Chapter 6: What Is Lost, What Isn’t

IT WAS EARLY in the morning on the seventh day. The last full day.

The final test would be held the next morning. Although Hashimoto's quick thinking had kept our group from collapsing, the alliances we'd slowly developed as we came together would end with that test. There were probably more than a few people here who felt a hint of reluctance to part ways.

At the end of the day, despite their dislike for Kouenji, I thought most of the students in our group were getting along well. Well, Ishizaki probably hated me even more than he did Kouenji, but he was doing his best not to let that show. He probably wanted nothing more than to confront me but knew exactly what would happen if he tried it.

Ishizaki was like Sudou, in that they were both quick to lose their tempers and had a coarse way of speaking. However, Ishizaki was cannier than Sudou. I also got the impression that he respected his opponents and earnestly acknowledged their strengths. That was probably why Ryuuen had kept him close.

That didn't mean Sudou was inferior to Ishizaki. He was more athletic by far, and at this point in time, probably doing better than Ishizaki academically too. As long as Horikita was helping him, Sudou would probably continue to improve. He and Ishizaki might be similar, but they had different weapons at their disposal.

"I want to talk about the long-distance relay tomorrow. Please hear me

out."

Everyone, still in their beds, looked over at Keisei.

"There's only ten of us, so each person will be shouldering quite a bit

of responsibility. But depending on how things play out, we might be able to turn this to our advantage."

"What do you mean? Isn't it better to have more people, so each of them has to run a shorter distance? Wouldn't that be easier?"

"It's certainly true that if fifteen people had to split the burden equally,

each person would have less to do. But the larger the group, the higher the probability that you'll have slow students on your team. I can count the number of people who are good at running long-distance marathons on my fingers."

"Yeah, you've got a point."

"In other words, this is our chance to close the gap." "But that's assumin' our entire group's athletic, right?"

Ishizaki looked around. I could be classified as athletic, but since we couldn't really count upon Kouenji, that meant the only other runner in the group was Hashimoto. We didn't exactly have a surplus of speedy people.

"This is going to sound pathetic, but…despite saying all that, I probably won't be of any use," said Keisei.

He knew his limitations best. Of everyone in the group, Keisei had the worst stamina and speed. But as the representative, he came up with a plan.

"The long-distance relay is eighteen kilometers. The rules state that every person has to run a minimum of 1.2 kilometers. So in a group of fifteen, everyone would have to run the same distance: 1.2 kilometers each. However, in a group of ten people, you can make significant changes to how you allocate the distances."

"We can't just say someone's injured and can't participate, can we?" "Any absence on that day due to injury or illness will result in a

penalty. Not only will that cause more trouble for the remaining people, it

also costs us time. That's no good. Plus, the changeover point has to be every

1.2 kilometers."

The school was working hard to squash any loopholes. Students would have to do what was required of them. So Keisei and Yahiko, who lacked confidence in their speed, would have to run the minimum distance of 1.2 kilometers. The three guys from Class B might be placed at that bare minimum too.

Albert was reasonably fast, but the problem was his stamina. Even if everyone else in the group ran the bare minimum distance, the remaining four people would each have to run an average of 2.7 kilometers, if not more…but students who were skilled in long-distance marathon running might very well

be capable of that. Which meant the thoughts crossing my mind were exactly what Keisei was getting at.

"In that case, I'll run 3…nah, I'll do 3.6 kilometers," declared Ishizaki.

He was certainly one of the few members in our group who could handle it.

Another person raised his hand.

"In that case, it looks like I gotta do the same thing. I'm not too shabby when it comes to running long distances myself," said Hashimoto. Two of the most qualified members of the group had earnestly promised to shoulder a significant burden. That meant we'd covered 7.2 kilometers.

"Thank you."

Keisei bowed in gratitude. If this was how things were going, I supposed I needed to cover a certain amount myself.

"Then…I'll try to do what I can. I don't know how fast I can run it, though," I told Keisei.

