Counterattack 2

The next day, Sudo walked out carrying a basketball, just as usual.

Down the hallway, Hirata Yosuke slowly poked his head out. Watching Sudo's retreating figure, he said, "By the way, is this really going to work?"

"Of course. No matter how much we try to stop Sudo, he can't control his temper. So all we need to do is follow him and break up the fight when things get completely out of hand."

Horikita Suzune's voice came from the right. She was standing openly in the middle of the hallway.

Hirata gave an awkward smile and slowly stepped out. "I just never expected you to ask me for help, Horikita."

Ayanokoji's face flashed through Horikita Suzune's mind. She fell silent for a moment, then said:

"I haven't made any friends. Given the situation, you're the one who's firmly on the class's side, so I had no choice but to ask you."

It wasn't just that Suzune hadn't made any friends. She didn't trust anyone, either, so she couldn't ask more people to come along.

Besides, as a girl, she couldn't be sure she'd be able to break up a fight on her own. After weighing her options, she'd asked the more reliable Hirata and told him part of her plan.

"But how did you know Class C would go after Sudo today?" Hirata asked curiously.

"Ryuen has been planning this for a long time. Sudo is an ideal target, so there's no doubt about the timing."

Hirata nodded. He agreed completely. After all, Sudo was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Everyone knew that.

Horikita Suzune calmly turned to look at Hirata.

"I know when they'll act because someone gave me the information. I'm sure you know, even if I don't say it, Hirata. Information doesn't just spread everywhere on its own."

"So that's how it is. But..."

"But I won't tell you who gave it to me. I hope you understand," Horikita Suzune interrupted before Hirata could finish.

"Yeah, I understand."

Hirata was a smart guy, too. If Horikita Suzune didn't want to say, he wouldn't ask again.

"Sudo's getting farther away. Let's go." Horikita Suzune strode after him, and Hirata followed close behind.

Sudo held the basketball under one arm and read a message on his Student Terminal with the other hand.

[Sudo, sorry, but I got the spot as an official member, haha.]

"What a bastard." Sudo gripped the Student Terminal so tightly his knuckles turned white. He raised the arm holding the basketball slightly, then furiously typed out a reply with both hands.

[You just got lucky. It's only an official member spot. What's there to be proud of?!]

Ding! The other person replied almost immediately.

[Haha, come on, Sudo. Stop pretending. You're just jealous. There was a spot for you, too, but then I joined.]

"Baka..."

Sudo's face flushed red. Furious, he immediately called the other person. As soon as the call connected, he yelled into his phone:

"What the hell do you mean?! Don't think you can act all smug in front of me just because you became an official member, you bastard!"

"Heh, heh." A few derisive chuckles came from the other end. "Sudo, maybe we should talk."

"What would I have to talk to you about?"

"Sudo, don't you want to know why I became an official member instead of you?"

Sudo froze. Apparently, his big head couldn't fit that much information inside. "Isn't it because you showed up, so I didn't get cut?"

"Haha." The other person snickered a few times. "Sudo, you don't really think it's that simple, do you?"

"Baka! Are you saying you cheated?!"

Even Sudo could hear the implication.

"Come find me on the fourth floor of the school building near the river."

"Hey! You—"

Beep, beep, beep...

Before Sudo could finish cursing, the other person hung up.

"Damn it!" Sudo was practically fuming. He couldn't control the anger burning inside him.

He shoved his Student Terminal into his pocket and hurried toward the school building.

Hirata, who had been watching from a distance, was startled. He looked at Horikita Suzune in disbelief. "It really looks like they're making their move today."

Although Horikita Suzune had already told him someone had passed along the information, seeing it happen for himself still left Hirata incredulous.

After all, only a week or two had passed, and Class C already had a spy. Could there be spies in the other classes, too?

At the thought, Hirata couldn't help frowning. If Class C could have a traitor, then what about Class D...?

"Stop thinking about it and hurry up," Horikita Suzune said, seeing right through him and cutting off his thoughts.

"Yeah."

With that, the two of them quickly followed.

The special school building, fourth floor.

As soon as Sudo reached the top of the stairs, he saw three people led by Ishizaki. They were leaning by the doorway with such smug expressions that just looking at them made Sudo furious.

"Hey, Ishizaki, you bastard! Did you cheat?!" Sudo charged forward and reached for his collar.

But Ishizaki was quick, too. He stepped back two or three paces and dodged Sudo's hand.

"Hey, hey, charging in and throwing hands right away isn't very polite." Ishizaki pretended to brush off his collar.

"Bastard! I'm asking you a question!"

"Sudo, why are you talking so much?" Komiya looked at him with contempt. "Nobody cheated. If you're not good enough, don't go blaming other people."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Sudo stared wide-eyed, fists clenched. "You admitted it on the phone!"

"Sudo, don't slander us. We're a few students of pure and innocent character." Ishizaki shrugged with an unconcerned expression.

"Think carefully. When did I ever say the words 'I cheated' on the phone?"

Ishizaki looked so smug that Sudo immediately blew up.

"You bastard..." Sudo lowered his voice, his body trembling slightly.

"Hahaha! Look at him, he's shaking with fear!" Komiya laughed at Kondo, clutching his stomach.

Ishizaki pretended to slap Komiya on the back of the neck. "What are you talking about? That's the sign someone's about to get angry."

"Angry?" Komiya looked puzzled. Pointing at Sudo, who had his head bowed, he said right to his face, "So what if this piece of trash from Class D gets angry? Is he going to raise his fist and hit me?"

