Mid-November had arrived.
With just over two weeks left until the exams, the school was rushing to finish the curriculum ahead of schedule.
Soon the students would shift into serious study mode as well. Once the week before finals hit, all club activities would be banned outright, and the entire campus atmosphere would turn into one of pure academics.
Given the heavy penalty of expulsion hanging over everyone, no one would dare take the tests lightly.
I could easily picture the weaker students frantically cramming, as if trying to outrun the looming sense of crisis.
"Yo. How's babysitting the idiots going?"
Homeroom had just ended, and after-school hours had begun.
Today there was no supervisor or teaching assistant for the study group, so I'd planned to head straight back to the dorms. Just as I was about to leave, a certain meddlesome snake appeared out of nowhere—no bush-poking required.
"Yes, it's going fine. I could look after you too, if you'd like."
I answered Ryuen—otherwise known as the snake—without meeting his eyes.
My priority was getting ready to leave. I carefully packed the bare minimum into my school bag.
"Nah, I'll pass. Studying's something I don't need. I can memorize just enough to avoid expulsion in a couple days and call it good."
A very Ryuen-like response, coming from someone who loved violence above all else.
His groundless confidence never came off as mere bluff, thanks to his track record—and because he was sharp enough to have avoided failing marks in every subject so far.
"What do you want today?"
I'd finished packing, so I cut straight to the point. Not that I actually had anything planned once I got back.
"Simple. I've decided to put you on the hunt for X too."
He announced it with a savage grin.
X was the label Ryuen had given to the mysterious mastermind he believed was hiding in Class D.
During the cruise ship exam and the sports festival, someone had repeatedly unraveled his plans. Convinced of their existence, Ryuen had been pouring time and effort into tracking this X down.
Boring.
He was treating it like a game and clearly enjoying himself, but the truth was I already had a pretty good idea who his so-called X was.
"I'll pass. Get one of your pawns to do it."
"Kuku. Just kidding. Only half of it, anyway."
"Half?"
"Yeah. That's the pretext. Here's the real request."
Ryuen flashed a meaningful smirk before continuing.
"I want you to approach Class D under the cover of looking for X, then steal their test questions. A truly honorable job."
"Sounds like you're piling an awful lot on me."
"Everyone has their limits. The idiots are already drowning in their own studying. Kaneda and Hiyori have their hands full with their studies plus making questions, so they've got no spare time.
But you? You've still got plenty of room. It's only natural that work goes to the capable ones, right?"
"Then you should handle the negotiations yourself. And I still have to make four tests of my own. You really think I have spare capacity?"
I tried a long-shot lie against Ryuen's relaxed attitude.
For reference, the subjects I was responsible for were Mathematics A, English, one foundational science course, and modern society.
The rest were split between Shiina (Japanese language and history) and Kaneda (Mathematics I and the other foundational science course).
"Kuku. No slacking allowed. I heard from Kaneda that you already finished your tests."
I'd suspected he'd read my moves to some extent the moment he came with an offer.
I'd only told Kaneda and Shiina—the other teaching assistants—that my question sets were done.
Narrowing it down by who had closer ties to Ryuen, it was safe to conclude Kaneda was the one who leaked it.
"What's the reward if I succeed?"
"100,000 private points."
He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and I agreed it was reasonable.
It was on the low side for an individual payout, probably because he hadn't managed to collect the 500,000 points he'd aimed for during the sports festival.
"I'll keep it in mind. But assume the odds of success are extremely low."
I accepted, but covered myself with that caveat.
Truthfully, my lack of enthusiasm was the biggest factor, though Class D's heightened guard after the betrayal during the sports festival didn't help either.
And if Horikita was doing her job, she'd have warned them against any further defections. All of that made negotiations look difficult.
"By the way, I'll handle talks with Kikyo. You target the others."
Ryuen casually tried to take the easiest part for himself.
Class D's current leadership wasn't quite impregnable, but it was close to ironclad. The one card that could potentially shatter it was Kikyo Kushida.
I didn't know the full reason she was willing to betray her class, but her open hostility toward Horikita—and her eagerness to get Horikita expelled—was unmistakable.
Someone like her, a bundle of approval-seeking impulses who wielded lies with masterful skill just to remain "herself," wouldn't give up after one or two failures.
It wouldn't be surprising if she soon started resorting to any means necessary to force Horikita out.
"That just lowered my chances even further."
"Doesn't matter. I'm only looking to create some insurance anyway."
