outings always took place in
+nature, like this location or the ocean.
+At any rate, a new special exam was about to begin. Given they were
+confiscating our phones, this was certainly going to be that annoying kind of
+test where you had to gather information either on your own or by using your
+connections. And, since more information would be leaked the more
+carelessly you acted, prudence and discretion would be vital.
+"I'm not cut out for this..." I muttered, letting my honest thoughts slip
+forth.
+No matter how many special exams we went through, I just couldn't
+get used to them. I'd so rarely had to cooperate with other people before.
+"We will arrive shortly," Chabashira said. "Once there, you will form
+your groups. Then, as soon as room assignments have been completed, you
+will have lunch, followed by free time in the afternoon."
+"That means... Yay! We don't have to study!" Ike beamed at me.
+True, but this wasn't vacation. It was a school day. Even taking the
+travel time into account, it was odd that they were letting us off the hook this
+afternoon—it felt almost like a normal field trip, which couldn't be right.
+The bus pulled into the stop and slowed to a halt.
+"When your name is called, hand over your phone and get off the bus.
+Ayanokouj1. [ke—"
+Chabashira started with the boys, calling our names in syllabary order.
+I turned my phone off and put it in a plastic box that sat next to our teacher.
+As I disembarked from the bus, an unfamiliar teacher approached, instructing
+us to wait a short distance away from the bus.
+"Dude, it's cold!" shouted Ike, hugging himself tightly. Probably
+because we were in the mountains. It was certainly colder here than at school.
+However, the sight before us made us forget the cold for a moment.
+"Whoa. What is this place? This seems a lot for a 'school camp'..."
+Enormous grounds spread out before us, with some extremely old-
+fashioned school buildings visible in the distance. Our home for the next
+week. They were huge, probably because they had to accommodate the
+students of all three grade levels.
+It felt similar to the test on the uninhabited island. As with that test, I
+really didn't have much experience living out in the wilds like this. People
+like Ike, who had been a boy scout, were going to be useful here. So would
+those like Sudou, with their physical strength.
+The girls filed off the bus next. It seemed like Horikita wanted to come
+talk to me, but unfortunately, we were already being queued up into separate
+lines. The boys and girls each headed for our respective school buildings,
+with the boys being directed to the larger one, referred to as the main
+building. Once inside, I found my nostrils tickled by the nostalgic scent of the
+wood-paneled interior.
+"This really is a traditional wooden school building, isn't it? It's old,
+but still beautiful. It must be exceptionally well maintained," said Hirata.
+Everyone else agreed.
+Along the way, we saw what appeared to be a classroom. There was no
+air conditioning, only a single stove placed in the center of the room. We'd
+most likely be having classes from tomorrow in rooms like that.
+Finally, we arrived at what seemed like a gymnasium. The guys from
+Class A and Class B, who were already there, looked over our way. The
+Class D students showed up right after us, so the second- and third-year
+students were probably on their way in next.
+We were ordered to form a line and await further instruction. Classes A
+and B looked calm and didn't chat amongst themselves. They'd probably
+already finished strategizing on the bus, huh?
+2D
+Boys FROM EVERY grade level assembled inside the gymnasium. The
+bashful first-year students clumped together to wait in silence, and soon after,
+a teacher from one of the senior classes took to the stage, microphone in
+hand.
+"I'm going to assume you all understand the contents of the exam after
+the explanation you were given on the bus ride," he addressed us. "Each
+grade level will now hold internal discussions and form into six small groups.
+The large groups will be formed at 8:00 p.m. today. That is all. As a
+reminder, the school will play no part in the formation of these groups,
+whether large or small. Nor will school officials act as mediators."
+Okay, then. I wondered what the other classes' strategies were? They
+should have some plans in place already, but...we'd see how it went.
+Each grade level—first-, second-, and third-years—distanced
+themselves from one another, and the discussions began. I was curious about
+what the seniors were doing, but it was hard to make out any details from
+here.
+As I attempted to observe them, though, there was already movement
+taking place within the first-year classes. I'd thought we'd try to feel each
+other out a little longer, but Class A got straight to work, forming one large
+group. A pretty attention-grabbing move, given the stalemate we were in.
+There were twenty boys in first-year Class A. Fourteen of them formed
+up into a single group, then made the following declaration to the people in
+Class B and below.
+"As you can see, we in Class A intend to form a single group in this
+fashion. We have fourteen people at present and need one more person to
+meet the requirements. We are looking for someone to join us."
+The person who said this was a Class A student named Matoba. I saw
+Katsuragi among the fourteen boys in the group, but if Matoba was the
+leader, did that mean Katsuragi wasn't the representative either? At any rate,
+this made it clear that Class A's strategy was to form a group made up of as
+many of their own people as possible.
+"Hey, hey! What the hell are you selfish punks doing? It ain't fair if
+you're the only ones who go and do something like that," said Sudou, glaring
+angrily at Class A.
+"Ts it selfish? Our group would comprise students representing only
+two classes. Even if we take first place, our modifier will be low. I don't
+think this is a greedy proposal at all."
+"W-well, sure. But it's unfair that there's fourteen of ya."
+"On the contrary, it's very fair. Since the remaining three classes can
+create three groups of fifteen people each, you can all make groups similar to
+ours. Right?"
+"Uh, I guess?" said Sudou, not quite understanding. He looked to
+Hirata for help.
+"That is correct, yes," said Hirata.
+"Then this discussion is pointless. By the way, we've agreed that the
+six remaining boys from Class A will happily join whatever groups you
+make, no matter their makeup," said Matoba, smiling broadly. He turned to
+Class B's Kanzaki and Shibata as well.
+"Um... Well, I guess this isn't really a bad deal at all. What do you
+think, Kanzaki?"
+"Sorry, I need more time to answer that," Kanzaki said.
+"T can't imagine that Class A students would go so far as to
+deliberately drag the other classes down, but I suppose it's best to be
+cautious..."
+Class A was pushing everyone to come to a decision right away, but
+Kanzaki didn't seem inclined to rush. In response to his stalling, Matoba
+came back with a strongly worded statement. "You have five minutes. Please
+make your decision by then."
+"A time limit? We've only just begun to discuss this. Class A gave us
+an opinion, not an order—you don't get to make an unilateral decision here.
+A five-minute window ts absurd."
+Despite Class A's claim that going along with their proposal meant
+each class could make their own group of fourteen people, it would be a lie to
+say that this was fair for all classes. If you thought about it, Class A was the
+only class that could afford not to care about a low reward modifier. They
+were currently ranked first and leading in points.
+"T suppose it wouldn't be fair of us to make this decision solely by
+ourselves," Matoba said. "But you misunderstand. We're not saying we
+won't negotiate after the five minutes are up. We're just offering special
+terms for someone within that five minutes."
+"Special terms?"
+Matoba continued to control the conversation, precisely because the
+other classes had yet to solidify what they wanted. This was certainly close to
+what you'd call a preemptive strike.
+"Class A is going to form one group of fourteen people, meaning we
+require one student from another class. Setting aside the merits of this
+strategy, it's certainly true that we're selfishly pushing this idea on you. As
+such, the single person whom we will welcome into our group will receive
+special treatment," he explained eloquently.
+This had to be the strategy they'd come up with on the bus.
+"The student who joins our group will bear no risk whatsoever.
+Katsuragi-kun will act as the group's representative, and in the unlikely event
+that we place last, he will take full responsibility. No one will be dragged
+down via the solidarity rule. Of course, this only applies so long as the
+special entrant doesn't intentionally lower our scores or hurt our friends. If
+your exam scores are genuinely poor despite your best efforts, that's fine."
+So these were the special terms, huh?
+"Are you serious...?"
+The proposal had its merits. Gathering skilled team members in one
+place to create a group with a high point modifier might be necessary to
+advance a class, but it was those skilled people—the people at the very heart
+of the class—who bore the risks of such a strategy going sour. From the
+perspective of an average student, who grappled with fears of expulsion,
+Matoba's proposed system of special treatment wasn't a bad idea at all. It
+would guarantee they made it safely through this special exam.
+Still, why wasn't Katsuragi the one suggesting this? Was this the
+fallout of him losing status within the class?
+"We intend to take first place, meaning there is a strong possibility that
+our special entrant will be rewarded with private points. Aren't many of you
+nervous about this special exam?" asked Matoba, looking around. His words
+clearly resonated with the less secure students. "However, if you cannot
+decide within the five-minute window, the special offer expires. In the
+unlikely event that our class does receive a penalty, we will not hesitate to
+drag that student down with us."
+"It's an interesting proposal. But after the five minutes have passed, the
+value of joining your group plummets significantly. No one wants to join a
+team with such a high risk of taking them down with it," said Kanzaki.
+"Yeah, that's right. Who'd be crazy enough to do that?" said a student
+who'd been briefly charmed by the idea of the special terms.
+"T don't mind what you think. But these are our terms," said Matoba,
+taking a step back. His group moved with him, signaling the end of the
+discussion.
+"T think we're better off ignoring them. Once five minutes have passed,
+no one will want to join their group. They' Il be back," said Kanzaki.
+"Suppose so," said Shibata.
+Having said that, they moved calmly away. I didn't see Kaneda and the
+other newly demoted Class D students making any strange movements either.
+Hirata, however, seemed to be the sole person who felt differently
+about Class A's proposal. He approached Keisei, Akito, and me, asking,
+"What do you think?" in a low voice.
+"About their strategy?" replied Keisei, taking the lead in the
+conversation.
+"Yeah. Surprisingly enough, I don't think it's a bad deal. It is
+absolutely essential that everyone in Class C makes it through. We've only
+just been promoted, and I don't want any of my classmates to be expelled. If
+a student who's nervous about this exam joins Class A's group, they should
+be able to rest easy," said Hirata.
+As a defensive strategy, Class A's proposal had its merits.
+"Of course, it remains to be seen whether Class A will keep their
+promise of special treatment. If they wind up taking last place, they might use
+the solidarity rule to take someone down with them, after all," he added.
+Hirata's anxieties were understandable. Verbal agreements were
+binding in nature, but even if we confronted Class A about it in the wake of a
+betrayal, they could trap us in endless arguments that went nowhere. If they
+feigned ignorance, then things would get complicated. After all, their promise
+hinged on no one intentionally sabotaging the group. If a student's exam
+scores were low, it would be difficult to prove whether or not it was
+intentional.
+Still, we couldn't exactly get it in writing; there weren't any pens or
+paper at hand. The teachers had been ordered not to help, so asking them to
+bear witness to a verbal promise would probably be useless too.
+That being said, Matoba's words had piqued the interest of all of the
+first-year students. He stood to gain nothing by going back on his words. It
+might be okay to trust Class A on this.
+".,.It might be possible to have them protect one person," I stated,
+joining Hirata and Keisei's conversation.
+"Yeah. If we make a move now, that just leaves the question of what B
+and D decide..."
+Accepting the offer would be seen as siding with Class A, who had
+opted for a heavy-handed approach. Even though we only had a tiny window,
+Hirata seemed to want to think this over until the last possible second.
+Roughly three minutes had passed since Class A's sudden proposal. We
+didn't know whether they were dutifully counting every second, but Matoba
+and the others seemed to be leisurely standing by.
+Maybe they were expecting someone to raise their hand. Or maybe
+they were thinking up another strategy. We watched them carefully for the
+remaining two minutes, waiting for them to make their move—though what
+they would do, of course, depended on the leaders of classes B and below.
+"Kanzaki-shi. I have a proposal. Would you care to hear it?" said
+Kaneda.
+Rather than whisper, he raised his voice boldly so that everyone could
+hear, beckoning Hirata to join them too.
+"I've determined that this is an opportunity we should seize," he said.
+"Thanks to Class A forming up like this, even if their group does happen to
+win in this exam, they only get a point modifier for representing two classes.
+Moreover, if we accept their conditions, we can assign the remaining Class A
+students as we see fit. We could configure the remaining groups to include
+students from all four classes, meaning the higher those groups ranked, the
+greater the likelihood of their members closing the gap between their class
+and Class A. Correct?"
+"That's only if we can rank higher than them, though."
+I didn't know what the exact scores were, but during the Paper Shuffle,
+Class A had destroyed Class B. In a test of academic skill, this could end
+badly.
+"It's certainly risky. However, this isn't merely a question of
+academics. What do you think? I say we try to overthrow Class A here and
+now," said Kaneda.
+In other words, have B, C, and D cooperate to lay siege against Class A
+here.
+"Letting Class A have a group of fourteen of their people is a small
+price to pay, compared to the point multiplier for representing all four classes
+in a single group. With their offer of special treatment on top of that, it should
+work out perfectly."
+"That's right. I like Kaneda-kun's strategy," said Hirata. Kanzaki,
+more cautious, continued to ruminate on the benefits of having people from
+all four classes in a single group.
+"But who's going to join Class A's main group?" he said. "I doubt any
+Class B students want to team up with them. Myself included."
+Even if the special entrant would be protected from expulsion, he'd be
+spending the week in a group made up only of Class A students. It was safe
+to say it wouldn't be the most comfortable time.
+"Let's ask students from Classes B and D. Would anyone like to step
+forward?" said Hirata.
+We looked at each other. But no one raised their hand.
+"Then I'd like to ask Class C. Would anyone like to step forward?"
+asked Hirata, directing the question to our own class this time. But he got the
+same reaction.
+Some were likely considering the offer because of the special quota but
+also anxious about having everyone's eyes on them. Not to mention being
+behind enemy lines for a week.
+"This is just my opinion," said Hirata, "but I think Class A will keep
+their word."
+"How can you know that?"
+"Because they're Class A, I suppose. If they do force a lower-ranking
+student into expulsion despite their promise, no one will ever trust them
+enough to make a deal with them again. We're only in the third semester of
+our first year. To lose credibility now would be a significant setback."
+Hirata's words made sense. If this were a final, decisive battle, Class A
+might act without care for their reputation. But they still had over two years
+to go. If they were seen to keep their word here, they could continue to use
+similar methods in the exams to come. Hirata was saying they wouldn't do
+anything too reckless just yet.
+"Not to praise an enemy, but this is Class A. Their grades are simply
+better than ours. I doubt they'Il come last or drop below the average. Your
+safety would be guaranteed."
+Ike and the others could understand that temptation well.
+"Fortunately, there don't appear to be any Class B or D candidates. I'd
+like to choose someone from Class C to join A's group. Even if they do win,
+our class would benefit, and someone would avoid the chance of expulsion.
+How does that sound?" said Hirata.
+He specifically directed his gaze to Ike and Yamauchi, no doubt
+wanting to protect students who were anxious about their abilities. He made
+sure to confirm the truth of what he was saying with Matoba too.
+"Even if the special entrant scores below the group's average, do you
+promise you won't seek to punish them?" he asked Matoba.
+"Of course. We ask nothing of that student. If they uphold the
+conditions I outlined earlier, they have my word."
+"T suppose I'll do it," muttered Ike. Upon hearing that, Yamauchi said
+the same.
+"T think I would like to volunteer myself as well," added the Professor,
+bringing us to three candidates.
+"To keep things fair, how about we settle this with rock-paper-
+scissors? The winner joins the group," suggested Hirata. They did just that,
+with Yamauchi emerging victorious, making him the person chosen to join
+Class A's main group. And thus, the first group was formed. They reported to
+Mashima-sensei, leaving the six remaining Class A students behind.
+"Now we can form the remaining groups however we wish. I suppose
+we could do as Class A suggested and form three groups of fourteen people
+from the same class. And, just like Class A, we could pledge not to invoke
+the solidarity rule against the one person from another class. Personally,
+however, I would prefer we do as I had suggested earlier and blend all four
+classes together."
+"That's right. Now that we're goin' with Class A's plan, I think we
+should blend 'em."
+"No objections here. What do you say, Class C?"
+Kanzaki and Kaneda's strategy was one designed to secure the highest
+point multiplier.
+"If we're aiming to win, this is what we need to do. No argument from
+99
+me.
+"Wait a minute, Hirata. Is this really okay? Like, I don't wanna join a
+group with someone like Ishizaki in it," interrupted Sudou.
+It wasn't just Sudou either. Keisei and other Class C students felt
+similarly, and grumbled complaints could be heard from a number of Class B
+and D students too. Having students from all four classes got you a high
+multiplier, but it also courted conflict. If students who fought like cats and
+dogs got stuck in the same group, it might even affect scores.
+"T understand. I don't think this is something we can decide
+immediately. What works for Class A may not work for us."
+Given how satisfied the Class A students looked, they'd probably
+agreed to split the rewards equally among all their classmates. They might
+even have promised to give the six students excluded from their main group a
+greater share of the rewards to offset the greater risks they faced. They could
+afford to do so precisely because they were Class A and in a relatively safe
+position.
+"Why don't we form hypothetical groups for the time being? If anyone
+objects, we can stop and start over."
+"Sounds good. Trying to feel things out wastes precious time and
+won't get us to a consensus, and Class A's already moved onto the next
+step."
+Arguing back and forth would get us nowhere. The other students must
+have been leaving matters to their respective leaders, because there were
+almost no dissenting opinions.
+"No objections here," said Kaneda, accepting the offer without any
+resistance. We began to form groups smoothly and efficiently. Even though
+no one had spoken up, though, many students still wore skeptical looks on
+their faces.
+Ryuuen, not Kaneda, had been Class D's original leader. Everyone
+here was aware of that. But Ryuuen wasn't participating in the group
+discussion at all. In fact, he was keeping his distance from everyone and
+didn't even look like he was paying attention. Now that the third semester
+was underway, it was common knowledge that he'd vacated his position of
+authority a while ago. Among the students who didn't know the specific
+details behind his fall, there were several who suspected that the whole thing
+was a charade.
+"Td like to ask you something. Did Ryuuen tell you to do this?" asked
+Shibata, voicing the question Hirata and even Kanzaki didn't dare to.
+Kaneda removed his glasses and blew dust off the lenses. "No. This
+was my idea. His opinions are irrelevant. And even if he and I were
+collaborating behind the scenes, I'm the one talking to you right now. Any
+problem with that?"
+His expression turned somewhat grim.
+"T just wanted to make sure. Sorry if I offended you," Shibata
+apologized.
+"You didn't. Now let's continue with our discussion. We don't have
+the time for chit-chat."
+Designing these groups was a tricky task. Each group would have to
+work as a team, while their individual members tried to avoid expulsion and
+assist their class at the same time. It might sound easy, but it wasn't. The
+process of group formation involved securing capable players while trying
+not to get stuck with any duds.
+We needed to make sure the students who were likely to drag the rest
+down wound up in someone else's group. Hirata, Kanzaki, and Kaneda chose
+to act as representatives for their respective groups, shelving the matter of the
+remaining small groups for now.
+Immediate volunteers from Class C flocked to Hirata. Having a
+classmate as your group representative meant you were probably safe from
+being dragged down with them via the solidarity rule, and you already knew
+them well to boot. A good way to minimize interference from other classes.
+People clustered in this fashion, with Class B showing similar trends. Their
+group members were decided faster than I could have imagined.
+Class D was the last to form up, and they did so slowly. I probably
+wasn't the only one keeping my eye on them. Prominent students like
+Kanzaki and Shibata were observing them, of course, but so were many
+others, all curious to know exactly how Ryuuen Kakeru fit into the Class D
+puzzle right now.
+No one trusted Class D at all. Understandable, given how many times
+Ryuuen Kakeru had tried to entrap us.
+"What are you going to do, Kiyotaka?" Keisei and Akito came over to
+check in with me.
+"What about you?" I asked, batting the question back at them while
+donning a conflicted expression face.
+"Tm thinking of sticking with Keisei. I mean, using my head really
+isn't my strong suit."
+".,.A group composed mainly of C Class students is appealing. It's
+just, well, to be honest...I'm not really satisfied with Hirata's way of doing
+things."
+"Meaning?" asked Akito, not understanding what Keisei was getting
+at.
+"Hirata focuses on protecting his comrades, rather than winning. That's
+not a bad thing, but it doesn't advance us as a class. Also, Ike, Onizuka, and
+Sotomura are hoping to join Hirata's group. How they perform will depend
+on the nature of the upcoming tests, of course. They might even score better
+than me. But it's far more likely that they won't, given what this exam is
+shaping up to be like."
+"Well, that's true..."
+"Class A isn't an unruly mob. Even if Yamauchi drags them down, it's
+doubtful Hirata's group could win against them. The only thing we
+accomplish under his strategy is avoiding being taken out by the solidarity
+rule. Given that, I think that I'd rather be the minority in another group. We
+should aim for victory, using an elite few."
+"Tf this whole thing comes down to average scores, that's a solid
+approach, I suppose."
+There were eighty boys in the first year, twenty in each respective
+class. If we divided them up, here's how the four main groups would look:
+GRouP A (14 A, | C) = 15 people
+GROUP B (12 B, 1 A, 1 C, 1 D) = 15 people
+Group c (12 C, 1 A, 1 B, 1 D) = 15 people
+GROUP D (12 D, 1 A, 1 C, 1 B) = 15 people
+That left twenty people (three from Class A, six from B, five from C,
+six from D) who would probably have to form two groups. However, while
+the majority of students were doing as their class leaders directed, some
+didn't seem inclined to cooperate. One such student was unmistakably Class
+D's Ryuuen Kakeru, who had avoided interacting with anyone, standing
+around alone as if he had no interest in participating in this exam in the first
+place.
+Despite being alone, it didn't look like he was wallowing in loneliness,
+or anything. If anything, he looked like he was proudly waiting out his
+solitude. Either way, one of the remaining groups was going to have to take
+him in.
+There was only one student I could imagine doing such a thing in a
+situation where even Ishizaki, Ryuuen's classmate, wouldn't talk to him.
+"Ryuuen-kun. Would you care to join our team?"
+Of course, it was Hirata.
+I could understand why someone like Ryuuen, who'd halfway retired
+from inter-class competition, would find a mandatory-collaboration exam like
+this one annoying. That said, he probably wouldn't imprudently defy the
+school's will either.
+"Wait, Hirata! Taking Ryuuen? That isn't funny!"
+Everyone who'd joined Hirata's group resisted. Who'd want to work
+alongside the ultimate ticking time bomb? Ryuuen was the single most
+unnecessary element of a strategy to climb to Class A. The students
+understood this—but at the same time, they had doubts rising within them.
+Doubts, that is, about the scenario where they graduated "from a class
+other than A."
+Failing to graduate in Class A meant they would never benefit from
+this school's too-good-to-be-true guarantee of getting you into any institution
+or career you wanted. What was even the point of graduating if you couldn't
+do it in Class A?
+That question haunted everyone at this school. It was the same kind of
+mingled unease you got when good news and bad news reached you at the
+same time. Without Class A, you'd be labeled an underperformer.
+Universities or workplaces might outright refuse to admit or hire those who
+didn't have what it took.
+Of course, there were undoubtedly many who held graduates of the
+Advanced Nurturing High School in high regard. Spending three long, hard
+years in the pure meritocracy of a government-sponsored school had its own
+value. Graduating from this school at all was still a substantial achievement,
+as long as you didn't get your hopes up too high.
+As for the second-year students, Nagumo was already top dog of Class
+A, far ahead of Class B and below. With a year left to go, other classes could
+still turn things around, but it was an uphill battle. The third-year students had
+it tough, too. While their situation certainly wasn't as one-sided as the
+second-years, I had heard that Class A, where Horikita's brother was placed,
+had never once surrendered its lead and was still going strong.
+At this point, there was almost no chance for the second- and third-
+years in Class D to make any kind of comeback, barring some kind of
+miracle... Maybe if this were one of those quiz shows where you could shoot
+to first place simply by getting the crucial final question right. But I doubted
+that would happen here.
+Putting aside the first-year students who hadn't yet grasped the bigger
+picture, everyone was likely terrified of expulsion. I couldn't imagine a
+university or employer welcoming an expelled student with open arms.
+The systems in place for this exam, like the solidarity rule, were
+deterrents at best.
+The systems in place in this exam, like the representative being able to
+drag someone down with them, was at most a deterrent. It was a rule created
+to ensure that students wouldn't be getting forcefully expelled. However,
+being vigilant was still important. There was still a possibility that there was a
+student out there who didn't mind getting expelled, and in the off chance that
+a representative gets expelled, they probably wouldn't hesitate to bring
+someone else down with them.
+This meant everyone would be wise to score higher than their
+representative, even if only by one point, to escape the solidarity rule. Also, it
+was important not to incur the representative's wrath.
+"Oh, ho, ain't you a big shot, Hirata, takin' me in. But it doesn't look
+like people are on board," said Ryuuen.
+That's right. They wouldn't agree, and the group wouldn't form unless
+Hirata managed to talk them into it.
+"Hey, Keisei. Wouldn't being part of an elite crew be pretty risky?"
+muttered Akito, looking at the remaining members.
+"Yeah, maybe more than I thought."
+Keisei let out an exasperated sigh. Aside from me, the remaining five
+Class C students were Keisei, Akito, the Professor, Onizuka, and Kouenji.
+The Professor and Onizuka had wanted to join Hirata's group, but that group
+was full up. As for Kouenji, he did his own thing, so to speak. He didn't
+participate in any discussion.
+We could argue that we'd like those five to all stick together, but then
+we'd have two groups of ten remaining, meaning the other classes wouldn't
+be able to make the same move. On top of that, since there were practically
+no students left who would proactively step up and take on the role of
+representative, students' movements became rigid, as if time had come to a
+halt.
+"As long as I'm not in a group with Ryuuen, I'm good," said a Class B
+student.
+"T'd also like to avoid Ryuuen," said Keiset.
+Everyone was on team Not Ryuuen, probably because they had no idea
+what he might do next. Even his old allies, like Ishizaki, kept their distance.
+Shiina Hiyori, who hadn't been involved in that rooftop scuffle, might have
+supported Ryuuen, but she wasn't here.
+"This isn't going to be easy."
+"The best plan would be to put him with the Class D group."
+"That would be great, sure, but we're 1n a bit of a bind right now."
+"T heard they had a falling out. But I don't have enough evidence to
+know if that's true."
+It was understandable that Kanzaki—no, that everyone here—would
+have doubts. They probably saw this whole situation as Class D intentionally
+cutting Ryuuen loose in the hopes he'd sabotage someone else.
+"Kanzaki-kun," Hirata said. "If Ryuuen-kun really is having trouble, I
+think that we should do something about it."
+"By 'do something about it,' you mean Classes B and C should help
+him. Is that it?"
+"Yes."
+"Even if it helps out Class D, two other classes would be hurt in the
+process. If you weigh the risks, it's not a good idea."
+Kanzaki was right. If including Ryuuen meant taking a risk, then that
+risk should be shouldered by his own class. Kaneda and Ishizaki might not
+like the situation, but they had no right to saddle another class with Ryuuen,
+and we didn't need to take responsibility for their problems.
+Mind you, if we'd been competing in pairs, Hirata would probably
+have paired up with Ryuuen in the blink of an eye. But this was a group test.
+One person's goodwill couldn't carry the day, as evinced by the silence that
+followed.
+It seemed forming groups was going to take longer than expected. The
+paranoia and suspicion emerging from the three groups that had formed right
+off the bat as a result of excluding Ryuuen didn't help.
+23
+66
+Atiow ME to suggest something. The problem we're facing right
+now is Ryuuen. We're fighting over which group to put him in, right? In that
+case, I'd be willing to act as a group's representative in exchange for that
+group taking Ryuuen," said Akito, who had been carefully observing the
+situation next to me.
+Of course, declaring that he would accept Ryuuen when no one else
+wanted to instantly raised people's suspicions.
+"What are you plotting?"
+"Tt's simple. In return, I want the lion's share of the reward for first
+place."
+I didn't think people would resist the idea, but then again, they all
+understood that taking in Ryuuen came with great risks. It was just that,
+well...I never imagined
+Akito would make a move with the intention of getting the reward. I
+suspected he was simply trying to come up with a reason to take Ryuuen in,
+since no one else was willing to do so.
+"What are you proposing, exactly? You're not planning to use the
+solidarity rule to take someone else down with you if it comes to that, are
+you?"
+"Unless someone tries to blatantly sabotage me, I won't do that. And
+the rules say I can't, anyway."
+The members of the hypothetical groups fell silent after hearing
+Akito's well-reasoned argument. And so, despite encountering a few bumps
+in the road, the first-years finally managed to form six groups.
+This included my group, which was composed as follows:
+From Class C, we had Kouenji, Keisei, and me. Three people.
+From Class B, we had Sumida, Moriyama, and Tokitou. Three people.
+From Class A, we had Yahiko and Hashimoto. Two people.
+Then, from Class D, we had Ishizaki and Albert. Two people.
+Ten people in total.
+Our group was clearly unlike the other five. We had a far more even
+mix of students from different classes, though I supposed the group Akito
+was representing wasn't too far off. However, my group still needed a
+representative. None of us seemed to have great leadership skills, and no one
+was stepping forward to claim the role. With no one around to take the lead
+and guide everyone toward a consensus, we all sat there, not knowing what to
+say.
+Anyway, we had to at least report to the school that we'd successfully
+formed our group. We could select the representative later. So the ten of us—
+group number six—headed over to report to the school officials.
+"Even though we managed to avoid having Ryuuen, I'm still worried
+about getting a decent average score," said Keisei anxiously.
+I wasn't certain how good the other students were either. Personally,
+I'd wanted to avoid being in the same group as Ishizaki and Albert, but there
+was nothing to be done about it at this point. Ishizaki was blatantly refusing
+to meet my eyes, but that didn't necessarily mean that a third party was going
+to notice anything was up. Most people would assume he simply thought
+nothing of me.
+"Kouenji is going to be a problem too," I said.
+If Kouenji would take things seriously, he'd be unstoppable. His
+athletic and academic abilities were impressive. But "take things seriously"
+was where things fell apart.
+"T mean, he's Kouenji, but he wouldn't really do something that gets us
+penalized, right? If he does, maybe it's all over."
+I had a feeling Kouenji would score above average, but would do it in
+an aimless, noncommittal way. The only certain thing about him was that his
+motives were impenetrable. If he remained unmotivated, our future was
+uncertain.
+When we finished giving our report, I noticed a group hanging around.
+It was the one with mostly Class A students, who should've been long gone.
+At first, I thought they wanted to find out how the remaining five groups had
+organized themselves, but it seemed that wasn't the case. There were second-
+and third-year students waiting around, too. More importantly, so was
+Student Council President Nagumo Miyabi, who ruled the second-years with
+an iron hand.
+After confirming that all the first-year students had formed their
+groups, he called out to me. "You guys were surprisingly quick. I thought
+that would take you longer."
+It seemed the second- and third-year students were almost all done
+composing their small groups too.
+"T have a proposal for you first-years," Nagumo said. "How about we
+form a large group right now?"
+"Aren't we going to decide that tonight, Nagumo-senpai?"
+"That's just the school being flexible. They didn't expect that the small
+groups would form so quickly. Since all grade levels have finished, wouldn't
+it be best if we moved on to the next step?"
+Apparently, his suggestion was unexpected—even to the teachers.
+Sensing that we were about to start forming large groups, the teachers began
+to move in a hurry. Since the student council president himself had proposed
+this, the other students could hardly refuse.
+"You don't mind, do you, Horikita-senpai?"
+"IT don't. This is more convenient for us too."
+Discussions were underway, with Nagumo at the center.
+"So, how do we do this? Should we have a draft-pick system? One
+person from each of the first-year small groups plays rock-paper-scissors
+against the others. The outcomes determine the order in which people make
+their picks. Based on that order, they can choose which second- or third-year
+small groups they want, and thus we'll get large groups. A fair and quick
+process."
+"The first-years don't have much information to go on. That doesn't
+seem fair."
+"It's never going to be completely fair. We all have different amounts
+of information, in the end."
+A brief but important conversation between Nagumo and Horikita's
+brother followed. There was no way a first-year could interrupt.
+Goldenaga : >cts.com
+***
+"What do you first-years think? If you have any complaints, speak up,"
+said Nagumo, knowing full well that no one would talk back to him.
+"We have no objections," answered Matoba, apparently now
+representing the first-years.
+"T see. In that case, how 'bout we get started?"
+Nagumo smiled, and then joined up with his own small group. The
+second- and third-year students reformed their groups so that it was easier for
+us to tell them apart. Then the representatives of five small first-year groups
+stepped forward. Nagumo regarded us fondly, like we were adorable
+children.
+"Now all that's left is that group."
+My small group was the only one that had yet to pick a representative,
+so naturally, none of us were stepping up to play rock-paper-scissors. I lightly
+pushed Keisei, making sure I wasn't noticed. He looked puzzled but then
+reluctantly raised his hand.
+The six representatives formed a circle and started playing. Keisei was
+selected to pick fourth. First up was Matoba's group, which was mostly filled
+with Class A students. Second was Hirata's group, consisting mostly of Class
+C students. Third was the Class D group, represented by Kaneda.
+"You can discuss among yourselves which group you'd like to pick."
+Two groups that immediately stood out as top choices: the group
+containing the leader of second-year Class A, the student council president
+Nagumo, and the group led by Horikita's brother, a third-year student. But
+someone like Hirata, who had many friends and acquaintances across
+different grade levels, might be able to spot an excellent group that didn't
+appear to be one at first glance.
+Matoba's group, the first to pick, chose the third-year group containing
+Horikita Manabu without hesitation. Next, Hirata carefully assessed each of
+the eleven groups. In the end, he didn't go with one of the two obvious
+choices I mentioned but picked a group of third-years that didn't have a
+single person I recognized.
+"Hey, Hirata, you sure that's a good idea? Shouldn't you pick the
+student council president's or something?" Ike interrupted, unsurprisingly.
+"Yes, I'm sure. I think this is a good choice. Exceptional people have
+their appeal, sure, but they can bring trouble in their wake. Besides, the
+seniors I chose aren't half bad," replied Hirata, nodding with apparent
+confidence.
+Ike decided not to push the matter, a sign of the trust Hirata had
+cultivated with our class.
+The majority-Class-D group was next. Kaneda consulted his
+classmates—which 1s to say he simply informed them which group he wanted
+to choose. There were no objections, and he made his selection immediately.
+"T would like to join second-year Gouda-senpat's group, please."
+Once again, Nagumo's group had been passed over.
+"T wonder why they're avoiding Nagumo," I muttered doubtfully.
+Akito, standing next to me, offered an answer.
+"Because aside from Nagumo-senpai, the other members are kind of
+iffy."
+"Ts that so?"
+"Well, I suppose they're not all iffy, but there are a lot of C and D
+guys. The second-year group with lots of Class A students is the one Kaneda
+picked."
+In other words, it wasn't that Kaneda had avoided picking Nagumo—
+just that he had chosen reliable, strong allies. I was curious as to why
+Nagumo hadn't formed a group of mostly Class A students. I knew he
+controlled all the second-years; bringing members of his own class together
+seemed like a more reliable option.
+Finally, it was Keisei's turn. "Is it okay for me to decide?" he asked the
+rest of the group.
+"T don't care. Don't really get it, anyway," said Ishizaki.
+It seemed Ishizaki, and by extension the Class D students, were fine
+with leaving the decision to Keisei. The Class A students had no real opinion
+on the matter either. The Class B students said nothing at first, but after
+thinking it over for a while, they made the following request.
+"Please pick Nagumo-senpai's group."
+Though Nagumo's group was mostly composed of Class C and D
+students, I was guessing it was the presence of the council president that
+made them rate it so highly. After hearing the Class B students' request,
+Keisei chose Nagumo's group.
+After that, discussion came to an end. The six large groups had formed
+successfully.
+"Horikita-senpai, since we're in separate large groups, how about we
+have ourselves a little contest?" proposed Nagumo. Horikita shot him a sharp
+look.
+I heard a somewhat exasperated sigh, and a third-year named Fujimaki
+stepped forward to admonish Nagumo. I recognized him as the person who'd
+taken charge during the Sports Festival, meaning he wielded a certain degree
+of influence.
+"Nagumo. How many times have you done this? Enough already."
+"Whatever do you mean, Fujimaki-senpai?"
+"You keep challenging Horikita to competitions. I've never interfered
+before, but this is a large-scale special exam that includes the first-year
+students. You cannot treat this like your own personal game."
+"Why do you say that? Distinctions like first and third year no longer
+apply right now. Challenging someone under such conditions is hardly
+unusual, is it? There's nothing in the special exam rulebook to forbid it."
+Rather than cower before Fujimaki's impressive bulk, Nagumo chose to taunt
+him.
+"We're talking fundamental morals here. Even if something isn't
+expressly against the rules, some actions are good, and some are bad. That's
+obvious."
+"T don't really think so. If anything, it's precisely seniors like you who
+hinder the growth of younger students by refusing to do battle with them,
+wouldn't you say?"
+"You may be student council president, but that doesn't mean you can
+do as you please. You need to be aware of the fact that you're overstepping
+your authority."
+"If you think that's the case, then please, make me aware of it. How
+about you be my opponent, Fujimaki-senpai? You're third-year Class A's
+number two, aren't you?" replied Nagumo, stuffing his hands arrogantly into
+his pockets, acting as though Fujimaki were an afterthought.
+It was cheap provocation, but it seemed to successfully antagonize
+some of the third-years. A few students started to step forward. However,
+Horikita kept them back.
+"T have rejected your demands until now," Horikita said. "Do you
+know why?"
+"Hmm, let's see. I'd say it's because your friends are scared you might
+lose, but that can't be right. You are superior to every other person I've met,
+Horikita-senpai. You're not afraid to lose. You never even think that you
+could lose."
+The second-year students listening to Nagumo wore worshipful looks
+on their faces. He wasn't a friend or a patron. He was a rival, a hated enemy,
+but also someone they deeply respected. It seemed he inspired a variety of
+powerful emotions, anyway.
+In the two years he'd been at this school, Nagumo had accomplished
+many things that no ordinary person could. Not even the third-year students
+could comprehend the extent of his achievements. The first-year students
+even less so.
+"I'm the same as you, Fujimaki-senpai. I don't want any futile conflict
+either."
+"The conflict you do want gets too many other people involved."
+"But that's just how this school works. And I think that's the best part
+of it... Well, I suppose it comes down to a difference of opinion. At any rate,
+I wish we could have had a little showdown in that relay during the Sports
+Festival, senpai. Alas, that didn't happen. I'm still really frustrated about that,
+y know?"
+"T can't imagine what a showdown between the second- and third-years
+would do to help us in this exam."
+"You're probably right. You're that kind of person, senpai. But all I
+want is a battle between the former student council president and the current
+student council president. You're going to graduate soon. Before that
+happens, I want to see whether I've surpassed you."
+There was no telling if Nagumo would ever stop. It was like he was
+possessed by some kind of unceasing longing.
+"'What would the battle even be?" Horikita asked.
+The third-year students looked shocked at the implication he might be
+about to accept Nagumo's challenge.
+"How about which of us can get the most students expelled?" replied
+Nagumo.
+Everyone, from first-years to third-years, started murmuring amongst
+themselves.
+"Stop joking."
+"T really do think that would be interesting. But if you insist...how
+about which group can earn the higher average score? Simple and easy to
+understand."
+"Very well. I accept."
+"Thank you. I knew you wouldn't disappoint, senpai."
+"However, this is a personal battle between you and me. Don't drag
+anyone else into it."
+"Don't drag others into it? Given the rules of this special exam, I
+would think getting someone to drag your opponent's group down was a
+valid strategy."
+"That's the very opposite of what the essence of this exam is meant to
+be. This is, at most, an exercise to test our group's unity. The point of the test
+isn't to exploit a weakness in an opponent's group, even if you happen upon
+one by accident."
+"*...What does that mean?" said Ishizaki, seemingly directing his
+question at Keisei.
+"It means we play fair and square, based on our abilities and nothing
+more. To put it simply—no dirty tricks. No kicking our opponents while
+they're down, like Ryuuen likes to do," Keisei answered.
+"IT see."
+Ignoring Keisei and Ishizaki, Horikita's brother and Nagumo continued
+with their discussion.
+"If you don't agree to my conditions, I won't accept your challenge,"
+said Horikita. In all likelihood, the ultimatum was meant as a way to
+hamstring Nagumo.
+"So I can't win by attacking Horikita-senpai's pawns, huh? Fine." P''d
+expected him to object, but surprisingly, Nagumo agreed readily enough.
+However, Horikita's brother wasn't finished.
+"This isn't limited to my group. I refuse to acknowledge any methods
+that cause harm to spill over to other students either. Our competition is
+invalid the moment I determine you've been meddling in others' affairs."
+"Just as I'd expect, senpai. You miss nothing. I'd considered recruiting
+other groups to launch a joint attack, but..."" Nagumo smiled audaciously.
+"Well, since I'm the only one who really wants to compete, I don't mind
+agreeing to a certain number of conditions. All right. Fair and square, let's
+see who scores higher and works better as a group or whatever. Ah, let me
+say this, though—no need to penalize the loser, yeah? After all, our pride is
+what's on the line here."
+Horikita's brother said nothing to either confirm or deny that. That
+probably meant he didn't even intend to put his pride on the line for this.
+2.4
+Wi THAT, the long opening act was finally at an end. But then
+Nagumo called out to our small group, stopping us in our tracks.
+"Hey. Now that the seniors are gone, it looks like you guys haven't
+decided on a representative yet."
+"Huh? How could you tell?" asked Keisei, sounding slightly panicked.
+"When I suggested everyone play rock-paper-scissors, it took a minute
+before you stumbled out. If you'd had a representative picked, he'd have
+stepped forward right away. I noticed one other group had a delayed reaction
+too. I'm thinking the groups that couldn't decide on their representatives
+were probably the ones with a more balanced mix of three or four classes,"
+said Nagumo.
+Nagumo probably didn't know each and every one of the first-year
+students. Even so, he had correctly deduced how our groups were divided,
+which wasn't something just anyone could do. Any delays on our part had
+been minor. We hadn't discussed it; I'd just shoved Keisei and he'd
+immediately stepped up. Most people would never have noticed anything
+wrong.
+I'd been trying to avoid exposing what could be construed as a
+weakness in our group. I guess my attempt had been in vain.
+"T thought the school didn't mind if we decide on a representative
+later."
+"That's right. But we want to know who the first-year representatives
+are. I want everyone to be aware that it's better to select a representative early
+on. The later someone assumes that role, the more time they have to spend
+playing catch-up."
+I wasn't sure how accurate that was, but Nagumo's meaning was clear.
+He wanted us to select our representative now.
+"*.,.What do we do?" asked Keisei, directing his question to the group.
+Other than me, he wasn't very familiar with its members and probably didn't
+want to be pushed into the role.
+"However you decide is fine. Pick a representative now."
+If the student council president was giving us a direct order, then even
+ostensible delinquents like Ishizaki and Albert couldn't object.
+"No one's gonna volunteer for this. How about we go with rock-paper-
+scissors again?" said Ishizak:, balling up his fist. I agreed.
+The nine of us formed a circle. Nine fists. That meant we were short
+one person.
+"Hey, Kouenji," said Keisei. Kouenji was looking out a window and
+didn't even bother acknowledging us.
+"Blondie. Hurry it up," said someone from the second-years, their
+voice containing a hint of anger. Kouenji finally turned around—and said
+nothing about rock-paper-scissors. Only his hair.
+"Heh. You find my hair to be a truly exquisite shade, do you not?"
+"What?"
+"Kouenji, get serious."
+"About what? Is a game of rock-paper-scissors what you'd call
+serious?"
+"Hey, first-year. Kouenji, right? Are you mocking us seniors?"
+As expected, Kouenji was already drawing attention to himself.
+"Mocking you? I am not mocking anyone. I have absolutely no interest
+in you at all." He might have intended to convey that he wasn't mocking
+them, but of course, this had the exact opposite effect. "I will not participate
+in rock-paper-scissors. I have no interest in being representative."
+"I'm not interested in being representative either. Neither is anyone
+else. But this is the only option," said Keisei exasperatedly. But Kouenji
+showed no sign of complying.
+"You say bizarre things, boy. If you don't want to do something, then
+there's no reason to participate. Don't you agree?"
+"No. Those are the rules."
+"The rule is that someone from the group must become the
+representative. In that case, someone other than me will do it."
+"Stop screwing around. Being selfish ain't gonna fly here," snapped
+Ishizaki, who once had fought with Kouenji, together with Ryuuen.
+"Heh. In that case, why not go ahead and make me the group
+representative?" said Kouenji, brushing his bangs aside. Ishizaki froze.
+"Then you'll be the leader. You're okay with that?"
+"You are free to push that job onto me. I have no intention of objecting
+to each and every little thing. If we have no representative, then the group
+will be punished, yes? If you're afraid of that, I'm fine with this option," said
+Kouenji.
+However, what he said next left everyone dumbfounded.
+"T will do whatever I want to do. If I don't want to do something, then I
+absolutely will not do it. This means I won't be fulfilling the duties of the
+representative. It doesn't matter who seeks to consult me; my resolve will not
+waver. I may even boycott the exam. Even if that results in our scores
+dropping below average. Even if that results in someone being expelled.
+Okay?"
+"That's... If you do all that, you'll get expelled too!"
+"Heh heh. Yes, I suppose so."
+It was like he didn't fear expulsion at all.
+"However, this talk is really just silly. Even if I do get a zero on the
+exam, our average score is unlikely to drop to dangerous levels as long as the
+rest of you put forward your best efforts," said Kouenji, combing his hair.
+But there was no guarantee that was true. It was just Kouenji's self-
+serving interpretation that the exam wouldn't be that difficult. Or perhaps he
+just wasn't thinking it through, because he just didn't care. In any case, his
+brand of uniqueness had been thoroughly proven for all to see.
+"Talk about a weirdo. He must have a few screws loose," muttered
+Ishizaki, taking a step back and nodding.
+However, I'd noticed a contradiction in Kouenji's words. Ishizaki and
+the others probably didn't see it, because there were no falsehoods in what
+Kouenji was saying and doing. Which meant that if he'd intentionally created
+that contradiction, then...
+To find out for sure, I'd have to risk waiting until exam day.
+"Well whatever. He probably doesn't have the guts to get a zero or
+anything. Just make him be the rep."
+Ishizaki wanted to force the troublesome and risky role of
+representative on Kouenji if he could. Looking at it from another class's
+perspective, this meant losing the chance to earn double points. There was
+also the possibility of someone getting dragged down via the solidarity rule.
+But if Kouenji really did boycott the exam, the consequences would be dire...
+"Knock it off, Ishizaki. If you keep that up, you'll be the one getting
+dragged down," said Hashimoto.
+"But... Damn it. All right, fine, if you can get whatever you want by
+being a stubborn asshole, then I definitely ain't bein' representative either."
+"All right," said Hashimoto, nodding in exasperated acceptance.
+Nobody thought that our group would take first place, evidenced by the
+fact that no one wanted the role of representative. This might prove to be
+more difficult than ''d imagined. If Kouenji continued to act like, well,
+himself, we'd lose a considerable number of points. He was the chaotic
+element the second- and third-year students hadn't factored into their
+calculations.
+But then someone stepped forward and interrupted our conversation to
+comment on Kouenji's bizarre behavior.
+"Even I've heard rumors about you, Kouenji."
+Nagumo, who'd never have a reason to interact with Kouenji under
+normal circumstances, approached him as though he had found something of
+great interest. Well, this was unexpected.
+"T know about you too. You're the new student council president, are
+you not?" asked Kouenji, brazen as always.
+"Act the fool as much as you like, but do you really not care about
+being expelled?" asked Nagumo. "The way this school's set up is a pain, but
+despite that aimless attitude of yours, you've gotten this far. It must be 'cause
+you do want to graduate from here. But you're fine with having the role of
+representative foisted on you? And you say you'll boycott the exam? Bullshit.
+You just don't want to put in the effort to reach Class A. But you don't want
+to be expelled either."
+"Heh heh. You say some rather amusing things. How can you be so
+sure of my 'bullshit'?"
+I was with Nagumo on this, though. Shortly after Kouenji had enrolled
+here, he'd been asked whether he had any intention of trying for Class A. He
+said he wasn't interested. That he only wanted to graduate.
+He didn't want to get expelled, but he didn't want to climb the ranks
+either. Much the same as what I was hoping to get out of this school. Even if
+he held back on the exams, he'd be fine. That's why he was so self-assured.
+"It's written all over your face," said Nagumo teasingly.
+Kouenji laughed cheerfully. "Bravo, bravo." He applauded. Clap.
+Clap.
+Then he answered honestly, almost as if delivering a confession.
+"T lied because I don't want to be the representative. Please allow me to
+set the record straight. I have no desire to aim for Class A, but neither do I
+have any intention of getting expelled. In light of both those desires, I think
+an aimless attitude is perfectly acceptable," said Kouenji.
+Nagumo apparently wasn't ready to accept that. "You have no interest
+in Class A, huh? That's a lie too."
+"My, oh, my. Have I already been branded as a liar?"
+"If you're not lying, then I'm curious about something, Kouenji. As of
+now, do you have a surefire way of graduating from Class A?" asked
+Nagumo abruptly.
+Everyone was shocked.
+"Oh? You do say some rather interesting things. Please, dazzle me
+with your logic."
+"You sure? If I explain the logic, then that surefire plan of yours will
+become unusable. No. I'll make it unusable. Understand?"
+"Heh. I don't mind. I want to know whether or not you have any idea
+what you're talking about." Rather than act frightened, Kouenji smiled.
+"You plan to be promoted to Class A by using twenty million points,"
+Nagumo said. "It's a strategy everyone's considered at least once, but of
+course, it's not easy to accumulate that many points. Not impossible either,
+though. Right after you enrolled here, you looked into what happens to third-
+year students' remaining points when they graduate."
+"Keep going."
+"Upon graduation, private points are 'cashed in,' meaning they can be
+used even outside of the school. Their cash value in the outside world is
+naturally less than the equivalent on campus, but it's still quite an
+extraordinary system. You intend to buy private points from third-years by
+paying them more money than they could earn by cashing them in. Right?"
+Everyone looked understandably thrown for a loop, unable to hide their
+shock.
+Kouenji, hearing his strategy explained to him, gave a satisfied nod.
+"Precisely. I came to that conclusion shortly after enrolling here. No
+matter how far I plummet during my time here, if I can obtain private points
+through legal means, I can graduate from Class A. Ever since then, school
+has become boring to me."
+A miraculous gambit, and one available to him precisely because he
+was rich. Buying private points from students who'd given up on Class A, or
+from those whose victory was already secured, or from students close to
+graduation... It wouldn't surprise me if many students opted to take such a
+deal in exchange for guaranteed cash.
+That said...buying points for the same price they'd net if cashed in,
+alone, would be twenty million yen. Not the kind of funds a high school
+student could reasonably be expected to have access to. Would people even
+believe him if he said he was good for it?
+"Fortunately," Kouenji continued, "before I enrolled here, I had my
+picture and profile posted on the company website, proving I'm next in line
+to be president. I have tens of millions of yen at my disposal. It was easy to
+convince people to trust me."
+"Yeah. I'm aware some second-years are planning to sell their points to
+you, and I bet a fair number of third-years are, too. You've gotten people to
+keep mum about it, but more than a few second-years have put their absolute
+trust in me. Some of them consulted me, asking if they should take you at
+your word. Of course, I said it was all right. It's not without risk, but you
+seem to be a fairly rich guy."
+Nagumo looked over the assembled second- and third-years.
+"However, that ends today," he said. "Even if he really is rich, Kouenji
+isn't a man you can trust. As you just saw, he lies without batting an eye. It's
+best not to do business with him, even by mistake. Oh, and by the way, I
+intend to raise this issue with the school. Purchasing private points prior to
+graduation shouldn't be allowed in the first place, after all."
+"That's fine by me. I've merely been making plans to move up to Class
+A. I hadn't decided if I was going to carry it out."
+Kouenji seems to have envisioned this as but one strategy of many.
+What an outrageous idea. Well, truth be told, it was just the one-of-a-kind
+strategy that only a rich kid like Kouenji could pull off.
+"T thought you were weird, but you came up with that strategy all on
+your own, huh? Impressive," muttered Hashimoto, sounding both impressed
+and exasperated.
+"What's Kouenji planning to do by abandoning his own strategy then?"
+Several gazes fell upon Kouenji's classmates: Keisei and me. We had
+no idea...though one thing came to mind. A rich kid like Kouenji didn't need
+to graduate from Class A. Even if he hit upon a way to make it to Class A, he
+didn't need to actually implement his idea. If his only goal was to graduate—
+irrespective of class—then making allies and cooperating with other students
+would be rather pointless.
+It would explain why he didn't care if Nagumo blew the lid on his
+plans. Maybe he'd even enjoy coming up with another strategy. Nagumo's
+insight into Kouenji's affairs was quite remarkable.
+"This was the first time I've ever seen Kouenji get busted," muttered
+Keisei. I had to agree.
+And yet...
+"However, Student Council President, this only proves I have no real
+reason to play rock-paper-scissors for the position of representative. Now that
+my plans have been revealed, I can simply say I have no intention of taking
+on the role."
+"T see."
+Whatever tricks Kouenji might still have up his sleeve, his stance
+hadn't changed. On the contrary, he had exposed his own lie—which was
+also his only vulnerability—and tossed it out himself. This left us with no
+way to force the role of representative on him against his will. Someone with
+his degree of wealth and privilege had no reason to fear expulsion; I couldn't
+imagine his future being tarnished at all by such an event. We could
+hypothetically resort to drastic measures to railroad him into being the
+representative, but no one in our group dared try something of the sort. If we
+lost, he might take one of us down with him.
+"T guess I should do it," said Keisei, raising his hand resignedly.
+Some of the students from other classes reacted to that. But with
+delinquents like Kouenji, Ishizaki, and Albert in the group, and because we
+had little chance of winning, no one challenged Keisei for the nomination.
+"It's settled."
+Nagumo dismissed the group, and we left the gymnasium as instructed.
+2.5
+66
+Tus SEEMS...a lot older than I thought it would be."
+The small groups were shown to their dorm rooms, each of which had
+wooden bunk beds matching the number of people in the group. Ishizaki
+immediately walked to the bed at the back of the room and climbed to the top
+bunk.
+"This one's mine."
+"What are you talking about? You can't just stroll up and take what
+you like. That's not fair," snapped Yahiko.
+"You know what they say. The early bird gets the worm," said
+Ishizaki. He snorted and lay down, sneering at Yahiko.
+"We should discuss who gets which bed."
+Keisei, our representative, tried to rein in the situation. Ishizaki
+probably meant to defy him just as he had
+Yahiko, but I was standing right next to Keisei, and his gaze met mine
+for an instant. He'd been trying to avoid making eye contact with me, but
+being in the same group made that a foregone conclusion.
+*TChus."
+For a moment, Ishizaki looked terrified. He hopped down off the bed.
+"Okay, so. How exactly do we decide?" he asked.
+Keisei tilted his head to the side, looking puzzled by Ishizaki's sudden
+change of heart. Ishizaki may have interpreted Keisei's warning as being a
+warning from me, which was frankly paranoid. Honestly, I didn't think it was
+all that strange to claim our beds on a first-come-first-served basis, really—
+although naturally, coming to mutual agreement after fruitful discussion
+would be more ideal.
+"Heh heh. Well, I suppose Pll go ahead and help myself," said
+Kouenji, leaping up onto the bed that Ishizaki had been occupying.
+"What the hell, man?!' shouted Ishizaki.
+But this was Kouenji. Common sense didn't apply to him. He ignored
+Ishizaki and relaxed into the bed; within moments, he was as at ease as if this
+were his own bedroom.
+"God damn it. To hell with discussion."
+After what Kouenji had done, people started to call dibs on beds.
+Ishizaki gave up on arguing with Kouenji and claimed the top bunk of a
+different bed. Everyone seemed united in their preference for a top bunk, save
+Albert, the only heavyset person here, who settled into the bunk beneath
+Ishizaki without any complaints.
+The unspoken consensus seemed to be that discussion was no longer
+how we were doing things.
+"Guess this is the only spot I can take," said Keisei, securing the bed
+underneath Kouenji. Unsurprisingly, no one else wanted to take it. The others
+might not have noticed, but it was significant that Keisei was willing to do
+the things no one else wanted to do.
+In the end, I settled on a bottom bunk beneath Hashimoto from Class
+***
+"Nice to meet you. Um..."" Hashimoto reached his hand down from the
+top bunk in greeting. He didn't seem to know my name.
+"Tm Ayanokouji. Nice to meet you."
+"Hashimoto."
+We shook hands lightly, as if promising to get along.
+We were now free for the rest of the day and, as such, abandoned all
+pretense of group unity to just do whatever we wanted. A natural-born leader
+like Hirata might have tried to get us talking, but...
+As for me, my feelings were fixed. While it was unfortunate that I
+wasn't getting to know any students from other classes better, 1t was also a
+relief to not have to deal with annoying small talk.
+"This might be a stupid question, but can Albert speak Japanese? He
+understands Japanese, right?" Hashimoto lay on his top bunk, directing the
+question to Ishizaki and Albert.
+"Of course he does. Right, Albert?" answered Ishizaki, peering down
+at his friend. However, Albert just continued to stare straight ahead in silence.
+"Or maybe he doesn't."
+"Aren't you guys classmates?" Hashimoto laughed.
+"T don't know, all right? Ryuuen-san's normally the one giving
+orders," replied an irritated Ishizak1.
+"Ryuuen-san, huh?"
+Ishizaki's respectful—and contradictory—use of the honorific was
+interesting.
+"Is it true you guys had a fight and ousted him as leader?"
+"God, shut up. Of course it is. Calling him 'san' was just...old habits,
+that's all."
+Rather than come together as a group, we were already sniping at each
+other. I decided to escape the escalating conflict and take a walk around the
+building.
+2.6
+Foarty. IT WAS mealtime. The first time we'd seen the girls since
+getting off the bus that morning.
+The cafeteria was quite spacious, so much so that it even had stairs to a
+second floor with a view of the first. From what I saw, this place could
+apparently fit about five hundred people. And it was currently packed.
+"It's not easy to meet up with someone when we don't have our
+phones."
+Horikita and Kei were probably looking for me, but I didn't set out to
+search for them. If they did happen to run into me, their reactions would
+probably be polar opposites. Horikita would probably snap at me for avoiding
+her, while Kei would wait and see what happened, understanding that since I
+hadn't sought her out, there was no reason for us to make contact right now.
+Touching base with various students on the first day was to be
+expected. I doubted many people had eyes on me, but it was quite possible
+that Sakayanagi and Nagumo were watching. Even though I could say that
+Hirata and Satou had only been hanging out with us over Christmas, Nagumo
+understood that I had a special relationship with Ket.
+I wanted to avoid conspicuous contact.
+I stayed solo, observing who was hanging out with who. But first, it
+was time to eat. The strict allotted hour was precious. I carried my tray over
+to my seat and sat down alone. Back at school, students would be separated
+by grade level to a certain extent, but here, first-, second- and third-years
+mixed together.
+Many of the small and large groups stuck together, but there were more
+than few students scouting for information. More importantly, this was the
+only place and time we got to see the girls, making it the only time couples
+could spend together.
+"Siiiigh."
+I heard a cute, exhausted sigh be released near me. It belonged to first-
+year Class B's leader, Ichinose Honami. A bunch of guys and girls were
+crowded around her. I decided to sit nearby and listen in on their
+conversation, confident I'd remain relatively unnoticed.
+"*...Pathetic to be proud of taking up so little space," I muttered.
+Ichinose and the others didn't react to me at all. Well, the cafeteria was
+crowded. They couldn't pay close attention to every single student.
+"Good work, Honami-chan. Was it tough?"
+"Ah ha ha. Well, I suppose it was, yeah. I thought deciding on a group
+wouldn't be so bad. But when people wanna fight, they're gonna fight."
+"Nothing we can do about that. The other classes are enemies."
+"But according to Kanzaki-kun, the boys came to a decision pretty
+quickly."
+"Huh? Really? It took us until past noon."
+The boys hadn't had an easy time of it, but 1t sounded like the girls had
+struggled even more than we had. Maybe the instructors had anticipated that,
+which explained why there weren't any classes on the first day.
+"Do you think someone might get expelled?"
+"Well, I can't say there's no reason to worry. Even though no one's
+been expelled from the first-year classes, we can't let our guard down." It
+seemed Ichinose was acutely aware of the danger.
+"What should we do if someone gets taken down by the solidarity
+rule?"
+"Tt'll be okay, Mako-chan. As long as we take this seriously, it's not
+going to come to that."
+"Are you sure?"
+"If that time does come, we'll all help each other out," said Ichinose
+gently. Though she looked the most exhausted of them all, she remained
+stout-hearted as ever. "Ahh... I'm beat."
+She laid her head on the table. Unfortunately, that change of position
+allowed her to notice me.
+"Ayanokouji-kuuun!"
+Oh, hey, Ichinose. Didn't notice you there. If I said that, it'd come off
+as unnatural. It was probably best to just answer honestly.
+"Sounds like you were having fun."
+"Some girls find power in gossip," said Ichinose, flopping over once
+again.
+I didn't really understand what she meant. This listlessness was kind of
+surprising, coming from her.
+"T suppose I probably shouldn't do that, huh?" said Ichinose, sitting
+back up straight. I stopped her.
+"It's normal to do something like that when you're exhausted," I said.
+"Sorry for making you kind of uncomfortable."
+I wasn't uncomfortable at all, but I couldn't speak those words aloud.
+"Sounds like you got put in a tough group," I said instead.
+"T guess you could say it's been tough just getting the groups
+together... Like, girls are really up-front about their likes and dislikes. Or
+rather, there are more than a few girls who are willing to just tell another girl
+they don't like her to her face. I suppose guys tend to keep their personal
+feelings on the down-low, huh?"
+"They're pretty up-front about hating Ryuuen, though."
+"T feel bad for laughing at that, but I guess there's no helping it. Still,
+isn't Ryuuen-kun tired of it too? Being disliked by everyone has to be
+draining."
+She wasn't wrong, but the logic probably didn't apply to Ryuuen. If
+anything, he seemed to be taking it pretty easy now that he was no longer
+shouldering the burdens of an entire class.
+"Don't work yourself too hard." Concluding that it would be pointless
+to linger, I stood up.
+"T'm okay, I'm okay. My energy's the only thing I have going for me.
+See you later, Ayanokouji-kun." Ichinose waved gently in farewell.
+One hour per day. That was the only time we'd have to talk to the girls.
+Even though boys and girls couldn't directly intervene in each other's affairs,
+I imagined this hour was designed for sharing information. The school likely
+intended us to use the time to gather information, strategize, and continue to
+fight, making it an area where well-liked and well-trusted students with
+strong communication skills excelled.
+"T'm not suited to this at all."
+Just like on the deserted island, there was basically nothing I could do
+to help.
+Chapter 3:
+Human Nature Put to the Test
+IL WAS PAST SIX in the morning when lighthearted music began to
+reverberate throughout the room from speakers, clearly a signal for us to get
+out of bed. The room was still dark. I couldn't even see sunlight through the
+thin curtains.
+"The hell? God, shut up."
+Ishizaki's grumblings were the first words that we heard. Some
+students lay in bed even after hearing the music, but most of us slowly started
+to rouse, sitting up in bed, putting on our glasses, and so on.
+"T guess we're getting started," Hashimoto muttered with a sigh.
+"For the time being, it'd be best if we all get up. If even one of us is
+absent, we'll get hit with a deduction," said Keisei, putting on his jersey. As
+long as we shared a room, collective responsibility was unavoidable.
+"Hey, Kouenji's not here."
+"Good morning, gentlemen. Were you about to search for me?" said
+Kouenji, entering the room covered with a thin layer of sweat, wearing a
+pleasant smile. Apparently, he'd gotten up even before we did.
+"Doesn't seem like you went to the bathroom or anything."
+"Heh. It was such a nice morning, I went ahead and did my training."
+"What training? There's no telling what we're facing today. I can't
+approve of you pointlessly exhausting your stamina," said Keisei. Not that
+Kouenji was listening. On the contrary, he offered a gleeful rebuttal.
+"Even after a full session of training, I have unimaginable reserves of
+stamina to spare. This is nothing, really. Besides, if you are so worried about
+stamina, shouldn't you have warned the group yesterday?"
+"T didn't...think there'd be any kind of training happening."
+"No, no. I'm afraid that's not going to cut it. I remember sharing a
+room with you back on the cruise ship. Surely you recall that I am the sort of
+man who never skips out on training," spat Kouenji, as if it were outrageous
+Keisei would forget such a thing.
+"Enough with the high-and-mighty act, Kouenji," said Ishizaki. He
+wasn't trying to defend Keisei—everyone was just fed up with Kouenji,
+who'd been behaving selfishly from square one. He was probably used to
+being a disruptive element.
+We didn't have time for this now. The thing I most wanted to avoid
+was being late on the first day. Someone like Hirata would have gotten the
+group in order, but without a clear leader...
+"Enough already. Promise us you' ll cooperate."
+"What do you mean, 'promise'? Have you sworn allegiance to this
+randomly selected group? I don't see it that way."
+"Well I don't wanna cooperate, either," said Ishizaki, scanning the
+room and unintentionally settling his gaze on me.
+"Because of Class A? Is that the reason why you hate this?" asked
+Hashimoto, coming down from the top bunk to stand next to me. Ishizaki's
+gaze settled on him.
+"Tch. It ain't just 'cause of A. It's everyone," said Ishizaki. He turned
+back to Kouenj1.
+"You seem to be heading down the same delinquent path as Red-Hair-
+kun," Kouenji said. "It's been amusing to watch, but now that I've dealt with
+you directly, I've frankly had my fill. Shouldn't you hurry along to the
+meeting place? Leave before your incompetence is exposed."
+The fact that the only person here who grasped what was happening
+was Kouenji just added fuel to the fire. He was choosing his words to agitate
+Ishizaki, and it was working.
+"All right, bring it on! Yaaaah!" shouted Ishizaki.
+Keisei checked the clock as Kouenji mentioned time and started
+panicking. "We don't even have five minutes until assembly. Leave the
+fighting for later."
+"Ain't my problem. If we're late, it's his fault!"
+It looked like no amount of water could douse the fires of Ishizaki's
+anger now. On the contrary, the flames were just growing hotter. Keisei could
+see what was happening, but he didn't know how to manage their feelings in
+a way that would let him wrap this up.
+"You've got a one-track mind. That's probably why you got demoted
+to Class D," Yahiko commented, only adding more fuel to the fire. The Class
+B students just watched, waiting for the situation to blow over.
+"This is pitiful. I don't know whether we'll make it with these clowns."
+Hashimoto sighed. "Well, guess there's no helping it."
+The way he said it made me think he was washing his hands of the
+matter, but then he punched the wood of his bed frame with his balled fist.
+Everyone except Kouenji reacted to the sound.
+"Just calm down, you lot. It's fine to duke it out, but this is the worst
+possible time and place. Get it? If our furniture gets banged up, we' ll be held
+responsible. And if someone's face gets bruised, we'll be in trouble for it.
+Right?"
+Having cut through the silence with a sound other than his voice,
+Hashimoto said what needed to be said. Ishizaki, who had been hollering
+about how our problems didn't concern him, had to understand now that he
+was putting even himself in jeopardy.
+"Hey, Four Eyes-kun. What's your name again?"
+"Yukimura."
+"That's right. It's just like Yukimura-kun said. There's no time. So
+how about you bury that anger deep, deep down, and we go to assembly? If
+you're still mad after breakfast, you can decide if you want to beat each other
+up. That's what being a group is about, right?"
+"You should be happy, Kouenji. You get to live a little longer."
+"Oh, my, yes. I happen to be a pacifist," said Kouenji.
+Just what you'd expect from Class A, huh? I didn't know exactly
+where Hashimoto fit in the class hierarchy, but he'd expertly solved this
+problem for us. The fire was still burning, but it was contained for now. We
+left the room, still cradling a bomb with a lit fuse.
+The boys from all three grade levels gathered in one classroom.
+Approximately forty people, give or take. You could almost say it was like
+we made one class. The first-year students all extended brief morning
+greetings to the second- and third-years. Not too long afterward, the teacher
+entered the room.
+"I'm Onodera, the instructor in charge of third-year Class B. We're
+going to take roll call now, and then you will go outside and clean your
+designated areas. After that, you will clean the school building. These
+cleaning duties will be part of your morning routine for the next week. In the
+event that it rains, you will be exempt from working outside but not let off
+work; you'll just spend twice as much time cleaning indoors instead. As for
+your lessons—they won't just be taught by school instructors. There will be
+individuals coming in to cover a variety of different topics. Please give them
+a proper welcome and behave yourselves."
+With that brief explanation, our group went off to clean.
+3.1
+Ve SCENT OF SOFT RUSH from the tatami mats tickled my nostrils. The
+space before me made me feel strangely nostalgic. The teacher had escorted
+us to a spacious dojo, where it seemed we'd be working alongside some other
+groups.
+"Starting today, you will practice zazen here in the mornings and
+evenings."
+"Zazen? | myself have never before engaged in such an activity," said
+the Professor from the other side of the dojo.
+The man in charge, hearing this comment, approached the Professor.
+""Wh-whatever do you want with one such as I?" asked the Professor,
+looking up at the man. He looked unnerved by the silent, almost intimidating
+aura the man radiated.
+"The way you speak. Is that something you were born with? Or is it a
+hometown dialect?" asked the man.
+"Mayhap I would say that is not the case..."
+"You're not a time traveler from the Muromachi Period or the Edo
+Period, are you?" asked the man.
+"Huh? No, of course, I myself have never engaged in the luxury of
+time travel..."
+"T see. I don't quite understand what you think you're achieving by
+talking like that, but here's some advice. Fix that ridiculous speech pattern
+and grow up."
+"Wh-what?"
+"What would someone think of you if you spoke that way to them
+upon your first meeting? Do you need me to elaborate?"
+I didn't know why the Professor chose to speak that way, but even I
+could tell it was a deliberate affectation. He certainly wouldn't be permitted
+to speak that way in the real world, or at the very least, in a formal setting.
+There were no rules against it, of course, but it went against socially accepted
+codes of morals and manners. You could dig in your heels and defend it as a
+personal quirk, but very, very few people could successfully get away with
+that.
+"All right, listen up, and listen well. There are people out there who
+sling their words and actions around without consideration for others in an
+attempt to stand out. To show that they're special. This is true not only for the
+young, but also for the elderly too," our instructor said sternly. "You don't
+need to change your personality to be a part of society. You're free to express
+your individuality, of course, but you must take other people's feelings into
+consideration as you venture out into the world. These lessons will help you
+cultivate that mentality, using techniques such as zazen. By bringing your
+words and movements to a halt, you will be unified with the people around
+you, merging with the group. Consider others, and finally, think. What kind
+of person am I? What can I do?"
+He deliberately directed his gaze over toward the Professor, as if to
+say, 'Get it now?'
+"T-I have felt fe—ack, gotta be careful."
+He might not be able to get rid of his speech pattern right away, but
+practicing zazen might teach the Professor to look inward—for instance, at
+why he'd slipped just then.
+The groups were seated individually and then given a brief
+explanation. This room was called the zazen dojo. While in here, we were to
+ball either our right or left hand into a fist and wrap the other hand around it.
+We had to keep it that way whether walking or standing. Also, we needed to
+keep it at the height of our solar plexus. That was a stance known as shashu.
+Depending on which sect you were in, there were different rules about how to
+form your hands.
+We received an explanation on one more thing regarding zazen.
+Simply, it was nothing more than one form of meditation. Practicing zazen
+wasn't about emptying your head but about forming an image. There was
+also something known as Ten Bulls, a series of poems and accompanying
+pictures that illustrated the path toward enlightenment.
+I was new to this zazen stuff, myself.
+"After you've crossed your legs, place your feet on your thighs.
+Practice a lot, because sitting in the lotus position will have an effect on your
+exam results."
+"Ow. Wait, for real? I can't even get one leg up."
+"If you are unable to do it at the start, you may instead use half-lotus
+position, with just one leg crossed."
+The man in charge demonstrated the pose. I was able to cross my legs
+without any problem, so I decided to go with the lotus position. Surprisingly,
+it seemed a lot of students couldn't do it...though Kouenji, who was starting
+to intrigue me, had his legs crossed effortlessly. He wore a faint smile,
+looking as though he'd already entered a state of zen.
