Chapter 7 Horikita Suzune's Decision
INTRODUCTION
And now for the results of the vote.
Results of the 10th voting round:
1 in favor,
38 opposed.
The scene that everyone had grown tired of seeing was simply repeated.
Appealing to them to come forward will not change that. No amount of discussion will change
that.
The number of in favour votes will neither increase nor decrease.
The results make me wonder if the voting is actually not fair and the same screen is just being
displayed over and over again.
"Since it was not unanimous, we will now begin the interval."
The signs of fatigue could be seen even in Chabashira sensei who announced the standardized
Phrase.
Now that she has told her past, all she can do is watch this assignment go by as a teacher.
"Why? ・・・・・・. Is there really anyone who votes in favour?"
It was understandable that Keisei felt compelled to voice his doubts.
At this point, even if we wanted to continue the conversation, we've already had every form of
discussion.
How many times did Horikita and Yosuke try to persuade them?
"If you're opposed to it, please raise your hand ・・・・・・."
If calling out to those in favor of the proposal is futile, Yosuke requests that students who are
against the proposal raise their hands.
He kept trying hard to find a breakthrough, even if it meant proposing a meaningless reverse
pattern.
One hand on either side of me were raised. Of course, I raise my hand, too.
In this way, everyone can see that 38 people, including Yosuke, voted against it without
hesitation.
The only one that didn't raise its hand was Koenji, but ....
"I won't raise my hand, but don't worry, I'm voting in opposition."
Koenji replied to Yosuke, who looked at him anxiously.
"Can I trust you, Koenji? I think you're actually in favor of it."
"How many times have we had this discussion? You never get tired of it."
Even for Sudo, there is no other way but to poke Koenji. It is not unreasonable to believe that
there is a person in this class who continues to tell lies.
There is a student who proudly raises their hands to say they are voting oppose, and yet they
are still in favor of the motion.
"I don't want to think that any of the people who just raised their hands are lying to me, but I'm
going to go over it again, this time looking each of you in the eye and asking you directly. If any
of you are voting yes, please tell me honestly: ・・・・・ No, I want you to vote 'oppose' in the next
round."
With Ten minutes of constant scrambling. Horikita spares no time or effort in dealing with each
person individually.
I'm sure they're tired like the rest of the students, but I can't say that I am.
Haruka, Airi, Keisei, and Akito. Ike, Sudo, Mii-chan, and Matsushita. Kushida, Onodera, Okitani,
Mori, all of them looked straight into Horikita's eyes and answered.
"I am voting opposed." All of them said the same thing.
Eventually, Horikita reached the end of the class. Her eyes were a mixture of impatience and
anxiety, but they were still filled with fire.
"What about you, Ayanokoji-kun?"
"Of course I'm voting no."
"..... Yes."
This meant that we had once again completed our face to face interrogation of each of them.
There was no change in the declaration that everyone was casting their votes opposed to it.
The only thing left to do, though, is to appeal to the remaining remnants of conscience in their
heart and get them to vote against it...
"It's almost ten minutes. Return to your seats, Horikita, and we will begin voting."
The time for voting comes again. The answer.
Results of the 11th voting round:
1 in favor,
38 opposed.
The result was no different. There are no more words to add.
Only the same, same, same results will be displayed.
"Oh, my God! I'm going out of my mind! I don't know what's going on!"
Scratching his head messily, Sudo slammed his elbow down hard on the desk.
"Hey, hey, but what are we really going to do? We're running out of time, aren't we?"
Until now, the students had been stepping on the assumption that even those in favor who
persisted would eventually break.
Horikita and the others must have thought that they would never choose to run out of time.
They thought Absolutely, almost, surely, probably, the in favour voter will vote oppose for fear of
running out of time. And just in time, but unanimous in opposition, everyone will pass the special
exam.
They must have been painting such a picture, moving on to the next sports or cultural festival.
But…
The vote in favor does not move.
Waiting another ten minutes, thirty minutes, or even an hour would not change that answer.
The only thing that awaited us was the worst possible outcome: "Running out of time."
Nine minutes to go until the next vote. These nine minutes are no longer just nine minutes.
After this point, we would be under the two-hour deadline.
For the past three hours, Horikita had fought hard against this final challenge.
It's not that Horikita's strategy was naive. Even if I had done everything in my power to get a
unanimous vote against it, it would have been impossible.
Why is that? What is the underlying reason?
The reason is that any kind of persuasion, any kind of negotiation, any kind of action is
meaningless.
The person is fighting to avoid a unanimous vote.
What is most frightening is that the person who voted in favor of this does not see running out of
time as the biggest negative.
Normally, that would not be possible in this particular test.
When we look at this assignment objectively, the priorities of the three choices are fixed and
determined.
Oppose ≥ In Favour > Time out
This is an absolute inequality that is common to all four classes and all students.
This priority is solidified, which is the basic premise, so to speak, on which the special exam is
based.
But — what happens when there is only one student with a different inequality?
In Favour > Time out > Oppose
If this kind of distorted priority is given, this task will not be possible.
That's why the school has thorough monitoring and rules to prevent any intervention from other
classes. In order to prevent them from signing contracts with people like Sakayanagi and
Ryuuen, who would invite them into their classes if they let them run out of time, or transfer a
large number of private points to them. The special examinations turned into chaos as students
who did not have that established became mixed up.
If you continue to be stubborn, the only thing that awaits you is time running out.
Then what should be done?
There was only one thing I had to do in the two hours I had left.
Unanimous in favor.
That is the optimal solution. There is no way to pave the way except to make this happen.
It's probably already in Horikita's mind.
However, I am unable to step in.
When it comes to cutting off your classmates, it's not easy.
Picking one person to expel is more difficult than unanimous opposition.
Once you take the first step, there is no turning back.
The reason is that it is not possible to say, "We can't have any more dropouts, so we'll go back
to the other options."
Yet, I was still hesitant to carry out my plan when it came time to vote.
Why?
The ideal route was off, and we were already running out of time to do the things we needed to
do to carry out our plan.
The extra time will hinder the unanimous vote in favor and the subsequent selection of the
dropout.
But still, I would like to try one more time for unanimity by opposition, even if it takes up my
precious time.
An irrational feeling I've never had before surfaced in my mind.
I wonder what kind of decision you would have made in such a situation. I ask Horikita Manabu
in my mind.
There was no way I could get an answer, but I decided to modify my plan. I'm going to bet on
the last chance without changing the exit strategy.
"Now for the results... ..."
After finishing the tally, Chabashira sensei momentarily choked on her words.
"I'll... announce the results."
Results of the 12th voting round:
2 in favor,
37 opposed.
"Oh, my God. Why? There's more in favor!"
After a long period of time, one person turned from the 38 who had been consistently opposed
so far to one who was in favor.
It would have had enough of an impact to crack the opposition, which had been united.
"It seems like I'm having a bad dream …"
The person who cast this vote was me, of all people.
It's not like it was just one vote. It's not just that. It was a strong vote of 37 people who were
firmly united except for Koenji.
Horikita, no longer thinking such thoughts, went into thinking mode again.
What should we do if we can't bring the number of in favour votes to zero?
Horikita immediately understood that it was a vote that had been passed on to avoid running out
of time.
Whichever way this last assignment is unanimous, it's the worst option of all.
That's it, time is up. Even without any dropouts, the class points would be minus 300, assuming
all the other classes had passed, the difference would be 350, and if there was a class that had
passed the last assignment unanimously in favour, tehn the difference would be up to 450
points.
With such a huge gap, there was no guarantee that we would be able to catch up even if we
had more than a year of school left. No, I would say it will be hopeless.
