The Questioning

The din of the swimming pool faded behind the heavy fire door. Kazama In walked down the quiet corridor leading to the conference room inside, his footsteps echoing faintly across the polished floor. He had changed back into his regular clothes: dark trousers and a fine black shirt, its collar slightly open. The necklace of dark silver and crimson stood out all the more against the cool-toned fabric. The moisture on his face had long since dried, and his usual composure had returned. Only a few damp strands of his differently colored hair at his temple still hinted at what had just happened.

He stopped before a door bearing the sign "Equipment Management Conference Room"—such an ordinary name that it would hardly draw anyone's attention. The faint voices inside had fallen silent, evidently because those within had noticed his approach.

Kazama In raised his hand and knocked on the door three times, neither too softly nor too loudly.

"Knock, knock, knock."

After a brief silence, a steady voice with a hint of authority came from within. "Come in."

The door was pulled open from the inside. It was Katsuragi Kohei of Class A who opened it. A powerful figure in Class A, known for his composure and sense of responsibility, Katsuragi now wore a look of unmistakable surprise and scrutiny. He clearly hadn't expected Kazama In to be outside.

Kazama In gave a slight nod, his calm gaze passing over Katsuragi and settling on the room beyond.

The small conference room was heavy with tension. Student Council President Horikita Manabu sat at the head of the table, his posture straight as a pine tree. His stern face showed not the slightest hint of excess emotion, and his gaze, sharp as a blade behind his gold-rimmed glasses, pierced the air as it fixed on the uninvited guest at the door. Secretary Tachibana Akane stood beside him. She wore her usual gentle smile, but her eyes held surprise and a trace of barely perceptible tension.

Across the conference table, Sakayanagi Arisu sat elegantly in her wheelchair. She wore a well-tailored, cream-colored school uniform, and her silver-white hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. The moment Kazama In appeared, her violet eyes lit with understanding and amusement, as if his arrival had been entirely expected. Kamuro Sumire stood half a step behind and to the side of her wheelchair, silent as a shadow.

"Sorry to interrupt." Kazama In's voice broke the silence as he stepped inside, unhurried and composed.

"Kazama In?" Horikita Manabu spoke first, his voice steady and giving nothing away. "What an unexpected visitor. What can I do for you?" He had indeed planned to extend a private "invitation" to this Class D first-year who had seen through the S System and stirred things up in the Kendo Club—but he hadn't expected Kazama In to come to him first.

"I was at the swimming pool for an activity and happened to hear what sounded like a discussion here. Curious, I came to take a look. I didn't realize the president and the others from Class A were here discussing important matters. My apologies." Kazama In's reply was flawless, and he met Horikita Manabu's gaze without hesitation.

"Curious?" The corner of Horikita Manabu's mouth lifted in the faintest hint of a scrutinizing smile. "Your curiosity always seems to lead you to something important, Kazama." His meaning was clear: he was referring to Kazama In seeing through the rules of the S System.

"I'm simply interested in the rules themselves." Kazama In walked up to the conference table but didn't sit down at once. His gaze swept over everyone present before finally settling on Sakayanagi Arisu. He gave her a slight nod. "Sakayanagi."

"Big brother In," Sakayanagi Arisu said, a perfectly measured smile curving her lips, a mischievous glint in her violet eyes. "What a coincidence. I see Class D's P.E. class left you with enough free time to go for a 'stroll'?" She put deliberate emphasis on "stroll," teasing him in a way only the two of them understood.

"Getting some exercise and indulging my curiosity." Kazama In replied casually and took the empty seat across from Sakayanagi Arisu.

Katsuragi closed the door and returned to his seat, his gaze still fixed warily on Kazama In. Tachibana Akane quietly poured Kazama In a glass of water.

