Chapter 10 - 10

From the very beginning, she'd been involved in everything. She dedicated herself to supporting other students, and now she was seeing the fruits of her labor. Everyone in our class liked her. When someone wasn't present, people usually griped about them, so it was remarkable to hear only good things said about Kushida in her absence. "Ah, yeah. I need to make a stop for some treats, too. Come on, guys," said Hasebe. "You're such a child," said Yukimura. Still, he joined them. 138 | 6.3 The four of us stood outside the convenience store, eating ice cream. "Whew, having ice cream when it's slightly chilly outside is a trip," said Hasebe, bringing a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to her mouth. Yukimura must not have eaten ice cream much, because he was reading the ingredients. "This is just a smorgasbord of preservatives and food coloring." "How do you enjoy anything if you're that worried about every single detail?" said Hasebe. "I'm particular about what I eat. I've been thinking about how I was in such poor shape when we were on the island. Now, I buy my food from the organic section in the supermarket." "You sure are serious," said Hasebe. "Besides, convenience store food is expensive. If you just make the short trip over to the mall, you can get the same things at a lower price. Why not buy your groceries more efficiently?" asked Yukimura, pointing to the grocery bags that Hasebe carried. "Yukimuu, you're not one of those penny-pinching misers, are you?" "I'm just conscientious about money. Also...what's with calling me 'Yukimuu'?" "You're Yukimura-kun, so, Yukimuu. When I make friends with someone, I give them a nickname. Miyacchi, Yukimuu, and Ayanon. Hmm... for some reason, Ayanon doesn't really roll off the tongue," said Hasebe. There it was. My first iffy nickname. "Quit calling me Yukimuu. It's embarrassing." "You don't like it?" "I didn't say that. I said it's embarrassing." "Come on, it's not a big deal." 139 | "It's just that calling me Y-Yukimuu in front of other people is a little..." Yukimura trailed off. Hasebe responded with a surprisingly serious look. "You know, I think our friendship is coming along nicely," she said. "A friendship where we can use nicknames, you mean?" "Well, you and Ayanon are like me and Miyacchi. We're all loners, right?" said Hasebe. "Hmm. I suppose so." "Now that I've actually tried becoming a member of this group, I feel more comfortable than I expected. Also, Yukimuu and Ayanon, you don't have many friends, right? We're more than halfway through the second semester, so I thought I'd like to be friends with a new group. It's not like I'm trying to make up for lost time or anything. I just wanted to give you guys nicknames so that we could open up to each other. What do you two think?" asked Hasebe. Miyake spoke up. "Yeah. This isn't too bad. I feel like I've gotten used to being in a group. I don't get along well with Sudou and those guys, and I think Hirata's kinda in another league. He's always surrounded by girls." "Right? So, what do you two think?" Hasebe repeated. Both Hasebe and Miyake seemed to want the four of us to be friends. Would Yukimura turn them down? "I just wanted to oversee your studies. When the test is done, this study group will end. But...I suppose there will be more tests. So, I don't mind forming a group for the sake of efficiency," said Yukimura. "Okay, that was a little insulting. But...thanks," said Hasebe. "Well, y-yeah. We want to keep the school from expelling anyone, after all," Yukimura replied. "That just leaves Ayanon. Oh, but Ayanon, since you're already in a group with Horikita-san, will this be difficult for you? You hang out with Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun, too," said Hasebe. "Well, I'm not better or worse than any of our classmates, but I think I'm a little different," I replied. "There are lots of ways Ike, Horikita, and I 140 | aren't compatible. I suppose it's good that I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not around you guys. Horikita and I just sit next to each other in class. It's not like we're in a clique or anything." "I see. Well then, it's decided. From now on, we'll be known as the Ayanokouji Group. Nice to meet all you group members!" "Wait. Why'd you name the group after me?" "Well, you brought us together, more or less. Isn't that enough?" "I don't object. Besides, it'd be weird if we called ourselves the Yukimura Group," said Yukimura. "One more thing. From here on out, let's ban the use of formal surnames in the Ayanokouji Group," said Hasebe. "You can go ahead and ban whatever, but I won't say M-Miyacchi, or...A-Ayanon, or anything like that. It's embarrassing," said Yukimura. It would definitely feel really weird for Yukimura or me to call Miyake something like "Miyacchi." I was relieved that Yukimura felt the same. "Well, let's at least use first names. My name's Haruka. You can call me whatever you want. What's your first name again, Miyacchi?" said Hasebe. "It's Akito." Hasebe looked expectantly at Yukimura and me. "Akito, huh? Easy enough. Ayanokouji, your first name's Kiyotaka, isn't it?" said Yukimura. We'd been roommates during the cruise. "And your first name's Teruhiko, right, Yukimura?" I replied. Yukimura's expression darkened for some reason. "You remembered?" he asked. He looked troubled by that. "So, Yukimuu's first name is Teruhiko, huh? Wonder if I should think of another nickname," said Hasebe. "Knock it off," snapped Yukimura. Hasebe shrank back. "Is something wrong?" I asked. "I'm okay with calling you all by your first names. I accept that much. But will you please stop calling me Teruhiko?" he replied. 141 | "So, you're fine calling us by our first names, but you hate being called by your first name?!" asked Hasebe. "It's not that I don't like any of you. It's just that I hate my name. I never really had to worry about it before, because no one called me by it," said Yukimura. "It's not especially unconventional. Isn't it actually pretty common?" asked Miyake. "Is there any particular reason why you hate it?" "Yes. My mother named me Teruhiko. She's a contemptible woman who left the family when I was little, so I reject the name she gave me," said Yukimura. Hasebe and Miyake's faces stiffened, and Yukimura changed the topic. "Sorry. I made you uncomfortable." "No, no, I'm sorry. I just blurted out your name without permission, after all," said Hasebe. "You don't need to apologize. You didn't know. Most people like using their first name, after all. I'd prefer not to ruin the mood, so why don't you call me Keisei from now on? It's the name I've used since I was a child," said Yukimura. "Keisei? So, you have two first names, Yukimuu? This is crazy complicated." "Keisei isn't my real name. It's the name my father wanted to give me, so I made it my own after my mother left. You could call me Keisei or Yukimura," he replied. If that was what he wanted, that was what we would do. Besides, it wasn't weird for someone to have two different names. Ordinary people made a habit of it, as did celebrities. "Well, I didn't mean to use a name you didn't like. Right, Miyacchi?" "Yeah. Nice to meet you, Keisei." "Sorry for being so selfish about that...Kiyotaka, Akito, and Haruka," replied Yukimura. "No worries. Everyone's got their own issues," I said. Just like I had a past that I didn't want exposed, Yukimura...no, Keisei...also had a past he wanted to hide. 142 | I tried saying everyone else's names just like Keisei had done. "Akito, Keisei, and...Haruka, right? I'll remember those," I told them. It was even more stressful to call a girl by her first name. "Anyway, Kiyotaka? We won't call you 'Ayanon,' but what about 'Kiyopon'?" Haruka seemed stuck on the issue of my name. "Yeah, that one definitely rolls off the tongue better. Yukimuu, do you want to call him that, too?" Whoa. I'd gotten an even more embarrassing nickname. Just thinking about Hasebe calling me "Kiyopon" in front of people gave me goosebumps. "I won't call him that. It's embarrassing. I already decided to call him Kiyotaka," said Yukimura. In the end, we decided to call one another by our given names. Before long, it felt completely natural. I looked behind me to check on the person following us. Were you okay with just listening in, Sakura? Every time we'd held a study session, Sakura had tailed us. Today, she watched from a slight distance. She probably couldn't hear everything we said, maybe enough to just barely get the gist of our conversation. The moment this new group formed was probably her last chance to join. If she didn't assert herself, then... "Well, now that we've all learned one another's names, let's start over. From here on, the four of us will be known as—" "U-u-um, excuse me!" CRASH! The trash can next to us rattled. Sakura clambered back to her feet and walked over, tense and nervous. "Sakura?" The others said her name simultaneously. "I-I also want to join Ayanokouji-kun's group!" Sakura summoned up every last bit of courage she could to force those words out. She was incredibly nervous, her face turning a deep shade of red. She was so flustered that she didn't notice that her glasses were crooked. "Do you want to join the group because you're anxious about the exam? I mean, when you consider your own scores and your partner, it'd be 143 | understandable if you were worried, Sakura," said Keisei. "Personally, I think you should join Horikita's group. I'm not sure I can tutor too many people. Besides, your situation's different. You probably need to work on other subjects." Sakura tried again. "N-no, it's not that. I just... I genuinely want to join the group!" she answered. As the saying went, shame committed on a journey could be left behind. Or, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. "Come on. It's fine if Sakura participates. She kinda fits in with the group," said Akito. "Is letting me join really all right?" she asked. "I mean, adding one person's not a big deal. Besides, it isn't like you need any qualifications to take part. We're all loners, so I think it's appropriate. Am I wrong?" "Loners, huh? Well, I guess you're right," I mused. "Keisei, is it okay with you?" "I have no objections. But I don't want our group to grow any larger than this. Sakura is easy to accept, but if someone annoying joins, I'm done," said Keisei. "Th-thank you, Miyake-kun... Yukimura-kun..." The only person left was