Interrogation

The noise of the swimming pool was sealed off behind the heavy fire door. Kazama In walked through the quiet corridor leading to the internal meeting room, his footsteps echoing faintly on the polished floor. He had already changed back into his usual clothes—dark trousers and a high-quality black shirt, collar slightly open, the dark silver and crimson necklace standing out even more mysteriously against the cool-toned fabric. The moisture on his face had long dried, restoring his habitual calm, only a few strands of damp, oddly colored hair at his temples lingering as traces of earlier activity.

He stopped before a door bearing the sign "Equipment Management Meeting Room"—a name so ordinary it would draw no one's attention. The faint murmur of conversation from inside had already ceased, clearly the occupants had sensed his approach.

Kazama In raised his hand, knuckles rapping three times against the door panel with measured force.

"Knock, knock, knock."

After a brief silence, a steady, slightly authoritative voice came from within: "Come in."

The door was pulled open from inside. It was Katsuragi Kohei of Class A. This de facto power figure of Class A, known for his steadiness and sense of responsibility, now wore a look of obvious surprise and scrutiny. He clearly hadn't expected Kazama In to be outside.

Kazama In gave a slight nod, his gaze calmly passing over Katsuragi and into the room.

Inside the small meeting room, the atmosphere was heavy. Student Council President Horikita Manabu sat at the head of the table, his posture straight as a pine, his stern face devoid of any extra expression. The gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses was sharp as a blade, piercing through the air to fix on the uninvited guest at the door. Beside him stood Secretary Tachibana Akane, her face wearing her usual gentle smile, but her eyes also held surprise and a trace of barely perceptible tension.

On the other side of the conference table, Sakayanagi Arisu sat gracefully in her wheelchair. She wore a well-tailored cream-white school uniform, her silver-white hair flowing softly over her shoulders. The moment Kazama In appeared, a hint of understanding and playful amusement rippled through her violet eyes, as if his arrival was entirely expected. Kamuro Sumire stood like a silent shadow, half a step behind and to the side of her wheelchair.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Kazama In's voice broke the silence of the room as he stepped inside, his demeanor unhurried.

"Kazama In?" Horikita Manabu spoke first, his voice steady, revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure. "An unexpected guest. What brings you here?" He had indeed planned to "invite" this Class D freshman, who had seen through the S System and stirred waves in the Kendo Club, after Sakayanagi left—but he hadn't expected the other party to come to him first.

"I was at the swimming pool and happened to hear there seemed to be discussion here. Curiosity got the better of me, so I came to investigate. I didn't expect to find the President and the members of Class A discussing important matters. My apologies for the intrusion." Kazama In's reply was watertight, his gaze meeting Horikita's openly.

"Curiosity?" Horikita's lips curled into a faint, scrutinizing arc. "Kazama's curiosity always seems to find its way to key places." His words carried implication, clearly alluding to Kazama In seeing through the S System's rules.

"I'm just interested in the rules themselves." Kazama In walked over to the conference table but didn't sit immediately. His gaze swept over the people present, finally landing on Sakayanagi Arisu's face, giving a slight nod in greeting: "Sakayanagi."

"Big Brother In," Sakayanagi Arisu's lips spread into a perfectly timed smile, her violet eyes sparkling with cunning light. "What a coincidence. It seems Class D's PE class gives you leisure time for a 'stroll'?" She deliberately emphasized the word "stroll," carrying a teasing only the two of them understood.

"Stretching my limbs and satisfying my curiosity along the way." Kazama In responded naturally, taking a seat in the empty chair across from Sakayanagi Arisu.

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

Horikita Manabu didn't dwell on the "coincidence." He folded his hands on the table and cut straight to the point, his voice carrying the cold authority of one in control: "Since Kazama is here, that works out. Regarding this month's class points—Class A has 940, Class D has 0. The gap is vast; the starting point is set." His gaze pressed down on Kazama In like a physical weight. "However, Kazama's ability to see through the operational rules beneath the S System's surface is indeed impressive. Your performance in the Kendo Club also proves you have the strength to stir the situation. With you in Class D, it's not entirely hopeless."

This assessment both highlighted the brutal reality of the gap and affirmed Kazama In's personal ability, while also applying invisible pressure—implicitly placing the hope of Class D's turnaround on Kazama In.

"You flatter me, President." Kazama In picked up the water glass, his fingertips tracing the rim, his tone flat. "Since the rules are clear, the starting point is just a temporary position. Whether one can reach the finish line depends on their own ability. As for Class D, I'll handle it." He accepted this "responsibility" without hesitation, his tone carrying undeniable confidence.

"Oh? It seems Kazama is confident." Katsuragi Kohei spoke in a deep voice, carrying Class A's characteristic steadiness and a hint of probing. "Class D currently has zero points, barely able to move. I wonder what brilliant strategy Kazama has to lead them out of this predicament?"

The atmosphere in the meeting room tensed again. Class A clearly wanted to probe Kazama In's hand.

Kazama In's jet-black pupils swept over Katsuragi, and a faint, relaxed arc suddenly tugged at the corner of his mouth, deftly shifting the topic: "I wouldn't call it a brilliant strategy. But I did recently find a 'shortcut' to earn points. Senior Hayakawa was very enthusiastic and recommended I try the Modeling Club." He mentioned it as if casually. "Apparently the pay is decent."

"The Modeling Club?" Sakayanagi Arisu let out a light laugh, her violet eyes appraising Kazama In with interest, carrying an aristocratic appreciation and a hint of barely perceptible intimacy. "With Big Brother In's looks, not being a model would indeed be a waste. That hair color, those facial features—with a little grooming, you'd definitely become the school's center of attention." Her words carried genuine praise and deftly defused the earlier confrontation.

