"Before we start the next scene," Mashima stood up on his seat. "The scenes starting with this one will be set in the future."
"The future." Sakayanagi muttered to herself.
"Isn't it awesome?!" Ishizaki grinned.
"I can't believe we're watching the future now." Horikita whispered to herself.
Even after we returned to the tent, Sudou didn't calm down. I kept my distance to let him cool off. Karuizawa called to Hirata and me.
"Eh? Ken?" Ike glanced at Sudo who's nervous about the scene.
"What did you do now?" Shinohara scowled at him.
"Stop looking at me! I don't know!" Sudo exclaimed. He didn't turn around to know what expression Horikita is supporting.
"How did they even get the memories about the future?" Ayanokoji said to himself, "More importantly, my futurememories?" He said annoyed.
"Isn't this bad news, Kiyotaka?" she asked.
"Huh? First name basis?" Sato wiggled her brows at Karuizawa.
"W-what are you implying?" Karuizawa stuttered, "I have a boyfriend!"
"A fake boyfriend." Shinohara joined in on the teasing.
"What?! Mou! Stop insinuating something!"
"What is? Wait. Why'd you use my first name?" I asked.
"Why? Well, I call Yousuke-kun by his first name, so I thought I'd try using yours," she replied.
"Hmm? Since when?" Hiyori asked.
"It's the future! How would I know?"
"Stop with the noise! I can't hear the damn projector." Ryuuen complained.
Then why had she dropped the honorific in my case? Was she implying that I was lower than Hirata?
Ayanokoji raised a brow in Karuizawa direction. She shrugged rather violently.
"I don't think that's it, Ayanokoji-kun." Hirata sweatdrop.
"Dropping a honorific means that you are more closer to the person, right?" Ichinose asked her classmates who nodded.
"At any rate, I want to discuss Horikita-san. Hasn't she been struggling for a while now? Even during the cavalry battle, she was in really rough shape," said Karuizawa.
"Yeah," I replied.
Horikita was in a bad way, and not just in the team contests. Her rankings had fallen greatly across every event. The reason was clear: the fall during the obstacle course had injured her right leg. We normally would've suggested that she withdraw, but if she did, then Class D would be penalized.
"It's the sports festival." Hoshinomiya whispered to the three teachers.
"We can see that." Chabashira said flatly.
"The rules around the penalties are harsh." Katsuragi noted.
"Physical activities...?" Hashimoto winced glancing at his princess. "It seems you will also sit this one out, princess."
Sakayanagi analyzed the scene. "Such a shame. And I thought that I can finally face of against my childhood friend."
"Childhood friend?" Kamuro muttered.
"I don't really think I can blame her, though. Her opponents were just too much," said Karuizawa.
True. Horikita had gone up against difficult opponents each and every time. If she kept facing off against students who were the best in their respective clubs… This was far too much to be mere coincidence.
"I'm being targeted?" Horikita surmised.
"Whose class are we up against?" Shibata asked curiously.
"Not Ryuuen-kun's class, I hope." Kanzaki said.
"It's no use. She's being targeted," I said.
"Targeted? So, it's not accidental that she keeps facing all these incredible students?"
"It's the only reason I can think of. You know how athletic she is, too, right?" I replied.
There was just one person who might order such a thing: Ryuuen Kakeru. Only he would prioritize humiliating Horikita over leading Class C to victory.
"We're up against them? Yikes." Ike whispered to Yamauchi and Sudo.
Sudo frowned at him, "What are you so worried about? We can take them." He said confidently.
"Oh yeah! We have Horikita and Ayanokoji on our side." Yamauchi flicked his fingers.
Sudo visibly deflated, "I mean... We have me..."
"There, there." Ike patted his back.
"So we're against Class A?" Ichinose thought.
"He's definitely harassing her," I said.
"Someone is harassing Horikita? But why?" asked Karuizawa.
"It's not just Horikita. They seem to know all our strategies for the competitions, and the composition of all our teams. We're being played like a fiddle."
"So, information about our class got leaked? Someone sent out our participation table?"
"Huh?" Hirata looked confused.
Kushida froze, she have the highest possibility of being the traitor who sent their participation table.
"Traitor?" Horikita bit her lips glancing at Kushida's frozen form for a second.
"Who was it, I wonder." Ryuuen grinned at Class D.
