ONLY TWO DAYS were left in the second semester. Today was finally the day of the special exam for the collaborative comprehensive writing test, which was a direct confrontation with Class A. Although there were special rules, they were the same as the usual midterm and final exam.
In the morning, many of the students who had the academic rating C or below gathered in the classroom and worked hard to study until the very end, as much as time allowed.
Keisei and Horikita, who had already completed all their studies in advance, were watching over these students, giving them advice while making careful final checks.
Many students may think that the hardest part of the exam was coming, but that wasn't true.
As the saying went, it was two parts work for eight parts preparation, and most of the work had already been done in preparation for the exam. The attitude before studying, the concentration for studying. The exam itself was only one-fifth of the workload compared to the preparation.
And when it was over, you'd realize that most of the things weren't that big of a deal.
The test procedure was based on a sheet that Horikita had submitted to Chabashira-sensei last night, which listed the order in which everyone in the class would take the exam.
Since everyone was allowed to solve any number of questions from a total of 100 on the exam, some may think that the order wasn't that important.
However, the order was very important. Each participant had 10 minutes, including entering and leaving the room.
This was enough time to solve a problem, but definitely not enough to read and understand all 100 questions.
If a student with low academic ability struggled to read and comprehend the questions, not only would he or she not be able to find five easily solvable problems and then not be able to write down the ideal number of answers, but they would also make easy mistakes due to the panic of running out of time.
Therefore, the order in which you solved the problems was the key to reducing the probability of making easy mistakes.
Less than five minutes had remained until the bell rang to signal the start of the exam.
While everyone was very tense, Kouenji was the same as usual.
He was checking his face carefully with his hand mirror and occasionally browsing the internet on his cell phone, seemingly free to do as he pleased.
Horikita confirmed beforehand that Kouenji hadn't said whether he was taking the test seriously or not. He only replied that he had the right to do whatever he wanted.
Horikita, realizing that her strategy would be ruined if Kouenji alone were to disrupt it, offered a clever suggestion.
Kouenji should be the last student in the order to solve.
At that point, 98 out of 100 questions would already be filled in, leaving only two questions.
Even if Koenji, with an academic rating B, failed to answer the two questions, the loss was only 4 points, and it was unlikely to be a major setback. Furthermore, since these were the last two questions, if they were left blank, it was possible to pass it off as not being able to solve them rather than not having solved them, without violating the rules.
There wasn't any risk of him solving problems on a whim, leaving them blank, or making mistakes.
Kouenji readily agreed to this proposal. Since the class would receive 50 points if they won, there would be almost no refusal from him to answer the questions correctly.
In fact, if we lost 50 points because he didn't solve, he'd only lose the private point income that he desires.
Since we couldn't predict Kouenji's actions with common sense, Horikita had no choice but to use such a strategy.
This was a test that wouldn't be easy.
Although we couldn't be optimistic, the conditions for victory were in our favor.
The pressure on the students with lower academic ability in Class A would be great.
The leader of their class, Sakayanagi, may have her own tricks up her sleeve, but the fact that each student would take the test in a separate room, combined with the nature of the surveillance would make it impossible for the students to fight in an unconventional way.
For example, it wasn't possible to have the weakest students get a large number of points, or to walk a tightrope by planting cheat sheets.
What all classes could do was raise their current level of competence and arrange the order of their class so that they could maximize their performance. Or, like Ryuuen, they could indirectly harass them outside of the examination.
There were some cunning ways, such as making a secret agreement to intentionally make a mistake, but the results of this test would be disclosed to the public. There was a risk of being caught if you made a blatant mistake, and above all, there was no guarantee that one or two bribes would lead to a win.
In a school full of students who were basically doing their best, it was unexpected that there were people like me and Kouenji, who hadn't been properly evaluated in the OAA.
It wasn't ridiculous to receive a few extra points for having received a low score instead of the actual score.
So far, it's safe to say that several conditions were in favor of Horikita's class.
Chabashira-sensei appeared at the sound of the chime, and under her guidance, we all moved to the special building and waited there. Then, we went to the next classroom one by one and solved the problems on our tablets according to the order determined by Horikita. This process was repeated till the last student, Kouenji.
In this room, under the supervision of a teacher, students weren't allowed to bring in tools or use their cell phones. Chatting was also forbidden, so everyone waited for their turn in silence.
The only thing that remained to be seen was whether or not the students would be able to show what they had achieved so far, without being overwhelmed by nervousness.
1
The students were relieved to have completed the special examination, which included a long waiting period.
"Thank you all for your hard work. The results will be announced tomorrow, but today is the last day of class. The day after tomorrow is the start of the winter vacation, so don't get too carried away. That's all for today."
Chabashira-sensei's words of appreciation for the students' hard work brought us to the end of the school day. All that remained was to wait for tomorrow's closing ceremony.
Many of the students would be free from the heavy examination time and would be able to fly freely. Some of the students were discussing how well or poorly they had solved the problems, but Horikita didn't take the initiative in organizing their opinions and evaluating them. The question of how many points one could've gotten was also what the opponent wondered. They decided that it'd be meaningless to find out, since the results would be announced tomorrow."You know…"
Kei quietly came near me and talked to me in a small voice.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I think it's about time for me to forgive you…" She hesitantly brought up the topic.
But soon after, Horikita came to my seat.
"Ayanokouji-kun, may I have a word?"
"I'm sorry, Horikita-san, can we do this later?"
"I wish I could do that, but unfortunately, it's a student council matter.
Kiriyama wants us to gather in the student council room right now."
As if to confirm that it was true, Horikita showed me the message on her cell phone.
Behind Horikita stood a smiling Kushida.
"Sorry Kei, we'll talk after this is over. Call me anytime.""Umm… yes. Have a good day."
I left Kei behind and left the classroom with Horikita and Kushida.
"I can't believe that just when I thought the special exam was over, the student council is back on the case."
"Nagumo-Senpai is there too. They don't have to comply with the rules, do they?"
"I don't think so. Even if they are no longer involved in the student council, they are still senior students. And this time, it's about Kiryuuin-senpai. You mean that case, right?"
"I see. That's what this is about."
I realized that this was an expected event that I had discussed with Kiryuuin several times last night. However, it was a surprising development that Kiriyama came to tell this to Horikita.
The original plan was for it to be just Kiriyama, Nagumo and myself at Kiryuuin's urging.
"Hey, hey, hey. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Well, Kushida-san and..."
"Well, let me explain this time. I have something to tell Horikita too."
"Something to tell me?"
"I've got some third-party testimony in this shoplifting case."
When I arrived in front of the student council room, I found two first-year students.
Aga from Class A, and Nanase, who had joined the student council with Kushida, were also there.
It seemed that the entire Student Council had increased to the lowest number of people I had anticipated, and that the incident had been mixed up with a different scenario that someone else had envisioned.
"It's kind of my first job for the Student Council, so I came running as the secretary."
She was holding her notebook with a sense of importance
"Is that for the records?"
"Yes. I heard that the secretary's job was to write everything down."
"Yes, but the notebook for the meetings is kept in the student council room,
isn't it?"
"Oh, really? I bought it myself..."
It seems that she was so enthusiastic about serving the student council that she got ahead of herself.