+Since his posture needed no correction, the man in charge moved past
+him without complaint.
+"He can really do it, huh," said Tokitou in a hushed voice. He was also
+able to pull off the lotus position.
+"He doesn't appear to dislike this kind of thing. That's a relief."
+eX Cale'
+Our instructor was a scary-looking guy, but this was Kouenji, after all.
+He might have simply refused to do the lesson.
+Now that all of the students had grasped the general idea, zazen time
+began. However, since we'd spent quite a bit of time having things explained
+to us, our first session was limited to just five minutes.
+3:2
+AG MORNING CLEANING and zazen, it was around seven o'clock—
+breakfast time. But we were led outside instead of into the large cafeteria
+we'd used yesterday evening. There, we found a spacious eating area
+prepared for us. Several groups had already arrived.
+"The school will provide a meal for you today, but starting tomorrow,
+provided that the weather is clear, you will be making breakfast with your
+group. You must discuss how you wish to divide the work with your whole
+group."
+"For real? I ain't ever cooked a meal before," grumbled Ishizaki.
+But if that was the rule, then there was no avoiding it. Preparations for
+breakfast were underway while we received instructions on how to prepare
+food from tomorrow onward. It looked as though the breakfast menu had
+already been set, and handouts on how to prepare the items were being
+distributed. At least we'd know what to cook.
+"Ugh, is this all there 1s?"
+The meal was simple. A Japanese breakfast, consisting of soup, rice,
+and three other dishes. For students with hearty appetites, this wasn't going to
+be enough. While it seemed we could choose to swap in other dishes, we'd
+need to prepare everything ourselves.
+"Thank goodness for that island test. Compared to that, this is luxury,"
+said Keisei, sounding somehow relieved, as he began eating.
+"If we're going to do this fairly, let's have each grade level take turns
+at cooking," said a third-year boy who appeared to be a representative,
+addressing his mealtime rotation proposal to Nagumo.
+"Yeah. P've got no objections. I'd like to start with the first-years."
+"How about it, first-years? Any objections?"
+There was no way anyone could object. Assuming we had clear
+weather for the remainder of our time, we'd be making breakfast six times.
+The order in which we'd be cooking would be different, but that wasn't
+reason enough to complain. I wouldn't say it was unquestionably the kind of
+thing underclassmen should knuckle under and accept, but I was fine with it.
+"We accept," said Keisei.
+"Since we'll be cooking breakfast, what time should we wake up
+tomorrow?"
+"To make sure we have enough time, let's wake two hours early,"
+proposed Keisei.
+Ishizaki vigorously rejected the idea. Keisei's proposal meant he'd
+have to be up and ready to go by 4:00 a.m.
+"Still, we don't have any choice. If we can't prepare breakfast, itll be
+awful."
+"Then you guys do it. I'll be sleeping."
+Ishizaki had never made such statements while under Ryuuen. But in
+this group, he'd already risen to the top of the hierarchy. It was interesting
+how his behavior had changed when his status did. Being celebrated as one of
+the distinguished few who had overthrown Ryuuen probably had something
+to do with it.
+I couldn't really blame him for being standoffish with me, given I
+knew what had really happened. Also, being placed in the same group as me
+must have shaken him. His actions and words weren't just hurting other
+people; they were hurting him too.
+Ishizaki and Albert weren't cut out to be leaders or strategists. They
+were more suited to be third in command., the ones corralling the rest of the
+students. Ryuuen should have made sure they kept those roles—though, to be
+honest, Keisei and Yahiko were similar. They weren't as foolhardy as
+Ishizaki, but they weren't qualified to be leaders, either.
+I would've thought Class B would take a more active role, but they'd
+been unusually quiet so far. Maybe they weren't as proactive as I thought,
+with the exception of certain individuals like Kanzaki and Shibata.
+That made Hashimoto the person most qualified to hold the group
+together. His prestigious Class A position, together with his ability to assess
+situations clearly and communicate effectively, were all key. However, he
+didn't seem willing to lead.
+3.3
+Apter OUR PLAIN—no, our healthy morning meal— the real lessons
+began. Our large group gathered in a classroom that was a bit more spacious
+than those in the Advanced Nurturing High School. I wondered if it was
+supposed to resemble a college classroom.
+There was no assigned seating, so it was inevitable that students from
+the same grade level would cluster in small groups. You could sit in the
+corner by yourself, but that might gain you unwanted attention from other
+grade levels. You might even get a warning. Since the second- and third-year
+small groups hadn't arrived yet, we first-years had our pick of seats.
+"Would it be better to sit up front?"
+"No, we should probably wait before taking out seats. Shouldn't the
+seniors take their seats first, and then we grab whatever's available?"
+Keisei didn't want to run the risk of getting chewed out.
+"Don't go being selfish again, Kouenji. You might end up sitting off by
+yourself."
+"If we're free to choose our seats, I believe I shall sit wherever I
+please."
+Despite saying that, Kouenji showed no sign of sitting down. So he
+wasn't entirely an agent of chaos after all. He did actually listen quietly
+during our normal lessons too. The man just lived by his own rules.
+"Seems like you first-years are struggling a bit," said a second-year
+student. "Need any help?"
+"We're okay," replied Keisei, lightly bowing in response. "Ugh. Why
+do I have to be the representative?" he muttered.
+After all, communicating with the second- and third-year students was
+the representative's responsibility. Keisei seemed to be under a large amount
+of stress. If I left him hanging like this, it would only be a matter of time
+before he exploded.
+3.4
+lh THE AFTERNOON, we had PE—or rather basic physical fitness
+conditioning. We were told the main focus would be marathon training, and
+that a long-distance relay race was scheduled for the last day, undoubtedly
+part of the final exam. We'd practice outside for a few days, and then later on
+the track.
+"Huff huff," panted Keisei.
+The many tasks we'd already completed since morning had depleted
+our stamina, and he was struggling. I could have helped him with a
+knowledge-oriented problem, but when it came to physical fitness, there was
+nothing I could do but watch.
+Surprisingly, Ishizaki and Albert had more stamina than the average
+student. They made it through practice easily, perhaps because, delinquents
+though they were, they didn't smoke.
+"All I've done since morning is analyze things."
+For whatever reason, I was growing tired of this. Putting aside the
+question of whether I intended to play an active role, I'd come to the
+realization that I wanted to improve our group's performance enough to keep
+us safe from expulsion. If we came in last place and scored beneath the
+minimum threshold set by the school, then Keisei would be expelled.
+The likelihood of him taking me down with him was almost
+infinitesimally low but not zero. If we lost, he might resent me for not
+offering a helping hand despite seeing him struggle. Should I provide the bare
+minimum of assistance necessary to save him? Or should I work to put the
+group on the right track? Maybe I should just observe everything and hope
+that the problem resolved itself? No—I quickly eliminated that last option.
+Kouenji's presence would be a cause for concern too. I should
+probably make a move sooner rather than later.
+I slowed down in order to run alongside Kouenji, who was jogging
+nonchalantly. Even as I approached, he didn't even glance at me. He
+wouldn't leave his own private world unless I forced him to.
+"Hey, Kouenji. Can't you go a little easier on them all?"
+"By them, you are referring to the group, Ayanokouji Boy?"
+"Yeah. They're confused. Not everyone is as incredible as you."
+"Ha ha ha, I certainly am one of a kind. However, wouldn't it be the
+absolute height of stupidity to hold myself back in order to keep pace with
+common riffraff?"
+"Well...I don't know if that's right. But..."
+"What are you trying to say?"
+"It would be nice if the group could score reasonably well. I'd like to
+avoid expulsion."
+"Tf that's what you want, then you must work hard to make it happen,
+hmm?"
+"I'm saying this to you because I intend to work hard."
+Kouenji didn't respond, leaving our pounding feet as the only sound
+we heard. He'd gone right back into his own little world. Guess talking to
+him was a wasted effort after all.
+Half-assed threats or pleas were meaningless when it came to Kouenji.
+Reflecting on everything that had happened so far told me that much. It
+didn't matter if the class joined forces to plead with him or if the teachers put
+their weight behind us—if he didn't want to do something, that was that. He
+was an obstinate, utterly self-involved person.
+3.5
+Pass BECAUSE it was our first day of classes, or because our
+marathon training had been so demanding, the rest of the lessons consisted
+solely of explanations for what to expect this week. It was, however, made
+clear to us that the primary goal of these lessons was to teach us socialization
+skills.
+Of course, the first-years had no idea what that meant. The second-
+years, on the other hand, seemed to take it calmly in stride. The experience
+gap between us was impossible to ignore.
+"Ugh."
+Our final lesson for the afternoon, zazen, had ended. Keisei collapsed,
+unable to move.
+"Are you okay?"
+"Td like to say I am, but my legs feel all numb. Please...give me a
+minute."
+Looked like the lesson had been unexpectedly hard on Keisei. He
+remained stiff and motionless for about two minutes, waiting until the
+numbness in his legs subsided. Ishizaki hadn't done so well with zazen either.
+He bent forward in agony.
+"Damn. Okay, food and bath. Yeah, bath. Give me a hand, Albert."
+Albert approached Ishizaki, grabbed his arm, and pulled him up.
+"Gah! More gently! Let go!"
+Thud! Ishizaki collapsed.
+"Gaaah!"
+I couldn't help but be amused by watching that interaction play out.
+The rest of our group, however, just found Ishizaki and those like him a pain
+in the neck. Keisei moved to leave, ignoring them, but I purposefully held my
+ground.
+"They're an amusing duo, huh?" I asked, deliberately drawing Keisei's
+attention.
+"Kiyotaka, just leave them alone. They're goofing around. Don't look
+at them too much or you'll draw their attention." Keisei moved in front of
+me, blocking my view. "He might not be as bad as Sudou, but Ishizak1's still
+the type to punch first and ask questions later. This might end up being like
+Ryuuen all over again."
+"Still, we're in the same group. I'm sure they won't mind a certain
+amount of contact, right?"
+I pointed. Ishizaki noticed us and glared. Keisei flinched, but Ishizaki
+just left the dojo, dragging Albert with him.
+"What?" I asked.
+"You're surprisingly bold, Kiyotaka."
+That was because I knew what was really going on with Ishizaki and
+his posse. I wanted to find a way to indirectly tell Keisei not to worry too
+much about it. As long as he was in charge of our group, he had to maintain a
+certain degree of control over the students from other classes.
+"Keisei, we need to peel another layer off this school."
+"A layer? What do you mean?"
+"We might need to befriend Ishizaki and Albert to at least some
+degree."
+"That's ridiculous. We're in the same group, but we're still enemies. I
+can't befriend them."
+Like Keisei, I'd also believed there was no way rival classes could ever
+get along when I first enrolled here. In fact, the school encouraged us to
+compete with each other. Lately, however, I'd begun to imagine another way
+forward.
+"It seems Student Council President Nagumo has been able to bring
+people together, irrespective of class," I said.
+"That's... because he's charismatic," said Keisei. "Or he's just special.
+I don't have that kind of talent... In fact, that's not something anyone outside
+of Class A could even do, right? We don't know what Nagumo-senpai's
+planning, or if his methods will work all the way to graduation. But no matter
+how much he unites the second-years, the ones who graduate from Class A
+will have the last laugh. The rest will be left in tears." With that, Keisei left
+the dojo.
+3.6
+Ace DINNER, I decided to head back to the room before the others.
+There were a few people gathered in the hallway, both guys and girls, making
+me think something was wrong.
+"Sorry, sorry. Are you okay?"
+"Yes. No need for concern."'
+Yamauchi, a member of my class, reached his hand out apologetically.
+It looked like he'd knocked over Sakayanagi Arisu from first-year Class A.
+She didn't take Yamauchi's hand but instead tried to get up herself.
+She couldn't do it unaided, though, so she grabbed her cane, which lay
+on the ground. Then, leaning against the wall, she slowly got back up. It
+didn't take her long, but with everyone staring at her, it probably felt like an
+interminably long time to Sakayanagi.
+Yamauchi awkwardly retracted his hand.
+"So, uh. Guess Ill be going?"
+"Yes. Don't mind me."
+Sakayanagi smiled lightly and looked away from Yamauchi. Everyone
+began to disperse, looking relieved the issue hadn't escalated.
+""Sakayanagi-chan sure is cute, but she's also clumsy," muttered
+Yamauchi. Apparently, it hadn't even occurred to him she might've fallen
+because he bumped into her.
+Somehow, Sakayanagi's gaze had found mine. "Are you okay?" I
+asked her as I approached.
+"Thank you ever so much for your concern. However, it's nothing
+major."
+"Tl talk with Yamauchi later."
+"Well, he didn't do it on purpose. I just fell, that's all," said
+Sakayanagi with a chuckle. But her eyes weren't laughing. "Well, then.
+Please excuse me."
+Kamuro was usually by her side, but wasn't here. She'd probably been
+placed in a different group. I had no way of knowing how things were going
+with the girls, and I didn't care, either. However, as Sakayanagi started to
+leave, she stopped and glanced back at me. Did she feel me staring?
+"T remembered something I wanted to discuss with you, Ayanokouji-
+99
+kun.
+She tapped her cane once, a thin smile on her lips.
+"Class B is quite unified. Ichinose Honami-san has earned the trust of
+her comrades by giving it her all. However, what if they're trusting her too
+much?"
+"That has nothing to do with me," I replied.
+But Sakayanagi continued, not caring what I said.
+"There was a rumor going around about her. She's said to possess a
+tremendous number of points, despite her lack of significant achievements—
+enough points to even warrant an investigation by the school, I hear. It
+shouldn't be possible for a single student to earn so many points alone. She's
+likely the treasurer for Class B. Don't you think?"
+"Who knows? Only Ichinose or her classmates could answer that
+question. Why tell me this?"
+"I'm saying, is it wise to entrust her with all of those private points?
+For example, if she suddenly needed a large number of points to protect
+herself after making some mistake, or to save a classmate, no one would
+blame her for it. Perhaps she's acting as treasurer for that purpose."
+"Probably, yeah."
+"However, if she squandered a large sum of points purely to serve her
+own goals, the school might investigate on the basis of fraud."
+In any case, this wasn't about me. This applied to no one else but
+Ichinose and the students of B Class. If Ichinose really was acting as their
+treasurer, then the students who had deposited their points with her would be
+the ones who had the right to complain about it.
+"T can't imagine Ichinose using private points for selfish reasons,
+though," I said.
+"T suppose that's true. At the very least, no one doubts her. Yet." In
+other words, she was implying that might change. "I do so look forward to
+finishing this special exam and going back to school."
+Looking satisfied, Sakayanagi turned and walked away without
+looking back.
+Sf
+ite WAS ABOUT one hour left until ten o'clock, which was lights-
+out time. None of us really had anything to talk about, so we sat around in
+our shared room in silence.
+Breaking the ice was proving to be surprisingly difficult. Even if you
+made an effort to initiate conversation with someone from another class, it
+could easily feel forced. Ideally, someone would bring up a topic we could all
+chime in on, but seemed like it might be too much to hope for.
+Trying to force conversation would be off-putting. If only someone
+would strike up a conversation.
+A knock came at the door. Apparently we had a visitor.
+"Who could that be?"
+Everyone looked perplexed.
+"Maybe it's a teacher," said Ishizaki disinterestedly.
+That was certainly a possibility. Keisei got up, went to the door, and
+asked who it was. The answer was surprising.
+"Are you still awake?"
+"Student Council President Nagumo! Is something wrong?" asked
+Keisel.
+"T came to check on you since we're in the same group. Can I come
+in?" asked Nagumo.
+There probably wasn't a single first-year student brave enough to
+refuse him. Keisei immediately complied. Apparently, Nagumo hadn't come
+alone. Vice President Kirtyama and two other third-year students
+accompanied him: Class B students named Tsunoda and Ishikura.
+Once inside, Nagumo scanned the room.
+"It appears all the rooms are identical, senpai," he said to Ishikura with
+a grin.
+"Tt looks like it. Now, how exactly do you plan to deepen our bonds of
+fellowship by bringing us to the first-years' room?" asked Ishikura.
+The question was directed at Nagumo, but Keisei, not understanding
+what he meant, spoke up. "Bonds of fellowship?" he asked.
+"T already told you, didn't I? I came to check on you, since we're in the
+same group. We don't have TV or computers or smartphones. There's
+nothing remotely resembling entertainment. But it's not like we have nothing
+to play with," said Nagumo, pulling a small box from his jersey pocket.
+"Cards?"
+"You're probably thinking, 'Cards, in this day and age?' Well, cards
+are a staple game at camps like this."
+Nagumo sat down in a random spot, peeled the plastic tape from the
+sealed box, and opened it.
+"Take a seat, senpai. Sorry first-years, but there isn't much space. You
+stay in your beds," said Nagumo as some of the first-years began to get up.
+"I'm not playing," said Tsunoda. He turned his back to Nagumo.
+"Come on, don't say that. Let's play. It might help us chat a bit more
+freely," said Nagumo.
+Tsunoda stopped in his tracks, seemingly giving up, and took a seat.
+Ishikura sat beside him.
+"We should bet something to make the game more exciting. Any
+ideas?"
+The first-year students, nervous in the presence of upperclassmen, said
+nothing. They didn't know how to address the student council president, and
+Nagumo, of course, had anticipated they would shrink back that way.
+"We decided on the order in which people will making breakfast,
+right?" he said. "Let's bet on that. If, for example, you lose constantly, you'll
+be on meal duty until the end of camp. On the other hand, if you never lose,
+then you never have to cook breakfast."
+"Hey, Nagumo. Shouldn't we discuss that with the entire group?" said
+Ishikura.
+"It's only breakfast duty. Come on, give me that much. Please."
+He was the acting student council president for our school, and yet he
+was so completely casual in how he talked, even to seniors. The other third-
+years seemed unable to respond. They probably knew of the tension between
+Nagumo and Horikita Manabu and didn't want to get involved.
+"Fine. Let's decide by playing cards."
+"We're okay with this?" Keisei asked the other first-year, sounding
+slightly apprehensive. Ishizaki, Hashimoto, and the others nodded, as did I.
+The others eventually nodded too—except Kouenj1.
+"Kouenji, you object to this?"
+Nagumo should' ve just ignored him. Their little exchange in the
+gymnasium this afternoon probably made him want to poke the bear.
+"T neither approve nor object. The majority has already spoken."
+"IT don't care about the majority. I want to know what you think."
+"Then allow me to answer, student council president. I haven't the
+slightest interest in this exchange. I don't care enough to either approve or
+object. Does that satisfy you?"
+Kouenji's comments seemed designed to cause more problems.
+However, Nagumo let loose an unexpectedly amiable laugh.
+"Why don't you join the student council, Kouenji? I'd love to have
+someone as interesting as you aboard. I've heard you're fairly accomplished
+in both academics and athletics too."
+Everyone in the room, including the third-years, was shocked. Kouenji
+was the only one who didn't react.
+"Well, that's quite unfortunate. I have no interest in the student
+council."
+"TI suppose you wouldn't. Well, you're welcome any time. If you do
+happen to develop an interest, call me. Now then, how about we get this card
+game started?" Nagumo looked away from Kouenj1.
+"What game exactly are we playing?"
+"How about something simple. Old Maid? The person holding the
+joker in the end loses. Two players from each grade will participate in six
+games total."
+I wasn't very familiar with cards, but even I knew about Old Maid.
+"The participating students are free to switch out. Just don't switch in
+the middle of a round," said Nagumo, shuffling the deck.
+Once he was done, he handed the cards to the third-years so they could
+shuffle as well. To truly ensure that no one could tamper with the cards at all,
+the deck was then handed over to the first-years to shuffle. Keisei shuffled
+while he looked at us, seeking one other student to participate. Since there
+were no volunteers, Hashimoto raised his hand with a look of resignation.
+3.8
+Orr GAME OF Old Maid with first-, second-, and third-years had
+begun. Each grade level was scheduled to take two turns at rising early to
+make breakfast. So if you played six games of Old Maid with five wins and
+one loss, you'd still be fine. Four wins and two losses would be okay too.
+"Playing silently isn't fun at all. Let's chat," proposed Nagumo.
+He received the deck back from Keisei and dealt the cards.
+"T'1l deal the first round. From the second round onward, the loser has
+to shuffle and deal."
+The players nodded in agreement. Nagumo hadn't looked at me once
+since entering the room. Even though we'd already met during winter
+vacation, I apparently didn't exist to him.
+"Oh, first-years who aren't playing...just relax. Pretend we're not here.
+Being nervous around your seniors all the time will affect your performance
+this week."
+Nagumo could say that, but we couldn't be as relaxed as we had been a
+little while ago. Except Kouenji, who ignored them completely and went to
+sleep.
+I decided to quietly observe the game to the end.
+"Even though it's just a game, we can't lose to the first-years, senpai."
+"Unfortunately, I don't have the best luck. If you expect too much of
+me, you'll be disappointed."
+"Tt'll be fine. I think my senpai are all pretty strong. You won't lose the
+first or second game."
+Despite this being a game where chance dictated much of the outcome,
+Nagumo brimmed with confidence. They were already approaching the
+game's halfway point.
+"Done."
+Ishikura successfully got rid of all of his cards. Vice President
+Kirtyama was next, and Nagumo was third. The second-years clinched
+victory quickly, adding pressure to the first-years.
+"Done."
+Hashimoto put down two cards with matching numbers, bowing to the
+third-years as he did so. The remaining players were Keisei and Tsunoda, a
+third-year. For such a tense game, the players seemed rather calm. Keisei had
+two cards left and Tsunoda one. That meant Keisei was holding the joker. If
+the third-year picked the joker, Keisei would be the winner. But after some
+deliberation, Tsunoda picked the winning card.
+"That settles it."
+"T lost."
+The first round ended with Keisei's defeat. The first-years had to make
+breakfast at least once.
+"Let's keep calm. Losing once or twice isn't a big deal," said
+Hashimoto. Keisei nodded but seemed apologetic. He was probably worried
+he'd lose another round.
+"Hey, I already told you, didn't I? The loser collects the cards and
+deals them," Nagumo said.
+"S-sorry," said Keisei, collecting the cards in a panic.
+The second round soon began. From where I was seated, I could see
+one of the third-years' cards. He had the joker. He held it until about halfway
+through the round but eventually passed to another student.
+The final two players were Kirtyama and Keisei. Keisei couldn't help
+but look incredibly nervous at being in the one-on-one showdown for the
+second time in a row. On top of that, judging from the number of cards
+remaining, I knew that Keisei was holding the joker.
+Kiriyama slowly, hesitantly picked a card. Keisei struggled to keep his
+poker face, but he hung his head in defeat. Within the span of a few minutes,
+the first-year students had suffered two consecutive defeats. Yahiko, who had
+been watching the situation unfold, signaled to Keisei that it was time to
+switch.
+"Probably for the best," said Nagumo. Hearing that, Keisei obediently
+tagged out and let Yahiko in.
+"I'm not good at games like this. Sorry, we're counting on you," Keisei
+said, settling down to watch the first-years battle.
+Of course, Yahiko was probably nervous to face off against seniors.
+However, perhaps because he was used to treating Katsuragi with the
+deference due an older student, he seemed relatively calm. Still, composure
+might not have helped much with Old Maid. I didn't know how much skill
+was involved, but you probably needed at least some luck not to draw the
+joker.
+"T think it's time to let the first-years have one," said Nagumo, perhaps
+feeling slightly bad that we'd lost multiple times in a row. "By the way,
+Ishikura-senpai. How's the club been lately?"
+"T thought you weren't interested in basketball."
+"No, I am. I mean, I'm not as interested as I am in soccer."
+"We had some pretty athletic first-years join, so we might expect some
+good things next year. We didn't really achieve much this year, pathetic as it
+is to admit that, as the captain."
+Several first-years had joined, but he was probably referring to Sudou,
+whose skill had even caught the attention of even a retired third-year.
+"T'm looking forward to it."
+"You seem like you're devoting all your time to the student council.
+Don't you have any lingering attachment to soccer?"
+"T wasn't planning to go pro or anything. Besides, I can continue
+playing soccer wherever. Being student council president here was really
+appealing."
+"It's good that you're putting in effort as president, but I don't like you
+picking fights with Horikita."
+"T don't mean to pick a fight. I simply want my senpai to acknowledge
+me, especially when I've admired him for a long time."
+Ishikura shot Nagumo a glance but then looked away.
+"I'm first this time," said Ishikura, laying his cards down flat.
+"I'm in, too," said Yahiko right afterward. He happily placed his final
+two cards down. For the first-years to win, Hashimoto had to pull through.
+The number of cards in his hand was decreasing, but all that mattered was
+who held the joker.
+"All right."
+After another second-year student took third place, Hashimoto also got
+rid of his cards.
+"Oh, ho, looks like the firs-years survived this time. Congrats."
+"Thank you very much, Nagumo-senpai."
+The final players were Nagumo and Tsunoda. However, Nagumo had
+the advantage, with a 50 percent chance of victory.
+"Here goes," said Nagumo, claiming the card on the right. However,
+he'd grabbed the joker. "Too bad."
+Nagumo held out the two cards in his hand. Tsunoda picked the card
+on the right, just as Nagumo had done.
+"That settles it."
+In the end, Nagumo had the joker, and the second-years suffered a
+defeat.
+"Looks like I got beat. All right, should we start the fourth round?"
+Nagumo began dealing the cards, not looking frustrated in the least. "You
+first-years finally won a round, so how about you lose again this time? I
+mean, we are your seniors. I'd like you to take over our duties."
+"If I remember right, Sudou is from Class D. Who here are Class D
+students?" asked Ishikura, looking around.
+"Ah, we're Sudou's classmates," said Keisei, looking at me. "Oh, and
+we were just promoted to Class C," he added.
+I didn't expect them to care much about what was going on in the other
+grade levels, but when Keisei said that, Ishikura looked impressed.
+"Promoted from D to C, huh? That's amazing."
+"Seems like the former Class D ran out of class points right after they
+started at this school, though."
+"Yet they still managed to get promoted. What's the gap between you
+and Class B like?"
+As someone asked that question, though, Ishikura stopped Keisei
+before he could answer. "Forget it. This group comprises all classes; I
+shouldn't be adding fuel to a fire," he said.
+It certainly wasn't the best topic—and wouldn't be a fun conversation
+for Ishizaki, the rest of Class D, or Class B. In the end, the first-years barely
+spoke, while Nagumo and the third-years kept the conversation going.
+It was the fourth round. After four out of the six players finished up,
+Nagumo called for the round to end.
+"Both the remaining players are first-years. There's no need to finish,
+right?" he said.
+No matter who won, it was still our loss. Yahiko and Hashimoto put
+their remaining cards back in the deck. We managed to win against the
+second-years just once and lost three times.
+We'd only had to cook breakfast twice, but now thanks to this round of
+Old Maid, the number had risen. The more we lost, the worse our burden
+became.
+"Maybe I should switch out," said Hashimoto. No one seemed willing
+to replace him, though, with the feeling of defeat hanging heavy in the air.
+"It doesn't matter who steps in. Anyone is fine. You," said Nagumo.
+He beckoned me over. I wanted to decline, of course, but obviously
+couldn't. Regardless of whether he'd called on me intentionally or randomly,
+I had to accept.
+"Sorry, Ayanokouji. It's up to you."
+"Okay."
+Well, three first-years had already played. It wasn't so strange that I'd
+been picked too. Besides, this was just for fun. Win or lose, it was just a
+normal game.
+As we switched places, Yahiko asked me to deal the cards. I shuffled
+the deck and started to deal awkwardly.
+"All right, this is the fifth game. I think it's about time the third-years
+go down. Come on, first-year," said Nagumo, trying to light a fire under our
+asses.
+I fanned out my cards and assessed my hand. I had several cards with
+the same number and the joker. Unless I handed that card off to a second- or
+third-year, we had no chance of winning. I wasn't very familiar with playing
+cards, but I was curious about one thing.
+In a sense, drawing the joker at the very onset might be a good thing.
+As I finished assessing my hand, the game began, and people took their turns
+in order. It seemed no one was going to draw the joker from me.
+Occasionally, one of the seniors would put their fingers on the card but then
+immediately pulled their hand back.
+However, during the fifth round, someone finally took the joker from
+me. The senior who took it looked at me for an instant but then immediately
+regained his composure and resumed the game. This time, Yahiko was the
+first to finish, and then I finished second. The first-years were done.
+"The first-years came out on top this time, huh? Maybe the tides have
+turned."
+The game came down to a one-on-one between the remaining third-
+years. Exactly what Nagumo had hoped for, probably.
+Only one game left. As a first-year, I wanted to avoid losing again.
+"This next game's the last one."
+"Tl deal," said Ishikura. As he did, Kouenji spoke up.
+"Student Council President Nagumo."
+"What is it, Kouenji? Do you finally feel like participating?"
+"I'm feeling a tad bit curious, I suppose. How do you foresee this final
+game will end?"
+Nagumo ignored Kouenji's pompous way of speaking, focusing only
+on the question.
+"How do I foresee?" said Nagumo.
+Nagumo glanced over the participants.
+"Even though this is just a game, the seniors are experienced. It's
+unlikely the first-years are going to win," he said.
+Kouenji closed his eyes and smiled, as though satisfied.
+Most probably didn't understand the intention behind Kouenji's
+question. Only the senior students had a grasp on the situation. I agonized
+over what I should do. If I relied on luck alone, I was almost guaranteed to
+lose. However, if I attempted to influence the results, I might end up drawing
+Nagumo's attention.
+I checked my cards. One of the cards in my hand was the dreaded
+joker. I had to get rid of it if | wanted to avoid defeat.
+"T'd like to leave the first-years with three losses. But I'm also okay
+with four," said Nagumo. I couldn't imagine that statement was random.
+The final round started, turns being taken in clockwise order. Every
+player discarded two cards. In a minute or two, the outcome would be
+decided.
+39
+66 :
+Worry. FIRST-YEARS, but I finished first."
+That was Tsunoda. Kiriyama was the next player to finish. That left us
+first-year students, Nagumo, and Ishikura. The joker was still in my hand. I'd
+given up on winning, so I let the game continue. Yahiko finished next. He
+sighed in relief, hand to his chest.
+Right after that, Ishikura finished. The match became a showdown
+between Nagumo and me.
+"You don't seem to be having fun, Ayanokouji."
+"That's not true. I just have a hard time expressing myself."
+"Really? You've looked kind of pale ever since we started. Have you
+had the joker all this time?"
+Nagumo's remarks weren't strange at all. Since he didn't have the
+Joker and I was the only player left, he obviously knew what that meant.
+"You might be right about that," I replied, trying to be evasive.
+Engaging him directly might be bad.
+I knew what Nagumo wanted from me, after all. He wanted me to talk
+back to him like Kouenji had.
+I silently offered him the two cards in my hand. One was the joker, the
+other the exact card Nagumo needed in order to win. In all likelihood,
+Nagumo would draw the winning card. But I didn't understand the look on
+his face.
+Nagumo smiled as he put out his hand.
+And then...
+"You must be glad, Ayanokouji. Looks like you escaped."
+Nagumo had drawn the joker.
+"Talk about a surprise. I was sure you'd draw the winning card," said
+Ishikura to Nagumo.
+"In the end, card games come down to luck. When you lose, you lose."
+Nagumo shuffled the two cards in his hand, and offered them to me. "All
+right, take your pick."
+From an outsider's perspective, I had a fifty-fifty chance, but that
+wasn't really the case here. Even though he'd taken the cards from a sealed
+box, Nagumo had been the first to deal. That was probably when he'd marked
+the joker. Though almost invisible, there was a minute notch on the card.
+I'd arrived at this conclusion by looking at the spread of wins. In the
+five games so far, Nagumo had predicted the outcomes would be ahead of
+time, even though, with inexperienced first-years in play, there should have
+been no way of knowing how a game would go. But Nagumo was evasive,
+only saying which team had a high probability of winning and which did not.
+The senior students who'd realized the trick...no, who'd been told
+about it...had an overwhelming advantage. Disgusting. From where I was
+sitting, the card on the right was marked, meaning it was the joker. There was
+no mistaking it.
+If I picked the other card, though, would what happen? The answer was
+simple. Nothing. I'd have just won by a fifty-fifty chance.
+"T can't tell which is which no matter how hard I try, so I'm just going
+to pick randomly. Here goes," I said, reaching out. But Nagumo pulled his
+cards back.
+"Give it some thought before you pick."
+"T don't know that thinking it over will do anything."
+"Still, try," he insisted.
+"T understand. I'Il give it some thought," I said, looking at the cards.
+Of course, I wasn't really thinking. After about two seconds, I grabbed
+for a card.
+"T like the one on the right. I'll take that one," I said.
+As fine a reason as any. Nagumo didn't stop me that time, and I drew
+the winning card.
+"Sorry," I said, showing that I'd won.
+"You lost. Huh, Nagumo?"
+"Guess so. Well, we were already scheduled to cook breakfast twice
+anyway, so I don't really mind." He gathered up the cards that were scattered
+about. "That was fun, wasn't it? I think you and I might get along just fine,
+Ishikura-senpai."
+"T wonder," replied Ishikura, brushing aside Nagumo's seemingly
+good-natured words and abruptly leaving the room.
+"It's fine if we start with the first-years, right? Take care of breakfast
+tomorrow."
+"Y-yes. Thank you very much," said Keisei.
+The seniors cleaned up the cards, then got up and left.
+"Y' know, we didn't really interact with 'em at all," muttered Ishizaki. I
+understood what he meant.
+Ultimately, the game had done nothing but increase the first-years'
+ever so slight responsibilities.
+Chapter 4:
+A Premonition of Defeat
+W: NORMALLY HAD Saturdays off, but lessons were still being held at
+this outdoor school. However, the timetable was slightly different from
+weekdays. Our lessons were only in the morning. Once those were finished,
+we had free time.
+The special exam had started on Thursday. It was already the third day
+of camp, and discord was beginning to manifest within the group. It started
+early, just after five o'clock in the morning.
+"Aah, I'm so goddamn tired!" shouted Ishizaki at the outdoor cooking
+area.
+"So is everyone else. Ah, please measure the ingredients correctly—
+don't mess up the amount of miso," said Keisei, flipping through the
+breakfast menu the teachers had given us.
+"Shut it. Why do I even gotta help make food in the first place?!"
+Ishizaki groused, though he kept stirring the miso to make it dissolve.
+"Look, we don't have a choice. We could get hit with a penalty if our
+whole group's not here."
+"Whatever, dude, like hell I care. God damn it. Oh."
+"What was that?"
+"Nothin'."
+"No, that was something. Where's the salt you were just holding?!"
+"T put it all in."
+Keisei turned off the fire in a panic. He tasted the soup and choked.
+"You put in way too much! Ack! It's not even edible."
+If we'd given that soup to the seniors, 1t would have invited a /ot of
+criticism. Not to mention it was probably unhealthy too.
+"You have to start over."
+"Screw that. You do it. Or what about Kouenji?"
+"Tt's not like I know!"
+"You're in the same class, aren't you?!"
+Hashimoto shot a backward glance at the two of them fighting over the
+miso soup, his hands occupied by skillfully wielding a frying pan on the
+camp stove.
+"Dude, you're really good."
+"T've always cooked my own meals," said Hashimoto without a trace
+of arrogance. As he continued to cook up a storm, Albert approached him
+silently, carrying a bowl filled with whipped eggs.
+"Thank you. If you're up for it, could I ask you to cut up some
+vegetables too?"
+Despite his bulky frame, Albert skillfully brought the kitchen knife
+down on the cutting board, dicing vegetables with ease. We'd be feeding a lot
+of people, so Hashimoto kept churning out fried eggs. Clearly, he and Albert
+were our team's trump cards, as far as cooking went.
+Meanwhile, I'd lucked out by landing the easy job of preparing the raw
+vegetables and tableware. There were a Jot of vegetables to be prepped, and
+although I couldn't help with the frying, I felt I could at least pitch in on the
+dicing and chopping. I stood beside Albert and tried to communicate with
+him silently, just using my eyes.
+Can you handle cutting? Vegetables?
+Probably, yeah.
+Somehow, we seemed to understand each other—at least enough that
+Albert handed over a kitchen knife. Thankfully, living in the dorms had led
+me to develop some skill with a knife. I began to dice vegetables, keeping
+pace with Albert.
+Where had Kouenji gotten to, anyway? It'd already been half an hour
+since he went to the bathroom. Classes A and B each sent one student to look
+for him, but since they hadn't returned, it was a safe bet they hadn't
+found him.
+In the end, Kouenji didn't return until breakfast. When he did return,
+all he would say was that he'd been holed up in the bathroom due to a
+stomachache. Needless to say, his relationship with Ishizaki was wrecked
+beyond hope of repair at this point.
+4.1
+Someruine HAPPENED while I was studying morality during our third
+period that Saturday. I heard a girl's cheerful voice outside, and peering out
+the third-floor classroom window, saw Ichinose race spiritedly through the
+yard. She'd had a difficult time getting the groups coordinated on the first
+day, but she seemed cheerful now.
+Sakayanagi had enthusiastically declared she would crush Ichinose, but
+I saw no sign of that happening. Of course, I could only see what was on the
+surface.
+As I watched, I was able to discern, to a certain extent, the people who
+were members of Ichinose's group. Surprisingly enough, I spotted only one
+person from Class C among them. The Class B students were all unfamiliar
+to me, with the exception of Ichinose. Had they gone with the same approach
+as the boys—picking the minimum number of people from Class B in order
+to have an even mix of people from all four classes?
+I wasn't really sure who the Class A and D students were, but I did
+spot the girl who had suffered a severe injury by running into Horikita as a
+part of Ryuuen's ploy during the Sports Festival. Fortunately, she must have
+made a complete recovery, for she seemed to be running just fine.
+The only student from Class C, meanwhile, was a girl named Wang
+Mei-Yu.
+She'd come to Japan from China during elementary school and had
+remained here ever since. At least, that's what I'd heard. Her nickname was
+Muiichan, though only close friends ever called her that. All I knew was that
+she did well in class and was especially proficient in English.
+Though there were some slight differences in their scores, overall, she
+was as academically adept as Keisei. Strangely enough, she was just as
+athletic as him too—which was to say she was currently dead last by a wide
+margin, despite struggling desperately to keep up with the group. She
+staggered along, breathing heavily and looking up at the sky, seeming ready
+to collapse.
+Ichinose noticed Miichan lagging behind and slowed down. She
+matched Miichan's pace to run supportively alongside the other girl,
+encouraging her. Soon after, another girl came up beside them. It was Shiina
+Hiyori from Class D. She didn't seem especially athletic either, but she had a
+smile on her face as she ran alongside the other girls.
+According to Ryuuen and the people around him, Shiina had taken on
+the role of leader of the Class D girls. If that was true, then I was looking at a
+girls' group with two class leaders in it. With that in mind, it wouldn't have
+been strange for Horikita and Sakayanagi to be together too—but they were
+apparently in different groups.
+Feeling a surge of curiosity about how those groups had come together,
+I gazed out the window instead of focusing on the lesson. When our
+instructor spoke up, though, I could tell that things were about to become
+difficult.
+"We will now begin self-introductions. However, you won't simply be
+introducing yourselves. Please keep in mind that this will be one part of your
+lesson. From now on, you will all be giving a speech every day. The themes
+will differ between grade levels, but the four fundamental criteria on which
+you will be judged are volume, posture, content, and communicativeness.'"
+The word speech had indeed cropped up in the syllabus we'd been
+given back on the bus, making this undoubtedly one of the subjects we'd be
+tested on as part of this special exam. I was willing to bet every member of
+our large group would have to deliver a speech they'd composed themselves
+at some point. This part of the exam would be hell for people who lacked
+public speaking skills.
+The instructor went on to notify the first-years that they would be
+giving speeches on what they'd learned in their first year of school and what
+they'd like to learn in the years to come. The second- and third-years had to
+speak about their plans for the future, like attending university or getting a
+job.
+"For real? Talk about a shit exam," spat Ishizaki. I understood how he
+felt, but he was being much too loud. Even the teacher seemed to have heard
+him, though he didn't take Ishizaki to task over it. We could do as we
+pleased, but we needed to remember that our actions would ultimately affect
+the group.
+When free time rolled around, a young man approached the first-year
+group. Ishizaki, who had had his legs sprawled on top of a desk, instantly
+corrected his posture. The new arrival was Kiriyama from second-year Class
+B, who served as vice president on the student council under Nagumo
+Miyabi. He used to be in Class A, but had been demoted after losing to
+Nagumo, and it seemed that, deep down, he wished for Nagumo's downfall.
+Horikita's brother had put us both in touch.
+"T think you should adjust your attitude a bit," he said.
+"S-sure. Well, I wasn't really makin' any fuss or anythin'."
+"T'm not just talking about you, Ishizaki. That applies to you, too,
+Kouenji."
+Much as he might crave Nagumo's downfall, Kirtyama still had to play
+the part of a dutiful vice president. He had to address anything that might
+affect the large group's overall scores.
+"We're going to be evaluated based on the test on the final day, right? I
+don't think taking these lessons seriously is that important."
+"The written test isn't everything there is to this special exam. Haven't
+you considered the possibility that our instructors will be taking your
+behavior in class into account? And how exactly do you plan to score well on
+the test 1f you don't take the lessons seriously?"
+"Simple is best. This is me we're talking about, no?"
+"T see. You're saying getting a high score is easy for you, eh? Well,
+we'll see if you can make good on those boasts when the special exam comes
+around. You're part of this group—shouldn't you want to avoid acting in
+ways that make your teammates uneasy?"
+"A group that's made uneasy by my actions is a group that has no
+value."
+"You don't get to decide that, Kouenji."
+"Then who, may I ask, does?"
+"No one person. The whole group does. Every student here decides."
+Ishizaki couldn't help but grin after hearing that, probably because he
+loved seeing Kouenji get told off. However, common sense wasn't going to
+work against Kouenji.
+"I'm worth far more than the rest of you combined. An average person
+cannot correctly judge the exceptional."
+"You're too ignorant and infantile to even be called a high school
+student," Kiriyama said.
+Kouenji didn't flinch, but before I knew it, nearly half of the second-
+years had begun to encircle us. Even Ishizaki's smile faded, his face growing
+stiff. Threatening words could be heard being murmured around us.
+"Besides, it's not just Kouenji. There's a number of you who've been
+causing all sorts of problems."
+He probably meant Ishizaki, but I honestly couldn't think of anyone
+else. We'd all been taking the lessons seriously, in our own way. Kirtyama
+was probably lumping us first-years together because he wanted us to focus,
+letting us know that we'd be earning our seniors' ire if we continued to
+behave impertinently. Kouenji was merely the straw that broke the camel's
+back.
+"T think that's enough, Kirtyama."
+Unable to stand by and watch the situation unfold, Ishikura, a third-
+year, stepped in to help.
+"IT know you're just trying to coach them, but the way you're doing it
+could come off as bullying. If that happens, you' ll be the one in trouble. The
+first-years understand the situation well enough. Isn't that right?"
+Ishikura looked to us for confirmation, and every one of us, including
+me, nodded. Except for Kouenji, of course.
+"Excellent, Ishikura-senpai. You really got a handle on things, didn't
+you?" said Nagumo happily. He'd been watching the whole thing go down
+from the sidelines. "You really are too good to be kept in Class B. Maybe
+you're just really unlucky, Ishikura-senpai."
+"Luck, huh? Much as I hate to admit it, I think it's just that my skills
+aren't up to par."
+"T don't think that's true. The only reason you haven't been able to rise
+to Class A is because there's a genius like Horikita Manabu in your way. I
+know you've fought the good fight for three years. There's a 312-point
+difference between Classes A and B right now. Even though graduation is
+around the corner, I think you're closing in on them."
+"Are you saying you'll lead this group to victory?"
+"Exactly. If you're willing to trust me, Ishikura-senpai, we' ll win this
+special exam. And, as I'm sure will bring you no small amount of delight, Pll
+help you get to Class A. We might even be able to get Horikita-senpai
+removed from the school. Hmm?"
+"Unfortunately, Horikita doesn't seem to be a group representative.
+And you aren't either, are you, Nagumo? There's nothing you can come up
+with that would be enough to drag him down."
+"It doesn't matter if he's the representative or not. There are many
+ways to crush him," said Nagumo with a laugh.
+"Sorry. But I can't trust you. Not with the fate of Class B."
+"That's unfortunate."
+Nagumo had simply laid out all his plans in front of everyone. Was he
+genuinely that guileless? Or was he just trying to make himself appear
+guileless? I doubted it was the former.
+4.2
+At DINNER, I decided to make some minor moves.
+Or so I say, though all I was really trying to do was get a better handle
+on the girls' situation. Ichinose and Shiina being in the same group had
+caught me slightly off guard, and I wanted to understand what was up with
+the other groups.
+I wanted to better understand the girls' situation, because Ichinose and
+Shiina being in the same group had caught me by surprise. I wanted to
+understand what was up with the other groups.
+Kei was eating in the same place as she had since the beginning, which
+made it easy to get in touch. I hadn't even asked her to do that. She truly was
+reliable. I, on the other hand, had been grabbing random seats that just
+happened to be open, wanting to avoid openly engaging with Keli, just in
+case.
+Very few students knew about my strange relationship with Ryuuen
+and other members of Class D, or with Kiriyama and Kei. Besides, there
+were enemies on the inside of whom I needed to be cautious. I checked my
+timing and then sat down near Kei. Just as I was racking my brain over how I
+would get her to notice I was there—
+"Hmm."
+Kei made some kind of noise, I think as a greeting? It was very soft.
+Apparently, she'd noticed me, even though she was enjoying a meal with her
+friends. In that case, I would wait patiently until she got rid of them.
+She proceeded to eat her meal slowly, letting her friends head back to
+the room ahead of her. I'd been considering postponing this meeting if there
+was a chance of being interrupted. She couldn't shake her friends, but she'd
+cleverly manipulated them into leaving. Finally, no one was paying attention
+to us, and our conversation could start. Of course, we'd immediately cut it
+short if someone did come.
+"So? It's the third day, and you finally feel like asking for my help?"
+"Yes. I have too little information on the girls."
+"No surprises there. Someone with a communication impairment like
+yours can only make contact with so many girls."
+She was giving me the cold shoulder, right off the bat. A small price to
+pay if it helped Kei feel she had an advantage, and keep our relationship
+going...but I decided to be a little mean in response.
+"So, you'll make it through this special exam even if you get no help
+from me?"
+"Q-obviously. I mean, who do you think I am?"
+"T see. Then there's nothing to worry about."
+"Well, maybe you can analyze my situation just to make sure there's
+nothing to worry about. Okay?" said Kei, looking anxious.
+"Tell me how the girls' groups are divided."
+"Ah, before we talk about that, something's been on my mind."
+"Make it quick."
+If we spoke too long, people might become suspicious.
+"Well, I'd say it's pretty important... What's going on with that
+Ryuuen guy?"
+"Are you worried?"
+"Well, yeah. Even the girls are talking about it. Like why he quit being
+the leader and all. No one knows what really happened."
+"Well, I wouldn't ever call Ryuuen 'gentle as a lamb,' but he's been
+somewhat domesticated."
+"So raking him over the coals worked?"
+"Raking him over the coals?"
+Kei hid her vulnerability beneath a tough facade, though her fear
+occasionally came into view. Her curiosity probably stemmed from anxiety
+over the fact that Ryuuen knew her weakness.
+"Don't worry about Ryuuen. He won't do anything careless. At the
+very least, he won't be doing anything to you, Kei," I said, to reassure her.
+Kei didn't respond. Was someone else approaching us? I'd been on my
+guard in case that happened...but that didn't seem to be the case. I
+immediately sensed what was going on.
+"Sorry. It's nothing," she said. I could tell she was lying.
+"It doesn't seem like nothing, Kei."
+"T-I'm telling you, it's nothing."
+"Ts that really true, Ke1?"
+"...Wait a minute. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!" She
+didn't look at me, but her voice sounded threatening. Maybe I'd pushed her
+too far. "Ugh, God. I shouldn't have given you permission to call me by my
+first name."
+""You're the one who started that in the first place."
+"W-well, yeah."
+More importantly, if she was satisfied by what I'd told her about
+Ryuuen, I wanted to get down to business. We were well hidden among all
+the hustle and bustle, but if someone happened to notice us, they might
+become suspicious of my relationship with Kei.
+"Well, ?ve gathered as much information as I could, more or less.
+Want to hear it?"
+"Yeah."
+"I'm going to say this up front, though—I wasn't able to get a
+complete picture of all of the groups like you wanted."
+"T understand. I wasn't expecting that much from you."
+"Okay, that's a super rude way of putting it. Even someone like you
+couldn't know everything about who was put into what group, right?"
+"Hmm. I wonder about that."
+"What? You're saying you've memorized where everyone is?"
+"T didn't say that."
+"What group is Shibata-kun from Class B in?"
+"He's in the group of mostly Class B students led by Kanzaki."
+"What about Tsukasaki from Class A?"
+"He's with mostly Class A students led by Matoba."
+"Th-then what about Suzuki-kun?"
+"He got assigned to a different small group than the one I'm in."
+"You have memorized everything!"
+"Just the people whose names I know. But if I see their faces, I can
+remember where they belong."
+I was grateful that this exam had forced me to memorize the names of
+all of the first-year students. Once we were done here, I'd probably be able to
+match names to faces with nearly 100 percent accuracy. As long as I hadn't
+missed or misunderstood something, of course.
+"Sigh. How is your memory this good? Don't tell me you're one of
+those nerdy four-eyed try-hards who spends all his time studying or
+something."
+Unfortunately, I had no idea what Kei was saying.
+"Let's get down to business. What's going on with Sakayanagi and
+Kamuro's group?"
+"They're in the same group. It's made up of students from three
+classes, with nine students from Class A. Class A was the first to put their
+groups together," explained Kel.
+So, the girls had picked a similar strategy to the Class A guys. Only
+they went with nine students instead of twelve.
+"The fact that they've only got three classes means someone didn't join
+in. Or maybe Sakayanagi didn't let them in?"
+"They wouldn't accept anyone from Class B. They rejected the idea
+right off the bat. They said they couldn't trust Ichinose or something. Well,
+Sakayanagi didn't say that. Kamuro did."
+"Not able to trust her, huh?"
+"T guess you wouldn't fully trust any student from another class, but
+they specifically named Ichinose. But isn't that kind of weird? I mean, even
+I've heard nothing but good things about her."
+If I were asked to name a trustworthy student from another first-year
+class, I'd have named Ichinose, without a doubt. Of course, there were
+probably more than a few people who'd name Kushida, if asked the same
+question... At any rate, I estimated Ichinose was in the running for the most
+trustworthy person in our grade level.
+But if Sakayanagi and Kamuro's group only had members from three
+classes and the minimum number of students, their point multiplier would be
+greatly diminished. It was a strategy where absolute victory was impossible,
+but so was absolute loss.
+"That's not fair, right? Class A should just protect themselves. They
+were really forceful about how they made the groups."
+"Seems that way."
+A solid, reliable strategy. Sakayanagi had almost certainly devised that
+plan. It was surprising that someone as aggressive as her would adopt a
+defensive strategy like this.
+"So what should I do now? Set a trap or something?"
+"Cheap tricks won't work in this exam. There are some people I'd like
+you to monitor, though," I replied, naming some of the major players.
+"Hmm. That'll be pretty tough, but PII try."
+She obediently followed orders. That was Kei's strong point.
+"Anyway, what's up with this exam? Do we really have to worry about
+things like manners and ethics?"
+"T wonder. If this were a story, I'd say it was almost like a MacGuffin."
+"Huh? MacMuff—"
+"That's not what I said."
+"T-I know that. So what is it?" She had no idea.
+"Tt's an element that's important because it motivates the characters but
+is otherwise unimportant to the story itself."
+"T don't understand. Look, I know you're a smart guy, Kiyotaka, so
+just explain things in a way that's easy to understand."
+"I'm saying manners and ethics may be necessary but aren't really
+important in and of themselves."
+Dinnertime was almost at an end. Students started to disperse.
+"But this exam... Let's just say a storm is coming."
+"A storm? What do you mean? Are you saying something bad is going
+to happen?"
+"Relax. At the very least, I say no harm will come to you." Things
+probably wouldn't get too bad for the first-years this time. I grabbed my tray
+and stood. "If I need you again, I'll call."
+"Understood."
+With that, I decided to return to the room.
+4.3
+As NIGHT FELL on our third day, I entered the large bathhouse. Several
+guys were gathered in one corner; I saw not only Yamauchi and Ike but also
+some Class B students like Shibata. I exchanged glances with Kanzaki, who
+entered the bathhouse at the same time as me.
+"This is a pretty unusual combination of people," said Kanzaki,
+surveying the gathering with surprise.
+"Yeah, sure seems that way."
+"How's your group? Any trouble?"
+"Dunno. But I can't say it's going all that well," I replied honestly.
+Kanzaki seemed unsurprised. "Well, if you have a small group made
+up of an uneven number of students from four different classes, there's bound
+to be tension."
+"T wish that were all it was."
+"Moriyama and the others told me. Sounds like you guys really have
+your hands full with Kouenji." A natural assumption, under the
+circumstances.
+"I'm trying my best as a classmate, but I have absolutely no control
+over him," I said.
+"Speaking of control, have you heard about what's going on with
+Ryuuen?"
+"No, I haven't heard anything."
+It was three days since Akito had entered Ryuuen's group. Even
+though we saw each other in the bath, on the way to the toilet, or during
+mealtimes, we hardly ever spoke.
+"If he were scheming or something, there'd be reports. But I haven't
+heard anything."
+If Kanzaki—Class B's second-in-command—said no rumors were
+going around, then it was probably true. As someone who knew the full
+extent of the situation, I doubted Ryuuen would try anything, but the other
+students probably weren't going to let their guard down for a while. Many
+probably suspected he would spring some kind of trap by the end of the
+exam.
+"If you're ever in trouble, find me. I'd like for our good relationship
+with Class C to continue. Ichinose feels the same way, of course."
+"T sincerely appreciate that."
+"Ichinose seems to have a really high opinion of Horikita. More so for
+her honesty than her ability, though."
+"Her honesty? Huh."
+I didn't know if I would call Horikita "honest" myself, but Kanzaki's
+definition of the word might be slightly different from my own. He probably
+meant she had integrity. She was a firm believer in keeping her promises.
+You couldn't expect anything of the sort from Sakayanagi or Ryuuen.
+"Oh, Kanzaki! Hey, over here!"
+Shibata waved.
+"Ayanokouji! You come over too!"
+Yamauchi signaled for me. Unable to decline under the current
+circumstances, I went.
+"What's up?" said Kanzaki to Shibata.
+"Just having a blast with Yamauchi and the guys here. Bein' totally
+honest and talking about something kinda weird."
+"Kinda weird?"
+"We've been talking about who has the biggest thing in our grade."
+"What thing?"
+"Dude, isn't it obvious what we mean? You know, down there," said
+Shibata with a laugh, pointing at the center of the white towel wrapped
+around his hips.
+"T see. Sounds like you're having fun." Kanzaki released an
+exasperated sigh at the childish competition that Shibata was engaged in.
+"T mean, yeah, it's childish. But hey, it's surprisingly fun."
+Kanzaki and I didn't get what was so fun about it. We exchanged
+glances and decided to keep our distance. When Shibata and the other started
+their discussion once again, Kanzaki left. Soon after, I got up to leave too.
+However—
+"All right, who's the current size king?" Sudou, probably having
+overheard the conversation, showed up. He radiated confidence as he grabbed
+tightly me by the shoulders, preventing my escape.
+"T have no clue." I dodged the question. While the majority of us wore
+towels, Sudou was proudly naked.
+"Oh. That's what I'd expect from Sudou," said Shibata. I could tell that
+he was anxious.
+"Kaneda from Class D's the current king."
+"Kaneda? That gangly four-eyes?"
+Sudou pushed past Shibata.
+"Move it," he said, before joining up with Yamauchi and the others.
+Kaneda, who seemed to have no intention of joining in, looked
+uncomfortable.
+"Oh, dude, Ken, you came! You're the only one we can count on!"
+"Leave it to me."
+Sudou, representing Class C, confronted Kaneda, who looked
+perplexed at being dragged into this competition.
+"You wear glasses even in the bath?"
+"If I don't, my vision is so bad that I can't see well enough to walk."
+"That so?"
+It wasn't an aggressive competition. They simply stood next to one
+another. The outcome of their showdown was decided in an instant.
+'Hot damn!"'
+Sudou confidently pumped his fist as he posed. He shouted in trrumph,
+his voice echoing throughout the bath. Kaneda fled, the sentiment "Finally,
+the game is over" written on his face. I was sorry he'd gotten dragged into it.
+"That settles it. I'm the king!"' Sudou declared.
+It was unlike anyone would challenge him, having seen the power he
+was packing. I hoped this pointless competition was at an end, but...
+"King? Don't make me laugh, Sudou," said Yahiko, challenging Sudou
+with a loud laugh.
+Sudou just glanced at Yahiko's naked crotch before dismissing him.
+"You ain't no match for me."
+"No, ''m not. But /'m not your opponent."
+"Tt don't matter who I'm up against. The result's the same. The king is
+Class D's—"
+"No, Ken, we're Class C now. Class C."
+"Yeah, that's right. The king is Class C's Sudou Ken-sama!"'
+"You're just above average. You can't win against Class A's
+Katsuragi-san!"
+Apparently it wasn't Yahiko challenging Sudou but rather the person
+that Yahiko idolized—Katsuragi. The man in question was sitting on a stool
+nearby, reaching for some shampoo. Since he was completely bald, I
+wondered where exactly he was going to apply the shampoo, then decided
+not to ask that question.
+"Knock it off, Yahiko," said Katsuragi. "I have no interest in such
+nonsense."
+"We can't let this pass. We have to win. This is about a man's pride.
+No, Class A's dignity is on the line!"
+"What a stupid competition..."
+"But that's not really true. Is it, Katsuragi?" said Hashimoto. Yahiko
+just looked disgusted. "Like Yahiko says, Class A's pride is on the line. What
+you're packing makes you the only one here that can measure up against
+Sudou."
+Hashimoto had personally checked out Katsuragi's "thing." He clearly
+had confidence that Katsuragi could win, laughing boldly at the possibility of
+victory.
+Katsuragi, however, made no move to stand.
+"Bring it, Katsuragi."
+Katsuragi remained calm in the face of Sudou's provocation. However,
+everyone else was getting fired up. They cheered, wanting to see Katsuragi
+and Sudou square off.
+"For crying out loud. I can't even wash my head in peace," said
+Katsuragi.
+So that meant that he really was planning on applying shampoo on his
+head after all, huh.
+"The contest will be over in a second, Katsuragi."
+"Have it your way."
+Katsuragi, having determined the best way was to accept the challenge,
+slowly got up. Everyone let out a sigh of admiration at the sight of his large
+frame.
+"Th-this is...?!"
+Yamauchi, who was the judge, crouched down. He scrutinized each
+combatant, looking from one to the other, but the differences seemed almost
+nonexistent. Sudou offered his opponent praise as he waited for Yamauchi to
+pass judgment.
+"Nice, Katsuragi. That's the reason they call you Class A's trump
+card."
+"This is ridiculous..."
+"All right, and the judges say—"
+Yamauchi stood up.
+"It's a draw!"
+Unlikely as it might seem for such a thing to happen in a competition
+like this, Yamauchi had determinedly they were evenly matched. Ike,
+Shibata, and the others gathered around, ready to object, but Yamauchi's
+judgment seemed sound, because they couldn't determine who was bigger
+either.
+"Are we done?" said Katsuragi.
+Clearly done with being made a spectacle, he pushed past them and
+went back to where he was sitting.
+"T hate to admit it, but I guess the two of us share first place," Sudou
+said.
+I didn't think anyone would object to that...but we sti// weren't done.
+"T had the honor of watching your valiant battle. But my, how naive
+you are," said Ishizaki from Class D.
+"Huh? Don't make me laugh, Ishizaki. You ain't a match for me," said
+Sudou with a dismissive laugh. Ishizaki was pretty much on Yahiko's level.
+"T ain't your opponent."
+"What?"
+"You fool! Class D possesses the ultimate trump card!"
+"No way. You don't mean Ryuuen?"
+"No!" shouted Ishizaki. "Albert! You're up!"
+The moment Albert's name was called, there was an uproar. The
+thought of Albert had certainly crossed everyone's minds, but they'd avoided
+mentioning him. Now that unspoken rule was broken.
+"Hey, that's not fair!" Even Sudou, who'd been dubbing himself a king
+moments ago, couldn't hide his nervousness.
+"Deal with it. If we're measuring who's number one in our grade, then
+Albert is on our team!"
+Ishizaki had a point, but no one could deny a fight that crossed into
+international territory put us at a disadvantage. Japan's professional baseball
+players, for instance, were highly skilled—but if you looked at foreign
+players in the major leagues, the difference in physicality was obvious.
+Foreigners were just made differently from us, both in terms of build and
+genetics.
+Albert approached silently. Sudou and Katsuragi were well built, but
+they couldn't compare to his muscular frame. Also, for some reason, Albert
+was still wearing sunglasses in the bath. Maybe they had some kind of anti-
+fogging solution applied to the lenses, because he moved with no problem.
+"Damn, he's huge..."
+Albert had a bath towel wrapped around his hips, so Sudou's muttered
+words had to be referencing his physique. Now that I saw them side by side,
+the difference was clear. It was like the difference between a junior high
+student and a college student. It followed that the same should apply to the
+weapons they wielded. Though it might be precious little help to him here, all
+Sudou could do was pray Albert wasn't packing more firepower than him.
+"Bring it on!" Sudou shouted, showing no fear. As the king, he
+couldn't run away.
+Albert didn't say a word, but he was plenty intimidating, even so. He
+let Ishizaki remove his bath towel. The veil had been lifted. Everyone, not
+just King Sudou, watched with rapt curiosity. Was this a weapon worthy of a
+final boss? Or, in a stunning upset, would he be wielding something minute?
+It was a clash between beasts—the most primal kind of battle.
+"Go, Albert!" cheered Ishizaki as Albert's fighting prowess was made
+clear.
+"Th-this is...?!"
+Unveiled before the eyes of the current king was Albert's true form,
+which he'd kept hidden so far. The crowd fell silent.
+"T.. lost."
+Two simple words from King Sudou. He collapsed to his knees,
+struggling with overwhelming defeat. Unlike the contest with Katsurag1,
+there was no need for judgment here. The difference was just that extreme.
+"This means Albert's...the final boss!"
+Yamauchi, Shibata, and the others folded like Sudou had, their spirits
+crushed. No one was capable of challenging Albert. The winds of despair
+began to howl. Albert slowly bent over, maneuvering his large bulk as he
+picked up the towel and walked off. Everyone fell to their knees in despair,
+recognizing their horrible defeat.
+"Ha ha ha. You are all amusing yourselves like children, it seems."
+Kouenji's voice cut through the dreary mood like a knife. He'd been
+observing the commotion from inside the hot tub.
+"The hell, Kouenji? Aren't you frustrated, too? Look at the state Sudou
+is in right now!" shouted Yamauchi. Sudou was still too anguished to be able
+to stand back up.
+"T know. But Red Hair-kun put up a good fight."
+"The hell, dude? Are you tryin' to say you can square off against
+Albert?" said Sudou, the life gone from his eyes.
+"T am a perfect being. As a man, I possess the ultimate body."
+"Don't dodge the question. What are you saying, specifically?"
+Kouenji ran his hand through his hair, without getting out of the tub.
+"There is no need for a competition, precisely because I know that
+there is no one superior to me. So, there is no need to war over something so
+pointless."
+"So you say. But it's not true, is it?" said Yamauchi, baiting him.
+However, Kouenji showed no signs of nervousness.
+"You truly are a fool. However, it might be fun to play along with you
+on occasion." He swiped his hair back from his face, looking as though he
+intended to accept the challenge. "Now then, shall I assume that Aaaalbert-
+kun is my opponent in this little competition?"
+Why did he say Albert's name like that?
+"No. It's Katsuragi-san!" shouted Yahiko.
+"Leave me out of this, Yahiko..." said Katsuragi.
+"There's no way Kouenji can win if he goes up against Albert! On
+behalf of the Japanese people, I'm begging you, Katsuragi-san, you must
+defeat him!"
+Well, I supposed Yahiko and Kouenji were in the same group. Even
+though he'd been seated nearby, Kouenji probably didn't know in detail the
+kind of fighting power that Sudou and the others held. If Katsuragi, who was
+an even match for Sudou, stepped forward...then maybe he stood a decent
+chance of victory.
+"For crying out loud... All right, just this once," said Katsuragi,
+exasperated. He stood to represent the Japanese people, his package swaying
+left and right as he did. The guys gazed at it as if they were looking upon
+something divine.
+""A-as I thought, he really is huge. I mean, even he can't go up against
+Albert, but if Kouenji—"
+"Heh. I see. So you're not called a king for nothing, eh?"
+"Please just end this."
+"However, you are no match for me." But Kouenji made no attempt to
+get out of the bath.
+"Hey, hey. You ain't scared or nothin', are ya, Kouenji? Or are you all
+talk, hidin' your thing away in the tub?" Ishizaki said, trying to needle
+Kouenji into making a move.
+"I'm not so foolish as to direct my blade toward an unworthy
+opponent."
+"Heh. In that case, we'll break your spirit 'til there's nothin' left. Right,
+Albert?!"
+Albert, the great foreign threat, stood next to Katsuragi. When he did
+so, a strange phenomenon occurred: Katsuragi's thing looked small in
+comparison. Upon seeing that, Kouenji's expression changed dramatically for
+the first time.
+"Bravo!" He clapped his hands. "I see, I see. As I would expect of the
+one representing the rest of the world, it would appear that you aren't all
+talk."
+"Do you get it now, Kouenji? How much of a clown you are?"
+"T've had enough of this," said Katsuragi. After he finished washing
+off his body, he entered the tub and kept his distance from Kouenji. Everyone
+ignored him, now completely absorbed in the battle between Kouenji and
+Albert.
+"Normally, it is not my policy to show it to men. But this is a one-time
+deal."
+Kouenji stood, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his hips to
+conceal his weapon.
+""S-so you really gonna do it, Kouenj1?"
+The ultimate eccentric and the king were going head-to-head.
+"I've known the outcome of this battle from the start. Now everyone
+here shall bear witness too."
+Kouenji struck a pose as he removed the towel that had been
+concealing his lower half. In that instant, a dazzling light hit everyone's eyes.
+A mighty sword, complete with a dyed blond lion's mane. No, it was too
+enormous to simply be called a sword.
+I heard Albert mutter softly in English beside me.
+"Oh, my God," he said.
+"And thus, I have proven that I am a perfect being."
+The guys who'd just borne witness couldn't even utter a sound.
+"Are you even human?" said Sudou. That was all he could say in the
+face of a power so overwhelming, it crossed national borders.
+If Sudou and Katsuragi were rifles and Albert was a bazooka, then
+Kouenji was a tank. Nobody could win against such overwhelming
+firepower. Its colossal size, armor, and destructive power would take down
+anyone in its path. There wasn't a single student in this massive bathhouse
+that could defeat Albert... which meant none of them who could stand up to
+Kouenji either.
+Then, just as everyone was about to hand him the crown...
+"Ha. Hold it, Kouenji."
+A voice emerged from the vicinity of the tub that Kouenji had been in
+moments ago.
+"R-Ryuuen...?" someone stammered.
+Ryuuen, the former leader of Class D himself, was warming up in the
+whirlpool bath, near Kouenji. There was fire in his eyes. He must have been
+watching Albert and Kouenji's battle.
+"You can't possibly think you're a match for me," Kouenji said.
+"No. Not even I can win against that thing you're packin'. However,
+there might be at least one person here who could give you a good fight."
+Everyone started looking around at each other as he said that, even
+though there was no way such a person could exist. Then I realized what he
+meant.
+Ryuuen had caught me in his trap.
+"Oh, ho? And who might that be?" asked Kouenji. His interest must
+have been piqued.
+"Can't say. But if I'm not mistaken, there is still one person here
+covering himself up with a towel, hiding his true power."
+Having dropped that bomb, Ryuuen entered the bath and turned his
+back to us. Fortunately, only a few people seemed to buy what he'd said...
+and yet, everyone's gazes were intensifying. Somehow, I felt like not just the
+current occupants of the bathhouse but people all throughout Japan were now
+paying attention.
+"No way. A guy like you? No way, dude," said Yahiko, glaring at me.
+"Are you really taking what he said at face value?" I asked.
+"T don't intend to, but...it's kind of curious that you're the only one
+still covering yourself up all this time."
+"Curious or not, I just never had any intention of joining this game." I
+took a step back.
+"Okay, fine. But let us check, just in case."
+Yamauchi and Yahiko approached, as though they were trying to flank
+me. Ryuuen wore a smug smile on his face.
+I'm gonna make you taste defeat.
+That's what his look and smile said.
+Just as I thought...
+Ryuuen, who had no way of knowing what my member looked like,
+had intentionally set this up. He was intent on making me lose, one way or
+another. It was a malicious sort of attack, very much like Ryuuen.
+I could use all my strength and bolt from the bathhouse, but then I'd
+have to forego bath time while here at the camp. Sooner or later, the veil
+would be lifted. I could try to turn the tables and punch out every student
+here, but that strategy was hardly worth consideration. Either way, I lost.
+There was no way I could avoid this incomprehensible battle anymore.
+Kouenji, seeing I wasn't budging an inch, laughed.
+"Ha ha ha! No need to feel embarrassed, Ayanokouji Boy. Even if you
+happen to be wearing protection, that's something a lot of Japanese children
+do. It's an important thing to protect."
+"You're not protecting anything though, Kouenji."
+"That's because I possess overwhelming strength, you see. I have no
+need for armor."
+I had to get out of this. Think. Find a means of escape—
+"You guys, do the chant. The chant."
+Despite having dropped out of this competition himself, Ryuuen
+spurred everyone else on from where he sat in the bath, setting off another of
+his traps. He countered my strategy, ensuring I could no longer escape.
+"Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!"
+All the guys started chanting, calling for me to take it off. The identity
+of the person goading them on didn't matter one bit to them. I was trapped,
+all thanks to Ryuuen. And all I'd wanted was to wash away my fatigue after a
+tiring day...
+"All right."
+Sometimes, you just had to fight. I had no choice but to admit that now
+was one of those times. And as a man, if you had a weapon, you should wield
+it. Winning or losing didn't matter, and nor did pride.
+As aman with a weapon, if you have to fight, then you should fight.
+What was important here wasn't winning or losing, nor was it something like
+pride.
+"Fine, whatever."
+"Do you want me to put you out of your misery, Ayanokouj1? Read
+you your last rites?" asked Sudou. I waved him away.
+Everyone kept calling for me to take it off, so I removed the towel
+wrapped around my hips, and then...
+The chanting suddenly dropped. There was complete silence, as if the
+unruly noise earlier were just a dream.
+"F-for real, dude? Ayanokouji, he..."
+"T don't believe it..."
+The guys spoke in whispers.
+"Well, well. I'm honestly impressed, Ayanokouji Boy. To think there
+exists a Japanese person who can hold their own against me. Truly, a margin
+of a few millimeters might as well be nonexistent."
+"Tt's like a showdown between two T-rexes..."
+The guys looked on with admiration and exasperation.
+"You are all living witnesses to history," said Kouenji, tossing his
+towel over his shoulder with a laugh. "However, victory is mine. If they are
+both T-rexes, as you put it, then the difference lies in the number of prey
+they've devoured. In other words: experience."
+Without supplying any further details, Kouenji dipped back in the tub.
+4.4
+IL WAS 1:00 A.M., well past lights-out, and I was lying awake in my bed.
+Everyone else was sleeping soundly. I should have been sleeping in order to
+prepare for tomorrow. That reason I was still awake lay in the single piece of
+paper beneath my pillow with the number 25 written on it.
+The note's simplicity didn't leave much to the imagination. The memo
+represented 25:00—1in other words, one o'clock in the morning. I didn't have
+any clue about who had put the note there, but I was awake now so I could
+find out. If it were just a simple prank or something completely different
+from what I was imagining, then, well, that would be that. I could just use
+this time to calm down and think about things.
