Homeroom had barely ended when the classroom door slid open with a loud bang.A gust of tension rolled in with the newcomers.
Ryuuen Kakeru stepped through first, his hands in his pockets and a crooked grin carved onto his face like a scar. Behind him followed his usual entourage — Ishizaki, Yamada Albert, Komiya, and Kondou. Their presence alone was enough to suck the warmth out of Class D's atmosphere. Conversations cut off mid-sentence. The sound of chairs scraping echoed faintly before silence took over.
Chabashira-sensei, still near the podium, scanned the group once. "If you're here to start trouble, I'll intervene," she said dryly.
Ryuuen smiled faintly. "Relax, teach. I'm just here for a visit. Thought we could exchange pleasantries."
Her eyes narrowed, but she soon sighed, realizing this wasn't worth the effort. "Fine. If you start a fight, you'll regret it." With that, she slipped out of the room, leaving us in the thick tension that clung to the air like static.
I could feel my heartbeat quicken. The boys from my group — Yukimura, Miyake, Okitani, and Ijuin — instinctively stepped up beside me. I crossed my arms, glaring back at the intruders."Do we have a problem, mate?" I asked, my tone calm but sharp enough to draw blood.
Sudou was already standing, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with the need to act. Horikita's stern glance kept him restrained — just barely."Don't," she warned him. "Not again."
He swallowed his rage and stepped back half a step, though his fists trembled at his sides. Hirata quickly moved in front, taking his usual position as peacekeeper between the two sides."Let's not make this worse," he said softly.
Ryuuen ignored the peacemaking gesture. His eyes swept the room, glinting like a predator searching for movement — and then stopped on someone in particular. A smirk crawled across his lips.
The only person unmoved by the entire scene was Kouenji. As usual, he was polishing his nails, blissfully detached from the rising storm."Ah, such a noisy lot," he said with a sigh. "I have more important matters awaiting me than watching delinquents parade around."
Without another word, he stood, adjusted his collar, and strolled out of the classroom as if the tension around him didn't exist.
"Hey, Kouenji," Ryuuen called after him, voice amused. "Don't be in such a rush."
Kouenji didn't respond, didn't even slow down. Ryuuen's grin widened as he motioned to his lackeys. "Go after him."
Ayanokōji, seated behind his desk, silently observed everything. His eyes flicked briefly toward Kushida — who looked uncharacteristically quiet — before returning to Ryuuen. He probably knew this was no simple "visit."As the rest of the class whispered among themselves, I could feel unease spreading.
I leaned toward Ayanokōji. "We should go check on him," I said.He gave a subtle nod. "Yeah. Hirata, stay here. Calm everyone down."
Horikita looked like she wanted to protest but didn't stop us when Yukimura, Miyake, and I followed Ayanokōji out."Don't do anything reckless," she warned, eyes flicking toward Sudou.He frowned. "I'm coming too."Horikita immediately scowled. "You'll make things worse.""Like hell I will. I ain't letting those Class C bastards gang up on anyone from our class."
We didn't have time to argue. Sudou joined us anyway, muttering something under his breath. Horikita sighed in resignation and followed at a distance — probably afraid we'd all end up in detention if she didn't.
By the time we reached the dorms, Kouenji was surrounded.
Ryuuen and his group had cornered him in the open plaza. Ishizaki blocked his path while Albert loomed like a wall behind him. Kouenji, however, looked more annoyed than frightened. His hands were on his hips, his posture elegant yet dismissive — the embodiment of aristocratic arrogance.
Ryuuen smirked. "You've been quite the busy man lately, Kouenji. Thought I'd pick your brain a little."
Kouenji raised an eyebrow, brushing a stray strand of golden hair aside. "My brain, you say? I don't recall loaning it to anyone."He gave a soft chuckle. "But I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone interested in conversing with wild animals."
The air crackled as Ishizaki tensed, ready to swing. Ryuuen waved him off."Relax. I just want a chat. After all, you were quite the performer during the Zodiac Exam."
"Ah, that trivial event," Kouenji replied, yawning. "I simply acted according to my natural brilliance. I have no memory of it."
Horikita, who had caught up with us, frowned. "Stop this, Ryuuen. If you think violence will solve your suspicions, you're deluding yourself."
"Violence?" Ryuuen laughed. "Come on, Horikita. I'm just curious."
Kouenji took out a small mirror from his pocket and admired his reflection. "Curious, huh? Then be a dear and hold this mirror for me while I fix my hair."
For a moment, silence fell — then Ryuuen chuckled darkly. "Sure thing."He took the mirror, examined it… and suddenly flung it to the ground. The glass shattered into dozens of glittering shards.
The sound echoed sharply through the air.
Kouenji blinked, expression unchanged, though his tone cooled a degree. "That mirror was quite expensive, you know. You'll reimburse me, won't you?"Before anyone could react, Ryuuen grabbed his arm roughly. "You talk too much."
Kouenji tilted his head, smiling faintly. "Ah, so you do enjoy physical contact. Unfortunately, I don't swing that way."
Horikita stepped forward, alarmed. "That's enough, Ryuuen—!"
"Relax," he said mockingly. "We're just playing."
As she crouched to pick up the glass shards, Sudou silently knelt beside her and began helping, shielding her from the fragments. Horikita blinked at the gesture but said nothing.
