The Only Way Out

"...Are you okay? You look like a boy who stayed up all night and nearly had a heart attack."

"It hasn't gotten that bad... Besides, keeping you here is probably a kind of consolation for me."

"That's cold..."

"Or did you actually help with anything while I was making the notices?"

"...If there was going to be a punishment, you could've told me sooner."

"Did I really have to spell that out?!"

Ahaha, don't glare at me like that. It's not as if I volunteered for this in the first place.

Under Kanzaki's fierce glare, I awkwardly put away my phone, relaxed my whole body, and sat down on the stone steps.

"It's over. They're coming out."

Ahhh, I'd only just sat down to rest. Did it have to happen at exactly that moment?

Damn fate! I'd better not find out you actually exist. And if you do, make sure you stay hidden. Don't let me find you!

With a sigh, I got to my feet and hurried over with Ichinose and Kanzaki. Our sudden movement seemed to startle Sakura, another witness from Class D, and she turned and ran in a panic.

"...Did we interrupt you?"

"No, that's not it. It's just..." Ayanokoji didn't say any more. "Did you come to ask how the meeting went?"

"Yeah. Wasn't today supposed to be the final ruling?"

"That's what they said, but there'll actually be another meeting tomorrow."

"What happened?"

Ayanokoji then gave us a brief explanation of the meeting's results.

Sudo hadn't been cleared of the charges. However, Horikita, Class D's decision-maker, had insisted that Sudo was innocent. Her stance was so firm that the student council president, who had chaired the meeting, decided to hold another hearing tomorrow at four in the afternoon.

Class D could have chosen the compromise proposed by Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami: both sides would be found at fault and punished. The penalty would be harsher for Class C, but at least Sudo wouldn't face expulsion.

"She's insisting on proving him completely innocent? But if things don't go well, Sudo could be expelled. The compromise seems like the better option."

"I think so too, but our boss insists on going this route. I imagine she has her reasons. As far as she's concerned, if Sudo gets even one day of punishment, it means she's lost."

"But isn't that reckless? She's making such an arbitrary choice without any guarantee of success... Isn't she just gambling with someone else's 'life'?"

"Maybe she doesn't want Sudo to lose his chance at becoming a professional basketball player. That's the only reason I can think of for her stubbornness."

"Even if he loses that chance, as long as he's still here, he could have another one, right? This is too..."

"I'm sorry. Even if you say that, I can't change the choice she made... If Horikita doesn't really have a plan, then we'll surely lose tomorrow's negotiations. Proving him completely innocent... is just too difficult."

Chapter 33: The Only Way Out

"But if Horikita's so determined, she must have a plan." I followed behind them and offered what reassurance I could. It was the only thing I could really say.

"I'm not sure. She didn't explain it to me in detail."

"We can't help it. We'll just have to gather more information."

"You're still willing to help us, even after all that?"

"Of course. We can't forgive a victory won through lies." Even though the odds were so bad, Kanzaki and Ichinose had chosen to lend a hand.

Just as we were struggling over Horikita's reckless decision, the protagonist made her entrance.

"I also think their lies are unforgivable. So, to win, I'd like to ask Class B to prepare something for us."

"Didn't you go back?" Ayanokoji asked, surprised by Horikita's sudden appearance.

"I only went to check whether my plan was feasible."

"So you insisted on proving him innocent because you were confident in your plan?"

"More or less. I only thought of it near the end of the meeting."

"Then can you tell us what your plan is?"

After hearing Ichinose's request, Horikita hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she nodded.

"Of course. If I want your help, I have to tell you. But first, I need to make sure the plan won't get leaked."

"Don't worry. Raku and Kanzaki are completely trustworthy. Besides, we've already joined forces with Class D to fight Class C, haven't we?"

"Right."

Since Kanzaki had already agreed, there was no need for me to promise anything, was there?

Seeing how resolute Ichinose and Kanzaki were, Horikita nodded. Then she revealed the only plan she had left and explained the reasoning behind each step.

Once she finished, we all fell silent.

How could I put it? The plan was so unbelievable that I started to doubt who she really was.

"Fighting lies with lies... That plan is just..." Whether from shock or disbelief, Ichinose trailed off.

"I know this plan is risky, but the payoff is huge. It's our only option right now... Or can you not accept it?"

"It does go a little against my principles, but I guess this is the only way to end things. The plan is impressive... Or maybe it's just beyond what I can even think of..."

"Then can I ask you to help us?"

That's right. The plan needed our support. It required more points than Class D could afford. If everyone in Class D could truly pull together, perhaps they could manage it. But at least for now, that wasn't possible.

"...Raku, what do you think?"

"I haven't looked into anything like this... So I can't give you any constructive advice..."

Like I said, I'm just useless.

"Kanzaki..."

"I think this may be our only way out. At least... there's a chance it'll work."

Fighting lies with lies. It was a pretty good plan.

The right time, place, and people—every one of them mattered.

