(Riku POV)
***
Someone once told me that I speak before I think, and that it was a bad habit.
I agree.
But isn't it also a bad habit to eat an insult without defending yourself?
Stand up to bullies, and the bullies will stand down!
.....Right?
I tried to console myself with that rationality, but internally, I wanted to punch myself for being so idiotic after seeing the shocked faces on Hina and Yuzuki-san.
Worse than that, their gazes became utterly cold as their eyes pierced through me.
Even my childhood friend was looking at me with an expression I'd never seen her make before.
".....What the fuck did you just say?"
Yagami's deep voice penetrated my ears, sending a shiver down my spine.
When I turned towards him, his face had hardened with a repressed anger that made me want to run away, especially after seeing the vein on his forehead.
"Uh.....I-I."
My broken words didn't help.
"Wow, Kazama-san, that's a little trashy, isn't it?" the purple-haired girl said with disgust.
'Should I take it back? But wouldn't that just make me look even more stupid? I'm in the right here anyway, so sticking to my guns should be fine!'
"I mean th-think about it," I laughed awkwardly. "I'm not saying there was cheating involved, but isn't it odd that there was such a big jump? Maybe there was a mistake!"
Seeing the crowd go silent around me, with a lot of them having doubtful faces, gave me some confidence.
'It's also a good move, because this shifted the blame out of Yuzuki-san's shoulders!'
I looked over at her again, expecting a more understanding reaction, but for some reason, she seemed even colder.
She took a step forward, uncrossing her arms as she stood next to Yagami.
"If you don't want to keep your promise like a man, that's fine. But don't go throwing around baseless accusations just to save your own skin," she stated calmly.
'.....What?'
Weren't we friends?
Didn't she like me? A little bit at least?
So why was she acting like she was speaking to a stranger?
"Yuzuki-san, you misunderstood!" I shouted in panic. "I just meant that it.....it."
No matter how I thought about it, there was no way to spin my words without making it seem like she didn't deserve to be in the Top 10.
Even if she really didn't, that's not something I can say out loud.
Not unless I wanted to break off our relationship, and any chances to grow it.
"Kazama-san, if you really think the rankings are false, you're free to report it to the Student Council. I have nothing to hide," Yuzuki-san shrugged.
An explosion went off in my mind.
'.....Kazama.....san? What happened to Riku-tan? What is happening right now??'
I felt dizzy.
*CRACK*
That sound.
It felt like something broke.
But I don't know what.
All I could think about was the fact that she had placed a clear boundary between us, and I don't know why.
Surely it couldn't be just because of this?
As my brain was throbbing, I saw Yagami from the edge of my field of vision, who was wearing a complex frown.
'....It was HIM! It has to be! Ever since she started talking to him....'
Ignoring logic screaming at me, I pointed a trembling finger at the dastardly Yakuza.
"You! You did this, didn't you?" I screeched in a manly way.
Yagami raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Did what?" he asked.
"You must've manipulated the results, and you must've poisoned Yuzuki-san's mind! How else can you explain you ranking first and her ranking fourth? It doesn't make any sense!"
I braced myself for a punch, one that I knew was coming.
But then again, maybe that was a good thing, as it would prove my point.
The crowd also seemed to be on my side, with hushed whispers discussing the possibility.
I waited, sneering internally.
But the punch never came.
Instead, he looked at me with... pity?
"Dude, you seem unstable. As for the rankings, what's so surprising about me being first?"
"W-What else? Someone like you who causes trouble and doesn't study, what else could it be?"
Yagami smiled, his previous anger nowhere to be seen.
"The person who was first place in the entrance exams ranked first in the midterms. That's not so strange, is it?"
".....Huh?"
'He ranked first in the entrance exams?'
That had to be nonsense!
But he looked so confident...
I'd always assumed Hina was the top ranker because it had been the case throughout middle school, so I hadn't asked her about the entrance exam back then out of fear that she'd start nagging me about my grades again.
Which meant the possibility was real.
"Don't tell me you think I somehow cheated both times? As Haruna said, you can go ahead and report it if you're fine with wasting your time. I have nothing to hide either," Yagami continued, the amusement in his voice echoing through the room.
