You’ll Regret It

The lunch break was like any other, with students gathered in groups to enjoy their meals together.

For most, the lively chatter and shared laughter were a familiar sight, but for those who preferred solitude, not even the sports festival was enough to break their routine. They ate alone, savoring their meals in peace.

Horikita Suzune was one such individual. From the first day of school, she had never once invited anyone to join her, nor had she accepted any invitations. To her, such connections were unnecessary. At least, that's what she had always believed.

Yet, today, as her gaze drifted across the courtyard where pairs of students sat close, some even daring to feed each other with playful smiles, a strange sensation stirred in her chest—a faint whisper of longing.

Perhaps next time...

She quickly shook her head, as if to dispel the absurd thought.

What am I thinking?

There was no time for distractions, not now. Her focus needed to remain razor-sharp. Only after she succeeded could she stand before him without shame. Until then, such trivial desires were meaningless.

Even though losing wouldn't personally harm her much, for Class D, anything short of victory was unacceptable. This was their chance to finally break free from the shackles of their status.

It was all or nothing.

"Horikita-san, there you are."

Kushida Kikyo's familiar voice broke through her thoughts as she approached with her usual pleasant smile, though her eyes hinted at urgency.

"Kinoshita-san is in the nurse's office. She's hurt pretty badly and wants to see you. Come with me."

Horikita nodded without hesitation.

"Understood."

She didn't bother asking for details—there was no need. If Kinoshita hadn't accused her outright, it meant things were progressing as expected. Still, she silently hoped that everything would continue to go smoothly.

As they entered the building, the crowd of students thinned, leaving the hallways quiet. Kushida leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Hey, how confident are you? Honestly, I don't care what happens to you, but don't let Ryuen have the last laugh."

Horikita glanced at her, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face.

"Kushida-san, do you... despise Ryuen-kun that much?"

"Of course! Who doesn't hate him?" Kushida's expression twisted briefly with disdain.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." Horikita's tone was thoughtful, sensing there might be a deeper reason behind Kushida's animosity.

But now wasn't the time to pry. She let it go with a small nod.

"Don't worry. I won't let Ryuen get what he wants."

"You'd better not."

Kushida said no more, leading Horikita to the nurse's office.

Inside, the school nurse wasn't the only one present—Chabashira-sensei, their homeroom teacher, was also there. While Chabashira was far from reliable, Horikita suspected this was a preemptive move. If Class B's homeroom teacher, Sakayanagi-sensei, were to get involved, the situation could quickly turn disadvantageous.

"What happened?" Horikita asked, feigning innocence.

Behind a curtain, faint sobbing could be heard. It had to be Kinoshita.

Chabashira gestured toward the curtain, pulling it back slightly. Lying on the bed was Kinoshita, her face pale and streaked with tears.

"Horikita, step outside with me for a moment."

Chabashira's attempt to move the conversation away was met with resistance.

"Sensei, if it concerns me, I'd prefer we discuss it here. There's no need for secrecy."

Chabashira hesitated, then relented with a sigh. Something about Horikita's calm demeanor unsettled her, but she dismissed it.

"This morning, during the obstacle race, Kinoshita collided with someone and fell. Do you recall this?"

"Of course. My injuries from that are still sore," Horikita replied evenly.

"...But her injuries are far more severe than yours," Chabashira said, her expression tightening. "Kinoshita claims you intentionally tripped her. She mentioned you looking back multiple times during the race. We reviewed the footage, and it's true—you glanced back twice to check her position."

Horikita wasn't surprised. This was clearly part of Ryuen's plan.

"Sensei, I don't see how those two things are connected," she countered.

"Can you explain why you looked back?"

"As you said, I was checking her position. I noticed she was catching up and glanced back instinctively. But how does that prove I tripped her intentionally?"

The sobbing from the bed abruptly stopped. Horikita guessed Kinoshita hadn't expected her to respond so confidently, avoiding any mention of calling out her name.

