Volume 4
Chapter 8: Anarchy and the Failed Coup
One Hour Later...
While chaos erupted elsewhere throughout the National Institute for Future Leaders, Class 1-A remained eerily silent.
For nearly an hour, not a single student had spoken.
The classroom felt less like a school and more like a courtroom awaiting a verdict.
The countdown displayed on the projector continued its relentless march toward zero.
Less than thirty minutes remained.
Most students sat motionless, deep in thought.
Others merely observed.
Waiting.
Calculating.
Watching one another.
Eventually, Reika Amamiya broke the silence.
She glanced toward the classroom wall separating them from Class 1-B.
"Does anyone else hear that?"
Several students looked up.
"Hear what?" someone asked.
"A loud noise coming from Class 1-B next door."
Nobody responded.
The silence returned.
Then Ryōichi suddenly stood.
His chair scraped loudly against the floor.
The sound immediately captured everyone's attention.
"We need to expel Naoki."
The room froze.
Across the classroom, Naoki Shirayuki calmly turned a page in his book.
He didn't even look up.
Ryōichi continued.
"The student government has corrupted this school."
His voice grew louder.
"Because of Naoki Shirayuki, Ichika Renji, Kenji Sakamoto, and Reika Amamiya, Class A has become nothing more than their personal kingdom."
Several students exchanged glances.
Others remained expressionless.
Then Hina stood.
The soft tap of her cane echoed through the room.
She slowly approached Ryōichi.
Unlike the others, she wore a gentle smile.
One that somehow felt more threatening than anger.
When she reached him, she calmly adjusted his crooked collar.
"I don't think you'd want to do something like that, Ryōichi."
Her voice remained soft.
Almost caring.
"Because if you do, it's obvious that the student government members won't agree."
She stepped back.
"Then nobody reaches a unanimous decision."
"Then five students are expelled."
"Then we lose five hundred class points."
The smile never left her face.
"That doesn't sound very intelligent."
Ryōichi clenched his fists.
Hina tilted her head.
"Besides..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You've never openly opposed the student government before."
"Not once."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"So unless there's an outside variable influencing you..."
The classroom grew colder.
"...then why now?"
Ryōichi backed away.
"What are you talking about?"
Hina smiled.
"Tell me something."
"Do you know what's beautiful about bonds?"
Ryōichi frowned.
"No."
"Loyalty."
Her answer came immediately.
"Unyielding loyalty."
"That's what makes them so fascinating."
She turned away from him.
Then she spoke again.
"So would you care to explain why students from other classes have been texting me about a certain Phantom Bishop?"
The room grew silent.
"And why this Phantom Bishop is allegedly bribing students to expel specific individuals?"
No response came.
Ryōichi remained frozen.
That silence was answer enough.
Hina already knew.
The Phantom Bishop had contacted him.
And Ryōichi knew she knew.
Checkmate.
Ryōichi gritted his teeth.
"You and Kuro are student government members too."
His voice shook slightly.
"You just hide in the shadows while the others do whatever they want."
His gaze hardened.
"You're just as guilty."
Before Hina could reply, Ichika Renji burst into laughter.
"Seriously?"
He leaned back in his chair.
"You thought we wouldn't notice?"
His smug grin widened.
"The Phantom Bishop may have caught us off guard."
"But we figured things out pretty quickly."
He gestured toward the classroom.
"The awkward silence."
"The strange looks."
"The way everyone suddenly started staring at us."
He laughed again.
"You guys practically announced your little rebellion."
The students remained silent.
Because he wasn't wrong.
Ichika crossed his arms.
"You tried to stage a coup."
"You tried to overthrow the student government."
His grin widened further.
"But one of your own warned us."
He turned toward the back of the classroom.
"Isn't that right, Yowamushi?"
Every eye in the room shifted.
A nervous-looking student slowly stepped forward.
Yowamushi couldn't even maintain eye contact.
His shoulders trembled.
"S-Sorry..."
His voice barely escaped his mouth.
Ryōichi stared at him in disbelief.
