If he lost again, then he could win the time after that.
That had been his creed, the ultimate victory.
It was starting to waver again.
"Tch…"
Complacency, overconfidence, arrogance.
He thought he had discarded such things long ago.
Yet, in reality, he'd dug his own grave and suffered defeat.
"Can I really not win alone…?"
He recalled his interactions with Sakayanagi, who left school just a few weeks ago.
Unknowingly, Ryuuen had begun to step into a long, dark tunnel.
Chapter 8:
Enemies and Allies
* * *
WHERE DID THE responsibility for Class A's defeat lie?
That was something clear from the very beginning.
It lay with me, who'd been entrusted with the class's leadership, yet I hadn't recovered from the shock of Ayanokouji-kun's transfer, unable to devise even a single strategy.
Perhaps if I'd managed one or two effective strategies, we might've had a chance…
Or did our results just seem close, while in reality, it was a crushing defeat?
After school, I was in Class A's deserted classroom.
I remained alone in that place, unable to come up with an answer.
After our loss, no one openly blamed me.
On the contrary, everyone just comforted me, saying there'd be a next time.
However, most of Sudou-kun's and the others' warm words hardly registered.
I didn't remember exactly what they said; I couldn't recall.
And before I knew it, I was just sitting there, my mind void, remaining in my chair until I was the very last one left.
From the classroom dyed in twilight, I suddenly looked out the window.
It was then that I first realized that the sun was about to set.
"I should go home…"
Without thinking, I stood up, reached for the door, only to realize I had forgotten my bag and returned to my seat.
Then, I walked through the deserted corridor and headed to the entrance hall.
What am I doing here?
What's my goal in this place? I felt an intense sense of loneliness.
I'm becoming useless, hopelessly so…
Can I recover by tomorrow?
Can I start walking forward the day after tomorrow?
I didn't know.
I didn't know anything.
I was stuck in a loop.
I put on my shoes, went outside, and started walking.
…Let's go home.
Anyway, I wanted to return to the dorm and lie down in bed—
Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted, and my vision shook violently.
An unexpected shock hit me from the depths of my heart.
I felt a sharp pain in my back and, without warning, I was thrown forward.
Although my hands reflexively reached out, I couldn't manage to properly break my fall and slid across the ground.
Moreover, the ground was a gravel-filled area, hardly soft.
My bag rolled away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ugh…!"
The pain followed belatedly. My hands and knees, which tried to protect me, especially felt the sting.
"What… What was that!?"
It was only later that I realized the unbelievable fact that I'd been kicked.
Then, although delayed, my brain transmitted a thought to me—I need to check who the perpetrator is.
"You've grown pathetic, Horikita. You can't even dodge a kick like that."
The owner of the voice that kicked me hadn't even a hint of malice, not even one percent.
With her arms crossed, she scoffed as if she was looking down on me; it was Ibuki-san.
"What are you doing…? You're out of your mind."
Don't you know what happens when you kick someone who's defenseless with full force?
Before I could tell her off and direct my anger at her, Ibuki-san cast a contemptuous glare in my direction.
"Your pathetic appearance has always been irritating to me. It pisses me off just looking at you."
"Just don't look at me then… It's that simple."
Why do I have to get kicked by some barbarian without any reason, especially when I'm having such rough days, and right after a painful defeat too?
It was truly adding insult to injury.
I sighed as I looked at the small amounts of blood seeping into my palm.
"See, that's what I mean. That kind of spineless attitude keeps jumping into my line of sight; it can't be helped. You should be thankful I only kicked you."
"I don't understand what you mean."
I didn't want to deal with Ibuki-san right then.
I dusted myself off, stood up, and picked up my bag.
Fortunately, it seemed my knees weren't scraped.
"Hmph. Can't you even retaliate? Well, even if you did, I'd just counter it."
"I wouldn't do that… Besides, I'm not…"
Even at such a time, Ayanokouji-kun's image came to my mind.
"Ugh, you just thought about Ayanokouji again, didn't you?"