+What lay at the heart of this special exam? The bigger picture was
+slowly coming into view, bit by bit. Of course, this was all speculation, since
+we hadn't been told exactly how the test would be scored. But I did know for
+a fact that there were going to be several things included in this exam.
+Zen.
+We would be graded on everything from our manners at the start of
+zazen to the posture we held during it. If we behaved inappropriately or did
+anything that got us smacked by the zen stick, we'd probably have points
+docked for it.
+Long-Distance Relay Race.
+That sounded simple. A test of our speed.
+Speech.
+Every person in the large group would deliver a speech on four criteria,
+aforementioned. The grading system for this had already been disclosed.
+Written Exam.
+I expected this would focus on the subject of ethics. It sounded like it
+would be a standard essay-based test.
+There were other things that concerned me, like "cleaning" and
+"cooking meals," but I couldn't determine how those would be scored yet. In
+some cases, things like tardiness or causing trouble might also be included in
+our assessments.
+A lot of students were probably agonizing over how to approach this
+completely different special exam. A strategy, while vital, could only be
+devised once you understood something's true nature. The goal of this exam
+was ostensibly to make us work as a group, support each other, and earn a
+high average score. Simple, on the face of it.
+But though it might sound easy at first, you could tell just from
+watching the groups be formed that this was going to be an uphill battle. It
+was extremely difficult for students who were normally hostile toward one
+another to truly cooperate. Horikita and Hirata, to speak of our own class, or
+Ichinose and Katsuragi, to speak of others, were probably focusing on
+encouraging such cooperation. Wielding influence within your group and
+having leadership skills made all the difference.
+Selecting the members of your group was important, of course, but it
+was nearly impossible to tell right off the bat which students were capable of
+scoring well in this exam. Although Keisei's academic prowess was nothing
+to scoff at, and thus, he could be expected to do well in that regard, he
+seemed to struggle with even the two five-minute sets of zazen on the first
+day. Some students couldn't cross their legs at all.
+It was still too early to tell whether academic or athletic skill would be
+a good measure of how students would do from here on out. Rather, it was
+the most adaptable students who were likely to come out on top.
+Additionally, it was probable that more than a few students were opting
+to pursue strategies that deviated from the basic one of encouraging
+cooperation. I'd sensed when the rules were explained to us that even the
+school had struggled to prepare for this rather unorthodox special exam. This
+had been true of every special exam, of course, but there had always been
+loopholes in the rules to exploit. Blind spots that the school couldn't see.
+Such as how Ibuki and Horikita had traded blows back on the uninhabited
+island, even though violence was prohibited.
+Of course, if you did happen to get caught committing breaking the
+rules, then the consequences would be huge. The majority of the students
+probably wouldn't risk it, with immediate expulsion at stake. Besides, the
+situation was far too complex for a mere rule violation to secure you a
+victory.
+Could you find a barely existing blind spot, exploit a loophole, and
+take a shot that would somehow outdo the people following the traditional
+strategy? A high hurdle to overcome. I'd tried a lot of things in the special
+exams we'd had so far. On the uninhabited island, I had Horikita retire and
+switched up leaders. On the cruise ship, I had the trick with my phone. I
+purposefully drew attention to myself during the Sports Festival. And I shut
+Kushida down during the Paper Shuffle.
+But this time, I'd decided not to take action. I would just sit and
+observe, continuing to collect information. I had determined that was what I
+had to do in order to fade into the background and graduate like any ordinary
+student. Even if that meant Class C took some hard blows this time around, I
+wouldn't do anything.
+I also wanted to show Sakayanagi and Nagumo, who both had a certain
+degree of interest in me, that I had no intention of fighting...though I had my
+doubts about how well that would work. Horikita's brother couldn't really
+blame me for anything if all I did was observe. However, there was one
+measure I could take, and it was defense. If there were a student out there
+who was trying to get me expelled, then it was only natural that I would
+defend myself.
+It was already past 25:00 now, and I had yet to see anything out of the
+ordinary. If that was the case, should I go back to sleep?
+But just then, something happened.
+The hallway door cracked open slightly and a little bit of light came
+through. It was Morse code. They were communicating via the flickering
+light. Since it was extremely dark in the hallways at night, several flashlights
+had been made readily available to us, and the person out there was probably
+using one. Light made no sound. The perfect way to signal me to come meet
+with them.
+I got out of bed and silently stood. Our rooms weren't equipped with
+toilets. Getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night was a
+perfectly natural thing to do.
+4.5
+Tue CORRIDOR WAS pitch-black, but I could tell someone was moving
+from the faint sound of footsteps. I followed that sound, and the person
+holding the light turned out to be Horikita Manabu.
+"Huh, to think you'd contact me. Isn't that kind of conspicuous?" I
+asked.
+In order for him to place a note on my bed, he'd have to know where I
+slept. In that case, there were only a couple people who might have helped
+him. It was probably either Ishikura or Tsunoda, the third-year students
+who'd played cards with Nagumo. They could have told Horikita which bed
+was mine.
+"More than a few students meet in secret when others are fast asleep.
+There are probably two or three schemes being implemented during this
+exam, after all."
+Everyone—first-, second-, and third-years alike—was pulling out all
+the stops in order to win. That being said, such clandestine meetings rarely
+led to anything good.
+"Do you know why I called you here?"
+"Because Nagumo is acting weird. I can't think of any other reason."
+"Exactly. I thought you might have something on him, since you're in
+the same large group. Plus, I wanted to respond to the message you sent me
+back on the bus."
+"T'll say this up front: prepare to be disappointed. There's no sign
+Nagumo is up to anything strange."
+I was lying. There were several things about Nagumo's behavior that
+concerned me. He'd directly challenged the elder Horikita to a contest in
+front of a huge crowd of people, and losing that contest would be a pretty
+poor showing for the second-years. Both his upperclassmen and
+underclassmen would view him with skepticism in the future.
+If you were going to do combat in public, you should do so only when
+you were sure the odds were in your favor. I didn't sense that was the case
+here. Since Horikita's brother had instructed Nagumo to fight fair and square,
+I'd expected Nagumo to be strict about making sure everyone in our large
+group paid attention to our lessons...but there was no sign of him doing
+anything of the sort.
+That was probably making Horikita Manabu anxious. If not, he
+wouldn't have taken the massive risk of contacting me like this.
+"Then you think Nagumo is going forward without any kind of
+scheme?"
+"Who knows? I think not involving any third parties really limits what
+you can actually do."
+Even if you could remind people not to talk in class, doze off, or be
+late, that wasn't going to improve test scores by leaps and bounds. At most, it
+might avoid having points docked.
+"Currently, our large group is more unified," Horikita's brother calmly
+assessed.
+True, his group was mostly composed of Class A students, including
+those from the first year. Whatever the test was, there was a strong chance
+they'd win. That had to be why he felt anxious about Nagumo's inaction.
+"What are the odds he' ll go back on his word?" I said. "Maybe he
+wants to see you lose no matter what it takes."
+"Nagumo shows no mercy to those who defy him. He's employed
+underhanded methods like Ryuuen more than once. He's also directly
+responsible for the second-years' unusually high expulsion rate. However,
+he's never once broken a promise."
+"You believe he's serious about not involving any third parties?"
+ae ei
+Horikita's brother nodded decisively. He and Nagumo had served
+together on the student council for nearly two years, and he must have seen
+how the other boy operated. I had my doubts, but hearing the certainty in his
+voice gave me that answer. An answer that applied not just to Horikita's
+brother, who was before me right now, but perhaps to all the second- and
+third-year students too.
+After hearing those words of absolute certainty from him, I felt doubt
+at first, but then I had arrived at my answer. I could say that for Horikita's
+brother, who was in front of me right now, and perhaps for all of the second-
+year and third-year students as well.
+I should give Horikita's brother some advice here and now. But it
+probably wouldn't do much good. He'd already determined that his best
+defense was to trust in his enemy's principles.
+"This has been a waste of time, apparently," said Horikita's brother,
+turning his back to me. "Oh, to answer your earlier question... The student
+council can influence the special exams. The council is supposed to represent
+the students' perspectives and can therefore make significant revisions to
+penalties or meddle with the rules. However, the council cannot make these
+decisions on a whim."
+"I-see,"
+With that, Horikita left.
+"He might lose," I muttered, unable to keep it in.
+Well, perhaps that was the wrong word. Horikita's brother would make
+no mistakes. He would doubtlessly manage his group well. But even so, we
+clearly didn't fully understand this exam. It was possible this would
+drastically change the course of our third semester.
+Chapter 5:
+The First Half of the Girls' Battle:
+Ichinose Honami
+By THE TIME day three rolled around, it seemed like a lot of stuff had
+happened with the boys. But as a girl, I, Ichinose Honami, couldn't know the
+details.
+Let's rewind to the day that the special exam started and tell the story
+from there.
+"Now that we've formed our groups, let's do our best to get along,
+everyone!"
+That was what I said to all the members of my group before bedtime.
+Despite the many twists and turns, ups and downs, and ongoing drama, at
+least I now knew the allies who'd be facing this exam by my side.
+Wang Mei-Yu-san, Shiina Hiyori-san, Yabu Nanami-san, Yamashita
+Saki-san, Kinoshita Minori-san, Nishino Takeko-san, Manabe Shiho-san,
+Nishi Haruka-san, Motodoi Chikako-san, Rokkaku Momoe-san, and I formed
+a group of eleven people. I was the only one from Class B, and there was also
+only one person from Class C. The rest were from Classes A and D. Manabe-
+san and Nishino-san seemed to be considered problem children even within
+their own class. In short, we were a group of oddballs.
+I didn't know Mei-Yu-san well, and the remaining students who'd
+been brought in to fill the group didn't really know each other either. I
+needed to hurry up and build some relationships—fast.
+"Let's do our best, Ichinose-san."'
+"Looking forward to working with you, Shiina-san. I've wanted to get
+to know you for a while."
+"Is that so? That's an honor."
+But as for Class C—no, they were Class D now—we hadn't really
+mingled with any of them at all. With Ryuuen-kun behind them, we could
+never get to a place where we could befriend them, no matter what we did. I
+supposed it was still unclear whether he really had stepped down or not, but
+since we'd finally put this group of girls together, I wanted us to get along.
+The main thing we needed to avoid was someone being expelled if our
+group fell short. In other words, we needed to avoid someone invoking the
+solidarity rule and dragging another person down with them. Even if my first
+loyalty was to my comrades in Class B, now that we'd formed this group, I
+couldn't play favorites. That was what I had told myself.
+Wang Mei-Yu-san wasn't actively participating. To be more precise, it
+felt like she couldn 't participate even if she wanted to. It would be simple for
+me to lend a hand, but this group was mainly composed of girls from Class A
+and Class D, many of them ones with big egos. If I stuck my nose in where it
+didn't belong or tried to forcefully lead them along, they might decide they
+couldn't trust me.
+So I decided to wait. If no one else took the initiative and started
+helping Wang Mei-Yu-san, I'd do something about it.
+"Hey, you're Wang Mei-Yu-san, right?"
+"Y-yes."
+Shiina-san approached her, addressing her gently. Shiina-san had taken
+on the role of representative, even for a group like this. She was a really
+reliable person. I hadn't put myself forward for the role, partly because
+Shiina-san had volunteered right away, but also because I didn't think that we
+could really aim for the top spot with the members we had.
+"This all must make you really nervous, huh? I mean, being
+surrounded by people you don't know."
+"U-um, well, I wouldn't..."
+"It's completely understandable if you're feeling bewildered,
+especially when you're surrounded by strangers and told to get along with
+them."
+"Yeah. Exactly, Shiina-san."
+You couldn't transform a group of strangers into friends just because
+you wanted to. It was the kind of thing that happened naturally or not at all. If
+you overthought it, you'd lose your footing and fail.
+"Hey, Ichinose-san. Have you ever had a boyfriend?" asked a girl from
+Class A.
+"Well... I'm embarrassed to say it, but no. I don't have any romantic
+experience."
+"T see. Huh, you look like you'd be super popular, though. Maybe
+you're the type of girl who has really high standards or something."
+"T don't really think I am, but... dunno."
+"Well, do you like any guys?"
+"Huuuh?!"
+The question was so sudden, I couldn't help but panic.
+"There are rumors going around. People say they see you hanging
+around with Nagumo-senpai a lot, just the two of you..."
+Well, it was certainly true that I'd been working a lot with President
+Nagumo after joining the student council. I'd never imagined it would lead to
+rumors like this, though.
+"Setting aside whether I like him or not, I'm really not even on the
+student council president's radar. He doesn't look at me that way."
+"No way, that can't be."
+"Yeah. I mean, you're you, Ichinose-san. It wouldn't be strange if you
+and Nagumo-senpai started going out."
+"Either way, there isn't anyone I like now..."
+"Wait, right now? So you used to like someone?"
+The girls started to grow excited all at once. This was a dangerous
+topic if you misspoke.
+"No, you got it all wrong. Well, I suppose there was this senpai I
+admired, but before I realized that I had a crush on him, he graduated..." I
+trailed off, trying frantically to deny it.
+The girls all exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.
+"What? What? Did I say something weird?" I asked.
+"No. It's just, like, you're answering these questions all so seriously."
+"Ichinose-san, you're way too honest. It's okay to just brush off stuff
+you don't want to answer, okay?"
+"Does that mean you dodged the question yourself earlier, Chikako-
+chan?"
+"Eek."
+And so our girls' night gathering grew lively once more. How should I
+put it? It felt like we could talk forever and never get sleepy.
+"Hey, I'm not gonna answer any questions I don't want to, okay?"
+"Okay, then, how many times has someone confessed to you so far?"
+"Huh? Um, three times. Well, if you're including preschool, four
+times. I think. And if I add in that one other time, then five."
+"See, you did answer!"
+"Nyaa!"
+I was no good at talking about romantic stuff. I was so unfamiliar with
+anything of the sort, I was afraid I'd slip up and prove my ignorance.
+"Hmm, I wonder. Could it be that Ichinose-san 1s the kind of person
+who's incapable of lying?"
+"You may be right."
+The girls were getting really fired up. It was probably better to deny
+that.
+"That's not true. Really."
+"Really?"
+"For example, you might need to make a gamble or two during the
+special exams, right? I might try to mislead someone in a situation like that."
+"Then you're fine with telling lies."
+"Hmm. I don't think that's quite right, either. I don't think anyone
+really wants to tell lies. The best way to put it might be... I try to tell the truth
+as much as possible. Well, that's not entirely right either. I guess I don't like
+telling lies to avoid hurting people..."
+"Isn't that kinda weird, though? I mean, wouldn't you want to lie to
+avoid hurting people?"
+"Yeah. I think lies told to avoid hurting people are definitely gentle, as
+lies go."
+But...that wasn't really the case for me.
+That was right. This was the ordeal I'd set for myself.
+"T think a lie told to avoid hurting someone is just delaying the pain *til
+later..."
+A single lie could lead to something much, much worse down the road.
+I never wanted to go through that again. Those painful days. That cruel time.
+Chapter 6:
+Ubiquitous Things
+SS oknay CAME AND WENT in a flash, and it was now Monday, the fifth
+day of the test. All four hours of our morning lessons were devoted to
+exercise. We had to walk or run an eighteen-kilometer course that was going
+to be used for the long-distance relay race, and then be back for our afternoon
+lessons. Since it was a relay race, each person would only be running a
+kilometer or two. But we were in the mountains, and the way could be rocky
+and steep.
+We walked for about five kilometers, exhausting our stamina. The
+other day, we'd only worked up a light sweat. The difference between then
+and now was incredible.
+"Seriously, how much higher does this slope go?! This is friggin' nuts,
+dude. This is way too hard," spat Ishizaki as we passed a sign telling us to be
+wary of wild boars. He turned back toward me, with a look in his eye that
+suggested he'd spied something unpleasant. "Speaking of wild boars, are the
+ones here pretty big? Like this guy?"
+"Truly amazing. I underestimated you, Ayanokouji."
+Hashimoto and a bunch of other guys started complimenting me, which
+just made me extremely uncomfortable. Knowing they were going to use this
+joke to mess with me for a while was profoundly awkward. Albert even went
+so far to applaud.
+But soon, they were out of time to tease me.
+Even though the road that led to the summit was paved to allow
+vehicles, the incline was extremely steep. Simply walking up it was going to
+strain our legs. On top of that, since we'd been getting up early to make
+breakfast, we were more tired than the upperclassmen. We only got a break
+on Sunday because the school showed some mercy.
+"How long is it gonna take for us to get back?"
+"The average person's walking speed is four kilometers per hour. It's a
+distance of eighteen kilometers. If we walk the entire time, it'll take four and
+a half hours."
+"You've gotta be screwing with me. We ain't gonna have any time left
+to eat lunch!"
+"Then we have to run, Ishizaki. The more we run, the sooner itll be
+over," said Class B's Moriyama, rather bitterly.
+Though our whole large group had started out together, most of the
+second-year and third-year students were moving faster than us.
+"Don't talk crazy. No way in hell I can run eighteen kilometers."
+"Don't tire yourself out by talking for no reason. We're all here
+because you agreed with my strategy, right?" warned Keisei, panting heavily
+as he spoke.
+Students with decent stamina could have started to sprint right away,
+but doing that continuously for eighteen kilometers certainly wasn't the best
+idea. Keisei's strategy was that we would walk for the first nine kilometers
+until we reached the turnaround point and run from there. We'd mostly be
+going downhill by then, something that Keisei had factored into his proposal.
+"We ain't even started runnin' yet. Like hell we'll be able to hold out
+until the turnaround point."
+"Shut up... Just be quiet and walk."
+Keisei wasn't very good with physical exertion. His legs must have
+been hurting him already, because his composure was starting to fray. With
+thirteen kilometers or so to go, we might not be able to make it back within
+the stipulated time. It was only natural to want to keep talking to a minimum
+and focus on walking.
+That said, this exercise had made me begin to understand who the
+runners were. Yahiko and Keisei were definitely not suited to this task.
+Kouenji, who was lagging behind us, could probably be an asset to the group.
+But I doubted he'd take it seriously enough to run.
+"Be quiet and walk, huh? You're actin' all high and mighty for
+someone who looks like a zombie, Yukimura."'
+Ishizaki kept at it. It didn't seem like there'd be any cutting back on the
+chatter.
+"I'm saying this for the sake of the group, as the representative. Please
+don't talk."
+"Oh, as the representative? Screw you."
+Maybe because of all the stress he was under, Ishizaki just kept
+verbally assaulting Keisei. Moriyama and Tokitou from Class B couldn't let
+that slide.
+"Enough, Ishizaki. Yukimura's right."
+Sensing someone behind me was getting further away, I turned to find
+that Kouenji had veered off the byroad and gone into the forest. No one else
+had noticed. They were solely focused on looking ahead. Ishizaki wasn't our
+only problem child. I couldn't see Kouenji anymore and there wasn't any
+sign that he was coming back; this probably wasn't a minor detour.
+"Well, it is what it is..."
+I considered quietly chasing after Kouenji, but everyone might think
+I'd ditched too. So I spoke up.
+"Kouenji went off on some other path back there. I'Il go call him
+back."
+"Huh? What in the hell is that weirdo doin'?!" With no students around
+who seemed capable of stopping him, Ishizaki's voice seemed to just get
+louder and louder.
+"Don't let him distract you, Ishizaki. If you don't ignore Kouenji,
+you'll only be hurting yourself."
+Keisei's strategy was to treat Kouenji as if he were invisible. A sound
+strategy, but ignoring him completely was easier said than done.
+"Sorry, Kiyotaka. Can I leave this to you?" asked Keisei
+apologetically.
+I could tell Keisei didn't have the energy to go back and look for
+Kouenji. I told him I'd do it.
+"Hey, this is Kouenji we're talking about. Won't he be kind of a
+handful? Want me to help?" offered Hashimoto. However, I politely declined
+his offer.
+"No matter who goes, we might not be able to bring him back. Getting
+as many people as possible to finish the run would look better to the school. I
+don't see how I could get lost on this route, anyway."
+"You're probably right. Come back the moment you think it's a lost
+cause, though."
+I nodded my assent and went in pursuit of Kouenji. I hadn't planned on
+actively making a move, but I wasn't often in a position to speak privately
+with Kouenji. If I was going to talk to him, this was probably my only
+chance.
+6.1
+Tie NARROW PATH was just a dirt road. Despite the poor terrain, I
+picked up my pace. If Kouenji was on foot, I calculated I could catch up to
+him in a minute or two. However, he must have gone faster, because there
+was no sign of him.
+"What a pain in the neck..."
+Going faster was one thing, but running down a dirt road was
+troublesome. I increased my pace, looking for any tracks Kouenji might have
+left behind on foot. After a hundred or so meters, I finally spotted him up
+ahead.
+As I looked at his back, I remembered a similar situation back on the
+island, when Airi had been there. Kouenji had left us in the dust back then
+too.
+"Kouenji," I called, closing the distance between us.
+"Oh, ho, if it isn't Ayanokouji Boy. This isn't the correct route, is it?"
+"I'm here to keep you from potentially getting expelled via the
+solidarity rule. Why did you take this detour?"
+"T caught a glimpse of a wild boar. I dare say I was interested. So I
+gave chase."
+That certainly wasn't what I'd expected to hear. I refrained from asking
+what he planned to do if he found it.
+"Rest easy. I shall return in time. It shouldn't take someone like me
+even thirty minutes," he added.
+Looked like I had no choice but to trust him.
+"Incidentally, do you have any other business with me?" asked
+Kouenji. He must have sensed something was up because | hadn't walked
+away.
+"About the exam. I want you to help the group."
+"I'm getting so tired of hearing people say that to me. I feel like my
+ears will start to bleed if I have to listen to those words just once more."
+I didn't doubt Keisei and the others had been trying to persuade him
+when I wasn't around. And yet, Kouenji hadn't budged a single inch.
+"You don't have to get an outstanding score. Just do what you're
+supposed to."
+"You do not get to decide that. I do. You know that, don't you? I will
+see you later," said Kouenji, motioning that he was about to leave. But I
+grabbed his arm and stopped him.
+He tried to take a step forward, leaving me no choice but to hold fast
+and dig in my heels. I expected him to resist, but for some reason Kouenji
+went slack.
+"Heh. I see. So that's how it is then, Ayanokouji Boy," said Kouenji,
+turning toward me.
+"What do you mean? What's how what is?"
+"The person who tamed the Dragon Boy."
+"Dragon...who?"
+"Tm talking about that mischievous rascal, Ryuuen."
+"What does Ryuuen have to do with me?"
+"You're quite good at playing dumb. You don't let your intentions slip
+through at all when you feign indifference."
+"T really don't understand how you arrived at this conclusion."
+"Because of your touch on my arm. I can tell by the heat being
+transmitted through your skin."
+I'd already figured Kouenji wasn't normal, but apparently he was even
+more of an eccentric than I was. He got all that from me grabbing his arm?
+"Sorry, but this is a huge misunderstanding," I said.
+"Really? Judging by the way Delinquent-kun looks at you and acts
+around you, and the reactions of all those around you, I would think it's a
+certifiable fact."
+Kouenji didn't have a single shred of evidence, but he sounded
+overwhelmingly confident in his observations. It'd be pointless to attempt
+any further deception.
+"Heh. Relax. I have no intention of revealing what you're keeping
+hidden. Even if you do happen to be exceptional in your own way, you're
+still a small fry to me. One of many. So, whether I'm right or wrong, there
+should be no problem as long as I don't spill the beans. Correct?"
+"Well, I do want to clear up this misunderstanding."
+"Too bad. That's not going to happen, Ayanokouji Boy. Even if you
+have third parties vouch for you, assuring me that you had nothing to do with
+any of it, my mind is made up. I'm certain of what I know."
+"T see. Well, can we get back to the matter at hand?"
+"You're talking about me doing my part as a member of the group,
+yes?"
+"Can you?"
+"T've said this repeatedly. I refuse."
+He answered clearly and decisively.
+"T will act in accordance with my own wishes. That is my philosophy.
+Will I take the exam, or won't I? What grade will I achieve? All of those
+things depend on how I feel in that moment."
+"IT see,"
+I had considered various means of persuasion, but haphazardly trying
+anything out here would probably backfire. I was going to have to leave
+things to chance, but there was a strong possibility that doing so would cause
+the least harm. It was clear as day that Kouenji wanted to avoid being
+punished with expulsion. I had no choice but to gamble on that.
+There was nothing I could do for now but watch Kouenji walk away,
+chasing the wild boar.
+"T don't think there's anyone in the world who can make that guy do
+anything."
+It didn't matter if it was Horikita's brother, or Nagumo, or even his
+own classmates. Such was my honest impression of my classmate, whom I
+had known for about a year now.
+6.2
+Asrrer LEAVING KOUENIJL I returned to the course. Even though I'd
+been gone for less than ten minutes, I was probably in last place now. I didn't
+see any students from the group in front of or behind me, so I decided to rush
+a bit and catch up. A short while later, I sighted a group of first-year students
+—Keisei and the other guys. Tokitou noticed me first nght away, and then
+everyone else looked over to me.
+"Well, for the record, I did find him, but..."
+"No dice, huh?"
+Hashimoto, who predicted that would happen, wore a bitter smile on
+his face. The other students didn't blame me either and just groused about
+Kouenji's absence. Somehow or other, we eventually made it to the
+turnaround point, happily badmouthing Kouenji as we went. Chabashira was
+waiting for us there, arms crossed. I hadn't seen her in a few days, but it
+seemed she'd been tapped pretty regularly to help out with various lessons.
+"The second-years and third-years have turned back. You guys are all
+that's left," she said.
+"What time is it, sense1?"
+"It's almost eleven o'clock now."
+That meant we still had an hour to go until our lunch break. If this were
+a flat road, it wouldn't be too hard to make it back in time. However, we had
+already trudged nine kilometers up an incredibly steep, winding slope. Our
+stamina had been depleted considerably. If we didn't run at a solid pace, this
+exercise was going to take a bite out of our lunch break.
+"I'm going on ahead. I don't want to be late for lunch."
+"Wait. We'll be taking roll call before you head back down. Each
+person has to state their class and name."
+A board was brought out, probably for the purposes of recorded
+students who'd made it to the turnaround point. Once Ishizaki signed, he
+turned on his heel and ran, leaving the group behind. Looked like it would be
+every man for himself, group be damned. Albert followed afterward.
+"Let's go, Kiyotaka."
+"You go on ahead. I'd like to wait and make sure Kouenji comes
+back."
+"That's all well and good, but...we only have an hour left."
+"T'm fast enough. Don't worry."
+"Short-distance running and long-distance running are two different
+things, you know. Well, I guess I'm not really one to talk," said Keise1,
+letting out a self-derisive chuckle before running awkwardly.
+"I'm going," said Hashimoto.
+"Yep"
+Hashimoto, the last member of our group, stretched and then ran off.
+Chabashira and I were the only two people left.
+"It doesn't seem like you have anything you want to discuss with me,"
+she said.
+"I'm just waiting for Kouenji. If we don't get the tail end moving, it'll
+be trouble."
+"Trouble?"
+It wasn't really a big deal. If you had stamina to spare, like Ishizaki,
+who was quick to take the lead and clear the race, you'd never notice the
+students who gave up partway through. This wasn't a timed trial. We just had
+to clear the course by the set time; whether we did that in one hour or four
+didn't matter. Keisei didn't have much stamina himself, but it was obvious he
+was pushing himself hard to keep from holding us back.
+About twenty minutes later, Kouenji finally showed up.
+"This seems to be the turnaround."
+He'd gotten around a bit, apparently. Traces of leaves and dirt were
+stuck to his jersey.
+"You're the last one, Kouenji. You have forty minutes left."
+"That seems to be the case. I wish I'd taken my time a bit more, but my
+encounter with the wild boar ended a bit sooner than expected."
+"Wild boar?' asked Chabashira.
+She clearly had questions about that particularly strange and sudden
+part of what he'd just said, but Kouenji turned around and ran off.
+"Roll call, Kouenji. You'll be disqualified otherwise," said Chabashira.
+"My name is Kouenji Rokusuke. Remember it well, teacher," said
+Kouenji, without even turning around. His boisterous laughter echoed down
+the hill.
+"Is that okay, sensei? He didn't state his class."
+"Well, he gave his name. Let's cut him some slack."
+"All right. I'll be heading off myself."
+I wondered how much time had passed. Coming up on the sign
+warning us about wild boars again, I saw two male students' backs. One of
+them was Keisei, about what I'd expected. Rather than having exhausted his
+stamina, though, he seemed to be leaning on another student, who was
+propping him up. It looked like his left leg was hurt.
+The other student was Hashimoto, who, as I'd anticipated, had stayed
+back to help pull Keisei along. As I ran over to them, the situation became
+clear.
+"Did you get a sprain?"
+"Ayanokouji? Yeah, looks that way. I'm guessing his ankle was at its
+limit by the turnaround point," said Hashimoto, explaining on Keisei's
+behalf.
+It had to be tough to support another person's weight, but he didn't
+seem to mind. He walked slowly, close to Keisei, and didn't seem displeased
+whatsoever.
+"Ugh, ''m so pathetic. Why can't I even do something like this?"
+Keisei seemed frustrated, but I could still tell he'd changed. The old
+Keisei had found it hard to comprehend physical sports or anything other
+than written exams; he'd thought a student's life and work centered on
+academics. This Keisei had stretched before resuming the downward trek,
+and he'd gone last for the same reason I had.
+"T'll help too," I said.
+Two would be better for this job than one. I went to the other side and
+supported Keisei.
+"Wait. If you do this, you'!l both be late for lunch," said Keiset.
+"If we just abandon you, you'll start running, won't you? You'd hurt
+your leg even more. That would spell trouble for all of us when the final test
+comes around. If we can ease your injury just by missing out on one lunch
+break, that's a small price to pay. Right, Ayanokouji?"
+"You're probably right about that."
+*Butese
+"It was just good timing that the two of us were running near you," I
+said. "Don't feel embarrassed."
+Hashimoto corrected me. "Three of us, actually. Although, man, that
+Kouenji dude runs insanely fast, huh? Dude's a monster."
+"T get the feeling he has limitless stamina. There's no doubt he's
+number one in our grade level." I wasn't flattering Kouenji, just being honest.
+"Maybe his horrible personality saved us from being saddled with
+Kouenji in Class A. Being in a group with him has made it pretty clear that
+he's an inconvenience for Class C, rather than an asset."
+It was true that if Kouenji ever utilized his full potential, he'd be a
+huge threat. I couldn't say he made a good secret weapon if he wouldn't
+cooperate, though.
+In the end, it was around 12:40 by the time we got back to camp,
+carrying the injured Keisei between us. After we arrived, Keisei got medical
+treatment at the infirmary. Hashimoto and I waited for him in the corridor.
+About ten minutes later, Keisei returned.
+"How is it?" asked Hashimoto. Keisei smiled bitterly.
+"Tt's just a light sprain. Thanks to the two of you, it ended up being a
+minor injury."
+While he was favoring his left leg a bit, it did seem like he was walking
+pretty normally.
+"There's not much time until the exam. Don't let it get any worse,"
+said Hashimoto, lightly patting Keisei on the shoulder.
+"Hey, I know you helped me out, but..." said Keisei. Hashimoto
+immediately understood.
+"Don't worry about it. We'll keep this between us. That'! be more
+convenient, right?"
+He'd gotten what Keisei was trying to say without having to hear it put
+in words. Keisei patted his chest and let out a sigh of relief.
+6.3
+Since I MISSED LUNCH, I was more excited than usual for dinner. After
+nabbing my seat, I immediately started eating.
+"Hey, Kiyopon, the seat next to you free?"
+That was Haruka's voice. When I turned around, I saw that all of the
+members of the Ayanokouji Group were together.
+"Sheesh, Kiyopon. We've had a hard time trying to find you these past
+few days. You've been in weirdly difficult places to spot."
+"Sorry. I guess I just don't know what to do in a cafeteria this huge."
+Because of the way the groups were set up, it wasn't that easy to get
+the usual crew together. Since there weren't enough seats here, we moved a
+bit to find a spot where all five of us could sit.
+"T-It's certainly been a while, hasn't it, Kiyotaka-kun?" said Airi
+bashfully.
+It certainly was unusual for us not to talk for almost a full week. Even
+during the long holidays, we'd call or meet up.
+"More importantly, you doing okay, Miyacchi? You're with Ryuuen,
+right?" Haruka asked, directing her question at Akito. She must have heard
+about that from somewhere.
+"Well, I guess. I'm keeping my guard up, but it doesn't seem there's
+been any change. He's actually taking the classes seriously and
+participating."
+"Like, even zazen and the relay?"
+"Yeah. He's acting so normal, it's almost scary. If anything, he's
+handling himself way better than the awkward guys. It's just, well, I've tried
+talking to him a few times, but he doesn't seem to want to hang out with
+anyone."
+"Maybe he kind of went crazy from the shock of losing a fight?"
+"T dunno. I think this is just the way he's always been."
+Akito braced himself, as if saying that he couldn't drop his guard.
+"Anyway, how about you? Are you getting along well with your
+group?"
+"Not much to say, personally. I'm not close with anyone in it, but I'm
+not fighting with anyone either. Airi and I are in the same group, so ''m
+good."
+"T'm really glad that Haruka-chan is there for me."
+So Haruka and Airi were in the same group? It must be reassuring to
+have even one close friend with you.
+"Tt seems like our group has the most problems, Kiyotaka."
+"You might be right about that."
+"Really?"
+Haruka and Airi exchanged looks, like this was the first they were
+hearing about it.
+"Well, Kouenji won't follow orders, and Ishizaki snaps at people at the
+drop of a hat. Maybe it's because he has Albert with him, but we can't
+control him either. They're a pain in the neck."
+"So Kouenji-kun is with you too... Are you all right, Kiyotaka-kun?"
+"He's not actively harming us or anything."
+"Tf anything, I'd say Ishizaki's the real problem child. Maybe he's
+gotten carried away since Ryuuen-kun was defeated. Not so long ago, he was
+just a lackey."
+To tell the truth, I felt like one of the main reasons for Ishizaki's bad
+behavior was being put in the same group as me. I imagined feeling all this
+anger and frustration that he had no outlet for was causing him to lash out at
+anyone who wasn't me.
+"Tn any case, I have to work hard as the representative," said Keisei.
+Even with the metaphorical equivalent of a bomb strapped to his leg, he kept
+doing his best to unite the group.
+"You boys sure have it rough, huh?"
+""S-somehow, I feel like we're kind of out of place."
+"Come on, it's all right. I mean, if you girls are doing okay, that puts us
+at ease. Right?" said Akito.
+True enough. Even with Kei funneling me information on the girls,
+there were still plenty of areas I couldn't see. If Haruka and Airi were
+together and moving along without issue, we boys could focus more on
+ourselves.
+6.4
+L. WAS NOW the sixth day, Tuesday. On that day, I started to hear
+something a little odd from the guys.
+They missed the opposite sex.
+That was the current topic of conversation. I got the feeling that most
+of them were looking forward to dinnertime. While being surrounded by guys
+made me feel more relaxed, it wasn't exactly as fun.
+"Agh, goddamn it. I feel like I'm losin' my mind being around guys all
+the time."
+"If I were at an all-guys' school, I'd be dead, man."
+Those were just some of the opinions I heard.
+"Dude, havin' only guys around stinks. Like, literally."
+I supposed it was inevitable that they were buying into the cliché that
+all guys had bad hygiene. The truth, however, was that there weren't many
+sweaty or smelly people here. They should be thankful this wasn't
+summertime. And, well...personally, I felt more relaxed being around only
+guys. That fact bore repeating.
+"Ow, my hip..."
+While we were in the middle of dusting, Keisei yelped in pain and
+crouched down. We had cleaning and breakfast duty to deal with every day,
+regardless of the lessons that continued at the same time, and we'd reached
+the point where you could see the weaker students starting to hit their limits.
+Keisei was complaining about his pain.
+The area we'd been assigned to clean today was pretty big, forcing
+everyone in our group, which was already short-staffed to begin with, to
+work harder than usual. When even one person got injured, you had to make
+up for it.
+"Whaddya mean, your hips hurt? Do your job."
+Ishizaki grabbed Keisei's arm and forcefully yanked him up.
+"T-I know. Pll do the work. Let go."
+"Then do it right," spat Ishizaki, before heading back.
+Keisei immediately tried to resume cleaning, but he just wasn't moving
+well. His sprained leg in particular was clearly stiff.
+"Ugh."
+He grunted quietly. He seemed to be enduring the pain, but if he
+pushed himself too hard, it'd affect him tomorrow.
+"Grab a breather. I'll take your spot." There was no helping it. ''d
+clean Keisei's section for him.
+"Sorry, Kiyotaka."
+"Hey, we help each other out when we're in trouble."
+Problem solved.
+Until...
+"Hey. You just said you'd do it yourself!" said Ishizak1.
+Apparently he didn't like that I was lending Keisei a hand. But he still
+made sure not to meet my eyes.
+"Tl handle it," I replied.
+Ishizaki didn't seem satisfied. He looked right through me, continuing
+to rain harsh words on Keisei.
+"You're the representative, ain't you? Don't bitch about somethin' like
+cleaning."
+"T get it."
+Keisei felt responsible. When pressed, he'd fold.
+"You don't get it. You're tryin' to push your job onto someone else
+right now, aren't you? I don't like that. Do it yourself."
+" Tget it. Pll do it."
+"All right then, there you have it. Do not, under any circumstance, give
+him a hand, Ayanokouji."
+Ishizaki spoke to me for the first time, then immediately backed away,
+as if he was making his escape.
+"Even if Keisei injures himself as a result?" I asked.
+"If he gets injured, that's that," answered Ishizak1.
+Apparently, Ishizaki wouldn't permit any attempt to help Keisei, even
+though he knew it wasn't good for the group. Albert silently approached
+Ishizaki, looking as though he was trying to tell him something. But Ishizaki
+didn't seem to be listening.
+"Sorry, Kiyotaka. Guess I have no choice but to hang in there."
+Keisei probably feared the group's mood would worsen if he didn't
+keep working. Ishizaki was already riled by Keisei's attitude over the past
+few days; he probably couldn't stand Keisei having someone else helping
+him out. Keisei understood that, which was precisely because he took
+Ishizaki's warning to heart and decided to do the job himself.
+Still, if Keisei pushed himself too hard, we might pay for it later. Even
+if he held out today, there was no telling what tomorrow would bring. The
+actual exam included multiple physically demanding tests, like zazen and the
+long-distance relay. He might suffer even more than he did now. I wanted to
+make Ishizaki understand, but I doubted it'd be simple.
+"Hey, Ishizaki. You're taking this a little too far," said Yahiko, unable
+to just sit back and watch the situation play out.
+"Tt's his own fault for not being able to clean properly," said Ishizaki.
+"T know that. But what about him? Go warn him too." Yahiko pointed
+at Kouenji, who had never once cleaned anything at all.
+"T can't even communicate with that dude in Japanese. I ain't got time
+to persuade a gorilla," replied Ishizak1.
+It wasn't as though Ishizaki hadn't warned Kouenji at least once
+before. He'd confronted him many times, to no avail, and given up. In that
+sense, you could say that the difference between Keisei and Kouenji was that
+Ishizaki was able to have an actual conversation with Keisei.
+"If you have a problem, then you try and argue with him. It'll just be a
+waste of time, though."
+"Fine. If I have to go, I'll go," said Yahiko, grabbing a broom and
+walking over to Kouenji.
+"It's pointless. You'll see."
+Ishizaki gave a derisive snort. Yahiko thrust the broom at Kouenji,
+trying to press him to clean. But after a few minutes, he walked away, totally
+exhausted. We might be in the same group, but we were all still enemies.
+Clearly, that hadn't changed.
+Most of the students probably wanted this group activity to end as soon
+as possible. But the important thing to remember was that not every group
+was like ours. Even if it was only on the surface for now, some groups had to
+have members who were deepening ties with one another, forming real
+friendships and alliances, as if they were actually classmates. It wasn't just
+the first-years either. The same phenomenon could be observed among the
+upperclassmen who had managed to stabilize the relationships between their
+classes. They understood that everyone benefited if they cooperated.
+Some students could plan ahead, while others were slaves to their
+darker impulses. Without a drastic gulf in skill to shake things up, it wasn't
+difficult to imagine the outcome of this battle.
+"Aagh! I don't wanna do this! This is just so friggin' dumb! Why do
+we even gotta play nice? Pretend like we're friends with dudes from the other
+classes? Right, Albert?"
+Albert didn't agree or disagree, but Ishizaki continued.
+"Seriously, dude. I hate this group so friggin' much, I could die.
+There's that gorilla Kouenji, and the annoying loudmouth Yukimura who
+talks a big game even though he can't even run a friggin' marathon. Then
+there's those Class B dudes who just smile and laugh without a care in the
+world, and those do-nothin' Class A jerks. Idiotic."
+WHACK! Ishizaki kicked the broom.
+"You're free to curse us all you want, but keep cleaning."
+"Shut up. Kouenji ain't doin' nothin', so why do I gotta?"
+"Then you have no right to say anything to Yukimura, do you?" said
+Hashimoto.
+But Ishizaki wasn't listening. He abandoned his cleaning duties and
+left, muttering something about going to the bathroom. Keisei bit his lip,
+frustrated.
+"Keisei, you need to stop trying to shoulder everything alone. You
+can't change anything in the one or two days we have left. If you make an
+error in judgment now, you might regret it later," I said, giving Keisei some
+advice...or rather, hoping to confirm that he understood me.
+"T understand, but there's nothing else I can do. If I lean on someone
+else for help, Ishizaki will just alienate the rest of the group even further. If I
+do nothing, it's highly likely that our group will come in last place. So I have
+to do something, even if it's reckless."
+If the two options Keisei had just listed were the only options
+available, then acting recklessly probably would be the better choice. If you
+had no other paths to take, you just had to forge a new one for yourself. But
+Keisei didn't seem capable of forging anything right now, let alone a whole
+new option.
+We needed someone who was capable of both understanding the group
+and also taking action for the sake of others. I looked over at Hashimoto, who
+was quietly continuing to clean. He'd stopped Ishizaki from snapping at
+Kouenji on the second day, and he'd responded perfectly to the situation
+during the marathon practice. I had the impression he could to hold the group
+together firmly, at the right distance.
+It was unclear how much Sakayanagi and Katsuragi valued him, but I
+imagined he was a highly capable man—if I evaluated him as a hypothetical
+enemy, anyway. He was harder to read than the aggressive Sakayanagi and
+the conservative Katsuragi, which made him a tougher opponent.
+"Look, just don't forget that I'm here. If you're in trouble, Pll help."
+"Thank you, Kiyotaka. Just hearing you say that puts me at ease."
+If those words helped Keisei, I was happy to say them.
+6.5
+Duane OUR NEXT CLASS, it was clear the situation in our group had
+not improved. Keisei, feeling responsible, couldn't successfully give orders
+as the representative, and Ishizaki wouldn't even talk to anyone except Albert
+anymore. Even during mealtime, the only period when it was possible to
+create some kind of peace and harmony, our group never came together.
+I decided to forget about them for the time being. There was nothing I
+could do for this group, anyway. I could give some advice to the struggling
+Keisei and the belligerent Ishizaki, but I had no intention of taking any direct
+action to help. Getting in deeper would defeat the purpose of trying to fade
+into the background.
+Remembering Haruka and Airi, I decided to investigate what was
+going on with the girls again. However, it wasn't like I could just keep
+directly contacting Kei over and over again. She had responsibilities of her
+own, and if I kept contacting her, 1t might cause others to have their
+suspicions about the nature of our relationship.
+Besides, the information I wanted wasn't related to the first-years. I
+wanted information on the second- and third- years. I needed to confirm
+Nagumo's true intentions toward Horikita's brother.
+This meant my number of helpful contacts was very limited indeed. I
+took a small risk for that reason, attempting to contact Kirtyama by leaving a
+clue for him to find...but Kiriyama was in Nagumo's group. Even if he
+resented Nagumo, he probably couldn't help me this time.
+I had to attack from a direction Nagumo didn't expect. One person
+came to mind. I had Kei investigate a certain second-year girl for me.
+That person was named Asahina Nazuna.
+She was in Class A, alongside Nagumo Miyabi, and was personally
+quite close with him. I'd seen Asahina eating meals with her friends in the
+cafeteria many times. Even now, I was monitoring her movements from afar.
+She wasn't on the student council but had a relatively high level of influence
+within her class. She also seemed to have a lot of influence over Nagumo.
+There were other guys and girls who were close to Nagumo, but I
+chose Asahina for two reasons. The first was that, contrary to her rough
+exterior and way of speaking, she had a reputation for being dutiful and
+conscientious. She also didn't worship Nagumo.
+The other reason was that the two of us had just so happened to bump
+into one another by accident. The difficulty in trying to dig up information on
+Nagumo came from the fact that virtually every single second-year supported
+him. If I clumsily attempted to make contact, I ran the risk of exposing
+information about myself instead.
+I had to narrow my possible contacts down to someone who was least
+likely to leak information. This made our "accidental" meeting a powerful
+weapon. Information that only I know. Information that only Asahina could
+understand. I would use what that accident had birthed.
+What accident do I mean? Well, it came from a good luck charm.
+Asahina had accidentally lost it a while back, and I had just so
+happened to pick it up. At the time, I'd returned it without thinking much of
+it. To my surprise, though, the item was apparently very important to her. I
+could tell because she had brought it with her even to this camp. She always
+wore it on her person, with great care.
+An accidental connection can sometimes be stronger than one created
+intentionally. Taking advantage of that connection, I wanted to ascertain
+whether or not she could be a useful source of information regarding
+Nagumo. The very circumstances of this camp made contacting her easy. All
+that remained was how to change our indirect connection into a direct one.
+If | openly approached Asahina, then someone—even if it wasn't
+Asahina herself—might report it back to Nagumo. I wanted to avoid that. ?''d
+been waiting for the right time, but Asahina spent almost all of her dinner
+hours with other people. I couldn't find a chance to be alone with her.
+But today, that golden opportunity finally presented itself.
+"I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back."
+Just like that, Asahina got up, mid-meal. No other students
+accompanied her as she left, which was strange for a girl. I quickly followed
+her. I couldn't bother her while she was in the bathroom, so I patiently waited
+for her to come back out.
+We'd probably have five minutes to talk at most. If I took up much
+more of her time, she might grow annoyed. I had no idea how much I could
+get done within those five minutes, but I had to remind her that we'd met
+earlier by chance. Emphasis on chance.
+Soon, Asahina exited the bathroom. As usual, she was wearing her
+charm on her left wrist.
+I pretended to be passing by.
+"Hmm?" I muttered, quietly enough that Asahina might have thought I
+was just saying that to myself or that I was calling out to her.
+When I said that, Asahina turned around. If I didn't respond quickly,
+she would probably think I'd been talking to myself and keep on walking. I
+decided to act.
+"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking I'd seen that charm before. Please don't
+mind me," I said, motioning as if to continue walking. If she didn't respond, I
+was prepared to start a conversation myself.
+"They don't sell this charm at the school anymore, though," she
+replied.
+But she did reply, so without hesitating, I kept the conversation going.
+"Oh, that so? Did you happen to drop it a while back, by any chance?"
+I asked. She should understand what I meant right away.
+"Wait, are you...the person who found my charm?" she asked.
+"Maybe... I picked it up on my way back to the dorm, uh...when was
+that, again?" I replied, pretending not to remember.
+"No, I think I'm right. I see. So it was you," said Asahina, smiling
+happily. She drew nearer. "Thank you. When I realized I'd lost it, I was so
+upset. Ever since then, I've been scared I' Il lose it again, so I've been
+wearing it more often."
+She looked bashfully at her wrist.
+"This charm, well, I bought it after I started school. It's not like I have
+any strong attachment to it in itself or anything. It's just...how do I put it?
+It's like emotional support. When I have it at hand, I just feel safer, you
+know? When I lose it, I get all anxious that something bad is going to happen,
+like it's a bad omen or something. I was so relieved that someone found it."
+Well, bringing good luck was essentially a charm's purpose.
+"TI never imagined you'd be the one who found it."
+"Do you know me?" I asked.
+"Yeah, I know about you. You got a lot of attention in that relay race
+against Horikita-senpai. Oh, and Miyabi. Wait, you might not know his first
+name. Student Council President Nagumo talked to you a while back, right?"
+"Wait. Were you there too?" I asked.
+Of course, I knew the answer to that. Ichinose had also been present.
+"Well, yeah."
+Asahina seemed like the person who'd put up her guard if I told her I
+knew she'd been there, so I pretended not to remember. Just like picking up
+her charm, this meeting, where we just happened to cross paths, had to be
+accidental too.
+"I'm pretty fast, but to be honest I don't really have anything else
+going for me. Maybe I've caught President Nagumo's eye through some kind
+of misunderstanding," I told her, making my voice sound troubled. Asahina
+nodded back repeatedly, showing that she understood.
+"Nagumo really respects Horikita-senpai. Or, like, he's made Horikita-
+senpai a sort of goal. I think he was probably jealous that he didn't get to
+challenge him during the relay."
+I couldn't sense any ulterior motive in Asahina's words. For better or
+worse, she seemed the honest type. I decided to step things up a bit.
+"How can I get Nagumo-senpai to stop paying attention to me?" I
+asked.
+"Well, how about you beat him at something? You could cut that smug
+Miyabi down to size. Personally, I'd love to see him lose for once," she
+replied, chuckling. She was probably joking, but I pretended to take what she
+said at face value.
+"T see. That might be one option," I replied.
+Asahina's eyes immediately darted back to me, an awestruck look on
+her face. Then a few seconds after, she burst into laughter.
+"Ah ha ha ha! Come on, I was joking. Couldn't you tell?" she asked,
+laughing almost to the point of tears, lightly smacking me on the shoulder.
+"So if Nagumo's ever defeated, that would be trouble, huh?" I said.
+Just in case she still thought I was joking, I decided to strengthen my
+tone. If Asahina was the type of person who would pull back and report to
+Nagumo now, then this was the end of the line. Even if she reported back to
+him, it'd end with her thinking that I was just some uppity first-year.
+"Wait, are you serious?" she asked.
+"So you were joking, senpai?" I replied.
+"Hey, look. This isn't something a first-year can do anything about,"
+she replied, apologizing for joking around. But I continued speaking in the
+same tone.
+"Among all the second-years I've met until now, you seem to be the
+most straightforward one, Asahina-senpai."
+"The most straightforward?"
+"It's hard to get any information from the second-years, outside of
+'Nagumo Mtyabi rules us all.'"
+"That's some dangerous talk. I'm a second-year too, you know. Miyabi
+and I have a pretty deep relationship, understand?" she replied.
+"It's not about being shallow or deep. What matters is how much
+you 've been influenced by him."
+Since they were in the same class, they couldn't be enemies, not truly.
+No matter what Asahina privately thought of Nagumo, she wouldn't want her
+class to suffer for it.
+"T think those are similar things, though," she said.
+"In that case, think of this as nonsense from a first-year." I bowed.
+"Please excuse me."
+"Ah, wait. Somehow, I feel like I'm the bad guy here," she replied,
+releasing a deep sigh. Her smile disappeared. "I see you're not joking around.
+As an apology, please let me repay you for picking up my charm. If there's
+anything you'd like to know, I'Il tell you."
+"Are you sure? It might be seen as rebelling against Nagumo-senpai,
+you know."
+"To be honest, I don't think anything drastic will happen just because I
+talk to you," she replied.
+She seemed to be certain that telling me something about what was
+going on with the second-years wouldn't have a major impact. In other
+words, anything she told me would be information that didn't matter, even if
+it was leaked.
+"Out of the girls in your grade level, how many would you say are
+especially close with Nagumo-senpai?" I asked.
+"Girls who are close with him? Like, all of them. They trust Miyabi
+more than other guys, y' know."
+I already knew he was no ordinary opponent, but this was an
+extraordinarily broad range of skills.
+"What about the people who act as Nagumo-senpai's eyes and ears?" I
+asked.
+"You really think I'd tell you that?"
+"Well, as a senpai, it's okay to help a first-year out a bit, right?"
+"Wow, you're cheeky," she replied, laughing. She didn't seem upset,
+though. "Well, if I do say so myself, the second-years have a really strong
+sense of unity. Honestly, we were more successful at dividing into groups
+than the first- and the third-years, you know? After they explained the test to
+us back on the bus, Miyabi said to immediately share that information with
+the other classes."
+As I'd suspected—though they'd started out as enemies, the four
+second-year classes seemed on the way to becoming actual allies. Asahina
+told me the names of the four class representatives. The four classes kept in
+contact with one another and had even discussed the formation of their small
+groups with each other, to a certain degree. Apparently things had gone
+similarly for the girls.
+"What about when you met up with the first- and third-year groups?
+Did you decide things randomly then too?"
+Nagumo had proposed a draft selection system, which the first-year
+guys had carried out.
+"For the most part, yeah."
+"For the most part. So something was different?"
+Asahina crossed her arms, appearing deep in thought.
+"Why do you ask?"
+I could tell Asahina was starting to have doubts. The silence lingered.
+"Are you not going to tell me?" I asked.
+"No, I will. It's just...when we were deciding on the large groups,
+some of the second-year girls made a small request. Or more like...they
+wanted some adjustments. At that time, the small group was made up of
+members that Miyabi could count on."
+If the group formed based on Nagumo's orders, then he'd likely given
+them a special role. You wouldn't think that unless you knew what was going
+on within the second-years. From an outsider's perspective, 1t would simply
+look like friends coming together.
+"Are there any first- or third-years who were selected to join that girls'
+large group that stand out in particular?"
+"Even if you ask me that, I hardly know anything about the first-years.
+From the third-years, I guess there's Tachibana-senpai, who was Horikita-
+senpai's secretary. Ah, but their representative is a different person, though.
+Miyabi said nothing weird would happen. He said he was going to do this fair
+and square."
+"You have a lot of faith in Nagumo-senpai, huh?"
+Horikita's brother also seemed to place a certain degree of trust in what
+Nagumo said. If I were to believe him and Asahina, then this line of
+reasoning might be considered a feint. Nagumo had promised to fight fair and
+square, but at the same time, he was making us jump at shadows. We feared
+he might be up to something behind the scenes, and he was using that to
+break our concentration.
+"He always sticks to his word. He won't use dirty tricks. Besides, even
+if that group of girls does try to lay some kind of trap, it won't have any
+effect on Horikita-senpai and Miyabi's fight."
+"That's right. It would be completely irrelevant."
+Asahina was spot-on. Nagumo had proposed that only his group and
+Horikita's brother's group compete. The girls had nothing to do with it. Even
+if some of the second-year girls who were close with Nagumo happened to be
+in Tachibana's large group, it was irrelevant.
+So was he making it look like he had something underhanded going on,
+while actually fighting above the board? That would mean the seemingly
+meaningful words he'd uttered when he met up with the third-year student
+from his group, Ishikura-senpai, were just a fake-out too.
+I supposed that if you were investigating him normally, you'd get the
+sense that these clues were popping up and then disappearing all over the
+place. An interesting way of doing things. This was different from
+Sakayanagi and Ryuuen: a unique strategy.
+"What I can tell you, I suppose, is that whoever cares too much is the
+one who loses."
+"You were a big help," I said.
+I was grateful to Asahina for humoring my unreasonable request to
+discuss her class's internal affairs. Of course, she'd probably done so because
+she didn't think I could be an obstacle for Miyabi. She couldn't even imagine
+me being his opponent.
+"Well, do your best to try and give Miyabi a run for his money, boy,"
+Asahina. "Ill be rooting for you, even if it's only a little bit."
+"Oh, just one more thing..."
+"Hmm?"
+If I combined what I'd just learned with the information I got from Kei,
+my understanding of the situation was becoming much clearer. I decided to
+push a little harder.
+6.6
+Ox THE NIGHT of the sixth day, a sour mood hung over the entire
+group. If we let the day end like this, the group might fall apart entirely
+tomorrow. These rancor between us would just continue to intensify, making
+it all the harder to secure a high score on the test that was now just two days
+away.
+Returning to the room after my bath, I found the atmosphere tense as
+ever. Ishizaki had walled himself off and was now refusing to speak to
+anyone else. Keisei, blaming himself, had fallen silent and retreated inward
+too. The Class B students kept trying to chat in an attempt to liven things up,
+but the awkward atmosphere was too much for them to bear, and they
+eventually went silent.
+Eventually, after confirming that it was getting close to lights-out time,
+Yahiko flipped the switch and sent the room into darkness, seeking to bring
+this day to a merciful end.
+"Hey, Ishizaki. You got a minute?" Hashimoto broke the long silence
+as we Sat in the pitch darkness.
+"No," replied Ishizaki.
+Judging from the sound of rustling sheets that followed, he'd probably
+turned his back to Hashimoto, refusing to engage.
+"At this rate, our group will be in extreme danger. We have the
+advantage of our team not being too big, but that also disadvantages us when
+it comes to the exam itself. In the worst-case scenario, Yukimura and
+someone else will be expelled," said Hashimoto.
+You're going to be the one who goes down with him when that
+happens, Ishizaki. You know that? was the unsaid implication.
+"Shut it. Even if I get expelled, whatever. I don't care. Shit happens."
+"Dude, come on..." Hashimoto sighed deeply, as if giving up, at this
+refusal of his helping hand.
+I couldn't see Hashimoto's face in the darkness. Had we passed the
+point of no return when it came to our group's unity? Maybe it was time we
+gave up.
+"T played soccer in elementary school and junior high. Our school was
+pretty prestigious, so our team competed in national championships each
+year. I wasn't an ace player or anything, but I played in most games and did
+pretty well," said Hashimoto. He didn't direct the words to any one person in
+particular but addressed the room as a whole.
+"Wait, you're not part of the soccer team now though, are you? It
+doesn't look like you got injured or anything," Yahiko pointed out, his voice
+cutting through the dark.
+"No, I'm not. I know it's not really popular these days, but I used to
+smoke."
+"So they found you out and kicked you out of soccer?"
+"No. I hid my smoking habit well. Only my family knew."
+"Even if smoking 1s disgusting, it's not a reason to quit soccer."
+Yahiko's doubts were justified. If no one had known, then it couldn't
+have been an issue.
+"T guess I just felt this sense of alienation or something. Everyone else
+would be working together to win the national championships, and part of me
+would just kind of observe them coldly. I knew I didn't belong. Also, I didn't
+really like soccer all that much. I decided to quit playing and just focus on my
+studies. I was pretty smart to begin with, so it wasn't that hard to keep getting
+good grades."
+"What, now you're bragging? I ain't listenin' to this," interjected
+Ishizaki nastily.
+"For better or worse, my only saving grace was that I could do
+reasonably well out in the world, I suppose. But there are still times when I
+feel regret. Whenever I see Hirata and Shibata practicing out on the field, I
+think it could have been me out there. Even though I didn't even like it that
+much. Strange, huh?" said Hashimoto.
+He chuckled self-deprecatingly to himself. "What about you? What
+was your childhood like, Ishizaki?" asked Hashimoto.
+"Huh? Why you askin'?"
+"No reason."
+"Hmph. Well, I ain't got anything to say." Ishizaki refused, to no one's
+shock.
+Keisei opened his mouth, the next to join our conversation in the
+darkness.
+"Ever since I was little, all I ever did was study. Maybe I was
+influenced by my older sister. She was a lot older than me, and she wanted to
+be a teacher, which meant I always had to play the role of the student. My
+sister was pretty ridiculous. She was always giving me these stupidly difficult
+problems to solve, even when I was in elementary school."
+"So that's why you're so good at studying, huh?" replied Hashimoto,
+responding as though he were trying to draw out the conversation.
+"Yeah. And on top of that, I'm terrible at sports. No matter what I did,
+I generally came in near last place, just barely squeaking by. I decided to just
+focus on developing my strengths rather than conquering my weaknesses.
+I used to think there was no point in training your body if you weren't
+planning to become a professional athlete. Enrolling in this school made me
+begin to doubt that for the first time...but I still believed that I could study
+hard and be considered an appropriate pick for Class A," said Keise1.
+He stopped speaking for a moment, as if he were remembering that
+time. Being put in Class D must have caused him immense despair.
+"But then all these things I couldn't accept just kept happening. I don't
+agree with the solidarity system, and living on the deserted island made even
+less sense to me... In my own class, Sudou was like the polar opposite of me.
+He was great at sports, but he couldn't study. At first, I thought I'd been
+saddled with some ridiculous baggage. But on the uninhabited island and
+during the Sports Festival, Sudou's skills were far more useful than mine.
+I could see him shine, right beside me."
+There was a hint of regret in his voice.
+"There's still a part of me that can't accept it, to be honest. But I'm
+slowly beginning to realize that if all you can do is study, or all you can do is
+sports, then that's no good. That's the thing about this exam. If you can't do
+both of those things, then you can't score high. Am I wrong? Ishizak1?"
+"Seriously, are you askin' me—?"
+"I feel completely humiliated. Just like back on the uninhabited island
+and during the Sports Festival. I'm dragging the group down. I hurt myself,
+which has meant being a burden on others, and more importantly, I dragged
+down the group's morale. I have absolutely nothing to show Ishizaki, who,
+despite his complaints, has been contributing to the group just as much if not
+more than the average."
+Ishizaki seemed about to mock him, but then he swallowed his swords.
+I couldn't see his face. But it was precisely because we were in the darkness,
+unable to see each other, that we could be this vulnerable.
+"T'm sorry, Ishizaki... I'm sorry that your representative, who should
+be setting an example for the rest of you, is in this condition."
+I could tell Keisei was trying to hold back tears. None of us were
+insensitive enough to cut in and say something. These were bitter tears.
+"Stop screwing around. Why are you apologizing? I mean, I'm the one
+who blamed you," said Ishizaki. He let loose a chuckle, seemingly aimed at
+himself, before continuing on. "I mean, you were the one who agreed to be
+9°99
+representative when no one else was willin'.
+Even if we'd tried to push the role on Keisei, he could have refused it.
+As a matter of fact, Ishizaki had done so himself. He probably realized the
+good faith gesture Keisei had made by accepting the role now.
+"It pissed me off, gettin' ordered around by you. But if you didn't give
+those orders, our group probably would've been way worse off. For makin'
+breakfast, and for the marathon."
+"No doubts there," said Hashimoto, laughing.
+Some students do well in academics, and some don't. Some excel in
+sports, and some struggle. When all these different students, with their own
+interests and backgrounds, come together to form a single class or group,
+they bring their problems with them. All the friendships and rivalries and
+everything of the sort.
+Yahiko and the other students started chatting themselves, speaking up
+little by little.
+That was the first night we started to feel like a real group.
+Chapter 7:
+What Is Lost, What Isn't
+IL. WAS EARLY in the morning on the seventh day. The last full day.
+The final test would be held the next morning. Although Hashimoto's quick
+thinking had kept our group from collapsing, the alliances we'd slowly
+developed as we came together would end with that test. There were probably
+more than a few people here who felt a hint of reluctance to part ways.
+At the end of the day, despite their dislike for Kouenji, I thought most
+of the students in our group were getting along well. Well, Ishizaki probably
+hated me even more than he did Kouenji, but he was doing his best not to let
+that show. He probably wanted nothing more than to confront me but knew
+exactly what would happen if he tried it.
+Ishizaki was like Sudou, in that they were both quick to lose their
+tempers and had a coarse way of speaking. However, Ishizaki was cannier
+than Sudou. I also got the impression that he respected his opponents and
+earnestly acknowledged their strengths. That was probably why Ryuuen had
+kept him close.
+That didn't mean Sudou was inferior to Ishizaki. He was more athletic
+by far, and at this point in time, probably doing better than Ishizaki
+academically too. As long as Horikita was helping him, Sudou would
+probably continue to improve. He and Ishizaki might be similar, but they had
+different weapons at their disposal.
+"T want to talk about the long-distance relay tomorrow. Please hear me
+99
+***
+out
+Everyone, still in their beds, looked over at Keiset.
+"There's only ten of us, so each person will be shouldering quite a bit
+of responsibility. But depending on how things play out, we might be able to
+turn this to our advantage."
+"What do you mean? Isn't it better to have more people, so each of
+them has to run a shorter distance? Wouldn't that be easier?"
+"It's certainly true that if fifteen people had to split the burden equally,
+each person would have less to do. But the larger the group, the higher the
+probability that you'll have slow students on your team. I can count the
+number of people who are good at running long-distance marathons on my
+fingers."
+"Yeah, you've got a point."
+"In other words, this is our chance to close the gap."
+"But that's assumin' our entire group's athletic, right?"
+Ishizaki looked around. I could be classified as athletic, but since we
+couldn't really count upon Kouenji, that meant the only other runner in the
+group was Hashimoto. We didn't exactly have a surplus of speedy people.
+"This is going to sound pathetic, but...despite saying all that, I
+probably won't be of any use," said Keisei.
+He knew his limitations best. Of everyone in the group, Keisei had the
+worst stamina and speed. But as the representative, he came up with a plan.
+"The long-distance relay is eighteen kilometers. The rules state that
+every person has to run a minimum of 1.2 kilometers. So in a group of
+fifteen, everyone would have to run the same distance: 1.2 kilometers each.
+However, in a group of ten people, you can make significant changes to how
+you allocate the distances."
+"We can't just say someone's injured and can't participate, can we?"
+"Any absence on that day due to injury or illness will result in a
+penalty. Not only will that cause more trouble for the remaining people, it
+also costs us time. That's no good. Plus, the changeover point has to be every
+1.2 kilometers."
+The school was working hard to squash any loopholes. Students would
+have to do what was required of them. So Keisei and Yahiko, who lacked
+confidence in their speed, would have to run the minimum distance of 1.2
+kilometers. The three guys from Class B might be placed at that bare
+minimum too.
+Albert was reasonably fast, but the problem was his stamina. Even if
+everyone else in the group ran the bare minimum distance, the remaining four
+people would each have to run an average of 2.7 kilometers, if not more...but
+students who were skilled in long-distance marathon running might very well
+be capable of that. Which meant the thoughts crossing my mind were exactly
+what Keisei was getting at.
+"Tn that case, Pll run 3...nah, P1l do 3.6 kilometers," declared Ishizaki.
+He was certainly one of the few members in our group who could handle it.
+Another person raised his hand.
+"In that case, it looks like I gotta do the same thing. I'm not too shabby
+when it comes to running long distances myself," said Hashimoto. Two of the
+most qualified members of the group had earnestly promised to shoulder a
+significant burden. That meant we'd covered 7.2 kilometers.
+"Thank you."
+Keisei bowed in gratitude. If this was how things were going, I
+supposed I needed to cover a certain amount myself.
+"Then...PIl try to do what I can. I don't know how fast I can run it,
+though," I told Keise1.
+"Ts that okay, Kiyotaka?"
+"Just don't expect too much from me."
+However, the crucial part was what came next. The man known as
+Kouenji—the person with the highest potential here, the person who topped
+our class in stamina and athleticism, whom not even Sudou would hold a
+candle to. The more Kouenji ran, the easier it would be for the other students.
+He would probably run the minimum distance of 1.2 kilometers, but he had
+yet to promise to do anything more than that.
+More importantly, there was no telling if he would seriously run. Even
+if the nine of us ran our hearts out, we'd be done for if Kouenji decided to
+stroll along.
+"Kouenji. I would like you to run too." It was precisely because Keisei
+was aware of being the weakest link himself that he bowed his head even
+lower when addressing Kouenji.
+Kouenji sat in bed, looking at his own fingernails and smiling.
+"Kouenji."
+Keisei calmly called his name once more.
+"T will run, of course. However, unlike those fellows, I am not so
+inclined to run long distances," said Kouenji.
+Well, it wouldn't have been like him to agree right off the bat. Ishizaki
+glared at Kouenji but didn't attempt to hound him. The last few days had
+made him begin to understand Kouenji's actions better, including their
+apparent meaninglessness.
+"T would like to avoid our group placing last."
+"T suppose so. I understand what you're saying, Glasses-kun."
+Shifting his gaze away from his fingernails, Kouenji glanced at Keisei.
+"Even if running long-distance is impossible, I will at least run 1.2
+kilometers with serious effort."
+Everyone in the group looked at Kouenji.
+"T cannot make any promises. Even if our group does place last, it's not
+as though I will be expelled. Only you, the representative, will be. You surely
+wouldn't do something so inhuman as drag a classmate to ruin with you. Isn't
+that right?"
+If the representative had been someone like Ishizaki or Yahiko, then
+perhaps Kouenji would have run. But since it was Keisei, a classmate, he
+figured he was safe. If we threatened him with expulsion regardless, there
+was a slight chance we might be able to get him to run here and now—but
+only at the cost of never having his cooperation ever again.
+"Then tell me. What do we have to do to get you to cooperate? If
+paying you private points will help, I'll do that," said Keisei. Again, 1t was
+precisely because he understood he was the greatest liability in that group
+that he was willing to pay out of his own pocket.
+"Don't carry that burden alone, Yukimura," Hashimoto said. "I don't
+have much, but I've got points."
+"Tll pay too."
+Yahiko and the other guys joined in, agreeing to help out. I guess it
+was like they said, every little bit counts. If the nine of us pooled our points,
+we'd end up with a fairly large sum. How would Kouenji react to the unified
+wishes of the entire group?
+"Unfortunately for you, I'm not exactly struggling as far as private
+points are concerned. Besides, I could lead a fulfilling life at school even if I
+didn't have any points, you see."
+As I'd anticipated, he wasn't even slightly moved by our promise of
+cash. Asking him to do his best for the group's sake was clearly pointless,
+too. Everyone in the group, myself included, had racked their brains for the
+last few days, trying to figure out how to get Kouenji to cooperate. Our
+seniors had tried too. And every attempt had ended in failure.
+"Are you saying that you won't run for us?"
+"Yes, I suppose so," said Kouenji after a moment's thought. "It doesn't
+seem that I will be an asset to you all," he added.
+Ishizaki, who'd held himself back so far, stood up to go for Kouenji,
+but Keisei stopped him.
+"However, rest assured about one thing. While I don't intend to do
+anything more than what is required, I will do the bare minimum. I have my
+own way of doing things, you see."
+"So that means... you'll produce average results?"
+"That is correct. Of course, even by doing the bare minimum, I will
+still most likely produce superior results. I suppose this is good news for you
+all, isn't 1t?"
+I had a feeling that everyone present understood what he meant when
+he said that. We'd started to feel like a team at long last, even if it was just
+barely so. We'd started thinking about what we could do for each other, as
+friends.
+My analysis of the situation told me that the reality, however, was that
+Kouenji was acting from purely selfish motives. He'd behaved in completely
+unprecedented ways in every exam we'd had so far, but none of those things
+he did were enough to get him expelled. Kouenji had figured that there was a
+99 percent chance that Keisei wouldn't drag him down with him, but that still
+left the possibility, no matter how slim, of it happening. If he did perform
+poorly, the school would make note of it, and then he'd have no way of
+escaping the solidarity rule if it was invoked against him. A guy like him
+wouldn't make that mistake.
+"Whaddya mean, excellent results? You can't even do something like
+zazen right."
+"Heh. I mastered things like zazen in my early childhood. It's no
+problem."
+"What was your childhood like?" someone asked.
+Kouenji just laughed, ignoring the question. Still, this might be good
+enough for Keisei. Even though Kouenji had no intention of cooperating with
+us, he promised to do the bare minimum. That alone was huge. As his
+classmates, we knew the sheer extent of his potential.
+There were still several unknowns, like zazen and the written test, but
+we could at least place our faith in Kouenji's physical fitness for the
+marathon.
+7.1
+Win ONE PROBLEM SOLVED, it was time for our morning dusting.
+When Keisei was about to start cleaning, Ishizaki went over and picked up
+the dustcloth.
+"Take a break. If you can't run in the relay, that'1l be worse."
+"Well, but—"
+"Rest. In exchange, do your best on the written exam. Get at least 120
+percent, will ya?"
+"Okay. It's impossible to get 120 percent, but Pll shoot for 100..."
+It seemed Ishizaki finally understood what it meant to give and take.
+Keisei thanked him gratefully and sat down.
+"Quite prudent of you, Delinquent-kun."
