『』『』『』『』『』
"Hey, hey, did you hear...?"
"Yeah. When did that happen?"
"I heard it involved that 'person' again."
"That's horrible..."
Those were the words that has constatnly been entering his ears ever since the day started. Thought not those words literally, the context in which people has been talking about is exactly the same.
Two weeks before the sports festival, the school was struck by some weird news—or rather, troubling. The details were not known to the student body at large, and while some people thought it was an amusing incident, most students found the story unsettling and makes them qute uneasy
Even Ayanokouji, who didn't belong to any particular circle of friends, came across the news almost immediately after leaving the student dormitory. It had already spread throughout the school, becoming the hottest and strangest topic at the moment.
So much so that even Ayanokouji had trouble accepting it.
His eyes passed by to the empty seat in front of him. That was only natural, since in the incident, Kumagawa Misogi had been one of the thirty-seven students involved, and one of those suspended for a week. The absence would undoubtedly affect their class points, since it would be counted as an infraction, and because of that, several students were clearly displeased with the situation. Especially those who were obsessed with reaching Class A, no matter the cost.
"What are you looking at?" Horikita said sharply.
"Nothing..."
"Tch. How useless."
"I didn't even do anything."
Her mood was definitely worse than usual.
She snapped at people for merely looking in her direction. If someone were to actually talk to her, what would happen? Would she bite them, or stab them with her compass? Either way, convincing her would be difficult. Still, Ayanokouji didn't have much of a choice, especially if he wanted her cooperation during the sports festival later on.
While the other classes were busy spying on one another, Class D was making a few small moves of its own. Who was good at what? Who was athletic? That kind of information was easy to come by. Most students had already realized this, which made such spying largely pointless.
No matter how much you learned about an opponent's strengths or weaknesses, the key to victory lay in how the teams for the group events were formed. If they could obtain their opponents' participation tables, their chances of winning would increase dramatically. Of course, no class would ever hand over that information. Doing so would be nothing short of a death sentence, so everyone guarded it carefully.
Ayanokouji took a brief glance at Horikita.
Now was clearly not the right time to approach her. That was why Ayanokouji decided to make his move after school, when her foul mood would probably have eased. When school ended, he approached Horikita as she was packing her things beside him.
"Hang out with me today."
"And if I say I don't want to?"
"You can say whatever you like. But if you do, it won't be my fault if Class D runs into trouble."
He cut straight to the point, fully aware that it sounded like a threat. With someone already suspended, Horikita clearly didn't want more trouble right before the sports festival. That was why she fell silent, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Okay. I can't ignore that. Fine, then. What do you want?"
"You'll understand better if you come with me."
Saying that, Ayanokouji turned away and called out to another target. "Kushida, do you have a minute?"
Kushida had been chatting cheerfully with a few girls from their class. Ayanokouji caught bit of their conversation, something about being careful who she associated with. He didn't know the details, but he could more or less guess who they were referring to.
"Hmm? What is it, Ayanokouji-kun?" she asked. Kushida glanced at Horikita, who looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"
"I don't really have any right now. I was just thinking of cleaning my room," replied Kushida.
"If it's okay with you, would you mind giving me some time in the morning?" He went straight to the point. If she showed even the slightest reluctance, he had no intention of pressing her.
"Okay," Kushida said with a smile. "You know, it's really unusual for you to invite me out, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Yeah, I guess it is. By the way, Horikita will be coming too."
"Wait a second—" Horikita began, but Ayanokouji signaled for her to stay quiet.
"I don't mind, but...why in the morning?" Kushida asked.
"Well, I just thought it would be better if you can came along with us. I was just thinking that I wanted to spy on the enemy again, but with you along—you know, as someone who knows a lot about other classes. Horikita asked me to help her, but there are lots of things I don't know."
He was mostly telling the truth, though the part about Horikita asking him was completely made up. He knew Kushida wouldn't come unless he told her the truth about what he wanted, and he needed her to understand what role he wanted her to play.
"I don't really mind, but you know there are a lot of suspended students right now, right? And many of them are from athletic clubs. You won't get complete information under those circumstances."
Because of what had happened recently, many of the upperclassmen were in a bad mood. Ayanokouji could not say for certain whether it was solely because of the suspended students in each class, especially with the sports festival just around the corner. Still, the atmosphere felt unusually hostile, far more than what one would expect from a mass suspension alone.
That aside, there was some truth to her words.
"That doesn't matter. As long as we can gather something useful, it should be fine. Maybe Hirata, or you, can help fill in the gaps. If you're willing, of course."
Kushida nodded. "I suppose I might be suited for that. Okay, then. What time were you thinking? Earlier is better, right?"
"Yeah. I was thinking sometime like ten o'clock. Would that be okay?"
"Completely okay. We'll meet in the dorm lobby tomorrow morning, then?"
"Sure. Thanks,"
As she left, Kushida waved at some girls waiting in the hallway, and they walked together toward the dorms. She must have promised her friends she'd go back with them. As Ayanokouji started to head back himself.
But suddenly, Horikita Suzune.
Horikita Suzune grabbed him by the collar.
"What are you planning? I knew nothing about this."
"That's because I never told you. Doing a little reconnaissance isn't a bad thing, wouldn't you agree?" he replied
"I don't understand why you're involving me. If all you're doing is spying, then you and Kushida should be enough."
"Do you really think that?"
"I wouldn't say something like that as a joke."
Apparently, he could not afford to send Horikita back yet. That was simply the fate of someone helping a classmate who was intelligent, talented, stubborn, and mercilessly demanding.
"We stand out too much here. Let's talk while we walk." He took the lead, leaving Horikita behind, though she soon followed.
"You remember what happened to your team on the cruise ship?"
"Of course. Everyone discovered our VIP's identity. A humiliating outcome," Horikita replied.
"That's right. It shouldn't have happened. There was definitely a reason behind it."
"Yes, but I don't know what it was. No matter how much I think about it, I can't find an answer. I assume Ryuuen-kun or Kumagawa-kun was involved somehow," Horikita said. It sounded like she had reached a dead end. Doubts and half-formed theories were probably piling up in her mind. Still, given what had happened back then and the suspicious outcome, some of her guesses might not have been entirely off the mark.
"Well, I don't have proof, but I have a theory."
"Are you saying you've figured out Ryuen-kun's strategy?" Horikita looked at him as though she were genuinely shocked.
"Yeah. More accurately, it wasn't just Ryuen. One or two other people were deeply involved in what happened on the cruise ship."
They reached the main entrance and took their shoes from the rack. Once outside, their conversation continued.
"If you think about it, there shouldn't have been any way for the VIP's identity to be exposed. You and Hirata never told anyone else that Kushida was the VIP, right?"
"Of course."
"But what about Kushida herself? What if she deliberately revealed her identity?"
Horikita likely could not grasp what he was implying. That was only natural. It was not the kind of possibility one would normally consider. There was hardly anyone foolish enough to intentionally expose themselves as the VIP to another class.
"That's impossible, right? She'd have nothing to gain from that at all," Horikita said.
"You can't say that for certain. For example, what if she made a deal under the table, revealing that she was the VIP in exchange for private points?"
"Even if that were possible, it would hurt Class D. And it would be extremely risky," Horikita replied.
"That risk depends on the timing, though. There are many ways to establish trust," I answered.
"So, you're saying that Kushida would betray her allies to gain a few measly points?"
"You really shouldnt underestimated people natural capacity for greed. But whether it was truly greed or something else, only kushida knows."
The "measly points" Horikita referred to amounted to one million private points. He was not sure if that was something someone like her could truly call measly. In a system where almost anything could be bought with points, one million was enough to drive anyone mad. Yet, with over a hundred and sixty students competing, it was not something easily obtained. That Kushida might have secured such an outcome was impressive in its own way.
