9.4

A few days after that rainy night, Ayanokōji and Ichinose promised to significantly close the distance between them.

At the beginning of April, as spring break was nearing its end, six students from Ichinose's class gathered near a cafe entrance at Keyaki Mall with solemn expressions.

Ichinose, who had been shut in her room, refusing to meet or contact anyone, suddenly sent a message of her return. It was sent to the group chat that the whole class belonged in, and her classmates, who'd been hoping for her recovery, quickly sent warm messages in response.

Ichinose first apologized for not returning any messages, and then she said that she'd organized her thoughts about future policies and wanted to discuss them.

Many students wanted to participate, but it was Kanzaki who immediately took control of the situation.

Considering the current situation where it was hard to grasp everything, he suggested that it'd be better to discuss with a smaller group.

Kanzaki then made the selection of participants, and no one, including Ichinose, objected.

For better or worse, the class readily accepted the suggestion.

The participants Kanzaki called were Shibata, Hamaguchi, Amikura, Himeno, Shiranami, and Norihito.

The selection included seven people, some of whom caused others in the class to feel a sense of discomfort. They were left wondering why they were chosen.

Some central figures were included, but there were also those who weren't.

It was a selection Kanzaki made, choosing people close to Ichinose while also mixing in

Hamaguchi and Himeno, who agreed with his views, as a way to disguise his intentions.

Even if the discussion turned to something like a majority vote, Kanzaki was confident that he could secure at least three votes for his ideas.

Given that Ichinose's current state was unknown, Kanzaki intended to approach the situation with full readiness.

Kanzaki met Shibata halfway there and arrived at the cafe.

"Shibata-kun and Kanzaki-kun, good morning,"

Amikura was someone who often spent time with Ichinose, both on weekdays and on days off—she was considered her closest friend. Amikura was the first to arrive and greeted them as they joined.

"Hey Amikura, good morning. It's a relief, right? Ichinose finally contacted us."

"Yeah, for real. I was almost crying when I got the message."

Since the time she lost the end-of-year special exam until today, Ichinose hadn't met with anyone. Even her best friend Amikura, who tried visiting her directly, was turned away, which made it difficult to meet.

Everyone continued to encourage her through their messages, but Amikura was wondering if it was counterproductive and if there was a better way to help Ichinose recover, yet she couldn't think of a solution.

"But we haven't seen her face yet, so we can't be relieved... It looks like she attended the three-way meeting, but can she come out in front of everyone? Honami-chan will be okay, right...?"

Amikura feared that the gathering might end up bearing no fruit.

The memory of Ichinose taking the blame for their defeat in the end-of-year special exam was still fresh.

"No, she will come. Ichinose isn't that irresponsible."

Shibata confidently answered without hesitation.

"That's true, but still... she hasn't been going out much."

It was understandable if she didn't have the courage to face everyone, so Shibata preemptively defended her.

"If it comes to that, we should just be more forgiving,"

"It's not a problem that can be solved that easily,"

Right after Amikura and Shibata made optimistic remarks, Kanzaki spoke angrily.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Our defeat in the end-of-year special exam was the final nail in the coffin for our class. It's been more than two weeks, and we haven't come up with a single new strategy. We can't afford to waste any more time."

Kanzaki pointed out that it would be problematic if, after calling her classmates, Ichinose couldn't show her face.

"It's not just Ichinose's fault we lost. You were a representative and lost too, and we participants could've contributed more. It's the responsibility of the entire class."

"It's not about where the responsibility lies. I'm saying it's far too late to be discussing what to do next."

Spring break was almost over, and they were soon to become third-year students.

The time to prepare was dwindling as they spoke.

"What do you mean, what to do? We just need to unite more than ever and work hard, that's

all."

"It's different... our class no longer has a chance to win."

Kanzaki spoke, ready to face Shibata and the others' backlash.

Of course, many of the others, starting with Shibata, didn't welcome his weak and pessimistic statement.

"What are you talking about, Kanzaki? That's not true."

"Shibata, do you still not see the situation?"

"Hey, hey, both of you, let's calm down for a moment. Look, Norihito-kun and the others have arrived."

Amikura pointed in the direction where Norihito was happily waving.

