Undercurrents

Lunchtime, rooftop of the school building.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood alone, looking down at the campus.

The campus looked no different from before they left for the Uninhabited Island Exam. But some things had quietly changed.

"I knew you'd be here."

A voice came from behind him. Ayanokoji turned and saw Suzune Horikita walking onto the rooftop.

"Did you need something?"

"About the Student Council," Horikita said as she came to stand beside him. "My brother... is very strict. You should be prepared."

"Thanks for the warning."

They stood in silence for a while. Then Horikita suddenly asked, "Do you think we really won?"

"What do you mean?"

"Class A's points haven't changed," Horikita said. "That's not normal. Kohei Katsuragi isn't the sort of person to make a rookie mistake. Either they're deliberately hiding their strength, or... there's a scoring standard we don't know about."

She was perceptive. Horikita had always been observant.

"Maybe it's both," Ayanokoji said. "And Ryuen won't take it lying down after Class C was deducted down to zero points."

"That Mio Ibuki," Horikita said, looking at him. "Do you really trust her?"

"Not completely," Ayanokoji replied honestly. "But she has no other choice right now. And her knowledge of Class C is useful to us."

"What about after you've used her?"

"We'll see when the time comes."

Practical, calm, even a little cold. But Horikita seemed to appreciate that attitude.

"By the way," she said, changing the subject, "I heard Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A returned to school yesterday."

Sakayanagi Arisu.

One of Class A's other key players, the girl who barely appeared in class because of her health. In the original story, she was a strategist whose intelligence rivaled or even surpassed Ayanokoji's.

She'd returned at this point in time.

"Is that confirmed?"

"My brother mentioned it," Horikita said. "She may be interested in Class D, especially you."

"Why me?"

"Because you upset the balance," Horikita said, looking at him. "Class A used to be untouchable, Class C bullied the weak, Class B mediated, and Class D was at the bottom. But now Class D has climbed to third, Class C has fallen to last, and Class B has allied with us... It all started with your foolish confession."

When she said "foolish," there was no reproach in her tone. She sounded more as if she were stating a fact.

"So?"

"So, in some people's eyes, you're the biggest variable," Horikita said. "And Sakayanagi Arisu... loves puzzles and chess more than anything. To her, you may be a newly arrived, interesting chess piece."

Ayanokoji said nothing.

Sakayanagi Arisu... was she finally about to make her official debut?

Three in the afternoon, Student Council Room.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knocked on the door.

"Come in."

He opened the door and entered a spacious room with simple decor. There were several desks and bookshelves, and the school flag and photographs of former student council presidents hung on the walls.

Horikita Manabu sat behind the desk at the far end, reading some documents. He looked up, his eyes—similar to Suzune Horikita's, but sharper—fixing on Ayanokoji.

"Sit."

Ayanokoji sat down in the chair across from him.

Horikita Manabu set down the documents and folded his hands on the desk. "Class D's performance in the Uninhabited Island Exam exceeded expectations. Especially yours, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."

"Thank you."

"I'm not praising you," Horikita Manabu said coldly. "I'm stating a fact. And facts often bring trouble."

"Trouble?"

"A class once assessed as a 'dumping ground for defective products' suddenly climbs to third place. A student who used to go unnoticed suddenly becomes the core of his class, even affecting the balance of power across the entire year." Horikita Manabu stared at him. "That will attract a lot of attention. Some people will admire you, some will be wary of you, and some will... want to get rid of you."

He was blunt.

"So what are you saying, President?"

"I'm just warning you," Horikita Manabu said. "This school has its own rules. You can use them, but you can't openly break them. Otherwise, even if I don't act, someone else will."

"For example?"

"Someone like Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A," Horikita Manabu said, naming her directly. "She's already noticed you. And unlike me—I'm interested in maintaining order—she's interested in... playing games."

"What will she do?"

"I don't know." Horikita Manabu showed a rare expression resembling a bitter smile. "Few people can keep up with that girl's thinking. But one thing is certain: if she sees you as an opponent, your school life will become very troublesome."

Ayanokoji was silent for a moment, then asked, "Why are you telling me this, President?"

"For two reasons." Horikita Manabu held up two fingers. "First, Suzune is in Class D. I don't want her affected by the turmoil in her class."

"And the second?"

"Second," Horikita Manabu said, his gaze growing more intent, "I'm curious. Curious about who you really are, how far you can go, and whether you'll actually... change anything."

With that, he picked up the documents again. "You can go."

Ayanokoji stood up. As he reached the door, Horikita Manabu added:

"By the way, preparations for the Sports Festival will begin next week. That will be the next stage. Make sure you're ready."

The Sports Festival.

Ayanokoji left the Student Council Room and closed the door.

The hallway was quiet. He walked to the window and looked out at the field.

The Sports Festival... In the original story, it was the first time Class D truly faced off against Class A. Sakayanagi Arisu would set a trap, Ryuen would seize the opportunity to cause trouble, and Ayanokoji would manipulate everything from the shadows.

