Aftermath and Shadows

The result of the handling of the conflict between Sudo Ken and Class C's Kinoshita Masayoshi was announced by the School Administration two days later. The outcome surprised most of Class D's students, yet seemed to be within Fūki Ran's expectations.

Both sides were equally penalized. Sudo Ken received a severe warning for physically assaulting someone and was suspended from Basketball Club activities for two weeks. Kinoshita Masayoshi also received a warning for his provocative behavior. On the surface, it appeared to be a fair resolution with both parties at fault. However, upon closer examination, Class D was at a disadvantage—Sudo was a key player for the Basketball Club, and a two-week suspension would undoubtedly affect his condition and the team's performance. In contrast, Kinoshita was not indispensable to Class C. More importantly, this incident further solidified Class D's negative image as "impulsive" and "easily provoked."

When the news arrived, Sudo himself was naturally indignant, believing he had acted to defend the class's dignity and was thus treated unfairly. Hirata Yousuke and Kushida Kikyo tried their best to appease him and other disheartened students, emphasizing "the importance of following school rules," but with little effect. The class's morale suffered another blow.

Horikita Suzune was in the library reading when she heard the result. The finger that turned the page paused for several seconds. Although her expression remained unchanged, if Fūki Ran were beside her, he would surely have noticed a fleeting coldness in her eyes. Fūki's previous analysis seemed to be confirmed by this outcome—Class D, due to its internal instability, had easily fallen into someone else's scheme and paid the price. This made her even more convinced that staying out of it was not a foolproof strategy; the collective's foolishness could indeed affect individuals.

She did not proactively seek out Fūki, but Fūki knew that the seed of "cooperation" had been planted even deeper in her heart.

Meanwhile, Kushida Kikyo also keenly noticed the brief and unusual contact between Fūki and Horikita. Although she didn't know exactly what they discussed, the very fact that Fūki had approached Horikita was enough to set off alarm bells in her mind. An indescribable sense of crisis spread within her.

That evening, she arrived at Dorm 129 earlier than usual, a clear unease and a hint of barely perceptible grievance on her face.

"Fūki-kun... you, you went to see Horikita-san today?" she asked tentatively, nervously twirling a strand of her hair.

"Yes." Fūki did not deny it, looking at her calmly. "I had some analysis regarding the Sudo incident that needed to be confirmed with her."

"Analysis? With her?" Kushida's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of sourness. "Someone like her, what constructive opinions could she possibly have... And why her?" She felt her position as the "sole confidante" and "sole collaborator" was threatened. She had been the one gathering information for him, carrying out tasks for him, so why was he suddenly going to that reclusive Horikita?

Fūki put down his pen, his gaze falling on Kushida's face, etched with anxiety. He needed to appease this important piece on the board, but without giving her the illusion that she could interfere with his decisions.

"Kikyo," he used the intimate address, but his voice remained calm, "you and she are different. You are my eyes and ears hidden among the crowd, the key to my information network. As for Horikita..." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, "she is a potentially sharp knife, but one that could also harm herself. I need to assess whether this knife is worth using, and how to use it. This requires contact, requires observation. And the information you provide about her is the foundation for all of this."

He positioned Kushida as the "foundation" and "key," while defining Horikita as a "tool" that needed "assessment." This explanation skillfully satisfied Kushida's vanity and sense of security, while not entirely dismissing Horikita's potential value.

Kushida's expression softened slightly, but the thorn in her heart did not completely disappear. She lowered her head and whispered, "But... I can help you analyze too..."

"You certainly can," Fūki agreed, following her lead. "So, what do you think about this Sudo incident? What do you think Ryūen Kakeru's objective was?"

When asked about her area of expertise, Kushida immediately perked up, sharing her observations and analysis. "It must have been Ryūen's doing! He's such a despicable person! He wants to sow chaos in our class and weaken us before the Special Exam! Maybe he specifically targeted Sudo because he's impulsive..."

Her analysis largely aligned with Fūki's previous judgment, though it was tinged with strong personal bias. Fūki listened patiently, nodding occasionally, which made Kushida feel valued and gradually calmed her emotions.

After appeasing Kushida, Fūki began to verify his suspicions about Ryūen Kakeru's intentions. He did not directly contact anyone from Class C; that would be too conspicuous. Instead, he used some previously established "channels"—mainly students from Class C who had indirect contact through the Club Undercurrent or previous answer trades, and were not part of Ryūen's inner circle—to subtly inquire about information. His questions were cleverly framed, not directly asking about the conflict itself, but about Class C's recent atmosphere and whether Ryūen had given any specific instructions.

Synthesizing the fragmented information, he could basically confirm that even if Kinoshita's provocative behavior was not directly ordered by Ryūen, it had certainly received his tacit approval or even encouragement. Ryūen was indeed probing, gathering intelligence on Class D, and looking for weaknesses. Sudo's impulsiveness had undoubtedly given him a clear signal—Class D had a flammable point within.

Fūki organized and recorded this information. He realized that Ryūen Kakeru was an unconventional opponent who excelled at exploiting chaos. Unlike Class A's Katsuragi, who was steady, or Class B's Ichinose, who was upright, Ryūen's threat was more direct and insidious. In future Special Exams, Class C was likely to become a significant variable.

And Class D, at present, was like a leaky ship, riddled with internal contradictions and eyed greedily by external forces. Hirata and Kushida's efforts could barely keep it afloat, let alone make it sail.

"I need to pick up the pace..." Fūki murmured, looking out at the deep night sky. He needed to quickly consolidate the forces he could utilize, whether it was Kushida, who served as the foundation, or Horikita, who was a potential sharp blade, or even... Ayanokoji, who remained hidden in the mist. He had to find at least one reliable helmsman for this sinking ship before the storm of the Special Exam arrived, or prepare his own lifeboat.