7
However, only those who hadn't actually suffered could deem this behavior cute.
"I finally understand, Shiraishi. This must be why Sugio readily gave up his seat."
"Yes. It seems the student before Morishita-san faced similar troubles."
"As long as evil exists in this world, it's my duty to keep fighting."
Though whatever Morishita was saying shouldn't have made any sense, Shiraishi kept smiling cheerfully throughout.
Chapter 7:
Ayanokouji's Defeat
* * *
TWO WEEKS FLEW by, and the day of the third year's first special exam had arrived.
It was 7:40 AM.
Karuizawa had gone to bed rather than forcing herself to stay up all night the previous evening.
Thanks to that, she woke up feeling fully refreshed. She finished preparing and left the dorm quietly by herself.
She had a school life that began alone.
Then school life that was for two.
And then, back to a school life spent alone.
From the time she parted with Ayanokouji until this very day, Karuizawa hasn't been able to smile even once.
Her heart didn't spare any space for a smile.
Satou and Karuizawa's other friends tried their best to encourage her and make her happy, but it only tightened the grip on her heart even more, making it scream in agony every day.
Yet, it was through her sheer stubbornness that she kept attending school without pause.
On her way to school, Karuizawa unexpectedly came to a stop.
It was because Ayanokouji was sitting on a bench ahead, fiddling with his phone.
Having faced her days mindlessly since their breakup, Karuizawa, still harboring strong feelings for Ayanokouji, felt her heart constrict involuntarily every time she saw her former lover.
Her gaze naturally followed Ayanokouji, and each time their eyes met, she keenly felt that Ayanokouji held no lingering attachment to their breakup.
This realization mercilessly tightened the grip on Karuizawa's heart.
Yet, she had to move forward.
Ideally, she could just greet him with a strong "good morning" and walk away.
It shouldn't be difficult if she could just show herself acting strong.
She repeatedly told herself this and was about to start walking when…
"Good morning, Karuizawa-san."
"!?"
Karuizawa, whose attention was completely captured by Ayanokouji sitting in front of her, was startled by a voice that came from a student approaching from behind.
The face that peered into Karuizawa's had eyes that were large and sparkling; hair that was long, beautiful, and glossy; and lips that were plump—it was a female student who could captivate even those of the same sex.
"Uh, Ichinose-san, good morning…"
"You're earlier than usual today."
"Eh? Oh, yeah, maybe so."
Only then did she realize that she'd left the dorm unusually early that day.
However, it bothered her that Ichinose spoke in a way that implied she knew her routine.
"Do you know… how early I usually leave by?"
"Yeah. It's usually around 7:50 AM, right?"
"Uh… maybe…"
Ichinose confidently pinpointed the time, leaving Karuizawa with a chill.
Rather, it was because she herself hadn't been aware of the exact time she usually went to school.
"Recently, Ayanokouji-kun has been sitting on that bench like that."
"Is that so… You seem to know him quite well."
"Well, I usually go to school at this time, so I see him quite often. Switching up the time you usually leave the dorm can really give you a whole new view, doesn't it?"
While the two stood there chatting, other students gradually walked past.
Most of them greeted Ichinose, who returned their greetings with a smile. School life wasn't all just about having many friends.
Karuizawa knew this, but it was clear that the paths they walked during these past two years of school were vastly different.
Everywhere she looked, be it her right, her left, her front, and her behind, she could only see Ichinose's friends.
It even seemed like students from Class A, Karuizawa's own class, greeted Ichinose with more familiarity than they showed Karuizawa. Ichinose had likely broadened her interactions beyond just the second-year students—she could easily imagine that Ichinose was already connecting with the first years too.
"You're as popular as ever, aren't you?"
"Popular? I'm just greeting my friends, like I did with you."
It might've sounded a bit cliché, but when it was Ichinose who said it, it actually made sense.
It was backed by the achievements she had built up.
"Ah, right. Today is finally the day of the special exam."
"…Well, yes, it is."
"How did your studies go?"
"Well, I tried my best. But you probably don't have anything to worry about, Ichinose-san, so that must be nice."
"That's not true at all. I'm just barely holding up against the pressure."
Ichinose said as much, but she didn't seem to be suffering at all.
At least, that was how it appeared to Karuizawa beside her.
The conversation was naturally coming to an end, and Ichinose would likely start walking soon.
"Can I… ask you something?"
Just as her brain decided she should just see Ichinose off, those words had spilled out.
"Hmm? Ask me anything. Ah, but things like who will participate in the small-group battle or how we'll assign penalty points are secrets, okay?"
"It's not about that…"
"Then there's probably no problem."
Ichinose waited with a smile for Karuizawa to speak.
"Are you… uh, are you and Ayanokouji-kun… dating…?"
Karuizawa asked what was on her mind with a strained voice.
However, she unconsciously looked away, fearful of the potential answer.
It was one of the possible reasons why Ayanokouji had broken up with her—
The idea that he'd left her to date another girl, Ichinose.
As a third-year student, she couldn't help but notice how close Ayanokouji and Ichinose were getting.
It didn't seem like just a friendship.
It wasn't just Karuizawa. Other students also whispered such rumors.
"Me? No way. There's no way Ayanokouji-kun would date me."
The response that came back was a strangely phrased denial.
She downplayed herself and elevated Ayanokouji.
Still, no matter how you looked at it, the two seemed like an ideal pair—possibly the perfect couple.
However, she couldn't take Ichinose's words at face value. That denial wasn't something she could easily believe, and Karuizawa turned her averted gaze back toward Ichinose.
"If you're holding back from telling the truth for my sake—"
"It's really true. Ayanokouji-kun and I are not in that kind of relationship."
"But—"
That can't be. Even if they aren't dating, their relationship has definitely changed.
That was why she pressed on, fully prepared to be viewed as persistent.
It was a question she never wanted to ask or hear again.
Sensing Karuizawa's earnest pleas from her wavering eyes, Ichinose let out a quiet sigh.
"That being said, it is kinda like that, huh? Though, it's not the typical kind of relationship you're thinking of."
"What does that mean…? I don't understand… Are you two actually dating?"
"That's really not it. Absolutely not."
"So… that's how it is…"
The virtuous Ichinose gave an unwavering response.
It meant she truly wasn't lying. Karuizawa could believe that much. If they were actually dating, she would probably say so.
However, she couldn't feel genuinely happy about this. Her feelings were complicated.
Even if they aren't dating now, they might be tomorrow.
No, they might even start dating today.
For Karuizawa, Ichinose dating Ayanokouji was nothing short of despair.
Yet, she inevitably felt a slight sense of relief in her heart for now.