Having delivered his request, Ryuen turned and headed for the door.
I expected him to fling it open roughly, but Albert—who had been waiting in front like a butler—swiftly and politely opened it for him.
Neither Ryuen nor Albert said a word about the gesture as they left.
They got along well. There was a clear hierarchy, yet it didn't feel like a simple boss-and-underling dynamic.
"Kamukura-kun."
I saw the two of them off and stood to leave, only to be stopped again.
Turning toward the voice, I saw Shiina approaching.
She swayed her pale aquamarine hair and offered me an open, carefree smile.
"I'm sorry to bother you right when you're about to head back, but may I ask one small favor?"
"Depends what it is."
Shiina bowed politely as she spoke, and I answered curtly.
I also urged her with my eyes to get to the point quickly, but she showed no sign of displeasure and continued.
"The thing is, Komiya-kun went to the gym for club activities."
"Komiya-kun was your partner, right? But he's on the basketball team. Club members are supposed to attend the evening session starting at 18:00, aren't they?"
"Yes, everything you said is correct.
However… well… Komiya-kun's grades turned out worse than expected. I consulted Ryuen, and he told me to make Komiya skip practice, so I passed that on to him yesterday, but…"
"He forgot and went anyway. So you want me to go retrieve him?"
As she explained, the soft, airy atmosphere around her gradually faded, and she shrugged with a troubled expression.
I thought she could just go get him herself, but today she was on teaching duty.
A fair amount of time had passed since classes ended, which meant she'd soon need to start her teaching assistant responsibilities.
There were probably earnest students waiting for her instruction. Leaving them hanging would be a little harsh.
"Yes. I know I should go myself, but… I just really don't feel comfortable going to places full of those intense athletic types."
The reason was exactly what I'd expected. It was understandable—she wasn't fond of dealing with hot-blooded people.
"I'm sorry. That was selfish of me."
"It's fine. I'll go."
I accepted the request as a way to kill some time.
There was nothing to do back at the dorm anyway, so it would serve as decent entertainment. While I was at it, I could tour some of the school facilities too.
...
With just two weeks left until the exams, another after-school period arrived.
Class D's atmosphere was gradually becoming wrapped in a serious determination to tackle the tests head-on.
As the class where expulsion loomed largest in the entire year, their sense of crisis was understandably the strongest.
Excluding Kouenji, everyone was brimming with motivation.
"Ayanokouji-kun."
As I was packing up to head to the library, Horikita called out to me.
"What is it?"
"A small… consultation. Lend me your ear for a moment."
Saying that, she grabbed my arm and pulled it forcefully, bringing my ear close to her face.
It was very Horikita-like, making others move instead of moving herself.
"The consultation is about Kushida-san. You understand how critical it is that no traitor emerges from the class this time, right?"
It was an extremely serious topic.
Since it would be troublesome if anyone overheard, I responded in a low voice as well.
"Yeah. So the real point is for me to cooperate in stopping Kushida from betraying us?
Sorry, Horikita, but I'm already serving as the go-between for Yukimura and the others' study group because of your orders. I don't have the spare capacity to help."
Today I was scheduled to join Yukimura, Miyake, and Hasebe again. That's why I was heading to the library now.
"I've already accepted that you won't be cooperative. That's not what I want to ask."
"Then what?"
"I have one simple question. Would you… make Kushida-san an ally?"
I could sense a trace of resignation in Horikita's slightly lowered tone. From the look of it, she'd probably begged Kushida repeatedly not to betray.
"What would you decide based on my answer?"
"Nothing in particular… I was just curious how you'd respond."
"I see. Then I'll answer honestly. If it were me, I wouldn't make Kushida an ally.
The advantages of having her on our side are considerable, but with that personality, the disadvantages when she snaps would be far too great.
On top of that, she's repeatedly taken actions harmful to the class as a traitor. There isn't enough trust."
If I had to choose someone to cooperate with, Karuizawa would be better.
I'd already reached that conclusion some time ago.
After listening to my opinion, Horikita slowly spoke.
"…You're probably not wrong. I think the same.
But I… believe I need Kushida-san's strength to reach Class A."
"Then you have no choice but to make her an ally."
"Yes. But judging from her personality, she won't be swayed that easily.
I don't know everything about her either. Since I can't fully grasp where the landmines are, making her an ally is undeniably dangerous."
Horikita's reasoning was sound.
I know Kushida's hidden face, but I don't know why she conceals that personality or how she ended up that way—the reasons behind it.
