"Are you saying I was the one who set the fire?"
A mocking smile tugged at Ibuki's lips.
"Do you know why I kept you talking for so long? I wanted to find out if you'd set the fire to draw me out. Guess not. In that case, you can lie down now!"
With that, Ibuki's speed and strength shot up several levels. Horikita was already feeling unwell, and it only took a couple of moves for Ibuki to knock her down. Her head spun, and she passed out.
Even as she fell, Horikita kept thinking about what Ibuki had said. Before she knew it, an image surfaced in her mind—Kiyotaka...
Chapter 41: We're Actually in First Place?
After Horikita fell, Ibuki didn't leave. She waited where she was.
Before long, a disheveled figure appeared in front of Ibuki.
Ibuki looked at the figure with disdain, pulled a green Ghost Card from her pocket, and said,
"Here's the merchandise you wanted. Happy now?"
The figure didn't answer. Through the torrential rain, all Ibuki could see was a cruel grin tugging at his lips.
Then the two of them left in different directions, leaving Horikita unconscious on the ground.
Before long, branches rustled in the thicket. A hand pushed aside the obstructing leaves, and Kiyotaka slowly appeared in front of Horikita.
Kiyotaka looked down at Horikita on the ground, concern on his face, then stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms.
"Where... am I?"
After an unknown amount of time, Horikita slowly woke up. Her head was pounding, and her vision was blurry.
"Suzune, you're awake."
Kiyotaka's calm voice sounded beside her.
"How did I end up here?"
"You passed out on the road. I brought you here to the cave to shelter from the rain."
At Kiyotaka's reminder, fragments of Horikita's memory gradually came together. Usually so proud, she couldn't hold back any longer. She threw herself into Kiyotaka's arms and burst into tears.
"Kiyotaka, I'm sorry. I still couldn't get the Ghost Card back. I'd already caught up with Ibuki, but it's my fault. If I'd had a classmate hold on to the card for me, I wouldn't have let it get stolen. What are we going to do about this exam?"
Kiyotaka gently patted Horikita's back as he spoke.
"It's good that you're starting to understand how important your classmates are. Your body can't take any more. You've already done well. Leave the rest to me. Get some rest, okay? I promise everything will be fine."
Horikita looked up at Kiyotaka, tears glistening on her cheeks.
"Really?"
A gentle smile spread across Kiyotaka's face.
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"Hmph. You've lied to me plenty. But... if you really pull it off, I might be willing to agree to that thing from last time."
Seeing Horikita's haughty expression, Kiyotaka reached out and pinched her cheek.
"You said it. Now you should go to sleep..."
With that, Kiyotaka pressed a point on Horikita's body, and she slowly drifted off.
Horikita still had a furrowed brow in her sleep. Kiyotaka gently smoothed it out, then carried her toward the shore.
A tent stood on the shore, where the homeroom teachers from each class waited in case of emergencies.
Through the heavy rain, Kiyotaka slowly appeared in front of Chabashira, carrying Horikita in his arms. Chabashira was startled.
"Horikita?"
"Chabashira-sensei, Horikita has a high fever and lost consciousness. She needs treatment right away."
"So I can take that to mean Suzune Horikita is withdrawing from the exam?"
"Yeah."
Chabashira nodded and took Horikita from Kiyotaka. She gave him a meaningful look, but said nothing before carrying Horikita away.
Kiyotaka looked up at the rain-soaked sky and murmured to himself,
"The rain's going to stop."
That evening.
"I heard Horikita passed out from a high fever and had no choice but to withdraw from the exam."
"Ugh, what a mess. Ibuki was a spy, and now Horikita's got a high fever."
The girls of Class D chatted around the fire.
Not far away, Hirata and Kiyotaka sat with the girls' trusted crowdfunding group.
"How could this happen? Ibuki really stole the Ghost Card. Doesn't that mean they'll definitely guess who had it, deduct fifty points, and cancel all our bonus points?"
Hirata rubbed his hands together anxiously beside another fire.
"Hirata, there's something I want to tell you..."
The seventh day finally arrived, and all the first-years gathered back at the shore. Class C's camp was empty, but the other three classes were almost all there.
"Before I announce the end of the exam, each class must submit its guess about the cardholders."
A teacher spoke through a megaphone.
