46 Chapter 9: The Turning Point

The last event of the sports festival, the 1200-meter relay, was about to begin. Everyone—other than Class D—was amped.

"The final event, huh? I guess we need to choose a substitute for this

one, too."

"Huh…! Puh…! Hey, sorry to keep you all waiting! What's going on?" Sudou, completely out of breath, returned with Horikita lagging slightly behind him.

"Sudou-kun, you came back!"

"Yeah, sorry. My bad. It took way longer to take a dump than I thought."

Sudou looked as if he was in a bright, cheerful mood—all smiles. However, many students glared at him icily. He didn't flinch from their stares.

"Sorry. I punched Hirata and crashed our morale because I lost my temper. It's my fault that Class D is about to lose," he continued.

Sudou bowed deeply. The Sudou of an hour ago couldn't have done that, even if it were an act. Something must have happened. After a stunned moment, Hirata laughed happily. His cheek was slightly swollen, and looked painful, but he didn't seem to care about that.

"The heck, Ken? This isn't like you," said Ike.

"I gotta admit, I did somethin' wrong after doing somethin' wrong. I want to apologize to you, too, Kanji," Sudou replied.

"It's not like it's your fault I lost or anything. I'm just no good at sports, really. Sorry I wasn't useful," said Ike.

"If you haven't decided on a sub for the relay, please let me run," said Sudou.

"You're the only person we'd want doing this, Sudou-kun. Right, everyone?" said Hirata.

Both guys and girls would run the final 1200-meter relay. Three guys and three girls from each class had to participate.

"Can I ask for a substitute? I wouldn't run very well with my leg like this," said Horikita. She sounded apologetic.

"Are you okay with that, Horikita?" Hirata asked. "You really wanted

to be in this relay."

"There's nothing I can do about it. In the state I'm in right now, I'm not sure I could even win against Ike-kun. Sorry," Horikita replied.

She bowed deeply, as Sudou had done earlier. I wondered if she'd ever been that honest before. Ryuuen had crushed Horikita's body and spirit.

She'd craved the anchor position, reached for it, because she envisioned herself running alongside her brother. Now—though her hands trembled in apparent frustration—she accepted the reality that, if she forced herself to compete, then Class D would lose the relay.

Hirata nodded, and decided that Kushida would take Horikita's place. Our list included Hirata, Miyake, Maezono, and Onodera, with Sudou at the top. With Kushida as Horikita's replacement, that made six people. There really weren't any other sprinters in Class D who stood a chance.

After confirming the team members, Hirata opened his mouth to speak. "Um, I apologize for the suddenness of this, but…"

However, someone else cut Hirata off. "Sorry, but…would you please let me withdraw, too?"

Miyake was speaking. He looked as though he was dragging his right leg a little.

"To tell you the truth, I twisted my ankle before lunch during the 200- meter dash. I thought it would feel better after I rested, but it still hurts."

"In that case, it looks like we'll need a replacement from the boys as well." Hirata looked around, but no volunteers came forward.

I decided to speak up. "In that case, would it be okay if I ran? I'll pay the points to go in as a substitute, of course."

"You will, Ayanokouji?" Miyake asked. "Wait, though. Are you that

fast?"

"I support him. I've been watching everyone, and I think Ayanokouji

will do well," said Hirata.

That was all it took to shut down dissenting voices. Hirata's words had weight.

"However, we can't really say that Class D is putting forward its best runners," Hirata said. "That's why getting a head start on the competition should be our strategy. What do you think, Sudou-kun? If you get us off to a good start and overtake the other runners, I think we might be able to put some distance between us and the other classes. I'll maintain that lead and make sure the next student keeps things going."

Lanes couldn't be prepared for each of the twelve competing students, so we had to start side-by-side. The rules stated that you could take an inner lane from an opponent after you overtook them. In other words, your initial position was the most important one. If you could get ahead of the others during the starting dash, you wouldn't end up in a chaotic free-for-all.

"Well, guess we don't got much choice. There ain't any other way for us to win," said Sudou.

He would go first. Hirata, sufficiently speedy himself, was second. After that the three girls—Kushida included—would have their turns, and then I'd go last. Class D must have been counting on me more than I expected, to have made me the anchor.

The chosen elites assembled in the middle of the field. Horikita's older brother, and that second-year student Nagumo, were among them.

"We're leaving it all to you, Sudou-kun!" shouted Hirata.

