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Chapter 6: Things that Are Lost, Things that Aren't Lost

It's early morning on the seventh day of the training camp. Our group will cease to exist after today. The exam will be held first thing tomorrow morning. Although Hashimoto's actions saved the group from total collapse, this united group and the relationships we've built as part of it will also end along with the exam.

There are probably more than a few students feeling sad over it. The majority of the students in our group too, in spite of their antipathy towards Kouenji, are getting along well with each other.

Regarding Ishizaki, he probably hates me more than he hates Kouenji but he's doing his best not to let it show. To be honest, he probably wants to hound me but Ishizaki knows full well what will happen in that case. That rough demeanor of his may resemble Sudou but when it comes to reading the atmosphere, Ishizaki is far superior. I get the impression that he respects his opponents and acknowledges what cannot be denied. That's probably why Ryuuen kept him as his side too. But that doesn't necessarily mean Sudou is inferior to Ishizaki.

Sudou is far superior when it comes to the physical side of things and in all likelihood, Sudou surpasses him in academic ability as well. Since Horikita's guiding him, Sudou will probably continue to develop slowly. Even though they are a similar breed, the weapons each one of them possesses is fundamentally different.

"I'd like to go over the long-distance relay we'll be doing tomorrow. Please hear me out".

Everyone, while still on their respective beds, turn to look at Keisei.

"There's only 10 of us so each person needs to shoulder a huge burden but depending on the circumstances, that may turn out to be our advantage".

"What do you mean? Isn't it better to have more people? Because then the distance we have to run decreases".

"Certainly if we have 15 to evenly split the burden between then each person won't have to shoulder all that burden but there's also the high probability that you'll have slow students mixed in as well. You can count the number of students who excel at long distance in our school year on one hand".

"...that is true".

"In other words, this is our chance to bridge that gap".

"But that's assuming that our whole group is an athletic bunch, right?".

Ishizaki looked around.

He probably counts me as one of the athletic ones but as long as he doesn't count Kouenji, it leaves Hashimoto as the only other person we can count on to run well.

You can't exactly call this a particularly athletic group. And most importantly...

"This is pathetic but after talking big like that, I probably won't be of any use".

Keisei knows himself best. Because out of everyone in this group, Keisei's the one whose stamina and speed are uncertain. However, as the leader, he told us of his strategy.

"The long-distance relay will be about 18 kilometers. That would mean each person must run for at least a minimum of 1.2 kilometers so that means in a group of 15, everyone would have to run about the same length of 1.2 kilometers each. But in a group of 10, we can make significant changes to the length a person is allocated".

"But we can't just declare injury and have someone else run that length for you, right?".

"Any injuries or sickness on that day will be penalized so that would not only render our numbers disadvantageous but cost us more time as well. That's not ideal. And also, it's important to note that unless we're talking 1.2 kilometers, we may not be able to get any points for switching out".

The school is doing everything it can to shut down any loopholes.

Students have to do what is required of them. Keisei and Yahiko, who both have no confidence in their own speed, must at least run a minimum of 1.2 kilometers.

We may have to include the three from Class B in that minimum category as well.

Albert's quite fast but he has problems with his stamina. If we have everyone else run only the bare minimum, that would mean the remaining four would have to run a length of 2.7 kilometers and more. If we're talking about a student whose stamina is his forte then they may very well be able to cover that distance. I told Keisei about my thoughts on this.

The members of our group listened to what I had to say.

"In that case, I'll run 3 kilometers...no, I'll do 3.6 kilometers".

Ishizaki declared. There's no doubt he's one of those in our group capable of running that. And another person raised his hand as though following suit.

"Well then, I guess I've got no other choice either. I'm not bad at running long distance or anything too after all".

Hashimoto was the one who said that.

The two representatives of our group eagerly swore to shoulder this large burden. This means we've covered 7.2 kilometers so far.

"Thank you".

Keisei lowered his head in gratitude and thanked them with honest words. Following suit, I suppose I should also cover at least a certain extent too.

"Then...I'll do what I can. I don't know the amount of time I can do it in though".