Horikita Manabu didn't dwell on their "chance encounter." He folded his hands on the table and got straight to the point, his voice cold with authority. "Since you're here, Kazama, this is as good a time as any. As for this month's Class Points, Class A has 940 and Class D has zero. The gap is enormous, and the starting positions have been set." His gaze pressed down on Kazama In like something tangible. "Still, your ability to see through the rules beneath the surface of the S System is truly impressive. Your performance in the Kendo Club also proved that you have the strength to shake things up. With you in Class D, they're not entirely without hope."

His words acknowledged the brutal disparity while recognizing Kazama In's abilities, and they also exerted a subtle pressure—quietly placing the hope of turning Class D's fortunes around on Kazama In.

"You give me too much credit, President." Kazama In picked up his glass, running his fingers along its side as he spoke in an even tone. "Now that the rules are clear, the difference in starting positions is only temporary. In the end, whether we reach the finish line depends on what each of us can do. I'll take care of Class D." He accepted the responsibility without hesitation, his confidence unmistakable.

"Oh? It sounds like you have a plan, Kazama." Katsuragi Kohei spoke in a deep voice, with Class A's characteristic composure and a hint of curiosity. "Class D currently has zero points and can barely take a step forward. What insight do you have that could help them break through?"

The atmosphere in the conference room tightened again. Class A was clearly trying to probe Kazama In's hand.

Kazama In's inky-black eyes passed over Katsuragi, and the faintest hint of amusement touched his lips. He smoothly changed the subject. "I wouldn't call it insight. I did recently find a 'shortcut' to earning points, though. Hayakawa-senpai was kind enough to recommend that I try out for the Modeling Club." He mentioned it as if in passing. "I hear the pay is good."

"The Modeling Club?" Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled. Her violet eyes gave Kazama In an interested once-over, with aristocratic appreciation and a trace of barely perceptible affection. "With your looks, big brother In, it really would be a waste not to become a model. Your hair, your features—with a little styling, you'd absolutely become the center of attention at this school." Her praise was sincere, and it deftly eased the tension from their earlier clash.

As she spoke, her gaze naturally fell on the necklace of dark silver and crimson around Kazama In's neck. Her eyes paused for a moment, then returned to normal. She recognized the necklace—it was one of Kazama In's mother's most cherished pieces of jewelry. It was said that his uncle had given it to his aunt as a token of their love. Looking at it, Sakayanagi Arisu felt a faint pang of wistfulness and nostalgia, but didn't dwell on it. She assumed Kazama In wore his mother's keepsake to remember her.

"You're too kind, Sakayanagi." Kazama In gave a slight nod, taking her teasing in stride. His fingers brushed unconsciously over the necklace's cold surface. "It's just another way to earn points. Better than nothing."

The lighthearted topic eased the atmosphere in the conference room somewhat. They chatted briefly about the school's club activities, upcoming exams, and other trivial matters, but the probing and maneuvering continued to churn beneath the calm surface.

Time passed, and it seemed they had discussed everything that needed discussing. Katsuragi Kohei glanced at Horikita Manabu and then at Sakayanagi Arisu before standing first. "President, Sakayanagi, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." He needed to go back and process the shock of everything Kazama In had revealed today.

"Very well." Horikita Manabu nodded.

"Take care, Katsuragi." Sakayanagi Arisu replied with a smile.

Katsuragi Kohei nodded to everyone. His gaze lingered on Kazama In for a moment longer, carrying a complicated note of appraisal, before he turned and left the conference room.

"Then I should be heading back too." Sakayanagi Arisu turned her wheelchair toward the door, supporting herself with her cane. Kamuro Sumire immediately stepped forward to help her. As she passed Kazama In, she stopped and tilted her head up toward him, a playful yet insistent look in her violet eyes. "Big brother In, it's a long way from the conference room to the elevator, and walking with my cane is tiring. As a gentleman, won't you see me off?" She deliberately softened her voice, making it almost coaxing.

Seeing the mischief in her eyes, Kazama In knew she wanted to speak with him alone. He stood up without refusing. "I'd be happy to."