Kushida and the other runners also cheered. Sudou, looking motivated, got into his lane. The first-year students appeared to be in a slightly advantageous position, since Class D had the innermost lane. They'd arranged it so that the third-year Class A students were in the outermost lane.

Class D didn't have any chance of winning the festival, but if we were victorious here, it might help us down the line. Supportive cheers came roaring from our camp.

"Man, that was close. A couple seconds more, and I would have withdrawn," said Hirata.

"Yeah. Miyake's injury was unexpected," I replied.

The plan from the start had been for me to participate in the final relay as Hirata's substitute. Of course, only Hirata and I knew about that.

"This is okay, right, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Yeah. Sorry that you had to make all the arrangements."

"It's only natural for me. Besides, I'd hate it if Ryuuen-kun beat us again. Think he'll be surprised that you're running?"

"I'll do my best not to disappoint you. More importantly, though, let's cheer Sudou on."

The instant the signal sounded, Sudou got off to a strong start. His starting dash had the best time of any I'd seen thus far. He launched himself forward with such momentum that, after his first stride, he managed to pass eleven people.

"Whoa!" the racers shouted.

"Dude, he's so fast!"

The second-year guys and girls were left to struggle desperately for a position, and got caught up in a chaotic free-for-all. Sudou, taking advantage of that opening, continued to leave the others in the dust. When he finished his leg of the relay, he'd secured an advantage of at least fifteen meters.

"It's up to you, Hirata!"

Class D brimmed with excitement. Sudou passed the baton to the next runner, Hirata. As a man who excelled in both studies and sports, he was glorious. The racers chased Hirata, one after another, but they couldn't reduce the gap we'd created. We maintained our lead as we transitioned to the third runner, Onodera.

This was where problems might start. For a girl, Onodera was fast, but the guys chasing her were starting to close in. A guy from the second-year Class A overtook her as she ran.

New students ran one after another. One third-year Class A guy also passed Onodera, and other third- and second-year Class A students after that. By the time Onodera passed the baton to our fourth runner, Maezono, our lead was almost gone.

However, the race was full of surprises. A girl from the third-year Class A, who was her team's fourth runner, took a spill and fell about fifty meters behind the runner she was supposed to pass the baton to. Panicking, the girl tried to get back in the race, but a Class A second year took advantage of that opening and created a significant gap.

By the time Maezono passed the baton to Kushida, our fifth runner, Class A had overtaken Class D, and we'd fallen to seventh place.

The first-year students just couldn't compete at the same level as the seniors. Only Class B's first-year students had managed to get into third place, and their ace, Shibata, had apparently received the role of anchor. He was waiting his turn, just like me.

As the fourth runner from the third-year Class A tumbled, the situation between the guys in the anchor positions changed.

"Looks like victory is ours this time, President Horikita. I would've liked to run against you directly, if possible." Nagumo laughed as the second- year Class A's top runner approached him. There was a thirty-meter gap between him and the third-year Class A student in second place. "Looks like we're going to win in overall points, too. Guess this is the dawn of a new era, eh?"

"Do you seriously plan to change this school?" the student council president asked.

"You're too traditional. And even though you're strict, you're weak. Your rules are too generous, and they stop people from getting expelled. All I'm going to do is help make this school the ultimate meritocracy," said Nagumo.

He walked forward as he spoke, getting in position to receive the baton as it came his way. Not too long after Nagumo nabbed it, Shibata also received his baton. "All right! Nice! Leave the rest to me!"

Fire blazing in his eyes, Shibata chased down Nagumo. My eyes met Horikita's brother's for an instant. I could tell this man was fighting some internal struggle.

"To think that you're the anchor," he said.

"I'm just a substitute. Originally, your sister planned to be in this position," I replied.

"I see. I suppose she's struggling to make it through," he responded.

Horikita had probably dreamed of having a conversation with him, or at least telling him what she felt.

"I've observed your class," the student council president told me. "Up until a short while ago, I thought there was no hope for you. However, I don't get that impression from you at all in this relay. What happened?"

"You don't really need to pay attention to first-year Class D, though.

Right?"

"I keep an eye on every class. No exceptions," he replied. "I suppose, if anything's changed, it would be your sister."

"I see." No look of surprise. He looked as composed as always. "What about you? I can't feel any excitement from you."

"I'm not interested in the sports festival. I already know the outcome." The class's feelings.

Sudou's feelings. Horikita's feelings.