After receiving the form, Katsuragi of Class A began filling it out. Ichinose of Class B stuck her tongue out at her homeroom teacher and handed in a blank form, while Hirata of Class D submitted his answers with a worried expression.
After collecting the forms from each class, the teacher shouted,
"I hereby declare this exam over!"
"Hey, could you not announce that so quickly?"
At that moment, a disheveled figure emerged from the woods. As if he'd expected it, the Class C homeroom teacher handed him a form to fill out.
"Ryuen, you say you don't like working hard, but the state you're in now proves just how hard you've worked."
The Class C homeroom teacher adjusted his glasses and looked at Ryuen.
"Cut the crap. I just thought this was the quickest way."
Ryuen handed over the form.
The Class C homeroom teacher took it.
"Class A's Totsuka Yahiko, Class B's Shiranami Chihiro, Class D's Suzune Horikita..."
Looking at the form, the Class C homeroom teacher smiled knowingly.
Katsuragi walked over to Ryuen.
"Ryuen, thank you. I got a lot of points this time because of you."
Ryuen gave him a strange smile.
"Don't mention it. The real fun's only just beginning."
As Katsuragi looked on in confusion, the teacher began announcing the final scores.
"Now, I'll announce each class's exam score. In last place, Class C, with zero points!"
"How is that possible?!"
Ryuen had looked completely confident, but his expression suddenly changed to one of utter disbelief.
"Third place, Class A, with 120 points!"
Katsuragi's expression turned grim at once.
"Second place, Class B, with 140 points."
Ichinose wasn't surprised by the score. She simply turned her gaze toward Class D, lost in thought.
"First place, Class D, with 225 points!"
"What? We're in first place?"
"Is that right?"
"Yay! This is the result of all our hard work! Yeah!"
When they learned that Class D had taken first place, the class erupted in celebration. Even Hirata let out a long sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, aboard the cruise ship, Horikita watched the broadcast with a look of surprise.
"So Kiyotaka really did it. Then..."
After her excitement settled, Horikita remembered the promise she'd made while dazed, and her face turned bright red.
On the cruise ship.
"Hahaha! Well done, everyone!"
Koenji raised his glass and addressed the group.
Everyone in Class D looked at Koenji with helpless expressions, except for the hot-tempered Sudo, who nearly got into a fight with him.
Kiyotaka quietly watched from the side.
"Kiyotaka."
Horikita appeared beside him.
"You're feeling a lot better, right? You've got much more color in your face."
Horikita wasn't about to tell him why her face was flushed, so she simply nodded.
"Horikita! So this is where you were."
"Horikita, Hirata told us you guessed the cardholders in Classes A and C correctly, and that's how we won. You're a genius!"
When the Class D students spotted Horikita, they crowded around her, chattering excitedly.
"Remember your promise. You can tell them yourself."
Seeing more and more people gather, Kiyotaka leaned over and said it softly to Horikita before leaving, leaving her looking completely confused.
Chapter 42: Kiyotaka, Explain Yourself!
After leaving, Kiyotaka returned to his room to rest.
About half an hour later, the door opened, and Horikita walked in.
"Kiyotaka, you'd better explain what's going on. Hirata told me you were the one who told him I'd figured out the cardholders in those two classes."
Kiyotaka wasn't the least bit intimidated by Horikita's accusing expression.
He asked her with a hint of amusement,
"Did you tell them?"
Horikita's face flushed, and she pursed her lips.
"I did! Jerk!"
"Oh? Then don't you have something you need to do?"
Horikita felt Kiyotaka's gaze settle on a certain part of her body. She cursed him twice, then slowly took off her knee-high socks and padded barefoot into the bathroom.
When she came out, her little feet were damp. She saw Kiyotaka lying on the bed, shot him a fierce glare, and walked over.
She used her small hands to pleasure Kiyotaka until he released, then stared at him helplessly, unable to understand how he usually managed to torment her. Curious, she gave him a couple of strokes.
It immediately sprang to attention, startling Horikita.
Then Horikita climbed onto the bed and sat facing Kiyotaka. After hesitating for a moment, she extended her long legs, gently squeezed them together, and began moving awkwardly and slowly.
"Now you can tell me..."
Horikita looked at Kiyotaka, who was grinning smugly at her. But her curiosity had gotten the better of her, so she shyly asked.
Kiyotaka adjusted his position to get more comfortable, then finally began explaining.
Before you continue