"Yes. They handed all that information over to Ryuuen," I replied.
"That's… Well, actually, Horikita was always up against Yajima-san and Kinoshita-san. Does this have anything to do with the traitor you were talking about?" asked Karuizawa.
"Amazing how you already knew." Hiyori commented.
"Did you find out during the festival or before though?" Katsuragi asked.
"We can always watch quietly to know." Ayanokoji said.
I gave her a small nod.
"But, wait, how did you find out? L Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if you just came out and said you were the traitor or something… I mean, that's
not what you're saying, right?"
"Why would Ayanokoji-kun turned traitor?" Ishizaki asked confused.
"That makes zero sense." Amikura agreed.
"Since when did the guy have sense?" Ibuki muttered to herself. She doesn't know why, but her blood boils at the mere thought, sound, anything relating about the guy.
"Unfortunately, no," I replied.
"What's with the unfortunately?" Karuizawa glared at him.
"Unfortunately, I do not know."
Putting aside the question of "who" for now, the crucial bit was that the traitor had leaked our class's information. Ryuuen knew everything, and he'd done two things in response.
First, he'd intentionally set up his weaker students against our more talented athletes, like Sudou and Hirata. Then he put his more athletic students up against our hopelessly unathletic competitors, like Ike and Yamauchi. That way, he could snag even more wins by beating them.
Second, Ryuuen was targeting Horikita. However, that really had no direct bearing on leading his class to victory. He wanted to crush Horikita for the sole purpose of destroying her. And, in truth, Horikita had been crushed. She'd completely lost strategies revealed much about Ryuuen Kakeru. He could have switched around his players to keep us from figuring out his plans, but he wanted us to know. He wanted to rile us up.
"Foul."
"What the hell?"
"You're the worst."
"Poor Horikita-san."
"But it is a nice strategy though."
"Huh? Whose side are you on?"
"Uh... No one?"
Horikita glared at the laughing Ryuuen.
"Great job, future me." Ryuuen smirked.
"You do know that since I already knew this, it will never happen." Horikita snaps.
"Oho? How sure are you?" Ryuuen challenges her.
"Unfortunately, we're in the same team." Nagumo sighed. He was referring about his one sided rivalry with Horikita Manabu. Since they're in the same team, he can't play against him.
"I kind of liked that kohai's thinking." He added. He plays and crushes his opponents leading him to victory while simultaneously satisfying his desire to play around. But it looks like Manabu disapprove of the method.
"Yikes." Shibata grimaced.
"Is it wrong for me to be glad that we're not up against them?" Yume whispered to Amikura.
"So, you're not going to help her?" asked Karuizawa.
"How would I do that?"
"Well…I don't know," she replied.
"The participation table is already set in stone. There's nothing I can do."
"You're saying that Class D is going to lose?"
"Guess so."
"You're giving up just like that?" Ryuuen asked suspiciously.
"Or he anticipated it and focused more on a different thing?" Katsuragi said thinking.
"With their participation table leak and their words, it can be surmised that you can't replace it with a new one." Hashimoto added.
"But what if someone was injured?" Hiyori frowned.
"Then a large amount of private points or class points will be exchange, I supposed." Ibuki said.
"Isn't there anything we can do?"
"You should ask Hirata about that."
"That's…well, that's true, I guess. But…I thought if I talked to you, you'd think of something."
"Oho? You seemed to trust Ayanokoji-kun." Shinohara teases her.
"I trust his abilities, there's a difference." Karuizawa looked away.
"But yeah, I trust him." She whispered.
"What was that, Karuizawa-san?" Nene asked her.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Karuizawa squeaked.
"Okay...?"
The sports festival was playing out right in the open. Thus, there weren't many chances for subterfuge, like there had been on the island. It would be a Herculean task to pull the wool over the entire school's eyes.
Our two options were fighting fair, and taking opponents like Ichinose and Katsuragi head-on, or using cowardly tactics while taking dangerous risks.
"And Ryuuen-kun is the latter, I assume?" Sakayanagi said.
"You call it cowardly, but I name it as being a great, unique, tactics." Ryuuen grinned, "All strategies have dangerous risks, some are just worst than the others making it look mild."
Ryuuen was only committing these acts of foul play after careful rehearsal and lots of practice. Nearly all these results had been decided before the sports festival even started.
"What do you think of Horikita?"