"Even so, Kinoshita's injuries are serious," Chabashira pressed. "She claims you kicked her leg, causing the fall. She's had to withdraw from all remaining events, and her condition suggests it was deliberate."

"That's a bold assumption," Horikita said, unfazed. "But I didn't do anything."

"I want to believe you," Chabashira admitted. "But the fact remains—her injuries are severe. This school values strength, but it also protects the vulnerable. If intent can't be ruled out, this will likely escalate to a formal inquiry."

"Isn't the school's philosophy 'survival of the fittest'? Since when did that change?"

Chabashira sighed. "That's out of my hands."

Horikita shook her head, frustrated. Bringing Chabashira here had been a misstep. If Sakayanagi had come instead, things would have been worse, but this was hardly ideal.

"In any case," Chabashira continued, "the evidence paints a suspicious picture. At this rate, it could be ruled as intentional harm. Kinoshita's absence impacts Class B significantly. She's a strong competitor."

"Excuse me, but I'm also unable to compete due to my injuries," Horikita interjected. "Kinoshita might run faster than me, but that doesn't guarantee she'd outperform me in every event. Only direct competition can determine that. For all we know, Class D's loss might be greater."

"Are you trying to escalate this?" Chabashira asked sharply. "Don't forget what happened when Sudou clashed with Class B. With the footage and testimony, Kinoshita has the advantage. It's unlikely they'll drop the case."

Horikita's eyes hardened. "I won't admit to something I didn't do."

At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway. The door to the nurse's office swung open with force.

A boy with his hands tucked casually into his pockets strode in without so much as a greeting, acting as though the entire room belonged to him.

"Looks like things have gotten pretty serious."

"Ryuuen-kun..."

Horikita wasn't the least bit surprised by his arrival. In fact, it would have been more shocking if he hadn't shown up.

Ryuuen smirked as he closed the distance between them. "Kinoshita said she wanted to discuss something with me, so I rushed over. Didn't expect to find out that injury was intentional."

"Hmph." Horikita folded her arms and met his gaze without the slightest hint of fear. "That incident happened hours ago, yet you're only just hearing about it? Have your string of failures finally dulled your senses? I'm starting to wonder if you're even fit to be Class B's leader."

"Tch..." Her words struck a nerve. The smirk vanished from Ryuuen's face in an instant.

His gaze lingered on Horikita for a moment before he turned and marched toward the infirmary bed. Ignoring the school nurse's protests, he yanked the curtain aside.

"Oi, Kinoshita. You alright? Must've been a nightmare dealing with this vicious woman."

The moment Kinoshita saw Ryuuen, her body stiffened, trembling slightly with fear.

"Heard you hurt your leg. Let me take a look."

Without waiting for permission, Ryuuen forcefully pulled her foot out from under the blanket.

Her left leg was tightly wrapped in bandages, the sight alone enough to make anyone wince in sympathy.

But what made Horikita's stomach turn was something far worse—the way Ryuuen could lie so effortlessly, without the slightest hesitation. And beyond that, how he could inflict harm on a classmate without a shred of remorse. The man was insane.

"This is quite the injury. I never thought you had it in you, Suzune."

"Don't go making baseless accusations."

"Oh?" Ryuuen arched an eyebrow. "I don't know exactly what happened, but Kinoshita—who's more physically capable than you—sustained serious injuries and was forced to withdraw from the competition. She was supposed to compete in all the upcoming recommended events. Meanwhile, your injuries aren't nearly as severe. Hard not to be suspicious."

"Unfortunately for you, your logic doesn't hold up. I've also withdrawn due to injury. Not to mention, I was registered for recommended events too."

"But Kinoshita could have earned more points than you."

"And what gives you the right to make that claim? Your gut feeling?"

"Hah. You really are good at playing the victim."

Ryuuen scoffed, shoving his hands back into his pockets, his expression dripping with disdain.