And once again, the crowd changed sides, like fish flip-flopping out of water.
"Damn, so he was smart this whole time?"
"That's super crazy, and the gap is kinda hot...."
"Seriously, why are you so horny today?"
"This is getting interesting now, hehe."
I went silent and knew that there was little chance that he was lying.
'.....Do I really have to lick my foot? Why did I have to say such a stupid thing back then?'
But then I recalled something.
It wasn't me who made that bet at all!
".....Alright, I admit that the rankings may be real. But even then, it's not like I made a bet or anything," I shook my head.
"Hahhh? What are you talking about?" the purple-haired girl piped up incredulously.
"It's true. I was just joking around with Hina, and for some reason, she took that seriously. Right, Hina?" I asked, turning to her with a smile.
Hina stayed quiet for a few seconds.
"....Even if that's the case, you could've denied it back then when the bet was finalized. But you didn't," she replied.
"I wanted to, but Sensei told us to go back to our seats!"
"And yet you said nothing about it for three full days."
"That's....." I trailed off, my frustration that my own childhood friend was against me bubbling over. "I just forgot about it. I still never said I accepted it!"
".....Typical," Hina muttered.
Her voice was really low, like she was only saying it to herself.
But I heard it clearly.
*CRACK*
That sound.
There it was again.
"Okay, it's fine," Yagami sighed. "It was just a fun bet anyway, no need to take it so seriously."
"But Reiji-kun!" that annoying purple girl cried out again, making me want to smack her once.
"It's not like we can force him, and anyway, the point is that Haruna made the Top 10, not the bet itself."
I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like I had escaped my guaranteed social death.
But I still felt no goodwill towards that delinquent.
'He's currying favor with Yuzuki-san, that cunning piece of shit!'
It was simply too obvious, but seeing the warm smile on Yuzuki-san's face, which completely left me out of it, made me even more depressed.
'Life isn't fair.....'
I wanted to get away from this mess, so I slowly started to slink away from the group when their attention was diverted.
But someone called me out.
"Morikawa and Kazama, are you two here?"
I looked over and saw a girl wearing the student council armband at the end of the hall, her hands behind her back as she surveyed the scene with narrow eyes.
'Why are we being called?'
I glanced at Morikawa, who had the same bewildered expression as I did, so it seemed like we were both in the dark.
"Are they not here?" she stated loudly again.
"H-Here," I raised my hand, and so did Morikawa.
"Good. Follow me right away."
I didn't even have time to ask what it was regarding because she had already turned around and started walking off.
Morikawa shrugged at me and followed behind her, with me trailing behind.
We both left the bulletin board area, which lifted a huge burden off my back, even though it seemed like we were being summoned by the Student Council.
"Hey, did you do something wrong?" he whispered to me.
"Why can't it be you who messed something up and dragged me down with you?" I hissed back.
Morikawa raised his nose with a smug look
"Because I'm a model student."
I gave him a deadpan look, not at all amused by his idiotic joke.
"Pleeeease! If you're a model student, every other student here would literally be Angels sent by God."
"....That's a little exaggerated."
"That's the thing. It isn't."
We kept bickering back and forth, shifting the blame to each other.
Eventually, we arrived at the Student Council Office, where we were let in by the girl guiding us.
She ushered us into the President's room, and I realized that I'd get to actually talk to the Ice Hottie!
'This isn't so bad after all!'
The office came into view as the doors swung open, and behind a large desk sat the beautiful but frosty president, Fujikawa Noa.
She had her hands clasped together, her forearms on the table as she watched us both enter sheepishly.
Beside her stood a man I hadn't seen before, but his neat and slicked-back hair, along with the glasses on his scowling face, gave me the creeps on a level just below Yagami.
I don't know why, but I felt repulsed by him.
Maybe it was the sneer he was giving us, or that he had the most punchable face in the world, but his first impression was terrible.
I focused on the pretty sight instead of the horror show, the previous irritation about the whole bet fiasco dying down slowly.
But the man beside her spoke first, and his mocking words made me freeze.
"Welcome, the only two failures in the entire school!"