Haruka. She was usually welcoming, but this time, she didn't have a smile on her face. "Sorry, Sakura-san, but you haven't convinced me yet," said Haruka. "Ah...so I-I, uh, I can't...?" "Well, look. I'm really looking forward to being part of this group. Or, rather, I get the feeling I'm going to enjoy it. So..." Haruka pointed at Sakura. "If you want to join, you have to follow our one big rule. We call each other by our first names, or by nicknames. So, Sakura-san, uh..." Haruka looked at me. "Wait, what's her first name again?" "Airi," I replied without missing a beat. "We'll all call you Airi, and you'll use all of our first names. Are you okay with that?" 144 | Sakura wasn't good at dealing with interpersonal relationships. We all knew that, which was why Haruka was testing to see whether she could manage this. "U-um..." I tried to help the bewildered Sakura. "Keisei, Akito, and Haruka." "K-Keisei-kun, Akito-kun, Haruka...san... Whew..." said Sakura, barely whispering the words. "There's no need to use honorifics, right?" Akito said. "Yeah. As long as you use our first names, that's good enough. Now, all that's left is using Kiyopon's nickname." Sakura's face reddened. A mysterious sound escaped her lips. "Ah- hyuu!" "You've seemed pretty close to Kiyopon for a while now, so calling him that shouldn't be a stretch, right?" said Haruka. She was merciless. "Kiyotaka is fine," I said. Kiyopon was a bridge too far. It was embarrassing even in my head. "Ki-Kiyo-Kiyo...pyo!" Everyone focused on Sakura. She hated attention, which made her stammer, which made them pay more attention. It was turning into a vicious cycle. "I don't know what kind of effect this group will have on you, but I think it's good that you're joining, Sakura. You've taken a big step forward. Just one more step can't hurt," I told her gently. "Yeah...K-Kiyotaka-kun. I look forward to studying with you all." Sakura looked me square in the eye. "Okay, you passed. I'm in favor of Airi joining us," said Haruka. With that, Sakura became part of the group. "Come on, Kiyopon, try calling Airi by her first name." "Uh...hi, Airi." "H-hello!" Even though we were stiff and nervous, we both managed. 145 | "From now on, we five are the Ayanokouji Group. Looking forward to it!" said Haruka. Apparently, the group would be named after me whether I liked it or not. 146 | 6.4 And so, the Ayanokouji Group (saying it still felt weird) was officially established. We began to make plans together, including Airi. Haruka created a group chat, making it much easier to talk when we weren't physically together. Because we were often alone in our rooms, our chats were lively and long. After we finish class tomorrow, do you all feel like seeing a movie to take our minds off things? Haruka texted. Wait, are you talking about that one new movie? Yeah, yeah, that one. I heard that it comes out tomorrow. Since everyone's studying right now, scoring tickets should be easy! I suppose that taking a break is a good idea. When you say "you all," I assume I'm invited? Of course! You're part of the group, Yukimuu. But I guess I did spring this on you guys. If you don't have time, we can wait and go after the test. Akito hadn't seen these messages yet, but when he did, he'd probably agree to go. I wondered whether I should take the initiative here. Even though I was a little nervous, I replied in the group chat. I'll join you. A message from Airi came only a few seconds later. I want to go, too. All right. If Akito goes, I'll come as well, replied Yukimura. Akito himself sent a response in a couple minutes. Sounds good to me. Can you reserve our tickets? Sure. I'll collect points from you later. Thanks, everyone! The group chat quieted down after that. Haruka had probably switched over to her web browser to reserve our seats online. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie, Airi texted me. Yeah, me too. I'm really excited about tomorrow, Kiyotaka-kun. Goodnight. She ended the chat on that especially polite note. 147 | "So, I'm going to the movies with a group, huh?" I muttered to myself. It seemed I was somehow developing a social life. This'd be normal for anyone else, but I trembled with a kind of excitement I'd never experienced before. I decided I should probably hit the sack early to make sure I wasn't sluggish tomorrow. My phone rang, and I answered it. "Seems like you're awake," said Horikita. "It's still only ten o'clock. Do you need something?" "The library study groups are just about finished. After tomorrow's session, I'd like to make some final preparations for the exam. Can you come along with me? If you could tell Yukimura-kun as well, that'd be a big help." "Tomorrow, huh?" That was the day I'd just agreed to see a movie. "If that's inconvenient, the day after tomorrow is fine. But Thursday is the limit. The questions are almost complete, but I think we need to change some of them." "I'll talk it over with Keisei. Is it okay if we're late? We should also get in touch with Hirata and Karuizawa ahead of time, if we need to," I told Horikita. "Keisei? It seems like you and Yukimura-kun have gotten quite close. You don't need to worry about the other two. I already talked to them," said Horikita. I wasn't the only one who'd gotten closer to others, evidently. Horikita seemed to have successfully bridged the divide between herself and the students in her study sessions. I'd be delighted if she got on good terms with Hirata and Karuizawa, at the very least. Just as I hung up, I received another text. Apparently, I was popular tonight. This time the message wasn't from Airi, though, but from Karuizawa. I confirmed that a girl was walking around today asking whether people saw how much sugar Hasebe-san puts in her coffee. Apparently, Hasebe puts a ton in, so people had noticed. Just as I thought. Rather than being incredibly perceptive, Hiyori was quick-witted. She'd pretended to display remarkable powers of observation to 148 | shake us up. I think that Horikita's going to contact you about tomorrow, but we plan to meet around 8 p.m. Isn't that pretty late? Karuizawa asked. I'm busy before that. I'm going to a movie with my study group. A movie? Are you seeing that new one, by any chance? Seems like you know it. Anyway, I have a favor I'd like to ask of you. I gave Karuizawa detailed instructions. Once she finished reading everything, she sent me an irritated reply. This is another super-annoying errand. What are you even after? I'll explain when it's done. It's for your own sake. Yeah, sure. See ya tomorrow. I thought that was it from her. However, immediately afterward, I received another message. There wasn't any text, but there was a little sticker. It was a cute strawberry shortcake with a bunch of candles in it. Happy belated. That additional message popped up after the cake. Karuizawa didn't text me again. "She noticed that it was my birthday? But how?" I hadn't told anyone about my birthday. Then I recalled that our chat app had a field for your birthdate, in addition to the fields for your name and email address. I hadn't chosen to keep that information private. I'd thought that no one would notice my birthday this year. Karuizawa was the first. After finishing my conversation with her, I deleted all the texts. Though I hesitated, I also deleted the birthday sticker she sent. Afterward, I accessed Karuizawa's profile and saw that her birthday was March 8. "Guess I'll remember that." 149 | 6.5 Class the next day felt surprisingly long. Maybe that was because I'd gradually begun to look forward to the study sessions with my friends. When school was done, I headed toward the movie theater with Yukimura and the others. "It kinda feels exciting to go out with everyone...K-Kiyotaka-kun," said Airi, walking next to me. She sounded reserved, but also upbeat. She was like a child, but I felt the same way, so I guess I was childish, too. "Yeah, it does. It's not a bad feeling." "Hee hee. Kiyotaka-kun." "What's up?" "Huh? What do you mean?" "You said my name." "I-I did?! S-sorry, you must've heard wrong!" I didn't think I'd misheard her. Upon arriving at the Keyaki Mall, we immediately went to the movie theater. Haruka had bought the tickets ahead of time, and she handed them out to us one by one. "I'm looking forward to this." "Ayanokouji-kun!" Satou Maya's voice called out to me. Why was she here? "Hey, are you going to see that movie right now? You know, that one everyone's talking about?!" she asked excitedly. "To tell you the truth, I came here to see it, too. So did Karuizawa-san and the others," she added. Behind Satou, a crowd of girls approached the theater. "Looks like it," I replied. "Did Karuizawa invite you?" "Nope. When I mentioned wanting to see a movie after our study group, Karuizawa-san said that she wanted to come, too. So, we all decided to go. Since we're all here, let's see it together!" said Satou, quickly latching on to my arm. 150 | "Huuuh?!" Airi yelped. "H-hey, knock it off," I told Satou. "Huh? Why? This is okay, isn't it?" she asked. Satou sounded calm and composed, but her face was red. She was trying a little too hard. 151 | "Oh, what a coincidence. Yukimura-kun, Ayanokouji-kun. Oh, and Hasebe-san and Sakura-san, too," said Karuizawa in a slightly condescending manner. It wasn't a coincidence at all. I'd told her last night. "What an unpleasant coincidence. I'm going inside." Keisei went on ahead by himself, looking rather indignant. "Well, guess I'll go, too," I said. Separating myself from Satou somewhat forcefully, I followed Keisei inside the theater. It was almost entirely full, and the scent of popcorn and hot dogs tickled my nostrils. We'd reserved the five seats farthest to the back and right. Satou, Karuizawa, and their group had gone to buy popcorn and soda, and hadn't come in yet. As I sat down, Airi leaned over and whispered to me. "Um, K- Kiyotaka-kun?" Since everyone around us was chatting loudly, I didn't think she needed to speak that softly. "What's the matter?" "Well, Kiyotaka-kun, it's... Recently, you've gotten along pretty well with, um, Satou-san, right?" she asked. Considering what Airi had seen, it wasn't surprising that she was curious. However, I needed to keep that particular rumor from spreading. "That's not how it is. Satou and I are exam partners. We've been studying together." "B-but...p-people don't normally walk, um, a-arm-in-arm like that, do they?" "That wasn't really arm-in-arm. She just grabbed me," I replied. "Well, if you dislike it, you could just, um, shake her off," said Airi. While timid, Airi's comeback was correct. I'd passively gone along with Satou. "I understand. I don't think there will be a next time." "A-also..." There was more? 152 | "Before we partnered up, you went somewhere with Satou-san alone, didn't you?" she asked. I remembered the day Satou had called me over in the classroom. Hadn't Airi watched me? "I-Is there s-something g-going between you two?" "No." Well, that wasn't entirely true. Then again, all Satou did was get my contact information. Besides, Airi and I had also exchanged contact information. It was nothing to feel weird about. "Not convinced?" I asked. "N-no, I am. S-sorry. I've been asking you all these strange questions... Did I make you uncomfortable?" "Not at all. If there's something bothering you, you can ask me any time," I told her. "I'll keep an eye on you, then, Kiyotaka-kun," she replied. "L-Leave it to me!" Er, thanks? Not too closely, I hope. Well, I didn't want to burst Airi's bubble. She looked very confident now. After that, I enjoyed the movie in peace and quiet. Well, as much as I could. The movie itself was very strange. 