The Course of the Special Exam

Suzune first looked Etsuka up and down, then nodded with satisfaction.

Etsuka now looked like a grown man, though he still carried a trace of youthful air, and it was precisely this youthfulness that made him look even more handsome.

"Sis, you couldn't have just come here to deliver clothes to me, right?" Etsuka leaned forward and asked tentatively.

Hearing this, Suzune was instantly displeased. She gave Etsuka's arm a firm smack, then crossed her arms and asked with a questioning expression:

"Are you saying that every time I come to see you, it's because I need something, is that it?"

Although she admitted that she basically did have a reason every time she visited, couldn't Etsuka say something nicer?

It's definitely nothing good.

Etsuka complained in his heart, but on the surface, he said cheerfully:

"No way, Sis! Every time you arrive, you make my humble abode shine. This room wasn't anything special before, but the moment you stepped in, I feel like the value of my room has gone up!"

Flattery will get you everywhere.

This was Etsuka's way of survival in the Horikita household; if one cultivated this skill to perfection, they could even coax their older sister into anything!

And Etsuka was working hard in that direction.

Listening to Etsuka's flattery, Suzune rolled her eyes in a way that was still somehow elegant.

She knew Etsuka was exaggerating, but who could stay mad when he was saying such nice things? After all, you don't hit a smiling face.

Without dwelling on it further, Horikita Suzune let out a long sigh:

"Etsuka, it's only the first special exam, and our Class D has already fallen apart. If we had been even a step slower in submitting the key, we probably would have dissolved by now."

"Hm?" Hearing Suzune bring up serious business, Etsuka slowly sat up straight. He asked with some confusion: "Ryuen's doing?"

"Not just Ryuen. I suspect Class A is involved as well," Horikita Suzune said sternly:

"After Ryuen spread the rumors, Shinohara was the first to suspect that Sudo had leaked the Class Key. After a round of arguing, the whole class began to gradually isolate Sudo. Even Ike Kanji and Yamauchi, who were usually on good terms with him, kept their distance."

Listening to his sister recount the tragic experience of Class D, Etsuka picked up some melon seeds from the table and started cracking them.

Suzune glared at him fiercely, then pretended not to see him and continued:

"Although Sudo was dismissive at first, once the whole class truly isolated him, he tried his best to prove his innocence."

"But it was too late. He had already shirked his responsibilities at the very beginning. No matter how he explained, no one in the class believed him—except for Hirata, of course."

"But Hirata's voice alone was too weak; he couldn't explain it at all. Sudo, driven to his wit's end, found Ishizaki from Class C to explain for him. Perhaps Class A had instigated that as well."

"When Ishizaki came to the class, he didn't explain Sudo's situation. Instead, he used the undercover reward mechanism to loudly claim that many people in Class D had been bought off. So, these idiots actually believed it, and started looking at everyone around them like they were undercover agents."

"At first, the girls suspected the boys and blamed them, then the boys grew suspicious of the girls, until Hirata showed..." Suzune paused here for a moment:

"That side of him that shouldn't have been shown, which finally stopped it."

Etsuka cracked his melon seeds, finding it more and more interesting. This was like a massive soap opera; he could get intel while enjoying the drama. So, Etsuka pressed:

"And then?"

Horikita Suzune frowned slightly as if remembering something:

"Although it was stopped, it was impossible to avoid private suspicion. So, the girls started suspecting me."

"Oh?" Etsuka stopped cracking seeds and asked tentatively: "It wouldn't be because of the relationship between you and me, would it?"

Suzune nodded slowly:

"Because of my relationship with you, they speculated that I leaked the Class Key to you, and then you went and sold our class's Class Key..."

As Etsuka listened, his expression gradually turned serious. He knew that the relationships among the girls couldn't be as light as his sister described; he imagined they were saying all sorts of things behind her back. Being ostracized by the girls in daily life probably wasn't easy.

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However...

Etsuka looked at Suzune.

Fortunately, Sis likes being alone anyway, so she has the mental fortitude for this.

Sure enough, Suzune said:

"It doesn't matter to me what they say about me, but it affected my progress in finding the spy."

As she spoke, Suzune's furrowed brows relaxed:

"However, Karuizawa came out to help me later, and she said that I had already found out the Class Key for Class C."

"After everyone understood a little, I shared my idea of finding the class spy and submitting the key, and I received support from most of them."

"So, after some discussion, everyone decided to open the Anonymous Chat System to prepare to find the spy."

Etsuka nodded; he couldn't argue with that, as the Anonymous Chat System did provide identity hints for the spy.

Suzune continued:

"Before we even started, Kushida stood up. Her Student Terminal showed—Spy."

"Because no matter what, the spy would eventually be exposed, so there wasn't much difference in who stood up first."

"Although I don't believe she stepped forward for the sake of the class, she kept insisting that it was for the class or something like that."

"And then you guys just handed over the Secret Key, which is why the special exam ended?" Etsuka asked.

"Correct." Suzune nodded, then looked toward Etsuka: "That is the sequence of events you wanted, but that is not what I wanted to talk about."

Horikita Etsuka caught on almost instantly; he frowned and asked tentatively: "Sis, do you think there is something wrong with Kushida?"

"That's right." Horikita Suzune's expression was cold, and she spoke in a voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation:

"During the conflict between the boys and girls, Kushida appeared neutral, but in reality, she was constantly manipulating both sides and inciting strife, and furthermore..."

Suzune's fist, resting on her lap, slowly tightened:

"She was the first one to bring me up. She said, [By the way, Horikita-san's younger brother is in Class B, could we ask him to help us out?]."

Etsuka thought for a moment, his brow furrowing as well, and he rubbed his chin in contemplation: "That doesn't add up, though. Sis, you haven't had any contact with her, right?"

"None." Horikita Suzune's expression was earnest, and she said with a very certain tone: "I am very sure that I have never had any conflict or interaction with her."

"Then what is going on?" Etsuka's brows were tightly knit: "Since there was no interaction, it couldn't possibly be because you know her high..."

Suddenly, Etsuka seemed to have thought of something and stopped mid-sentence, looking at Suzune with a hint of surprise.

And Suzune also looked at Etsuka with her delicate brows furrowed.

Their gazes met, and it was as if they both knew the reason why.

Because since there was no interaction, the only possible explanation was:

"Things from our high school days..."

Etsuka and Suzune spoke at the same time.

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