Kikyou Kushida: You Smell Like Hikaru. / Suzune Horikita Identifies the Traitor.

Horikita Suzune didn't show the shyness a girl would have; instead, she asked with a puzzled look, "Of course not, we're just ordinary classmates."

"Is that so?"

The female doctor glanced at the tall figure casually picking up a booklet from the health information board, and smiled faintly, "Then let's just pretend I misunderstood. You two must get along well."

"... I will."

Horikita Suzune didn't quite understand. She had always believed that Hashiba Hikaru didn't like her and that her partnership and assistance were only because she received payment from her brother.

However, after hearing what the female doctor said today, the girl had some extra thoughts in her mind again, and the complicated emotions she had felt earlier resurfaced.

What exactly is my relationship with Classmate Hashiba?

The distance between partners and companions can be very far.

[But why would the doctor say that? Do we both look like that?]

[The Classmate Hashiba is pursuing me... is probably just a misconception.]

[But...]

I must be crazy to think like this!

Horikita Suzune pursed her lips tightly, her eyes brimming with tears, as if trying to convince herself.

278

Chapter 278 Kushida Kikyo: You have the aura of Hashiba on you.

After the professional female doctor treated Horikita Suzune's ankle, the girl put down her sweatpants and stood up from the hospital bed.

She moved her foot and clearly felt that the pain had eased considerably.

"Thank you, we'll be going now."

"Yes, you still need to be careful with the pressure on your ankles. If you feel any discomfort, stop immediately."

The female doctor earnestly advised, "This will help your recovery."

"Understood."

As the two walked out of the infirmary, Hashiba Hikaru checked the time. There were still about five or six minutes of rest before the next match, so they would have plenty of time to get back to their tent.

"Your situation will likely be repeated in the later matches, so don't push yourself too hard."

Hashiba Hikaru scrutinized the girl's pretty face and said calmly, "An ankle injury is no small matter; if it's serious, it could leave lasting effects."

"I'll be careful."

"I don't want Horikita to have to limp to the class reunion; that would be quite embarrassing."

Hashiba Hikaru seemed to have actually witnessed that scene, a mocking expression on her face.

"... Why does Classmate Hashiba think I'd attend the class reunion? Even if I did, we're not in the same class, so that Matoba shouldn't happen, right?"

Horikita Suzune was a little angry and immediately retorted.

"You can't say that. What if Horikita actually makes it into Class A, and I'm in Class A too? Then we'll become classmates, right?"

Hashiba Hikaru explained with a smile, "I will continue to lead the class to maintain this ranking. If Horikita wants to graduate as Class A student, this should be a foreseeable outcome."

"The final outcome is still unknown, and I advise you Classmate Hashiba, not to jump to conclusions so soon."

"Then let's wait and see."

"Good."

Horikita Suzune nodded. She thought Hashiba Hikaru a very outstanding person, but there was still a long time ahead, and it was hard to say whether she could maintain her three-year advantage.

"Then I'll head back now. Horikita, keep up the good work!"

After walking back to the area around the playground, Hashiba Hikaru and Horikita Suzune parted ways, with the girl turning and heading towards the tents belonging to the White Team.

Because the next match is a crucial showdown between the Red and White Alliances— Cavalry Battle —students from every class are a bit nervous. This time, the order of the matches will be changed, with the girls' group going first.

"Horikita, you're back."

Upon seeing the black-haired girl, Hirata immediately asked, "I heard you went to deal with your fall. Are you alright?"

"It's alright, I'll try my best in the next match."

Horikita Suzune said she was fine, and Kushida Kikyo, who was standing next to her, immediately came over and said with a smile, "I believe in Horikita- san. If she says she's fine, then she should be able to perform at her best."

"Okay, let's do our best together then."

Hirata, of course, was unaware of the conflict between the two and quickly went to cheer on the other girls. After he left, Kushida Kikyo immediately asked, "Horikita- san, are you confident about this match?"

