The Weaver

The Tuesday morning was exceptionally bright, with golden sunlight streaming through the dormitory windows, casting warm patches of light on Fūki Ran's desk. He had woken up early and was meticulously studying the drawings provided by Sakura in the morning light, arranging the sketches on his desk as if piecing together a complex puzzle.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on one of the drawings—it depicted Ryuen meeting a stranger in the economics section of the library. Fūki noticed that the class insignia on the stranger's uniform was a different color from Class C's, and the student's demeanor was entirely different from Ryuen's usual associates.

"This is a Class B student..." Fūki murmured, immediately noting down the discovery. He recalled Ichinose mentioning yesterday that Ryuen had asked her for advice on class management; it seemed that was no coincidence.

The first class of the morning was Mathematics, with Teacher Chabashira explaining complex function graphs on the blackboard. Fūki deliberately chose a seat by the window in the back row, an angle that allowed him to observe the entire class. He noticed Sakura sitting in the third row by the aisle, appearing more focused than usual. Her pen frequently moved across her notebook, but a closer look revealed that what she was writing had nothing to do with the lesson.

During the break, the classroom erupted in noise. Ike and Yamauchi were loudly discussing last night's TV show, Sudo was napping with his head on his desk, and Hirata was surrounded by several girls discussing class activities. Amidst the chaos, Sakura silently approached Fūki's desk and quickly slipped a folded note into his pencil case. The entire process took less than three seconds, and no one noticed.

The note contained a new sketch, depicting Ishizaki Daichi exchanging an envelope with a Class A student that morning. Sakura had added a small annotation: "7:15 AM, east side of the Gymnasium. Ishizaki contacted a student from Katsuragi's faction in Class A. Envelope thickness approximately 5mm, ordinary white paper."

This discovery put Fūki on alert. If Ryuen's influence had already reached Class A, his ambitions might be greater than imagined. Even more concerning was the fact that such clandestine cross-class dealings could mean Ryuen was weaving a larger conspiracy.

At lunchtime, Fūki arrived at the Sakura Grove behind the Special School Building as planned. This area was usually deserted during midday, and the blooming cherry blossoms formed a pink canopy, making it an ideal spot for secret meetings. To his surprise, not only were Horikita and Kushida already there, but Hirata and Sakura were also present.

"I believe Sakura should be involved in our core discussions," Hirata explained, the sunlight dappling his face through the gaps in the cherry blossoms. "Her observational skills are the intelligence source we need most. And," he turned to Sakura, offering an encouraging smile, "she made another important discovery this morning."

Sakura lowered her head, but this time she didn't hide behind anyone. She chose a tree stump to sit on and opened her sketchbook. "This morning, I noticed Ishizaki's behavior was very abnormal," she said softly, gently tapping a new sketch with her finger. "He not only contacted a Class A student, but he also deliberately detoured to the faculty office building afterward and loitered outside for about ten minutes without going in."

Horikita examined the sketch closely. "The faculty office building? That's highly unusual. Ishizaki hardly ever goes near there."

"And the timing is quite coincidental," Kushida added. "Tomorrow is the Monthly Evaluation Meeting."

Fūki nodded thoughtfully. "Ryuen might be trying to stir something up among the teachers." He turned to Sakura. "Can you continue to monitor Ishizaki's movements? Especially the types of people he contacts and his patterns."

Sakura nodded slightly and quickly made notes in her sketchbook. The sunlight filtering through the cherry trees illuminated her notebook, casting a golden sheen on the delicate lines.

"We need to expand our intelligence network," Hirata said, "but not blindly. I think we can find a few reliable classmates to be responsible for different areas."

"Sudo could handle intelligence regarding sports clubs," Horikita suggested. "He's been particularly sensitive to such matters lately."

"Karuizawa might be able to help keep an ear out for gossip among the girls," Kushida said. "She has extensive connections within the female student body."

Fūki pondered for a moment. "But we need to be extremely careful. While Karuizawa is reliable, her relationship with Hirata might make her a specific target."

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. The five immediately stopped talking and pretended to admire the cherry blossoms. Two Class B students arrived, glanced curiously in their direction, and then continued walking.

"This place is no longer safe," Hirata said in a low voice. "Ryuen is clearly keeping a close watch on our movements. We need to change the location for our next meeting."

"What about the storage room in the Old Library?" Horikita proposed. "Few people go there usually, and it has multiple exits."

Fūki agreed. "Alright, we'll meet there next time. For now, let's disperse and avoid drawing attention."

Everyone left the Sakura Grove one by one, taking different routes and leaving a five-minute interval between them. Fūki was the last to leave, carefully checking his surroundings to ensure no traces were left behind.

Back in the classroom, Fūki noticed Ike and Yamauchi whispering together. They immediately separated upon seeing him enter. This unusual behavior raised his vigilance.

After the afternoon classes ended, Fūki deliberately took a detour past the faculty office building. Just as Sakura had said, Ishizaki was loitering outside, occasionally glancing at the building's entrance as if waiting for someone.

Fūki pretended to tie his shoelaces and sat on a nearby bench, taking out a book to feign studying, but in reality, he was closely observing Ishizaki's every move. After about ten minutes, a bespectacled male student emerged from the faculty building, quickly handed a small crumpled paper to Ishizaki, and left without looking back.

This discovery sent a chill down Fūki's spine. If Ryuen had informants even within the faculty office building, their situation was even more precarious.

That evening, Fūki organized his findings from the day in his dormitory. Sakura's sketches, Ishizaki's abnormal behavior, the mysterious contact at the faculty office building... these clues swirled like fragments in his mind. He took out a blank sheet of paper and began drawing a relationship map, trying to find the connections.

His room light remained on until late into the night. Outside the window, a bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its cool Clair de Lune over the quiet campus. Beneath this tranquility, undercurrents were silently surging, and Fūki knew they had to weave this protective net before the storm arrived.