That was why he'd invited Kushida. To learn the truth.
"But let's put Kushida aside. If what you're saying is true, who are these one or two other people you mentioned? Who is the other person?" Horikita asked.
"I don't have any proof. This is mostly based on a feeling, without any logical reasoning behind it. But who do you think is the closest person to Kushida in this school?"
"...!"
Ayanokouji had no intention of explaining further if she still failed to understand such plain words. Fortunately, that was not the case. If it had been, he would have reconsidered helping her aim for Class A. But setting that aside—
"What made you think that?"
"Like I said, there's no logical proof. It's mostly intuition. But when I look back, the outcomes of the exam, especially Class A's downfall, all feel suspicious. And if it's that rotten beneath the surface, then my only guess is him."
"....."
Even for Horikita, that line of reasoning was hard to accept. Still, it was true that parts of the cruise ship exam were beyond suspicious. Especially the fall of Class A. While he lacked concrete evidence, the outcomes, particularly those involving the Snake group, which was that person's group, suggested some kind of connection. He just didn't know what it was yet. As Horikita herself had said at the beginning of the semester, it reeked of conspiracy.
"So, you want Kushida and me to come with you to...uncover the truth?"
"You and Kushida seem to have some kind of connection. A shared fate, maybe. It wouldn't be strange for her to betray us over something worth more than private points, right?"
"Kushida-san and I have no bond whatsoever," she said, averting her eyes awkwardly.
Honestly, it was a fairly convincing act. Still, she might need more practice if she wanted a perfect poker face, something she could learn from her beloved dear brother.
"In that case, can you say with complete confidence that she would never betray the class, or you?"
"That's..."
"If you're uncertain, then you should confirm it. If we don't, it'll all fall apart, won't it? No matter the exam, our class has no chance of winning if there's a traitor among us."
In the previous exam, the one before that, and even now with the sports festival approaching, Ayanokouji had learned how easily a single traitor could bring the entire class to ruin. If there were possibly two, and one of them was already a problem on his own, collapse would be almost inevitable unless it was handled properly.
"You're free to choose whether you come tomorrow or not. If you want to lead the class, think carefully. But if you want to lead it to an inevitable collapse, then forget I said anything."
With those ominous words, Ayanokouji turned and left Horikita behind.
『』『』『』『』『』
"Kumagawa-kun."
『Yes? 』
"Where did my chocolatte pudding I put in here go?"
『Ah, that? I already ate it. 』
"Why?"
『Because it's delicious? 』
"No, I mean why? It was pretty expensive, you know. Don't you have any shred of conscience!?"
『Huh? I thought you bought it for me. The kind with melatonin, too. You know, to help with the headache from the physical assault I suffered yesterday. If anything, isn't it you who lacks a shred of conscience? Blaming a blameless victim is cruel, Kushida-chan. Good grief. 』
"Why would I buy chocolate pudding three days ago while anticipating a chair being thrown at your face? And a physical assault wouldn't be cured by melatonin. If that were the case, you should be seeing a doctor."
Kushida stared at the empty space in the fridge where her pudding used to be. "I even planned to enjoy it while playing a game I bought a few days ago..."
『Hahaha, then you should just go a buy more. 』
"..."
Was it okay to have a classmate and partner like this one?
In the first place, her life's to-do list had never included dealing with a headache-inducing parasite who clung to her like this. Yet somehow, it had been added without her consent. This had to count as harassment, right? Something that should be reported to the police.
But now that her position in this school was somehow and unavoidably tied to him, reporting him would do her no good. Even if he was exactly the kind of person who should not be allowed to roam freely for the sake of society.
"Then why don't you buy me one, Kumagawa-kun? As an apology."
『Apology? Haha. What are you talking about? 』
Kumagawa was not going to apologize.
It was impossible to get an apology out of him.
『Aren't you, my dear childhood friend Kushida Kikyou, basically part of me by now? 』 He placed his hands over his chest as he continued. 『You wouldn't apologize to yourself for eating your own chocolate, would you? 』
"Don't throw such disgusting and eloquently awful logic at me. It makes me want to throw up."
『Come on, you don't need to keep acting so exasperated. I understand my childhood friend better than anyone. Besides, I don't have any money to spare right now. 』
"Don't bother with such an obvious lie. I know you're already sitting on a mountain of points you got from the second years."
That's right.
The person standing in front of her was Kumagawa Misogi.
Who had openly extorted roughly one hundred and sixty second-year students, taking about half of their points. By now, he was probably one of the richest students in the school. His methods were despicable, even borderline repulsive. Still, the amount he gained was enough to justify the hatred he received in return, especially since he was already the most hated student in the school, and the most unpopular boy across all grades by vote. Trading hatred for points was not much of a choice for someone like him.
Besides, it was something he would have done sooner or later. In that sense, there was little difference between doing it now or doing it later.
『Since when did you become such a materialistic girl, Kushida-chan? 』
"I've always been materialistic. In the future, I want to marry someone I love who also has a lot of money."
『Hahaha. That doesn't sound like you. 』
"Is that really your reaction?"
『I mean, aren't you the type who can manipulate guys however you want? At the very least, you already manipulated me. You can order me around, use me however you like. So with other guys, you could easily get a rich boy, a handsome guy, or even someone who is both rich and handsome, without much trouble. 』
"Agh..."
What was she supposed to say to that?
All of those commas and short sentences?
She was fully aware of her own rotten personality, her manipulative rotten nature, and her own rotten flaws. Even so, or perhaps because of them, she wanted recognition despite her rotten personality. She wanted love despite her rotten nature, and she wanted to be happy because of those rotten flaws. To life without burdens or debt. She should have done everything she could to avoid misunderstandings like this. And yet, she had somehow ended up making regular visits to the human garbage dump known as Kumagawa Misogi, which was a problem in itself.
Well, it was not like she could complain about it now.
"Then... if my chocolate is your chocolate, that means your points are my points too, right? So how many points do you have right now, Vice President Kumagawa-kun?"
She just tried bringing it up for no particular reason, not really trying to make a point or retort to a joke, but in response, Kumagawa suddenly sat up straight and opened his eyes wide, which caught Kushida off guard.
"W-What's wrong?"
『I didnt know there was a logic like that! But still, that puts me in a tight spot After all, I absolutely hate borrowing other people's logic, the same way people hate cockroaches. If you were going to think of such logic, you should have secretly taught me first, so I could come up with it on my own and claim it as mine. 』
"What a difficult person to deal with..."
『But doesn't that make me cooler than a person that's easy to deal with? 』
Kumagawa grinned.
No, it wasn't cool at all.
『But still, it's taking them a pretty long time. 』 he muttered.
"What are you talking about?"
『Of course, it's about the point transfer. 』
"You still haven't received them yet? The points, I mean."
『Eh? Why would you think I'd have them by now? It's pretty unreasonable of you to assume Nagumo-senpai can convince all the second years that easily.』
"..."
As annoying as he sounded, she had to admit he was right. It was unreasonable to assume Kumagawa had already received the points.
It would be impressive if Nagumo could pull it off despite the resistance from the second years. First, he would need to deal with those who were uninvolved. Then he would have to convince them to hand over half their points for something they neither understood nor had anything to do with. That would require a performance convincing enough to override common sense.
"I guess that's true..." she admitted. "Then did you set a deadline for the point transfer?"
『Today. By the end of the day. 』
"..."
What did he expect from such an unreasonable demand?
Even her own unreasonable requests paled in comparison to his.