"…So what? It's none of your business."
"Everyone's always going off about Ayanokouji this, Ayanokouji that. Can't you be glad that the plague is finally gone from your class?"
"I thought you were a bit—no, quite lacking in wisdom, but you really are stupid. How could I be happy about him being gone?"
"I'd jump for joy. Just seeing his face makes me so angry… Ah, just thinking about it makes me angry. I thought I could finally get one over on him, but it was Ryuuen who ended up embarrassed."
Ibuki-san, truly irritated, kicked the ground.
"What are you even talking about…?"
I muttered my confusion, then I recalled today's exam results. Ayanokouji-kun had predictably defeated Ryuuen-kun's class…
It was done with a flashy performance that left an unusual impact.
Even the exam's results felt like a distant, unrelated event until just then.
"If you plan to stay this pathetic forever, I'm done with you. Don't ever get involved with me again, in fact, don't even come into my sight."
"I don't recall ever being a bother to you, and to begin with, we never had such a deep relationship in the first place."
In fact, I spent a lot of my own time, money, and effort to help her when she was short on cash.
I only remembered being criticized, never thanked.
"Oh well. Bye then."
Having vented what she wanted to say, Ibuki-san walked away.
I crouched down on the spot, shutting my eyes against the pain that my back was still inflicted with.
"Why does it always have to be like this…?"
My school life as a third-year student had just begun.
The moment I saw that 'Class A' nameplate was my only joy.
It's been painful.
Someone…
Help me…
Ayanokouji-kun—
"Are you okay?"
As I crouched with my head down toward the ground, someone called out to me.
"It looked like she hit your back really hard, are you hurt? Should I call a teacher?"
It was Karuizawa-san who had looked at me, concerned, apparently having seen everything that transpired.
Seeing her still in her uniform, it seemed she hadn't gone home yet.
"I'm fine… the pain is finally starting to subside. She really has no common sense…"
As I tried to grasp the hand she offered, I remembered that my own palm was covered in blood and dirt and tried to pull back, but Karuizawa-san gently grabbed my wrist and helped me up.
Then, she brushed the dirt off my uniform with a handkerchief she had.
I didn't have the energy to refuse, so I just watched her, devoted as she was, do as she pleased.
"I'm sorry, and thank you. I must have shown you something ridiculous… Did you hear what was being said?"
"No… I was sitting on the bench when I saw the exchange between you and Ibuki-san."
She pointed to a bench further toward the dorms as she spoke.
Normally, I would've noticed her, but Karuizawa-san hadn't appeared in my sight.
That was why I hadn't sensed Ibuki-san's presence either.
She picked up my bag and urged me to sit on the bench.
Despite my bravado, I was still dealing with a significant amount of pain, so I followed her lead.
"Sorry about the handkerchief. It must be dirty, right?"
"It's fine. That's what it's there for, to get dirty."
"I'm really hopeless right now…"
I sighed and closed my eyes.
I was showing her such an utterly pitiful appearance.
"I'm sorry about today's exam as well. I couldn't lead the class to victory."
"I don't think it's your fault. If we had scored more points, we could've won the full-class battle."
"Still, it's my responsibility."
I really need to be more careful…
I even made Karuizawa-san seriously worried.
"That's kind of surprising."
As Karuizawa-san sat beside me, she voiced her thoughts.
"Surprising?"
"I always thought of you as someone much more composed, Horikita-san."
"That's not true. I'm just…"
I almost denied it, but soon, I couldn't speak.
Because that denial was a lie.
"…It's not true. I thought I was quite strong myself, but it wasn't me who was strong…"
I clenched my hands that were resting on my knee.
A slow pain spread from my injured palms.
"I realized that it was only because Ayanokouji-kun was in the class that I was able to stand up straight."
I was just being supported. I thought it was my own strength.
"I'm a weak person. It's okay if you laugh."
Being mocked would probably be better for me now than being comforted.
"I won't laugh. I'm just as weak."