Afterwards, Himeno, Hamaguchi, and Shiranami joined, and with the necessary seven members gathered, they entered the cafe.

"What was the commotion about?"

As soon as they sat down, Norihito asked Kanzaki and Shibata, who'd been glaring at each other earlier, the reason for their attitude.

"Kanzaki was saying that I can't see the situation."

"Can't see the situation?"

Kanzaki then reiterated his point about how their class should proceed in the coming year.

"Get real, Shibata. Even our homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei, said something similar."

"It's you who isn't seeing reality. We still have a year. Just like how Horikita's class accumulated class points, we should do something similar."

Shibata, who didn't want to give up, opposed Kanzaki, who suggested giving up.

It seemed that Norihito and the others fully understood the situation they were arguing about.

"Have you analyzed how that class accumulated points? They have many below-average

students, but also several with outstanding abilities. However, we don't have someone like

Kōenji who can fight alone and take first place in the deserted island exam."

"That's—"

Kanzaki continued to press on.

It was as if he was venting the frustration he'd accumulated during the spring break.

"We also don't have someone like Ayanokōji who completely shut down Ichinose in the end-of-year special exam. There's no way we can win."

"Wait, the thing about Kōenji might be true, but Ayanokōji might've just gotten lucky. We don't even know the details of the exam."

"...That's exactly why it's hopeless, because you're still saying things like that."

Unable to hide his irritation with Shibata's thinking, Kanzaki raised his voice without allowing for rebuttal.

"Our class is already sinking. We should shift our focus to how many can escape."

"Wait, Kanzaki-kun, that's a bit too much...!"

Amikura, who had been somewhat listening and accepting things as they went, couldn't help but interject.

"It's not too much. It's the truth."

"Even if we were on a sinking ship like you said, that's all the more reason for us to bail out the water together and aim to resurface without leaving anyone behind!"

"Hey Shibata-kun. Can we really do that...?"

"Huh?"

Himeno, though timid, spoke up against Shibata, who had been arguing against Kanzaki.

"It's not easy to move up to Class A from here..."

"I know it's not easy. That's exactly why we need to unite as a class. If we keep thinking negatively like Kanzaki, we won't be able to turn things around."

Shibata always tried to think positively.

On the other hand, Kanzaki always tended to think negatively.

It was inevitable that their opinions didn't align.

"That's enough. This isn't going anywhere."

Deciding he could no longer deal with his positivity, Kanzaki tried to end the conversation.

"What, you want to stop the discussion? I'm in the mood to argue this through."

"There's no point in a discussion when you refuse to accept anything except the answer you want. Your optimistic attitude is coming across poorly."

"No, no, it's not optimism. Seriously, Kanzaki, you're just too negative."

"I'd rather hear you say that you're finally starting to look at reality. In the first place—"

As the two continued to clash with their opposing views, a shadow suddenly fell between them.

"Both of you. Fighting isn't good, okay?"

Amid the heated exchange of opinions, an eagerly awaited student unexpectedly arrived.

Shibata, who'd been glaring a bit at Kanzaki, widened his mouth in surprise.

"...Ichinose. You came."

Kanzaki had been half-doubting whether she'd really come.

Meanwhile, Shiranami looked worried, almost on the verge of tears.

"Are you okay? Honami-chan..."

"Yes. I'm sorry for worrying everyone. I'm fine now."

Her classmates were worried that no matter how positive her words might've been, they would end up seeming like a mere facade.

However, regardless of such worries, Ichinose, who appeared before them, truly seemed well. Especially Shibata, who had Ichinose's hand on his shoulder, felt the brightness in her eyes was as strong, if not stronger, than before.

"Ah, you're okay, Ichinose. I'm really glad..."

As her scent reached his nostrils, Shibata blushed and answered involuntarily.

"I made you worry, didn't I?"

"No, not at all. I've always believed you were okay... haha."

Influenced by a somewhat more mature aura than the Ichinose he'd seen until now, Shibata felt embarrassed being stared at so closely and inadvertently averted his gaze.

<>

Her hand gently left his shoulder, and Ichinose looked at everyone.

"I'm really sorry for not being able to give a proper response until now, everyone."

