Chapter 5 - 5

There was no changing that. I tried my hardest to appear calm and collected, so that others wouldn't notice my pain. When I was just about to leave through the main entrance and go back outside, Kushida-san ran up to me in a panic. "I'm so glad I found you, Horikita-san! I need to talk to you about something," she said. "What is it? I have some business I need to take care of, so please make it quick." "Okay. This isn't a good place to talk, though. Sorry. Would you mind coming with me? Things are going to get difficult," said Kushida. "Can't you explain here? I'll decide after hearing how difficult this is," I answered. After Kushida-san looked around, she whispered in my ear. "It sounds as though Kinoshita-san actually suffered a serious injury. It's bad enough 167 | that she can't even get up right now. So, that's why...well, Kinoshita-san wants to talk to you, Horikita-san." I couldn't hide my surprise. It certainly did seem like she'd been injured, but to think that things had taken such a turn... "Where is she?" "This way." Kushida led me back to the nurse's office. 168 | 7.1 WHEN I RETURNED to the infirmary, Chabashira-sensei was there. "Good. I was just saying that you'd barely missed Horikita-san," the nurse said to her. "I had Kushida fetch you. Looks like she was quick about it," said Chabashira-sensei. Kushida-san listened to the adults talk, appearing uneasy. "What in the world is going on?" I asked. Behind that closed-off curtain I'd noticed earlier, I could hear someone sobbing. Chabashira-sensei pulled the curtain open, giving me a glimpse of Kinoshita-san, who lay in the bed. Then she let the curtain fall back into place and gestured me into the hallway. "Kinoshita fell on the obstacle course this morning. Do you remember that?" "Of course. She bumped into me," I replied. That incident had thrown a wrench in my plans for the sports festival. "Well, Kinoshita says that you deliberately knocked her down, Horikita." For an instant, I couldn't understand what Chabashira-sensei was saying. "That's not true at all. It was completely by accident. If anything, it—" "'If anything, it' what?" I'd been about to say that it was part of Ryuuen-kun's strategy, as Ayanokouji-kun stated. I believed that Ayanokouji-kun was completely right, but we had no proof. "Never mind. It was just a coincidence, that's all." "I'd like to believe that, but the situation isn't good. Kinoshita claims that, during the race, you repeatedly looked back at her. We checked the video footage, and you certainly did look back twice," said Chabashira- sensei. 169 | "That's because she called my name," I replied. "She called your name? I see. Even if that's true, though, she claims you kicked her. In fact, she's been absent from all the subsequent competitions. We had a teacher inspect her injuries, which appear rather severe. They believe those were caused intentionally." "Even if she's badly injured, she's still lying. I didn't do anything," I replied. "I believe you're innocent. However, Japan is a country that favors uplifting the weak. Our school is no different in that regard. As long as we have no proof one way or the other, we must consider the possibility that it was intentional. We'll have to deliberate on the matter," said Chabashira- sensei. "That's idiotic." "That's not all. The other teachers already know about this, of course. But, if this drags on, the student council will hear of it. Things will only get more difficult from there. You haven't forgotten what happened to Sudou after his fight, have you?" If this continued, my brother would hear about the incident. He'd feel irritated and ashamed of his idiotic little sister. However, since I was innocent, I had no choice but to plead that innocence. Whether this was Ryuuen-kun's strategy or just an unfortunate accident, I couldn't lie. "If you called me here to ask what happened, I told you the truth. I didn't do anything. Now, I have some business to take care of, so if you'd excuse me?" I needed to find Sudou-kun as quickly as possible and bring him back. But, as I turned to leave, Chabashira-sensei spoke. "Under the circumstances, it would probably be easy for the school to believe that the incident was intentional rather than accidental. Kinoshita-san has been absent from festival events ever since the obstacle course. If we prove that you committed foul play, that will invalidate the scores you've acquired thus far, and you won't take part in the recommended-participant events. Well, with your leg in that condition, I suppose participating would be impossible anyway, but... Kinoshita is an athletic student. In terms of speed, she's as good or better than you. It's hard to believe that her injuries are a 170 | mere coincidence." If even she told me all that, I was innocent, so there was nothing I could do. I could easily continue my appeal, but I didn't have time to deal with this any longer. "I was going to withdraw from the recommended-participant events anyway. Ever since the obstacle course, my rankings haven't been terrible. I don't mind being marked absent for those events, like Kinoshita-san. However, I didn't intentionally cause her to fall and get injured." I wondered whether that would be enough, looking to the teacher for approval. "Kinoshita won't accept that," Chabashira-sensei replied. "She says she'll report this incident to the school. Her testimony, and the footage, make this fairly damning. From her perspective, she's suffered a massive loss. Class C is also in a tough spot due to Kinoshita's absence, and it seems unlikely that they'd sabotage themselves like that on purpose. You understand what this means, right?" "It's a case of the Devil's Proof, isn't it?" A logical dilemma as old as time. To prove that aliens existed, all you had to do was capture one alien. But to conclusively prove that aliens didn't exist, you'd have to search every inch of the entire planet and of outer space itself, which would frankly be an impossible task. That was the definition of the Devil's Proof. Chabashira-sensei was saying that, if it was impossible to prove my innocence, I'd need to prepare myself. Rather than confirm or deny, she crossed her arms in silence. "How did you hear about this, Chabashira-sensei? Who else knows?" I asked. "Kushida consulted me on the matter. She said she didn't want it to blow