But she didn't try to blame me.
"That's not true. You've had a distinct backbone from the moment you entered school. Whether all your methods were praiseworthy is another matter."
She quickly made friends with classmates of the same gender and became the center of her circle in no time.
There were a few bad rumors, but there was no doubt she was at the center.
I couldn't even think of imitating what she had done.
I wonder if Ayanokouji-kun's transfer was a good thing for Karuizawa-san…
As the one who initiated the breakup, maybe she felt it was better that he left.
But since that day, I felt that Karuizawa-san hadn't been smiling.
Is it simply because she's anxious about the class's future?
"What kind of person was Ayanokouji-kun to you…?"
Despite feeling I shouldn't pry, the words naturally slipped out.
"What kind of person, huh…? It's hard to sum up in one word…"
Karuizawa-san looked up at the evening sky and recalled her memories.
"He's a crucial person to me. Someone important… someone I love…"
Her profile and words didn't seem like those of someone who had turned away from Ayanokouji-kun.
"…Was it his idea? Maybe…"
"I can't say. Not saying it… that's become my reason for existence."
"…You're…"
How shallow and foolish am I…?
My suffering was nothing compared to Karuizawa-san's.
I finally understood that here.
"It's tough when various hardships pile up, isn't it?"
"…It really, really is…"
What had been lodged deep in my chest all this time had started to loosen in front of Karuizawa-san.
I felt my clouded vision gradually clearing.
"Ouch…! Seriously, she's such a handful. This is just violence, no matter how you look at it."
As I calmed down a bit, the pain in my palm flared up again.
"Perhaps, but… maybe Ibuki-san was worried about you in her own way?"
"Her? That's impossible."
"I was sitting on this bench all day, but Ibuki-san was lingering around here and didn't seem to want to go home. It kind of felt like she was waiting for someone?"
"She must have been waiting for someone else."
If even Ibuki-san was worried about me, it must've been really serious.
That's bad. Regardless of her true intentions, it's true that I'm in a terrible state.
"Hey, Horikita-san. Can I ask you a question that might be a bit insensitive?"
"An insensitive question? What is it?"
"Do you… like Ayanokouji-kun too?"
"Eh—?"
The look in Karuizawa-san's eyes as she turned to me didn't show that she was joking. It was a gaze that showed her sincerity.
"What are you talking about? That's ridiculous."
If I liked him…? There's no way that could be…
Despite the thought, spring break's events naturally flashed back.
The pounding in my chest at that time—
It was a pleasant feeling that I couldn't describe, yet at the same time, it was embarrassing.
They were emotions I'd never experienced before.
"There's no way that could be true—"
That was all I could manage to squeeze out.
"I've never experienced liking someone before, other than my family…"
"But you couldn't respond right away, isn't that telling? If you didn't like him even a little, you'd deny it right away, right? Like, 'He was just a business partner,' or something… I'm not sure if I'm using that phrase right, though."
Rather than Karuizawa-san getting angry as she spoke, she began to show a small smile instead.
Her sadness and frustration—it was something incomparable to someone like me.
"You're… a much better person than I thought."
"Wow, you only just realized that now?"
"Yes. I thought you were the type of student who was more on the obnoxious side."
"How rude~ Just kidding."
Karuizawa-san, self-deprecating, continued her words.
"I think I actually was a nasty type of student. I was arrogant, selfish, thinking it was okay not to return money I borrowed from others, that I could do whatever I wanted. At least, that's how I was right after I enrolled."
"Ah, I'm sorry. It was because of my tactless remark earlier… It's not something to be praised."
"No, it's okay. It's the truth. I hated that part of myself too. It's something I can say now that I've changed."
"…Why were you able to change?"
"Kiyotaka—no, Ayanokouji-kun… he saved me from the darkness."
"Darkness…?"
Karuizawa-san looked at me, her expression somewhat fleeting.
"I'll tell only you, Horikita-san, the secret I have with Ayanokouji-kun. Even Maya-chan doesn't know."
