Samurai Duel

Class C was a bunch of delinquents, the very bottom of society's pecking order—worse than even the honest, hardworking types. They had no proper jobs and spent all their time loafing around. If they wanted to buy a cup of milk tea, they had to call all their friends together; it took five of them to scrape together enough money,

So here's the question: under this school's strict hierarchy, what kind of person was even worse than a delinquent?

My name is Beihai, and I'm currently at a school with a clearly defined pecking order. Let me reveal the secret,

Up ahead was Kikyo Kushida, hailed as an angel in Class D. She was easy to get along with—so easy that even if you poured juice on her head, she'd forgive you as long as you apologized,

She smiled every day, and her greatest wish was for everyone to be friends,

But once she arrived in the little grove, she dropped the act completely and kicked the railing again and again,

The expression on her face was anything but gentle. It was almost ferocious, and she looked a bit like a female ghost. The words spilling from her mouth were even more vicious,

"Damn it! Damn it! Suzune Horikita, you bitch! What the hell are you pretending for? And those three disgusting creeps—they're beyond saving. Useless, perverted, and seeing them every day makes me want to throw up,

You lose your minds just because a bitch bats her eyelashes at you. Sour radishes aren't for eating!"

Ayanokouji's eyes widened. He seemed unable to believe it. He'd thought Beihai was already the master of disguises at this school, but he'd never imagined there was someone even better!

He'd thought he could live like an ordinary student at this school, especially since he always kept his exam scores low. Then he met Beihai,

His abilities were formidable. It took only a few sentences for him to thoroughly figure out your personality and motives. Talking to Beihai felt like standing there naked,

And as for his physical build, although Ayanokouji wasn't sure why Beihai always looked sickly and sleep-deprived, his strength and reflexes were definitely no joke. They'd crossed the line between human and monster,

Only someone like that could get along with Beihai. They both knew that, if necessary, they could cut ties completely in an instant,

But he hadn't expected this school to have not only a hidden dragon but also a crouching phoenix. Now a third one had appeared,

Ayanokouji knew all too well that without comparison, there was no sense of just how much worse you were. Compared with these two masters of disguise, he was still too green—like an elementary school student,

"This is really surprising. Which one of them is the real you?"

"What's there to be real about? You're in Class D. You should've realized everyone in that class is a freak,

"What kind of person is worse than a delinquent? Naturally, someone with a defect that ordinary people can't tolerate. That includes you."

Ayanokouji didn't quite follow. Beihai's words left him deep in thought. What did he mean, that it included him?

It was like that joke online: to get back together with my boyfriend, I not only had to contribute money, but also bring my best friend along when I killed myself. So do I have to do it too?

Or was he one of them too?

Seeing Ayanokouji's expression, Beihai shook his head in boredom. Wasn't that just how it was?

A perfectly good, beautiful girl with long black hair went around stabbing people with a compass. Who else could put up with that except this guy?

And if there was one, there was bound to be another. Whether you called it the law of extremes or put it more simply: if you stepped on a cockroach, you should realize your house was already crawling with them,

Beihai didn't feel much of anything. Ayanokouji gave a slight nod, and just as the two of them were about to leave, the poker-faced girl's phone suddenly rang,

Beihai stopped and glanced at him. For some reason, even Ayanokouji could read the look on Beihai's face: You're really that bold? You're doing something in secret and you didn't even silence your phone?

In the dark, empty surroundings, that little ding sounded incredibly loud. There was no question that one of them had to go out there and take the fall,

"What are you looking at me for? You'd better get the hell out there. Getting tangled up with someone like her is a pain."

Ayanokouji didn't change his expression,

"Maybe we have other options. I'm confident when it comes to math and other subjects."

"So what? This is a completely different situation, okay?"

The two of them were locked in a standoff. Ayanokouji certainly wasn't going to step outside,

Just as Beihai had said, she was trouble. But could he handle her on his own?

He already had Suzune Horikita as a female friend, and that alone was enough to make his head spin. If another one came along—and one who was this good at acting—who knew when she might blow up?

While the two of them were still at an impasse, Kikyo Kushida wasn't going to wait for them to reach a decision,

This was the deepest secret in her heart. After transferring schools, she'd thought that meant a new life, like establishing a new persona at the start of a school year,

Her persona collapsing now would be a minor issue. But if word got out, it would bring her irreversible disaster,

So when she heard a sound, she immediately went over without a second thought and caught them both,

"You two heard everything?"

Once Kikyo Kushida realized they'd seen through her, she dropped the act too. Her expression fell, and her words lost all their former sweetness and warmth,

"Ayanokouji, what are you doing here? Kikyo Kushida, you're here too. What's going on between you two?"

Beihai got into character in a second, looking utterly confused, as though he'd only just arrived and had no idea what was going on,

He looked at the two of them with the same startled expression as someone who'd unexpectedly run into them while out for a walk,

Kikyo Kushida glanced at Beihai, and some of her suspicions faded. After all, his established image was certainly useful: a bookworm and a gloomy shut-in,

Besides, he looked like an unimportant person who'd already been won over. His reaction now was perfectly normal,

So all her hostility shifted onto one person,

Ayanokouji noticed and couldn't help feeling astonished. She'd sold him out just like that? What a righteous act of cutting ties!

"I just got here too, same as Beihai."

That brief reply made Kikyo Kushida suspicious again, and her expression darkened further. She immediately worked out a plan,

Once suspicion took root, people would rather kill the wrong person than let the guilty go. She might as well drag them both down with her,

Kikyo Kushida suddenly reached out and grabbed Beihai by the wrist. Of the two men there, he was the easier target. Anyone could see you should pick on the weak,

Beihai narrowed his eyes. Something was definitely wrong. He immediately dropped the act,

The moment she made her move, Beihai guessed what she was up to: dragging them both down with her. And by Sakura standards, this was pretty extreme. If they got dragged into it, they'd really suffer,

After all, in Sakura's legal system, once there was even a little suspicion, you could be tied up in court for two or three years and have your reputation ruined—even with surveillance footage to back you up!

So Beihai couldn't let her get away with it. Forget about finishing his exams and going home; his whole life could be ruined,

Kikyo Kushida placed Beihai's hand on her chest. Beihai didn't hold back either. He grabbed her by the collar and shouted, "What, Kikyo? You want to challenge me to a Samurai Duel?"