"Then I'll leave it to you." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled with satisfaction and nodded slightly to Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane. "President, Secretary Tachibana, please excuse me."

"Take care." Horikita Manabu replied.

Kazama In naturally moved behind the wheelchair, taking Kamuro Sumire's place, and pushed Sakayanagi Arisu out of the conference room. Kamuro Sumire followed half a step behind them, a silent guard.

The conference room door closed softly, leaving only Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane inside. Tachibana Akane visibly relaxed and was about to clear away the water glasses on the table.

However, after pushing Sakayanagi Arisu a few steps, Kazama In suddenly stopped as if he had remembered something. He turned his head, his gaze piercing through the door, which hadn't yet fully closed, and fixing precisely on Horikita Manabu at the head of the table.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly into the room, like a cold stone shattering the calm that had just returned.

"By the way, President Horikita."

At the sound of his voice, Horikita Manabu looked up, his gaze still sharp behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

Kazama In stared straight at him, his inky-black eyes unfathomable. He asked, one word at a time:

"You've gone to such lengths to find, test, and even 'cultivate' people who can see through the rules and have real ability..."

He paused, as though giving Horikita Manabu time to process the sudden turn, then posed the question that landed like a thunderbolt.

"Are you looking for a strong enough 'successor' for yourself?"

Boom—!

The words exploded in Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane's minds like a bolt of lightning!

Horikita Manabu's unchanging, icy expression cracked as his pupils suddenly contracted! His powerful self-control let him regain command of his features at once, and he showed no obvious shock. But beneath the table, his fingers had clenched so hard that his knuckles turned faintly white! Kazama In's words had struck straight through his deepest plans and concerns. Finding a successor to ensure a smooth transition of Student Council power after his graduation—especially someone capable of keeping an ambitious person like Miyabi Nagumo in check—had always been one of his most important and most secret goals! How could this Class D first-year possibly know?

Tachibana Akane reacted more openly. The notebook in her hand fell with a slap onto the table. Her gentle smile froze completely, replaced by undisguised shock and horror! She clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as she stared in disbelief at Kazama In by the door. He was pushing a wheelchair, his expression so calm that he might have been asking an ordinary question!

The air seemed to freeze. Inside and outside the conference room, all fell silent. Only the low hum of the air-conditioning system remained.

Kazama In didn't wait for an answer. He had asked as casually as if it were an unimportant question. After dropping a bombshell powerful enough to stir up a storm, he turned back as though nothing had happened and continued pushing Sakayanagi Arisu toward the elevator. Her violet eyes flashed with brilliance, and the corner of her mouth curled with amusement at his question. Kamuro Sumire followed close behind, the most loyal of shadows.

The heavy conference room door finally closed slowly under the profoundly shocked gazes of Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane, cutting off the room from the corridor.

Inside, Horikita Manabu remained seated upright, but the gaze behind his glasses roiled like a stormy sea. Tachibana Akane hurriedly picked up her notebook, her face pale and her heart still racing.

Outside, beneath the corridor lights, Kazama In's figure gradually receded as he pushed the wheelchair. The dark red gemstone in the necklace around his neck reflected the light with a cold, unfathomable gleam.

"Looking for a successor..." Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head slightly, her voice touched with a soft laugh and curiosity. "That question of yours, big brother In, really did... strike right at the heart of things."

Kazama In didn't answer. He simply watched the elevator's indicator lights blink ahead.

The elevator doors opened, and he pushed the wheelchair inside. As the doors slowly closed, shutting out the outside world, the corner of Kazama In's mouth lifted in a cold, razor-sharp smile, so slight it was almost imperceptible.

The game had quietly moved into deeper waters. And it seemed he had gained another key piece. Miyabi Nagumo... That name, along with the second-years under his control and Horikita Manabu's concerns, was already part of the intelligence Kazama In possessed. Every move from here on would be more dangerous—and more interesting.