"What? I don't like her. She's all high and mighty and full of herself," Karuizawa replied.
"Technically, you can't hold that words against me as it was said by future me." Karuizawa defended herself after she saw Horikita glared at her.
"Am I free to think that you, the present you, think of me highly?" Horikita said.
"Uh... Am I required to answer the question?" Karuizawa asked.
"Of course you are." Horikita tapped her foot impatient.
"You know what? I'll keep my mouth shut."
"But you're worried about her."
"Well…maybe I kinda understand what she's dealing with."
Karuizawa knew the bitterness and agony that came of being targeted by a bully. In that way, she could empathize with Horikita.
"Thanks, I guess?" Horikita looked unsure.
"Now you'll never feel that ever again." Shinohara assured Karuizawa.
"Yeah, I can only hope." Karuizawa replied back.
"Class D is in last place right now, yeah? Is there no way for us to win?" asked Karuizawa.
"Don't worry. Everything so far has been going according to plan," I told her.
"I knew it. You did think of something. Then how do we win this thing?"
"Win? I have no intention of winning. What's important right now is to do nothing," I replied.
"Huh?" Ryuuen eyed him.
"He have a plan but not for us to win?" Miyake asked.
"Our participation table was leak, maybe he's cornering the traitor?" Haruka suggested.
'Please do not let that be me.' Kushida look frustrated. 'Who am I kidding? It's probably me.'
"With their participation table leak, he can't really do anything about it." Hashimoto commented.
"Which makes me think how easy is for a class participation table be seen." Ichinose looked at her teacher.
Hoshinomiya shook her head teasing, "No can do, Honami-chan. You are already seeing the future exams, that's the only clue you will be getting."
"Okay." Ichinose pouted.
"That does mean that the traitor is in their class only?" Chihiro asked.
"I mean, the school letting outsider see a class participation table is out of the question, that only applies to the student in that class." Tachibana answered her.
'It's Kushida-san, isn't it?'
"Huh?" Karuizawa's mouth hung open in shock.
I was trying to think up a way out of this incessant questioning when I heard a very angry roar.
"I'm seriously going to beat the crap out of that jerk!"
Sudou, bristling with all the aggression of a demon, was storming toward Class C. All Ryuuen's provocation, from stepping on Sudou to targeting Horikita, seemed to have finally had its intended effect. Hirata got in Sudou's way.
"I understand what you're saying, Sudou-kun, but you need to calm down. You know what'll happen if you get violent with Ryuuen-kun."
Sudou shoved him aside. "Shut it! He's the one who should be sorry! He's done nothing but cheat!"
"How can I cheat if it wasn't in the rules?" Ryuuen smirked. "Calm down your down, won't ya?"
"And If I did, which I didn't. The school would have disqualified me, or my class from participating." He added.
"You're in the border line between cheating and not." Horikita said. "Edging between the line but not at the same time."
"Okay, yes, I do think he's been cheating. But isn't that difficult for us to prove?" asked Hirata.
Trampling someone during capture the flag and letting opponents fall over in tug-of-war weren't very sportsmanlike conduct, but they were a gray area. As for Ryuuen using hair gel on his headband during the cavalry battle, that was only speculation.
The evidence was gone. Sudou completely losing his temper and confronting Ryuuen wouldn't solve anything. In fact, it would probably have the opposite effect.
"Brilliant, future me." Ryuuen practically purred out.
"Uh ... Yeah, I'm glad we're not up against that." Shibata winced.
"What?! You cheater!" Sudo glared at him, "Sensei, you heard that?!"
"Heard it or not but this doesn't happen yet. We can't hold him for something that didn't happen." Chabashira calmly said.
Ryuuen provoke Sudo again.
Completely losing his temper, Sudo stood up and rushed to him. "You bastard." This stem not only for the things Ryuuen did to our class, but most of it is for Horikita who was targeted.
"Idiot!" Ike and Yamauchi stood up quickly and stopped him.
"Stop it, man." Ike whispered to him harshly. "Horikita's glaring at you!"
Sudo paused and then looked behind him, Horikita was indeed staring daggers at him.
"I'm the leader here! So, listen up, Hirata. Let's confront Ryuuen together," said Sudou.
"Eh?!" Hashimoto choked.
"Sudo-kun is?!" Hiyori clapped her hands amazed.
