Counterattack 2

The next day, Sudo walked out the door clutching his basketball as usual.

In the distance down the hallway, Hirata Yosuke's head slowly poked out. He watched Sudo's retreating back and said, "Tell me, is this really going to work?"

"Of course. Since we can't stop Sudo from losing his temper no matter how much we try to persuade him, we just need to follow him and step in to break up the fight when things get completely out of control."

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

Hirata Yosuke gave a wry smile and slowly stepped out. "I just didn't expect you to ask for my help, Horikita."

Ayanokoji's face flashed through Horikita Suzune's mind for a split second. She remained silent for a moment before saying:

"I haven't made any friends, and as things stand, you are firmly on the side of the class, so I had no choice but to pick you."

In truth, it wasn't just that Suzune hadn't made any friends; it was because she didn't trust anyone, which made it impossible for her to recruit more people.

Moreover, as a girl, she couldn't guarantee she would be able to break up a fight, so after weighing her options, she chose the more reliable Hirata and shared part of her plan with him.

"But how did you know that Class C would target Sudo today, Horikita?" Hirata asked with some curiosity.

"Ryuen has been planning this for a long time, and Sudo is the perfect candidate. That point is indisputable."

Hirata nodded. He completely agreed with that; after all, Sudo was like a powder keg that could explode at any moment—that much was obvious to everyone.

Horikita Suzune turned around calmly and looked at Hirata:

"As for how I know the timing of their actions, that's because I have information. I believe that even if I don't say it, you know, Hirata. After all, news doesn't just fly around on its own."

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

"As for who leaked it, I won't say. Please understand that." Horikita Suzune cut off what Hirata was about to say.

"I see. Understood."

Hirata was a smart man; since Horikita Suzune wouldn't say, he naturally wouldn't ask again.

"Sudo is getting further away. Let's go." Horikita Suzune strode forward with her long legs, and Hirata followed closely behind.

Sudo held his basketball in one hand and his Student Terminal in the other, reading a message.

[Sudo, sorry, the spot for the regular member went to me, haha.]

"What a bastard." Sudo's hand gripping the Student Terminal turned white. He lifted the hand holding the basketball slightly and began typing furiously with both hands.

[That's just because you got lucky. It's just a regular member spot, what's there to be proud of!]

Ding-dong. The other party replied quickly.

[Haha, stop pretending, Sudo. You're just jealous. Besides, the spot was supposed to be yours, but it's a shame I joined instead.]

"Idiot..."

Sudo's face flushed red. He angrily dialed the other person's number. As soon as the call connected, he shouted into the phone:

"What the hell do you mean! Don't think you can act all smug in front of me just because you became a regular member! You jerk!"

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

"I have nothing to talk to you about!"

"Don't you want to know why I became a regular member instead of you, Sudo?"

Sudo froze. Clearly, his brain capacity wasn't large enough to process so much information. "Isn't it because you showed up that I didn't get selected?"

"Haha." The other party let out a few sneers. "Sudo, you don't really think it's that simple, do you?"

"Idiot! Did you guys cheat?!" Even Sudo could hear the subtext now.

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

"Hey! You bastard..."

Beep, beep, beep...

Before Sudo could finish cursing, the other party hung up the phone.

"Damn it!" Sudo looked as if smoke were pouring from his head; he simply couldn't control the flames of anger in his heart.

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

Hirata, who had been observing from a distance, was shocked. He looked at Horikita Suzune in disbelief. "It seems they really are making their move today."

Although Horikita Suzune had already mentioned that someone had leaked the information, Hirata still found it hard to believe when seeing it firsthand.

After all, only a week or two had passed, and Class C already had a mole. By that logic, could there be one in other classes too?

Thinking of this, Hirata couldn't help but frown. If Class C could have a traitor, wouldn't their own Class D...

"Stop thinking and let's follow him." Horikita Suzune saw right through what Hirata was thinking and cut him off.

"Right."

With that, the two of them quickened their pace to follow.

Fourth floor of the special building.

As soon as Sudo stepped onto the landing, he saw three people led by Ishizaki. They were leaning against the doorway with such arrogant expressions that just looking at them made Sudo's blood boil.

"Hey! Ishizaki, you bastard, did you cheat!!" Sudo charged forward, intent on grabbing the other boy by the collar.

However, Ishizaki's reflexes were quite sharp; he stepped back two or three paces, narrowly dodging Sudo's hand.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're not being very polite, starting a fight the moment you show up." Ishizaki patted his collar with a mock-serious expression.

"You bastard! I'm asking you a question!"

"Sudo, why are you spouting so much nonsense?" Komiya wore a look of utter disdain. "What cheating? If you aren't capable enough, don't go blaming others."

"Are you kidding me!!" Sudo's eyes widened, his fists clenched tight as he shouted, "You guys admitted it yourselves over the phone!"

"Sudo, you shouldn't slander us innocent, good-natured students." Ishizaki spread his palms with a look of indifference.

"Think back carefully—when exactly did I ever say the words 'I cheated' over the phone?"

Ishizaki's demeanor was as arrogant as it could possibly be, and Sudo immediately blew his top.

"You guy..." Sudo lowered his voice, his entire body trembling slightly.

"Hahaha! Look at this guy, he's shaking with fear!" Komiya clutched his stomach and laughed at Kondo.

Ishizaki gave the back of Komiya's neck a playful slap. "What are you talking about? This is the precursor to someone losing their temper."

