Undercurrents

Lunch break, school building rooftop.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood there alone, looking down at the campus below.

The campus after returning from the Uninhabited Island looked no different than before. But some things had already quietly changed.

"I thought you'd be here."

A voice came from behind. Ayanokoji turned to see Suzune Horikita walking onto the rooftop.

"Something up?"

"About the Student Council," Horikita walked to his side, "my brother... he is very strict. You should prepare yourself."

"Thanks for the heads-up."

The two fell silent for a moment. Horikita suddenly asked, "Do you think we really won?"

"What do you mean?"

"Class A's points didn't change," Horikita said. "That's not normal. Kohei Katsuragi isn't the type to make amateur mistakes. Either they were intentionally hiding their strength, or... there's a grading criteria we don't know about."

Sharp. Horikita's observational skills had always been strong.

"It's likely both," Ayanokoji said. "Besides, Class C was deducted down to zero points; Ryuen won't let this slide."

"That Mio Ibuki," Horikita looked at him, "do you really trust her?"

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

"And after you're done using her?"

"We'll see when we get there."

Realistic, calm, even somewhat cold. Yet, Horikita seemed to appreciate this attitude.

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

Arisu Sakayanagi.

The other core of Class A, the girl who rarely appeared in the classroom due to health reasons, was a strategist in the original work whose intellect rivaled or even surpassed Ayanokoji's.

She was back, at this very moment.

"Is the information accurate?"

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

"Why me?"

"Because you disrupted the balance," Horikita looked at him. "Class A was high and mighty, Class C bullied the weak, Class B mediated in the middle, and Class D was at the bottom. But now, Class D has surged to third, Class C has fallen to the bottom, and Class B is allied with us... the starting point of all this was that foolish confession of yours."

When she said "foolish," there was no reproach in her tone, more like she was stating a fact.

"So?"

"So, in the eyes of some, you are the biggest variable," Horikita said. "And Arisu Sakayanagi... she loves solving puzzles and playing chess more than anything. To her, you might be a newly appeared, interesting piece."

Ayanokoji didn't speak.

Arisu Sakayanagi... is she finally making her official entrance?

Three o'clock in the afternoon, Student Council room.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Pushing the door open, the room was large and sparsely decorated. There were several desks, a few bookshelves, and the school flag along with photos of past student council presidents hanging on the wall.

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

"Sit."

Ayanokoji sat in the chair opposite him.

Horikita Manabu put down the documents and folded his hands on the desk: "The Uninhabited Island exam, Class D's performance exceeded expectations. Especially you, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."

"Thank you."

"I'm not complimenting you," Horikita Manabu's voice was cold. "I am stating a fact. And facts often imply trouble."

"Trouble?"

"A class originally evaluated as a 'dumping ground for defectives' suddenly surged to third place. A student who was originally obscure suddenly became the core of the class, even affecting the power balance of the entire grade," Horikita Manabu stared at him. "This will attract the attention of many. Some will appreciate it, some will be wary, and some will... want to eliminate you."

He was very direct.

"So what is the President's point?"

"I am merely warning you," Horikita Manabu said. "This school has its own rules. You can use the rules, but you cannot openly break them. Otherwise, even if I don't take action, others will."

"For example?"

"For example, Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A," Horikita Manabu said the name directly. "She has already noticed you. And she is different from me—I am interested in maintaining order, while she is interested in... playing games."

"What will she do?"

"I don't know," Horikita Manabu rarely showed an expression resembling a wry smile. "Few people can keep up with that child's way of thinking. But one thing is certain—if she treats you as an opponent, your school life will become very troublesome."

Ayanokoji fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Why is the President telling me this?"

"Two reasons." Horikita Manabu held up two fingers. "First, Suzune is in Class D. I do not wish for her to be affected by the turmoil within the class."

"And the second?"

"Second," Horikita Manabu's gaze deepened, "I am curious. Curious about who you truly are, curious about how far you can go, and curious about whether you will actually... change anything."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his documents again. "You may go."

Ayanokoji stood up, and as he reached the door, Horikita Manabu added one more thing:

"By the way, preparations for the Sports Festival will begin next week. That will be the next stage. Prepare yourself well."

The Sports Festival.

Ayanokoji walked out of the Student Council room and closed the door.

