Chapter 2 The Inevitable Path

INTRODUCTION

This class is once again confronted with many challenges at the same time.

A leader shouldn't just stand by and observe as the situation around them worsens.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to do everything yourself, but if it's out of your ability, then

it's just wishful thinking. No, even if you have the ability to solve problems, there are some

things that you can't handle alone. What is required now is to rely on your friends, to work

together, and to choose the right path at the same time.

I've made no real efforts to help since the weekend.

As I finished watching today's news on my cell phone, I decided to leave my seat a little later

than the students who were going out to clubs after school.

A man came rushing after me, as if he had been waiting for the proper moment.

I knew that if he was in a hurry to find a solution, he would eventually come to me.

"Um, Kiyotaka-kun. I was wondering if we could make some time somewhere this evening. I

need to discuss something with you."

He was a little concerned about the surroundings, so he whispered to me that he wanted to talk

to me.

"I have plans to meet Kei in the evening. Can't we do it now?"

I didn't really have any plans to do so, but I lied to see his reaction.

"It's…"

Of course he wouldn't say yes.

Yosuke is involved in club activities, so he doesn't have free time right after school.

Since the club activities will be temporarily suspended as the sports festival approaches, he

would want to participate as much as possible now.

"It was a joke. I'll talk to Kei about it. I'll see her next time for a date."

"Oh, thank you."

"Just so it's clear, you want to talk to me?"

I knew that, but I persisted to ask him back. Yosuke simply nodded, unconcerned.

"Yeah. I believe we should act as soon as possible."

"I see. Anyway, if you're okay with my room, I'll make arrangements for the evening."

Yosuke's face relaxed and he grinned like a child at the positive response.

"If it's possible, it'd be great if Karuizawa-san could be there too, but I'm not sure if she would

want to."

"Kei? Of course she'll be happy to be there, but won't she get in the way?"

"I have a few things I need to resolve, and I could use her help."

There is a big difference between having Kei with the girls' information network and not having

her there at all.

I didn't even have to ask what Yosuke was planning to do. It's about Kushida, Shinohara,

Haruka and the others.

"Can we then Meet… around 7:30?"

"Don't worry. I'll be there without delay."

Narrowing his eyes happily, Yosuke seemed to be walking fast to his club activities.

As soon as someone has a problem, he reaches out.

"That's problem number two in my class."

Of course, this is an unavoidable aspect. As long as I have been the one to give Yosuke a hand

when he is in trouble, it is inevitable that this will happen.

It's not easy to destroy what you've built, but it's an inevitable path.

Well, I'll call Kei to come to my room around 7:30 p.m.

PART 1

It was 5:30 p.m. when I got back to my room and was slowly waiting for Yosuke to arrive. I

received a notification on my cell phone.

'Can we hang out now?'

My girlfriend, Kei, sent me a message with a cute cat stamp.

The time of the meeting with Yosuke is 7:30 pm, which is quite soon.

"Let's have some food while we're at it."

Before I can respond, the message arrives. She seemed to want to eat dinner with me.

In response to Kei's message, I sent her a short message saying that I was ready.

"If that's the case, I'll have to cook something."

I could serve yesterday's leftovers, but if I want to make something quick and that Kei likes….

As I opened the refrigerator and stared at the contents, the doorbell rang.

When I opened the front door, I saw Kei smiling at me.

I was a little surprised, but I didn't panic and slowly invited her inside. Now that we're in an open

relationship, it's great that I don't have to worry about when to let her in.

"You're early."

While taking off her shoes, Kei goes up to the room with a usual movement.

"Because I called you before I got on the elevator."

She said that she was going to visit me anyway, with my schedule as an afterthought.

I gave up on cooking and sat down on the floor by the table with Kei.

"Maybe it's because I've been in Kiyotaka's room so much lately, but it's starting to feel like my

own room."

"I'm glad to hear that. On the contrary, I haven't been invited to Kei's room."

"Oh, yeah? That's a little embarrassing... well, maybe someday, when you're ready!"

She didn't give me a straightforward yes, but I'm sure she has her own reasons, there must be

various circumstances when it comes to girls' rooms.

Let's not pursue this too deeply.

"Speaking of which, what do people around Kei say about our relationship?"

"The girls? I think they've accepted it surprisingly easily. I mean, ... It's nothing."

She tried to say something, but it was unclear. I was a little curious, so I pursued the matter.

"What is it?"

"Well, you know. There is a so-called status attached to Hirata Yosuke. Many girls are

perplexed as to why I would give up on him."

I see. It means they don't understand why she went to the trouble of switching to a no-status

guy.

It's certainly not surprising that they would openly talk about such things when comparing me

and Yosuke.

"In a way, I've been affected by it too. I'm supposed to be the one who rejected Yosuke, but in

fact they think I am the one who got rejected."

If the guy you switch to is more or less irrelevant, you can't blame them for their suspicions.

"But that's only part of the story. Kiyotaka's reputation has been anagonobori lately."

"It's an eel, if you say so. It's Unaginobori. What kind of mistake is that?"