At this moment, there's still salvation.
She forced herself to accept this in her mind.
Meanwhile, Ichinose sensed Karuizawa's heart slightly relaxing as she stood beside her.
Karuizawa was happy about the fact they weren't dating.
And Ichinose realized this. A new emotion had been born in her during her conversation with Karuizawa.
She knew there was a flicker of malice within her, however faint.
Last year, when she had ascertained her romantic feelings for Ayanokouji, Karuizawa was already his girlfriend.
She had cried from the pain more than once or twice as she thought of Karuizawa's existence.
"I understand, Karuizawa-san. Ayanokouji-kun is wonderful, isn't he?"
"…"
"I don't really understand, why would you break up with someone like Ayanokouji-kun?"
Ichinose asked such a question, fully knowing that Ayanokouji had dumped her.
"That's…"
She couldn't reveal the fact that she'd been dumped.
Karuizawa knew this, but she still didn't want to give Ichinose any hope.
"Y-You know, Ichinose-san…? About Ayanokouji-kun, that—"
Getting too close to Ayanokouji would lead to pain. She wanted to give her a warning.
However, while Karuizawa hesitated to continue, Ichinose opened her lips.
"Perhaps he's different from your average person. Is that what you wanted to say?"
Ichinose answered as if she had already read the intent behind her words.
"…Y-Yes."
Since she indeed wanted to say something similar, she could only nod, though a bit disturbed.
Ichinose, standing next to her, seemed to know something about Ayanokouji's secrets. She could intuitively feel it.
"Thank you for the advice, or warning. But I'm okay."
"How can you say that so confidently?"
"How, I'm not quite sure myself. Do you regret breaking up with him?"
"N-Not really… It's really not like that…"
"Is that so? It doesn't seem that way to me. Don't you think you could've maintained such an important relationship if something had been different?"
Regardless of who ended it, there would always be a reason for the breakup to occur within the relationship. If those unstable factors had been dealt with, then maybe the future would've turned out differently.
"This is just my speculation, but maybe your relationship ended because you wanted something in return?"
That comment caused the emotions Karuizawa had been holding back to start bubbling to the surface.
Why should I be criticized by an outsider like Ichinose?
"What do you mean, 'wanted something in return'? I'm not asking for anything like—"
"Because when you love people, you want to be loved too. Because when you care for people, you want to be cared for too. It's a give and take relationship. It's both painful and sad, and it hurts when you don't get that in return. This probably isn't limited to romantic relationships but also to friends and family—"
"What's that supposed to mean… Isn't that normal…?"
"It usually is, but maybe I'm different."
"That's impossible. Even you, Ichinose-san… If you start dating someone, you'd want the same, right?"
When someone said 'I love you,' they'd want to hear 'I love you too' in return. This seemingly futile exchange was what made love precious.
"Someone? Should I assume you mean Ayanokouji-kun?"
"No—"
"You know, don't you, Karuizawa-san? That I like Ayanokouji-kun."
Without feeling embarrassed or hesitating, Ichinose stated it clearly.
And after a pause, Ichinose continued before Karuizawa could speak.
"I guess I'm more about giving than receiving. I want to be actively involved in helping everyone in my class, but I don't expect anything in return. I believe Ayanokouji-kun feels the same way. I don't need anyone to return my feelings. As long as I'm allowed to like them, that's enough for me.
"…That would be impossible to endure…"
"It is possible. I already said something similar earlier, but this isn't just about romance. I want to be useful to someone by my side. If there's someone in trouble near me, I want to help. That's all."
This was undoubtedly Ichinose's true feelings.
It was an unpaid service.
"That's…"
For Karuizawa, the time she was spending now was nothing but cruel and suffocating.
Yet, from the gaze Ichinose toward her, Karuizawa was certain of something.
It was something that only those who had fallen for the same person could understand.
Of all people, as the one who stood beside that person of the opposite sex first, she couldn't help but ask.
"What if…"
"Hm?"
"What if I… asked for help… from you, Ichinose-san… would you help me?"
Karuizawa was naturally included among those "someones" Ichinose had previously spoken of.
At least, she should've been.
It was unthinkable for Karuizawa, a romantic rival, to seek help from Ichinose.
For Ichinose, these words must've come as a complete surprise.
After a brief silence, Ichinose gave a small smile.
"Sorry, I take back what I said earlier. Maybe I can't help you."
Goodwill.
Hypocrisy.
It was a new way of thinking for Ichinose; it was different from her other sides.
"I don't have the power to help everyone."
There were times when choices had to be made.
Previously, Ichinose would've tried to help all a hundred people if there were a hundred people who needed it.
Even if she only had the power to help fifty, she would've set her sights far too high.
That would mean failing to save even the fifty who could've been saved.
In that case, it would've been better not to aim too high and save all fifty from the start instead.
This was Ichinose's new set of values and priorities.
And within the initial fifty, Karuizawa Kei simply wasn't included.
"Ah, right. I hadn't mentioned it, but the reason Ayanokouji-kun's sitting on the bench is because…"
Ichinose spoke, smiling down at Karuizawa's downcast eyes.
"He's waiting to meet with me at this time."
Unable to respond, Karuizawa could only lower her gaze even further.
"And there's one more thing I want to say. Even if there were some important events or some deep connection between me and Ayanokouji-kun, something that we can't tell others, by that day, by that time, it was already after he had said goodbye to you, Karuizawa-san. There's nothing that would cause any trouble between us. Yeah, so we can continue being friends—there's no problem with that, right?"
Having said everything, Ichinose walked away and called out to Ayanokouji.
Ayanokouji put away his phone, stood up, and started walking beside Ichinose.
He must have noticed Karuizawa standing still behind him for a moment, but that was all.
He neither turned his eyes toward her nor did he change his expression.
Ichinose's face, looking at Ayanokouji, was filled with happiness.
Karuizawa felt something rising from the pit of her stomach and stepped off the school path, hiding herself in the bushes.
Unseen by anyone.
Part 1
* * *
AFTER THEIR LUNCH break and just before the start of the special exam, Class 3-B, Ryuuen's class, was enveloped in excessive stress.
Most students spent almost all their time studying until the special exam, solely to score even one more point and avoid Ryuuen's admonishments.
Yet, their only wish was to avoid being selected as part of the five participants. If they were chosen and defeated, no one knew what kind of treatment they'd receive from Ryuuen.
The participants chosen for the small-group battle were usually communicated to the parties involved beforehand.
However, Ryuuen kept completely silent, not revealing even a single person.
Until the start of the exam, everyone was a candidate.
In the face of such an aggressive approach, everyone felt like they couldn't afford to hold back.
