Horikita Suzune: I Think Kushida Might Be the Traitor in Class D / Chapter 197: Shuichi Kanda Couldn't Smile Anymore

"Don't rush, Hirata, I'll give you the answer soon." Chabashira-sensei smiled. "Suppose you submit the questions you created to Class C as their Final Exam questions, then this action will be considered an attack on Class C."

After the exam, the total scores of your two classes will be compared. If your total score exceeds that of Class C, then the attack will be considered successful, and you will gain 100 Class Points from Class C. If the attack fails, then Class C will take away 100 Class Points from you."

"But there's one thing you need to be aware of: while you're on the offensive, you're also on the defensive. If other classes choose to attack you, and you fail to defend successfully, you'll also lose 100 Class Points."

In other words, this exam could result in a direct loss of 200 Class Points.

Furthermore, if Class C wins the attack on Class D loses the attack on Class C, then Class D will lose 200 Class Points to Class C, instantly widening the gap to 400 points!

"Of course, depending on the circumstances, your final result might be that your Class Points remain unchanged."

One win and one loss, right? For example, Class D lost to Class C, but won against Class A, and so on.

That's impossible!

Isn't this the perfect time to settle old scores?

I'm sure Ryuen won't give up this opportunity! With Karuizawa as his spy, he certainly won't abandon his attack on Class D.

Shuichi Kanda won't let this opportunity slip by, because Karuizawa is practically his man! As for Horikita, he's probably eager for revenge too.

As for the other two classes, Sakayanagi from Class B will definitely seize this opportunity to return to Class A. As for Ichinose, Sakayanagi will definitely find a way to make her accept the challenge.

No, she probably can't refuse the challenge either; if she does, wouldn't that mean she's afraid of Sakayanagi?

If they don't even have the courage to face the enemy, then it's only natural that they'd fall out of Class A! It just means they don't deserve to be in Class A.

Therefore, although the offensive and defensive teams have not yet been determined, they have actually been determined long ago.

Moreover, when it comes to solving or creating problems, Shuichi Kanda has always been very confident.

Hmph, Ryuen, enjoy the special test I prepared for you.

That's right, Shuichi Kanda planning to give the Ryuen class some tricky questions to torture them.

"In addition, there are a total of 400 questions across eight subjects, which you must complete within a month. And don't even think about asking for particularly difficult or extremely obscure questions. Our teachers will rigorously and fairly check the questions to ensure that every question is within the ability range of first-year high school students."

A single sentence from Chabashira-sensei completely shattered all of Shuichi Kanda's previous plans.

The Sports Festival won't let me perform well; I finally get to my strong suit, and they still won't let me do whatever I want?

Are you a sore loser?

Hmph, do you think I can't do anything about it? Even knowledge within the scope of the first year of high school has varying levels of difficulty!

There's no way to get into the humanities, so let's start with the sciences. Perfect timing, I can take this opportunity to get back the points I stored at Ryuen!

Chapter 196 Horikita Suzune: I think Kushida might be a traitor to Class D.

There are eight courses, each requiring fifty questions, for a total of four hundred questions, and they must be completed within one month.

On average, there are more than a dozen questions to answer every day, and we also need to prepare backup questions because if a question fails the review, we need to use the backup questions to fill the gap.

The pressure is immense because it's best to let high-achieving students create the questions, since their knowledge base differs, resulting in vastly different levels of difficulty.

For example, someone like Sudo might pose a problem that he thinks is very difficult, but Horikita might find the answer obvious at a glance.

"Providing over 400 questions a month feels like a very tight schedule."

Not only Shuichi Kanda, Hirata also realized this problem.

"It's okay, as long as the exam questions are acceptable to the school, whether you find them online, consult with older students, or discuss them with teachers, the methods don't matter, as long as the content doesn't exceed the scope of the first year of high school."

"Even if it's still too late in the end, the school will give the other class a pre-prepared exam paper. However, the exam paper prepared by the school is very easy, so you'd better make the best of it."

What you're saying is that using school exam questions is tantamount to losing without even fighting, isn't it?

"Also, you need to report to me as soon as possible which class you want to target. If the class you target is the same as another class, you will be allowed to choose again, or the final result will be decided by drawing lots. This must be decided before the small test, otherwise the remaining classes will be assigned to you."