"Are you fine with that, Kiyotaka?".

"Please just don't expect too much".

But what's truly important is what comes after. It's the existence of the man with the highest potential of them all, Kouenji, who even Sudou cannot compare against despite him priding himself on his athleticism.

The more Kouenji runs, the easier it'll be for the other students. He'll probably run the minimum length of 1.2 kilometers but he has yet to promise that he'll run any more than that.

Most importantly, there's no telling if he'll even run seriously or not. Even if the nine of us, including me, run our best, if Kouenji merely walks without taking it seriously then it'll still be hopeless.

"Kouenji. I'd like for you to run as well".

It's precisely because he's aware of the weak link in the chain that Keisei went over to Kouenji with a disarming attitude and lowered his head.

Said Kouenji was busy admiring his fingernails while grinning on top of his bed.

"Kouenji".

Keisei calmly called his name one more time.

"Of course I'll run too. But unlike them, I do not care much about running long distances".

I suppose there's no way he'd agree to do so with an immediate reply.

Ishizaki glared at Kouenji but did not do much else. After spending a few days with him, he had begun to understand that most of Kouenji's actions have no meaning behind them.

"I'd like to avoid running the risk of having our group be dead last".

"That's right. I know what you want to say, Glasses-kun".

Taking his eyes off his fingernails, Kouenji looked down at Keisei.

"Even if long distance is impossible, I'd like you to run at least 1.2 kilometers seriously".

Everyone in our group looked towards Kouenji.

"I can't make any promises. Even if our group is dead last overall, it's not like that means I'll be expelled. Only you, the leader, will be expelled. And you surely won't do something inhuman such as dragging down a fellow classmate like me, will you?".

If the leader hadn't been Keisei but rather someone like Ishizaki or Yahiko then perhaps Kouenji would have run.

But since we're talking about Keisei, a fellow classmate, he figured he wouldn't be dragged down. Perhaps if we threatened to drag him down right now then we might get Kouenji to run but in exchange, we will never again be able to obtain cooperation from Kouenji.

".....then please tell me. What do we have to do to get you to cooperate? If giving you private points gets you to run then I don't mind paying up".

It's precisely because Keisei knows he's going to be a liability that he intends to compensate for it at his own expense.

"Don't carry that burden alone, Yukimura. It's not much, but I've got points too".

"I'll pay too".

Ishizaki and Hashimoto after him, then Yahiko and the others also supported him. Many a little makes a mickle. If the nine of us pool together our private points then we'd end up with a relatively large sum.

In response to the pressure of the group's collective demand, Kouenji---

"Unfortunately, I don't have any problems as far as private points are concerned. Besides, even if I don't have any points I can still lead a fulfilling school life, you see".

Even the feelings of a united group failed to reach him one bit. As I feared, Kouenji won't move just by offering him a paltry sum. Still, telling him to do it for the sake of the class would be even less effective.

For the past few days, me and the rest of the group pooled out wits to try and force Kouenji into action. Beyond the boundaries of school years. And all of them ended in failure.

"Then are you telling us you won't run?".

"That's exactly right".

Looking as though he had given it some thought, Kouenji said that.

"It doesn't seem like I will become an asset to you lot".

After saying that, Kouenji declined.

No longer able to bear it, Ishizaki tried to stand up but Keisei stopped him.

"However, you may relax. I don't intend on doing anything more than is required of me but I will do the bare minimum required. I too, have my own way of doing things".

"In other words......you'll at least produce average results?".

"That's exactly right. In the first place, when it comes to me, I'll probably end up producing a relatively excellent result even if I'm only doing the bare minimum. Well, this is good news for you lot, isn't it?".

In all likelihood, all nine of us comprehended Kouenji's words. Even if it's only a little, we became conscious of the fact that we're a group and began to look out for one another.

But in practice that's not the case at all. My analysis of Kouenji is that he will only act for his own sake. In all the exams leading up to now, Kouenji repeatedly acted in an unprecedented manner. However, none of those actions could be used to expel Kouenji either.

Kouenji is 99% sure Keisei won't drag him down but there is still the possibility of it happening. Obviously, if he produces bad results then the school will be sure to point that out as well.

