During the midday break, just as Horikita had swallowed a few bites of her lunch, Kushida Kikyo approached her with a look of "concern" on her face.
"Horikita-san, um... someone from Class C just asked me to deliver a message." Kushida's voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. "They said that Kinoshita, who collided with you in the obstacle race earlier, seems to have suddenly gotten worse. Her condition is quite serious now, and she can only rest in the School Infirmary. They insist that you go to the School Infirmary immediately."
"Her condition worsened?"
Horikita Suzune put down her chopsticks, her brows tightly furrowed.
She clearly remembered that moment. Although there was indeed a collision, the force and angle would at most cause a scrape or soft tissue contusion, just like the pain she herself was feeling now. How could it possibly be so severe that she couldn't move?
An ominous premonition arose in her heart.
Normally, she might calmly analyze the possible traps. But at this moment, Natsukawa Sosuke's assessment of her as "incompetent" still echoed in her ears.
"...I understand."
She didn't say much, enduring the pain from her right leg, stood up, and limped towards the School Infirmary.
Pushing open the door to the School Infirmary, a strong smell of disinfectant assailed her.
The light in the room was somewhat dim, with the curtains half-drawn.
On the hospital bed, Kinoshita from Class C lay there, her face pale, her brows tightly furrowed, seemingly enduring immense pain. And on the chair beside the bed, Ryuuen Kakeru sat casually with his legs crossed, fiddling with something in his hand.
Hearing the door open, Ryuuen stopped what he was doing and slowly turned his head.
"Yo, Suzune."
"You finally came. I thought you'd be too scared to come out from your tent."
"I heard you were looking for me. Just say what you want, I'm busy and don't have time to play these childish word games with you."
"Busy? Busy cleaning up Sudo's mess?"
Ryuuen scoffed, then his smile faded, and his eyes became sinister.
"But unfortunately, you're probably in no position to protect yourself right now."
He stood up, walked to the hospital bed, and pointed at Kinoshita lying on the bed.
"You're in big trouble, Suzune. Kinoshita from our class has a fractured leg because of your 'intentional harm.'"
"Fractured?!"
Horikita Suzune's pupils constricted slightly, and she subconsciously retorted, "That's impossible! The collision wasn't that serious at all, I was also injured, it was just a normal accident during the race..."
"A normal accident?"
Ryuuen interrupted her, a cruel curve playing on his lips.
"If it was a sudden accident, it might indeed only be a minor injury. But what if it was... a premeditated malicious attack?"
"What do you mean?"
"Still don't understand?" Ryuuen suddenly pulled back the blanket covering Kinoshita's leg.
The previously fair calf was now alarmingly swollen, with large patches of purplish-black bruising, a shocking sight.
"Look at this injury! Are you still going to deny it?!"
Ryuuen's voice suddenly rose, full of oppressive force.
"And everyone present saw it. When Kinoshita was catching up, you kept looking back to confirm her position. What else could that be if not calculating the distance and timing of an attack?!"
"That's because..." Horikita Suzune urgently explained, "That's because Kinoshita was quietly calling my name from behind, that's why I looked back!"
"Ha! Who do you think would believe such nonsense?"
Ryuuen scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Go tell the school. Let's see if they believe this injury and the facts, or your excuse?"
"You...!"
This scene, this feeling of being framed and unable to defend herself, was so familiar.
Wasn't this a re-run of the Sudo incident?
Her mind instinctively recalled Natsukawa Sosuke's methods when he resolved Class C's false accusation—using surveillance to find flaws, questioning witnesses with details, and logically defeating the opponent.
Just calm down... just like then... but she couldn't.
Her mind was in chaos. The sharp pain in her ankle constantly stimulated her nerves, the images of Class D's crushing defeat this morning, Sudo's angry retreating back, and Natsukawa's cold judgment of failure, were like a tangled mess, tightly gripping her thoughts.
Fear was slowly eroding her reason.
Ryuuen Kakeru keenly caught the trace of panic in Horikita's eyes. As an excellent hunter, he would never give his prey a chance to breathe.
"Looks like you can't think of anything."
Ryuuen snorted coldly, walked over and grabbed Horikita's wrist.
"In that case, come with me! We'll go to the school and report it now, let everyone see what kind of character the leader of Class D is!"
"Let go of me!"
"Wait, wait a minute!"
"You... what do you want to stop?!"
Hearing this, Ryuuen Kakeru stopped.
He turned around and looked at Horikita, who was pale and slightly panting, the anger on his face instantly disappearing.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"This matter is very serious. Kinoshita is our ace, and with this broken leg, all subsequent matches are ruined."
He held up a finger and wiggled it in front of Horikita.
"As long as you can compensate Kinoshita with 1 million personal points, this matter will be over."
"1 million?!"
Horikita Suzune gasped, "That's impossible! I don't have that many points at all!"
"That's your problem, not mine." Ryuuen shrugged. "You can borrow it, raise it, or even sell yourself. All I want to see is the money."
"This is blackmail!"
"I won't agree. I didn't intentionally cause harm, so there's no need to pay any points."
After saying that, she planned to use this outburst as an excuse to turn and leave. She needed to buy time to think, even if it meant abandoning her dignity and going to Natsukawa... In short, she absolutely could not let Ryuuen manipulate her here.
However, just as her hand touched the doorknob, Ryuuen's devilish whisper came from behind her.
"If you dare to step out of this door, I'll go to the Student Council President to help us get justice."
Horikita Suzune's body suddenly froze.
As if under a paralysis spell, her hand stopped in mid-air, unable to press down.
The Student Council President was Horikita Suzune's biggest taboo and her deepest weakness.
"Don't say anymore..."
In her mind, her brother's cold eyes and his words "You're still the same" from the start of the school year kept replaying.
Suddenly, she remembered Natsukawa's assessment of her this morning.
(Do I... have to admit defeat?)
(Am I... really such a failure?)
She absolutely could not trouble her brother with this kind of thing.
Horikita Suzune slowly turned around, her previously straight back now somewhat hunched.
"...Fine."
"1 million... I'll give it to you. After this, there will be no more conditions, right?"
Seeing this proud swan finally bow her head, Ryuuen Kakeru's face showed an expression of extreme pleasure.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Suzune."
"Then was then, now is now. Since you tried to run just now, it shows you have no sincerity."
"So, the price has changed."
"Because of your refusal, Kinoshita is very sad now..."
"What more do you want?!"
"What do I want? No, Kinoshita wants you to prove the sincerity of your apology."
Ryuuen pointed to the ground at his feet,
"You want time to raise points, right? Fine."
"Now, immediately, right now."
"Kneel down and kowtow to me."
"As long as you kneel and beg me, I'll be merciful and extend the payment deadline until after the Sports Festival."
"Kneel... kneel down?!"
"That's impossible! I will never do such a thing!"
"Is that so? Then there's nothing to discuss."
Ryuuen didn't hesitate, grabbed Horikita's wrist, and forcefully dragged her towards the door.
"Let's go! We'll go to the Student Council President right now! Let him judge! Let him see what good deeds you've done!"
"No! Don't!"
She struggled desperately from Ryuuen's grip and retreated to the wall.
"...If I kneel and apologize now, you won't pursue this any further... right?"
"That's right, as long as you show your sincerity, Kinoshita will surely give you enough time to raise the points." Seeing Horikita finally intending to yield, Ryuuen watched her calmly, waiting for her next move.
Horikita Suzune closed her eyes.
Slowly, little by little, she bent her once straight back.
"Knock, knock."
Two crisp and abrupt knocks on the door came from outside the closed School Infirmary door.