"Enough back and forth. We'll let Kinoshita speak for herself."

Under Ryuuen's pressure, Kinoshita hesitated before finally speaking.

"Horikita-san... told me while I was on the ground that she would never let me win."

"Are you sure I said that?"

"Of course... I wouldn't mishear something like that."

She emphasized her certainty, making it seem as though the accusation was undeniable.

Horikita, however, didn't immediately refute it. Instead, she asked, "Kinoshita-san, if I'm not mistaken, you're in the track and field club, correct?"

"Yeah... Which is why I can't forgive this. I even had to skip practice..."

"So according to your reasoning, I deliberately knocked you down because I didn't want you bringing glory to the class?"

Kinoshita nodded. Horikita let out a deep sigh.

"That's strange, then. If I truly wanted to sabotage someone, why wouldn't I target Yajima-san instead? She's also in the track team, and her performance is better than yours. Why would I go after you instead?"

"...Huh?"

Kinoshita, who had been playing the part of a frail, injured girl, immediately tensed up, glaring at Horikita with wide eyes.

"What did you just say? Are you saying I'm worse than Yajima-san?! I'm just as fast as her!"

"Why are you so worked up?" Horikita gave her a knowing smile. "This is easy to verify—anyone in the track team can confirm it. Speed is speed, after all. And you did lose to Yajima-san in the hurdles, didn't you? The entire school saw it."

Horikita hadn't known any of this beforehand—she'd gathered the information from Kushida.

And thanks to it, she had successfully provoked Kinoshita.

Once again, Horikita was reminded of just how reliable Kushida Kikyou could be. If only she had realized that sooner... No, deep down, she knew Kushida had always been aware of these things. But back then, Horikita had been blinded by her obsession with reaching Class A, believing she could accomplish everything on her own, ignoring those around her.

Thankfully, it wasn't too late to change.

"You—!"

"Kinoshita. Shut up."

Just as Kinoshita was about to snap, Ryuuen silenced her with a single command. Though it was a shame to let the moment slip, at least he had disrupted their rhythm.

More importantly, Kinoshita Minori was no longer just Ryuuen's puppet. Her emotions had been stirred. That alone could prove useful later.

"Alright, Kinoshita. Tell me something." Ryuuen leaned forward slightly. "Did Suzune do anything strange while running? Otherwise, why are you so sure she targeted you?"

"...She kept looking back at me. She was obviously aiming for me."

"Oh, well, that explains it."

Ryuuen nodded, playing along before shifting his gaze to Horikita.

"Suzune, why were you looking back at Kinoshita?"

"I won't deny that I glanced back," Horikita admitted without hesitation. "But it was because I was checking to see if she was catching up. That's perfectly natural, isn't it?"

"Tch..." Ryuuen clicked his tongue, momentarily thrown off.

His plan had been simple: Kinoshita would call out Horikita's name mid-race. If Horikita brought it up, Kinoshita would deny it, making her claims impossible to prove. Meanwhile, the camera footage would clearly show Horikita turning back.

But Horikita hadn't even mentioned it.

Had she realized there was no way to prove it and decided to keep silent?

Heh... This woman was getting smarter.

Yet Ryuuen felt no frustration—only amusement at seeing his prey grow sharper.

"Suzune, I must say, you've really become quite the wicked woman. You can lie so smoothly without even blinking."

"The real liar here is you. You orchestrated this whole thing, didn't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have shown up at the perfect moment."

Instead of being angered by Horikita's accusation, Ryuuen only grinned wider.

"Hah. So the guilty play the victim now? Didn't think you'd sink this low."

"That's funny coming from you—you did the exact same thing to Sudo-kun before. Don't tell me you've forgotten. Are you planning to pull the same trick again? Or is that the only way you can win against me?"

"Heh. Your sense of humor is getting better, loser dog."

Though Ryuuen relished their exchanges, he decided it was time to up the stakes.