"Well, it's not a big problem, if you have a receipt, please submit it at a later date. I'll pay for it."
"Okay. I'm sorry."
Horikita told Nanase that she'd pay for the notebook from the student council's budget.
"Shall we go in anyway?"
Nagumo seemed to have already arrived at the student council office and was waiting inside with Kiriyama.
Nagumo wasn't in the president's seat, where he always sat, but was standing.
"I'm sorry, Horikita. The second years must be tired after the Special Exam."
"That's fine. But you mentioned Kiryuuin-senpai..?"
Horikita asked Nagumo, not mentioning what I had explained to her, since he didn't know anything about it.
"Yeah, Kiriyama contacted me and told me to prepare the place, since
Kiryuuin is going to file a complaint against the student council."
"Kiryuuin wants to file a complaint against the student council...?"
That's new to me. File a complaint against the student council? I wonder why Kiryuuin took that route.
"Even so, did you invite Ayanokouji as well, Kiriyama?"
"He was one of the people who was there, so I decided that it was necessary. I made the decision because I didn't want people to spread rumors about me without knowing what they were talking about."
"Well, whatever. It's a bit of a lucky break to be able to observe Suzune's first performance."
Saying this, Nagumo urged Horikita to sit in the student council president's chair.
"...Excuse me"
Bowing politely, Horikita sat down.
"I guess you chose Kushida as the vice president after all."
"Yes. I had thought about asking Aga, a first-year student who was already enrolled, but I decided that Kushida-san, who had a better grasp of the school, would be more appropriate. Is there a problem?"
"No, I have no complaints about the selection by the student council, president."
Horikita took her seat as student council president, and Kushida, the newly appointed vice president, sat down with a serious look on her face.
"But she's got a lot of guts to be late after calling us here."
A few minutes later, Kiryuuin Fuuka entered the room as the last person to attend the deliberation.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, new student council president."
"Please have a seat."
"No, thank you. I will talk to you standing up. That's all right, isn't it?"
"Okay. Now then, I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"Ask me anything."
"I understand that you have decided to file a complaint against the student council."
Horikita proceeded with the conversation, continuing to act as if she hadn't been told anything.
"Complaint?"
Kiryuuin tilted her head curiously, but Kiriyama immediately urged her to continue.
"We're already pushing the time because of your tardiness. I want you to proceed without wasting time."
"My, you're so impatient. Well, let me explain the background to you again."
Kiryuuin was almost made out to be a shoplifter by Yamanaka, a third-year class D student, while Kiryuuin was shopping at Keyaki Mall after school. Fortunately, Kiryuuin noticed and stopped the shoplifter as she was about to slip the bag into her pocket. The shoplifting itself ended in a failed attempt."I just can't believe Yamanaka acted out of personal resentment."Kiryuuin gave Nagumo a sidelong glance.
"When I questioned Yamanaka, she confessed that she had been instructed to commit the crime by a certain person."
"Who is this person?"
"Nagumo Miyabi, the former student council president here."
The first-year student council members, who had just heard about this for the first time, looked at Nagumo with astonishment.
There had been several incidents centering around Kiryuuin Fuuka.
Or, rather, acts that should be called 'incidents', whether they were committed by Yamanaka him herself or not.
If it was the former, we need to hear what happened and punish her. If it's the latter, we'd still need to find the real culprit.
We ought to let them see whether or not she can affront her first tempest without a hitch as the president of the student council.
"Kiryuuin-senpai said this, but does Nagumo-senpai have any objections?"
"Of course I do. Unfortunately, Kiryuuin, I did not give Yamanaka such instructions. If such an incident gets out, my credibility will be damaged. There isn't a single advantage."
"I don't know. I know you've always wanted to have a serious fight with me, but I haven't fought with you for three years. I wonder if you resent me for that. Or
you may have wanted to incite me to accept the match."So far, like before, we were on a parallel track.
"It's true that I was interested in a match with you. But my interest in you has long since disappeared."
"He-he. Is that really the case?"
They didn't accept each other's claims.
Kiriyama-senpai is a classmate of Kiryuuin-senpai, and he has supported Nagumo-senpai for a long time as the vice president. What do you think of both sides of the argument?"
Horikita asked Kiriyama, whom she had chosen as a familiar third party.
"I understand that Kiryuuin's upset that she was almost made to look like a shoplifter, but I don't think Nagumo is involved in this case. If Nagumo was serious about this, he would've chosen a better and more effective way."
"Don't you think that's just you buying into Nagumo too much?"
Kiryuuin smiled wanly, put her hands on her hips and countered Kiriyama.
"Considering what Nagumo has accomplished at this school, it's obvious that it's not a matter of overconfidence."
"So why did Yamanaka-senpai try to cause this incident? Did she grow resentful towards Kiryuuin-senpai without realizing it, and then decide to do it? If so, why did she try to pin the blame on Nagumo-senpai? What do you think about that?"
"I don't know the truth, but it's hard to believe that Yamanaka did it alone.""I don't think she did it alone."
"Yamanaka's position is quite low among the third-year students. Even if it wasn't Nagumo, it was quite possible that she could be manipulated into acting in return for private points, for example."
Kiriyama claimed that neither Nagumo nor Yamanaka, but a third party was lurking in the dark.
"If this is true, it means we need to start identifying the real culprit."
"Yes, but it will be difficult to identify. When Kiryuuin asked her to confess, she didn't tell the truth and mentioned Nagumo's name. This is something you can only do if you are prepared to do so."
"Do you know why, Kushida-san?"
At this point, Horikita asked Kushida, who was listening to the conversation.
"Trying to pin the blame on Nagumo-senpai in the third year is only a disadvantage for Yamanaka-san. And yet, if she said it… it means that she is hellbent on protecting the real culprit."
"That's right. It means that she's more afraid of the real culprit than of
Nagumo, who she should've feared the most."
"I don't understand. I can't think of any student who is more frightening than Nagumo. They just want to force us to believe that there is a real culprit, don't they?"
For Kiryuuin, who continued to suspect Nagumo, Kiriyama was just another person on Nagumo's side.
The fact that Kiryuuin was saying that it was difficult to identify the real culprit only made us distrust her more and more.
You are the one who is assuming that I am the culprit, aren't you?"
"There aren't any candidates, so I have no choice."
"I'm going to ask you both to please be quiet. It's obvious that the two of you aren't going to solve any problem by talking to each other."
As Horikita pointed out, Kiryuuin and Nagumo's discussion was endlessly parallel.
"How about you, Kiriyama-senpai, how would you handle this matter?"
"I think we should avoid further inquiry and pursuit. However, what Yamanaka did was an unforgivable act, even if it was only an attempt. Once again, she should have to apologize to Kiryuuin and pay her as much compensation as possible. We think that such measures are acceptable."
"So there's no need to report this to the school?"
"If Yamanaka committed the crime alone, we should do so. But if the real culprit isn't found, even if you report it to the higher-ups, Yamanaka alone will bear all the blame. Am I right?"
"That's right. Even if the school investigates, the real culprit won't necessarily come to light."
The conclusion was already set that Nagumo was innocent, but perhaps this was one of the appropriate places to reach a point of compromise.
"All I want is an apology from the real culprit."
