Three days before the final exam.
The campus was quieter than usual, heavy with tension that clung to the halls like mist before rain.The library lights burned late each night. Pages turned like clockwork. Even the most careless students in Class D were hunched over their notebooks now, chasing salvation point by point.But the true battle was already underway—one of strategy, not study.
From the lounge window, I watched the faint glow of the academic building across the courtyard. Class C's lights were still on. A sign that Ryūen's camp wasn't sleeping either.
Ayanokōji sat a few chairs away, quietly reading a mock exam paper Yukimura had made for our team. His eyes barely moved, but I could tell he wasn't actually reading.
"They'll try something desperate," he murmured finally, not looking up.
"Ryūen or Kushida?" I asked.
"Both," he replied, folding the page neatly. "Class C has two ways to win. Either outstudy us—which they won't—or trick us with impossible questions. But that only works if our teacher accepts them."
I leaned back, stretching slightly. "Horikita's handling that part. You trust her?"
"She's cautious," he said, tone neutral. "But even she doesn't expect every angle Ryūen might play."
I smirked faintly. "Then that's where we come in."
He met my gaze for a brief second—one of those silent exchanges that said more than words.
By late afternoon, the hallway outside the staff office was near empty. Only the sound of footsteps echoed faintly down the polished floor.
Horikita walked briskly ahead, a neat folder in her hands—our final questions. Ayanokōji and I followed behind, silent shadows at her flanks.
We'd agreed that she would hand the papers in personally. There was no room for interference this time.
But as we turned the corner, a voice stopped us.
"Yo, Horikita. Been waiting for you."
Ryūen was leaning casually against the wall near the office door, grin sharp as a blade.Ibuki stood behind him, arms crossed. Shiina Hiyori lingered nearby with a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Waiting?" Horikita said flatly. "You have too much free time."
"Not really. Just wanted to see how my opponents like to play their last cards." He fell into step beside us, hands in pockets. "Mind if I come along?"
Horikita didn't answer, but she didn't tell him to leave either.Inside the office, Chabashira-sensei looked up from her desk, expression unreadable.
"Here to submit your questions?" she asked.
Horikita nodded, setting the folder down carefully. "Yes. These are Class D's questions for Class C."
Ryūen whistled softly. "Hope they're not too easy."
Horikita ignored him. "One condition," she said, looking directly at Chabashira. "No one outside of this room is allowed to view these questions until the exam. Not even other teachers. They can only be reviewed with me present."
Chabashira leaned back in her chair, an amused glint in her eye. "That's unusual. But fine. I'll make sure your condition is respected."
Ryūen chuckled lowly. "Suspicious much, Horikita?"
Horikita's gaze didn't waver. "You've earned my distrust."
Something in the room felt off. Chabashira was too relaxed. Ryūen's grin was too controlled.
Everything was flowing too smoothly.
I glanced at Ayanokōji. He noticed too—his hand slipped into his pocket, thumb brushing against his phone.
When Horikita turned to leave, he stayed back a moment. "Chabashira-sensei," he said casually, "you're accepting these without verification?"
She gave him a knowing smile. "Of course. That's part of the game."
Outside, Horikita suddenly stopped in the hallway, a shadow crossing her face."It's wrong," she muttered. "Too easy."
I folded my arms. "What's wrong?"
"Chabashira avoided confirming if the submission was valid. That means someone already turned ours in."
A slow realization spread across Ayanokōji's face. "Kushida."
Ryūen's quiet laugh echoed behind us. "Took you long enough."
He brushed past, mock-clapping. "Too late now. I look forward to seeing how you handle your own questions."
Horikita didn't flinch. "We'll see who's laughing after the exam."
But when he left, she stood motionless for several seconds, her grip tightening on the folder. Her face fell—not from fear, but from the act she was about to put on.
Later that evening, in the classroom, Horikita dropped the act.
She explained the situation calmly to me and Ayanokōji. "After hearing how detailed this special exam was, I immediately asked Chabashira to refuse any submissions from anyone except me. But she agreed to pretend to accept Kushida's."
"You set Ryūen up," I said, smiling slightly. "Impressive."
Horikita looked at me sharply. "I just used the same weapon he tried against us—timing."
Ayanokōji leaned against the desk. "So, the questions Ryūen's relying on are fake?"
"Completely," Horikita said. "Even if Kushida tried to sabotage us, the system won't recognize her version. What they'll face tomorrow are our real questions, the ones they haven't studied for."
Chabashira, overhearing from her desk, gave a rare look of approval mixed with faint concern. "You're playing dangerously close to the edge, Horikita. One misstep, and you'd be expelled along with her."
Horikita smiled faintly. "I'll take that risk."
Ayanokōji's eyes narrowed slightly. He was impressed—but also calculating the new risks.This was Horikita's battlefield now, not his. And that meant unpredictable outcomes.