I had no interest in any of those. All I had was a single premonition. "You probably won't be around to see this, but our class will become

stronger," I told him.

"I'm not interested in such a fanciful future," Horikita's older brother replied.

As he shifted his gaze toward his teammate, I spoke. "In that case, would you be interested in learning exactly what kind of person I am?"

"What?"

"If you'd like, I'll race against you seriously," I added.

"You really say some interesting things. I thought you hated standing out or getting involved. Why change that now?" he asked.

"If you give up your chance at second place in order to race me, I'll accept your challenge. It's not often that a first-year and third-year have the opportunity to compete like this, is it?"

Horikita's brother stood still and turned to face me. "Interesting."

He didn't seem as though he was going to move at all. His team's fifth runner passed him the baton, looking perplexed, but the older Horikita took it and stood completely still. "You did well. Great work," he said.

"Uh, thanks. Hah…" The third-year student left in a mild state of shock.

Everyone in the audience noticed this bizarre spectacle. One after another, other runners passed the third-year Class A, and Horikita just stood there. Finally, Kushida approached me at full speed. She'd be here in seconds.

"I'll say one thing to you before we race." "What?" Horikita's brother asked.

As the two of us got ready, I said only, "Run as fast as you can."

I got the feeling that the older Horikita, whose face was in my peripheral vision, wore a slight smile. Finally, the baton passed to me.

"Ayanokouji-kun!" Kushida cried.

I bolted down the track at full throttle.

I'd never, ever run seriously in my entire life. Until then. It was as different as could be from all the times I'd run in that cold, sterile room. It was still only the beginning of October, but the cold wind washed over me. I didn't really care about overtaking the runner in front of me. All that mattered right now was competing against the man next to me.

We ran at full speed, almost as though we were cutting through the wind, and closed the distance between us and the frontrunners.

"Whoa! No way!"

We passed a shocked student and left him in our dust. I could no longer hear the cheers. Strategies and resourcefulness were irrelevant. There was only this one-on-one battle against Horikita Manabu, who ran next to me.

Beyond the first curve, beyond the straight line that followed, and then to the last curve.

All right. I'm going to go even faster.

Cheers that sounded like angry bellows resounded across the grounds.

me.

9.1

"You were super fast." Karuizawa averted her eyes as she spoke to "Wasn't it just that my opponent was slow?"

"No, no. No way! Can you really say that after seeing everyone's

reactions?"

"Jokes aside, I still didn't beat the student council president in the end, did I?"

"Well, there wasn't really anything you could've done about that. The runner in front of you fell down, after all."

True. That runner ended up blocking my path. I'd avoided hitting him, but the slight delay was a significant loss, and Horikita's older brother had pulled ahead. I didn't know what would've happened without that accident, but I didn't really care.

At the very least, I was certain that I'd probably gathered the whole school's attention during the final competition. Many students looked at me with puzzled expressions.

"Ayanokouji! You really are super fast, dude. Whoa! Have you been holding back until now?!" As he came running up, Sudou slapped me on the back with all his might. It really hurt.

"Running's pretty much my only specialty, but I overdid it. That's the power of being fired up, huh?" I replied.

"That still doesn't explain it, though. That speed. You liar." Horikita walked up to me, still dragging her leg slightly.

"You guys, this isn't how you should treat a soldier who fought with everything he had," I whined. Horikita jabbed my abdomen. "Ow, that hurts!"

Karuizawa moved out of the way, so as not to get between Horikita and

I. Sakura was also looking at me from afar, but because there was a big crowd around me at this point, she didn't get close.

"If you'd run like that from the very beginning, this situation would've been different. But now you're going to be basking in lots of attention," said Horikita.

She was right. Unlike Hirata, Shibata, or Sudou, I'd held back until now. Still, it shouldn't have been too hard to plausibly claim that I'd done

that as part of Hirata and Horikita's strategy, masterminded behind the scenes. That tactic was particularly effectively against someone like Ryuuen, who tried to outsmart his opponents.

"Looks like they'll announce the results soon. Let's get going."

The results would be announced during the sports festival's closing ceremonies. All the students looked toward the gigantic electronic scoreboard.

"We'll now announce the results of this year's sports festival!"

"Red Team" and "White Team" were displayed as separate entries on the scoreboard. The tallied numbers started to rise, showing the total points the teams had acquired from all thirteen events. The winning team was…

The words "Red Team Wins" appeared on the board along with the team's score. The competition had been incredibly arduous, but the Red Team D/A coalition appeared to be victorious.

