HAVING FIGURED OUT the identity of Mii-chan's benefactor during my day off, the weekend came to a close.
Even after Monday and Tuesday had passed, Horikita had not come to me for advice.
And on Wednesday afternoon, two days before the special exam, a certain boy proposed an unexpected plan.
"Dude... I think... I might have an incredible winning strategy...!" Ike stood up and slammed his hands on his desk, his seat clattering.
Everyone was still in class, so he naturally drew a lot of attention. However, nobody was looking at him with expectation, and in fact they were all skeptical.
"Wh-what? You do, Kanji? No way!"
Shinohara, his girlfriend, was the most surprised, and also the most dismissive.
"No, seriously. But wait, let me recalculate a little..."
Saying this, Ike began to count on his fingers. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to finish the calculation on his fingers, so he hurried to pull out his phone. He was struggling but he kept at it.
But the cruel reality was that one by one, our classmates started to leave, probably judging that this sudden idea wouldn't be worth it. However, Ike, oblivious to the dispersing crowd, nodded as if he had finished rechecking.
"No doubt! This is a winning idea!? Can I talk about it?!"
"Ike-kun. I will respond seriously for now, but I don't want to discuss strategy here. Understand?"
"Ah, okay. It'd be serious if my too-perfect strategy got leaked...!"
"Horikita-san, let's go to the usual location."
Yōsuke responded. It seemed like he was frequently meeting with Horikita in secret. That much was evident just from the conversation. Although it might've been obvious, they were definitely preparing for the special exam.
"That sounds good. Those who are interested can come with us, however, keep in mind that it's a hassle if there are too many people. Can you raise your hand if you would like to come along?"
Shinohara immediately raised her hand, along with Hondō and Miyamoto, but that was it. No one else seemed to expect much from Ike's idea. As for me, I was rather interested in what kind of strategy it was, so I casually raised my hand.
"You too? Why the sudden change of mind? Do you have a good reason?"
While the other three who had raised their hands were Ike's close friends and didn't seem to mind, she demanded a reason from me.
"Can't I just be curious? Ike said he's super confident about a winning strategy. I just want to know."
"...I see. That's fine then. I didn't have any other meetings scheduled for today anyway."
Following the conversation, the six of us began to move. We left the school and headed to Keyaki Mall, ending up at the karaoke. It was the perfect place to have a confidential discussion.
Completed with snacks and a bar for drinks, it was an affordable place. No reason not to use it.
"Satsuki, would you like the usual?"
"Yeah. You too, Kanji?"
Ike and Shinohara nestled up together, exploring the menu and discussing in familiar conversations.
"Hey, Horikita."
"What?"
"It's kind of confusing that you can choose not to sing when you come to karaoke, but you must get a drink. After all, this is supposed to be a place for singing."
"Huh? That might be true... But you worry about such strange things."
"You're a fool, Ayanokōji. It's obviously because there's a one-drink policy, right?"
Ike, who had been eavesdropping on our conversation, kindly lectured us.
I only mentioned it offhand, but I didn't want to steal away Shinohara's enamored gaze towards Ike, so I let it slide.
I picked up the terminal to check out the music trends.
"...I see."
I didn't get it at all.
There were songs with titles I recognized, but more often than not, I didn't know the songs.
Asian songs from outside of Japan appear to be popular now, with several occupying the rankings. The quality of the songs seemed to be of a very high standard.
"The only thing left is your order, Ayanokōji-kun."
While I was looking at the rankings, it seemed like everyone else's orders had been placed.
"Then, I'll have plum kelp tea."
Horikita finished ordering for everyone and we just needed to wait for the delivery.
It was best to avoid any interruptions while we were discussing.
It was fine if the staff heard it, but we wanted to avoid any leaks.
A few moments later, the drinks everyone ordered arrived at our table.
"So, let's hear what you…"
I decided to let everyone else do the talking, I picked up my plum kelp tea that just arrived and brought it to my mouth.
"Hot... Sorry, continue please."
After experiencing everyone's piercing gaze, I apologized and turned my face away.
The tip of my tongue was burning so hot that it was numbing. I would have to be careful while drinking.
"Ahem, let's hear Ike-kun's idea."
Horikita, as the leader, engaged with Ike's idea seriously, an idea which most people wouldn't even consider.
Her expression showed no signs of amusement, and even Ike's face grew slightly tense.
"Alright, let's get to the point. Suppose we were to guarantee that we get 68 points for our class. Can we agree that this would be a winning score?"