As he spoke, Komiya couldn't help glancing at Sudo's lowered head. He swallowed nervously, as if afraid of something.

Kondo decided the time was right and chimed in:

"Yeah, how did this piece of trash from Class D even get into the basketball club? And he goes around bragging that he's going to be a professional basketball player someday?"

The moment the words left his mouth—

"You bastard!"

Sudo exploded without warning. He swung his fist and punched Kondo in the cheek.

Thwack!

Kondo felt a burning pain spread across his face. The force sent him stumbling backward, and he barely managed to regain his balance.

Sudo's anger hadn't subsided at all. He kicked Kondo in the stomach.

Kondo completely lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thump. He curled up, clutching his stomach, and groaned.

"You bastard, you hit him!"

A hint of delight flashed in Ishizaki's eyes.

"I didn't just hit him. I'm going to beat the hell out of you, too!"

Sudo had completely forgotten about the school rules. He was like a raging inferno, impossible to put out.

"What? Do you want to get expelled? I'm standing right here. If you've got the guts, hit me." Ishizaki still looked as smug as ever.

"Baka! You really think I don't dare hit you?"

Sudo raised his fist and lunged.

"Sudo, that's enough!"

A clear voice rang out, trying to stop Sudo from attacking again.

But Sudo was too furious to hear her. He punched Ishizaki, who was completely unprepared, and knocked him to the ground. Then he straddled him, ready to keep swinging.

"Hirata, hurry and break them up!" Horikita Suzune called out urgently.

"Sudo, stop!" Hirata had already been ready to intervene, so he rushed over and grabbed Sudo around the waist with both arms.

"If you keep this up, you'll get expelled!"

"Don't stop me! So what if I get expelled? I might as well quit school!" Eyes red, Sudo punched Ishizaki again and again.

Ishizaki shielded his head with both arms, but even then, he taunted him. "You defective piece of trash from Class D—this is all the strength you've got in a punch?!"

That was right. As soon as Ishizaki heard the others, he realized their plan had been exposed, so he tried to provoke Sudo as much as he could.

[If I get hurt badly enough... even though we started it, Sudo will still get expelled, right?]

Thinking that, Ishizaki steeled himself and lowered one arm.

Komiya stood nearby, unsure whether to move closer or back away. Then he suddenly had an idea: Kondo was on the ground, so he hurried over to comfort him, not looking at Ishizaki once.

Even with Hirata trying to stop him, Sudo still managed to injure Ishizaki's face.

Horikita Suzune stopped recording on her Student Terminal. She was beginning to realize that things had gotten out of hand.

"Horikita! Get someone! I can't hold him!" Hirata gritted his teeth and strained as he called out.

Would calling someone now even help? By the time they got here, it'd be too late.

Horikita Suzune knew that, so she put away her Student Terminal and moved to break up the fight herself.

As soon as she got close, Ishizaki suddenly reached out and grabbed the hem of Horikita Suzune's jacket.

"W-what are you doing?"

Ishizaki yanked hard. With a ripping sound—

The fabric seemed to be terribly flimsy. Her dark red jacket tore open.

The Student Terminal inside her jacket fell to the floor with a clatter, its screen still lit.

Horikita Suzune didn't have time to fix her clothes. She lunged toward the Student Terminal.

Because she realized in an instant:

[He's trying to destroy the evidence!]

Pinned down by Sudo, Ishizaki couldn't move, so he threw his head back and yelled:

"Komiya, quit pretending you're an idiot! Hurry up and destroy the Student Terminal!"

Komiya shuddered at the shout. He looked at the Student Terminal less than three meters from his feet, then at Horikita Suzune, who was reaching for it.

In an instant, he thought of Ryuen's grim face.

[If this fails and word gets out, I haven't even done anything yet...]

He steeled himself. Komiya suddenly stepped forward and kicked the Student Terminal.

Horikita Suzune's fingertips had just touched the bottom of the Student Terminal when it was kicked away!

With a loud crash—

The device shattered into pieces.

"You..." Horikita Suzune looked up at Komiya with anger in her eyes.

"I... I didn't mean to..." Komiya avoided her gaze, unable to look her in the eye.

"Haha!" Ishizaki burst into laughter when he saw the Student Terminal shattered.

His face was covered in cuts and bruises. His arms were raised to shield himself as he took Sudo's blows, and he no longer taunted Sudo.

Sudo's movements gradually slowed. He had used up all his strength, so he pulled free of Hirata's grip and slowly stood up, looking down at Ishizaki.

"You can still laugh, you bastard?"

Ishizaki's face had swollen until it looked like a pig's. He slowly got up, and Komiya propped him up with his shoulder.

"Heh..." Ishizaki's face was covered in injuries, but the corners of his mouth stayed turned up.

He didn't taunt them again. He just helped Kondo off the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the three of them supported one another as they prepared to leave.

"Wait." Horikita Suzune, who had been silent until then, spoke up, holding the shattered Student Terminal.

"What is it? Don't tell me you want to ask me some stupid question," Ishizaki said.

Horikita Suzune turned and stared straight at the injuries on Ishizaki's face.

"Did you really have to go this far?"

Ishizaki fell silent for a moment, then was just about to speak.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of applause drifted in from the hallway. A blond, blue-eyed young man walked slowly toward them, accompanied by a long-haired black-haired girl recording the scene with a camera.