"That concludes the pre-exam instructions for the quizzes and final exams. The rest is up to you to devise your own strategies."

After saying this, Chabashira-sensei announced that school was over.

After Chabashira-sensei left the classroom, Horikita immediately issued instructions to the neighbor next door.

"I need to hold a strategy meeting, Ayanokoji. Could you please call Hirata for me?" Then, without waiting for Ayanokoji's reply, she placed her hand on Shuichi Kanda, who was packing his textbooks. "And you, stay here too."

"You're really in a hurry."

After making a sarcastic remark, Shuichi Kanda did not refuse.

Horikita then took the hand that was on Shuichi Kanda's shoulder and walked over to Sudo, seemingly wanting to bring him into the strategy meeting as well.

Ayanokoji obediently went and called Hirata over.

He was forced to act because of Chabashira-sensei's pressure. He had been able to slack off for almost half a year because of Shuichi Kanda's outstanding performance, but since Shuichi Kanda didn't get to use his skills during the last Sports Festival, he had to reveal some of his abilities to prove himself.

Although he didn't want to be controlled by Chabashira-sensei, he also didn't want to be expelled from school because of this, so he planned to mentor someone who could stand on the stage.

Although he acknowledged that Shuichi Kanda was very capable, the other's mentality was too unstable. For example, regarding the Sports Festival, Ayanokoji absolutely did not believe that he was unaware of what Ryuen would do, but he did almost nothing.

Therefore, you can't entrust everything to him, because you never know when he might quit.

Therefore, he chose Horikita, so that if Shuichi Kanda useless, Horikita could lead Class D forward.

In that case, he can return to his slacking-off lifestyle from last semester.

To elevate Horikita to the position of leader of Class D, he needs a major victory, and this is the opportunity.

Therefore, the primary goal is to find the traitor in the class.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji has absolutely no clue about this, because none of them seem like the type to betray the class.

Never mind, I'll ask Horikita next; she might know.

In addition, he also had to be wary of Ryuen.

I don't know which damned person sent the recording to Ryuen, which led to Ryuen finding the bugging device I had just installed and me being framed for no reason.

However, he felt that Shuichi Kanda might know about this, no, perhaps it was Kanda himself who did it.

After reviewing all the recordings from the bugging device, they had already deduced the cause and effect.

That is, someone found out about Ryuen's plan to harm Horikita, but instead of exposing him, this person sent the recording over after everything was over.

As a result, after failing to find the traitor in the class, Ryuen discovered the listening device that he had asked Chabashira-sensei to install under the podium.

Ryuen now believes that the person who sent the recordings and planted the bugging devices was the same person, but in reality, it was two different people.

Then I was inexplicably blamed for something.

If that recording was Shuichi Kanda, then there are many possibilities to speculate about. For example, Shuichi Kanda have planted a spy in Class C, or even a highly capable individual that Ryuen couldn't find.

If that's the case, Shuichi Kanda couldn't possibly be unaware that Ryuen had planted a spy in Class D.

So that's why he didn't make a move last time?

However, if it wasn't Shuichi Kanda who sent the recording, then all of this would have to be overturned and recalculated.

That's why Ayanokoji felt clueless. As for directly asking Shuichi Kanda, he definitely wouldn't admit it.

Unless you tell them everything yourself, which is impossible.

How could I tell anyone that I'd been unfairly blamed? Especially Shuichi Kanda, he'd definitely laugh at me!

Therefore, Ayanokoji decided to ask Horikita about the class traitor first.

"Hirata will be here shortly."

"Sudo has to go to the club first, he'll be back soon."

Ayanokoji, who had gone to call Hirata, and Horikita, who had gone to call Sudo, both returned to their seats.

So, how do you think we should view this exam?

"Just look at it. A written test is still just a written test. As long as you have enough academic ability, it's not a big deal."

Shuichi Kanda. It wasn't that he didn't want to express his opinion, but rather that he would have to repeat himself once he said it, and then Hirata and the others would arrive later. Wasn't that tiring?

Horikita sighed at Shuichi Kanda's nonsensical writings, then looked at Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

"Regarding this, Kanda is actually right, it's just a rather difficult exam..." Ayanokoji hadn't finished speaking when she saw Horikita's warning look, so she quickly added, "But the most troublesome part this time is probably the pairing rules."