"Ah, by the way, Ayanokouji-kun earlier invited me to go on spy the other class for the sports festival. Do you wanna join us, Kumagawa-kun?" Kushida suddenly changed the topic.
She honestly didn't want to be relentlessly and verbally assaulted over her unreasonable demand, even though his demand was even more unreasonable. She could already see the conversation heading in an uncomfortable direction, and there was a real chance he might bring up something about her boobs because of it. The world doesn't need a guy who thinks only about the boobs of his classamte. And how would he, anyway? Since you inconvenice me with your unreasnoable demand, let me touch your boobs as compensation....or something? Not that she knew if touching boobs were really a joke or not, but she better moved things around before they could ever arrived to that point.
Eight or nine out of ten, it was a joke, but Kumagawa just might do something like that, which is why she was somewhat worried, and also why she changed the topic.
『Ayanoukouji-kun invited you? 』Kumagawa gave her a questioning look.
"Yeah. He invited me earlier. He said it was Horikita who suggested it, but honestly, that just sounds like a blatant lie. Do you think he already suspects something, Kumagawa-kun?"
Ever since Kumagawa had shown her what Ayanokouji did to Karuizawa on the cruise ship, Kushida could no longer see him the same way. She could still act normal around him, still smile and speak as usual, but inside, her impression had already changed. She didn't realize it herself, but somewhere deep down, she had begun to see Ayanokouji as a kind of human trash.
『Before you ask what I think, since when did you start being able to smell lies on other people? That doesn't sound like you at all. What happened to my pure and innocent Kushida-chan? 』
"Stop with the sarcasm. In the first place, it's because of your constant lying that I've gotten better at noticing lies."
Aside from becoming better at reading people, she had also developed a sharper instinct for deception. She never expected herself to change like this, but after spending so much time with Kumagawa, even she had to admit that her personality had changed slightly.
"Honestly, it's a useful skill. Especially with someone as rotten as me. But it still feels strange that my specs as a human improved because of someone as shady as you."
『Hahaha, that's harsh. You're going to make me cry.』 Despite his words, he did not look hurt at all. If anything, he seemed amused. 『But setting that aside, what do you mean by spying on other classes? Is there any other interpretation of that? 』
"I mean exactly what I said. There isn't any other interpretation. Isn't that what one of the characters in the manga you're reading does? You're the type who copies things just because they look cool, aren't you?"
『Then, by other classes, does that include upperclassmen? 』
"Y...es?
『Kushida-chan, do you really want to see me get beaten up in public this time? If it's an order, I might consider it. But if it's a request, I'll have to politely refuse. I don't like being trampled on unless it's by a girl. 』
"...That's disgusting." She let that slip out without thinking.
But from her ignorant, amateur point of view, it was true that her suggestion had been rather careless.
『Anyway, what are you going to do if you get dragged into a problem? It would be troublesome for me if you were caught up in someone else's trouble.』
"Huh? I'm having trouble understanding what you're trying to say."
『I mean exactly what I said. You're already struggling to keep that persona of yours hidden. Now imagine being dragged into another person's problem on top of that. Isn't that inconvenient for you? 』
"M-me? Trouble...? No, I mean... that's..."
She had just heard something unbelievable.
Kushida had just heard a sentence so direct and bold that she couldn't even respond properly.
This went beyond shameless and entered the realm of utter depravity. She could look back on everything that had happened to her since the first semester up until now, and say with absolute certainty that he was the source of most of her problems.
She wanted to tell him just how much trouble this trashy garçon had caused her all this time.
But the sheer audacity of his words left her unable to say it out loud.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, before she could utter another word, Kumagawa's phone suddenly vibrated
『I guess it's about time. 』
"About time? For what?"
She ask what he meant by that and she saw there was no reason to—it was clear as day. Kumagawa held his phone up toward her, showing her the screen.
"Uwaaah....."
She didn't know how to describe it.
It was a ridiculous amount of number.
[22,431,921 Points]
For reference, the last time she had seen his balance, it had been around two million private points. Now it had jumped to over twenty-two million. That meant he had received roughly twenty million points from all the second years.
It was an amount large enough to move him straight into Class A.
"...Um, Kumagawa-kun. Would it be okay if I became your real childhood friend from now on?"
She would be an idiot not to suck up to him at this point. Even if it made her look cheap in his eyes, it no longer mattered. After enduring his constant harassment, this was nothing. Even the thought of expelling him, something that had once crossed her mind more than once, had completely vanished the moment she saw that number.
『What are you talking about? You've always been my chilhood friend, Kushida-chan. 』
"Hahaha, I guess that's true...."
Whether that sentence contain sarcasm or not, from now on, she would stay on Kumagawa's side. At least until he spent all that money.
『』『』『』『』『』
It was now the weekend.
While Kushida kept her promise and went to spy on the other classes with Ayanokouji, Kumagawa headed to the library to meet someone. To be precise, he was the one who had been invited, not the other way around. If Kushida ever heard that, she would probably say the person who invited him must not be right in the head.
That would not be entirely wrong.
"Hello, Kumagawa-kun." The girl waved warmly.
『Hello, Hiyori-chan. And also... 』 Kumagawa waved lightly, then looks to the person sitting beside her. 『What are you doing here, Traitor-chan? 』
"Don't call me 'chan'. It's creepy." Ibuki said flatly, clearly annoyed, while deliberately ignoring the 'traitor' part.
『Is that so? Well, it should go without saying, but I just remembered you punched my injured arm back on the cruise ship. That annoyed me, so I thought I'd tease you by calling you "chan" and adding "traitor" in your name. 』
"How does that go without saying?!"
『Please don't get so upset. Listen, I wasn't expecting you to be here either. I thought you'd get a little flustered if I teased you, but instead you went past that and started calling me "creepy." Even if you've called me names many times before, it's not like those words never hurt me. So, logically speaking, I should be the one who's upset, not you. After all, this is clearly your fault. 』
"Ibuki-san..." Hiyori spoke softly.
Hiyori, unable to match the already established mood, felt left out. The sudden bickering between her two so-called friends only made her slightly uncomfortable.
"Hiyori, why didn't you tell me you were inviting this guy of all people? You said you were inviting a friend. Are you saying you're friends with him?" Ibuki glared at Hiyori with enough intensity to make her flustered.
"E-eh? You didn't know?"
"Yeah. I didn't know anything."
Ibuki genuinely didn't understand how the airheaded Hiyori could become friends with someone as shady as Kumagawa. To begin with, she didn't even understand why she herself was here, accompanying Hiyori in the first place.
She had been asked by someone she hated—No, it was closer to an order than a request which make things worse as, she still had no idea what she had been thinking when she accepted it. And yet, here she was, spending her weekend in the library.
"Anyway, I don't want to stay anywhere near that shady 'person'. I'll sit over there, so I can at least make sure no harm comes to you."
"Harm coming to me? There's no need to worry, Ibuki-san. There's no way Kumagawa-kun would hurt me. You're exaggerating."
"....."
As annoying as it was, commenting further would only be pointless. Ibuki stood up immediately and moved to a different section of the library.
"S-sorry, Kumagawa-kun. Ibuki-san can be a little blunt, but she isn't a bad person," Hiyori said apologetically.
『You don't need to apologize, Hiyori-chan. If anything, I, Kumagawa Misogi, would feel sad if you worried about me. To be specific, about as sad as you'd feel when your Shounen Jump manga goes on break. 』
"That's oddly specific."
『Like when you start thinking, "Oh... so this author doesn't care about this series as much anymore..." 』
Kumagawa's shoulders slumped.
It sounded like a recent real-life occurrence, given his reaction.