And it's also clear that once he's been chosen as the target to be dragged down, there's no longer room for him to escape. This man won't make that sort of mistake.

"What excellent result? Can someone like you who struggles with the likes of Zazen even do something like that?".

"Fu. Fu. Fu. That's because I already mastered mere Zazen as a child. It's No Problem".

"What kind of childhood is that?".

Even after having that pointed out, Kouenji continued laughing pleasantly. Still, this may be good enough for Keisei. Kouenji has no intention of cooperating but he did promise to do the bare minimum.

This is significant in itself. It's precisely because we're classmates that I am aware of just how high Kouenji's potential is.

There are some unknown factors like Zazen and the written exam but I can trust him as far as physical fitness and endurance goes.

1

One problem's been solved and now it's time for some morning cleaning. When Keisei tried to start cleaning as usual, Ishizaki picked up a dust cloth.

"Take a rest. If doing this means you won't be able to run at the long-distance relay, then that would be far more troublesome".

"No, but---".

"Rest. In exchange, do your best with the written exam. Get at least 120 percent on it, alright?".

"...yeah, 120 percent is impossible but I'll try aiming for a 100 percent......".

Ishizaki understands what give-and-take is.

Keisei, after thanking him, sat down.

"That's a good attitude, Delinquent-kun".

"Shut it, Kouenji. You haven't done a single thing since the very first day!".

"Is that so? HAHAHAHAHA".

Kouenji took neither a dust cloth nor a broom in his hand but rather, went for a stroll through nature.

Even when he's drawing attention from the 2nd years and the 3rd years, he's really acting boldly.

"He's a disease. Can you guys even get yourselves promoted to the upper classes with a guy like that in your class?".

Even Class D ended up worrying about us.

"...can't say I have much confidence in that".

Keisei always feels strongly about aiming for the upper classes but it looks like Kouenji is beyond the norm. How Kouenji will act tomorrow is also a big factor. During our morning discussion, we got him to promise us he'd do the bare minimum but it's not like that's an absolute guarantee. He may not give it his all when he's out of our sight.

If he refuses to do even something like cleaning, then there's an extremely high chance we'll end up in last place. Even the senior students overlooking this now may bare their fangs at us.

Even though I also think Kouenji is the calculating type who wouldn't do something like that, I am still wary of the fact that he's beyond common sense and may betray my expectations.

Perhaps he noticed Keisei's anxiety, Ishizaki went over to him.

"Don't worry about it. We just have to compensate for it".

"That line doesn't suit you. You've become rather mature in just one day".

"Shut it, Hashimoto. You got a problem with that!?".

"No problem. The group's standing will have an impact on my plan as well so I'd like for us to rank as highly as possible. Right, Yahiko?".

"...well, I guess so. Since we're in this troublesome group there's no other choice. If we perform badly, Katsuragi-san will be disappointed in us".

Hashimoto bitterly laughs at Yahiko, whose sole focus is on Katsuragi, and hit him on the shoulder once.

Yahiko too, knows that he will be a liability when it comes to the physical side of things like our marathon training. Despite saying all that, he's been acting rather modestly from the start.

"I've acted against Katsuragi several times on Sakayanagi's orders. I think you'll despise me for that but in this case, we're genuine allies. Please forget the bad blood between us for now".

"Hmm. I wonder about that".

Yahiko didn't raise his voice but he didn't seem to trust Hashimoto all that much. He probably couldn't forgive the fact that Katsuragi had been hindered by his own classmates until now.

"Wasn't it you who made Katsuragi-san the leader this time around too?".

"I had nothing to do with that. That was Matoba's plan".

Yahiko didn't seem convinced even with Hashimoto denying those claims.

Even so, he restrained himself and acted as one member of the whole group. I'd like to praise him in that regard.

2

Our last dinner before the exam tomorrow. I spotted Ichinose walking while carrying a tray and called out to her. It's not like this is an attempt to extract information from her or anything.

But something felt off about Ichinose.

"Are you in any trouble?".