(T/L Note - Unaginobori is a Japanese expression for - Rising rapidly. Kei here uses the wrong

expression and says 'Anagonobori' which means conger eel)

I wonder if it was on purpose, but Kei was smirking at me.

"I know that much too."

"Your Tutor must be excellent."

"Thank you for everything, sensei. Thanks to your secret private lessons, my scores are getting

better."

Kei's academic performance has been gradually improving, and at the beginning of September,

her OAA showed that her academic performance had risen to a C-48.

It means that she's finally getting to the point where she's an average student.

After a few minutes of such idle chatter, I sat up and headed back to the refrigerator.

"I'm thinking of making Omurice / Omelet rice, do you want some?"

When I ask without looking back, Kei immediately raises her voice in happiness.

"I want it! I want it! With a lot of ketchup please. Chef"

This is not the first time I've served Kei a home-cooked meal.

After we started dating, the opportunity to serve meals in my room came up regularly.

So far, Kei has shown little desire to cook on her own, but that's okay.

It's just that the person who wants to make it should make it, because it doesn't matter if you're

a man or a woman.

I don't mind cooking, and Kei is happy to eat it.

Kei, who likes to talk, is able to talk to me, who is not a good talker, and makes the place more

lively. I think we have a good balance by supporting each other in this way.

I took out eggs, ketchup, chicken, and butter from the refrigerator. If I get some salad oil from

the shelf, I'll be all set. I took out the frozen rice and started to defrost it in the microwave. In the

meantime, I prepared the onions. I wanted to add some carrots, but unfortunately, I didn't have

any in stock.

Then, as I placed the onions on the cutting board and picked up the knife, I felt a presence

behind me and it came close to snuggling up to my back.

"What are you doing?"

Since it is somewhat dangerous, I stopped moving and asked her.

"I'm just watching ~"

Kei answered, although she shouldn't have been able to see what was going on because she

was stuck to my back.

"You can ignore me. I'll just stand by."

"Okay, got it."

Ignoring her for the time being and continuing with the work as I was told.

On the cutting board, I cut the onions into 5 mm cubes. While I was cutting the onions, Kei

stayed close to my back, never leaving me.

This time I put down the knife and reached for the bowl to crack the eggs, but at that moment

Kei wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me.

"What are you doing this time?"

"Hmm! ...? Just watching!"

"It doesn't look like you're just waiting to see what happens. It's more like interference."

It wasn't quite a warning, but I prodded her about the slight loss of work efficiency, but she didn't

seem to mind.

"Oh, I'm so happy. What else could make me so happy?"

She muttered briefly, and her arms tightened into a hug. She seemed rather satisfied.

"That's cheap happiness. Isn't there greater happiness out there? Buying what you want,

watching the TV you've always wanted?"

"That doesn't make me happy at all."

"That was a random remark, but you actually have one?"

"No, I don't. Even if there were, I wouldn't need it. The happiness I have now is enough for me."

If you're happy with this, I don't have much more to say.

"Can I resume cooking?"

It was too much of an inconvenience to continue in this position.

"Huh? What should I do?"

She peeked at me and smiled while glancing into my eyes.

"I need a reward for being quiet, don't you think?"

"There's chocolate in the fridge."

"Buh. That's not what I meant, but... there's something off about you, isn't there? But that's just

like Kiyotaka. I'll be waiting quietly."

Satisfied with herself, Kei pulled away and sat down on the bed.

Well, now I guess I can concentrate on making omelet rice for a while.

Kei waited for the food to be ready, alternating between her cell phone and the TV, and the two

of us sat around the table to finish dinner a little earlier than usual.

"Speaking of which, about Shinohara-san…"

I didn't bring up any particular topic, but Kei said so and started talking.

"I'm sorry about that, but that revelation seemed to have an effect on her and she wouldn't talk

to me."

"It's natural."

The quality of one's appearance differs from person to person depending on one's taste and

sense of style, but generally speaking, those who are considered to be superior make

condescending remarks about those who are considered to be inferior. This in itself is not an

uncommon occurrence and can be found anywhere.

More often than not, there is no such thing as malice, and people are only expressing their

opinions.

"Do you hate Shinohara?"

"I don't dislike her at all. Shinohara-san is more like a funny girl, and she's popular for her role in

making things lively."

"I see. That's why you were unconsciously messing with her and Ike."

"... I guess. We were laughing and saying things that would hurt if heard."

She muttered regretfully, as if she had intention of reflecting.

"Are you going to hate me for being so mean?"

"Other people make negative remarks about others. That is something I will not deny. It's harder

to find someone who doesn't speak ill of others at all, even to varying degrees."

I don't like the senior members of the club because they are overbearing.

I hate bossy teachers.

It's okay to have a place to complain about one or two things like that. There are some things

that are too much, such as playing with one's appearance or pointing out one's academic

abilities, but as human beings, it's not surprising that we sometimes talk about them.

"But basically, we have to make sure that the bad gossip doesn't end up in the ears of the

person in question."

"Right?"

"It must have been a shock that Kushida, one of the exceptions, was the one who told everyone.

If you tell the truth to anyone, it means you are taking a risk."

The revealed story from Kushida that her friends had been joking about her looks naturally hurt

Shinohara deeply.

