Chapter 72: 71 Sakayanagi Alliance, Strike!

Ken Sudō said to himself.

With the midterm exams fast approaching, time was running out for him to continue his reckless behavior.

However, in the instant he looked up, he caught a glimpse of a figure on the sidelines out of the corner of his eye— Horikita Suzune.

She stood there quietly, her black hair fluttering in the breeze, her gaze fixed on him.

"Varied...?!"

He was startled, and his hands paused for a moment.

The next moment, the basketball slammed into his face.

"Bang!"

"Ken Sudō! What exactly are you doing?!"

The roar of the senior members of the club almost blew the roof off the gymnasium.

Ken Sudō covered his burning nose, staggered back two steps, but still couldn't help looking towards the sidelines.

Horikita Suzune seemed surprised to have distracted him, her eyes widening slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

Why is she here?

Ken Sudō's mind was in complete chaos.

Sunlight streamed through the high windows of the gymnasium, casting a long shadow of Horikita Suzune.

She sat in the far corner, a book open on her lap, but her gaze never left the court.

After practice, the taps in the locker room were running loudly.

Ken Sudō buried his face in the cold water, trying to cool his burning cheeks and chaotic thoughts.

Water droplets fell from his hair, blooming into transparent splashes on the floor tiles.

"What am I doing...?"

Ken Sudō stared at himself in the mirror—his swollen nose, messy short red hair, and those confused eyes.

"Hateful!"

Ken Sudō slammed his fist on the sink, the pain in his knuckles bringing him back to his senses slightly.

When Ken Sudō walked out of the basketball court, it was already dark.

The early summer evening breeze carried a slight coolness, dispelling the lingering heat from his body.

He lowered his head, kicking at the pebbles on the roadside with mixed feelings.

"Sudo."

A cool, clear female voice suddenly came from the side.

His body stiffened abruptly, and he quickly looked up.

Horikita Suzune stood at the entrance of the basketball court, holding a notebook in her hand.

In the twilight, her figure appeared exceptionally frail.

"You"

Ken Sudō's voice was stuck in his throat.

He instinctively took a half step back, momentarily at a loss for words.

Horikita Suzune stepped forward and handed him the notebook.

"These are my notes." Her tone was still indifferent, but her voice was softer than usual. "I've marked the important parts. If you review using these, you should be able to understand them faster."

Ken Sudō froze, looking down at the notebook.

She... specially prepared notes for him?

And was it after that conflict?

Ken Sudō's pupils dilated slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

His heart suddenly raced, and a strange tightness gripped his chest.

This feeling is very unfamiliar.

It wasn't anger, it wasn't defensiveness, but rather...?

"Why?"

"I asked in a low voice, "Ken Sudō asked.

He tried to make his voice sound as rough as usual, but the last syllable trembled slightly uncontrollably.

Noticing that his fingers were unconsciously tugging at the hem of his clothes, he quickly let go and put his hands in his pockets.

At this moment, Ken Sudō both anticipated and feared the answer.

Horikita Suzune remained silent for a while before speaking.

"... I also bear responsibility for what happened the day before yesterday. I was teaching you for my own sake, and I hope you can study hard for your own sake as well."

Ken Sudō gripped the notebook tightly, the edges of the pages digging painfully into his palm.

He recalled the Matoba his angry departure a few days ago, and Yukimura Teruhiko and Horikita Suzune had been teaching him very seriously, but he had given up because of a moment of impulse.

"I"

Ken Sudō opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

Horikita Suzune glanced at him, then turned to leave.

"Horikita!"

Ken Sudō suddenly called out to her, his voice more urgent than she had expected.

She stopped, but didn't turn around.

The streetlights enveloped her, casting a long shadow on the ground.

"... Thanks."

"I can't help but say it, "Ken Sudō said in a low voice, his voice tinged with regret and gratitude.

These two words seemed to have exhausted all his courage, and his shoulders slumped slightly after he finished speaking.

Horikita Suzune paused slightly, then gave a soft "hmm" and walked away.

Her footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing into the night on campus.

A night breeze blew by, Ken Sudō stood there, looking down at the notebook in his hand.

His heart began to pound again, and an indescribable emotion spread through his chest.

At that moment, Ken Sudō felt something strike his heart hard.

He recalled a Japanese drama he had once watched, "Delinquent and the White Cane Girl".