If those could be resolved, perhaps she could be turned into an ally, but the difficulty is fairly high.
There's a good chance I'd have to cross more than two treacherous valleys.
"Even so, I intend to take the risk and gamble with her."
"A gamble?"
Horikita's tone was quiet, yet I could feel a strong, unyielding core beneath it.
It might be a strategy she has confidence in.
"Kushida-san wants me expelled. So I decided to use 'my expulsion' as the stake.
In return, Kushida-san will no longer betray Class D and will cooperate from now on. The wager itself is a one-subject score competition in the next special exam."
"That's… quite a lopsided bet."
If Horikita loses, she gets expelled, while if Kushida loses, she simply stops betraying the class—like it's a given.
High risk, low reward. A foolish move that drives herself into a corner.
"Yes. When I told Kushida-san about it, she said the exact same thing."
She already brought it up? As expected—she's cautious during exams, yet when it involves herself, she acts swiftly.
Or rather, she still has moments of charging ahead without considering consequences even in exams, so perhaps it's just her true nature.
"During that conversation, I tried to negotiate with my brother as guarantor, but Kushida-san refused.
And for some reason, she brought up your name, saying she'd only accept if you and I were expelled together."
"…What a pain."
I held back a sigh and considered why Kushida had said that.
The answer was obvious. It was likely because I know Kushida Kikyo's hidden side, and because I'm often seen with Horikita.
Apparently, the two attended the same middle school, and Kushida seems to harbor resentment about something from that past.
She probably assumes there's a chance I heard about it from Horikita.
Kushida is the kind of woman who trusts no one—like a con artist. Even if I claimed I hadn't heard anything from Horikita, she wouldn't believe me.
To eliminate every possibility of her past coming to light, she's planning to use Horikita's wager to take us both out at once—that's the most plausible motive.
"I don't want to drag an uninvolved person like you into this just to push the negotiation forward."
"But there's no other way to bring Kushida in as an ally. So under the pretense of consultation, you were seeking my opinion, hoping for some new insight."
"…Yes."
"In this exam, if we don't stop Kushida, winning the special exam will be difficult. Looks like you've already tried persuading her multiple times."
Having an enemy on the inside during the next special exam would be even more troublesome than the sports festival.
That's precisely why it needs to be dealt with quickly.
But even that probably won't happen in time—because Ryuen may have already seized the initiative.
Just like the sports festival, he'll likely use Kushida again this time.
I have several guesses about what Ryuen might be planning, but if a traitor is created, countermeasures become extremely difficult for all of them.
Horikita will undoubtedly push forward without giving up, but if it were me, I'd focus my efforts on eliminating Kushida right here.
On top of that, there's no absolute guarantee of beating Class C—which is running study sessions led by Kamukura and Kaneda—in a pure academic test.
As expected, the best course of action for me this time is to "do nothing."
"…Yes. But I lack the persuasive charm that Hirata-kun or Ichinose-san have.
And since I'm Kushida-san's target, no matter how many times I speak, my words don't reach her heart."
"It feels like pointless effort."
"…I don't think so."
She really doesn't know when to give up.
Still, to avoid rendering Horikita's efforts meaningless, perhaps I can ensure the negotiation succeeds.
"Then feel free to involve me in the negotiation you mentioned earlier."
"You… what are you thinking?"
Horikita was visibly startled by the sudden offer.
"I figured I'd take this chance to evaluate Kushida one more time."
Of course, that was a lie.
If anything, I'd grown slightly curious about what kind of outcome Horikita—who takes a different approach from me—would produce.
"But that doesn't mean you have to shoulder the risk of expulsion…"
"If you win, there won't be any problem, right? You're unusually fainthearted today—what's wrong, Horikita?"
Provoking her like this would make Horikita Suzune bite. Her assertive nature hasn't changed.
"…You've got some nerve."
After a sigh tinged with a smile, Horikita returned to her usual form.
No matter how many setbacks she faces, she never breaks—that's the aura Horikita Suzune carries.
"What's your schedule after this?"
"I'm supposed to study with Yukimura and the others, but I'll let them know I'll be late."
"Thank you. Let's wrap this up as quickly as possible."
"Yeah."
I sent a message to Yukimura through the app.
When I mentioned it was to help Horikita, he readily agreed.
And so, I headed to the scene of the wager between Kushida and Horikita.
There, I would learn about Kushida's past—but that information is irrelevant to me.