+"Shut your piehole or I'll kill ya, Kouenji. You haven't done a single
+damn thing since the first damn day!"
+"Is that so? Ha ha ha!"'
+Kouenji didn't take a dustcloth or broom. Instead, he left, strolling
+outside to be in nature. Even with the second- and third-years watching, he
+acted brash.
+"That dude is a disease. Can you guys even make it to the upper classes
+with him along for the ride?"
+Even the Class D folks felt sorry for us.
+"...1. can't say I'm confident."
+Keisei had always felt strongly about climbing the ranks, but Kouenji
+was a most bizarre variable. His performance tomorrow would have a huge
+impact on our scores. He'd promised to do the bare minimum during our
+morning discussion, but that guaranteed nothing. It was entirely possible he'd
+skip out on his duties as soon as he was out of sight.
+If he refused to even participate in something like cleaning, there was a
+very real chance that we might come in last place. If that happened, even the
+upperclassmen who'd turned a blind eye to him so far might suddenly bare
+their fangs at him. While I generally thought of Kouenji as a calculating
+person who wouldn't do something so foolish, his complete and total
+irrationality made me wary of the possibility that he might betray my
+expectations.
+Sensing Keisei's anxiety, Ishizaki approached.
+"Don't worry. We just gotta compensate for him."
+"That sure doesn't sound like you. You've become much more
+understanding in only a day."
+"Shut it, Hashimoto. What, you got a problem?!"
+"No problem. Our group's ranking impacts my own plans. I'd like for
+us to score at least one spot above the lowest rank. Isn't that right, Yahiko?"
+"Well, yeah. Since our group's a handful, we have no choice but to do
+our best. If we get a poor score, Katsuragi-san will be disappointed in us,"
+said Yahiko.
+Hashimoto had a wry smile on his face as he smacked Yahiko, who
+was focused on Katsuragi as always, lightly on the shoulder. Yahiko had to
+be aware he'd hold us back during activities like the marathon. He'd been
+behaving pretty humbly since the test started.
+"I've squared off against Katsuragi many times on Sakayanagi's
+orders. You probably resent me for that, but right now we're allies for real.
+Please forget about the past."
+"Hmm. Maybe."
+Yahiko didn't shout or make a scene, but I got the sense his trust in
+Hashimoto had its limits. Some part of him likely couldn't forgive Hashimoto
+for the way Katsuragi had been hindered by his own classmates so far.
+"Didn't you set up Katsuragi-san to be the representative?" asked
+Yahiko.
+"T had nothing to do with that. That was Matoba's plan."
+Yahiko didn't seem convinced. But he controlled himself, choosing not
+to disrupt the group. I had to give him credit for that.
+py
+IL WAS OUR FINAL DINNER before the exam. I spotted Ichinose walking
+past, carrying a tray, and called out to her. I wasn't attempting to draw
+information out of her. It was just that, well...something seemed a little off
+about her.
+"Is something bothering you?"
+"Huh? Oh, Ayanokouji-kun. Nothing, really. I was just thinking about
+this and that."
+"You're facing a difficult problem, huh?"
+Ichinose seemed about to walk away but then stopped. "The final test
+is tomorrow. What do you think about this exam, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"That's a really roundabout question."
+"T want you to tell me your honest thoughts."
+"T guess it seems different from the exams we've had until now. A little
+tougher. There's a high risk of expulsion."
+"T see. But we're in our third semester now. Isn't it only natural that
+things would get more difficult?"
+"T guess."
+"Speaking of risks, this whole representative system is scary, huh?
+Becoming the leader of a group."
+"Yeah."
+"Being the representative is very risky, but...becoming the
+representative for the sake of winning is also important, nght?"
+I didn't argue, just listened intently to what she had to say.
+"Even if you say there's the risk of expulsion, I guess it's kind of
+like...that's all up in the air somehow. Like it doesn't really feel real. ...To
+be honest, there's a great deal that's still hidden from me. But what I'm really
+scared of isn't losing class points or private points."
+"You're talking about your classmates?"
+"Yeah. The risk of losing one of them is unfathomable."
+"If a classmate were expelled, what would you intend to do?" I asked.
+"What would I do?" Ichinose slowly looked up, a thin smile on her
+face. "Ayanokouji-kun, you really are a smart guy, aren't you?"
+"Why do you say that?"
+"T mean, normally, there's nothing you can do if someone's expelled,
+right? But you know there's always a way."
+"It was a hypothetical question."
+"If it were really a hypothetical, you wouldn't have used the word
+intend, would you? You'd say, 'What would happen?' or phrase it completely
+differently, like, 'Would your class be okay?' or something."
+"Sorry. You're giving me way too much credit. My language skills
+aren't that advanced."
+"Still. I think you have a very respectable sense of intuition."
+She then told me she'd gotten too caught up in chatting and that she'd
+see me later. Ichinose walked off, probably burdened with plenty of things
+she needed to ponder alone. I watched other students call out to her as she
+went. Being popular was rough. Even when you just wanted some time to
+think, people wouldn't leave you alone.
+Still, Ichinose always had a smile on her face. But that didn't seem to
+be the case today.
+"Yeah. Sorry, I'm just not feeling up to it today," said Ichinose,
+walking away from two girls whom she was close to. She sounded dispirited.
+"Sorry. I just have some things going on. I feel like I'd like to be alone for
+today."
+This was no act. She seemed like a completely different person from
+when our first day at this camp.
+Seeing that, I understood. Sakayanagi had made her move. The coming
+storm wasn't just going to hit the guys. The girls might just be in for it, too.
+7.3
+Since IT WAS THE FINAL DAY before the exam, things had changed
+dramatically. The mood in the cafeteria remained unchanged, but you could
+clearly tell who was laughing and who was depressed. In short, there was a
+clear distinction between those whose groups were doing well and those
+whose groups were not.
+As I stepped out into the hallway, Kei was there, leaning against the
+wall near the entrance to the cafeteria.
+She casually slipped me a piece of paper as I passed by, then
+immediately entered the cafeteria, probably going to meet up with her
+friends. As we parted ways, I looked at the slip of paper, then shredded it and
+divided the pieces up between several trash bins placed all around the
+building.
+She'd held on pretty well throughout the week, but it seemed she was
+finally at her limit.
+I walked to a corner of the school building, where the person whom
+Kei had been keeping an eye on for me was trying to grab some alone time.
+Solitude was a limited resource at this camp. There was the middle of the
+night, sure, but others would notice if you were gone from your shared room
+for a long period of time. Your best option was to make use of the time when
+everyone was gathered in the cafeteria.
+As I followed the person in question, she crouched down, like she was
+trying to hide. She didn't notice me there. I watched her trying to hold back
+tears, and I hesitated, wondering what to do.
+But no matter how hard it might be for someone to find this place,
+there was no telling when another student might just show up. I should wrap
+this up fast.
+"If you're in some kind of trouble...maybe you should talk to the
+former student council president?"
+"Huh?!"
+Third-year Class A student Tachibana Akane looked up at me.
+Panicked at being seen in such a pathetic state, she quickly wiped her tears
+away.
+***
+——p
+iY \
+""Wh-what is it?"
+"Nothing. Just exactly what I said."
+"T'm not in any trouble or anything."
+"If you're crying even though you're not in trouble, that might be a
+problem in and of itself."
+"T'm not crying!"
+As she said that, Tachibana averted her eyes from me. She probably
+wasn't moving from the spot she was in because she knew her reddened eyes
+and the wetness on her face would be clearly visible if she went somewhere
+brightly lit.
+"Sometimes I just want to be alone."
+"True. We don't get much private time, huh?"
+Bathroom breaks were it, more or less, and you could only use those
+for so long. There were always students coming and going, seeing you there.
+"For the record, I'm on Former President Horikita's side."
+That was a lie. But if I said that, Tachibana would trust me more.
+"Doesn't matter. You're not going to be any help."
+Well...when she put it like that, I had no response. In fact, I might
+accidentally give away something I didn't want to if I kept going.
+'Just consider the fact that it's better if we're not enemies."
+"Okay, can you stop talking to your seniors in such a casual way? I
+haven't said anything about it to you until now because Horikita-kun was
+there, but..."
+Rather than the rebuke, what piqued my curiosity was the fact that she
+called him "Horikita-kun." She usually continued to refer to him as President
+Horikita, which was odd in its own right, given he was no longer in office.
+She could tack on the word former before that title, but the way Tachibana
+referred to him was strange.
+"You... It must be nice being a first-year. So carefree."
+"Wow, you sound pretty scared. Are you anxious about the test
+tomorrow?"
+"T don't feel anything. The representative's at stake and all, but things
+aren't bad between people in our group or anything. If anything, things are
+going great."
+"In that case, why are you crying?"
+"T-I told you, I wasn't crying!"
+When I pointed at Tachibana's eyes, she panicked and touched her face
+to check for any fresh tears that might have welled up. When she realized I'd
+fooled her, she glared at me.
+"Horikita-kun...is the one that I'm worried about," she said.
+That was a lie...and at the same time not. But I wouldn't touch that just
+yet.
+"Worry, huh? Is there really anything to worry about when it comes to
+that guy?"
+"Horikita-kun... Horikita-kun has been fighting alone for a long time.
+He's been fighting the second- and third-years all this time. You can't
+possibly understand how difficult it is to have to face everyone all by
+yourself."
+True. I'd never understand that, even if I tried.
+"T know a little bit about how the second-years, particularly Nagumo,
+are his enemies," I said. "But he has enemies among the third-years too? Not
+many people would want to rebel against the former student council
+president, right?"
+"Do you take Horikita-kun for some kind of dictator? Even when he
+was student council president, he never did just as he pleased, like Nagumo-
+kun. You can never afford to let your guard down in any test."
+I had never gotten the opportunity to learn about the third-years'
+internal affairs. I didn't know a single thing about the elder Horikita's
+background. But if she said they couldn't afford to let their guard down in
+any exam, that meant...
+"Wait. You mean the class conflict among the third-years 1s still
+ongoing?"
+"If Horikita-kun fails, then Class A will definitely fall."
+"Huh."
+Nagumo had said the same thing. He'd mentioned the gap between
+third-year Classes A and B was only 312 points. If Horikita's brother was the
+main weapon at Class A's disposal, or if Class B had a remarkably skilled
+student up their sleeve, it was certainly possible their lead might be
+overturned.
+"So even he's just a normal student."
+"Horikita-kun is...! Nothing. Forget it."
+She raised her voice unintentionally but then quieted herself.
+Tachibana began to speak, slower this time, as though letting her frustration
+spill forth.
+"It's because the rest of us in Class A are always holding the class
+back. We lost a ton of class points that we shouldn't have, and even private
+points, too... He's always sacrificing himself to protect his comrades."
+If what Tachibana was saying was true, then Horikita's brother was
+much like Hirata—which surprised me, to be honest. Of course, if Tachibana,
+who was actually in the third-year Class A, said it...there had to be some
+degree of truth to it. If I had to guess, there had probably been a lot of
+occasions when the elder Horikita handled things behind the scenes, so no
+one saw what a virtuous person he was. And the person who'd seen him do
+those things, by his side more often than anyone else, was this girl here.
+"So you're depressed by the current situation?"
+"Even I've heard about what's going on with the boys. Including the
+fact that Nagumo-kun challenged Horikita-kun to a contest, and because of
+that, he can't make a move. We can't help him at all."
+"That depends on how tenacious you are, doesn't it?"
+"T know that."
+Fresh tears may have welled up in her eyes, because Tachibana wiped
+them with her arm once more. Her concern for Horikita's brother may have
+been one reason for her tears, but I was betting there was more to it.
+"You're in some kind of trouble, aren't you?"
+"T'm not. Not really."
+"Not really?"
+"You're persistent, aren't you? I'm not in any kind of trouble."
+"If you say so, I must be mistaken."
+"You are. Please don't say anything weird to Horikita-kun."
+"Okay."
+With that stern warning, Tachibana headed back to the cafeteria. She
+probably didn't want Horikita's brother to learn the truth of whatever was
+going on with her. But she'd made an error in judgment. This wasn't a
+problem you could solve by sacrificing yourself.
+"IT suppose this means it's checkmate if I don't make a move, huh?"
+Watching Tachibana's frail, slender back as she walked off, I was sure
+of that fact.
+7.4
+L WAS MIDNIGHT when I was woken up by a slight creaking sound. A
+lone student was moving in the pitch darkness. Of course, despite the lack of
+visibility, I still knew who it was—Hashimoto, who was supposed to be
+sleeping in the bunk above me right now. He descended from the top bunk
+without making a sound and left the room without even bringing a flashlight
+with him. When he was gone, I slowly sat up.
+It was most likely a bathroom break, but there were other possibilities
+too. What caught my attention was the fact that, over the course of the last
+week, Hashimoto hadn't once slipped out of the room in the middle of the
+night to go to the bathroom.
+After giving him a slight head start, I got up and followed. On the off
+chance that he happened to be standing outside the door, I'd just say P'd
+gotten up to use the bathroom too. We shared the same bunk bed; Hashimoto
+would just think he'd woken me up.
+I stealthily went into the corridor. Even though the only illumination
+came from the emergency lighting and a sliver of moonlight, I could walk
+without a flashlight. Hashimoto headed toward the bathroom, then
+disappeared from view. I started following him. I quickly saw him turn left,
+even though the bathroom was straight down the hall.
+So he didn't need the bathroom, apparently. Hashimoto descended to
+the first floor and went outside, still wearing his indoor slippers. I hid myself,
+hugging the wall. There were no other students around. Maybe he simply
+came outside to get some fresh air because he couldn't sleep. Or perhaps he
+was waiting for someone?
+I learned the answer to my question right away.
+Sensing that he was going to turn my way, I moved to a different spot
+when I saw another shadow, which I assumed was his target. The shadow
+moved along the same path as Hashimoto and went outside. It was so quiet
+you couldn't even hear insects, which meant even a whisper sounded clear as
+a bell.
+"Hey, Ryuuen," Hashimoto said.
+"The hell do you want with me?"
+"T just wanted to chat. I mean, you stand out way too much in the
+cafeteria, dude. The only time I can talk to you is the middle of the night."
+"On the last day?"
+"Yeah. I called you here because it's the last day. Right now, everyone
+else is sound asleep."
+"T see. Guess you got a point."
+No students would deliberately stay up late into the night when there
+was an exam the next day. Still, Ryuuen and Hashimoto...that was a pairing I
+wouldn't have expected. Then again, Ryuuen had formed a relationship with
+Class A back during our time on the uninhabited island. I wouldn't be
+surprised if Hashimoto had played the part of intermediary.
+"Look, I'm not good at talking about stuff in a roundabout way. So I
+want to hear a straight answer. Did you really quit being the class leader?"
+"Hee hee hee. Doesn't seem like you believe it, huh?"
+"At the very least, I don't buy that Ishizaki and the others worked you
+over," replied Hashimoto, zeroing 1n on the detail that stuck out to him. True,
+the idea of Ishizaki beating Ryuuen was pretty dumb.
+"Ishizaki aside, Albert's trouble. If we really went head-to-head with
+one another, it'd be brutal."
+"T see. Well, Albert's certainly a threat, I guess. But the Ryuuen
+Kakeru I know isn't the kind of guy to cower before an opponent. If
+anything, he's the sort of guy who's always thinking up counterattacks, isn't
+he?"
+Rather than diminish Hashimoto's suspicions, what Ryuuen had said
+only heightened them.
+"T just got tired of trying to unite people who keep rebelling against
+me. As long as I continue to bleed you Class A folks dry, I'm in the clear. I
+ain't got any obligation to those other guys."
+"T see. So that's it."
+"Did I convince you?"
+"Not sure. I'm still fifty-fifty. Personally, I think I want you to fight
+back against the situation you're in."
+"So you can score some more pocket change?"
+"Yep. I want the 'promise of Class A.' Just like you."
+If you could save up twenty million points, then you could buy the
+right to move into A Class. A student with the means to do that could rest
+easy—an enviable situation. Making that goal a reality was difficult, but it
+seemed Hashimoto was one of the students aiming to do just that.
+"If the promise of victory is what you crave, I'm guessing you're
+prepared to dispose of Sakayanagi?"
+"If necessary."
+Hashimoto continued.
+"Selling out Sakayanagi doesn't come cheap, Ryuuen. Right now,
+she's at the top of our class. I'm on the winning team. Get it?"
+"We'll see how much of an opportunist you really are."
+"I'm pretty good at making my way in the world. You should know
+that I can come out on top pretty well. Anyway, I'm glad I could talk with
+you directly. Doesn't look like you've lost your fire."
+Hashimoto yawned, then added one last thing.
+"When you got overtaken by Hirata's class, I wondered what the hell
+you were even doing. But they might be a tough bunch after all."
+"Huh?"
+"If you examine each member with a level head, you can see they're
+pretty evenly matched. I'd like for them to be crushed as soon as possible."
+"Huh. To think a guy like you would be sizing them up. Any particular
+guy caught your interest?"
+"Kouenji is a threat, at the very least. To be honest, if he started acting
+to his class's advantage, there's no telling what would happen to Class A.
+They also have academically gifted students like Hirata and Yukimura, and
+Sudou, who's easily one of the most athletic students in our grade."
+"IT don't know about those other guys, but I can't imagine Sudou will
+do anything terribly special."
+Hashimoto chuckled in agreement.
+"Anyway, there's no telling what will happen, but here's something to
+keep in mind. Even if Hirata's group does manage to make it all the way to
+Class A, I'm fine as long as there's room for me to slip in there too."
+"T doubt you have that much power. Try not to get burned," said
+Ryuuen mockingly, as if to end the conversation there.
+"It's shitty, but dragging this out is just a hassle."
+"Yeah."
+I thought they'd wrap up there, so I prepared to move. Hashimoto
+would probably head back to the room. If I wasn't asleep before he got back,
+he might suspect something.
+But I sensed someone else approaching and stopped in my tracks. One
+of the two people who drew near immediately noticed Ryuuen and
+Hashimoto and called out to them.
+"What's up, first-years? Having a secret meeting at a time like this,
+huh?"
+"Huh?"
+Nagumo Miyabi and Horikita Manabu stood before the two
+conspirators. Ryuuen paused for a moment, then immediately seemed to lose
+interest and made to leave. He walked right toward Nagumo, who didn't
+budge.
+"Outta the way."
+Nagumo laughed, like he found Ryuuen's glare amusing. Meanwhile
+Hashimoto, who had come back into the corridor to see what was going on,
+locked eyes with Nagumo.
+"I've heard you're quite the delinquent. Your name's Ryuuen, right?
+I'm going to have a little chat with Horikita-senpai, but you should come
+along." Nagumo beckoned Hashimoto, summoning him to join them too.
+"Ain't interested," said Ryuuen, shoulder-checking Nagumo as he
+passed.
+"Wow, you're confident. Not scared of me, Ryuuen?"
+"Doesn't matter if you're student council president or whatever. I' Il
+crush anyone who gets in my way."
+"Heh."
+Nagumo seemed to have a certain degree of interest in Ryuuen, who
+wasn't bothered a bit.
+"T don't dislike people like you. But you're not really fit to be part of
+my student council."
+As Ryuuen tried to walk away, Nagumo called out to him once again.
+"Hey, how about you join this wager, as a third party? Which group do
+you think will place higher in today's special exam, mine, or Horikita-
+senpai's? How about ten thousand points a head? No matter which side you
+bet on, Ill pay up if you're right on the money. If you're wrong, though, you
+gotta pay up."
+"That's dumb. Not interested in that kind of money."
+"Ten thousand is 'that kind of money', huh? You're in Class D,
+meaning you're always short on cash, right? Can't hurt to earn a little more."
+"In that case, make it a million. I'll play along if you're willing to pay
+up," said Ryuuen, turning around.
+"Hahaha! You're a funny guy, Ryuuen. Talk about a ballsy joke. You
+can go now."
+Apparently, he thought Ryuuen's proposal was a joke.
+"If you don't got the guts to pay up that much, don't bother asking me
+to make a bet."
+"Hey, you. First-year. You think Ryuuen can pay that much?" Nagumo
+asked Hashimoto.
+Since Hashimoto was aware of Ryuuen's secret arrangement with
+Class A, he knew Ryuuen definitely had enough. But...
+"Not sure. We're in different classes, so I can't really say."
+"If we had our phones, we could check. I wouldn't mind playing along
+then. Too bad."
+Looked like the wager wasn't going to happen then. Hashimoto moved
+to make his escape, and Nagumo shifted his gaze over to Horikita.
+"Horikita-senpai. Please abstain from taking the exam tomorrow,"
+Nagumo said abruptly. Ryuuen continued walking, seemingly uninterested,
+but Hashimoto stopped in his tracks.
+"Abstain?"
+"That's right."
+"That's an even worse joke than Ryuuen's."
+"Actually, I'm being quite serious." Nagumo added something else.
+"It's for your own sake, senpai."
+"Please explain it to me in a way I can understand. You have a habit of
+just saying everything in your head, and it seems like you have yet to address
+that."
+"Sorry. Being able to see too far into the future is a curse. Anyway, if
+you don't kindly abstain tomorrow, senpai, you'll regret it. What I'm saying
+is that I'm trying to help you. I could just put the hurt on you without
+warning, but that would just be heartless, wouldn't it?"
+"What are you planning? Depending on what it is, I may not accept."
+"T understand. The rules of our contest are that we have to fight fair
+and square, without involving any third parties. But the way things are, if the
+exam takes place, we won't know which of us will win until we get a look at
+the results. Of course, it's only to be expected that this will be a close race.
+But that's exactly why I want to win. And I've been taking steps to ensure I
+do."
+"Ts that why you want me to abstain?"
+"Yes. Because abstaining will allow you to get through this with the
+least amount of damage, senpai. Are you aware of the strategic groundwork
+that I've laid? No, you aren't, are you? There isn't a single student at this
+school who can read my thoughts. That's what this is. Even your little
+favorite is the same... Who was that first-year again?"
+Nagumo looked intentionally at Hashimoto. But there was no way
+Hashimoto knew.
+"Ah, that's right. If I recall, he's in the same group as that first-year.
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."" Nagumo clearly emphasized my name, as though he
+were trying to make Hashimoto aware of it. "What do you think, Hashimoto?
+About Ayanokouji."
+"What do I...? Well, I think he's just a normal student."
+Hashimoto was visibly shaken after unexpectedly hearing my name
+come up.
+"T know, right? But Horikita-senpai here seems to value Ayanokouji
+over all other first-years."
+"Maybe because he performed well at the relay during the Sports
+Festival?"
+"Well, that would make sense. But that doesn't seem to be all there is
+to it. See, Horikita-senpai prizes Ayanokouji above even Sakayanagi, even
+Ryuuen, even Ichinose. Since you're in the same group as him, I thought you
+might have noticed something."
+"No."
+"Why is that, senpai? Please, I think it's about time you tell me the
+reason."
+"You're reaching, Nagumo. When have I spoken highly of
+Ayanokouji? There is nothing to be gained by spreading lies. Stop teasing the
+first-years."
+"Sorry, senpai. I suppose you're right. My bad, Hashimoto. That was a
+little joke."
+"Ts that so...?"
+I didn't like where this conversation was headed, but it was time I got
+out of there. The three of them were blocking the corridor, so I needed to use
+the stairs on the opposite end of the building. It meant taking a detour, but I
+decided to go the alternate route. I had to be back by the time Hashimoto
+returned, or it might end up making him suspect there was something to what
+Nagumo was saying.
+A few minutes after I returned, Hashimoto quietly entered the room. I
+felt his gaze fall upon me from the top bunk, but only for a moment.
+Afterward, he went to sleep.
+Chapter 8:
+The Second Half of the Girls' Battle:
+Horikita Suzune
+Tue FINAL TEST would be the next day. The rest of the student body
+was busy gobbling down their dinner when I, Horikita Suzune, made contact
+with a certain someone inside our room. With everyone else in the cafeteria at
+the time, it was simple for the two of us to make contact.
+"Look, Horikita-san. To be honest with you, I don't think you're seeing
+the current situation for what it is."
+Standing before me was Kushida-san, a serious look in her eyes. In the
+cramped confines of the camp school, with eyes and ears everywhere, I
+couldn't neglect to keep tabs on her—even though it was her public-facing
+persona that stood before me now.
+"I'm not seeing the current situation? What do you mean by that?"
+"You forced me to be in the same group as you, for the purpose of
+keeping me under surveillance...or to have me acknowledge you as a
+comrade. Is that right?"
+She spoke in her normal, friendly tone of voice, clearly operating on
+the assumption that someone might enter the room at any moment. But there
+was something more forceful than usual to the way she said it, almost
+certainly because she felt secure that I couldn't pull any tricks like recording
+our conversation with my smartphone in our current situation. Personally, I
+welcomed her honesty. If she always kept her true nature hidden, we'd never
+move forward.
+"I won't deny that those objectives are part of it," I said.
+I made sure to emphasize part quite strongly, but Kushida-san ignored
+it.
+"You seem to be acting on your personal feelings. I wonder how that
+will work as a strategy. It's certainly true that you and I don't get along,
+Horikita-san. But if you were thinking about the group's scores...no, 1f you
+were thinking about your c/ass, shouldn't you keep your personal feelings out
+of it?" said Kushida-san, crossing her arms with a sigh, as if thrusting her
+honest opinion at me. "You've made me, and me alone, your priority.
+Winning and losing are just secondary concerns. Am I wrong?"
+"T can't deny that either."
+"So you admit it."
+Frankly, there was no way I could deny it. Ever since the Paper
+Shuffle, 'd considered Kushida-san my primary concern. I even invited her
+out for tea during winter vacation. I was doing things I'd never done before.
+"It doesn't matter what you do," she said. "Enough already. I want you
+to understand that."
+"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't let this go."
+So long as my problems with Kushida-san went unresolved, I couldn't
+move forward.
+"Look, it's not my place to say this, but have you forgotten about how
+you dragged me out in front of the student council president and made me
+swear I wouldn't do anything? Putting aside my own feelings, which I will
+not get over, I promised I wouldn't do anything to sabotage you, Horikita-
+san. I thought you'd at least trust me that much. Or did you think I'd break
+my promise right away?"
+I couldn't answer her question with words. Kushida-san probably
+understood my feelings. What she said was half correct; even though I
+expected she'd keep her promise, however reluctantly, I also thought she
+might be working behind the scenes to get me expelled. Those two instincts
+clashed within me.
+If I truly trusted Kushida-san, I wouldn't feel the need to stick by her
+all hours of the day. Moreover, while my brother isn't the sort who would say
+anything to anyone else, once he graduated, the oath she swore would be
+meaningless. If I were to take action, it would have to be soon. Time was of
+the essence.
+"T want you to trust me," I told her, deciding to get straight to the point.
+"Wow, you're blunt."
+Despite apparently taking what I said at face value, Kushida-san wore a
+thin smile on her face. But it wasn't a smile of agreement. I couldn't let
+myself be mistaken on that count.
+"No matter what, I will not say anything to anyone about your past.
+What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
+"Unfortunately, there's no way you can convince me," replied
+Kushida-san flatly.
+"T gain nothing by telling people."
+"You're certainly right about that. If I did find out you told someone,
+I'd show no mercy. I might even destroy the entire class, just like I did back
+in junior high. As someone who's aiming for Class A, you obviously
+wouldn't put yourself in jeopardy. At least, that's what you'd assume," said
+Kushida-san.
+She seemed to understand. So what was the problem?
+"But if you ask me, our current environment's a little cramped."
+"Cramped?"
+"For example, would you obey a stranger who puts a knife to the back
+of your neck and says he'll hurt you if you don't cooperate? There's a
+difference between a situation where you can't be hurt even if someone tried
+to and a situation where someone cou/d hurt you if they wanted to. You
+understand, don't you?"
+Kushida-san didn't trust anyone. She didn't make her decisions based
+on whether they advantaged or disadvantaged her; she simply couldn't stand
+anyone else holding power over her. That's why she wanted to eliminate me.
+The problem was I couldn't let go of the knife, even if I wanted to.
+"Aren't you just strangling yourself with your own two hands then?" I
+said. "As a matter of fact, the number of people who know about you are
+slowly but surely increasing."
+"That's right. I will admit that the situation has gotten more dire."
+"You're clever. You're above average in both academics and athletics,
+and you have the best communication skills in our grade level... No,
+depending on how you look at it, you might even be able to say you're the
+best in the school. Even talking to you now, I'm impressed by your quick
+thinking. You could be an incredible asset to our class if you simply
+cooperated with us. You'd be even more beloved by your peers too."
+"Do you honestly not get that your know-it-all tone irritates me more
+than anything else? You're talking this way because you know my true
+personality. I can't stand that. If you didn't know anything about me, you
+wouldn't be saying these things."
+"That's..."
+She would never accept anyone knowing about her past. Her resolve
+was Clear.
+"You're smarter than me. Wouldn't you do just fine even at another
+school? Besides, you came here so you could be at the same school as your
+older brother. Right, Horikita-san? But your brother will be graduating soon,
+so you won't need to force yourself to stay. You could study at a different
+school, go on to college or land a job. Wouldn't that be fine?" asked
+Kushida-san.
+She was trying to cut our conversation short, as though saying that
+trying to talk to her any longer would just be a waste of time. I let out a quiet
+sigh.
+"T'll be quiet for now. But I will never trust or cooperate with you,
+Horikita-san. Until either you or I are gone from this school, we'll never be
+okay. No matter how many times we have this conversation. You'd do well
+to remember that."
+"T understand. I'Il leave things for today."
+"Not just today. This is the last time."
+Kushida-san walked out of the room, leaving me with those parting
+words.
+"T really am powerless, aren't I?"
+I had very few comrades I could trust. Ayanokouji-kun seemed like the
+one I could most often rely on, but he and I had grown more distant of late,
+probably because I forced him to talk about the student council in front of
+Kushida-san. But I couldn't back down. I had to keep her close to protect
+myself.
+Even if it cost me his cooperation, I would choose Kushida-san. No—I
+must choose her.
+Chapter 9:
+Blind Spot
+1. WAS THE FINAL DAY of camp, the day when our groups would be
+ranked according to the special exam. During this last week, the twenty-six or
+so small groups had passed time in their own unique ways. Some groups had
+gotten to know one another better and worked well together. Others were on
+the verge of collapse. Others had completed their daily tasks with
+indifference, growing neither closer nor further apart.
+At first, our group had been a disaster. However, we'd grown
+significantly closer to one another by the end. I mean, we weren't perfect. At
+best, we were a ragtag lot. This was a temporary alliance—come tomorrow,
+we'd be enemies again. There was a certain sense of sadness at the thought of
+our group activities coming to an end.
+"For the time being, we've done all we can. No matter what the
+outcome, we have no regrets."
+"T think so too. Thanks for being our representative, Yukimura."
+Ishizaki and Yukimura shook hands.
+"No matter what happens, let's give it our all."
+"Let's do it."
+The other guys complimented each other and shook on it. Afterward,
+we headed to our assigned classroom. There was nothing to worry about as
+far as group unity. Our biggest concern was Kouenji.
+Right now, he seemed calm, quietly following us. But no one could
+predict when he might suddenly cut loose. The second- and third-years from
+our large group had already arrived, so we hurried to our seats in a bit of a
+panic just as the chime sounded. The teacher entered and began to explain the
+contents of the exam.
+Even though we'd gathered in our large group, the exam would be
+administered to the small groups by grade level. The large groups would
+affect the overall ranking when the scores were tallied. No matter how vast
+the camp grounds, if everyone tried doing all the same activities at the same
+time, we'd be crammed in together.
+The four sections of the exam were as expected. They included Zen,
+Speech, Long-Distance Relay Race, and Written Exam. We first-year students
+would begin with zazen. Then we headed to the next classroom for our
+written exam. We'd follow that up with the long-distance relay race and,
+finally, we'd give our speeches.
+The second-years had a higher hurdle to jump right out of the gate,
+since they were starting with the long-distance relay. The third-years,
+apparently, were beginning with speeches.
+9.1
+Asrer WE FINISHED BREAKFAST, we headed to the zazen dojo. We were
+exempted from cleaning this morning. The exam began as soon as all of the
+first-year guys had gathered.
+"Without further ado, we will begin. There are two criteria in
+determining your scores: your manners and posture upon entering this dojo,
+and the presence or absence of any disorder during zazen. After you've
+finished, you will stand by in your assigned classrooms until you are given
+instructions for your next exam. Starting now, I will call out names. Students
+whose names have been called will line up and begin taking the test. Class A,
+Katsuragi Kouhei. Class D, Ishizaki Daichi—"
+The instructor continued to read names aloud. After Katsuragi came
+Ishizaki. That was an unexpected development. The crowd murmured its
+surprise.
+"Hurry up, Ishizaki. Next, first-year Class B, Beppu Ryouta."
+Confused, Ishizaki got in line, panicking slightly.
+"Ts this a different order then usual?"
+Keisei mentally prepared while panicking himself. We hadn't expected
+this. We'd performed zazen several times over the past week, but always in
+our small groups. This time around, the school was assigning spots randomly.
+That meant students outside our comfort zone would be close to our
+personal bubble. That might seem like a trivial difference, but on the day of
+the exam, when people were tense to begin with, it made everything that
+much harder. The school's goal to shake things up was working.
+Keisei was flustered. Then a large hand rested on his shoulder—A bert,
+offering a gesture of consideration to calm him down. Getting the message,
+Keisei looked like he had regained a little bit of his composure.
+"Sorry. If I'm like this during the very first exam, itll affect our
+group's morale."
+Rather than consider the pressure of being the representative as a
+negative, Keisei thought of it as a positive. When his name was finally called,
+he responded clearly and entered the dojo. I was called before Albert, the
+second to last. Several instructors inside the dojo stood around holding
+clipboards and pens.
+On top of that, there was a strange number of cameras installed
+throughout the dojo, perhaps to add certainty to the scoring. I already had the
+basics of zazen down in my head, so I wasn't going to slip up. Since it was
+very likely the scoring system was set up in such a way where you'd start
+with one hundred and have points deducted based on performance, I
+calculated that I would definitely have a perfect score.
+After all, there wasn't any need for me to hold back in performing
+zazen. A slight distance away from me, Kouenji was participating too. He
+made no mistakes—in fact, he had beautiful posture. His movements were
+flawless. He'd never once seemed to take practice seriously, but I guess this
+was what you'd expect from him, huh?
+Since we kept our eyes closed during the assessment, I couldn't be sure
+about the finer details. But I was sure we'd done well.
+9.2
+Asvrer WE FINISHED with zazen, everyone began to disperse in silence.
+We were still being graded until we actually left the dojo. Under the watchful
+gaze of the instructors, the students silently exited and headed toward their
+respective classrooms as instructed.
+Once everyone in our group gathered, Keisei slumped in his chair.
+"Ugh, my legs went numb during the test."
+"Did you make it?" asked Ishizaki. His legs might have suffered a
+similar fate, because he rubbed at them as he asked Keisei that question.
+"T think so. But I might've gotten a few points taken off."
+"Well, no use worryin' about it. Nothing ya can do now. Right,
+Ayanokouji?" said Hashimoto.
+"That's right. Next up is Keisei's forte: the written exam. Just focus on
+that," I told him.
+Nagumo's words from last night were probably still in Hashimoto's
+head. But he wasn't going to confront me directly about them, because he had
+no idea what Horikita's brother considered special about me in the first place.
+Two other small groups of first-years were in the room with us. One of
+them was the group that Ryuuen was in, which Akito was the representative
+for. I could tell that Ishizaki and Albert shifted their gazes over toward
+Ryuuen, but Ryuuen, rather than look back at us, took his seat, alone. He
+didn't talk to anyone. He was part of the group, but at the same time, he
+wasn't. He gave off an air of being completely and utterly isolated.
+"Huh, that's pretty weird," muttered Hashimoto, standing next to me. It
+would be easy for me to ignore him, but I supposed I'd play along a bit.
+"What is?"
+"Ishizaki and Albert's eyes. I don't get the impression that they hate
+him. If anything, they look sorrowful. Like pets whose master has abandoned
+them."
+"T don't get it. Didn't Ishizaki and Albert get fed up with Ryuuen?"
+"That's what they say, but...maybe there's something more to Ryuuen
+stepping down. Don't you think so?"
+Hashimoto almost certainly had no evidence linking me to Ryuuen. It
+was likely he was trying to steer the conversation in that direction because
+Nagumo had expressed an interest in Ryuuen.
+"Dunno. I'm not really familiar with other classes' goings-on."
+"T see. Sorry for asking you something weird."
+After the ten-minute break ended, we moved on to the written exam,
+which proved to be nothing special. They tested what we had learned during
+our time at the camp. If you had a good grasp of the main topics we'd
+covered, you could almost certainly get a perfect score. If you were a student
+who struggled, you would get somewhere between fifty and seventy points.
+What should I do?
+While everyone else around me put their heads down and worked
+away, I tried to figure out how many points I should allow myself to lose.
+They probably weren't going to make individual scores public, but I didn't
+want to let the school see me get successive perfect scores. There were a lot
+of students who had been trying to feel me out as of late. Honestly, I would
+much rather hold back and not score too high.
+I decided I would miss just one question that people would consider
+difficult. That would give me a solid 95 or so. After I finished penning down
+all my answers, I was tempted to look out the window. I didn't want the
+teachers to think I was cheating, though, so I shut my eyes and waited for the
+end.
+After the test, the groups assembled and assessed our scores. It wasn't
+like calculating our scores ourselves was going to change the results, and yet,
+I couldn't really help but wonder whether I got that one question right or
+wrong. I guessed forcing yourself to think differently was effective, to a
+certain degree.
+Everyone in our group was here except for Kouenji, who'd left the
+classroom as soon as the test was over. Ishizaki, as expected, hadn't
+understood most of the questions. My insurance was going to come in handy.
+Still, the written exam had been easy overall, meaning every group probably
+scored high.
+Based on what I'd seen in the dojo, the written exam and zazen test
+might not have resulted in a significant point gap between groups. Everyone
+seemed to have performed zazen with a certain degree of precision. Both tests
+were about demonstrating what you'd learned, so if you could pull that off,
+there likely wouldn't be a huge variation in scores. Of all the sections of the
+exam, it was the long-distance relay race that was likely to have the biggest
+impact.
+If final scores were awarded based on where you placed in the relay,
+you might assume that the group who got first place would have earned a
+perfect score...but that was probably too simple, huh? I had a feeling they'd
+be taking our times into consideration too. In fact, you might even score well
+if you came in sixth place but made good time in the race.
+When we left the classroom, I saw a number of vans parked outside. It
+seemed they'd be taking us to the spot where the batons would be handed out.
+When we got into the van, we received additional instructions from the
+teachers.
+Every individual student must run a minimum distance of 1.2
+kilometers.
+Baton passes are only allowed every 1.2 kilometers.
+If a student is unable to finish the race due to an accident, or if they fail
+to meet the minimum requirements, they will be disqualified.
+After the teachers explained those three points, they dropped off
+Keisei, our first runner, and the van drove on. We'd decided our running
+order by the students who weren't confident in their speed. Keisei was first.
+Next were Sumida, Tokitou, and Moriyama from Class B. Yahiko was fifth.
+We placed them like that because there were relative dips and rises in
+the terrain during the early stages of the race. Also, it put as little pressure as
+possible on them to worry about being overtaken by other runners. Those five
+would run the minimum distance each. Thus, we'd knock out a total of six
+kilometers.
+Next up would be Hashimoto. He'd run at full speed for 3.6 kilometers,
+including the turnaround point. Then Albert would take the baton and run for
+1.2 kilometers before passing it to Ishizaki, who'd run 3.6 kilometers.
+I would've been fine with placing after Albert, but Keisei believed the
+transition would be smoother if classmates were placed together.
+Kouenji would only be running 1.2 kilometers. I was going to run 2.4
+and pass the baton to him for the last leg. That was the conclusion that Keisei
+had reached in the end. Kouenji was put last to give him a little more
+motivation to finish. He'd get the credit for crossing the finish line, and
+relieve some of our anxieties about him not passing on the baton.
+The downside was that if anyone cut corners, we wouldn't know who
+was running late. After Ishizaki got out of the van, there were three of us left:
+the instructor who was driving, Kouenji, and me. They could have dropped us
+off first, since they were going around the turning point anyway, but I
+supposed they intended to drop us off in the order we were running.
+All that remained for me to do was wait at my spot 3.6 kilometers
+away from the finish line.
+The van started moving back in the direction we came from.
+"Ayanokouji Boy. Allow me to ask you something plainly. Should we
+take first place in this race, what do you think will happen? Overall, I mean."
+"*... There's no way that I'd know the answer to that, even if you ask.
+Besides, our overall results are determined by the average score of the large
+group. So it depends on how well the upperclassmen perform, right?"
+No matter how hard we try, it'd be difficult to reach first place if they
+dropped the ball.
+"So you won't even lie to reassure me that there's a possibility of
+getting first place, hmm?" he asked.
+"You're not the kind of guy who'd be cheered up if I said something
+like that, are you?"
+"Hmm, I have to wonder. How about you allow me to relieve you of
+1.2 kilometers? If I run at full speed, there's an extremely high chance we' ll
+defeat the other groups," Kouenji whispered into my ear, leaning in close.
+"Okay, what the hell brought this about?" I asked.
+"Just a whim. A whim that can help you. Not a bad offer, no?"
+"You mean to tell me that you'll take responsibility for running 2.4
+kilometers and for making us place well?"
+"My, there's no need to speak so formally. It's just a whim, after all."
+"T see. Sorry, I'm turning you down. I can't change Keise1's strategy
+on my own."
+"Heh. I see. Well, that's unfortunate," said Kouenji, retaking his seat.
+I didn't know what he was planning, but I had no intention of going out
+on a limb and trusting him. If he could decide to help on a whim, he could
+change his mind back on a whim too. Kouenji had only promised to run the
+minimum required distance. That meant he'd probably hold himself back if
+he ran anything beyond those 1.2 kilometers. The proof was in how he'd
+dodged the question I gave him about taking responsibility.
+Besides, if I ended up causing us unnecessary trouble because of a
+decision I made, there'd be hell to pay.
+"Tt seems you're cleverer than I thought. But also quite boring."
+If that was how he saw me, I was grateful for it.
+I got out of the van and waited for Ishizaki at the marker 3.6 kilometers
+from the finish line.
+"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Naturally, there were other guys waiting there, too. Hirata greeted me.
+"Huh, you're not the anchor?" he asked.
+"Nope. Kouenji is going last. What about you? Is Sudou your anchor?"
+"Yeah. He's raring to go
+that's not really going to work."
+wants to run a lot. But with fifteen people,
+Sudou's rivalry with Kouenji would probably flare up during the final
+lap of the race.
+"Personally, I wish we'd had more people," I said. "It would probably
+have made things a little easier."
+"At any rate, let's both do our best. As long as we don't fall below the
+school's standards, no one will be expelled, after all."
+"Yeah."
+While we waited, everyone was free to chat or quietly concentrate.
+Since water stations were placed every 1.2 kilometers, it was also possible to
+get a drink...though you increased your chances of a stomachache if you
+guzzled down water before you ran. One student, totally oblivious to the
+peril, sucked down the contents of a plastic water bottle.
+"Ah, I'm so nervous," he muttered before turning around and locking
+eyes with me. It was the Professor. Maybe he wanted someone to talk to,
+because he approached me. "So, you're in this spot too, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"A-Ayanokouji-kun? In this spot...?"
+I couldn't believe my ears. The Professor I knew would have said
+something like "Honorable Ayanokouji-dono, art thou currently placed upon
+this land?"
+"Ah. Well, I quit talking like that. I was doing it to play a character, but
+after getting that warning during zazen, I thought I'd knock it off."
+"TI see."
+I couldn't hide my shock at hearing the Professor speak so normally. It
+didn't suit him at all. It was like the thing that made him him had
+disappeared. He felt like a placeholder now, like Student X, or Y, or
+whatever.
+We went on to have a completely ordinary conversation, but to be
+honest, I didn't remember any of it. Guess just changing the way you talked
+could make a huge difference.
+At any rate, I wondered if Keisei had successfully passed the baton. No
+matter how long it took, finishing the race was crucial. Cold as it might
+sound, even if our large group did place dead last or fell below the school's
+standard line, no harm would come my way.
+Of course, I did genuinely think it'd be better if no one got expelled.
+As I wondered how many minutes had passed, I finally saw a student
+coming our way. However, it wasn't Ishizaki. It was someone from the
+mostly Class B group led by Kanzaki. More students began to arrive, one
+after the other. After a close struggle with the runner in third, Ishizaki was in
+fourth.
+"Huff huff. Take it, Ayanokouji! Go for first!" he shouted, handing the
+baton over.
+Whether we took first would come down to Kouenji, but I took the
+baton and ran.
+"TIL kill ya if ya hold back!" shouted Ishizaki with the last of his
+strength, before collapsing to the ground.
+His exhaustion was natural, considering he'd run more than three
+kilometers on a mountain path. I decided to slowly but surely close the gap
+with the runners in front. I ran a little bit faster than everyone else, making
+sure not to disrupt my breathing. Rather than trying to go on the offense right
+off the bat pace, I waited for their stamina to drain before overtaking them.
+By doing that, I fooled them into thinking I'd passed because they were too
+slow.
+Despite the bumpy terrain, two kilometers wasn't enough to leave me
+out of breath. Just like that, I overtook one runner ahead of me, putting me in
+third, only a short distance behind the second-place runner. Then I handed the
+baton off to Kouenji.
+Nine people had handled this baton. Our fate was in this man's hands.
+"Now then. Let's work up a light sweat, shall we?"
+Kouenji, brushing back his hair, took the baton in hand and ran with a
+nonchalant look on his face. He probably wasn't going at full speed, but he
+was quite fast. If he kept to that speed, we'd probably be fine. That was, of
+course, so long as he didn't slow to a stroll once he was out of sight.
+In the end, despite all the anxiety he'd caused us, Kouenji wound up
+finishing in second place. I didn't know if he couldn't overtake the runner in
+first or if he simply didn't want to. Probably the latter.
+The speeches we'd have to give after this intense race were going to be
+hell for the first-years. We'd have to speak at length in raised voices after
+completely exhausting ourselves.
+However, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred. While I had some
+doubts about Kouenji's somewhat...let's say dramatic performance during
+his speech, everyone seemed to have completed the assignment without any
+real difficulty.
+9.3
+Ano So, the longest day of the special exam was over. The majority
+of our group—no, of the entire student body—was totally exhausted. I had no
+doubt that our group would score much higher than we'd initially expected. If
+this came down to what the average scores were, then our group had a good
+chance to finish strong. The rest came down to how well Nagumo's group
+and the third-years scored, but I was certain we wouldn't score below the
+threshold set by the school.
+As on the first day, all the male students assembled inside the
+gymnasium, shortly joined by the female students. They were probably going
+to announce the results for both the guys and girls. It was already five o'clock
+in the evening—-safe to assume it would be late by the time we made it back
+to school.
+"You've all done excellent work at this camp school these past eight
+days. Though the exact nature of the contents differ, of course, this special
+exam 1s held every few years. Overall, you performed better than the students
+from the previous exam. I suppose that's down to your good teamwork,"
+announced an elderly man I'd never seen before. He smiled the whole time
+he spoke.
+I was guessing he was the person in charge of the camp.
+"T will announce the results, but first, I must say that the boys couldn't
+have had a better finish. They all successfully met the school's standards, and
+thus there will be zero boys expelled."
+The moment he announced that, I heard the relieved murmurs of
+several boys.
+"Whew, no one's getting expelled," said Keisei, putting his hand to his
+chest with a sigh of relief. Ishizaki lightly smacked him on the back.
+"Never once thought we'd get expelled from the start. We were aimin'
+for first, after all."
+"Yeah."
+No matter our personal feelings, avoiding expulsion was significant.
+However, the way the elderly man phrased that announcement was slightly
+concerning. If no one from the entire student body was getting expelled, he'd
+have no reason to specify "boys" the way he'd just done.
+Which meant...
+"Now then. I will announce the overall winner among the boys' large
+groups, but I will only be reading the name of the third-year student acting as
+representative. Points for the students placed in that group, which includes
+first- through third-year students, will be given at a later date."
+With that, the elderly man slowly read the names aloud.
+"Third-year Class C Ninomiya Kuranosuke-kun's group took first
+place."
+When that announcement was made, some third-year students
+immediately began to cheer. For a moment, I didn't know whose group that
+was, but then realized it was the large group that Horikita's brother was in. It
+would seem he'd won his battle against Nagumo.
+"Well done, Horikita. Just what I'd expect of you."
+Fujimaki praised Horikita's brother, ignoring the rest of the
+announcements. The groups that came in second place and below were
+announced, but from the senior students' point of view, this was nothing
+more than a bonus.
+"Hey, Yukimura. We got second. We did it!"
+"Yeah, I'm glad. I'm really, really glad."
+They didn't announce the actual difference in our scores, but
+Nagumo's group had come in second place, so I was guessing the margin had
+been narrow. Everyone seemed to think Nagumo would quiet down a little
+now that he'd placed second, but honestly, I wasn't sure whose strategy
+would carry the day in the end.
+Why was that? Well, I didn't have anything particular at stake here,
+but... Nagumo was smiling beside me, showing no sign of being upset at all.
+That wasn't the look of a man who'd lost after dramatically and defiantly
+throwing down the gauntlet.
+I supposed I expected as much. Expected, in other words, that he was
+concocting something incredibly evil behind the scenes.
+"You've earned first place. Congratulations are in order, Horikita-
+senpal. Just as I'd expect from you," said Nagumo, speaking loudly.
+Horikita didn't offer any kind of response. He simply stayed silent for
+the rest of the announcements. Maybe he was also beginning to feel
+something was off about this.
+"You lost, Nagumo," said the third-year student Fujimaki, clearly
+oblivious to what was going on. He probably felt he'd just served a cocky
+junior student a piece of humble pie.
+"It sure seems that way. But they've only just started announcing the
+results, haven't they?" replied Nagumo.
+"Enough already. It's over."
+"Sure. For the boys."
+"For the boys? Well, yeah, but the girls have nothing to do with this.
+That was the agreement, wasn't it, Nagumo?"
+"Yes. They have nothing to do with the fight between Horikita-senpai
+and I, that's right. At all."
+Fujimaki's face turned stern upon hearing Nagumo's enigmatic choice
+of words. Ishikura, a third-year student from Class B, stood beside Nagumo
+and listened to the conversation, quietly observing what was happening.
+"Next, I would like to announce the results for the girls' groups. First
+place goes to third-year Class C Ayase Natsu-san's group."
+This time, some of the girls let out cheers of joy. The large group that
+the third-year student named Ayase was in charge of contained a small group
+composed mostly of first-year Class C students, including Horikita and
+Kushida. They might have earned quite a few points.
+But the joy was short-lived. Something dire came close on its heels.
+"Um, well... This is truly regrettable, but unfortunately, there is one
+small group among the girls that failed to secure the necessary score."
+Everyone's faces froze upon hearing that. Even the students who'd
+been cheering went silent. Everyone had tried their absolute best not to fall
+below the borderline. However, life can be cruel. Someone was definitely
+going to be expelled.
+Now the only question that remained was: Would be a first-year
+getting expelled? Or perhaps an upperclassman? Horikita's brother looked
+over at Nagumo as though he had just noticed something. Like he was trying
+to discern the meaning behind the cocksure smile that Nagumo had worn on
+his face this entire time.
+However, it was already too late.
+"T will first announce the group that came in last place... That would
+be the group represented by third-year Class B student Ikari Momoko-san."
+Just like with the boys, it wasn't immediately clear to me who was
+included in that group. But the anguished cries from some of the girls began
+to make things clear. The large group that had come in last place had been
+decided. Now it was just a matter of which of the small groups within it had
+fallen below the acceptable threshold. In a worst-case scenario, students from
+all three grade levels might be expelled at the same time.
+"As for the group that fell below the threshold..."
+The gymnasium grew even quieter than during zazen. Everyone's eyes
+were focused on the old man's mouth, desperate to know the results.
+"Tt is also..."
+The gymnasium was divided into two camps: those who continued
+smiling, and those who were getting nervous.
+"The group Ikari Momoko-san represents. That is all."
+The moment the old man declared the results, Nagumo started laughing
+happily, as if he had been holding it in until now. The passage of time, which
+had slowed to a trickle, started to flow normally once more. However, many
+of the students didn't seem to understand what was happening. Why was
+Nagumo laughing because some student he didn't even know was going to be
+ordered to leave the school?
+One student from third-year Class B was going to be expelled. But he
+was laughing because...that wasn't all there was to this.
+"What did you do, Nagumo?!" shouted Fujimaki, who now understood
+what was going on. He closed in on Nagumo.
+Horikita's brother didn't approach Nagumo, but he wore a grim look.
+"Come now, senpai, we're still in the middle of the results. Please calm
+down. This has nothing to do with you anyway, Fujimaki-senpai. Does it?
+The only thing that's happening is that a Class B student will be expelled.
+If anything, this means you'll pull even further ahead of your rivals, right?"
+Nagumo snickered.
+"Um, please, some quiet, if you would. Now, it is truly unfortunate, but
+this means Ikari-san will have to take responsibility for the group, and thus,
+she will be expelled. Ikari-san may also decide to invoke the solidarity rule
+and name someone else within her group. Ikari-san, please consult with me
+later. Next, I will announce which of the girls' groups has taken second
+place."
+Despite saying that it was unfortunate, he continued speaking,
+solemnly. But Horikita's brother no longer cared about getting first place
+himself. He'd fallen for the trap set for him, just like Nagumo had intended. It
+was precisely because Horikita Manabu was an upstanding, honorable
+individual that he'd got beaten by Nagumo Miyabi, who'd struck from where
+you'd least expect it.
+"Ayanokouji, why is Fujimaki-senpai so angry...? Just like Nagumo-
+senpai said, the representative is a student from Class B. Isn't this a boon for
+Class A?" Keisei whispered into my ear.
+"No, the problem isn't the representative. I think it's who's going
+down with her."
+"Huh?"
+We were ordered to disband. While they prepped the buses for our
+return trip, we were given free time to change. Nagumo stood his ground
+proudly. He called one of the girls over.
+"Tkari-senpai. ''m sure everyone is wondering just who in the world
+will be expelled alongside you."
+The third-year Class B girl named Ikari, who was slated for expulsion,
+was calm. If anything, it was the other girls in her small group, which was
+mostly composed of students from Class B and Class D, who looked worried.
+I knew what was going to happen. I was certain of it, thanks to the
+information I'd gotten from Asahina and Kei.
+And among the people in that group...there was one single participant
+from A Class: Tachibana Akane. I looked over at Horikita's brother and
+slowly spoke to him inside my mind.
+Look, I get it. To ensure that you all graduated from Class A, and also
+to counter Nagumo, you instructed every Class A student, both guys and
+girls, not to take on the role of representative. Didn't you? Because as long
+as you produced solid scores, none of you would get expelled.
+However, you knew that wasn't an airtight defense. That was why you
+accepted Nagumo's challenge, making sure to set the conditions that the fight
+be above the board, in an attempt to defend against his malice. You also
+avoided making any imprudent contact with the girls, hoping to lower the risk
+of Nagumo exploiting that opening and targeting them.
+You exhausted every measure available to you, and still kept things
+civil, I'll grant you that. But even so, Nagumo's malice knows no bounds. I
+don't need to say much more about that, though.
+This special exam was a trap that Nagumo had set without even the
+school realizing it. The people who had gotten caught in his trap understood
+the situation they were in now. Their faces had gone so pale that it looked
+like they might collapse any moment.
+"Well, isn't that obvious? It's the student who made sure our group
+knew no peace. Tachibana Akane-san, from Class A," spat Ikari angrily,
+speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.
+"Nagumo... You promised Horikita that you wouldn't involve any
+third parties in this, didn't you?" shouted Fujimaki. He rounded on Nagumo,
+getting in his face, like he was about to start throwing punches.
+"Please wait. This has nothing to do with me."
+"That's a bald-faced lie!"
+Fujimaki was furious, and it was obvious why. No one here was
+fooled. Nagumo had known what was going on.
+"Well, Pl go notify the school who I'Il be dragging down with me,"
+announced Ikari indifferently, heading off toward the instructor. Her
+classmate Ishikura went with her, nestling close.
+No one could do anything to stop what was happening. Even
+Hashimoto recognized that.
+"Tachibana-senpai dragged down Ikari-senpai's group," he said. "As a
+result, their group's score fell below the average, so she's being taken down
+as well via the solidary rule. That's all there is to it, isn't it?"
+Unlike Fujimaki, Horikita's brother called over to Tachibana, who
+stood still, before he approached Nagumo. Some of the third-year students
+walked away, the looks on their faces indicating that they couldn't even bring
+themselves to say anything in the current situation.
+"Horikita-kun, I'm sorry...!"
+"Tachibana, why didn't you consult with me sooner? Surely you
+should have noticed something was amiss."
+"That's because...I knew that you would take the burden upon
+yourself, Horikita-kun..." said Tachibana, apologizing, in tears.
+She likely hadn't noticed at first. How she'd been caught in a trap from
+the moment the groups were decided. But as time passed, she must have
+sensed something was wrong...sensed that the group she had been placed in
+was created for the sole purpose of taking down Tachibana Akane.
+And still, she'd faced the exam, working as hard as she could in hopes
+of a miracle. But as you might expect, reality was cruel. Still, Tachibana
+should have been prepared to accept this. Even if she was expelled, it would
+only cost Class A one hundred class points.
+"Ah, such beautiful friendship. Or perhaps I should call it love?
+Anyway, congratulations to you, Horikita-senpai. Once again, please allow
+me to pay you my compliments. I've lost."
+A loser would never speak in the tone of voice Nagumo did now. I
+doubted there was a single person here who believed what he said.
+"Tt was a truly fantastic strategy. No, perhaps I should say that it was a
+strategy that went well beyond what is expected. There is not a single person
+here who can read my intentions, and that includes you, Horikita-senpai,"
+said Nagumo. He laughed loudly, not ceasing his attacks on his injured
+opponent. "Please, enlighten me, Tachibana-senpai. How does it feel to have
+served on the student council, to have been on verge of graduating from Class
+A, only to then be expelled? And Horikita-senpai, how do you feel right
+now? I'm sure you must be positively filled with feelings of frustration, the
+likes of which you've never felt before. Hmm?"
+After hearing what Nagumo said, Horikita sighed quietly.
+"Why didn't you go after me?" he asked.
+"Because I can't imagine you ever being expelled, even if I tried such a
+method on you, senpai. I was terrified you'd counter me with some method I
+couldn't anticipate. But more importantly, I've never actually wanted you to
+be expelled, Horikita-senpai. If anything, if you got expelled, then we
+wouldn't be able to see each other, would we? That's why, of all the many
+possible targets, I went after Tachibana-senpai. I wanted to see your face
+when I made her disappear," said Nagumo. He laughed as he said it, as
+though implying he'd done it purely for curiosity's sake, or on a whim.
+"T understand that we have very different principles, but I trusted you.
+Regarding the matter of competition, I had thought you were a man capable
+of facing me directly, head-to-head. It would appear that I was wrong," said
+Horikita.
+Nagumo apparently took no offense to this.
+"Trust is an awful lot like experience points in a game," he said. "The
+more you accumulate, the more you increase your worth. I think that the
+ultimate form of this is family. If you ran into a stranger when you were out
+and about at night, you'd be cautious. But if that person happened to be
+family, then you'd drop your guard. It's like that, Horikita-senpai. Though I
+feel you don't like me very much, I've managed to gain a certain degree of
+your trust over these past two years. Even though our values were different,
+I've always done everything that I said I would do. I followed your
+instructions and stuck to the rules. That being said, you are a rather canny
+upperclassman. I'm sure you didn't trust me completely, did you?"
+It was safe to assume that Nagumo knew the orders that Horikita's
+brother had issued his class to protect them and collect information.
+"However...even if you had your suspicions about me, it wasn't as
+though you could betray me first, senpai," added Nagumo.
+That was the downside of a nonaggressive defense policy.
+"You've lost something rather significant because of your curiosity,
+Nagumo."
+"Oh, you mean your trust? I chose to discard that myself. For the sake
+of trying to gain an understanding of my senpai, who cares so deeply for his
+juniors."
+Nagumo had proven that he cared nothing for promises. He wanted to
+fight without limiting factors such as trust and respect. That was the kind of
+challenge he was offering.
+"I've come to understand how you do things quite well," said Horikita
+Manabu.
+"I'm glad to hear that. This was, after all, nothing more than a warm-
+up," replied Nagumo. "I'm fine with getting people expelled, if I have to.
+That's the way this school operates."
+While everyone else panicked, Horikita continued to speak calmly.
+"You seem to be operating under the impression that Tachibana will be
+expelled."
+"W-wait, Horikita-kun!" Tachibana shouted.
+But there was a fierce determination in Horikita's eyes.
+"Oh, ho? I thought we were going to end with a draw, both of us losing
+something. But you're really gonna spend all that? I mean, that would mean a
+lot of money and class points."
+Revocation of expulsion. The ultimate tool that anyone could use, as
+long as they met the requirements.
+"Please, don't do this. This is all my fault..."
+Tachibana desperately tried to stop Horikita. However, it seemed
+Fujimaki shared Horikita's opinion, as he addressed Class A.
+"We understand. We've made it this far as Class A because we
+understand it better than anyone else. Isn't that right?"
+"That's exactly right, Horikita. No need to hold back. Use it."
+Some of their classmates spoke up to voice their support.
+"Are you really okay with this, Horikita-senpai? For a third-year class
+to save a student from expulsion right now would mean essentially giving up
+your position as Class A, you know?"
+"Even if we give up our position, all we need to do is take it back
+again. As you said, that's how this school operates."
+"Ts that so? Well, I guess that's fine."
+Miyabi was probably going to amicably discuss the strategy he had in
+mind from this point onward. I already knew what that strategy was. There
+was no need for me to stay and hang on to every word.
+Besides, there was nothing I could do, even if I stayed.
+Horikita Suzune had anxiously watched the entire situation unfold,
+from beginning to end. She was looking so intently at her older brother that
+she didn't even notice me as I walked away, which was fine by me.
+I left the gymnasium. When I did, I saw Kei standing near the entrance,
+looking like she was waiting for me. As I stepped out into the corridor, she
+followed a little way behind me.
+"Everything happened the way you said it would, Kiyotaka. You
+seriously knew what was going to happen. You knew Tachibana-senpai
+would be targeted. I would have thought anyone other than Horikita-senpai
+would've been fair game for Nagumo to target..."
+"It was the rules of the special exam," I said. "As soon as I heard the
+student council was involved in its planning, I thought this might happen. It's
+certainly true that anyone could have been targeted. However, Nagumo went
+through the trouble of setting up a trap this complex. If he wanted to stick the
+knife in as deep as possible, his targets were limited. The only female student
+that Horikita had a deep connection with was Tachibana."
+That was the conclusion I'd drawn after piecing together information
+from Kei, Ichinose, and Asahina. Also, there was a clear sense of collusion
+going on between Nagumo and Ishikura. It was clear those two were
+connected. Nagumo hadn't just gathered all the second-year students under
+his wing. He'd also brought all the third-year students who weren't in Class
+A over to his side.
+"I'm sure everyone in the large group colluded to get a low score. The
+members of Tachibana's small group must've been holding back quite a bit,
+too. That way, it was simple for them to fall below the threshold."
+But Kei didn't seem quite convinced.
+"But why did he use Class B? It would've been fine if he put a Class D
+student in charge as representative. I mean, since he used Class B, that means
+Horikita-senpai is still in Class A, right? If Nagumo wanted to knock him
+down to Class B, shouldn't he have gone with a Class D student?"
+Kei had a good eye. She was certainly right about that. If that was
+Nagumo's goal, it would've been an excellent strategy for him to make a
+Class D student the representative, thereby lessening the gap between Class
+A and Class B that way. Or so you'd assume, normally.
+"It's precisely because it was Class B that this was possible. If
+Tachibana acquitted her tasks during this special exam without issue, it
+wouldn't be easy to get her expelled via the solidarity rule. Unless the three
+classes all came together, the strategy wouldn't be viable. Let's consider
+third-year Class D. They're the least likely to make it to Class A before
+graduation, given their current situation. If a student from Class D was the
+representative, they might decide to name a student from B or C to take down
+with them in order to move their class up, even if it's just by one level. But it
+would be pointless to drag down a student from a lower class at this
+juncture."
+On the other hand, if you looked at it from the perspective of Class D
+or Class C students who weren't the representative, they'd probably be happy
+to help bring down students from Class A and Class B. That was why Ikari's
+group had banded together to thoroughly demonize Tachibana, making her
+out to be the bad guy. If anything, they probably blatantly and maliciously
+harassed her. Tachibana probably hadn't been able to sleep at night.
+And as a result, they didn't get good grades in the end. Even if their
+average grade was mediocre, if it appeared Tachibana had held the group
+back for the entire week, that would be enough to paint her as a target.
+If someone filed a complaint, there would've been a discussion. But if
+the entire small group conspired to claim that Tachibana had been an obstacle
+for them in places and in ways that weren't publicly visible, the school would
+have to recognize that. Of course, it would set a bad precedent, but there
+would probably be some amendments made to the rules for the next special
+exam in a few years.
+And so Nagumo's elaborate strategy had come together, and he'd
+successfully laid the way for Tachibana to be expelled.
+"But wait, how could he even pull off a strategy like this? If I were a
+student in Class B, I sure as hell wouldn't be okay with getting expelled for
+the sake of my class. What's the payoff?"
+"T'm not sure what kind of payoff there was, but Ikari won't be
+expelled."
+"Huh? But she was the representative, wasn't she?"
+"They probably predicted Horikita's brother would use that lifeline
+option. By paying twenty million points and three hundred Class Points, he
+can revoke a student's expulsion. Because Horikita used that option, Nagumo
+was Okay with Class B using it too."
+"Well, now I can't tell what he gained from all this. If anything, isn't it
+a loss?"
+"Spending those class points will sting, but if Class A had to use the
+same lifeline, the gap between the classes won't widen at all. As far as private
+points go, this won't hurt them at all."
+"So third-year Class B is that rich?"
+"No. The ironclad condition of Nagumo's strategy was that he would
+pay all the private points himself. If he didn't, there's no way they'd
+cooperate."
+Most likely, Nagumo had contacted Ishikura on the bus and paid him
+the twenty million points in advance. The proof of that could be seen in
+Ikari's and Ishikura's calm behavior.
+"The second-year class is a monolith. If he collected money from the
+entirety of the second-years, he wouldn't even need fifteen thousand per
+person. Saving one student from expulsion could be bought on the cheap."
+"What a seriously insane way of fighting. That is definitely not
+normal."
+"That's how Nagumo Miyabi does things. That's all there is to it."
+He didn't come up with a strategy after seeing what the exam was like.
+He came up with a strategy and then created the exam. Class A, led by
+Horikita's brother, would get stuck with paying twenty million private points
+in total, as a single class. Quite a bit of damage. They might have to face one
+or two more special exams before they graduated, and they'd just lost a
+staggering amount of money.
+If Horikita's brother were expelled in the next exam, he wouldn't have
+enough money to save himself. That lifeline would be dead in the water.
+"T think it's time we head our separate ways."
+"Wait, one more thing." Kei was persistent. "I can't think of any way
+to counter the way Nagumo-senpai's thinks. The method he used to set
+Tachibana-senpai up for expulsion... It's, like, the perfect trap or something.
+Is that why you didn't make a move, Kiyotaka?"
+"It's quite a formidable strategy. Nagumo had a checkmate set up by
+the time his enemy got in the game."
+This was a good precedent to set. Private points could be powerful.
+"Say, what if I wind up in the same situation that Tachibana-senpai
+was in...? In a situation where you can't even use a lifeline? I mean, there'd
+be nothing you could do at a time like that, right?" asked Kei in a soft voice.
+"You don't even need me to answer, do you? I won't let you get
+expelled. No matter what methods I have to use."
+In the end, Horikita Manabu chose to part with Class A's class and
+private points, thus saving Tachibana Akane. As I'd predicted, Ishikura from
+Class B did the same to save Ikari. An extremely unusual happenstance: two
+classes utilizing the lifeline option at the same time.
+From this point on, students across all grade levels at the Advanced
+Nurturing High School were going to be expelled, one after another.
+Postscript
+Hy. IT'S THE GUY who says "Next time for sure!" deep within his
+heart when announcing the next volume, only for it to end up being late
+again: Kinugasa.
+Considering nothing ever goes as planned, even I've started to get
+annoyed with myself. "I'll release it any day! Any day now!" I always make
+those announcements, and there's always a delay. Truly terrible, isn't it?
+And so I will state clearly and unequivocally: I will stop making
+declarations about release dates in the postscript.
+It's been about seven or eight weeks since I've hurt my fingers, I
+think? Even though that much time has passed, I'm still a ways off from a
+full recovery. I'm still receiving treatment and trying to take care of myself,
+wondering if I can maintain the four-month schedule I've been on until now.
+Anyhow, before I even noticed, it was already May. Time really does
+fly, doesn't it? Time has passed in the blink of an eye, considering it's been a
+full three years since I first released Classroom of the Elite. Back when I was
+working on volume 1, part of me didn't believe I'd be able to go on selling
+my works and writing for this long. I'm extremely delighted. But I've also
+become keenly aware that it's not just my fingers that are aching. My entire
+body 1s falling apart. I'm really going to take better care of myself.
+In volume 8 of Classroom, we started seeing more of the
+upperclassmen. A wide variety of characters showed up: the good-for-
+nothings, the shady, and the dependable. I hope you enjoyed reading this
+volume. And the next volume, volume 9, well, it, nnngh, will c-come out in
+S-S-Sept...aagghh. No, I've already decided to stop making announcements!
+Stop!
+All right, that's enough of my idiocy. You know, personally, there's
+one thing I've really wanted for a long time now. I guess you could call it a
+secret desire. I really want a massage chair. Like, really, really want it. But
+it's expensive. On top of that, it would take up a lot of space that I don't
+have.
+Seriously, I've been agonizing over this for years. In the end, I can't
+decide. Will I ever buy one? Or will that day never come? Well, no matter
+how much time passes, I'Il continue to write about wanting it and never buy
+it. If anyone out there knows about some wonderful massage chairs, please
+tell me about it.
+***
+Seven Seas
+Thank you for reading!
+Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new
+licenses delivered to your inbox every week:
+Sign up for our newsletter!
+Or visit us online:
+gomanga.com/newsletter
+Chapter 1:
+Ichinose Honami's Soliloquy
+| oe NEVER REALLY THOUGHT of myself as a good person, never
+thought of myself as a bad person. I suppose I've managed to become an
+honest person, just like my mother would've wanted.
+Things were fine in elementary school and in junior high. I had lots of
+friends, guys and girls—everybody. I had a little trouble handling sports,
+sure, but I pushed myself just like I did with my studies. By my third year of
+junior high, I'd managed to become student council president, something I'd
+always aspired to. I'd even managed to get into a private high school as a
+scholarship student.
+A nice school life.
+A nice home life.
+But I...I made a mistake.
+Something that never should've happened. An unforgivable "mistake"
+that I never should' ve made.
+The angry look on my ailing mother's face as she lay sick in bed. Her
+tears. The look of heartbreak on my little sister's face, hurt and distant as she
+was, retreating into herself, shutting herself away... I can't ever forget it. It
+comes to me even now.
+My trembling fingers.
+My trembling body.
+The creeping blackness spreading across my heart.
+I tossed my third-year of junior high in the trash. For about half a year,
+I shut myself away.
+But...one day, that all came to an end.
+When I learned about this school, I knew I needed to put an end to it.
+I'd ...bring smiles back to the faces of my mother and little sister again. I
+wouldn't run away from my own "sin." No, I'd face it head-on.
+Or so I swore.
+But...
+I enrolled in this school with a dream, but an ordeal awaited me. When
+I found the letter, I completely froze, and all around me, my classmates
+turned to watch curiously.
+I read the letter over and over. But no matter how many times I read it,
+the words refused to change.
+"Ichinose Honami is a criminal."'
+oldenagato | mp4di
+1.1
+Lone, LONG BEFORE THAT INCIDENT, she'd been in the student council
+office on a day when school was off, feeling incredibly nervous.