{I avoided expulsion, but I had to give up my A class chance, which is no laughing matter.}
And once this idea becomes widespread, it is inevitable that people will begin to question the
point of continuing to vote against it. They begin to think that it is easier to mobilize opposition
votes, which have the potential to move them in unanimity, than to mobilize approval votes,
which remain unmoved.
Even if the biggest hurdle of who will drop out next is waiting, we can move half a step forward
from this rigid situation.
"Hey, man. We have to vote yes, don't we?"
"What are you talking about? If you do that, someone will have to be expelled."
"But you know... if we run out of time, we're all dead."
The gradual erosion of the opposing votes.
The first candidates to start the move are students who are confident that they will not be
expelled.
On the other hand, students who continue to vote against it tend to be those who think they
might be expelled.
The number of votes in favor will continue to grow internally.
However, not a single student will come forward to say that they voted yes.
Of course. If they found out that I was in favor of it, they might expel me.
Only when the vote is unanimous in favor of the proposal, can we move on to the next selection
of drop out on an equal footing.
Results of the 13th voting round:
5 in favor,
34 opposed.
Three more votes went in favor.
There is still a strong voice that says, "Who voted for it?" but that is as far as it goes.
Results of the 14th voting round:
12 in favor,
27 opposed.
The steadily increasing flow of in favour votes did not stop, and the numbers kept growing.
Finally, for the first time, the number of in favour votes reached double digits, swelling to nearly
one-third.
In the next round of voting, there will be even more votes in favor.
After reaching this point, the time limit was only about an hour and a half left.
"Well, wait a minute. If you really think it's a good idea to lean in favor here, you're wrong!"
Undeterred by the crisis, Yosuke waits for the students to vote in his favor.
"I know we have to avoid running out of time. But that doesn't mean a unanimous vote in favor
will solve the problem, does it?"
"Yes... ..... Going forward, we're going to have to make it unanimous among 39 options for
individuals to choose 'drop out'. That's even harder than being unanimous in opposition. We
only have an hour and a half left. Do you realize that?"
In order to finish this assignment in favor, we need to decide who will leave the school.
"It's not too late. I think we should vote against it."
"I agree with you. Don't get carried away."
The classmates continue to be emotionally affected.
It was probably time to no longer make normal judgments about whether it was right to agree or
disagree.
"You know that you shouldn't vote for it. Twelve people have voted yes, and not one of them has
come forward. Isn't that right?"
Even if the vote is repeated in the future and the number of in favour votes increases, it will not
be ideally unanimous unless there is a major intervention to enforce it. Originally, I was going to
try to make it unanimous in the next vote, but I decided to move up the reserve time and use it
here and now.
"—Do you mind if I offer my opinion?"
"Eh, ...?"
She was a little bewildered by my suggestion, as if Horikita had not expected it.
"Horikita, I voted yes for the 14th time."
This is a lie. I've already voted in favor of it on the 12th voting round.
But no one can prove it.
"How did Ayanokoji-kun.....?"
"I'm not sure what to do, but I'm afraid time is running out if we persist in our opposition. There is
no other way but to vote in favour. I think we all know that by now."
In order to increase the number of approvals, this role has to be done by someone. From the
seat next to me, Sato was staring at me anxiously.
No, it's not just Sato, but anyone who is concerned about this situation.
"It's not going to solve the root of the problem. We'll end up squabbling over who to expel."
"I know. But we can break out of our rigid situation. Even if we find out who has been voting in
favor of the assignment, I don't think that person will vote against it. So we can't expect
unanimity in the end. But now, unanimity in favor is possible. And then we can put the only in favour voter on trial and have 38 people 'Judge' that person. It's a bit aggressive, but it's
possible to get unanimity."
There is one person in common between me and Horikita.
Of course, there is no guarantee that it is that person, but you know what I mean.
"It's...—"
" "Judge"? What right do you think we have to judge a student who is just voting yes?"
Yosuke countered, catching me off guard.
"Yes. If we can't make this unanimous, we won't be able to move up to Class A. I don't think
anyone thinks that the students who know this and continue to vote in favour are completely
innocent."
"And, but, but I'm sure it'll be the other way around when we get closer to the end of our time—."
"More? There are only a few more opportunities to vote. Are we going to involve all of our
classmates in that slim possibility? The more times you vote, the less chance you have of even
getting out in favor. That would completely snap unanimity in it's origin."
I don't have to say it out loud, but Yosuke and everyone knows it. The reason why many
students haven't taken the first step even though they know it is because the biggest hurdle
appears by agreeing.
"It is true that there are many students who are hesitant to vote in favour. That is
why we would like to identify the one who continued to vote in favour of the task
from the beginning and arrange for them to be expelled from the school. In other
words, we will guarantee the safety of the students who are currently voting
against it."
Sato, who was listening to me more than anyone else, raises her hand a little.
"I'm glad to hear that, but it's useless if we don't know who's voting for us. After all, when time is
running out, we'll just have to come up with random candidates for expulsion. .... ... I'm
scared."
"If we can't narrow down the expulsion, we can always choose to run out the clock. What we
need to avoid now is staying here when there's a chance we can clear it, and not taking that step."
To help students who are lost, I dropped more encouragement to make decisions.
"As Horikita said, I also know the person who's voting in favour of it."
"Why don't you just say it here and now?" But Horikita wouldn't tell her name for a long time.
Doesn't that mean you don't really have any idea? She was bluffing, or she thought that if she
threatened them, they would vote 'opposed'."
Miyamoto's guess was not correct, but it was certainly not unreasonable to think so.
"If you really have an idea, let's all try to convince them."
"I can't do that, so here I am. The mention of that person's name will never sway a vote in favor.
I'd rather be stubborn and carry it through to the end. I want to avoid that."
"I can't do that, which is why I'm doing this now. The mention of this person's name will never
move a vote in unanimity. They'd rather be stubborn and carry it through to the end. I want to
avoid that."
This is both a guide to agree and a mercy from me at the very end.
If they've been told this much, it's because I'm definitely aware that they're the one who's voting.
If they are afraid of being exposed, only one person may vote against in the next round.
"Make up your mind, Horikita. Your opponent is trying to get you. There is no other way but to
hunt or be hunted."
As Horikita remains silent, I turn my attention to the other person.
"And Yosuke. I can understand why you don't want anyone to drop out of our class. If you really
didn't want anyone to drop out, then you had to get the results before the time ends. Do you understand?"
The day before this special exam started, I had warned Yosuke about it that in the last two hours
I would control the votes.
I could see from the side that he was struggling to keep his footing.
I don't understand why he want to keep resisting.
"But I…"
"The next vote will decide our fate."
"..., I'm ...."
It was a painful decision, but Yosuke was still different from before.
He has grown since the desert island exam and last year's in-class vote when he was stuck in
between.
"Yes, it is. It's... .... It's no good annoying the whole class just because of my thoughts. ..."
He hangs his head, but decides to make his move.
"I'll vote yes. And as Ayakoji-kun said, I think we should adjust the direction to expel those who
have been voting yes all along."
The decision of Yosuke, the heart of the class, would have changed the situation even more
drastically.
"The only one left is you, Horikita. It's time for you to make up your mind to avoid running out of
time."
Time was running out before the next round of voting began.
"Please. Please, just one more time, just one more chance to make it unanimous in opposition.
If the next vote is not unanimous in opposition, then .... I'll make up my mind."
There is no next time. I succeeded in creating that situation.
The last vote for unanimity by genuine opposition begins.
All of them took no time at all, completing their votes in a matter of seconds.