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

The Sports Festival... in the original story, that was the first time Class D truly clashed head-on with Class A. Arisu Sakayanagi would set traps, Ryuen would stir up trouble, and Ayanokoji would manipulate everything from the shadows.

But now, the situation was different.

Class D was stronger, but it was also being watched by more people. He had the system, but he also had more restrictions.

There was also the addition of Mio Ibuki, the alliance with Class B, and the hostility from Class C...

Everything was changing.

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

[Mission Requirements: Lead Class D to an overall ranking of no lower than second place in the Sports Festival.]

[Mission Rewards: Large amounts of points and abilities based on ranking. If first place is achieved, unlock special authority "Rule Analysis".]

[Failure Penalty: Class points deducted, alliance relationship may rupture.]

[Time until Sports Festival: 7 days]

Seven days of preparation time.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

A new challenge was coming.

And this time, he could not simply hide behind the scenes.

Evening, Class C classroom.

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

The classroom door was pushed open, and Daichi Ishizaki walked in.

"Ryuen, I found out." Ishizaki's voice was very low. "The event list for the Sports Festival is out. It's similar to previous years, but there's a new event—the 'Class Relay Race', which requires ten people from each class, five boys and five girls."

"Continue."

"Also," Ishizaki hesitated, "Akane Tachibana from the Student Council revealed privately that the scoring criteria for this Sports Festival will be adjusted. In addition to race rankings, 'class cohesion' and 'tactical application' will also be considered."

Ryuen sneered: "To cater to certain classes that have suddenly risen?"

"Possibly," Ishizaki said. "And... Arisu Sakayanagi seems to be making moves."

"What kind of moves?"

"She went to the Class D building this afternoon," Ishizaki said. "Although she didn't enter the classroom, she stayed outside for a while. Furthermore, she met with Honami Ichinose, and they chatted in a cafe for about twenty minutes."

Arisu Sakayanagi was making contact with Class B?

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

"I'm not sure. But Honami Ichinose looked very serious when she left; it didn't look like a pleasant conversation."

Ryuen was silent for a while, then laughed.

"That's even better," he said. "If Class A and Class B start fighting, we'll have our chance."

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

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

"He will be dealt with, of course," Ryuen said. "But we don't need to do it ourselves. The Sports Festival... is a place where 'accidents' happen very easily."

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

Ishizaki was stunned: "Albert? But he's our class's ace. If he gets caught..."

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

"That's too obvious..."

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

Ishizaki hesitated, then nodded: "Understood."

He turned and left the classroom.

Kakeru Ryuen sat alone in the darkening classroom, looking out the window.

The poisoning incident failed, Ibuki defected, and the class points were wiped to zero...

This series of setbacks made him look like a joke.

But it didn't matter.

At the Sports Festival, he would win everything back.

In his own way.

Nighttime, Class D dormitory building.

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

Tactical Deduction (Intermediate)

activated automatically, beginning to simulate potential scenarios in his mind.

Simulation Scenario 1: Ryuen directs Class C students to cause "accidents" during the competition. Probability: 70%.

Simulation Scenario 2: Sakayanagi Arisu sets a logical trap within the scoring rules. Probability: 60%.

Simulation Scenario 3: Class B wavers due to overtures from Class A. Probability: 40%.

Simulation Scenario 4: ...Unknown interference factors. Probability: 20%.

The percentage for this "unknown interference factor" was higher than last time.

What could it be?

As he pondered, his phone vibrated. It was a message from an unknown number.

"Hello, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. This is Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A. Would you be available to meet at the School Cafe tomorrow at 3:00 PM? I have some interesting things regarding the Sports Festival that I'd like to share with you."

The message was followed by a smiling emoji.

That was fast.

Ayanokoji looked at the message without replying immediately.

Sakayanagi Arisu... what exactly is she planning?

Inviting him to meet—is it a provocation? A probe? Or does she truly want to "share" something?

Situation Insight (Primary)

provided the assessment: risk and opportunity coexist. Meeting might expose more information, but it could also yield critical intelligence.

Ayanokoji thought for a few minutes, then replied:

"Fine. 3:00 PM, see you at the cafe."

Sent.

Almost simultaneously, the other party replied:

"Looking forward to our meeting."

Very composed, as if she had expected him to 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 a clear day.

And this shadow war surrounding the Sports Festival had already quietly begun.