Plan

Hoshino Kanade stood in a high-floor corridor of the Teaching Building, gazing through the window at the scene unfolding on the bulletin board below.

His fingertips rested against the glass, his thoughts drifting far away.

He had no fiery ambition to "lead Class D in a push for Class A." That goal was too distant and unrealistic.

If he stuck to his original plan, he only needed to look out for himself, efficiently gaining Personal Points from class rivalries and Exam Paper information.

That cold, practical approach had once been his guiding principle.

But then Kiyona's name crossed his mind.

She was already someone he considered one of his own.

The change in their relationship had quietly stirred a sense of responsibility in him.

His old strategy of keeping his head down and protecting himself would need adjusting.

He had to make more preparations for the uncertainties that might lie ahead.

For instance, an assassin from the White Room might be among next year's new students.

Though he believed Kiyona was capable enough to handle it, he was her partner, and he needed to prepare too—to build defenses for her, and against anything that might threaten their peaceful lives.

He had no doubt Kiyona was capable of protecting herself, or even defeating whoever came after her. But putting all the pressure on a girl and making her shoulder the risks alone...

That would be selfish and callous, and it wasn't what he wanted anymore.

Hoshinomiya Chie could help with this.

The last time Chabashira Sae had called him to her office, he had "run into" the lively former Class B homeroom teacher. That very evening, she had taken the initiative to add him as a contact.

He had done it on a whim, and Hoshino Kanade hadn't been sure Hoshinomiya would take the bait.

After accepting her friend request and exchanging a few conversations full of veiled barbs, the two had reached an unspoken agreement.

He had become a covert agent for Hoshinomiya within Class D.

Of course, the core message he had conveyed to Hoshinomiya was clear: Class D—or rather, Chabashira Sae—could never truly rise to Class A. In return, whenever he made a "not unreasonable" request, Hoshinomiya always showed a gratifying readiness to cooperate.

Hoshino Kanade drew his wandering thoughts back and refocused on the scene below.

Now, Ken Sudō had been expelled for failing the Midterm Exam, changing a crucial turning point.

The fierce conflict between Class D and Class C that would have happened had also vanished without a trace.

By the same logic, Sakura Airi, who would have been caught up in the trouble that followed, had lost the trigger for it.

Her camera wouldn't break at that point, so she wouldn't go to that Electronics Store for repairs.

But Hoshino Kanade knew that the Perverted Clerk lurking in the Electronics Store had long since fixed his filthy gaze on the shy, strikingly beautiful Sakura Airi.

More precisely, he had enrolled at the school for Sakura Airi.

The absence of the "camera repair" incident didn't mean his malice would disappear.

The simplest and most effective way to prevent the tragedy that might one day befall Sakura was to remove the threat at its source.

A targeted review of the extensive surveillance system covering the campus could expose the clerk's past acts of secretly taking photos, but that wouldn't be direct or devastating enough.

He needed irrefutable evidence that could ignite public outrage immediately and leave the man no room to wriggle free.

This was the perfect chance for his collaborator, Hoshinomiya, to prove her worth.

A few days later, the opportunity arrived.

Hoshinomiya Chie, the sweet-smiling Psychology Teacher who was popular with students, walked into the Electronics Store carrying an old Digital Camera she had deliberately broken and asked to have it repaired.

The surveillance footage would clearly show the entire process, from her handing the camera to the clerk with a hint of complaint.

Before long, Hoshinomiya's deliberately raised voice rang out from inside the store, full of anger and accusation. "What?! What are you doing?! I think I saw you taking pictures of me! You were definitely taking pictures of me, weren't you?!"

Her voice carried, immediately drawing the attention of a few nearby customers and passing students.

The clerk was caught off guard by the sudden, sharp accusation. His face flushed, then turned pale, and his eyes darted around in panic as he uselessly tried to defend himself.

"Y-You've got it wrong! I didn't! I absolutely didn't!" He instinctively shrank back.

"Got it wrong? Then prove it!" Hoshinomiya put her hands on her hips, exuding authority without a trace of the gentleness she usually showed in the office. Her voice grew even sterner.

"Take out your phone and let me check it! Now!" The clerk was clearly flustered. His fingers clamped around the phone in his pocket as he stammered and sweated, refusing to take it out. His abnormal reaction only made him seem more suspicious. Whispers started among the onlookers, and someone had already taken out a phone to record.

At the same time, Hoshino Kanade happened to pass by the store, as if out for a stroll.

The commotion caught his "attention."

Through the glass, he saw the familiar teacher tugging at a camera strap with a middle-aged clerk whose greasy appearance and shifty eyes stood out. Her face was flushed, and she looked like an aggrieved victim.

The timing was perfect.

Without hesitation, he pushed open the door and strode over. "Hoshinomiya-sensei? What's going on?"

Hoshino Kanade's voice was calm but concerned. He naturally stepped slightly in front of the teacher, taking a protective stance.

"Hoshino!" Seeing him, Hoshinomiya looked as if reinforcements had arrived. She immediately pointed at the clerk and accused him.

"This man! His eyes and movements were strange when he was repairing my camera! I think he took pictures of me, so I asked to check his phone, but he made excuses and refused to take it out!"

Hoshino Kanade fixed his gaze on the clerk. "Sir, since our teacher has her doubts, please cooperate and show her your phone. If it's a misunderstanding, we'll apologize."

His tone was polite, but carried an undeniable pressure.

The students watching began to gather quietly.

The clerk's eyes darted away. He instinctively tried to hide his hand behind him, near his back pocket, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he stammered out a defense.

"N-No, nothing happened... What gives you the right to check my phone...? You're slandering me..." His panicked overreaction only made him seem more suspicious.

"Sorry." Hoshino Kanade seized the moment while the clerk was flustered and swiftly pulled the phone from the pocket he was clutching.

The clumsy clerk cried out and tried to snatch it back, but Hoshino Kanade easily sidestepped him.