"Enough talk. No matter what you say, it doesn't change the fact that you caused this incident. Kinoshita's injuries are far worse than yours, so that must be the truth."

With a dismissive wave, Ryuuen cut Horikita off mid-response.

"Report this to the higher-ups. I'm done listening to her excuses."

"Wait a moment!"

At that moment, Kushida, who had been silently listening from the sidelines, could no longer hold back.

"Ryuuen-kun, can't you reconsider and have a proper conversation with Horikita-san? I feel really bad that things have escalated this far, but I can guarantee that Horikita-san would never deliberately harm anyone. There must be some kind of misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?"

Ryuuen shot a sideways glance at Horikita, a sneer forming on his lips.

"There's nothing to misunderstand. This woman doesn't even think she's in the wrong. Who would bother negotiating with someone like that?"

"That's my line." Horikita glared at him. "People like you who fabricate lies to frame the innocent—there's no way I'd ever—"

"Horikita-san, calm down."

Before she could finish, Kushida interrupted her again.

"Saying things out of anger won't help, will it? Do you want to escalate this matter? To the point where… the student council president gets involved?"

"Ah…"

The moment she heard those words, the previously unyielding Horikita hesitated for the first time.

Ryuuen, noticing her reaction, smirked in satisfaction. "Good point. That student council president is quite fair—he wouldn't show favoritism just because it's his sister. Last time, I made a pretty penny thanks to his intervention. Looks like I'll have to trouble him again."

With that, he waved at Kinoshita.

"Let's go, Kinoshita. We're reporting this to the student council right now. Once they see the state you're in, the school will understand the severity of the situation."

"…Alright."

Despite the pain distorting his face, Kinoshita gritted his teeth and forced himself out of bed.

"Kinoshita-san, you shouldn't push yourself!" Kushida anxiously pleaded. "Really, can't we talk this through? Horikita-san, say something!"

"I… What exactly do you want?"

After a long silence, Horikita finally lowered her head.

Ryuuen scoffed. "Now you're the one begging for a settlement? Spare me the victim act. But fine, I'll be generous—just for Kikyou's sake. I'll give you a chance to make amends. You just need to compensate Kinoshita and Class B for their losses."

"Don't be ridiculous! This is blatant extortion."

"Then there's nothing left to discuss. Just sit tight and wait for the school to punish you."

Just as the conversation was about to break down completely, Kushida once again stepped in at just the right moment, positioning herself between the two.

"Ryuuen-kun, hold on. What exactly do you mean by compensation?"

"See? Kikyou at least understands how things work." Ryuuen pretended to think for a moment before continuing. "How about this: if you can hand over one million private points, I'll have Kinoshita drop the complaint. But don't get the wrong idea—I'm not extorting you. Kinoshita signed up for all four recommended events, and forty thousand of that amount will be used to replace her in those. The rest is her compensation. I'm simply helping a classmate in need—I'm not taking a single point for myself."

"Save your nonsense for bedtime stories. I haven't done anything wrong, so I won't pay a single point."

"In that case, we'll just let the student council handle things."

"Ugh…" Horikita fell silent again before hesitantly speaking. "I don't have that many points… Can't you lower the amount a little?"

"Hah! You think this is a flea market where you can haggle?" Ryuuen mocked her mercilessly. "Suzune, you still don't get it, do you? The amount of money isn't even the point. What matters is that you refuse to acknowledge your mistakes. You won't admit you did anything wrong. Now, I may be broad-minded enough to understand that you're just too proud to back down, but others won't see it that way… Kinoshita, what do you think?"

"…Unforgivable."

"Hear that? Our classmate Kinoshita refuses to accept your attitude."

Horikita muttered under her breath, "Oh, please. As if this isn't just about money."

"Ahh, you are stubborn."

Ryuuen sighed in exaggerated disappointment.