+"Ichinose Honami from first-year, Class B, right?"
+"Yes," she managed to squeeze out. Ichinose Honami faced Student
+Council Vice President Nagumo, her nerves clear on her face.
+This was a special one-on-one interview.
+"What did the Student Council President say to you?" he asked.
+"He said that now still wasn't the time..."
+Ichinose had wished to join the student council right from the start.
+She'd come knocking at their door right after enrolling, but Student Council
+President Horikita had rejected her request after interviewing her, leaving her
+dejected. However, Vice President Nagumo reached out to her as soon as he
+heard what happened.
+Why? Three reasons: First, she belonged to Class B, just like him.
+Second, her grades were excellent. Finally, she was quite attractive, which
+Nagumo always appreciated from the fairer sex.
+And Ichinose easily met that last and most important requirement. The
+first two reasons were, after all, just icing on the cake. She had aesthetic
+value to him, which made her a valuable piece of property to be kept by
+his side.
+"T heard that you were on the student council when you were in junior
+high," said Nagumo. "The president, in fact. Is that right?"
+"Yes. That's why I wanted to join the one here." Ichinose told the
+truth. But also a lie.
+"Yes, your homeroom teacher, Hoshinomtya-sensei, told me. It sounds
+like you had excellent scores on your entrance exam, too," said Nagumo.
+"Thank you very much," she said humbly, though she didn't meet
+Nagumo's eyes.
+"You are, honestly, quite exceptional."
+"Yes, but...Student Council President Horikita didn't acknowledge any
+of it," said Ichinose with a bitter smile. Shame nipped at her, shame that she
+hadn't managed to secure the position she knew she deserved. Even so, that
+faint hint of a smile remained. She wouldn't be able to make a good
+impression if she came in here looking all down in the dumps.
+"Yes, President Horikita's quite strict. Frankly, he probably passed on
+you because you weren't placed in Class A. He's a real stickler for position,
+you see."
+"T see," said Ichinose.
+Of course, Nagumo was lying.
+At first glance, Horikita Manabu looked like the sort who would fixate
+and fuss about position. In truth, he was the very opposite. He looked deep
+within a person and saw the core of who they were. He knew the exceptional
+when he witnessed it, whether they were in Class D or Class A. But to
+Ichinose, still stung by his rejection, what Nagumo said felt like the truth.
+Ichinose sighed. "I guess I have no choice but to get to Class A if I
+want to join the student council."
+"T don't know about that. Even if you do make it to Class A, President
+Horikita may never acknowledge you. The fact is, Ichinose, that you were
+never considered a thoroughbred from the moment you entered this school.
+No matter how hard you work from here on, President Horikita will never
+accept a student who was placed in Class B," said Nagumo.
+With one cruel statement, the faint smile on Ichinose's face vanished.
+"B-but, you're in Class B, Nagumo-senpai. And you're vice president,
+99
+so—
+Nagumo immediately dashed whatever faint hopes she had left.
+"Tn my case, there were two reasons. You see, I joined the student
+council before Horikita-senpai became president. Back then, it was a different
+third-year student who served as president. Horikita-senpai was the Vice
+President, and the sole person on the student council to object to my
+appointment. He fought until the bitter end."
+Ichinose's expression grew sadder. Seeing that filled Nagumo's heart
+with joy. He decided that he definitely needed her on the student council, to
+toy with as his personal plaything.
+"The other thing," he continued, "is that I know myself. I know my
+high potential. Rightfully, I should have been placed in Class A. When I
+expressed my desire to join the student council, I confessed the full truth
+behind why they'd assigned me to Class B. I told them everything right
+away."
+""Confessed...?"
+"Indeed. I had proven that in terms of ability, I wasn't willing to play
+second fiddle to Class A. That's what led to my current position."
+"Nagumo-senpai," said Ichinose, "what...were those things you
+confessed?"
+Nagumo bit back a smile. "Now, now, Ichinose. Aren't you the one
+being questioned?"
+"M-Me?"
+"I'm not quite convinced of something. See...normally, it would've
+been perfectly reasonable for you to be placed in Class A. Your grades are
+excellent, and your communication skills are nothing to scoff at. And if you
+take into account your track record as student council president... well, why
+would you wind up in Class B? There must be some reason."
+Ichinose couldn't hide her embarrassment at his deduction, but this was
+an inevitable outcome. Nagumo had made his conclusions based on
+information he'd obtained from Ichinose's homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-
+sensei, ahead of time.
+"Tell me," he continued, "here and now, what you think the reason 1s.
+If you can convince me that you are a student worthy of Class A, then I shall
+take responsibility for bringing you onto the student council."
+"Ts that... possible?"
+"President Horikita's authority is absolute, certainly. But what will
+happen after Horikita-senpai graduates? If first-years don't join the student
+council, it will be impossible for us to train future members. Imagine the
+trouble that would cause for the next student council president—namely, me.
+Do you understand?"
+"T...suppose I do, yes..."
+"Someone who can't seize this chance isn't qualified to join the student
+council."
+Ichinose's secret gnawed at her from deep inside. Memories of
+spending half of her third year of junior high cooped up in her room came
+rushing back.
+"What I say here—"
+"Will be confidential. Your secrets are ours to keep, and ours alone."
+The past that she'd thought she could live with. The past that she'd
+thought she could conceal forever. But how could she move forward without
+trusting others? She'd lost that trust...so maybe confiding in people would
+help her to trust again. Would help others to trust her.
+Seed...
+And so, Ichinose told him everything.
+She told him about her "mistake."
+Chapter 2:
+The Student Council President's Inclination
+Earty IN FEBRUARY, after our time at the school camp was over, we
+returned to the Advanced Nurturing High School. First-year Class A student
+Sakayanagi Arisu was in the student council office. She placed her favorite
+hat upon the desk and sat face-to-face with Student Council President
+Nagumo Mityabi, from second-year Class A.
+"The student council office looks a little gaudy now, doesn't it?
+Nothing like how it used to be," said Sakayanag.
+Putting it nicely, she was being sincere. The student council office
+could previously have been described, at best, as being stuffy and formal.
+Now even the wallpaper had been changed, and a large number of small
+items that looked like Nagumo's personal effects had been brought in. Rather
+than a student council office, it looked like Nagumo's own room.
+Which was precisely what Nagumo wanted: to show his authority. Or
+so Sakayanagi mused.
+"Don't tell me that Horikita-senpai encouraged you to join the student
+council," said Nagumo. Sakayanagi surely didn't have any other business
+with the council. Why was she here?
+"Unfortunately, it seems that I didn't meet his standards," she said. "I
+wasn't invited to join."
+"His mistake."
+"Does that mean you' re different, Mr. New Student Council
+President?"
+A faint smile crept onto Nagumo's lips. "I am. I would gladly welcome
+you aboard. Of course, you'd be my personal property, at best." He lightly
+patted the head of a stuffed rabbit that sat nearby.
+Was Nagumo fond of stuffed animals? Maybe a girl who hung around
+him was?
+Personal property, he said. In other words, he didn't care about her
+talents, but was assessing her on looks alone. Sakayanagi could've pretended
+not to notice, but...why not press him a little? "What would I have to do for
+your seal of approval, President Nagumo?"
+"Demonstrate an appropriate level of skill for me. You know, it's not
+too late for you to join us. You could come over to my side, Sakayanagi."
+"T could," replied Sakayanagi, smiling broadly. "But I won't. I don't
+think one organization could support two leaders. More importantly, I
+couldn't bear the thought of crushing the dignity of the upperclassmen."
+"Two leaders, huh?" he repeated. So this first-year thought herself to
+be Nagumo's equal? Or perhaps even greater?
+But Nagumo didn't take the bait, didn't get angry. Far from it: he
+smiled.
+"What interesting first-year students we have this year," he said.
+"Ryuuen and you are quite unique."
+Almost nobody at this school would consider making an enemy out of
+the student council. More than a few students tried to buddy up with them to
+climb the ranks to Class A. Others would just try to stay out of the council's
+way. But Sakayanagi and Ryuuen didn't hesitate to bare their fangs at
+anyone...and they didn't show a shred of mercy.
+"T can't really say that's a wise way of living," Nagumo added.
+There probably are students who would have some respect for those
+who made enemies on all sides, but Nagumo wasn't like that. He esteemed
+those who were sometimes willing to discard their pride and use their power
+in order to get ahead in the world.
+Nagumo's words hung in the air for a moment before his phone, sitting
+on a nearby desk, vibrated once. Twice. Thrice—
+"Ts this a bad time?" asked Sakayanag1.
+"No. I choose how I spend my time, and I'm devoting it to you right
+now. Don't worry about it."
+"My, it must be difficult being so very popular. All these incessant
+messages, hm?"
+"If you want to respect my time, why don't we get down to business?
+You don't want to be appointed to the student council? Fine. So what
+business do you have with me that requires clearing out the entire room? I
+have a prior engagement with another first-year after this, so I'd appreciate it
+if you cut to the point."
+"T see. Then I suppose I'll keep this brief, hm?"
+Sakayanagi's expression didn't change, even though Nagumo had
+intentionally mentioned meeting with a "first-year." But despite her
+appearance, Nagumo was sure he'd piqued her interest.
+"I've come here today to ask you for one favor," said Sakayanagi. "It's
+regarding a member of the student council, Ichinose Honami, from first-year
+Class B. I will be mounting an attack against her. It's quite possible that
+things might get...rough."
+"T'm aware. And?'
+Nagumo urged her to continue speaking. Everything Sakayanagi had
+said so far, she'd already told him in a previous meeting between the two of
+them. Of course, virtually no one knew that meeting had even taken place.
+"She is the sole first-year serving on the student council," Sakayanagi
+said. "Which makes her a likely candidate for the future student council
+president."
+Nagumo nodded. "As long as no other first-year students come forward
+to join the student council or no exceptionally talented new faces appear, yes.
+She's pretty much a shoo-in."
+"Yes, I suppose that's true."
+In other words, losing Ichinose would be bad for the student council...
+and for Nagumo.
+"As my way of thanking you for the other day, I thought I'd inform
+you of something in advance. In a worst-case scenario, it is quite possible that
+Ichinose Honami-san will be expelled. I must ask you to please pardon that,"
+declared Sakayanagi, showing no hint of fearing Nagumo.
+"T don't recall ever giving you permission to go that far, Sakayanagi."
+For the first time since their conversation started, the smile had
+vanished from Nagumo's face.
+"Yes, you told me to stop bullying Ichinose-san, President. However, I
+was thinking I might play a little rough."
+"Ichinose is my personal property, and I plan on, ah, cherishing her. I
+gave you permission to weaken her, no more."
+"T'm well aware. But you should be aware that things don't always go
+as planned."
+Nagumo stared at Sakayanagi sharply. Some might even call it a glare.
+But Sakayanagi coolly shook off his gaze.
+"So...you won't mind, would you? Even if she does happen to be
+expelled?"
+Nagumo shifted slowly in his chair, moving his elbows from the
+armrests. "Quite a bold girl. You're not afraid of me, are you?"
+"That's just the way I am."
+"Tell me one thing. You could have just gone ahead and done this
+without getting my permission. And yet you came all the way here, dutiful as
+you are, to ask me? You don't want to make an enemy out of me. Is that
+right?" asked Nagumo, not remotely buying Sakayanagi's claim that she was
+doing this to thank him.
+"Interpret it however you wish; I do not mind."
+"Don't lie to me. I want to hear your honest opinion."
+Nagumo didn't need her flattery. He wanted to know her true
+intentions.
+"The student council at this school possesses more power than I'd
+thought. If the student council..." She paused. "No, if Student Council
+President Nagumo took direct action to protect Ichinose-san, that would be
+troublesome. Even for me."
+Ah. So Sakayanagi didn't want him to protect Ichinose. Nagumo
+flashed his bright white teeth in a grin, seemingly satisfied. Even though
+she'd expressed it in an indirect way, she was saying that she didn't want to
+make Nagumo her enemy.
+"Seems like the information I gave you has been useful," he said.
+"Yes. Thanks to you, I was able to strike Ichinose-san where she was
+weakest. I'Il be making even more effective use of that information moving
+forward."
+"All right, then," said Nagumo. "The student council will... tolerate
+everything that you're going to do from here on out."
+"When you say that the student council will tolerate my actions, is it
+safe to assume that includes you?" Sakayanagi hadn't missed the fact that
+Nagumo had deliberately omitted some words when he made his promise.
+"*'..Heh. Well, there'd be no way for me to back out if I specifically
+said that I, too, was part of that, as someone on the council. What are you
+planning to do?"
+"You'll just have to look forward to finding out. That's all Pll say."
+No, revealing her strategy to Nagumo would do her no good—
+Sakayanagi was sure of it. The man who sat before her was a weasel. Even
+now, he was ready to throw one of the student council's major players under
+the bus.
+"By the way," she continued, "I don't have too many opportunities to
+speak with you one-on-one, so there's something else I'd like to ask you"
+"What's that?" asked Nagumo.
+"I'm not saying it's likely, but...let's say the situation worsens. Let's
+say drastic measures become necessary. Why, a student might try to resolve
+things with brute force, President. What do you think of that?"
+Sakayanagi knew how to deal with resourceful types like Katsuragi,
+Ichinose, or Horikita. An act of violence, on the other hand...that would be a
+problem. Sakayanagi would be helpless against such a thing. She wouldn't
+stand a chance.
+"You're not well-equipped to deal with the kind of person who'd make
+a last-ditch attempt to overpower their opponent through force, huh?" asked
+Nagumo.
+"Tt's not my forte." She did suffer from a physical handicap—that
+couldn't be helped.
+"Unfortunately, I don't particularly dislike the use of force, myself.
+And fighting is entirely unavoidable for us students, don't you think? I have
+no intention of cracking down on it like Horikita-senpai did. Really, now,
+why can't we just laugh off a little skirmish now and then?"
+Surely this would put Sakayanagi, who couldn't fight, at a bit of a
+disadvantage...but no, her concerns were about something else entirely.
+"Hm. In that case, President Nagumo, I'd like to ask you about an issue
+from some time ago. The fight that broke out between first-year Class D and
+Class C. If you'd been in power at the time, would have you handed down a
+different judgment than the previous student council president?"
+The business with Sudou, Ishizaki and his guys. Which side threw
+punches? And which got beat up? The case had been fought over whether
+there were security cameras there to pick up what happened. Nagumo hadn't
+been directly involved in that incident, but he had to know about it, given
+how closely he always shadowed Horikita Manabu.
+"Let's see...well, I wouldn't let the people involved off the hook after
+they dragged our entire school into their mess, but I don't think I'd go so far
+as to call for expulsion. I wouldn't push for class points or private points to
+be docked either. My choice of punishment would be suspension.," said
+Nagumo. "That is, ah, just my opinion as a representative of the student
+council."
+No matter how tolerant the student council chose to be, the school had
+the final say in the matter. Sakayanagi probably was fully aware of that fact,
+too. They might wield significantly more power than your average student
+council, but they were still students, at the end of the day. They couldn't
+forget that part.
+"T see. How magnanimous of you," said Sakayanagi.
+And that magnanimity would just so happen to make intimidation and
+violence a school-wide reality in the future. Sakayanagi would have to take
+that into account.
+"If you're feeling uneasy about that, I can always get some second-
+years to accompany you."
+In other words, the second-years in question would overwhelm the
+first-years by force. The student council president's proposal essentially
+endorsed such a course of action.
+"My thanks, but that won't be necessary. I prefer to fight my battles
+with only the pieces I hold in my hands."
+What Sakayanagi wanted to know was how far she could go before it
+wasn't safe anymore. Just knowing that she could counterattack after being
+targeted was enough for her to go on.
+"Satisfied?" asked Nagumo.
+"Quite." Sakayanagi slowly stood, grasping her cane. "Ah, that
+reminds me—"
+"You still have something you want to talk about?" asked Nagumo,
+adding that he couldn't give her much more time. Ignoring him, Sakayanagi
+kept going.
+"This is merely me rambling now, but I happened to hear something
+quite interesting. Something about a student who was thinking of purchasing
+private points from third-years who are about to graduate, I believe.
+Purchasing the points that the school was going to collect and convert into
+currency after graduation. A powerful strategy, don't you think? A winning
+strategy."
+The idea had come up during a conversation between Kouenji and
+Nagumo a few days ago, at the school camp. Although only boys had been
+around to hear it, Sakayanagi certainly could've heard it from one of the
+guys. In fact, it was almost inevitable they would want to share that
+information with her.
+"Well, I made sure that strategy can't be used anymore...not that it's
+some novel concept that only Kouenji came up with or anything. More than a
+few students have thought about buying off surplus points from third-year
+students nearing graduation." Nagumo sneered. "It's been done many times
+before, yes. Which is exactly why the school announces the limited-time rule
+for 'purchasing their remaining private points upon graduation' from students
+in their third year. It's customary."
+"Is that so? According to what I and others are told of the rules, private
+points are forfeited upon graduation. They become worthless. If that's the
+case, no wonder some third-year students consider entrusting their private
+points to an underclassman they're close to."
+Many drops made an ocean. Even just inheriting private points from a
+few individuals would allow certain students to collect quite a hefty sum. It
+was no wonder that Nagumo had caught on to what Kouenji was doing, even
+at such an early stage.
+"Normally," she continued, "this information is only disclosed to third-
+year students. Ignoring the matter of how you, President, came to know about
+it in your second year... I know why you discussed it so brazenly in front of
+all those first-years. You intend to have this limited-time rule changed, no?"
+"T only did that because Kouenji seemed capable of paying more than
+the school itself offers. He was trying to monopolize points. That's foul
+play."
+Openly announcing it in front of a group of boys from all grade levels
+made the school aware of the problem. A loophole in the rules. It was highly
+likely that additional rules would be put in place to discourage students from
+transferring private points.
+Normally, no matter how wealthy a family someone came from, there
+was no guarantee they could cough up that much cash for points at
+graduation. Kouenji, however, was a rare exception.
+It was clearly stated on the official website of the Kouenji
+conglomerate that Kouenji Rokusuke had accumulated an obscene amount of
+personal assets by his first year in high school. Even if he could go back on
+his deals, many would think it well worth the gamble with that much money
+on the line.
+"However," said Sakayanagi, "the wealth he was born into could be
+considered one of the abilities at his disposal. Is he not allowed to put it to
+use?"
+"By that logic, wouldn't anticipating his actions and forestalling them
+also be an exercise of abilities?"
+Sakayanagi chuckled, lightly tapping her cane with every laugh. "I
+suppose so."
+"From the beginning, I've never liked the school's rule about being
+able to move up to Class A with twenty million points. I'd like to have them
+revise it, if possible. But then again...even if the system were to disappear in
+the future, I suppose it wouldn't apply to you first-years."
+The school had clearly already informed Sakayanagi and the other
+first-year students of the rule's existence. They couldn't just withdraw the
+rule now that students were putting so much strategic thought into
+accumulating 20 million points.
+"But there's never been a student who managed to accumulate 20
+million points all by themselves, has there? If the rule is nothing more than a
+formality, then there's no need to worry about it, is there?" asked Sakayanagi.
+"Tt just means that you can't save up the points by yourself."
+"Yes, but saving up as a class also seems rather meaningless. Some
+students feared another class might send their spies to infiltrate their own, but
+that's not realistic. Even if a student from a lower class were somehow sent
+up to infiltrate Class A, they would naturally just betray their original, lower
+class after joining the superior one."
+"True, there's no real benefit in deliberately trying to drag down a
+strong class. But who knows? There could be students out there with a strong
+sense of justice who'd stay loyal to their allies."
+"But even so," said Sakayanagi, "it's not like the upper-ranked classes
+would simply hand information over to a new student who suddenly joined
+them. And the way this school is set up, any trouble you cause tends to come
+back to haunt you. If you intentionally sabotage your own class, you' ll be
+expelled yourself. Am I right?"
+Sakayanagi knew her stuff. Nagumo granted her a satisfied nod.
+"Tl give you one friendly bit of advice. I don't exactly dislike your
+aggressive attitude, but if you start making enemies on all sides now, you're
+going to have a tough time later. Don't you think it'd be wiser for you to earn
+the trust of the people around you? It's not too late."
+"And then use that trust as a weapon to achieve victory?"
+"It's a far more efficient strategy." After all, nothing cut so deep as a
+knife in the back from a trusted friend. That was a fatal blow right there.
+"Hmm. If you're telling me to build trust, then perhaps you' ve been too
+quick to toss aside the trust that you've so carefully built up yourself. As you
+just said, wouldn't it be far more effective to save that to use at the last
+minute?" asked Sakayanagi.
+That declaration of war against the former student council president,
+made at the school camp ...that had been a betrayal of trust.
+"T threw away that trust?" asked Nagumo, looking as though he was
+holding back laughter. "I certainly lost the trust of Horikita-senpai and the
+students of third-year Class A. But nothing has changed with the second- or
+third-years from the other classes. The first-years will come to understand
+that soon too."
+All of this was bluffing and hubris from Nagumo, Sakayanagi thought
+for a moment, but...perhaps not. Even breaking the rules that were
+established under Horikita Manabu had been part of his plan from the
+beginning. The second-years might've come to a consensus on the matter
+beforehand.
+"And I would like to set the record straight, Sakayanagi. I recognize
+your ability. If you wish to join the student council at any time, I will allow
+it."
+"Thank you very much. I'm glad I came here today. I think I
+understand you now, President Nagumo. At the very least, I'm relieved to see
+that we seem to be more compatible than I was with the former student
+council president." She bowed her head politely and stepped out of the
+student council office.
+Nagumo followed. "You forgot your hat."
+"Oh, my. Thank you very much." Sakayanagi bowed her head once
+again. "Now, if you'll please excuse me—"
+"Sakayanagi, what do you know about Ayanokouji?" asked Nagumo
+suddenly.
+"Ayanokouji...? I believe I've heard that name before. A first-year
+student, correct?"
+"Yeah, I—it's nothing. Never mind," said Nagumo. If Sakayanagi
+didn't know, there was no point in talking.
+Sakayanagi took a bold step forward. "I can do some investigating, if
+necessary. Hm?"
+"Nah, I said too much. Forget it."
+"I see."
+On her way off from the student council office, Sakayanagi ran into a
+lone female student. Someone whom even a loner like Sakayanagi knew
+quite well. It was Kushida Kikyou, from first-year Class C. "Hello,
+Sakayanagi-san."
+"My, what a coincidence. Do you happen to have some business in the
+student council office?"
+"Mm. I was thinking about applying to join them. Were you thinking
+of doing the same thing, Sakayanagi-san?"
+"Something like that. Now, if you'll please excuse me..."
+"See you later."
+Sakayanagi found it strange that Kushida would want to join the
+student council now, of all times. It would normally make sense for an honor
+student like her to join the council, but the timing made her suspicious. What
+Nagumo had done during the special exam was widely known, even among
+the girls.
+The senior students knew the student council president well, and it
+wasn't surprising in the least that first-year students would have their
+suspicions about Nagumo's actions. If she knew about Ayanokouji
+Kiyotaka's true, hidden nature—if she were cooperating with him—it was
+possible she'd been sent here to investigate Nagumo.
+But then again, considering Ayanokouji's personality, he probably
+wouldn't get so carelessly involved with Nagumo. Not at this stage.
+Kushida Kikyou. She of the spotless reputation, that paragon of virtue.
+"E he he he he. It's people like that, though, who always shock
+everyone by turning out to be the villains," muttered Sakayanagi.
+At the very least, she didn't believe that Kushida was purely
+benevolent.
+Chapter 3:
+Changing Relationships
+Ay UNUSUAL SPECTACLE presented itself early one morning in Class
+C. A circle of girls seemed to have formed around Karuizawa Kei, all making
+so much noise that it bordered on total pandemonium.
+"You're awfully late today, Ayanokouji-kun," said Horikita Suzune,
+my neighbor. We had only about five minutes left until the morning bell rang
+to signal the start of class.
+"T overslept."
+"Hm," replied Horikita, disinterested.
+Compared to our totally emotionless conversation, Kei's group was
+practically on fire.
+"Tt sounds like Karuizawa-san broke up with Hirata-kun," said
+Horikita.
+"Is that why they're all riled up today? A well-known couple broke it
+off?"
+"They were polite enough to talk so loud the whole class could hear.
+So the information's been drilled into my head, whether or not I wanted it."
+She let out a heavy sigh, sounding annoyed. "You seem to be close with
+Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san. Didn't you know?"
+"Tt's not like I knew anything. It's their private business."
+It hadn't seemed like she'd broached the topic yet back at the school
+camp, but I guess she'd gone ahead and done it after all. They'd been a well-
+known couple all through the whole school, so the news had really made
+some waves. Any third party hearing about it had to have been shocked.
+Still, all this really meant was that Kei's and Hirata's connection had
+ostensibly severed. It didn't necessarily mean Kei had lost her position as the
+queen bee of the girls—though that might happen if someone else won
+Hirata's heart and became his one true love. Even then, I couldn't see Kei
+being pushed out of her position. If the other girls tried to disrespect her,
+Hirata himself would be the first person to put a stop to it. If not, there would
+have been no point in him going so far to save Kei as entering into a fake
+relationship with her.
+"So who dumped who?" I asked Horikita. I didn't know the answer to
+that myself, so there was nothing for Horikita to be suspicious about.
+"Seems like Karuizawa-san was the one who did the dumping."
+"That's unexpected. She always seemed like the sort who'd want to
+date a good guy, like as a status thing."
+"T suppose. That's what I thought, at the very least..." Horikita eyed
+me for a moment like she was suspicious of me, but looked away a moment
+later. She couldn't read my poker face, and the fact that she'd looked away
+was proof she was beginning to understand that, too.
+Still...Kei broke up with Hirata, huh? Made sense, considering she'd
+started the whole fake relationship in the first place, and it didn't really
+matter who dumped who. It was probably Hirata who'd suggested that this
+arrangement would be better for Kei. If he'd been the one to dump Kei, it
+might've posed a danger to her status, suggesting there was something wrong
+with her.
+Regardless, just looking around me made it obvious what a huge shock
+their breakup had been for Class C. What I really found incredible, though,
+was how openly the girls were discussing romantic affairs.
+"Huh, what? You broke up with him, and you don't even have a new
+boyfriend lined up, Karuizawa-san?!" asked Shinohara, her words carrying
+loud and clear across the room.
+Even though Ike, Sudou, and the other guys were chatting amongst
+themselves, they were clearly listening 1n on the girls' conversation.
+"T don't know. I just think I need to step things up and move on. It
+would be easy to just let Yousuke-kun pamper me, but I've got a lot I want to
+think about on my own, you know?"
+The catastrophic breakup of the couple obviously had an impact on
+Class C, but it might've had an impact on the other classes, too. If nothing
+else, the girls would certainly be fighting over who got Hirata next.
+"T wonder how they can even think about things like romance.
+Considering the rules of this school, you'd think there'd be no guarantee what
+tomorrow brings."
+"Maybe it's exactly because there's no guarantees that they're enjoying
+the present as much as they can."
+"T have no reason to deny that, as long as they're not robbing someone
+else of their future..."
+Hirata Yousuke, the other subject of this conversation, sat surrounded
+by guys and girls from our class, wearing his usual gentle expression. Even
+though he'd supposedly just been dumped by his girlfriend, he didn't look
+miserable at all. The clearest proof of that was that Ike and Sudou weren't
+heading on over to tease him.
+No... It might be more accurate to say they'd graduated from that sort
+of behavior. They did look interested in the conversation, but didn't seem to
+be whispering gossip. Actually, if anything, it was Horikita and I who were
+having a tasteless conversation.
+After all the special exams and the training camp, those immature guys
+were starting to change, little by little. Of course, it wasn't as though
+everyone was maturing at the same rate.
+"Yo, Hirata! I heard you got dumped by Karuizawa? Don't stress over
+it, dude! It's all good!"
+I'd thought they were all capable of reading the room, but apparently,
+Yamauchi was the exception. He approached Hirata, all smiles, smacking
+him on the shoulder. The sight clearly made Ike and Sudou a bit
+uncomfortable, because they approached, flanking Yamauchi and grabbing
+him from the sides.
+"Hey, what's the big deal? Come on, dudes, let's all console Hirata
+together!" said Yamauchi. "Even pretty boys can get dumped!"
+"That's not cool, man," said Sudou. "Knock it off."
+"Huh? But we're talking about the big heartthrob getting dumped.
+Extra spicy, extra rare!" Yamauchi just argued back, ignoring Sudou's
+attempt to chastise him.
+"Sorry, Hirata. Ill get him outta here," said Sudou.
+"It's okay," said Hirata. "It's the truth, isn't it?"
+He would have been well within his rights to look displeased, but he
+didn't seem to mind at all.
+From her seat beside me, Horikita spoke up suddenly. "That reminds
+me...what do you know about Ichinose-san? I've been hearing some things
+about her that sound like slander lately."
+A question about Class B, out of the blue? Hmm.
+"Maybe someone's spreading rumors because they're jealous of her?
+She's popular. Or maybe it's part of a strategy to bring down Class B. What
+do these slanderous rumors say?" I asked.
+"Tm..." Horikita glanced around. "a little hesitant to say them out
+loud."
+She passed me her notebook under the desk. Scrawled on the page was
+a whole list of things. Things like "She has a history of violent outbursts,"
+"She's engaged in paid dating," "She's committed theft and robbery," and
+"She has a history of drug usage." Even the delinquents over there hadn't
+checked off all the items on this list.
+"Those are some terrible rumors," I said.
+"She doesn't seem like that kind of person at all, though..."
+"Well, even if someone is starting rumors, I suppose they can't be
+charged with a crime."
+"That's not true. Regardless of whether or not the defamatory
+statements are true or false, if they're spread publicly, and to enough
+people... it's defamation of character. You could sue," said Horikita.
+"Sure, out in the real world." But this was high school. This was a self-
+contained space filled with students who were minors. It wasn't like these
+rumors were posted on the internet for the whole world to see.
+"You're saying that it doesn't count as a crime at all, then?"
+Well, even if it couldn't be punished through legal action, the school
+might still choose to issue some form of punishment at its own discretion.
+But it would probably be difficult to pinpoint precisely who had started the
+rumors. You could simply claim that you'd heard it from someone else, and
+that would be the end of it. The school's attempts to investigate would only
+go so far, and in the end, the problem would remain unresolved. All the
+school could really do was warn students not to thoughtlessly spread more
+rumors.
+At any rate, it was clear that someone had been working to crush
+Ichinose for a while now. It was most likely Sakayanagi pulling the strings
+here, but barely anyone seemed to realize that.
+"What has Ichinose been doing in response?" I asked.
+"No idea. It's not like we're close. And if I carelessly step forward,
+suspicion might fall on us."
+"Well, it's true that watching closely from the sidelines is the wisest
+option," I told her.
+"Still...I have to wonder if a strategy this cliched will really work
+against Ichinose-san," mused Horikita.
+"What do you mean?"
+"No matter how bad the rumors are, the damage they can do is limited.
+Even I know what kind of reputation Ichinose-san has in this school. This
+kind of harassment is too vicious to be about something as everyday as envy,
+like you suggested."
+"You're saying the culprit messed up?"
+"T suppose. But, as the saying goes, 'where there's smoke, there's
+she replied.
+999
+fire,
+"So, you're saying that Ichinose has a history of violence, or did drugs,
+or something?" I asked.
+"Even if the rumors are mostly baseless, maybe there's one in the mix
+that's true?" said Horikita, before adding, "Well, it's extremely unlikely, of
+course, but..."
+Hmm. I guess there was no way to know yet whether everything was
+lies or nothing more than rumors, just as Horikita said. And Sakayanagi had
+hinted that there might be some truth to the rumors, even if just a shred of it.
+"Well... it's not like we'll come up with answers just sitting here
+thinking about it. Enough about that. It seems the school has released updated
+class rankings based on the results of the school camp . Care to take a look?"
+asked Horikita.
+"Meh, I don't really—"
+"Yes, I'm aware you don't really care. But you really should know,
+just in case."
+"Fine, fine."
+I flipped through the pages of the notebook she'd forced me to look at.
+3.1
+Wie UPROAR SURROUNDING Hirata and Kei's breakup that morning
+was still fresh in everyone's minds when Class C was rocked by yet more
+romantic drama. Classes had come to an end for the day, and some students
+were heading off to their clubs, while others went back to their dorms. In the
+midst of all that came an extremely unexpected visitor.
+"Please excuse me," said the visitor. ""Would Yamauchi Haruki-kun
+happen to be here?"
+The students still in the classroom turned toward Yamauchi in unison,
+shock plain on their faces. As for Yamauchi, he'd probably been planning to
+head back to the dorm with Ike and play a game, because he'd just cracked
+open a strategy guide.
+"Huh. Yeah, that's me," said Yamauchi, "but...what do you want?" He
+usually got excited when he saw a cute girl, but this time? He seemed
+completely thrown.
+The visitor was Sakayanagi, leader of the first-year Class A. And here
+she was, asking for Yamauchi by name. "Would you mind giving me a
+moment of your time?"
+"O-of course! Uh, I don't mind. I'm free."
+"Hm. But you know, I'm afraid that this isn't quite the place for this
+conversation. Why don't you meet me in the hallway by the stairs?"
+Perhaps she was concerned about the looks she was getting from other
+students. Sakayanagi disappeared into the hall, her eyes cast downward.
+Silence fell upon Class C once more.
+"No, no, no, no! This can't be happening!"
+It was Ike—standing next to Yamauchi—who broke the silence. If
+Sudou were here, there probably would've been an even greater uproar, but
+he'd already left for basketball practice. Everyone in the room, including
+Yamauchi himself, struggled to wrap their heads around Sakayanagi's bold
+entrance and invitation.
+Suddenly, as if moving purely on instinct, Yamauchi snatched up his
+bag. "Sorry! Got a little something to take care of!"
+""Y-yeah, sure..."
+But just as he was about to bolt from the classroom, Horikita blocked
+the exit, as if telling him to stop and think. "Wait, Yamauchi-kun—"
+"Wh-what is it, Horikita?"
+"Maybe she's trying to bring Class C down."
+"Huh? Why do ya think that?"
+"T could say that the fact that you 're the one being invited out is
+abnormal, in and of itself." Horikita's face was serious, and her words were
+as pointed as knives. This was taking bluntness a bit too far. You couldn't
+blame someone for thinking she was insulting them.
+But, on the contrary, Yamauchi was rather positive about the whole
+thing.
+"You know that whole thing where you, like...fall in love with the
+transfer student after crashing into her at the street corner, and she falls over
+all cute, and she's holding toast corners in her mouth? Yeah. You know,
+right?"
+"Toast...corners?" repeated Horikita. She furrowed her brow,
+confused. Who wouldn't be confused, with just Yamauchi's words to go on?
+But I'd seen him crash into Sakayanagi back at the school camp, so I figured
+that was the incident he was referring to.
+"I'm going. Because Sakayanagi-chan is waiting for me."
+Nothing Horikita could say was going to stop him. Yamauchi began
+walking off.
+"What do you plan to do if this does happen to be a trap?" she asked.
+"Nah, no way." He wasn't even considering the possibility. "I'm
+definitely our class's ultimate weapon, but that's why it's all going to be fine.
+If it's a trap—and that's a one-in-a-million chance—I'Il just handle it, okay?"
+He'd "handle it," huh? Handle it how? I bet he didn't even have a plan.
+"*.,.. understand," said Horikita. "I can't stop you. But please, don't get
+careless and leak any valuable information related to our class's internal
+affairs."
+"Don't worry bout it. I know." And with that, Yamauchi left the
+classroom with a huge grin on his face. Some of the students, Ike included
+amongst them, hurriedly followed.
+"We should go too," said Haruka, glancing not just at me, but at Keisei
+and Airi, who'd been sitting with her. I couldn't think of a reason not to go,
+so I nodded and got up from my seat.
+Out in the hallway, we immediately ran into Ike and a few of the boys.
+"Ah, stop, stop! Over here!" The Professor called out to us before we
+could move on. "Those two are talking over there, right now."
+"Huh? What's up with the way he's talking?" Haruka muttered,
+noticing the Professor no longer spoke in the bizarre, archaic way that he
+used to.
+"Seems like he got straightened out at the school camp," I answered,
+offering an explanation for the Professor's newly serious manner of speaking.
+"Tt just feels like...I don't know, he's just less interesting. Ehh, who
+cares," said Haruka, almost immediately losing interest. We all focused our
+attention on Yamauchi and Sakayanagi.
+"Umm, so. Uh. What did you wanna...talk about?" asked Yamauchi
+nervously.
+As for Sakayanagi, she was running her left hand through her hair,
+looking somewhat embarrassed. If I had to analyze this situation from a
+psychological perspective, I'd say the hair thing was probably unconscious,
+meant to make her more attractive to the member of the opposite sex whom
+she was interested in.
+"Wait," muttered Ike, sounding frustrated, "maybe Sakayanagi
+seriously does have a thing for Haruki?" He'd probably instinctively sensed
+that from Sakayanagi's expressions and gestures.
+In this particular instance, however, I should probably assume that
+Sakayanagi was deliberately trying to give off that impression.
+In contrast to my calm, collected analysis—
+"No, no, this is way too stupid," Haruka spat. She looked sick to her
+stomach. "She's playing him. No way in hell that she could like Yamauchi-
+kun." A woman's intuition, maybe?
+"Y-yeah, I think you're right," said Airi, perhaps because she could
+sense the same thing.
+"Come on! Men are so simple. How could someone be fooled by that
+obvious act?"
+"Is she...really acting?" asked Keisei uncertainly. I guess I wouldn't
+have noticed either if I hadn't looked carefully...
+"Definitely an act," said Haruka, with absolute certainty.
+"Maybe she's trying to get information about Class C, just like
+Horikita-san said?" said Ike.
+"T don't know, seems a bit obvious," said Keisei. ""You'd think there's
+a better way to do that. If she'd met up with Yamauchi in secret, it wouldn't
+put us on our guard like we are now. It would've made things way easier for
+her."
+"Yeah, I suppose that's true..."
+Keisei was exactly right. Even if she were planning to lure Yamauchi
+into a trap, there were plenty of ways to make contact with him without
+raising our suspicions. Deliberately making the entirety of Class C aware of
+her actions would do her more harm than good, implicating her in any
+problems that arose as a result.
+So maybe she actually did have a thing for Yamauchi, just like Keisei
+and Ike had said. That would make more sense. But then again, Sakayanagi
+was aggressive and bold in general, so it really could be either one.
+"To tell you the truth," said Sakayanagi, "I've been wanting to talk to
+you for a while now."
+"F-f-f-for real?" sputtered Yamauchi. "Like, for real for real?"
+"Well, I don't exactly have the kind of free time to lie about something
+like this, do I?" she replied.
+I watched them carefully as they talked, conducting my own analysis.
+"I'm afraid I can't quite calm myself down here, Yamauchi. Maybe we
+should...go somewhere else?"
+"T-I see! Yeah, okay. Sure, let's!"
+"Well, then, come along now, please."
+The two of them walked side by side, Yamauchi trying to match
+Sakayanagi's slow pace. It seemed like he was capable of showing the bare
+minimum of consideration. The other students watched the pair walk away—
+they probably knew that trying to follow any longer would be difficult.
+3:2
+Au OF THE MEMBERS of the Ayanokouji Group had assembled in the
+café except for Akito, who'd headed to his club activities.
+Haruka kicked things off at once. "Okay, so what do you think is really
+going on with that whole farce earlier? What're Yamauchi-kun and
+Sakayanagi-san doing?"
+"Can we really say that it was a farce for certain though?" asked
+Keisei.
+"That's...of course it was! Anyone would know. Right, Airi?"
+"Well, um." Airi blushed. "I suppose. I think maybe it could..."
+"Huh? But come on, it was so obviously put on, right? As a show?
+Right?" said Haruka.
+"Yeah, I suppose that the gestures she made did make it look one
+way... but like as Keisei-kun said, do you really think she'd come right out
+and do something bad by coming to visit Class C?"
+"Come on," said Haruka, "use your head. That's part of the play; she
+wants to get us all mixed up with reverse psychology."
+Hmm. So Haruka thought that by being so overt, Sakayanagi would
+make us think that it was way too obvious to be a trap in the first place. It was
+possible.
+"What do you think, Kiyopon? Yukimuu? Do you seriously think there
+could be...romance?" asked Haruka.
+"This is a topic that I'm not very well versed in," said Keisei. "I'Il pass
+on further questions, thank you." He clearly didn't want to talk about
+romance any further.
+Of course, now Haruka and Airi turned their gazes toward me.
+"To be honest," I said, "Yamauchi and Sakayanagi haven't really
+interacted at all until now. This is way too sudden for something so basic to
+turn into romance, don't you think?"
+"Quite the level-headed opinion, Kiyopon," said Haruka. "But falling
+in love doesn't always follow the same pattern or pace. People like Hirata-
+kun are one thing, I guess, but I doubt Yamauchi-kun is the kind who needs a
+while to fall for someone."
+In the end, the conversation stalled out due to our lack of further
+information. Eventually, the topic changed from Yamauchi and Sakayanagi's
+romance to what was going on within Class C.
+"Oh, speaking of Hirata-kun," said Airi, "didn't he break up with
+Karuizawa-san?"
+"T can't really say I'm surprised," said Haruka. "Honestly, it seemed
+like they'd break up for sure someday."
+"R-really, Haruka?" sputtered Airi.
+"T guess if you look at it as the leader of the boys going out with the
+leader of the girls, then they make sense as a couple. But they're not really a
+good match for one another, y' know? It's just like, how do I put it...? Hirata-
+kun seems like he'd like a cute, gentle girl."
+"But I think that Karuizawa-san is really cute," said Airi. "Don't you
+think so, Kiyotaka-kun?"
+She was asking me? It was a difficult question. Perhaps she asked me
+that because she specifically wanted to hear my thoughts on that matter.
+"Dunno," I said. "I've never really paid much attention to Karuizawa."
+I didn't know how Airi felt about that, but it was the only answer I
+could give.
+"Hmm, well, I suppose that's true." said Haruka. "Anyhow,
+Karuizawa-san aside, the problem is that Hirata-kun has become a free
+agent." Thankfully, she was shifting the topic of conversation back to Hirata.
+"It seems like there are quite a few girls in class who like Hirata-kun. I
+wonder what' ll happen."
+"Really?" asked Airi.
+"Huh? You mean you never noticed? I mean...for example, Mii-chan
+definitely has a thing for him."
+"Well... now that you mention it, she certainly does look over at
+Hirata-kun now and again."
+"T know, right?"
+Keisei took out his notebook, perhaps because he was getting fed up
+with all this talk of romance. "I'd like to study for a bit, I think."
+"Oh, that's right, the year-end exam's coming up soon... Well, that's a
+depressing thought," said Haruka.
+"T'll need to put together some study guides for you guys too," said
+Keisei.
+Haruka let out a little laugh before lowering her head down on the
+table, like she was trying to make a full bowing motion. Chabashira hadn't
+given us any special instructions about the year-end exam, so it was probably
+going to be your standard written test. If a student got a failing grade, they' Il
+be expelled at once. That was my guess, anyway.
+"So when are we going to start our study group?"
+"Let's see," said Keisei. "Hmm...how about after we've finished with
+the practice test on the 15th? That'll leave us about ten days until the final. If
+we focus on questions that have cropped up in the past and the trends we've
+been seeing in class, we should be good."
+"Oh, ho!" Just like that, Haruka's mood seemed to lift, probably
+because this meant she could put off studying a little longer. "Just what I'd
+expect from you, Yukimuu! A perfect plan. Completely agree, let's roll with
+it."
+"The last special exam of the school year will probably be held after
+the year-end final. In March, I expect," said Keisei.
+"The last special exam of the year..." Airi echoed. "Wow, so our first
+year is already almost over, huh?"
+"We've certainly been through a lot," said Haruka, "but it's really gone
+by so fast, hasn't it?"
+Airi and Haruka both reflected back on the year for a moment...but
+Keisei brought them out of their reverie at once.
+"It's way too early to be reminiscing. If you fail the year-end final
+exam, you'll get expelled. Not to mention what's in the special exam, too..."
+He probably didn't want them to lose focus.
+Soon enough, Keisei was nose-deep in studying...and Haruka noticed
+something.
+"Oh!"
+I followed her line of sight, spotting Ichinose with what looked like
+several guys and girls, all Class B students. Unlike our own gathering, they
+all looked stiff and tense.
+If I had to guess, they were trying to come up with ways to protect
+Ichinose from the defamation and slander currently directed her way.
+Ichinose herself, however, probably didn't want anything of the sort. She was
+behaving exactly the same as she always did: chatting with her friends,
+engaging cheerfully with people everywhere she went.
+What concerned me was that Kanzaki wasn't around. He was
+Ichinose's close confidant, so I got the idea that they were together pretty
+frequently...
+"Tt looks like she's in quite a bit of trouble right now," said Haruka,
+watching Ichinose with mild indifference, "doesn't it?"
+"Some strange rumors are going around, I hear," said Airi. "I don't
+know who is spreading them, but they really are awful..."
+"It's not really all that unusual though, is it?" asked Haruka. "I mean,
+yeah, this time things have gone a little too far, but I've seen similar stuff
+pretty often. You could say popular girls are just doomed to that fate, right?"
+"You think so?" said Airi, a puzzled look on her face. "I didn't know
+that at all..."
+"Sure. If you were more assertive and positive like Ichinose-san, you'd
+probably have a ton of people getting jealous of you. Don't you think, Airi?"
+It was certainly possible. That being said, it didn't seem like Airi was
+even capable of picturing herself as the assertive type, no matter how hard
+she tried to envision it.
+"Ehh, probably best not to worry about it," Haruka continued. "I bet
+Ichinose understands that too."
+I just listened to them talk, not really participating in the conversation
+myself.
+3.3
+Asour TWO HOURS LATER, the girls were chatting amongst themselves
+while Keisei pored over his notebook. I dipped in and out of the girls'
+conversation while I fiddled with my phone. And then, Haruka's phone
+vibrated where it sat on the table.
+"Oh, it's from Miyacchi."
+Haruka fiddled with the touchscreen options and answered the call on
+speaker phone.
+"You finished with club stuff?" she asked.
+"Sorry, think Ill be a little late." It was Miyake Akito, and he sounded
+nervous.
+"Huh? Is practice running late or something?"
+"No...no, I think some trouble's about to go down."
+"Wait, trouble? What kind of trouble? Explain it to me so I can
+understand what's going on."
+"Class A and Class B are going at it. If the worst-case scenario happens
+and a fight breaks out, I'll probably need to step in and stop it."
+Sounded like Akito hadn't really gotten involved yet, but...Class A
+and Class B? The faces of the core members of Class B flashed through my
+mind. Would Ichinose really be so careless as to let a fight break out?
+"Probably better to just leave it be," said Haruka. "It doesn't have
+anything to do with our class."
+"Could be our problem tomorrow though," said Akito, before ending
+the call. Although normally a man of few words, he had a surprisingly
+passionate side to him. Like when he'd welcomed Ryuuen into our group at
+the school camp, despite no one else wanting anything to do with him.
+"T wonder who's fighting...?" said Airi, sounding concerned.
+"Tt's usually that class always starting fights. But not this time, I
+guess," said Haruka. She was referring, of course, to Ryuuen's class, now
+demoted to D.
+"Me neither, now that I think about it," said Airi.
+The two girls titled their heads to the side in apparent contemplation,
+thinking about this unexpected confrontation between Class A and Class B.
+"Hey, Airi, Kiyopon, how about we head out and look for Mityacchi?"
+asked Haruka.
+"B-But won't that be dangerous?" asked Airi.
+"Well, sure, if things start to go down, our class might wind up getting
+dragged in as collateral damage," said Haruka with a teasing grin.
+Airi shrunk back, looking a little frightened.
+"But don't worry!" Haruka added. "Look, if something happens, I'm
+sure Miyacchi will do something, right? He used to be a pretty bad dude in
+the past, they say."
+"B-bad? Really?"
+"Well...by 'they say,' I pretty much just mean he says."
+Hmm. Maybe that was why he didn't fear dealing with someone like
+Ryuuen—because he was confident in his own skills.
+"Anyway, Airi," said Haruka, "if you get in trouble, I'm sure that
+Kiyopon will come save you. Right?"
+"*'..P Il do the best I can," I said. "But I'd really rather not be in any
+fights."
+"Aha ha ha! Well, no worries, right? It's not like things are going to
+ever get that violent here at this school. Uh. Probably..." Haruka trailed off
+vaguely, remembering the several instances of violence that had happened so
+far this school year.
+Still, there wasn't really any reason to not look for Akito, so we
+decided to do just that.
+3.4
+W: DIDN'T SEE any sign of Akito as headed for the archery club.
+"Huuuh? Where is Miyacchi, anyway?"
+We were certain he'd been heading to the café, meaning he'd probably
+changed direction once he saw a fight brewing. We kept looking, and a few
+minutes later, we got some reliable information from a classmate who was
+heading back to the dorms from club activities.
+And so we arrived at a spot by the side of the gym, a short distance
+from the school building, where we found two male students facing off
+against one another. Neither of them appeared to be the people whom Haruka
+and Airi had been expecting.
+One of them was Hashimoto, from first-year Class A. The other was
+Kanzaki, from first-year Class B. Akito stood between them, as if trying to
+keep a handle on the situation.
+"You guys aren't really going to fight, are you?" asked Akito.
+"You're real persistent, Miyake. Besides, I wasn't the one trying to
+pick a fight here in the first place. Kanzaki dragged me into this," said
+Hashimoto. At that, my eyes met his. "Looks like your friends have arrived,
+huh?"
+When he said that, Akito and Kanzaki looked over in our direction at
+almost the exact same time.
+"'.. You guys came?" Akito didn't sound thrilled to have us sticking
+our noses in this. Well, I suppose there wasn't anything to be gained by
+getting the girls involved in this mess.
+But Haruka spoke up, snapping back at Akito. "You're the one who
+stuck your nose into something weird, Miyacchi. We just came to save you."
+"Save me..." Akito looked to the sky regretfully. "Of course."
+"So, what's up? These two fighting?" asked Haruka.
+Realizing there was no point arguing, Akito changed gears. "I was
+wrong about that. But it does seem like the situation is rather hostile."
+"Kanzaki is the only hostile one," said Hashimoto.
+It was certainly true that Hashimoto didn't seem to be acting any
+differently than usual. But Akito wasn't taking Hashimoto's word for it. "I
+sure hope you're right about that."
+Akito didn't seem like he was about to leave. Was a fight going to
+break out? He didn't seem sure either. Kanzaki, on the other hand, looked
+embarrassed to see us here, which suggested he didn't want anyone butting
+in.
+Of course, he also knew he couldn't exactly just ask us to leave. In the
+end, he didn't say a word to us, but he turned back to Hashimoto once again.
+"Picking up from where we left off before, Hashimoto," said Kanzaki.
+"What have you been doing after class? You're not in any clubs. Why are
+you hanging around so late?"
+"Does not being in a club mean I gotta head back to the dorm right
+away? I'm free to do whatever I like after class. Besides, I think the only
+person present here who actually belongs to a club is Miyake. Right?" replied
+Hashimoto.
+He assertively roped us into the situation, using us to poke a hole in
+Kanzaki's argument. Unlike Kanzaki, it seemed Hashimoto found our
+presence quite convenient.
+We, the members of Ayanokouji Group, briefly exchanged looks.
+We couldn't really say we were allies of Class A or Class B. Still, if
+we had to choose a side, it would inevitably be Class B because of the truce
+between Horikita and Ichinose.
+Hashimoto grinned. "Ha! Can't give me an answer, Kanzaki, can
+you?"
+"Tt's not as though you're here to meet with anyone," said Kanzaki.
+Though his expression remained as calm as ever, you could feel the force of
+personality behind his words. "You're just trying to grab random people and
+spread those rumors around, aren't you?"
+So he'd been pressing Hashimoto about the Ichinose rumors, and it had
+made Akito worry they were going to come to blows. And now here we were.
+Hashimoto seemed to sense that Kanzaki knew what he was up to,
+because he nodded. "Rumors? Oh, you mean the ones about Ichinose doing
+all kinds of bad stuff? What do those have to do with me?"
+"Playing dumb is just a waste of time," said Kanzaki. "I'd like to make
+something clear to you, here and now: your actions are so underhanded that I
+es 99
+see little difference between them and Ryuuen's.
+"Okay, but even if you say that, I don't really know how I can answer
+99
+you.
+Hashimoto was being slippery and evasive in the face of Kanzaki's
+attempts to corner him. Akito, apparently having determined that they
+weren't immediately about to start throwing punches, came over to stand
+with us.
+"Hey, what do we do now?" asked Haruka, directing her question to
+Akito in a low voice.
+"Nothing. For the time being, we watch. If they go their separate ways
+without anything coming of it, that"Il be that."
+"But... Is it okay for us to listen to this?" asked Airi anxiously. I got
+where she was coming from; Class C had nothing to do with this discussion,
+and Kanzaki didn't seem happy that we were here.
+"What do you think, Kiyotaka?" Akito asked me.
+"Hmm. It's probably fine if we listen until they tell us to go, right? If it
+turns into a fight later, a third party like us could assert the legitimacy of the
+situation. Which should help Kanzaki, if he needs it," I reasoned.
+Akito nodded in response, seemingly convinced.
+But Hashimoto went on about the rumors, taking it a step further.
+"Hey, Kanzaki. These rumors about Ichinose...are you really sure they're
+just that? Just...rumors?"
+"What?"
+"You know how it goes: 'Where there's smoke, there's fire." You can't
+blame somebody for looking for the fire, can you?"
+"Rumors don't need a fire. Not if there's some sneak blowing smoke
+all over the place."
+Hashimoto leaned back against a nearby wall. "I see. Well, it's
+certainly true that fires and rumors are separate things." Proverbs didn't
+always hold true in the real world. "But can you say with absolute certainty
+that Ichinose doesn't have a dark past, Kanzaki?"
+"One year, Hashimoto. We've struggled together in Class B for about
+one year, through thick and thin. So...yes, I am certain."
+"Oh, please! Enough already, Kanzaki. You're so corny, I can't even
+look you in the eye." At that, Hashimoto lowered his gaze mockingly.
+"Of course, I've also asked Ichinose directly."
+"Oh? And what did she say?"
+"She told me not to worry, and not to be misled by all these rumors."
+"Tn other words, that means she neither confirmed nor denied
+anything?"
+"That's true. That's why I decided to believe her."
+"Dude, come on. Seriously? How much of a bleeding heart can you
+possibly be?" sneered Hashimoto. He kept going. "No one wants to talk
+about their own dark past, and nobody's going to tell the whole truth just
+because a friend asks. Of course she wouldn't tell her classmates the truth. Or
+what, do you think that just because she's a good person now, she was a good
+person in the past?"
+Kanzaki didn't appear to be shaken at all by his words. No, the look in
+his eyes was of complete trust in Ichinose.
+Hashimoto didn't stop. "Just because you're Ichinose's right-hand
+man, you think she's gonna tell you everything? Come on, how naive can you
+be?"
+Undisguised disgust at Kanzaki's blind faith dripped from every word.
+That, or he'd decided that there was no point in dragging out this
+confrontation.
+"T'm not talking about that," said Kanzaki. "I want you to tell me about
+yourself. About what you've been doing today."
+"All right, fine. Pll tell you. Yeah, ve been spreading rumors about
+Ichinose," Hashimoto admitted. "Look, Kanzaki...you're smart. You're a
+caring guy. But that's why you shouldn't get so involved in this. You can
+only blindly believe others, you know? This just...isn't your place."
+"You're saying you have no intention of retracting those rumors, then."
+"Retract the rumors? C'mon, don't you think you' re getting it twisted?
+There's no retracting rumors. They spread wherever they will. I just
+happened to encounter them along the way and help pass them on," said
+Hashimoto.
+So he admitted to spreading the rumors but flatly denied being their
+source. Still, Kanzaki wasn't backing down.
+No...he seemed to already know that Hashimoto wasn't the source.
+"I've been conducting a thorough investigation of the students of Class
+A over the last few days."
+"And?"
+"T've traced the source of all of the rumors back to a number of guys
+and girls from first-year Class A. When I pressed those students about where
+they'd heard the rumors, they responded with vague answers like 'I don't
+remember' or 'I heard them from somewhere.' Much like the answer you just
+gave me right now. Every one of them. I'm sure that you, of all people, must
+understand what that means, Hashimoto."
+Someone had given instructions to those students.
+"Sorry, Kanzaki," said Hashimoto, "but I haven't got the faintest clue.
+If you don't mind, why don't you say it outright?"
+"The rumors meant to defame Ichinose were almost certainly spread by
+first-year Class A."
+"Huh."
+"Don't try to weasel out of it. I didn't just ask the first-year students—I
+asked the second-years and third-years too. They said they heard the rumors
+from your class. Exactly where I'd traced them back to. If necessary, I can
+call those students and have them confirm the facts in person."
+Apparently, Kanzaki and the rest of Class B had thoroughly
+investigated the source of the rumors. He was convinced first-year Class A
+had spearheaded their creation, which was why he was now confronting
+Hashimoto. The fact that he was working alone probably meant that he was
+trying to avoid causing trouble for Ichinose. If a large number of students
+caused a commotion, it would get the attention of students who hadn't
+initially been interested in the rumors.
+Then again, it was entirely possible that Kanzaki was just handling this
+case entirely on his own.
+"T see. So that's why you've been stalking me again today." Hashimoto
+shrugged and let out a sigh.
+"Again," huh? So he'd noticed Kanzaki tailing him some time ago.
+Although it didn't seem like he really cared about being followed, probably
+because he didn't see it as a real threat.
+"Was it Sakayanagi who told you to spread those rumors?" asked
+Kanzaki.
+"Uh, no?"
+"Okay, then who? The only other person who could give out orders to
+Class A would be Katsuragi."
+"Who knows? I've just been hanging out with other students. I picked
+up the rumors somewhere along the way. Even if you say that the rumors
+came from Class A, what am I supposed to do with that? Maybe it's
+Ryuuen's handiwork. Maybe he's just been pretending to be in retirement?"
+After hearing that, Kanzaki changed his approach. "So you took stories
+without knowing whether or not they were actually true, accepted them at
+face value, and just...spread them around?"
+"That's just how people work, isn't it? It doesn't matter if they're true
+or made-up; if the rumor is interesting, people are going to talk. Besides, us
+guys are nothing compared to the girls in that department, eh?" Hashimoto
+directed his gaze over at Haruka and Airi.
+"Well... I certainly do like rumors, but..."
+"And sadly, the juicier the rumors, the more exciting they become. Try
+to think this through a little more objectively, Kanzaki. Ichinose neither
+confirmed nor denied the rumors. And she's not asking anyone to help her,
+either. Don't you think that's strange? If they're a complete fabrication, then
+you'd think she'd be asking for help finding their source, right?" said
+Hashimoto.
+"Ichinose has an extreme aversion to conflict," said Kanzaki. "I believe
+she could find it in her heart to show compassion to everyone...even those
+who spread vicious rumors about her."
+Since she wasn't taking a stance of her own on the subject, Kanzaki
+couldn't do anything but choose to believe in her.
+"God, you Class-B people..."
+In any case, Hashimoto's words and behavior had led me to one
+conclusion: the rumors being circulated about Ichinose...weren't all lies, after
+all.
+I put aside my position as a student for a moment, examining this case
+from a social perspective. Ichinose could probably sue the person(s) who'd
+started the rumor for defamation of character. Regardless of whether the
+rumors were true, they'd damaged her reputation, which gave her grounds to
+sue.
+...Unless, of course, the rumors involved facts that were already public
+knowledge. If this was Sakayanagi's handiwork, then it was all going
+according to plan. Ichinose's silence was proof it was working as intended.
+After giving Kanzaki a pat on the shoulder, Hashimoto thrust his hands
+into his pocket and tried to walk off.
+"We aren't done talking," said Kanzaki.
+"Come on, man, isn't this enough? Even if we continue this
+conversation, it's not like we're going to see eye-to-eye," said Hashimoto.
+He gave Haruka and Airi a gentle wave, then headed off in the
+direction of the school building. Something was off, here. My gut told me
+Hashimoto was acting differently around me than he had when we were at the
+school camp.
+It was nothing more than a hunch, though. I couldn't put a finger on
+what, specifically, had changed.
+"Please excuse me." Kanzaki offered us a slight bow, and then walked
+back toward the dorms rather than the school building.
+***
+"Wow, okay," said Haruka. "That right there? That was awesome.'
+"What on earth," said Akito, "was awesome about that?"
+Haruka stuck out her tongue. "Come on! It's like, you know, we were
+on the verge of things getting exciting. Besides, even in the off chance that
+we got attacked, you could've totally taken the dude, right, Miyacchi?" She
+made a few quick jabbing motions in the air to demonstrate.
+"T hear you used to be a delinquent?" I asked, following the flow of the
+conversation.
+Akito let out a heavy sigh. "Don't tell people that, Haruka. I don't
+really want it getting around."
+"Come on, what's the big deal?" she asked. "You're different now,
+anyway. You were really strong then, huh?"
+"I... wasn't some famous delinquent or anything, okay? Someone else
+was top dog at the junior high I went to. That guy was way stronger than
+99
+me.
+"Huh. Was it a pretty rough school?"
+"Well yeah. That's just how people were in my hometown. I mean, the
+adults, too. And when they had kids, they'd raise 'em to be the same. Oh, by
+the way, Ryuuen from Class D? He used to go to a junior high next to mine,"
+said Akito.
+"Whoa, seriously?!"
+"Yep. We ran into each other a few times when fights broke out
+between the schools. I don't think the guy really paid me any mind, though."
+Akito probably knew how to handle those kinds of situations because
+he'd had experience brawling.
+"Okay," he said, "the conversation ends here. And don't spread this
+outside the group, okay?"
+"Okay, okay, I get it," said Haruka. "How about we head back to the
+café? Yukimuu is waitin' for us."
+"Gotcha."
+At the end of the day, this was Akito's business, after all. If I was sure
+of anything, it was that it was best not to dig any deeper.
+Chapter 4:
+Unchanging Intent
+Taat THURSDAY, I spied Ichinose while heading back to the dorms.
+She was usually surrounded by a gaggle of students, both guys and girls, but
+she seemed to be alone right now, which was rare. For some reason, I didn't
+sense her usual bubbliness from her either.
+I wondered if she was alone because she was keeping her distance from
+her friends right now, rather than by mere coincidence. She was currently the
+person with the most concentrated attention focused on them in our school,
+regardless of grade level, and anyone she carelessly got involved with might
+take collateral damage themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd made the
+decision to stay away from her friends as a result.
+I thought back to Kanzaki's and Hashimoto's conversation from the
+other day. Should I try calling out to her?
+I considered doing so but then sensed someone behind me and decided
+to refrain. I took out my cell phone and turned on the camera, switching from
+the rear-facing lens to the front-facing one and using the image on my screen
+to casually examine what was behind me.
+Two students on their way back to the first-years' dorm, just like me.
+One was Hashimoto. He seemed to be walking normally, but after what
+happened the other day, I couldn't assume it was a coincidence. Was he
+following me?
+While I was trying to ascertain that, however, the other student
+approached me without hesitation. I closed the camera app and returned my
+phone to my pocket as she drew near.
+"U-um, excuse me, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you have a minute...?"
+It was my classmate, Wang Mei-Yu. People tended to call her Mu1i-
+chan because her name was difficult to pronounce, though I found it a little
+embarrassing to call her that, even in my head.
+"Do you... have a little time right now? I was hoping I could talk to
+you about something," she said.
+She wanted to talk to me? We'd barely had any contact at all so far. In
+fact, this was practically the very first ttme she'd ever spoken directly to me.
+It didn't seem like there was anyone else around whom she could be
+addressing, though...
+Ichinose continued getting further away, without noticing me. At this
+point, running on over and chasing after her would just look strange.
+"I'm sorry, you're probably busy, aren't you...?"
+"No, I was just heading back to the dorms. It's okay."
+Miu-chan brightened when I said that, releasing a sigh of relief.
+Hashimoto passed by us and continued in the direction of the dorms, not
+looking in my direction and not calling out to me.
+"So... You said you wanted to talk to me?" I asked.
+"Well, talking here will be a little awkward..." Mii-chan looked
+around the surrounding area, fidgeting. Apparently, this wasn't a topic for
+casual conversation.
+"Okay." Of course, it wasn't like I could go, "Oh, since the dorms are
+so close, how about you come to my room?" And going to Mii-chan's room
+myself seemed even more far-fetched. "What do you want to do, then?"
+I left the decision to Mii-chan, who thought it over, then suggested,
+"Would...the café be okay? We might be a little late heading back after,
+though."
+If that was what she wanted, I had no reason to decline. She said we'd
+be a little late, but it was only a difference of about five or ten minutes on
+foot, which wasn't a big deal.
+In accordance with Mii-chan's suggestion, therefore, we headed on
+over to the Keyaki Mall Café. That being said, we didn't know each other
+very well. We walked some distance apart from one another, rather than close
+together.
+4.1
+Tue CAFE WAS ALWAYS PACKED, and today was no exception. Even I,
+who lacked common sense about the details of normal high school life,
+understood why. It was extremely popular, especially with girls, and owned
+by a major company in the outside world. Their drinks were pricey—too
+pricey for your average high school student to indulge in more than a few
+times a month, unless they worked a part-time job.
+But students at this school received allowances based on their class
+points, meaning many could afford to patronize the café as often as they
+liked, as long as they weren't in dire straits or anything. As a result, the café
+was inevitably packed, day in and day out.
+We still managed to find open seats, though, and sat down, facing one
+another. Mii-chan stared at the drink she'd ordered, making no attempt to
+look me in the eye.
+She reminded me of Air. If I inadvertently put pressure on her, it
+would probably make it even harder for her to speak her mind. I decided
+against attempting to break the ice. To give her room to marshal her thoughts,
+I said I was going to get some sugar.
+I went over to the counter, where I took one sugar packet. Without
+letting my eyes wander around the room, I confirmed that Hashimoto had
+also found his way to the café.
+I doubted he'd had a sudden craving for a caffeine fix. He was
+following me, without a doubt. Had Sakayanagi told him to keep an eye on
+me? No, that didn't seem right. Sakayanagi didn't want word about me to get
+around. And if she did want to tail me, she'd use her puppet, Kamuro.
+Assuming Sakayanagi understood what kind of person Hashimoto was, she'd
+know he wasn't the right choice for tasks like these. She'd want to avoid
+carelessly giving Hashimoto information about me, only for him to leak that
+information to a third party.
+Was he following me of his own accord, then? I didn't recall doing
+anything during the school camp to warrant that. I should have come across
+as nothing more than just another member of the group.
+Ryuuen, Ishizaki and Albert, and Ibuki. I wondered if they'd been
+talking to anyone, but then nixed that possibility. Well, I wasn't going to
+solve this mystery right now. It did seem like it was going to become a
+problem I'd have to deal with before long, though.
+I decided to ignore it for now in favor of continuing my conversation
+with Mii-chan. It had been about a minute since I'd left my seat across from
+her, which I now retook. Almost immediately after, Mii-chan broke the
+silence.
+"Um... Well, it's about Hirata-kun."
+About Hirata-kun, huh?
+"T was hoping you could tell me some things..." she continued.
+"We're not really all that close," I replied almost immediately, as if
+taking precaution. But Mii-chan looked at me with surprise.
+"Then why did Hirata-kun tell me you're the most reliable person in
+class, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+** ..Is that so?"
+"Yeah. He said that you're the most dependable person in class. He
+really spoke highly of you."
+While I was honestly happy to be praised by Hirata, if that kind of talk
+got around, it would spell trouble. That said, I could understand why Hirata
+had given Mii-chan my name. There were plenty of students you could count
+on, but if you restricted your search to Class C, well, things got a little
+complicated. If you further narrowed your criteria to only include guys, then
+it wasn't so odd that Hirata had named me.
+Still...she wanted to talk about Hirata, huh? In light of the earlier
+conversation with Haruka, I could guess what this was about.
+"So, um, Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san, well... They broke up
+recently. Did you know that?"
+"Yeah, of course." I pretended to have no idea why she was bringing
+that up.
+"W-well, um..." Mii-chan faltered a few times, then finally got to the
+heart of the matter. "...D-do you know if there's anyone that Hirata-kun likes
+right now?"
+Yep, there it was. What was the correct course of action in a scenario
+like this? I mulled it over for a moment, then decided it would be best to just
+give her an honest answer.
+"T don't think so."
+"R-really?"
+"IT can't say for absolutely certain, of course. But as far as I know, no,
+there isn't anyone. Besides, he only just got dumped by Karuizawa. It's
+probably too soon for him to have feelings for someone else," I replied.
+"That's certainly true," replied Mii-chan, seeming to grow calmer.
+"Is it okay if I ask you one thing, just out of curiosity?"
+"S-sure."
+"When did you start liking Hirata?"
+"Huuuuuh?!"
+Was that an odd question? Mii-chan's face had gone bright red. She
+looked completely flustered.
+"Wh-wh-wh-why are you asking me that?"
+"Well, if you don't want to answer, you don't have to—"
+",.Right after the entrance ceremony, I think?" she replied, cutting me
+off.
+So, she'd told me anyway, huh.
+"Tm a little clumsy..." She'd fallen in love with Hirata the very first
+time she'd met him, Miui-chan went on to candidly explain. "...I guess. That's
+what it feels like, anyway."
+"Ts that so?" There was a lot I didn't understand, but I was sure of one
+thing: she'd been charmed by Hirata's gentleness.
+"But—" Mii-chan had blushed as she spoke about meeting Hirata, but
+now her expression grew cloudy, like she'd snapped back to reality. "I... I
+don't think someone like me could be Hirata-kun's girlfriend..."
+"Why?" I asked, wondering how she could be so sure of that.
+"Because there are too many rivals out there... And besides, I've never
+been in love before or anything..." she replied.
+So despite overflowing with feelings of love, she didn't have the
+courage to make a move? I didn't want to believe the absence of romantic
+experience was necessarily a handicap, but I couldn't say for certain that it
+had no effect at all.
+"Well, Mii-chan... Wait, it's probably not okay for me to be calling
+you Mii-chan, is it?"
+"Oh, no, it's completely fine. Everyone calls me that. Even though
+both my parents are Chinese, they seem to like my Japanese nickname, so
+they call me Mii-chan too."
+In other words, she wasn't half-Japanese. "Are you studying abroad?" I
+asked.
+"Um, well, when I was in my first year of junior high, my father came
+to Japan on business," she answered.
+So she'd moved here with her family? "Did you encounter any
+obstacles? Like dealing with a language barrier, for example."
+"It was really at first. I was more worried about whether I could make
+friends than learning the language... But lots of people spoke good English at
+the junior high I enrolled in, so we got along pretty well," she explained.
+That reminded me—I'd heard Mii-chan was good at English. On top of
+that, she'd also perfectly mastered Japanese in her three years of junior high.
+I'd heard Chinese students had to keep their noses to the grindstone to make
+it in a society that was far more competitive than Japan's. It was probably
+precisely because she'd received such a rigorous education that Mii-chan had
+been able to smoothly integrate into Japan. All that remained was for her to
+improve her communication skills, like Airi.
+"T wonder if someone like me even has a chance..."
+"T don't want to make any irresponsible statements, but I think you
+should have a decent chance. Don't you?"
+"Really?"
+"T'm not lying about that. But..."
+"B-but?"
+Though this might make her more anxious, I should probably tell her
+about a rather difficult part of this equation. "Hirata's a good guy, right?"
+"Yeah."
+"Don't you think that's exactly why, the next time he goes out with
+someone, he'll be really careful? Right? He might even feel responsible for
+what happened, like he wasn't able to make Karuizawa happy or something."
+"T see..." she replied, nodding. "You're right. And I don't think...I
+could confess my feelings to him right away either."
+"You might be concerned about the competition out there, but if you
+get impatient and confess your feelings too soon, there's a high chance you' ll
+be rejected," I told her.
+I advised her to take things slow and steady. She was going to have to
+ask Hirata how he felt before she could be sure of anything, but I couldn't
+picture him pointlessly rushing into dating another girl right now. It was far
+more likely that he would reject the majority of the girls who happened to
+confess their romantic feelings to him right now. In that sense, Mii-chan had
+a better chance of winning if she waited.