After a quick wink at Shinohara, Ike proposed something quite interesting.
"68 points? Sure, if we had 68 points, there would indeed be a good chance of victory, but that seems like a very specific score."
The lack of transparency about the tasks in this exam made it impossible to predict how many points each class would get. Yet, Ike claimed that we could acquire 68 points. This contention instilled a strong sense of unease in Horikita. Sensing her skepticism, Ike quickly finished half of his bottled soda, moistening his throat, and began to speak about his just-conceived solution.
"While it's risky, we could secure exactly 68 points. We do this by feigning sickness right as the exam starts. Our class has 38 students—if we only leave five for defense, plus the leader, and then have the remaining 32 eliminated..."
"What? If you did that, we'd be down 32 points right from the start! Don't you even understand the rules?"
Exasperated, Hondō put his hands on the sofa and looked at the ceiling, sighing heavily.
Horikita, however, was keenly listening. It made sense; a 32-person elimination guaranteed 68 points.
There was no way the sum would coincidentally add up to 100.
"That's fine. Even if we subtract 32 points for the eliminated students, we are guaranteed to get 68 points."
Hondō and Miyamoto were confused by this statement.
Shinohara, perhaps having already heard the strategy, had a smile on her face.
"But, you know, the opponent can only nominate five students, right? We can protect five students each round, but we only have five students left to nominate, right?"
"Ah—"
Miyamoto understood before Hondō did, and let out a sound.
"So, for all 20 turns, we can get 5 points each. That's a perfect score, right?"
It was an interesting idea for Ike, one that I never thought he'd come up with.
"Moreover! No one even needs to study for the exam! Not a bad idea, huh?"
"But, even so, would the school really allow 32 people to feign illness? I mean, it's too suspicious."
Hondō, puzzled by his surprisingly logical strategy, pointed out its flaw.
"It certainly looks like something underhanded, you know."
Miyamoto also expressed his skepticism. Indeed, it seemed absurd that 32 students in the class would fall ill on the day of the exam.
"Feigning illness... It's a bit of a gray area in terms of the rules, but I suspect the school wouldn't be able to stop us, even if they found it suspicious. No one can prove we've faked it."
Normally, it would be unimaginable for 32 people to fall ill at once.
Therefore, even though the school would likely be 99% sure the illness was fake, they wouldn't be certain.
They would have to concede.
It was clearly stated that even if students fell ill, they would only be treated as eliminated students.
There were also no limits on how many students could be ill.
"That's a great idea for you. It's certainly a strategy that could maintain a high average score."
"See? See? What do you think of this approach!?"
With Horikita's unexpected appraisal, even Hondō, who was initially skeptical, started to acknowledge it.
"A strategy to guarantee 68 points... Well, isn't it pretty amazing?"
"I was also surprised when I heard it from Kanji. It's a good idea, isn't it?"
There was a strong focus on the ability to guarantee 68 points, but there were other benefits.
The strategy didn't require skills, luck, or prior preparation. It could be implemented immediately before the exam started, and no other class could obstruct or prevent us from securing 68 points.
And, in the worst case, even if the class were to place last, we could choose one of the 32 students to expel. Therefore, this plan also made it easy to discard a less capable student. Even though choosing who to expel among the 32 students would be difficult, if we somehow decided in advance who to expel and got their consent, the aftermath would also be smooth.
The risk of expulsion could be reduced to zero if a person holding a Protection Point was made to drop out.
At first glance, the idea didn't seem bad, but it was unlikely to be adopted.
"If it weren't for 'a certain rule' in this special exam, this might've remained a candidate that we could have implemented."
Horikita replied, saying that Ike's interesting idea was made difficult due to that rule.
It seemed that Horikita could foresee significant obstacles as she heard the plan.
"Wh-why? Well, I'm not insisting that you adopt it..."His idea seemed to be the best.
It was out of such confidence that Ike pushed to learn the reason.
"Let's say, hypothetically, that Ryūen-kun's class implements this strategy right after the exam starts."
Horikita began her discussion on the assumption that the hypothetical enemy would adopt Ike's strategy.
"Even though there was one person expelled from his class, the addition of Katsuragi-kun has kept their numbers at 40. Except the leader and five others, there would be 34 eliminations. This means they would secure 66 points. While that certainly isn't a bad score, it also means they can't possibly score any higher. If the remaining three classes each manage to score 67 points or more, that approach becomes a 'no-win' strategy."
If they've already expelled their disposable resources, they'd have no way to boost their scores.