"He must be the most sporty in his class." Ichinose said.
"I know you're the leader. If we're talking about the sports festival, you're the leader without a doubt. But look around you. What do you think the class wants from you, as their leader?" asked Hirata.
Sudou looked around, starting with Ike and the others, who cowered in fear. Most of the students kept their distance from Sudou now. They didn't want to suffer his wrath. Even Horikita looked at Sudou with worried exasperation.
Currently, Class D was swimming in fear and discomfort.
"But I'm trying my hardest for the class's sake," said Sudou.
"Is that really the case?" Yukimura interjected cutting. "It seems like you just want to show off how amazing you are. Your emotions are completely out of control, and they're making all your decisions for you. If you're going to pretend you're the leader, then you need to act like it and help all of us."
"Ugh, the responsibilities." Ryuuen faked groaned.
"The leader's responsibility is to help the class, but not all of them. You got to pull your own weight too." Ichinose said.
"Who even made him the leader? He's rash and impatient." Kamuro muttered.
"Who knows?" Sakayanagi who heard him giggled.
"I'm the leader?" Sudo pointed at himself.
"It looks like it." Horikita said curtly.
"Shut up."
"I feel the same way, Sudou-kun. It's precisely because we're relying on you that I want you to see the bigger picture, and take all your teammates' feelings into account," said Hirata.
"Shut up!"
"You should be able to do that, Sudou-kun. That's why—"
"I'm tellin' ya to shut up already!"
SMACK!
"Hirata-kun!" Karuizawa shouted.
"Oh my god!" Shinohara gasped.
Sudo eyes widened. He can't believe that his emotion got the best of him again, and this time he hurt a classmate.
"Hirata-kun." Ichinose watched the scene worried.
"That got to hurt." Kanzaki said.
I saw Hirata, who'd been standing next to Sudou, topple over and hit the ground. Sudou, his eyes bloodshot, didn't appear to realize the mistake he'd just made. The next person to speak would probably get decked too.
Actually, he looked on the verge of punching Yukimura anyway. However, hitting Hirata earned Sudou everyone's attention, whether he wanted it or not. The teachers were now eyeballing him as well.
"I'm so sorry for my future actions, Hirata." Ashamed, Sudo bowed deeply in front of Hirata. "I shouldn't let my thinking be clouded in emotion."
"It's okay, Sudo-kun. I know that you didn't mean it." Hirata smiled at him gently.
"What's going on?" Chabashira-sensei approached Hirata, who still lay on the ground. When she saw how enraged Sudou looked, it was pretty easy for her to deduce what'd happened. "Did you hit him?"
Sudou didn't deny it at all. "So what if I did? What then?" he huffed.
Hirata quickly climbed back to his feet and corrected her. "No, that's not it, sensei. I just fell down, that's all."
"It hardly looks that way."
"Well, you'd be wrong to think he hit me. Look, I fell, so there shouldn't be a problem," said Hirata.
We couldn't afford to let the truth come to light. Hirata had made a wise decision.
"But will Chabashira-sensei believe him?" Ibuki asked.
"If the victim says it was not it then the teachers got no choice but to drop the topic." Hiyori answered her.
"And if Hirata-kun didn't lied, their class will undoubtedly be in jeopardy." She added.
"What a dick move," Ishizaki huffed.
After a moment, Chabashira-sensei spoke again. "If the victim says that nothing happened, then there's no problem. However, I can tell there's
something going on here. Keep your distance from each other. I'll be giving my superiors a report later as a preventative measure."
"There's no trouble here at all, but I understand," said Hirata.
Thanks to Hirata's calm response, that was that. Meanwhile, Sudou, unable to contain his anger, kicked a nearby chair and sent it flying.
"Whatever, do what you want. Go ahead and lose for all I care, you scum. This sports festival thing can go to hell," Sudou growled.
He glanced over at Horikita for just an instant, but quickly averted his eyes and started walking back toward the dormitory.
Sudo winced. Yep, he finally ruined his reputation in Horikita's eyes. Not like there's one to begin with, but you got his point.
Horikita sighed exasperated. She can't blame him, being targeted and make fun of by Ryuuen. The only problem is that he let him emotion got the best of him. But in that situation, who wouldn't? Not everyone's Ayanokoji. She eyed the guy in the corner. Yep, not everyone.