Katsuragi had a grasp of the entire class's academic abilities, and he could feel the improvements the class had made in less than two weeks. Of course, individuals like Kaneda, Katsuragi, and Shiina, who weren't worried about any harsh treatment they might've received, had only one thing in mind: to score as many points as possible for the class, regardless of whether they would participate in the small-group battle. However, their expressions remained grim throughout, understanding that they were far from matching their opponents, Class C.
"Now, I'll announce the names of the five students participating in the small-group battle."
Sakagami, their homeroom teacher, was the only person Ryuuen had informed regarding the five names the day before.
"First, 'Ishizaki Daichi'; second, 'Yabu Nanami'; third, 'Ibuki Mio'; fourth, 'Kondou Reon'; fifth, 'Kinoshita Minori.' These are the five representatives for your small-group battle."
As all the names were announced, the students looked at each other, unable to control their emotions.
Even though it was unclear who would be chosen, the combination was utterly chaotic, something that seemed absolutely impossible for Ryuuen to choose.
The participants had several students who were among the lowest in terms of academic ability in their class, those who lacked motivation and weren't good at studying. Particularly, Ibuki, who'd managed to keep up with her studies until the beginning of her second year, had gradually fallen behind, and now her academic abilities had declined to the point where she was even on par with Ishizaki. Such was the selection. Moreover, among those that should've been prioritized as participants, not a single name was listed.
Pulling out his chair, Tokitou reflected on all of the hard work he had gone through during these past two weeks and directed his irritation toward Ryuuen.
"What is this ridiculous lineup, Ryuuen? Have you given up on the small-group battle?"
The full-class battle was already nearly hopeless.
The only way to overturn that result was to miraculously win four times in the small-group battle.
Everyone in the class faintly harbored that miracle in their hearts.
But Ryuuen answered without a hint of hesitation.
"Yeah, I've given up. No matter how much we strategize, this isn't a match we can win from the start. You dissatisfied?"
"Dissatisfied? Very much so. Sure, I never thought we could win this special exam by playing it straight. And if we'd been splashing Private Points around to buy penalty points, I would've been dissatisfied with that too. That being said, there was no need to give up before we even started. What do you think we were studying so desperately for?"
"For what? For your own damn sake."
"Don't mess with me!"
Ryuuen and Tokitou quarreling had become a common sight. Sakagami, ignoring their conversation, took off his glasses and began to carefully wipe the lenses.
"Hah! Then let me ask you this—you think we could have a chance at winning this if we played it straight?"
"There's a possibility. Not all of them are smart. Maybe they're using people who can only score around sixty points because they're afraid of us hitting them with penalty points. In that case, if we put Kaneda or Katsuragi against them, we might have a chance of winning—"
"What you're saying is way too far from reality to even call it a child's fantasy."
"That's… but still, there was no reason to give up from the start!"
"No reason? No, there is a reason. Sakagami, are there any among the five I nominated who've been given penalty points?"
"…None. Zero."
Ryuuen smirked wickedly upon hearing that report, convinced that he had chosen the right strategy.
"So what? There's no point in making Ishizaki and the others participate."
"Not really. The opponents couldn't see through any of the five people I nominated. That means they couldn't read my thoughts at all."
On the day he met Ayanokouji, he held a strategy meeting in the karaoke room.
Ryuuen called Katsuragi back at the end and withdrew all the strategies he'd previously conveyed.
In the past, he would've forcefully jumped into the fray and focused all his efforts on defeating Ayanokouji.
Then, he would've been outsmarted by Ayanokouji's superior strategies, likely getting hit by a counterattack.
He paused, realizing how important it was to observe the situation.
On top of a special exam that was purely disadvantageous for his class, at the moment, there was no method he could take to combat Ayanokouji, and mindlessly stepping on the accelerator would be nothing but recklessness.
It was crucial that he calmly applied the brakes and took control of the situation according to the circumstances.
In other words, it was a new way of fighting that Ayanokouji wouldn't have been able to anticipate.
The opponent would assume that Ryuuen would always act with victory in mind. Depending on the situation, they'd think he might even invest the Private Points he had accumulated to attack. Ayanokouji had to think seriously to win. However, what awaited him at the end of his desperate thoughts was only the fact that no one could see through it.
With him unable to see through Ryuuen's strategy to retreat rather than fight, Ayanokouji showed himself looking foolish, struggling to identify who Ryuuen had chosen as participants.
It was a miss. All five were completely off the mark. That was the reality.
"Ryuuen, it seems you've managed to outsmart the opponent first. They must be surprised."
"Kukuku, it just shows that he's not omnipotent after all."
As if to say everything had gone as planned, Ryuuen's attitude had upset Tokitou once more.
"Even if you manage to embarrass that guy by outsmarting his strategy like this, it's still going to be all okay for them in the end, right? They're most likely just going to be grateful that we're going at them with a lineup made up of these idiots."
"Everyone except Ayanokouji, that is."
"Seems like he's become the talk of the town with his unreasonable transfer, but what about Ayanokouji? Does he think he can replace Sakayanagi as their leader?"
Tokitou spoke, unaware of the details, and Katsuragi replied in response.
"At least Ryuuen thinks so. I think so too. However, there's no point in discussing it here, so I'll omit it, but Ayanokouji is currently being questioned for his qualifications to become their leader. Whether Ayanokouji can read Ryuuen's thoughts is now a crucial element that will weigh heavily in the future."
"Were you trying to make Ayanokouji misread?"
"That's right."
"Even if that's effective in the future, this is just too much. We might end up losing seven straight matches and losing class points."
"That won't happen."
Ryuuen laughed and denied the possibility, but Tokitou couldn't understand and clicked his tongue.
"We'll probably be defeated in the full-class battle, and our selection for the small-group battle is just terrible. We're definitely getting a complete defeat…"
"No? I've read Ayanokouji's thoughts. If I'm right, that idiot's even participating in the small-group battle, isn't he?"
"Correct. The five participants on the other side are 'Ayanokouji Kiyotaka' as their first, 'Shimazaki Ikkei' as their second, 'Fukuyama Shinobu' as their third, 'Sanada Kousei' as their fourth, and 'Sawada Yasumi' as their fifth. And… the penalty points you specified are being applied as planned to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, all one hundred of them. This means that no matter how many points he gets, he would score a zero. They wouldn't be able to score a complete victory unless Ishizaki-kun scores a zero."
"What…? All one hundred penalty points applied to Ayanokouji…!?"
"I told you, I've read his thoughts."
Even Ishizaki, who wasn't great academically, wouldn't score zero unless he left his paper blank.