That's not all. Shinohara's friends who don't have a bad impression of her, her boyfriend Ike,

and Ike's friends naturally don't think well of Kei and her friends.

This time, Shinohara and the others might go around talking bad things about Kei, Matsushita,

Mori and the others in a conspicuous manner.

It takes a lot of effort to break the negative cycle once it has begun.

"So you didn't just feel bad, did you? What's wrong?"

Matsushita had given me a brief explanation, but I had to hear it from Kei's mouth as well.

"I've tried to talk it out, but it's been a bit of a misunderstanding. I also tried to solve it through

discussions, but there's nothing I can do about it at the moment. She's unapproachable now. "

"Unapproachable."

"That's it... I did that on purpose, didn't I?"

She thinks she really made a mistake on this one.

In their own way, Kei and the others seemed to have tried to repair their broken relationship with

Shinohara.

"So how do you think we should make up?"

"You're asking me?"

"It's not a surprise. I'm sure Kiyotaka will come up with a good plan."

Kei is also facing the same problem as Yosuke, albeit no solution appears to have been found

thus far.

"I'm just thinking about it. Give me a little more time."

I'll tell her that for now and postpone answering.

"Hey, can I ask you something really strange?"

As I listened without saying anything, she looked up at me with a curious face and asked.

"Didn't Kiyotaka use the OAA as the basis for the special exam to get Sakura-san expelled?

What if…"

When our eyes met, Kei choked on her words.

"It's okay. It's nothing."

"If you were in last place in the OAA, you are wondering what I would have done?"

Kei's eyes widened in a striking way.

"As I said about Ike, if you have similar grades, the difference in friends is overwhelming. I

wouldn't have expelled you."

"So what if I don't have any friends? What if I'm low in the girl caste?"

She started to feel uneasy, and her emotions made her spit out words in rapid succession.

"That argument is futile. If we use that assumption, then Kei Karuizawa would be a completely

different person. If that is the case, then Kei and I should not have developed into the

relationship we have now."

"It's... That's... I see. I'm sure you're right, but... if I were a different person and hadn't gone out

with Kiyotaka, would I have been expelled?"

She understood that it was a meaningless discussion, but she couldn't help but ask.

"If that was the situation you were talking about, then yes."

"Umm..."

"I can understand how it might hurt your feelings, but it's not you. That's not who you are. You

were bullied and hurt, so you established yourself as an independent girl in high school to turn

things around. You used Yosuke to meet and date me. That's who you are, Karuizawa Kei."

When I had answered that much, Kei's lips twitched in apparent frustration.

"I will protect you no matter what. This is the right answer for Kiyotaka, okay?"

"...I see."

Even if it's not me, she wants me to be the one who declares that I will protect Kei Karuizawa

no matter the situation.

I have learned that logic is not necessary there.

I laid her down on my lap and patted her head to shift her into a good mood. After a few minutes

of enjoying Kei curling up on my lap like a cat, she started talking in the same position.

"Hey Kiyotaka. I think it's okay that you cut Sakura-san. There is nothing wrong with what

Kiyotaka did. But was it really right for Horikita-san to keep Kushida-san? She's definitely an

obstacle, isn't she?"

Kikyo Kushida is the one who caused a rift in the class. Kei feels that the disadvantage of her

not dropping out of school is huge. It's nothing unusual, just a natural reaction.

Everyone has questions, but it is not easy to speak up when time is running out. And in the end,

all we think is to save ourselves. It was probably around the two days off after the exam that the

heat started to cool down. Some of us wondered if it was really a good idea, while others were glad that they were not expelled. And then there are those who are scared that they might be

next.

"There's something Kushida has that Airi doesn't. Do you know what it is?"

"What? Study and sports, right? Kushida-san is pretty amazing. She's good at everything."

"For superficial reasons, yes. But that's not what's important."

"... What do you mean?"

"It's a possibility that she will become an important piece in Horkita Suzune's awakening as a

leader. Not Yosuke, not Kei, but she could become a partner to Horikita."

"Kushida-san…?"

"I don't think Horikita herself fully understands it yet. She just trusted her instincts in a tight

situation where time was running out."

"That's what Kushida-san has and Sakura-san doesn't…"

"The perspective that only Kushida has, the thought that only Kushida has, the remarks that

only Kushida can give off. These are the elements that can be exerted regardless of whether

you are popular or not. And that's what drives Horikita."

While she was convinced of a certain point, Kei herself was not fully convinced.

Is that a natural reaction?

This is an uncertain future.

It's just a theoretical approach that assumes Horikita was right in making that choice.

"I'm sure she knows that Haruka and those close to her will resent her for this. But the results

won't come in a day or two. We'll just have to wait and watch."

"But doesn't Hasebe-san hate Kiyotaka more than her?"

"Yeah."

It was difficult to get unanimous agreement in that situation when the time was almost up. No

matter how many others Horikita mentioned, it was nearly impossible to get them to unanimous

agreement. And the negative class points were an unacceptable reality. If that happens, there's

no way to save it except for me to act.

"It would be easy if we could just talk about the results, the conclusions, the answers. But the

reality is that you can't."

"You mean Horikita-san?"