"Things have gotten pretty bad, Ayanokouji," Karuizawa said.
"That has nothing to do with me, though," I was absent, and now Sudou had walked off. Class D's chances looked really Class D dealt with its own problems, the second- and third-year students' cavalry battle proceeded. Horikita kept staring at her brother, whom she couldn't approach.
"Oh? The second and third years are also participating?" Ichinose looked surprised.
Horikita froze. That means, she looked at her brother.
"You think we're facing off with them?" Kondo asked.
Ryuuen shook his head, "Not likely. If that's the case then the sport festival must be a week long at best."
"Maybe the same class all through the years are partnered? Class 1-A to 3-A?" Hiyori suggested.
Ryuuen frowned, "If that's the case then we'll be facing off three classes, or two if the four classes are group by two groups."
Sudou didn't return to camp even after the cavalry battles ended and the final event, the 200-meter dash, began. The show went on, no matter who was absent. Absentees would simply be disqualified, unable to earn any points. The rules were clear.
Ryuuen approached us. "Hirata, what happened to Sudou? He taking a dump?" Ryuuen had to have seen it all happen, but spoke as if he didn't know anything. Was he trying to mess with Hirata?
"Something came up. Sudou-kun is taking a break. He'll be back soon," said Hirata.
"Heh. I really don't think lying suits you," replied Ryuuen.
"You've taken first place in all the individual competitions so far, right, Ryuuen-kun?" asked Hirata calmly. He seemed placid, but you could hear him getting riled up.
"Oho? Even you can get riled up?" Ryuuen mocked him.
"So?"
"It looks like the only reason you've come in first is because you went up against much weaker people. You're quite lucky, Ryuuen-kun."
"Guess luck is on my side."
"I don't know how much longer your luck will last, though. Anything can change," said Hirata.
"Huh?" Nagumo grinned at no one. "Their year looks promising. Too bad, I'm graduating earlier."
"Hirata-kun looks so badass!" Sato cheered.
"Hirata-kun is so cool!" Shinohara agreed.
"Hey , since the two of you are only pretending, can I snag him?" Sato whispered to Karuizawa.
"Huh?!" Karuizawa squeaked. "Hirata-kun and I haven't talked about that."
"Aw." Sato pouted.
"Huh?"
"I know what you're thinking," Hirata continued.
Ryuuen snorted, indicating that he had no idea what Hirata meant. Hirata continued.
"You got Class D's participation table, and you obtained detailed information about all our students' athletic abilities, too. You've made good use of that information. We're not stupid. We have a few tricks hidden up our sleeves."
"Ooh. I'd be scared if that weren't such an obvious bluff. Look at how far apart Classes C and D are now. Doesn't it fill you with despair? Even if you know the truth, it does you little good now," said Ryuuen.
"I just have one thing to say to you. Before the day ends, I'm going to show you something interesting," said Hirata.
"My heart's all dokie dokie." Sato placed a hand on her chest.
"Interesting?" Ryuuen said. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Where's our class?" Nishikawa asked.
"There." Hashimoto pointed, "It seems we are discussing something."
"And our class?" Yume asked. "It looks like we're having fun while the other classes playing hard against each other and strategizing."
Ichinose frowned, "Yes. It seem so." She look down in thought.
"Something interesting, huh? I'll be looking forward to it."
Ryuuen didn't sound fazed in the slightest. He probably had no reason to be, considering that he went on to handily take first place in the 200-meter dash.
"There's a little over an hour left until Sudou's turn, huh?"
The dash continued for the second- and third-year students, followed by a fifty-minute break. If Sudou didn't return before the break ended, it'd be
checkmate. With our ace in the hole gone, we'd never win. Only one person in our class could get to him.
"Horikita, huh?" Ike said.
Ishizaki looked confused, "Horikita-san?"
"It must be Horikita-san." Hashimoto nodded.
"Aha! Horikita-san!" Shibata flicked his fingers.
Students and teachers alike looked at her direction.
"Stop looking at me." Horikita gritted her teeth.
I wondered if Horikita understood just how vital her role was. After I placed third in the 200-meter dash, I waited for her to finish her own race.
"Horikita, do you know what happened with Sudou?"
"I saw it. He realized what a disappointment he was, then ran away."
Sudo flinched. Yeah, that gotta hurt.
"That's harsh, Horikita-san." Hirata frowned.