Of course, Ishizaki would never do such a thing.
This meant that no matter how much they lost at that point, one victory was 100% guaranteed.
"Can I really win against Ayanokouji!? Seriously, that's great!"
Looking at the result alone, with one win and six losses, they were likely to lose, but that one win became invaluable.
"I was confused when I heard the plan, but this must be the optimal solution while avoiding risks. The opponent's lineup is straightforward, only containing academically gifted students. I don't know who among us was chosen for their penalty points, but it's safe to assume it was mostly our top students. So, it was indeed a losing battle."
If students with similar abilities were to clash, depending on the combinations and developments, Class B might've been able to snatch one or two victories, but considering the two defeats in the full-class battle, their odds of winning remained low.
Tokitou also had no choice but to swallow his frustration upon seeing the members the opponent had put forward.
"I'll at least let them taste the sweet victory wine. But Ayanokouji's considerations have been completely wasted. Knowing him, I wouldn't be surprised if he had boldly announced his predictions before the exam."
To take command in Class C, such feats were required.
"As it turns out, you've made a complete fool of him."
"This will make it difficult for Class C to easily accept Ayanokouji."
Even if Ayanokouji were to become the leader eventually, delaying it was crucial.
To eventually defeat Ayanokouji on a perfect stage, Ryuuen wanted to show him that he could learn to change and fight flexibly, and the results that came of it. This development was all ideal for Ryuuen.
Part 2
* * *
MEANWHILE, HORIKITA'S CLASS, Class A, was also experiencing that same moment.
It was Class 3-A versus Class 3-D. Although Ichinose's class had a slight advantage due to the number difference, Horikita's class still had a good chance at winning the full-class battle, and depending on how well they had seen through each other in the small-group battle and the penalty point applications, it could go either way.
It was supposed to be a close and intense battle.
The tense atmosphere was about to become heavier with Chabashira's next words.
"Unfortunately… three of the five you chose were targeted by the opponent's penalty points. Your second selection, 'Wan Mei-Yui,' your third selection, 'Yukimura Teruhiko,' and your fourth selection, 'Kouenji Rokusuke,' will each have twenty-five points deducted from their exam results. On the other hand, your correctly assigned penalty points on the opponent's small-group battle are their second selection, 'Kanzaki Ryuuji,' and their third selection, 'Tsube Hitomi,' each of whom will have ten points deducted."
"Twenty-five points for three people…!? That much…!?"
The situation was indeed dire. A twenty-five-point difference was almost enough to bring students from academic levels A and D to the same level.
"Did they use their Private Points to apply a large number of penalty points?"
"Unfortunately, information about how many additional penalty points the opponent purchased isn't disclosed. All we know is that three people were targeted for the penalty application."
If twenty-five penalty points were applied to ten people each, then they'd need a total of 250 penalty points.
Subtracting the initial 100 penalty points given, they'd have to prepare 150 more points out of pocket, costing a total of 7.5 million Private Points.
Even the assumption that they were applying the penalty points to just ten people involved a somewhat unrealistic sum of Private Points.
If it was hard to imagine such a large investment, the next thought that came to mind was—
"Hey, Hirata. I don't want to think about it, but could this mean there was a leak?"
Sudou interpreted and accepted the reality he faced.
"I can't deny it… But I only spoke about who I'd assign with a few people—the people I talked to in order to help decide who to pick and the actual participants. Oh, and also Horikita-san."
In selecting the five for the small-group battle this time, Horikita had entrusted Hirata with the responsibility, judging that she couldn't make a calm decision by herself. Hirata wasn't the type to decide alone, so he had discussions with a few key people and selected the five participants. Needless to say, the selection of these five classmates was top secret, and they had tight control over the information to prevent leaks.
"Then it must be one of them."
"No… I can't imagine that happening."
"But look at the people who were assigned, no one would normally choose Kouenji. He's not the type to actively participate, and our opponent knows that—"
As he began to speak, Sudou realized one possibility.
"Could it be Kouenji? You informed the participants beforehand, didn't you?"
Kouenji showed no reaction to the question, but soon Hirata interjected, denying the possibility.
"That's not possible. I hadn't told Kouenji-kun in advance that I'd chosen him. I only told him that he might be chosen as a participant."
During the discussions, it was decided that excluding Kouenji from the small-group battle from the start would only be welcomed by the opponent.
From Ike to Kouenji, it was important to thoroughly examine and carefully select from everyone available.
Eventually, they concluded that choosing Kouenji would catch the opponent off guard. Kouenji didn't follow anyone's instructions, but he had been relatively serious about past written exams.
The small-group battle was merely an extension of the full-class battle, and it didn't require any extra work for the selected individuals.
Therefore, they assumed that Kouenji would receive a reasonably high score without much effort.
The fact that he was targeted as a nominee was completely unexpected.
"Then why? No matter how you think about it, this is—"
"It can't be because our information got leaked, right? After all, the other two weren't targeted. If it'd been completely leaked, it wouldn't be strange if everyone had been selected for penalty points. There's no need to deliberately leave out those two."
Kushida pointed this out to Sudou, who didn't want to take on the exam while harboring doubts.
"…That's true, isn't it…"
"Then did Ichinose-san guess the three people correctly only using pure speculation? That's amazing…"
Alongside this, there was also her boldness in assigning twenty-five penalty points each.
Many of their classmates, including Shinohara, were surprised by this unconventional method.
All except for one person.
"…I don't… think that's it."
It was almost like Karuizawa was muttering to herself.
"What do you mean 'I don't think that's it,' Kei-chan?"
From a distant seat, Satou voiced her confusion.
"Maybe… it wasn't Ichinose-san who saw through them…"
She paused for a moment.
Saying that name made her feel heavy.
That happy scene those two had this morning lingered in her mind.
That was why Karuizawa reached a single conclusion.
"Could it be Ayanokouji-kun?"
It was a classmate from not long ago.
Hearing that name, Ike raised his voice with slight irritation.
"Huh? Why Ayanokouji? He's in Class C and has nothing to do with us."
"We, Class A, are enemies even from Class C's perspective, right?"
With emotionless eyes, Karuizawa looked toward Ike.
Feeling an unusual intensity in her gaze, Ike caught his breath.
"Well… maybe…"
Hirata felt as if the tangled threads were unraveling upon hearing Karuizawa's words.
"It's possible… He was in the same class as us for two years. He would understand better than anyone how the state of the class is and who might be chosen. He knew that Kouenji-kun had a positive attitude towards the written exams, so it's not surprising that he was targeted."
"If that's the case, then Ayanokouji really is the worst…!"