The morning of the exam arrived like the calm before a storm.
The air was crisp, the sun filtered through the blinds in perfect lines. Every desk in Class D was filled. The energy was different—not anxious, but focused. United.
Hirata stood near the front, organizing final notes, while Kushida and Karuizawa chatted quietly. At the back, Ayanokōji sat motionless, eyes on his test sheet but mind elsewhere.
I sat across from Yukimura, giving him a small nod. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he muttered. "I made those prediction sheets with near-perfect probability. Let's see if I was right."
Horikita walked in just before the bell rang, posture straight, eyes sharp. "Everyone—don't panic. Just trust what we've prepared."
As Chabashira began distributing the papers, she announced the pairing total: "A combined score of 692 points is required. Anything below that, and both will be expelled."
The papers hit each desk with a light thud.
The first test—Japanese.
Ayanokōji glanced through it. Yukimura's predictions—perfect
.Second test—English. Same result.
Third—Social Studies.
Fourth—Math.
Everything flowed smoothly. Until—
"...Why?" Kushida muttered suddenly, a whisper sharp enough to cut through the silence.
Heads turned slightly. Chabashira looked up, frowning. Kushida's expression was hidden behind her hair, eyes wide in disbelief. She stared at the paper as if seeing a ghost.
She realized too late.
The questions Ryūen thought were his weapon—were a trap.
The game was already over.
By the end of the exams, tension gave way to exhaustion. The sun was low when Horikita found Ayanokōji and me near the courtyard bench.
"It's done," she said. "Kushida failed to sabotage anything. She'll have to uphold our agreement."
"Meaning she'll stop interfering," Ayanokōji replied. "But not help us either."
Horikita nodded. "That's enough."
We met later at the designated spot—an empty terrace overlooking the trees.Kushida stood there already, blazer neatly cleaned from the karaoke incident, expression unreadable.
"So," she said softly. "I lost."
Horikita didn't gloat. "A promise is a promise."
Kushida's gaze turned toward Ayanokōji. "I said I wouldn't interfere with Class D. That doesn't mean I'll protect you."
Her words were cold, precise. "If you get caught in the crossfire, it's your problem."
I stepped forward slightly, voice low. "You really can't stand losing control, can you?"
She met my eyes with a sharp smile. "You're smarter than you look, Miyamoto-kun. Be careful. You might be the next one to get cut."
Then she turned and left, her shadow dissolving into the twilight.
Horikita exhaled slowly. "It's over."
"No," Ayanokōji said quietly. "It's just starting."
That night, Ayanokōji's phone buzzed.A new message—from Ryūen Kakeru.
"You're not as invisible as you think, X."[Attachment: Photo – Manabe, bruised, sitting in a dim room]
He stared at it for several seconds before locking the screen.But even then, his pulse stayed calm. Anticipation, not fear.
Meanwhile, Kushida was already meeting Ryūen in the shadows behind the dorms.Her hands trembled slightly as she faced him. "You said we'd win. You said—"
Ryūen laughed, low and vicious. "Win? We did—for a moment. Until you got outplayed."
He stepped closer, pressing a folded sheet against her chest before reaching into her blazer pocket—pulling out a small slip of paper.A cheat sheet.
Her eyes went wide. "Wha—?! That's not—!"
"Save it," Ryūen said, grin widening. "You didn't even notice someone from your class planted these on you. Clever, huh?"
Her breath caught. "...That karaoke incident…"
"Yeah. A setup. A test. To see how far you'd go to keep your mask."
Kushida froze, realization dawning too late.
"X predicted everything," Ryūen said. "Even this. He told me Horikita would make a fake submission before you ever did."
Kushida's voice cracked. "You're saying he warned you?"
Ryūen tossed his phone lightly in his hand, showing a text thread—blurred names, but unmistakable timestamps. "He sent me this before you even met Chabashira. Said your betrayal would be boring."
He pocketed the phone and leaned close. "The Ichinose rumor? That wasn't me. That was him. I just delivered the message."
Kushida's lip trembled. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
Ryūen grinned, baring teeth. "Because it was fun."
He stepped back, hands in his pockets. "If you keep aiming for Horikita, you'll be the one expelled first. X doesn't forgive repeat offenders."
Her shoulders shook. "Then who—who the hell is X?"
Ryūen tilted his head. "No idea. But he's got someone close to Karuizawa. Someone calm, quiet, calculating."He pulled up a final image on his phone—a zoomed photo of Karuizawa laughing near the vending machines, Ayanokōji barely visible beside her.
"She's the key," Ryūen whispered. "Break her—and we find him."
Then he turned away, leaving Kushida frozen in the dark, her perfect smile finally gone.
Result:
Class A:874-->974
Class B:703-->603
Class C:592-->492
Class D:337-->437