"Well…yeah, I guess that's true."
"Why are you here? You're not going to request that I bring Sudou-kun back, are you?"
"If you already know, then don't ask. Do you understand you're the only one who can help?" I inquired.
"I don't think so. There are other people who can do something. There's no way I possibly could," she said.
Was she serious? Yeah, she probably was. She had no idea that Sudou had a crush on her.
"She does now." Sudo lamented.
"There, there." Ike and Yamauchi patted his back.
"That again? I thought we already agreed that it's only gratitude?" Horikita said.
"How dense can you be?" Ayanokoji muttered.
"Poor boy, his crush finding out like this must have suck." Hashimoto cackled.
"Besides, I'm not exactly in a position to worry about other people right now," Horikita added.
She was indeed suffering. She had a lot to deal with on her own. I understood her feelings. Besides, pretty much no one wanted to go find Sudou.
They'd abandoned him, although they knew that he could save us in the sports festival. Everyone's trust in him had evaporated. If Hirata or Kushida had stormed off, the entire class would've gone looking for them.
Everyone winced.
Yeah, that's true. If someone important or popular in their class disappeared then everyone would be rushing looking for them. Well, maybe except Class B.
Sudo looked down.
"Here's how I see it," I said. "You can't take care of your classmates, and you can't control yourself. What's the point of you, then? You're nothing but a burden."
"Hey, Ayanokoji!" Sudo called him out.
"This didn't happen." Ayanokoji quickly said. "You can't hold it against me."
"Hmm?" Manabu looked at the screen curiously.
"That's an awful thing to say. I'm sorry I got hurt, but I had bad luck. Some things you can't control, right?"
"Bad luck, huh? You see your injury as just that—an injury. You haven't realized a thing."
"Don't make fun of me. I understand the seriousness of the situation. Clearly, we have a traitor who leaked our participation table to Ryuuen-kun. I
never thought that someone in our class would want to destroy us, but there's nothing I can do about that right now," said Horikita.
"What else have you noticed?"
"What else? I know that Ryuuen-kun provoked Sudou-kun."
"That's right. Even with all the information in the world on Ryuuen's side, Sudou—our class's MVP—was still nearly undefeatable. So, Ryuuen needled and provoked him on purpose, until he got Sudou to drop out."
"Yeah, and that's why our class is in shambles right now."
"Have you noticed anything else?"
"Speculate?" Sakayanagi said.
"In the middle of a problem?" Hashimoto said in disbelief.
"For them to understand their situation better." Nishikawa added.
"That's low, Ryuuen-kun." Ichinose glared at him.
"Tactics, I tell you." He grinned.
"Wait, you can't mean… You want to speculate?" asked Horikita.
"Do I think that Ryuuen-kun set a trap for me? Yes, I certainly do. I guess he told Kinoshita-san to trip me. But it's hard to blatantly, deliberately cause injury when we're under such heavy scrutiny. I can't imagine Ryuuen and his team would intentionally injure me so badly I couldn't satisfactorily continue with the competition."
If I had wanted to, I could have offered her evidence that the injury was certainly intentional. But that wasn't really important. Instead I said,
"Evidence?" Horikita asked.
"What's that supposed to mean? You got evidence about that?" Yahiko asked.
"How did you even obtained one?" Katsuragi asked.
"Tch." Ryuuen glared at Manabe. The latter sweating bullets.
"How long do you plan to be useless, Horikita?"
Unless I took drastic measures, Horikita Suzune would never wake up.
"On what grounds do you call me useless?"
"I'm calling you useless because you are useless."
"How dare you? I'm a highly capable student and athlete. I have the utmost confidence that I can triumph over any of these good-for-nothings. Besides, since the information on our class already leaked, isn't it too late for us to do anything? It's not just me—we're all powerless here. So, why label me useless?"
"You're a leader, you can't say that." Katsuragi chastised her.
"Not to mention, you're aiming for my class. Stop that narrow minded thinking and see the bigger picture." Sakayanagi said bluntly.
'Ayanokoji-kun looks like a mentor.' Sakayanagi inwardly rolled her eyes. 'On the other hand, he'll make the others more fun to face of again.'
"If you were an ordinary student, it would be fine for you to say that. But that's not the case, is it? If you're aiming for Class A, and want to lift your classmates up with you, then it's about time that you develop an ability to see the big picture."