"I'm just saying that I knew you wouldn't be able to do it, or do you think you'll get to the real culprit? I don't recall hearing anything new in the last few weeks. Or did you get some good information from Anazai, whom you threatened with assault?"
Kiryuuin shrugged her shoulders in response to Kiriyama's statement. He was not believed to have sustained any injuries or anything like that, but there was no doubt that the manner of attack was rather gray. Although there was some room for sympathy, Kiryuuin wouldn't be happy to have her feelings challenged."Ayanokouji-kun, I heard that you contacted Asahina-senpai the other day."At this point, Horikita turned the subject to what she had just been told.
"Through Asahina-senpai, I asked the third-year students about the whole situation. I tried to find out what kind of contract Nagumo-senpai was forcing the third-year students to sign and what kind of relationships they have."
"Before coming to the student council room, I received a report from
Ayanokouji-kun. And by talking with Asahina-senpai, he also investigated
Yamanaka-senpai in detail."
"Oh? That's Ayanokouji for you, no wonder I put my confidence in him and relied on him."
I'd already reported this to Kiryuuin, but she deliberately claimed to have never heard of it before.
Did you influence Ayanokouji, Kiryuuin?"
"Are you dissatisfied, Nagumo?"
"No, but if that's the case..."
Nagumo tried to continue as if he had something on his mind, but he quickly closed his mouth.
"I'm sorry, this is your first case as student council president."
He showed his watchful eye again, saying that he would not do anything rash.
"It seems that Ayanokouji-kun couldn't meet Yamanaka-senpai, but someone else appeared in front of him instead. It was Tachibana-senpai, from the same third year class D as him. Why did he appear, when he was supposed to have nothing to do with this? It seems that it was to prevent Yamanaka-senpai from telling the truth."
"Yamanaka and Tachibana were connected?"
Nagumo asked Horikita, acting as if he knew nothing about it.
"Ayanokouji-kun said that when he asked Tachibana-senpai about the truth, he got the same reply: that he was instructed by Nagumo-senpai to put the goods in
Kiryuuin-senpai's bag."
"Of course, I didn't have such a conversation with Tachibana. In fact, I don't even remember hearing him speak for the past month. The real culprit might be
Tachibana."
"Well, you have no choice but to say so."
It is inevitable that Kiryuuin would respond to Nagumo in this way.
"Does Kiryuuin-senpai have any deep connection with Tachibana-senpai?"
"Pretty much none. I can say that he has no more relation past Nagumo."
"In other words, he has less motive than Yamanaka-senpai to be the real culprit."
"Does this mean that Tachibana-senpai, like Yamanaka-senpai, was ordered by someone else?"
Nanase, who had been taking notes of the proceedings up to this point, asked Horikita this question.
However, Horikita didn't answer the question and remained silent.
Everyone must have been surprised, as they had expected an immediate answer.
"That's not the end of the report you received, is it? Please tell me the rest of the story, Ms. Student Council President."
Kiryuuin urged her to continue, but Horikita didn't answer.
That's understandable. Because I haven't told her the crux of the matter.
I only gave her the same level of information as Asahina, who was in the same room with Tachibana the other day.
If you want to ask for help, I will give you a hand.
But first, I want to see where Horikita's thoughts would lead to.
"Nagumo-senpai says he is not the culprit. On the other hand, Yamanakasenpai and Tachibana-senpai consistently say they were ordered by Nagumosenpai. This is a clear contradiction."
"One of them must be lying."
"It's normal to think so. But first of all, I would like to believe both sides of the story."
"I think it's difficult to believe the contradictions in the statements."
Nanase, who continued to take the records of the meeting, stopped her pen and muttered.
"Usually that's true, but what if both parties aren't really lying? Wouldn't there be no contradiction if a certain condition was added?"
In the course of the conversation, Horikita seemed to have come up with a possibility.
"The real culprit told Tachibana-senpai that he was asked to do a job by order of Nagumo-senpai. Tachibana-senpai and Yamanaka-senpai believed this mysterious person's words, and that is why they continue to appeal to him, but the request is a criminal act. Normally, one would start by asking Nagumo-senpai to confirm whether the orders they were receiving were true or not."
It's normal to want assurance that you would get something in return.
"But they didn't. Why is that? I think it's because Yamanaka-senpai and Tachibana-senpai thought that the real culprit was also worthy of their trust. A mouthpiece of Nagumo-senpai, and one who holds power."
There is only one person in this school who could make such a statement.
"The real person behind this case is not Nagumo-senpai, but Kiriyamasenpai, the vice president."
All eyes turned to Kiriyama at once.
"Me? How did you come to that conclusion?"
Kiriyama calmly expressed his doubts about his name being mentioned.
"Did you not understand what I just explained? That conclusion is the most obvious when you organize the information."
"There's no guarantee that the information Ayanokouji has given you is true. I have a guaranteed ticket to Class A from Nagumo. I'd never do anything to cause a rebellion."
As Kiriyama explained his position, an unexpected person reached out to him.
"I think the student council president's theory is interesting, but Kiriyama is right. This is the main reason why I don't doubt Kiriyama. No domesticated dog would dare to bite its master."
"Then, may I call Yamanaka-senpai and Tachibana-senpai as witnesses now?"
Horikita tried to confirm Nagumo's refusal.
"You are the student council president. You can do whatever you want."
"I see."
"Wait."
Then Kiriyama interrupted her.
"Do the witnesses already know that they are to be called here?"
"No. I'll contact them now and negotiate."
Kiriyama glared at Horikita, and then at me, who was now involved in the case.
If it hadn't been for the theory that Kiriyama was the real culprit, I probably would've been able to survive without attracting attention.
However, in order to clear these suspicions that had emerged, I wouldn't be able to avoid a barrage of questions.
I wonder if both of them can hide Kiriyama's involvement without any prior discussion in a meeting where all the major players are present. It's not easy to keep lying in this situation.
"Is there anything wrong with calling them out?"Horikita asked Kiriyama.
If they don't want to be dragged out into the open, drag them nonetheless.That's the quickest and simplest way.
"Well..."
"What's all this panic about, Kiriyama? You're not involved in this, so just stand by."
Nagumo asked Kiriyama in a lighthearted manner, but I could see the will in his eyes. He didn't seem to suspect Kiriyama until now, but he seemed to have sensed that the wind had changed direction.
"...Got it. Let's stop this now."
Kiriyama, realizing that there is nothing more to be done, appeals as if he has given up.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means that there's no need to call witnesses. I admit that it was me who instructed Tachibana this time."
"I didn't know it was you. Let's hear your reason. Why did you do this?"
Kiriyama seemed to have come to his senses and didn't show any signs of panic.
"I'm sorry Kiryuuin, but it had to be you, in order to achieve my goal.""It had to be me?"
Nagumo sent me a message, telling me to do a job to earn points, and Tachibana accepted readily. The end of the second semester was near and he was in a great hurry. He didn't even suspect it."
It was no wonder that he believed it from Kiriyama, the former vice president, who was also a close associate of Nagumo.
"The plot of the lie goes like this: if it were possible to frame Kiryuuin for shoplifting without her realizing, I would give Yamanaka a ticket to Class A. If she failed, of course, it would be invalid, but she'd still get points."