"Is that okay, Kiyotaka?"

"Just don't expect too much from me."

However, the crucial part was what came next. The man known as Kouenji—the person with the highest potential here, the person who topped our class in stamina and athleticism, whom not even Sudou would hold a candle to. The more Kouenji ran, the easier it would be for the other students. He would probably run the minimum distance of 1.2 kilometers, but he had yet to promise to do anything more than that.

More importantly, there was no telling if he would seriously run. Even if the nine of us ran our hearts out, we'd be done for if Kouenji decided to stroll along.

"Kouenji. I would like you to run too." It was precisely because Keisei was aware of being the weakest link himself that he bowed his head even lower when addressing Kouenji.

Kouenji sat in bed, looking at his own fingernails and smiling. "Kouenji."

Keisei calmly called his name once more.

"I will run, of course. However, unlike those fellows, I am not so

inclined to run long distances," said Kouenji.

Well, it wouldn't have been like him to agree right off the bat. Ishizaki glared at Kouenji but didn't attempt to hound him. The last few days had made him begin to understand Kouenji's actions better, including their apparent meaninglessness.

"I would like to avoid our group placing last."

"I suppose so. I understand what you're saying, Glasses-kun."

Shifting his gaze away from his fingernails, Kouenji glanced at Keisei. "Even if running long-distance is impossible, I will at least run 1.2

kilometers with serious effort."

Everyone in the group looked at Kouenji.

"I cannot make any promises. Even if our group does place last, it's not as though I will be expelled. Only you, the representative, will be. You surely wouldn't do something so inhuman as drag a classmate to ruin with you. Isn't that right?"

If the representative had been someone like Ishizaki or Yahiko, then perhaps Kouenji would have run. But since it was Keisei, a classmate, he figured he was safe. If we threatened him with expulsion regardless, there was a slight chance we might be able to get him to run here and now—but only at the cost of never having his cooperation ever again.

"Then tell me. What do we have to do to get you to cooperate? If paying you private points will help, I'll do that," said Keisei. Again, it was precisely because he understood he was the greatest liability in that group that he was willing to pay out of his own pocket.

"Don't carry that burden alone, Yukimura," Hashimoto said. "I don't have much, but I've got points."

"I'll pay too."

Yahiko and the other guys joined in, agreeing to help out. I guess it was like they said, every little bit counts. If the nine of us pooled our points, we'd end up with a fairly large sum. How would Kouenji react to the unified wishes of the entire group?

"Unfortunately for you, I'm not exactly struggling as far as private

points are concerned. Besides, I could lead a fulfilling life at school even if I didn't have any points, you see."

As I'd anticipated, he wasn't even slightly moved by our promise of cash. Asking him to do his best for the group's sake was clearly pointless, too. Everyone in the group, myself included, had racked their brains for the last few days, trying to figure out how to get Kouenji to cooperate. Our seniors had tried too. And every attempt had ended in failure.

"Are you saying that you won't run for us?"

"Yes, I suppose so," said Kouenji after a moment's thought. "It doesn't seem that I will be an asset to you all," he added.

Ishizaki, who'd held himself back so far, stood up to go for Kouenji, but Keisei stopped him.

"However, rest assured about one thing. While I don't intend to do anything more than what is required, I will do the bare minimum. I have my own way of doing things, you see."

"So that means…you'll produce average results?"

"That is correct. Of course, even by doing the bare minimum, I will still most likely produce superior results. I suppose this is good news for you all, isn't it?"

I had a feeling that everyone present understood what he meant when he said that. We'd started to feel like a team at long last, even if it was just barely so. We'd started thinking about what we could do for each other, as friends.

My analysis of the situation told me that the reality, however, was that Kouenji was acting from purely selfish motives. He'd behaved in completely unprecedented ways in every exam we'd had so far, but none of those things he did were enough to get him expelled. Kouenji had figured that there was a 99 percent chance that Keisei wouldn't drag him down with him, but that still left the possibility, no matter how slim, of it happening. If he did perform poorly, the school would make note of it, and then he'd have no way of escaping the solidarity rule if it was invoked against him. A guy like him wouldn't make that mistake.