"That's totally fine... but are you really okay now?"

Amikura asked, and Shiranami repeatedly nodded, showing his concern.

"I'm okay. But, yeah. Considering that, I'd like to have a proper talk."

Ichinose smiled softly and sat down in the vacant seat between Amikura and Shiranami.

Then, all eyes inevitably turned towards Ichinose.

They wondered if this smile was just superficial, how much of the wounds from the end-of-year special exam remained, and most importantly, what would happen in the future.

Before she took a break from school due to a cold, Ichinose showed signs of her stepping down as the class leader.

Hoshinomiya stopped her just before she could say more, but it wouldn't have been strange if she'd retired right then—everyone sensed it.

"...Um, Honami-chan?"

Before Ichinose could start speaking, Amikura decided to voice her thoughts, unable to hold back any longer.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You're not going to say that you're quitting school, are you?"

Whether she would step down as class leader wasn't a big deal for her best friend Amikura.

Since Ichinose was under so much pressure and responsibility, Amikura had no right to stop her if she wished to step down.

What mattered to Amikura was whether Ichinose had grown to hate this school.

She thought that Ichinose might've been announcing her voluntary withdrawal to take responsibility.

"You don't have to worry about that. I found out about Sakayanagi-san's voluntary withdrawal, and with that, her class points will drop by 300."

Ichinose, who hated troubling the class more than anyone else, reassured Amikura.

However, seeing Ichinose's attitude, Kanzaki tried to confirm her true intentions.

"So, if it was guaranteed that we wouldn't lose class points, would you consider voluntarily withdrawing?"

"Ka-Kanzaki-kun, that's not a nice way to put it!"

Amikura got angry at his words, words that would seemingly break Ichinose's spirit, especially after she had just spoken about staying.

"That's right, Kanzaki. You need to be more careful about how you say things."

Seeing this, Norihito strongly agreed.

"Don't worry, Mako-chan. Even if there's no penalty for voluntary withdrawal, I won't quit."

Relieved from the bottom of her heart, Amikura heaved a sigh of relief.

"Then, would you be prepared to accept a beneficial withdrawal for the class? In the scenario that we gain 300 class points if you withdraw, Ichinose, what would you do?"

Kanzaki was trying to extract an answer to an unlikely and unreasonable decision.

"The conditions are different, but if my withdrawal meant everyone in this class could definitely graduate as Class A, I would choose to withdraw without hesitation."

"No, you can't do that, Honami-chan!"

"I know. But don't worry. I won't actually be forced to make such a choice. So, I intend to fight alongside everyone until the moment we graduate as Class A."

"So, I can take it that you're mentally okay now?"

Shibata asked eagerly, leaning forward.

"Yes. Having time to think helped me organize all the issues. If you all still accept me as your leader, I'll continue with you."

"Of course, Honami-chan. Our class leader can only be you—"

Bang. Kanzaki slammed the table, stopping the conversation.

"Let's not talk about whether to continue as leader just yet, shall we?"

Kanzaki interrupted the jubilant Shibata and Amikura as he questioned.

"I'm sorry, but I can't even believe she's recovered. What's changed between yesterday, when she was shut away and depressed, and today? If it's just a brave front, it's nothing but a drawback for the class."

"Hey, Kanza—"

Shibata hurried to caution Kanzaki, but Ichinose calmly stopped him.

"Indeed, the days I spent cooped up were truly hellish. Losing the end-of-year special exam was a big blow to the class, and the feeling that we might've been able to win the exam made it even more painful. I thought about quitting school many times. It was painful and frustrating, and I cried many times, however—"

Ichinose took a breather, and her large eyes turned towards Kanzaki and then to everyone.

"I'm different from how I was before. I'm completely back on my feet."

"You certainly seem energetic, but what's the basis for that?"

"Do I have to say?"

"Of course. If you're claiming that you're back on your feet, there must've been a significant trigger."

This wasn't a wound that would just heal on its own, Kanzaki pointed out.

If she were to say that time solved it, he was determined to dismiss it as a lie.

"That's right—all the doubts I had were resolved."

"The doubts you had?"

"Yeah. How to keep fighting from now on, how to reach Class A without losing any comrades, whether it's okay for me to be the class leader—all those doubts have been cleared."

