Horikita Manabu and the Chairman

The reason Ryuuen had been invited to meet Kujo on the rooftop while carrying a weapon wasn't hard to guess.

If Kujo wasn't good with weapons, he would lose to Ryuuen.

If Kujo was good with weapons and injured Ryuuen, all Ryuuen had to do was accuse him of deliberately hurting someone, and Kujo would risk being expelled.

If Kujo was good with weapons and happened not to leave any visible injuries, Ryuuen could use a weapon bearing Kujo's fingerprints to hurt himself and force Kujo to drop out.

It was the kind of strategy only someone like Ryuuen could come up with.

Unfortunately, Ryuuen was the sort of person who wanted a complete victory.

When faced with an opponent he absolutely had to beat, he didn't just care about the result. He was even more absorbed in watching his schemes succeed, savoring the look on his enemy's face as they were thwarted. Only then could he satisfy his own twisted feelings.

Now that Kujo had called out his plan, Ryuuen had lost the chance to use that method in the future.

At least he wouldn't hurt himself.

That was because Ryuuen still had some pride left in him.

That was why he couldn't reach the level of the original Ayanokoji.

That was what Kujo believed.

As for the iron rod, Kujo ultimately chose to destroy it.

"So? Why is it that whenever I'm not by your side, you get hurt, Kujo-kun?"

Hiyori took out an alcohol pad. Her words were reproachful, but her hands moved with unusual gentleness.

Kujo had nothing to say.

He felt like anything he said now would sound like an excuse.

But for some reason, apologizing was forbidden, too.

All Kujo could do was stay silent.

Then Hiyori took out an iodine swab and some gauze, and began giving Kujo a simple bandage.

"Are you really not going to explain, Kujo-kun? Do you think I won't get angry? Or do you think you did nothing wrong and I'm just making a fuss?"

Kujo looked away.

He could only say something, anything.

"I was thinking about what clothes to buy you, and I tripped."

?

"Lying is bad."

The sudden tightening of the gauze made the girl's displeasure clear.

Kujo continued lying helplessly.

"I think you look good in anything, Hiyori, but I like you best in your school uniform. I got distracted thinking about it."

"..."

Kujo changed the subject.

"Hiyori, exams are coming up. Teach me the material."

Hiyori looked at Kujo's flushed ear tips. The girl sighed, then spoke with affectionate resignation.

"I guess there's no helping you, Kujo-kun."

"Is that a no?"

"You'd better keep up with me, dummy."

The Student Council.

Horikita Manabu finished the weekly meeting as usual.

As everyone began filing out of the conference room, Horikita Manabu called Ichinose over.

The commotion the first-years had caused lately had eventually reached Horikita Manabu's ears.

Classes B, C, and D had organized study sessions.

Class A had begun tutoring First-Year Class A, with help from the upperclassmen—especially Class A's Nagumo from the second year.

Horikita Manabu already had his suspicions, but he still wanted to test the younger Ichinose standing before him.

"I heard you've been organizing study sessions lately. Did you know that in past midterm exams, classes with a high enough average score received a substantial reward in Class Points at the end of the following month?"

As a third-year student and Student Council president, Horikita Manabu upheld the school rules that generations of Student Council presidents had safeguarded. Naturally, he had plenty of experience and lessons to draw on.

He had deliberately shared information known only to upperclassmen, hoping to gauge Ichinose's reaction.

Clearly, Ichinose hadn't expected the usually impartial Student Council president to tell her about the exams.

For a moment, she failed to maintain her smile.

Her expression wasn't one of delight at unexpectedly learning about the exams. It was pure worry: Why are you telling me this? Are the rules about to change?

In short, it came down to whether her brows were raised or lowered.

Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses and continued.

"Looks like you already knew. So are you organizing the lower-ranking classes to challenge Class A together?"

Ichinose quickly composed herself and explained to President Horikita.

"The exams are coming up soon. It may be last-minute cramming, but we want to work together and study as a group. It's better for the learning atmosphere when everyone gets together to discuss the material."

Horikita Manabu continued asking questions.

"Class C is involved, too. Can I assume this plan was suggested by Kujo?"

Ichinose resumed her usual smile and gave him a vague answer.

"I'm not sure what you mean, President."

Looking at the changed Ichinose, Horikita Manabu sighed.

"You really are different from before."

Horikita Manabu could no longer easily tell whether Ichinose was lying.

But there was a simple way to find out.

Horikita Manabu took out his phone and called Kujo in front of Ichinose.

"Hello."

The sound of the call came through the speaker, and Ichinose's smile vanished again.

"This is Horikita Manabu. I heard you've been organizing study sessions for the first-years. Need any help?"

"You think Sun Wukong went to see the Buddha before becoming king?"

"Fine. If you need anything, come to me."

As Horikita Manabu hung up, Ichinose hugged the files in her arms.

Horikita Manabu spoke to Ichinose.

"Understand? You don't need to be so wary of me. My relationship with Kujo isn't as bad as you think."