up, but didn't know what else to do." "Sorry, Horikita-san. Kinoshita-san asked me to talk to a teacher," said Kushida. "I appreciate your concern. If a teacher from another class heard about Kinoshita-san's claim, this might have escalated quickly. However, I have 171 | some questions. Why exactly did you hear about this from Kinoshita-san?" I pressed Kushida-san. She anxiously looked toward the infirmary. "I'm good friends with Kinoshita-san. When I went to check on her during our break, she told me." "I see." It was a believable reason, considering that Kushida-san had a vast social network. At any rate, the only ones who knew about the accusation right now were Kinoshita-san, Kushida-san, Chabashira-sensei, and me. I wanted to resolve this here and now. "May I speak with Kinoshita-san?" I asked. "I'm not sure about that. She seems frightened, and might be emotionally unstable," replied Kushida. "Please. I don't want to aggravate things," I said. I bowed, and Kushida-san bowed her head in return. "Please allow me to do this, sensei," I said. "Okay. I'll let you try," replied Chabashira-sensei. At that moment, I heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Someone was walking straight toward the nurse's office. He had both hands in his pockets, strutting around as if he owned the place. "Looks like things have gotten really serious." "Ryuuen-kun..." Why was he here? I did my best to shake off any confusion, trying to appear calm and collected. However, Ryuuen-kun sneered and stopped right in front of us. He saw through my act. "I rushed over after Kinoshita asked for me. To think someone did this on purpose..." He passed us and entered the nurse's office. We followed him in a panic. Ryuuen-kun ignored the nurse's attempts to stop him and opened the curtain to Kinoshita-san's bed. "Hey, Kinoshita. You all right? Looks like you've had a rough time," he said. Kinoshita-san looked startled upon seeing Ryuuen-kun. She trembled 172 | in fear. "I heard your leg was injured. Show me." He pulled Kinoshita-san's leg out from beneath the sheets. "Whoa, this looks bad. I'm impressed you've held up, considering all you're dealing with." Kinoshita-san's right leg was bandaged tightly. Her injury looked painful. "Sorry. I tried my best, and I wanted to take part in the next competition, but...my leg just won't listen. That's why—hng!" "Don't blame yourself, Kinoshita. I know you wanted to participate in the three-legged race," said Ryuuen. "We ran into each other by accident, Kinoshita-san. Why are you saying that I made you fall?" I interjected, giving her a slight glare. Kinoshita averted her eyes. Ryuuen-kun stood in front of me. "You really did this on purpose, didn't you?" he asked me. "Sure sounds like it, according to her." 173 | 174 | "Stop joking around. You think I'd do something like this?" "You can never really know someone, can you? Convenient, isn't it? Kinoshita-san, who just so happens to be better at sports than you, suffers a serious injury and has to withdraw. She was going to compete in all the recommended-participant events, too. Meanwhile, you continue taking part despite your injuries. I'm not supposed to find that suspicious?" he said. I understood all too well the significance of losing a teammate. But, after hearing the eloquent speech Ryuuen had prepared, my doubts about him only grew. Had Kinoshita-san purposefully run into me on his orders? Had he chosen her specifically to collide with me, since she was more athletic than I, and Ryuuen could deflect any suspicion? But what did he stand to gain from having Kinoshita-san run into me, when she had a higher chance of winning the race to begin with? Furthermore, if she'd planned to take part in all the recommended-participant events, Class C would lose about 400,000 points paying for her substitute competitors. He had hurt his own classmate, paid the price, and lowered his chances of winning. Would Ryuuen make such a huge sacrifice simply to defeat me and bask in his superiority? No matter how hard I thought, I couldn't find any benefits in such an ineffective plan. "What are you thinking?" Ryuuen-kun asked. He leaned toward me, hands in his pockets, looking as though he saw right through me. "We can keep going back and forth on this, but it won't settle anything. Isn't that right, Kinoshita?" Ryuuen-kun was practically forcing Kinoshita-san to speak. "Horikita-san..." Kinoshita hesitated. "When I fell, you said...that I definitely wouldn't win." "I said no such thing. Why are you lying?" I asked. "Horikita, you only looked behind you when you raced with Kinoshita. Why did you do that?" Chabashira-sensei asked me again. "Yes, I admit that I looked back at her. But that was only because she kept calling my name when she was behind me. At first I ignored her, but then I thought something was strange, turned, and looked back." 175 | "Is that true, Kinoshita?" This time, Chabashira-sensei directed her question at Kinoshita-san rather than me. "I never called her name," Kinoshita said, denying it completely. "Not once." "She denies it, sensei. Besides, even if Kinoshita did call Suzune's name, what's the big deal? That doesn't constitute foul play. It was probably a cry of desperation, born from a desire to win. I mean, Kinoshita has way more spirit than anyone else. She's strong-willed and hates to lose. That's not a crime," said Ryuuen. "If you reacted to stuff like that each and every time, there'd be no end to this." This argument would go on forever. Besides, I was positive that Ryuuen and Kinoshita had rehearsed this whole act in secret. "Um...Kinoshita-san, Ryuuen-kun, I think this is all just bad luck. I can't imagine that Horikita-san would deliberately hurt her opponent." Kushida-san spoke up quietly in my defense. "But Horikita-san said that she definitely wouldn't let me win! She said that!" "Don't you think your desire not to lose just got to you? I mean, I think that Horikita-san was really upset when she fell. I think she was just trying her best," said Kushida. I didn't say anything. I endured in silence. However, Kinoshita-san spoke again. "I can't forgive Horikita-san for this. Now I have to take a break from track and field practice," she said. "Don't you feel any shame at all?" I asked. "Is lying like this to entrap someone fun for you? Or did Ryuuen-kun devise all this? I can't imagine it