"I guess so, I'll do my best."

The black-haired girl glanced at the other person's face, her expression indifferent.

"That's good. I was worried about Horikita. It would have been terrible if he had fallen and it had affected the rest of the competition. Now I can finally relax."

"Really? That's good."

Although Horikita Suzune suspected that Kushida Kikyo was the traitor, she didn't have any evidence. If she said it directly, given the short-haired girl's popularity in the class, the final outcome was uncertain.

Therefore, we must proceed step by step. To seize the opponent's weakness, we must first remain calm.

"Uh-huh."

Kushida Kikyo nodded, glanced at Horikita Suzune's expression, and then said, "Horikita- san, your hair looks a bit messy. Let me fix it for you."

"That won't be necessary, I can do it myself."

"Don't be so polite with me. I'm actually quite envious of Horikita's hair. It's so long and smooth."

Kushida Kikyo didn't give the girl any room to refuse and immediately started tidying up her hair, which was a little messy from lying in the hospital bed.

"You..."

Horikita Suzune wanted to lash out, but she glanced at the atmosphere around her. Everyone was preparing for the upcoming match, so it was best not to cause a scene.

After a semester, Horikita Suzune has made some progress in certain aspects. At least she is no longer the person who completely ignored everyone at the beginning of the semester. If she wants to win the competition, she is willing to make concessions.

"Then hurry up."

She urged Kushida Kikyo to hurry up.

At that moment, the short-haired girl standing behind Horikita Suzune was gently smoothing her hair. It was at this moment that Kushida Kikyo smelled a familiar scent.

Although it was rather faint, Kushida was extremely sensitive to this aura because he had been in close contact with the other person.

"..."

After confirming everything, Kushida Kikyo finished the task quite quickly. She walked up to Horikita Suzune with a smile and said, "Alright, no need to thank me, Horikita- san."

"... Then let's leave it at that."

After a pause, Horikita Suzune took the initiative to walk around Kushida Kikyo, intending to meet up with her group members. In the next Cavalry Battle, the girl would play a key role—as the knight responsible for seizing the headband.

Gazing at Horikita Suzune's slender back, Kushida Kikyo felt a surge of anger.

She was the one who met Hashiba Hikaru first, so why is it that this woman can openly cooperate with him in public, while she can only meet him secretly in private if she wants to have close contact with him, and even then, she has to choose the right time?

On what grounds?

A mix of emotions overwhelmed her, making the short-haired girl furious.

However, after about ten seconds, she gradually regained her composure. Then, she realized that her opponent would face what kind of challenges in the upcoming match.

"Let's wait and see who has the last laugh."

Kushida Kikyo walked up to her group members, smiling broadly as she maintained her image as the class's little angel. To better achieve this goal, she planned to take more active steps later.

[The first-grade girls' Cavalry Battle is about to begin. All participating students, please proceed to the competition venue to prepare.]

[Five minutes left countdown.]

The Cavalry Battle is about to begin; it's sure to be an exciting competition!

279

Chapter 279 Horikita Suzune confirms the traitor.

Like the previous Bo-taoshi, the Cavalry Battle is a joint event between the male and female teams from both the red and white camps. If the conditions for victory are met, it can create a significant score difference. However, such team competitions are inherently unpredictable, and it is too early to say anything for sure.

After the broadcast started, the girls in Class A's tent were already prepared. They had formed their own teams, something that had been decided long ago.

The rules for Cavalry Battle are the same for both men and women. The competition is conducted with a time limit of three minutes per round.

When calculating the final score, the number of enemy horses defeated and the number of horses remaining on your side will be used as a reference for the score. Each horse consists of four students: three as the legs and one as the rider.

The knights are responsible for fighting against the enemy's horses. Each horse is worth 50 points. Defeating the opponent means removing the enemy knight's headband. In this rule, one knight from each of the red and white teams will act as the "commander". If they survive at the end, they will get 100 points, and if they are defeated by the enemy team, the opposing team will get 100 points. This is the key to winning the game.

