Conflict, Invitation

"What do you mean by that!"

In the library, Sudo slammed his hands on the table and glared furiously at Horikita Suzune, who sat across from him.

Horikita didn't care about Sudo's anger. With a calm expression, she sneered, "I mean exactly what I said. I'm not trying to deny what you all think, but watching you act so foolishly that even middle schoolers would be astonished is just pitiful."

"Huh? What's it got to do with you!" Sudo was furious, but he still had a sliver of reason left. The frustration of not being able to answer the questions, along with the humiliation of making such a fool of himself in front of so many people, had nearly pushed him to his limit.

"Whatever. We've got the answers now, so who cares? Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time on this in the first place." Sudo started packing up. "Studying's completely useless anyway."

"Studying's completely useless? I can't believe you'd say something like that." Horikita's gaze turned icy. She knew she shouldn't have listened to Ayanokoji. Tutoring this group was a waste of time.

"You only do the parts that benefit you. What do you think you'll accomplish like that? I remember you like basketball, right? I bet you play by focusing only on what works in your favor. You rely entirely on your physical advantages and avoid anything that takes hard practice. Then, during a game, you use cheap tricks and foul your opponents to get them taken off the court. And with a personality that completely disregards everyone around you, I can't help wondering what kind of blind coach would choose you as a regular."

Even seeing Sudo's undisguised fury, Horikita didn't change her manner of speaking. She continued her scathing criticism of his flaws.

"You!" Sudo sprang up and grabbed Horikita by the collar. Their verbal spat was on the verge of turning violent.

"Sudo!" Kushida Kikyo wrapped her arms around Sudo's, trying to calm him down.

"Heh. So you're resorting to violence because you're embarrassed? Fine, but you can deal with the consequences yourself." Horikita didn't seem bothered by him gripping her collar. She was clearly confident in herself and looked like she had some training.

"Okay, stop. Please, both of you, stop." A girl stepped in to break up the fight. Her cherry-pink hair revealed her identity: Ichinose Honami of Class 1-B.

"This is a library, so please keep it down."

Though Ichinose was stating the obvious, her gaze flicked toward Sawahara, who was watching the altercation.

Sawahara had no intention of getting involved. Whatever the outcome, the conflict couldn't hurt him.

"Tch." Noticing the eyes on him, Sudo suppressed his anger, grabbed his schoolbag, and left the library.

Several of the other struggling students followed right behind him. Seeing this, Kushida hurried after them.

And just like that, the conflict came to nothing. With someone there to stop them, there was no way they'd start fighting again.

"Sawahara, you're just going to watch?" Once the conflict was over, Ichinose didn't return to her class's seats. Instead, she walked over to Sawahara.

"What else? For now, I have no intention of making things worse." Sawahara didn't see any reason to further sabotage a study group that had already fallen apart.

"Huh?! Shouldn't you be trying to stop them at a time like this?" Ichinose stared at Sawahara in disbelief.

"Why would you think that?" Sawahara was baffled. Between competitors, simply refraining from kicking someone when they were down was already considered noble. What sense did it make to help them?

"Because we're all classmates, so we should help each other... You don't actually think that way, do you, Ichinose?"

"What's wrong with thinking that?" Ichinose replied.

"..." Sawahara was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "You really are an interesting person, Ichinose."

"Huh?"

She really was a rare specimen. She didn't consider anyone's position or think about her own interests; she just acted out of a simple, natural kindness. Sawahara had never met anyone like her.

He couldn't help wondering what drove her. If it was just kindness, that seemed like a rather flimsy motive. Did it have something to do with her past? The influence of her home environment? Her parents' guidance? Or something else?

Humans... They were so complicated and hard to understand.

"Sawahara?" Seeing him lost in thought, Ichinose waved a hand to bring him back to the present.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a moment." Sawahara realized he'd gotten a little too absorbed in his own thoughts, so he apologized.

"It's okay." Ichinose shook her head, showing she didn't mind.

"About what you said earlier, Sawahara... I still think that even if we're competing, even if our classes have to decide who comes out on top, we can still be friends. We just have to give our all for our own classes in the class competition."

That was what Ichinose believed: business was business, and personal relationships were personal.

It might make sense in theory, but not everything in the world worked according to reason. Suspicion didn't require evidence. If the class failed, would her classmates blame it on someone leaking information? Besides...

"Ichinose, do you really understand the position you're in..." Sawahara trailed off. As the class leader, she occupied a critical position, and she had to be extremely careful in everything she did.

"I know." Ichinose understood exactly what position she was in. Her classmates had trusted her and put her in that role, entrusting her with all their hopes and responsibilities.

"But would Sawahara leak information from his own class?"

Sawahara shook his head. He would only give them a "gift." He wouldn't hand over information.

"Neither would I, so there's no problem." Ichinose smiled brightly.

Sawahara was at a loss for words. Ichinose's wholehearted trust moved him. Was that what he wanted to learn?

"I really can't argue with that," Sawahara sighed. "Then I look forward to getting along with you from now on, Ichinose."

"Likewise, Sawahara."

"Ichinose, there's something I..." Just as Sawahara was about to say something to Ichinose, another voice interrupted them.

"Do you have some time later? I need to talk to you." Horikita Suzune spoke up from the side.

After the study group broke up, Horikita Suzune had planned to leave right away. But she happened to spot Sawahara and changed her mind.

Since Sawahara hadn't given his name before, she hadn't known where to start looking for him. Now that she'd run into him by chance, she naturally had to seize the opportunity.

Sawahara quickly figured out what Horikita Suzune wanted and answered her.

"Sorry, I already have plans."