was coincidental that he just happened to show up right now." Kinoshita-san was lying. I couldn't accept the legitimacy of her claims just because she was in tears. I needed to wrest control of the conversation from Ryuuen before things got worse. "So, you're ignoring your own wickedness and saying it's my fault that Kinoshita got hurt?" Ryuuen asked me. "You really are a piece of work, 176 | aren't you?" "Please. You messed with Sudou-kun earlier. Don't pretend you forgot about that. You're just trying to use the same trick this time around." "I had nothing to do with that. It's ridiculous to try and tie those things together, anyway." Ryuuen wasn't about to admit anything. "It's clear you did this, isn't it? You bumped into Kinoshita deliberately. It's an open-and- shut case. There's no room for any further debate, so let's report this to the higher-ups right away." "That's... Would you let me talk things over a little more with Horikita-san, please?" Kushida begged Ryuuen-kun. I wanted to tell her that concern was unnecessary, but I didn't want this issue to get more out of hand. I was trapped in a spider's web, and all I could do was struggle. Ryuuen-kun appeared to consider her request, then made a proposal. "I don't have the time to drag this out," he said. "The recommended- participant competitions are coming up right after lunch. I'll be competing in those, so I'd like to finish this. It'd be easiest to leave the judgment to the higher-ups." Looking at me, Kushida-san, and Kinoshita-san, Ryuuen-kun continued. "We can strike a quick deal, though." "Strike a deal?" I asked. "You should compensate Kinoshita and Class C for any losses." "This isn't a joke. I don't have to listen to this," I replied. If he wanted that, the cost wouldn't be cheap. Besides, it would mean accepting their lie as truth. "You won't strike a deal, and you don't want us to report this to the higher-ups? No way; that's way too convenient for you. We're done here." "What exactly do you want, then?" Kushida-san asked Ryuuen-kun. "At least one of you has a good grasp of things. Let's see. If you hand over a million points, I'll have Kinoshita withdraw her complaint. That way, we can prepare a substitute for the recommended-participant events, and Kinoshita will receive some incidental income. Simple, right?" "Don't be ridiculous," I said. "I haven't done anything wrong. I don't 177 need to pay one single point." "Then go ahead and prove that, Suzune. Lay it all out in black and white for us." "You two sound sure of yourselves. You think your lies won't be exposed?" "We can prove that we aren't lying. Let's hurry up and have the student council president render his judgment," said Ryuuen. Ryuuen-kun knew about my relationship with the president, my older brother, and was provoking me. I absolutely couldn't do anything to trouble my brother. If the rumor spread that his little sister deliberately hurt someone, it would do immeasurable damage to his reputation. It was a dirty trick, but there was no way out of it. Back when the boys from the basketball club had attacked Sudou-kun, they lied and pretended to be victims. Their mistake had been thinking that no one else was watching. However, this was different. This time, the entire student body was a witness. Ryuuen had the advantage. Kinoshita-san was just as athletic as I was, if not more so, and there was video evidence that showed me looking back. Also, Kinoshita-san had planned to take part in all the recommended-participant events. She'd sustained injuries severe enough to prevent her from competing. There was nothing I could do to save myself. Worst of all was the timing with which they'd sprung their trap, which had been better than I had imagined. They hadn't done it right after Kinoshita-san was injured. Instead, Ryuuen had her lay low, so that her performance would be more convincing. By having her stoically bear the pain, they made their plot look like the truth. However, she was unable to endure the pain, so she withdrew. Afterward, she secretly told others that I had deliberately caused her to fall and pretended to be afraid of facing retaliation from me. That was their plot. After coming here, I was certain of it. Everything they'd done had been meant to ensnare me, as though they were weaving a net to catch me in. The situation had already passed the point of no return. They'd been plotting since the moment I entered the festival. I understood the full extent of my mistake now, although I still felt baffled by the many remaining 178 | mp4directs.com mysteries. "Um...could I use my points, Ryuuen-kun?" Kushida-san asked. "Huh?" "I don't believe Horikita-san would do something like this on purpose. That's why I don't want this to turn into a big deal. But...I don't think Kinoshita-san would lie, either. Couldn't it just be an unfortunate accident?" "Oh, that's quaint. Sorry—using your points is a no-go. I believe Suzune did this out of malicious intent, to hurt Class C. This apology is meaningless unless we get money out of her. Of course, I won't stop you if you're willing to pay up too," said Ryuuen. The longer this went on, the worse things would get. But I couldn't break. "Very well. Kinoshita, we're going to report this to the teachers, then to the student council." Ryuuen-kun ordered, as if to snap her awake. Kinoshita, her face twisted in pain, sat up. "The school officials should understand how serious this is," he added. "They certainly wouldn't stand for something so mean-spirited and vicious." I had to choose. I could pursue the truth, disputing Ryuuen-kun and his lackey's claims. Or I could compromise right here. I wanted to do the former, but I had no evidence to prove the truth. I would only be wasting time and everyone's trust. I had to strike a deal with Ryuuen-kun right here. "Wait." I squeezed out the word. Ryuuen-kun and Kinoshita-san stopped walking. "What is it, Suzune?" he asked. "Have anything to contribute?" "If I pay you, you'll make it so this issue never happened, right?" "You're admitting to foul play?" "No, because I'm not a liar." "Well then, why exactly are you paying us?" "Your strategy beat mine. That's why," I said. It was humiliating, but it was true. 179 | mp4directs.com "Did you hear that, Kinoshita? She doesn't think she's in the wrong. Can you forgive her?" "No, I can't," Kinoshita-san replied. "Well, there