After the Midterm Exam, the specific rules for the Special Exam had yet to be announced, and campus life had temporarily returned to a state of superficial calm. However, the undercurrents stirred within Class D by the points crisis and exam results had not subsided.
In the library that afternoon, sunlight streamed through the enormous glass windows, casting mottled shadows across the long wooden tables. Fūki Ran sat in his usual spot by the window. The book open before him wasn't a textbook, but a hefty volume titled Group Psychology and Organizational Behavior. He needed a deeper understanding of how the "group" that was Class D worked if he wanted to guide them more effectively through the challenges ahead.
The faint sound of footsteps came from behind him, measured with deliberate precision. Fūki didn't look up, but he already knew who it was. There was probably only one person in all of Class D who kept her steps so orderly, even in the library.
Sure enough, Horikita Suzune appeared beside the seat across from him. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but eventually sat down quietly, placing several reference books—clearly on Advanced Mathematics and physics—on the table before settling in to read. She made not a sound she didn't need to, and gave no indication that she intended to speak with Fūki.
Fūki didn't mind. He continued reading. For a while, the only sounds in that corner were the faint rustle of turning pages and the two of them breathing steadily.
However, the silence didn't last long.
"Why can't we simplify the force analysis here like this?" A voice tinged with unmistakable frustration and confusion came from nearby. Though lowered, it still carried clearly through the quiet library.
Fūki and Horikita looked up at almost the same time. Ken Sudō was clutching a physics workbook, frowning helplessly at Yukimura Teruhiko beside him. Yukimura adjusted his glasses and did his best to explain, but his approach clearly wasn't getting through to Sudō.
Horikita's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. A hint of "just as I thought" scorn flashed in her eyes before she lowered her head, as if she didn't want to be disturbed by this "noise."
Fūki, however, closed his book and stood up.
"Sudō," he said calmly, without a trace of emotion. "What don't you understand?"
Sudō saw Fūki and froze for a moment. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face, but he still pointed to a problem in the workbook. "This... the friction between the inclined plane and the little block. Why can't I just use this formula...?"
Fūki picked up a pen. Instead of explaining the formula directly, he drew a simple diagram on a sheet of Draft Paper. "Don't think about the formula yet. Picture the actual situation. You're pushing a box up a slope. What does it feel like?..."
He used the most intuitive approach, drawing on the kinds of physical activities Sudō was familiar with to break down the abstract physics concepts. As Sudō listened, the furrow in his brow gradually eased, and a look of sudden understanding appeared in his eyes.
"Oh, I get it now! The way you explained it makes sense!"
"Understanding the principle matters more than memorizing the formula," Fūki said mildly, then returned to his seat.
The whole exchange was brief and efficient. Horikita kept her head down, but Fūki keenly noticed that her page-turning paused for a moment.
This little incident seemed to be only the beginning.
Over the following days, Fūki kept to his usual routine. He answered questions calmly and accurately in class, studied on his own after school, and occasionally offered just the right bit of guidance to classmates struggling with something similar—not just Sudō. He never went out of his way to approach anyone, yet his presence quietly grew through these unintentional displays of reliability.
He was even invited by Hirata Yousuke to join certain practical classes that required group work. Fūki didn't refuse. With his precise judgment and efficiency, he quickly became the group's de facto core, yet he gave others more opportunities to shine and stayed behind the scenes, coordinating their efforts. This approach earned him the goodwill of the whole group, Hirata included, and seemed to strengthen their sense of belonging to Class D as well.
Horikita Suzune watched all of this in silence.
She realized that Fūki Ran was nothing like the "mediocre fool" or "opportunist" she had once taken him for. His intelligence was no less than hers, and might even surpass it, yet he used his abilities in a completely different way. She chose to distance herself from others and climb alone, while he seemed more inclined to act as a guide among them—or perhaps... a hidden puppeteer?
The realization left her feeling confused, and even a trace of hard-to-describe... irritation.
After school one day, a light drizzle began to fall. Fūki hadn't brought an umbrella and was about to make a run for the dorms in the rain when a cool voice sounded behind him.
"Here. Borrow this umbrella."
Fūki turned around. Horikita Suzune stood at the entrance of the School Building, holding a black folding umbrella. Her expression was as unreadable as ever, but her eyes didn't seem quite as unapproachable as usual.
"No need. It's barely raining." Fūki was a little surprised, but politely declined.
"Take it." Horikita pressed the umbrella into his hand, her tone carrying her usual air of authority. "If you get sick from the rain, it'll affect your... ability to observe and analyze. That wouldn't be in... the class's best interests."
Without waiting for Fūki to respond, she pulled a smaller umbrella from her bag, opened it, and stepped into the rain, leaving him with the sight of her straight-backed, proud silhouette.
Fūki held the umbrella, still faintly cool to the touch, and watched her figure recede into the distance. The faintest curve slowly appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Ice wasn't unbreakable. It was only waiting for the right temperature and... just the right knock.
He opened the umbrella and stepped into the rain. Raindrops pattered against the canopy, making a soft, steady sound. He knew that the silent contest between him and Horikita Suzune had entered a new phase. And the Special Exam would be the next stage—and the more important one.
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