"...How?"

"It's because I was saved by someone—"

Someone.

Kanzaki was the only person present who immediately thought of Ayanokōji when hearing that expression.

After all, Ayanokōji defeated Ichinose in the end-of-year special exam.

The fact that Ichinose liked Ayanokōji and that Ayanokōji seemed to be concerned about the class seemed trivial now.

Therefore, other students thought of teachers or other friends rather than Ayanokōji.

"That's amazing. Who helped you?"

Shibata, simply curious, asked without any doubt.

As if engraving that question in her heart, Ichinose gave her warmest look of the day.

"It was Ayanokōji-kun."

Right after hearing the anticipated name, Kanzaki immediately showed his anger.

"Ayanokōji is a clear enemy. He defeated you in the end-of-year special exam, and yet you were saved by him?"

"Yes. I was saved by Ayanokōji-kun. This is an undeniable fact."

Kanzaki took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and not let anger dominate his emotions.

Kanzaki himself had been saved by Ayanokōji a few times.

Indeed, as long as he was an ally, he was a dependable presence.

However, in the end-of-year special exam, he naturally stood as an enemy.

And he defeated Ichinose, plunging this class into despair.

Being half-hearted about a friendship brought no good. He knew that.

"Saved by Ayanokōji, huh? I wish it were a lie, but if it's not, that's a big problem. It's even suspicious whether you were really saved."

Kanzaki's thoroughly blaming Ichinose made Shibata and the others beyond angry and dismayed at this point.

"Hey, Kanzaki, if Ichinose says she was saved by Ayanokōji, we should at least be thankful."

"You don't understand. You don't know how dangerous Ayanokōji is."

"What do you mean dangerous? Ayanokōji isn't a bad guy, right?"

Here, Kanzaki hesitated whether to expose all the information he had.

The son of the respected Ayanokōji Atsuomi.

There was no way he wouldn't be capable, but he couldn't fervently convey that to the others.

Specifically here, right now—

"Kanzaki-kun."

"—What?"

"Before you talk about that, could you listen to my story for a bit?"

As if anticipating his thoughts, Ichinose's words momentarily overpowered Kanzaki.

It was neither intimidating nor threatening.

Just her usual tone of voice and expression somehow made him lose his voice.

"The reason I lost the end-of-year special exam was due to my mental weakness.

Regardless of the content of the exam or who the opponent was, I had to at least match them evenly, or even above that."

First, Ichinose explained to her comrades the reflection she couldn't make at the end of the exam.

"I lost to Ayanokōji-kun because I lost sight of the essence of the game. I want everyone to know what psychological state I was in at that time."

These were feelings she had never spoken aloud before.

"I've... liked Ayanokōji-kun for some time now."

She let her classmates hear her feelings without blushing or panicking.

Shibata was the most surprised. He gaped his mouth wide and couldn't find the words.

Ichinose continued, paying no attention to his reaction.

"I believed without a doubt that Ayanokōji-kun was thinking of me at that time. But as soon as the exam started, such naive assumptions were shattered."

She had been approached to use the traitor rights to avoid expulsions.

By agreeing to this, Ayanokōji had implicated Ichinose in Maezono's expulsion.

The classmates listened intently to this first revelation during the representative battle.

At the same time, it touched upon Ayanokōji's true nature, which Kanzaki wanted them to know about.

A student who didn't stand out much.

That was simply deception; he was extremely calm and capable of making accurate

judgments.

Ichinose wanted to convey his superiority with her own words, not through Kanzaki.

"Is Ayanokōji-kun really... such an amazing student?"

Himeno was struggling to comprehend, and as if she herself was being praised, Ichinose

narrowed her eyes happily towards her. Himeno sensed that he was no ordinary student, but

there was a significant gap in their understanding.

"I, too... only truly understood him during that exam. It wasn't the only factor, but if

Ayanokōji-kun hadn't been there, Horikita-san's class wouldn't have made it to Class A."

Essentially, it wasn't Horikita's class but Ayanokōji's class.

"Wow, no, wow... wow, Ayanokōji, he's that amazing, huh? Wow... I haven't had much

contact with him, so I never thought about it. I mean, isn't that more like you respect him

rather than you liking him?"