This was a battle of wits in the truest sense. Whoever could shatter the other side's emotional support first would win.

How could a beautiful girl who could get by on her looks alone be so well versed in psychological warfare? Then again, conflicts like this were unavoidable in life. It made sense that we'd learn about people's weaknesses—and how to manipulate them.

"I never would've guessed Class D had someone like you... We'll do it." After struggling with it for a long time, Ichinose finally gave a wry smile and shared her opinion. She then took out her phone and transferred the enormous number of points to Horikita.

"I'll pay you back later. You can count on that."

"Since we chose to work together, I have a certain amount of faith in you."

Horikita nodded at us gratefully, then turned and looked firmly at Ayanokoji beside her.

"Come on, Ayanokoji. There are a lot of things I'll need your help with."

"Help... Can I refuse?"

"You're still backing down at this point?"

"Backing down... Fine, I'll do it." Under Horikita's threatening stare, Ayanokoji finally agreed.

"Pfft—You and Raku really are alike in that way."

"You can't just say alike. If anything, they're exactly the same," Kanzaki chimed in.

Hey! That laugh at the beginning was way too much.

And how are we alike!? As a man, I'm not afraid of female authority!

Damn it, just you wait! (Clenches fist)

"Let's go—Whoa—"

Unexpected things always happened unexpectedly. I was still plotting how I'd never back down again, and Ayanokoji hadn't even managed to get the first syllable out when Horikita struck him sharply in the side with lightning speed.

Ayanokoji doubled over and couldn't get back up, letting out a faint groan of pain.

See? That's how an act of violence happens. (Unclenches fist and nervously swallows)

"That settles the disrespectful way you treated me in the meeting room. Remember, there won't be a next time." Horikita explained calmly, then turned and walked away.

"Hey, uh, ah...!"

"..."

Horikita had left, leaving behind a pained Ayanokoji and the rest of us, unsure what to do.

Ichinose stared in shock at the bizarre scene, then turned her gaze toward me.

Wait, I'd only just made up my mind. Did I really have to take it back so quickly?

"Raku, why are you hiding behind Kanzaki?"

"...If I said I was scared, would you believe me, Ichinose?"

"But you're looking at me like you're terrified."

"Horikita's scary. Yeah, that's it."

Damn it, how had I forgotten that women were terrifying creatures? It must've been because of the warm, soothing haven Ichinose had given me. I just couldn't bring myself to leave it.

"So there's more to how students are sorted into classes than meets the eye."

After we saw Ayanokoji off, still wearing a pained expression, the three of us headed to the school cafeteria.

"It really does seem strange that someone so capable would end up in Class D."

"If the classes were really divided into two extremes, then I don't see how anyone in Class D could ever climb their way up."

"Right. But what criteria does the school actually use to rank the classes?"

At the table, Kanzaki and Ichinose continued discussing the question that had remained unanswered for over two months. I continued to play the role of listener, taking in their thoughts.

I didn't care how the students had been sorted. More than that, I wanted to know who had really come up with the plan in Class D.

Was it Horikita, or... Ayanokoji?

Chapter 34: A Foolish Plan

In the eyes of politicians, everything in the world could be settled through negotiation and compromise.

It was just like the chemical equations we studied in chemistry class.

Even when the reactants were the same, the products could still change under different conditions. And if you thought about it further, everything had the potential to turn out differently.

When it came to the truth, what mattered was how the process unfolded.

[Particle Collision] was part of the first step in a chemical reaction, and its rules couldn't be ignored.

Only when activated molecules collided with one another at the right orientation could it be called an [Effective Collision], and only then could a chemical reaction take place.

This rule was just as useful in real life. We could think of individuals as molecules. Under normal circumstances, people acted independently without affecting one another. But when danger, goodwill, or an uncontrollable accident came into play, people's actions were influenced and entangled with one another. That was a chemical reaction.

Everyday shopping, petty fights and disputes, competition between regions, wars between nations—all of them could be broken down and analyzed using this rule.

If only activated molecules could react, then we naturally had ways to avoid activation.

In human society, one common way to avoid being activated was through disguise.

Everyone had two sides in real life. You and I were no exception. We were only looking for that last refuge deep within our hearts.

Disguise wasn't limited to appearance. It could also involve hiding one's attitude and inner self.

"Different in public, different in private" was the foundation of disguising one's inner self.

There weren't as many rules when it came to appearance.

For example, wearing non-prescription glasses to make people think you were nearsighted, hunching your back to seem weak, or walking carefully to give others the impression that you were very cautious...

I wasn't sharing all this to teach everyone how to hide their true selves from the public. What I really meant was that no matter how you disguised yourself, you couldn't escape who you truly were.

So give it everything you've got.

To protect the last part of yourself.

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The next day arrived. Thanks to Horikita's support the previous day, we'd gotten permission from the student council president to reopen the meeting at four in the afternoon after school. We needed to present proof that Sudo was absolutely innocent. Otherwise, the defendant could face the severe penalty of expulsion.