Karuizawa-san gently held my hand.
Her hand was cold, but for some reason, it had a strangely comforting warmth.
The hand that should've been hurting forgot its pain at that moment.
And what she told me was the life of a girl named Karuizawa Kei.
A past I couldn't have imagined.
The bullying she endured during middle school. Deciding to climb to the top of the school's social hierarchy, even if it meant being disliked, to change her life. The fake romance with Hirata-kun.
And then… how some students, upon realizing the truth, sparked a new wave of bullying. How she was freed from that thanks to Ayanokouji-kun's intervention. And how, in the end, that had been orchestrated too.
The events of her first year. The battle with Ryuuen-kun on the rooftop. I knew about this from talking to Ibuki-san this past summer, but her memory was unreliable. The details were unclear, with some parts missing. I knew Karuizawa-san suffered terribly at Ryuuen-kun's hands, but I didn't know the circumstances.
This was all filled in by matching it with her own memories.
I noticed a single tear falling from my cheek.
I sympathized with her harsh past.
Trying to become strong by playing the role of someone unpleasant—I realized just how difficult and steep that path really was.
But that wasn't why I cried.
I should've had a deeper understanding when Ibuki-san told me at that time.
"I… haven't been taught anything by him…"
He had always been by my side.
Nearby, I felt like I knew him.
But I was wrong.
Perhaps I knew him less than anyone else.
What he always showed me was only his back.
He never turned around or waited.
"How pathetic."
I felt pathetic.
As if I, who'd been left out, was the most hurt and depressed, convinced that I was the victim.
"I'm pathetic, aren't I…?"
"I feel the same way."
Karuizawa-san replied, laughing.
Seeing her natural smile, my expression naturally softened.
"That might've been my first proper laugh in a while."
"Me too."
Karuizawa-san and I.
I never thought we'd have anything in common.
But now, I felt more connected to her than anyone else in the class.
I squeezed her hand back.
Then, perhaps Karuizawa-san's pent-up feelings began to overflow.
A tear sparkled on her cheek.
"We both got involved with a really difficult person, didn't we?"
"Yes, really… We really did."
I realized that it was better not to delve too deeply into him.
But…
I couldn't back down now.
"Now that it's come to this, I have no choice but to make him turn his head this way. And I will graduate with everyone in Class A. I promise."
It wouldn't be easy.
With him as an enemy, graduating from Class A had become an unprecedented challenge.
But I wouldn't stop anymore.
"You really are strong, Horikita-san."
"Not at all. I'm a weak person, but I've realized that I'm not alone."
With comrades by my side, it wouldn't be impossible.
"Alright… then I also… need to start changing my mindset soon."
Karuizawa-san wiped her tears, gave a mighty stretch, and stood up from the bench.
Then, she turned around with a smile again.
"Let's make him regret transferring out of our class."
"Yes—let's definitely make him regret it."
I finally took a step forward.
Both in reality and in my heart.
Part 1
* * *
THE SPECIAL EXAM ended successfully with victories for Class C and Class D.
After that, Shimazaki and the others held a small welcome party for me at Keyaki Mall, where we celebrated our victory. As I was on my way back, the sun had already begun to set, and it was the twilight before nightfall.
After sending my classmates home first, I took a detour from the usual route to the dormitory.
I looked up at the sky and thought about the future.
It would be at least several weeks until the next special exam would be announced by the school.
Typically, most students would use this downtime to spend their time as regular students, also using it to recharge.
However, each day was indeed passing by, and the remaining time continued to decrease.
For third-year students, career choices were always a concern.
It wasn't that 'it was only just April', rather, 'it was already April'; for a class that was catching up, there was no time for rest.
Therefore, it was necessary to make all possible preparations now.
It was just like preparing emergency food and disaster supplies for a catastrophe.
If things could get done without using them, all the better.
At dusk, Kushida, a student from Class A whom I had called out, was quietly waiting alone for me while leaning on the railing.
"Why did you choose this place to meet?"