Shibata, in a panic, prayed that Ichinose was merely expressing herself incorrectly or

misunderstanding.

"I certainly respect him. But more than that, I like Ayanokōji-kun."

Ichinose answered confidently, feeling her body heat up. It wasn't because their skin made contact, but probably because she had momentarily touched a side of Ayanokōji's heart that even Karuizawa couldn't see.

"Wow... to make Ichinose say so much... What's going on...?"

Norihito was stunned by Ichinose's words, which seemed more than just a one-sided crush.

He glanced at Amikura, whom he had feelings for. Amikura was pleased with Ichinose's newfound ability to express her feelings clearly, sensing that something happened during their consultations. Perhaps a relationship beyond imagination developed between them.

"Yeah, but, you know. Ayanokōji has a girlfriend, right?"

"Shibata-kun... Um, it's hard to say, but... I heard that Ayanokōji-kun and Karuizawa-san recently broke up."

Amikura didn't want to crush his hopes, but she decided to quickly inform him.

Immediately after, Shibata slumped over the desk and ceased moving.

"Anyway... you should now fully understand. We have no chance of winning."

Kanzaki had been partially listening to the small talk up until this point, but he saw this as the time to make everyone agree to a change of strategy for the class, looking to correct the course of the conversation.

"Now is the time to switch to collecting private points."

A complete shift to accumulating private points instead of aiming for Class A.

Ichinose had once used up the funds pooled by her classmates for their sake, but she was starting to save again. If she maximized the rate at which she's saving, they might get several tickets to Class A.

"Kanzaki, you really think it's better to give up on winning..."

"Sorry, but I'm not asking for your opinion right now, Norihito. Answer me, Ichinose."

His optimistic statement was just a delaying tactic in that situation.

"Indeed, if reaching Class A is difficult, relying on private points isn't a bad idea. Even the former Class A must've considered this option several times."

By their third year, it would be a showdown between Horikita's class and Ryūen's class.

Some students were beginning to accept that situation.

"But I still think this class can fight. We can aim for Class A."

"That's impossible. I can't believe you've done any analysis of our fighting potential."

"Hey, Kanzaki. Even if it's difficult to catch up as you say, aiming for it isn't bad, right? Having a goal to strive for makes a huge difference in motivation."

Norihito, perhaps influenced by Ichinose, moved to persuade Kanzaki despite being told to be quiet.

Still, without any basis, he couldn't accept it.

"It's inefficient. Sure, you're free to aim for it, and you're also free to aspire towards that goal.

However, naturally, that freedom comes with a cost."

"I don't know, is there really a cost?"

"Plenty. If it's an exam where you need to increase your forces to win, spending private points could be key to victory. And it's not just limited to that situation. Gathering information or avoiding some penalty would also cost points. Or what if... our class faces an expulsion crisis? Will you prepare another 20 million points each time?"

Kanzaki's strategy implied not wasting resources. If they gave up most of the battles, they could save on private point consumption.

"Are you planning to give up on Class A and abandon your friends too?"

"It's not just me, we need everyone in the class to think this way."

"No, not everyone..."

Norihito tried to forcibly silence him, but Kanzaki seized the moment to press on.

"Himeno, and Hamaguchi too, what do you think about this?"

He reached out to the two, hoping to gather more allies.

"Well... yeah. To be honest, I think it's something we should consider."

"I think so too... Saving private points isn't a bad idea at all."

"See? It's not just me. There are other students in the class who think the same way."

"No, wait, are you guys out of your mind? Don't be ridiculous. Sacrificing our friends to transfer just one or two people to Class A as a goal? No way, that's absolutely not happening. We have to stick to the policy that we either win or lose as a whole class."

Lying face down until then, Shibata raised his head and spoke. His eyes were slightly moist with sadness, but he felt he couldn't overlook Kanzaki's idea.

"I think so too."

"R-Right...? Ichinose...?"

Seeing Ichinose's agreeing smile, Shibata felt his heart torn again and buried his face in the desk.

"Enough with the idealism."

"It certainly is idealism."

Responding to Kanzaki's remark, Ichinose immediately agreed.