And then another voice joined the scene — soft, elegant, but sharp enough to slice through the tension.
"My, my. What a delightful gathering."
Everyone turned. From around the corner, Sakayanagi Arisu appeared, flanked by Kamuro and two boys from Class A — Hashimoto and Kitou. Her parasol twirled gently in her hands, a faint smile curling on her lips.
"Sakayanagi," Ryuuen muttered. "You always have a knack for showing up uninvited."
She tilted her head. "Coincidence, I assure you. Though I must admit, this party looks quite entertaining."
"Stay out of this," Ryuuen warned."Of course. I'll just watch," she said, gracefully sitting on a nearby bench. Her two male companions subtly shifted positions, ready to act if needed.
Kouenji sighed dramatically. "If this circus is over, I'd like to return to my date preparations."
"Not so fast." Ishizaki stepped in front of him again.
Ryuuen narrowed his eyes. "The Zodiac Exam. You sabotaged us, didn't you?"
Kouenji gave an incredulous laugh. "Me? Sabotage? Don't be absurd. I have absolutely no interest in such childish games."He straightened his shirt, brushing off imaginary dust. "I hold no loyalty to Class D, and I intend to keep it that way. Whether we rise or fall means nothing to me."
That declaration, though arrogant, was undeniably sincere. Ryuuen hesitated for a fraction of a second before smirking. "So you're saying you're harmless?"
"If your definition of harm excludes perfection, then yes."Kouenji's smile sharpened. "However, if you lay a finger on me, I'll knock every single one of you unconscious — one by one."
His voice was calm, but the confidence in it froze even Ryuuen's lackeys. Ishizaki stepped back unconsciously. Ryuuen's grin faltered.
"…Yeah, you're not X," he finally said, chuckling. "You're just a nutcase."
"Indeed," Kouenji said proudly.
Ryuuen turned his gaze toward us — toward me, Yukimura, and Ayanokōji. "Then maybe you three know something?"
Before anyone could answer, Sakayanagi interrupted. "Oh dear, Dragon Boy, still chasing phantoms?"Her smile was cruel. "You lost to Class D, didn't you? Still bitter?"
Ryuuen's grin vanished. "You've got a big mouth for someone who hides behind her bodyguards."
"Oh, please. You're the one who allowed emotions to cloud judgment."She leaned on her parasol, voice laced with derision. "Extortion, blackmail, violence — such primitive methods. It's almost… pathetic."
Ryuuen laughed quietly. "You know quite a lot for an outsider."
"I make it my business to know everything," she replied. "Including your little deal with Katsuragi."
At that, the Class C boys stiffened.Sakayanagi continued smoothly, "You allowed him to trade Class A support in exchange for monthly private points. An interesting arrangement, though terribly sloppy."
Ryuuen's smirk returned, darker this time. "You should be careful with that information. I could leak your class secrets just as easily."
"Oh, I'm not worried," Sakayanagi replied, twirling her parasol again. "That arrangement no longer matters. Katsuragi's already been sidelined. You, on the other hand, seem to be losing control of your own class."
The words struck deep, and for a second, I thought Ryuuen might actually hit her.And then — he did.
He lunged, swinging his leg toward her. But before the kick could land, Hashimoto intercepted it. The collision sent a small shock through the ground. Ryuuen stumbled backward, barely keeping balance.
Horikita shouted, "Stop this already!"
Sakayanagi, unfazed, asked lightly, "Is there a problem, Hashimoto?"He shrugged. "None, ma'am. He just tripped."
She smiled at Horikita, eyes glinting. "See? Nothing to worry about."
The tension was unbearable. Even I could feel the instinctive pressure in the air, like being caught between two apex predators. Kouenji, as always, broke the silence. "What an unrefined spectacle. Little girl, you should really learn to control your pets."
Sakayanagi chuckled softly. "Little girl? My, your English vocabulary is quite… limited."
Kouenji smirked. "I'm not a slave to linguistic convention."
That amused her further, but Kitou — her ever-loyal guard dog — stepped forward, slipping off his gloves. "Sakayanagi-sama, may I correct his manners?"
Before she could answer, Kouenji waved a hand. "Please, spare me. I'm not interested in fighting men who spend more time polishing their shoes than their brains. Besides, my tastes lie elsewhere — in older women and men, preferably."
The silence that followed was suffocating — and yet, impossibly, Ayanokōji's internal thought surfaced: Maybe madness is its own kind of strength.
Finally, Ryuuen scoffed and turned away. "Get lost, freak."
Kouenji bowed slightly, utterly unfazed. "Gladly." With a dramatic flourish, he exited the scene, humming to himself.
Sakayanagi watched him go, then turned her gaze back to Ryuuen. "Still chasing ghosts, Dragon Boy?"
Ryuuen's smile returned, but it was tight — brittle. "Don't worry. The show's far from over. The finale's coming soon."His eyes shifted toward Ayanokōji for a brief moment — sharp, piercing — before he turned to leave with his group.
As he walked away, his voice carried behind him like a whisper of promise. "When the curtain falls, I'll drag X into the light — no matter who it is."
Sakayanagi smiled faintly, closing her parasol. "I look forward to it."