"Ehh? Ayanokouji-kun. No, not really. It's just I was thinking about this and that".

"You're struggling with a difficult problem, aren't you?".

Ichinose was about to leave, but that stopped her.

"The exam's finally taking place tomorrow. What do you think about this exam, Ayanokouji-kun?".

"That's a rather vague question".

"I want you to give me your honest impression".

"It's a little bit tougher than the exams we've had up until now, I guess. I feel like there's a high risk of expulsion".

"I guess that's true.....but we're already in our 3rd semester so isn't it natural that the level of difficulty also increase?".

"Maybe".

"Speaking of risks, there's the 'leader' system and all right? Becoming the leader of a group".

"Yeah".

"Becoming a leader is a very risky thing to do but.....to become the leader for the sake of winning. That's also important, right?".

I didn't deny that and lent my ear to what Ichinose has to say.

"Even if you say there's the risk of expulsion, that's still up in the air and there's no telling. Honestly, there are a lot of unseen factors. But what I'm really scared of is not losing class points or private points. At least that's what I think".

".....you're talking about your classmates?".

"Yeah. The risk of losing a friend is unfathomable".

"If, by any chance, a classmate of yours is about to be expelled, what do you intend on doing then?".

"What I'll do, huh?".

Ichinose slowly lifted her head and laughed thinly.

"Ayanokouji-kun, you really are a smart one".

"Why do you say that?".

"I mean, normally there's nothing you can do if an expulsion occurs, right? But you know that there's an 'after' to that".

"That was just a hypothetical question though......".

"If it truly were a hypothetical question, you wouldn't have used the word 'intend', would you? 'What will happen?' or in a different sense, asking 'Is your class alright?'".

"Sorry, but you're really overestimating me here. It's just I can express it well".

"Still, I think that's some respectable 'intuition' you've got there".

I said too much, was what she said before she left. Because after all, Ichinose also has things she'd think over on her own. As I bid farewell to Ichinose, other students also called out to her. Being popular must be difficult.

Even if you try to think on your own, the people around you just won't leave you be.

Ichinose usually always has a smile on her face but that just doesn't seem to be the case today.

"Yeah......sorry, I just don't feel like it today......".

Ichinose, who is clearly no longer energetic, pretty much ignored two of the girls she's close with and walked off.

"Sorry. I have a couple of things going on right now and I want to be alone for today".

It's also clear that she's not simply acting.

It's almost to the point that you could say she's a completely different person than she was when the training camp first started. I realized after seeing that.

That Sakayanagi has made her move.

The storm that will befall in this special exam might not be limited to just the boys, but also the girls as well.

3

Since today's the last day before the exam, the situation has also changed significantly. The mood of in the cafeteria itself hasn't changed much from the usual but now there's a clean divide between the laughing ones and the melancholic ones.

In other words, it has become clear which groups were able to make it work and which groups failed to do the same.

As I walked out into the corridor, Kei was there leaning against the wall of the cafeteria.

Casually, as though we were only passing each other by, I received a piece of paper from her. Kei then immediately entered the cafeteria. She'll probably meet up with her friends in there to eat. After Kei and I split up, I looked down at the piece of paper before shredding it into many small pieces and throwing bits of them into the many trash bins installed throughout the school.

She held up pretty well throughout this week but it looks like she's finally at her limit. I left the cafeteria and moved towards a certain corner of the school building.

Because the person I had Kei keep an eye on is now wandering around in hopes of getting some alone time.

And alone time in this training camp is hard to come by. There's midnight but if she goes missing for a long time from her shared room, others would notice. In that case, the ideal option would be to use this time when everyone else gathers at the cafeteria.

As I walked in the direction that person went, I saw her crouching down as though concealing herself.

She didn't notice me there as she continued crying while muffling herself. And for a moment, I hesitated. However, no matter how hard this place is for people to stumble upon, there's no telling when another student might come across this place.

In that case, I should wrap this up quickly.

"If you're in trouble you should be consulting Horikita......the former student council president, shouldn't you?".

"!?".