In the unlikely event that Horikita loses, devising a way for us to survive is my highest priority.
...
Class C's leader, Ryūen Kakeru, was on one of the stairwell landings in the dorm.
It was almost 23:00—just shy of lights-out—yet he leaned alone against the wall.
Black heat-tech base layer, loose long-sleeve pants.
If this weren't school grounds, he'd look like a suspicious intruder. And in that getup, Ryūen was waiting for someone.
The dorms at Advanced Nurturing High School imposed almost no restrictions on nighttime movement.
It was a co-ed facility—girls' floors above, boys' below—so the only real taboo was probably boys heading up to the girls' floors at night.
Everything else was left to the students' discretion.
Girls coming down to the boys' floors, on the other hand, faced no particular punishment.
Not discrimination—just practicality. There were always plausible reasons.
A girl who simply wanted a late-night walk downstairs. A girl heading to the vending machines for a drink. No one could penalize students like them.
Of course, if a girl deliberately visited a boy's floor and even entered a room, that would naturally warrant discipline.
"Yo, Kikyo. You've got some guts making me wait after summoning me."
Ryūen looked up from his phone and called out to the girl descending from the upper floors—Kushida Kikyo.
She wasn't in typical sleepwear but light clothes suitable for a quick convenience-store run.
Evidently, the awareness of appearance differed between boys and girls.
"Sorry, Ryūen-kun. Studying ran long. It was for the class, so please forgive me."
She pressed her palms together, tilted her head slightly, and apologized with a bright, approachable smile.
Ryūen responded with a sneer.
"Don't care. But studying this late, huh? Ha, being popular sure is tough."
The smile vanished, color drained from her eyes.
Her narrow, perpetually glaring eyes evoked pure hatred.
That expression was the real Kushida Kikyo—no, the true Kushida Kikyo.
She sighed and answered Ryūen curtly.
"It wasn't even my studying. Some girl kept begging for one-on-one help."
"Either way. Keeping up the goody-two-shoes act looks exhausting."
Ryūen laughed through his nose, and Kushida spat back coldly, telling him not to pity her.
"…I've secured a one-on-one match against Horikita in the next special exam."
Since time was short, Kushida cut straight to the point.
"Oh? And what do you get if you win?"
Ryūen asked the obvious question with an amused expression.
"Horikita's expulsion."
Kushida returned an equally dark grin.
A blood-chilling smile that would make even a witch recoil.
"I never thought Suzune would accept such a lopsided bet… No, she deliberately accepted it. To deal with the internal issue."
"Correct. She says she wants to mend our relationship so the class can unite. But that's impossible. For me to work for the class, Horikita's expulsion is a prerequisite."
"Kuku. Women's grudges are something I want no part of. Scary as hell."
Of course, Ryūen felt no fear whatsoever.
If anything, he almost pitied Horikita for being entangled with a troublesome woman like Kushida.
"So, the rules?"
"A single-subject score competition. I get to choose the subject—math."
"It's a bet with expulsion on the line. There's a guarantor, right? If not, I'm not helping. And let's settle this time's payment too."
Ryūen pocketed his phone and shifted into serious negotiation mode.
Kushida nodded, pulled a folded sheet from her pocket, and handed it to him.
A contract. It outlined the price for crushing Horikita and formally requested Ryūen's cooperation.
He skimmed it quickly.
"There is a guarantor. Horikita's older brother, the student council president, agreed to stand witness."
"Oh? So Suzune's serious too. Kuku, too much of a goody-goody."
Ryūen continued the conversation while silently reading.
When he finished, he looked back at Kushida with a grave expression.
She didn't flinch outwardly, but she reminded herself once again how dangerous this man was.
A violent troublemaker—that had been the rumor about him upon enrollment.
But lately, that image was shifting. Kushida, with one of the year's best information networks, knew it.
The danger hadn't changed. But now the rumors painted him as someone who used violence as one tool among many, shrewd and perceptive.
His methods weren't praiseworthy, but he was producing results.
Leader of Class C, one of the school's top players. The aura he exuded certainly carried weight.
"Let me confirm the terms. You want my help to crush Suzune. In exchange, you'll provide Class C with the questions and answers Class D creates.
I'll supply you with Class C's math questions and answers as cooperation. That accurate?"
"Yes. No mistakes."
Kushida nodded slowly, cautiously affirming. The contract confirmation had gone smoothly—things were proceeding well.
She smirked inwardly.