153 | 6.6 There were many shops in the Keyaki Mall. Most were establishments people frequented daily, like supermarkets, but there were specialty shops as well. For example, there were stations that helped deal with any electric, gas, or water utilities problems you might have, and a delivery service that brought items from the convenience store to your room. There was also a dry cleaner's that a salaryman would probably use frequently, but students at this school didn't need as often. Unless you happened to get a blazer dirty, of course. It was past eight o'clock on Thursday night, and our test was next week. It was closing time for the shops, so everyone from Class D gathered in a karaoke room. You could hold a meeting there without having to worry about anyone overhearing. Although it probably would have been best to do this in someone's room, none of us wanted to. "Hey, is it okay if I sing?" "Wait, Karuizawa-san. We didn't meet here to have fun," said Hirata. "Even though we came all this way, and there's karaoke right here?" "We came because you said that you didn't want to use the dorms to study." "Yeah, fine. But, come on, isn't it kinda stupid to go all the way out to a place that has karaoke and not sing?" "Just enjoy the food and drinks and deal with it," said Horikita. Karuizawa had already put in an order. There was a bunch of junk food on the table, plus the drink she'd gotten for herself. "Then let's sing a duet together after the meeting's over, Yousuke- kun." "Sure," said Hirata. "It'll be nice to relax afterward." "I agree," replied Karuizawa. "I do want to make sure we discuss this test, but it's been quite a while since I could do karaoke." "Okay, I'm going to start," said Horikita, ignoring Karuizawa. "First, 154 | our study sessions. To be perfectly honest, I think the results have been fantastic. The boys were imbeciles at first, so I was worried, but fortunately, they studied hard." "It's like an English dictionary is just flying out of my mouth all the time, dude!" said Sudou. "Sudou-kun has improved significantly compared to where he started. His concentration, in particular, got better by leaps and bounds. However, Sudou, don't forget that your basic abilities are still inferior to a first-year junior high school student's," said Horikita. "I studied this hard, and I'm still only at a first-year junior high level?" replied Sudou despairingly. "Considering that you began at an elementary school level, that's amazing," said Horikita. "H-Horikita-san, don't you think that's going a little too far?" Hirata asked. "He didn't even know that the mathematical constant pi existed until recently," Horikita countered. Dang. To think Sudou had lived this long without knowing what pi was. "Huh? That's so stupid!" said Karuizawa. Even though Karuizawa wasn't very studious herself, she was certainly better than that. "Shut up, Karuizawa. You probably don't even know it either," said Sudou. "No, no, no, I do. Even I know pi is 3.14," said Karuizawa. Our conversation was rapidly devolving. Everyone involved would end up with a headache. "Please stop." Yukimura said. "Horikita, is Sudou really going to be okay?" "Like I said, his fundamental scholastic abilities are low. But if we just focus on the things a first-year, second-semester high school student needs to know, then I think so. He definitely shouldn't expect to fail this exam. What about you, Yukimura-kun? Did you manage to resolve Hasebe-san and Miyake-kun's issues?" asked Horikita. 155 | "Of course. Ayanokouji watched everything closely, so he can back me up on that. Right?" Keisei asked me. "I don't think there was a better method we could've gone with. I'm not worried about anyone," I replied. "I'm glad. I'd absolutely hate to lose anybody from Class D," said Kushida. "Yeah. But are we really going to do okay?" said Karuizawa. She still seemed unsettled. "Look, I hate the idea of having fewer classmates. But this test always gets someone kicked out, right? So, like, there's no guarantee Sudou-kun and I won't fail, right?" "Well, I can't guarantee that," Kushida said. "But..." "Then don't act like it's a done deal." The somewhat relaxed atmosphere became tense. "You know, Kushida-san, I kinda feel as if you've been paying us lip service for a while now," said Karuizawa. "R-really? But I just want everyone to pass," said Kushida. "Man, it sure must be nice. Being smart, I mean. You don't have any idea what's gonna happen to me," snapped Karuizawa. "It's okay, Karuizawa-san. You studied hard in your group," said Hirata. "Kushida-san, I've wanted to say this to you for a while now. Don't you think you're taking this goody two-shoes act a bit too far?" "Uh...r-really?" stammered Kushida. "Can you please calm down, Karuizawa-san? We're in the middle of discussing our final exam. Don't waste our time," said Horikita. "Be quiet, Horikita-san. Hey, Kushida-san. Are you making fun of me in your head right now? Thinking about how stupid I am?" asked Karuizawa. "I wouldn't do something like that," said Kushida. "Then don't patronize me. Tests are always hard for me, no matter how many I take. Are you going to be responsible if I fail?" asked Karuizawa. This was getting absurd. Karuizawa's inexplicable anger baffled not 156 | just Kushida, but everyone else. Then, in a move no one saw coming, Karuizawa picked up her glass of grape juice and dumped it over Kushida. The juice soaked into Kushida's blazer. "Karuizawa-san!" Hirata grabbed Karuizawa's hand, which still held the cup. "You can't do this. That's not okay." "B-but... Are you saying I'm in the wrong here?" asked Karuizawa. "Yes, Karuizawa-san. Kushida-san hasn't done anything bad to you," said Horikita. Even she, locked in a cold war with Kushida, couldn't defend this. "I'm fine, really. I don't mind. Please don't blame Karuizawa-san, okay?" said Kushida. "No. Karuizawa is at fault here," said Keisei. "Oh, sure. I'm the bad guy. Kushida-san is the class's favorite, after all," said Karuizawa. She turned toward me, as if I were her last hope. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Whose side are you on?" "Whose side am I on? There are no sides. You're in the wrong, Karuizawa," I told her. "I knew it. Everyone is my enemy," said Karuizawa. She got up and grabbed her bag. "Karuizawa-san. If you leave now, you'll regret it later. I don't want that," said Hirata. "So, what do you want me to do, then?" barked Karuizawa. "First, apologize to Kushida-san. That's the most important thing," said Hirata. Karuizawa wouldn't even listen to her supposed boyfriend. She stood her ground. "So, even though I don't think I did anything wrong, I have to apologize?" she asked. "You have to talk to her," said Hirata. Karuizawa stood completely still and silent for a moment. Then, slowly, she spoke. "Sorry." "No, it's completely all right. I should've been more understanding of how you felt, Karuizawa-san," said Kushida. She could have been angry, 157 | under the circumstances, but forgiveness came easily from her lips. Karuizawa looked guilty as she sat back down next to Hirata. "I guess I lost my cool. Sorry," she said again. Kushida responded with a gracious smile. "Thank you." Hirata patted his chest and let out a sigh of relief. However, this didn't necessarily mean that everything was settled. "Kushida-san, do you have a spare blazer to wear tomorrow? Will you be okay?" asked Horikita. "Ah, no. My first blazer got damaged, so this was the only one I had left," said Kushida. The school had provided us with two blazers each when we first arrived, but accidents happened, and students could simply outgrow their uniforms. A store in the Keyaki Mall specialized in student uniforms. However, it took time and cost many points to tailor clothing. "Ain't there a dry cleaner and a laundromat? I could bring your blazer in with some of my sweaty basketball clothes. If I take them in today, you should get the blazer back first thing tomorrow morning," said Sudou. "I didn't know there was a dry cleaner," replied Kushida. "That sounds like a good solution." "Well, it's not exactly an apology, but at least let me cover your cleaning fee," said Karuizawa. "Really, don't worry about it," said Kushida. "I'd feel too guilty if I didn't." "Are you sure?" "Yeah. Please let me do this much," said Karuizawa, and so, she paid the fee. 158 | 6.7 On the way back to my dorm, I came across Katsuragi standing next to a water fountain. He didn't seem to be looking for anyone in particular, so I called out to him. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Ayanokouji? Oh, nothing. Just thinking a little about the final exam next week," he replied. "In a place like this?" "I wanted some time alone to think in peace and quiet," said Katsuragi. "Do you feel like the exam will go well?" I decided to respond honestly. "Dunno. But everyone's studying really hard." "Is that so? It would be nice if no one were expelled," said Katsuragi. I didn't feel as if he was particularly concerned for his classmates. "Did something happen?" "When you were in junior high, were you ever class representative or on the student council?" "No, wasn't interested at all," I replied. "I've been a student council member since elementary school. I even served as student council president in both elementary and junior high. But, after coming to this school, I had to make some significant course corrections," said Katsuragi. "Come to think of it, you didn't join the student council here." "I wanted to, but I couldn't get Student Council President Horikita's attention." So far, this had nothing to do with the final exam. "At first glance, the student council president and class representatives don't appear to have much authority. Most students think that participating is nothing more than a waste of time and effort. That's why only a few people 159 | want to join the council," said Katsuragi. I shared the majority's feelings on that. I didn't want any management position. "However, those roles come with certain privileges. There's a divide between people who hold the positions and people who don't—one that can't be crossed. I've lost those privileges," said Katsuragi. "But your standing in Class A is still good, right?" "If that were the case, we absolutely wouldn't have chosen Class B as our target for the final exam," he replied. True, someone like Katsuragi would've picked Class C or Class D. He'd have chosen the path of strong defense and decisive victory. "Is it okay to talk to me about your class's internal politics?" I asked. "It's fine. You understand what it's like." "You know, you should cut yourself some slack. You're trying to singlehandedly carry Class A, but I bet if you relaxed a little, they'd still be fine. The important thing right now is to maintain your position," I told him. "I suppose. Hmm...to be told to maintain my position by a Class D student who should be chasing after us," he responded, clearly amused. "Perhaps I can see things objectively precisely because I can't catch up with you." When the two of us got to the dormitory, we found a crowd in the lobby. "It's pretty noisy in here. Did something happen?" Katsuragi asked. "Dunno. Should we try asking around?" I caught sight of the Professor and called to him. "What happened?" "Oh, Ayanokouji, is that you? It seems that all us first years somehow received the same missive in our mailboxes." "The same letter?" I slipped through the crowd, went over to my mailbox, and unlocked it. Others peered over my shoulder as I opened the door. I took out a letter folded into fourths and walked back to Sotomura. 160 | "Is this...?" "Yes, it would seem so!" A few moments later, Katsuragi returned with a similar piece of paper. We unfolded our letters at nearly the same time. They said: First-year Class B student Ichinose Honami may be collecting points illegally. —Ryuuen Kakeru Sotomura showed us the same message on his paper. Katsuragi mumbled, "What is that guy planning by signing his name to this? If this claim is baseless, the school will take disciplinary action against him." "If he's risking that, does that mean his claim is true?" "Well, I suppose that this is something I could see Ryuuen doing. If people start to suspect Ichinose of fraud, it'll make her life difficult, regardless of whether it's true. What Ryuuen is doing could be considered defamation, but he wouldn't care about something like that," Katsuragi explained. It was true. Ryuuen had no reputation to lose. "Hey, Ryuuen's back!" said one student as Ryuuen entered the building. I wondered whether he knew what had caused all the commotion. "Hey, Ryuuen. What're you trying to pull?!" One of the Class B guys grabbed him. "Hmm? What in the world are you talking about?" "This! Your letter! This nonsense you handed everyone!" "Oh, that. Pretty interesting stuff, huh?" said Ryuuen. "What's so interesting about it?! Look, this is going too far!" "Fine then, let's see some proof that Ichinose isn't collecting points illegally," Ryuuen replied. "That's—" "How about it, Ichinose?" asked Ryuuen, still holding the letter. He looked at Ichinose, who'd just arrived. "No matter what I say to you right now, you probably won't believe me, will you, Ryuuen-kun?" 161 | "That's right. Besides, it's up to the school to decide whether you're doing something wrong." "I suppose so. Sorry, everyone. But please don't worry. I'll report to the teachers tomorrow and prove that this is just a misunderstanding on Ryuuen-kun's part," said Ichinose proudly. 162 | 163 | "How exactly do you plan on proving that, Ichinose?" asked Ryuuen. "I'll explain everything in detail. I'll tell them how many points I have, and how I acquired them. If I do that, will you be satisfied?" "Report it to the school? Why don't you prove it right now, in front of all of us?" "Will you believe me if I just explain it to you, Ryuuen-kun?" Ichinose countered. "No, I won't. Spewing lies is probably as easy for you as breathing," Ryuuen taunted. "Then it stands to reason that, if I report my total points to the school, there shouldn't be any room for fraud, right?" "Heh. I see. I suppose you have a point," said Ryuuen. "Are you convinced?!" shouted a Class B student. "Humans are nasty, lying creatures. Isn't it possible that Ichinose is coming up with some kind of scheme to hide the evidence right now?" said Ryuuen. "What is that guy plotting? Even if Ichinose has lots of points, she's far from the kind of person who'd steal them. Ryuuen has absolutely no chance of succeeding," said Katsuragi. His expression grew even sterner. "In that case, what can I do to make you believe me?" Ichinose asked Ryuuen. "First off, say how many points you have right here and now. Second, explain how you acquired those points. I'll report that information to the school tomorrow. If you do that, you'll convince the students who distrust you, right?" said Ryuuen. "I can't accept, Ryuuen-kun." "So, you admit that you committed fraud?" "That's not what I'm saying. It's precisely because I didn't obtain my points illegally that I can't just show you all my cards. If I explain everything to the school tomorrow, they should investigate. On top of that, if I did commit fraud, they'd make everything public anyway, right?" 164 | "There's no guarantee that you'll report your total points to the school like you say you will." "Then go yourself, Ryuuen-kun. Tell them just what you wrote down in this letter," said Ichinose. "Really? Heh. Seems like you're pretty confident." Ryuuen snickered. It was true. A guilty person might have been nervous, yet Ichinose remained as calm as ever. "Well, I'll be looking forward to tomorrow." Ichinose watched Ryuuen board the elevator with a bold smile on his face. "Once the seed of doubt is planted, that doubt will grow until it's eradicated. Even an exemplary student like Ichinose isn't exempt. The deeper the doubt, the greater the loss of trust," said Katsuragi. He was right. The same thing applied to politicians. However high their approval rating, one damaging lie could cost a great deal of support. Once the lie proved entirely groundless, approval ratings might rebound, perhaps even soar higher than ever. But, generally, it was hard to entirely dispel allegations once they spread. The next day, Ichinose did as she'd said she would. The school issued an official notice that there was no fraudulent activity. They cleared her of all suspicion. A while back, I'd noticed that Ichinose possessed well over one million personal points. She'd probably accumulated even more by now. 165 | 166 | 167 | Chapter 7: A Difference in Determination Time ticked away as we continued to cram for the upcoming exams. Students' spirits dipped under the onslaught of grueling, endless work they had to do. December arrived, and the final exam was less than three days away. Tomorrow, we'd be off for the weekend, the final exam waiting for us on Monday. To be honest, the exam itself wasn't too dangerous. As far as the Class D students were concerned, we were more united than ever. Even Sudou and the other slackers did their best. The issues were Ryuuen and Kushida. Ryuuen's two goals were to beat Class D, and to smoke out the puppet master hiding behind Horikita. If he wanted to win in overall points, that limited his tactics. The best he could do was get Class C to study extra hard, or come up with extremely difficult test problems, both of which were relatively ordinary strategies. I didn't know how fully Class C had united, or if they'd studied extensively. We hadn't seen them in the café, the library, the classrooms, or anywhere else. Was it simple coincidence? Or were the Class C students working somewhere in secret? Even if they did study extra hard, as long as they didn't surpass Class D, we'd be fine. At any rate, though, I had no idea what their strategy was. "Thinking about something?" asked Horikita. "Oh, sorry," I replied. Horikita looked up at me from the base of the stairs. I hurried down after her. She held a large manila envelope stuffed full of the questions she and Hirata had slaved over for the past month. That envelope held Class D's fate, which was exactly why Horikita kept it as confidential as possible. She wouldn't even let me see the questions. Ultimately, she was the only one who knew all of them. "What are our chances?" I asked. "Hard to say. Don't expect too much. The school made many 168 | adjustments. However, there's no doubt that we've completed the most difficult part of the exam so far," said Horikita. She exuded confidence, so she'd probably done a solid job. The issue was what came next. How would we protect these questions? While making our way to the staff room, Horikita and I bumped into Ryuuen in the hallway. "Yo, Suzune." Ryuuen wore a bold smile on his face. He also held a manila envelope. "Is this a coincidence? Or an ambush, perhaps?" asked Horikita. "It's inevitable. I was waiting for you." "An ambush, then." Horikita let out an exasperated sigh and walked past Ryuuen. "You're submitting your test problems at the last minute too, huh? Let's go together," said Ryuuen, holding out his manila envelope. "Anyone might try and sneak a peek at this, so I understand your caution." "You're not worried about any traitors in your own class?" asked Horikita somewhat mockingly. "Ha. There's no way anyone would be stupid enough to betray me," said Ryuuen. "Yet you waited until the last minute to submit your questions," said Horikita. Ryuuen probably couldn't help but enjoy her ire. Horikita and I walked on, and he followed us. "I really hope that whatever intelligence you squeezed out of those defective pieces of garbage in your class works in Class C's favor," he said. Horikita ignored him. "Ayanokouji-kun, have you been studying properly? How are things with you and your partner?" she asked me. "I think we should be safe," I replied. "Thinking isn't enough. We can't afford to have a single student drop out. Don't get complacent, even though I'm sure we can handle whatever Class C throws at us," said Horikita. 