"That's a bold lie. If Yamanaka had succeeded, your lie would have been exposed immediately."
Nagumo was right. Tachibana and Yamanaka would have immediately gone to demand their reward tickets. And Kiriyama's false message would have been known to everyone in no time.
"We were in the same class for 3 years, I know Kiryuuin's character and ability very well. It was impossible for someone of Yamanaka's caliber to plant the item without being noticed."
That's why it had to be Kiryuuin. He chose someone by whom the plant would definitely fail to work on.
"So they knew from the beginning that they would be discovered. But I don't understand. It's too elaborate for the sole purpose of making me angry, and it doesn't benefit you."
"The goal was to frame Kiryuuin-senpai as a shoplifter. So you were wrong about that idea."
Nanase repeatedly nodded her head while writing in the notebook.
"That's right. When you questioned Yamanaka, and Nagumo's name came up, I knew that you would first make an appointment with me, a classmate, to go directly to Nagumo. My real goal was to arrange the time for the appointment and to hit a certain point in time."
Since I was present at that time and given the circumstances, Kiriyama's goal was immediately apparent.
"It seems that Kiriyama-senpai's objective was to destroy the student council election in advance."
"That's Ayanokouji for you. No wonder Horikita-senpai put her trust in him."
Nagumo, who had been sorting out the situation, also agreed with Kiriyama's aim and purpose.
"He wanted to dig into Honami's wounds, who has a history of shoplifting, so that she would withdraw."
"Yeah, I could've pointed out the problems from her past personally, but I decided it was too delicate. Kiryuuin hates such sins, and I knew that she would spit out words that would pierce the heart of the uninformed Ichinose without mercy."
Kiryuuin gave Kiriyama a light round of applause in spite of her disgust.
"It seems I have been dancing with you, Kiriyama. I've got you by the horns."
It seemed that Kiriyama, who had studied under Horikita Manabu and served as Nagumo's right-hand man as vice president, was sure of his aim and prediction. Kiryuuin's ability was as strong as Horikita Manabu's, but she was an eccentric and solitary person who had no friends. Therefore, she was very fragile in terms of information warfare.
"What was most unexpected was Ichinose's decision to abandon the student council election at that stage. If I'd known that early on, I wouldn't have taken the risk."
The election would have gone to Horikita, even if the shoplifting had not been brought up.
"Why, Kiriyama? Why did you take this risk to try and sway the election?"
"I couldn't stand your selfishness. What would've happened if Ichinose didn't want to resign from the student council and had held the election for the student council as it was? You would've been in a fight with Ayanokouji and bet a lot of your private points on it. Also, you wouldn't have hesitated to buy votes with points in order to win."
Nagumo certainly had a lot of money. It wouldn't be surprising if they would've adopted a vote-buying strategy if they knew they were struggling.
"I don't know. You're the one who decides who wins, so why does it matter what you do with the money you have?"
"It doesn't matter? I certainly got my ticket to Class A from you, but do you know how much of a mental burden that's put on me? My classmates envy and resent me every day. It's unbearable."
The look in his eyes as he glared at Nagumo contained serious anger that Kiriyama had never shown before.
"The private points you put into your own sideshow could be better spent on your peers, so that more students could be moved up to Class A. However, you put all the private points, which are soaked with the blood and sweat of the third-year students, just for your own greed and desire to fight? Give it a rest, you fool."
Kiriyama's goal was to prevent the unnecessary outflow of private points.
"I didn't know you were thinking about others. I thought all the people I've given tickets to were self-centered meritocrats, who think it's alright as long as they graduate from Class A."
Nagumo praised Kiriyama, as if he were impressed.
Whether or not everyone would take this as a compliment is another matter.
It's just unpleasant to see any more unnecessary fights among third-year students."
"I understand what you're trying to say, but are you ready to betray me,
Kiriyama?"
Nagumo had the authority to revoke his rights. No ticket to class A would be left in Kiriyama's hand if he disobeys.
"It is an action based on a contract. Do whatever you want."
"Let Nagumo decide the punishment for Kiriyama. That'll be enough for punishment."
Kiryuuin concluded and quickly left the student council room.
"Wait, Kiryuuin-senpai."
"I thought we're done, student council president ?"
"No, it doesn't work that way. I don't think Nagumo-senpai personally has the right to judge Kiriyama-senpai. Besides, there's still a mystery."
"Mystery? Is there anything left?"
"Kiriyama-senpai tried to frame you for shoplifting. And, when that was discovered, you tried to bring it to the student council's attention. The purpose was to force a stop to the student council election, and to make Ichinose-san recall the
trauma of shoplifting and withdraw from the election."
This assumption, including his confession, wouldn't be wrong.
"However, there was no need to take such a risk. If they wanted to stop the election, there were many other ways. If you wanted to take advantage of her shoplifting past, you could have approached Ichinose-san and asked her to withdraw from the election; out of sight, out of mind. That way, it would've been safer and more secure."
"It's hard to believe that Kiriyama didn't think of this, isn't it?"Kiryuuin, intrigued, returned to her original position.
"I wonder why he took such a risk. Maybe Kiriyama-senpai was prepared to be identified as the real culprit here?"
Kiriyama didn't answer, but just looked at Horikita, the student council president.
"I thought that you wanted to make this matter public and raise the issue. The fact that you've gathered here today, not only me, but also all the members of the student council and Ayanokouji-kun... You said at the beginning that this was all directed by Kiriyama-senpai, didn't you?"
I thought it was Kiryuuin who suggested the idea of appealing to the student council, but when asked by Horikita immediately after entering the room, she tilted her head, probably because it was Kiriyama's idea. It was Kiriyama who encouraged her to talk, in order to spread these doubts.
Horikita. It's strange that, for a moment, I saw your presence overlap with that of Horikita-senpai."
As if to commend the correctness of her guess, Kiriyama conveyed it to her.
"I wasn't sure how well it would work, but you're right. The number of students complaining about Nagumo is increasing day by day. When I told him about it, he wouldn't listen to what I had to say. Am I wrong?"
"Maybe."
Nagumo didn't deny, but rather affirmed.
"Nagumo-senpai, I think there was plenty wrong with the way he did it, but the truth is the truth."
"What do you think, Nagumo? Are you going to put all the responsibility for your selfishness on Kiriyama?"
"I guess so. I'd assumed that I had nothing to do with this, but I guess I can't say that from what I've heard."
Nagumo removed his gaze from Kiriyama and looked at Horikita, wondering what conclusion she'd draw.
"So, because this is a student council matter, you are the judge and jury."
"...Are you sure you don't mind if I make this decision?"
"You're not just a decoration sitting there, are you? I'll go with your decision."
What kind of judgment would Horikita, who had witnessed everything, make?
"Then, as president of the student council, I'd like to say this: first of all, Kiriyama-senpai, I would like you to extend a deep apology to Kiryuuin-senpai for this incident. Whatever the background circumstances may have been, the fact that you tried to pin the crime on Yamanaka-senpai and Tachibana-senpai, who had no relation to this, should be taken seriously. However, since it's inevitable that a report to the school will lead to serious consequences, we'd like you to reflect on your actions by voluntarily suspending yourself from school for a week or so."