"Suppose there is a hurdle in front of you that is so high that you can either jump over it or not. If

you try and fail, you might not be able to jump over it and just fall, or you might scrape your leg,

or if you're unlucky, you might break a bone."

Imagine a situation where the hurdles in your path are exactly in line with your abilities.

"What do you think you need to do to make sure you overcome that hurdle?"

"Yeah,...? Ummm...----- lots of practice before you jump?"

"What if I can't practice?"

"We'll just have to do it on the spur of the moment, won't we? It's the only way."

"It's the same thing. Horikita couldn't stop running, so she tried to jump over the hurdle in front of

her."

"In other words, Horikita-san failed the challenge and fell?"

"No, she just jumped and her foot hit a hurdle. How bad is the injury, is she going to fall down?

And will she be okay or will she be seriously injured? That has yet to be determined."

It was easy to avoid that hurdle. All she had to do was not jump and take a short detour.

However, this is where you should keep an eye on Horikita.

Once again, I found myself wondering about something that I had never imagined when I first

entered the school.

"I guess that's it. But I'm still not convinced by Horikita-san's decision. She broke her promise,

didn't she? And she even said she would protect Kushida-san."

It is true that there is an aspect of intimidation, but it is also true that until now Horikita's class

has been too undisciplined.

By doing this here, everyone knows that their personal safety is not guaranteed. Of course,

there would have been a strong shake of trust in Horikita, but that would be made up for in the special exams ahead. Provided that they continue to carry out the goal of getting closer to Class

A.

As we were talking, the time was around 7 pm.

I put away the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them now.

"Hey, hey. Let's chat together over here~"

"I'll do the dishes now, then we'll see."

"What? Then it'll be 7:30."

I can hear the complaining because the discussion will start when Yosuke arrives.

I listened to her and started washing the dishes. Kei was quiet for a while, but then she

gradually lost her patience and started demanding again.

"Well, well, well. Don't be shy, come here. See? Hey?"

As she said this, she patted the bed with the palm of her hand three or four times.

"It's pointless."

I wanted to at least wash the dishes before Yosuke came to my room, but I gave up on that.

As I sat down at the designated spot, Kei happily poked my right cheek with her index finger.

"Your skin is so soft for a boy. What are you using?"

"It's just lotion."

Considering the strain on teenage skin, I believe that further care is basically unnecessary.

"Hmm…"

She was convinced, but she didn't really care, she just wanted to touch me and wouldn't stop

poking me on the cheek.

I grabbed Kei's hand and pulled her close to me and pulled her lips into mine.

I thought she would be surprised, but she seemed to be rather waiting for it and laughed

nervously.

"I've been waiting for you since I came to your room today."

"Oh... So that's it."

I'd have to say I'm still a little naive in my reading of that.

Then our lips repeatedly met in near silence.

The repeated kisses tasted like omelet rice, a rather unusual experience.

"Suki…"

[ T/L Note - Suki means 'Love' / To be in Love. Used for saying similar phrases like 'I love you'

as in 'Suki Yanen' / 'Suki desu' ]

I gently held Kei in my arms and was met with a quiet silence. It was a comfortable time, not an

awkward one. For how many minutes did we just hold each other tightly?

As if to tear apart the silence, the bell of the room rang.

Suddenly jolted back to reality, Kei hurriedly distanced herself in sudden embarrassment.

There's no hurry, the door is locked, but well, I know how you feel.

After giving Kei some time to calm down, we both welcomed Yosuke into the room.

Yosuke, who was still in uniform, entered the room.

"After club activities, I went to the Keyaki mall with the seniors."

That's what Yosuke said when he noticed that I was focusing on the uniform.

"Come on in. Feel free to come in."

Yosuke smiled happily at Kei, who acted as if it was her own room.

I knew that he must be happy to see Kei's current cheerfulness and freshness because he had

watched over Kei more than anyone else since she entered the school.

"Sorry to bother you."

After carefully arranging his shoes, Yosuke came up to the room and sat down, and I served him

tea.

"Thank you."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Since there is no point in holding them back for a long time, I encourage him to talk to me. Of

course, the contents are all predictable.

"Yeah. It's about the class. As Karuizawa-san knows very well, I thought it might be dangerous

to go into the sports festival like this. Especially for the girls, I thought it would be difficult to

coordinate with them."

Yosuke looked at Kei, thinking that she would know more about that.

"I was talking to Kiyotaka earlier about what happened with Shinohara-san. Honestly, no one is

focused on the sports festival right now."

It's because they're just starting to reestablish their relationship as friends.

"So I was wondering if you had any good ideas. I need your help, Kiyotaka-kun."

Kei, who had also asked for help earlier, gave me that same look.

If so, I'll talk.

"Yosuke, did you bring this up to anyone else before me?"

"What? No ... this is the first time. I didn't want to be careless and let people know that I'm trying to fix things, because I don't think it would work."

They would be happy if you honestly wanted to help them, but if they knew that you were trying

to befriend them, they might be wary of you.

There is a risk that they might suspect that there is something behind the kind words.

"And why did you ask me?"

"I thought I'd like some advice."