As the offensive, they could only hope that the other side kept making mistakes.
"Sure, but there's no guarantee that the other three classes will each be able to score 67 points or more, right? While there might be a risk of coming last, isn't there a higher probability of coming first?"
"No. Most likely, if Ryūen-kun's class were to use that strategy, they would end up in last place."
"Why? We won't know how difficult the questions are until the actual exam, right? So then—"
Ike couldn't understand why this would almost certainly result in them coming last.
"Listen. If they're going to use the faking sickness strategy to cause mass elimination, they should naturally do that in the first turn. There's little merit in implementing this strategy after the second turn."
The longer it was postponed, the higher the risk that they'd lower the maximum points they could secure.
"Moreover, this strategy is conspicuous. All three classes would quickly find out. Just imagine their class situation when the classes see through that strategy.
Will they think, 'Oh no, they've played a good move?'"
"W-Won't they?"
"No. On the contrary. If they play that strategy, it would actually make things easier for the other three classes."
Saying so, Horikita picked up her cell phone, which she had placed next to her, and showed it to him.
"A phone...? Oh, we can use it during the exam, right?"
"Yes. So as soon as we see their aim, we would use this to cooperate with the other classes. If Ryūen-kun's class could only get up to 66 points, the other three classes should team up and aim for more. If they judge that a losing class has appeared, Ichinose-san and Sakayanagi-san will also positively consider this option."
"Wait a minute. I don't quite get it, but if we gang up on them, they'd lose?"
"They'd lose. Who to nominate, who to protect. Just by doing this, the two classes Ryūen-kun's class targets would definitely get 50 points. Hence, they would only need to earn 17 more points. Under the current rules, they can raise the difficulty by using points, but if the score is zero or less, they can only attack with the base difficulty. Therefore, it wouldn't be difficult to score more than 17 points."
If they could get more than 34% accuracy, that would be fine. Regardless of how unclear the contents of the questions were going to be, as long as the percentage didn't fall significantly lower, they'd be in the safe zone. Additionally, with the element of protection, the actual required accuracy rate could be somewhat lower.
The absolute score of 66.
While it could be a merit, it also came with a significant disadvantage.
It was a strategy that was weak against changes in the situations that followed.
Ryūen's class, which would have 34 eliminations from the get-go, wouldn't see a positive shift until after the end of the 7th defensive turn. after the end of the 7th turn of defense. If they choose a high difficulty when attacking, the final score they could get would decrease every time, to 65 points, 64 points, and so on.
"I think you understand which is better, aiming for a win with 66 points or securing 17 or more points in 10 turns with your own abilities."
After hearing the explanation, Ike, who was ecstatic at first, dropped his shoulders as if he had been plunged to the bottom.
"Damn! I thought we could win! I feel bad for getting everyone together!"Ike was unexpectedly disappointed, and Horikita was slightly flustered.
"You don't have to apologize. Your strategy was well thought out. What I need to apologize for is for assuming from the start that it definitely wouldn't be helpful."
"Uh, oh... I feel happy, but it's a bit complicated..."
"Your strategy has a chance of winning. If the other three classes can't cooperate, the chances of winning would increase. Even if they gang up on us, there's still a chance of winning. For lower-ability classes, it's not a bad idea to pin their hopes on this strategy. However, I believe our class has the ability to fight without depending on that method."
That was why we wouldn't adopt Ike's splendid strategy, Horikita explained.
"You also taught me something valuable."
"Something valuable...?"
"It became clear that this special exam would be troublesome if the others gang up on us."
The shift between offense and defense in the first and second halves meant both classes would be attacking and defending against each other. They'd beat each other up. Then, if the two classes were to cooperate, they could definitely get 50 points.
If they could get the cooperation of the three classes, it wasn't impossible to get a perfect score of 100 points.
Of course, whether other classes would easily accept this approach was uncertain.
Joining hands would mean reaching the goal at the same rate.
Ideally, it could force a sudden death in the final round, but that would be difficult to orchestrate.
Considering the current point differences among the four classes, Ryūen's and Ichinose's classes, the bottom two, would want as many class points as possible. Naturally, Horikita's class also wanted to rise even slightly higher. It wasn't that difficult to make Class A the only enemy, but it could hardly be called an ideal development to merely hinder those above us.
In this exam, ultimately, only one class could be elected as the absolute winner.
"You were brave to speak up."
"S-so, if that's the case, uh, good. Hehe."
Perhaps pleased with Horikita's praise, Ike scratched the back of his head.
