The Plan of Class D

The wait in the hallway outside the Judging Room seemed to drag on. Sunlight crept across the floor, and an invisible tension hung in the air. To ease it, Ichinose Honami struck up a lighthearted conversation, sharing recent stories about her classmates in Class B.

"Oh, speaking of which, Shibata made a huge blunder during soccer practice yesterday..." Ichinose recounted the story with a warm smile, gesturing now and then as she tried to liven the mood. Kanzaki Ryuji stood nearby with his arms crossed, still looking stern, though he occasionally nodded at key moments and added a brief comment like, "Yes, I was there," or, "That was a pretty typical training mishap." It showed that beneath his serious exterior, he wasn't entirely indifferent to everyday life. Shimiya Kuki leaned quietly against the wall, his gaze resting on the lush shadows of the trees outside. He seemed like a detached observer, his expression unchanged as he gave the occasional faint nod to show he was listening.

"...Then the ball went straight over the fence and hit a teacher passing by right on the head! Shibata was so scared his face went white. Hahaha!" Ichinose was getting into the story.

Just then, Shimiya Kuki spoke in a calm voice. It wasn't loud, but it clearly cut her off. "It looks like they're finished." His gaze shifted to the far end of the hall.

Ichinose and Kanzaki immediately fell silent and followed his gaze.

The Judging Room door opened, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka came out first, his expression as impassive as ever. Right behind him was a petite girl who left a strong impression.

She had long, soft, glossy pink hair, like cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom. Her head was lowered so far that she seemed ready to bury her face behind the folder in her arms, leaving only her smooth forehead and a sliver of pale, almost translucent chin visible. She was slender, dressed in a well-fitting school uniform, yet radiated such intense timidity that she seemed to want to sink into the floor. She followed closely behind Ayanokoji, as if he were her only shield. Her large eyes, hidden behind glasses, darted up to glance around before quickly retreating like a startled fawn, full of unease and apprehension. She had to be Sakura Airi from Class D, the girl Ayanokoji-kun had mentioned earlier.

She seemed to be gathering all her courage to say something to Ayanokoji, her lips moving slightly. But just then—

"Ayanokoji-kun! How did it go?" Seeing them come out, Ichinose immediately gave them a warm smile and hurried over to ask.

The sudden voice rang in Sakura Airi's ears like a clap of thunder!

"Eep...!" She let out a short, frightened whimper, her body trembling violently. She raised her head, saw that the people approaching were Ichinose and the others, and promptly hid behind Ayanokoji.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I startled you!" Ichinose stopped at once, her face full of apology and uncertainty, and quickly apologized. Shimiya also looked at Sakura Airi, watched her for three seconds, then turned his gaze away.

After greeting Ichinose and the others, Ayanokoji turned to Sakura.

"Sakura, sorry about that. Tell me what happened afterward."

She didn't dare look at anyone else. Turning only to Ayanokoji, she summoned all her strength and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, her words broken by tears. "N-no... nothing happened, Ayanokoji-kun..." She took a deep breath, as if fighting a tremendous fear, and forced out, "But... I'll work up the courage and try my best!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed unable to bear even one more second of pressure. Without looking back, she stumbled toward the corner of the hallway, her pink hair flying messily behind her as she quickly vanished from view.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka watched the direction Sakura had disappeared in, his expression unchanged. He simply explained to Ichinose, "Sakura-kun... is very bad at talking to strangers." Then he turned to the three students from Class B. "There's a good chance the School Administration will uphold its original decision. Without new, compelling evidence, they're inclined to accept the testimony of the three students from Class C."

"How could that be..." Ichinose furrowed her brows.

"Horikita insists that Class D is completely innocent and that Sudo was forced to fight back," Ayanokoji added. "She was arguing her case in there, but... it didn't do much good."

"Don't worry," Ichinose said at once, her eyes resolute. "Class B will help too! There's strength in numbers. We'll find a way through this!"

"I appreciate the offer—" A cool voice sounded from behind them, cutting her off.

Everyone turned toward the voice. Horikita Suzune had quietly appeared in the shadows nearby. She walked toward them, her black hair flowing like a waterfall and her delicate face covered in a cool reserve. Her sharp eyes swept over the three students from Class B.

"But there's no need."

