Better to Go in Person Than Watch the Broadcast

The suffocating silence in Class D's classroom continued to build.

Ken Sudō slumped in his seat like a soulless plaster statue.

His face was terrifyingly pale, and his lips trembled as he repeatedly mumbled desperate words no one could make out:

"How is this possible... Thirty-nine points... I studied everything..."

Hirata Yosuke stood beside the podium, fists clenched and brow knotted, but he was just as helpless.

He looked around, his gaze passing over face after face—some lowered to avoid his eyes, others furtively exchanging glances.

No one dared break the heavy silence, as though whoever spoke first would have to shoulder an unbearable responsibility.

In the middle of the back row, Lin Mu rested his chin on one hand.

With the white plastic stick from his last lollipop in his mouth, he listlessly rolled it around with his tongue.

His gaze drifted over the classroom before finally landing on Ayanokoji, sitting nearby with his usual blank expression and a posture as straight as a mannequin's.

He sure was calm.

Lin Mu grumbled to himself, his fingertips idly tapping the desktop.

His ability to foresee the future had already told him how this scene would end, but witnessing the absurdity of the whole class sitting in silence still made him feel a little... bored.

It was so boring. Like watching a mystery drama when you already knew the answer, seeing the characters rack their brains only made you want to fast-forward.

Ayanokoji seemed to notice Lin Mu's gaze—or perhaps he simply happened to need to make a certain decision at that moment. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji slowly turned his head.

Their eyes met briefly.

There wasn't a hint of emotion in Ayanokoji's eyes. They were like two bottomless wells.

Lin Mu gave him a faint smile, tinged with the lazy air of someone who saw right through everything, and a hint of amusement that said, "I know what you're about to do."

Ayanokoji paused and blinked.

Then he returned a perfectly mechanical smile, the angle of his lips so precise it looked measured with a ruler, while his eyes remained utterly lifeless.

They exchanged no words, not even a nod, yet it felt as if they had silently confirmed something between them: You think it's time for this act to move on to the next scene, too, don't you?

The next second, Ayanokoji calmly stood up.

He took his time, first straightening the hem of his uniform shirt and smoothing out wrinkles that weren't there.

Then he headed for the classroom door. Judging by the direction he was going, he was clearly planning to catch up with Chabashira Sae, who had just left.

Kikyo Kushida, who had been watching the class closely, immediately noticed something unusual.

She had been anxiously biting her lower lip, her hands clasped tightly together. The moment Ayanokoji stood up,

a spark of hope flared in her eyes. Had he thought of a way to save Sudo?

"Ayanokoji, you..."

She didn't get to finish.

Ayanokoji kept walking and, without turning around, said simply:

"Sorry, I need to use the restroom."

By the time he finished speaking, he had already opened the classroom door and slipped outside, then gently closed it behind him.

The soft click cut off Kushida's unfinished question.

Kikyo Kushida froze, the urgency on her face giving way to bewilderment.

Frowning, she kept staring at the closed door, her mind racing.

Was he really going to the restroom? At a time like this? But... wasn't the restroom in the other direction?

She thought it over for a few seconds, her lips moving slightly, but in the end she said nothing.

She simply sighed and turned her worried gaze back to Ken Sudō, who was still sitting there, looking utterly dejected.

As soon as Ayanokoji left, Suzune Horikita, seated beside him, snapped shut the notebook spread across her desk.

The sound rang out sharply in the deathly quiet classroom, drawing glances from several nearby students.

She stood up without changing expression, her uniform skirt swinging in a crisp arc as she spoke in a cool tone:

"I'm going to the restroom, too."

Without looking at anyone, she headed straight for the classroom door, her steps brisk, her back straight and aloof.

Oh? The show's starting!

(Quick quiz: who in the Alliance said this line?)

Lin Mu took it all in, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.

Interesting. One after another, they were choosing this moment to go to the "restroom," and both were heading in the direction Chabashira had gone. That was a little too deliberate.

Well, rather than sit here and use his ability to see what happened next—even though he'd already seen it—he might as well go see for himself.

Sitting around and daydreaming in the classroom was far too boring, and besides...

With that thought, Lin Mu slowly stood up, too.

He was much more languid than the first two. He even pulled a grape-flavored lollipop from his pocket.

He held it up as if to say this was the last one for today, unwrapped it, popped it into his mouth, and only then set off.

Kikyo Kushida glanced toward the back row again.

This time, along with confusion, there was a hint of resignation in her eyes. Another one?

Lin Mu met her gaze and raised a hand in a "don't worry" gesture, then casually tossed out:

"I'm going to the restroom, too."

His tone made it sound perfectly natural, as if this really were the ideal time for a group bathroom outing.

(The restroom group outing bit)

Kushida stared at the three suddenly empty seats in the back row: Ayanokoji, Horikita, and Lin Mu.

The corner of her mouth twitched as she grumbled to herself: What were the odds? Three people all needed the restroom at once, and they were all heading in the same direction... It was hard not to read something into that.

She shook her head, banishing the thought, and refocused on the state of the class before her.

With the lollipop in his mouth, Lin Mu strolled out of the classroom and soon caught up with Suzune Horikita at a corner in the hallway.

She was following Ayanokoji at a distance, but the way she kept her eyes fixed on his back made it clear she wasn't really going to "take care of business."

Lin Mu hurried a few steps, reached out, and lightly patted her shoulder.

Horikita tensed all over like a startled cat and spun around.

Her gaze was sharp as ice, full of wariness and hostility, as though she were ready to deal with anything that might happen.

But when she saw it was Lin Mu, some of the edge faded. Her tone remained cold and distant, perfectly in keeping with her usual manner:

"Lin Mu, what is it?"

Her voice held clear displeasure. She obviously didn't like being approached from behind without warning.

Lin Mu lifted his chin, pointing toward the other end of the hallway as he spoke casually:

"Horikita, this isn't the way to the restroom."

He paused, looking at the slight furrow in Horikita's brow, then continued in an unhurried tone:

"The restroom's over there. You and Ayanokoji aren't really going for the restroom, are you?"

He drew out the last word, shifting the lollipop to the other side of his mouth and puffing out one cheek.

"You're both trying to keep Sudo from getting expelled, right?"

Horikita's brow furrowed even more.

She neither denied nor confirmed it, simply casting him a cold glance. Her eyes clearly said, "It's none of your business."

She obviously didn't want anyone to see through her intentions, much less cause complications at a time like this.

Lin Mu shrugged and slid his hands back into his uniform pockets, his tone still lazy.

"I don't mean anything by it. I'm just bored and want to see what happens."

He nodded toward the hallway ahead, where Ayanokoji had already disappeared around the stairwell. "I won't interfere. I'll just follow along and watch. Want to come?"

Horikita fell silent for a few seconds.

Her gaze lingered on Lin Mu's face, as if she were assessing his intentions.

In the end, she said nothing. She simply turned around and continued walking—that was as good as permission.

The two followed one behind the other, keeping their distance like a pair of conspirators, quietly trailing Ayanokoji and Chabashira Sae, who was farther ahead.

They crossed the quiet hallway, climbed the stairs, and finally reached the entrance to the rooftop.

(Activity period: May 1 to May 5)