"Next, we will announce each class's overall points."

The board divided the twelve classes into three categories, and it displayed the overall points for each class all at once. We didn't really care about the details of the second- and third-year scores. What was crucial for us was Class D's position.

1st Place: First Year, B Class 2nd Place: First Year, C Class 3rd Place: First Year, A Class 4th Place: First Year, D Class

"Ugggh! I knew it! We lost!"

"Well, I thought things would end this way."

We were overjoyed that Red Team had won, but apparently, us first years had dragged the team down significantly. That was probably inevitable, though. Two absentees, Kouenji and Sakayanagi, had factored majorly into that. The second- and third-year Class As took first place with overwhelming leads. Their Class Ds secured second and third place, which indicated stability.

Unfortunately, even though we'd won as part of the Red Team, the first-year Class A only placed third in terms of overall points. That meant they'd be hit with a fifty-point penalty. Because Class D had come in last place, we faced a 100-point penalty. Since the White Team had lost, Class C

would also lose 100 points. Class B had won first place in terms of overall score, and so gained fifty points; however, they would also lose fifty points because the White Team lost. None of the classes had really won.

Everyone was thoroughly exhausted and overwhelmed. Even though we'd tried our best, our class points had decreased. Of course, the students who had won individual competitions would have an advantage on future tests, so the sports festival wasn't completely pointless.

"Lastly, we will announce the MVP for each school year."

This was probably the part that Sudou was most looking forward to. If he could take first place, Sudou would likely be all smiles, since he would get permission to call Horikita by her first name.

However, the words "First Year MVP: Shibata Sou" appeared on the electronic scoreboard.

"Gaaahh! I knew it!" Sudou let out an agonized cry. Shibata had consistently taken first or second place in each of the events. Sudou placed first in all his individual competitions, but being absent must have had a major influence on the results. The fact that we lost a heavily-weighted event like the relay was probably a big part of it, too.

Sudou continued staring at the scoreboard in apparent frustration even after the closing ceremonies ended.

"You didn't take the top spot for our school year, Sudou-kun. You remember our promise, right?" Horikita asked.

"Yeah," Sudou replied. "It's unfortunate. But a promise is a promise.

I'll call you Horikita from now on."

"Your dedication is impressive." Horikita laughed in a slightly teasing way. "I forgot to tell you one thing, though. You pushed those conditions on me, so they were rather one-sided. I never mentioned whether I had any conditions of my own."

"Whaddya mean?"

"If you took first place, you could have used my first name. Isn't it only natural that I make a request of you in return?"

"Well, yeah. I guess so."

"So, I'm going to give you a penalty for not achieving your goal. You are forbidden from ever using violence without a justifiable reason ever again. Can you promise me that?" asked Horikita.

"It's my punishment, right? I promise," said Sudou.

"Of course, you're not the one who gets to decide what a 'justifiable

reason' is. That's up to me or a third party."

Sudou obediently accepted that condition as well. He might have realized his own foolishness and decided to act more mature.

Horikita slowly turned and started to walk away, then stopped.

"Oh, that reminds me. During the festival, I wasn't able to live up to everyone's expectations, either," she added.

"Huh? That's just 'cause you were injured, though. Nothing you could've done about that," replied Sudou.

"Be that as it may, I can't forgive myself. I need to be punished, too," said Horikita. "So, if you want to call me by my first name, I don't mind giving you permission."

"Huh? H-hey!"

"That's my punishment."

That was Horikita's compromise.

"Even though we did get last place, I have hope for the battles to come, thanks to you. I'm truly grateful," said Horikita.

Sudou bashfully rubbed his nose, as if he blamed the setting sun for the redness of his cheeks. With an impressive shout, he raised both arms to the sky. "The sports festival is the best! It's the best, Suzune!"

"I'm happy for you, Sudou." "Yeah!"

"Sorry about cutting in while you're celebrating, but do you have a minute?" someone asked as we headed back toward the school.

She was a calm, composed girl. I didn't know her name, but she was a Class A student I'd seen back in the cavalry battle.

"Would you mind coming with me after you finish changing?" "Why me?" I asked.

"Because I have something to talk to you about. At five o'clock, go to the front gate."

"H-hey, Ayanokouji. Wh-what's going on, dude?" said Sudou. "What's this?!"

For a moment, I imagined that the request would lead to something like a romantic confession. However, I didn't get that kind of impression at all from this girl.