you go." he told me. "Grr..." I growled. "Still, I know that you have your pride, too," he added. "I understand that you don't want to admit you're the bad guy in front of your teacher and your friend. That's why I'll accept your offer. I have a kind heart, after all. However, whether Kinoshita will accept your apology is another story." He flashed me a wicked grin. He was pulling all the strings here, toying with my emotions. I wanted to be free of this. "If I pay you a million points, you'll act like nothing ever happened. That's what you said. No other conditions, right?" I asked. "That was certainly the previous offer. You declined it once, right? If we're going into a second round of negotiations, I have more conditions." Just how much did Ryuuen-kun intend to torture me? "How about you get down on your knees and beg? Maybe then my feelings, and Kinoshita's, will change." "Ryuuen. This is going too far." When Ryuuen asked me to prostrate myself before him, Chabashira-sensei finally spoke up. "Teachers should stay out of this. It's a problem between students," Ryuuen-kun replied. He showed no fear at all. "Well, I won't force you to decide right away," he told me. "The teachers are watching us, too. I'll wait to hear your answer when the sports festival ends. Will you kneel before me and offer a million points, or will you let the school deliberate? Which will you choose?" He added, "Don't think that this ends with the sports festival, either. I'm not done with you yet; I'll bring it up as many times as it takes. Kushida, bring Suzune to me after the festival." Ryuuen-kun and Kinoshita-san both left. I stood there, at a loss. "Are you okay? Horikita-san?" Kushida-san asked. "I'm okay. More importantly, how long has it been? Sensei, how much 180 | mp4directs.com time is left for our lunch break?" I asked. "You still have about twenty minutes. You haven't eaten yet, right? You should hurry up," said Chabashira-sensei. I hadn't realized it was already so late. It wasn't awful, but I didn't have the time to sit down and eat now. I had to find Sudou-kun as soon as possible. "Excuse me." I left the two of them behind and ran from the nurse's office. 181 | mp4directs.com 7.2 THIS WAS ALL due to my carelessness. I'd only thought of myself. I hadn't anticipated that Ryuuen-kun would get hold of our participation table with the primary intention of taking me down. I wasn't prepared. I was confused and miserable, unable to come up with a solution. My stride felt heavier than before. "I'm so pathetic." Indeed, I really was pathetic. As I approached the school entrance, I saw two people walk inside. I ordinarily would have ignored them, but these two were different. "Big brother..." I barely whispered it, my words quickly disappearing into the ether. Perhaps he heard it, perhaps he didn't. The school's student council president, my older brother. With him was a girl from the student council, Secretary Tachibana. Tachibana noticed me, but my brother didn't even glance my way. I was used to that treatment from him. Honestly, I wanted to talk to him, but as a Class D disgrace, I didn't have the right. I cast my eyes downward. My brother wasn't going to stop for me, anyway. At least, that was what I thought. But then... "Do you understand Class D's situation right now?" He was speaking to me. "I'm starting to," I responded. It was an honest answer. I'd done everything wrong, made every mistake. In every possible way, Class C had outsmarted me. "Don't worry. I won't bother you, big brother." I had to avoid that at all costs. This situation was the result of my own failure, so I'd do what I had to do. Ryuuen wanted me to kneel before him and offer up a million points. Considering that Chabashira-sensei had witnessed that whole thing, he probably wouldn't change his mind at the eleventh hour. I was all right with that, as long as it meant I wasn't causing 182 | mp4directs.com trouble for my big brother. But I wanted to have a proper conversation, not something like this. I'd hoped to have that chance during the final relay. That dream had vanished when I injured my leg. I couldn't expect any sympathy from my brother, even after informing him of my suffering. I had to face things head-on. Now that I'd endured this much, I had nothing left to lose. Besides, there was still one last thing I could do. "Please excuse me," I said. I rushed through the entranceway and headed outside. Despite the pain in my leg, I ran everywhere, looking for Sudou-kun. However, it would take more time than I had to scout a campus this large. When only ten minutes remained, I returned to the field. Maybe Sudou-kun had come back after all. He'd been trying his hardest to take first place out of the entire school. I hoped he still wanted that. But it was no use. He wasn't on the field. "So, he didn't come back." When I thought about places I still hadn't checked, my mind went to the Keyaki Mall and the dorms. He also could have been somewhere in the school building. It was proving to be very difficult; I couldn't seem to find him. Then, he...Ayanokouji-kun...appeared right before me. I wondered if he had finished eating his lunch. "You sound like you're out of breath," he said. "I'm looking for Sudou-kun. He hasn't shown up, has he?" "Nope. Does this mean you want to talk to him?" "Yes. He's a valuable asset. I accept it, even though I don't like it," I replied. "And that means?" Ayanokouji-kun seemed to notice how poorly I was doing, but there was no use telling him about Ryuuen-kun. What could he have done, anyway? I wanted to keep that embarrassment between Kushida- san, Chabashira-sensei, and myself. Our break was nearly over, but no one had seen any sign of Sudou-kun. Class D was in dire straits already, but in Sudou-kun's absence, our defeat 183 | mp4directs.com became a certainty. "Do you have any idea where Sudou might be?" Ayanokouji-kun asked me. "Time is almost up." "No, I don't. But there're only so many places he can go. If he wants privacy, he probably returned to his dorm room," I replied. "Is your leg all right?" "No, but I can run. Are you coming?" "I'll pass. I'd only end up getting in your way." "I see." It might be more convenient for me as well. I swallowed the pain and started walking. 