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Whether the information had been leaked or Ayanokouji-kun had been involved, it's all just speculation. We have no choice but to fight with the hand we're dealt."
They were already crushed by despair before the exam even started.
Yet, they had to overcome this handicap and win.
"I'm sorry, everyone… It's because I… couldn't do anything…"
Horikita voiced her regrets and apologized.
She intensely loathed herself.
If she had been more reliable, perhaps the situation might've changed a bit.
"We haven't lost yet. Even if we're at a disadvantage, if we refuse to give up and continue fighting, we should still have a chance."
Without panicking, Hirata calmly conveyed the situation. Lowering their motivation here would do more harm than good. The points they could gain wouldn't increase, but they could certainly decrease…
Soon, Chabashira announced the start of the special exam.
Part 3
* * *
THE SPECIAL EXAM conducted in the early afternoon had ended, and soon, it was time for Class 3-D's homeroom period to start. The results were to be announced on the same day, so many students were visibly restless.
Ichinose slowly looked around the class, analyzing the expressions of each student, and felt hopeful about the upcoming results. They weren't sure about the outcome of the full-class battle, but in the small-group battle, their assigned penalty points went better than anyone had anticipated.
Their odds of winning, which were around fifty percent, must have risen to over seventy afterward—that was what she predicted.
Of course, they couldn't let their guard down until the very end.
There was still the possibility that Horikita's class, despite multiple twenty-point handicaps, could still get multiple high scores or achieve more than expected in the full-class battle.
They had high expectations and a bit of anxiety.
However, the moment Hoshinomiya entered the classroom, the anxieties were immediately swept away from the whole class.
It was a characteristic typical of Hoshinomiya, which couldn't really be called a strong or a weak point, that made the result evident.
Before even announcing the results, her expression had already softened significantly, and she could hardly contain her joy, making the outcome obvious to everyone.
"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. The results of the special exam are in, and I'd like to announce them!"
"Yesss! We did it!"
Shibata prematurely took his victory stance.
"Hey, I haven't said anything yet~?"
"I mean, it's clear as day, isn't it?! We did it, we did it!"
Shibata pointed out how her atmosphere made it obvious and started hopping around, but Hoshinomiya's cheeks remained relaxed.
"Shibata-kun's become really cheerful lately. I mean, isn't it a bit too much? It's like he's a new person."
Kobashi and the person who sat in front of her, Iizuka, started whispering about Shibata.
"Look, there was that heartbreak… It's not like he's despairing, but maybe he can't hold himself together without acting cheerful."
"Ah~ And it's not just Shibata-kun, right? Well, it can't be helped~"
"Can you believe that Honami-chan made a public confession? Eh, wait, is she already dating Ayanokouji-kun?"
"I don't know, but they've been coming to school together a lot lately, so maybe they are?"
"Hmm… I mean, I guess Ayanokouji-kun is cool and all, but still, for him to win over Honami-chan… I wonder what kind of interaction they had."
Iizuka looked at Ichinose and nodded in admiration.
"Shh, don't stare too much, or they'll notice. The boys are all tense about that matter right now. It's better not to make a fuss."
"But I'm curious about Karuizawa-san and stuff… Should I ask?"
"No way. That kind of thing is, you know, tactless."
"Okay, everyone, focus on the results~"
As the students started getting noisy, Hoshinomiya lightly called out to them and cleared her throat.
Then, she operated the tablet, and the results were displayed.
※ The winners of each match will be bolded
Class A vs. Class D:
Full-Class Battle:
Class A — 2633 pts vs. Class D — 2712 pts
Small-Group Battles:
1: Sudou Ken — 66 pts vs. Himeno Yuki — 69 pts
2: Wan Mei-Yui — 82 pts (Penalty 25) vs. Kanzaki Ryuuji — 75 pts (Penalty 10)
3: Yukimura Teruhiko — 84 pts (Penalty 25) vs Tsube Hitomi — 77 pts (Penalty 10)
4: Mori Nene — 69 pts vs. Kobashi Yume — 68 pts
5: Kouenji Rokusuke — 72 pts (Penalty 25) vs. Beppu Ryouta — 71 pts
Class B vs. Class C:
Full-Class Battle:
Class B — 2327 pts vs. Class C — 2880 pts
Small-Group Battles:
1: Ishizaki Daichi — 40 pts vs. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka 100 pts (Penalty 100)
2: Yabu Nanami — 47 pts vs. Shimazaki Ikkei — 81 pts
3: Ibuki Mio — 43 pts vs. Fukuyama Shinobu — 79 pts
4: Kondou Reon — 47 pts vs. Sanada Kousei — 83 pts
5: Kinoshita Minori — 50 pts vs. Sawada Yasumi — 80 pts
Both leaders, Horikita and Ichinose, were wary that they'd get targeted by the penalty points, so they didn't participate in the small-group battles. Class A opted for a strategy that paired top students with those with moderate abilities, including unexpected combinations like Sudou and Kouenji.
On the other hand, Class D primarily chose their participants from those who were a bit above average within their class.
Looking at the results alone, both of the upper two classes were defeated, but Class D didn't win by a large margin. Few would consider it an easy victory.
"It was scary, but I'm glad we bought the penalty points."
Ichinose gave a nod at Amikura's happy tone.
Aside from the three who were accurately targeted within the small-group participants, twenty-five penalty points were also designated to Hirata Yousuke and Kushida Kikyou, which meant that Ichinose and her class had to pay an additional 1.25 million Private Points out of their own pockets to get the required additional penalty points. Although it was a significant expense, when divided amongst forty people, each person only had to be burdened with paying 31,250 Private Points, which wasn't too taxing on the wallet. Plus, with their monthly income increasing by ten thousand Private Points due to their victory, they'd recover their investment in four months with some to spare.
"Congratulations, everyone. We definitely had to defeat Class A, and we did it splendidly!"
Even though they anticipated the outcome, the class erupted in joy as it was confirmed.
"We did it, Honami-chan! We won, we won!"
The nearby girls also exploded with joy along with their teacher's words.
"Phew. That's a relief. It feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders." Ichinose shared her joy with Shiranami who sat beside her, exchanging high-fives.
Seeing the students' joyous expressions, their homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya also nodded happily.
"Yes, yes. As your homeroom teacher, I'm very satisfied with the result. Of course, there's still a big gap, so we need to stay focused and keep working hard~"
"By the way… I thought that Ayanokouji was the only one who ended up losing, but he actually scored perfectly on that test!?"
"There were some really difficult questions, right? I didn't even understand some of the questions…"
As surprise arose in their classroom, Kobashi and Iizuka looked at each other.
One particular thought had struck them—'Is this why!?'