Ayanokoji's next words made Horikita nod slightly. "And because the questions were set by other classes, you can imagine how difficult they were. The more twisted a person's personality, the harder the questions they set. And even if the answers are the same, different descriptions can cause a big difference."

For some reason, Shuichi Kanda always felt that Horikita was insulting him when he heard this.

Twisted personality? Making the questions difficult makes you twisted? Are you making a veiled attack?

"Sorry to keep you waiting. We're here to discuss strategies for the final exams, right?"

Soon, Hirata, who had been summoned by Ayanokoji, also arrived, along with Karuizawa. However, Karuizawa clearly had a reluctant expression on Karuizawa face, because she was not only a spy but also had poor academic performance, so she didn't really want to get involved.

She had originally thought that she could refuse when Ryuen asked her to do something, given her poor academic record, but to her surprise, Hirata actually asked her to participate.

What could she do? She was completely panicked.

Sensing something was wrong with Karuizawa, Shuichi Kanda gave her a reassuring look, and Karuizawa understood immediately, calming down once again.

"Yes, because the time we've been given is quite tight this time, I want to discuss countermeasures immediately."

That's true, because Hirata also felt that the time was very tight. Not only did he have to deduce the matching rules before the quiz, but he also had to create more than 400 questions within a month.

"That's true. Let's begin immediately, starting with the pairing rules..."

"Huh-- Here? I object--Since we're going to discuss it anyway, let's go to Palette. Okay, Yosuke?"

Palette is a cafe located on campus, a vibrant place frequented by female students during lunch breaks and after school. It's very close to the school buildings, only a few minutes away.

Horikita surprisingly nodded immediately in response to Karuizawa nagging.

"Sure, since we don't know where other classes might have spies. I remember Palette has private rooms available."

Rather than arguing with Karuizawa here, Horikita chose to simply go along with the other party's idea, and what she just said was not untrue.

"Um, can I participate too?"

It was her classmate, Kushida Kikyo, who joined the conversation.

"The meeting was initiated by Horikita, so you can ask Horikita Kikyo." Shuichi Kanda naturally wouldn't refuse, and Hirata basically had the same attitude.

As for Karuizawa and Ayanokoji, they remained silent, just as Shuichi Kanda had said: as long as Horikita didn't object, there wouldn't be any problems.

"Yes, of course. I was just about to call you, Kushida." Horikita agreed to Kushida's request without any hesitation. "Could you three please go ahead first? Kanda- san and Ayanokoji, please stay behind for a moment. I have some personal matters to discuss with you."

Although he was wondering what Horikita was going to say, Shuichi Kanda nodded anyway.

Today feels like it's going to be a long day, and I guess I'll be eating Gourmet Tablecloth again.

"Then I'll be going now, Shuichi."

After greeting Shuichi Kanda, Kushida went back to pick up his schoolbag and went with Hirata and Karuizawa to reserve seats at the cafe.

After the three left, Shuichi Kanda looked at Horikita, wanting to hear what she had to say.

"Let's go outside to talk; it's not convenient here."

With that, Horikita picked up her bag and left the classroom, followed closely by Shuichi Kanda and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. They didn't resume their conversation until they reached a quieter place.

"I remember you and Kushida didn't get along well, so why did you agree to let her join?" Shuichi Kanda asked, somewhat puzzled.

Because on the cruise ship, Kushida made it very clear that he disliked Horikita, and Horikita himself was also not fond of Kushida.

Remember when the Sports Festival roster was leaked?

Horikita did not directly answer Shuichi Kanda's question, but instead brought up the previous incident.

"Hmm, is there any connection?"

Ayanokoji didn't quite understand.

"I think the list was leaked to Ryuen by Kushida; she's the traitor from Class D."

Horikita spoke those words with unwavering determination, leaving Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and Shuichi Kanda speechless.

Chapter 197 Shuichi Kanda's Smile Fades

Horikita Suzune's words left Ayanokoji and Shuichi Kanda both silent. Shuichi Kanda speechless and amusing, while Ayanokoji was somewhat surprised.

"I don't think Kushida would betray us, right? After all, she's supposed to be a nice person. Or do you have some basis for your opinion?"