184 | mp4directs.com 185 | mp4directs.com Chapter 8: What You and I Lack THE BELL RANG, and the second half of the sports festival began. It was time for the recommended participants' events. Only elite students from each class would take part in the remaining four competitions. "You're participating in the scavenger hunt, right, Ayanokouji-kun?" "I'd rather not, if possible." There was nothing I could do about it, though. I'd lost at rock-paper-scissors. Six people from each class were going to participate in the scavenger hunt. Due to the low number of participants, there was one group of four people running in the race. Thus, the number of points you could obtain was greater than what you could get during the individual competitions. "The problem is that Sudou-kun's not here." We'd decided Sudou would participate in all the recommended- participant events, but he was gone, so he'd simply be marked absent. Had we prepared a substitute competitor? Horikita also had yet to return to our camp. Hopefully, that meant that things were proceeding well. "If it's all right with you, I'd like your opinion on something, Ayanokouji-kun. I would've asked Horikita-san as well, but she's not here." "Hirata, you don't need my opinion to make a sound decision, right?" Right, Horikita had yet to return to our camp. I'd thought that in the worst-case scenario, she would have returned to the camp alone before the afternoon events started, but this was unexpected. Maybe things were going well after all. "I think we need a substitute. In the individual competitions, our class ranks right at the bottom. To win in overall points, we need to win the next events," he replied. "In that case, who do we choose as the substitute?" "We need 100,000 points to put in a substitute. I'll figure something out with the points. I think we'd do well substituting Ike-kun or Yamauchi- 186 | mp4directs.com kun," said Hirata. "That's because, if they do happen to take first place, they'll be able to put points toward their tests. Right?" "Yeah. We can use that to our advantage." That was a good plan for the scavenger hunt, in which luck had a significant part in the outcome. Ike and Yamauchi played a round of rock- paper-scissors. In the end, Ike won, and triumphantly joined the scavenger hunt team. "All right. I'll do my best, for Sudou's sake!" He seemed to have fighting spirit to spare, at least. The referees explained the competition before it started. "Some items in the scavenger hunt are quite difficult to procure. To pick a new item, you can request a redraw, but there will be a thirty-second waiting period. You must make your redraw request to the referee when you draw your lot during the competition. The game ends when three players reach the goal. That's all." After that explanation, we started getting ready for the second-round scavenger hunt, which I was participating in. "Hey." Someone called to me. I didn't even need to look to know that it was Ryuuen. "So, that muscle-headed moron won't be participating in the scavenger hunt, huh? I thought he'd take part for sure. Suzune's not here, either. They couldn't be doing each other backstage, right?" "No idea. That has nothing to do with me," I replied. "What a shitty answer." Losing interest in me, Ryuuen left. It looked as though he would be running in the second race, too. Pretty soon, the first race started. The other classes had put forward their more athletic students, so Ike was overtaken right at the start. But speed wasn't all that counted in the scavenger hunt—the real deciding factor was which item you drew. Ike chose his lot and checked the contents. The students in the lead searched this way and that way, leaving the field to find their items. "Whoooooooa!" Ike struck a victory pose and took off running back 187 | mp4directs.com toward the starting point. "Ayanokouji! Lend me your left foot! Your left foot!" "My left foot?" "Your shoe, dude! Your shoe! That's my item!" Ike showed me a slip of paper with the words "Your classmate's left foot (shoe)" written on it. "If I give it to you, I can't run anymore, though." "Geh?!" He'd run over to me since I was close by, but he couldn't use a competitor's shoe. Ike panicked and rushed toward the camp. However, it looked as though the other students were also having a hard time with the scavenger hunt, since no one was heading toward the goal. Thanks to his luck during the draw, Ike—somehow—ultimately found his way into first place. "Not bad, not bad at all," he said. Moments later, Class A came in second, followed by Class B, and then Class C in last place. Soon afterward came the signal for the start of the second race. I went to draw a lot, lagging slightly behind the other students. I reached inside the box, touching several slips of paper in turn. Carefully, I took one out and undid the four folds it. "Now then, what will mine say?" "Ten friends." "You're kidding, right?" I felt myself blacking out. Just one friend would have been bad enough, but ten? They had to be screwing with me, right? I couldn't even think of ten people I was on speaking terms with. "Dude, why are you spacing out? Hurry up, Ayanokouji!" Ike sounded a little full of himself, still on a high from taking first place. But there was nothing I could do. Two of the only classmates I could count as friends, Horikita and Sudou, were absent. Since Ichinose and Kanzaki were currently my enemies, I couldn't count them, either. "I'd like to request a change." The other students were already running off to find their items. In accordance with the rules, I waited thirty seconds, then redrew my lot. 188 | mp4directs.com "A person you love." "No, no, no. No, no, no, no." What in the world was up with the slips I had drawn? They were screwing with me. "Ch-change, please." I could sense Class D's confusion, but there really was nothing I could do. What on earth would someone else have done in my position? If I showed that slip of paper to a member of the opposite sex, it would have been the same as confessing romantic feelings for them. Even if I lied and asked them to play along, it would have been incredibly embarrassing. So, before I could even start looking for my item, I had to take on a one-minute handicap. "A table clock." My third draw finally produced something I could actually obtain, but I'd have to go inside the school to find a table clock. I checked the teachers' tent, just in case, but came up empty-handed. While I did