The Undercurrents Within Class D

Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, casting mottled shadows across the desks. Horikita Suzune sat at her seat, focused on previewing the next lesson, but a careful observer would notice her gaze occasionally flicking toward a corner at the back of the classroom.

There, Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki were huddled together, whispering. Their expressions held an unusual excitement.

"Looks like they're still at it." Fūki Ran had appeared in the empty seat in front of Horikita at some point, his voice barely above a whisper.

Horikita didn't look up, merely murmuring, "Mm. This is the third time I've seen them like this since last week. What do you think Ryuen's planning?"

"I'm not sure." Fūki's gaze swept over the two boys. "But whatever it is, it can't be anything good."

Just then, Kushida Kikyo came over with her trademark sweet smile. "Horikita, could we be in the same group for the discussion next period?" Her voice was just loud enough to draw the attention of several nearby classmates.

Horikita frowned slightly, but after seeing Fūki's subtle glance, she reluctantly nodded. "All right."

Before the other students noticed them, Kushida quickly lowered her voice. "I overheard Yamauchi talking to someone from Class C by the vending machines. They mentioned 'special arrangements for next week.'"

"What exactly?" Horikita asked immediately.

Kushida shook her head. "They were very cautious. The moment they saw someone coming, they hung up. But..." She paused. "I heard Yamauchi say, 'I'll make sure Class D gets what's coming to it.'"

Fūki and Horikita exchanged a grave look.

"Keep watching them," Fūki told Kushida. "But be careful not to let them catch on."

"Got it." Kushida nodded, then raised her voice. "I'm looking forward to working with you next period, Horikita!"

Watching Kushida walk away, Horikita quietly asked Fūki, "Do you think she's reliable?"

"In this class, we all need to learn to trust certain people." Fūki chose his words carefully. "At least so far, the information Kushida's given us has been accurate."

After classes ended that afternoon, the students gradually left the classroom. Fūki noticed that Ike and Yamauchi deliberately lingered until the room was empty, then hurried out.

"Should we follow them?" Horikita had packed her bag at some point and was now standing beside Fūki.

Fūki considered it for a moment. "No. That would be too obvious. Since Kushida's already keeping an eye on them, we should look in another direction."

"What do you mean?"

"Ryuen wouldn't just buy off one or two people." Fūki analyzed the situation. "We should watch for anyone else in the class whose behavior has been strange lately."

Over the next few days, the two of them began systematically observing their classmates. Thanks to his keen eye, Fūki soon noticed several students who usually kept a low profile had also started acting strangely. Ken Sudō's training sessions had suddenly become less frequent, for instance, while Sakura Eri had been going out noticeably more often.

"Looks like Ryuen's reach is broader than we thought." After school on Friday, Horikita spoke to Fūki in an empty classroom. "I thought he'd only approach people who were easy to buy off, like Ike and Yamauchi."

"Ryuen's clever." Fūki stood by the window, watching the students leave campus in twos and threes below. "He knows that the best way to sow chaos in a class is to attack from several angles at once."

"Then what should we do?" A rare hint of anxiety crept into Horikita's voice. "If Ryuen really has planted this many spies in Class D..."

"Don't panic." Fūki turned around, his expression still calm. "Now that we know our opponent's tactics, we can figure out how to respond."

Over the weekend, Fūki and Horikita arranged to meet at the library and organize the information they had gathered. Sunlight poured through the tall windows onto the desk, lending the quiet space a touch of warmth.

"Here's what I've observed recently." Horikita slid a carefully organized set of notes over to Fūki. "Ike and Yamauchi are mainly gathering information about the class. Sudō may have been threatened. As for Sakura... I'm still not sure."

Fūki carefully read through the notes, a hint of appreciation in his eyes. "You've been very thorough. But I don't think Sakura's been bought off. I think she's being used."

"What do you mean?"

"Look here." Fūki pointed to a detail in the notes. "Sakura's been going to the Art Room a lot lately, but as far as I know, she isn't a member of the Art Club."

Horikita immediately understood. "You mean someone is taking advantage of her kindness?"

"Most likely." Fūki nodded. "Ryuen is good at exploiting people's weaknesses. He's using points to buy off Ike and Yamauchi, and may have resorted to threats with Sudō. As for Sakura..."

"He may be exploiting her sympathy." Horikita finished his thought, her brow furrowing. "That does sound like something Ryuen would do."

The two fell silent, deep in thought. If their suspicions were correct, the threat facing Class D was even more complicated than they had imagined.

"We need to come up with a detailed plan." Fūki finally spoke. "First, we have to make sure the class's core information doesn't leak. Second, we need to protect the classmates who are being used. And finally..."

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "We need to find a chance to strike back."

Horikita watched Fūki. For the first time, she sensed an unusual force in her classmate, who was usually so composed.

"You seem familiar with this sort of thing," she asked tentatively.

Fūki smiled faintly. "Before I came to this school, I went through a similar situation."

Over the next two hours, they discussed their strategy in detail. Fūki focused on analyzing Ryuen's likely patterns of behavior, while Horikita drew on her knowledge of their classmates to suggest specific precautions.

"Most importantly," Fūki emphasized at the end of their discussion, "we have to keep acting normally. If Ryuen realizes we've discovered his plan, he may change tactics, and that would make him even harder to deal with."

Horikita nodded in agreement. "I understand. But..." She hesitated. "Shouldn't we tell Hirata? As the class leader, he has a right to know."

Fūki thought it over. "Not for now. Hirata's an excellent leader, but he's too kindhearted. He might tip Ryuen off."

The assessment surprised Horikita. She had always thought Fūki held Hirata in high regard.

"You think Hirata isn't decisive enough?"

"No, he's excellent." Fūki shook his head. "But against an opponent like Ryuen, we need stealth and patience, not an open confrontation."

By the time their conversation ended, the sun had set. They gathered their things and walked out of the library side by side.

"By the way," Horikita suddenly stopped at a fork in the road. "Why do you care so much about the class? You could just focus on your own interests like everyone else."

Fūki gazed at the last streak of sunset on the horizon and answered softly, "Maybe because I believe this class has potential it hasn't shown yet. And besides..." He turned to Horikita. "I think you believe that too. You just don't want to admit it."

Horikita fell silent, pondering his answer. It wasn't until Fūki's figure had disappeared into the dusk that she murmured to herself, "Potential, huh..."

On the way back to the dorms, Horikita began seriously considering Fūki's words for the first time. Maybe she really should take another look at the class she had always tried to keep at a distance. And this secret struggle with Ryuen might be the beginning of a change.