169 | Ryuuen responded to that verbal jab. "Oh ho! That's an interesting remark. You sound pretty arrogant." "Hmm, who knows? Maybe it was simply cheap provocation? Just your style," said Horikita. "Maybe so," Ryuuen replied. As soon as we arrived at the staff room, Horikita called Chabashira- sensei. Similarly, Ryuuen called Sakagami-sensei, who appeared first and took the manila envelope from Ryuuen. Moments later, Chabashira-sensei showed up and took Sakagami- sensei's place. She already seemed to know what we were there for, and her gaze focused only on the manila envelope. She paid no attention to Ryuuen, off to the side. "These are the final questions, Chabashira-sensei," said Horikita. "I'll hold on to them," said Chabashira-sensei. Ryuuen watched with a creepy smile. As Chabashira-sensei reached for the envelope, Horikita paused. "I'd like to ask you one thing, if I may," Horikita said to Chabashira- sensei. "Yes?" "These questions are linked to either Class D's victory or defeat. They're two sides of the same coin. We must avoid a leak at all costs. After I hand these papers over to you, could you please not show them to anyone else? Myself included." "You want me to turn down absolutely anyone who asks to see them?" Chabashira-sensei asked. "Would that be a problem?" "That's not the issue. I understand that you're afraid of information leaking, and the school has no right to refuse your request. However, there are conditions," said Chabashira-sensei. "Conditions, you say?" "The entire class needs to agree to this. Has everyone approved this measure?" 170 | "I didn't receive permission from every individual student, but...I don't think they'd object. No one wants their class to lose," said Horikita. "You can't say that for sure. Some students might very well want to lose," said Chabashira-sensei. "That's—" Chabashira-sensei continued. "On that note, can you guarantee that these are the exam questions your class wishes to use? Not everyone in class saw and agreed to all of them, right?" "Are you asking me to prove that? You want me to show the questions to everyone in class and confirm that they're okay with them?" "I'm saying that it's not that simple. I can't be entirely sure that you, Horikita Suzune, are acting for your class's sake. That said, I'll honor your request. If any student asks, I absolutely won't disclose the questions and answers you created," said Chabashira-sensei. "Thank you very much. Now I can face the exam in peace." "However, I will say this—generally, it's not ideal to restrict information in this manner. It proves that the class isn't united," said Chabashira-sensei. "A painful lesson to learn. I'll work harder to bring the class together," answered Horikita confidently. Chabashira-sensei smiled a bit. "You've changed, Horikita." "Some things can't stay the same." "As I said, I'll honor your request. In case of unforeseen circumstances, though, I'd like to add one provision to our arrangement. As long as they have your permission, Horikita, I'll disclose information to those asking to see the questions. Is that okay?" asked Chabashira-sensei. "Yes, as long as I'm present at the time," said Horikita. "Of course. Someone might lie about having your permission, after all. In the event that someone comes looking for the questions, well, I'll tell them everything you said. As a teacher, I can't lie," said Chabashira-sensei. Horikita breathed a sigh of relief. Something had finally gone right. This plan was foolproof, and should've precluded the possibility of 171 | underhanded tricks like the kind we saw in the sports festival. Even if someone tried to pay to see the questions, it wouldn't be allowed. However, something still felt off to me. Everything was going smoothly. The test questions that Horikita and Hirata had devised were undoubtedly very difficult, and Horikita had put preventative measures in place to ensure that they didn't leak. Even if Kushida tried to obtain the answers for Ryuuen, she'd need Horikita's presence and approval. Everything was rock solid. No holes anywhere. Chabashira-sensei solemnly accepted the test questions and motioned for us to leave. Still, Ryuuen's resolute attitude felt off—something about the fact that he didn't seem flustered at all. "Let's head on back, Ayanokouji-kun. Our business here is finished." I ignored Horikita and looked into Chabashira-sensei's eyes instead. She stared at me in return. See it, Horikita. Before it's too late. I couldn't say anything in front of Ryuuen. Horikita started to walk away, then immediately stopped dead in her tracks. "Chabashira-sensei. You said that you wouldn't lie, didn't you?" "That's right. That's required of me, as a teacher," she replied. "In that case, will the school accept the questions I just submitted to you?" Horikita had noticed. She'd figured it out herself. "Not until we confirm that there isn't anything abnormal about them," replied Chabashira-sensei. "What's the matter, Horikita?" I asked. Horikita didn't pay any attention to me. "Let me rephrase that. Have you already accepted other test questions?" Our teacher became quiet. "What do you mean by that?" "I'd like to hear the answer from your own lips, Chabashira-sensei." "My response is that the school already accepted and finished reviewing questions from Class D." 172 | Our reality imploded. "So...does that mean someone else already submitted test questions and answers?" asked Horikita. She couldn't seem to process what was happening. "Correct. The school won't use the questions you just handed me," said Chabashira-sensei. "Please cancel acceptance of the previously submitted test questions. I have the correct ones here," said Horikita, pointing to the manila envelope. "Unfortunately, Horikita, I already finished reviewing another student's questions. That student shared similar concerns. They wanted me to keep the questions secret, too. This student said that, in the event that another student selfishly showed up and asked to change the problems, I should merely accept the new questions and hold on to them. They also wanted me to tell them who asked to swap those questions afterward," said Chabashira- sensei. "What in the world?" The fight drained out of Horikita, and she slumped over. This was far too cruel. "What student? Please tell me." "Kushida Kikyou." The answer was obvious. Horikita had thought that she would prevent Kushida's betrayal. However, Kushida had struck first. Our knowledge of her past made her take bold, drastic measures. "But under the right circumstances, Class D can change the questions the school already accepted, yes?" "Yes. However, the deadline is the end of today. If you wish to change the test questions, please bring Kushida here," said Chabashira-sensei. "That..." It was hopeless. Kushida wouldn't agree to that. Even if we started looking for her now, there was a 100 percent chance that she'd turned her phone off and holed up in her dorm room—or somewhere else, even. "I can only speculate about which one of you is lying, Horikita. I don't know the truth. I also acknowledge that an unknown third party might be pulling the strings here. If you don't resolve this dispute within your class, it'll be bad," said Chabashira-sensei. 173 | "How much time do we have left to correct the questions?" "Until 6 p.m." I checked my phone. It was a little before four. We only had about two hours left. "Ha ha ha ha ha! What are you even doing, Suzune?" Ryuuen sneered. The guy had undoubtedly known about this situation from the very start; he laughed raucously at our despair. "This is already checkmate, don't you see? The questions that you struggled so hard to come up with are completely meaningless!" "Were you behind this? Did you instruct Kushida-san to do this?" asked Horikita. "Hmm, who can say? I mean, it's not like I know anything about Class D, right?" Horikita raised her voice. "I'm not going to tolerate this outsider eavesdropping on the conversation any further!" "Oh ho, how scary. Guess I'll just head back to my dorm like a good boy. I sure am looking forward to the exam's results," said Ryuuen. "Aren't you going to look for Kushida, Horikita?" Chabashira-sensei asked. "I dislike futile gestures." Even if we did manage to find Kushida, there was no way she'd comply. The game was already over. "Did Kushida- san instruct you not to show the questions to anyone?" "No, I received no such instructions," said Chabashira-sensei. "Please show them to me, then." Chabashira-sensei showed Horikita the test questions that Kushida submitted. After only a brief glance, one thing became apparent. "These are incredibly difficult," Horikita said. "Yeah. They definitely are," I replied. Kushida's questions didn't appear any easier than those Horikita and Hirata had prepared. These were excellently constructed problems. In fact, they were so well-structured that you'd never guess that Horikita herself didn't come up with them. Since Ryuuen was involved, chances were high 174 | that Kaneda made them. If Kushida's problems had been so easy that even Sudou could have solved them, she would have been suspected of sabotage. These questions made things much, much more complicated. If you knew the answers ahead of time, it didn't matter how difficult the problems were. As long as all of Class C shared the answers with one another, they would get high scores. Horikita had promised that she wouldn't expose Kushida's past. Hirata, afraid of internal class conflict, probably wouldn't say anything. That meant that the student who struck first won the day. If Class D lost, Horikita, who'd assumed leadership, would unavoidably take the blame. Kushida would siphon away Horikita's power while simultaneously using Ryuuen to drive her into a corner. None of this was as dire, however, as Horikita's bet with Kushida. If Kushida and Ryuuen had colluded, there was no doubt that Kushida received Class C's test questions in exchange for her cooperation. If that had happened, Kushida would most likely score a perfect one hundred points on her math exam. If Horikita answered even one question incorrectly, she would have to drop out of school. "So, is there nothing more to be done?" asked Horikita. It looked as if she was out of options. This all came down to the naivete of her plans. If it'd been me, then... "It's all right, Horikita. Ryuuen left," said Chabashira-sensei to Horikita, who still hung her head. What was going on? Chabashira-sensei didn't look shaken in the least. "Sorry. I wanted to take extra precautions just in case, so I kept up the act," said Horikita, lifting her head. She didn't look depressed at all. Then, I understood. "You knew this was coming?" I asked. "Yes. I couldn't allow myself to be defeated the same way I was at the sports festival. When the final exam's details were announced, I immediately consulted Chabashira-sensei. I had two requests. One, that I alone submit Class D's usable test questions, and two, that Chabashira-sensei pretend to accept any other questions submitted," said Horikita. 