that, the other three contestants reached the goal. "This isn't good." Lady Luck had snubbed me, and I came in last. It wasn't a question of holding back; I just couldn't do a thing about it. 189 | mp4directs.com 8.1 THE AFTERNOON COMPETITIONS would be starting right about now. At least I'd found the red-haired student I was looking for sitting on a sofa in the dormitory lobby. "Sudou-kun." I called out gently, so as not to startle him. He turned to look at me. "Horikita." He appeared surprised. He probably simply hadn't expected me to show up. "Why are you here? Don't tell me you came to persuade me to go back?" "Do I look like the type to come all the way here to persuade you?" "That... No, you don't. So, did you come here just to scold me or somethin'?" "I don't know about that. I must admit that I'm not sure what to say at all." "Huh?" Sudou-kun tilted his head like he didn't quite understand. I wondered why that was. I'd finally found Sudou-kun, and I felt as though I couldn't really say anything. I tried to remember why I'd tried so hard to find him. "If you stay out of the competitions, Class D has no hope of winning." "Probably not. Guess we're in a lot of trouble right now, huh?" "Yes. We're at the very bottom of the rankings. To turn things around, we need to take first place in all the recommended-participant events. Even then, we won't make the top spot." Despite having excellent athletes like Sudou-kun, Class D as a whole was clearly inferior in this sports festival. "And after I carried everyone on my back. That Hirata," Sudou-kun huffed. "He did nothing wrong by stopping you from going on a ram . On the contrary, you should be grateful to him. If you'd hit Ryuuen-kun, you might have been disqualified," I replied. 190 | mp4directs.com "I just couldn't stand being on the receiving end of that. What Ryuuen did was foul play." "You may be a bit of a problem child, but you certainly gave it your all today," I said. Sudou hadn't acted like himself. That alone was a miracle. For his classmates' sake, he'd been as good a leader as he knew how to be. He was hot-headed, as usual, but at the root of that was a desire to win. He'd performed excellently in the group events, and I needed to acknowledge his worth. "That said, there's still a lot you need to work on," I continued. "The fact that you're here alone right now is proof." "The heck does that mean?" "If people could truly rely on and trust you, you'd have a lot of classmates coming after you, not just me. People who wanted to convince you to come back, I mean." Sudou-kun kicked the table in irritation. "That's the problem right there," I continued. "You try to bully your way through Class D. It happened during the midterm exams, and during the dispute with Class C. Now you've snapped and flipped out. If you keep doing these kinds of things, no one will follow you." "You're seriously tryin' to preach to me? Give me a break, Horikita. I'm really pissed," Sudou grumbled. Agitated by my lecture, Sudou-kun fidgeted, his legs shaking as he desperately tried to let out his frustration. "Look, I messed up, but I just can't stop myself from doin' it. Nothing to do in that case, right?" "I thought you said you were going to carry everyone in the class?" "I never said that. The other guys were asking me to, remember?" he replied. "Even so, you have a certain degree of responsibility." "God. Shut up, already. I don't care about that," he huffed. "You're as childish as always. That's not going to work in the real 191 | mp4directs.com world, is it?" "Shut up!" He shot me a fierce glare, as if trying to intimidate me into being quiet. But I wasn't going to give up. "Tch... What's with you?" he asked. If anyone else had been here, they probably would have caved. Seeing that I didn't waver, Sudou-kun lost his patience and looked away. "Your weakness is completely obvious," I said. "What will happen if you don't study? What will happen if you lash out? You lack the foresight to think ahead." "Ah, enough already. Come on! Just leave me alone and knock it off! Your preaching is gonna make me puke!" I believed that Sudou-kun wanted to stay at this school and do well. There had to be a reason he was so quick to get violent. Unless I found the source of that problem, he would be trapped in an endless cycle. Even if he wanted to be alone, even if he might hate me, I couldn't leave him. Right here and now, I would make myself understand him. "If you don't like it, feel free to hit me," I said. "Huh? What? You... There ain't no way I could do somethin' like that!" "Because I'm a woman? I've said this before, but I am quite strong. I'll knock you to the ground before your fist reaches me." "You'll fight me? Man, you really are a weird lady. Well, like you said, no one else came after me. But you did. Just you." Ayanokouji-kun had pushed me into it, but I didn't feel the need to tell Sudou-kun that. Perhaps Sudou-kun was tiring. He mumbled in a low voice now, as though his anger was leaking away. "I took the leader job because I thought the sports festival would be easy as pie. I haven't lost to anyone from the other classes. If we did the individual competitions again, I wouldn't lose to anybody. But when people are draggin' ya down in the team contests, there's nothin' you can do. We lost capture the flag and the cavalry battle 'cause of those useless guys. I couldn't stand that." 192 | mp4directs.com I stood his complaints. Sudou-kun's athletic ability was frankly incredible, even if you took all the grade levels into account. But almost no one was capable of keeping up with him. "I can tell just by looking at you that you hate losing when you're good at something. But is that all there is to it?" It wasn't just that he hated losing. He had taken on the position of leader despite struggling in team competitions. Something else was going on here. Sudou-kun appeared lost in thought for a moment as he tilted his head, then replied, "Maybe I just wanted to see how it felt for people to pay attention to me and give me some respect. I guess I wanted to show all the people who made fun of me. Pretty lame, right?" As he admitted his desires, and that he'd abandoned his goals, he scratched his red-dyed hair. "So, now I'm completely alone, huh? Well, that's fine. Things'll go back to exactly how they were in junior high," he added. "......" I wondered