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"Yo! Ayanokoji, Karuizawa."

"Ah, Nagami, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you've teamed up with Class C too?"

Nagami didn't answer. Instead, he continued.

"Guess when I got here to watch your show."

"Don't answer a question with another question!"

Karuizawa quipped.

"Is Chabashira-sensei still downstairs? Did she say anything to you?"

Ayanokoji remained expressionless.

"We're just classmates helping each other out. Why would she stop me? She only asked if I knew what Ayanokoji was up to."

Nagami repeated Chabashira's exact words to Ayanokoji.

"I get the feeling you set me up today. Is Class C under your control too?"

"Bingo. No prize, though. In the short term, yes."

"Ayanokoji, actually, I've been meaning to ask you something for a while. What's your deal, exactly? I get the feeling your background isn't ordinary."

The day before...

"I suggest you calm down and take a look at this, because you're about to be expelled."

On the screen was a photo of Ryuen swinging an iron pipe at Kinoshita's shin, captured at just the right moment. Ishizaki and Yamada were standing around them.

Nagami had asked Kushida to keep tabs on the injured students in Class C. This was one of the photos she'd taken.

If Ryuen stubbornly denied everything, Nagami also had Kinoshita's testimony ready to deliver the decisive blow. He'd asked the social butterfly Kushida to get Kinoshita to open up and secure her statement.

"This photo—when did you—!"

"I told you, Ryuen. I understand the way you think all too well."

"Don't even think about getting my phone back. I made all the arrangements before I met you. In just three hours, a scheduled email will be sent to the school."

"You can also guess how many backups I have of this photo. Cloud storage? A USB drive? A disc?"

"What are you trying to do? If you only wanted me expelled, you wouldn't have come here to say all this, would you?"

Ryuen kept his expression unchanged, still putting up a brave front.

"That's a pretty good expression. You look every bit the defeated loser."

"As for what I want you to do, let me think. You don't have to do anything. Just stick to the original plan."

"You already know my plan?"

"No. Just tell me when you arranged to meet Karuizawa."

"That's it? What are you really up to?"

"You don't need to worry about that. I only do things that interest me. You know?"

"And don't try anything clever. I've got something on you."

With his back to Ryuen, Nagami tilted his phone to show the photo on its screen.

"I'm just from an ordinary family."

Ayanokoji said, his expression blank.

"The traitor during the VIP Exam was Kushida?"

"Mm-hmm, I know. That's why I came today—to make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut. I've got dirt on Class C too."

Nagami looked at Ryuen, who was passed out on the ground, and mourned him for three seconds.

"How did you know I suspected Kushida was the traitor, Nagami?"

"Did she even tell you about the clothes? It seems Kushida really does trust you completely, Nagami."

"Correct! Correct! But Ayanokoji, I didn't come here to cause trouble today. I just wanted to tell you that Kushida's turned over a new leaf."

"Sugoi. I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

Ayanokoji sighed. He hadn't expected someone with such a twisted personality to be capable of changing. He couldn't help but grow curious about Nagami's character. Since he lacked experience with emotions, he wondered how Nagami had managed to reform Kushida, who had been darkness incarnate.

"No wonder Kushida stopped harassing Horikita for a while, and her personality changed so much. Was it all thanks to you, Nagami?"

"That's right, that's right. I put a lot of thought into setting little Kikyo straight. You can't tell from the outside, but I'm more meticulous than a needle's point. I understand girls better than girls understand themselves."

Could the rumor that Nagami had once worked as a host in Tokyo actually be true? Ayanokoji began to wonder.

"You went to all this trouble just to explain Kushida's situation? It feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

"Ah, yeah, that's one reason."

"Then what's the real reason...?"

Nagami tossed his drink can into the trash, then swung a fist at the air.

"I've wanted to spar with you for a long time."

A showdown between real men was about to begin!

"Then watch out!"

"Wait, don't fight!"

Karuizawa tried to stop them. After everything that had happened, Karuizawa Kei was utterly bewildered, her mind in a complete muddle.

A bead of cold sweat ran down Nagami's face. He'd actually forgotten they had an audience.

The mood was perfect for it; it would feel wrong not to fight. Karuizawa, you've been watching all this time. When Class C was getting beaten up, weren't you just standing there silently watching?

Can Karuizawa keep her mouth shut?

Nagami wondered.

"Are you hurt, Karuizawa?"

"I'm fine. Nothing happened."

"If you're all right, go on back. I have something to discuss with Nagami."

"Are you sure you won't start fighting?"

"Mm. We won't fight."

Karuizawa slowly made her way toward the stairs. Her footsteps grew quieter and quieter until they disappeared.

(Of course we won't fight. It's just a normal spar.)

"Ayanokoji, is there something important you wanted to tell me?"

Nagami looked at Ayanokoji with a puzzled expression.

"Actually, I used to think you might be an assassin sent by the White Room. But after observing you and spending time with you, I realized I might have been wrong."

"The White Room? Is it connected to the White House in America?"

At the words "White Room," Nagami furrowed his brow and asked.

"They have nothing to do with each other. But I want to make a deal with you!"

Ayanokoji suggested.

"Oh? What kind of deal?"

"If I win, you have to explain in detail how you changed Kushida's personality."

Ayanokoji spoke seriously.

"Is that all? It's not a secret. If you're that interested, then sure, I'll tell you."

"If I win, you have to tell me what the White Room is!"

"Deal!"

The autumn wind carried a hint of winter chill as it drifted past the treetops. Fallen leaves swept through the air like blades, slicing through it with sharp, crisp whistles.

The world was strangely quiet. Only the wind and the occasional birdsong in the distance broke the silence, as if even nature were holding its breath for the coming showdown.

Ayanokoji took off his jacket, freeing himself from the confines of his fitted school uniform.

Two students who prized strength above all else faced off. Their auras clashed, making it hard not to hold one's breath.

The cold wind carried fine dust, swirling through the empty space between them as if setting the stage for their fight. They watched each other's every move. The tension seemed to weigh down the air until it was still.

"Hmph~"

Nagami smirked. Since crossing over, he'd rarely felt his heart race and excitement surge through his body.

There were no spectators cheering, and no spotlights shining down on a ring. Just two people alone, sparring.

"Then watch out!"

Nagami made the first move, walking forward at an unhurried pace. The instant he crossed the distance between them, he suddenly sped up!