But Kumagawa, with his unconventional temperament, soon seemed to get over it. He looked back up and said, 『Well, I guess I should just think of it as me being the one who noticed their greatness, even when they couldn't notice it themselves. 』
"Anyway, Kumagawa-kun, I'm glad you had free time today. Aside from Ibuki-san, who I've only recently become friends with, I don't really have many friends. It gets lonely reading alone. And Ibuki-san isn't really a book person either, so I'd be pretty sad if you didn't come. Hehehe."
『Don't be sad, Hiyori-chan. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have come running just to see you anyway.』
"Right... Speaking of that, is it really okay for you to be out in the open like this? Aren't you in some kind of conflict with the second years?"
It was such a widely talked-about incident that even Hiyori, who usually only cared about books, had heard about it.
『You're talking as if this is somehow my fault. 』
"I'm not saying it's your fault. But the rumors say there was a physical altercation involving more than thirty students, and that it happened because of your provocation."
Hiyori didn't fully believe those rumors—Rather, she believed that an incident had occurred, but she couldn't accept that it had all been caused by a single person over a simple provocation. From a realistic point of view, that simply didn't make sense.
So while she believed something had happened, she didn't believe it was Kumagawa's fault.
『If they attacked me in broad daylight, then it's not my fault; it's their fault. There was no reason for me to be attacked by them. Therefore, there was no reason for me to evade them. 』
"Is that so...?"
Faced with such bold and twisted logic, Hiyori could only accept it with a vague response.
Of course, she could have argued. But nothing good would come from debating with someone she knew was fundamentally off-balance.
『By the way, are you still reading all kinds of books, Hiyori-chan? 』
She immediately began to ramble.
"Ah... y-yes. I still read. Not just sometimes, but pretty often. If I don't read for a while, it starts to feel a little strange. Kind of like when someone who uses their phone all the time suddenly can't touch it. I'm not saying I'm addicted or anything, but I do read a lot. That doesn't mean I'm weird. Um, anyway... recently I picked up a mystery novel from the library. It wasn't very popular, so the cover was already worn out. The story was a bit confusing at first, but if you read carefully and pay attention to the small details, everything makes sense by the end. Red herrings, the culprit, all of it. If you like mystery, I recommend 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd'. It's easy to follow, and the writing isn't too complicated. It's by Agatha Christie. There's also 'The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle' if you want something more modern. Ah, and I tried reading historical novels too, to broaden my range, but there were so many names that I kept forgetting who was who. I had to go back again and again. It was especially hard with Chinese translated novels, since the vocabulary is more complex. Sometimes I couldn't understand things at all without knowing the references..."
Hiyori then began listing the books she had read one by one, but she finally stopped when she realized she had been talking for far too long.
"...Ah."
『Splendid. It seems your hobby hasn't changed. 』
"H-hahaha... You're making me embarrassed, Kumagawa-kun.... But enough about me, do you still read a lot of your own kind of books too?"
That was the reason Hiyori liked spending time with him. Even though they barely knew each other and only met occasionally, he never looked bothered by her rambling. Normally, people would quietly drift away once she started talking about books. But Kumagawa was different, in a good way.
While the word "liking" was not meant in a romantic sense, but rather as a sense of kinship, it came from sharing the same hobby of reading. Even if their tastes were completely different and the kinds of books they usually read were nothing alike, the act of reading was still just the act of reading.
And that alone made her happy.
Of course, taste could change too. She wasn't familiar with manga, but if she started reading it, maybe she would come to enjoy it someday.
『Of course. Recently, I've been reading a wide variety of books, not just my weekly Shounen Jump. 』
"Really? I thought you only read manga. Has your taste in genres changed recently?"
『I don't know how you see me, but even someone like me is trying to grow as a person, you know. Just like how people naturally grow taller. 』
"....."
Honestly, Hiyori didn't really believe Kumagawa Misogi could naturally grow as a person.
It was a rude thought, but it came naturally to her. When she imagined Kumagawa "growing," the idea itself felt strange. Besides, while she couldn't fully understand him, she had always thought he was the type whose interests didn't go beyond the pages of weekly serialized manga.
『I'm working hard every day and night to broaden my horizons as a person. 』
"That's amazing, Kumagawa-kun. I underestimated you."
『Hahaha, that sounds like you were looking down on me. But think of my effort to broaden my horizons as part of my struggle to improve my reputation. It brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? 』
"It certainly does."
As his friend, the amount of irony in that statement was enough to make her want to cry.
『So, if I go through enough books, enough histories, enough failures and contradictions, wouldn't my horizons be broadened to the point where I'd be carrying the entirety of human history inside me? 』
"That's a bold perspective. Books embody human knowledge, but no matter how great you are, it feels a little... presumptuous to think that a single person could ever be a match for the entirety of human history."
『No, Hiyori-chan, I'm not that presumptuous. I don't get to be this cool all the time, so can't you just agree with me? 』
"In that case, Kumagawa-kun, what exactly were you reading to arrive at such conclusion?"
『What else? A little something by the great Shugoro Yamamoto. 』
"Shugoro Yamamoto?"
She could more or less predict the kind of answers he would give based on their past conversations, but she didn't expect him to know the name of Shugoro Yamamoto, a literary figure from the last century. She had read some of his works herself, and personally found them quite interesting.
"Out of curiosity, which one by Shugoro Yamamoto? If you think it's worth reading, I'd like to check it out too."
It felt slightly out of character for someone like him. Still, she was glad that he was reading something that could be considered a proper novel, at least by her standards. Maybe, unexpectedly, he might even have a good recommendation.
But what she received instead was an unexpected answer.
『I don't know. I only learned his name just recently, before coming to this library. It was written on one of the shelves in that section. 』
He pointed toward the novel section of the library.
"....."
『Since you've read some of his works... what was his name again? Yamataro or something? Then, do you have any recommendations for me, to help broaden my horizons? 』
Although Hiyori was a little perplexed by Kumagawa's answer about Shugoro Yamamoto, being asked for a book recommendation felt almost instinctive to her. So despite the confusion from earlier, she answered immediately.
"If you'd like a recommendation... then I'd suggest Lives of Great Japanese Women. It has a very compelling narrative, if that's what you're looking for."
『Liar! 』 he screamed. 『There's no way the great Shugoro Yamamoto would write a book with a title like that! 』
"Um... but he really did. So I'm not sure what else to say... It was published a long time ago, so it's harder to find. But if you search carefully in older libraries, or maybe antique bookstores in Japan... you might still come across a copy. There might even be one available online." Said Hiyori.
"...Didn't he say earlier that he only came across the name just now...?" Hiyori murmured quietly to herself. But before she could think any further, Kumagawa spoke again.
『In that case, is there a variation of that novel by the great Shugoro Yamamoto? That novel sounds more like an adult novel, so there must be a variation somewhere.... 』
"A variation...? I don't think there's anything like that."
As far as she knew, variations of classical works were rare, especially for authors active in the Showa era. Even for a well-known writer, such things almost never happened.
『You know, like a collection of short stories, or something you'd call a light novel these days. With a title like "Lives of Great Japanese Women," it must be that kind of book. And light novels these days are all erotica! 』
"P-please don't say 'erotica,'" Hiyori murmured, looking a little troubled.
She had no idea how he had reached that conclusion, but the logic made no sense to her.
"...Also, Kumagawa-kun, you said you were reading many kinds of books to broaden your horizons. Were you... perhaps exaggerating a little?"
『Exaggerating? There's no way. To broaden my horizon, I just need to read a lot, right? It doesnt have to be a novel, even an erotic magazine can also broaden your horizon if it cames to it. 』
"..."
Hiyori took a small step back in her mind.