"If that's the case, from now on, I want you to bring up the matter first to Horikita, the leader of

the Class, not me."

"But I think Horikita-san has her hands full with Kushida-san right now, so to bring up another

classmate's problem to her right now would be…"

"So if I was dealing with Kushida, would you have approached Horikita?"

"It's… I don't know. I might have approached Kiyotaka-kun anyways…"

Yosuke imagined what it would be like, and then he admitted it honestly.

"Horikita-san is doing a great job. But I know that Kiyotaka would be able to see the big picture

and make the right decision."

"I'd do the same. I mean, if I leave it to Kiyotaka, he'll give me the perfect answer."

"I told you that before, the special exam. You can't always rely on me. Even if you're worried,

you have to go through the process of talking to Horikita-san first."

"But…"

"I understand it's a burden. You don't always get a satisfactory answer. That is why we do not

rely on a single individual. Do you consider Horikita to be a true leader alone in the true sense of

the word? How about Ryuen, Sakayanagi, or Ichinose as a leader? Don't you think they'd be the

first to voice their concerns, even if they were preoccupied with other matters?"

The important thing is to rely on and be relied on. Horikita and the class are about to grow

through repeated successes and failures.

"Failure is a learning opportunity. Everyone has had difficulty at some point in their lives. Horikita

isn't quite there yet, but that's only due to a severe lack of experience."

Don't miss the process of discussing and seeking solutions before expecting a solution.

"I want you to tell me only after she's answered that she has her hands full with Kushida."

"...I see. I see what you mean, Kiyotaka-kun."

Yosuke nodded numerous times, his mind processing the meaning of the words.

"It's important to experience failure, but this is not the same as a test score. I don't think that just

because you got a bad score doesn't mean you should try harder next time. It's an important

thing that deals with the student's mind. If a rift in the relationship is broken by immature

decisions, ... That's a problem that can't be undone."

This area is critical to Yosuke. He didn't bring up the subject just for the sake of getting an easy

answer.

"Good call. But I think you're reading into it a little too much. It's true that there are cracks in the

friendship between classmates. And it's true that frictions, fights, and bad language between

friends can lead to irreversible problems."

If it escalates from bad language to harassment, ignoring, and bullying, then the worst case

scenario is born.

But that's really the worst case scenario.

"Kei. Is your conflict with Shinohara really that serious?"

"Hmmm... When you put it that way, well, it's a prolongation of the fight, isn't it? It's hard for me

to say something bad because I'm the one who started it. I'm not trying to harass her or

anything. On the other hand I don't think there are that many girls who don't like Shinohara-san."

By taking it too seriously, you're causing unnecessary anxiety. That was the view.

"And you're not going to let Horikita solve this alone, are you?"

"Of course I will. If there's anything I can do, I will."

"That's fine. I've calculated that if the two of you can get around well with Horikita in front, you

can get through most things."

However, these words alone will not be enough to completely remove the anxiety.

So I'll add something important.

"Of course, there will be things that can't be solved only by working with Horikita. In that case, I'll

lend a hand."

The two seemed to be satisfied, but Yosuke's expression was not completely clear, as he still

had something on his mind. We exchanged information for a while, and when it was 8:00 p.m., I

urged them to leave.

"Um... if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you alone for a few minutes."

On the way home, Yosuke, who knew he couldn't go on like this, broke the ice.

"Okay. I'll go home first."

Kei replied to Yosuke who still needed to talk to me and walked away quickly.

After the door closes, Yosuke looks back again.

"Kiyotaka-kun. I'll bring the situation to Horikita-san tomorrow. But do you have a clear path in

mind at this point?"

"To be honest, I don't have any immediate ideas on how to solve the problem with Haruka and

Kushida. I'm hoping that you guys can discuss it and guide me as well."

"That means... it's different when it comes to Mii-chan."

"In case anything goes wrong. We have a chance, but it will take time. If you're in a hurry,

there's a risky treatment."

"Risky treatment? If there's anything we can do, I think we should do it."

Even when talking about girls who like him, Yosuke reacts in the same manner as the others.

"I told you it was risky treatment. I don't recommend it."

"What kind of method is that?"

"It's about Yosuke going to see Miichan and reciprocating her feelings."

Yosuke reacted in a way that I hadn't expected.

"'Actually, I liked you, too. I want you to go out with me.'

If we can make it work that way, she'll come to school tomorrow. "

I was a little reluctant to say it, but it was the only solution I could think of right now.

"If it wasn't for Yosuke, I wouldn't be talking about this kind of thing. But I thought it might be

possible if it was you who had been asked by Kei to go out with her under false pretenses."

'Surely.' Yosuke muttered this, but his expression did not brighten.

"The reason why me and Karuizawa-san supposedly agreed to go out is because neither of us

had any romantic feelings in between. It's not the same as pretending to be responding to

Mii-chan's feelings and going out with her. It'll only hurt her deeply later."

"I don't mean to endorse this idea, but. We don't know at what stage Mii-chan fell in love with

Yosuke, but we can't deny that there were students, including everyone else, who had romantic

feelings for him right from the start of school. In other words, at the cost of protecting Kei from abuse by dating her, there may have been girls who were hurt because they were indirectly

rejected because of the lie."