She stopped beside Ayanokoji, her gaze icy. "Even if a new witness came forward now, Class D still couldn't win. The School Administration has already provisionally accepted Class C's testimony. Any additional testimony would only be questioned as unreliable, and they might even accuse us of collusion. The conventional approach won't work."

"Then what do you intend to do?" Kanzaki Ryuji pushed up his glasses and asked calmly.

Horikita fell silent for a moment, her gaze moving over the three students from Class B as if sizing them up. Her fingers absently rubbed at her sleeve—a rare sign that she was weighing her options. At last, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke with a cold, desperate resolve. "Class D has its own plan. But... it requires a certain piece of equipment."

"What kind of equipment?" Ichinose asked, her eyes full of concern and curiosity.

Horikita paused again, apparently considering the risks of revealing the plan. She might have worried that Class B would betray them after learning about it, but the more immediate problem—that she and Ayanokoji had very few Personal Points left—seemed to outweigh her doubts. She chose to trust them—or perhaps had no other choice—and gave a clear answer:

"A monitor."

Seeing the confusion on Ichinose's face, she added, "But not to watch any footage. We need Class C to 'see' it and believe that we've obtained decisive 'evidence' through it!"

Ichinose and Kanzaki both looked as if they understood, though they were still shocked.

"You mean..." Ichinose ventured.

"That's right." Horikita's voice held the resolve of someone with nothing left to lose. "We need a functioning monitor terminal, preferably the same model as the ones used by the school. It doesn't actually need to work or connect to any system. It's just a prop! A prop to scare Class C into believing we have the nonexistent 'Warehouse Surveillance Footage'! If they believe it and panic, they may slip up during further questioning or a private conversation. Then we can use that to force them to withdraw their complaint. That's our plan—a bluff aimed at breaking Class C's psychological defenses! It's also the only way to keep Class D from being punished at all."

Ichinose drew in a sharp breath. "There's actually a way to do that? But something like that... it must be hard to get hold of, right?"

"There's a shop tucked away in the Shopping Street," a calm voice cut in unexpectedly, interrupting their thoughts.

Everyone's gaze instantly shifted to the usually silent Shimiya Kuki.

He was still leaning against the wall, in exactly the same position. His gaze rested calmly on Horikita as he stated a simple fact. "In an alley behind the Shopping Street, near the used-book recycling center, there's an inconspicuous Electronics Store. That shop... sells surveillance video receivers and network equipment in the same model used by the School Administration."

"Huh...?! There's a shop like that?" Ichinose was completely stunned, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. She had never expected Shimiya to know something like that.

The gaze behind Kanzaki Ryuji's glasses sharpened instantly. He stared at Shimiya, his voice full of curiosity and a trace of disbelief. "By the way, Shimiya... how do you know about a place like that? Hardly anyone would have any reason to visit a shop like that, right?"

Facing their astonished looks, Shimiya Kuki's expression didn't change at all. He simply shifted his gaze away, as if watching clouds drift past the window, and answered in a flat voice, "I happened to see it before." His vague answer was barely an explanation, yet it carried an air of finality that discouraged further questions.

Ichinose and Kanzaki exchanged a glance, both seeing the suspicion in the other's eyes. But they knew Shimiya well enough to understand that pressing him wouldn't get them anywhere. Ichinose took a deep breath and turned to Horikita, her serious expression restored. "I never knew the school had a shop like that. In that case, Horikita-kun, your plan should work."

"Thank you for telling us," Horikita said to Shimiya. She had been planning to search the Shopping Street later, but now that she knew a shop selling the equipment existed and where it was, she had saved a great deal of time. Still, there was another problem she felt awkward bringing up. In the end, she said it anyway.

"You know more or less what our class is dealing with, so I'd like to borrow 30,000 Personal Points from you. We'll pay you back as soon as we can."

Her voice grew quieter as she went on, but she managed to convey the whole request.

"I know I'm in no position to make a request like this. It's selfish and would put a huge burden on you. But—"

"Ah—no. Well, this is something within my personal means. And I think I understand Class D's situation pretty well. Right now, I—"

"I'll provide the Points."

Shimiya cut her off before she could finish. He took out his terminal, its screen lighting up as he began to operate it. He turned to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and said in his usual tone, "I'll transfer you 30,000 Personal Points. Ayanokoji-kun, I have you added as a friend."