"The quiet, handsome boy who's been hiding his abilities… Ah, this is why, Kobashi-san…"
"This is why, Iizuka-san… surely this is why… Honami-chan knew this…"
The two joined their hands together, interpreted things their own way, and repeatedly nodded at each other with sparkling eyes.
Unaware of their conversation, Ichinose took out her phone and sent a message to Ayanokouji.
['Getting a perfect score sure is amazing. It's a pity that some of the penalty points were wasted, but I'm glad Class C could win. Our class also won thanks to you, Ayanokouji-kun. As expected, Kouenji-kun showed up, and Horikita-san didn't participate. Thank you so much.']
As soon as she sent it, the message was read, and a reply came back.
['It's thanks to your courage in choosing to trust in my advice that you won.'] Ichinose couldn't help but smile at such a humble reply.
However, since they were still technically in class, she decided not to continue the conversation and immediately turned off her phone.
Part 4
* * *
MASHIMA-SENSEI FINISHED ANNOUNCING Class C's victory and left the classroom. Normally, students would've started to leave their seats and head home, but no one seemed eager to leave the classroom.
The first to stand up was Shimazaki.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that Shimazaki was waiting for the moment he was able to move.
He stood up silently from his chair and walked straight to my desk without a hint of hesitation.
Several students also started moving to see what was happening.
Shimazaki's face, as he approached, was unmistakably stern.
"Ayanokouji. You know what I want to say, right?" Shimazaki spoke, pointing at the monitor still displaying the results of the special exam.
"You missed every single participant. You really made a remarkable debut."
"Calm down, Shimazaki. We won the exam, so it's all the same in the end." Hashimoto hurriedly intervened between me and Shimazaki, but Shimazaki forcefully pushed him aside.
"I told you before the exam, didn't I? This time, we're not judging on whether the class won."
"I believe we were focusing on the accuracy of penalty points assigned."
"I was expecting you to correctly guess at least two of them, secretly hoping for three—"
"Winners will be right, and losers will be wrong. Let's call it even this time, okay?"
Hashimoto tried to mediate, still flustered by the outcome.
"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. I intend to make things clear here."
"Then let's talk among the three of us. There's no need to air our grievances in front of everyone."
As Shimazaki clenched his fist, ready to reject this new proposal, the classroom door abruptly opened. Everyone's words and attention were disrupted by the unexpected noise.
"Yo, don't mind me."
Ryuuen led the way as he and his usual group, Ishizaki, Ibuki, and Albert, entered the classroom without permission.
"Hey, what's the meaning of this sudden—!"
As the intimidating group barged in, Shimizu, who sat in the front row near the door, bravely tried to stand up, but a large figure blocked him from approaching Ryuuen.
Overwhelmed by the pressure, Shimizu immediately sat back down.
While this scene unfolded near the door, Sawada, a girl who'd been listening to the conversation with Shimazaki near me, unintentionally blocked Ryuuen's path. Unable to find the right moment to move, she froze, and Ryuuen forcibly cleared the way, grabbing her shoulder.
"Kyaa!?"
With a small scream, she staggered and fell onto a desk, quickly bracing herself with her hands.
Although it wasn't a great fall, Ryuuen's ruthless action froze the entire class.
It felt like a brawl might break out right there in the classroom, in broad daylight.
"We're busy here, you know? Geez, I only have one body."
Unable to leave Shimazaki, who was trying to approach me with clenched fists, Hashimoto lamented not having more bodies to deal with the situation that required more. He seemed to be sending a look for help to Kitou, who was nearby when Sawada almost fell, but Kitou didn't say a word, didn't move, and just sat in his seat, watching the situation unfold.
"Why are there so few allies…?"
With a resolve to act, Hashimoto stood alone between Shimazaki and Ryuuen.
"I came all the way here for a winner's interview, move it."
Smirking, Ryuuen ignored Hashimoto and continued to approach me.
"I'll take responsibility. Shoot him[1] immediately."
Someone behind me seemed to whisper such an absurdity, but it was clear that she wouldn't actually take responsibility, so I decided to ignore it.
"Give me a break, Ryuuen. I'm busy today."
"So what?"
"It's not about 'what'... I don't expect you to understand, but… damn it."
As Ryuuen advanced toward Hashimoto, he grabbed his shoulder just as he had done with Sawada.
Hashimoto hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to retaliate, but Ryuuen pushed him aside and forcefully made his way toward me.
Hashimoto must've decided that he couldn't exactly strike first.
"So? Has it been officially decided that you'll lead Class C from now on, Ayanokouji?"
"According to Shimazaki, the outcome doesn't matter; what mattered was my precision in selecting the right students to assign the penalty points to in the small-group battles. Unfortunately, I couldn't identify any of the students you nominated."
The nomination results, showing that I had gotten zero out of five students correct, were still displayed on the monitor.
"Well, isn't that troublesome. No wonder it's gloomy in here despite your class winning, but I guess you're not planning on making excuses about how it would be unthinkable that I'd be choosing a lineup of idiots, right?"
"Who are you calling idiots?"
"Eh, me and Ibuki, right?"
Ishizaki casually pointed back and forth between himself and Ibuki.
"I know that! I meant that he didn't have to say it in front of my face, dumbass!"
"What, so you knew he was talking about you. Besides, we're behind him, not in front."
"That's not the point!"
Ibuki gave Ishizaki a hard kick on his butt, but ignoring the farce behind him, Ryuuen continued.
"So you weren't recognized as a leader this time. That's too bad."
Hashimoto, whom Ryuuen had previously pushed aside, intervened again.
"Don't just assume things. Regardless of the process, we won the special exam. That's why we were discussing future plans with Shimazaki and others. Right?"
Hashimoto sent a pleading look, begging to be acknowledged just this once.
However… Shimazaki didn't nod in agreement.
"I told you, this special exam was supposed to be an easy win. Written exams are our class's forte. Winning or losing doesn't qualify Ayanokouji. It's about whether he could accurately impose penalty points on the participants. The overall result was disastrously clear."
Indeed, despite handicaps, the total score for our full-class battle was significantly higher compared to the other three classes.
"But, Shimazaki, that's…"
Hashimoto tried to say something, but Ryuuen interrupted.
"Kukuku. I see, it does seem like you're busy. It looks like the celebration for Ayanokouji's rise to leadership will have to wait."
Ryuuen, having grasped the situation, turned away with a satisfied smile.
Hashimoto quietly clicked his tongue, but for now, he probably just wanted the troublemakers to leave.
Ryuuen seemed to have finished confirming the situation, and normally, no one would stop him from leaving.
That is, except one person, me.