"Whaddya mean, excellent results? You can't even do something like

zazen right."

"Heh. I mastered things like zazen in my early childhood. It's no problem."

"What was your childhood like?" someone asked.

Kouenji just laughed, ignoring the question. Still, this might be good enough for Keisei. Even though Kouenji had no intention of cooperating with us, he promised to do the bare minimum. That alone was huge. As his classmates, we knew the sheer extent of his potential.

There were still several unknowns, like zazen and the written test, but we could at least place our faith in Kouenji's physical fitness for the marathon.

6.1

WITH ONE PROBLEM SOLVED, it was time for our morning dusting. When Keisei was about to start cleaning, Ishizaki went over and picked up the dustcloth.

"Take a break. If you can't run in the relay, that'll be worse." "Well, but—"

"Rest. In exchange, do your best on the written exam. Get at least 120 percent, will ya?"

"Okay. It's impossible to get 120 percent, but I'll shoot for 100…" It seemed Ishizaki finally understood what it meant to give and take.

Keisei thanked him gratefully and sat down. "Quite prudent of you, Delinquent-kun."

"Shut your piehole or I'll kill ya, Kouenji. You haven't done a single

damn thing since the first damn day!" "Is that so? Ha ha ha!"

Kouenji didn't take a dustcloth or broom. Instead, he left, strolling outside to be in nature. Even with the second- and third-years watching, he acted brash.

"That dude is a disease. Can you guys even make it to the upper classes with him along for the ride?"

Even the Class D folks felt sorry for us. "…I can't say I'm confident."

Keisei had always felt strongly about climbing the ranks, but Kouenji

was a most bizarre variable. His performance tomorrow would have a huge impact on our scores. He'd promised to do the bare minimum during our morning discussion, but that guaranteed nothing. It was entirely possible he'd skip out on his duties as soon as he was out of sight.

If he refused to even participate in something like cleaning, there was a very real chance that we might come in last place. If that happened, even the

upperclassmen who'd turned a blind eye to him so far might suddenly bare their fangs at him. While I generally thought of Kouenji as a calculating person who wouldn't do something so foolish, his complete and total irrationality made me wary of the possibility that he might betray my expectations.

Sensing Keisei's anxiety, Ishizaki approached. "Don't worry. We just gotta compensate for him."

"That sure doesn't sound like you. You've become much more

understanding in only a day."

"Shut it, Hashimoto. What, you got a problem?!"

"No problem. Our group's ranking impacts my own plans. I'd like for us to score at least one spot above the lowest rank. Isn't that right, Yahiko?"

"Well, yeah. Since our group's a handful, we have no choice but to do our best. If we get a poor score, Katsuragi-san will be disappointed in us," said Yahiko.

Hashimoto had a wry smile on his face as he smacked Yahiko, who was focused on Katsuragi as always, lightly on the shoulder. Yahiko had to be aware he'd hold us back during activities like the marathon. He'd been behaving pretty humbly since the test started.

"I've squared off against Katsuragi many times on Sakayanagi's orders. You probably resent me for that, but right now we're allies for real. Please forget about the past."

"Hmm. Maybe."

Yahiko didn't shout or make a scene, but I got the sense his trust in Hashimoto had its limits. Some part of him likely couldn't forgive Hashimoto for the way Katsuragi had been hindered by his own classmates so far.

"Didn't you set up Katsuragi-san to be the representative?" asked Yahiko.

"I had nothing to do with that. That was Matoba's plan."

Yahiko didn't seem convinced. But he controlled himself, choosing not to disrupt the group. I had to give him credit for that.

6.2

IT WAS OUR FINAL DINNER before the exam. I spotted Ichinose walking past, carrying a tray, and called out to her. I wasn't attempting to draw information out of her. It was just that, well…something seemed a little off about her.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Huh? Oh, Ayanokouji-kun. Nothing, really. I was just thinking about this and that."