"We have fought so far without expelling a single person. That's undoubtedly a strength, but we can't deny that we've continued to lose class points as a consequence. However... sometimes, these idealisms do bear fruit."

She answered confidently, but of course, Kanzaki couldn't see any clear vision.

It sounded like nothing more than dreams and ideals.

"Once again, I want to graduate from Class A without losing a single classmate."

"Even though you know it's impossible?"

"No, it's not impossible."

"I can't trust that at all. I acknowledge that you've mentally recovered since the exam, but I can't accept being told that we can move up to Class A lightly."

"That's right. We need to stop just saying that it's okay and start conveying it with something other than words. Over the past two years, we've indeed fallen from Class B to Class D."

Taking in Kanzaki's pointed remarks, Ichinose nodded as if it were only natural.

"But could you wait until the day after spring break ends?"

"Are you trying to say that you'll prove it by then?"

"Yes. If you're not satisfied with the answer at that time, then I'll seriously consider your proposal, Kanzaki-kun."

The strategy would shift from winning in class rankings to accumulating private points.

If Ichinose agreed, their classmates would follow, albeit reluctantly.

Just a few more days. Time was precious, but it was worth accepting the conditions.

"You won't retract your words just now?"

"I won't retract them. I don't have the right or qualification to guarantee that I can make everyone graduate in Class A. But I promise, I'll bring our class to a state where we can have a fair fight for Class A."

Ichinose looked around at the gathered classmates, seeking confirmation.

While everyone was confused, they nodded, putting off the conclusion for the moment.

From there, it was the usual Ichinose.

She happily and sadly shared the events of the past two weeks.

Shibata wanted to ask about Ayanokōji the whole time. However, perhaps thinking it was difficult to ask sensitive questions in front of the others, he ended up not saying anything.

Nothing had progressed yet. Holding onto that hope, he decided to wait.

The warm moments within Ichinose's class had returned.

Kanzaki watched with cold eyes but endured, having promised to wait a few more days.

Then, as he stood up to wash his hands, Ichinose followed him.

"Kanzaki-kun."

"...What?"

"Don't you have something to report to me?"

"Something to report?"

Stopping in his tracks and turning around, Kanzaki couldn't predict where the conversation was going and looked at Ichinose suspiciously.

"I believe that the results of the end-of-year special exam are my responsibility. However, Kanzaki-kun, don't you think there should be an explanation about whether you fought appropriately for a representative? Or is there no explanation for that?"

"Fought appropriately? I fought seriously and lost to Horikita. It's frustrating, but that's the truth."

"Had you decided to beg your opponent to give up their victory before the exam?"

"That's..."

"You've given up on winning from the start. I wish you had consulted us."

"Did you... hear this from Horikita...? Or—"

"Who told me isn't important."

"R-Right. However... that was the only strategy I thought I could win with. I don't care about appearances—it can't be helped. At that time, I judged that it was the only thing I could do—"

Kanzaki tried to continue his explanation confidently while looking into Ichinose's eyes.

However, he gasped immediately after.

It was completely different from the figure who'd been listening to their classmates' words until just a moment ago.

"In front of Shibata and the others... Saying in front of them that I actually begged to be given the win—revealing such a thing would definitely lower morale. That's the only reason I didn't speak up."

He ended up desperately making excuses, even though he wasn't deeply pressed.

"You concluded that I couldn't beat Ayanokōji-kun, right?"

"That is—"

Deep eyes grasped Kanzaki's true intentions.

"I understand that anxiety well. I know how hard it is to feel like no one understands you. But, it's okay now."

What was okay?Kanzaki didn't have the courage to ask back.

"I'm sorry. Indeed, my way of fighting wasn't praiseworthy..."

"If you ever have trouble, feel free to consult me anytime. I'll be there to support you when you feel alone."

Those were kind words. However, Kanzaki felt a chill down his spine.

It felt like a warning—never act selfishly again.

Ichinose turned around and went back down to her classmates.

And when she sat down, her expression looked no different than usual.

"Was that really Ichinose...?"

It was different from the confidence shown just before the end-of-year special exam and from the exhaustion shown right after it. There was a strange, eerie feeling about her.