Undercurrents within Class D

The sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the desks. Horikita Suzune sat at her seat, engrossed in previewing the material for the next class. However, a keen observer would notice her gaze occasionally flicking towards a certain corner in the back of the classroom.

There, Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki were huddled together, whispering, their expressions alight with unusual excitement.

"It seems they're still at it," Fūki Ran appeared in the empty seat in front of Horikita at some point, his voice kept very low.

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

"Uncertain," Fūki's gaze swept over the two. "But one thing is for sure, it won't be anything good."

Just then, Kushida Kikyo approached with her signature sweet smile. "Horikita-san, can we be in the same group for the next class discussion?" Her voice was perfectly pitched to attract the attention of several nearby classmates.

Horikita frowned slightly, but after seeing Fūki's suggestive glance, she reluctantly nodded. "Yes."

Before other classmates could notice, Kushida quickly lowered her voice. "I overheard Yamauchi talking to someone from Class C by the vending machines earlier. They mentioned 'next week's special arrangements'."

"Specifics?" Horikita pressed immediately.

Kushida shook her head. "They were very wary and hung up as soon as someone passed by. But..." she paused, "I did hear Yamauchi say, 'We'll definitely make Class D look bad'."

Fūki and Horikita exchanged a grim look.

"Keep observing," Fūki told Kushida. "But be careful not to get discovered."

"Understood," Kushida nodded, then raised her voice. "Then I'll be counting on you next class, Horikita-san!"

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

"In this class, we all need to learn to trust specific people," Fūki's reply was cautious. "At least so far, the information Kushida has provided has been accurate."

After the afternoon classes ended, students began to leave the classroom one by one. Fūki noticed Ike and Yamauchi deliberately lingering until the end, and only leaving in a hurry after the classroom was empty.

"Should we follow them?" Horikita, who had already packed her bag, stood beside Fūki.

Fūki pondered for a moment. "No, that would be too obvious. Since Kushida is already keeping an eye on them, let's try a different approach."

"What do you mean?"

"Ryuen won't just bribe one or two people," Fūki analyzed. "We should pay attention to who else in the class has been acting unusually lately."

Over the next few days, the two began to systematically observe the movements of their classmates. Fūki, with his keen observation skills, quickly noticed that several students who were usually inconspicuous had also started exhibiting abnormal behavior. For example, Sudo Ken's training time had suddenly decreased, and Sakura Eri's outings had noticeably increased.

"It seems Ryuen's reach is wider than we imagined," Horikita said to Fūki in the empty classroom after school on Friday. "I originally thought he would only approach people like Ike and Yamauchi, who are easily bought."

"Ryuen is very smart," Fūki stood by the window, watching the students leaving campus in small groups below. "He knows that the best way to create chaos in a class is to attack from multiple angles simultaneously."

"Then what should we do?" Horikita's tone carried a rare hint of anxiety. "If Ryuen has truly planted so many informants in Class D..."

"No need to panic," Fūki turned around, his expression still calm. "Now that we know the opponent's tactics, we have a way to counter them."

Over the weekend, Fūki and Horikita met at the library to organize the collected intelligence. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows onto the desk, adding a touch of warmth to the quiet space.

"This is the situation observed recently," Horikita pushed a meticulously organized notebook towards Fūki. "Ike and Yamauchi are mainly gathering internal class information. Sudo might have been threatened. Sakura... I'm still not entirely sure."

Fūki carefully flipped through the notebook, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "Very detailed observations. However, I suspect Sakura might not have been bribed, but rather exploited."

"What do you mean?"

"Look here," Fūki pointed to a detail in the notebook. "Sakura has been going to the Art Room frequently lately, but as far as I know, she's not a member of the Art Club."

Horikita immediately understood his meaning. "Are you saying someone is taking advantage of her kindness?"

"Highly likely," Fūki nodded. "Ryuen is very good at exploiting people's weaknesses. For Ike and Yamauchi, he used points as payment; for Sudo, he might have used threats; and for Sakura..."

"He might have exploited her compassion," Horikita finished his sentence, her brow furrowed. "This truly sounds like something Ryuen would do."

The two fell into thought. If the situation was as they suspected, then Class D faced a threat more complex than they had imagined.

"We need to formulate a detailed plan of action," Fūki finally spoke. "First, we must ensure that core class information is not leaked. Second, we need to find a way to protect those classmates who are being exploited. And finally..."

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

Horikita looked at Fūki, sensing an unusual aura from the classmate who always maintained his composure for the first time.

"You seem very familiar with this kind of thing," she probed tentatively.

Fūki smiled faintly. "Before coming to this school, I experienced similar situations."

Over the next two hours, they discussed countermeasures in detail. Fūki primarily focused on analyzing Ryuen's potential patterns of action, while Horikita, drawing on her understanding of the class, proposed specific preventive measures.

"Most importantly," Fūki emphasized at the end of their discussion, "we must maintain normalcy. If Ryuen realizes we've discovered his plan, he might change his strategy, making it 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 the right to know."

Fūki considered for a moment. "Not yet. While Hirata is an excellent leader, he's too kind-hearted and might alert the enemy."

This assessment surprised Horikita somewhat. 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 when dealing with an opponent like Ryuen, we need stealth and patience, not a direct confrontation."

By the time their conversation ended, the sun had already set. They tidied up their belongings and walked out of the library side-by-side.

"Speaking of which," Horikita stopped at the fork in the road. "Why do you care so much about class matters? You could completely focus on your own interests like everyone else."

Fūki gazed at the last sliver of sunset on the horizon and replied softly, "Perhaps because I believe this class has untapped potential. And..." he turned to Horikita, "I think you believe so too, you just don't want to admit it."

This answer plunged Horikita into thought. It wasn't until Fūki's figure disappeared into the twilight that she softly murmured to herself, "Potential..."

On her way back to the dormitory, Horikita began to seriously consider Fūki's words for the first time. Perhaps it was time to re-evaluate this class she had always wanted to keep her distance from. And this silent battle with Ryuen might just be the beginning of that change.