"Shinohara-san, Hondō-kun, and Miyamoto-kun, too. Please feel free to voice any ideas you may have. Also, relay this to classmates who aren't present here. I promise not to look down on anyone from the get-go."
As Horikita said, it was best to voice any ideas that came to mind.
Whether they were perfect or not was secondary; the point was to engage in discussion.
Indeed, Ike's idea wasn't perfect, but by having others point out its strengths and weaknesses, he deepened his understanding and reluctantly accepted their criticisms.
The fact that the discussion was held at all held significant value and purpose.
After a while, the others left the karaoke room smiling and chatting.
"What will you do after this, Horikita?"
"I'm going home. Until yesterday, I was meeting Hirata-kun and the others here every day, but it was a day off to rest."
It was admirable to create space for a gathering even on such a day.
Horikita seemed tired of her karaoke drink; she hadn't touched it much.
Well, it could hardly be called café-level quality.
The advantage of being able to drink a lot quickly and cheaply was very important.
"I was surprised that you wanted to listen to Ike-kun's idea. His strategy was interesting, but knowing you, wouldn't you have already envisioned something like that before?"
Instead of affirming or denying, I decided to present Horikita with a new proposition.
"How about we change the location and talk about it?"
"I don't have any plans after this, but it's unusual for you to want to talk.
Unless it's about trouble with Karuizawa-san, in which case I'd like to decline."Horikita joked as she stood up with the bill.
"If that was the case, I'm sure you wouldn't be the best person to handle it,
Horikita."
"Indeed."
"I'd like to discuss the special exam with you, one-on-one."Upon hearing that, Horikita widened her eyes in surprise.
"You? About the special exam?
"Is that so surprising?"
"I often initiate discussion, but it's unusual for you, isn't it?""Could be."
I couldn't specifically recall who started how many conversations, so I couldn't be sure. But surely, Horikita had initiated more.
"And I can't always rely on you, so I decided against unnecessarily asking for your help this time."
"I'm not exactly offering a strategy. I just want to hear your thoughts."
"I see. You want to assess if I'm prepared to fight well?"
She showed a slightly irritated and troubled attitude, simple like a child's.
"Bothered?"
"Not at all. It would be harder for me to find a reason to refuse if that's your reasoning. Where should we move to?"
"How about a café? I feel like having some good coffee."
Plum kelp tea wasn't bad either, but my mouth was craving a slight bitterness now.
"Would I be self-conscious if I said I'm worried about others spying and listening in?"
"No worries, it won't be like what you're worried about."
"Well, as long as you say so, there won't be any problem. Shall we get going right away then?"
She trusted me without hesitation, and together, we left the karaoke box.
1
We didn't talk much along the way and soon arrived at the determined cafe.
Because it was a weekday, it was relatively empty, and we were able to choose our seats freely.
After asking Horikita what she wanted to drink, I decided to point out a seat by the window and let her sit first.
We quietly stood in line behind two people who were already waiting at the counter.
Horikita, who had taken a seat, looked at me somewhat restlessly.
She was probably perplexed, not knowing what I would talk about next.
How to approach the situation, the strategy, the thought process, what to prioritize, and what to take as a secondary concern. I wasn't interested in knowing the details. I wanted to leave it all to the leader, Horikita.
Then, what was I going to do? Why did I arrange some alone time with Horikita?
It was to bestow a new strength upon Horikita.
A matter I had decided to entrust to her as the special exam was gradually approaching.
It could be done now because her mind was growing and maturing.
Knowing both herself, the class, and having found a friend.
That was why it was now possible to take the next step.
When my turn came, I ordered two blended coffees and waited near the counter for it to be prepared. After about two minutes, when the extraction seemed to be completed, two cups of coffee were brought over, and I grabbed the handles and headed to where Horikita was waiting.
"Thank you. The money—"
"That's fine. You paid for the karaoke. Besides, you treated me to lunch the other day."
"Well then, I'll gladly accept your offer."
We both slowly savored the hot, flavorful coffee.
Looking at Horikita's profile as she exhaled, I could see the fatigue.
Besides when she was asleep, she was probably constantly using her brain, whether it was a weekday or a holiday.
"...Is there something on my face?"
She didn't seem to like my blatant staring and gave me a glare.
"No, I was just thinking. Your hair has gotten quite long, hasn't it?"
Even as a diversion, it was quite effective if the person involved was concerned about it.
She ran her fingers through her hair and let her gaze wander.