The student council didn't have the right to suspend or expel a student. The approval of the school was essential to make such a decision. Voluntary suspension suited that purpose.
It didn't matter if he'd fake a sick day or not, he just had to stay in the dormitory and reflect on his behavior.
"I know you are entitled to deprive Kiriyama-senpai of the right to move to another class, but please promise not to do so."
"That's a bold request."
"You can refuse, but you will abide by my decision, won't you?"
"I can't blame Kiriyama this time either, but is that all?"
No, if we end it like this, we can't be sure that something similar won't happen again. From now on, the private points collected from the third-year students must be used only for the third years. I'd like to add this condition as well."
So far, Nagumo had done whatever he liked from his throne.
He must have used many private points without our knowledge, and spent a lot of money playing with fire against Horikita Manabu and other grades. The student council decided to forbid them from doing so in the future.
"If that's the will of the student council, I'll go along with it."
"I thought you wouldn't accept that condition."
"Basically, what Suzune, or rather the student council president is saying, is reasonable."
Is she a much more capable student council president than I thought?
"Are you really convinced by that, Nagumo?"
"You have the power to undermine me."
Or perhaps Nagumo bought into Kiriyama's true nature, at least the one aspect that he showed.
"Are you really going to let what happened end like this?"
"I've learned a lot from this as well. Apparently, I have no luck."
Nagumo's face looked bored, as if he'd given up on something. However, he didn't want to say anything more. On the other hand, Kiriyama's expression didn't show any sign of resignation or sense of relief at the revelation of the truth. Something else was on his mind. It wasn't hard to see that he was looking ahead to the future.
"This is the end of the matter. Please don't tell anyone else about this incident."
With the declaration of the student council president, this entire series of incidents has been resolved. However, I don't know if this is really the end of everything. What was Kiriyama's meaningful expression at the end?
2
The special examinations were over, and the next day, the closing ceremony of the second semester was held.
After listening to the teachers' speeches in the gymnasium, the students returned to their classroom for a brief presentation of awards. Those who excelled in club activities and other competitions got their rewards, and we also received a reminder for the winter break.
Then, Chabashira-sensei announced the results of the special examinations.
While everyone was holding their breath, we were told that our class had won.
At that moment, the students were cheering a shout of joy that echoed to the neighboring classes.
Only 50 class points were awarded or deducted for each class' win or loss, respectively.
Yet, we had gained a large number of them.
Almost at the same time, I received two messages on my cell phone.
One was from Ichinose, congratulating me on my victory.
The other one was from…
"Winter vacation starts tomorrow. It's important to take it easy on the first day, and cool down after your heads have gotten all heated up from studying so much."
Chabashira-sensei told us that we were dismissed from the class, while everyone's jubilation still lingered.
It was impressive to see Chabashira-sensei's eyes narrowed with happiness as she left the classroom.
As previously announced, this special test had a system that allowed each student in each class to know in detail who solved which problem, how many questions were answered correctly, the order they answered questions, and the amount of time taken was also disclosed.
By looking at this data, not only did we know who had made the effort, but also the strategy of each class.
It was definitely going to be useful data for both allies and rivals.
I'll check the details later, since I can do that on my cell phone.
I left the classroom ahead of the other students, who were making a fuss over the results.
Kei was watching me the whole time.
After missing the opportunity yesterday, I hadn't heard from Kei until now.
However, she seemed to be trying to make contact with me, since she was looking at me right before I left.
If it's hard to talk in a crowded place like this; we should relocate.
At the moment, Kei is still unstable and lacks a decisive factor for me to take action.
I can't expect her to grow if we continue to be estranged, so it can't be helped.
With this in mind, I decided to leave the classroom for a while, but...
"Are you going home alone?"
I went out into the hallway and the one who came running after me was not Kei, but Horikita.
"Is this okay? The person who played a key role in our victory left the classroom so quickly."
"I'll go back later. I thought I'd have a little chat with you."
With that, she caught up with me and we started to walk together. Indeed, there was no bag in Horikita's hand, and it seemed certain that she'd return to the classroom later.
"You used an interesting strategy for this special exam."
"I don't know if my way was the most efficient or not."
Horikita's strategy started with making Keisei the leadoff hitter to attempt the problems. Since he's one of the top students in our grade, she had him solve the minimum required two problems quickly. Afterwards he used the remaining time to focus on reading the other questions.
The purpose of this plan was to allow the following lower-ranked students to solve the easier problems.
The strategy was to alternate between the highest and the lowest ranked students.
However, this strategy couldn't be used under normal circumstances, because it was forbidden to talk during the test. No cell phones, pens or notes were allowed.
However, if you were wondering if there weren't any gaps at all, the answer would be no.
While the student in front was solving a problem alone in the classroom, the next student was waiting in the hallway.
In other words, when someone left the classroom after solving a problem, there was a moment when they passed each other, albeit only briefly.
There were two entrances to the classrooms, so if the students had to use the front when entering, and the back when exiting, a distance would be created, but Horikita had devised a solution for that.
All you had to do was to look at each other for a moment. The idea was that each student would communicate with the next using hand signs, to indicate which problems they should solve.
For example, if the suggestion was the 55th problem, they would show their right hand with two pairs of fingers crossed twice. If the suggestion was the 69th problem, they would show both hands with six fingers in total then extend nine fingers.
Horikita confirmed in advance that the rules didn't allow her to say anything about the answers to the problems, but it wasn't against the rules to use hand signs to tell which problem should be solved.
The instruction to simply tell the student which problem to solve didn't constitute cheating, and the rule against talking was also maintained. By repeating this, the less advanced students were able to concentrate on solving their problems more carefully, without having to search for them.
"Sakayanagi-san's class was also very close, even with our many students of low academic ability, we were only able to win in terms of total points, not in terms of percentage of correct answers."
Horikita's class got 72% correct while Sakayanagi's class got 86%.
If the competition had been played under the same conditions and distribution of scores, Horikita would've lost.
"She would not be happy. She did what she had to do, and lost."
She'd always ranked first in the midterms and written exams, and she proved it again this time.
"A win is a win, even if the percentage of correct answers is not as good as hers. No need to be pessimistic."
In fact, it was Horikita's class that gained class points and Sakayanagi's that lost them.
And a 72% correct answer rate is no less than excellent.
"Of course, I'm not pessimistic. I was just frustrated."
I guess that was unnecessary, it seems that their rivalry is much stronger than I expected.
"By the way, Karuizawa-san hasn't been well lately. She's been working hard on her studies, but is there something wrong?"
"Nothing. If I had to say, we may be in something resembling a bit like a cold war."
"I wouldn't call it nothing. It's rare to see you two fight."
"It happens when a man and a woman have been together for a long time. I know that well from experience."
Horikita raised her eyebrows and looked doubtful, as if she didn't like my answer.
"It's a good thing that she was able to get results in the study sessions and in the competition, even though she was in an unstable state of mind."
"It was said that she was so mentally cornered that she devoted herself to studying which she dislikes... Karuizawa-san's morale can easily also affect the rest of our class. Make up with her as soon as possible."
As a leader, you want to keep the class stable.
I saw Horikita off as she returned to the classroom and then I decided to leave.