"Losing his temper?" Komiya looked confused. He pointed at the head-bowed Sudo and said right to his face, "So what if this Class D loser loses his temper? Is he actually going to raise his fists and hit me?"

As Komiya spoke, his eyes drifted involuntarily toward the bowed Sudo, and he swallowed hard, seemingly afraid of something.

Kondo felt the timing was right, so he chimed in:

"Yeah, I don't even know how this Class D loser got into the basketball club in the first place. Is he still bragging about becoming a professional basketball player in the future?"

The words had barely left his mouth.

"You bastard!"

Sudo erupted without warning, swinging his fist and landing a punch squarely on Kondo's cheek.

Thwack!

Kondo felt a burning pain spread across his face, his body tilting backward from the momentum before he finally managed to steady himself.

Sudo's rage hadn't subsided in the slightest; he followed up with a kick to Kondo's stomach.

Kondo lost his footing completely, hitting the ground with a thud before curling up to clutch his stomach, wailing in pain.

"You actually hit someone!"

A glimmer of delight flashed in Ishizaki's eyes.

"I'm not just hitting him—I'm going to beat you up right along with him!"

Sudo no longer cared about school rules; he was like a raging inferno that could not be extinguished.

"What? Are you trying to get expelled? I'm standing right here—if you've got the guts, come and hit me." Ishizaki maintained his arrogant posture.

"Damn it! You really think I don't dare to hit you, don't you?"

Sudo raised his fist, ready to charge.

"Sudo, that's enough!"

Just then, a crisp voice rang out, attempting to stop Sudo from continuing his assault.

But Sudo, blinded by rage, couldn't hear a word; he punched the unsuspecting Ishizaki to the ground, then mounted him, ready to rain down more blows.

"Hirata, go pull him off!" Horikita Suzune warned urgently.

"Sudo, stop!" Hirata had already been preparing to intervene, so he rushed forward and grabbed Sudo around the waist with both hands. "If you keep hitting him, you're going to be expelled!"

"Don't stop me! Let me be expelled, I don't care if I don't graduate!" Sudo's eyes were bloodshot as he punched Ishizaki again and again.

Ishizaki shielded his head with his arms, but he still shouted arrogantly, "You Class D reject, is this all the strength you have in your punches?!"

That's right—the moment Ishizaki heard the others' voices, he realized the plan had been exposed, so he tried to provoke Sudo to the absolute limit.

[As long as the injuries are severe enough... even if they started it, Sudo will definitely be expelled, right?]

Thinking this, Ishizaki steeled his heart and deliberately lowered one of his arms.

Komiya stood to the side, unsure whether to advance or retreat. A thought struck him, and remembering the fallen Kondo, he rushed over to "comfort" him, never once looking toward Ishizaki's side again.

Despite Hirata's attempts to restrain him, Sudo still managed to inflict some damage on Ishizaki's face.

Horikita Suzune stopped the recording on her Student Terminal, realizing that the situation was spiraling out of control.

"Horikita! Call for help! I can't hold him!" Hirata gritted his teeth, his legs straining as he shouted.

Would calling for help even matter now? It would probably be too late by the time anyone arrived.

Horikita realized this, so she put away her Student Terminal and prepared to physically intervene.

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

"What... what are you doing?"

Ishizaki pulled hard, and with a sharp rip, the fabric tore.

The material of the clothing seemed to be of poor quality, as the deep red jacket was torn right open.

The Student Terminal inside the jacket clattered onto the floor, its screen still glowing.

Horikita Suzune had no time to adjust her clothes; she lunged toward the Student Terminal without a second thought.

Because in that instant, she realized.

[They want to destroy the evidence!]

Pinned down by Sudo and unable to move, Ishizaki tilted his head back and shouted:

"Komiya, stop playing dumb! Hurry up and destroy that Student Terminal!"

Komiya flinched at the shout. He looked at the Student Terminal less than three meters away, then at Horikita Suzune, who was reaching for it.

In a split second, he thought of Ryuen's grim face.

[If I fail and this gets leaked, even though I haven't done anything yet...]

Steelng himself, Komiya suddenly stepped forward and kicked the Student Terminal.

Horikita Suzune's fingers had just brushed the bottom of the device when it was sent flying!

With a loud crash!

The casing shattered into pieces.

"You..." Horikita Suzune looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of anger as she glared at Komiya.

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

"Haha!" Seeing the Student Terminal destroyed, Ishizaki burst into laughter.

His cheeks were covered in cuts and bruises, and he kept his hands in a defensive posture, absorbing Sudo's blows without uttering any more taunts.

Sudo's movements gradually slowed down as his strength began to fade. He broke free from Hirata's grip, stood up slowly, and looked down at Ishizaki from his height.

"I can't believe you're still laughing, you bastard."

Ishizaki's face was swollen like a pig's head. He rose slowly, and Komiya braced his arm over his shoulder to support him.

"Heh..." Even though Ishizaki's face was covered in injuries, the corners of his mouth remained curled upward.

He didn't offer any more taunts; he simply pulled the fallen Kondo to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the three of them leaned on each other, preparing to leave.

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

"What is it? Don't tell me you want to spout some trash at me?" Ishizaki said.

Horikita Suzune turned her head and stared straight at the wounds on Ishizaki's face:

"Is it... really necessary for you to go this far?"

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

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of applause slowly echoed from the hallway, and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man walked toward them, accompanied by a girl with long black hair who was recording the scene with a camera.