"Hey, what do you mean?" I asked. But the girl left without paying me any more attention.

"What was that? Has springtime come for you, too?" Sudou asked.

"It doesn't look that way to me."

"I mean, there's a chance that girl fell in love with you after she saw you run as the anchor."

"For crying out loud," I huffed.

After I changed into my uniform in the locker room, I returned to the classroom. Horikita, now also clad in her uniform, entered the classroom slightly later than I did and sat next to me.

"This time, we were defeated soundly. Completely." Yet, as Horikita said that, she didn't appear depressed. "But I feel like I grew today. I never imagined a day would come when failure would nourish me, but…that's really how I feel."

"I see. That's good, right?" I asked.

"This class is going to get stronger. Then we'll definitely climb the ranks to the upper classes," replied Horikita.

"Honestly, this optimism is kind of freaking me out. It's not like you," I told her.

"I suppose not. It's different, isn't it?" She bashfully averted her eyes. "We're facing a ton of challenges. There are also problems I need to take care of. But I suppose, first of all, I have to get down on my knees."

"On your knees?"

The phrase concerned me, but Horikita didn't expand any further. "It doesn't involve you. Thank you for today," she added.

9.2

The students, having used up all their energy during the festival, began to leave the classroom one after another, looking completely drained. Because there weren't any club activities today, Sudou-kun left while chatting with Ike-kun and the others. Ayanokouji-kun must have been heading back as well, since he got up from his seat rather quickly. He looked over at me, so maybe he was curious about what I was up to.

"You're not going back yet?" he asked.

"That's right. I'm…well, I have some trifling matters to take care of," I replied.

"You usually head back right away, though. This is unusual."

"Well, these things do happen. Thank you for everything," I told him. "Sure. See you tomorrow."

Everyone left the room one by one, and before I knew it, I was the only person left. I was prepared to respond to Ryuuen-kun. During the sports festival, he had me dancing in the palm of his hand. By the time I had realized what was happening, it was too late. With no planned countermeasures in place, I was thoroughly defeated.

But, somehow, I felt cheerful. I also felt as though I'd been thoroughly crushed. I understood that I was much, much more pathetic that I'd imagined, and I felt I needed to thank Ryuuen for teaching me that.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Horikita-san. I got caught up talking with a friend." Kushida-san came back in, putting her hands together in an apologetic gesture.

"It's fine. We still have a little while before the appointment. Shall we go?" I asked.

9.3

"So, you didn't run away, Suzune. You came," said Ryuuen.

"If I had run away, I truly would've been hopeless. I'm going to face my problems," I told him.

"You've got a good heart. You've become a finer woman than before," said Ryuuen.

I wasn't exactly pleased to hear that from him. "Before we talk, why don't we put an end to this ridiculous charade, Kushida-san?" I asked.

"Huh? Charade? What in the world do you mean?" she replied.

As the setting sun colored the school building, I stared directly at her. "If you want to pretend to be a good person, I don't particularly care. But you're not, are you? You leaked the information. That's how Class C was able to

pull off what they did. That's why I'm here right now, like this, with Ryuuen-kun. Am I wrong?"

"Come on, now. Who did you hear that from? Hirata-kun?

Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Neither. These are my own feelings on the matter. I couldn't shake off my uneasiness. Ryuuen-kun's the only one here right now. Don't you think it's time we cut to the chase and confront each other?" I asked.

"Confront each other? What do you mean?"

"Way back at the start of our first semester, I saw you trying to convince Kouenji-kun to give up his seat on the bus. To be completely honest, I didn't recognize you. But immediately afterward, I remembered."

I looked Kushida-san square in the eye as I spoke. If she was working with Ryuuen-kun, she'd continue to conspire against me. The only reason she hadn't yet acted more directly was that she thought she didn't have to.

"Kushida Kikyou-san, you attended my junior high," I said.

For the first time ever, I saw her expression change, but then another smile crept onto her face.

"Of course you remember. I was quite the problem child, I suppose," Kushida-san replied. She lowered her eyes in silence.

"I don't think that's entirely accurate. You weren't a problem child. Everyone trusted you, just like everyone in Class D now trusts you. But—"

"Can you please stop? Stop bringing up the past."

"I suppose. It's meaningless to talk about what's already been done," I replied. Ryuuen-kun smiled while he listened to our conversation, looking as though he was enjoying himself.

"Well then, you understand what I'm after, right? You know what I want to do?" Kushida-san asked.