175 | In other words, Horikita had tricked Kushida into thinking that her test questions were accepted. "Now that they definitely believe that Kushida's test problems were used, if any Class C students aren't studying for the test, they may just fail," said Horikita. I would never have imagined that she'd devise such a wonderful counterattack. I couldn't even have come up with anything like this myself. Ryuuen had to be completely unaware of the damage Horikita was about to do. 176 | 177 | "At any rate, this is a difficult situation," said Chabashira-sensei, a rare look of genuine concern on her face. "I've never had a request like this in all the time I've managed Class D. I didn't expect such caution and deception. However, you won't always take the day, Horikita. If there are traitors like this among your classmates, you're doomed to fail." Chabashira-sensei was right. Even Class A, currently divided between Sakayanagi's and Katsuragi's factions, would never have done something like this. This meant we needed to be careful in dealing with Kushida. "I understand. However, this ends with the final exam." I felt Horikita's determination. "Really? In that case, I look forward to it." Horikita sighed in relief as she watched Chabashira-sensei go back inside with the manila envelope. Once the two of us were alone, she bowed her head and apologized to me. "Sorry for keeping quiet about this." "No, that's all right. To be honest, I had no idea." I'd underestimated Horikita. "Ryuuen's knocked me down so many times now. I thought that it was about time I learned," said Horikita. This had not only crushed Class C's decisive victory, it had put Class D a step in the lead. However, Horikita's final challenge remained. "All that's left now is to beat Kushida-san's exam score." 178 | 7.1 The first part of the final exam was here. The minimum overall score each pair needed to pass was 692 points, which was lower than expected, but we couldn't afford to be careless. The first day covered four subjects: social studies, English, Japanese, and mathematics. That meant that the outcome of Horikita and Kushida's battle would be revealed very soon. As I walked into the hall on my way to the classroom, I met up with Satou. For better or worse, she seemed to have been waiting for me. "Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun. It's almost time for the test, isn't it?" "Yeah. Did you sleep well last night?" "I studied until about one o'clock. I feel a little nervous," said Satou, putting her hand to her chest and taking a deep breath. "Well, I can't say it's going to be easy, but let's do our best. You should do well if you just apply everything you've learned," I told her. "Okay!" No matter what, we were partners in this. I couldn't deny our shared destiny. If either of us failed, so did the other. Each of us could drag the other into the abyss with them. "Good morning, Satou-san." "Oh, good morning, Karuizawa-san." "Did you already have plans with Ayanokouji-kun? It's rare to see the two of you together," said Karuizawa. "N-no, we met up by chance." "Is that so? Well, how about we go get a drink at Pallet before class?" asked Karuizawa. "Okay. Well, see you later, Ayanokouji-kun," said Satou, turning away bashfully. Karuizawa looked at me for an instant before heading away. "Those two are close, huh?" I muttered to myself. 179 | "I think Karuizawa-san is a surprisingly jealous person," Hirata said, walking over. "Huh?" I said. "Good morning." "Good morning. What did you mean?" "I've pretended to be Karuizawa-san's boyfriend for a while now. I noticed that she's been paying more attention to you lately, Ayanokouji-kun." "I don't think that's right." Karuizawa had been forced to remove herself from Hirata and attach herself to me, kind of like a remora with a shark. "Really? Well, I'm glad. I don't think it's healthy to be in a fake relationship. That's probably selfish of me to say, though," Hirata replied as we made our way to the classroom. "Horikita-san's questions will definitely sting Class C. I don't think it should be that difficult for Class D to win, provided that everyone handles the exam well." Hirata overflowed with self-confidence. Despite one unforeseen matchup, everything else had gone according to plan. "To tell you the truth, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, Ayanokouji-kun," Hirata added. "Do you know Shiina Hiyori-san?" "She's in Class C. We met the other day when she showed up at Keisei's study group," I replied. "She came by my study group, too. It seems that Class C is looking for the mastermind hiding in Horikita-san's shadow." "Seems like it." "You're the one pulling Horikita's strings, Ayanokouji-kun," said Hirata. It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. "I wouldn't tell anyone else, of course. I'm sure that you have something planned. Besides, you've saved Class D many times over." "I see. I'm grateful to hear you say that." "So, you don't deny it?" "Even if I did, you wouldn't believe me." 180 | "I suppose I wouldn't." "I'm not some kind of hero. I just don't want to draw attention," I told him. "I assume that you had a reason for what you did at the sports festival. Still, are you okay? Class C is on the offense. If required, I've got your back," said Hirata. Although I appreciated Hirata's offer, it wasn't necessary. "I'm good. I'll come to you if I need to, though." "I understand." We arrived at the classroom. I observed Sudou and the other guys from a distance, noticing that they looked quite different from how they had during previous exams. Instead of huddling and cramming in a panic, they calmly used their time to review final details. Nearly half the students were seriously concentrating on the material. "Quite a difference, huh?" Hirata said. "Definitely." If you'd told me months ago that this was what Class D would look like now, I wouldn't have believed you. Horikita was reading a book instead of studying. "Are you prepared?" "You're reading just before the test?" I asked. "What're you reading?" "And Then There Were None," replied Horikita. "Agatha Christie, huh? Well, let's hope there're more than 'none' left when this is over," I joked. Horikita closed her book and shot down my dark humor. "Nobody is leaving the school. It goes without saying that neither you nor I will disappear, either." "The look on your face says that you're going to win no matter what," I told her. "Of course. That's because I prepared to take first place in our grade this time around," she replied. "If the questions Class C set turn out to be really simple, that's going to be tricky." 181 | "Even so, I'll win. That'll only motivate me more," she replied. Well, now I really looked forward to this. Come on, Horikita. Show me your stuff. 182 | 7.2 As the bell rang to signal that the test was going to begin, everyone started to pack up their study materials. We had to store any and all objects unnecessary for the exam in the lockers at the back of the classroom. The only things we were allowed to have were writing utensils. If our pencils broke, we ran out of lead, or we used our erasers up, we had to request additional supplies from Chabashira-sensei. "We will now start your final exam. Your first test subject is contemporary Japanese. You are forbidden from turning your papers over before I give you the signal to begin," said Chabashira-sensei. Rather than have the students at the front of each row pass the test papers back, Chabashira-sensei placed the papers on each student's desk herself. "The exam will be fifty minutes long. Please try to avoid leaving sick or using the restroom. In the event that you aren't able to wait, please raise your hand and let me know. You won't be allowed to leave the room during the exam for any other reason," she continued. Chabashira-sensei finished handing out test papers. Not a single student was talking by this point. Everyone focused on their papers. Shortly afterward, the next bell rang, signaling the official start of the exam. "Begin." We all flipped our test sheets over at the same time. If everything went as Keisei had predicted, I thought the countermeasures we'd developed should be enough. I quickly skimmed the questions from start to finish, trying to judge whether my classmates could solve them. It was a cruel lineup, but they weren't impossible. We'd predicted quite a few questions with near-pinpoint accuracy, so if we just stayed calm, we had this. Keisei's plans were right on the money. Moreover, the school had altered several test questions significantly. I could see traces of where Class C had attempted to trick us, but the school had made edits. 