However, things sometimes diverge greatly between imagination and reality.
Results of the 15th voting round:
1 in favor,
38 opposed.
"Damn it! I knew it!"
This is a dangerous way of pushing the vote that had begun to flow in favour of the vote back
into opposition. With the time limit looming, even that last strategy to make it unanimous was
unsuccessful.
But now we all understand.
The student who continue to vote in favor of this is prepared to run out of time.
"Horikita, Yosuke. Is that okay?"
I have succeeded in confirming my decision to both of them and clearly obtained their approval.
At any rate, the necessary preparations have been made for the battle to expel the student.
Now that the intentions of Yosuke, Horikita, the two main students have been made clear, a
large number of votes will flow in favor. Still, it is easy to imagine that students who are worried
that they might be expelled will hesitate to vote in favor.
That's why those who are prepared to vote with the opposition must also be prepared to do so.
"If you vote the 'opposed' in the next vote, you need to be clear about why. You already know
how painful it is to spend 10 minutes on a single vote."
If there was plenty of time left, it would not be surprising if some students still complained.
However, with almost an hour to go, the way out was completely cut off.
It's a rough job to force students who don't have the ability to make decisions to do so.
"Now that it's come to this... we'll have to pick and choose who gets expelled."
"Are you for real?"
"I don't want to lose any of my classmates either, but if I don't expel someone here, the damage
to the class will be enormous. That's something I absolutely must avoid."
If you look at the class point trends so far, you can see the pain of losing almost 300 class
points here.
Intervals are forced for 10 minutes.
You have to resist the urge to run away to vote against it.
Results of the 16th voting round:
39 votes In Favour,
0 votes Opposed.
It was unanimous. Along with this result, the fear and anxiety of everyone was obvious.
"Unanimous in favor…"
Chabashira sensei muttered as if she had prepared for everything and continued to proceed.
When you make this choice, the only way left is to either drop out of school or run out of time.
Of course, the latter could be said to mean that this class will lose the battle to graduation.
That means that out of the 39 students, there was one who will be dropped out in about an hour.
Of course, I know who should be expelled.
"Individuals can be identified either by candidacy, which is allowed only once, or by selecting a
student's name on the tablet and casting a recommendation vote. However, if there is no
candidate, and if at the end of the interval there are no more than a majority of nominations, the
vote will be taken by random selection as previously explained."
Naturally, there were many students who looked at me and Horikita as we decided who would
be expelled.
Everyone can't wait to hear the name, the pressure is on me.
An important and precious interval, incomparable to the ones we've had so far.
For the same 10 minutes, you will be asked to additionally choose who you want to nominate for
expulsion.
"Unanimity by approval has been decided...at least let me have a policy of waiting for them to
confess themselves in this one interval. Depending on the circumstances and the case, I can
choose to run out the clock and help that student."
Of course, such a proposal would not be able to suppress criticism.
I would never accept such a choice, losing class points.
But Horikita kept silent from there and began to listen and endure the complaints.
As for me, I need to find the right timing, so I'll go along with that idea and remain silent.
A dark and harsh time passed by, with complaints directed at us and observations from each of
us.
Of course, it is not possible to select a specific dropout, and the interval time is approaching.
When you see your name displayed on the monitor, you will feel your heart being grabbed.
Especially if it is your first time to vote, you can't deny the unanimity of the momentum.
"Sensei, you don't mind if I nominate myself, do you?"
"Of course."
"Then please vote for me."
With that, Yosuke came forward as a specific student with almost no time left.
Yosuke Hirata will be expelled from school.
In Favour
Oppose
This vote had a different weight than the previous one.
If there are students who vote yes, it's because they are directly telling Yosuke that they don't
care if he disappears, and that they want him to disappear.
Results of the 17th voting round:
6 in favor,
32 opposed.
It was so quiet that you could hear the students gasp and exhale.
The relief of a majority against, and the invisible presence of the six people who voted in favor,
would normally haunt him for some time to come. Yosuke, however, may be more relieved that
he was able to overcome the first tough obstacle with his candidacy.
"What are we going to do... are we really going to expel one of us from here?"
"We're running out of time. Let's hear it, both of you. Who was the student who voted in favour
all along?"
Unable to wait, Keisei shouted for an answer.
"Of course I'll give you the name of the student I have in mind. But I know it's not that simple."
"Isn't it simple? We don't have a choice anymore. Now that we've decided to expel someone, we
have to find out who it is as soon as possible."
There are still many students who regret and are worried about choosing to agree.
The ten minutes wasted earlier must have been mentally taxing for them.
That's why I want something to make everyone feel like they're not making a mistake by
choosing yes.
"Next vote, if this time goes by, someone will be chosen at random. ...?"
It's no wonder Sudo is restless. Even Yosuke got six votes in favor.
"Don't worry, Ken. I'll vote no. ・・・・・・, so make sure you protect me too, okay?"
"Of course, Kanji. That's right. If we protect each other, we'll be absolutely fine... right?"
".... ..... ..."
Classmates are losing their cool. A faint cry leaked out from among them.
She held her mouth and then tried to hide her eyes, but the voice was clear.
"Kikyo-chan, ・・・・・・, are you okay?"
Miichan rushed over and put her hand on Kushida's back.
"Hmm, sorry...・・・・・. I don't know how I got into this mess. ... When I started thinking about it, I
couldn't stop feeling regret. ....."
"That's true for me, too. But someone has to drop out of school."
Most of the students don't have such a feeling.
We're being forced to do something somewhat unrealistic.
"I'm really regretting my choice right now. ... I should have kept voting against it until the end
no matter what."
"That's what we do. But we don't have a choice. If we run out of time, we lose 300 class points."
Keisei said this was inevitable, to justify his vote in favor.
"Even so, it won't erase the regret of having voted yes when I was told to."
Unanimous by approval, she confesses that she regrets having played a part in it.
The signs began to show more strongly in the students who felt the same way, but without
words.
"Don't blame yourself, Kushida-chan. We're all the same, right?"
Sudo and Ike also comforted Kushida.
"I'm sorry ・・・・・・ I'm sorry ・・・・・・"
Tears rolling down her cheeks. Wiping them away, Kushida held her trembling body and looked
up.
"We had a chance to make the vote unanimous, didn't we? If we had been persistent and
persuasive, even those who were voting yes would have understood in the end. ....."
"It's—but the time is ..."
"I can certainly understand what Horikita-san and Ayanokoji-kun were saying. You have to avoid
running out of time, right? Yes, I understand that ・・・・・・, but even if we were to be penalized,
we should have been a class without anyone missing."
Kushida lets out the feelings that she has been storing up until now.
"No, but it's the fault of those who voted yes. Definitely."
"No one deserves to be expelled. Academic superiority, athletic superiority, and so on are trivial
matters. You can't decide who should be expelled just because of that."
Kushida even let slip her true feelings that she wanted to protect the people who were in favor
of this situation, that led to all this.
"But, but... If that's the case, how do you decide who to expel?"
"How about a raffle then?"
"You can't do that. If you expel anyone because of that, ・・・・・・ I'm sure not everyone will be
satisfied."
Wiping away the tears with her fingertips, she continued.
"I'm prepared to be criticized."
Putting her hand on her chest, Kushida appealed to her classmates.
"I think — Horikita-san, who was the leader of this special test or … Ayanokoji-kun, who urged
us to vote in favor of it, should take the blame for it."
I knew that would happen. The first move from Kushida.
From Kushida's point of view, there was nothing to be gained if students like Ike and Sudo
dropped out of school here.
These words are the intense desire of an anonymous person who undoubtedly continued to
cast his vote in favor of the assignment.