"You're facing a difficult problem, huh?"

Ichinose seemed about to walk away but then stopped. "The final test is tomorrow. What do you think about this exam, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"That's a really roundabout question."

"I want you to tell me your honest thoughts."

"I guess it seems different from the exams we've had until now. A little tougher. There's a high risk of expulsion."

"I see. But we're in our third semester now. Isn't it only natural that things would get more difficult?"

"I guess."

"Speaking of risks, this whole representative system is scary, huh?

Becoming the leader of a group." "Yeah."

"Being the representative is very risky, but…becoming the representative for the sake of winning is also important, right?"

I didn't argue, just listened intently to what she had to say. "Even if you say there's the risk of expulsion, I guess it's kind of

like…that's all up in the air somehow. Like it doesn't really feel real. …To

be honest, there's a great deal that's still hidden from me. But what I'm really scared of isn't losing class points or private points."

"You're talking about your classmates?"

"Yeah. The risk of losing one of them is unfathomable."

"If a classmate were expelled, what would you intend to do?" I asked. "What would I do?" Ichinose slowly looked up, a thin smile on her

face. "Ayanokouji-kun, you really are a smart guy, aren't you?" "Why do you say that?"

"I mean, normally, there's nothing you can do if someone's expelled,

right? But you know there's always a way." "It was a hypothetical question."

"If it were really a hypothetical, you wouldn't have used the word intend, would you? You'd say, 'What would happen?' or phrase it completely differently, like, 'Would your class be okay?' or something."

"Sorry. You're giving me way too much credit. My language skills aren't that advanced."

"Still. I think you have a very respectable sense of intuition."

She then told me she'd gotten too caught up in chatting and that she'd see me later. Ichinose walked off, probably burdened with plenty of things she needed to ponder alone. I watched other students call out to her as she went. Being popular was rough. Even when you just wanted some time to think, people wouldn't leave you alone.

Still, Ichinose always had a smile on her face. But that didn't seem to be the case today.

"Yeah. Sorry, I'm just not feeling up to it today," said Ichinose, walking away from two girls whom she was close to. She sounded dispirited. "Sorry. I just have some things going on. I feel like I'd like to be alone for today."

This was no act. She seemed like a completely different person from when our first day at this camp.

Seeing that, I understood. Sakayanagi had made her move. The coming storm wasn't just going to hit the guys. The girls might just be in for it, too.

6.3

SINCE IT WAS THE FINAL DAY before the exam, things had changed dramatically. The mood in the cafeteria remained unchanged, but you could clearly tell who was laughing and who was depressed. In short, there was a clear distinction between those whose groups were doing well and those whose groups were not.

As I stepped out into the hallway, Kei was there, leaning against the wall near the entrance to the cafeteria.

She casually slipped me a piece of paper as I passed by, then immediately entered the cafeteria, probably going to meet up with her friends. As we parted ways, I looked at the slip of paper, then shredded it and divided the pieces up between several trash bins placed all around the building.

She'd held on pretty well throughout the week, but it seemed she was finally at her limit.

I walked to a corner of the school building, where the person whom Kei had been keeping an eye on for me was trying to grab some alone time. Solitude was a limited resource at this camp. There was the middle of the night, sure, but others would notice if you were gone from your shared room for a long period of time. Your best option was to make use of the time when everyone was gathered in the cafeteria.

As I followed the person in question, she crouched down, like she was trying to hide. She didn't notice me there. I watched her trying to hold back tears, and I hesitated, wondering what to do.

But no matter how hard it might be for someone to find this place, there was no telling when another student might just show up. I should wrap this up fast.

"If you're in some kind of trouble…maybe you should talk to the former student council president?"

"Huh?!"

Third-year Class A student Tachibana Akane looked up at me.

Panicked at being seen in such a pathetic state, she quickly wiped her tears away.

"Wh-what is it?"