183 | This test would be hardest for Class D's most average students, like Haruka and Akito. They needed to do the best they could and ace the humanities like their lives depended on it. Horikita, sitting next to me, immediately picked up her pen and answered the first question. I twirled my pen in circles as I meditated on what I should do. Satou had been relatively more enthusiastic than the other students when it came to participating in the study sessions, and I anticipated that she'd score higher than Ike or Yamauchi. However, I needed to complement her score with an appropriate score of my own. Considering what was to come in future, I decided to aim for a sixty- point baseline. More than that, the important thing was that I wanted to see how Kushida Kikyou reacted to the test. I raised my head. So far, Kushida appeared to be checking something as she scanned the test sheet over and over. She stayed still for about two or three minutes. Finally, she started answering questions. The exam continued in tense silence. There was a minor incident in the fourth period during the math portion. That section, of course, would decide Horikita and Kushida's competition. The incident happened immediately after we flipped our exams over. "Why?" squeaked Kushida. "What's the matter, Kushida?" asked Chabashira-sensei. "N-no, it's nothing. I'm sorry," she replied. Kushida's audible slipup must have concerned our classmates, but she immediately started answering the questions regardless. Kushida, normally so calm and composed, was in an agitated state we'd never seen before. She was shaken. Horikita continued working steadily, undistracted by Kushida's unrest. This was a true, fair battle now, powerful in its simplicity. With my troubles rapidly fading, I concentrated on the exam. 184 | 7.3 "Whew." Horikita sighed and quickly glanced up at the classroom ceiling. "Looks like you're all finished," I said. "I've never considered studying particularly stressful, but I studied harder for this exam than ever before in my life," she replied. "What score would you say you got for the math portion?" "A hundred. Or, at least, that's what I'd like to say. Since there was one part where the question seemed ambiguous, I can probably only say I got ninety-eight points for certain. A few reasonably difficult questions were mixed in." "It's possible that you might've written something incorrectly or missed an answer, though. Is there a chance that your score is any lower than ninety-eight?" I asked. "None. I'm certain that I overcame this test. I think I managed to get near-perfect scores in the other three areas as well." "Well, that's amazing." "I made this bet with Kushida-san assuming that she'd score a hundred points. I was incredibly thorough in my preparations so I wouldn't suffer even a trivial mistake. Still, it's a shame that I might've missed two points in the end," Horikita continued. The questions Kaneda had set were by no means easy. I didn't know whether even someone like Keisei had managed to score above ninety. If Horikita had truly gotten ninety-eight points or more, the top spot in our class was hers. Despite tutoring so many students, she'd pushed through thanks to her own willpower and spirit. "Suzune, there's something I want to tell you. Can I head back to the dorm with you?" asked Sudou. He approached Horikita with his bag in hand, looking somewhat drained. 185 | "Something you want to tell me? Sorry, but can't you just tell me here?" "About today's test... I'm not sure if I hit the forty-point mark in every subject. I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry," said Sudou. He seemed sincere. "That's not terrible. Considering what was on the test, you did well," Horikita said. True, the exam had been more difficult than usual. "I have a little something to take care of, so head on back with your friends." "You're staying, Ayanokouji? Or are you two going back together?" Sudou gave me a skeptical look. "My business has nothing to do with him. I'm meeting Kushida-san. Is there a problem?" asked Horikita. "Kushida? Then no, none," said Sudou. Once he knew Horikita was meeting a girl, he didn't care. "Well then, I'm gonna head back and study." "All right. But, considering what's coming tomorrow, make sure to go to bed early," said Horikita. "I know. Come on, Kanji, Haruki. Let's go back," said Sudou. He didn't sound perturbed in the least. "By the way, what are your plans with Kushida?" I asked Horikita. "It's not a big deal. Since we can estimate our respective scores, I just want to confirm something with her," said Horikita. It would be some time until we received our test results, but I was convinced Horikita Suzune won. That was clear just from looking at Kushida, who got up and quickly left the classroom. "What's the matter with her, I wonder?" said Horikita. "She probably assumes that her score is lower than she expected, don't you think?" "I hope so. Ryuuen can be rather tenacious." "Are you worried about him?" I asked. "If he gave her the answers, she likely would've gotten a perfect score. If that happened, then you and I would've had to drop out." "So, if that time came, would you have prostrated yourself before 186 | Kushida and begged for forgiveness?" I asked. "Was that sarcasm?" "What?" "Nothing, forget it." Horikita pursued Kushida. I decided to follow. She walked into the hallway and called Kushida's name. "Kushida- san." Kushida slowly came to a stop. "What is it, Horikita-san?" she asked. Fatigue and exhaustion were written on her face. "Do you have a moment? I'd like to confirm something with you. But there are people around, so how about we go somewhere else?" asked Horikita. "That depends on what you want to talk about," said Kushida. "Ayanokouji-kun will come along, since he's involved in this matter. You don't mind, do you?" asked Horikita. Kushida didn't answer, but she didn't refuse, either. She checked the time on her phone and nodded. She had probably arranged to meet someone else afterward. Since there were still quite a few students left in the school, we decided to head to the special building. "You want to discuss our bet on the final exam. Right?" "Yes. Though the results haven't been announced yet, we should be able to estimate our scores well enough ourselves," said Horikita. "I'm confident that I scored a ninety-eight or higher. What about you?" Kushida didn't look surprised to hear this. Rather, it was like she already knew. "We don't have to wait for the official results," muttered Kushida. "I couldn't have scored any higher than eighty. No, I probably didn't even get eighty. You won the bet, Horikita-san." "I see." Horikita seemed slightly puzzled by Kushida's low score. "I thought you would have scored higher." 187 | "This is what I am," said Kushida, sounding disappointed. "I suppose it won't be confirmed until the results are official, though." "There's no need for that. You won the bet. Are you satisfied, Horikita-san?" "So, can I trust that you won't get in my way from this point on?" "I'll keep my promise, no matter how much I hate it. Do you want that in writing?" "No need. Let's just start by trusting each other," said Horikita. She held out her hand. Kushida stared at Horikita's outstretched hand, her eyes blank. "I hate you, Horikita-san." "I know. But I think I can work hard to change that," said Horikita. "I feel like I'm growing to hate you more and more," said Kushida. She walked right past Horikita without taking her hand. 188 | 189 | "I won't do anything to impede you. But I'll never cooperate with you. Don't forget that," said Kushida. "I see. That's a shame," said Horikita. "Remember, Horikita-san, the terms of the bet were that I wouldn't get in your way. That's all," said Kushida. The darkness lingering in her eyes seemed to latch on to me. "That's—" Kushida left immediately. It was as if she didn't want to face Horikita for even one more second. She no longer had her sights on Horikita, but it might be my turn next. There hadn't been anything in the bet's terms about leaving me alone. "I should've thought this through more carefully," said Horikita. Kushida wouldn't keep her promise forever. Our presence destroyed her hope for a peaceful future. The most I could expect for the time being was a temporary ceasefire. 190 | 7.4 After Horikita headed back to the dorm, I thought about what was to come. Ryuuen Kakeru wasn't the type to leave unfinished business. Horikita had certainly handled things well this time around, containing Ryuuen and manipulating Kushida with a preemptive strike. In a healthy class, her strategy probably wouldn't have been very useful, but it was effective for dealing with a traitor. My phone vibrated. What are you planning? the message read. I wasn't the only schemer here. You're planning something too, aren't you, Ryuuen? Another message showed up. I'm definitely going to make you pay. An image file was attached to the last message. When I opened it, I found a single photograph that spoke a thousand words. "So, Manabe and her friends spilled the beans, huh?" I muttered. Of course, I'd known that when I ran into Ryuuen and Hiyori. Ryuuen had probably threatened the girls to reveal who might've seen them attack Karuizawa, and now my name and Keisei's name were running through his mind. However, he had no evidence. That was why he was trying to corner me. That was what he was thinking by sending me this photograph. The fact that Ryuuen had the photo meant that he knew the circumstances surrounding it. Depending how things played out, Ryuuen would probably go after the person in the picture. If anything, this was a declaration of war. Did he enjoy the hunt that much? Enough. I was fed up with his obsessive persistence. I closed my phone and steeled myself. Half-measures wouldn't do here. If Ryuuen was dead serious about picking a fight, I'd return the favor in kind. "Come at me with everything you've got. I'll play your game," I said 191 | aloud. Despite myself, I couldn't help but feel a little excited. 