3
The fact that Horikita won this special exam, defeating Sakayanagi, would soon be the talk of the town. Although it wasn't purely an academic contest, there was also an element of rivalry involving OAA. However, the fact remained that Horikita won this direct confrontation.
The gap between Sakayanagi's and Horikita's classes had narrowed by 100 points before the final examinations. On the other hand, Ryuuen's class had a tough time. They had tried to disrupt the competition with strategies based on external pressure, but Ichinose calmly accepted them and picked up a solid victory.
She may have been considered mentally unstable due to her resignation from the student council, but Ryuuen wasn't able to break her down.
Still, it can't be said that Ryuuen's decision was a mistake.
There may be opinions that Ryuuen should have ordered his classmates to study as Horikita did, but unlike Horikita, who had laid the groundwork extensively, Ryuuen's class didn't have much room to grow in this respect. It would have been difficult for them to catch up in a short period of time.
By achieving a narrow victory, Ichinose still had a small chance of making it to Class A, and the battle between the four classes would be carried over to the third semester, and beyond.
When I put on my shoes at the entrance and went out of the school building, there was someone already waiting for me.
"I apologize for calling you all on the last day of school."
Immediately after the results were announced, a certain person contacted me, asking to meet with me.
"I didn't know Ichinose was coming too."
It was a coincidence that the two people who sent me the messages ended up at the same place.
"What's going on, Sakayanagi-san?"
It seemed that Ichinose hadn't heard about my involvement either, and she looked at me strangely.
"Let's walk, we'll be conspicuous here."
It was inevitable that the front of the school entrance would be filled with students who were about to leave after class.
"First of all, Ayanokouji-kun, congratulations on your victory in this special examination."
"This time it was a victory that I was allowed to pick up. However, if it had been a normal written exam, I would have lost."
"Are you talking about the percentage of correct answers? It doesn't change the fact that I lost."
Rather than being humble, it's more like she's accepting the result after doing everything she could. You can also sense the composure of the Class A due to their lead in class points.
"And Ichinose-san, who beat Ryuuen-kun, was also brilliant."
"We just did what we should have done. We didn't do anything special."
"It's also admirable that you didn't give in to Ryuuen-kun and his team's obstruction. To be honest, in my initial estimation, I thought the result would be 50-50. However, Ichinose-san's class won the exam narrowly. This was probably the result of the leader's calm and precise instructions."
Sakayanagi also seemed to have read that Ichinose had been fighting from the hip.
I appreciate her victory, not only because of their difference in academic ability, but also because of the cool and calm manner in which she stood up to Ryuuen.
"Is that so? But I don't feel bad when Sakayanagi-san praises me."
"I can only assume that something happened recently."
Sakayanagi wasn't able to gather information on her own, so she was always trying to gather information using many students as if she were laying out a spider web.
Holidays spent at the gym. Time spent in cafes. On the way to and from.
The day she waited outside my room. I wouldn't be surprised if she saw some of it.
"I told you a similar story on the boat, remember?"Sakayanagi said these words to Ichinose, not to me.
"Too much idolisation may result in painful repercussions. Wasn't it something like that?"
"That is right. I have called you both here today to tell you that I am here to give an ultimatum to Ichinose-san, who has a faint crush on Ayanokouji-kun."
She already seemed to understand that Ichinose has feelings for me, which in itself is not surprising.
"You should distance yourself from Ayanokouji-kun now."
"Is that your ultimatum?"
Even though you have already told him again, you were told by a third party about your feelings for him right here and now.
Normally, I'd expect Ichinose to show at least a hint of unease, but she didn't seem to be upset at all."Yes."
"I don't understand. Why should I distance myself from Ayanokouji-kun?Whatever feelings I have for Ayanokouji-kun, there is nothing wrong with treating him as a friend."
"I see that the erosion has already advanced considerably. If you can really be friends, it would be a different story. But from what I see, I don't think Ichinosesan would be satisfied with that. But unless Ayanokouji-kun refuses to accept it, I have no intention of changing my mind. You are being controlled by him. Do you
realize that if you continue like this, you will eventually be destroyed?"
"Ha-ha-ha. You say the funniest things."
"I'm seriously concerned. I can't watch you go off the deep end and be satisfied."
"No need to worry, Sakayanagi-san. I am not controlled by Ayanokoujikun."
She sure has such a cold look in her eyes.
As those thoughts crossed me, Ichinose was standing next to me, with a look on her face I had never seen before.
"Sakayanagi-san. You want to control me and use me for your own convenience, don't you? That's why you're trying to stall me like this."
"I see. That's one possible interpretation."
"Actually, one more thing, Sakayanagi-san is very conscious of Ayanokoujikun as a special person, and my presence has become an eyesore..."
Sakayanagi's movement stopped for a moment as Ichinose smiled at her.
This was a rare upset shown by Sakayanagi, who'd always been standing one position above Ichinose at all times.
"I certainly look at him in a special way, but it's not the same as yours.""I don't know. I think it is, even if you don't realize it."Ichinose confronted Sakayanagi's denial head-on.
"That's fine. If you insist to that extent, I have nothing more to say. I'll only tell you that I can't help you if you have any regrets in the future."
Sakayanagi concluded, but her caution may have been raised in stages after hearing her intentions. Perhaps it was because she believed that being blindly devoted to love and going on a rampage after falling under that illness was something cute.
But things have begun to change more than I imagined.
The good that is directed inward is the same as before, and the good that is directed outward is completely transformed into evil.
Ichinose's class, which had been sinking, was now strong enough to strike back.
Sakayanagi must have felt it firsthand.
Why do I think so? Because that's exactly what I'm being reminded of right now.
"We're having a victory party at the Keyaki Mall afterward. Can I go back to the dorms now?" Ichinose replied.
"Yes. It would be unwise to keep you any longer, wouldn't it?"Ichinose waved to me and headed toward the dormitory.
Sakayanagi and I were the only two left behind.
"I never thought I would be re-evaluating Ichinose-san in this way."Sakayanagi had not seemed to be able to read the changes so far either.
A side effect, or rather a byproduct, of the powerful changes.
"It's a pity, because Ichinose-san, who has earned my trust, would have been an excellent limb for me."
"I'm afraid you've missed the point."
I have been broadening my perspective and making calculations on the big picture in moving human beings, but there are still areas that even I don't understand.
The concept of love has the potential to influence our reason and nature.
This means that unexpected developments could easily occur. It is hard to believe, but it's certainly one of the most mysterious and transcendent feelings.
Is Ichinose Honami a good or bad leader; a good or bad strategist?
This is a different story from those perspectives.
Originally, Ichinose's abilities weren't low.
I remember that her performance in the zodiac test was also excellent.
With her individual ability, she had the potential to resist Horikita, Ryuuen, and Sakayanagi.
Or, depending on the situation, unexpectedly surpass them.
"I had no idea that she had such a hidden ability. But it's the same thing if you let yourself get carried away by that power. The consequences will be disastrous."
"Did you think you could stop it?"
"No. I have no intention of stopping it. The only difference is who destroys her."
Sakayanagi didn't consider Ichinose as an ally.
She would have just used her as a useful pawn and disposed of her when she was finished being a consumable.
"I will visit your room again in the near future."