"Nothing. Just exactly what I said." "I'm not in any trouble or anything."

"If you're crying even though you're not in trouble, that might be a problem in and of itself."

"I'm not crying!"

As she said that, Tachibana averted her eyes from me. She probably wasn't moving from the spot she was in because she knew her reddened eyes and the wetness on her face would be clearly visible if she went somewhere brightly lit.

"Sometimes I just want to be alone."

"True. We don't get much private time, huh?"

Bathroom breaks were it, more or less, and you could only use those for so long. There were always students coming and going, seeing you there.

"For the record, I'm on Former President Horikita's side."

That was a lie. But if I said that, Tachibana would trust me more. "Doesn't matter. You're not going to be any help."

Well…when she put it like that, I had no response. In fact, I might

accidentally give away something I didn't want to if I kept going. "Just consider the fact that it's better if we're not enemies."

"Okay, can you stop talking to your seniors in such a casual way? I haven't said anything about it to you until now because Horikita-kun was there, but…"

Rather than the rebuke, what piqued my curiosity was the fact that she called him "Horikita-kun." She usually continued to refer to him as President Horikita, which was odd in its own right, given he was no longer in office.

She could tack on the word former before that title, but the way Tachibana referred to him was strange.

"You… It must be nice being a first-year. So carefree."

"Wow, you sound pretty scared. Are you anxious about the test

tomorrow?"

"I don't feel anything. The representative's at stake and all, but things aren't bad between people in our group or anything. If anything, things are going great."

"In that case, why are you crying?" "I-I told you, I wasn't crying!"

When I pointed at Tachibana's eyes, she panicked and touched her face to check for any fresh tears that might have welled up. When she realized I'd fooled her, she glared at me.

"Horikita-kun…is the one that I'm worried about," she said.

That was a lie…and at the same time not. But I wouldn't touch that just

yet.

"Worry, huh? Is there really anything to worry about when it comes to

that guy?"

"Horikita-kun… Horikita-kun has been fighting alone for a long time.

He's been fighting the second- and third-years all this time. You can't possibly understand how difficult it is to have to face everyone all by yourself."

True. I'd never understand that, even if I tried.

"I know a little bit about how the second-years, particularly Nagumo, are his enemies," I said. "But he has enemies among the third-years too? Not many people would want to rebel against the former student council president, right?"

"Do you take Horikita-kun for some kind of dictator? Even when he was student council president, he never did just as he pleased, like Nagumo- kun. You can never afford to let your guard down in any test."

I had never gotten the opportunity to learn about the third-years' internal affairs. I didn't know a single thing about the elder Horikita's background. But if she said they couldn't afford to let their guard down in any exam, that meant…

"Wait. You mean the class conflict among the third-years is still ongoing?"

"If Horikita-kun fails, then Class A will definitely fall." "Huh."

Nagumo had said the same thing. He'd mentioned the gap between third-year Classes A and B was only 312 points. If Horikita's brother was the main weapon at Class A's disposal, or if Class B had a remarkably skilled student up their sleeve, it was certainly possible their lead might be overturned.

"So even he's just a normal student." "Horikita-kun is…! Nothing. Forget it."

She raised her voice unintentionally but then quieted herself.

Tachibana began to speak, slower this time, as though letting her frustration spill forth.

"It's because the rest of us in Class A are always holding the class back. We lost a ton of class points that we shouldn't have, and even private points, too… He's always sacrificing himself to protect his comrades."

If what Tachibana was saying was true, then Horikita's brother was much like Hirata—which surprised me, to be honest. Of course, if Tachibana, who was actually in the third-year Class A, said it…there had to be some degree of truth to it. If I had to guess, there had probably been a lot of occasions when the elder Horikita handled things behind the scenes, so no one saw what a virtuous person he was. And the person who'd seen him do those things, by his side more often than anyone else, was this girl here.

"So you're depressed by the current situation?"

"Even I've heard about what's going on with the boys. Including the fact that Nagumo-kun challenged Horikita-kun to a contest, and because of that, he can't make a move. We can't help him at all."

