Late night reflections

The night was silent after Manabu Horikita left, his words still lingering in the air. Suzune Horikita sat against the wall, her head lowered, fists clenched.

Ayanokoji considered leaving, but before he could take a step, a voice cut through the quiet.

"I knew it," Kudo Shinichi said as he approached, hands in his pockets. Haibara Ai followed beside him, looking mildly amused.

"Knew what?" Ayanokoji asked, glancing at him.

Kudo smirked. "That you've trained in martial arts."

Ayanokoji remained expressionless.

"I already figured it out back at the pool," Kudo continued, "but seeing you in action just confirmed it."

Ayanokoji didn't bother responding, and Kudo didn't push further. Instead, his gaze shifted to Horikita, still sitting on the ground.

"You okay?" Haibara asked, walking over and crouching beside her.

Horikita tensed slightly but nodded. "I'm fine."

Kudo leaned against the nearby wall, exhaling. "That student council president sure is intense. No wonder you've been acting strange."

Horikita didn't respond. Instead, she pushed herself up and dusted off her uniform. "I'm going to drag myself up to Class A even if it kills me."

Kudo raised an eyebrow. "'Myself'? Not 'our class'?"

Horikita frowned. "We'll reach Class A. But I refuse to let anyone hold me back."

Ayanokoji spoke up. "Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence?"

"Oh. Uh, it was half coincidence," Kudo admitted. "I saw you when I was out for a walk. I got curious, so I followed. Didn't mean to eavesdrop, though."

"Speak for yourself," Haibara muttered. "I enjoyed the drama."

Horikita shot her a glare but said nothing.

She crossed her arms and frowned. "What were you two even doing out here so late at night?"

Kudo gave a small, amused smile. "It's a long story."

Horikita sighed but didn't press further.

"Your older brother is really strong," Ayanokoji said, shifting the topic. "He doesn't lack ferocity."

Horikita sighed. "He's ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido."

Kudo whistled "He's good." but I doubt he could've beaten Ayanokoji tough. 

Ayanokoji stayed silent for a while.

Before the conversation could drag on, He changed the subject. "Are you really okay with how the study group turned out?"

Horikita's expression darkened. "Why are you asking me? I was the one who proposed the study group. You found it a hassle, didn't you?"

Kudo crossed his arms. "I wouldn't say hassle… but it didn't sit right with me either."

Horikita scoffed. "I don't care. I'm used to it. Besides, Hirata-kun picked up most of the failing students. He knows how to study, he gets along with others, and unlike me, he'll be a good tutor. At the very least, they should all pass."

Ayanokoji exchanged glances with Kudo and Haibara before replying, "Sudou and the others don't much like Hirata. I doubt they'll participate in his study group."

Horikita folded her arms. "That's their decision, which has nothing to do with me. If they're facing expulsion, they shouldn't grumble about trivial nonsense."

Haibara sighed. "You really don't care about them at all, do you?"

Horikita's expression remained impassive. "Of course not. My goal is to reach Class A for my own sake. Not for them."

Kudo let out a dry chuckle. "And yet, you still tried to help them."

She shot him an annoyed glare. "That was for my benefit. If dead weight is dragging us down, then cutting them off is necessary. It's a risk we should take."

Ayanokoji, Haibara, and Kudo exchanged glances before Kudo finally spoke.

"Horikita… isn't that way of thinking flawed?"

Horikita narrowed her eyes. "Flawed? You're not going to give me some nonsense about how there's no future for someone who abandons her classmates, are you?"

Kudo shook his head. "No, I get your reasoning. But let me ask you something—what happens if the school penalizes us for letting them fail?"

Horikita paused. "…What?"

"Think about it," Kudo continued. "The school already deducts class points for tardiness and disruptions. What makes you think they won't punish us for failing to keep our classmates from getting expelled?"

Horikita crossed her arms. "How can you know for sure?"

"Kudo is right Horikita" Ayanokoji intervened calmly, "you can't deny that possibility." 

Horikita opened her mouth to retort but hesitated.

"I'm sure someone as smart as you has already considered it," Ayanokoji added. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have suggested creating a study group in the first place."

Horikita exhaled sharply. "Even if there are potential negatives, it's better to move forward without weak links."

"Do you really believe that?" Kudo asked.

Horikita's expression darkened. "…Yes."

As she turned to leave, Ayanokoji suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"What?" she asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"The problem's bigger than just the two of us," he said. "In the end, the school holds all the answers. We're just interpreting things as we see fit."

She stared at him, but before she could respond, Kudo added, "You're surprisingly talkative tonight."

Horikita scoffed. "That's just because you were being insistent."

Ayanokoji smirked slightly. "If you say so."

She exhaled, looking toward the dorms. "Let's go back. If anyone sees us out here together, they'll get ideas."

Haibara chuckled. "What, worried about your reputation?"

Horikita ignored her and started walking.

As they followed, Kudo spoke one last time.

"You say you don't care about them, but… I don't buy it."

Horikita glanced at him but didn't reply.

Ayanokoji, Kudo, and Haibara shared a look, all coming to the same conclusion.

Horikita Suzune was stubborn, but perhaps… just maybe, she wasn't as detached as she pretended to be.

Kudo shook his head, his thoughts momentarily drifting to a meeting he had—a moment that had occurred just 30 minutes earlier.

--

Going back 30 minutes prior…

Kudo and Haibara arrived outside the Chairman's office. The atmosphere here was different—there was an air of calmness that enveloped the place. When the door opened, they were greeted by the sight of Chairman Sakayanagi, seated comfortably behind his desk, a warm smile lighting up his face.

"Ah, Kudo-kun, Miyano-san," he said cheerfully, motioning for them to sit. "I'm glad you could come. I was just about to enjoy a bit of tea. Please, help yourselves."

Kudo, though cautious, felt the ease in the Chairman's presence and sat down across from him. Haibara did the same, her posture as composed as ever.

"Chairman, you wanted to speak with us?" Kudo asked, curious but not revealing much.

Chairman Sakayanagi smiled warmly. "Yes, yes, nothing too serious, I assure you. I simply wanted to have a chat."