As I approached, having asked the question, Kushida answered without turning around.
"When we first entered school, you saw quite a lot of things you shouldn't have, Ayanokouji-kun."
Though she evaded the question, I didn't pursue it further and let it go.
"That did happen."
Kushida, who'd unexpectedly reunited with Horikita from the same middle school, had been under excessive stress, which she kept bottled up. Her classmates, who were under the belief that she was more gentle-natured, must've been truly surprised to see her true nature.
Back then, Kushida had shown she was willing to use her own body in a moment of desperation to keep me silent.
It was only two years ago, but strangely, it feels like it's been a long time.
"It was something like an accident, but I was really anxious when you threatened me."
"Really? You've been thinking about setting me up since then, haven't you?"
"I have no such intentions. Really."
Even though I answered, Kushida, who sent me a brief glance, didn't seem to believe me at all.
When I first entered school, there was still so much I didn't know.
The peers' circumstances were among the most significant.
In the White Room, people my age were dropping out and disappearing one after another.
I'd been alone in that environment for a long time.
Before entering school, I'd never once gotten close to a girl my age after leaving the White Room.
No…
Just once before entering school, I met a girl who dropped out of the White Room.
Perhaps my brain deemed it unnecessary, as I had almost completely forgotten about that girl.
Occasionally, I would remember a past that wasn't necessary, like a glimpse of my childhood.
What was that girl's name?
What kind of conversation did we have?
Or maybe we didn't talk at all.
I couldn't remember 99% of it.
It might've been a side effect of dedicating all my brain's resources to learning.
If I hadn't left the White Room, I wouldn't have directed my attention to such things.
Perhaps because I learned about various human patterns at this school, I became slightly interested in my past.
I wondered how that girl and the others were doing.
Some, like Yagami, might've been undergoing re-education.
"Why did you ask me to come?"
Perhaps because I'd been reminiscing and remained silent, Kushida prompted me.
"I was just wondering how the class is doing. I'm a bit worried."
"Really? If you were that interested, you wouldn't have transferred."
"True."
"The actual topic is something else, isn't it?"
After I lined up beside her, I decided to bring up the reason why I called her here to the perceptive Kushida.
"To close the gap we have with Class A, it would be easier to have an insider from now on."
"What? Are you seriously asking me to betray my class?"
"That's exactly it. If you deliver results, I'll pay you in private points."
When I acknowledged it, Kushida seemed to have worn a faint smile.
"Because of our previous Private Point transaction, I ended up in trouble. Do you think I would cooperate with you again now that you've become an enemy?"
Kushida, without turning to face me the entire time, expressed her refusal.
"You're free not to cooperate, but in that case, I can't guarantee I'll keep your secrets."
Her true nature had already been exposed in Class A.
However, it wasn't widely known among the other classes yet.
"Do you think that counts as a threat? Ryuuen-kun knows about it too."
"Since it's Ryuuen, any negative rumor he spreads about you will lack credibility."
Even if Ryuuen were to spread rumors about Kushida's malicious nature, she'd be able to deny knowing anything about it. Students from Class A wouldn't bother helping Ryuuen either.
"Then isn't it the same for you, Ayanokouji-kun? You transferred on your own, so there's no guarantee people would believe anything you expose."
"It depends on how it's done."
"…You seem confident?"
"I won't deny it."
Kushida narrowed her eyes, not surprised by my answer as if she had anticipated it.
What else might be reflected in her eyes as she gazes at the scenery?
"You don't even need my strength to take down Horikita's pathetic class."
"It won't be that easy. Horikita will definitely recover soon."
"Huh? You sure think highly of her, don't you?"
It might've been difficult for Horikita alone, but with the help of her classmates, it'd be a different story.
Sooner or later, she would become a significant obstacle for Classes C and D.
"Besides, if we need to forcibly expel some people in the future, that would change things."
Upon hearing my words, Kushida looked at me for the first time, trying to ascertain my true intentions.
"Expulsions… from our class?"