Each class will select four horses, which is sixteen people. The remaining group will serve as substitutes to prevent any unexpected situations and to be ready to step in at any time.

"Come on everyone, we must help our Red Team win!"

Hashiba Hikaru's gaze swept over the girls in the class. Ichinose Honami was playing the role of a knight in this competition, and the three girls she was paired with were all close to her and had a good level of teamwork.

"Just you wait and see, boys! We'll be back with victory!"

"That's right!"

The girls in Class A cheered enthusiastically. In preparation for the match, Ibuki had come and talked to Ichinose. This short-haired girl had always led the girls' team in Class D, and she also longed for victory.

"Keep it up, everyone!"

The men's match was next, so everyone was intently watching the center of the field, anticipating a thrilling duel.

[The first-grade girls' Cavalry Battle competition is about to begin. Students in both red and white teams, please get ready. Three minutes remaining.]

As the countdown began, the first-year girls entered the arena. In the Red Team of the AD Alliance, eight horses were ready, with two horses surrounding their "leader" to protect them.

The leader of the Red Team is a girl from Class D with good physical fitness. She was chosen to deal with different emergencies. In case of a surprise attack, she would still have room to fight and would not become an easy target.

At this moment, Hashiba Hikaru saw what was happening on the White Team's side. Horikita Suzune, who had just been treated by the doctor, also entered the arena, this time as a knight. The black-haired girl placed her hands on the two girls below who were acting as horse legs, her expression stern, ready for battle.

"Beep!"

After the preparation time was over, the whistle blew to start the competition, and the eight-on-eight women's Cavalry Battle began!

"Set off!!!"

Hashiba Hikaru heard Ibuki's loud shout. After she gave the order, the four horses of Class D charged forward in perfect formation. The short-haired girl had a resolute expression on her face, as if she had truly become the commander of the battlefield.

"Go for it, Ibuki!!!"

"Keep going, take them down in one fell swoop!"

The boys from Class D who stayed at the camp were cheering for her loudly. As the class leader since the start of the semester, Ibuki Mio was quite popular in the class. Everyone knew that she was very good at sports and they were all hoping that she could win a big victory.

However, just as she led her horses forward, her target was not the White Team commander who was guarded in the middle, but Horikita Suzune was standing on the left.

What's going on?

Hirata Yosuke naturally noticed this, Ibuki quickly led four horses to surround Horikita Suzune.

"So, they're still going to target us after all?"

Although Hashiba Hikaru just witnessed Ibuki Mio and Ichinose's discussion, as members of another class, they must have their own internal execution plan, which might still be part of Ryuen's plan.

"You bastard!!!"

Isn't this bullying?

Seeing that Horikita Suzune was being surrounded by several people and was already struggling to hold on, the boys in Class C were filled with righteous indignation. They never expected that the people in Class D would be so despicable.

The most troublesome thing was that, at this time Class B members, who were teammates, did not come to the rescue directly. Instead, a girl led the attack on the Class A members on the other side.

This was a decision that Class B had made long ago. With the situation already under control, Class B's goal was always to surpass Class A in the class rankings, and they ignored Horikita Suzune, who was being surrounded and attacked.

"This is a bit troublesome."

Hashiba Hikaru saw that the other three horses from Class C did not immediately come to Horikita's aid. At this point, the formation was in disarray, and Horikita Suzune, surrounded by more than ten people in the middle, was unable to connect with them. They were also busy dealing with the enemy's attack.

"Damn it, what are you trying to do?!"

The black-haired girl didn't choose to sit and wait for her fate. Instead, she tried her best to wave her arms to stop the others from attacking her. The white headscarf tied around her head was a little loose, but defeat was still far away.

"Let's hurry and rescue Horikita!"

After shaking off the Class A members who were trying to harass them, a squad from Class C broke through the encirclement and ran towards Horikita.