The girl who raised her face was Tachibana Akane from Class A of the 3rd years. Panicking over having shown me that pathetic figure of hers, she wipes her tears away.

"What do you want?".

"It's not about what I want, it's about what I just told you".

"It's not like I'm in any trouble or anything".

"If you're crying without a reason then that in itself is a problem".

"I'm not crying!".

Saying that, Tachibana averted her eyes from me. The reason she's not moving from that place is that if she goes somewhere brightly lit, her reddened eyes and the traces of tears on her face would become clearly visible.

"Sometimes I just want to be alone".

"We certainly don't get much private time to ourselves, do we?".

A toilet break's about the only time for that but even then, it's abnormal to use it for long periods of time. There would also be more than a few students seeing you go in and out.

"For the record, I'm also on President Horikita's side".

That's a lie. But if I say that, Tachibana will probably trust me more.

"Still, you wouldn't be of any help".

Well.....if she's going with that then I don't really have a reply. On the contrary, we'd just be risking the leak of information.

"Please just count yourself lucky that we didn't end up as enemies".

"Please stop talking so casually to your seniors. I didn't say anything until now because Horikita-kun was also there but......".

More importantly, I became curious about how she usually refers to him as 'Horikita-kun'. It's also strange how she continues to refer to him as 'President Horikita' despite him having left that post.

She could call him the 'former' one too but the way Tachibana refers to him is unnatural.

"You......it must be good being a 1st year. So optimistic".

"That's a rather fearful statement. Are you anxious about the exam coming tomorrow?".

"I don't really feel anything in particular. There's the leader and all but it's not like there's bad blood within our group or anything. On the contrary, things are going swimmingly".

"Then why are you crying here?".

"I'm telling you, I wasn't crying".

When I pointed at Tachibana's eyes, she panicked and used her hand to check whether or not her eyes were still wet. After realizing they were dry, she turned to glare at me with a slightly angry expression.

"Horikita-kun's the one I'm anxious.....worried about".

It's a lie that's not quite a lie. I'm not going to go there yet.

"Worry, huh? Is there anything to worry about when it comes to that man?".

"Horikita-kun.....Horikita-kun's always been fighting alone. Until now, he's been fighting against the 2nd years and also the 3rd years. You couldn't possibly understand what it must be like to fight against everyone all on your own and how difficult it must be".

Even if I tried to understand, there's no way I'd understand.

"I do know a bit about how Nagumo and the 2nd years led by him are the enemy but I didn't know there were enemies among the 3rd years too. There can't possibly be that many people rebelling against the man who assumed the role of student council president, right?".

"Aren't you misconstruing Horikita-kun as some kind of dictator? Even though he was the student council president, he didn't abuse his authority unlike Nagumo-kun. Because there's no room to be lax in any exam".

Even if she says all that, I never had the opportunity to familiarize myself with the 3rd years' internal affairs much less have a clue about the older Horikita's background.

But by saying there's no room to be lax in any exam means......

"Could it be that the class conflict between the 3rd years is still going on?".

"At the very least.....if Horikita-kun falls, Class A will definitely go too".

"Heh.....".

That's certainly also what Nagumo's been saying. That the gap between the 3rd years' Class A and Class B is only 312. It's definitely possible if the older Horikita is their only strength or if Class B possesses talented students of their own.

"So that means even he's just a normal student in the end, huh?".

"Horikita-kun is-------!.......it's nothing".

She stops herself as though trying to hold herself back from raising her voice.

But as though spitting out her frustrations, she slowly continued.

"Because the other Class A students were always a liability.....we lost a lot of class points we shouldn't have lost and even our private points---he's always sacrificed himself for the sake of protecting his comrades".

If what Tachibana says is true then that means the older Horikita is the Hirata type. To be honest, it doesn't seem that way to me. Of course, that's what the one actually part of the 3rd years' Class A, Tachibana, is saying so there must be a degree of truth to it. In all likelihood, there were probably many instances where he dealt with matters behind the scenes without revealing his virtuousness.

The person who's seen those things happen more than anyone else from beside him is this girl here.

"In other words, you're feeling down because of the current situation?".