"I see no special reason to exclude anyone."
Based on Kushida's information, expulsions would occur within Class A.
Hearing this, there was only one thing to think.
"That's, like, really risky. Even if I get a little allowance on the side and drag down the class, it's meaningless if I can't graduate from Class A. If it ever comes out that I'm connected to you, I'd completely lose my standing."
"Then you'll have to save up enough Private Points to transfer in the remaining year."
"How serious are you?"
It was just superficial skepticism. She wasn't trying to discern which of my words were actually true.
Is she assuming I was lying from the start, or is there another reason?
And she's also trying to mask her true intentions, not letting me read them.
She didn't want me to know where her feelings really stood.
"I'm not asking for an immediate answer. You're free to tell Horikita or anyone else about this invitation to betrayal. If you're recording this on your phone, feel free to spread that too. It would strengthen the unity of Horikita's class."
"What's that about? So what do you want, Ayanokouji-kun? You want to bring down Class A, right?"
"Unfortunately, I want more than just one thing."
I avoided going into details, and Kushida didn't seem inclined to pursue it.
"I don't really get it, but it seems like you just want things to go your way. You were the only one to score perfectly on the special exam, so I guess there's no need to hide anything anymore."
"That's right."
I had said enough here for today.
I could ask for Kushida's response another time.
"…Did you give advice to Ichinose-san's class this time? They got three of them right."
"Just a little. Considering Horikita's mental state, Hirata probably took the lead instead. Yukimura might've said he could win even with some penalty points, and Wan Mei-Yui would likely follow, trying to meet Hirata's expectations. You guys wouldn't use Horikita, who stands out as the class's leader, to give her a rest. Koenji, who generally takes his studies seriously, presented the class with an opportunity to exploit."
"Weren't you scared of them blaming you if your predictions had failed?"
"Of course, it's all within the realm of predictions, and I can't guarantee anything as absolute. However, it's worth the gamble rather than choosing five random people, right?"
Behind her deductions lay not just my own influence, but also information that Ichinose herself gathered directly, like who Hirata called together and how the plan was formed. That couldn't be overlooked.
That was why Ichinose could accept my advice.
This wasn't a relationship that would've worked if one of us had only relied on the other.
My phone vibrated, so I took it out and looked at its screen.
"Who's it from?"
"Hashimoto. He's inviting me to continue my welcome party at the dorm."
"I see you've been recognized by Class C after achieving results in the special exam."
"That's right."
"Hey."
As I turned to leave, Kushida spoke to me again.
"What's up?"
"Are you really going to prepare Private Points for me?"
"Of course. I'll tell you the amount before you do anything. If you're not satisfied, you can refuse at any time. That being said, it's not necessary right now. Both my class and I are quite financially strained."
Unfortunately, I couldn't prepare Kushida a satisfactory amount right away.
"Let me think about it a little."
"Of course. There's no set deadline."
As I started walking, it felt like someone behind me was watching, and I turned around.
Kushida was holding the handrail and staring at me.
"I mean—albeit reluctantly—I do appreciate you, Ayanokouji-kun."
Before I could reply to her words, Kushida looked away.
"That's all. I just thought I should tell you that."
"Is that so? Well, see you later."
Her words carried meaning, but there was no need to dwell on them now.
It was now up to Kushida whether to prioritize her own convenience or the class's.
With that choice, you could say that there was one more thing to look forward to in the future.
Epilogue:
What Awaits Ahead
* * *
IT WAS THE afternoon of the day after my welcome party and after my meeting with Kushida.
There was a class-related issue I wanted to address soon, and I was planning to involve a certain person, but surprisingly, that person approached me first.
I received a fervent request to meet with them immediately, so I left the classroom to respond to them.
In the hallway, students who had finished getting ready to go home were beginning to appear one after the other.
My timing coincided with my former classmates Hondou and Okitani, but they inadvertently looked away. Their reaction seemed to reflect not only the transfer issue but also the results of the recent exam. Their impression of me seemed to be gradually changing.