"I feel so bad about mentioning their names that I almost hate myself. But I can't let the time run
out. Someone has to carry the weight of this .... So, I'll take the role of the hated one .... I'm
sorry."
I don't want anyone to get expelled.
Still, as long as someone has to be expelled, selection is inevitable.
As with those who are restructured, those who pronounce the change will suffer as much.
Kushida had taken it upon herself to do so.
It takes a lot of determination and a lot of reason to say a name in this situation.
With the right wording, she was able to make her classmates aware of our names, which was
the purpose of the meeting, without making them feel that she was the anonymous supporter.
Kushida is much smarter than I thought. Normally in Kushida's position, she would not be
expelled even if she remained silent until the end. Because she is trusted and has many friends,
there are plenty of students who will vote oppose for her expulsion. However, Horikita and I
have already figured out that Kushida is the anonymous supporter. If either of us were to raise
our voice and cause damage to Kushida's reputation, it could lead to an unforeseen situation.
Then it would be effective to take a non-fatal wound to yourself as a defense.
By mentioning mine and Horikita's names ahead of time, even if we were to say something
disparaging, she could lead them to believe that it was due to resentment over the mention of
the names.
"Don't be silly!"
It was Kei, not Horikita or me, who was the first to object to Kushida's idea.
"Why does Kiyotaka have to be expelled? We're about to run out of time, so she just said she'd
go along with the same disgusting idea. Where's the blame in that?"
"..... Yeah. That's right. I know exactly what you mean, Karuizawa-san. To be honest, I think
it's wrong to say names now. It's ------, but we can't move forward if we don't."
"I'm not voting for Kiyotaka's expulsion. At that point, you know he's never going to be expelled,
right?"
"Wait, Karuizawa. That's a little selfish."
"What? Didn't Hondo-kun just secretly promise Onizuka-kun that he would vote oppose for you?
It's the same thing."
"Well, but I didn't say we should vote unanimously in favor of…"
"You're so selfish. If I don't declare my intentions, how can I be sure he won't be expelled? I
can't go to A class because the time is up? So what? Kiyotaka is everything to me, I don't care if
I'm in B class or D class."
Kei was relentless in her anger, but it was time to stop.
"Quit it, Kei. What Kushida is saying is more correct and just."
"But, but!"
I stopped Kei here, who was glaring at Kushida in frustration without hiding her annoyance.
"If you let your emotions get the better of you and continue to argue, the person who should be
most responsible for what Kushida said will become unstable, and the target will shift from me
and Horikita. You know that much."
"..... Yeah ..... ....."
If I had lost my cool, I would have tried to go further, but I didn't.
She has enough reason to stop it if I give her a strong enough command.
As a result, it wasn't bad to be forced to speak for what my classmates were carrying around in
their minds.
"I'll tell you, I won't support Suzune's expulsion. It may not be ideal with the whole unanimous
thing, but it's not Suzune's fault. I blame the bastard who sat on his hands and knees and didn't
come forward. Do you think that we can go up to Class A without Suzune in the future? Never."
"Certainly… we decided that Horikita should be given protection. But in the end, if we fail this
special test, the action itself will be meaningless; wouldn't it be the same if we lost 350 class
points?"
Keisei answered while holding his glasses.
"I'm sure Suzune can get us back on track."
"This school is not so naive. The 300 points Koenji earned in the desert island exam is
something of a miracle. If you exclude that, how long did it take us to get to our current class
points? It's not very realistic, is it? Horikita is a big hole to fill, but it's not enough to lose 350
points."
Will you fill the 350-point handicap with Horikita, or will you fight on an equal footing without
Horikita?
It is difficult to express it as a simple value, but what Keisei is saying is generally correct.
"I can't agree with Kiyopon and Horikita's decision to leave school right now. It's not because I
have a personal relationship with them, but because I think we should listen to them first. The
worst one is the one who kept voting in favour of it, as Sudo-kun said."
Kushida looked up as if she had been caught off guard by the words of Haruka, who unusually
intervened in the conversation.
The explanation was not in the form of protecting us because she was one of us, but in the form
of saying that it was too early to tell.
"..... Yes, you're right. I might have lost my cool a little too... But if Ayanokoji-kun is wrong
about the name of the person who voted in favor of it, ..... ..... No, even if it's not wrong, if he told
you the name, the whole relationship would probably be destroyed."
{Don't say my name by mistake.}
I can't help but feel that kind of pressure.
Anyway, at this point, the baton was passed to me again.
"I'm in the middle of a conversation, but I think that's enough. It's almost ten minutes, and we
need you to decide who will be voted out. If you can't do that, we'll have to vote by random."
"... All right. We don't have much time before the vote. We have to do this. Nominate me."
"Hey, Suzune? What do you think you're doing?"
"If we're going to put one vote between us anyway, I want to make sure it's the right one.
Because I want to see how many of my students want me to leave."
As if to test herself, Horikita raises her hand and advises that she will be included in the voting.
If the vote is unanimous in favor, you will be expelled. On the other hand, if the vote is
unanimous in Oppose, the student will be never be expelled in this exam. And if neither of the
votes are unanimous, we'll have to start all over again, including Horikita.
"We will now begin a 60-second poll for Suzune Horikita."
Voting In Favour or Oppose expulsion begins for Horikita.
I wonder how many students will vote in favor of Horikita's expulsion. ... .... It took about 30
seconds for all the votes to be counted, and Chabashira displayed the results on the monitor.
Results of the 18th voting round:
16 in favor,
22 opposed.
Am I the only one who thinks this is an interesting result?
The only person who is likely to vote clearly against Horikita is, objectively speaking, Sudo.
And Koenji, who doesn't want to give up his only ally, Horikita, is probably the next in line.
On the flip side, the rest of the students were asked to vote purely on whether they agreed or
disagreed with Horikita's disappearance. To the 16 invisible students, Horikita's presence was
not that important.
Or is there a segment of the population that is willing to accept anyone as long as they don't
have to drop out of school?
"Are you nuts? Raise your hand if you vote yes or I'll kill you!"
Sudo stood up, annoyed, as if he had expected only a few votes in favor at most.
"Stop it, Sudo-kun."
"I can't stop!"
"You're just wasting time with your fussing. Let's talk more constructively."
"Horikita-san is right, Sudo-kun. Unanimity is the base rule for this special exam. Even if there
are thirty-seven votes in favour, as long as you keep opposing it, Horikita-san won't be
expelled."
Yosuke convinced him that there was no need to vent his anger anywhere. Exactly
as he just said, it only takes one person to stay on your side if you are nominated.It is also the
only way to absolutely prevent expulsion from the exam. Only one vote. With an unshakeable
defensive vote against, you can avoid the fate of expulsion.
On the flip side, if you lose that last vote, there is nothing you can do to prevent being expelled.
"We really don't have much time left. It's time for you to give us the name of the student you
think was voting in favour."
"I know. But before I answer, I just want to make a suggestion."
"A suggestion?"
"Ah. I'm going to give you a name now, because I don't think this is going to be just a statement.
Because if I say the wrong person, reputational damage won't be the end of the story."
"That's... for sure."
"That's why it's not a proper statement, and on the flip side, if it turns out that I said the wrong
person, then I'll take the blame and I'll be expelled."
"Wait, Kiyotaka!?"
I'll take responsibility. Hearing these words, the class went in an uproar.
"Oh, are you sure you're okay? Ayanokoji-kun... I don't want any of my classmates to be
expelled and Ayanokoji is one of them…"
"Thanks for your concern, Kushida. But I'm fine."