"That depends on how tenacious you are, doesn't it?" "I know that."

Fresh tears may have welled up in her eyes, because Tachibana wiped them with her arm once more. Her concern for Horikita's brother may have been one reason for her tears, but I was betting there was more to it.

"You're in some kind of trouble, aren't you?"

"I'm not. Not really." "Not really?"

"You're persistent, aren't you? I'm not in any kind of trouble." "If you say so, I must be mistaken."

"You are. Please don't say anything weird to Horikita-kun." "Okay."

With that stern warning, Tachibana headed back to the cafeteria. She probably didn't want Horikita's brother to learn the truth of whatever was going on with her. But she'd made an error in judgment. This wasn't a problem you could solve by sacrificing yourself.

"I suppose this means it's checkmate if I don't make a move, huh?"

Watching Tachibana's frail, slender back as she walked off, I was sure of that fact.

6.4

IT WAS MIDNIGHT when I was woken up by a slight creaking sound. A lone student was moving in the pitch darkness. Of course, despite the lack of visibility, I still knew who it was—Hashimoto, who was supposed to be sleeping in the bunk above me right now. He descended from the top bunk without making a sound and left the room without even bringing a flashlight with him. When he was gone, I slowly sat up.

It was most likely a bathroom break, but there were other possibilities too. What caught my attention was the fact that, over the course of the last week, Hashimoto hadn't once slipped out of the room in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

After giving him a slight head start, I got up and followed. On the off chance that he happened to be standing outside the door, I'd just say I'd gotten up to use the bathroom too. We shared the same bunk bed; Hashimoto would just think he'd woken me up.

I stealthily went into the corridor. Even though the only illumination came from the emergency lighting and a sliver of moonlight, I could walk without a flashlight. Hashimoto headed toward the bathroom, then disappeared from view. I started following him. I quickly saw him turn left, even though the bathroom was straight down the hall.

So he didn't need the bathroom, apparently. Hashimoto descended to the first floor and went outside, still wearing his indoor slippers. I hid myself, hugging the wall. There were no other students around. Maybe he simply came outside to get some fresh air because he couldn't sleep. Or perhaps he was waiting for someone?

I learned the answer to my question right away.

Sensing that he was going to turn my way, I moved to a different spot when I saw another shadow, which I assumed was his target. The shadow moved along the same path as Hashimoto and went outside. It was so quiet you couldn't even hear insects, which meant even a whisper sounded clear as a bell.

"Hey, Ryuuen," Hashimoto said. "The hell do you want with me?"

"I just wanted to chat. I mean, you stand out way too much in the cafeteria, dude. The only time I can talk to you is the middle of the night."

"On the last day?"

"Yeah. I called you here because it's the last day. Right now, everyone else is sound asleep."

"I see. Guess you got a point."

No students would deliberately stay up late into the night when there was an exam the next day. Still, Ryuuen and Hashimoto…that was a pairing I wouldn't have expected. Then again, Ryuuen had formed a relationship with Class A back during our time on the uninhabited island. I wouldn't be surprised if Hashimoto had played the part of intermediary.

"Look, I'm not good at talking about stuff in a roundabout way. So I want to hear a straight answer. Did you really quit being the class leader?"

"Hee hee hee. Doesn't seem like you believe it, huh?"

"At the very least, I don't buy that Ishizaki and the others worked you over," replied Hashimoto, zeroing in on the detail that stuck out to him. True, the idea of Ishizaki beating Ryuuen was pretty dumb.

"Ishizaki aside, Albert's trouble. If we really went head-to-head with one another, it'd be brutal."

"I see. Well, Albert's certainly a threat, I guess. But the Ryuuen Kakeru I know isn't the kind of guy to cower before an opponent. If anything, he's the sort of guy who's always thinking up counterattacks, isn't he?"

Rather than diminish Hashimoto's suspicions, what Ryuuen had said only heightened them.