Even if she was somewhat absent-minded and didn't usually care about things outside her own world or her hobbies, this was still a little too much for her. Even if, in a twisted way, his logic might be considered correct that it would broaden someone's horizons in a different direction altogether. Still, even if she tried to make the bare minimum of an excuse, she couldn't stay on the same page as Kumagawa here.
To think that going along with someone's opinion could be this hard...
『By the way, I only feel comfortable saying this now that it's established, but something about abbreviating light novels as "LN" feels wrong to me. Maybe to some people too. It's like how some people dislike it when "Shounen Jump" is shortened to "Jump."』
"Isn't that something you should say before it's established, rather than after?"
『I don't want to cause unnecessary controversy. 』
"I don't know if there are really people who dislike 'Shounen Jump' being shortened to 'Jump,' but then how would you even abbreviate it? novels? That would be confusing..."
Speaking of novels, it seemed that some fans of literary fiction didn't like the term "lit fic." But as for the "some people" Kumagawa mentioned, Hiyori honestly wasn't sure whether anyone actually disliked the term "light novel" in the first place.
"Anyway... maybe you should apologize. To Shugoro Yamamoto, I mean, for reading his work for such impure reasons."
『I know I show you a lot of respect, but I don't want you bossing me around when it comes to how I read. A work belongs to its readers the moment it's released. Shouldn't we respect each reader's freedom to have whatever feelings or intentions they want toward a novel? But if that's what you say, Hiyori-chan, then I'll apologize to that Yamataro or whatever his name is, and just stick to manga instead. There has to be something heart-opening, or maybe mind-opening, hidden in stories that proudly advertise "friendship, effort, and victory" as their slogan. 』
"...It's Yamamoto. Shugoro Yamamoto."
It felt like the conversation had gone in circles. In the end, Kumagawa's attempt to broaden his horizons led him straight back to being a manga reader. Instead of growing, he had somehow returned to where he started.
If Hiyori were to put it into words, she would have to admit that this was the complete opposite of growth.
"Speaking of which, Kumagawa-kun..." Hiyori said, decided to change the topics,
Even though it would be better to talk about books, she know that the direction of the conversation would have went into a different direction once again, maybe unless it was a manga, but she didnt have any knowlege in that aspect.
"Are you going to participate in the upcoming sports festival? Even though you're in conflict with the second years, it's not like you've been prohibited from joining, right?" she asked.
『Hmm... I don't know. What do you think I should do, Hiyori-chan? 』
Instead of answering, he had turned the question back on her. Or rather, he was asking for her advice.
Just like their teacher, Sakagami-sensei, had said, it wasn't advisable to skip the sports festival unless someone had a chronic illness or injuries serious enough to prevent participation. Judging by Kumagawa's current condition, with bandages on his head and arm, most people wouldn't consider joining. However, since there were events that didn't require heavy use of the arms, it could be said that he was still able to participate in several of them.
The only real concern was his head.
If, by any chance, some kind of accident happened and his head was hit again, then letting him join the sports festival would be unsafe.
But...
"Um... then why don't you just participate? Maybe in something that isn't physically straining? Even though it would still be a little unsafe, as long as you're careful, it should be okay... right?" She said what's on her mind.
It was not very wise advice, considering his injuries to both his hand and head. But Hiyori didn't want her friend to suffer a penalty for not participating in this exam. She didn't want her ambiguous "book" friend to leave this school.
Kumagawa looked at her with a questioning expression. Hiyori met his gaze, and for a moment, an awkward tension settled between them.
『...If that's what you say, Hiyori-chan, then who am I to refuse? 』 he replied.
There was a dubious smile on his face.
From that smile alone, Hiyori couldn't tell whether he was being sincere or not. She didn't even know if he was telling the truth or not.
In other words—
He was truly someone she couldn't read.
『』『』『』『』『』
While Kumagawa was spending his time with a silver-haired girl, a little earlier on the other side of the library, another person was waiting in the dorm lobby, As she have to spend her time with two people she especially disliked.
It was just before ten in the morning, the time she had promised to meet both of them.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun," Kushida said warmly.
"Good morning, Kushida," Ayanokouji replied.
Summer was almost over, so he would only be able to see Kushida in her summer clothes for a little while longer. His heart beat faster at the sight. Maybe it was because it was a new sensation for him, but it was not a bad one.
"Sorry for making such a strange request yesterday."
"Oh, no, it's okay. Really. I didn't have anything planned today," she answered. "By the way, where's Horikita-san?"
It was almost ten o'clock, and there still wasn't any sign of her. Was she backing down from
having to meet with Kushida? Just as Ayanokouji wondered about that, Horikita appeared.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Good morning, Horikita-san."
Kushida welcomed Horikita with a sweet, unwavering smile. Horikita, however, was clearly in a bad mood. She seemed to be trying to hide it, but by the look of her face, it was fairly obvious. Kushida must have noticed too, yet she behaved exactly the same as always. In a way, it was impressive.
The three of them left the dormitory and headed toward the athletic grounds. By ten, the area was already filled with students.
"Wow, they're really going at it!" Kushida exclaimed.
On the grounds, the dull sound of a ball being kicked echoed through the air. The ball curved toward the goalpost. Its path was easy to read, and the goalkeeper, showing sharp reflexes, repelled it with a punch. Hirata was among those playing. Since the teams were mixed between first, second, and third years, Ayanokouji did not recognize everyone.
"I feel like a secret agent, spying on clubs to gather information about other classes. It's exciting, my heart is pounding!" Kushida said.
"It's not that big a deal. The information we can get here won't amount to much." Ayanokouji replied. "By the way, isn't the atmosphere here is kind of strange?"
Even though many players were on the field, it did not feel like a lively youth sport full of energy. Instead, there was a gloomy atmosphere. Not for everyone, but it was especially noticeable among the second years.
"Whether it's weird or not, information is information, and information is invaluable. We don't know what might be the key to our victory," replied Horikita.
"....."
Faced with that logic, Ayanokouji could only fall silent and focus his attention on the match.
"By the way, Ayanokouji-kun, can I ask you something?" Kushida said.
"What is it?"
"Ayanokouji-kun, you were the one who decided to invite me out today, weren't you?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Well, I can't imagine Horikita-san inviting me," Kushida replied with a smile. She briefly glanced at Horikita, then returned her gaze to him.
"Why can't you imagine that Horikita would invite you?" he asked.
"Hahaha. You're kind of awful, Ayanokouji-kun. You understand that things aren't good between Horikita-san and me, don't you? Don't bother pretending to be clueless. It's written all over your face," Kushida said frankly, not caring whether Horikita heard her or not.
Ayanokouji instinctively touched his face.
"Is it that obvious? Well, to be honest, it's not that I don't understand. It's more like I half believe it and half don't."
While they were talking, the match continued. Hirata dribbled the ball toward the goal, skillfully evading several opposing players. Seeing that he could not score from that position, he passed the ball to a teammate, a Class A student they already knew.
The ball sailed into the goal in a brilliant arc.
"So, Shibata's in the soccer club."
"Yeah. Hirata-kun often says Shibata-kun is better than he is. It seems like they're close," Kushida answered.
As expected, she was well-informed. If he remembered correctly, Shibata from Class A was generally athletic, judging by his performance in the volleyball match at the pool before he was rather skilled, and his speed now seemed equal to Hirata's, no, perhaps even faster.
"Wow, they're really going at it."
A tall boy in a soccer uniform spoke beside them.
"Ah, good morning, Nagumo-senpai!" Kushida greeted the vice president.