"Yes. I've already realized what you want. You want to chase me out of this school. Aren't you taking quite a large risk, though? If I exposed the truth, you'd lose your popularity."

"Me or Horikita-san? It's obvious which of us is more loved. I suppose you could say I'm someone who hedges her bets," Kushida-san replied.

"Even if no one believed what I said, there'd still be lingering doubts.

You can't deny the fact that we attended the same junior high," I told her.

"I suppose you're right. But if you do happen to tell anyone about me, I will drag the brother you so love and respect into this," she said.

I reflexively stiffened in response. That was the perfect defense against me. There wasn't a single opening I could exploit.

However, Kushida-san couldn't take action easily, either. If she were to openly involve my brother in all this, she'd know that I had nothing left to lose, and be afraid that I'd do anything in my desperation. That was precisely why she came up with this strategy to chase me out instead.

"Can't you simply ignore me?" I asked. "You know I don't involve myself with other people or stick my nose where it doesn't belong, right?"

"For now. But there's no guarantee for the future. I want anyone who knows about my past to disappear, so that I can be me. Otherwise, I'll be in trouble," she replied.

"Since Ryuuen's seen your true face, does that make him your prey, too?" I asked.

"Yes, I suppose so, depending on the circumstances," she answered. It was a bold move, since she and Ryuuen-kun were supposed to be allies.

"Heh heh. What a shrewd woman. Well, I guess I decided to work with you because I like this side of your personality." Ryuuen-kun snickered.

"Let me tell you one thing, Horikita-san. I will have the school expel you. If I need to make a deal with the devil to do so, so be it," Kushida-san said. She walked past me and stood next to Ryuuen-kun.

"That's really a shame, Suzune," he told me. "Betrayed by such a trustworthy ally."

"You were a step ahead of me this time, Ryuuen-kun. No…I suppose you've been a step ahead for a while. The test on the cruise ship, the one on the island, and the incident with Sudou-kun… I've just kept on losing and losing," I told them. The words poured out of my mouth easily, without pause.

"Then I think the time for talk is over," he replied. "I'll tell you this, though: Kinoshita running into you earlier was a total accident. She didn't have any ulterior motive or ill intent. That's just the way the world is."

"Perhaps so. There's no evidence, so it was obvious that I'd be framed as the aggressor," I replied. "But let me say this, in turn. You were behind that incident. You ordered Kinoshita-san to make sure I took a fall. I'm sure of it."

"You're delusional," he answered.

"I don't care if I'm being delusional. But I'd like to ask you why you did it."

"It's quite a long process just to get you to kneel." Ryuuen-kun laughed as if he was enjoying himself. "Before the sports festival, I had Kushida get her hands on Class D's complete participation table. I put the right people in the right places to ensure good match-ups, and took the wins. Of course, that's not all. I thoroughly researched Class A as well," he added.

"Brilliant leadership. You beat us both," I replied. Although they'd fallen short of Class B in terms of overall strength, there was no doubt that Class C had fought well. "But couldn't you have won more effectively? To crush me, you pitted two of your aces against me, and even had one of them withdraw after she was injured. That's incomprehensible."

"I wanted to crush you. That was reason enough. I had no interest in winning the sports festival," he replied.

"But your strategy also relied on luck. Good for you. When you ordered Kinoshita-san to knock me over, two coincidences saved you. One, that I just so happened to be unable to continue participating, and two, that Kinoshita-san injured herself. You couldn't plan for either of those factors," I told him.

That was where my world had fallen apart. If Kinoshita had only been slightly injured, the situation wouldn't have gotten this serious.

"Your injury was coincidental, yes. If Kinoshita deliberately aimed to

injure you, that would've been obvious. That's why I had her carefully practice hitting an opponent and making the fall look completely natural," said Ryuuen-kun.

What had he done to make her obey him to that extent? "Actually, about Kinoshita's injury," Ryuuen said. "Do you really

think it was an accident?" "Huh?"

"She certainly did fall, yes. But injuries that serious don't just happen at the drop of a hat. That's why I had her pretend to be in pain and then drop out of the sports festival. Before she got medical treatment, I injured her myself. Like this."

He stomped on the floor with all his strength. BAM! The sound echoed unnervingly through the hall.

"You injured…her?" I asked.

"She agreed when I told her that I'd pay her 500,000 points. Man, the power of money is a terrifying thing, isn't it?"