+"*.,.1 think I might have been mistaken about you, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Mistaken?"
+"Well, it's just, you don't normally talk all that much. Or at all, really.
+You kind of give off this scary vibe. But after meeting with you face-to-face,
+and talking like this, I feel like you're super easy to talk to. It feels like you
+really care about my problems, I guess..."
+Despite her compliments, the truth was that I wasn't really listening to
+her. It would be more accurate to say I was subconsciously analyzing our
+conversation, carefully scrutinizing it for information that might be helpful to
+me later, or something that I could use. If I came off like I really cared about
+her problems, then that was a convenient bonus, no more.
+Should I go a little bit further? It seemed this might be a good
+opportunity to ask her about a number of different things.
+"Oh? Mi-chan and... Ayanokouji-kun, is that you?"
+Just as I opened my mouth, Shiina Hiyori, from first-year Class D,
+appeared at our table. I closed my mouth without a word.
+"Hello, Hiyori-chan," said Mii-chan. Judging by the way they referred
+to each other, they were close.
+"Are the two of you here on a date, by any chance?" asked Hiyori.
+1°?
+"N-n-no, that's not it at all, Hiyori-chan!" said Mii-chan, panicked,
+quickly rising to her feet. She waved her arms before her to signal her
+rejection of the idea, a gesture so expansive that her entire body shook with
+the motion. The fact that she would deny it so excessively kind of stung.
+"Tn that case, would it be all right if I jorned you?"
+"Of course, that's fine with me. ...Is it okay with you, Ayanokouji-
+kun?"
+"Sure."
+"Thank you very much." Hiyori sat down next to Mii-chan, wearing a
+wide and happy smile. "It's rather unusual to see the two of you together.
+What were you talking about?"
+"U-Um, well..." Mii-chan struggled to admit that we were talking
+about her crush.
+"I'm interested in China, so I was asking her about it," I replied.
+"In...China?"
+"Yeah. It's a country I'd like to visit sometime, and so I thought I'd
+talk to Mii-chan, a Chinese person."
+I shot a look over at Mii-chan, basically saying "Right?" with my eyes.
+She nodded quickly several times in response.
+"China is really nice, isn't it? I'm also really interested in it, especially
+things like the Great Wall." Hiyori put her hands together in front of her, still
+smiling. Surprisingly enough, it seemed this was a topic she was really into.
+"T suppose you can't really avoid mentioning the Great Wall when you
+talk of China. But personally, I'd like to visit the Ancient City of Ping Yao,"
+I replied.
+"Ping Yao?"
+It seemed Hiyori hadn't heard of that before. On the other hand, Mii-
+chan's eyes widened in surprise at hearing me mention it.
+"Wow. It's a World Heritage Site, but still...'m impressed that you
+know it..." she said.
+"T just happened to hear about it is all."
+"By the way, are you two...friends?" asked Mii-chan, seeing Hiyori
+and I speak so naturally to one another.
+"Yes. We're reading buddies."
+"Well, you're not wrong about that, I guess."
+"Reading buddies...?" repeated Mii-chan. She looked puzzled for a
+moment, like she didn't get what we meant, but then immediately turned that
+confusion into positivity. "It's wonderful to have friends in other classes,
+isn't it?"
+She probably hadn't had any friends outside her own class before the
+school camp.
+"T think so too. I think there's more to life here at school than just
+antagonizing each other," said Hiyori.
+Competing with other students was fundamental to how the Advanced
+Nurturing High School worked. Many students here had a strong tendency to
+see people other than their classmates as rivals. However, now that we'd
+gotten this far, more and more of them had started to open up to people
+outside their own class.
+That said, the school was still keeping parts of its agenda hidden from
+us. If not, it wouldn't have implemented rules like the ones at the training
+camp. I couldn't say with any certainty that the inter-class mingling wouldn't
+have a negative impact down the line. If the time came when you were forced
+into a competitive situation, a half-hearted acquaintanceship could do more
+harm than good.
+4.2
+66
+fers YOU for everything today, Ayanokouji-kun," said Mii-chan.
+"No, I should be the one thanking you, since I just dominated the
+conversation asking you about China and all." I reflexively expressed my
+thanks to her in response, causing Mii-chan to scratch her cheek with her
+finger, appearing embarrassed.
+"Ah, w-well, I suppose," she replied.
+"T'll head on up after taking a look at my mail," I said aloud, turning
+my back toward Mii-chan and Hiyori as they were about to get on the
+elevator.
+I checked the contents of my mailbox once or twice a week, as I was
+sure many other students did. A lot of what arrived in our mailboxes was
+from the school, but people sometimes received packages via personal
+correspondence. There were also times when things students had mail-
+ordered were routed to them through the school.
+But I wasn't checking my mailbox for anything so ordinary.
+"Nothing today either, huh?"
+I had started checking my mail regularly ever since my father came to
+visit the school, anticipating he might try to contact me. Since I saw nothing
+of note, I headed back to the elevator. When I got there, I saw Hiyori there
+waiting for me.
+"Do you have a minute?" she asked.
+"Yeah."
+We headed over to stand by the sofa in the lobby, a short distance from
+the elevator.
+"There was something I had wanted to ask you earlier, but since you
+were with Mii-chan..." said Hiyori, trailing off. She briefly scanned our
+surroundings to see if anyone was around, and then spoke again. "Have you
+heard anything about Ichinose-san?"'
+"Meaning what? If you're referring to those bizarre rumors, then yeah,
+I've heard about those."
+"Exactly that. Do you happen to know who's spreading those rumors?"
+asked Hiyort.
+"No... I'm afraid I don't."
+It would have been easy to name Sakayanagi or Hashimoto, but I
+thought I'd avoid doing that.
+"To be honest, I really hate seeing Ichinose-san being tormented like
+this. She treats even students like me, who don't have many friends, the same
+as she would anyone else," said Hiyori.
+If ?''d remembered correctly, Hiyori and Ichinose had been in the same
+group at the school camp. I supposed she might feel a stronger bond with
+Ichinose than with other students after eating the same meals and sleeping in
+the same room.
+"Ayanokouji-kun." There was a kind of determination in Hiyori's eyes.
+"T dislike hurting others. However, I believe that it's sometimes necessary to
+fight in order to protect your friends."
+"T suppose that's right. You can't possibly save everyone."
+"Even though Ichinose-san is a mutual enemy of ours, there must be a
+way to help her. I don't have a plan yet, but... Will you help me?"
+"Help, huh? In that case, you should talk to Horikita."
+"Horikita-san?" Hiyori didn't seem thrilled by the prospect.
+"T suppose Class C might also be willing to help Ichinose," I added. If
+that happened, it would mean Classes D, C, and B were joining forces against
+Class A. But Hiyori wasn't jumping for joy at this prospect either.
+"So you won't do anything yourself, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"T have no influence whatsoever over Class C."
+"Ts that so?" she replied, tilting her head to the side with a puzzled look
+on her face.
+"For the girls, it's Horikita. For the guys, it's Hirata. You'll just have
+to talk to one of them about it," I answered.
+"T see..." said Hiyori. Her shoulders slumped, seemingly in
+disappointment.
+"Dissatisfied?" I asked.
+"No...Well, it's just that I barely know Horikita-san or Hirata-kun, So
+I thought that if I went to you, Ayanokouji-kun, then..." She slumped her
+shoulders even further, looking despondent. I was surprised by the sight.
+"Sorry. If there's nothing I can do, then there's nothing I can do."
+"No, no, it's okay... It was a selfish idea on my part. I just came up to
+you and asked without considering how you might feel," she replied, bowing
+to me.
+"Well, do you want me to put in a word in with them on your behalf,
+for the time being?" I asked.
+"Really? You would do that for me?" Even though that was exactly
+what Hiyori had just said she wanted, she seemed to have changed her mind.
+"I'm sorry, but...on second thought, let's just meet another time. If we act
+carelessly, it might make the rumors spread even further and cause more
+trouble for Ichinose-san."
+"T see. Yeah, you might be right about that."
+As of this moment, there was no telling what the people targeting
+Ichinose might do next. Moving incautiously might do more harm than good.
+Not to mention the possibility that the rumors about Ichinose were
+closer to the truth than many might think...
+4.3
+Aisin RETURNING TO MY ROOM, I received a text from Horikita.
+Do you have a minute now?
+I didn't respond, but when she saw the read receipt on her text, she sent
+another right away.
+Since the message I just sent was marked as read, I'm just going to go
+ahead and keep talking. Ichinose-san is coming to my room tonight. Are you
+coming too?
+Now that was unexpected. I'd planned to just read her messages, but
+now decided to actually respond. What led to this? I texted back.
+We have an alliance with Class B. It's only natural that we'd want to
+lend a hand when the situation calls for it. But in this case, we're not getting
+the full story. So I was thinking we'd hear it from the person in question,
+replied Horikita.
+In other words, she'd contacted Ichinose and asked if they could meet
+in person, huh? A bold move.
+It would be easy for me to refuse. Horikita would probably tell me
+what they talked about if I asked her later. That being said, Horikita might
+not get the whole story out of Ichinose. Even Kanzaki didn't know everything
+about her, despite how close they were.
+If that was the case, would I get closer to the truth if I met with
+Ichinose directly and asked her myself? Unfortunately, I couldn't do so
+without getting involved in whatever happened next.
+What should I do? After giving it some thought, I sent Horikita a short
+response.
+What time?
+Seven.
+That was a little late. ''d have to be careful to not be seen by other
+students.
+Got it. I'll let you know before I head over.
+And so, I decided to meet Ichinose together with Horikita.
+4.4
+I SPENT THE REST of the time leisurely hanging out in my room. At five
+minutes to seven, I left my room and walked over to Horikita's. At almost the
+exact moment I got off the elevator, I spied Ichinose.
+"Ah, good evening, Ayanokouji-kun," said Ichinose.
+I responded to her with a light wave.
+"Sorry for the bother," I told her.
+"Aha ha! No no, I'm the one being a bother." With those words,
+Ichinose took the lead and rang the bell to Horikita's room. We heard the
+lock click open at once.
+"Please come in."
+We planned to meet at seven; there was nothing odd about us arriving
+at the same time. Horikita invited us in without comment, and I went ahead
+and sat down on the floor. I had visited her room before, and it didn't seem to
+have changed much since the last time. It was much like mine: simple and
+austere.
+"I'm sorry to call you over like this on a weeknight, Ichinose-san."
+"You're doing this out of consideration for me, though. There's no
+need to be sorry," Ichinose said.
+Seeing her face-to-face like this, she seemed like the same old Ichinose
+she'd always been.
+"But...1f this goes on too late, it'll affect us tomorrow, so I don't plan
+to draw out this conversation. So I'm sure you've heard some worrisome
+rumors going around about me."
+"Yes. Do you know who is spreading those rumors?" asked Horikita,
+getting straight to the point. I listened, curious to see if Ichinose would
+answer the question honestly.
+"T don't have any hard evidence. But if I had to guess, I'd peg
+Sakayanagi."
+A much more direct answer than I'd expected. I doubted Ichinose
+would have named a specific person if she was less than halfway certain; she
+wasn't the type to suspect others without good reason. This made something
+very clear to me: if nothing else, Ichinose was aware of the identity of the
+person who was spreading rumors about her.
+"Sakayanagi-san... What makes you so sure that she's the one?" asked
+Horikita.
+"To put it simply, it's because she declared war on us. Is that not
+enough to convince you?"
+Horikita probably already knew how aggressive Sakayanagi could be.
+Considering the fact that she'd been willing to deepen the rift within her own
+class to bring down Katsuragi, one could easily imagine her taking aim at
+Class B's leader, Ichinose, in order to defeat them.
+"No. That is enough." It was precisely because Horikita thought the
+same way that I did that she saw no need to pry further. "So, she's circulating
+baseless rumors about you to damage your character?"
+"Hm... How do I put this?"
+"Are you not going to deny the rumors?"
+"I'm sorry, Horikita-san. I can't answer that question. You and
+Ayanokouji-kun are my friends, but you belong to a different class. Even if
+we Say we're allies now, we're still destined to compete with each other
+someday, right?" said Ichinose.
+Direct as Ichinose's first answer had been, it seemed she was declining
+to answer this question. Well, that was only to be expected.
+"T don't intend to force an answer from you. But you do know that
+silence can be interpreted as you saying the rumors are true, right?" said
+Horikita.
+"Everyone is free to interpret the rumors that way, including you,
+Horikita-san. But I have absolutely no intention of overreacting to this
+situation. Sakayanagi's strategy is to get Class B all riled up. I think the best
+possible countermeasure is to stay silent," replied Ichinose, smiling, looking
+the same as she always did.
+Harassment of this sort happened everywhere, all the time. There was
+no foolproof way of dealing with it: you could react or stay silent, but at the
+end of the day, the peanut gallery would cause as much of a ruckus as they
+wanted. But perhaps it was precisely because of the rampant speculation she
+knew people would engage in that Ichinose had chosen not to react, but rather
+to simply wait for things to pass.
+"The reason I wanted to meet with you today, Horikita-san, was to talk
+to you about this whole thing. I don't want you to get dragged into it. Even if
+I stay silent, it'1l take longer for the situation to blow over if people around
+me make a fuss. More importantly, though, there's no need for Class C to end
+up in Sakayanagi's crosshairs just because they tried to help me. I'Il be just
+fine," said Ichinose, giving us a vigorous nod, her smile not fading at all.
+"*'... know that you have a strong heart. Regardless of their veracity,
+anyone would be affected by having such vile rumors about them do the
+rounds. But despite that, you aren't thinking about yourself. You're showing
+consideration for the people around you," said Horikita.
+"I'm really not that great," said Ichinose, sounding a little bashful now.
+"You and your class should carry on as you have been, Horikita-san. Pll
+clean up my own mess."
+Saying that, she quickly stood up. It seemed she'd only come here to
+caution Horikita not to get involved.
+"Do you know about Kanzaki and the others?" I asked. My input was
+probably unnecessary, but I thought I'd try something.
+"Kanzaki-kun?"
+"He confronted Hashimoto from Class A the other day, asking him
+point-blank to stop spreading the rumors. Well, I guess it might have gone a
+bit beyond simply asking."
+"T see... Kanzaki-kun is really kind. I told him he didn't need to do
+anything."
+"Tt's not just Kanzaki-kun, though. I'm sure more of your classmates
+are trying to take action for your sake," said Horikita. Though this was the
+first time she'd heard mention of what Kanzaki did, I was willing to bet she
+was right on the money.
+"Tl have a talk with my classmates again. Is it okay if we call ita
+night and end our conversation here?" asked Ichinose.
+"Are you really okay with this?" Horikita stopped Ichinose, seeking
+confirmation yet again, just in case.
+"Of course," answered Ichinose, without any hesitation. "Thank you
+for worrying about me. And Ayanokouji-kun, thank you too, for coming out
+so late."
+"It's nothing. I just tagged along."
+Ichinose bid us goodnight and then left. Horikita didn't stop her this
+time.
+"T wonder if we really shouldn't do anything?" she said aloud.
+"Who knows?" I replied.
+Based on what we'd just seen, Ichinose seemed no different than usual.
+If I had to describe it, I wouldn't say she was acting tough, but more that she
+was trying not to think about the situation. That was my impression, anyway.
+"What do you think I should do?" asked Horikita.
+"You want my opinion?"
+"Yes. I want your honest opinion," she replied without hesitation.
+"In that case, I say do nothing."
+"And your reasoning?"
+"If Sakayanagi is the source of the rumors, as Ichinose said, then
+getting involved might cause her to set her sights on Class C."
+"T see. But, what if Ichinose-san is defeated by Sakayanagi-san?
+Wouldn't Sakayanagi make Class C her next target, anyway?"
+A natural conclusion. "It's certainly true we'll be targeted sooner or
+later. But when that time comes, the pesky leader of Class B will have
+already been dealt with. That'll work to our advantage."
+"...90, you're saying you don't care about whatever happens to
+Ichinose-san? You're quite cold-blooded."
+"Cold-blooded? Isn't that also how you acted at first? Helping a
+classmate is one thing, but Ichinose is from another class. She's an opponent
+we'll have to face. Her defeat would be a welcome development for us.
+There's no reason for us to lament it."
+"She's currently our ally. Until Sakayanagi-san and the rest of Class A
+falls, and things come down to a one-on-one battle with Class B—"
+"That's being pretty idealistic though, isn't it?" I said, interrupting her.
+Class A being conveniently demoted to C, while Ichinose and Class C
+rose to A and B respectively, ending in us duking it out? That was nothing
+more than a pipe dream. While I wasn't sure how much she could really rely
+on other people in this situation, Ichinose was turning down people's offers to
+help her. If Horikita and Ichinose had had this conversation weeks ago, I was
+sure Horikita would have been satisfied and stopped offering help at a much
+earlier stage. How and why had she come to think the way she did now?
+Well, I supposed I could hazard a guess. She had been striving to
+improve her relationship with Kushida, after all.
+"You should leave things alone," I told her.
+"I-I suppose..." Horikita didn't try to argue any further, which told me
+that she knew, deep down, that this was the right thing to do.
+We'd been able to express to Ichinose that we were concerned about
+her, as a partner in our alliance, and that we were prepared to help. That was
+a good thing. Class C's best plan of action from here was to keep a low
+profile and ingratiate itself with the other classes, slowly closing in while
+they were busy battling each other. Here and now, it was important that we
+not seek to help them.
+I'd given Horikita my opinion because she asked for it. It was
+ultimately up to her to decide what Class C did next, though I did think she
+probably wouldn't get further involved in what was going on with Class B.
+After all, she didn't have a way to really help improve the situation without
+getting in the way of Ichinose's plan.
+"T'll head back too. A guy shouldn't be sticking around too long in a
+girl's room," I told her. If I stuck around past eight o'clock, there might be
+trouble.
+"T suppose..." replied Horikita, lost in thought, without looking my
+way.
+Horikita had begun to change, little by little. However, the changes she
+was going through were a little extreme. She was showing an increasing
+tendency to lose sight of her goals and be influenced by her surroundings. I
+imagined she'd keep struggling, both for her own sake and for others, for the
+foreseeable future. But would she move past that and finally become her true
+self? That was the most important thing.
+After I left the room, I saw Ichinose standing in front of the elevator.
+While I wondered whether she had been waiting for me to come over, she
+waved at me with a broad smile on her face.
+"Hey, over here!" she said in a quiet voice, calling me over.
+I got onto the elevator, feeling like she was urging me on. She pushed
+the button for the first floor, sending us down to the lobby.
+"Do you mind coming with me for a minute?" asked Ichinose.
+"T don't mind, no, but... Where are we going?"
+"Hm, would it be okay if we headed outside for a bit?"
+We got to the lobby. Even though there wasn't anyone else around, we
+headed outside. The sun had set, and it was now completely dark. In that
+darkness, Ichinose and I walked over to one of the rest areas on the path
+toward the school building.
+"T know that it's cold outside, but...I don't want to attract any
+attention."
+"T understand. Are you okay, Ichinose?"
+"I'm fine. Ah... Um, well, how do I say this... I'm really sorry."
+I had wondered what she was going to say, but the first thing that came
+out of Ichinose's mouth was an apology.
+"Why are you apologizing?" I asked.
+"T guess since I've been causing problems for you and Horikita-san,
+Ayanokouji-kun, and the rest of Class C. 've caused you a lot of unnecessary
+worry because of these rumors. Please don't pay them any mind," said
+Ichinose.
+"That's what you said to Kanzaki and the others, isn't it?"
+"It's the best answer I have, I think. This is the stance I'm going to take
+until the rumors have gone away." Ichinose looked at me with determination
+in her eyes. If she'd addressed them this way, it was no wonder Kanzaki and
+the rest of her supporters in Class B had had no choice but to listen. "Well,
+that's all I had wanted to say... It really is cold, isn't it? Let's head on back."
+"Okay."
+We'd talked for just a moment. Ichinose had urged me to head inside
+first, so I made it back to the dorm before her.
+4.5
+Tie DAILY LIVES of the people around me had gotten quite hectic. I
+hadn't even done anything particularly proactively myself, and I kept getting
+swept up in the things going on around me. Despite the ups and downs,
+maybe this was the kind of normal, everyday life that I'd wanted to have?
+I had a hunch I was going to arrive at an answer—soon.
+But then something strange happened.
+The phone I'd placed near my bedside vibrated quietly. The clock
+showed that it was just past one in the morning. I checked to see who would
+be calling me at such an unusual time, but it was an unregistered number.
+It shouldn't be possible for an outside number to contact me. The
+phones the school had provided us were only able to make and receive calls
+from school numbers, and there seemed to be no way to change those settings
+—a countermeasure put in place to prevent students from inadvertently
+making contact with the outside world. It wasn't a particularly unusual
+feature for a phone to have. There were similar parental controls you could
+activate when giving a phone to a small child, for instance.
+In other words, the call was coming from someone on the school
+campus whose number hadn't been registered in my phone. I couldn't
+determine if it was from a student or from a teacher.
+"Hello?"
+Still slightly sleepy, I cautiously answered the phone, pressing it to my
+left ear. No one spoke on the other end. The only sound that reached my ears
+was the faint sound of someone breathing.
+We both waited in silence for about 30 seconds, as I waited for the
+other person to speak up.
+"If you're not going to say anything, I'm hanging up," I said, warning
+the person on the other side that I had enough of waiting in silence.
+"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."
+The person on the other side said my name. It was a male voice that I
+didn't remember ever hearing before, but it didn't sound like an adult. In
+which case, it was highly likely they were a student.
+"And you are?" I asked in return.
+The person went quiet again. And then, they hung up.
+"Calling me just to say my name." I couldn't dismiss this as a simple
+wrong number. "So you've made your move, huh...?"
+The identity of the caller was a trivial concern. I began to see that
+man's strategy. He'd begun moving against me. But why do this, and let me
+know he was coming? If his goal was to get me kicked out of school, then a
+surprise attack made more sense.
+Deliberately doing something like this was a threat. A threat that he
+meant to crush me.
+Was there anything at all that lay beyond that man's power...?
+Regardless, there was no changing what had just begun.
+Chapter 5:
+Ichinose's Secret, Kamuro's Secret
+'Tubs WAS FRIDAY. Four days since Kanzaki had made contact with
+Hashimoto. The rumors about Ichinose had spread further with each passing
+day, to the point where it was no exaggeration to say the whole school knew
+of them. However, Ichinose had yet to report anything to the school. She
+seemed to pay the rumors no mind, going about her business as if nothing had
+changed. She stood firm in the face of the harassment.
+People were beginning to speak up in support of her, saying things like
+"Rumors are just rumors, after all." These were all red herrings. They were
+nothing but lies.
+Rumors didn't last forever, though.
+The plan to defame Ichinose had ended in failure. She'd made it
+through the ordeal by maintaining her silence. As more and more people
+began to see it that way, their attention shifted to studying in earnest for the
+year-end final exams.
+But something else happened during that time. Something that stoked
+the rumor mill again and caused fresh gossip to spread.
+When I made it back to the dorm after class on Friday, I witnessed a
+large group of people gathered in the lobby. This was a familiar spectacle.
+"Déja vu, huh?"
+Coincidentally, Katsuragi was standing in the same spot as last time.
+The difference this time was that Yahiko was standing next to him. Since
+there didn't seem to be anyone else around who I could talk to, I decided to
+approach Katsuragi and call out to him.
+"What's all this fuss about?" I asked.
+"Seems like there was a letter put in people's mailboxes. It's similar to
+the previous incident," muttered Katsuragi, crossing his arms in apparent
+disapproval.
+"Didn't you get one too?" said Yahiko, directing his question at me at
+me a slight nod.
+"Tl go check."
+I went over to my mailbox, turned the dial of the combination lock, and
+checked the contents. I saw a piece of paper that had been carefully folded
+into fourths and placed inside. Just like before.
+If this really was the same as last time, then it should be a printout. Of
+course, when a piece of paper was folded this many times, it made it harder to
+tell whether it was handwritten or printed.
+I slowly unfolded the paper.
+"Ichinose Honami is a criminal."
+That was all it said. But this time around, the name of the sender
+wasn't included. It was also typed in a standard font, making it look
+exceedingly simple. Since I couldn't imagine this being printed at the
+convenience store, the sender had probably used a printer that they'd
+purchased themselves.
+The sentence brought to mind those rumors that had just begun to die
+down. But the message was different this time. It simply said that she was a
+"criminal." No mention of what crimes she'd committed.
+"I'm sure Ichinose must be exasperated by this prank."
+"But won't saying it so blatantly cause a lot of problems? I mean,
+doing something this malicious more than once. That's going to cause
+trouble, isn't it?" asked Yahiko.
+"The situation is certainly completely different from last time. The last
+letter merely hinted at the possibility that Ichinose had amassed points
+illegally. Although she was determined to have done nothing fraudulent, the
+school did recognize that she had a large number of points, so they made an
+unprecedented announcement recognizing their legitimacy. This time around,
+however, the contents of the letter are clearly designed to defame Ichinose. If
+we report this to the school and ask them to take action, there's a possibility
+they can identify the sender."
+"Wow. Whoever sent it sure 1s an idiot, then."
+"Well, ''m not so sure I would say that."
+"Why's that?"
+"T think the culprit would be well aware of something as simple as
+that."
+"Huh...? Wait, you wouldn't happen to know who's been spreading
+those rumors, would you, Katsuragi-san?"
+"Nothing more than a hunch 1s all."
+Even though Sakayanagi had told me of her plans in advance, she
+publicly denied the truth of her involvement. It was possible Hashimoto had
+been working alone on this, or that he was acting on the orders of the second-
+or third-years. It was also possible that an entirely different person was the
+source of the rumors.
+However, Katsuragi said he had a hunch about who the source might
+be. That meant Sakayanagi was obviously the clear candidate, right?
+"Whether or not the school takes action will likely depend on the
+affected person: Ichinose."
+The person who'd sent these letters was convinced Ichinose wouldn't
+report anything to the school, just like with the rumors of last time. They
+were confident that, no matter what they did, Ichinose would remain silent. If
+she took no action in response to the rumors or this letter, then the school
+couldn't act in response to her.
+While all this went on, Ichinose had arrived at the dorm. No—it looked
+like she'd been contacted by her friends in Class B and then hurried back to
+the dorm. A friend handed her one of the letters right away, and she began to
+read it. Katsuragi, I, and the other ten or so students present watched her.
+Ichinose didn't say anything. She just stood there, staring at the paper.
+It took no more than a second to read the statement on the paper, but she
+stared at the words, seeming to read them over and over, for dozens of
+seconds.
+""... This was put in the mailboxes?"
+"Yeah... It's awful, isn't it? It's probably in every first-year
+student's..."
+One of the girls from Class B, Asakura Mako, approached Ichinose and
+hugged her.
+"Hey, look, there's really no need to stand for this anymore. Why don't
+we talk to the teachers? This is unforgivable."
+"Yeah, that's right. If we talk to the teachers, I'm sure they can find out
+who's behind this!"
+Until now, there had just been unseen rumors. But this was different.
+This was a physical piece of evidence—clear proof that someone was
+attacking Ichinose with malicious intent.
+"Don't worry. Something like this doesn't bother me," said Ichinose.
+"B-but we have to do something! If we don't, these horrible rumors
+about you will just keep spreading, Honami-chan!"
+It was no surprise that Ichinose's classmates were desperately trying to
+persuade her to act. Even if nine out of ten people dismissed the rumors, that
+one person who believed them would be all it took to make Ichinose
+Honami's reputation slowly deteriorate. Ichinose was unhesitatingly
+committed to keeping her silence, but those around her felt differently. They
+were all looking for a way to help her, to prove that she was innocent, and to
+punish the culprit. Their attempts, however, would only back Ichinose further
+up against the wall.
+"I'm sorry, everyone. For making you all worry about me. But really,
+please don't worry about this," said Ichinose, smiling at the girls of Class B.
+There was almost no doubt that these letters had been distributed in the
+middle of the night, while everyone slept. Since no one really checked their
+mail first thing in the morning, the letters weren't discovered until after
+students returned to the dorms after class. All that remained, after that, was to
+wait for someone to find the letter and tell Ichinose about it.
+There was one girl who carefully observed the upset girls from Class
+B. Katsuragi was glaring at her with a sharp gleam in his eyes. It was Kamuro
+Masumi, from first-year Class A. She was usually seen with Sakayanagi, but
+today, she seemed to be alone.
+"Is something up with Kamuro?"
+"No... It's nothing."
+Katsuragi didn't give an answer. He tossed the letter away in a nearby
+trash bin and then pressed the button for the elevator. His face remained stern
+from the time he called the elevator until he and Yahiko finally boarded it,
+after it had come down from the first floor. As I watched the elevator go back
+up, I decided to return to my room.
+5.1
+My ROOM WAS on the fourth floor of the dormitory: Room 401.
+When I got onto the elevator, Kamuro got on at the same time.
+"What floor?" I asked her from my position right in front of the
+elevator buttons, but she didn't answer. Instead, she stood there in silence
+until the door closed. The elevator quietly began to move, bringing us to the
+fourth floor, where I disembarked. Kamuro exited right after me, like she was
+following me.
+A simple coincidence? She was probably on her way to meet up with
+some guy. I walked to my door, and a second later, called out to Kamuro.
+"Was there something you wanted?" I asked.
+"T have something to talk to you about."
+"T would have preferred it if you had said something sooner."
+"What, do you have plans?"
+"No. Is there any problem if we stand here and talk?" I asked.
+"T catch cold pretty easily. If you don't mind, can you invite me in?"
+she asked.
+If you don't mind, she said, but the request sounded almost like a
+threat.
+"Sure, I don't mind..." I replied, unlocking the door and heading
+inside.
+Kamuro ran her eyes across my room, her expression never changing.
+"Such a plain room."
+"That's the first thing you say after forcing your way inside my room?"
+I asked.
+"How did I force my way in? You gave me permission to enter, didn't
+you?" replied Kamuro, sitting down on my bed.
+"Well, it was the way you got permission... Never mind. So what is
+it?"
+"Get me something to drink. This is going to be a bit of a long story."
+Wow, okay. She was pretty brazen. "Okay. I'll go make some tea or
+coffee."
+"You don't have cocoa?" Unexpectedly, she requested a third option.
+"...1 do. Okay, cocoa it is, then."
+I broached the subject of the talk she'd requested while I prepared the
+cocoa.
+"So what did you want to talk about? If you're worried about the cold,
+we could've talked in the lobby." The lobby was heated, after all.
+"No one will bother us here. This is the best place to talk."
+"What do you want to talk about then?" I asked again. To be honest, I
+wasn't interested, and didn't particularly want to hear it.
+"Are you getting defensive now?"
+"It would be strange if I didn't. A girl whom I'm not close to—who's
+an enemy student from Class A, on top of that—just came into my room."
+"Wow, you sure are quite different from Yamauchi," said Kamuro, still
+staring at me. Like she was testing me. "Aren't you curious?"
+"Nope."
+"Okay. Then I won't touch on that subject anymore. Whatever. It
+doesn't matter."
+While Kamuro might be hiding a trick up her sleeve, like recording our
+conversation with her phone or a tape recorder, it was also true that her
+position was somewhat unique. Since Sakayanagi already knew about me,
+Kamuro didn't need to choose her words as carefully. Sakayanagi could
+attack me at any time, if she deemed it necessary. The reason she wasn't
+doing so right now was because she didn't want to draw attention to me.
+"That letter earlier, about Ichinose," Kamuro asked. "What do you
+think about it?"
+"What do you mean, what do I think?"
+"Exactly what I said. Do you believe that she's a criminal, like the
+letter said?"
+"Who knows? I'm not interested, anyway."
+"Even if you're not interested, you must have an opinion on the matter.
+Do you think Ichinose is a good person or a bad person?" asked Kamuro.
+"You can't say someone's a bad person just because they're a criminal,
+or that they're a good person just because they aren't." Good and bad were
+abstract concepts. How people defined them could vary greatly, depending on
+perspectives, positions, and relationships.
+Kamuro stared at me, completely unamused. She didn't seem to want
+to let the conversation go in that direction at all. There was probably no way
+for me to avoid getting the heart of the matter any longer.
+"T think it's connected to those rumors someone's been spreading," I
+said.
+"T suppose so. I did hear about those rumors that have been going
+around."
+"This is just conjecture on my part, but I think that one or more of
+those rumors might be true or at least somewhat close to being true. Which 1s
+exactly why Ichinose isn't fighting back against the rumors and against the
+letter. That's because if she did fight back, then the truth that she had been
+keeping hidden would be exposed," I reasoned.
+"So, she thinks that if she continues to ignore them, the rumors will
+end up as nothing more than suspicions."
+"Yeah. But that doesn't solve the problem. Ultimately, if the person
+who's spreading these rumors knows the real truth and keeps at it, they can
+get more and more specific with the rumors, without actually saying it
+themselves. When they do that, there's a high probability that Ichinose won't
+be able to hide it anymore."
+The water came to a boil, and I poured it into a cup. Then, I put a cup
+of cocoa on the table. Kamuro didn't go to drink it right away.
+"Not going to drink it?" I asked.
+"T have a sensitive tongue."
+I wondered how true that was.
+"It's just as you've guessed. Right now, Ichinose is being targeted by a
+student who knows the truth that she wants to keep hidden."
+"And how do you know that?" I asked.
+"You know why. Sakayanagi said it right in front of you, after all."
+I did remember that, of course. However, Kamuro didn't have any
+reason to tell me that herself. Was this also one of Sakayanagi's strategies?
+"Just for your information, Sakayanagi doesn't know that I'm here
+talking to you right now. She'd probably be angry if she knew."
+"So, this means that you're betraying Sakayanagi?"
+"Yeah, it does."
+"Sorry, but I can't really believe that."
+"T figured. So [ll tell you the truth that Ichinose has been hiding.
+Besides, I'm sure that tomorrow or the day after, everyone will know it
+anyway."
+So then, that means you can prove to me what you're saying is true
+then, huh?
+"But before I tell you, there's something else. About why I'm being
+pushed around by Sakayanagi. That's something I need to tell you about."
+"Your own personal story?"
+"IT know you're not interested, but just listen."
+If it didn't matter whether or not I was interested. If all I had to do was
+listen, then I'll just listen. If I didn't do that, then she probably wasn't going
+to leave.
+5.2
+Sac HAD MADE CONTACT with me a week after the entrance
+ceremony. I'd stopped at a convenience store on my way back to my dorm,
+and finishing up my business there, had just left the store when one of my
+female classmates called out to me.
+"Please wait a moment."
+I stopped in my tracks. "What do you want?"
+"Well, it hasn't been long since we started school here. I was just
+thinking I'd like to speak with you a bit, Kamuro-san."
+"You remember my name, huh?"
+"T made sure to memorize the names and faces of my classmates," the
+girl replied as she walked towards me. She moved at a slow pace. The cane
+that she gripped with one hand made it clear her legs weren't in the best
+shape.
+If ''d remembered correctly, her name was...Sakayanagi Arisu, I think.
+Her physical handicap made her stand out. I made no real effort to memorize
+my classmates' names, but for some reason, hers stuck in my memory.
+"Would you mind if we walked back to the dormitory together?" she
+asked.
+I should've declined—but I didn't. It wasn't because her legs were bad.
+There was just something about the mood, in the moment, that made it
+difficult for me to turn her down.
+"Sure, if you want."
+"Thank you very much." Sakayanagi smiled happily. She sped up a bit
+to match my pace, walking beside me.
+"I'm not going to help you if you push yourself too hard and fall over,"
+I told her.
+"Don't worry. My cane and I are quite well acquainted. We've been
+together a long time."
+So she said, but...she was still moving pretty slowly. I intentionally
+released a heavy sigh. Which didn't seem to bother Sakayanagi at all. She
+might look frail at first glance, but apparently, she was quite bold on the
+inside.
+"By the way...what were you doing at the convenience store, earlier?"
+she asked.
+"What do you mean?"
+"Tt doesn't look like you purchased anything."
+"What does it matter? There wasn't anything I wanted."
+I tried to bring the conversation to a close, but Sakayanagi grabbed
+hold of my arm.
+"You shoplifted, didn't you?" she said, meeting my gaze squarely. Her
+eyes were sparkling, almost as if she'd found herself a fun new toy. "I'm
+assuming you already checked out the place several times, so you knew the
+positioning of the cameras. Was this your first time shoplifting at this school?
+How many times have you done it before?"
+"You're really that certain I stole something?"
+"Yes. It seems you aren't taking me very seriously, but yes, I am quite
+confident that you did. If I weren't, I wouldn't have asked you if you had
+shoplifted."
+"T suppose you have a point." She'd called out to me precisely because
+she'd seen me there. "So even if I did steal something, then what? You gonna
+rat me out to the school or something?"
+"Hm, let's see. While it would be a simple enough matter for me to
+report this incident, please listen to what I have to say first."
+"Huh?"
+Sakayanagi kept going, ignoring my scowl.
+"Your execution was superb. What surprised me most of all, though,
+was how cool and composed you were. Most people would also buy
+something cheap, like gum or candy, to assuage their guilt. You did nothing
+of the sort, and I get the feeling you never have. More proof that the act of
+shoplifting has become something of a routine for you."
+She was right on the money. Just from watching me do it once, she'd
+inferred that I'd done it many times before. But so what? What did that
+matter? I had no intention of drawing out this conversation. No matter how
+good my execution had been, the fact remained that she'd seen me.
+"Do whatever you want," I told her.
+I reached into my bag and pulled out the can of beer I'd stolen from the
+convenience store. People under twenty weren't allowed to buy alcohol. The
+shops only stocked it for the teachers and other staff living on campus.
+"Just hurry up and contact them already," I added.
+What Sakayanagi said next, however, was a complete non sequitur.
+"Do you often drink alcohol?"
+"Huh? ...No. I'm not really interested in booze."
+"So shoplifting isn't something you do to make your daily life easier.
+Rather, you do it just for the thrill, right?" said Sakayanagi, analyzing the
+situation. "For the feelings of guilt?"
+"Okay, I get it, you can see right through me. So why don't you just
+hurry up and hand me over to the school already?"
+"Are you sure that's what you want? If the school finds out you
+shoplifted, then suspension is quite likely, don't you think?"
+"And?"
+"It's only been one week since we started school. There are still so
+many things, both fun and not so fun, to look forward to, aren't there?"
+"If you're not going to contact the school, I'll do it myself."
+I moved to take out my phone, but she stopped my hand.
+"T quite like you, Kamuro Masumi-san. You're going to be my very
+first friend," said Sakayanagi, urging me to put my phone away.
+"What are you saying?"
+"In exchange for keeping your secret, I'd like you to help me with a
+few things, please."
+"That isn't what I'd call friendship."
+"Oh, really?"
+"Besides, do you think I'Il just obediently do as you say?"
+"Tt's certainly true that even if I report you, the penalties the school
+inflicts on you would likely be minimal. But the fact that you, Kamuro
+Masumi, are a shoplifter would become known to all. And that would make it
+hard for you to ever shoplift again, hm?"
+"You're saying you won't just overlook me shoplifting this time, but
+you also don't care if I do it again?"
+"Whatever you do is entirely up to you. I will do nothing to influence
+your actions. Besides, even if I tried to appeal to you from a moral
+standpoint, telling you such criminal acts are wrong, my words would have
+no lasting impact. Am I wrong?"
+"Well, that's..."
+"Regardless... think that if you follow me, your life will be anything
+but boring. Perhaps I can help you scratch this itch that currently only
+shoplifting assuages, hm?"
+That was my first encounter with Sakayanagi Arisu.
+5.3
+66
+eee Au MAN, I'm exhausted. It's been a long time since I talked
+that much."
+Having finished her story, Kamuro gazes at me with the same look in
+her eyes that she had since we started the conversation.
+"So basically, I'm a habitual shoplifter."
+"Even recently?"
+"Sakayanagi has been working me to the bone. I haven't had the time
+to shoplift."
+Despite saying that, Kamuro didn't sound entirely dissatisfied. She'd
+probably never been needed by anyone before, which had led to the darkness
+she kept within in her heart. The fact that Sakayanagi now needed her kept
+her from continuing to commit crimes.
+If that was the case, Sakayanagi was making good use of her. If
+Kamuro kept shoplifting, sooner or later, she'd be caught. She might have
+flown under the radar if she were doing it off campus, but the school
+provided her a very limited territory to work in. If on-campus store owners
+noticed continuing inconsistencies in their inventory, then they'd quickly
+figure out the truth. And if that happened, Class A would take some
+significant damage.
+"Sakayanagi said something at the school camp about you and Ichinose
+sharing the same secret," I told her. In other words, if I assumed Kamuro was
+telling me the truth, it meant Ichinose has a history of shoplifting too.
+"Exactly."
+"So what exactly do you hope to achieve by telling me the truth about
+your past?" Depending on the circumstances, I might be able to use this to
+investigate her past. If that happened, Kamuro would be the only one losing
+out.
+"T don't particularly like Sakayanagi or Ichinose or anything. But it's
+just that, well, the truth about Ichinose shoplifting really was a shock to me,
+honestly. She's so popular. You'd think she would be satisfied with
+everything she has, but she's actually the same as me." Kamuro chuckled
+self-deprecatingly. "Stop Sakayanagi. You can do it, can't you?"
+"Tn other words, you're asking me to save Ichinose?" I asked.
+"Yes. If things keep going this way, Ichinose is going to be crushed,
+and I don't mean physically. I mean her heart."
+"IT see."
+It was difficult to verify the truth of Kamuro's story. A store owner
+could detect monetary discrepancies or missing items by thoroughly
+analyzing their inventory, but that wouldn't tell them the cause of the missing
+items. The loss could be the result of an employee's processing error.
+Kamuro had said that she'd shoplifted when she started school here,
+but she obviously didn't just steal the same items over and over again. I could
+hardly ask the store to show me their surveillance camera footage. The only
+thing I could do was leak the fact of Kamuro's shoplifting to the school and
+to the convenience store employees, but irrespective of the truth of her story,
+that posed far too much of a personal risk to me.
+Even if everything she said was true, I wasn't inclined to take her
+words at face value. While it was probably true that she was dissatisfied with
+Sakayanagi, that was hardly enough incentive to make her come looking to
+me, a complete unknown, for help.
+What was the point of this sequence of events, then? Realistically
+speaking, should I assume this was all happening at Sakayanagi's command?
+She might be using Ichinose to set up a direct confrontation with me.
+"You think that ''m lying?" asked Kamuro, breaking the silence after a
+long period of consideration.
+"To be honest, there's no guarantee what you said is true," I told her.
+Of course, based on what she'd told me, I'd come to the conclusion
+that it almost certainly was true. Even so, her close connection with
+Sakayanagi made me wary of admitting that.
+"...1 see. In that case, how about I prove it to you?"
+"Can you prove it?"
+"Probably." Kamuro took out her student ID and handed it to me.
+"Okay, then. Wait for me, and don't lock your door."
+With that, she left the room. Wait a minute... Was she really planning
+on stealing something right now to prove she was a shoplifter?
+I idly examined Kamuro's student ID while I waited. About 10 minutes
+later, she returned. She took something out from under her clothes and
+showed it to me.
+"Hey, hey..."
+It seemed I'd guessed correctly.
+"T thought about taking some gum or something, but figured a beer
+would give my story more credibility," said Kamuro.
+True enough. Anyone could buy gum. She could have just purchased it
+in advance and pretended to have stolen it. Alcohol was a different story.
+Even if she borrowed another student's ID, she couldn't have purchased an
+alcoholic beverage. It was impossible for students to purchase age-restricted
+goods.
+Additionally, it was extremely unlikely that a teacher or one of the
+employees working on campus could have gotten it for her. There was no
+mistaking the fact that this was stolen merchandise. Had she done this in
+order to gain my trust?
+"Get it now?" Kamuro moved to put the can of beer away, but I
+reached out my hand.
+"Just in case, I want to verify that it's the real deal. It could be fake."
+"*...Moron. You really think I could fake something like this?"
+Kamuro seemed reluctant for a moment but then quickly handed over
+the can. It was ice-cold, which made me think that it had just come from the
+convenience store. I gently looked over the can, rotating it slowly. It was
+most certainly a real alcoholic beverage.
+"Tf you really want, you can just have it, you know?"
+"No thanks." In the unlikely event something like this was discovered
+in my room, it would spell trouble for me.
+"Yeah, I suppose," Kamuro took the can back. She tapped lightly on it
+with her hands and repeatedly tossed it in the air and caught it, over and over.
+"So, anyway, do you believe me?"
+"You showed me the real thing. I can't not believe you now."
+"T'm glad to hear that."
+"So why me?" I asked.
+""You're the only person in this school who I can come to. You should
+know that much," said Kamuro.
+I picked up the cup of cocoa I had prepared for Kamuro, since I was
+sure she wasn't going to drink it. Ten minutes had passed without her taking
+a sip, and it had gotten cold.
+"T stand to gain nothing from this," I told her.
+"Probably not, no," said Kamuro. She stood up, seemingly satisfied.
+"T'm looking forward to seeing how this ends."
+As if trying to bring the conversation to a close, she moved to leave the
+room.
+"Wait a second."
+"...What?"
+"You forgot your student ID."
+Kamuro grabbed it with her free hand—her other still holding the can
+of beer—and left.
+All things considered, this really raised some troublesome questions for
+me. Was ignoring everything going on with Ichinose the best plan of action,
+after all?
+"Well... I suppose I can't know that for sure, can I?" I said aloud.
+In fact, it might be best to take advantage of this opportunity.
+I grabbed my student ID and my phone, left my room, and made my
+way to the convenience store. While I was on the way there, I got a call from
+Horikita's brother. I'd thought I finally had a chance to relax, now that my
+guest had left, but...
+Well, this was a call from a rather unexpected person. I doubted he was
+calling just to chat.
+"There are a few things I'd like to talk to you about," said Horikita
+when I answered the call.
+"Ts this urgent?" I asked.
+"Depending on how things play out, it might be too late. It's about my
+sister."
+"...About your sister?"
+This was unexpected too. Horikita's brother wouldn't be talking about
+his sister unless there was something serious going on.
+"Kushida Kikyou contacted Nagumo Miyabi."
+"Huh?" I was surprised, but also impressed by the speed at which the
+news had reached Horikita's brother. "And here I thought you were
+surrounded by enemies on all sides. You've acquired some good information.
+Who did you get it from?"
+"From Kirtyama. It's clear from what happened at the school camp that
+my relationship with Nagumo has fractured significantly. I'm almost certain
+he'll be launching an attack before long. I have no choice but to make a move
+myself," said Horikita.
+Vice President Kirtyama, huh. While I thought things over in silence,
+Horikita continued speaking.
+"You don't trust him at all, do you?" he asked.
+"That's because I don't know Kirtyama as well as you do," I told him.
+"That's all right. You always err on the side of caution."
+As the man serving as student council president, Horikita always
+approached others with a certain degree of trust, whether it be Kiriyama or
+Nagumo. Even if he had his suspicions, he gave them the benefit of the doubt
+until he was actually betrayed. That was something I could never do.
+"So what's up?"
+"She asked Nagumo for help in getting Suzune expelled. Quite a bold
+move."
+"T see she's acting out with no regard for appearances or consequences,
+then."
+Kushida, after losing her wager with Horikita, had said she wouldn't
+do anything to interfere in the future. This proved she had no intention of
+honoring her promise. She'd tried to use Ryuuen to her advantage in the past,
+and now she'd approached Nagumo. Assuming she'd seen what Nagumo did
+at the school camp, it wasn't a surprising thing for her to do, really.
+Of course, Kushida had to realize what this meant. That every time she
+pushed against Horikita like this, she was also driving herself further into the
+corner. But as they said, no pain, no gain. You could really sense her
+determination.
+To be honest, while it might have been premature for her to reach out
+to Ryuuen when she did, it wasn't a bad idea for her to rub elbows with
+Nagumo. Working with a senior one year above her meant that once he
+graduated and was out of the picture, there would be no one around who
+knew what had happened. But that only held true if Nagumo was someone
+she could trust.
+"T anticipate Nagumo, or someone close to him, will strike Suzune in
+the near future," said Horikita.
+"So what do you want me to do? Protect your little sister?" I asked.
+"If Suzune ends up getting expelled from school, that will be her own
+fault. However, Kushida also named you as someone who has caused her
+trouble."
+"I see..."
+Nagumo might not have been too interested in me, but if my name kept
+coming up like this, then it was going to stick in his memory whether he
+wanted it to or not. If I didn't do something to sever this connection sooner
+rather than later, the problems it caused would just keep mounting.
+"Ts it possible that Nagumo and Hashimoto have been in contact?" I
+asked.
+"Why are you asking that?"
+"T thought I noticed a slight change in Hashimoto's behavior between
+the start of the school camp and the end. I wasn't sure of what I was seeing,
+but when I saw him the other day, I became certain it wasn't just my
+imagination. I suspect someone told Hashimoto something about me during
+our time at the school camp," I answered.
+The number of students who'd taken notice of me and could pass that
+information onto Hashimoto were extremely limited, to say the least.
+"It's just as you suspected. Nagumo warned Hashimoto about you
+during the school camp. That being said, Hashimoto still probably hasn't
+arrived at the conclusion that you are the student manipulating Suzune."
+"T see." Which meant he was sniffing around to try to ascertain the
+truth of the matter himself.
+"T didn't think I'd really need to come right out and ask you this, but
+are you displeased?"
+"No. Even if you'd told me beforehand, it wouldn't change the current
+situation," I replied.
+Horikita muttered an "I suppose so" in response.
+I didn't care if a student from Sakayanagi's faction distrusted me. No
+matter how hard they tried to investigate me, as long as I did nothing, they'd
+come up empty. Even if they did come up with a strategy of their own, the
+moment they shared it with Sakayanagi, that would be the end of it. In that
+sense, she was easier to deal with Ryuuen or Nagumo.
+Of course, Nagumo was at the center of all of this. Which meant just
+standing by and observing might cause me problems down the line too.
+"T've given you information. What you do with it is your decision,"
+said Horikita.
+"T suppose so."
+The call was disconnected.
+In a school like this, information of the sort that the elder Horikita had
+just given me was useful in more than a few ways. Not a day passed in this
+school without someone enacting schemes to entrap someone else, which
+made Horikita's brother a useful source of information. While he wasn't as
+dexterous as Nagumo, and his information network wasn't as extensive, he
+was far more credible and accurate.
+Regardless, it seemed the first sparks were already starting to fly. I
+probably needed to move fast if I was going to stop this from becoming a
+full-blown fire.
+Chapter 6:
+Rumors Running Rampant
+Tue WEEKEND WAS OVER, and Monday was here. I took my morning
+shower and then brushed my teeth while drying my hair off with a towel. My
+plan was to take things slower than usual, lingering in my room as long as
+possible without actually being late to class.
+I'd slept with my phone turned off last night. I turned it back on now
+and saw some messages immediately light up my screen.
+Kiyotaka-kun, do you have a little time this morning? Can I come to
+your room?
+It was a message from Airi, apparently sent right after I stepped in the
+shower. I saw a missed call from Kei too, but I'd just call her back later.
+Sorry, I was taking a shower and didn't see your message. I don't
+really have time now. Can we meet at school? I texted back. Less than a
+second later, I saw that she'd read it. Was that just a coincidence? Or was she
+waiting for me to respond?
+That's okay, don't worry about it. I'll talk to you later, replied Airi,
+making me think it must not have been an urgent matter.
+I decided to focus on getting ready for now. I was out of time to laze
+about, so I finished getting dressed and headed over to take the elevator to the
+lobby. It was generally packed full of students on their way to school in the
+morning, making it slow to respond, but given how close I was cutting it, it
+shouldn't be too busy now.
+I pushed the button to summon the elevator, then took out my phone
+and sent a message to Kei.
+What did you want? If it's possible, I'd like to meet you sometime today
+this evening or later tonight to talk.
+The message was marked as read almost immediately.
+Kei texted back. J wasn't calling for any reason in particular, so no
+worries. Anyway, I'm okay with meeting up, but can we do it earlier? I have
+plans to hang out with my friends tonight.
+How about five o'clock? | suggested. Six would be okay too.
+Okay, let's do five then, please. What is it about?
+Let's talk when we meet.
+The elevator came down from the upper floors just as I sent that last
+reply. Hirata was the only one inside.
+"Oh, good morning, Ayanokouji-kun," he said.
+"This is a rare sight, Hirata. You're cutting it pretty close today too,
+huh?"
+Hirata was an honors student, so he almost always made it to class with
+plenty of time to spare. It was pretty unusual for him to be leaving the
+dormitory late, let alone at the last possible minute, like this.
+"Well, I had really planned on leaving earlier, but..." said Hirata, a
+bitter smile on his face, looking somewhat conflicted.
+That was vague. "But?"
+As we made it to the lobby and got off the elevator, I saw several girls
+awaiting us. Not girls from just one class either, but girls from all four—from
+A to D. I wondered for a moment why they were all gathered here like this,
+but then immediately realized what was going on.
+"Good morning, Hirata-kun!"
+"Oh, good morning." While Hirata wore a charming smile, he still
+seemed a little out of sorts.
+"This...18 a valentine, for you!"
+All six girls presented him with chocolates at the same time. I had to
+imagine this precise scenario had been repeated many times this morning,
+forcing Hirata to keep going back to his room to drop off chocolates.
+I said a hasty goodbye and hurried off to class. I could' ve waited for
+him, but I was overwhelmed by the pressure I was feeling from the girls, who
+were emanating a clear vibe of "You're in the way."
+That was right. It was Valentine's Day, wasn't it?
+"I've never gotten chocolates before..." I muttered to myself without
+meaning to.
+I kind of wanted to be given chocolates before I did something like get
+a girlfriend, which surprised me, to tell the truth. I hadn't thought I was
+capable of wanting such things, even faintly.
+6.1
+I WASN'T THE ONLY GUY who was excited about Valentine's Day. As
+soon as I arrived at Class C, I felt the classroom enveloped in a strange
+atmosphere. Many of the guys were clustered together in one place. Today
+was the culmination of an entire year of hard work. Just like Christmas, this
+was an event that put a spotlight on lovers.
+"Oh, you showed up, huh, Ayanokouji? Come over here for a sec,"
+said Sudou.
+I went over to him.
+"Did you get any chocolate?" he asked, his face tense, like he was
+really pressing me for an answer. He was almost glaring at me.
+"Huh?"
+"Let me translate that for you. It seems like he's actually asking, 'Did
+you get any chocolate from Horikita?"' said Ike, with a grin.
+"Don't go running your mouth, idiot. Ain't got nothin' to do with this,"
+said Sudou, not smiling at all. If anything, his eyes were filled with this
+almost demonic energy, like he was saying, 'Well?'
+"T didn't get any. There's no way I would," I answered.
+"., Really?" asked Sudou.
+"Yeah."
+Sudou nodded a couple times in response, then released me from his
+piercing glare.
+"Well, I get why Ken's all panicky. I mean, Ayanokouji's thing is a
+total monster, after all," said Ike, drawing the outline of something like a
+plastic bottle in the air with his hand as he spoke.
+"., Okay Ayanokouji, don't think you've won just because you've got
+that, okay?" said Sudou.
+"No, I don't think that at all..."
+I'd been occasionally getting comments like that since the school
+camp, and it was honestly beginning to annoy me.
+"Come to think of it, how are you doing, Kanji? Things going well
+with Shinohara?"
+"H-huh? Why you bringin' up Shinohara?"
+"Come on, dude, enough already. Just be straight with us. Everyone
+already knows already."
+"E-everyone... knows?" said Ike, directing his question at me for some
+reason. I more or less got where the conversation was going, so I nodded
+lightly in response.
+"Ugghhh!" Ike immediately crouched down, his face turning red.
+"See? Even a total recluse like Ayanokouji knows about it. So did you
+get any chocolates?" asked Sudou.
+Perhaps because Shinohara wasn't really all that popular in our class, I
+didn't hear anyone around us commenting that they were jealous of Ike. ''d
+expected Yamauchi, his usual partner in crime, to razz him and be resentful,
+but he was nowhere to be seen.
+"T didn't get anythin'..." replied Ike.
+"Guess you and I are the same, then," said Sudou. He gave Ike a
+sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
+"W-well, it doesn't matter anyway. 'Cause I got some from Kushida-
+chan," said Ike, proudly showing off a box of chocolates with a pink ribbon
+on it.
+"Uh, okay, dude, you say that, but didn't every guy in class get some? I
+did too," said Sudou.
+"I'm still grateful, but yeah, I guess it really is just obligation chocolate
+at best."
+I'd never expected Kushida would give chocolate to all the first-year
+boys. I wondered how she'd done it? Well, I supposed it wasn't that usual,
+given this was Kushida we were talking about.
+The air was charged with the guys' overwhelming enthusiasm. I
+couldn't help but feel like 1t was precisely this kind of childish behavior that
+made the girls keep their distance, but then again, my classmates had so little
+experience in the realm of love. This was inevitable, even if their desperation
+changed nothing. Your chances of getting chocolate depended on how you'd
+behaved in the days leading up to this, not how desperate you got now that
+the moment was here.
+At least, that was the conclusion I came to as I watched a girl from
+Class B give Akito some chocolate.
+6.2
+66 ; ;
+thorn ON THE 15TH, we'll be having a comprehensive practice
+test covering all subjects, just as the schedule indicated. However, as I had
+said before, this will have no bearing on your grades. The purpose of this test
+is to, at most, measure your current abilities. In addition, it will serve as good
+practice for the year-end exams. Many of the questions on the practice test
+will be similar to what you'Il see on the year-end test, though of course, they
+won't be exactly the same. Don't get careless just because you got promoted
+to Class C," said Chabashira.
+That much-appreciated explanation marked the end of today's lessons.
+I decided to say a few words to my neighbor as she was getting ready to
+leave.
+"How are things with Kushida lately?" I asked.
+"What do you mean?" replied Horikita.
+"T mean, are things going well?"
+"T don't know. I'm doing my utmost to come up with ways to improve
+our relationship. Are you considering helping me?"
+"T'm just asking 1s all."
+"Kushida-san has been changing, little by little," said Horikita.
+"What do you mean, changing?"
+"I'm going to go have tea with her at Keyaki Mall later today.
+Normally, she would have turned me down without a second thought," said
+Horikita.
+Apparently, things were going better than I had thought—f only on the
+surface.
+"So does that mean that your hopes are being realized?" I asked.
+"If we talk to one another, we may be able to come to some mutual
+understanding."
+"That would be good. Well, see ya." With that brief response, I got up
+from my seat.
+"".,. Okay, what was that about?" said Horikita, shooting me a slightly
+contemptuous look. She rose from her seat too.
+"Ah, Suzune. Uh, um... When would be a good time to get some help
+with my studies?" asked Sudou.
+"My, you're being quite proactive, Sudou-kun," said Horikita.
+"Well, I guess. I don't wanna get expelled, after all," said Sudou
+nervously. I was willing to bet his real goal was to get some Valentine's Day
+chocolate from Horikita. "Any time works for me today. So?"
+Howevet...
+"Your club still hasn't gone on break yet, has it? I can help you study
+after the practice test. It won't be too late," replied Horikita, dashing Sudou's
+hopes to the ground as I left the classroom.
+Someone shouted my name, the sound echoing throughout the hall.
+Well...I say "shouted'" but the actual volume of the words was quite low.
+"Kiyotaka-kun!"
+"What's up, Airi?" I asked.
+"Ts it really true that you're not meeting with the group today?"
+"T wasn't planning to, no." The Ayanokouji Group had invited me to
+hang out, but I'd declined. I still had a problem that needed to be dealt with at
+the moment.
+"T-I think it'1l be okay even if you come later. Do you think you could
+still come?"
+"Hmm... I might not be free until sometime after six. Is that okay?"
+"Yeah! I think everyone should still be together by then!"
+"All right. We'll, I'll get in touch later then, okay?" I answered.
+That brief comment was enough to change Airi's stiff expression to a
+broad smile. I parted ways with her and got moving again.
+When I made it to Class B, the classroom was strangely quiet. There
+were only a few students I really wanted to talk to—Kanzaki would have
+been my first choice, but Sumida or Moriyama, who'd been with me at the
+school camp, would do as well. Unfortunately, all three had left the
+classroom by the time I arrived.
+I could probably have picked someone at random, but I wasn't going to
+do that. I turned around and left. On my way out, I overheard a shred of
+conversation between some Class B girls.
+"Hey... Do you think the reason Honami-chan 1s absent today is
+because...?"
+"No, there's no way."
+So, Ichinose was absent, huh? As I walked away from Class B, I
+wondered if it was mere coincidence, or if it had something to do with what
+had happened the other day.
+How had Sakayanagi come to know Ichinose's secret in the first place?
+Sure, there were conversational techniques like cold reading and hot reading
+that could be used to extract a person's secrets, but I couldn't imagine
+Ichinose willingly revealing her past as a shoplifter. Her refusal to comment
+on the rumors, even now, was proof of that. Would she really have let herself
+be coaxed into telling one of her greatest enemies, a member of Class A, such
+a secret? I mean, Ike and Yamauchi were one thing, but Ichinose was quite
+clever.
+"Did she just succumb to Sakayanagi trying to wheedle it out of
+her...?" I asked myself aloud.
+Or was there someone else who knew Ichinose's secret? But even
+Kanzaki, whom she probably trusted the most out of anyone in Class B,
+didn't seem to know it. I couldn't imagine her close friends knew it either,
+judging by their reactions. So maybe the teaching staff at school, or...the
+student council, which Ichinose was a part of.
+"If Nagumo betrayed Ichinose and chose to side with Sakayanagi, then
+it's possible, I suppose," I reasoned.
+This was a theory based on several assumptions, though. And besides,
+unless everything Kamuro had said was true, nothing could be substantiated.
+The only person who could overturn the premise of this assumption would be
+Ichinose Honami herself.
+Though this school could be called huge, in the eyes of the rest of the
+world, the campus was actually a rather confined space. If you met with
+someone in secret, there was always the danger of being seen. That meant
+you usually had to meet either early in the morning or in the middle of the
+night to avoid detection.
+I didn't know Ichinose Honami's room number, but that was easily
+fixed—I could just call the dormitory management office and ask for it. From
+the school's point of view, there was no reason to keep student room numbers
+secret. If you said that you were a student, and that you were trying to get in
+touch with each other, then the school should cooperate with you.
+I called to confirm her room number while I walked and managed to
+get it right away. As I did so, I ignored Hashimoto, who was watching me
+from a distance. He'd been tailing me frequently in the afternoons and
+evenings of late, and he wasn't too shabby at it either. I could tell he'd had
+plenty of experience tailing people.
+On the surface, it might seem like there was no merit to me doing
+something like visiting Ichinose while I was being watched. In fact, the
+opposite was true. It was precisely because I was being watched that the
+action was worthwhile. Besides, I wanted to confirm something with
+Ichinose.
+I hurried back to the dorm and went to her floor. Unfortunately, there
+were several girls standing in front of her room when J arrived, all people
+whom Ichinose was particularly close to.
+I quickly turned back around and got back on the elevator, deciding to
+call it a day for now.
+6.3
+Fe O'CLOCK CAME, and I asked Kei to meet me at a spot that was a
+little ways away from the dorms. It wasn't exactly a well-populated location,
+but 1t wasn't as though no one ever came there either.
+"Ah, it's so cold! Why are we meeting in a place like this, anyway?
+There are lots of other options, aren't there?" she complained.
+"Well, we can't exactly meet in the lobby, can we? If we meet out in
+the open, people will start whispering about us, and that would be bad for
+you, wouldn't it?"
+"Well, I suppose, but...doesn't meeting secretly like this actually make
+us look even more suspicious? If anyone sees us, there'!! definitely be all
+kinds of rumors popping up..."
+"Don't worry about it."
+"You know, I kinda get the feeling that you're not being very cautious.
+But that's fine, I guess."
+That was all right. After all, it would be a long wait for the guy who'd
+been following me.
+"Still, it's way too cold out. I wish summer would hurry up and come
+already," said Kei.
+"Aren't you going to just end up saying you wish winter would hurry
+up and come once summer does roll around?"
+Kei pondered that for a bit, then sniffed. "That's just how a maiden's
+heart works," she answered, pouting a bit. "Come to think of it, | wonder if
+there's going to be a special exam this month?"
+"Well, we only just got done with the school camp. It wouldn't surprise
+me if there's no special exam this month."
+"So you think we can breathe easy for a bit?"
+"Are you going to be all right for the year-end exam? It'! probably be
+pretty difficult." When I said that, Kei's posture grew stiff.
+"Huh...? Seriously?" she said.
+She'd managed to somehow squeak past in the exams we've had so far,
+but she couldn't afford to get careless with her studies.
+"Help me study," said Kel.
+"Ask Hirata... Actually, while I suppose that's not impossible, it might
+be pretty difficult, huh?"
+Kei certainly was audacious enough to ask Hirata to tutor her if she felt
+like it, even after they'd just broken up. But she didn't seem to be too keen on
+the idea. She was staring at me. The easiest solution would be to have Keisei
+tutor her, but that wasn't realistic. If I tossed her into the midst of our group
+without warning, it would have repercussions.
+"Tt would have to be in the middle of the night. Is that okay?" I asked.
+"It's way better than getting expelled."
+Well put. "All right, then. Pll go ahead and put together a schedule."
+"Thanks."
+Even if we got through the year-end exam, though, there'd be new
+problems on the horizon soon after. We could probably expect to see a
+massive special exam around the start of March. If we made it safely through
+that, we'd have completed our first year of school. The school would keep us
+fighting to the bitter end, so we couldn't afford to let our guards down.
+"So, anyway, what did you need from me?" asked Kei, seeming a little
+fidgety and nervous for some reason.
+"Something up?" I asked.
+"No, not really. It's just...I was thinking it seemed like you really
+wanted to meet with me today, for some reason."
+"T just had something I wanted to confirm. It would've been fine if we
+didn't get to it today."
+"Hmph," she scoffed, shooting me a look of suspicion. Deciding to pay
+it no mind, I focused on the topic at hand.
+"Any idea whose number this might be?" I asked, showing her the
+unregistered phone number that I had gotten a call from the other day.
+"Huh? Who is that from? What, are you getting calls from strangers or
+something?"
+"Seems that way."
+Kei brought up her contacts and manually entered the number via the
+keypad. If the number was registered 1n her contacts, then the person's name
+and other information should show up.
+"Doesn't seem like anything's coming up."
+"I do have more contacts in my phone than the average girl, but I don't
+know most of the seniors," said Kei.
+I'd hoped she'd get a hit after checking her contacts, giving me a new
+lead to investigate. But I supposed the odds of that happening were slim, after
+all.
+"Why not just try calling the number back directly?" she asked.
+"T've tried doing that several times, but whoever it is has their phone
+off."
+"Hm...? If it's important, do you want me to look into it for you?"
+"Sure. That was why I called you out here today, anyway. But don't do
+anything careless," I told her.
+"Got it," answered Kei, nodding, taking note of the number. "Is that
+all?"
+"Yep. See ya."
+I tried to bring our conversation to a close, but Kei hurriedly moved to
+stop me, looking flustered.
+"Oh, uh, by the way, um... there's something I kind of wanted to talk
+to you about. Can I ask you a question?" A strange question, as it turned out.
+"What day is today? Okay, 5, 4, 3—"
+"... That's a much easier question than I expected. Actually, it's so easy
+that I'm worried I'm going to give you the wrong answer after all," I replied.
+"Don't overthink it. Just give me a straight answer."
+"Valen—"
+"Yes, that is correct," she replied, cutting me off.
+I felt my head being lightly bonked by a box.
+"You're giving me this?" I asked.
+"T got it for Yousuke-kun, but there's no need to give it to him
+anymore."
+"For Hirata, huh?"
+"What? You don't like it?"
+"No, it's not that. I was just thinking that you must have prepared this
+quite a long while in advance," I replied. Kei had decided to break it off with
+Hirata already well over a month ago now.
+"I-I prepare for things very thoroughly! Even though I decided I was
+going to break up with him, I thought it might still be useful to have, okay?
+Well, I guess it's not like I should expect someone like you, a complete
+beginner to the world of romance, to understand."
+I supposed she had a point.
+SS Sea
+\\ Ww By \c
+***
+"T was just thinking that maybe you chose today to meet because you
+were hoping to get some chocolate from me," she added.
+"Sorry. Didn't think about that at all," I replied.
+Kei wore a look of irritation for a moment but then quickly recovered
+and changed the topic of conversation, like she was trying to avoid
+something. "By the way, did you get anything from other girls?"
+"Nope, didn't get anything."
+I'd decided beforehand to tell her that regardless of whether I actually
+received anything or not.
+"Ha, too bad, so sad. Guess you're a guy with zero prospects, then,"
+she replied, switching to making fun of me at the drop of a hat.
+"Are you sure you want to give this to me, then? If you give it to me,
+that means I no longer have zero prospects, right?" I replied.
+"That just makes it even more pathetic. That means you've gotta come
+to me for salvation." She was really condescending to me now. "Oh, by the
+way, feel free to return the favor by paying me back a thousand times over, if
+you like."
+Well, that was just extremely absurd.
+"By the way, um—"
+Kei tried to change the subject yet again, but the words seemed to get
+stuck in her throat when she met my gaze. We stood close together, gazing
+into each other's eyes, until I slowly shifted my line of sight in the direction
+of the dormitory.
+"Well, Il head back to my room then," said Kei.
+"Okay. See you."
+Kei left for the dorms, and I put her present into my bag right away.
+Chapter 7:
+Ambiguous Things
+For HASHIMOTO MASAYOSHI, the question of who to follow was trivial.
+Actually, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he didn't care at all. It didn't
+matter to him whether Sakayanagi or Katsuragi led Class A; he would simply
+use whoever served him best. That was all there was to it.
+While he'd been fortunate enough to start out in Class A, he had
+considered the possibility of dropping down to Class B or Class C along the
+way. The important thing for him was to get into a position where he could
+turn the tables on his foes, whoever they were, and pull off a late-stage
+victory in the end. That was precisely why he'd made contact with Ryuuen
+Kakeru at an early stage in his rise to power, sensing his potential. Ryuuen
+was a person of exceptional talent, capable of defeating both Sakayanagi and
+Ichinose. Hashimoto recognized his unsettling power.
+If necessary, Hashimoto wouldn't hesitate to leak information about
+Class A to Ryuuen. Of course, he was currently conducting reconnaissance
+on Sakayanagi's behalf, at most. However, if Ryuuen ever did surpass the
+others, Hashimoto was prepared to betray Sakayanagi.
+He'd also set his sights on Ichinose from Class B, in the same fashion.
+But Ichinose wasn't like Ryuuen and Sakayanagi. You couldn't engage her
+with shady, underhanded tactics. And so, rather than trying to force the issue,
+Hashimoto chose instead to remove the obstacles in the way of his objective.
+He'd made contact with a girl in Class B who was close to Ichinose.
+He wasn't able to get her to go so far as to betray Ichinose, but the connection
+had been established at least, and he went on to establish similar relationships
+with people from each of the four classes. There was simply no such thing as
+having too much insurance against unexpected events.
+And today, he was trying to make preliminary arrangements in
+preparation for one such "unexpected event."
+"U-um, Hashimoto-kun, do you have a minute?"
+One of Hashimoto's classmates, a girl named Motodoi Chikako, called
+out to him in the hallway after class. Like Hashimoto, she was in the tennis
+club. Apparently, she'd run after him after he left the classroom. She looked
+nervous and fidgety.
+Hashimoto immediately understood what was happening without her
+saying a word. Today was February 14th. He'd already experienced this sort
+of thing many times. Of course, even though he understood what was going
+on, he didn't let it show on his face. Nor did he say a word.
+"What's up, Motodo1? Something you wanna talk to me about?" he
+asked gently.
+At that, Motodoi seemed to gather the courage to come out with it.
+"Here, for you. Chocolate. Because it's Valentine's Day today," she replied,
+handing some chocolate to Hashimoto, which he immediately accepted.
+"Thanks, Motodoi. This makes me really happy."
+"T-I'm glad!"