"You're betraying us?"
Yowamushi looked away.
"Why?"
Ryōichi demanded.
"I thought we all agreed."
"I thought we were finally going to get rid of them."
Yowamushi said nothing.
Hina gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You made the correct choice."
For a moment, relief appeared in his eyes.
Then Reina finally spoke.
Unlike everyone else, his voice remained completely calm.
Emotionless.
"The situation is simple."
The room turned toward him.
"According to the information we gathered..."
He folded his hands.
"The Phantom Bishop contacted half the students in every ranked class."
"Each group was instructed to eliminate a specific target."
Several students nodded.
Reina continued.
"However, in this classroom..."
His gaze swept across the room.
"...every student outside the student government received the message."
The implication struck everyone immediately.
Before Reina could finish, Naoki finally closed his book.
He stood.
"Which means I was the intended target."
The room fell silent.
Naoki's eyes remained calm.
"The Phantom Bishop isn't targeting student government members in general."
"He is targeting me specifically."
He paused.
"And if he knows enough to make that decision..."
His gaze sharpened.
"...then the Phantom Bishop is almost certainly a freshman."
Hina nodded.
"It's unfortunate, really."
She looked almost disappointed.
"The Phantom Bishop had anonymity."
"They could've been anyone."
"A ranked student."
"A non-ranked student."
"A teacher."
"An outsider."
She smiled.
"But now?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"We've reduced the suspect pool to only a few hundred people."
A dangerous amount of information had just been revealed.
Then Ichika suddenly wrapped an arm around Yowamushi.
The nervous student immediately stiffened.
Ichika's grin returned.
"So..."
His tone became playful.
"Why don't we just vote out Yowamushi?"
The room blinked.
"We can all forget this failed revolution ever happened."
Yowamushi's face turned pale.
"W-What?"
Ichika shoved him forward.
The student stumbled onto the floor.
"You betrayed them."
Ichika shrugged.
"But you're not one of us either."
His smile vanished.
"So you're useless to both sides."
Yowamushi desperately turned toward Hina.
Then toward Reina.
Looking for support.
For mercy.
Reina didn't react.
Not even slightly.
Meanwhile Hina simply smiled.
"Yes."
She nodded.
"That seems reasonable."
Yowamushi's heart sank.
"Let's vote."
She raised her hand.
"All in favor?"
One by one...
Hands rose.
Yowamushi watched in horror.
The students he betrayed abandoned him.
The students he saved abandoned him.
Both sides had reached the same conclusion.
For the first time that day, Yowamushi understood something.
Traitors rarely belong anywhere.
---
Meanwhile... Class 1-D
The situation could not have been more different.
Desks had been overturned.
Students were shouting over one another.
Several were on the verge of tears.
Nobody trusted anyone.
Nobody wanted to volunteer.
Nobody wanted responsibility.
Most importantly—
Nobody wanted to be expelled.
"WHO DO WE EVEN PICK!?"
A student slammed his fist against a desk.
"As long as it isn't me!"
someone shouted back.
The argument exploded again.
Insults flew across the room.
The atmosphere resembled a riot.
In truth, the situation was hopeless.
Class 1-D had the weakest academic performance among the freshman classes.
Their highest recent test score was only a C+.
Even Satoshi understood it.
Removing one student wouldn't change anything.
The class was already falling apart.
Suddenly Satoshi stood.
"I HAVE AN IDEA!"
The room paused.
Everyone looked toward him.
For the first time all evening, they were actually listening.
Satoshi took a deep breath.
"Let's draw lots."
The room remained silent.
His voice lowered.
"Whoever gets selected..."
He swallowed.
"...gets expelled."
Nobody liked the idea.
Nobody wanted the idea.
But unlike every other suggestion...
It was impartial.
No friendships.
No grudges.
No politics.
Just luck.
Slowly...
Reluctantly...
The class agreed.
A lottery was prepared.
Slips of paper were distributed.
Students stared at them as if holding their own death warrants.
And together...
Class 1-D awaited judgment.