However,
"But I can't accept yet. Kikyo, how exactly do you plan to get your questions accepted as Class D's official ones for Class C?"
Ryūen wasn't like the mindless Class D boys who'd wag their tails at a smile.
Cunning and cautious—especially when it came to contracts, those traits were razor-sharp.
"I'll submit my questions early as Class D's, get them provisionally accepted. Even if others finish later, I'll make sure mine are the ones actually used."
"I see… So that's why you were 'studying' this late. But it's too naive."
"…Huh?"
Ryūen's unexpected remark drew an intimidating tone from Kushida—unintentionally.
Her mistake. The real Kushida Kikyo voiced malicious thoughts without filter.
She cared nothing for others' feelings. Ryūen found that voice grating and intensified his glare.
The ferocious pressure made Kushida realize her error and take a step back.
"Don't get cocky, Kikyo. Suzune's a straight-laced softie, but she's no idiot.
She learns from being burned once and takes countermeasures. You won't outsmart her with something that simple. And there's no way that bastard X wouldn't notice."
Ryūen was right, and Kushida knew it.
Horikita Suzune was a troublesome woman. She'd grown sharper since arriving at this school.
Still, Kushida believed that the "trust" she'd built since enrollment could force the question swap through sheer momentum.
"…X. The puppet master you've recently started hunting in Class D, right?"
"As expected from the info queen. Saves time."
After a brief pause, Ryūen continued.
"I'm not confident you can actually get your questions accepted. But if you help investigate X, I'll indulge your grudge—no risk considered."
Ryūen flashed his most villainous grin of the night.
Kushida knew it: this was a deal with the devil. Once signed, there might be no turning back.
Yet she took the devil's hand. If it meant preserving her sense of self, methods were trivial. As long as Suzune existed, Kushida Kikyo's peace would never come.
"…Fine. But I don't have any info on X. Everyone just parrots the same line: 'It was all thanks to Horikita-san~' like broken records."
"Doesn't matter. Just tell me anything that feels off inside the class."
"Off, huh…"
Kushida dug through her memory for examples, but only Horikita's achievements surfaced.
And she sank deeper into self-loathing.
"Nothing?"
"…Nothing comes to mind right away. The cruise exam—everyone thinks it was Horikita and Hirata. Same with the sports festival. The uninhabited island exam too…"
She stopped mid-sentence, something catching in her throat like a fishbone.
Ryūen looked pleased at her reaction.
"Sounds like you remembered something."
"It's nothing major. Just that maybe your X was active during the uninhabited island exam too."
"…What? Explain."
"Horikita was in terrible physical condition that exam. Someone like Hirata—who only cares about keeping the class together—wouldn't think of mass retirement…"
Ryūen committed the statement to memory.
It eliminated Hirata, one of his top X candidates.
Kushida's observational and information-gathering skills scaled with her communication ability.
Thus, Ryūen judged this intel high-quality.
"I see. So X was already moving back then. And from your perspective, neither Suzune nor Hirata fits?"
"Pretty much. If I had to suspect someone, Kōenji's more suspicious than those two."
Ryūen was inwardly satisfied with the progress.
Mainly because it lowered the likelihood of Hirata being X.
The current Kushida—spewing malice like breath—had almost no reason to lie.
Hirata had always smelled fishy, so Ryūen had kept him high on the suspect list, but this dropped him to just one of many.
And a new name emerged: Kōenji.
Compared to grasping blindly at mysteries, this was significant progress. Ryūen treated hunting X like a game and thoroughly enjoyed it.
One piece of the puzzle removed, forward momentum gained. He had no doubt this would continue until he finally unmasked X.
"Kuku. High-quality info for an advance payment. Deal's on, Kikyo."
At those words, Kushida finally felt her mind settle.
Relief washed over her. No more needless mental resources wasted—she felt almost buoyant.
Ryūen started to leave the landing.
In better spirits, Kushida watched his retreating back as a courtesy.
Then he suddenly stopped.
"This is free advice out of goodwill… X thinks like me or Sakayanagi. If they're pruning unnecessary elements from the class, I'd choose you."
"…What are you trying to say?"
"X's next target is probably you, Kikyo. Better watch your back so you don't get your throat slit in your sleep."
With that, Ryūen descended the stairs.
Nonsense. Kushida dismissed the warning as idle talk and forcibly suppressed the intuition she'd just felt, using every ounce of honed self-control.
Desperately.
Earnestly.
***
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