"You say you're going to leave school, but Karuizawa-san is against Ayanokoji-
kun's vote, right? That would mean…"
"I won't let that happen. Taking responsibility also means stopping those opposing votes. If the
time comes, I will make Kei vote yes. Do you understand?"
"Wow, I get it, but I believe it's never going to happen."
"I understand and accept to a certain extent what Kushida said. I was the one who led the vote
to the choice of expelling someone, so of course, I should take some of the blame. However,
someone has been stubbornly voting in favour since the very start and I feel that person should
take the blame in it's entirety."
"Let's face it, there's a student in this class who tried to sneak in a good deal of anonymity by
having someone drop out, isn't there?"
This is where Kei joined in to protect me.
"Yeah, I agree with you...! That's the person who should take responsibility for..."
"Yes, that's what I mean. It's the student who voted in favour who's at fault."
Airi and Haruka, and even Akito followed this trend to provide support.
"You've prepared yourselves... haven't you?"
A last word of advice: Kushida's anxious eyes stare at me.
"As long as you are saying names, you have to be prepared to pay for it. Above all, I can speak
out and risk my own expulsion because I believe I am as close to 100 percent certain as I can
be."
"Wow, okay. Then I'll believe Ayanokōji-kun."
With the word "believe", the intense eyes from Kushida kept on looking at me. The timing of the
reveal has been pulled back, which has further increased the interest of the students. Apart from
the one who actually voted in favour, the rest of the students are inherently less anxious. That is
why they are waiting for the name of the person who has been secretly voting in favour to force
an expulsion all along.
They want a good reason to slap them, and they are waiting for the right moment to shout
abuse down their throat.
"The person's name is..."
Who I am going to expel and who I have decided to expel. I'm going to reveal it all here.
"Kushida. It's you."
Silence. Not even the ringing in your ears can reach you, a world where sound has completely
disappeared.
I know, Horikita. While you conclude that you have to go in favour of this, I understand why you
can't take the plunge. But Kushida did not back down. She was determined to get Horikita or I
kicked out of the school for this task, and she kept voting for it. Whether or not she realizes that
this is a bad move is no longer a small matter. I've decided that Kushida can't be rehabilitated,
but you wanted to see her through to the end.
The sacrifice of the class, and the possibility of that sacrifice, how could I not have mentioned
the name so far? You may not have been able to save Kushida, but you don't have to sacrifice
her yourself. I didn't know what Horikita was thinking at this moment, but I could clearly see that
she was looking at me more calmly than I expected. If Kushida has chosen to stand in the way
of our efforts, then we have to fight. I'm the one who has to beat this person.
"What...?"
A voice leaked out, incomprehensible. This was probably a sentiment shared by almost all the
students, not just Kushida.
"W-What?"
She still didn't feel her name had been called and pointed to herself. Or maybe you've already
guessed that. That's why I also came prepared for it, setting it up ahead of time. But even so, I think I couldn't really decide to reveal Kushida. It's even more so because I think I have some
weaknesses against her.
"Yes, you did. It was you who, when urged to vote against it, stubbornly continued to vote in
favour of it."
Even my classmates, who were ready to attack me, didn't say a word.
"Or, could it be because... I said that Horikita-san and Ayanokoji-kun should take responsibility?"
Seeing Kushida's tears welling up with grief, Hondō hurried to follow up.
"No, I don't care how many times you say it, Ayanokoji, it can't be Kushida-chan..! You're just
saying it because of a grudge."
"It has nothing to do with that. I've been thinking about it since before she named me, or even
since the first vote on the fifth task."
"An accusation, eh? Well, of course it would seem so in the circumstances."
It's just a random excuse to make up for almost being expelled. It's obvious to everyone that it
looks that way.
"There's no evidence anywhere that she kept voting 'opposed' it. Of course not, because this is
an anonymous vote. But I'm going to show everyone that you're the one who kept voting in
favour. Do you have any objections?"
"I can't tell you how awful it is. I was the first one to name you two... but I was prepared for it.
I've decided to sacrifice myself to protect my class, even if I have to face lies and slander."
Whatever she is going to say, they are all lies. By putting up that line of defence, you ensure that
your supporters do not leave you.
"First of all, I would like to tell you why I thought that Kushida was the one who kept voting in
favour. It is because there is a student in this class that she really wants to expel. Of course, you
won't believe me, but hear me out. The person she wants to expel is Horikita and myself, who
she herself mentioned by name."
Many people are confused as to what the hell I am talking about. This is a debate in which not a
single mistake can be made.
"I gave you those two names, so that's how it's going to be, huh..."
"No, you don't. From the very first day she entered this school, Kushida has always recognized
Horikita as a hindrance more than anyone else."
Kushida will understand, even if she doesn't like it. I'm going to disclose all the information I
know about Kushida here and now. There is no way to stop her as she continues to play the role
of a pretty, pitiful girl.
"Kushida. You have something in common with Horikita that your other classmates don't, don't
you?"
"What? You mean, common ground...?"
Even though she know it, she have to adopt an attitude of not knowing anything. I could
interrupt the performance, but I dare not to. The defensive instinct to protect herself will make
her suffer even more in the future.
"Um... Oh! Are you saying that we're from the same middle school?"
No one would have ever heard of such a story before. My classmates were surprised to hear
the information at first hand. The only way is to reveal the cards that Kushida has been hiding.
"Yes. I don't think a single one of these students knew about that, did they?"
The person in question, Horikita, is now staring straight at the podium, her face expressionless.
But on the other hand, it is easy to see the eyes of her classmates.
"Well, wait? It's true that I never told anyone about it, but I just never had the chance to talk
about it. It was a reasonably big school, and we never even had the same class. It took me a
long time to confirm with Horikita-san that we went to the same school..."
Kushida claimed there was no way she would have wanted to expel her from the start. At this
point, some of the students, unable to see the situation with Kushida, took action.
"Come on, Ayanokoji. You said you could tell who voted in favour, so I just shut up and listened.
That's impossible."
It was Ike who denied it. And his voice soon spread.
"That's right. What Ayanokoji-kun is saying is rude and bitterly unfair."
"What's with the thing of leading people to agree with you, and then only mentioning
Kushida-san's name when you're pissed off?"
"In the first place, why are we talking about wanting to expel her just because they were in the
same middle school? I mean, if that's the case, did Ayanokōji also go to the same junior high
school as the two of them?"
The usual questions popped up from everyone. The grievances that erupt multiply from one to
two, two to three. One friend after another appears without asking. There can be no doubt that
this is a powerful weapon in the hands of Kushida.
"Kushida, are you really that kind of a character? There's something wrong with you, Ayanokoji."
"Yeah, I know, I know. I'd say it's kind of scary. I've always had a quiet image of him..."
Not only do they protect her, but some of them begin to distrust me for my unusual behaviour.
"Don't blame him, guys. I'm sure Ayanokoji-kun doesn't want to talk about it either. I know what
it's like to be in a situation like this and want to blame someone else..."
She picked up the words of her classmates exquisitely and pretended to protect me while
setting me up.
"You're too kind, Kikyo. You can't let him say whatever he wants."
Automatically, when the spokespersons of Kushida go berserk, I felt that my right to speak was
being revoked. But I also have weapons to fight back.
"It's Ayanokoji-kun who is having an important conversation right now. We shouldn't interfere
halfway."
So said Yosuke, giving a warning to any student who tries to interfere with my words.
"Yo yo, Hirata. It's no use listening to Ayanokoji's lies anymore."
"We should only comment on truth or falsehood when we have all the information. Of course, if it
turns out to be false, I won't condone it either."