if my words would reach his heart. Ayanokouji-kun had verbally destroyed me in an argument, Ryuuen-kun had defeated me, and my brother had abandoned me. I couldn't believe for an instant that I had any right to reprimand Sudou. I'd always considered him beneath me, but now I felt as though that wasn't true. Sudou-kun was clumsy, the type of person to act impulsively. He had a volatile personality. But, if I changed my perspective, I could see that he had also been fighting all alone. The fact that he'd had the courage to confront his loneliness meant he was far superior to me. I awkwardly continued our conversation, worried that my words weren't going to reach him. "You know, it's strange. My feelings are basically the same as yours." "Huh? Whaddya mean?" "The feeling of wanting to be respected. The desire to fight alone. I understand those," I told him. He and I were similar in the sense that we both carried a certain contradiction, yet we continued to fight against solitude. 193 | mp4directs.com "When I think back, there were signs. During the midterm exams, I felt irritated at the students who couldn't study, you included. I got angry when they couldn't do something so obvious. I didn't want to work with them at all. But in the sports festival, you performed impeccably. You did a lot to carry our unathletic classmates." Academics and sports. Different as they were, the principles at the heart of both were the same. What I'd felt toward Sudou-kun and the others during the midterms was probably what Sudou-kun was feeling quite strongly right now. "Then you understand how I feel. Right now, I wanna be alone," he replied. "And I truly, truly want to leave you be. But if we lose you now, Class D's defeat will be set in stone." This wasn't just Sudou-kun's problem. It would impact our whole class. "You abandoned the class, though, just like me. Right? So, you don't got any right to lecture me," he replied. "No, I suppose not." That was why my words held no weight. Until this very moment, I'd thought the same thing as Sudou-kun. "You're disappointed in me, right? I'm used to it," he said, dejected. "I was born to worthless people. That's why I'm worthless, too. I came here because I definitely didn't wanna end up like my parents, but I'm turning out just like them." Sudou-kun looked over at me, and I saw in his eyes that he'd given up all hope. Perhaps he was planning on returning to his room. I wondered what to say. I really wasn't sure. "It's incorrect to conclude that someone with worthless parents will inevitably turn out worthless themselves. You can't blame other people for how you are or will be. I reject your hypothesis." "If the little sister of a genius is a genius herself, will her path in life be assured...?" "What do you mean?" "You're still a nobody. Who you will become, though, depends on you 194 | mp4directs.com and only you. At the very least, you possess incredible athletic ability. You have a rough manner of speaking, but you helped advise a lot of students during practice. That shows me you're not a worthless person. Right now, though, you're trying to run away. If you keep doing that, then you will be worthless." "Fine. Then just brand me worthless, already. Go ahead. I don't even care anymore," he replied. "So, you're going to throw in the towel because things aren't going your way?" No matter what I said to him, he wouldn't respond. Perhaps I was incapable of getting him to open up. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The afternoon competitions were about to begin. Sudou-kun definitely wouldn't make it back in time for the scavenger hunt. "Go back, Horikita." "No. Not unless I bring you with me." "Fine, do what you want." Sudou-kun headed toward the elevator. "I'll wait here. Forever." "Do what you want." I didn't take my eyes off him until the elevator doors closed. 195 | mp4directs.com 8.2 "UGH. Well, that was unfortunate. Just a bit more, and we might've beaten Class B." "Yeah." Even with a substitute for Sudou, riding on a slim hope of victory, our opponents crushed us in the four-way tug-of-war. As a result, we'd been knocked down to the bottom ranking. We tried to coordinate better as a class, but Hirata got hit the hardest. He'd shouldered the burden of paying for the substitutes, which cost him a lot of points. We were in a desperate situation, and Sudou—our ace—was still absent. "I don't think Sudou-kun's coming back." "Hirata, are you going to pay for the next competition, too?" "Yeah, I am. We need it," he replied. Hirata had paid three times so far, twice for Sudou and once for Horikita, who'd also planned to participate in the four-way tug-of-war. That was no small expense. If he had to pay for the next competition, the total would be 500,000 points. No matter how many private points he said he had, that was still far too much. "Well, Sudou aside, Horikita should be able to repay you," I said. I couldn't say that Hirata was capable of paying all of that. Fortunately, Horikita had obtained a ton of points from the last exam, much like Hirata. "Shouldn't you just let them bear the point burden this time? The participants, I mean." "You might be right, but 100,000 points is a lot, and it's hard to save that many. Also, I'm the one who gave the go-ahead to use substitutes, so I can't exactly go asking for points," he replied. "Don't you think the people who withdrew are the ones to blame?" Besides, Sudou had punched Hirata. But Hirata didn't really dwell on that. 196 | mp4directs.com "I suppose there's the class's victory to think about, but if we place well here, our winnings will give us an advantage on future tests. It's better if people participate. But if they have to pay their own way, a lot of students will probably pass on subbing for Sudou." The students who most needed points for tests also suffered frequent financial troubles. If they ranked poorly in the sporting events, they'd be at a disadvantage for the exams, so of course they'd be hesitant. They couldn't risk losing both money and test scores. The only competitions that remained were the mixed-gender three- legged race and the last event, the 1200-meter relay. Hirata was going to see if anyone wanted to participate, but at that moment, Kushida came running over to him. "Um, Hirata-kun, would you mind if I helped too? I'd like to participate in the three-legged