"Even I am aware of the boys' situation. The fact that Nagumo-kun challenged Horikita-kun and that he's unable to make a move because of that. And also, that we are unable to do anything to help him".

"Whether or not you can help him also depends on your tenacity, right?".

"I know that".

Perhaps tears welled up again in her eyes, Tachibana once again wiped them away with her arm.

Her thoughts about the older Horikita may be the reason for those tears but there are other reasons as well.

"You're in some sort of trouble, aren't you?".

"...no. Not really".

She denied it.

"Is that really true?".

"You're persistent, aren't you? I'm not in trouble or anything".

"If---no, if you say that then I must have misunderstood".

"Yes, you misunderstood. Please don't say anything weird to Horikita-kun".

"Sure".

After warning me harshly, Tachibana went back towards the cafeteria. On the off chance, she probably doesn't want the older Horikita to know the truth I suppose.

But you're making a mistake, Tachibana. This isn't a problem you can solve by sacrificing yourself.

"I suppose this means it's going to be checkmate unless I make a move".

After seeing Tachibana's fragile back, I confirmed that to myself.

4

Midnight. I woke upon hearing a slight creaking coming from the bed. A lone student is moving in the dark. Of course, even if there's absolutely zero visibility I'd still know who it is.

It's Hashimoto who's supposed to be sound asleep above me. He soundlessly descended using the bunk bed's ladder and without even bringing along a flashlight, he left the room.

After that, I slowly raised myself up.

I think it's most likely going to be a toilet break but there are other possibilities too. Because I noticed the fact that throughout this whole week, there hasn't been a single incident of Hashimoto going for a toilet break in the middle of the night.

I only gave him a slight headstart before getting up and following Hashimoto. On the off chance that he's standing right outside the door and notices me, I can just say that I'm also going for a toilet break.

It's precisely because we share the same bed that Hashimoto will also think that he just woke me up too. I concealed my presence and headed out into the corridor.

There's only the emergency light and the moonlight streaming in from outside but walking without a flashlight is possible. I saw Hashimoto heading off towards the toilet.

I followed him. And when I did, Hashimoto turned left rather than continue on down the corridor. It doesn't look like he's simply heading to the toilet. Hashimoto, after going down to the first floor, went outside while still in his indoor shoes. As I approached him, I concealed myself using the wall on my side. There's no one other than Hashimoto there. Maybe he just came here for a breath of fresh air prior to the exam?

Or perhaps he's waiting for someone? I realized the answer to that question right away.

Sensing that he's about to turn towards me, I moved elsewhere. Because I saw another shadow I believe to be his objective here. That shadow walked along the path Hashimoto took and went outside.

In a situation like this where not even the sounds of insects are present, you could hear a person's voice a lot more clearly than you'd expect.

"Yo, Ryuuen".

"What the hell do you want with me?".

"I just want to have a chat with you. You stand out way too much in the cafeteria. The only time we can meet would be in the middle of the night, right?".

"On the very last day?".

"Precisely because it's the very last day. Everyone else should be sound asleep right now".

"...I see. I guess that's true".

There are no students who'd stay up this late at night when there's an exam the next day. That's why Hashimoto chose a time like this to have his secret meeting with Ryuuen.

But Ryuuen and Hashimoto are a rather unexpected combination.....or not I suppose. Back during our time on the uninhabited island, Ryuuen cultivated a relationship with Class A.

It wouldn't be strange even if Hashimoto played the role of the mediator back then.

"Doing things in a roundabout way isn't how I roll. Give it to me straight. Did you really step down as class leader?".

"Kuku. You don't seem like you're buying it?".

"At the very least I can't bring myself to believe you got beaten down by Ishizaki and the others".

Hashimoto tells him how that point stood out to him. Certainly, being beaten by Ishizaki does sound rather stupid.

"Putting him aside, Albert's a troublesome one. If I go head-to-head with that guy, it'll be tough".

"I see. Well, Albert certainly is a threat I suppose. But the Ryuuen Kakeru that I know would never cower before an enemy like that. On the contrary, he'd always have a countermeasure planned, right?".