Since Kushida was close to Kumagawa, who was also a vice president, it was no surprise that she knew the other vice president personally. Horikita, meanwhile, showed a faint reaction. Nagumo was a candidate to become the next student council president, and his abilities were said to be on par with her older brother's.
That fact alone did not sit well with Horikita. Her expression did not change much, but it clearly carried a small amount of displeasure.
"Ah, Kikyo-chan. It's nice to see you here," Nagumo said with a light smile. "Are you on a date by any chance? It's good to see you enjoying your youth."
"Ha ha, no, it's not like that. I was just curious, so I came to watch," she replied.
"Did you come with that Kumagawa too?"
His expression turned slightly irritated when he mentioned Kumagawa.
"Uh, no. Does it matter if Kumagawa-kun were here watching?" Kushida asked.
"Hahaha. Are you playing dumb, Kikyo-chan? You know exactly why it would be a problem if he showed his face carelessly after what he's done, right?"
"Well, if you put it like that..."
Ayanokouji and Horikita only watched the exchange without any context. Still, it was enough for them to form a rough idea, or rather, to conclude that Kumagawa had done something beyond the recent incident.
"Anyway, if he's not here, then that's good. Enjoy the match. We don't hold back here, so it's a good way to measure our players' strength,"
He winked at Kushida and headed toward the field to join the others. He seemed to have guessed what they were doing. The soccer club grew more lively when Nagumo joined them.
"What did he mean by that, Kushida?" Ayanokouji asked directly.
"I'm not really sure myself. Should we ask Kumagawa-kun what incident he caused this time?" she smiled innocently
"...Let's not. It would only distract us from our main objective," Ayanokouji said.
Ayanokouji knew for a fact that Kushida was lying.
There would be something wrong with him if he did not realize it. Even Horikita looked at Kushida with suspicion, but neither of them pushed the matter further regarding the possible incident Kumagawa had caused.
Kushida, on the other hand, was clearly lying. Aside from the mass suspension of many second-year students, most details about the trial and everything related to it were kept secret. That included the fact that Kumagawa had demanded compensation from all second years.
It had been Nagumo's suggestion not to let that information spread, and most people had agreed.
"By the way, is it okay for someone to be on the student council and also be in a club?" Ayanokouji asked, looking toward Nagumo, who was chatting with other players on the field.
"It seems he's not really in the club anymore," Kushida replied. "But even after quitting, he's still the best player, aside from the vice president who was suspended. He shows up to practice sometimes to guide the rest of the team."
Nagumo then swapped places with another student, and the match resumed. The ball and the players naturally moved toward him. He felt like both a reliable teammate and a dangerous opponent. He was on the team opposing Hirata and Shibata. As the flow of the game changed, Nagumo began to stand out.
Hirata challenged him and tried to steal the ball. His movements were sharp as before, but Nagumo handled him with ease. Shibata charged in as well, but Nagumo feinted several times before slipping past. Ayanokouji thought both Hirata and Shibata were skilled, yet Nagumo was clearly on a different level.
After getting past another defender, Nagumo took a powerful shot from midfield. The ball curved beyond the goalkeeper's reach, and he scored.
"So the title of student council vice president isn't just for show, huh?"
"He's just athletic, that's all," Horikita said. She clearly had no intention of acknowledging Nagumo's skill. In that sense, Ayanokouji almost admired her stubborn pride.
While speaking with Horikita, Ayanokouji stole a glance at Kushida. She was all smiles; not even a hint of her dark side could be seen.
"Um... Ayanokouji-kun, could you not stare at me like that? It's kind of creepy..."
"Ah..."
Her tone suggested genuine discomfort.
Maybe he was mistaken, but beneath her cheerful expression, he sensed a small trace of disgust somewhere between the lines. Hatred would have made sense, considering what he knew about her. But disgust....? Even for Ayanokouji, being looked at that way by the most popular girl in school was kind of hurt.
"I'm sorry, but can I ask you something?"
"If it's about Kumagawa-kun, I told you, I don't know anything."
"No, it's not about that," Ayanokouji said, reassuring her. Even if she did know, he had no intention of asking right now.
"Then, if it's something I can answer, sure. You answered my question earlier, so it would be unfair if I didn't answer yours."
"Then I was just wondering. Why don't you and Horikita get along?" Ayanokouji asked directly.
Horikita was right beside them, and it was a sensitive topic for Kushida. Still, Ayanokouji did not hide his intent and went straight to the point.
Kushida looked slightly surprised by the sudden question, but her expression didn't change. It was as if she had expected it, or perhaps she had simply grown better at hiding her true feelings. Beside her, Horikita's displeasure was clear.
"Hahaha, that's a cruel question, Ayanokouji-kun. Is that why you invited me along with Horikita, just so you could find out why our relationship is bad?"
"More or less," Ayanokouji replied vaguely.
Maybe his bluntness and the invitation itself made his intentions easy to read. Still, given the situation, being direct was probably the best approach.
But suprisingly, instead of Kushida, it was the other person who answer the blunt question.
"It's me," Horikita said while still watching the match.
"Huh? You...?" Ayanokouji said, as if he had misheard the sentence.
"That's right. I don't personally like Kushida-san. That's why our relationship is bad."
Ayanokouji hadnt expected that.
So even though she admitted to being the cause, Kushida still hated Horikita. It was contradictory. When someone disliked another, they usually insisted the other person was entirely at fault.
Ayanokouji was not especially good at reading people. Still, compared to most, he could manage it to some degree. Yet he could not get a clear read on Kushida, neither before nor now. If anything, lately, she had become even harder to understand. And now, not only Kushida, he also felt that he understood Horikita a little less.
Horikita had known from the beginning that Kushida hated her, yet she had never spoken about it to anyone. However, judging from Kushida's words, Horikita might know the reason behind that hatred.
Of course, even if he asked, Horikita probably would not tell him.
Why was that?
Ayanokouji found himself thinking about the cause of the hostility between them. Was there something neither of them wanted the other to know?
"Ahaha, that's pretty hurtful to hear, Horikita-san. But our priority right now is to spy and gather information, so I'll ignore your rude comment just now," Kushida said. Then she added, "Ah, that doesn't necessarily mean I hate you. I still want to be friends with you."
"....?!"
For a moment, Ayanokouji felt a faint chill run through him, and he looked at Kushida with caution.
What was that?
He already knew Kushida had a dark side, so it was not strange for him to sense something off about her. But just now, it felt different. Something foul. It was faint, and it vanished quickly.
"The player handling the ball right now is Sonoda-kun from Class B. He's quite fast, isn't he?" mused Kushida.
Is it just my imagination?
Ayanokouji could not tell why he had suddenly sensed something wrong. Lately, it felt like something was off, yet he could not point to what. In the end, Ayanokouji decided it was only his imagination. He set aside his caution and turned his attention back to the match.
All the students in the soccer club were atlethic. In the sports festival later, the only ones from their class who could probably hold their own were Sudou and Hirata. Even then, it would be difficult for them to keep up.
"And pretty nimble too. Despite his size, he must have a flexible body. And from the looks of it, he has great stamina as well," Horikita said. She seemed serious as she analyzed the players' strengths.
"Wow, that's impressive, Horikita-san. It's nice to see you thinking about our class as a whole. That makes me happy," Kushida said.
"I aim to do whatever is necessary to reach Class C this time, so I have no other choice," Horikita replied.
"I have to work harder too, so I can contribute to everyone,"
Ayanokouji could not sense even the slightest hint of modesty in her words.
After watching the match for a while, the soccer players took a break. Nagumo called out to Hirata. Then, perhaps because he realized they had been watching, Hirata approached them.
"Good morning. It's unusual to see you guys here," he said.