192 | 7.5 "You're late, Kikyou. What, couldn't slip past your classmates?" asked Ryuuen. "What are you plotting, Ryuuen-kun?" Kushida demanded. She drew closer to Ryuuen on the isolated rooftop. "Huh?" said Ryuuen. "The questions and answers you gave me were completely different than the ones on the exam." "Oh, yeah. I switched 'em out before the deadline. What about it?" Ryuuen snorted derisively, then took a sip of bottled water. "I told you, didn't I? I will get Horikita expelled, no matter what. I betrayed my classmates and switched out our questions on the condition that you gave me the math test answers. If you kept your promise, Horikita would've dropped out of school. But you betrayed me," said Kushida. "What? You mad about something so trivial?" "Trivial? You want to win against Class D and give us nothing in return?" "You're mistaken, Kikyou. Your questions weren't used on the exam," replied Ryuuen. "Huh? What are you even talking about? I turned them in right away, just as you instructed me to. I even confirmed everything with Chabashira- sensei." "You really haven't noticed? Suzune acted ahead of time to stop the school from formally accepting your questions. Thanks to that, not only did we lose, we just barely avoided catastrophe. Everyone in my class depended on that strategy," said Ryuuen. "Wait. Ahead of time? That's... No way." "Go ahead and wait for the results if you doubt me. In all likelihood, Class C lost to Class D. That rendered our agreement invalid. I'm not giving 193 | you the correct test questions if I get nothing in return," said Ryuuen. "Grrr!" "How about showing me some gratitude instead?" "Gratitude? I just lost to Horikita! What should I be grateful for?!" Kushida recalled the humiliation she'd felt at admitting defeat in front of Horikita. She was so enraged that she felt her blood boiling. "So trusting, to get snared without even knowing it," taunted Ryuuen. Grabbing Kushida's uniform, he forcefully unfastened a button on her blazer and reached inside. "Hey, what are you doing?!" shouted Kushida, backing away to put some distance between herself and Ryuuen. Ryuuen smiled. "Come on. I'm not doing anything. Go ahead, look in your pocket," he said. "In my pocket?" Still on her guard, Kushida slowly reached into her blazer. She felt paper, which she didn't expect. "What is this?" Ryuuen couldn't have had enough time to put something in her pocket just then. That meant he'd placed the paper there beforehand. When Kushida unfolded it, she found a list of questions and answers for the math test. However, they weren't the questions that were actually on the exam in the end. They were the ones Ryuuen had supposedly given her. "Why were these in my uniform?" "That's probably not all there is. I assume that several pieces of evidence of cheating are scattered throughout your belongings. I'm sure you'll see them if you go digging later," said Ryuuen. "I don't understand," said Kushida. "Someone in Class D was prepared to go in for the kill. What if I had still given you the right questions? Come on. Say you scored really high on the exam and then someone accused you of cheating, and they found those papers? What do you think would happen then?" "Wait, you mean I'd be expelled?! Even though I didn't cheat? That's stupid!" Kushida balked. 194 | "If you were innocent, it would be stupid. But you got your hands on the questions beforehand by working with me. There'd be nothing you could do about it," said Ryuuen. Of course, Kushida could have claimed she was framed. Even if she pulled through, however, it would've tainted her reputation. It wasn't against the rules for someone to offer their class's questions to another class, but it was considered disgraceful. That probably would've invalidated Kushida's test results and threatened her position in Class D, even if she avoided expulsion. Class C would have been in grave danger, too. "When did this cheat sheet get in my—?" "You really don't have any clue? Have you noticed any strange people around?" "No way, it can't... No, wait. I went to our final test meeting at a karaoke room last week with Horikita and the others. A girl got angry and poured her juice on me. Afterward, she asked if she could take my blazer to the cleaners. It was understandable, given that situation, but...for some reason, it keeps nagging at me," said Kushida. "Let me guess who that girl was. Karuizawa Kei," said Ryuuen. "H-how did you know? Don't tell me you saw?" "How could I have seen? It's simple deduction," said Ryuuen. He tapped his finger against the side of his head. "Explain what happened from the beginning." Though Kushida felt disoriented, she told Ryuuen everything. She explained that Horikita and Hirata had invited everyone, and that Ayanokouji, Sudou, and Karuizawa all sat together. In the middle of their meeting, Karuizawa started a fight and poured juice on her. After quietly listening, Ryuuen took his deduction a step further. "No doubt in my mind. Someone set a trap for you." "That's not possible. It's true that my blazer went to the cleaners, but I checked my pockets when I got it back. Besides, the clerk would've told me if there was something inside it!" "That's not what Karuizawa was going for. Did someone want to know whether you had a spare uniform?" 195 | "A spare? That's impossible," said Kushida. "What makes you say that with such certainty?" "Are you trying to say that everyone there set a trap for me, and I couldn't see right through it? I'm not an idiot. I observe everyone's behavior. If they were lying to me, I definitely would've noticed." "Well, you're probably right about that. However, only one or two people at most lied to you," said Ryuuen. "Huh? How would—" "If someone there read the situation perfectly, then it's likely that person deceived you. Someone who could figure out everyone's thought processes, behavioral tics, and habits. Someone who guessed what kind of remarks they'd make. Someone who could read all those things perfectly. Someone who wrote the script, so that you'd act your part in their play," said Ryuuen. Kushida denied it, but then thought back on what had happened. Hirata was consistently a pacifist. He would worry about Kushida's blazer being stained, and would want to placate Karuizawa's unreasonable anger. And, because the meeting took place right before the test, he would definitely ask how many blazers Kushida had. "Once they learned that you had one blazer, the only thing left to do was plant the cheat sheet on you during gym class. The real question is, who came up with the idea? It wasn't Suzune or Karuizawa. They aren't the kind of girls who could do something like that," said Ryuuen. "So, you're saying I was tricked? By who?" "Shortly before the test, a letter accusing Ichinose of doing something illegal went out, right?" "Yeah, the letter you tried to trap her with, Ryuuen. Why did you do that?" "It was part of the mastermind's strategy," said Ryuuen. "Huh?" "I wasn't the one who sent that letter. The person from Class D who set you up did it." 196 | "I don't understand." "Do you really think I'd put a letter accusing Ichinose of fraud in every single first-year student's mailbox and deliberately add my own name to it? Well, putting my own personality aside, it was only natural that everyone thought that I did it," said Ryuuen. "If it wasn't you, then you should've just denied it." "Do you really think I would do that?" "No." Kushida understood immediately. Ryuuen tended to pursue things that excited him. If someone sent out letters and put Ryuuen's name on them, Ryuuen would find it tantalizing. Furthermore, because he hadn't heard any rumors of Ichinose's supposed fraudulent activities before, he'd be tempted to learn more. Then why had someone deliberately put down Ryuuen's name as the sender? Because an anonymous message had less credibility. "But what was the letter's point? To put you on your guard?" said Kushida. "Who knows? I've thought about it at length, but it's still unclear. Did the culprit simply want to know whether Ichinose had a lot of points? Or maybe... No, that's impossible. Couldn't be something that stupid," said Ryuuen. Whatever he'd considered was just far too removed from reality. Either way, the strategy had been well prepared and flawlessly executed. Ryuuen's interest in the person he called "X" had only increased. "Hey, Kikyou. I don't know anything about your past, and I'm not interested. However, if you keep trying to get Horikita kicked out of school, you're going to disappear. Get it?" "You're in a dangerous position yourself, aren't you? If Class C loses collective points for this exam, isn't that bad?" "Yep. With this stroke of luck, your class probably has a chance of being promoted to C," said Ryuuen. "How does it feel to be knocked down a peg by the 'defectives' in Class D?" "I feel like I don't have a care in the world right now. Whether it's 197 | Class A or D, we're only scratching the surface of our battle," said Ryuuen. "What do you mean?" Of course, Ryuuen couldn't answer her. However, his objective hadn't changed one bit since he'd started at the school. While there had been moments when he stumbled, his preparations to reach Class A were still progressing smoothly. "Do your absolute best," said Ryuuen, turning and starting to walk away. "Wait—the cheat sheet! Something's not right here!" "Heh." "What's this all about? Tell me, Ryuuen!" "You noticed?" "Why did someone in Class D have these test questions? Only you and I should have them." "Because I gave them to X, I suppose," said Ryuuen. "So, you betrayed me?" "No. It was a necessary deal." Ryuuen's eyes lowered to his cell phone. On it were pictures of the questions and answers before he'd changed them. He had sent those pictures to an unidentified email address. "However, X understands me very well," he added. He'd received a message from X with the word "Transaction" in the subject line. The message read as follows: Provide me with the questions and answers that Class C devised for our final exam, or make significant changes to the questions you gave Kushida Kikyou. Normally, Ryuuen wouldn't dignify that with a response. However, moments earlier, X had freely given him information beneficial to Class C with no strings attached, by warning him that Horikita Suzune had seen through Ryuuen's plans and taken preemptive action to get her questions approved instead of Kushida's. That had come as quite the shock to Ryuuen, whose whole strategy depended on the questions he thought Kushida had submitted. Without X's warning, the Class C students who didn't study 198 | enough might've failed. Knowing that, Ryuuen had had three options. The first was to defy X and give Kushida the correct questions for the math test, letting her win her bet against Horikita. However, Ryuuen wanted to avoid Horikita being expelled at all costs. The second was to leave the test questions as they were and let Kushida's cheating be exposed, so she'd get kicked out of school. However, Ryuuen didn't want to give X exactly what he wanted. Playing into X's ideal scenario was no fun. The final option, and the one Ryuuen eventually chose, was to give Kushida the wrong questions and let Horikita win. "So, X protected Suzune while managing to keep you in check, Kikyou," said Ryuuen. When he'd realized that X turned his strategy to use Kushida against him, he'd barely held back his laughter. "But I'm about to drive him into a corner. If he doesn't reveal his identity—" Ryuuen pulled up an image on his phone—the same image he'd sent the mysterious mastermind. The person in the photograph would be instrumental to discovering X's identity. "Then I'm going to destroy her." 199