The first time that delinquent boy with the always fierce look was treated with sincerity.

That's roughly it—shock, bewilderment, yet an irresistible urge to believe.

The leaves rustled, Ken Sudō didn't know when he had left.

Back in his dorm, he sat at his desk and carefully opened his notebook.

The care put into organizing each page is evident, with some sections even using simpler language to explain things, clearly taking his comprehension into account.

"I..." His voice choked, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the notebook. "I should say sorry. I was too impulsive..."

A surge of emotion welled up in my eyes.

Ken Sudō quickly lowered his head, his bangs falling down to cover his eyes.

Even though he was alone in the room, he couldn't help but want to hide.

His chest heaved violently, as if he had just finished running a marathon.

He pulled his right hand out of his pocket and unconsciously gripped the front of his shirt, his knuckles turning white from the force.

A bead of sweat slid down his temple and dripped along his taut jawline.

His throat tightened, as if something was stuck there, something he couldn't spit out or swallow.

Ken Sudō was born into a broken home.

The day his mother, who worked as a hostess, ran away from home, he stood at the door, watching the figure in red high heels disappear around the street corner.

From that moment on, he resolved to become strong.

He transformed himself into the person he is today—a "problem student" with a bad temper who throws punches at the drop of a hat.

After all, in an environment where school bullying is rampant, transforming from an ordinary victim into a hedgehog that no one dares to mess with is the most effective survival strategy.

The image of his father, quietly working as a cleaner, once made him feel nauseous and want to vomit.

So cowardly, so submissive, you deserve to be looked down upon.

Ken Sudō wasn't very bright and gave up on his studies early on.

Because of his excellent physique, he devoted all his energy to sports.

Initially, he liked individual sports like tennis or table tennis, but something always felt off.

He can grasp the essentials easily, but he knows very well that he can't become a top player.

Perhaps it's a matter of compatibility, but he always felt a bit awkward when actually exercising.

Until he came into contact with basketball—although he was not good at teamwork, miraculously, only basketball allowed him to accept failure and keep trying.

On the court, he doesn't need to be aggressive; he just needs to focus on every shot and every defensive play.

When the nation's top basketball powerhouse offered him a sports-based admission, he thought his life was finally about to take a turn for the better.

However, he instigated a violent incident, resulting in his recommendation for admission being null and void.

At that moment, he finally realized what it meant to be transformed from a beast of burden.

The hedgehog's quills, along with the honeypot's fierce and aggressive nature, protected him, but also limited him.

So he never imagined that this moment would come when, after someone was hurt by his stabbing, there would actually be someone... willing to give him another chance.

Ken Sudō's fingers gently traced the neat handwriting on the notebook. The solution steps were so detailed they were almost verbose, as if afraid that Sudo Ken would not understand them.

His vision blurred, and a drop of water fell onto the paper, spreading the blue ink.

"Tomorrow..." He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse, "Tomorrow I must properly apologize to Horikita."

Outside the window, cherry blossoms bloomed quietly in the night.

For the first time, Ken Sudō felt that even his heart, as hard as iron, seemed to be beginning to melt.

Chapter 72 71 Sakayanagi Alliance, Attack!

The following day, Ken Sudō apologized to Horikita Suzune, Yukimura Teruhiko, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and others.

Several people forgave him.

The study session was held again.

Class B.

Sunlight streamed obliquely into the classroom through the glass windows.

Sakayanagi Arisu leaned against the window, her slender fingers gently caressing the chess pieces, her silver hair gleaming coldly in the light.

Sanada K-sei and Morimiya stood opposite her; the atmosphere between the three seemed relaxed, yet it concealed a sharp edge.

"Your Highness, your subordinates have betrayed you."

Sanada K-sei suddenly lowered his voice, a playful smile playing on his lips.

His gaze passed over Sakayanagi and landed on the other side of the classroom— Hashimoto Masayoshi was talking quietly with Katsuragi K-hei, both of them looking serious, clearly discussing something.

Morimiya raised an eyebrow slightly, crossed his arms, leaned against the table, and spoke in a flippant tone.

"Hashimoto Masayoshi? He certainly knows how to pick his timing."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't turn around; she simply paused, and the chess piece landed on the board with a "tap."

She smiled, her voice soft yet carrying an undeniable calmness.