Shibata, who had noticed them from a distance, came running over as well. That created a rather unusual group of five.
"Good morning, Kikyou-chan. Oh, and...Ayanokouji and Horikita-chan, right? Ayanokouji,
are you on a date with these two beautiful girls?" asked Shibata.
"No, it's not like that."
Shibata and he were acquainted in the pool before, but Ayanokouji had not expected Shibata to remember his name. That made him a little happy, especially considering how grim his school life had become after getting involved with a certain person. Even so, he kept himself from smiling.
"So, what's up? This is an odd group," Hirata said. He didn't seem suspicious.
Ayanokouji decided to be honest. "We're spying. We came to identify students from other classes we should be wary of."
"Ah. So that means you've already noticed Shibata Man, huh?"
Shibata quickly stepped forward and showed off his footwork. He was cheerful and made no effort to hide his athletic ability. Perhaps that was because he was in Class A under Ichinose's leadership, or perhaps it was simply his nature.
"Shibata-kun really is fast, just like the rumors say," Kushida said. "Ayanokouji-kun and I were shocked."
"Hehe."
Complimented by a cute girl, Shibata bashfully rubbed his nose with his index finger.
"We need to be especially wary of Shibata-kun. He's the fastest in Class A. Personally, I'd rather not compete against him," Hirata said.
"Don't sell yourself short, Yousuke. You're really fast too. What about you, Ayanokouji?" Shibata asked.
"I'm a member of the go-home-and-do-nothing club," Ayanokouji replied.
Shibata crossed his arms and laughed as if to say Sure, okay.
"But it's a shame you didn't get to see many regular members of the soccer club playing," Hirata said.
"Huh? So the people playing earlier weren't all from the soccer club?"
"No, that's not what I meant. They are members of the club, but about half of them aren't regulars. Many of them are substitutes," Hirata explained.
Noticing that Ayanokoji still dint connect the dots, Hirata then continued with his explanation
"You know, because of the incident yesterday, the vice president and two soccer club members were suspended for two weeks. Because of that, there's been a lot of dissatisfaction within the club, especially among the second years. That's why many of the usual regulars aren't playing right now. Even when I asked what happened, no one wanted to talk about it. Everyone's keeping it a secret."
"Is that so..."
"A lot of other clubs, especially the athletic ones, are facing the same problem. So if you try to spy on other clubs, you might run into a similar situation."
Ayanokouji could not help but wonder if this was related to what Kushida and Vice President Nagumo had talked about earlier. It sounded like Kumagawa had really done something detestable to the second years, beyond the mass suspension.
After talking with Hirata and Shibata for a while, the original three soon left, using the excuse of checking other clubs. Even if some clubs were missing members, they could still gather information from the rest. After all, information was information.
Of course, that was the main reason, at least for Horikita.
For Ayanokouji, however, there was another purpose. That was precisely why he had set the situation up this way. How it would play out...well, that was up to the two girls.
"You bore me, Kushida-san," Horikita said.
"Wow, that's pretty harsh."
"But I have to ask you something. Is that okay with you?"
"Between you and Ayanokouji-kun, I'm getting a lot of questions. Fine, what is it?"
"During the cruise ship exam, did you tell Ryuen-kun or Katsuragi-kun that you were the VIP?
Ayanokouji had expected Horikita to ask in a straightforward way, but she went straight to the heart of the matter. Kushida looked slightly shocked. Horikita could not tell whether that reaction was genuine or an act, but she kept talking.
"It's fine if you don't answer. Digging up the past is meaningless. That's why there's only one question that matters. Can I trust you to be our class's ally from now on?" Horikita asked.
"I would love for us to talk about our relationship over tea someday. But it would be great if you trusted me, even if only halfway," Kushida said. "I want to reach Class A together with everyone in Class D. That's what I've said from the very beginning."
So her stance had not changed.
Or perhaps those were not her true feelings at all.
"Either way, I want you to trust me."
Kushida smiled at Horikita, but Ayanokouji could not sense even the slightest sincerity in her words.
"Well then, I'm heading back. I'll leave the rest of the reconnaissance to you two," Ayanokouji said.
"Huh? What are you saying, Ayanokouji-kun?" Kushida looked slightly confused by his sudden decision to leave.
"Horikita came up with this plan in the first place. With your wide network and connections, you two should manage fine. Right?"
With that, Ayanokouji walked away.
Leaving behind two people who did not get along, with only each other for company.
"Eh? Did Ayanokouji-kun just leave us here?"
"He's fucking dead." Horikita muttered.
Horikita felt as though she had been manipulated this whole time. It was as if Ayanokouji had arranged everything so she would reveal part of her conflict with Kushida. And now that he had gotten what he wanted, he simply left.
For Horikita, who prided herself on superiority, being handled so easily felt humiliating. What remained was a quiet irritation, one that threatened to unravel all the effort she had put into making him cooperate for the sake of reaching Class A.
"What's the matter Horikita-san? Your fate doesn't look well—I mean, your face."
"Is that supposed to be mockery? Are you implying something by any chance?" Horikita glared at Kushida.
"Eh...?" Kushida tilted her head, genuinely confused.
Was there an implication? She had simply said what she felt. She did not think it was meant as mockery. But now that she had been asked, she could not find an answer.
"Um... if you were really offended by that, then I guess I should be sorry...?"
"No need to apologize. Not at all. But I do think you should fix that personality of yours," Horikita replied.
"....."
Hearing those words, Kushida felt something strange. Should she feel angry? After being told so bluntly to fix her personality, should she be upset with Horikita? Even though she despised her, should she feel anger at those words?
She doesn't know.
Instead, a new kind of sensation was rising within her.
That aside, after thinking about the words that had irritated Horikita, Kushida finally realized why they could be taken as mockery. The implication was dangerous, if her interpretation was correct.
Because of the constant harassment from Kumagawa, Kushida could no longer clearly distinguish what counted as mockery—Or perhaps she had simply grown numb to it. She did not know whether that was good or bad. While some parts of her had improved from spending time with Kumagawa, other parts seemed to be deteriorating.
"...ida-san!"
"Kushida-san!"
"H-huh?"
She felt a tug on her shoulder, which pulled her back to her senses.
"What's wrong? If you're not feeling well, you can go back. I'll handle the reconnaissance myself if I have to."
Not good.
She had been getting distracted too easily lately.
"It's okay. I'm fine, Horikita-san."
"Really...?"
Horikita still looked unconvinced.
"You don't need to force yourself just to make a good impression on me. I know what you did, and frankly, I don't care that much. If that's your only reason, then forget it and just go back to the dorm. I can handle this on my own."
Kushida knew what Horikita was implying, and it struck a nerve. It was a sensitive topic for her.
Yet strangely, it did not ..... as much as it used to.
"It wouldn't help if you did the reconnaissance alone. You barely know anyone from the other classes, let alone the upper years, since you're a loner by default. I think you should fix that personality of yours," Kushida said, subtly throwing Horikita's words back at her.
"....."
Displeasure appeared on Horikita's face.
"Is that another mockery?"
"Who knows."
She answered with a smile.
『』『』『』『』『』
With everyone working hard, the days passed quickly, and finally, only one week remained until the sports festival. Right now, they needed to decide who would participate in each competition and submit the participation table before the end of the day.
By now, everyone seemed to have forgotten that one student was missing due to the trouble he had caused. At this point, most of them were more focused on the participation table for the sports festival—which, to be fair, was their lifeline.
While Hirata stood at the podium, Kushida faced the blackboard with chalk in hand, recording the preparations.
"Without further ado, let's decide on the entries," Hirata announced.