"It's been almost a year since I cut it short. Time flies, doesn't it?"
"You were crying your eyes out."
"What would happen if a tragic accident occurred here, and I grabbed you and poured hot coffee directly into your shirt?"
"I would definitely get burned, and it would definitely be intentional, not an accident."
"You would dodge it if I tried to spill the contents all over you here, right?"
When we were at karaoke with Ryūen, Horikita had witnessed the time when I was about to be splashed with orange juice by surprise.
If you want to be sure it lands, grabbing me would be the right answer, but...
Getting splashed with coffee would result in damage incomparable to orange juice.
"Why are you trying to move seats? I would never do such a thing. I wouldn't cause so much trouble for the store."
"Please prioritize not causing major burns to a classmate instead."
"Really... you're such a strange one, aren't you?"
"Which part of this exchange makes me the strange one? You're the one who's strange."
In fact, I was just pushed around by Horikita's strange nature.
"I'm not weird. I just... sometimes my seriousness is misplaced."
Depending on your interpretation, it would be fair to call her a weirdo, but of course, I would never say it.
"So? This isn't what you wanted to chat about, right? We were supposed to be talking about the special exam..."
Indeed, it seemed to be time to get to the main topic.
"There's no need to be wary of our surroundings at the moment, but we don't have to casually disclose the contents of our strategy. What I want to know is a little different. I want to confirm what mindset you're going into this special exam with."
"...Um, I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'mindset.'"
"To win the exam. To rack your brains for it. And to struggle with decisions. That's something that you can now do with anyone. Like you do with Yōsuke and the others every day, and sometimes like you did with the group led by Ike. What I want to do here is something that can only be done between me and you, at least for now. This special exam is plagued by the issue of expulsions. If you look back, you can see right away, but I want you to tell me what kind of changes are happening inside you now compared to you during the unanimous voting exam."
By bringing up concrete points from the past, Horikita understood what I meant by 'mindset.'
"It seems like you're not mistaken when you say, this is a conversation only we can have..."
The act of exposing one's innermost thoughts.
Relying on companions was important, but it wasn't easy for the leader to show weakness.
"Should I assume that you'll correct me if you think my mindset is wrong?"
"Whether I can give appropriate advice or not is another matter, but I intend to express my personal view."
Hearing this, Horikita straightened her posture and met my gaze.
I thought she would start talking now, but Horikita narrowed her eyes and put a hand to her mouth.
"That's suspicious."
She seemed quite flustered, as if she hadn't intended to verbalize it.
"I'm sorry. I said something quite blunt, didn't I?"
"Am I really that suspicious?"
"I mean, you being concerned about me is, well, kind of creepy, don't you think?"
"I can understand that, but creepy is a bit too much.""Yeah, you're right. Um, let me get my thoughts together."Saying that, she straightened up once more.
"I want to ask you frankly. Have you decided what to do if we come in last place in this special exam?"
She didn't want to expel anyone.
But she had to choose someone to dismiss.
Although the situation was different, the same decision in the unanimous voting exam may have to be made.
"It's a hard question to immediately answer, isn't it?"
"That's right."
"Since that day, I have been questioning myself over and over again. At times, I feel guilty and regretful, even though I believe I made the right decision.
It's a depressing thought."
She muttered, slightly lowering her gaze.
"I can't say for sure what will happen in the future. It's not just me, everyone in the class is growing little by little every day. Even if we rank them based on their abilities, it would fluctuate."
I couldn't deny that. There were days when Ike was at the bottom and days when Hondō was. Because we strove to avoid being at the bottom, it was natural that we couldn't decide who to expel in the future.
"But the next special exam is different. At least, I plan to face it with two options in mind in case we end up at the bottom. One is a less painful choice, the other is a bitter one. However, since there are various obstacles, there's no
guarantee that the less painful choice can be realized..." She seemed to have thought about it properly.
"If you end up placing last, you can't avoid selecting someone to expel. There's no dream story about losing without anyone getting expelled. There aren't enough Private Points to save everyone. Considering that, you have two choices?"
The latter, bitter choice must be to reluctantly expel someone. It's a leader's responsibility to choose from among those who have dropped out, even if she doesn't want to.
"Whichever it turns out to be, I've set up my own guidelines to choose without hesitation."
There was no point in bluffing in this situation. If she was bluffing, that said a lot about her.
Looking at Horikita, with her pure and straightforward eyes, I could see that she was prepared to make a decision, no matter what choice she faced.
"I understand. It seems that you won't be at a loss if you come in last."