+Hashimoto had noticed some time ago that Motodoi had been looking
+at him fondly for a while now. The chocolate she'd just given him was
+undoubtedly an expression of romantic feelings. While he felt confident that
+she'd say yes if he asked her to go out with him, he felt nothing whatsoever
+for Motodoi in return.
+For better or worse, he thought of her only as someone who wasn't
+worth using. He had already determined that there was absolutely zero benefit
+to going out with her.
+"You should drop by the club every now and again," she added.
+"Sorry. Guess I've been skipping all the time lately, huh?"
+"Seriously! Our senpai are so totally exasperated."
+"T'll remember that. Anyway, I'll make sure to thank you properly next
+month," Hashimoto said.
+"O-okay."
+Motodoi blushed, nodded, and then ran off, as if trying to escape her
+embarrassment. There was absolutely no chance that he'd go out with her,
+but Hashimoto still left the option open by hinting to her about it. Something
+might change in the future, after all.
+He sped up his pace a bit as he made his way to first-year Class C,
+trying to make up for lost time. There was currently one person occupying far
+more of his attention than Motodoi, and it was a boy from Class C named
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
+"Why can't I stop thinking about him?" murmured Hashimoto. A part
+of him couldn't help but wonder.
+Prior to the school camp, Ayanokouji hadn't even been on
+Hashimoto's radar. He'd barely known what he looked like. He remembered
+that Ayanokouji ran a fierce race against the former student council president
+during the sports festival, but that was it, and Hashimoto wasn't about to
+drastically change his evaluation of someone just because they were a fast
+runner. More importantly, he didn't pay Ayanokouji much mind because both
+Sakayanagi and Ryuuen, who had keen instincts when it came to sussing out
+other powerful people, didn't seem to be paying Ayanokouji any extra
+attention.
+However, something had happened recently to make him change his
+mind about Ayanokouji. A puzzling remark made by the student council
+president, Nagumo Miyabi. Miyabi had made a mysterious claim that
+Horikita Manabu held Ayanokouji in higher regard than he did anyone else.
+Hashimoto tried to dismiss the idea as nothing more than a joke, but he
+couldn't do it.
+In retrospect, the signs were all there. Why did Ayanokouji and the
+former student council president directly confront one another during the
+sports festival relay? What if that wasn't mere coincidence, but intentional?
+What if there was a reason they'd wanted to make a big show of competing
+against one another? Those questions began to swirl around in Hashimoto's
+head.
+Additionally, he remained unsure about the matter of Ishizaki and the
+others supposedly overthrowing Ryuuen. Class C had been Class D, the
+lowest-ranked class by far, back in the spring. But they began steadily closing
+the gap between them and the upper-level classes. What if Ayanokouji had
+something to do with it...?
+"What if he surpasses both Sakayanagi and Ryuuen...?"" wondered
+Hashimoto.
+As of this moment, he couldn't really imagine that happening. All he
+had to go on was mere suspicions; a series of paranoid delusions that might
+have gone too far. He was missing a crucial part of the puzzle. Nagumo's
+words might have been nothing more than an unfounded joke; what happened
+at the sports festival relay might just have been a product of Hashimoto's
+imagination.
+Which was why he was taking action to discover the truth.
+While acting under Sakayanagi's orders to spread rumors about
+Ichinose, Hashimoto had recently found himself with some free time to spare.
+He'd spent it following Ayanokouji around to try to find out what he was up
+to. Now, he arrived at Class C, only to find Ayanokouji was already gone.
+"You never waste any time, huh, Ayanokouji?"
+Perhaps because his circle of friends was rather limited, Ayanokouji
+hardly ever stayed back in the classroom after classes ended for the day. Was
+he with that close group of friends of his again today, Hashimoto wondered,
+the one including Miyake and Yukimura and the others? But Yukimura and
+Sakura were still in the classroom, so he eliminated that possibility.
+"Yo, Hirata." Just standing there idly and observing another class
+would draw attention to himself, so Hashimoto quickly called out to Hirata,
+who hadn't yet left to go to his club.
+"Oh, hey there, Hashimoto-kun. What's up?" replied Hirata.
+"Just came by to check and see whether you got yourself a new
+girlfriend."
+"Well, I'm not really thinking about jumping into another relationship
+right now."
+"So you're still in the process of mending your broken heart, eh?"
+"Ha ha... Something like that, I suppose," said Hirata.
+"You'll have to tell me more about it sometime, then. Oh, by the way,
+I've been trying to get contact info for the guys I was with back at the school
+camp. I was thinking I'd ask Ayanokouji next, but it looks like he's already
+left," said Hashimoto.
+"You didn't bump into him? I think he only just left a minute or two
+99
+ago...
+Just a hair too late, then. Hashimoto, quickly determining that he might
+still be able to catch up to Ayanokouji, thanked Hirata and immediately
+stepped back out into the hallway.
+It was almost time for the year-end exams. Even he couldn't afford to
+spend every day doing nothing but chasing after Ayanokouji. He wanted to
+come to a definite conclusion, and he wanted to do so quickly, so he could
+shift his attention to prepping for the exams and be ready to take them in top
+form.
+"Man, hope I get something soon," he muttered to himself.
+If there was a chance, he would take it. And so he continued chasing
+after Ayanokouji.
+As luck would have it, Ayanokouji was by the entrance, fiddling with
+his phone. Was he waiting to meet with someone? Or was he just killing
+time? Either way, it seemed like Hashimoto's luck was holding.
+Ayanokouji was almost incessantly fiddling with his phone to
+communicate with people. It was unclear whether he was talking to Miyake
+and the other people in that group, or if he was communicating with someone
+who Hashimoto didn't know. The only thing he did know for sure was that
+Ayanokouji was an extremely easy person for him to track.
+He'd been tailing several students so far: Katsuragi, Ryuuen, Kanzaki,
+and sometimes even Ichinose. None of them were all that easy to follow. If
+he got a bead on them once in two days, he considered himself lucky. And
+sometimes, when they gave him the slip, he'd go almost a whole week
+without knowing what they were up to.
+However, Ayanokouji's daily routine was ironclad, and his circle of
+friends was extremely small. This made it incredibly easy to anticipate where
+he was going to be. On top of that, Ayanokouji seemed to have no awareness
+whatsoever of what was going on around him. He never paid attention to
+anything behind him, and he never gave any indication of having a keen
+sense of intuition, not even that he had accidentally detected Hashimoto
+following him.
+Even so, Hashimoto wasn't so careless as to let his guard down. He
+followed Ayanokouji while keeping sufficient distance between them, just to
+be completely safe.
+Then, his phone rang. It was one of his classmates, Shimizu Naoki.
+"Hey, what's up, Naoki?"
+"Well... To tell you the truth, it's about what happened this morning...
+Seriously, dude, I give up. This sucks."
+"IT know, dude. Hey, it's probably best just to forget about it, all right?
+We just have a lot of people who like to talk in our class 1s all."
+A minor problem had cropped up that morning in Class A, which
+Hashimoto belonged to. Apparently, the girls of Class A had found out that
+Shimizu had confessed his feelings to one of their classmates, a girl named
+Nishikawa. And that she'd turned him down. Nishikawa had probably
+inadvertently let the fact of Shimizu's confession slip out to her friends, and
+it had spread. It happened all the time.
+"Dude, you're never going to get anyone to go out with you if you
+worry about each and every little thing, you know?" said Hashimoto.
+""Y-yeah, I guess so, but... Seriously dude, I just can't forgive
+Nishikawa for this."
+"Well, as much as I'd love to stick around and listen to you complain,
+I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."
+"Oh, really? Sorry, man."
+Hashimoto promised that he'd call him back that night and then ended
+the call.
+"That's just what happens when you ask someone out without first
+making sure you've met all the conditions for success," he muttered after he
+hung up.
+Resolving to console Shimizu later, Hashimoto followed Ayanokouji
+back to the dormitory.
+"If he's heading straight back, then I guess I'm not getting anything
+today either, huh?"
+The worst part of tailing Ayanokouji was probably the almost complete
+lack of variety. However, the elevator had passed the fourth floor, the
+location of Ayanokouji's room. It continued to ascend for a while. Hashimoto
+watched the monitor, observing Ayanokouji getting off alone on a floor
+where the girls were residing.
+"If I remember correctly... That's Ichinose's floor, isn't it?" he said
+aloud.
+It might be a coincidence. Ayanokouji might be meeting some other
+girl. But given what had been happening lately, Hashimoto couldn't help but
+connect the dots to Ichinose, even if he didn't want to.
+"Since it's Ichinose, though, I guess it's possible he's just paying a
+simple visit...?"
+While Ayanokouji had a small circle of friends, Ichinose was highly
+popular, liked by students across all grade levels. It wouldn't be surprising
+for her to be friends with Ayanokouji. Also, she was pretty cute. Plenty of
+students might be making a point of visiting her, maybe hoping to spark
+something by doing so.
+Regardless, Ayanokouji got back on the elevator soon after. This time,
+he got off at the fourth floor, which was where his room was.
+"What...?"
+Hashimoto struggled to understand what in the world Ayanokouji was
+doing. On the monitor, he saw several girls from Class B entering the
+elevator from the floor Ichinose resided on. Hashimoto deduced that they'd
+come to visit her before Ayanokouji, causing him to decide to turn back when
+he bumped into them.
+Just in case, Hashimoto quickly took the elevator up to the fourth floor.
+But Ayanokouji was gone, almost certainly back in his room.
+"Tn the end, I got nothing today either, huh," he muttered.
+After pondering whether or not to call it quits for now, he decided to
+mull over the situation for a while in the lobby. It was still early. There was
+still a good chance that Ayanokouji would make contact with Ichinose later,
+or that he might be making plans to go out and see someone else. If
+Ayanokouji hopped on the elevator, Hashimoto would be able to see whether
+he was headed up or down on the monitor.
+His decision to hang around a bit longer paid off just about an hour
+later. Ayanokouji got on the elevator and began descending toward a lower
+floor. Additionally, he was still in his uniform.
+"Is he heading back to the school building?"
+It made no sense for him to be heading back out now, after going
+through all the trouble of heading back to the dorms. If he were headed to the
+convenience store and didn't want to bother changing his clothes, that might
+explain it...but Ayanokouji had his school bag with him.
+Hashimoto immediately got up off the sofa and hid near the emergency
+stairs.
+"All right, here's hoping something interesting is about to happen," he
+said.
+As if Hashimoto's wish had just been granted, Ayanokouji exited the
+lobby and walked toward a relatively isolated area of campus. This pretty
+much put paid to the possibility of him heading to the school building or the
+convenience store. So was he meeting with someone? But...the place he was
+headed really wasn't well suited to casual hangouts.
+All things considered, Hashimoto was sure he was up to something,
+and that he was meeting someone. If it turned out to be the former student
+council president Horikita, or Ryuuen, then things would be heating up for
+sure.
+His expectations, however, were overturned quite unexpectedly.
+"Whoa, whoa, are you serious...?" he murmured aloud.
+The person who turned up to meet Ayanokouji was none other than
+Karuizawa Kei, from first-year Class C. She was quite the hot topic, even in
+Class A, after recently breaking up with Hirata. Hashimoto had had almost no
+contact with her himself, so he couldn't control his surprise at her unexpected
+appearance.
+Disappointment washed over him. His expectations had been totally
+shattered.
+This had nothing to do with the "hidden side" of Ayanokouji that he'd
+been trying to discover. This was simply a romantic affair. Hashimoto tried
+automatically to arrive at a different interpretation for the scene before him,
+but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't help but feel like the two of
+them shared something more than a regular friendship. He'd witnessed Hirata
+and Karuizawa on dates several times before, but never sensed much
+intimacy between them or gotten the feeling they were lovers.
+",.. don't get it. Why Ayanokouji?"
+Which of them was romantically interested in the other? Or were they
+both interested in each other? Hashimoto tried to hazard a guess, but came up
+blank. Romance was never logical, anyway. After all, if he were to
+objectively compare Hirata and Ayanokouji, 80 percent of girls would
+probably choose Hirata. The remaining 20 percent might choose Ayanokouji
+as an alternative to having nothing at all. In short...
+"The person who Ayanokouji has been in frequent contact with is
+Karuizawa...?"
+Hashimoto quickly ditched that idea. It was just his imagination. Just
+something he had selfishly latched onto to explain the current situation. He
+needed to investigate further to know the truth.
+However, he couldn't hear the details of their conversation. It wasn't
+like he could just casually stroll up close to them either, since this was a place
+students didn't often frequent.
+"What should I do...?" he mused aloud. No matter how hard he tried,
+he was at a loss.
+Then the scene took an unexpected turn.
+"Chocolates, huh?" said Hashimoto.
+Karuizawa handed Ayanokouji something she had been holding. Today
+was February 14th. If she was handing him something in secret, where no one
+was around to see, then he could easily guess what it was even without seeing
+what it was inside. If nothing else, this proved that Karuizawa had developed
+a romantic interest in Ayanokouji.
+"Well, guess that's it for today, then."
+It was completely unrelated to the information that Hashimoto had
+sought to discover. But just as he came to that conclusion and thought to head
+on back to the dorm, he stopped in his tracks.
+"Since I've got this chance...maybe I should try to pick a fight with
+him?"
+Considering how close they were to the year-end exams, it could be
+said that this was a valuable opportunity. He could shake things up, throw
+Ayanokouji off balance by forcibly dragging Karuizawa into the equation.
+This was a chance to expose Ayanokouji's secrets. And if nothing came of
+it...then he might be able to conclude once and for all that Ayanokouji was
+no threat to him.
+His mind made up, Hashimoto quickly headed over toward Ayanokouji
+and Karuizawa.
+7.1
+I SENSED SOMEONE APPROACHING US from behind, moving quickly. It
+was obvious from their movement that they didn't want to miss the chance to
+see me and Kei in close proximity to each other like this.
+"Yo, Karuizawa. Oh, and Ayanokouji too."
+It was Hashimoto, who had been hiding his presence and tailing after
+me since I left the lobby.
+"...Uh, who is he?" Kei, not seeming to know who Hashimoto was,
+looked to me for an answer.
+"Hashimoto, from Class A. I was with him during the school camp."
+After greeting us, Hashimoto approached Kei.
+"Whoa, for a guy and a girl to have a secret rendezvous like this...
+you're quite the smooth operator, aren't ya, Ayanokouji?"
+I'd known Hashimoto would try to make contact eventually. So this
+was the moment he'd chosen, huh? In that case, I'd just have to turn his plans
+to my own benefit.
+"Tt's not like we're really doing any—"
+"Don't try to hide it. It's Valentine's Day. Even if you're not dating,
+I'm not surprised you two set up a whole secret rendezvous. In fact, it looks
+like you got something from her," said Hashimoto. He'd witnessed me
+receiving chocolate from Kei and immediately putting it in my bag.
+"She just happened to give me chocolates by coincidence. It wasn't
+like we were meeting intentionally."
+I tried to deny it, but Hashimoto snickered, seeing through my excuse.
+"No, come on, man. You knew she was going to be giving you chocolates
+from the very beginning, didn't you? I mean, your bag."
+"My bag?"
+"You already went back to your dorm room, so there was no reason for
+you to bring your school bag when you went back out. Right?"
+"... Well, I was actually planning on heading over to the library
+originally. It's just that Karuizawa called me right before I left, and I agreed
+to meet her. That's what happened."
+"So...you're saying it's just a coincidence, then?"
+I nodded in response to Hashimoto's question, then took two books out
+of my school bag, showing them to him.
+"Well, it's all the same, in any case. You still got chocolate from
+Karuizawa, anyway." From Hashimoto's point of view, it didn't matter that I
+hadn't been the one who reached out to Karuizawa. What mattered was the
+fact that I had gotten chocolate from her.
+"T don't really get it, but... Is there some kind of problem?" I asked.
+"I'm just curious about why she's attracted to you is all. I mean, come
+on, Karuizawa's ex is Hirata. One of the most popular guys in the entire
+school, you know? So, what, she picks you after dumping Hirata?"
+So he wanted to know how things had gotten to this point. Kei, who
+had been listening in silence so far, opened her mouth to speak.
+"Uh, sorry, but I think there's kind of a misunderstanding here."
+"Misunderstanding?"
+"Yeah. I actually meant to give the chocolate to Hirata-kun originally.
+But I kinda thought it would be, like, a waste to just throw it away. So, I
+thought I'd give it to someone, and I just happened to choose Ayanokouji-
+kun," said Kei.
+"You hand over an intimate gift like chocolate, and then say it was just
+at random? And in a place like this, on top of that? Come on, that's a lie. And
+it's a pretty lame one too," said Hashimoto with a laugh.
+Kei looked visibly angry.
+"Excuse me?" she demanded, pinning him with an intense look.
+"Where do you get off, just showing up out of nowhere and spouting
+nonsense at us? What in the hell is your deal?"
+"T just want to know the truth," said Hashimoto, looking a little cowed.
+All things said and done, it was true that we'd done nothing to hide the
+suspicious circumstances of our meeting. I pivoted and came at things from
+another direction. This would be a chance for Kei to prove her skills. Prove
+how well she could keep up with me.
+"Come on. Don't you think it's best if you're honest about what's
+going on here, Karuizawa? I think it'Il just come back to bite us later if we try
+to hide it?" I told Kei, handing the baton to her. "I mean, if He thinks we're
+dating, then that'll be bad, right?"
+Without hesitation, she let out a dramatic sigh.
+"Agh. All right, all right. P11 come out with it. But this does not get
+spread around, okay?" said Kei, pointing her finger at Hashimoto. "I'm
+entrusting the chocolate to Ayanokouji-kun to hold on to. So that he can give
+it to the person I like."
+"So... you're saying that Ayanokouji is the middleman?" he asked.
+"Yes, exactly. Get the picture?" said Kei.
+The look on Hashimoto's face seemed to say that he just couldn't
+believe it.
+"Okay, then, who's the chocolate actually for?" he said, continuing to
+press us.
+"Huh? I'm not going to tell that to someone I just met. Are you an idiot
+or something?" said Kei. She was clearly trying to agitate him, but nothing
+about her response rang false. It was all in accordance with the image of the
+popular gyaru that Karuizawa Kei had constructed for herself.
+"That's... Well, I suppose you've got a point," said Hashimoto,
+looking somewhat shocked. He bowed his head apologetically.
+"Okay, look, you're not gonna smooth this all over just by bowing your
+head at me. Seriously, give me a break," said Kel.
+".,.. see. It seems like I really misunderstood things here. Sorry bout
+that. When I thought that you two might like each other, I just couldn't help
+but get suspicious," said Hashimoto.
+"Okay, and why are you sticking your nose in something that has
+nothing to do with you in the first place?" said Ket.
+"Well, regarding that point, you can't really say that it's got nothing to
+do with me."
+"Huh?"
+Hashimoto walked toward the still-angry Kei. He reached out his arm
+and pushed against the wall, blocking Kei in.
+"Hey, wh-what? What is it?"
+"You know, I've been thinking about this for a while now. Go out with
+me, Karuizawa. I don't know who your next true love might be, but if you
+haven't given anyone your chocolate yet, then that means you haven't
+expressed your feelings. Isn't that right?" He kept going, adding forcefully,
+"It's not too late, even now."
+"What are you even talking about...? You seriously think I'd be okay
+with that?!"
+"Love's an interesting thing, because you never know what's going to
+happen. You know?" said Hashimoto, shooting a sharp glance at me for an
+instant. He might be trying to provoke a response from me by aggressively
+hitting on Ket.
+"Well, Pll be going then," I said.
+"Huh? W-wait, I'm heading back too."
+Kei put her hand to Hashimoto's chest, forcibly pushed him back, and
+then took her distance from him.
+"That was cold," said Hashimoto, with a bitter smile on his face. It
+didn't seem like he intended to keep pushing things any further today. Or
+rather, it seemed like he no longer had any interest in Kei.
+Kei surveyed the situation, deliberately let out an exasperated sigh, and
+then headed on back to the dorms.
+"Sorry," Hashimoto said to me. "For butting in and all, at such a bad
+time."
+"Nah, no big deal."
+We walked side by side until the point where the path to the dormitory
+and the school building split.
+"Anyway, seems like you've got a lot to worry about in your love life
+too, huh?" asked Hashimoto.
+"What are you saying?"
+He put his hand on my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, "I'm talking
+*bout how an inexperienced girl probably won't be able to take your huge
+you-know-what, dude." He wore a smile on his face, as if he were teasing
+me.
+Seriously, this again...?
+"Hey, dude, don't look so exasperated about it. You know, there's
+quite a few people tipping their hat to you because of it," he added.
+That didn't make me at all happy to know. If anything, I was starting to
+resent the school camp more and more for causing this to happen.
+"So, anyway, King. Exchange contact info with me," said Hashimoto.
+"T'll do it as long as you never use that nickname you just suddenly
+came up with ever again," I replied.
+"Ha ha ha ha! All right, I won't, I won't."
+I went ahead and swapped contact information with Hashimoto, who
+apologized to me as he pulled out his cell phone.
+"Welp, guess I'll be heading on back then. See ya later, Ayanokouji,"
+he said and left.
+Hashimoto came and went, like a passing storm. Did he think he'd
+collected enough information for now? Or did he just want to avoid pushing
+the issue any further?
+Regardless, my true nature should remain shrouded in mystery in his
+mind for now. As long as things continued this way, of course.
+I decided to stop by the library and see Hiyori, who was probably there
+waiting for me. There was also one other person whom I had promised to
+meet at school.
+py
+Since I'D GOTTEN BACK to the dorms later than planned, I couldn't
+meet up with the Ayanokouji Group after all. When I made it back to my
+room just before seven o'clock, I saw a paper bag had been placed in front of
+my door. Within it were two differently wrapped packages, one square and
+one round.
+Each package had names handwritten on them. They were Valentine's
+chocolates from Haruka and Airi, as I'd already been alerted to by messages
+posted in our chat. Akito and Keisei had received the same thing.
+I entered my room and lined up the chocolates on top of my desk.
+"T never expected to get five..." I said aloud.
+Kei, Airi, Haruka, Hiyori. And one more. It was a box of chocolates
+that was wrapped with a lovely pink ribbon.
+Later that night, after ten o'clock, I stepped out into the hallway with a
+hoodie on over my casual clothes. I got in the elevator, knowing the cameras
+inside it were placed in such a way that my face was hidden. Just a
+precautionary measure in the unlikely event that something did happen. I
+would have preferred to have this meeting elsewhere, but if she was resting
+because she didn't feel well, then it couldn't be helped.
+It was late enough that Ichinose might already be asleep, but I'd
+confirmed that she was still awake ahead of time by sending her a message,
+having gotten her contact information from Horikita. However, I didn't tell
+her that I was coming to her room.
+I got to Ichinose's floor and stood in front of her door.
+I rang the doorbell. Ten seconds passed. Then twenty seconds. I heard
+nothing from inside the room, so I rang the doorbell once again. I supposed it
+was only natural that Ichinose might be confused about someone coming to
+visit her in the middle of the night.
+After about thirty seconds had passed, I decided to speak up.
+"Hey, it's me, Ichinose. It's Ayanokouji."
+It was past curfew. Hanging out on her floor for too long could get me
+in trouble, and Ichinose probably understood that. She wouldn't carelessly
+abandon someone to face that kind of danger.
+".,.Ayanokouji... kun? What's up?" replied Ichinose, her voice
+coming from the other side of the door.
+She sounded weak, and I heard her begin to cough immediately after. It
+was hard to tell just from how she sounded if she was really ill, though.
+"There are a few important things I'd like to talk to you about. I was
+hoping I could come in and talk to you. Is that not okay?"
+99
+"No, it's fine... um...
+"To tell the truth, itll be bad if another girl sees me out here," I said,
+urging her more forcefully.
+"Wait just a second, okay?"
+Moments later, I heard the sound of the lock being disengaged from
+inside the room. When Ichinose opened the door, she looked so visibly down
+in the dumps that I almost couldn't believe it.
+"Nyahaha. You were being a little aggressive there, Ayanokouji-
+kun..." she mumbled. She was wearing a surgical mask, clearly not feeling
+well. Seemed like she wasn't faking being sick after all.
+"Sorry about that. I was definitely a bit aggressive. You really don't
+look like you're feeling that well, huh," I told her.
+"Yeah... I'm just a little bit of a mess right now..."
+"Sorry for visiting you at such a bad time."
+"No, no, it's okay. My fever has mostly subsided. I guess it's more like
+I just feel all bleh because I slept way too much, and I'm hungry? Oh, I'm
+sorry to ask this, but could you put this mask on?" said Ichinose.
+She presented me with a mask, so that I wouldn't catch her cold. My
+immune system was pretty robust, but I wasn't immune to illness, and I was
+sure Ichinose would feel awful if I thoughtlessly refused her request and then
+did catch her cold. I put the mask on without a moment's hesitation.
+"So have you been to the clinic?"
+"T went there during the week."
+A lot of students thought that Ichinose was faking being sick to get
+away from all the rumors circulating about her. Apparently, that wasn't the
+case. She was genuinely sick.
+"You were worried that I've been missing class because of those
+rumors, huh? Thanks for worrying about me," said Ichinose.
+"INO5. Desa"
+Did she see through me and guess what I was thinking?
+"You're the first person who I've met with face-to-face like this since
+I've been sick, Ayanokouji-kun," she said.
+"Is that so?"
+"There were some girls who came back to visit me when my fever was
+pretty bad, but even though I felt bad about it, I had to turn them away since I
+wasn't feeling up to it. Since then, I guess my other friends must think I'm
+feeling depressed, because it seems like they've been holding back from
+coming by," said Ichinose.
+I'd come to visit her much later than everyone else, and yet, I was her
+first visitor since she'd gotten sick, huh? Ironic.
+The situation seemed simple enough: Ichinose was resting because she
+was sick. But when I considered her past behavior, I didn't have to think too
+hard to come to the realization that she was the kind of person who paid
+careful consideration to monitoring her health. Not to mention that the year-
+end exams were right around the corner. She would have wanted to avoid
+getting sick at all costs during a time like this, leaving me certain that she'd
+caught a cold because her immune system had been weakened by the
+psychological ordeal she was suffering.
+Not that she was going to admit that, of course. "I'm not going to take
+a day off just because of those rumors," said Ichinose.
+"You're really tough," I told her.
+"Tough, huh...? Oh, sorry, but could you please close the entranceway
+door for me? I had it open to ventilate the room a bit, but now it's gotten a bit
+cold... Oh, and please make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after you
+get back," she replied.
+"Okay."
+She had been running the humidifier inside the room to prevent it from
+getting too dry. The flu virus thrives best in dry, low-temperature
+environments, and warming the air around you is, therefore, an excellent way
+to eliminate that virus. If you scoffed at the idea of taking such precautions,
+then you dramatically increased your chances of prolonging your cold or
+passing it to someone who came to visit. The dryness of the air was the main
+reason why colds tended to last longer in the winter.
+That said, it was a little odd that I'd been visiting girls' rooms and
+having girls come to my room so often of late, and yet absolutely none of
+those visits had had anything to do with romance.
+"Is something wrong...?" asked Ichinose, giving me a puzzled look as
+I examined her humidifier.
+"I'm sorry that I came by and bothered you while you're resting," I
+replied.
+"Oh, no, it's okay, really. It's true that it would be safer if I didn't meet
+with anyone right now, but it's probably a better idea for me to actually let
+people know I caught a cold, I suppose."
+It seemed she was well aware of the widespread speculation that she
+was faking being sick. As if to prove it, Ichinose showed me her phone. It
+looked like she'd had several exchanges with Horikita. I guessed that
+Horikita was still worried about Ichinose and was showing it in her own way.
+We didn't talk for long after that. I decided to leave as soon as possible
+and did so at the next good opportunity that presented itself.
+7.3
+is DAY OF THE PRACTICE test had come—a day on which each class
+would have to focus on their own exam. However, the classroom was full of
+students engaged in chattering, rather than studying. And they weren't talking
+about things like vocabulary and test preparation either. The topics of
+conversation I overheard were all completely unrelated to the exams.
+"It's pretty lively in here, huh," I said aloud.
+"Well, of course it is," said Horikita. "Isn't it obvious? It's because of
+the crazy rumors we've been hearing this morning."
+"Crazy rumors? More news about Ichinose?"
+"No. New rumors, and they're causing chaos within Class C."
+"New rumors...huh." Just a glance at the total chaos that was our
+classroom made it clear this was no small thing.
+"By the way, it seems they mention you, Ayanokouji-kun," said
+Horikita, showing me her phone. There were four rumors described on her
+notes app.
+"This is—"
+Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has a crush on Karuizawa Kei.
+Hondou Ryoutarou is only interested in chubby girls.
+Shinohara Satsuki engaged in prostitution when she was in junior high.
+Satou Maya hates Onodera Kayano.
+The contents of the rumors were similar in nature. Four people,
+including me, were singled out and named directly as objects of ridicule.
+"Where did this information come from?" I asked.
+"Do you know about the bulletin boards that the school provides for
+each of the classes?"
+"Yeah, if I recall, they're in the app, right?"
+When students wanted to check the balance remaining on their
+account, or something of the sort, they had to log in through the official
+school app. This app included forums and bulletin boards for student use, but
+because we had plenty of easy-to-use chat apps on our phones, the bulletin
+boards went ignored 99 percent of the time.
+"That was a good catch, noticing those posts. Who was the first person
+to discover them?"
+"By the time I got to the classroom, the rumors were already doing the
+rounds. I wonder if someone just happened to stumble upon the messages on
+the bulletin board when they were using the app? Also, you can tell when the
+board was last updated, apparently."
+The bulletin boards weren't just used for classwork—there were
+several dedicated just to casual chatter. Since anyone could access them,
+there was a good chance these rumors had been seen by the other classes too.
+"Aren't you curious about why the modus operandi this time around is
+different from the last time?"
+"Regardless of whether this was committed by the same person or by
+someone else, there are countless ways to spread rumors. Sure, the modus
+operandi's different, but there's nothing we can really do about that, right?
+Additionally, since these rumors were put in explicit words and posted
+online, they're impossible to conceal or dismiss."
+Horikita pivoted, prefacing her next comment with a disclaimer. "By
+the way. I'm asking you this just in case, but is it true?"
+"No, it's not." I denied it right away. "Besides, not many people even
+know Karuizawa and I are on speaking terms to begin with."
+"Can you think of anyone who might have posted those rumors?"
+"Well, I suppose I have some guesses."
+I gave Horikita a brief summary of what happened yesterday when I
+met up with Hashimoto.
+"If Hashimoto-kun started the rumors about Ichinose-san, then it
+wouldn't be surprising at all for him to do the same with rumors about you
+and Karuizawa-san."
+'But what about the other victims? We don't have a lot of avenues to
+ascertain the truth."
+"That's true..."
+I mean, it wasn't like there were any students who could just directly
+confirm the truth of these rum—
+"Hey, Shinohara! You used to be a prostitute or something?!" shouted
+Yamauchi with a laugh, completely oblivious to other people's feelings, as
+usual.
+"T-I was not!" replied Shinohara, fervently denying it. She stood from
+her seat in a panic, embarrassment and anger writ large on her face.
+"Well, show me some proof then," said Yamauchi.
+"Proof...? How am I supposed to prove it to you?!" shouted Shinohara.
+Captivated by the drama, the students already in the classroom started
+sharing the rumors with the ones who were just showing up. Well, they'd
+hear them sooner or later, anyway.
+"So you're saying it's all a lie?" Yamauchi demanded. "Then what,
+everything else posted online was a lie too, huh? And that we're just running
+our mouths without even thinking?"
+As I watched Yamauchi and Shinohara get into it, I confirmed what I
+was thinking with Horikita.
+"T wonder... Well, I suppose all we can do is confirm the truth of the
+rumors with each student in turn, like what Yamauchi is doing."
+Of course, it was easier said than done for a normal person to go
+around prying into people's private business, reopening wounds they wanted
+to keep hidden for all to see.
+"How stupid can you be?! I can't believe you're getting carried away
+by these rumors when you don't even know who wrote them!"
+Shinohara was clearly furious with Yamauchi, but it wasn't surprising
+she was denying it so vehemently. If anything, it was surprising that she
+could be this calm after someone had posted such things about her.
+"But you know...don't you think all the stuff said online is pretty
+believable?"
+"Knock it off already, Haruki!"
+In response to Yamauchi's merciless teasing, Ike, who had been
+standing next to him, aggressively grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to
+get him to stop.
+"Wh-what, dude?! This is just my chance to pay Shinohara back for
+always acting so high and mighty all the time!"
+"Payback for what...? Dude, those rumors are nothing but lies!"
+"And how do you know that, huh? I mean, they do say ugly chicks like
+her can get up to some surprisingly nasty shit, y know." Yamauchi laughed,
+continuing to run his mouth like a fool in complete dismissal of Ike's
+feelings. "Oh, ho, I get it. Ike, you kinda have a thing for Shinohara. That's
+why you can't admi—"
+"Haruki!" Ike grabbed Yamauchi's collar.
+"Knock it off, you two!"
+Unable to stand by and watch things play out, Sudou stepped in and
+pulled the two of them apart by force.
+Hirata arrived at the classroom soon after and immediately sensed what
+was going on. He began asking some of the girls about the situation,
+confirming the specifics of these rumors.
+Since Shinohara was denying everything, Yamauchi temporarily
+switched targets. "So, hey, Hondou! You seriously have a fat fetish?" he said,
+directing his attention toward Hondou.
+"N-no way, dude! No way! Those rumors are all just straight-up BS!
+Right, Ayanokouji? I mean, there's no way that you have a thing for
+Karuizawa!"
+Naturally, Hondou denied the accusation. He also turned to me for
+help, seeking to avoid persecution. All at once, everyone's eyes were on me.
+Fortunately, most of Kei's group of friends still hadn't gotten to class yet.
+I answered Hondou with a nod, confirming that he was right. He
+shouted "See?" loudly, turning back to Yamauchi.
+"Tch, come on. What the hell, man? Are they all lies?"
+Now that three of us had denied the rumors, the classroom began to
+settle down a little.
+"But...it's true that Satou-san doesn't really like Onodera-san very
+much, isn't it?" Maezono blurted out without thinking, probably because
+Onodera wasn't here yet.
+"H-hey, wait a second, Maezono-san!" Satou frantically tried to stop
+her, but it was already too late.
+"Actually yeah, come to think of it, has anyone ever seen Satou hang
+out with Onodera before?"
+"Th-that's..."
+The situation had changed. All of a sudden, people no longer seemed
+inclined to dismiss the rumors as outright lies. Sudou, confirming that he had
+separated Ike and Yamauchi, walked up to Horikita and me.
+"Ayanokouji. You really don't have a thing for Karuizawa?"
+Apparently, even he felt like he needed to ask.
+"Nope, I don't."
+"Hm. Well, hey, even if it was true, it doesn't really matter to me, I
+guess. Hey, Suzune."
+"What is it, Sudou-kun?"
+"Well, it's just that I happened to hear a little bit of your conversation
+earlier. If you're okay with me helping out, I'd like to lend a hand," said
+Sudou.
+"Meaning?"
+"Well, I'm an insensitive guy. So I can just go around and ask people
+straight out, like Haruki did. How about it?" offered Sudou.
+It was true that Sudou could be a useful tool in determining the origin
+of these rumors...though if he had heard our conversation, he should have
+heard the part where I denied the fact that I was interested in Ket.
+"Don't do anything to lower yourself in people's estimation," Horikita
+said. "People already don't think too highly of you. You should be striving to
+improve how they see you, even if just a little. Yamauchi-kun's careless
+comments seem to have drastically lowered his standing in our class..."
+It felt like Yamauchi had overtaken Sudou as the most hated person in
+class in one fell swoop. Even Ike, his closest friend, was now furious at him.
+"You might be right about that... But I want to be useful somehow."
+Sudou glanced at me for a moment before immediately averting his
+gaze. I was sure it was because he was vaguely aware of the fact that Horikita
+consulted me on a lot of things. Of course, he probably also understood that it
+was partly because it was easy for us to talk to one another, being desk
+neighbors.
+"Tn that case, please keep an eye on Yamauchi-kun and keep him under
+control. If even one of the rumors had been positive, this would be a different
+story. Instead, they're so troubling as to become deeply personal, whether or
+not they're true. I'm sure Hondou-kun must be shaken by all this, so I'd like
+you to check in on him. You can do that, right?"
+"... Yeah, okay."
+Sudou seemed a little bit disappointed, but he still obediently followed
+Horikita's instructions. Horikita waited to confirm that he'd left, then
+returned to the topic at hand.
+"This is likely part of Sakayanagi-san's plan. She wasn't satisfied with
+going after Ichinose-san, so she's trying the same scheme on Class C too.
+Hitting multiple people at the same time, no less. I think it's just an attempt to
+throw us off before the year-end exams, but... What should we do?"
+"What do you mean? Do you think there's any way we can really fight
+these rumors? The more we try to deny them, the more everyone's
+imaginations will run wild, convincing them they're true. The rumor about
+me isn't really a big deal, but if the ones about the other students are
+recognized as fact, it'1l do them some real damage."
+".,. That's true. You might be right."" Horikita nodded in understanding
+as she looked over at Hondou and Shinohara. I wonder if she was imagining
+herself in their shoes. "That said, this 1s a really dirty move. How do we push
+back against something like this?"
+"T wonder."
+"Even though you can see the sparks starting to fly, you're planning to
+just sit back and watch?" asked Horikita.
+"Tt's not that bad. Well, I guess it will be from Karuizawa's point of
+view, though."
+"Meaning you're fine?"
+"Yep, totally fine."
+For whatever reason, it seemed like Horikita might have been hoping
+to see me panic. As a result, I got to see a rare look of mild disappointment
+on her face.
+"Tt's fortunate that it's not the other way around, at least," she said.
+In other words, if the rumor had claimed Kei had a crush on me. That
+would've inspired more rumors about Kei—that she was chasing after a new
+guy right after breaking up with Hirata, for instance. Speculation would run
+rampant. It didn't matter if something was completely untrue; if enough
+people recognized a lie as fact, that lie would become reality.
+"But...[ can't just sit back in silence and observe forever, like you."
+"ESee.*
+The commotion in the classroom made it obvious these fires were
+going to keep spreading even if no one took action. Yamauchi was about to
+turn the conversation back toward Shinohara and Satou, but Hirata stopped
+him.
+"Yamauchi-kun. Just because something is written on the bulletin
+board doesn't make it true. Besides, at the very least, you can agree that it's
+wrong to hurt a fellow classmate like this, right?" said Hirata.
+"But if it's like with the rumors about Ichinose, then everyone's gotta
+have heard them already, right? Even if we don't say anything, it'Il all be the
+same in the end, won't it?"
+"T don't think we can say that for sure. At least not yet. That's why I
+think the best thing for us to do right now is to carry on without letting what
+was posted on the bulletin board throw us into chaos," said Hirata.
+His words were met with a strong chorus of agreement from both the
+guys and girls. This wasn't going to solve all of our problems, of course, but
+he'd at least managed to put a lid on things for now.
+Then Horikita got a message on her phone.
+"Tt's from Kanzaki-kun." Horikita took a look at the message.
+"Apparently, it seems like Ichinose has taken today off as well."
+The day of the practice test. Even if you were feeling a little under the
+weather, you would still want to take the test to check where your abilities
+were at. Not to mention the fact that Ichinose was the class leader, the one
+responsible for guiding her classmates along. Well, based on how she looked
+yesterday, 1t was no wonder she hadn't completely recovered yet.
+"And one more thing... It seems like similar rumors were posted on the
+Class B bulletin board."
+"Meaning they must've noticed what was written about us too."
+"Seems that way."
+Horikita hurriedly logged into the app and checked the Class B bulletin
+board. Much like with Class C, there were four rumors posted on the boards,
+each naming a different student. There were similar messages on Class D's
+bulletin board, too.
+"Conveniently enough, it looks like the students of Class A were the
+only ones who had no rumors posted about them. Can I have a moment of
+your time after class today? I'd like to check in with Ichinose, get some more
+information, and discuss how to respond to these posts."
+"Sure," I agreed.
+"For the time being, let's focus on the practice test. It's a valuable
+opportunity to gauge the difficulty level of the year-end exam, and to get an
+idea of where our class is at."
+But Horikita wasn't one of the people targeted by the rumors. Unlike
+her, the victims weren't going to be able to concentrate on the test quite so
+easily. When Kei and her friends arrived at the classroom, they huddled
+together and started whispering among themselves. Then, they looked over at
+me. They looked at me as if I were human trash. I could tell what was going
+on even if I couldn't hear what they were saying.
+"Does it really look like Avanokouji-kun has a crush on Karuizawa-
+san?"
+"Hey, what do you think about him anyway? Huh, Karuizawa-san?"'
+I was sure the conversation they were having right now went
+something like that. And, without a doubt, I bet that Kei was responding to
+them with things like "He's disgusting" or "He's the worst."
+"Didn't you say that you were fine?"
+"* ..It kinda bothers me a little."
+I would've kept watching them talking, but I didn't want to actually
+overhear what they were saying, so I decided to stop. The real issue was the
+students other than me who'd been singled out by name and were currently
+being discussed.
+7.4
+Vis PRACTICE TEST had begun, despite the chilly traces of
+awkwardness and ill will still lingering in the air. This was an important
+phase of the end of the school year. The content of the practice test was, even
+comparatively speaking, much more difficult than what we'd seen on tests so
+far. Extremely so.
+However, it was also true that students who'd gotten through the exams
+we' ve had so far should be able to handle what was on this one without
+needing to panic. On the other hand, the students who'd barely managed to
+squeak by probably needed to really put their noses to the grindstone after
+this practice test.
+I'd been invited to join the Ayanokouji Group for a study session, but I
+decided to let them know they could start without me, since I was going to be
+accompanying Horikita today. Kanzaki didn't want to draw any attention to
+himself, so we decided to meet up at the Keyaki Mall after school, after the
+practice tests were over.
+Following Horikita's lead, we went over to where Kanzaki was waiting
+for us. He was by the southern entrance to the mall. This was the farthest
+point from the school building, so students didn't usually come by here.
+I wasn't particularly invested in the whole class conflict thing, but that
+didn't mean that I wasn't worried about Ichinose, as a friend. Besides, more
+information wasn't a bad thing. Not to mention the fact that Hashimoto had
+been tailing me lately, and for some time now. If I made contact with Class
+B, the shadow of Class A would inevitably loom closer...but that was exactly
+what I was hoping for.
+In fact, Hashimoto had followed me all the way here, keeping an
+appropriate level of distance all the while.
+"Two days off in a row. And on top of that, you still haven't been able
+to get in touch with Ichinose-san yourself?"
+"Tt's not that she isn't responding at all; it's that her responses are slow.
+All I've gotten from her was a notification that she's sick with a cold."
+Kanzaki seemed on edge. I imagined he'd been under a lot of stress
+lately. Ichinose must have told him not to worry, but I supposed he could
+hardly sit there and take it.
+Ichinose's health issues were probably one reason why she was
+reluctant to meet with any of her classmates right now. I was willing to bet
+another was that she really didn't want to hear about or discuss the rumors
+any further.
+"What did your homeroom teacher say about it?"
+"The same as always. She only said that Ichinose was taking the day
+off because she was out sick with a cold."
+Their homeroom teacher had probably gotten the same message from
+Ichinose that everyone else had. Kanzaki looked depressed because he
+doubted whether Ichinose was really absent from class because she had a
+cold. After all, she'd been the subject of an ongoing scandal lately. Of course,
+he suspected that was the real reason for her absence.
+"How about we go to visit her? I think we could clear this all up if we
+just went to see her in person," said Horikita.
+"Apparently, some girls from our class went to visit her. It doesn't
+sound like they were able to see her face-to-face," replied Kanzaki.
+Horikita, realizing that the situation wasn't looking good, pondered the
+matter deeply. "Well, on the bright side, Ichinose is academically gifted.
+Even if she doesn't take the practice test, she' ll probably do just fine," she
+reasoned.
+It was possible for students who were sick, like Ichinose, to get the test
+questions at a later date, or they could ask other students about what
+problems were on the test.
+"We're not worried about that either. We're only concerned about
+Ichinose's mental well-being," said Kanzak1.
+As Horikita and Kanzaki continued to try to come up with a plan,
+several shadows approached us. It seemed like Hashimoto had already
+reported on this secret meeting.
+"Oh, it sounds like Ichinose-san is absent from class again today, huh?
+Next week is the year-end exam. If she were absent for an extended period of
+time...why, perhaps all the way to the day of the exam... Well, she might be
+in a lot of trouble, hm?"
+"., Sakayanagi."
+Sakayanagi and her underlings had appeared before us. Well, before
+Kanzaki, rather. We saw Kamuro and Hashimoto with her, and also a boy
+named Kitou. So these were the key members of Sakayanagi's faction, huh?
+"Now then, what in the world could you be discussing with these
+Class-C fellows?" asked Sakayanagi.
+"It has nothing to do with you."
+"Oh, my, it doesn't seem like we're very welcome here."
+"If you want to be welcomed, then you should stop spreading weird
+rumors. Before you do something that you can't take back."
+Sakayanagi and her classmates looked at one another and chuckled.
+"What in the world are you talking about?" she asked.
+"Class B's unity won't be shaken, no matter how many rumors you
+spread."
+"T'm afraid I don't know what kind of situation your class is in. But I
+look forward to finding out what comes next."
+I was guessing she'd only come here to see for herself how things were
+proceeding. She seemed to conclude that her plans were showing immediate
+results, for she departed right after that exchange with Kanzakt1.
+"Don't worry about her, Kanzaki-kun," said Horikita. "This is all part
+of Sakayanagi-san's strategy."
+"T know."
+Unfortunately, Kanzaki's concern for his companions, and his humble,
+reserved nature meant his suffering wouldn't be ending anytime soon.
+12
+Crass WAS OVER, but it wasn't like the rumors were going to stop
+spreading. I made it back to the dorm and was relaxing when I got a call from
+Kei.
+"Hey, w-w-w-wait a minute! What's going on, Kiyotaka?!"
+"What do you mean, 'What's going on?'" I already knew, but I figured
+I'd anyway.
+"No, come on, you know what! Kiyotaka, there's... well, um, there's a-
+a rumor going around that you have a c-crush on me! Did you not know?!"
+"Don't worry about the rumors."
+"N-no, no way, no way, no way! It's not like I can just not worry about
+it just because it's a rumor! How did this even happen?!"
+She was shouting so loudly that there was a shrill ringing in my ears. I
+moved my phone away for a moment and hit the button to lower the volume.
+"T suppose it might be Hashimoto who started the rumor," I said. "Or
+maybe some other students saw us together."
+"Aahhh!" Kei let out a quiet scream.
+"Well, I mean, this is fine though, isn't it? It would've been really bad
+for you if things were reversed."
+"R-reversed?"'
+"If the rumor went 'Kei has a crush on Kiyotaka,' then that'd be bad
+news for you, wouldn't it? I think if that were the case, then people would be
+even more suspicious of you than they are of me, since you just broke up
+with Hirata," I told her.
+"...1-I suppose so, but..."
+"Don't worry. Things like rumors always fade quickly."
+"Really?"
+"Still, I suppose it might be easier for us to make contact moving
+forward, thanks to this rumor. If I try to talk to you, people will just assume
+it's because of what the rumor says, and that' Il be that."
+It all came down to perspective. I had no plans to start having
+conversations in conspicuous locations, but it could be something of an
+insurance policy, circumstances depending.
+"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Kei repeated the word many more times
+than before. "If the two of us are together, people will look at us weird! They
+absolutely, definitely will look at us weird!"
+Was repeating yourself like that becoming some kind of trend? What a
+bizarre speech affectation. Anyway, this meant that Hashimoto, who'd been
+following me, would also have this information planted in his head.
+"Don't worry about it."
+"Even if you tell me not to worry about it.........
+A long period of silence followed, after which she apparently decided
+it was just too difficult after all. "It's just impossible. I can't do it!"
+Kei continued to grumble at me about a variety of topics for a while
+but then eventually seemed to give up, and she ended the call.
+7.6
+Taxes WERE BEGINNING to move at a dizzying pace. Even though
+there was no special exam, and we should be concentrating only on the
+written exam that was going to be held in late February, these were
+tumultuous days.
+On Friday, February 18th—three days after the practice test—students
+from each class except for B had gathered at a spot some distance from the
+school building. Hirata had done his best to keep the new rumors from
+spreading at this critical juncture, but his efforts had been in vain. Class A,
+the only class with no rumors about them posted on the bulletin boards, had
+already gotten wind of the information.
+"Yo, Ishizaki. So what the heck did you wanna talk about with me,
+anyway?" asked Hashimoto, seeming the same as always.
+"What do I want to talk about? You already know what this is about,
+Hashimoto! And what are you thinkin', bringin' Kitou along with you? I told
+ya to come alone, didn't I?" said Ishizaki.
+"Well, you brought Albert with you, didn't you? Just taking
+precautions."
+The air was tense, like everyone was on tenterhooks. Looking at the
+current situation, it was hard to imagine the two of them had been rooming
+together just a little while ago at the school camp, but the reasons why things
+had gotten to be like this were plain to see.
+"We just came to talk today. Isn't that right, Ishizaki-kun?"
+Ishizaki and Albert weren't the only Class-D students present. Hiyori
+and Ibuki were there too.
+"Well, as long as they don't make a scene, then I suppose everything
+will be fine."
+"But..."
+Hiyori's worries were understandable. Given the people who were
+present, it was hard to imagine nothing happening.
+"But what about those other people? I didn't know you invited other
+people out here aside from us," said Ishizaki.
+Hashimoto looked over at us and let out an exasperated sigh. "Dunno
+about them. Aren't you the ones who called them?"
+Apparently, both Class D and Class A were uncomfortable about
+having us Class-C students present.
+"Tt's just like you said, Ayanokouji," said Akito, who stood beside me,
+along with the rest of the Ayanokouji Group. We'd all met up at the café for a
+study session a little while ago.
+"TI just remembered that time when Kanzaki and Hashimoto were going
+at it. And then I just 'happened' to see you guys heading away from campus,
+so I thought that maybe... Well."
+As soon as I'd told Akito that I had sensed something was wrong, he
+immediately followed me here. The only thing I hadn't planned on was
+Haruka, Airi, and Keisei coming along too.
+"There's way more people here than there was last time. Things might
+get pretty rough..."
+"Ah, come on, why do we keep getting into these kinds of dangerous
+situations all the time?" said Haruka, apparently exasperated.
+"Well, whatever. It doesn't matter who called them here. So let's hear
+what you have to say, Shiina-chan."
+"It's about the rumors. You Class-A people are the ones who've been
+starting them, aren't you?" said Hiyori, perhaps deciding this would result in
+a fistfight if she left it to Ishizaki to handle the conversation.
+"Hey, hey, why are you asking us something like that?"
+"That's friggin' —"
+"Please leave this to me, Ishizaki-kun," said Hiyori, gently stopping
+Ishizaki from angrily shouting back. "I happened to overhear Kanzaki-kun
+saying that he saw you spreading rumors about Ichinose-san."
+"Wow, he's a blabbermouth, huh? Or maybe you happened to hear that
+from those two over there?" replied Hashimoto. He was referring to me and
+Akito, since we'd heard Hashimoto's conversation with Kanzaki the
+other day.
+"Please answer the question, Hashimoto-kun." Hiyori continued to
+press Hashimoto without even looking in our direction.
+"...Well, Ayanokouji and Miyake know, so I'Il just come out and say
+it, I suppose. I heard these rumors about Ichinose somewhere, and I just
+decided to repeat them a bunch, just 'cause I thought it'd be amusing."
+Hashimoto didn't admit the truth, of course.
+"That's a rather convenient excuse. Do you really think something like
+that is still going to fly?"
+"Excuse? It's the truth. I guess if it's wrong to repeat rumors 'cause it
+amuses you, then I'm the bad guy. Still, it's strange, isn't it? That Class D,
+who should have nothing to do with this, would just swoop into this whole
+situation?" said Hashimoto. He continued talking, jovial as ever, but with a
+sharp glint in his eye. "Is it possible that...1t's actually you Class-D folks
+who are the ones spreading those rumors?"
+"You've got to be friggin' kidding me. We already know that
+Sakayanagi is the one spreading these rumors!"
+"Don't be so quick to assume that. Sure, it's true that our leader is the
+ageressive type. There are times when she, against her better judgment, says
+things that'll provoke people. Says things against Ichinose too. I mean, I
+guess I understand how you feel. I understand why you wanna read way too
+much into things and selfishly decide that she was the source of the rumors.
+But we've got nothing to do with it. Besides, you don't actually have any
+proof, do you?"
+Ishizaki was clearly frustrated by Hashimoto's words, but Hashimoto
+wasn't wrong. As of now, there was no conclusive evidence suggesting that it
+was Sakayanagi who had put the letters in the mailboxes or posted the rumors
+on the online bulletin boards...even though we knew that in all probability, it
+was her.
+"So that's what today's about. You guys wanted to press me about this
+whole thing, huh? Gotta say, I had no idea that you Class-D folks had
+Ichinose's back," said Hashimoto.
+Ishizaki and his group glared in response. Hashimoto let out a sigh, as
+if to show he understood the situation he was in.
+"There's no point in trying to fool us. You haven't just been spreadin'
+crap about Ichinose. You've been makin' up stuff about us too."
+"T see. So that's the reason, huh? You don't really care about Ichinose
+—you just don't like that Class D got caught up in these rumors. Oh, yeah,
+they said something about you getting put in juvenile detention for a prank
+you played on an elementary school student. Isn't that right, Ishizaki?"
+The moment those words passed Hashimoto's lips, Ishizaki snapped.
+Hiyori hurriedly grabbed Ishizaki's arm, holding him back before he could
+pounce on Hashimoto.
+The rumor Hashimoto just mentioned was one of the supposed lies
+posted on the bulletin board. Ishizaki's fury was inevitable, the result of
+being in a situation like this. Hashimoto, showing no signs of backing down,
+continued speaking.
+"But seriously, I'm amazed that you came up with all of these rumors.
+Come on, tell me how you managed to sniff out all this stuff about other
+people, not just Ichinose?"
+"Stop screwing with us, Hashimoto!"
+"Wait, Ishizaki!"
+Akito, thinking that Hiyori wouldn't be able to hold Ishizaki back on
+her own, hurriedly tried to stop him.
+"Don't try to stop me, Miyake! Like hell I'm just gonna sit here and let
+Class A just keep doing whatever they feel like!! I'm gonna punch his lights
+out!"
+"Knock it off, Ishizaki. You're the one who'll get hurt, understand?
+You're probably confident in your fighting skills, but I can throw down pretty
+well myself, you know?" said Kitou, quietly taking one step forward and
+putting his fists up in a fighting stance, readying himself against Ishizaki and
+Albert. It looked like he was ready to accept their challenge, should the
+situation call for it.
+"Cut it out, you guys. You all know how mad the school gets when it
+comes to fights," said Akito, trying to calm things down, while standing at a
+distance.
+"Until now, that is."
+"Until now?"
+"I've heard that the current student council president is actually willing
+to tolerate a little bad behavior here and there. Get it?"
+Hashimoto closed the distance between himself and Ishizaki, launching
+his right leg into a kick. Akito blocked it with his left arm.
+"Tch... S-seriously? Jeez, seems like anything's possible with this
+president."
+Hashimoto's word alone wasn't enough to convince us the ban on
+fighting had been lifted. Which was precisely why he'd gone on to prove it
+by taking the initiative himself.
+"Not bad, Miyake. Man, it's no wonder you were so confident when
+you said you could stop us from fighting," said Hashimoto, taking his
+distance once again.
+The atmosphere became even more tense than it was before. That
+feeling of pins and needles washed over everyone.
+"Fighting is not okay," said Hiyori.
+"T know. I didn't come here to fight with you guys. That there was just
+my way of proving to you that we have the power to defend ourselves,"
+replied Hashimoto.
+**...Can we trust you?"
+Hashimoto nodded, looking Hiyori in the eyes. And yet, no one
+believed him.
+"Come on, enough already, Hiyori. This guy lies without even batting
+an eyelash. No matter how you think about it, it was Class A who spread
+these rumors. The proof is that Class A was the only one not targeted by the
+rumors."
+"But... isn't that also precisely why it's possible that they're not the
+ones responsible?" said Hiyori.
+"Tt's just like Shiina-chan says," said Hashimoto. "If we were the ones
+who spread the rumors, wouldn't we have made sure to post something on
+the Class A bulletin board too, to deflect suspicion?"
+"I'm not so sure about that. I can't imagine every student in Class A
+knows Sakayanagi was the person behind those rumors about Ichinose. If
+rumors targeting Class A surfaced, it would naturally cause confusion within
+the class."
+After Akito pointed that out, Hashimoto let out a sigh. "Well, I can't
+really say that your reasoning is off there, to be sure. But it's probatio
+diabolica, isn't it?"
+Despite the fact that their actions were extremely suspicious, we had no
+evidence to prove their guilt. Meanwhile, it was equally difficult for them to
+prove their innocence.
+"The only way we're going to get the truth out of them is if we let our
+fists do the talking."
+"Whoa, hey now. Knock it off, Ibuki-chan. Even if we fight, you're not
+going to get anything out of it, you know?"
+"Telling us to stop after you were just trying to pick a fight with us
+yourself, huh? You've got a lot of nerve."
+"We've got nothing to do with this. Believe me," said Hashimoto,
+letting out a laugh.
+Ibuki, though, wasn't smiling. On the contrary, she seemed to be trying
+her absolute hardest to hold back her anger. One of the rumors had targeted
+her, just like Ishizak1.
+"You...think you can make fun of us just because Ryuuen quit being
+our leader, huh?" said Ishizaki.
+He must have reached the limits of his patience, because he pushed
+past Akito. Then, as if moving in lockstep with Ishizaki, Ibuki went to stand
+in front of Hashimoto and Kitou.
+"Wait, wait a second! Seriously!"
+"Make Sakayanagi apologize both for the rumors about Ichinose and
+the rumors about us."
+"You've got it wrong. We didn't spread the rumors."
+"Stop laughing!"
+Ishizaki kicked the railing as hard as he could. Hashimoto was
+beginning to understand that he couldn't control the situation anymore.
+""',. Okay, so what're you going to do about it?"
+"Ain't that obvious? I'll shut you up by force."
+"You seriously think you can do that?"
+"Yep. And if you don't want that, then you better go make her take
+those rumors back, right now."
+"T keep telling you, we didn't start those rumors."
+Though he kept saying that, Hashimoto understood no one believed
+him. What Sakayanagi had done was as good as declaring war on Ichinose; it
+was difficult for him to prove his innocence after such that. His mouth curved
+back into a smile.
+"This ain't something to laugh about."
+"Sorry, sorry. It's just that this is just too absurd for me to even
+comprehend."
+Since Hashimoto couldn't admit that Sakayanagi was the source of the
+rumors, he had no choice but to reject Ishizaki's request.
+"Tn that case, you' ll just have to let us talk to Sakayanagi herself."
+"You? Yeah, no way," said Hashimoto with a wave of his hand, as if
+dismissing the very idea that Sakayanagi would meet with them. Ishizaki had
+to have known it was impossible too, which was why he'd approached
+Hashimoto. "Kitou. We might not have any other choice."
+It seemed Hashimoto, sensing the mood, had decided words were no
+longer going to work. Kitou, who'd been preparing himself for this, assumed
+a fighting stance right after.
+"Hah!" shouted Ishizaki, rushing at Kitou, attempting to tackle him.
+Right beside him, Ibuki delivered a flying kick at Hashimoto, which he
+rushed to avoid in a panic.
+"Christ!" shouted Hashimoto.
+Because of her powerful jump, Ibuki's cell phone and student ID card
+fell out of her pocket and hit the ground. Realizing she was faster and
+stronger than he'd imagined, Hashimoto's expression showed that he sensed
+the danger he was in.
+"Wow, you're much more used to fighting than I remember, [buki-
+chan..." he said, expressing his respect. "Guess I forgot about that."
+"Stop it, everyone!" shouted Akito, picking up the cell phone that lay
+on the ground nearby.
+However, the Class-D students showed no signs of stopping. Ibuki
+didn't seem at all fazed that her phone might be damaged. I reached out and
+grabbed her student ID, which had fallen near my feet, lowered my eyes
+without thinking to read it. Naturally, she wasn't smiling in the picture. She
+had her usual brusque, stiff expression on her face.
+However...one particular detail caught my eye.
+"What does this mean...?" I muttered aloud.
+"What?" asked Keisei, apparently having heard what I had mumbled
+from beside him. I quickly shook my head to dismiss the question and put
+Ibuki's student ID card in my pocket for the time being, for safe-keeping.
+"Oh, it's nothing. More importantly, our biggest priority is stopping
+this fight."
+"Stopping it...? How?"
+The fight had already turned into a two-versus-two situation, and it
+looked like round two was about to begin.
+"He's right, we should stay out of it."
+"Tt looks dangerous, Kiyotaka-kun..."
+Haruka and Airi spoke up, saying that we should stay out of it.
+"...] suppose you're right. Leaving it to Akito is probably the wise
+choice," I replied.
+Akito intervened to try to stop the next assault.
+"Don't get in the way, Miyake!"
+Ishizaki attempted to shove him out of the way with brute force, but
+Akito grabbed his hand and forcefully pushed Ishizaki down.
+"Hey, you jerk, let go!"
+"Sorry, Ishizaki. I don't hate guys like you or anything, but I gotta stop
+99
+you.
+"Back off!" shouted Ibuki, aiming a kick at Akito's head.
+Akito hurriedly moved away from Ishizaki, just barely dodging Ibuki's
+foot by the skin of his teeth, but he lost his balance in the process. Albert then
+grabbed Akito with his large arms.
+"Hold him, Albert."
+"Gr 99
+There was no way for Akito to break free of Albert's monstrously
+strong grip. Class D had determined that they wouldn't lose as long as they
+managed to keep this fight two-on-two.
+"Tbuki!" shouted Ishizaki. At the same time, Kitou thrust his hand
+forward, aiming at Ibuki's neck.
+"Don't underestimate me!" shouted Ibuki, reacting to Kitou's attack by
+kicking his hand away.
+"They're going at it for real... What do we do?"
+The four of us watched, unable to stop them.
+"Well, nothing we can really do about it now, since the fight's started,
+but you Class-C guys are really in the way here..." Hashimoto looked over at
+us, still keeping an eye on Ishizaki, who had just gotten back up.
+"We happened to come here by coincidence, but there is something
+that we'd like to say. One of our friends... Ayanokouji has been targeted and
+affected by these rumors, just like Ishizaki and the others," said Keisei. When
+he appealed to Hashimoto, Airi, who was standing next to him, nodded
+enthusiastically.
+"Oh? Oh, yeah, there was something about him, wasn't there? A lovely
+little rumor about him having a crush on Karuizawa or something, right?"
+"T-It's absolutely not lovely at all!" said the usually soft-spoken Airi,
+raising her voice to object, which was a rare sight.
+Going along with them, I addressed Hashimoto as well. "I hate to say
+this, but I suspect you too, Hashimoto."
+"*...Guess that makes sense. I mean, I was the only one who saw you
+and Karuizawa meeting in secret the other day, after all."
+"M-meeting in secret?"
+Not just Airi, but Haruka quickly turned around to look at me too.
+"There's nothing strange going on between us at all," I said.
+"Really? B-but, Kiyotaka-kun, I have gotten the impression that you
+and Karuizawa-san have been getting along pretty well lately..." said Airi.
+Well, Airi did watch me very carefully, so it wasn't surprising she'd
+seen that much. But the important thing was that Hashimoto heard her say
+that. I needed him to know that there were other people who were aware of
+the kind of relationship I had with Kei. There needed to be the appearance of
+a certain degree of intimacy between me and Kei if the excuse we'd used the
+other day—that I was the middleman, delivering chocolates on Kei's behalf
+to her real crush—was to appear legitimate.
+Hashimoto was doing this to ascertain how my classmates saw my
+relationship with Kei. But it was precisely his own cleverness that would
+cause him to end up closing himself off to several possibilities. Even though
+he'd been keeping his eyes on me, he was going to draw out testimony that
+suggested I posed no threat to him. As a result, his suspicions of me would
+fade.
+"I'm your opponent right now, Hashimoto!"
+"Come on, dude... This is getting to be really annoying."
+"Please Ishizaki-kun, stop! Don't do this anymore! At the very least, I
+cannot allow this," said Hiyori, speaking in a firm tone.
+Ishizaki, unable to ignore her, looked back at her with a troubled
+expression.
+"B-but!"'
+"Even if you do manage to beat Hashimoto-kun and Kitou-kun in a
+fight and force them to confess, that won't amount to real evidence. The
+person at the heart of the matter, Sakayanagi-san, still won't admit to
+anything. Isn't it enough that we couldn't get them to confess?" said Hiyori.
+"So you're telling Ibuki and me to just shut up and take it?"
+"T know that is going to sound harsh, but yes. Please bear with it for
+99
+now.
+""You're the one who asked us to come with you, aren't you? And yet
+you're telling us to bear with it? That doesn't make any sense!"
+"T promise that I'Il make it up to you," said Hiyori.
+Hashimoto let out a whistle, seemingly deeply interested in what he
+just heard. "Oh, ho, so it wasn't Ishizaki who set up this meeting, but you,
+Shiina-chan?"
+"Albert-kun. Please let him go."
+Albert slowly released Akito, as instructed.
+"We've really caused you guys from Class C a lot of trouble," said
+Hiyori, bowing deeply.
+"Wow, okay, you think this is all over, just like that? Talk about one-
+sided. So what, you accuse us, try to beat us up, and we're just supposed to
+accept it?"
+"Could you please forgive us?"
+Hashimoto accepted what Hiyori had to say. He must have known that
+there was nothing to be gained by pushing the issue. "Well, it's not like we're
+injured or anything. Let's call it a day then, Kitou. But please, stop single-
+mindedly blaming us. If you must accuse us, find some ironclad proof first,
+okay?"
+Somehow, Hiyori had successfully managed to bring the situation
+under control before it devolved into an all-out brawl. However, the
+relationship between Class A and the other classes had now deteriorated to
+the point where it was impossible to repair.
+Ted
+fie NIGHT, I called Horikita Manabu.
+"It's rather unusual for me to get a call from you," said Horikita.
+"There's one thing I want to ask you."
+"What is it?"
+I reported what I'd noticed after looking at two students' ID cards.
+"T hope that this isn't just a misunderstanding on your part," answered
+Horikita, sounding surprised, as if this was the first he'd heard of this.
+"Based on your reaction, I'm guessing the student council... no, I
+mean that this has never happened before?" I asked.
+"That's correct. That is, as long as it's not just some simple mistake."
+I couldn't exclude the possibility that it was a mistake, of course. But if
+it was, it was a very rare one.
+"The school changes and evolves every year. This phenomenon, too,
+should have some meaning. As I'm quite possibly the first person to have
+noticed it, a day may come when it will prove useful to you."
+Even if that day came, I hoped I could wrap things up without having
+to make use of it, if at all possible.
+"You first-year students will likely have one more special exam to
+complete this year," Horikita said.
+I made note of the fact that he referenced the first-years specifically.
+Did that mean the situation was different for us?
+"Well, that's the way it's been in previous years, at least. I can't be
+absolutely certain it'll be that way this year. But if things proceed as they
+have in the past, even the third-year students should be facing two or more
+special exams," added Horikita.
+"So it's going to be quite the rough time for you, huh?" If all the
+second-year students led by Nagumo put their weight behind the students of
+third-year Class B, then Horikita's position was by no means safe.
+"It's a highly unpredictable situation, that's for sure. But it's nothing
+that you need to be concerned about."
+As I'd expect of the former student council president. He didn't seem
+to consider his current situation hopeless, and I felt confident he had the
+strength to fight his way through.
+However, my confidence was in Horikita Manabu, and Horikita
+Manabu alone. Just like he'd targeted Tachibana Akane, I was sure that
+Nagumo would take aim at other victims whom he could break down.
+"What you should be worried about now is the first-year class as a
+whole," said Horikita.
+"If the student council is backing him, then Nagumo should be able to
+sweep whatever he wants under the rug," I reasoned.
+"Yes, that's possible. Of course, the student council might lose the
+school's trust and be forcibly disbanded if they go too far...but we're dealing
+with Nagumo here. He'll probably handle things quite cleverly. Did you have
+any trouble with that matter regarding Kushida?"
+"Oh, that's been taken care of."
+"It seems there's been a lot happening behind the scenes where this
+whole ordeal with Ichinose is concerned."
+"T'll contact you again."
+Having ascertained what I wanted to know, I ended the call.
+7.8
+Tue NEXT FEW DAYS passed by in a flash. Ichinose, the center of this
+whirlwind of controversy, continued to be absent until February 24th, one
+day before the year-end final exam, when she finally returned to class. I
+didn't see her myself, but there were a lot of people tracking her every move
+with watchful eyes because she hadn't been to class in over a week's time.
+News about her return reached me almost immediately.
+That being said, this was only really important to Class B. Class C was
+far more occupied with the year-end final exam awaiting us tomorrow.
+"All right. Ayanokouji, Akito, Haruka, and Airi, you all did great."
+During our lunch break, we gathered around Keisei's desk. We'd taken
+a mock test that Keisei had prepared for us to take independently, at night, in
+order to test our abilities. And he'd just got done grading our answers.
+"Whoa, Kiyopon, you got 90 points? That's awesome!" said Haruka,
+sounding surprised, as she ate her sandwich.
+"Well, that's because the tests that Keisei made for us are perfect. You
+got a good score too, didn't you?" Though their scores varied a little, the
+three of them had all scored in the neighborhood of 80 points.
+"Well, if you managed to get through both the practice test and the
+mock test that I made, then I'm sure you should do fine in the test tomorrow,"
+said Keisei.
+"If you're giving us the seal of approval, Keisei, then I'm sure it' ll be a
+piece of cake," said Akito, rolling his stiff shoulders, as if squaring up to
+fight.
+"Really, thank you so much, Keisei-kun. I always get so anxious every
+time I take a test..." said Airi.
+"Oh, no need to thank me. This is the least I can do," said Keisei. He
+lightly scratched the bridge of his nose, looking a little embarrassed.
+"Ts it really okay if we take the rest of the day off?"
+"You've spent a lot of time studying this week. Honestly, I think it's a
+good idea to take it easy on this last day. It's not like everything you've
+studied so carefully will just slip away so soon. Besides, you don't want to
+overdo it now and get sick, or end up falling asleep on the day of the exam. It
+would be a real shame if you lose points over such a trivial mistake."
+"Roger! [ll follow your orders, Yukimuu!" replied Haruka, offering
+Keisei a bizarre salute. The others nodded along, sharing her same sentiment.
+Bam!
+Suddenly, a loud sound echoed throughout the classroom. It was the
+sound of the door being violently flung open.
+"Whoa! You guys! This is huge!"
+Just as we were about to casually enjoy the rest of our lunch too. Talk
+about bad timing.
+"Ugh, seriously?" Haruka, startled, had accidentally dropped her
+sandwich on the floor. She glared at Ike, clearly mad and not trying to hide it.
+"Hey! What's your deal?!"
+"Dude, it's like a mob! Like pitchforks and everything! A bunch of
+Class A people are marching into Class B right now!" shouted Ike excitedly.
+"So Sakayanagi-san is making her move now that Ichinose-san has
+returned, huh..." said Horikita, who'd also been eating lunch in the
+classroom. She stood up quickly, looking disturbed, and left the classroom
+without saying anything to me.
+Seeing her leave, Sudou, Hirata, and a few others followed. Tomorrow
+was the year-end exam. If Sakayanagi was going to end this, today was the
+last chance she'd have. She intended to launch a direct assault on Ichinose
+right after she'd returned and finish her off.
+"What should we do, Akito...?"
+"We have no choice but to head over there. If it turns out like what
+happened the other day, then someone has to be there to stop it."
+"Yeah, that makes sense."
+"But Haruka, Airi, you two stay here. There's no point in getting more
+people involved."
+"Yeah, yeah, we get it. We'll take our time eating."
+"What are you going to do, Kiyotaka-kun?"