"Is it really worth listening to?"
"Yes, it's something you have to listen to. It's not just Kushida-san who's been named, it's
Ayanokoji-kun's own future that's at stake. Isn't that right?"
I had told Yosuke that I may control the vote when there is no time left. But there was no way of
knowing in advance what the task would be, and of course he hadn't heard about Kushida.
As a purely neutral person, he must judge without error.
"I don't have anything to do with where they're from, and it doesn't mean much that they went to
the same secondary school. But it's true that Kushida had a big secret in secondary school."
"Stop it, Ayanokoji-kun... Don't pile on any more lies..."
Tears stream down her cheeks and she begins to cry on the spot.
"Hey Kiyopon, I'm on your side... but even Kikyo-chan is with you. What can I say, is this really a
story that needs to continue?"
As I said, the Ayanokōji Group is a group of people who have been involved in activities in the
past. Although she doesn't have a lot of friends, she gets on well with Kushida outside of the
group. If you care about both sides, it is only natural that you should also try to stop this conflict.
"Haruka. You've been waiting for the existence of the anonymous student to come to light,
haven't you? Then you need to hear this story out."
"But, because Kikyo-chan is..."
"No. I know you think so, but Kushida is not who you think she is. I'm sorry, but I have to go on.
Kushida's secret lies in the true nature she keeps hidden."
"Kikyo-chan's... true nature..?"
"Yes. On surface, Kushida appears to everyone to be a good person. She is kind, caring, good
at her studies, good at sports, a perfect student. But what if the truth is that she is more jealous
than anyone else, and is only satisfied if she is first? What if, as a result, she has a history of
destroying her class when her true nature was revealed in junior high school?"
"I honestly can't believe this story. But even if it was true, it doesn't add up. It is true that the
same junior high school student, Horikita, may know about her past. But how does
Ayanokoji-kun know about it? I don't think Horikita-san would tell anyone."
"It wasn't long after I started school that I had the accidental opportunity to see Kushida's true
nature. She was not the mild-mannered person she usually was, but she was a person who let
her negative emotions out."
Even after all this, Kushida doesn't make any attempt to glare at me. She continued to play the
role of the sweet girl who looked at the poor student who was telling lies. It is because of the
strong pride that she believes she'll be absolutely fine if she does so. Of course, having bad
things said about you, whether true or false, was a bad factor that would cast a shadow over the
rest of your school life.
However, it was also a sign that she was determined to get Horikita expelled from the school.
"She want to be seen as a kind person, but she don't want her true nature to become known.
On the other hand, she can't stand the situation in which Horikita and I are holding her
weakness. Why, because she always wants to be on top of the caste."
"One... more minute or so and the interval will be over."
We were in the middle of a conversation, but just to make sure, Chabashira sensei informed us
of the time.
"So, what are we going to do, next vote?"
"That's the only way to get a vote on... for now, Ayanokōji."
In the current situation, I would of course be the next in line.
"Don't..."
But it was not Kei, nor Haruka, but Kushida who stopped them.
"Enough is enough... I can't take it anymore, my heart can't take it anymore..."
"K-Kushida-san?"
"If I only said what I really meant, it would be the same all the time, I don't want
Horikita-san or Ayanokoji-kun to be expelled. I even made Ayanokoji-kun lie about me by
mentioning two names... I don't want to have to go through this bitter, painful argument
anymore! So... I'll drop out... and then we'll all be back to normal again, right?"
A student who volunteers to be a candidate for expulsion. This special test, one of the criteria
for selecting individual names, will be accepted if only one person comes forward voluntarily,
without taking a vote, as Horikita and Yōsuke have just shown.
"Are you sure, Kushida? Once you say it, you can't take it back."
"Yes, it's fine... Do you all agree that I should be expelled? Please..."
When Kushida's name was selected with the word, the task is displayed on the tablet. The class
was upset by her unexpected candidacy.
'Kushida Kikyo' to be expelled from the school.
Results of the nineteenth round of voting:
5 in favour
33 Opposed
In due time, the vote was cast on Kushida, and while the result wasn't unanimous, it held
overwhelming opposition.
"Huh... why?"
"There's no way they're going to expel you for this. See?"
The 33 students who voted 'opposed' responded with a nod of the heads to show their solidarity.
"Ayanokoji. I honestly think it's disgusting that you're attacking Kushida-chan just so you don't
get expelled yourself."
Apart from my vote in favour, only four people voted in favour of Kushida's expulsion. I'm
tempted to say "only", but I'm rather surprised that there were five votes.
"Next is Ayanokoji-kun's turn, right?"
If things go on as they are, there will be a vote to expel me. That would be the best chance of
unanimity in favour in the current situation.
But only if I allow them to make that decision 10 minutes later.
"Ayanokoji-kun, you say that Kushida-san's true nature is something else, but I won't just
suddenly believe it."
"That's right. In the first place, has there ever been any attempt by Kushida-san to expel
Horikita-san? If she really wanted to expel her, she would have taken action long ago, wouldn't
she?"
If you wait for the right opportunity, you will naturally find a voice that demands what you have to
say.
"It's not easy to get a classmate expelled from school. However, I have been a target of Kushida
at least once before, in a special exam similar to this unanimous special exam."
By avoiding direct expression, I allowed my classmates to dig up their memories.
"Ah, the Class Poll exam... I'm pretty sure that's when Yamauchi-kun and Kushida-san..."
Yes. Last year, for the first time, we had a vote in our class that resulted in a student being
expelled from our class. In the end, Yamauchi was expelled from the school, but one of the
people who used Yamauchi to try and push the class to expel me was Kushida. I'm sure it was
still fresh in everyone's mind.
"Coincidence? We've had two similar exams and both times I've been a target of expulsion, and
both times it's Kushida who's involved. It's too good to be true."
If you remember those days, you will understand that it was strange for Kushida.
"It's true that sometimes I think it's just a coincidence. But Ayanokoji, if Kikyo-chan is
deliberately trying to get Ayanokoji expelled, would she try it at such a coincidental time?"
It's not as simple as that.
"Kushida thought I was on her side. You didn't think I would expose your whole school life like
this, did you?"
"An ally?"
"Oh. Am I saying that wrong? Kushida."
"I'm the one, what should I do, Ayanokoji-kun...? What is the right way to answer?"
Basically, Kushida can only deny or ask back. As long as I can't affirm it, the initiative is always
with me.
"Give me proof, Ayanokoji. If you're going to blame Kushida-chan any more, you're going to
need it."
It was Hondo who came out in force. It seemed that he had extraordinarily strong feelings for
Kushida.
"That's true. It may be pointless to continue this story without evidence. I'll tell you why Kushida
was trusting me from now on."
Don't panic, just make sure the water soaks in.
"It was a long time ago. Kushida threatened to expel me from school, and I made a deal with her
which involved me giving her half of my monthly private points in exchange for her not expelling
me."
No one had ever imagined that such a story would be told, and it came as a slight surprise to
Kushida's defenders.
"Isn't that right?"
"What...?"
Maybe she hadn't expected this to come up, or maybe it had been in the back of her mind but
she hadn't decided how to respond. Either way, Kushida was at a loss for words. She can't
honestly admit that she's been given private points. On the other hand, it is difficult to deny that
you have received them. Even if she can falsely claim that she hasn't received any in this
moment, the truth will come out when it's confirmed later when we get our phones back.
This is because the fact of who transferred how much and to whom will remain in the
transaction history.
"How is it? Can you tell me that you haven't received a single point?"
"That's..."
I'm not going to let you take your time.
Just as I was about to turn my gaze to Chabashira-sensei, Kushida's lips quivered as she
replied.