"Ryuuen, considering that's your take on it, aren't your senses a bit too numb?"
"Huh? My senses, you say."
He stopped in his tracks, not understanding the meaning behind my words, and turned his head to look back at me.
"If you don't understand, you should ask Shimazaki to continue what he was saying."
Ryuuen immediately stopped laughing and cast a sharp glance at Shimazaki, who stood nearby.
"Hey, Ayanokouji, can't that wait until after Ryuuen leaves?"
Hashimoto, who didn't think this would turn out well, gave his suggestion quietly, but I refused.
Shimazaki, who had shown a moment of flinching as if intimidated by a snake, took a deep breath and raised his face.
"Then I won't be holding back, Ayanokouji. I didn't come here to complain. There are many things I don't like, honestly… but still, I came to acknowledge you for now—about taking command in this class."
Shimazaki's words were not of rejection, but of acknowledgment.
Naturally, Ryuuen and Hashimoto couldn't understand why he said such a thing.
"Ah? What a strange thing to say. This guy couldn't see through my nominations. Didn't you say you were focusing on those results? Moreover, Ayanokouji willingly participated in the small-group battle and received a massive penalty from me. He scored zero points. Because of that, you lost your chance at a precious complete victory."
Not only had I not been able to see through his selection, they had managed to get a complete reading us on top of that—it was the worst possible outcome
Understanding this, Hashimoto, who had been standing by, also wanted to somehow calm Shimazaki down.
"Indeed, if Ayanokouji himself hadn't participated in the small-group battle, we might've had a good chance at achieving a complete victory. But… after seeing that result…"
Shimazaki chuckled and looked back at the monitor that remained displayed.
Following him, Ryuuen also looked at the results, but he didn't feel any sense of discomfort.
Class C had six wins and one defeat. It was a victory Ryuuen had deliberately offered. In the small-group battles, he didn't let me guess any of the participants' identities, and I participated, receiving all of their penalties. A complete victory was thwarted.
It was exactly the result he'd envisioned and aimed for.
But in reality, the point I wanted to make was completely different.
"I don't understand."
In response to Ryuuen, who sought an answer, I began to explain part of it in Shimazaki's place.
"The key to victory lies in the small-group battles. Indeed, it's important to see through who the opponent's class selects, so it's perfectly natural for Shimazaki and the rest of Class C to base their evaluation on that. However, if the opponent wasn't willing to take the exam seriously, there's nothing to see through. Even if I could predict students like Ibuki or Ishizaki appearing, there's no value in assigning them penalty points."
"Hah, well, normally that would be the case, but that's the focus of this time. It only makes sense for you to try to see through the students I nominate. It's an exam you're probably gonna win even if you miss all of them, so if you miss it, it means you've got a class that can stand on its own without you needing to sit as the leader from the start."
"What I really had to see through wasn't your irrational selection after you chose to abandon thinking, but the essence of the opponent—your very aim. Whether the enemy will fight head-on, how they will fight, and how we should respond to that is what's important."
Ryuuen wouldn't just miss the valuable opportunity to take me on.
However, in a contest of academic ability, his hopes of winning were slim. Would he pour funds into it to aim for victory, or would he give up? That became the focus. And I predicted that Ryuuen would choose to step down from the battle while still scheming to inflict damage on his opponent.
Choosing to deliberately abandon a weak area, a path that could seem like a wise decision upon first glance.
The real battle wasn't in April, during our first term, but later, in the second and third terms.
That was why he wanted to delay the time when I would become the Class C leader for as long as possible.
He wanted to postpone Class C's realization that I should become the leader, so that the decision to entrust me with the role would be made later.
However, all these were merely passive methods of fighting that stemmed from an underlying fear.
"Shimazaki. After this result, how do you feel about my presence here?"
"Honestly, you're far more amazing than I imagined. No wonder Hashimoto relies on you."
"Huh?"
Instead of blaming him for the unexpected, Ryuuen furrowed his brow at Shimazaki's words of praise.
"Think about it, Ryuuen. In this written exam, even students with an A in academic ability, which is the same as Ayanokoouji's evaluation, could barely score around eighty points. I was one of them. Yet, Ayanokouji alone scored a perfect score, standing out from the rest of us. There were some incredibly difficult questions there… I have to admit that, whether I like it or not."
Being a student who prided himself on his academic abilities, he felt something undeniable.
"That isn't the point. So what if his written scores are better than others?"
"That's exactly the point. In the end, what we wanted to know wasn't whether he could see through the opponents in the small-group battles or anything like that. What we really wanted to know was his strength—whether he was the man capable of saving this class after we were in a pinch following Sakayanagi's expulsion. And… after I explained everything, I'm once again reminded that he made the best choice for the class's victory without being confused by my meaningless demands."
With Shimazaki's explanation, Ryuuen's numb senses began to slightly thaw.
"It's not just that he scored a hundred points. The fact that a dangerous guy like you was completely focused on him is incredible. Normally, you wouldn't give all one hundred penalty points to one person. Even giving twenty or thirty would almost ensure safety."
Ryuuen had anticipated that I would come to participate in the small-group battle to demonstrate my strength.
He decided to play a move that preserved Private Points and minimized risk.
His class's defeat wasn't a cheap price to pay, but if I had lost in the small-group battle and missed a complete victory, it would've had a worse impact on how I could maneuver in Class C.
I definitely won't let Ayanokouji win. I'll prevent their complete victory by embellishing it with Ayanokouji's defeat—
Such thoughts also contributed to why he gave me a maximum penalty of one hundred points.
It was, in essence, the highest level of 'caution' apparent to anyone's eyes.
Ryuuen's reading was correct.
It was correct, but it was meaningless since it was read.
I went into the small-group battle assuming defeat to show the enormous penalty he was marking me with.
"You've done well to study and understand my abilities during my time as a student here. However, most of Class C wouldn't have known those things. They didn't even know how high a score I could get in this special exam or the extent to which you were on guard. I chose the top five students in terms of academic ability from Class C. It was an extremely orthodox strategy; in other words, there weren't any twists. However, I predicted that you would choose your participants unconventionally, and I knew you would impose the penalty points on me. I just needed to have a backup plan for the off chance things didn't work out. Assigning the penalties to smart students like Katsuragi, Hiyori, and Kaneda—that's the best way to increase Class C's chances of winning. Because of that, there was no need to engage in a deceptive battle of wits."
Even if some of their participants had been accurately penalized, would that really have been enough?
Some of them would've thought it was just by chance, that I just had good luck.
Of course. A strategy that relied on the roll of the dice couldn't be perfectly read from the start.
There was no need to make a bad bet.