Sakayanagi, who was also in possession of information on Ichinose, deliberately showed her hand and gave her reply.
Epilogue: A Touch of Anxiety
ON THIS DAY, after the second semester's closing ceremony, the special examinations were over.
The time that students had been waiting for was here.
Although not as long as the summer vacation, it was still a time of joy for most of the students. The hard work of studying day and night has been rewarded with a head-to-head win against Class A. The winter break will start tomorrow, and we look forward to many happy days ahead.
It is sure to be a fun time for all.
That's what everyone thought, except for one person in the class.
The only exception was Karuizawa Kei, who had come to the Keyaki Mall with her best friend, Satou Maya, with a sigh of melancholy. Good at putting on airs by nature, she remained calm at school and concentrated on her studies even after the fight with Ayanokouji.
Therefore, the people around her had no way of knowing that Karuizawa had been suffering. Her best friend Satou was one of them, but Satou was a close observer of not only Karuizawa, but also Ayanokouji. She had noticed that the two of them seemed to be rather distant from each other, even though they were always close.
However, she thought that the cause of their behavior was not because of a quarrel, but because they were keeping their distance to concentrate on their studies.
"Haah..."
"You've been sighing a lot. We've just finished our studies and it's getting easier. What's wrong?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing..."
Karuizawa, who had been trying to avoid being noticed up to this point, realized that she had been sighing repeatedly without knowing it, perhaps because she had become relaxed after being released from her studying and examinations which were her weak areas.
"... Really?"
"Really, really."
Karuizawa answered stoutly and acted so, but Satou's suspicions remained unanswered.
"I'm going to ask you an insensitive question, but weren't you going to make plans with Ayanokouji-kun today?"
"Eh..."
"Because tomorrow is a holiday. Usually, don't two people go out and have fun together? Shinohara and Ike were excited to go see a movie with their arms around each other, right?"
Karuizawa knew it was strange for her to invite Satou out with no prior appointment. While she felt she had made a mistake, she was showing this attitude because somewhere in her heart she wanted to ask Satou for some advice.
Karuizawa gave a small nod and walked through the café, which was getting crowded. They sat down together on a bench near the rest area on the second floor of the Keyaki Mall.
"Hey, Maya-chan. Can I talk to you about something..."
"Yeah, that's totally fine."
Satou was not reluctant, but enthusiastic, showing that she has been waiting for it.
"I think my relationship with Kiyotaka might be in trouble..."
"What…? Really!?"
Karuizawa, after making sure that no one was around, revealed her pent-up feelings. Satou, who had not expected a bomb to be dropped on her, was startled to the point of falling over.
"Does 'relationship trouble' mean... that you might break up?"
"I'd like to think that's not true, but... I can't help but feel that way lately."
The fact that her expression seemed more serious than expected made Satou choke on her words, unable to hide her agitation.
Still, Satou wisely tried to find the right words to say so as not to make the atmosphere heavy.
"You had a fight with Ayanokouji-kun, but you two can't make up and it's been going on for a while... is that it?"
If it was just a small quarrel, the relationship would be back to normal in a few hours at most.
Karuizawa looked serious. Satou could not hide her confusion since she thought the two had been getting along well ever since they started dating."I thought it was just a little fight, but maybe not for Kiyotaka."Karuizawa sighed gloomily and nodded quietly.
"Have you two had any discussions since that fight?"
Karuizawa told her that the fight did not happen yesterday or today.
However, she was not ready to talk about the contents of the fight, nor the cause of it.
"Isn't it winter break already? I focused on my studies that Kiyotaka told me to work hard on, and I answered 3 out of 4 questions correctly on the exam. I thought I could do this... so yesterday after the exam I made a bold move and approached him..."
"And?"
"Nagumo-senpai called him and they went away. I was going to call out to him after the closing ceremony today, but Horikita-san called out to him again..."Satou pressed her forehead at the repeated bad timings.
"So, you didn't get a chance to talk to him at all and now we're here."
"Yeah."
"But I couldn't tell if Ayanokouji-kun was angry or sulking."
"He's always expressionless and his attitude never changes."
This also made Karuizawa's judgment unclear. If he had shown an explicitly angry reaction, she would have been able to apologize earlier.
"Don't take offense to this, but aren't there a lot of fights in relationships?"
It is a word that pops up regularly among girls who are particularly excited to talk about love, and it is not unusual in itself.
Moreover, there are many cases that cannot be called 'fights,' such as when a minor problem starts to make things awkward. Satou wanted to make sure that the situation did not fall under this category, but she could not ask about that right away.
"I can't imagine Ayanokouji-kun being angry at all, but did he get angry that time?"
Satou asked fearfully, but Karuizawa immediately shook her head from side to side.
"I was the one who got angry."
"Oh, hm, I see."
Satou thought she was about to hear an unexpected side of the story, but she quickly erased that thought.
"So you are still angry at him?"
If so, the way to end the fight is simple. Satou thought that if Karuizawa smiles and forgives Ayanokouji, things will be back to normal.
"Not that... but..."
"If you don't mind me asking, can you... tell me what the fight was about?"Without knowing this, she couldn't fully understand.
Karuizawa trusted that Satou was listening to her seriously and decided to tell her the origin of the quarrel.
It all started one Saturday night when she invited him to go shopping for Christmas presents. When she found out that Ayanokouji was going out with Ichinose for the holidays, she got mad.
Karuizawa couldn't imagine him having a good reason for going out with her.
Satou, having finished listening to the situation, quietly closed her eyes.
Then she strongly patted her knees with the palms of her hands.
"I see... it's definitely Ayanokouji-kun's fault!"
Satou gave her thoughts and opinions as a pure girl, without any biases. She answered with confidence.
"R-Right!?"
Having her friend as an ally, Karuizawa's expression became a little more cheerful.
"That's right. It's out of bounds to go out with someone other than your girlfriend on a holiday, no matter what the circumstances are! You have to say no, or at least have Kei-chan or some other boys or girls with you! You have every right to be angry. On the contrary, you should be angry."
"I was surprised that you met with Ichinose-san without taking offense... and held yourself together this long."
From the time she was told about Ayanokouji going out with Ichinose until today, Karuizawa had been worried and anxious. Still, she devoted herself to her studies as instructed and persevered until today.
"Ichinose-san's not dating anyone is she?"
This was a source of uneasiness that Karuizawa couldn't shoulder alone.
'Anyone.' It is not a reference to Ayanokouji, but to Karuizawa's wish of someone else being in a relationship with Ichinose.
"...I don't know if you've heard of her. She's quite popular and famous at school, so if she went out with someone, you'd know right away...""...Right."
Karuizawa cast her eyes down, confirming once again that she understood.
"Uhhh...!"
Satou couldn't hold back any longer and hugged Karuizawa.
"Hey, Maya-chan!"
"It's not Kei-chan's fault!"
"...Thanks. But I have my faults too. If I had listened to Kiyotaka more honestly and understood what he said, we wouldn't have ended up in a... fight. I should have smiled and said, 'Let's go shopping for Christmas presents next week,' and grabbed him by the arm. If I could go back in time, I would have fixed it; I regret that I can't."
From Satou's point of view, Karuizawa is cute. She is one of the top girls in terms of pure looks.