"I just got tired of trying to unite people who keep rebelling against me. As long as I continue to bleed you Class A folks dry, I'm in the clear. I ain't got any obligation to those other guys."

"I see. So that's it." "Did I convince you?"

"Not sure. I'm still fifty-fifty. Personally, I think I want you to fight back against the situation you're in."

"So you can score some more pocket change?"

"Yep. I want the 'promise of Class A.' Just like you."

If you could save up twenty million points, then you could buy the right to move into A Class. A student with the means to do that could rest easy—an enviable situation. Making that goal a reality was difficult, but it seemed Hashimoto was one of the students aiming to do just that.

"If the promise of victory is what you crave, I'm guessing you're prepared to dispose of Sakayanagi?"

"If necessary." Hashimoto continued.

"Selling out Sakayanagi doesn't come cheap, Ryuuen. Right now, she's at the top of our class. I'm on the winning team. Get it?"

"We'll see how much of an opportunist you really are."

"I'm pretty good at making my way in the world. You should know that I can come out on top pretty well. Anyway, I'm glad I could talk with you directly. Doesn't look like you've lost your fire."

Hashimoto yawned, then added one last thing.

"When you got overtaken by Hirata's class, I wondered what the hell you were even doing. But they might be a tough bunch after all."

"Huh?"

"If you examine each member with a level head, you can see they're pretty evenly matched. I'd like for them to be crushed as soon as possible."

"Huh. To think a guy like you would be sizing them up. Any particular guy caught your interest?"

"Kouenji is a threat, at the very least. To be honest, if he started acting to his class's advantage, there's no telling what would happen to Class A. They also have academically gifted students like Hirata and Yukimura, and Sudou, who's easily one of the most athletic students in our grade."

"I don't know about those other guys, but I can't imagine Sudou will do anything terribly special."

Hashimoto chuckled in agreement.

"Anyway, there's no telling what will happen, but here's something to keep in mind. Even if Hirata's group does manage to make it all the way to Class A, I'm fine as long as there's room for me to slip in there too."

"I doubt you have that much power. Try not to get burned," said Ryuuen mockingly, as if to end the conversation there.

"It's shitty, but dragging this out is just a hassle." "Yeah."

I thought they'd wrap up there, so I prepared to move. Hashimoto would probably head back to the room. If I wasn't asleep before he got back, he might suspect something.

But I sensed someone else approaching and stopped in my tracks. One of the two people who drew near immediately noticed Ryuuen and Hashimoto and called out to them.

"What's up, first-years? Having a secret meeting at a time like this,

huh?"

"Huh?"

Nagumo Miyabi and Horikita Manabu stood before the two

conspirators. Ryuuen paused for a moment, then immediately seemed to lose interest and made to leave. He walked right toward Nagumo, who didn't budge.

"Outta the way."

Nagumo laughed, like he found Ryuuen's glare amusing. Meanwhile Hashimoto, who had come back into the corridor to see what was going on, locked eyes with Nagumo.

"I've heard you're quite the delinquent. Your name's Ryuuen, right?

I'm going to have a little chat with Horikita-senpai, but you should come along." Nagumo beckoned Hashimoto, summoning him to join them too.

"Ain't interested," said Ryuuen, shoulder-checking Nagumo as he passed.

"Wow, you're confident. Not scared of me, Ryuuen?"

"Doesn't matter if you're student council president or whatever. I'll crush anyone who gets in my way."

"Heh."

Nagumo seemed to have a certain degree of interest in Ryuuen, who wasn't bothered a bit.

"I don't dislike people like you. But you're not really fit to be part of my student council."

As Ryuuen tried to walk away, Nagumo called out to him once again. "Hey, how about you join this wager, as a third party? Which group do

you think will place higher in today's special exam, mine, or Horikita- senpai's? How about ten thousand points a head? No matter which side you bet on, I'll pay up if you're right on the money. If you're wrong, though, you gotta pay up."

"That's dumb. Not interested in that kind of money."