So, he'd decided from the very beginning that Kinoshita-san would sustain a serious injury. His schemes, and his ability to execute them, were both terrifying. He'd do anything for the sake of winning, but I was shocked that he'd speak of that so openly.

"Is it really okay for you to just blab on and on?" I asked him. "What?"

"If I happened to be recording your confession, what would you do?" As I asked that question, I pulled out my phone.

"Did you come up with that bluff just now?"

"I bet everything on it. Still, I'm surprised you told me so much." I pushed a button on my phone and played back the recording from a specific point.

"Before the sports festival, I had Kushida get her hands on Class D's complete—"

"If you complain about me, or demand that I pay you points or bow before you, I'll use the evidence I now hold in my hands. If I do, which of us will be in trouble?" I asked.

"Wha—?!" Ryuuen-kun's smile disappeared for the first time. His words failed him. "Suzune…you…"

"I don't want to cause any panic. That's why I'd like to settle things." "Heh heh! Ha ha ha ha!" Ryuuen-kun suddenly burst out in laughter.

"You really are an entertaining woman, you know that? I said so from the very beginning, didn't I? The contents of our current conversation are, at best, complete fiction. I was just humoring your delusions. All I did was anticipate the story you conjured up inside your own head," he replied.

"I could delete the part where you said it was a delusion and edit the recording, couldn't I?" I asked.

"Well, in that case, I'd just have to hand over the original recording. Then there would be no problem at all." Ryuuen, smiling boldly, took his own phone from his pocket. "Do you know what this is? The full audio recording, from beginning to end. In fact, I actually took video."

As he said that, he aimed his phone camera at me. It was a kind of insurance more reliable than audio. Ryuuen-kun had already imagined that I'd try betting everything on one final move…which meant that I was between a rock and a hard place.

"So, do you admit it, Suzune? The reality of your defeat, I mean."

Kushida-san also smiled boldly now. I fully understood what a fool I was. Ryuuen-kun wasn't the kind of opponent that my strategies could take down. My last hope had ended up misfiring.

"Abandon your pride and get on your knees, Suzune." I quietly knelt. "I understand… I admit…"

Ding! A strange sound came from Ryuuen-kun's phone, which was right in front of me. I thought he wouldn't pay much attention, but for some reason, he looked at the screen.

Ryuuen-kun's face stiffened for a moment. He started fiddling with his phone without even so much as glancing at me. Mixed together with a variety of other sounds, I heard a recording.

"Listen up, you guys. We're going to set a trap for Horikita Suzune. I don't care what it takes to completely crush her. I have a plan in mind. I'll show you something interesting."

That was Ryuuen-kun's voice. Was it from a previous conversation? In the recording, he went into detail about what he'd so proudly explained to me just moments ago.

I heard Ibuki-san's voice. It sounded like she interrupted Ryuuen-kun. "Look, I'm not discounting your strategy or whatever, but give me a chance to fight Horikita."

Ryuuen-kun's voice again. "Run against Suzune during the obstacle course, and collide with her. Do whatever it takes to knock her over.

Afterward, I'll injure you myself and get you some money from her." I didn't know what in the world was happening right now. "What's going on, Ryuuen-kun? What's with that recording?"

Kushida-san seemed puzzled.

"I see. I see, I see. I see now! Heh heh! Isn't that interesting? Do you know what this means, Kikyou? There's a traitor in Class C, too. They made not just you and Suzune dance in the palm of their hand, but me as well. This person predicted everything, including your betrayal and Suzune's debasement. Ha ha ha ha! Interesting! So interesting! The person pulling the strings is incredible! The best!"

Ryuuen-kun swept his hair back, giving a deep belly laugh.

"You were used, Kikyou. They predicted that you'd betray your class and leak the participation table. They read us like a book."

"Who could be responsible for this? Could it be Ayanokouji-kun? I mean, I didn't think he was that fast, either," said Kushida-san.

"Well, he's one candidate, but I'm not drawing any conclusions yet.

Someone managed to get this recording without leaving a trace behind. Suzune, Ayanokouji, and—depending on the circumstances—even Hirata might have been positioned where they were because someone was puppeteering them. I'm going to investigate this thoroughly. I've failed to get points from Suzune or have her kneel, but I'm happy with all that I procured," said Ryuuen-kun.

There was no doubting it. I didn't know how he'd done it, but he'd used someone from Class C to record Ryuuen-kun's strategy. What I saw him do in the relay against my brother was completely incomprehensible, too. It was unlike him to draw attention to himself that way, but that was how I knew it had to be true.