"It's…"

If Kei and Yosuke were serious about their relationship, it would be a legitimate reason.

However, as long as this is not the case, there is not much difference in what we are doing,

even though the circumstances are different.

"What if Mii-chan came crying to you and told you that she couldn't go to school anymore unless

you went out with her? Would you be able to say no?"

Yosuke choked on his words. Perhaps Yosuke would not be able to make such a choice.

"If you can't say no, you have two choices. You can either tell her you don't like her and go out

with her, or you can lie and say you liked her too."

If true love can grow in the midst of it all, it can be brought to the best possible end.

"I don't think I should do that."

Even if he understands my point of view, the emotional side still gets in the way.

"It's a hastily forced solution. It will take time, but we're in the process of planting the seeds."

"I get it. But Kiyotaka-kun is really strong, isn't he? He doesn't seem to be dragged down by

Sakura-san's expulsion in the slightest."

As Yosuke spoke quietly, there was no sign of sadness or anger.

"I still... I still have that feeling in my hand."

He looks down at his outstretched hands and stares at the palms of his hands.

"It's the sensation of your fingertips touching the tablet and pressing 'yes'. I'll never forget it."

Yosuke, who works day and night to help his classmates, does not show much weakness.

However, he is still struggling with the idea of being in the same position as me, responsible for

Airi's expulsion.

"I know what Yosuke was thinking at that moment, and there is no way he would have agreed to

expel Airi, who had done no harm in the exam, but you persevered. You could have said at the

end that you didn't agree with it, but you restrained yourself from saying it."

Our classmates would regain their composure if he grumbled about the situation and forced

them to face it. Unanimity would have been impossible without a broader vision, which was

restricted by the pressure of time running out.

"I told myself, 'The most important thing is for our class to get to Class A.'..."

I guess that's what it's like to know something in your head but not be convinced of it.

"Hasebe, Kushida, and Mii-chan are absent. I wonder how long this will continue. Classmates

are horrified to see the reality that students with lower grades are being dropped out. The

cheerful class we had until last week remains so quiet as if it were a lie."

Even if you're moving toward a solution, you're probably still suffering and asking yourself the

same questions over and over again.

"I know you are not happy with the choices I and Horikita have made. But we have to accept it.

We have to understand how good we are in our current class and take it in stride. That's why

Horikita needs a lot of support. Sometimes we choose the right path and sometimes we choose

the wrong path. And there will be times when we choose the uncertain path."

Even if I tell him, not everything can be digested in Yosuke's mind.

"I guess I should have chosen to - run out of time... I mean…"

Yosuke's shoulders tremble slightly as he grows insufferable.

For Yosuke, the thought of sacrificing anyone is something he does not want to have.

Still, the fact that he was able to make a decision in that situation can be seen as a definite

growth.

"...am I getting stronger, or have I broken myself? When it happens again, I'm afraid I don't know

what decisions I'll make."

I couldn't see his face because he was looking down, but he rubbed his eyes once with his

sleeve and then raised his face.

"I'm sorry for being so weak, even though Kiyotaka-kun should be suffering the most."

"It's okay. Both Horikita and I were saved by Yosuke many times in special examinations. We

can expect a tougher battle in the future. I hope you will continue to lend your strength to the

class."

Yosuke smiled and nodded. He'd still be devastated, but he managed a small smile.

Yosuke reaches for the front door, but stops himself.

"... Thanks for everything today."

"Do you resent me for expelling Airi?"

Unlike other students, Yosuke does not show it outwardly, but it is not surprising that he does.

"... If you only look at that point, then yes. But I believe in you."

He thought to himself and put it into words, but then added more, as if he wasn't convinced.

"No, it's not that. I want to believe in you."

If it is any kind of delusion, Yosuke considers that thought to be dangerous. But there is certainly

a will behind those eyes. A firm demand to not betray because he believes in me.

"Well, good night."

I believe I might have relieved some of Yosuke's burdens, but I could also have imposed new

ones on him. It would be ideal if I could use this occasion to completely drain him of his negative

emotions. I'm not sure how much of an impact this will have, but we'll have to see how things

progress.

PART 2

The next day, the three empty seats were still there.

Of course, the chaos in the classroom still hadn't calmed down. The first necessary thing for a

fundamental solution was for the three of them to come to school.

"Hey. Wanna go to the bathroom with me?"

Sudo called out to me while I was sitting at my desk looking at my phone, waiting for the next

class.

An unusual invitation.

He pretended to be going to the restroom, but his expression was serious. The fact that he

needed to use the restroom was merely an excuse; he had another purpose beyond it.

It's the same as Yosuke and Kei, he wants my opinion on something.

"Ah. I guess so."

There was no reason to refuse, so I left my seat and stealthily left the classroom in the flow of

the two of us going to the bathroom. It wasn't a big deal because of my convenient seating

location. However, one student soon followed us.

"Sudo-kun. I'd like to talk to you for a minute, if that's okay."

She seemed to have some business with Sudo and was trying to time his appearance in the

hallway.

"What is it, Onodera?"

Onodera stopped talking when she saw me standing next to Sudo.