"S-sure... I receive private points every month from Ayanokoji-kun..."
Kushida, who has denied most of what I have said, had to admit it. If I were to get a confirmation
from Chabashira-sensei, I can say that I know the flow of points at this moment, and she can't
avoid that the situation will be bad at once. There is some skepticism as to whether the teacher,
Chabashira, is aware of the transfer of points between individuals at any time, and whether she
would leak personal information, but Kushida is not willing to take that risk.
"But, but the... reason is totally different! Ayanokoji-kun asked me to keep them for him, so I
didn't even use... one point, of course?"
There are only one or two ways to justify the fact that you receive half of your classmates'
private points every month: either because they asked you to keep them, as Kushida said, or
because they gave them to you for free. If you say that it was given to you unilaterally, as in the
case of the latter, you will have to make up for it, so they almost asked you to keep it.
That's how it goes.
"I didn't give them to her to hold for me. I was paying the price, the condition that I wouldn't be
expelled."
"That's a lie."
I offered her half of my private points for the deal. I'm sure Kushida remembers it well. I even
took the time to record the day. But such a thing can be sealed off without being used,
depending on the circumstances. No, rather the opposite. It is a double-edged sword.
"Lies, huh? But, Kushida, when you signed this contract with me, you said you recorded it for
your own insurance, didn't you? If that recording comes out of your phone or something, you
won't be able to get away with it."
"R-recording? I don't know anything about that..."
She denied it once, despite being overwhelmed. The recording is probably saved somewhere,
but apparently not on her phone. You don't carry around a risky recording directly with you, do
you? That would have made this quicker, but no matter.
"It's the same thing if you're hiding the recordings somewhere unknown. We signed this contract
in February this year, and I was also recording the conversations we had. I recorded it so I can
use it as a weapon if something goes wrong."
She looked at me with her eyes opened wide. I don't think she could have imagined that.
"I've listened to the recording several times and I remember every word. "I'm going to give you
half of my private points moving forward." I think that's how I started."
"That's a lie. I've never heard of such a thing."
"That's certainly not a bad offer. But I'm sorry, I'm not in need of private points. I guess more
money is better than less, but I have enough." So you replied Kushida."
"I don't know..."
"If you want, I can ask Chabashira-sensei to bring my phone now."
"I don't mind. But you can't do it, we're in the middle of a special exam, remember?"
"If you use your mobile phone, it can lead to cheating, so it must be confiscated. However, you
can leave all the operation of the phone to Chabashira-sensei and just ask her to play back the
recorded data. Because this way there is no room for cheating."
Of course, I do not believe that such exceptions are granted unconditionally during special
examinations. However, Kushida's anxiety was so great that she could not help but look at
Chabashira-sensei in front of her.
"You wouldn't like it if I had Chabashira-sensei bring in mobile phones. All the hard work you've
done to cover it up will be for naught. But you already know, don't you? I'm not going to stop."
What is Kushida thinking now, with fewer and fewer voices in the room?
She turned her back to me and stopped moving, as if she had gone rigid, and kept her eyes
focused on the front. Kushida, of course, remembers that day and, being a cautious person, she
would have made sure that the recording was in working order. In other words, she heard it
repeatedly. By saying the whole exchange, some words must have matched the audio data in
her memory.
"You may have enough to spend as pocket money, but you can never have too much in the
case of an emergency."
There has definitely been a big change in Kushida, who used to be all about being a victim. She
has reached the point where it is impossible for her to continue pretending to be an angel in this
class.
"Oh, shut up already..."
A classmate gulped. They'd heard a voice that they couldn't understand, wondering who had
just said that. The only way to stop her from saying any more is to show her true colours. But if
she reveals her true nature, everything will be destroyed.
"You know what Chabashira-sensei said. Private points are for your own protection-"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
The words of rejection and obstruction reach me, but I do not care, I will continue to the end.
"That proposal. No matter how you look at it, Ayanokoji-kun is at a disadvantage. If you're
saying that this is a crisis where Ayanokoji-kun is going to drop out of school, I can still
understand that, can't you?" This was the conversation between me and Kushida before the
deal. If you can listen to the same audio that I just said here in front of everyone, it should solve
everything."
It doesn't matter if I really have the recording or not, it's not important. The only thing that is
necessary and important is the fact that the lines match the actual exchange.
"That's enough!!!"
Kushida shouted to silence me.
The whole thing started in the first-year, when Ichinose Honami had become vulnerable, and I
knew Kushida would have plenty of dirt on her classmates. When I'd asked her for help, I'd offered to give up my private points. No doubt the conversation that preceded the offer, wherein
Horikita and I were demanded to drop out of the school, will remain intact. You'd thought you'd
have a convenient hand, but you were wrong. You've left yourself a trail of evidence that will
lead to your own downfall.
"Please tell me exactly where in the conversation you want me to leave it. So that myself and
the whole class can understand."
The others, hoping that there was a mistake, just watched Kushida anxiously.
"Sorry..." Briefly, Kushida muttered an apology.
"To what?"
"Indeed, I promised not to fight with Ayanokoji-kun in exchange for half of his private points.
That's true, so..."
Not an apology to me, but an apology to my classmates for lying to them.
"And now I don't think about it anymore! I really want to be friends with Horikita-san and
Ayanokoji-kun. I've never voted in favour of expelling someone...!"
Kushida stopped and raised her voice in an attempt to hang onto the complete anonymity of the
name. The way her classmates looked at her was very different from the warmth they had
shown her in the past.
Even if I didn't have all the students completely in my favour, it was no longer possible for her to
go about her daily life as before. She seems to understand that completely.
"I wonder if the truth is that Ayanokoji-kun kept voting in favour?"
"What does that mean?"
"Ayanokoji-kun wanted to expel me from school. So he took action to force the vote to be
unanimous in favour of it. Because it's strange... that he's always quiet and unassertive, but
spontaneously moves to expel people from school now."
Kushida, who is as close to being the culprit as it gets, tries to shift the blame from herself to
me.
I'm sorry, but I've already predicted that you were going to use that strategy.
"Hey, Karuizawa-san."
Brushing her hair, she turns her gaze towards Kei.
"What?"
"It seems like you're dating Ayanokoji, but did you know that when we first started school,
Ayanokoji was desperately trying to get me to go out with him?"
"What is that, what are you talking about?"
Kei is more calm and objective than most people, but even she has her weaknesses. It's when
love is involved that uncontrollable emotions explode. When it was mentioned that I was a
candidate for expulsion earlier, she aggressively defended me at her own risk. This is why
Kushida must have been able to see the flaws in Kei's heart.
"He even touched my breasts in the dark when I didn't want him to, didn't you Ayanokoji-kun?"
"Ha... breasts! What do you mean, "breasts"?
"I knew you didn't know. He did such a terrible thing to me as soon as we started school."
A feeling of disgust begins to spread among the girls, including the boys who have taken a liking
to Kushida.
"I tried to gently tell him to stop right then and there, but I was... too scared to do anything about
it..."
"I know it sounds self-serving, but there is no such thing as a fact that I touched her breasts."
"Well, that's what Kiyotaka says!"
"That's true, you have to say that. But really, Ayanokoji-kun touched my breasts."
"Kushida. I hate to say this, but isn't that unsightly?"
"It's not the same as the recording you made, but I have proof too. I have a uniform with
Ayanokoji-kun's fingerprints all over it, and I've kept it as it was at the time. You know what will
happen if I submit it to...?"
Just as I said I had a recording on my phone, she pulled the same stunt on me. If this proves to
be true later, it will be me who will be in trouble.