As she spoke, her gaze naturally swept over the dark silver and crimson necklace around Kazama In's neck. Her eyes paused briefly, then returned to normal. She recognized that necklace—it was one of Kazama In's mother's most treasured accessories before her death, said to be a token of love given by his uncle to his aunt. Looking at the necklace, a faint trace of melancholy and nostalgia passed through Sakayanagi Arisu's heart, but she didn't dwell on it, simply assuming Kazama In carried his mother's keepsake as a memento.

"You flatter me, Miss Sakayanagi." Kazama In gave a slight nod, accepting Sakayanagi's teasing calmly, his fingertips unconsciously brushing the cold surface of the necklace. "Just another way to earn points. Better than nothing."

The light topic eased the atmosphere in the meeting room somewhat. The group exchanged a few more words about the school's club activities, the upcoming exams, and other trivial matters, but the core probing and maneuvering always churned beneath the calm surface.

Time passed. It seemed everything that needed to be discussed had been. Katsuragi Kohei glanced at Horikita Manabu, then at Sakayanagi Arisu, and stood up first: "President, Sakayanagi, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." He needed to go back and digest the impact of the information Kazama In had brought today.

"Alright." Horikita Manabu nodded.

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

Katsuragi Kohei nodded to everyone, his gaze lingering on Kazama In for an extra moment, carrying a complex assessment, then turned and left the meeting room.

"Well then, I should be going too." Sakayanagi Arisu turned her wheelchair toward the door, and Kamuro Sumire immediately stepped forward to assist. As she passed by Kazama In, she stopped, tilted her head up to look at him, her violet eyes carrying a hint of mischief and an undeniable meaning: "Big Brother In, the corridor from the meeting room to the elevator is a bit long. It's so tiring on crutches. As a gentleman, won't you see me off?" She deliberately softened her voice, with a hint of coaxing.

Kazama In looked at the cunning in her eyes, knowing she had something to say privately. He stood up without refusing: "My pleasure."

"Then I'll trouble you." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled in satisfaction, giving a slight nod to Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane: "President, Secretary Tachibana, excuse us."

"Please, go ahead." Horikita Manabu responded.

Kazama In naturally walked behind the wheelchair, replacing Kamuro Sumire's position, and pushed Sakayanagi Arisu out of the meeting room. Kamuro Sumire followed like a silent guard, half a step behind.

The meeting room door closed softly, leaving only Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane. Tachibana visibly relaxed, about to tidy up the water glasses on the table.

However, after pushing Sakayanagi Arisu a few steps, Kazama In seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped. He turned his head, his gaze piercing through the still-not-fully-closed door crack, precisely locking onto Horikita Manabu at the head of the table inside.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly into the room, like a cold stone thrown into water, shattering the calm that had just been restored:

"Oh, by the way, President Horikita."

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

Kazama In stared straight at him, his jet-black pupils fathomless, and asked word by word:

"All this effort you've put into searching, testing, even 'cultivating' people who can see through the rules and possess strength..."

He paused briefly, as if giving the other party time to digest this sudden turn, then threw out the earth-shattering question:

"Is it because you're looking for a worthy 'successor' for yourself?"

Boom—!

This sentence exploded like a thunderclap in the minds of Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane!

On Horikita Manabu's eternally icy face, his pupils suddenly contracted! Though his immense self-control allowed him to instantly rein in his expression, not showing obvious shock, the knuckles of his hand under the table whitened from sudden tension! Kazama In's words had precisely pierced the deepest schemes and worries in his heart! Finding a successor to ensure a smooth transition of student council power after his graduation, especially one capable of suppressing someone as ambitious as Nagumo Miyabi, had always been one of his most important and most secret goals! How could this Class D freshman possibly know?!

Tachibana Akane's reaction was even more direct. The notebook in her hand slipped and fell onto the table with a "thud." The gentle smile on her face completely froze, replaced by undisguised shock and horror! She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as saucers, staring incredulously at Kazama In at the door, who was pushing the wheelchair with a calm expression as if he had just asked an ordinary question!

The air seemed to freeze. Inside and outside the meeting room, a dead silence fell. Only the air conditioning system hummed lowly.

Kazama In did not wait for an answer. He seemed merely to have asked an irrelevant question in passing, and after dropping this bombshell capable of stirring up towering waves, he turned back as if nothing had happened, pushing Sakayanagi Arisu—whose violet eyes flashed with sharp light and whose lips curled into a playful arc at those very words—steadily toward the elevator. Kamuro Sumire followed closely behind, like the most loyal shadow.

The heavy conference room door finally closed slowly before the utterly shocked gazes of Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane, sealing off the inside from the outside.

Inside the room, Horikita Manabu still maintained his seated posture, but behind his glasses, his eyes churned violently, like a sea brewing a storm. Tachibana Akane frantically picked up her notebook, her face pale and her heart still racing.

Outside the room, under the corridor lights, Kazama In's figure pushing the wheelchair gradually receded into the distance. The dark red gemstone necklace around his neck refracted a cold and profound light under the illumination.

"Searching for a successor..." Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying a hint of light laughter and probing. "Brother In, that question of yours really... cuts straight to the core."

Kazama In did not reply, only calmly watching the blinking indicator light of the elevator ahead.

The elevator doors opened, and he pushed the wheelchair inside. As the doors slowly closed, shutting out the view from outside, the corner of Kazama In's mouth curled into a barely perceptible, cold, and sharp arc.

The chess game had quietly entered deeper waters. And in his hand, it seemed he had gained another crucial piece. Nagumo Miyabi... that name, along with the second-year class he controlled and Horikita Manabu's concerns, all lay within the intelligence Kazama In had grasped. Every step from here on would be more perilous—and far more interesting.