"Perhaps I shouldn't think about losing in the first place, but since there's the risk of expulsion, I can't help but make a decision in advance. It's shameful, and you might laugh at it..."
"Where's the part to laugh at?"
"True... but... you don't normally think about losing first..."
"If you aim to win in the end, whether it's first or last, it isn't a mistake. You thought about what to do when you lost first because you care about the class.
That's all there is to it."
"...Thank you..."
There was no reason to thank me, but she was in a position to listen to my advice. Perhaps that was why Horikita was honest.
"I'm glad my fears were unfounded. If something goes wrong, I'm sure I can trust you."
"You helped me in the unanimous voting exam. Ah, is that all you wanted to know?"
Horikita, who had relieved her heart a little, asked this, but the answer was unfortunately no.
"No, it's safe to say that we're just getting into the main topic."
"Is that so... Then, what is it? If you're not going to talk about a winning strategy, do you want to know what will happen after winning? No, it can't be..."
"Winning this exam means defeating other classes. And if we defeat them, a class at the bottom will inevitably be created. There's a high possibility that someone will get expelled."
"I guess so."
"But that 'someone' is not for you to decide. I'm sure it's obvious, but you understand what I'm saying, right?"
"Of course, each class leader will consider and decide."
"You learned how to deal with a dismissal from your own class due to your previous failure. But if I hadn't helped you, we wouldn't know what would've happened to the class now."
"As humiliating as it is, that's true. It wouldn't be surprising if the class had fallen apart."
"It's important to learn from your mistakes, but you can't fail every time. A safety net isn't guaranteed. Essentially, choosing the right answer from the start and steadily breaking through is a testament to one's true ability."
Holding a slightly cooled cup, Horikita quietly sipped her coffee.
"I think you're absolutely right."
"Let's get specific. There will undoubtedly be a time when we face a particular class directly. At that time, you will have three futures. One is where our class wins, one is where our class loses, and the third outcome is neither a victory nor a defeat, but a draw. What future would you prefer?"
"There's no question about it. I want my class to win; there's no other choice."
"Then let's add a new condition to the future. Your class wins, but as a result, the defeated class has an expulsion. How would you decide in this case?"
"I'm sorry, but we prioritize our victory. That's the right choice, isn't it?""So you would still choose your class's victory."
With my questioning, Horikita's lips slightly tightened.
"Is it wrong to prioritize winning, just like in this special exam?"
"No one said it was a mistake. Let's add one last condition. The specific class is Ryūen's class, and the one expelled is Ibuki Mio. Which of the three futures would you choose then?"
Not expecting this condition, Horikita froze after delivering a series of natural responses.
"...Ibuki-san...?"
"What's the matter? Which of the three options do you choose? Winning, losing, or drawing?"
"Hold on a minute. Ibuki-san is close to Ryūen-kun. I can't imagine she would be the first candidate for expulsion. Is this even a valid hypothesis?"
"A valid hypothesis? It's strange what you say. A hypothesis is just a hypothesis."
"But—"
"Ibuki's position and safety aren't guaranteed. With Ibuki's OAA assessment, she is perfectly disposable. Given Ryūen's personality, it's a possible scenario. Moreover, there's no guarantee that Ryūen can appoint someone to be expelled. Accidents that can't be avoided could happen."
Having been told this in a firm tone, Horikita unwillingly opened her mouth.
"...For the sake of our class's victory, it's natural to choose victory, even if it means Ibuki-san is the specific person who has to be expelled."
"You're unable to respond immediately. You clearly want to deny a future where you have to choose."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I don't know every detail about your relationships, but I believe that among the other classes, Ibuki is closer to you than most. And it's not just about whether she's 'close' or 'not close.'"
"If you're also considering 'not close' relationships, then yes, I won't deny it."
She kept eye contact, trying to project an attitude that expressed it didn't matter.
Although she said she didn't deny it, the truth was, she couldn't.
Even the person involved wasn't aware of it; it was a defensive reflex transmitted from basic instincts.
Not wanting to acknowledge it was proof that she knew it was inconvenient if she did. It might've been possible to deceive with visual information, but when it came to auditory information, higher skills were required. The more you tried controlling your behavior, the more negligent you became with your words.
"But in this special exam, the rule is that a student is expelled by another class. That is, for the first time, a student who we didn't anticipate might be expelled."
"You're saying that even Ibuki-san isn't an exception."