"Explain to me what you mean by that."
From the point of view of a woman who is being told the story objectively, it is understandable
that she would want to ask for an explanation.
"There is no such fact at all. It's more a matter of whether it's true or false. You speak of clothes
with fingerprints on them, but how well preserved are they? If it was just after she entered the
school, it has been a year and a half. It's not easy to get a print from a piece of clothing, and if
it's not preserved well, it's not in good condition. I don't think it would be possible to get
fingerprints."
Even the surface of clothing is bumpy due to knitting, making it difficult to see fingerprint lines.
Considering factors such as UV rays, moisture and dryness, we can say that it is 100%
impossible.
"..."
Just like the recording data, none of the cards you have are usable. It doesn't matter how many
other cards you have in your hand. There is no excuse that anyone can think of. I won't allow it.
"If there had really been such damage in the first place, I should have been pursued
immediately."
"Why... why... why... why..! "
Kushida stormed over to me, grabbed me by the collar and glared at me intensely.
In the face of a furious Kushida, I proceeded to talk to her in an amicable manner.
"At one time, you were working with Ryueen to get me and Horikita expelled. Isn't that right?"
One after the other, Kushida's secrets were exposed for everybody to witness. At this point, it
won't have much of an effect on me if I provide new information that is partly wrong.
"Why, why, why!!!"
The hand that grasped my uniform became stronger.
"Why are you betraying me?! You promised not to be hostile, remember?"
"Of course, I didn't want to antagonise you. I wasn't interested in the fact that you have two
sides to your face. That's why I wanted to make it a unanimous decision without naming myself
or Horikita until the end. But when someone's expulsion is at stake, there's no choice. I have to
protect my classmates."
For the past year and a half, Kushida has been steadily building up bonds with her friends. And
now it all came crashing down.
With no words coming from anyone, Kushida began to slow down.
"Ah... ah... no, hey. Not anymore."
Kushida's face distorted in disgust at her own disgrace, and she looked resigned, as if she had
realised everything. But she soon regained her composure and, with a smile on her face,
released her hand from me.
"Fufu... I've been a fool, haven't I? That deal was a mistake..."
The angry demeanour disappeared at once, and words of indifference came out of Kushida.
"I thought I knew that Ayanokoji-kun was a tough opponent, but I still didn't think he would
betray me here. It's unexpected."
"Wait it's, lies Kikyo-chan... what Ayanokoji-kun just told us... he's lying, right?"
"Lies? I'm sorry, but it's all true."
"Such a... Why...?"
"Some things have to be protected at all costs. Don't you understand? How could you possibly
know? Oh, my God, I'm done with everything."
She shrugged her shoulders, unconcerned with her own predicament.
"Yes. I couldn't stand Horikita-san and Ayanokoji-kun. I just couldn't forgive the two of them for
knowing my secret that I kept hidden. I've been trying to get the chance to expel them for a long
time."
"I'm certainly surprised at the last task, but still, you knew you couldn't push it too much, didn't
you? You knew what would happen if you tried to force it."
Even if she hated us, there were plenty of times when she could have stepped aside.
Nevertheless, Kushida continued to vote in favour of the proposal and repeatedly acted in a
manner that could be described as halfcrazy.
This is something I always felt was out of character with Kushida during the exam. For a
moment her eyes wavered, and she looked perturbed, but this soon faded away. Before the
special exam, she had asked Horikita to be our leader. It seems that she was expecting this kind
of task...
"Apart from that I couldn't stand the situation where people kept knowing about my past. I knew
it would be extremely difficult to get Horikita to drop out of school, but I couldn't resist the urge."
The students who had been protecting her would have been at a loss for words.
The fact that she was planning to expel Horikita does not mean that her friends are to blame.
Of course, she was guilty of forcing the class to choose the route of expulsion by continuously
voting in favour of it, but it is still difficult to say that we could win a unanimous vote in favour of
Kushida's expulsion. We need more damage to be done to this class in order to make sure she
is expelled.
"You can't make Horikita or me leave school. That's too bad."
"In the next vote I will be expelled. This class will get class points because of my sacrifice, huh?
Good for you guys. I think you can move up to Class B now."
It's hard to believe that those words were spoken to a group of people who had been friends up
until this afternoon.
"There's nothing left for you to turn around."
"Fufu, you're probably right. But..."
Bringing her face close to my neck, she whispered coldly, "I'm sorry."
"You can at least show a little resistance, can't you?"
It was a whisper, but more than enough for the class to pick up on. It's safe to say that Kushida
had been preparing for this in private, without the need for us to rile her up.
"You can't. You don't have any more friends who will vote against your expulsion."
"No, I don't. If I'm going to be expelled anyway, I'm going to have to destroy the whole..."
The true nature that led to the collapse of her class in middle school begins to show its face.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Don't you know? The secret of this class that only I have. I still have time until the end of the
interval, so I'll tell you everything."
"There's nothing in it for you is there?"
"And there's no loss. Ayanokoji-kun is going to get in trouble, so it's time to get started."
Yes, that's it. Let out the truth and the stress you've been accumulating for so long. That way,
everyone will be amazed and awed by your twistedness. Only then does any room for sympathy
disappear and unanimity is achieved.
"Other than Karuizawa-san just now - yes, Shinohara Satsuki consulted me about various
things, right?"
Shinohara Satsuki was the first target of the myriad of spears aimed at the large number of girls.
"What, what, what!"
"Shinohara-san is not particularly cute or pretty, or rather a bit ugly, isn't she?
Maybe that's why it's so amusing that only ugly boys like Ike-kun and Komiyakun come on to
her. Did you know that Karuizawa, Matsushita, Mori and others laughed at such a thing?"
A single pike instantly fractured into countless pieces, and one by one the names were called,
and the targets were distributed.
"No, don't do that! I didn't say that! Don't you lie to her!"
Mori immediately denied this, but Kushida had no intention of letting the matter rest.
"Huh? You laughed at them, saying they were the most perfect match for each other. Don't
worry, I laughed and said, "Don't do that!" but I felt the same way. Is that right... Nene...?"
"No, no... I was just, you know..."
"Shinohara, it seems that Ike-kun confessed to you on the boat and you went out with him, but it
was a pretty easy choice, even though you were wavering between him and Komiya-kun until
just before that. Or are you planning to go out with Ike-kun on a trial basis and then go with
Komiya-kun, who was closer to your true love?"
"Oh, hey, Satsuki!"
For Kushida, there was flammable material lying around all over the class. As soon as a fire
started in one place starts to spread, the words fly to new material.
"Speaking of romantic connections, Wang-san has been asking me for advice."
"No, please don't!"
"Don't? By don't, do you mean stop talking about Wang-san's love for Hirata-kun?"
"Huh!"
Mii-chan was forced to suddenly look at the person she has a crush on in the middle of the
classroom. In an instant, her face turned red and she started to cry when she saw Yosuke
looking at her.
"Stop for a second. It's only the beginning. That's not the only secret I've heard from everyone.
Do you want to try something a bit more serious for the next time? Let's see, for a start, we
could try Hasebe-san."
"Kikyo-chan..."
"Oh, stop calling me by that familiar name. You can't even make friends, and you call people by
their nicknames just so you can feel closer to them. I'm sure it's annoying to people who hear
you call them that."
In the meantime, Shinohara and Mori and Ike and others continued to force each other to lie
about what they had said or didn't said, while Kushida shifted her focus to Haruka. The interval
will soon be over, but the unanimous decision to expel Kushida will be imminent. If we drag our
feet here, Kushida will continue to reveal more and more secrets.