But things were different now.

Class D was stronger, but more people were watching them. He had a system, but he also had more restrictions.

And there was Mio Ibuki's addition, the alliance with Class B, Class C's hostility...

Everything was changing.

[Ding! Key plot point "Sports Festival" detected. Long-term mission triggered: Battle for Glory.]

[Mission requirements: Lead Class D to achieve an overall ranking of at least second place in the Sports Festival.]

[Mission rewards: Receive a large number of points and abilities based on the ranking. Achieving first place unlocks the special permission "Rule Analysis."]

[Failure penalty: Class Points will be deducted, and alliance relationships may collapse.]

[Time remaining until the Sports Festival: 7 days]

Seven days to prepare.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

A new challenge was coming.

And this time, he couldn't simply stay behind the scenes.

That evening, Class C classroom.

Ryuen Kakeru sat alone in the classroom. Everyone else had left, and no one dared disturb him at a time like this.

The classroom door opened, and Daichi Ishizaki walked in.

"Ryuen, I found out what you wanted." Ishizaki kept his voice low. "The Sports Festival event list is out. It's about the same as previous years, but there's a new event—the 'Class Relay Race.' Each class has to send ten participants, five boys and five girls."

"Go on."

"Also," Ishizaki said hesitantly, "Senior Akane Tachibana from the Student Council mentioned privately that the scoring criteria for this Sports Festival will be adjusted. In addition to competition results, they'll also consider 'class unity' and 'tactical execution.'"

Ryuen sneered. "To accommodate certain classes that have suddenly risen to prominence?"

"Maybe," Ishizaki said. "And... it seems Sakayanagi Arisu is making a move."

"What kind of move?"

"She went to the Class D school building this afternoon," Ishizaki said. "She didn't enter the classroom, but she waited outside for a while. And she met Honami Ichinose at the cafe. They talked for about twenty minutes."

Sakayanagi Arisu was reaching out to Class B?

Ryuen tapped his fingers lightly on the desk. "Interesting... Is she trying to recruit Class B and break up the alliance between Class D and Class B?"

"I'm not sure. But Ichinose looked very serious when she left. It doesn't seem like their talk went well."

Ryuen was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Even better," he said. "If Class A and Class B start fighting, we'll have an opportunity."

"What about Class D? And that Ayanokoji..."

At the mention of that name, Ryuen's eyes instantly turned cold.

"Of course we'll deal with him," Ryuen said. "But we don't need to do it ourselves. The Sports Festival... is the sort of place where 'accidents' happen easily."

He looked at Ishizaki. "Go find Albert. Tell him I need him to do something."

Ishizaki froze. "Albert? But he's our class's ace. If he gets caught..."

"He won't get caught." Ryuen's smile was chilling. "I want him to 'accidentally' knock a few people down during the relay race. Especially that Sudo from Class D, or Ayanokoji himself."

"That'd be too obvious..."

"That's why it has to look like an accident," Ryuen said. "The competition's intense, and physical contact is normal. As long as there's no evidence, the school can't do anything."

Ishizaki hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Understood."

He turned and left the classroom.

Ryuen Kakeru sat alone in the classroom as it gradually darkened, gazing out the window.

The poisoning incident had failed, Ibuki had defected, and the Class Points had been wiped out...

That string of defeats made him look like a joke.

But it didn't matter.

He'd win everything back at the Sports Festival.

His way.

That evening, Class D dormitory.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat at his desk, looking over the Sports Festival event list.

[Tactical Deduction (Intermediate)] activated automatically, beginning to simulate possible scenarios in his mind.

Scenario one: Ryuen orders Class C students to cause "accidents" during the events. Probability: 70%.

Scenario two: Sakayanagi Arisu sets a logical trap in the scoring rules. Probability: 60%.

Scenario three: Class B wavers after Class A tries to recruit them. Probability: 40%.

Scenario four: ...Unknown interference. Probability: 20%.

The likelihood of this "unknown interference" was higher than last time.

What could it be?

As he was thinking, his phone vibrated. A message had arrived from an unfamiliar number.

"Hello, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. This is Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A. Would you be available to meet tomorrow at three in the afternoon at the School Cafe? There are some interesting things about the Sports Festival I'd like to share with you."

A smiling emoji followed the message.

That was fast.

Ayanokoji looked at the message but didn't reply immediately.

Sakayanagi Arisu... What was she really after?

Was the invitation a provocation? A test? Or did she really want to "share" something?

The assessment from [Situation Insight (Basic)] was: risks and opportunities coexist. Meeting her might reveal more information, but it could also yield crucial intelligence.

Ayanokoji thought for several minutes, then replied:

"Sure. I'll see you at the cafe at three."

He sent it.

Almost at once, she replied:

"I look forward to meeting you."

She sounded composed, as if she'd known he would agree all along.

Ayanokoji put down his phone and walked to the window.

The stars were sparse in the night sky. Tomorrow looked like it would be sunny.

And this secret battle surrounding the Sports Festival had already begun.