Rather than assuaging his doubts, that only seemed to make him even more suspicious.

"I just got tired of leading a bunch of people who'd rebel against me. As long as I keep exploiting you Class A guys, I'll always be in the safe zone. I'm not obligated to save those guys".

"I see. So that's the truth then".

"Have I convinced you?".

"I wonder. To be honest, it's still fifty-fifty. Besides, I'd personally like you to fight back from the situation you're in right now".

"So you can get more pocket money, is that it?".

"That's exactly right. Just like you, I desire the 'promise of Class A'".

If you can save up 20 million points, you gain the right to move up to Class A. Any student who possesses the means to do so can rest assured. A situation that would be the envy of everyone else.

But making that a reality is difficult. Apparently, Hashimoto's also one of the students aiming for that.

"I assume you're prepared to betray Sakayanagi if the promise of victory is what you want".

"If necessary, yes".

Hashimoto answered like that but immediately added this.

"Selling out Sakayanagi doesn't come cheap, Ryuuen. Because right now, Sakayanagi stands at the very top of our class. I'm on the winning team, you get it right?".

"I'd like to see how long this sort of diplomacy will work".

"I'm rather good at carving out my own place. I'll have you know I'm more capable than I seem. But I'm glad I got to talk directly with you like this. Your eyes aren't dead yet".

After yawning, Hashimoto finally added this.

"When Hirata's class overtook yours, I wondered what the hell you were doing but you may be tougher than you look".

"Huh?".

"If you look at each member calmly, everything becomes clear. And you start wanting to crush them early on".

"To think you'd evaluate them. Is there a man you're interested in or something?".

"At the very least, Kouenji's a threat. If he acts for the sake of the class, there's no telling what'll happen even to Class A. Besides, there are students like Hirata and Yukimura who excel academically. There's also Sudou, who's one of the physically fittest in our school year".

"I don't know about the others but I don't think that man will act".

Hashimoto laughed, then agreed with him.

"Regardless, there's no telling what'll happen when. But I'll keep that in mind, just in case. Even if Hirata and his class manage to get themselves promoted to Class A, there's no problem as long as there's room for me to squeeze myself in".

"I doubt you have that much power to begin with but do your best to make sure you don't get burned, ok?".

Ryuuen mocks Hashimoto and tries to cut the conversation short.

"Even if it's shitty, dragging this out is just troublesome".

"Yeah".

I anticipated that they'd cut their conversation short and so I tried to move elsewhere. Hashimoto will probably head back to our room right away. It would be suspicious unless I'm already sound asleep in bed by then.

But then I sensed someone else approaching and stopped myself from heading back. That person immediately noticed Ryuuen and Hashimoto and called out to them.

"Hey 1st years, having a secret meeting at a time like this?".

"Huh?".

The ones who stood before Ryuuen and Hashimoto who both headed back into the school building are Nagumo Miyabi and Horikita Manabu. Ryuuen stopped walking for an instant but then immediately lost interest and started walking again.

Towards Nagumo. But Nagumo did not move from that spot.

"Get out of my way".

In response to Ryuuen's glare, Nagumo laughed as though that fascinated him.

Hashimoto too, having returned to the corridor to see what's going on, met Nagumo's gaze.

"I've heard you're quite the delinquent. You're Ryuuen, right? I'm going to have a little chat with Horikita-senpai now but you should tag along too".

You too, as though saying that he spoke to Hashimoto too.

"Not interested".

Ryuuen shoulder checked Nagumo.

"Bullish, aren't you? Aren't you afraid of me, Ryuuen?".

"Student council president or whatever else you might be, I'll crush anyone who gets in my way".

"Heh".

Nagumo seems to now harbor a certain degree of interest in Ryuuen, who didn't budge an inch.

"I don't really dislike your type. But you're not cut out to be part of my student council".

When Ryuuen tried to walk away, Nagumo again called out to him.

"As a third party, why don't you make a bet? In today's special exam, between my group and Horikita-senpai's group, which one do you think will rank higher? 10,000 points per bet. How about that? No matter which side you bet on, as long as you hit the mark I'll pay up that amount. If it's a miss I'll have you pay up though".