"Ah, you're with Ayanokoji-kun. Well I needed to tell you about something so…"

It appears that my presence was unwelcome. However, I had no choice but to stay because

Sudo had asked me out to come along during the break.

"We're both going to the bathroom. Can't this wait?"

"Well, I don't know."

She looks a little lost, as if she doesn't want me to hear what she has to say.

"Can I wait here? I want to talk to you as soon as possible, if that's okay with you..."

Onodera decided that if we were going to the bathroom, she would just wait for us, but this time

Sudo looked embarrassed. If he had something to discuss with me, it wouldn't just take a

minute or two.

"Well, I'll ask you now. I'll keep Ayanokoji waiting."

Just when Onodera was ready to talk later, she was confused by Sudo's unexpected response.

Onodera looked somewhat resistant, but she scratched the back of her head lightly and cut to

the chase.

"The individual rewards for this sports festival are evaluated by gender, right? I'm assuming that

Sudo-kun will naturally go for the first place among men, is that correct?"

"Of course. This sports festival is the biggest chance for me to shine."

He answers confidently.

Onodera nodded in satisfaction at his passionate reply.

"Actually, this sports festival has a lot riding on it for me. Being first among the girls is a step

towards Class A. It's not often that I get the chance to compete in an area where I excel."

She is an accomplished swimmer, but she also showed her sprinter side at last year's sports

festival. Her OAA physical ability is also near perfect, and she is a student with an extraordinary

talent for sports in general.

Onodera is expected to be good enough to adapt and win in a variety of competitions.

"I think you might be able to get first place. I'm seriously rooting for you."

"Thanks. But even if you can win some individual competitions, there's no guarantee that you'll

get first place in everything, right?"

"Why not, if I keep winning first place..."

Sudo's idea of thinking that only taking first place would be enough wasn't wrong, but in reality,

one might end up losing in unexpected ways.

"It's because of the high score of the team competition, right?"

I supplemented, and Onodera gave me another hard look, but nodded in agreement. Onodera

appeared to be wary of me.

The other day at the unanimous special exam, I cut off my own group of friends. No wonder

some of the students reacted this way.

"Well, sure. If someone wins first place only in team competitions, it might be bad. But even so,

it's not easy to form a team, is it? As Suzune said, there is a possibility of harm if you group up

five or six people too tightly. Besides, I don't like the idea of five or six people getting together to

fight as a team."

If they were all at the same level as him, Sudo himself would be satisfied.

In reality, however, some students might actually hold you back. As a result, it is quite possible

that you might lose the competition because of it. That is what a team competition is all about.

"Yeah. I'm not thinking about a large number of people either. But... What if we can participate in

a competition with two people who are sure to win? Moreover, there are some competitions that

can be participated in only by pairs of men and women, right?"

At this point, Sudo also starts to guess the purpose of what Onodera was talking to him about.

"Sudo-kun and I will have no trouble cooperating with each other. If we're going to team up, I'd

like to choose the best partner possible, don't you think?"

It will be a point of the class, and it won't be a detriment to trying to get first place in the gender

division.

"So you're asking me... well, maybe."

"That's what I mean. Unless, of course, you have an objection to it, Sudo-kun. The class is in a

bit of a bad mood right now, isn't it? Sakura-san has been expelled, Hasebe-san and Wang-san

are also absent."

She turned her gaze to me for a moment, but then quickly turned it back to Sudo.

"That's why we have to lead the class."

Sudo didn't feel bad about the invitation based on the recognition of his abilities, but he wasn't

very crisp.

"Am I not strong enough?"

"No, that's not it. I'm not gonna deny that you are good."

Even though he had absolute faith in her physical abilities, there seemed to be something else

that bothered him.

"You don't want to be paired with anyone other than Horikita-san?"

"W-what? No no, that's not true…"

He looked uncomfortable at Onodera's point.

Pairing up with a partner you like. It's true that this may be very important to Sudo in addition to

his ability.

As long as she can't participate in swimming competitions, there won't be much difference

between Horikita and Onodera.

"You know, there's Koenji. I hate to admit it, but he's better than me."

"That may be true about your ability. But I don't trust Koenji-kun. I hate him more than anything."

Onodera clearly rejects Koenji. Her appeal to Sudo is genuine, but how will Sudo respond?

"What are you going to do... if I say no?"

"If there's anyone else in the class who has the ability and seems trustworthy, it's... well, only

Hirata-kun, but I'm not going to ask him to be a pair, you know? I don't want to be

misunderstood in any way."

When paired with Yosuke, who is immensely popular with the girls, it is more than just one or

two people who would be jealous.

"So if Sudo-kun refuses, I'll go as far as I can on my own?"

She doesn't threaten him in the slightest, but simply states the facts.

The first place of the school year is in chance, but I can imagine her earning a solid amount of

points.

The decision between Onodera and Horikita upset Sudo, but when he saw Onodera's

determination, he immediately regained his composure. It was because he realized that he had

been trying to refuse Onodera's invitation for some silly reason.

"I'm down for it. Let's pair up, and win this thing, yeah?"

"Really?"

"For sure. Let's use our power to carry this class."