The undeniable result was conveyed from Shimazaki to my other classmates, one after another.
"Ryuuen, no, everyone was only looking at whether they won or lost in this special exam. That's natural, but I was also focusing on achieving something different. The truth is, someone like Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is far from ordinary. He showed that he could produce outstanding results and that he's been thoroughly marked by a leader like you. Not all of that was necessary, but I was looking for something that anyone could clearly see. If you look through the monitor, the fact is that there's only been one defeat in the small-group battles. However, no one can conclude that he lost due to his lack of academic ability. That defeat definitely stands out in an unusual way."
"Haha, there's no doubt about it. He's definitely proven himself to be an incredible powerhouse."
Hashimoto, who had observed this special exam more intently than anyone else, showed a strained smile.
If I hadn't participated in the small-group battles, those around me wouldn't have known the number of penalty points I had received. That was why my participation had meaning.
Ryuuen and the others triumphantly showed up to check on how I was feeling.
Even that was all within the plan I'd anticipated.
It was exactly as scripted; Ryuuen moved predictably from beginning to end.
"Ryuuen, did this turn out the way you wanted it to?"
The remaining Class C students glared at Ryuuen, the intruder.
I was supposed to be driven into enemy territory, but it all came back to him.
"That's how it is, huh…? Bring it on."
Ryuuen started walking after having said his piece, leaving Class C behind.
The last one out, Albert, closed the door behind him, and cheers of joy erupted from the class.
Having seen the refreshing sight of their enemy miserably retreating, they couldn't hide their joy.
"Is this the ending you were aiming for? Since when did you start planning all of this?"
"From the beginning. Information isn't just something you gather. Because it's being gathered, you should try to use it to your advantage. I talked about the special exam with you and Morishita at the café. Remember when those two first years who were instructed by Ryuuen came to pick up on the conversation?"
"Ah, I thought it was impressive that you immediately saw through their reconnaissance."
"You and Morishita were having a serious discussion about how I had to identify two or three participants in the small-group battle to be recognized by the class. That discussion was recorded by the first years, who were 'guns' sent by Ryueen, and delivered to his ears. Not only that, but they were also monitoring Shimazaki and the others."
Ryuuen would definitely use such valuable information.
"You took advantage of that, but—"
"Even though I said I had all the first year's data memorized, Morishita was skeptical about whether they were actually students who received Ryuuen's instructions, right?"
"Yes, it felt like it was lacking in basis."
"There was one other thing I hadn't revealed. From the day of the opening ceremony until the day the special exam was announced, I had a certain person busy running around the first years."
"Running around? Who?"
"As you would expect, Ryuuen was keeping an eye on people like Hashimoto, who gathers information in Class C. Moving carelessly would give away your intentions. However, there's someone else from a different class who's able to smoothly communicate and quickly gain our kouhai's trust, allowing them to naturally draw out information."
"It's Ichinose Honami, right?"
"That's right. Those first years were approached by students from Ryuuen's class and agreed to cooperate in exchange for Private Points, as seen and heard by their fellow first years. They hadn't built the kind of relationship where they could cover for one another yet. However, it was important information we wouldn't usually get our hands on so easily."
"That's why you were immediately convinced that those two came to check things out."
As each element was intertwined with the other, it was increasingly easier to pinpoint.
"An alliance brings various benefits. And this time, Ichinose was able to defeat Class A because she listened to my advice. Because we teamed up, we gave each other information, accepted it, and were able to implement it. As a result, we defeated the top two classes and closed the gap by a hundred points each."
As Hashimoto and Morishita stood in awe, Shimazaki, who had been sharing his joy with his friends, held out his hand to me.
"Ayanokouji… welcome to Class C."
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to working with you."
As I shook hands with Shimazaki, classmates came up to me one after the other to shake my hands.
* * *
[1]: It's just Morishita being quirky.
Part 5
* * *
"U-UM, RYUUEN-SAN, LISTE—MHFMMGMF!"
After leaving the classroom, Ibuki covered Ishizaki's mouth and stopped him as he tried to speak, halting their tracks.
Ryuuen, walking alone, didn't notice that Ishizaki and the others had stopped.
Originally, everyone in the class, not just Ryuuen, knew it was going to be a tough battle. He fought head-on in a subject the class was bad at, knowing he had almost no chance of winning.
Therefore, he aimed to secure an advantage later on, in a method different from winning by the rules. He intended to embarrass Ayanokouji and delay his ascent to the leader's position.
However, his scheme failed miserably. Ayanokouji had read all his thoughts.
It was a complete waste of effort. He may as well have been wrestling without an opponent.
He'd mistakenly believed that the enemy was more formidable and thought in a more sophisticated way, utilizing more advanced strategies in this exam.
When he looked into it, it was nothing special.
Ayanokouji did nothing extraordinary, yet he succeeded in making his uniqueness known to the class and their entire year.
He scored a perfect score that no one else could achieve, and even foresaw Ryuuen's utmost caution with a full, one-hundred-point penalty alongside his triumphant entry into the classroom.
No, was that what made it so extraordinary?
"What a ridiculous guy…"
In the end, Ayanokouji had read his behavioral patterns and his psychology.
He even anticipated the flexibility he'd tried to incorporate into his thinking.
Unconsciously, his arm suddenly moved, and he punched the corridor wall.
His body signaled that he needed to punish and inflict pain on himself to suppress his emotions.
The gap in their class points narrowed, but he was still leading.
If the next special exam wasn't about academic ability, there might be a chance—
No, is there really a chance?
If he lost, he could win the next time.
If he lost again, then he could win the time after that.
That had been his creed, the ultimate victory.
It was starting to waver again.
"Tch…"
Complacency, overconfidence, arrogance.
He thought he had discarded such things long ago.
Yet, in reality, he'd dug his own grave and suffered defeat.
"Can I really not win alone…?"
He recalled his interactions with Sakayanagi, who left school just a few weeks ago.
Unknowingly, Ryuuen had begun to step into a long, dark tunnel.
Chapter 8:
Enemies and Allies
* * *
WHERE DID THE responsibility for Class A's defeat lie?
That was something clear from the very beginning.
It lay with me, who'd been entrusted with the class's leadership, yet I hadn't recovered from the shock of Ayanokouji-kun's transfer, unable to devise even a single strategy.
Perhaps if I'd managed one or two effective strategies, we might've had a chance…
Or did our results just seem close, while in reality, it was a crushing defeat?
After school, I was in Class A's deserted classroom.
I remained alone in that place, unable to come up with an answer.
After our loss, no one openly blamed me.
On the contrary, everyone just comforted me, saying there'd be a next time.