"That's why I asked you for evidence!" Horikita shouted.
Our classmates turned toward us to see what was going on.
"'We have a traitor who leaked our participation table.'" I repeated Horikita's words back at her.
"'Ryuuen-kun provoked Sudou-kun,' 'I guess he told Kinoshita-san to trip me.' It's certainly true that you can't do anything about those things—because you didn't do anything about them. And, as long as you continue to do nothing, nothing is going to change. Do you plan on whining like this when Ryuuen pulls off another brilliant scheme? You don't, do you?"
"Thank you." Ryuuen smiled at Ayanokoji.
"That's not a compliment." Ayanokoji sad flatly.
"For me it is."
"The problem Horikita-san is that you only paid attention to the things that affects you. You should have made plans to prevent things that could happen. If you guarded and took extreme measure to prevent your participation table from being leak then this wouldn't happen. And if things are not in your control, you shut yourself in and tell them that you can't do anything about it." Sakayanagi said sharply.
"Take it as chess. You can't move a piece without thinking of possible actions that can be used against you. You always have to be one step ahead." Sakayanagi added.
Horikita pondered over her words in her head.
"That's… But, what could I possibly…?"
"You can either prioritize improving your own ranking while Sudou remains absent, or you can let your ranking plummet while Sudou returns and
helps pull the class forward. Which of those best serves Class D?" I asked.
Class D remained quiet. They let Ayanokoji's words sink in.
It's best for the class for Sudo to return. After all, if you planned for the entire class to move up to Class A, then using the best and most easiest way is the way to do so. Right now, Sudo's presence is more needed than Horikita.
"There's no need to answer that, is there? You aren't nearly as valuable as Sudou right now. It's time you get the fact that you're completely useless
through your skull. Sudou's methods are clumsy, sure, but he's contributed more to our class than anyone else in this festival. And he's been trying his absolute hardest to win. Is it really okay for you to give up on him just because you claim you can't afford to care about other people? You're going to let him sit this out?"
"I know that Ayanokoji-kun is only thinking about his class, right now. But isn't that harsh?" Ichinose said.
"The truth hurts." Kanzaki said. "He's right. As much as it's harsh, Sudo-kun is more important right now than Horikita-san. Not to mention that she's injured."
Horikita had to understand that much. Even if what I said hurt her, she needed to wake up. I wanted her to acknowledge exactly what she had to do from this point on.
"This is so obvious that even an elementary school kid should get it. There's only one thing we can do to prepare a counterattack." Ryuuen had
strategically taken out Sudou, which meant that we had to strategically get
Sudou back.
"You're throwing away a chance to obtain a weapon that belongs to you, and you alone," I said.
"He is a dog that is loyal to his master." Ryuuen said. "How brilliant."
"Thank you." Ayanokoji said.
"It was not a compliment." Ryuuen said dryly.
"For me it is."
'Why does this conversation looks familiar?'
"A weapon for me alone?"
"If you're aiming for Class A, there's a limit to how much you can do on your own. Right now, you're in a situation where you can't do much of anything. You're going to face more and more exams like this in the future. When those take place, Sudou will definitely become a valuable asset. For you to make use of that asset, what should you do right now? Pray that your injured leg heals miraculously?"
"And to think that Sudo-kun would have been expelled after a month." Ike shuddered.
"Yeah, our class will definitely lose when it comes to that." Shinohara agreed.
'He anticipated that an exam like this will take place?' Mashima thought. He glanced at the boy and noted his blank expression. 'He is sure more than what he lets on.'
Just as I used Hirata and Karuizawa as my weapons, Horikita had the opportunity to obtain a weapon of her own. It would be foolish for her to let
that chance go by.
"I…"
"I'll let you think about it. That's my only advice."
There was nothing more for me to tell her. Right now, Horikita needed defeat and rebirth.
Horikita let everything sinks in her head. In other to lead her class and to develop on her own, then perhaps she needed this wake up call. No matter how harsh.
Ayanokoji quietly observed the girl in front of him. He's curious on what's going on her head. Most importantly, on how she'll grow as a leader and individual.
-x-
Previous Chapter: Double Question.
Word Count: 5581
I realized when writing this chapter that the title is the same with the Tool Monologue. The title chapters are taken from the LN chapters. But you already knew that.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!