"I was planning to convince Kinoshita to go easy on you, but you refuse to show any remorse. Even I—someone just trying to help—am getting annoyed. Seems like the punishment wasn't harsh enough."

"What, is a million points still not enough for you?" Horikita glared at him furiously.

"This isn't about the money," Ryuuen sneered. "I have to make sure you learn your lesson. With that arrogant attitude of yours, you need more than just monetary punishment. If you want Kinoshita to forgive you, you'll have to kneel and apologize as well."

"Wait a minute, Ryuuen! That's too much!"

Even Chabashira-sensei, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally interjected. The demand was far too unreasonable.

But Ryuuen, of course, had no intention of backing down, even against a teacher. "Step aside, Sensei. This is a matter between students."

Such words could only be spoken in an environment as unique as Advanced Nurturing High School, where students had an unusual degree of autonomy.

Naturally, Ryuuen was a delinquent, but the other students weren't foolish enough to openly defy a teacher.

"So, what's it going to be? You can either pay up and kneel, or let this escalate to the student council. Which will it be?"

"Ugh…" Horikita remained silent, and Ryuuen had no patience to wait.

"Looks like you won't surrender until you have no other choice… Kinoshita, come with me. We're leaving now—wouldn't want someone stalling for time."

With that, Ryuuen turned and left the infirmary, taking Kinoshita with him.

"Horikita-san, you're impossible!"

Kushida deliberately shouted, her voice echoing down the hallway.

"You should go after them now!" Kushida urged, grabbing Horikita's arm and dragging her forward.

"Ryuuen-kun, Kinoshita-san, please wait!"

Fortunately, Kinoshita's pace was slow, allowing them to catch up quickly. Kushida, ever the picture of concern, reached out to steady Kinoshita before turning her attention to Ryuuen.

"Look, Kinoshita-san is already having trouble moving. Is it really necessary to make this so complicated? I was wondering... could you give Horikita-san another chance?"

Ryuuen scoffed. "We've been giving her chances this whole time. She's the one who refuses to take them."

Despite his words, Ryuuen had no real desire to escalate this matter to a formal hearing. The process was tedious, and involving the student council would only slow things down.

More importantly, it would deprive him of the immediate pleasure of watching Horikita crumble.

And there was always the risk that Hikigaya would get involved.

Not that it would change the outcome—there was no way Hikigaya could overturn his plans. But Ryuuen's real target was Horikita. There was no need to introduce unnecessary variables.

What made the situation even more amusing was that Kushida, while pretending to advocate for Horikita, was actually following Ryuuen's lead in pushing her into a corner. Horikita would resist making a scene, which meant they only needed to keep pressing her until she had nowhere left to go.

A formal hearing might just result in a temporary suspension. That wouldn't benefit him at all.

"Well, Suzune? What's your decision?"

"I…"

"Come on, say it clearly."

A long silence stretched between them before Horikita finally forced the words out, her voice strained as if dragged from the depths of her throat.

"I lost this time."

The admission filled Ryuuen with unrestrained satisfaction.

"I'll pay what I owe as agreed," she continued. "Even kneeling, if that's what it takes. But let's get one thing straight—I'm not paying compensation. I'm paying the price of defeat."

"Oh? And what's the difference?" Ryuuen chuckled, amused by her stubbornness.

Horikita's fists clenched at her sides, but she stood her ground. "Let's be honest, no one is framing me here, right? I'd like to believe this was a simple accident—that I merely bumped into Kinoshita by mistake. But that doesn't mean I'm free of fault. And ultimately, what I think doesn't matter. After all, I'm not the one in control here."

Her gaze locked onto Ryuuen's, unwavering.

"But Ryuuen-kun, how long do you plan to keep up this act?"

The hallway was empty, save for them. This was the perfect moment to strike.

"I admit you've won this round. But I'm certain this entire scheme was orchestrated by you. You ordered Kinoshita to collide with me."