+i
+Keisei had risen to his feet, along with Akito. It would be hard for me
+to say I was staying behind, in a situation like this.
+"Tl go too, just in case. Though I don't think [Il be much help."
+The three of us left the classroom and headed toward Class B. The
+commotion seemed to have already spilled out into the hallway, and there
+was an obvious crowd forming.
+"What did you come here for, Sakayanagi?!" As we entered Class B,
+we heard Shibata shout.
+"What did I come here for? I've come to rescue all of you in Class B.
+Don't you see?"
+Sakayanagi was accompanied by Kamuro and Hashimoto, though I
+saw no sign of Kitou or anyone else. They'd probably have gotten more
+pushback if they showed up in greater numbers, which was why they'd
+chosen to take action with a small group.
+"What do you mean by that, Sakayanagi?" asked Ichinose, speaking up
+from the back of the classroom where she stood surrounded by several
+students.
+"Wait, Ichinose. There's no need for you to get involved."
+"Yeah, that's right, Honami-chan. Don't go!"
+One of the students hugged Ichinose tightly, trying to prevent her from
+going to see Sakayanagi.
+"First of all, I must say I'm quite glad to see that you've made a full
+recovery. To be honest, I wanted to speak to you much earlier, but I've been
+ever so busy studying for the exam. Ah, but yes, I'm glad to see you're back.
+Just in time for the year-end exam, too."
+"Yes. Thank you."
+They spoke to each other across the classroom. It was clear to see that
+every student in Class B considered Sakayanagi a foe. Even though it was
+lunch break, there wasn't a single student missing from the class. They'd all
+decided to stick together to protect Ichinose.
+However, Sakayanagi didn't appear shaken at all. If anything, she
+seemed to be enjoying the feeling of being deep in enemy territory. She must
+have anticipated that Ichinose, who was still caught at the center of a
+whirlwind of controversy, wouldn't have gone somewhere like the school
+cafeteria during her lunch break.
+"You say you came here to save us, Sakayanagi?" asked Kanzaki.
+"Yes," replied Sakayanagi with a smile and a nod.
+"Does that mean you're admitting that you started those rumors? I
+suppose I can understand how you'd be 'saving us' if you came here to
+apologize."
+"T am not the one who started the rumors," she replied.
+""... Then what are you saving us from, exactly?"
+"Do you recall a rumor that went around earlier? The one about how
+Ichinose-san had accumulated a massive number of points? At the time, the
+school had declared that no wrongdoing had taken place, and the matter was
+quickly put to rest."
+"What about it?" replied Kanzaki without a second's delay, moving
+fast to keep Ichinose from saying anything.
+"Now, this might just be my imagination, but... Well, there are only a
+few ways that someone could collect that many points without resorting to
+illegal means. One of those ways would be to collect private points from your
+classmates on a regular basis and hold onto them. In short, I've determined
+that Ichinose is acting as something of a banker for your class."
+"T can't really say anything about that," said Kanzaki.
+If true, it was part of Class B's strategy. It was only natural he'd deny
+knowing anything.
+"T suppose so. Well, it's not like I really came here seeking an answer
+on that matter. It's just... Well, it's just that if Ichinose-san is playing the role
+of a banker, as I have surmised, then...I think that's extremely dangerous for
+all of you," said Sakayanagi, looking over at Ichinose, who returned her gaze
+from afar.
+Ichinose didn't answer. Instead, she simply continued to look straight
+back at Sakayanagi.
+"Is what I've said incorrect? Ichinose Honami-san?"
+A cruel situation, Sakayanagi. You 've certainly cornered Ichinose.
+Ichinose, who'd had no weapon but silence at her disposal so far, had
+been driven to the edge of a cliff. One final push would send her plummeting
+to the bottom. It was precisely the situation Sakayanagi had worked to create.
+However, her plan wasn't going to work.
+"Sorry, but Chihiro-chan, Mako-chan, could you give me a little
+space?" asked Ichinose.
+"B-but!"
+"It's okay. Pll be just fine. You don't have to worry anymore," said
+Ichinose with a gentle smile, as she slowly closed the distance between
+herself and Sakayanagi.
+In the end, however, she didn't move to face Sakayanagi directly.
+Instead, she took up a position at the teacher's podium, facing all of her
+classmates.
+"...1'm sorry!" said Ichinose, bowing her head before all of the
+students of Class B.
+""Wh-what are you apologizing to us for, Ichinose? There's no reason
+for you to apologize to us. Right?" said Shibata, clearly upset, trying to stop
+Ichinose from speaking.
+"Please don't try to stop her, Shibata-kun. She's just trying to repent,"
+said Sakayanagi, smiling merrily.
+"The whole year I've been here... There's a secret that I've been
+keeping hidden from you. I've been keeping it for a long, long time."
+"Wait, Ichinose. You don't need to say anything here," said Kanzaki,
+clearly sensing that something was amiss. But Ichinose wasn't stopping.
+"There have been quite a few strange rumors circulating about me
+these past few weeks. However, one of those rumors is actually the truth. Just
+as that letter said... I am a criminal."
+As Ichinose spoke those words, Sakayanagi wore a satisfied smile on
+her face.
+"Ts that really true?"
+The noisy classroom once again fell silent.
+"It would seem this group of good-natured souls have absolutely no
+idea what's going on here, so please do give them all the details, Ichinose-
+san. Exactly what kind of crime did you commit?"
+"*T 99
+Ichinose was about to continue speaking, but she stopped and gulped
+nervously.
+"I've been keeping secrets from all of you...but I'm going to confess
+everything, starting now," she finally said, revealing the past she'd kept
+buried. "The crime that I've been silent about... Well, it's that I was a
+shoplifter."
+The shoplifting honor student, Ichinose Honami. It was a revelation
+that didn't only surprise Class B, but also the spectators on the sidelines, like
+Akito and Keisei. Ichinose just didn't seem like the kind of person who'd do
+such a thing.
+"Honami-chan is... a shoplifter...? I-Is that true?"
+"Yes. I'm sorry, Mako-chan."
+As she apologized to everyone, Ichinose started to tell us the story of
+how it started.
+"TI came from a single-parent family. My father wasn't in the picture, so
+I lived with my mom and my two younger sisters. We weren't wealthy, but
+we were never unhappy. My mother always seemed like she had it so hard,
+raising my two younger sisters while working. That was why, when I was in
+elementary school, I got the idea to start working myself once I graduated
+from junior high. It did cost a lot of money to go to high school, after all.
+I thought I'd get a job, help my mom out, help support my two younger
+sisters. But my mom was strongly against the idea. Just as I wanted my
+younger sisters to be happy, my mom, too, wished for her daughters'
+happiness," said Ichinose, telling us about everything that happened in her
+past.
+"T learned that even if you were poor, you could benefit from a
+scholarship if you studied really hard for it. So I studied as hard as I possibly
+could. I studied so much that I got to the level where I was told that I was
+number one in my whole school. But...in the summer of my third year of
+junior high...my mother worked herself too hard and collapsed."
+Ichinose's mother must have been working hard to support her family.
+She'd worked herself to the bone to raise her children.
+"My little sister's birthday was coming up. She'd never once asked me
+or our mother for a gift before. She was still only in her first year of junior
+high. She deserved to have us spoil her a little, but she never asked us for
+anything. Not for clothes that she wanted, or to go hang out with friends or go
+shopping...all she did was endure, never asking for anything. She always,
+always, always held back.
+"But then, for the first time...my little sister said that there was
+something she wanted. It was this kind of hair clip that used to be really
+popular, something that my sister's favorite celebrity wore. I'm sure my mom
+pushed herself harder, picking up extra shifts, just so she could buy it."
+And instead, she'd been hospitalized. From the sound of it, she hadn't
+been able to get her daughter the birthday present she wanted.
+"Even now, I still remember the sight of my little sister's face, as she
+shouted and screamed all kinds of things at our mother, who was crying and
+apologizing to her from her hospital bed. I remember watching her shout and
+cry about how she'd been looking forward to getting that hair clip. I couldn't
+even really blame her for acting like that. It was the only gift she had ever
+asked for..." said Ichinose.
+The smile never faded from Sakayanagi's face as she continued to
+listen to Ichinose's confession.
+"As her older sister... I thought I had to bring back my little sister's
+smile, whatever it took. So, on the day of my sister's birthday, after class, I
+went to the department store."
+I was sure that Ichinose's heart was racing nervously right now, just
+like it had back then.
+"I'm sure I was burying my real feelings, back then. I told myself it
+was Okay. That it wasn't a big deal to do something bad like this, just this one
+time, for my sister's sake. After all, there were plenty of people who did bad
+things in the world. Why should my family, who'd put up with so much for
+so long, be blamed? I told myself what I was doing could be forgiven. That
+was the selfish, self-centered justification I gave myself."
+Ichinose's words came forth as if she were releasing something heavy
+she'd been holding onto.
+"That hair clip cost ten thousand yen or more. So...I stole it. I stole the
+hair clip that my little sister wanted. It was an act that made everyone
+unhappy. But at that time, all I wanted was to make my sister happy,
+somehow."
+And that act triggered what followed.
+"*.,.But 1t doesn't matter, does it?" muttered Ichinose quietly. She kept
+going, stringing together disconnected phrases in an attempt to express her
+jumbled thoughts. "Ultimately, a crime is a crime. No matter how much you
+repent, your sins will never disappear."
+"So you're saying that you got caught?" asked Hashimoto. Ichinose
+simply shook her head.
+"T just left the department store with the hair clip. It was the first time
+I'd ever shoplifted. The first time I ever committed a crime, at all. No one
+saw me. I went back home and gave it to my little sister, who was still
+moping around. I'd just stolen it, so it wasn't wrapped or anything. It was
+such a sloppy gift. But she was so incredibly happy to see it. When I saw her
+smile, I felt my guilt fade away for a moment. But it didn't fade entirely. It
+came back and continued to grow and grow inside me."
+Ichinose let out a chuckle of self-derision.
+"T mean, there's absolutely no way a mother wouldn't notice when her
+own daughter did something bad, right? I told my sister to keep the gift a
+secret. But she wore it when we went to visit our mother in the hospital. I
+mean, of course she would. She could never have dreamed it was a stolen
+gift. That was the first time in my life that I ever saw my mother seriously
+angry. She slapped me and took the gift from my crying little sister, who
+didn't understand. Even though she should have still been in the hospital, my
+mother dragged me all the way back to the store, where I got on my knees
+and begged for forgiveness. That was when I finally understood the weight of
+my crime. I realized that no matter what excuses I made, there was nothing I
+could do to take it all back."
+That was Ichinose's past. The past she had been hiding.
+"In the end, the clerk at the store didn't hand me over to the police.
+Still, word got out. In the blink of an eye, my family was the center of
+controversy. I shut down and retreated inward. For almost half my third year
+of junior high, I cut myself off from the world and stayed in my room... But
+eventually, I started thinking about trying to move forward, once again. It
+was my homeroom teacher telling me about this school back then that made
+me start to think about it. You were exempted from paying tuition fees and
+course fees, and if you graduated, you could get a job anywhere. I wanted to
+start over. I wanted a fresh slate."
+As Ichinose had finished telling her story, she bowed once more to all
+of the students in Class B.
+"I'm sorry, everyone. I'm such a pathetic, useless leader..."
+"That's not true, Ichinose," said Shibata, who had been listening
+nearby. "I heard everything you had to say, and I still think that you're a good
+person. I'm sure of it. Right?"
+"Yeah. You might have done something bad, Honami-chan, but—"
+Klak!
+The loud crack of a cane being struck against the floor echoed
+throughout the room.
+"Please, spare me. Could you Class-B cretins at least try to not make
+me laugh?" said Sakayanagi, curtly brushing aside the voices coming out in
+support of Ichinose. "Really, this is such an absurd farce. Do you mean to
+gain sympathy by bringing up unnecessary details about your past? No matter
+the circumstances, shoplifting 1s still shoplifting. You don't deserve
+sympathy. Your thievery was for the sake of your own self-interest."
+Standing nearby, Kamuro's expression stiffened for a moment as she
+heard what Sakayanagi said.
+"Yes, you're absolutely right. The circumstances of my past don't
+make any difference at all," said Ichinose.
+"The truth of the matter is that you committed a crime. Therefore, isn't
+it fair to assume you might also steal the large quantity of private points that
+you've been entrusted with, around the time graduation draws near?" said
+Sakayanagi.
+"*.... could never do something like that, Sakayanagi-san. If I ignored
+everyone else's wishes and moved up to Class A myself, it would be an act of
+betrayal. I don't think the school would allow something like that either,"
+said Ichinose.
+"Yes, I suppose so. You are rather clever, so I suppose you wouldn't
+do something so obvious. But what if you were to, for example, put on a
+show for everyone? Give a little speech to earn everyone's sympathy, like
+you just did, to gain their approval to move on up to Class A?" said
+Sakayanagi, relentlessly pressing the attack.
+"Yes, you have a point. Maybe... Maybe no matter how hard I try, my
+efforts will just come off as hypocritical. Once you've committed a crime, it
+can never be erased."
+Ichinose would always be stuck with the label of a criminal, and that
+label meant people would never stop suspecting that she might eventually
+betray them one day.
+"Do you all understand now, everyone? This is the real Ichinose
+Honami-san. As long as you have such a person as your leader, Class B has
+no chance of victory," said Sakayanagi, driving home the reality of the
+situation. "Now, please return all your private points to these students, and
+step down as the leader of Class B. I would like for you to do at least that
+much. If you don't, these awful rumors about you will never stop, will they?"
+Ichinose closed her eyes. Then, quietly, she took a deep breath.
+"So what do you say, Ichinose? What do you want to do?" asked
+Kanzaki, representing Class B.
+The question was whether or not she would continue as the class
+leader. Ichinose, and only Ichinose, was the one who could make that
+decision. If this had been the first time she'd had her spirit crushed, then
+maybe she wouldn't have held firm. Maybe she would have submitted.
+However, Ichinose had already had her spirit broken before.
+And I was the one who'd broken it.
+But she had recovered. The parts of her that had been broken had
+become stronger and more resilient than before.
+"This is the end of my penitence!" said Ichinose, turning to Sakayanagi
+with a smile. "It is certainly true that I shoplifted. As you said, Sakayanagi-
+san, I don't deserve sympathy. A crime is a crime, after all. I have no
+intention of running from that truth. But the truth is that I was never given a
+sentence to serve out for that crime. In other words, what's done is done. I
+don't need to keep paying the price."
+"What an incredibly shameless thing to say. You're being unbelievably
+bold, for a shoplifting thief."
+"Maybe so. But I'm not looking back anymore. I won't let my past
+keep me down." Ichinose turned her smiling face toward her classmates.
+"Even though I'm so shameless... Will you follow me until the end,
+everyone?"
+After she spoke, there was a moment of silence. Ichinose wasn't
+speaking from a false sense of confidence or optimism. Even now, she was
+on the verge of tears. She wanted to run away. She was ashamed of her past.
+And yet, she continued to push forward. There was no way the students of
+Class B, who'd shared a year of joys and sorrows with her, wouldn't
+understand that.
+"Well, of course we'll follow you! Right?!" shouted Shibata, with a
+smile.
+Every single student of Class B let out a unanimous cheer. This was the
+kind of following Ichinose inspired. I could really feel the depth of their
+devotion to her. Keisei and Akito beamed, seeming similarly overjoyed by
+this showing of support from Class B.
+I doubted there was a single other student at this school who could
+inspire this kind of support. Ichinose wasn't just being cheered on by the
+entirety of Class B, but by students from other classes too.
+"Sakayanagi... What do we do now?" asked Kamuro.
+Sakayanagi's attack had been neutralized. Kamuro could tell, which
+was why she spoke up, asking a question that could be interpreted as her
+subtly suggesting that they retreat.
+"Heh heh heh." Sakayanagi laughed. "Heh heh heh heh."
+Then she laughed again, a little longer this time.
+"T see. Well, it would appear you've pulled the wool quite adeptly over
+your classmates' eyes. But as you said yourself earlier, it's not as though your
+criminal past will just disappear. Rumors will continue to spread about you
+for a long, long time to come," said Sakayanagi.
+"Yes. But I'm not going to run away from it anymore."
+"Is that so? Why then, I'm just going to have to thoroughly des—"
+"Okay, that's quite enough, everyone."
+Just as Sakayanagi was about to answer Ichinose, some teachers and
+students entered Class B. The new arrivals were Student Council President
+Nagumo, as well as the homeroom teacher for Class B, Hoshinomiya, and our
+homeroom teacher, Chabashira.
+"Oh my, this is quite an impressive gathering. However, this is a matter
+between the first-year students, is it not?" asked Sakayanagi.
+"You're correct that this appears to be a dispute between first-years,
+sure. However, as of today, the act of carelessly spreading rumors is
+prohibited," Nagumo told her.
+"«,.What do you mean? I don't accept the imposition of such a gag
+order. Regardless of how the rumors about her originated, if Ichinose-san was
+troubled by them, she should have reported them to the school, no?"
+"That's not it, Sakayanagi. This is no longer just about Ichinose,"
+replied Nagumo.
+""...What are you saying?"
+Nagumo opened his mouth to explain, but Chabashira spoke up
+instead.
+"T won't go into detail, but it has been clearly confirmed that
+slanderous statements are being exchanged between the first-year students,"
+she explained. "There are already close to twenty rumors in circulation. Any
+further gossip will damage social bonds and negatively impact student
+behavior. Rumors are rumors, but regardless of whether they can be
+conclusively proven true or false, the school no longer wishes to see the
+spread of rumors targeting specific individuals. Therefore, I'm taking this
+opportunity to inform you that, going forward, anyone who circulates
+nonsensical rumors may be punished for their actions."
+The school had been silently tolerating the endless ramor-mongering
+so far. It seemed they'd finally decided to take action.
+"'... see. So that's how it is, then," said Sakayanagi, appearing to
+understand the situation after hearing Chabashira's explanation.
+"T suppose this means the school is finally taking a stand," Horikita
+said to me. She'd approached to get a good look at the situation, and similarly
+grasped what was going on. "I suppose this might be enough to save the
+affected classes. As for Ichinose-san, the original target of all of this...I don't
+think Sakayanagi's faction can keep attacking her. The rumors about
+Hondou-kun, Shinohara-san, you, and Satou-san should be put to rest now
+too."
+"Yeah, I suppose so."
+"Sakayanagi-san went too far. She tried to use the same strategy to
+attack all the other classes at the same time, but in doing so, her movements
+became too conspicuous and drew the school's attention. It seems this was
+just an overzealous move from an incredibly aggressive girl," said Horikita.
+After saying that, she fell silent. Then, a short while later, she opened
+her mouth to speak again.
+"But—"
+"What's up?"
+"Never mind. It's nothing."
+Horikita didn't seem to want to say any more.
+"Let's pull back. If the school's making its move, then I believe that
+our presence is no longer required here."
+Sakayanagi, understanding what was going on, gave the order to her
+classmates to withdraw. The uproarious Class B grew even louder, in
+celebration. Class A had been completely driven back.
+72
+War WE MADE IT BACK to Class C, Haruka excitedly asked Akito
+about what happened.
+"Hey, so how was Class B? It sounded like there was this huge
+commotion over there."
+"Things took a completely unexpected turn. Ichinose got Sakayanagi to
+retreat," said Akito, giving a concise account of what happened with Class B.
+He told her truth regarding the gossip about Ichinose, and the fact that the
+school had given us an official notice that spreading rumors would no longer
+be tolerated from this point on.
+"The teachers will probably give us an official statement during
+afternoon classes."
+"Still, shoplifting, huh? I mean, that's super surprising, but I guess it
+kind of makes what happened next make sense. If people keep bringing up
+something from your past that you don't want to revisit, then of course you'd
+wanna take some time off school," said Haruka, speaking out in Ichinose's
+defense now that she'd learned what happened.
+"Anyway, the ordeal is over now. Now let's not get distracted by the
+rumors and just focus on the exam."
+"Isn't this great, Kiyopon?"
+"Yeah... I guess so."
+Then, my phone rang.
+"Who's that from?"
+"It's from an unregistered number."
+I showed the number displayed on the screen to Haruka and the others.
+It was a different number than the one I had gotten a call from in the middle
+of the night, some time ago. I got up from my seat, put a little distance
+between myself and the rest of the group, and answered the call.
+"Hello?"
+"Ts this Ayanokouji-kun?"
+I recognized the caller's voice immediately. It was Sakayanagi. "How
+did you know my numb—well, I guess it's not too difficult to look up, come
+to think of it."
+"Quite. We still have roughly ten minutes before our lunch break ends.
+Would you mind stepping outside to meet me?"
+I could refuse, but then I'd have to make time to meet up with her later,
+and that would be a pain. "Where do you want me to go?" I asked, stepping
+out into the hallway.
+"Let's see. How about by the first-floor entryway?" she asked.
+"Got it."
+I ended the call and made my way over to the entryway. I'd thought
+that Kamuro and Hashimoto might have been with her, but Sakayanagi was
+alone when J arrived.
+"Please relax. I did not bring anyone with me this time. I must say, you
+truly performed excellently, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"What are you talking about?"
+"It would seem you've been working behind the scenes without me
+noticing. While a number of mysteries remain, I'm not really interested in
+seeking to solve them. There's only one thing I'm truly curious to know.
+Why did you decide to protect Ichinose-san?" she asked, her gaze fixated on
+me.
+"Hold on. I have no clue what you're on about."
+"T can only imagine that it was precisely because you saved her that
+Ichinose-san was so bold back then... No, that she was able to get back on
+her feet again. Perhaps that wasn't the first time she'd confessed what
+happened in her past? Maybe she's already told someone else about it
+beforehand?" asked Sakayanagi.
+"And that someone else is me, I'm guessing?" I asked.
+"Yes."
+It was a completely understandable conclusion for her to arrive at.
+"Didn't you use Kamuro to make me make a move?" I asked.
+"Used Kamuro-san?"'
+"Before I could seek to clarify the facts myself, she told me everything.
+Only me. About the fact that Ichinose shoplifted in the past."
+"She acted entirely on her own," said Sakayanagi.
+"No, that's not true."
+"How can you be so sure of that?" Apparently, she wanted to hear my
+reasoning.
+"She handed over a can of beer as proof that she shoplifted. But she
+hadn't stolen it that day. Kamuro had stolen it on the day she had started
+school here."
+"And what's your basis for saying that?"
+"The sell-by date. After I checked the sell-by date on the can of beer
+that Kamuro handed me, I went over to the convenience store and checked
+the dates on their stock of the same brand. They were more than four months
+apart. I find it hard to believe the store happened to have one can that was
+four months older than the others. Kamuro said that she'd given you the can
+of beer she stole back then, and that you'd told her you would dispose of it.
+Which means she re-procured that can from you before meeting me and
+presented me with it. Or contacted you right after she left my room and got it
+then."
+By that point, the fact of Kamuro contacting me and telling me about
+Ichinose's past was well within the range of what I had expected.
+"Why would you think I'd take such roundabout action?" Sakayanagi
+asked.
+"To lure me out, probably?" I countered.
+"Heh heh heh. I suppose I should respond by saying that's just what I'd
+expect from you, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"It would have been easy for me to sit on the sidelines and watch
+events unfold. Actually, that's exactly what I had planned to do."
+The person who made me stray from those plans was none other than
+Sakayanagi herself. She'd attached Ichinose with one hand, while offering
+her support with the other. Of course, she'd done the latter in an extremely
+roundabout way.
+"Tt was all for the sake of getting your attention, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Sakayanagi, gripping her cane tight, slowly walked toward me. "I didn't care
+if Ichinose-san was destroyed as a result. However, I was hoping that if I
+simply left the possibility open for you to intervene, then you would take
+hold of it. I estimated the odds were fifty-fifty that you would...but it would
+seem things turned out exactly as I hoped it would."
+In other words, she was saying Ichinose's existence didn't matter to her
+at all.
+"Please have a little contest with me, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"And if I say no?"
+"While you might try to say it wouldn't significantly hurt you, I'd
+expose you as the mastermind leading Class C. And I'm sure that you
+understand quite well that that wouldn't be something you could dismiss as a
+mere rumor."
+I was sure Sakayanagi would calmly and unhesitatingly proceed to
+make my secrets known to all, even if the school had ostensibly prohibited
+her from spreading rumors.
+"So what do you say? Will you accept?" she asked.
+"How would we win this? You're Class A. I'm Class C. The difference
+is obvious."
+"Well, I don't know exactly what the next exam will cover, but how
+about we compare our rankings? If you win, then I promise that from this
+point on, I will not speak a word to anyone about your past."
+While that wasn't a bad offer, there was no guarantee that she was
+going to honor her word. And I had absolutely no intention of keeping any
+written or audio records of this arrangement.
+"You don't believe me, hm? But you have no choice but to believe me.
+If you don't, then your past will be exposed for all to see. That would make it
+rather hard for you to live an ordinary life, wouldn't it?"
+"Do whatever you want. If that does happen, though, you'll never, ever
+get the chance to fight me."
+"Heh heh. Yes, I suppose that's what you would say, Ayanokouji-kun."
+Sakayanagi knew I wouldn't agree to compete with her so easily.
+Which was exactly why she had yet to tell anyone about my past.
+"Well, then, what if I wager my future at this school? If I lose, Pll drop
+out. Furthermore, I don't mind if you have my father, the principal, be a
+witness to act as guarantor." Sakayanagi radiated absolute confidence that she
+would undoubtedly win against me. "Of course, even if you lose to me,
+there's no need for you to leave the school. I don't intend to ask you to wager
+anything significant, either. I will, however, publicly announce that you are
+the mastermind leading Class C. That is all. If you won't accept some degree
+of risk, then you might simply withdraw from our little contest."
+"If those are your conditions, then I accept."
+"Thank you very much, Ayanokouji-kun. It seems my boring life here
+at this school is finally at an end."
+With a broad, satisfied grin on her face, Sakayanagi withdrew.
+I decided to call the person at the center of recent events; the one
+who'd been looming in the background the whole time. It wasn't Horikita, or
+Kei. And not Horikita's brother either.
+"T was just thinking it was about time I heard from you. Good evening,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+Chapter 8:
+All the Tricks
+Tus PART OF THE STORY went back to Friday, February 11th. The day
+when those letters stating Ichinose was a criminal were dropped in our
+mailboxes. After seeing Ichinose be affected by them, and having Kamuro
+get in touch with me to talk about her past as a shoplifter, I decided to lay out
+my pieces in advance so I'd be prepared for Sakayanagi's strategy.
+To execute that plan, I called a certain female student on her phone and
+asked her to come and meet me in my room.
+The time of our meeting arrived, and I heard the sound of light
+knocking on my door, rather than the doorbell. Since the door was already
+unlocked, I simply opened it. The faint scent of flowers tickled my nose at
+the same time that I felt the cold air rush in from the hallway.
+"Good evening, Ayanokouji-kun." Since it was around midnight,
+Kushida spoke in a lowered tone.
+"Sorry for calling you at such a late hour. If you don't mind, please
+come on in."
+"Are you sure?"
+"It'd be cold if we stayed out by the front door, wouldn't it?" I replied.
+"Yes, that's true. Thank you."
+Going into a boy's room in the middle of the night. And being alone
+together, on top of that. Anyone would find the idea fishy, but Kushida had
+come to my room without any hesitation.
+"Tt's a little early, but this is for you, Ayanokouji-kun."
+She took out a box of chocolates that had been wrapped with a pink
+ribbon. She must have been keeping it inside her jacket.
+"You're okay with giving me this?" I asked.
+"T have quite a few to give out on the 14th, so if there's anyone I can
+give them to early, I've been doing just that."
+Since that was the case, I accepted them graciously. There was no
+reason for me to refuse.
+"So then, what did you want to talk to me about? It's rather unusual for
+you to call at this time of night." If this were a casual conversation, I could've
+approached her in the morning or afternoon. It was natural for her to be
+suspicious.
+"There's something I want to discuss with you."
+"Hm..." Kushida sounded surprised. "I thought you hated me,
+Ayanokouji-kun. And that you wouldn't want to discuss anything with me."
+"T don't really hate you. Actually, if anything, I thought you'd prefer to
+avoid me. Right?"
+"Ah ha ha ha! I see, well, I suppose you're right about that."
+The laugh she released wasn't that of the persona she showed everyone
+else, but it wasn't a true reflection of the self she hid underneath either. It was
+something in between.
+"But don't you have Horikita-san? Isn't she far more reliable than
+someone like me?" she asked.
+"T can't rely on anyone but you for this, Kushida."
+"Well, I don't really know if I can be of much help, but I don't mind
+hearing you out, at least. But what do you mean when you say I'm the only
+one who can help you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in apparent
+confusion.
+"T want personal information about some first-year students that would
+embarrass them if it got out. In other words, I want you to tell me their
+secrets."
+"...What do you mean?" Kushida still had a smile on her face, but it no
+longer reached her eyes.
+"You said it yourself before, didn't you? That you already have enough
+information to bring a whole class to ruin. And you didn't just mean our own
+class either. You have information on the other classes too."
+Kushida always worked hard to keep up appearances as a popular
+person, a person of strong character. People told her all kinds of things, all
+the time. She might not have quite as much information about the other
+classes as she did about Class C, but I was betting she knew something
+useful.
+"And why do you want to know something like that, Ayanokouji-
+kun?" she asked.
+"Do you know that Ichinose is suffering because of some rumors doing
+the rounds right now?"
+"Yes, I know about that. There were those awful letters that went out
+today too..."
+"I'm doing this for the sake of putting a stop to it," I told her.
+"Hm. I don't really understand. Is that really your intention,
+Ayanokouji-kun? Or is it—"
+"Tt has nothing to do with Horikita."
+"Hm? Wow, you're quite compassionate then, Ayanokouji-kun. You
+did save Sudou-kun back then too, I suppose." Naturally, Kushida knew
+about the actions I had taken in order to prevent Sudou's expulsion shortly
+after we started school here. "So you're saying that knowing other people's
+personal information is somehow related to stopping the rumors?"
+"Yes."
+"T don't understand. If you start rumors that'll hurt more people, won't
+the situation just get worse? Or are you saying that that's okay, as long as it
+diverts attention from Ichinose-san?"
+She might have assumed my strategy was to save one person by
+sacrificing many others. While it was certainly a logical strategy, she was
+wrong about it being what I had in mind.
+"I'm pretty close to Ichinose-san," Kushida continued. "So if there's
+anything that I can do to help, then I want to help. It's certainly true that I
+may know more secrets than the average person. But that doesn't mean I can
+simply reveal them to you. Especially since they were only confided in me
+after I promised I wouldn't share them."
+Another natural response. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone
+who'd react well to having their closely guarded secrets made public. One
+might think it was safest to simply not tell anyone your secrets at all, but
+human beings weren't that simple. Everyone laid bare their secrets to their
+families, to close friends, to lovers. Everyone wanted to share their feelings
+with another.
+"T can't do anything to betray my friends. Besides, even if I do
+cooperate with you for Ichinose-san's sake, wouldn't I get found out as the
+person who spread the rumors?" she asked.
+"We'd have to take precautions to make sure that doesn't happen, of
+course."
+We couldn't use secrets that were so serious that they'd only been
+confided in Kushida. Conversely, secrets so trivial as to be shared with all of
+someone's friends didn't work either. We needed to pick secrets that were the
+perfect balance of known by some people, but not very many.
+"Do you really think I'Il help you enact a plan that I don't entirely
+understand? One that asks me to betray my friends like that?" she asked.
+"Convincing you won't be easy, I suppose."
+If I didn't know about Kushida's hidden side, then our negotiations
+would be dead in the water. There was no way that Kushida, who went to
+such trouble to play the part of an angel, would help do something that would
+throw others into turmoil.
+But I did know about her true, hidden nature. Which meant we had
+room to talk.
+"If you give me adequate information, I'm prepared to compensate you
+appropriately," I said.
+""Compensate?"'
+"T intend to work on giving you what you wish for, Kushida, to the best
+of my ability."
+"So you're saying that you'll get me what I want?"
+"Yes, in a manner of speaking. That's exactly what I'll do."
+"There's no guarantee that you'll keep your word. You're Horikita-
+san's ally, Ayanokouji-kun."
+"Then consider this conversation your insurance."
+"What do you mean?"
+"You know what I mean. You don't need me to actually come out and
+say it, do you?" I briefly lowered my gaze, shooting a glance at Kushida's
+pocket.
+"Hm?"
+She was still playing dumb, so I decided to push a step further. "Even
+if I don't say it out loud, you should understand what I mean. A cell phone or
+a voice recorder. Or maybe both?"
+"So, you knew, huh? That I've been recording this."
+***
+"T thought you'd at least do that much to buy yourself some insurance.'
+It was a given that she'd try to make use of our conversation. "I mean, I
+expected as much from you, Kushida."
+"But you were absolutely certain of it, weren't you?" She was still
+trying to talk her way out of it, probably because she thought I was trying to
+bait her into something.
+"A recording would significantly lose credibility if you cut it up to
+remove the parts that are inconvenient to you," I said. "You'd want to use the
+data in its unedited form if possible. And to be able to do that, you have to be
+cautious with what you say and do."
+Since coming to my room today, Kushida had been carefully choosing
+her words to be as polite as possible. She was making sure there were no
+faults in her behavior during our conversation, just in case something did
+happen.
+"Hm, for you to be so sure of it from just that... Not bad."
+Kushida took out her cell phone and showed me the screen to prove
+that she'd stopped recording.
+"Okay. I'm finished recording. Ugh, that was so uncomfortable," she
+said. The graceful, mild-mannered vibe she'd been giving off had completely
+vanished. "Well, you may have expected as much, coming from me, but I
+knew that you were the one helping Horikita-san after all."
+"T admit that I gave Horikita some ideas."
+"Well, whatever, it's no big deal. I can always ask you about that in the
+future," said Kushida, getting to the crux of the matter. "So, how do you plan
+to use other people's personal information to stop the rumors about Ichinose-
+san?"
+She leaned in forward, intent on hearing what I had to say.
+"By getting the school, which has been quietly monitoring the
+situation, involved."
+"Getting the school involved...?"
+"As of this moment, Ichinose has taken no action regarding the rumors.
+So, naturally, the school hasn't done anything either."
+"Is it safe to assume that, though? That the school will take action for
+Ichinose-san's sake?"
+"Tn a manner of speaking, yes. Even if the homeroom teacher heard
+about what was going on, the reason nothing is being done is because
+Ichinose herself has yet to request the school's help. Which is why we need
+to escalate the situation to the point where the school can no longer ignore it."
+No matter how isolated you were from the rest of the world, the world
+was no longer a place where information could be simply swept under the
+rug. If this school became a place where rumors and defamation ran rampant,
+which in turn led to students dropping out—or, in the worst-case scenario,
+committing suicide—then its status and prestige would be reduced to ruins.
+The school wouldn't let something that could escalate into full-fledged
+bullying go unchecked. Naturally, Sakayanagi was keeping her tactics just
+barely on the acceptable side of the line. In that case, I would go behind her
+back and push her over the line. By doing so, I would force matters to come
+to a head, and to eventually die down.
+That was my goal.
+"Not everyone is capable of remaining silent, like Ichinose-san has. So
+they'Il go crying to the school. Is that what you're saying?"
+"Yep. And even if no one does go to the school, the year-end exams
+are coming up. That, coupled with these rumors going around, should create a
+tense atmosphere. There might be arguments, perhaps even almost fights."
+"And when that happens, the school will be forced to take action...
+Right?"
+We'd disperse information that contained a mixture of truth and lies
+about a few students from each class. Most likely, more than half of the
+students targeted by the rumors would claim that they're just lies. Perhaps
+even all of them would refuse to admit to anything. However, the fact that
+some of the rumors contained elements of truth would naturally be exposed.
+"If more rumors crop up right now, Class A will be the first to come
+under suspicion. That works to our advantage."
+Sakayanagi's faction, who'd started spreading rumors to mess with
+Ichinose, would realize these new ones were coming from a third party. But
+even if they noticed, it's not like they could do anything about it. Try as they
+might to deny that they had anything to do with the new rumors, they
+couldn't deny the fact that they'd helped spread the rumors about Ichinose.
+As long as that remained true, there was no avoiding the fact that people
+would suspect them before anyone else.
+Now that Kushida realized how things might go, she seemed to have
+figured out my plan. "But how are you going to spread so many rumors? That
+won't be easy."
+"How? We'll use the school bulletin boards."
+"Wait, bulletin boards? You mean the ones in the school app? You
+know that no one uses those, right? And besides, if the school does take
+action, won't they also punish the person who posted the rumors? Even if you
+can post anonymously on the bulletin boards, won't the school immediately
+be able to track down who the posts came from?" She peppered me with
+question after question.
+"Naturally, I've already taken those risks into consideration."
+"You're saying you're prepared for what might happen in the worst-
+case scenario, Ayanokouji-kun? That you might be found out?"
+"Yes. And of course, if that does happen, then I won't say a word
+about your involvement."
+I already had countermeasures in mind, of course, but I couldn't say
+anything was certain at this stage. Regardless, I had no intention of posting
+anything on the bulletin boards that could point back to me.
+"This still poses a danger to me," said Kushida.
+"T suppose that's true. It would be completely unnatural for me to
+know so much about other people's private affairs. If this did get traced back
+to me, people might think I'd gotten information from someone else," I
+replied.
+It was important that I didn't handle myself too perfectly before
+Kushida. I needed to make her think there were some things I'd missed.
+"So, for our own safety, we need to be extremely selective about what
+the rumors say."
+"*,, Okay. I understand what your goal is, Ayanokouji-kun. I'll consider
+cooperating with you."
+In other words, she hadn't yet decided if she actually would.
+"So you're saying you'll cooperate if I accept your terms then. Is that
+it?"
+"That's exactly it."
+It would be difficult to execute this strategy without Kushida. I could
+easily come up with a bunch of lies, but that wouldn't be enough to really get
+under people's skin. It would be precisely the fact that the rumors had truth
+woven in with the lies that would cause people to panic. And that panic, like
+fire, would spread.
+"Okay, then, what are your conditions?" I asked. If they were
+unacceptable, then our negotiations would break down.
+"Horikita Suzune's expulsion."
+"Unacceptable."
+"T suppose so, hm?" That was Kushida's dearest wish. She knew I
+wouldn't grant it, but she'd asked anyway, just in case. "I suppose that asking
+for you to drop out would be unacceptable too, Ayanokouji-kun?"
+"That would be even more unacceptable than having Horikita
+expelled."
+"Ah ha ha." Kushida must have found my answers somewhat amusing,
+because she laughed out loud. "But there isn't anything else that I want."
+"In that case, can I make a suggestion?" I decided to make her an offer
+myself.
+"All right. What?"
+"T'll give you half. Half of all of the private points I get moving
+forward."
+"Wait, what? That sounds like the deal that Ryuuen made..."
+Of course she already knew about the details of Ryuuen's agreement
+with Class A.
+"Yes, it's pretty much the same thing. Of course, Ill share my
+statements with you if necessary, showing all my deposits and withdrawals
+each month so you can be sure I'm not shorting you. This will result in you
+getting hundreds of thousands or even millions of points by the time you
+reach graduation. This is an exceptional price for the information you'd be
+giving me."
+There was a brief silence. Kushida considered it.
+"It's certainly not a bad offer, I suppose. But unfortunately, I'm not
+really hurting for private points. It's certainly better to have more money than
+none, but I'm fine where I am now."
+Kushida had obtained a large sum of money during the exam on the
+cruise ship. Even if she had spent those points lavishly, I imagined she still
+had quite the nest egg remaining. Still, in the end, the clearest and most
+effective way to negotiate was with money.
+"You might have more than enough points to use for spending money,
+but it's never a bad thing to have more tucked away for an emergency," I
+said. "Chabashira-sensei said as much too, I believe. That private points may
+become necessary in order to protect yourself."
+If you thought of it as your very own insurance policy, then it was wise
+to hold onto as many points as you could, even if it wasn't much.
+"No matter how I look at this proposal of yours, it looks like you're
+putting yourself at a disadvantage, Ayanokouji-kun. If you said that you were
+in danger of being expelled from school, I could understand, I suppose. But
+the idea that you' re basically willing to give up half of your own soul in order
+to save Ichinose-san sounds weird to me."
+"T like Ichinose."
+"Spare me the jokes."
+I'd thought she might laugh, but apparently, she didn't find it funny.
+"T'll tell you the truth," I said. "Yes, it'll certainly hurt for me to lose
+out on half of my private points. But by doing so, Ill be able to protect
+myself."
+"What are you saying?" she asked.
+"I'm one of the people that you want to get expelled. There's no telling
+when you'll stab me in the back. In other words, this is my defense plan."
+"You're saying that if you're supplying me with your private points,
+then you'll be a valuable resource to me, Ayanokouji-kun? Is that it?"
+"Yes. Having you for an enemy is trouble I don't need. I think it's
+worth giving you half my points to avoid that."
+The offer of private points would cement this arrangement. As long as
+neither one of us abandoned the other, she would continue to gain private
+points, which wasn't a bad deal at all.
+"sea lesSCex<
+After thinking it over, Kushida came to a conclusion.
+"All right. Pl go along with your plan. But does that mean you're okay
+with the precise condition that I not do anything to antagonize you,
+Ayanokouji-kun, and only you? Don't you want to add some kind of
+guarantee that includes Horikita-san too?" she asked.
+"I'm not that greedy. Besides, 1t would be more trouble for me if our
+agreement fell apart because I tried to protect Horikita too."
+"These are extremely good conditions for me."
+"If you're not comfortable with a verbal agreement, how about we put
+this in writing?" I asked.
+"No, that won't be necessary," said Kushida, removing something from
+her pocket.
+It wasn't a phone this time, but a voice recorder. Apparently, she
+hadn't just been recording on her phone; she had a backup running as well.
+"T have all the evidence I need here. If you ever betray me, in any way,
+shape, or form... You understand what' ll happen, yes?"
+ep
+If I broke our agreement, in the worst-case scenario, she'd talk to the
+school. She could then bleed me dry without anyone being the wiser.
+"You're really something, Ayanokouji-kun. You're completely
+different from Horikita-san."
+Give and take. You couldn't ask someone to trust you based on
+emotion alone. Emotions were intangible, but numbers were concrete.
+Horikita's way of doing things wasn't wrong. A relationship built on
+emotion could sometimes be stronger than one built on numbers and
+agreements. In this instance, however, such an approach would be a hard sell.
+I could have tried to persuade Kushida to swallow her feelings of resentment,
+but that would've been a mistake.
+"Are you really okay with giving me half your points?"
+"T didn't think a smaller share would really entice you."
+Of course, it would be a real drain on my resources to keep paying up
+private points.
+...But I was sure that problem would be cleared up before long.
+"Well, now that we're both on the same page, can you tell me what I
+want to know?" I asked.
+"Sure. What do you want to know?"
+""Misdeeds or embarrassing stories from people's pasts would be fine.
+Basically, anything that would discomfit them if it was made public."
+"T see... Well, P'Il tell you some things, then."
+Kushida, seemingly amused by the situation, started to give me the
+secrets that she had been holding onto. She started by telling me things like
+who people were crushing on, or who they didn't like, then moved onto
+information about students' family situations or their histories of juvenile
+delinquency.
+Her voice was enthusiastic and engaged. We'd made it to this stage,
+and she still didn't understand my true goal.
+Saving Ichinose. Responding to Sakayanagi's provocation. Diverting
+Hashimoto's attention from me. The threat of Nagumo. All these were just
+components of my larger plan.
+In the midst of everything going on, there was one thing I had
+particularly wanted to ascertain. The quantity and quality of the information
+that Kushida Kikyou held.
+Everything I'd done was in the service of confirming that...and of
+getting her expelled from school.
+Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. If I went about this the
+wrong way, I'd be the one in trouble. I had to estimate the explosive power of
+the ordinance at her disposal—in other words, her overwhelming information
+network. And then I had to analyze that information.
+Who told her these secrets? And how many other people knew them?
+Her grasp on the personalities and characteristics of the other students was
+terrifying. I could say with certainty that no one at this school held as much
+information as she did, at least among the first-year students.
+This was Kushida's power. The ability that she had cultivated to
+protect herself and to make others recognize her as a shining beacon.
+"TI see..."
+"So was that all useful?"
+Of course, the information she had given me just now wasn't nearly
+everything that Kushida knew.
+"For Class C, I want to release information about two people," I said.
+'"'Hondou and Satou."'
+"T guess that's fine. Satou-san's dislike of Onodera is already pretty
+well known." Meaning it was probably only a matter of time before Onodera
+found out, anyway. "I'm not the nicest person, myself...but it might be a
+good idea for you to remember that girls are just like that."
+Kushida took out her phone and showed me her chat app. The size of
+my friendlist couldn't even begin to compare to hers. She was in a ton of
+group chats too.
+"For example," she said, "look at this one chat group I made with some
+girls from our class. This is Group A. You can see that there are six people in
+it, right? But actually, there's another group, Group B, which is made up of
+the same members...save one. One person has been excluded from group B.
+It's a girl named Nene, by the way."
+Mori Nene. She was one of the girls from Kei's group of friends.
+"So you're saying that people dislike Mori?"
+"Exactly. If the girls post their surface feelings in Group A, then they
+say what they keep hidden deep down in Group B. Sometimes they' ll come
+together in Group B and badmouth Nene. Of course, I'd never be so careless
+as to do something of the sort...but regardless, people might act like they get
+along and be all smiles on the surface, but secretly, they all have someone
+they don't like. It's normal for people to badmouth others behind their backs.
+It's not like there are only one or two examples of public and hidden groups
+like this. I know of dozens and dozens."
+Kushida stood up, seemingly satisfied that she'd been able to talk about
+something she normally couldn't.
+"It's late. ''m going to go back to my room now. I look forward to
+what comes of our agreement, Ayanokouji-kun," she said, putting on her
+shoes near the entrance, with her back turned to me.
+"Kushida."
+"Hm?"
+"You've helped me a lot today."
+"Oh, no, it was nothing. Well, then, goodnight, Ayanokouji-kun. I look
+forward to the future."
+This was my chance to ask Kushida about her closeness with Nagumo.
+But I deliberately decided not to touch on that subject. Kushida and Nagumo
+coming into contact with one another was a coincidence, nothing more...
+which didn't mean I couldn't still use it to my advantage.
+And so, using Kushida's information as my source, I began preparing
+"rumors" about each class to send out into the world.
+8.1
+Pasruany 14TH. Valentine's Day. That was the day I decided to deal
+with Hashimoto, who had been continuously tailing me during lunch and
+after class.
+I anticipated that Kei was going to give me Valentine's Day
+chocolates, so I decided to take advantage of that. My guess was that she'd
+try to do it either early in the morning or later in the evening. There was no
+way she'd do it in the middle of the day, while we were at school. She'd just
+broken up with Hirata, and had no reason to be carrying chocolate around in
+her bag. Besides, even the fact that she was giving chocolates to someone
+would have caused a huge stir if it got out.
+Therefore, I turned my phone off on the night before Valentine's Day.
+There was no chance we'd casually run into each other, but I turned it off
+anyway, just so I wouldn't have to come up with excuses for why it wasn't
+convenient to meet up in the morning. When we did meet, it had to feel
+natural.
+Hashimoto had to be feeling pretty impatient by this point, since he had
+yet to see any significant results from tailing me. Which was exactly why I
+decided to give him a hint that something was going to happen. And what
+happened was Kei and I having our secret meeting, and me accepting
+chocolate from her.
+The reason I settled on meeting with her at five o'clock was because
+Hashimoto had been tailing me until around six. Sure enough, he was
+watching the surveillance cameras in the lobby to see what I did. This was the
+first inexplicable opportunity he'd seen since he started tailing me, and so he
+boldly approached and talked directly to the two of us. Well, the results
+would've been much the same even if he'd just stayed back and watched.
+Hashimoto was satisfied by the answer that Kei might have been the
+person that I was in frequent contact with. The next day, he stopped tailing
+me. He'd shifted his attention to preparing for the year-end exam.
+And so, that was the day that I was able to move about freely.
+I headed to the school building with the Valentine's chocolates I'd
+received from Kei still in my bag. Then, I met up with Shiina Hiyori in the
+library. The majority of our conversation consisted of talking about silly
+books, but I had an ulterior motive. Our conversation was just a lead-up to
+the countless rumors I planned to start circulating the next day.
+I had decided to plant the seeds of the idea that Class A might be up to
+more than just starting rumors about Ichinose. Those seeds began to bloom a
+few days later. I'd deliberately chosen Ishizaki and Ibuki, both volatile and
+combative people, as targets of the rumors because I knew they might fly off
+the handle.
+That was just a bonus, though. Even if the situation never deteriorated
+into violence, it wouldn't have made a difference in the end. What really
+mattered was when and how those messages were going to be posted on the
+bulletin boards.
+I got in touch with the person I'd selected to solve that problem for me.
+Vice President Kirtyama. A student from second-year Class B who was
+working toward Nagumo's downfall.
+After I was done talking to Hiyori in the library, I met with Kirtyama at
+the school building, at a time when there weren't many people around
+anymore. I revealed my entire plan to him. My strategy to save Ichinose.
+"T see. So you're asking me to post the rumors using my own phone? I
+have absolutely nothing to gain from doing that."
+"That's not true. You stand to benefit from acting as my intermediary
+in this, Vice President Kirtyama. You see, this establishes a relationship
+between you and me. If I keep waiting for you to take action, that relationship
+would never progress."
+In fact, Kirtyama had yet to instruct me to do a single thing since we
+had met.
+"That's only to be expected," he said. "I still have my fair share of
+doubts about your abilities."
+"T understand. Which is exactly why, rather than thinking of this as me
+asking for help, I'm asking you to think of it as me owing you a favor. In the
+unlikely event that things go bad, this will make it easier for you to rely on
+me. Besides, posting on the bulletin boards wouldn't be all bad for you, Vice
+President Kiriyama."
+"...What do you mean?"
+"Ichinose Honami is a valuable addition to the student council. It
+would be a shame to lose her. If we can get the school involved by spreading
+rumors on the bulletin boards, that will help protect her."
+"But, if I post these rumors about the first-years, it could lead to people
+calling the credibility of the student council into question."
+"And why is that a bad thing?"
+"What...?"
+"Tf the student council loses credibility, it hurts President Nagumo
+more than anyone else. If you wish for his downfall, then I think you should
+welcome that idea with open arms."
+"That's ridiculous. It would be real bad for me if the school discovers I
+was the one who posted the rumors on the bulletin boards. Not only they
+would punish me, but there's also the possibility that Nagumo would relieve
+me of my position as vice pres—"
+"You're capable of taking enough evasive measures to avoid that
+happening, aren't you? Honestly. I mean, you are going up against President
+Nagumo, aren't you? Or perhaps you don't have what it takes to oppose
+him?"
+"What would a first-year like you know...?!" Kirtyama glared at me,
+his eyes full of anger.
+"According to information I've gotten from the former student council
+president, President Nagumo has made contact with Kushida."
+"How do you... Horikita-senpai really has placed a lot of trust in you,
+it seems."
+"She's one of the most informed people in our entire school, regardless
+of grade level. So it's possible that this whole situation could be explained
+away as a Strategy devised by President Nagumo, wherein he leaked
+information that he got from her via the posts on the bulletin boards. You
+could easily pass off a made-up scenario like that as what really happened."
+This imaginary sequence of events slowly began to take shape. The
+idea that Kushida gave Nagumo the information, which he, in turn, instructed
+Kirtyama to use in order to save Ichinose.
+"'.. You thought that far ahead about this before contacting me?"
+Kirtyama thought it over, probably imagining what might happen if he posted
+these rumors on the bulletin boards. But judging from how the conversation
+had gone so far, he wasn't ready to cooperate yet.
+"If you say no to me here, I'Il have to conclude that it means you've
+yielded to Nagumo. Or perhaps... P'll go ahead and report to the former
+student council president that Nagumo's already won you over to his side?"
+What I said could have been interpreted as a threat, but 1t was the
+deciding factor in getting Kiriyama to cooperate with me.
+"So will you do this for me?" I asked.
+""...When should I post them?"
+"Right here and now. Immediately."
+If I carelessly gave him time to delay, there was a risk he might post
+the message using someone else's phone. I wouldn't necessarily mind it if he
+did that, of course, but I wanted to avoid any chance, no matter how minute,
+of my plans going awry later. More importantly, I needed to keep in mind the
+possibility that Kirryama might leak the information to a third party too.
+"All right. But you're going to owe me a big one for this."
+"Thank you very much."
+I showed Kirtyama my phone screen, which displayed the rumors I'd
+prepared for each class. I then had him write them all down by hand. After
+about ten minutes of work, the entire process had been completed. I doubted
+any students would notice the posts right away, but I'd make sure they'd be
+the talk of the town tomorrow.
+8.2
+Ano So, the groundwork had been laid. All that remained were the
+finishing touches to my plans. Crushing Ichinose Honami's spirit was the last
+item on my to-do list...since I knew Sakayanagi would crush it herself before
+long, anyway.
+Sakayanagi's scheme had succeeded beautifully. Ichinose continued to
+be absent from class even after it was thought she had recovered from her
+illness. It was February 18th the day that Class A and Class D clashed. It had
+been five days since she had gotten sick, and Ichinose still wasn't coming to
+class.
+I was sure she'd physically recovered, but the same might not be true
+of her emotional scars. Knowing she was absent from class yet again, I
+decided to get in touch with her. But if I tried to go see her after class or
+during a day off, chances were high that someone would spot me. Instead, I
+opted to visit her on a weekday afternoon, when nearly all the dorms were
+empty.
+I didn't contact her by phone ahead of time. I didn't plan on giving her
+a way out. I just showed up at her door and rang the doorbell.
+"Hey, I want to talk to you a bit. Can you come out?" I asked.
+A little while after, a response came from inside the room.
+"T'm sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm sorry to turn you away since you
+came out of your way to visit me, but could you please come back some time
+later?" she replied.
+Judging by the sound of her voice, she was still in low spirits. But it
+seemed safe to assume that she'd completely recovered from her cold by
+now.
+"Were those letters really such a big deal to you, Ichinose?" I asked.
+She didn't respond.
+I sat down, leaning back against her door.
+"Will you be coming to class on Monday?" I asked.
+"...1m sorry. I don't know."
+It seemed like she was willing to answer questions that didn't touch on
+the heart of the matter, for now.
+"T have some time until lunch break is over," I said. "So I think I' Il
+hang out here for a little bit."
+I just proceeded to sit quietly there until the last possible minute before
+lunch break ended.
+"All right," I said. "Guess Pll be heading back to class."
+"T...just want a little more time is all. When I'm feeling a little more
+put together, then I'll definitely be coming back to class. So please don't
+come here anymore, okay...?" I heard Ichinose say in a strained voice.
+I returned to class.
+8.3
+ae WEEKEND HAD PASSED, and it was now the 21st. It was now
+Monday, and the year-end exams would start on Friday, but Ichinose was still
+nowhere to be seen. Kanzaki, Shibata, and some other girls who Ichinose was
+close to were trying to call, text, and email her, doing everything in their
+power to get in contact. But I didn't see them showing up at Ichinose's room
+after class, which I could only assume was because Ichinose had asked them
+not to come anymore, just like she'd asked me.
+During lunch break, I slipped out of the school building and went over
+to Ichinose's room. I knocked lightly on her door and called out to her
+without waiting for an answer.
+"T heard you're taking today off too?" I asked.
+It was a reckless move on my part. She had told me not to come
+anymore, and I was ignoring her wishes.
+This time, Ichinose didn't say anything back to me from the other side
+of the door. I didn't say anything to her either. I just sat in front of her door
+until the last possible minute, just like I had done the previous week.
+8.4
+ie SAME THING HAPPENED on Tuesday too. After confirming that she
+was absent from class once more, I went to Ichinose's room. I don't need to
+reiterate it all again.
+If I were one of her classmates, she wouldn't have been able to bring
+herself to be really mad at me. But I wasn't. And yet, it was precisely because
+I belonged to another class that it wouldn't inconvenience me that much if
+Ichinose decided to cut all ties with me. That was the main reason why I was
+being so assertive.
+There wasn't much time left until the year-end exam. If things
+continued this way, it was possible that Ichinose might be absent even on the
+day of the exam. Well, even if she did show up to class that day, the students
+of Class B were currently undergoing a great deal of mental anguish. It was
+possible that their test scores would be negatively impacted by these
+unforeseen troubles. Even if no one wound up expelled, it would still have a
+big impact on their class points.
+Ichinose needed to come to class on Thursday, and the students of
+Class B needed to feel reassured. The window in which that could be made to
+happen would end the next day, Wednesday.
+8.5
+Tae END OF THAT WINDOW approached in a flash. Before I knew it, it
+was Wednesday.
+I held a can of coffee that I bought from the convenience store in my
+hand. I let out a sigh, my breath visible in the air.
+I wasn't going to press Ichinose that day, even though we were out of
+time. Because there was no way Ichinose, herself, didn't understand that
+today was her last chance. She would definitely take action. I was sure of it.
+"February's already almost over. If we can get through the special
+exam next month, we'll have officially made it to our second year. They say,
+'once on shore, we pray no more,' but I have to wonder if there's really any
+truth to that," I said aloud.
+The Uninhabited Island Exam. The Cruise Ship Exam. Paper Shuffle.
+Time and time again, we'd been subjected to a series of bizarre exams.
+"Once we're second-year students, I wonder if the special exams will
+get even stranger than they are now?" I added.
+".. Hey. Can I... ask you something kind of strange...?" asked
+Ichinose, mumbling in a quiet voice, as if she were talking to herself. It was
+the first time in a while she'd responded to me.
+"Sure. As long as you're okay with talking to me through the door, you
+can ask me anything," I replied, welcoming her with open arms. But she
+didn't respond immediately.
+"Why haven't you said anything to me, Ayanokouji-kun? Asked me
+anything?"
+"Like what?"
+"My classmates and my friends from other classes have all come by,
+trying to convince me to come back to school. They all say they want me to
+talk to them about anything that might be bothering me. And yet,
+Ayanokouji-kun, you've been coming here every single day without saying
+anything like that at all... Why?"
+She probably didn't want me to worry about her, just as she hoped the
+other students wouldn't. She couldn't understand why I was slipping away
+from school every day and wasting my lunch break just to come here.
+"Well, that's because those other students are really, really worried
+about you, Ichinose. Their attempts to convince you, again and again...that's
+something I could never do. My ability to connect with other people is so
+limited that if I tried to use my emotions to appeal to your emotions, I can't
+imagine it would really resonate."
+I heard the faint sound of footsteps within her room. I had a feeling she
+was sitting on the other side of the door now. The door was the only thing
+separating us.
+"Maybe I've been coming here every day because I'm waiting for you
+to just unload everything and tell me," I said.
+"Waiting for me... to unload everything and tell you?"
+I decided to break down the walls of Ichinose's heart for the first time.
+"T know what crime you committed."
+(T4 99
+eet
+"Well, I say that, but I don't actually know the background details or
+anything. But the fact that Sakayanagi dug so deeply into this, and spread it
+around so much that it's caused you to take time off from school, tells me
+how much this is weighing on you, Ichinose. But I guess there's no point in
+me saying that to you."
+"How...do you know that?"
+"That's not really important right now. I don't intend to get any deeper
+into it."
+If Ichinose didn't want to talk about it, then our conversation would be
+over right here and now.
+"You're probably not very good at opening up to other people about
+your own troubles, Ichinose. Even though you can save others, you can't save
+yourself. That's the kind of person you are. That's why I'm here now."
+The feelings I wanted to convey had to be reaching Ichinose, little by
+little.
+There was a brief silence. It was hard, wanting to let your emotions
+out, but having no one you could let them out fo. I'd seen countless children
+suffer through the same thing back in the White Room. Eventually, they
+broke down and disappeared. Became broken people with no hope of ever
+recovering.
+"I'm your door right now. I can't see your face and I can't reach out
+and touch you. I'm just a door. No one will laugh at you if you reveal your
+weakness to a door."
+There was a light clack as I set my coffee down on the ground.
+"So what are you going to do, Ichinose? This moment, right now, is
+your moment of truth."
+All of Ichinose Honami's friends were reserved, gentle people. It
+wasn't hard to imagine them offering a deluge of kind words to their
+dependable leader. However, that wasn't going to work. It might seem like
+the correct approach to the people supporting Ichinose, but you couldn't
+handle this situation like it was a problem to be fixed. You just had to apply
+enough pressure to make her crack.
+"Even someone so pathetic like me... Can I really...?"
+"Who has the right to deny you that?" I asked.
+"Can a criminal like me...ever really be forgiven...?"
+"Everyone has the right to be forgiven."
+I'd knocked on the door to her heart. All that was left now was to see
+how Ichinose would respond.
+From the other side of the door, Ichinose slowly opened her mouth to
+speak.
+"I... I shoplifted. And then I missed out on half a year of school during
+my third-year of junior high, because I was in so much pain. I couldn't talk to
+anyone about it. I just kept blaming myself. I holed up in a small room, just
+like ''m doing now..."
+Ichinose started speaking, finally pulling her hands away from the
+wound on her heart that she'd been so desperately trying to cover for so long.
+She talked about what she had done. About her weakness, about how she'd
+retreated inward and hid herself away.
+About how she told this story to Nagumo, and only him. About how
+Sakayanagi had approached her, asking for advice on a classmate, and told
+her that there was a shoplifter at our school. Ichinose had known then that it
+couldn't be a coincidence. She'd known Sakayanagi had probably found out
+about her past because she heard it from Nagumo. With no room to lie about
+it, all she could do was confess it all.
+Ichinose had been putting on a brave face, unable to let herself be
+weak. Do you know how hard and scary it is to admit to your own crimes?
+Many immature young people have shoplifted... No, have committed some
+kind of "crime" at least once in their lives. But if you said that to a large
+crowd of people, they'd all probably say something like "I'd never do such a
+thing."
+And that was only natural. Admitting to your own crimes was
+terrifying, as was talking about them in public. Our society is one that deals
+out harsh punishments in the name of justice, after all. Such is the tragic fate
+of a criminal. That's why they hide. That's why they never speak of their
+crimes, burying them deep within themselves instead. That's why they try to
+live on under the guise of being good people.
+Ichinose, overcome by her guilty conscience, spent half a year
+completely alone. And then, finally, she was released from her shackles. ..no,
+she broke free of them. But her guilt would continue to follow her, no matter
+where she went. It would be with her until the day she died.
+In fact, her guilty conscience was standing in her way right now,
+attacking her heart. Which was why she had no choice but to confront it.
+By the time she was done telling me her whole story, lunch break was
+already over, but that didn't matter. Even though afternoon classes had
+already started, I just sat there and listened to what Ichinose had to say,
+without trying to console her or reprimand her.
+Ichinose was softly crying on the other side of the door, trying to hold
+back her tears. I offered her no words of comfort, because that would have
+been meaningless right now. It had been clear from the very beginning who
+her real opponent in this battle was: herself.
+It all came down to whether or not she could put an end to this herself
+by coming to terms with what she'd done. Very, very few people are capable
+of honestly facing their crimes in the true sense of the word. But when we do
+face our crimes...then we're able to grow and take one step forward.
+And that was the conversation Ichinose and I had, before she opened
+up and told her friends about everything she was going through. Everything.
+Chapter 9:
+Return
+A: LONG LAST, the day of the year-end exam had come. We'd each
+done what we could to prepare, based on the practice test we had taken.
+According to Horikita, Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi were all expected to
+perform quite well. Apparently, they'd done everything possible to cram
+during the week before the test.
+Then there was Akito, Haruka, Airi, and Kei. The students in my group
+had all done quite well at raising their personal bars. The other students,
+meanwhile, had been getting help from Hirata. There were no signs of any
+students really struggling, so as long as everyone made sure to keep an eye on
+their health, the whole class should make it through this exam just fine.
+Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps. Someone was hurrying up
+behind me, trying to catch up, and then slowing down to match my pace.
+***
+"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!" Ichinose approached me, a broad
+smile on her face.
+"Good morning, Ichinose."
+9
+"Today's finally the day, huh? The year-end exam. Did you study
+hard?"
+"More or less, yeah. But I guess... I don't even need to ask, in your
+case."
+I didn't even need to think about it. Class B was far more coordinated
+than our class, and I was sure they'd were much better prepared for the test.
+Even Ichinose, who'd been absent until just the other day, probably had
+nothing to worry about as far as academics.
+"You were really cool yesterday, Ichinose. Cool enough to charm even
+a guy like me," I told her.
+"R-really...? I suppose it's just like Sakayanagi-san said, though... that
+was just me being shameless."
+Ichinose hadn't really committed a crime in the first place, though.
+Everything had been resolved after her mother took appropriate measures to
+handle it. It was a non-issue. She'd been carrying a completely unnecessary
+burden. Nothing more.
+"Tt's all thanks to you that I was able to get back on my feet,
+Ayanokouji-kun."
+"T can't be a shoulder to lean on and worry about you like the students
+of Class B can, though. I just thought I'd try to listen, 1s all. It's nothing you
+need to thank me for."
+"No, that's not true... If you weren't there, Ayanokouji-kun, I think I
+would definitely have ended up self-destructing and falling apart, just like
+last time. In that sense, Sakayanagi-san completely defeated me this time."
+Sakayanagi had manipulated Ichinose with devastating success, driving
+her to the brink of self-destruction. It was certainly true there was no telling
+what would have happened had I not gotten involved. But I wanted to make
+something clear.
+"T don't want you to feel like you owe me too much, though. I was
+nothing more than the catalyst. In the end, you're the only one who was able
+to overcome your own past," I told her.
+"... Yeah, I suppose you're right. I can't ever undo what I did. No
+matter how much time passes, there may never come a day where I feel like
+my sins have truly disappeared. But...from this point onward, I can face life
+head-on. I'm sure of it."
+Everything should be all right now. No matter who tried to blame her,
+Ichinose would be able to stand her ground. She'd grown strong—stronger
+than anyone else. I expected she'd grow into an even more formidable rival
+in the future.
+Even so, there were no guarantees in life.
+"If you're ever feeling like you're about to lose sight of yourself, you
+can talk to me again."
+"Auh...?"
+'"'When that time comes... Yeah. I should be able to at least listen."
+Ichinose stopped and stood completely still. "Is it okay for me to
+depend on you...?" she asked.
+"If you're okay with someone like me."
+"Really?" she asked again.
+"... Yeah, really." I nodded, though I was somewhat confused by the
+question.
+"...Th-thank you..." she said quietly. A rather unusual reaction from
+Ichinose, who was usually so upbeat.
+Then she quickly shook her head, maybe because she, too, realized her
+reaction had been out-of-character.
+"B-but... won't you come to regret 1t someday?" she asked, gazing
+deeply at me.
+"Hm, I guess you've got a point. I mean, our class might get stuck in
+B. If you and your class graduate from A, then my classmates might end up
+blaming me for it."
+"R-right?" she answered, scratching her cheek with a wry smile.
+"Well, if that time comes, just don't tell Horikita."
+"...heh heh. Yeah, okay. Pll make sure to do that."
+Ichinose, walking alongside me once more, stretched her shoulders.
+She looked bright and cheery again, as if she'd just been reborn. Well, then.
+All that remained was to get through the year-end exam.
+She was still quietly looking over at me.
+"What is it?" I asked.
+"H-huh?"
+'""You've been staring at me for a while now. If there's something you
+want to say, I'm all ears."
+"Well, to tell you the truth, I... Ah! Sorry, Ayanokouji-kun. Can you
+please wait a little bit?"
+Just as Ichinose was about to say something, her attention shifted to
+another student in front of us. A brief glance in the direction of that student,
+and the people surrounding them, made it obvious what was up.
+"I'm sorry. I'm going to head over there for just a sec," said Ichinose,
+leaving my side and running to catch up to the student in front of us. "Good
+morning, Nagumo-senpai."
+"Oh, Honami. You're looking cheerful this morning." Nagumo might
+have been surprised by the sight of Ichinose's restored smile.
+"Because that's just the way I am."
+"Don't you resent me, Honam1?" he asked.
+"Resent you?" replied Ichinose, tilting her head to the side in apparent
+confusion.
+Immediately afterward, though, she seemed to understand the meaning
+behind his question.
+"T don't resent you at all, Nagumo-senpai. All I am is grateful to you.
+Really, thank you so much for bringing me onto the student council. 'Il do
+my best from here on out, so I'm looking forward to working with you."
+"T see. Well, it would seem like you're going to exceed my
+expectations."
+Nagumo looked over at me for just an instant, then immediately turned
+around and walked away.
+It wasn't difficult to intuit what he was saying with that look. He had
+wanted to break Ichinose Honami down and build her back up with his own
+hands. He had intended to completely tame her and make her his pawn.
+The look he'd just given me conveyed his displeasure that I'd thrown
+off his plans—which meant he understood that I'd been involved in this
+incident in some capacity.
+Ichinose bowed to Nagumo and then came back over to me once again.
+"Hey!" she called, her voice noticeably loud. She opened her mouth
+wide and continued speaking. "Um, hey, so, listen."
+While she spoke, she reached into her school bag. Then she froze.
+"What is it?" I asked.
+"Umm, well, it's... Th-this is odd. It's just, well, I had planned to just
+be like 'Here you go!' but..."
+Ichinose seemed to hesitate, still digging around inside her bag, but
+then seemingly made up her mind and took something out. She handed it
+over to me.
+"This is a little bit late, but... will you accept these Valentine's
+chocolates from me? It's just, well, 've never given anyone chocolates like
+this before, and... This is the only way that I can express my gratitude, so...'
+"You don't have to force yourself to pay me back by giving me
+something, you know?"
+The 14th had already passed, but I certainly wasn't upset to be given
+more chocolate by a girl. That said, I hadn't done what I had for the purposes
+of getting chocolate from her. She didn't need to feel obligated to give me
+any.
+"T-I-I'm not forcing myself, though! Y-you don't want it?"
+"No, I do... Thank you."
+The chocolates might start to melt if we stayed out too long. Not to
+mention people would notice us. And so, I gratefully accepted Ichinose's gift.
+Postscript
+I WAS CASUALLY THINKING about the advantages of living in Tokyo the
+other day. You see so many restaurants in the media—I thought maybe I
+should go eat at one of them myself. But there's probably been more than a
+few occasions when a place is shown on TV, and right after, becomes so
+popular that you can't even get in. Even worse, the prices get way too
+steep...
+Oh, hey there. It's been a while. It's the guy who felt like Volume 8
+had only just been released yesterday, but now realizes we're already at the
+release of Volume 9: Kinugasa.
+I just can't help but feel concerned about my health these days.
+Because of the nature of my occupation, I spend almost two-thirds of my day
+sitting down. My blood circulation is getting worse and worse and my back is
+hurting more. When I was young, I could push through somehow, thanks to
+my physical prowess. But now I can't really fake it to get by anymore. I've
+been going in for regular checkups and everything, but I kind of feel like...
+you know, as long as there's no way to really address the root of the problem,
+the future doesn't hold much hope.
+Anyway, the story of Volume 9 focuses on Valentine's Day and the
+time leading up to the year-end exam. The protagonist has gradually started
+to become surrounded by more and more girls. I've been wondering if there's
+a chance that he might actually make some progress with a girl, deepen his
+relationship with her, in his second year of school.
+The story also focused on Ichinose, who hadn't really had much time
+in the spotlight so far in the series. There were no special exams this time
+around, so the story unfolded in a relatively peaceful (?) way, but it's getting
+to be more serious.
+Finally, the first-year arc will come to an end with the special exam
+featured in the next installment, Volume 10. There have been times where
+I've thought to myself... "They're still in their first year, even though it's
+been close to four years since the series started?" So, from here on out, things
+may start to develop a little bit faster...maybe. (I still don't know yet.)
+The words my editor said to me at the time I started this series are still
+in my mind, even now.
+"I'm glad that this is a work where time always moves forward."
+No matter how long it takes, the end will eventually come. I laughed at
+first when I heard that, but now I'm convinced it's true. I have a pretty
+serious look on my face as I think about it now. I'm thinking I'd like to show
+you how the class points and the main character's private points are coming
+along in the next volume, if possible.
+Anyway. Let's meet again in Volume 10, everyone.
+***
+Seven Seas
+Thank you for reading!
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