He deliberately avoided having Ichinose make the transfer. He had clearly considered that her terminal contained Class B's collective Points and didn't want to reveal that to Class D.

At his words, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's gaze focused on Shimiya. A faint flicker of understanding seemed to pass through his deep-set eyes. He showed no surprise or curiosity, merely nodding calmly. "All right." He took out his own terminal as well.

The two boys, whose temperaments were alike, silently completed the Points transfer. Shimiya's movements were swift and sure. "Done."

Ayanokoji checked the terminal to confirm, then quietly put it away.

Horikita Suzune looked at Shimiya. Alongside her scrutiny, there seemed to be a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She turned to Ayanokoji beside her. "Then I'll leave you in charge of the equipment." She deliberately emphasized the words "leave you in charge," making it a clear request he couldn't refuse.

"I'll do my best," Ayanokoji replied, clearly understanding that he couldn't refuse. He then turned back to say goodbye to the three students from Class B. "We'll get going, then."

The three students from Class B were left standing there, exchanging bewildered looks. Ichinose stared blankly as Ayanokoji disappeared around the corner, then looked at Shimiya beside her, who seemed as calm as if nothing had happened. Finally, she met Kanzaki's eyes. He was just as serious as ever, but there was something indescribable in his gaze.

After a brief silence, Ichinose Honami was the first to break it. She let out a long breath, the tension leaving her face and giving way to a complex smile filled with admiration, understanding, and a hint of awe.

"I see... Using a fake monitor as a prop to create the illusion that we have 'irrefutable evidence,' and directly attacking Class C's defenses..." Ichinose clapped her hands softly, her eyes shining with insight. "What a bold and ingenious strategy! Horikita-kun... she's seen right through Class C's smugness at having gotten away with their scheme, and their underlying fear."

She turned to Kanzaki Ryuji and Shimiya Kuki. Her smile was full of near certainty. "It looks like this incident will end in a Class D victory, doesn't it?"

Kanzaki Ryuji pushed up his glasses. His gaze remained sharp behind the lenses, though the tension at the corners of his mouth eased a little. He nodded and analyzed in a steady voice, "Indeed. Psychologically, when an opponent believes they have an overwhelming advantage and begins to savor victory, a sudden threat of 'damning evidence' is most likely to break their defenses. That's especially true of someone like Ishizaki Daichi, who acts on impulse and has a similar 'record' in the past. If they believe Class D really has video evidence proving they ambushed someone and lied, they're highly likely to panic, react badly, or turn on one another." His analysis was rigorous and cold, but it confirmed Ichinose's judgment. "Horikita Suzune's plan targets the opponent at their most vulnerable moment and exploits their psychological weakness."

Ichinose nodded emphatically. "Exactly! And the best part of this plan is that it doesn't actually need any 'evidence.' Class C only needs to 'believe' the evidence exists! It takes advantage of their guilty conscience! If everything goes well, we could win without fighting and make Class C slip up—or even withdraw their complaint on their own!"

Her gaze finally settled on Shimiya Kuki, curiosity and a playful smile in her eyes. "What do you think, Kuki-kun? What are the odds of Class D's 'bluff' succeeding?"

Shimiya Kuki remained leaning against the wall. After hearing their analysis, his expression showed no change. His deep gaze seemed to pass through the wall, settling on the unseen confrontation already underway or soon to begin. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he nodded. His voice was calm and even:

"Mm. Fear often comes from one's own vulnerabilities. Class C... will lose to themselves." His brief words went straight to the heart of the matter—the success of the bluff didn't depend on how convincing the prop was, but on whether Class C really had something to hide. And the answer was clearly no.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm patches of light over the three of them. The hallway had grown quiet again, but all three students from Class B knew that a bloodless psychological battle had begun, and the balance of victory seemed to be quietly shifting toward Class D, just as they had expected. All that remained was for the "prop" to arrive, and for Horikita Suzune to find a clever way to "show" it to her terrified prey. The air seemed to carry the scent of Class C losing its composure.

"So it looks like Class D will win this time, doesn't it?" Ichinose's final words, bright as sunshine, sounded like an epilogue to the reversal about to come. The silence before the storm held immense power.