To determine the best order for their strategy, Hirata consulted his notes, which contained the aggregate results of the class's daily records. He had carefully written down the order, everyone's roles, and the events they would participate in.
Not a single student objected to Hirata's results. They were based on clear data and practical evaluations of everyone's abilities. Everything proceeded smoothly.
"Okay. For the final event, the 1200-meter relay, Sudou will be our anchor."
Ayanokouji was genuinely impressed by how Hirata managed to respect everyone's individual wishes while also taking their abilities into account. In the relay—the final event—the key runners would naturally be the fastest students, like Horikita.
No one could have come up with a more ideal lineup.
However, Horikita, who sat beside him, continued to stare at the blackboard with an unconvinced expression.
Immediately after the discussion ended, she stood up and walked over to Sudou's desk. Ayanokouji, who had been sitting next to her, naturally grew curious, so he tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I want to talk to you about something. Can you come with me?" Horikita replied.
"S-sure." Sudou hurriedly straightened up at Horikita's request.
As she began to walk away, Horikita suddenly called out to Hirata as well. "Oh, Hirata-kun. Can I also have a moment of your time?"
Sudou, whose heart had likely been pounding just moments ago, immediately looked disappointed.
"I want to discuss the participation table we decided on earlier. I'd like you to give me the anchor position in the 1200-meter relay at the end of the festival."
Sudou looked confused. "But... well, the anchor position is usually for the fastest person, right? Do ya feel uneasy having me as the anchor?"
There was a fundamental difference in physical ability between boys and girls. Horikita was the fastest among the girls, but against the boys, she couldn't beat Hirata. It was only natural that Sudou, who was equal to or faster than Hirata, would take the anchor position.
He probably wouldn't accept anything less, especially when the class seemed to be placing all their hopes on him this time.
"No, that's not it. I know your abilities from watching you practice."
"Okay. So I can handle it, right? I mean, if the anchor is the fifth runner, then—"
"I have my reasons. You're good with the starting dash, right, Sudou-kun? I think having you as the first runner, blowing past our opponents at the start, is a viable strategy. You'd be able to carry that advantage forward. In a solo competition, you could protect your lane with a starting handicap, but that doesn't seem possible here. From the second runner onward, everyone can take whichever lane they like on a first-come, first-served basis. And if we're overtaken, the rules state that from the second runner onward, we're allowed to use the outer lanes to pass other runners," Horikita explained.
Basically, Horikita wanted Sudou as the first runner so he could secure an early lead.
"But..." Sudou still didn't look convinced. "It's just... y'know, the anchor position goes to the fastest team member."
"This school is a meritocracy. Let's not make decisions based on assumptions or preconceived notions. The other classes will be coming up with their own strategies as well."
Ayanokouji, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, felt there was some logic to her argument. However, it also seemed somewhat forced, as if it were driven more by emotion than by pure reasoning.
Honestly, it wouldn't have made much difference who the anchor was; both she and Sudou would perform well. Even in the worst case, a clumsy starting dash wouldn't put them too far behind.
If someone were to counter Horikita with that argument, then her whole explanation would crumble.
But if she was being this stubborn, that meant there was another reason Horikita wanted to be the anchor.
If it were Ike or Yamauchi, it would probably be because they wanted to stand out. But Ayanokouji couldn't imagine Horikita being that type.
That left only one possibility.
"Excuse me. Is it okay for me to chime in?" Kushida hesitantly entered the conversation, likely out of curiosity. "Um... I'm sorry. I just think there might be another reason Horikita-san wants to be the anchor. I don't know what it is, but it must be important if she's trying to overturn a decision made by the majority based on such vague reasoning."
"That's—"
Horikita glared at Kushida with an intensity that felt closer to hatred than irritation.
Ayanokouji wondered whether he was imagining things, but he felt like the relationship between those two looked worse than before. What had happened while he'd left them alone for reconnaissance?
"In that case, Horikita, would you mind telling us why?" Hirata asked calmly. "If you have a request, Sudou and I will take it seriously. But if we're going to change something the class has already agreed on, I need a proper reason."
"I agree with Hirata. We need a reason," Sudou added.
Horikita's expression grew complicated. It seemed as though she'd decided that telling the truth was the only way left.
"It's because I think my brother...is an anchor...." she said quietly.
"Your brother? The student council president?"
"Yes. That's my brother."
Everyone knew the student council president, but not everyone had made the connection that he and Horikita were related. Sure, some people may have a vague idea that this was the case, but their family name was by no means uncommon.
"Eh? So, you want to be an anchor with your brother? Is that you reason to object the decision made by the majority in this class?"
After being baited by Kushida into calling it an "important reason," if Horikita admitted yes at this point, it would only make her look selfish by definition. Compared to the class's overall strategy, her personal motive would seem trivial.
She had been neatly cornered.
Seeing this, Ayanokouji decided to step in and give her a small amount of help.
"Some stuff happened. I guess Horikita and her brother aren't really on speaking terms. She probably wants this opportunity to patch things up with him," he offered them an explanation.
It wasn't exactly the truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. It was just a perfectly digestible tidbit. Horikita glared at Ayanokouji for an instant, since he had eavesdropped on her conversation, but immediately looked back to Sudou and the others.
"I was wondering what the matter was. So, that's it, huh? Well, to be honest, I do still want the anchor position. But if that's the way you feel, then I don't mind handin' it over to you," said Sudou.
In the end, it all came down to Sudou. If he agreed to switch positions, then the lineup would change.
"I think it's fine, too. If Sudou-kun is satisfied, then everyone else will be too, right?" Kushida added.
"Right. Sounds good. Well, I'll submit our list after I swap Horikita-san and Sudou-kun's places. Is that okay?" asked Hirata.
"Thank you," said Horikita quietly.
After confirming the small change in the participation table before Hirata submitted it to the teacher, Hirata turned his attention to Kushida.
"Speaking of which, Kushida-san, what about Kumagawa-kun?"
"Kumagawa-kun...? What about him?" Kushida tilted her head in confusion.
"I mean, is he going to participate in the events later? He's suspended right now, and he was injured again... I was just wondering if he's still going to take part."
The rumors said that Kumagawa was both the perpetrator and the victim. A chair had been thrown at his face, and he was injured because of it. Honestly, if it were Ayanokouji, he wouldn't even count a chair thrown to the face as a serious injury. And for someone as abnormal as Kumagawa, it would probably be superficial at best.
"I'm not really sure, but he seemed fairly healthy from what I've seen," Kushida said. "By the way, which event was he supposed to participate in?"
"Um, it should be only the treasure hunt event. It's the only event that doesnt rally highly straining on the body, so I think it should be okay. But if he's were not exactly in the condition to participate, then I have to change the list again."
Hirata seemed to have given up on trying to make Kumagawa part of the class by forcing him to participate in the sports festival just so he could socialize more.
"Ah, if it's just that, he should be able to participate," Kushida reassured him.
"Really?"
"Well, if he doesn't, I'll just force him to."
"...I-is that so?"
Hirata still looked unconvinced, but since Kushida was one of the few who could actually influence Kumagawa, he decided to trust her.
With that, the matter was settled, and in just one more week, the sports festival, the competition between all three years, would officially begin.
『END』
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Here you go, peasants, another chapter.
By the way, I'm planning to rewrite my Jujutsu Kaisen story, the one with Ryougi Shiki in it. Honestly, I'm not satisfied with how it was written, and that's probably why I lost motivation to continue it.
So now I'll be writing two stories. I know my update schedule is already a bit inconsistent, but with another story added, it'll probably be even more inconsistent, so please look forward to it.
Tehe :P
Anyway, that's it for today's chapter.
Hope you enjoyed it.
[Thanks for reading!]