"If Ryūen had marked Ibuki as a candidate for expulsion, and it was clear that there was a high likelihood he was planning on expelling her if she was eliminated, would you still be able to play a move that eliminates Ibuki to win?"Until now, Horikita, although agitated, had insisted on victory.
Her previously unyielding attitude was completely crushed for the first time.
Even indirectly, causing Ibuki to drop out by her own hand…
If this were a year ago, Horikita would have executed this without much hesitation.
But the circumstances had changed.
She got to know Ibuki. She deeply knew what kind of character she had and who she was.
Even though she was an enemy, she had undoubtedly become a friend.
"Why… do you ask such a thing?"
She didn't answer, but forcefully threw the ball back as if to escape.
"This special exam, it's a great chance to eliminate students you want to lose, but it's also the basis of the fight to lose those who are easy to lose. When you know that you can gain a strategic advantage by attacking Ibuki, are you able to take the lead as a leader without hesitation? Confirming that is my primary goal.
I thought it would be helpful to start considering it now."
Even if I told her this on the day of the exam, it would be difficult to deal with calmly because of the limited time and tension of the battle. That was why it was a discussion to have now.
"You mean... I should be ready to lose someone like Ibuki-san or someone in the same position?"
"No, I'm saying it's important to be aware. You are so focused on your own class that you don't have a good grasp of the other classes. You just mildly thought 'I want to get rid of that person, I don't want this other person to drop out.' Did you prepare for this special exam with a clear sense of what to expect?"
"Well… no, I haven't. All I was thinking about was how to minimize the damage if I lose, who to expel from our side in case of emergency, and what I would need to do to win for the class."
Realizing that further denial was pointless, Horikita admitted it as if she'd given up.
She probably didn't think about who she was going to crush clearly.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy even if she wanted to crush someone. As the leader, she would keep the capable students since there was a high probability that multiple people would be eliminated. Therefore, she didn't think about it.
If she stopped thinking there, she wouldn't be able to keep up with the changes in the situation.
"So, what should I do about that problem...?"
"I told you. All you need is to be aware of it. Everyone has their own style of battle. Ryūen is ruthless to whoever he is up against. He's always thinking of ways to defeat the enemy's most capable students. Sakayanagi tends to target people she dislikes, regardless of strength or weakness. Totsuka is a good example. On the contrary, in Ichinose's case, she doesn't think about expelling the other party.
There are tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses to each person like that."
"But I don't know what kind of battle suits me yet..."
"That's what this battle is about to show you. Whether to defeat the enemy or to protect yourself, if you are aware of both, you will see the way to fight. Don't fight aimlessly. Be conscious. Just by doing that, the world you see will change greatly."
Horikita closed her eyes and murmured something to herself with a slight movement of her lips.
I continued to silently watch Horikita until she showed some understanding.
"To be honest, I don't think I can maintain that awareness at this moment.""I see."
"But I'll keep repeating it to myself until the special exam. If that doesn't work, I'll keep telling myself even after that. I don't know how far I can go... I'm sorry. I'm not good enough..."
She mocked herself for not being able to respond well.
"There's nothing wrong. You're already beginning to be conscious. I've made you conscious."
It's just a matter of time whether it will become complete now, tomorrow, or a little later.
I've almost finished analyzing the human being called Horikita Suzune.
A person who was competent compared to ordinary people with the ability to be recognized in society.
A person who had the qualifications to walk a happy life on the long road that would continue from now on.
But she probably wouldn't achieve remarkable feats in the future, or leave behind achievements for future generations. She had no remarkable ability to surpass others' many talents.
However, this was not yet a society. This was a school, a world where small and immature children gathered. In this miniature, garden-like environment, she had the potential to display abilities beyond imagination.
This was thanks to the new perspective that Horikita Manabu taught me.
If I hadn't been taught by him, I wouldn't have noticed her shining potential.
"That's all I wanted to say."
Horikita looked into my eyes intently, and continued to look straight into them without averting.
"Hey—what are you, exactly?"
"What do you mean?"
"That's exactly what I mean. I don't understand you at all..."
"Do you need to understand?"
"At the very least, as long as I'm the appointed leader, it isn't bad to get to know my classmates. Even for the next special exam, being aware of the details puts us in an advantageous position."
If she could grasp one's strengths and weaknesses in individual challenges, it could certainly be true.
"So, you understand Kōenji?"
"I can't say I understand him, but I think I have a grasp of him. Am I wrong?"
"...Quite right."
I brought up Kōenji's name to divert the topic from myself, but it was easy and simple to understand what kind of person Kōenji really was.