"Ten thousand is 'that kind of money', huh? You're in Class D, meaning you're always short on cash, right? Can't hurt to earn a little more."

"In that case, make it a million. I'll play along if you're willing to pay up," said Ryuuen, turning around.

"Hahaha! You're a funny guy, Ryuuen. Talk about a ballsy joke. You

can go now."

Apparently, he thought Ryuuen's proposal was a joke.

"If you don't got the guts to pay up that much, don't bother asking me to make a bet."

"Hey, you. First-year. You think Ryuuen can pay that much?" Nagumo asked Hashimoto.

Since Hashimoto was aware of Ryuuen's secret arrangement with Class A, he knew Ryuuen definitely had enough. But…

"Not sure. We're in different classes, so I can't really say."

"If we had our phones, we could check. I wouldn't mind playing along then. Too bad."

Looked like the wager wasn't going to happen then. Hashimoto moved to make his escape, and Nagumo shifted his gaze over to Horikita.

"Horikita-senpai. Please abstain from taking the exam tomorrow," Nagumo said abruptly. Ryuuen continued walking, seemingly uninterested, but Hashimoto stopped in his tracks.

"Abstain?" "That's right."

"That's an even worse joke than Ryuuen's."

"Actually, I'm being quite serious." Nagumo added something else. "It's for your own sake, senpai."

"Please explain it to me in a way I can understand. You have a habit of just saying everything in your head, and it seems like you have yet to address that."

"Sorry. Being able to see too far into the future is a curse. Anyway, if you don't kindly abstain tomorrow, senpai, you'll regret it. What I'm saying is that I'm trying to help you. I could just put the hurt on you without warning, but that would just be heartless, wouldn't it?"

"What are you planning? Depending on what it is, I may not accept." "I understand. The rules of our contest are that we have to fight fair

and square, without involving any third parties. But the way things are, if the

exam takes place, we won't know which of us will win until we get a look at the results. Of course, it's only to be expected that this will be a close race.

But that's exactly why I want to win. And I've been taking steps to ensure I do."

"Is that why you want me to abstain?"

"Yes. Because abstaining will allow you to get through this with the least amount of damage, senpai. Are you aware of the strategic groundwork that I've laid? No, you aren't, are you? There isn't a single student at this school who can read my thoughts. That's what this is. Even your little favorite is the same… Who was that first-year again?"

Nagumo looked intentionally at Hashimoto. But there was no way Hashimoto knew.

"Ah, that's right. If I recall, he's in the same group as that first-year. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." Nagumo clearly emphasized my name, as though he were trying to make Hashimoto aware of it. "What do you think, Hashimoto? About Ayanokouji."

"What do I…? Well, I think he's just a normal student."

Hashimoto was visibly shaken after unexpectedly hearing my name come up.

"I know, right? But Horikita-senpai here seems to value Ayanokouji over all other first-years."

"Maybe because he performed well at the relay during the Sports Festival?"

"Well, that would make sense. But that doesn't seem to be all there is to it. See, Horikita-senpai prizes Ayanokouji above even Sakayanagi, even Ryuuen, even Ichinose. Since you're in the same group as him, I thought you might have noticed something."

"No."

"Why is that, senpai? Please, I think it's about time you tell me the reason."

"You're reaching, Nagumo. When have I spoken highly of Ayanokouji? There is nothing to be gained by spreading lies. Stop teasing the first-years."

"Sorry, senpai. I suppose you're right. My bad, Hashimoto. That was a little joke."

"Is that so…?"

I didn't like where this conversation was headed, but it was time I got out of there. The three of them were blocking the corridor, so I needed to use the stairs on the opposite end of the building. It meant taking a detour, but I decided to go the alternate route. I had to be back by the time Hashimoto returned, or it might end up making him suspect there was something to what Nagumo was saying.

A few minutes after I returned, Hashimoto quietly entered the room. I felt his gaze fall upon me from the top bunk, but only for a moment.

Afterward, he went to sleep.