When I first entered the school, there was a time when I disliked her as a wanton[1] girl who nestled close to Hirata. A high-handed, overbearing, powerhungry girl with a nasty personality. But now that we fell in love with the same person, and got to know each other, I have come to realize that this girl was just being stubborn. She has a cute personality despite her outward appearance.
I can confidently say that even if other girls try to get Ayanokouji, there is no way they can beat her.
However, it's a different story if it's Ichinose Honami, of all people.
Suppose that Ichinose has a crush on Ayanokouji.
I couldn't eliminate the possibility that Ayanokouji would switch from Karuizawa to Ichinose.
"Hey... Let's do a little digging, shall we…? On the people in Ichinose-san's class."
It's possible that they will see things that they are afraid of, but even if Karuizawa can make peace with Ayanokouji after this, the worry and anxiety will resurface if something like this were to happen again. However, if Ichinose were found to have no intention of doing so...
(TL Note: Wanton: a lewd or lascivious person)[1]:
"No... I don't think so."
Still, Karuizawa's anxiety got the better of her and she turned down Satou's offer. Then, as if to shake off her bad feelings, she stood up enthusiastically.
"I'll try not to think about it anymore. I'm going to have a lot of fun with
Maya-chan now and go see Kiyotaka at night. Then we'll make up for sure!"
"That's the spirit! I'll support you!"
Right after that they laughed at each other, and the cell phone in Karuizawa's hand vibrated.
For a moment, Karuizawa thought it was a call from Ayanokouji, and opened her chat.
"What?"
"What's wrong?"
Karuizawa's expression froze as she stared at the phone screen.
Satou instantly looked at her with concern.
"Kei-chan?"
She called her name again, but Karuizawa kept staring at the screen as if time had stopped. Satou wondered what was going on and stole a glance at the screen from the side.
"..."
Satou saw the picture on the screen and stiffened up.
"Who gave you that?"
"From Nene-chan..."
It was because the two people they were just talking about were in the picture attached to the text sent by Mori Nene.
It was Ayanokouji and Ichinose coming out of the gym while talking.
The photo showed the entrance to the gym where the two of them were walking in front of a bench.
"When was this taken?"
"Ask her..."
She quickly asked Mori to confirm the date and found out that it was the evening two days ago.
It was when Karuizawa and her group were studying with Horikita and her group for the final push.
"Why..."
"Maybe they just happened to be together around here or something like that."
Satou replied in a desperate attempt to console her, but he had obviously just come out of the gym.
"Does Ayanokouji-kun go to the gym?"
"I don't know..."
"Hello Karuizawa-san."
"!?"
As if to push her into an unstable state of mind, she was approached by Ichinose in front of the gym.
Ichinose was in her casual clothes.
"Huh? Did you come to the gym by any chance?"
"No, no, it's just that... we just happened to be here... right?"
"Uh-huh."
Satou nodded repeatedly over and over to back up Karuizawa and said she was taking a rest on the bench.
"I see. I thought you and Ayanokouji-kun had started going to the gym together."
Ichinose replied with a nonchalant smile, as if it were a matter of course.
"Eh...?"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"...Ichinose-san knew Kiyotaka went to the gym?"
Turning off the screen, Karuizawa put the phone away in her pocket.
"I told Ayanokouji-kun about it and we tried the gym together. He liked it and decided to start.""I see..."
Karuizawa muttered in a muffled voice.
"Is Ichinose-san going to the gym now?"
"We're going to celebrate with the whole class since we won the special exam. We're going to meet at the cafe, but I forgot something the other day when I
came to the gym, so I thought I'd stop by and pick it up."Ichinose smiled.
"Hey Ichinose-san, is it true that you and Ayanokouji-kun met the other day?"
If Karuizawa couldn't ask her, Satou had no choice but to make her own move.
"What?"
"Nothing happened with Ichinose-san... and Ayanokouji-kun, right?""Oh no. There's nothing between me and Ayanokouji-kun."She waved her hand lightly and denied it.
"...Really?"
Even so, Satou's suspicions were not confirmed, and she showed a more aggressive attitude in her pursuit.
She tried to stop Satou by pulling her cuffs, but Karuizawa's resistance was not strong enough.
"Yes. I wouldn't lie about something like that. I was just asking Ayanokoujikun for advice about my class... Was I perhaps misleading you?"
Ichinose was puzzled by Satou's glaring eyes and Karuizawa's uneasy look."I am thinking that maybe Karuizawa-san is upset.... sorry."Ichinose looked apologetic and bowed her head.
Seeing this, Karuizawa also had the courage to express her unspoken thoughts.
"... Was that Kanzaki-kun's doing?"
Karuizawa's mention of Kanzaki's name allowed Ichinose to deduce the situation, even though she had no personal knowledge of it
"I had no idea about it, but I could guess the situation just by hearing it. Our class was down to Class D and we couldn't afford to lose any more time. We didn't have the strength to rebuild ourselves and we were struggling. Ayanokouji-kun saw that and said he would try to help us. I wonder if you've heard of any other names, like Mako-chan."
"Mako-chan?, do you mean Amikura-san? I'm not sure... but did Himenosan hear about it?"
As the suspicions around Ayanokouji and Ichinose faded slightly, Karuizawa's tone lightened.
"Yes, Himeno-san is going to help us rebuild the class. We are discussing it together. There are other people who know about it, so don't worry."
Ichinose, who did not seem to know much about it, said this to reassure Karuizawa.
"But I don't understand why Kiyotaka is helping Ichinose-san's class."
"I know. There must be some strange reason..."
The two, still not fully satisfied with the information they received, looked at each other and voiced their concerns.
Ichinose nodded and closed her eyes.
"It's a matter of mutual interest."
"Mutual interest?"
"We've been struggling to win recently. We were in a pinch with the special exam at the end of the second term against Ryuuen-kun, where if we lost, the gap between us and Class A would widen again. It's more convenient for Ayamokojikun to have us, the bottom-ranked class, win against Ryuuen-kun, who is aiming for second place, rather than us losing. That's why he helped us."
This is the most plausible answer as to why Ayanokouji helped Ichinose, his rival. She emphasized that Ayanokouji was only a temporary helper to assist in defeating a strong rival.
"There's really, really nothing going on with... you and Kiyotaka, right?"
"I have nothing to do with him in that sense."
With straight eyes, Ichinose clearly stated that she had nothing to do with Kiyotaka.
Karuizawa and Satou could only nod their heads repeatedly at this attitude that could not be considered a lie.
"I think Ayanokouji-kun is a bit of a jerk for not being able to communicate with his precious girlfriend. But if I'm the one who caused the rift, then yes, I'll take responsibility for making things right."
"That's okay. Now that I know what's going on, I'm sure we can make up today! Thank you for clearing things up, Ichinose-san."
"No problem. If you have any more problems, please let me know."Ichinose told them kindly and watched their backs as they left the gym.
"I'm telling you the truth, nothing has happened with Ayanokouji-kun yet."
As Karuizawa and Satou walk away, there is a small voice that can't be heard behind their backs.
Ichinose muttered something to herself.
"Not yet, you know..."
Leaving behind the scent of the perfume she wore, Ichinose walked away.