race. Of course, I'll pay the points for it. Is that okay?" "Huh?" Surprisingly, it was Kushida who put her own name in. "I can't let you bear this burden alone. Besides, I want to try my best for the class, and for Horikita-san and Sudou-kun's sake." "Since you're pretty good at sports, Kushida-san, your offer is welcome." "Thank you. I'll go tell Chabashira-sensei that I'll participate in Horikita-san's place, then," said Kushida. With that, she ran off. "Now for a guy. I'll ask around," said Hirata. "Hey, Hirata. Could I go in as Sudou's substitute? I'll pay the points. I can't guarantee I'll be much help, but I'll try," I said. "Well... Yeah, sure. I don't mind, of course, but...are you okay with that?" asked Hirata. "I don't feel right making you shoulder this alone. Besides, I'm a little anxious about the next test. I'd like to get at least one extra point." With Hirata's permission granted, I chased after Kushida, interrupting the conversation she was already having with Chabashira-sensei. 197 | mp4directs.com "So, you're going to be Sudou's substitute, Ayanokouji?" Chabashira- sensei asked. "Yes." "Rather unusual, since you tend to prefer watching on the sidelines." "You're taking Sudou-kun's place, then, Ayanokouji-kun? I'm looking forward to racing with you!" said Kushida. "Yeah, same. I'm not all that fast, though, so you'll have to forgive me," I replied. "In the three-legged race, coordination's more important than simple speed," said Kushida. While we were having our conversation, we were preparing for the next competition. "Yoo-hoo! Ayanokouji-kun! Oh, Kikyou-chan, too. Looks like we're competing in the same group, huh?" said Ichinose, walking up to us. Beside her was her partner, Shibata. "Oh, wow, real tough opponents!" Kushida said. "To think the two of you are teaming up..." "Well, Shibata-kun might be tough, but I'm really not all that special, you know? I haven't gotten first place in anything yet," said Ichinose. "Really? Wow, that's unexpected," replied Kushida. "I placed second one time, but I got fourth or fifth for all the rest of my events. To tell you the truth, someone else was supposed to participate in this three-legged race, but I guess she sprained her ankle in the 200-meter dash before lunch. Quite a few people got injured this year," said Ichinose. Apparently, Class B had some absentees of their own. That meant these two were actually an impromptu team. "Hey, Shibata-kun," Ichinose said to her partner. "Is it okay if I tie the cord now?" "Okay." The Class B pair cheerily tied their legs together. 198 | mp4directs.com 199 | mp4directs.com "Well then, I suppose we should... Um, would it be okay if you tied us up? It'd be weird for a guy to do that," I told Kushida. "Sure. But isn't that strange? I mean, you tied the cord when you practiced with Horikita-san, didn't you, Ayanokouji-kun?" Wow, she really had been observing the class like a hawk. "She's...well, an exception. I can't act the same way around other girls." "Are you saying Horikita's special, then?" It'd be more accurate to say she was someone with special status, but that would be difficult to explain. "Anyway, I can't believe Horikita-san went off looking for Sudou-kun like that," Kushida commented. "It's just that, well, she absolutely never cuts class. She's very conscientious. Don't you think it's odd?" "Yeah, I was surprised." "You didn't really look all that surprised, though." As Kushida said that, she crouched down and pulled the cord around my leg. "I suppose it's hard for people to read my face. Always has been." "You mean, you have a good poker face?" "Kushida." "Hold on just a little longer, okay? I'll be finished soon," Kushida said sweetly while she expertly tied the cord around our legs. I decided to cut to the chase. "It's you. You're the traitor who leaked Class D's participation table to Class C." "Come on, Ayanokouji-kun. What's the matter with you? Even as a joke, that's a cruel thing to say," she replied. "I saw you. You took a picture with your phone of the participation table we drew on the blackboard." "I did that to record the information, so I would remember. It would've been a big problem if I forgot my own events, after all." 200 | mp4directs.com "Didn't we all decide to write down our turns by hand, though?" "Oh, really? Sorry, I forgot." As Kushida finished tying us together, she slowly stood, beaming her usual smile. "Is that all that made you suspect me?" "Sorry, but I'm sure I'm right. If it weren't true, Class C couldn't have massacred us like this," I replied. It was rare for me to be standing this close to Kushida, just the two of us. This was the perfect opportunity for a chat. "Um, but even if someone leaked Class D's participation table, that doesn't necessarily mean Class C could crush us, right?" Kushida asked. "That's right." Class C hadn't been completely unmatched in every competition, which made it difficult to level any accusations. Even if they'd figured out Class D's entire order, they still wouldn't have known everything about Classes A and B. However, the leak would've significantly raised Class C's chances of winning. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Assuming that I am responsible for leaking Class D's information... If my taking a picture led you to determine that, it must mean you knew the participation table was leaked, right? In that case, why didn't you change the table after I took the picture? Couldn't you have submitted a new participation table later as a countermeasure? If you did that, the picture I took would've been useless, don't you think?" "Pointless. That wouldn't matter if the traitor was a Class D student." "What do you mean?" "Say we altered the participation table just like you said, Kushida. Even if we submitted the new table secretly, as long as the traitor was from Class D, they could inspect the new list at any time. Anyone in our class had the right to see it," I replied. If you were just looking at the participation table, you could've done it whenever. In other words, even if we had done some scheming behind the scenes, you would still find out the order as long as you kept checking it. Kushida... No, Ryuuen definitely would have done that. "But if you hid the table until the last possible minute before submitting it, even if someone did happen to see it, they wouldn't have had 201