Ichinose swallowed.

In the end, she let her guard down and spoke to President Horikita.

"Sorry, President. Yes, you're right. Kujo wants all of us to maintain good grades on the midterms, so he asked me to get everyone working together."

Horikita Manabu reminded her.

"What if I hadn't called Kujo just now, and had used a synthesized voice instead?"

Ichinose fell silent again.

Horikita Manabu smiled.

In his eyes, the younger student before him would become this school's Student Council president two years from now.

Horikita Manabu had high hopes for Ichinose.

And Horikita Manabu had to admit that he had misjudged someone again.

He had misjudged Kujo Makoto.

When Nagumo first joined the Student Council, Horikita Manabu had recognized his academic ability and drive. But after Nagumo entered his second year, his ambitions had gradually grown, eventually becoming extreme.

If Nagumo grew into the role of Student Council president, the school's expulsion rate would probably skyrocket.

Every generation of Student Council presidents had upheld the school's rules.

By the previous generation, the school's expulsion rate had finally stabilized within certain limits.

Horikita Manabu was confident he could make the school even better this year.

He just hadn't expected this year's first-years to be even more remarkable than Nagumo had been.

They had united the entire year group in just one month?

It seemed the school really was about to change.

Horikita Manabu couldn't change other people's ideals, nor could he ignore the changing times.

As Student Council president, Horikita Manabu would share all his thoughts with someone worthy of his trust.

"It's all right. Take your time. There's plenty of time ahead. You still have endless room to grow, Ichinose. You should learn more from Kujo. Among this year's first-years, he's a particularly unusual one."

Horikita Manabu's voice was gentler than usual. Rather than the Student Council president speaking as he usually did, it sounded more like an older student giving advice before graduation.

Ichinose nodded.

Horikita Manabu continued his assessment of Kujo.

"Not only is the way Kujo speaks strange, but ordinary recordings don't work on him. When he skips class, his movements are even harder to predict, so following him would be pointless. He also knows the school rules very well. I expect he'll be the person who gives you the most trouble in the future."

Ichinose looked thoughtful.

Horikita Manabu couldn't help recalling the first time he had met Kujo.

Back then, Kujo had asked him for the midterm exam papers.

Horikita Manabu had indeed given them to him.

He had assumed Kujo would use them to make some Class Points at most.

Did he have a bigger plan in mind?

Someone who knew the rules inside out but couldn't be controlled was bound to turn the school upside down.

That was what Horikita Manabu believed.

When Horikita Manabu returned to his seat, the desk phone in front of him rang.

The caller was none other than the school's chairman, Chairman Sakayanagi—Sakayanagi Narimori.

"Come by."

It was a simple, direct instruction.

Horikita Manabu immediately prepared to go.

The chairman's office.

The door was open.

Horikita Manabu stood outside, knocked, bowed, and announced himself.

"Excuse me, Chairman. I'm Horikita Manabu, a third-year student."

Chairman Sakayanagi told Horikita Manabu not to be so formal and to sit wherever he liked.

Horikita Manabu sat down on the sofa.

Then Chairman Sakayanagi asked him about many recent events at the school.

Horikita Manabu answered truthfully and without hesitation.

But when Chairman Sakayanagi asked about this year's first-years, Horikita Manabu faltered for a few seconds.

Chairman Sakayanagi asked him:

"Manabu, what do you think of this year's first-year students?"

After a long pause, Horikita Manabu gave an honest assessment.

"This year's first-years quickly grasped the school's rules. Not long after the school year began, they took the most direct approach and shared information. Within their first month, all four classes had built up an astonishing reserve of points."

Chairman Sakayanagi then asked two questions.

"Do you think the school should raise the difficulty of the exams to target this year's first-years? And which of this year's first-year students do you have the highest opinion of?"

Horikita Manabu answered honestly.

"So far, I haven't seen any first-years obtain school information through improper means. In my opinion, whether the school should take action depends on whether its approach to educating students should vary from person to person."

"As for this year's first-years, Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A should be the most outstanding student in her year. Not only did she manage to unite the dissenting voices in her class within a month, she also came up with strategies to deal with the school's rules. From the very beginning, her classmates' behavior has met the standards of top students. Given their own qualities, they probably would have earned excellent evaluations in their first month even without any special source of information."

Chairman Sakayanagi listened with interest and signaled for Horikita Manabu to continue.

"Also, for the upcoming midterms, while Classes B, C, and D were organizing a joint study group, Sakayanagi Arisu immediately contacted Nagumo from the second year to discuss things. I imagine Nagumo agreed to help a junior in need out of a sense of responsibility as a member of the Student Council."

There was one more thing Horikita Manabu didn't say.

Sakayanagi Arisu was clearly just using Nagumo.

He would probably be cast aside as soon as she confirmed that he wanted to meddle in the first-years' affairs.

It was a thoroughly open and aboveboard scheme.

This was a declaration of war by First-Year Class A against the second-years.