The mastermind had to be Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun.

"Well, this is over for now," Ryuuen-kun said. "Whoever sent this email probably won't hound me further."

"Is that really okay, though? What if they threaten you with the recording?" Kushida-san asked.

"If they intended to submit it to the school, they already would've. I couldn't get Suzune on her knees, but I accomplished half of what I wanted to. A good show."

9.4

After I changed into my uniform, I went to the front gate as promised. Just as she'd said, the girl was waiting for me.

"You wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked.

"Follow me," she said. "Follow you where?" "The special building."

The girl started walking without any further explanation. We arrived at the special building's third floor, one of the few places where no surveillances cameras were installed.

"What exactly—"

The girl just told me to wait and walked off on her own. She headed around the corner and quietly whispered, "Can I go back now?"

"Yes. Excellent work, Masumi-san. I'll count on you again in future." "Yes." Masumi quietly nodded and left. The voice's owner slowly

came into view. Carrying a cane in one hand, she looked at me with a cold smile.

First-year Class A Sakayanagi. "You wanted to see me?"

Sakayanagi didn't answer. For a silent moment, she and I just stared at each other. The school building began to get dark.

"You drew quite a lot of attention in that final relay, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun." That was all she said.

"Oh, sorry. Can I send one little message? I've got someone waiting," I replied.

"Go ahead." Sakayanagi smiled, not appearing displeased at all.

I sent off the message I'd prepared via my phone. "So, can I assume you're the one who called me here?"

"Yes."

"What do you want? I'd like to wrap this up quickly, if possible." "After seeing you run, I remembered something. I called you here

because I wanted to share the shock I felt with you. It's almost like the buildup toward a romantic confession, don't you think?"

"I really have no idea what you're talking about."

Clack. Clack. Sakayanagi, still gripping her cane, moved right next to

me.

"It's been quite a long time, Ayanokouji-kun. Eight years and 243

days, actually."

"You're joking, right? I don't even know who you are."

"Heh. No, I suppose not. It's just me who knows you, after all."

Clack.

Clack.

Her cane's tapping gradually grew quieter. What in the world was this about? I decided I was done here, and turned to walk away from Sakayanagi.

"White Room," Sakayanagi said.

I stopped dead in my tracks at those two simple words. They cracked my composure.

"It's unpleasant, isn't it? When only your opponent knows your secrets."

"You…"

"This is a reunion. I just wanted to come give you a proper greeting."

Reunion? Though I kept my back to Sakayanagi, I turned my head to look at her. I had never seen her before. I didn't remember this girl, and I wasn't missing any memories of my past. I had met Sakayanagi for the first time at school. There was no arguing with that fact.

"Oh, it's quite all right that you don't know me. But I know you. We have a strange sort of bond, you could say. To reunite with you in a place like this… To be honest, I never thought I'd see you again. But now, all the mysteries have been cleared away. The island, the cruise ship, and Class D's expulsion uproar. I couldn't imagine that everything was on account of Horikita Suzune. So, you were the one pulling the strings."

"What are you talking about? There are lots of smart people in my class," I retorted. I needed to be calm. I needed to get through this without panicking. I'd have time to think later.

"When you say 'smart people,' are you referring to Horikita Suzune- san? Or perhaps Hirata Yousuke-kun? Either way, now that I know who you are, I suppose it doesn't really matter who anyone else is," she replied.

Apparently, she wasn't lying. She really did know me.

"Please, relax," she added. "I've no intention of telling anyone about you at present."

"Wouldn't things be easier if you did?"

"I don't want anything to get in my way. I'm the perfect person to bury

false genius." Clack. Her thin cane clattered against the floor. "I've found little pleasure in this boring school life."

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Please, go ahead. I'm honored to have you ask me a question. If you'd like to know, I'm even happy to tell you how I know about you."

"No, I'm not interested in that. There's just one thing I want to know." My eyes met Sakayanagi's.

"Can you bury me?"

"Hee hee!" Sakayanagi chuckled softly to herself, and smiled once more. "Sorry for laughing. I don't intend to insult you. I know quite well how incredible you are. I've been looking forward to this. I'll be able to realize my dearest wish by destroying the greatest masterpiece that your father ever made."

I wanted that, too. My destruction—my defeat—would mean that the old man would lose.

I wanted the sad contradiction that I carried within me to be destroyed.

I wished for that from the bottom of my heart.