"You were uninterested in reaching Class A, and were fundamentally reserved and unsociable. But before I knew it, you started dating Karuizawasan, you started to help the class knowing that it'd make you stand out. There is no consistency in what you do."
"Can't you just take it to mean that I've grown? A once unassuming middle school boy goes through a High School debut, and little by little gains courage. Soon, he aims to rise to class A and starts getting excited, leading to how he is now— something like that."
"I can't see it like that. You don't fit into any conventionally assumed categories. I'm convinced of that. There's always a reason beyond ordinary thinking for what you do. Because..."
As soon as she said 'because,' Horikita lost her words.
"...How could such a personality be born, I wonder. What kind of child were you?"
"Changing the subject, huh? Even if you ask me what kind of child I was, I am still a child, as you can see."
"That's not what I mean. I mean when you were much younger. What elementary school did you go to?"
"You wouldn't know even if I told you."
"That's not necessarily the case, right? I might unexpectedly be from the area."
"I've already talked about something similar before. I don't feel like doing it again."
"...Is that so? Sorry, but I don't recall, can you tell me again?" Even if I tried to avoid it, Horikita persistently questioned me.
"It's not something I can share. I want to keep certain things to myself."
I strongly conveyed that I was uncomfortable with further inquiries, and Horikita seemed to understand, albeit reluctantly.
Receiving a lot of information at once, Horikita's brain seemed to be considerably tired.
"You better take a break to calm down."
I suggested to Horikita, who was unable to decide on her next move.
"Yes, you're right..."
Before we could leave this place, we had to finish our drinks.
I also picked up my cup of coffee, which I had barely touched, and we drank almost simultaneously.
The temperature that reached my tongue was lukewarm.
"It's gotten cold."
"It's gotten cold, hasn't it?"
"Don't copy me."
"Please don't copy me."
It was a trivial matter, but the feeling that we were on the same wavelength was strangely funny.
"Eh—?"
It might be an exaggeration to say she was startled, but Horikita opened her eyes wide and let out a sound.
"What's wrong?"
"No... that... I just... saw you smile a little..."
"Huh? So, what's wrong with that?"
"It's just that I feel like I've never seen that expression on your face in the last two years..."
"How rude. I'm not a baby who's just learned to smile."
I've been told something similar before, and there have been many times when I've made a conscious effort to smile. It shouldn't be that rare.
Well... But...
"You're right, it might've been a rare moment."
At that instant, I couldn't recall at all making a conscious effort to smile.
The expression of an unintentional emotion.
How many such experiences have I had so far?
Neither an act nor a reading of the atmosphere, but just being natural.
From understanding how difficult that was, it became interesting.
It felt like a drop of color had been added to a blank sketchbook.
Not in front of Kei, nor in front of a friend like Yōsuke.
I didn't know why that expression appeared in front of Horikita.
"I wonder why I smiled. Would you know if you were the one who smiled?"I had hoped that Horikita would have a clear answer.
I asked if it was a funny scene, looking into her eyes.
But Horikita averted her gaze and hurriedly replied.
"I... I wouldn't know either if you asked me with such a serious face."
"So, it's not that something particularly funny happened, right?"
"...As I said, I wouldn't know even if you asked me."
Horikita, who had turned aside, slightly raised her voice and sighed."Because of your strange thinking, I feel like a fool for laughing as well..."Horikita gulped down the remainder of her coffee and stood up.
"Are we done talking? I have plans, so I should be going."
"Didn't you say you had no plans?"
"I just remembered I had plans."
She then picked up the empty cup she had drunk.
"I'll think about it by myself. About the next special exam, and everything thereafter."
"That's fine."
She was about to head back first but paused as though she had remembered something.
"Oh, right, sorry. There's something I need to confirm with you."
"Is it about the category to exclude in the special exam?"
"That's right."
"What about our other classmates?"
"I've heard from everyone but you. We really need to decide soon."
Apparently, while I had been taking it easy, Horikita had already finalized the arrangements with the others.
"Well, you probably wouldn't need to exclude anything, but what do you think?"
"Entertainment, music, and subculture."
"Those categories have nothing to do with studying. Same choices as mine."
"There were other categories that I was unsure about, but I wanted to exclude those in which I wasn't proficient."
News, lifestyle, and food. I probably didn't know much about those areas.
However, the three categories that I excluded were considered more difficult than those.
"Alright, I'll register those for you."
"Thanks."
Unexpectedly, this seemed to be an opportunity to reflect on myself.