Ryuuen smirked. "That's some wild paranoia."

"Call it paranoia if you want. But at least tell me—what exactly did you do?"

"Well, since you're so eager to kneel, I suppose I can humor you."

With a gleeful expression, Ryuuen began his confession.

"Before the sports festival even began, I got my hands on Class D's competition roster. One of your classmates—though not the brightest—managed to remember a few key details. Most importantly, your name stood out. Every event you participated in was carefully noted."

Horikita feigned realization. "So that's why Kinoshita and Yajima were always paired with me."

She had already figured out as much on her own. What worried her more was Kushida's reaction.

Kushida, however, remained the perfect actress, wearing the mask of an indifferent bystander even as Ryuuen openly flaunted his deception. But Horikita knew better—inside, Kushida had to be seething.

"Still," Horikita continued, "you sacrificed two of your own top players just to take me down. One of them even got injured and had to drop out. That doesn't seem like a worthwhile trade."

Ryuuen's laughter was low and mocking. "Winning the festival was never my goal. Crushing you was reason enough."

Horikita's unease grew. She had expected to be targeted from the start, but if this was only about defeating her, why go to such lengths?

One million points wasn't a small sum. But for an entire class? Hardly worth it.

Or was this all just Ryuuen's twisted idea of entertainment?

Or… was there something more?

The answer felt just within reach, yet elusive.

"Suzune, your injury may have been accidental," Ryuuen continued, "but Kinoshita's wasn't. Or rather, it was never real to begin with."

"What…?"

"She fell, yes, but we practiced making it look natural. Even faking it, she wouldn't have been able to make it seem that bad on her own."

Ryuuen smirked, his foot suddenly slamming down onto the floor.

A sharp, chilling crack echoed through the empty hallway.

"You… you actually did something like that?"

He chuckled. "I never forced her. I simply told her she'd get a fifty-thousand-point cut, and she agreed. Money is a terrifying thing."

"So that's all it took…"

"What's wrong? Feeling righteous now?"

"No," Horikita said, shaking her head. A self-mocking smile crossed her lips. "I understand how much points mean to everyone. If I had realized that sooner, maybe Class D… No, let's focus on the present. Ryuuen-kun, you're getting ahead of yourself."

"What?"

"You just confessed everything," Horikita said, pulling out her phone. "And I recorded it."

She pressed play.

[Before the sports festival even began, I got my hands on—]

Ryuuen's smirk vanished. Kinoshita's eyes widened in shock.

"I only had to nudge you a little, and you spilled everything. Some habits never change, do they? That love of showing off really worked in my favor."

Horikita smiled coldly. "If I use this as evidence, who do you think the hearing will favor?"

"Tch…"

Ryuuen's amusement disappeared entirely.

"Suzune, you—"

"I don't want to drag this out either, so I suggest you back off now."

But instead of backing down, Ryuuen threw his head back and laughed.

"You really know how to entertain me! But didn't I say? I was just playing along with your delusions. This is hardly proof."

"Maybe," Horikita said, shaking her phone. "But do you have a way to prove otherwise? Keep in mind, the recording is in my hands. A little editing, and—"

"That won't be necessary," Ryuuen cut in, retrieving his own phone. "Did you think you were the only one recording? I hit record the moment I stepped into the infirmary."

"You—"

"Now, do you finally accept your complete defeat?"

But instead of looking devastated, Horikita stared at him with an expression he couldn't decipher.

"Ryuuen-kun, do you remember our first real confrontation?"

"Huh?"

"Back then, you anticipated my fake surveillance trap. But instead of exposing it outright, you used it against me, gathering real evidence to threaten us with expulsion."

Ryuuen grinned. "Of course. That was genius."

"It was. And that's why…" Horikita's tone sharpened. "Did you really think I'd fall for the same trick twice?"

Her voice turned icy.

"This is my final warning. Withdraw your complaint now. Or you will regret it."