Sudo promptly extended his arm to shake Onodera's hand. After staring at it for a while,

Onodera gave a powerful response to the handshake.

"I like your style, Sudo-kun. Let's definitely take first place in the male and female categories

together."

Satisfied with the conclusion of the contract, Onodera heads back to the classroom.

"It turned out kind of unexpectedly, but it's okay, right?"

"I think so. I'm sure you wanted to team up with Horikita, but it's better to work with Onodera and

show 100% of your strength than to have a bad distraction."

"That's…"

There were only about five minutes left, but I headed to the bathroom as originally planned.

"Hey, by the way. I wanted to talk about Kanji, Shinohara, and the related stuff..."

"Is it related to the revelations of Kushida?"

"Honestly, I don't think it's a good idea, their relationship is so awkward now."

"Wouldn't it be more interesting for Sudo if they split up?"

"I've said it as a joke before, I want it to work, I really do."

I asked him as a test, but he seemed to be genuinely concerned.

"But unfortunately, I don't have much of a relationship with them. There's nothing I can do for

you."

"Can you at least give me some advice?"

"We can't solve the problem without talking about it. Whether what Kushida said is true or false

is a separate issue at this point, and they may need to expose their true feelings to each other

at least once."

"Isn't that a bad idea? It could make things even worse than they already are."

"That's right. That's why we need someone who can control the situation. Someone who is able

to listen to both sides of the conversation and calm the flow of the conversation that's about to

get disrupted."

"Oh, I can't do that, can I?"

"Then you'll have to ask someone who can do that."

I won't give an answer here, but let Sudo think about it.

"If that's true, this kind of role would be done by Kushida, right..?"

"Correct, but that's not available now. If we can't rely on Kushida, then we'll have to use another

student."

The answer is so simple that it doesn't even take him a second to guess it."

"So, Hirata?"

Sudo has an immediate idea. Although Sudo doesn't get along with Yosuke, this isn't the

situation to be talking about that.

"Alright then, I'll go ask for his help."

Sudo and Yosuke have a distant relationship, but that may change after this incident.

"Thanks, Ayanokoji."

"I didn't do anything. You just thought about it and came up with the answer on your own."

That's how classes go around.

PART 3

Same day.

Each class, or rather all the grades, is gearing up for the sports festival. As was the case last

year, some of the events were already known, so the students made time to start practicing as if

they were the real thing, using the ground and the gymnasium during lunch break. They will

want to devote as much practice time as possible to team competitions, especially those

involving two or more players.

In the gymnasium where we came to scout the area, many energetic voices are resounding

everywhere. It seemed that the gym was carefully equipped so that all the students, from the

first year to the third year, had a certain amount of free space and could practice fairly. Today's

second-year students seemed to be playing volleyball and table tennis.

The vast number of participants in one of the classes, as well as the exceptionally high level of

enthusiasm, were the first things that struck me. They were shouting and avidly debating the

game's tips and tricks.

"You can see how serious Class A is."

"Yeah."

I was here with Yosuke, and he calmly analyzed the students and said so.

"Purely class-based sports competitions aren't Class A's strong suit, you know."

"Yeah. For better or worse, there are many students with average athletic abilities, and just a

handful of them are eligible for top awards."

Because they know they are at a disadvantage in terms of overall strength, they are working

together to quickly raise the level of their abilities. They plan to practice and aim for competitions

where they can gain points with their experience.

I can't confirm her appearance, but I'm very confident it's Sakayanagi's orders first and

foremost.

There are students from Ichinose's class and Ryuen's class, but they still seem to be picking

their way around. On the other hand, there were no students from Horikita's class; I thought one or two might show up, but even if they did, they would just be standing in the corner, unable to

do anything under the circumstances.

"We're not out of the unanimous special exam yet. It's not going to be easy to try to practice

under those circumstances, is it?"

"You're right, there's still a lot of uncertainty. But it's not necessarily all gloomy."

I told Yosuke that Sudo and Onodera have teamed up to become the number one male and

female 2nd years. The few pieces of good news made his face relax, if only a little.

"If we keep getting first place in both the single and pair competitions, we should be able to get

enough top places."

"Those two have a good chance of winning, don't they?"

There was a great deal of hope, but it still took more than just the two of them to win the class. A

system that can temporarily cooperate with them is urgently needed, even if it's full of joints.

"Speaking of which, Sudo-kun asked me to meet him after school today, before club activities.

Could it be that Kiyotaka-kun is involved behind the scenes?"

"I didn't do anything. I'm sure Sudo thought about it himself and decided to ask for help."

"It's probably something related to Shinohara-san, right?"

"Sudo probably thought that he couldn't leave it like that."

"But what about Mii-chan?"

"I think I'll take care of that one."

"Kiyotaka-kun?"

If I tell him that I'm going to leave it alone or leave it to the right person, Yosuke will have a hard

time accepting the situation. The reason why he is so concerned about Mii-chan is because he

feels it is his fault. Of course, Yosuke is not at fault at all.

In the midst of the stillness, I decided that Mii-chan was the one who require a little assistance.

One of the reasons is that Yosuke cannot be used as a key.