"That's stupid. I'm not interested in that sort of money".

"10,000 is 'that sort of money' for you, huh? You're Class D so you're always short on money, aren't you? You could earn a bit more, you know?".

"Then go with 1 million. I'll bite if you're willing to pay up that much".

Ryuuen said that and turned around.

"Hahaha. You're a funny one, Ryuuen. A bold joke. You can go now".

Apparently he thinks Ryuuen's proposal was a joke.

"If you don't have the balls to pay up at least that much, don't bother asking me to place a bet".

"Hey you, that 1st year over there. You think Ryuuen can pay up?".

Nagumo asks Hashimoto.

Hashimoto, who's aware of the secret arrangement he made with Class A, should know that he's definitely capable of doing so but---

"I'm not sure...we're in different classes so I can't tell".

"If we had our phones and could check then I wouldn't mind playing along. Too bad".

In the end, the bet was called off. And with that timing, Hashimoto tried to leave. Perhaps because they were already out of his sight, Nagumo turned away from them and glanced at the older Horikita.

"Horikita-senpai, please excuse yourself from the exam tomorrow".

All of a sudden, he cut in with those words.

Ryuuen disinterestedly walked off but Hashimoto unexpectedly stopped walking.

"Excuse myself?".

"That's right".

"This is even worse than the joke Ryuuen told just now".

"I'm actually quite serious about this".

But he added this.

"I'm saying this for your sake, senpai".

"Just put it simply. I know you have a habit of monologuing in your own head but looks like you weren't able to fix that habit".

"Sorry. Being able to see the future far too clearly is also something to consider. If you won't excuse yourself, senpai, you will come to regret it. In other words, I'm showing you mercy right now. I could drop you without any warning but that would be far too cruel, wouldn't it?".

"What are you planning? Depending on what it is, I won't accept it".

"I understand. That the rules of our fight are to do it fair-and-square without getting a third party involved. But with the exam going the way it is, there's no telling which one of us has won until we open the lid to check. Of course, I expect it to be a close battle so I'd like to win. For that reason, I've done something".

"Does that have anything to do with you asking me to excuse myself?".

"Because by doing so, you would be minimizing the damage you'll be sustaining, senpai. Can you see what preparations I've made? No, you can't. There isn't a single student in this school capable of reading my train of thought. That's just how it is. Even your favorite's the same...which 1st year was it again?".

Nagumo looked around and deliberately locked his gaze on Hashimoto. But there's no way Hashimoto could possibly understand.

"Yeah, that's right. If I recall, he's in the same group as this 1st year here. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, right?".

As though to make Hashimoto aware of it, Nagumo clearly emphasized my name.

"What do you think, Hashimoto? About Ayanokouji".

"What do you.....no, I think he's just a normal student.....".

Hashimoto is bewildered after having unexpectedly heard my name.

"Right? But Horikita-senpai here seems to rank Ayanokouji above all the other 1st years".

"Isn't that because he gave a good showing during the sports festival's relay?".

"Normally speaking, yes. But that doesn't seem to be all there is to it. Horikita-senpai places Ayanokouji above even Sakayanagi, above even Ryuuen and above even Ichinose. Since you're in the same group, I thought you might've been able to sense something".

"No......".

"Why exactly is that, senpai. Please tell us the reason already".

"You're stretching the point, Nagumo. When did I ever tell you my opinion of Ayanokouji? There's nothing to be gained in distorting the truth. Stop teasing the 1st years already".

"Sorry, senpai. I guess you're right. Sorry, Hashimoto. That was a joke just now".

"Is that so........?".

The topic of their discussion is slightly worrying but I decided to wrap it up. The three of them happen to be blocking the corridor so I'll have to use the staircase on the opposite end to return to our room. It would mean taking a detour but I decided to back via an alternative route. If I'm not there by the time Hashimoto gets back, it might raise suspicions.

A few minutes after I got back, Hashimoto quietly returned to the room. In the dark, I felt a gaze being directed at me, but that was it. Afterwards, Hashimoto silently went to sleep.