Victory Celebration

On the evening after the Sports Festival, a rare, relaxed atmosphere filled the Class D classroom.

Kanji Ike held up a drink he had bought at the convenience store, his face flushed with excitement.

Yosuke Hirata was organizing a simple celebration, handing out snacks to everyone. Kei Karuizawa and her group of girls gathered together, chatting and laughing, but every so often her gaze drifted toward Ayanokoji, carrying a complicated concern.

Suzune Horikita sat alone by the window. Her expression was calm, but her knuckles had gone slightly white around her pen—she was recording the gains and losses from today's events in her notebook.

And Kushida Kikyo...

She was surrounded by a group of boys and girls, her laughter ringing like silver bells. "Everyone worked so hard! Especially Ayanokoji-kun. You were amazing at the end!"

Her smile was flawless, as though none of the conflicts and injuries at the Sports Festival had ever happened. But Ayanokoji noticed that while she spoke, her right hand stayed in her pocket, as if gripping something.

Her phone? Or...

[Warning: Key character "Kushida Kikyo" detected in "Plotting an Action" state. Emotional fluctuation value: 82/100 (highly suppressed hostility). Increased vigilance is recommended.]

The system notification flashed in the corner of his vision.

"Ayanokoji-kun."

Hirata walked over and handed him a can of coffee. "We couldn't have done it without you today. Without your efforts in the swimming relay and your tactical arrangements, we might not have even held on to third place."

"It was the result of everyone working together." Ayanokoji took the coffee.

"No, I know what happened." Hirata lowered his voice. "Horikita kept competing even after she was injured. Karuizawa volunteered to take on the more physically demanding butterfly leg, and you... you were watching the whole field and making the most reasonable adjustments."

He paused, his gaze serious. "Chabashira-sensei said there'll be a new Special Exam next month. I think Class D needs a clearer leadership structure."

"You want me to be the leader?"

"Not exactly." Hirata shook his head. "You don't seem to like being in the spotlight. But at least on the strategic level, I'd like you to take on the role of 'tactical adviser.' Horikita and I can handle execution and coordination, while you set the direction."

It was a clever proposal. It would put Ayanokoji's abilities to use without drawing too much attention to him.

"Fine." Ayanokoji nodded. "But I have one condition—the information within the class has to be shared completely."

His gaze swept, seemingly by chance, in Kushida's direction.

Hirata clearly understood what he meant, and his expression grew serious. "You mean..."

"There are unstable elements in Class D," Ayanokoji said bluntly. "Before we deal with external threats, we need to make sure we don't fall apart from within."

Hirata was silent for a few seconds, then nodded solemnly. "I understand. I'll talk it over with Horikita."

Just then, the classroom door swung open.

"Hey, celebrating?"

An unpleasant voice rang out. Ryuen Kakeru stood in the doorway with Daichi Ishizaki and two other Class C boys. Albert wasn't with them; he was probably still in the infirmary.

The cheerful atmosphere in the classroom froze in an instant.

"Ryuen, what do you want?" Ken Sudō suddenly stood up, his gaze fierce.

"Relax. I'm just here to say hello." Ryuen strolled into the classroom with his hands in his pockets. "Congratulations on second place. With a little luck and a few underhanded tricks, you actually managed to climb this high."

"You're the ones who were underhanded!" Kanji Ike couldn't help shouting. "You rigged the events and deliberately crashed into people during the Relay Race—"

"Where's your proof?" Ryuen tilted his head, a cruel smile on his face. "Without proof, that's slander. Be careful, or I'll complain to the school and get the Class Points you worked so hard to earn deducted."

Kanji Ike was left speechless.

Ryuen's gaze swept across the classroom, finally settling on Ayanokoji.

He walked over and stopped a meter away from Ayanokoji.

Their eyes met.

It was as if electricity crackled through the air.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka." Ryuen enunciated his name, one word at a time. "You had fun at the Sports Festival, didn't you? You injured my people and made Class C a laughingstock."

"He was the one who started it," Ayanokoji said calmly.

"So what?" Ryuen leaned closer, lowering his voice until only the two of them could hear. "You think this is over? No, this doesn't even count as the beginning. You've ruined two of my plans. Did you think I'd just let that go?"

A wild gleam flashed in his eyes. "I'll find your weakness. You must care about someone, and there'll always be a moment when you let your guard down. Then..."

"Ryuen." Kushida Kikyo suddenly cut in. She had come over at some point, her face full of concern. "We're all classmates. Don't be like that. The Sports Festival is over. We should look ahead."

The timing of her intervention was suspiciously precise.

Ryuen glanced at her, then suddenly smiled. "You're right, Kushida. We really should 'look ahead.'"

He placed a meaningful emphasis on the last three words, then turned around. "Let's go, Ishizaki. Let Class D enjoy the rest of their celebration."

Even after the Class C students left, the atmosphere in the classroom remained heavy.

"That guy's definitely planning something." Kei Karuizawa walked over to Ayanokoji and spoke quietly. "I heard Class C had a long meeting in Ryuen's room this afternoon. Shiho Manabe was there, too."

Shiho Manabe...

The name reminded Ayanokoji of Mio Ibuki's warning. Manabe had been in secret contact with Kushida, and Ryuen clearly knew something as well.

"Let's keep celebrating!" Hirata tried to lighten the mood. "Don't let outsiders ruin our spirits."

But the cracks had already appeared.

Halfway through the celebration, Ayanokoji's phone vibrated.

Two messages arrived at the same time.

The first was from an unknown number—it was Mio Ibuki again:

"Ryuen is gathering private information about 'certain girls.' Watch the people around you. Also, Manabe will meet 'someone' at the warehouse behind the Third School Building at eight tonight."

The second was from Honami Ichinose:

"Ayanokoji-kun, sorry to interrupt your celebration. About Hamaguchi... if you can, could I talk to you tomorrow at noon? I have some information about Class A that I think we should share. Let's meet at the café."

Two messages, pointing in two directions.

Ryuen's threat was brewing in the shadows, the rift in the Class B alliance needed mending, and Kushida's movements hung over them like a sword.

Ayanokoji turned off his phone and looked out the window.

Night had fully fallen, and the campus streetlights were coming on one by one. The area around the warehouse behind the Third School Building should be empty by now.

Eight o'clock... There was still an hour.

"Ayanokoji-kun?" Karuizawa noticed his distraction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He stood up. "I'm going out for some air."

Away from the noisy classroom, the hallway was quiet enough for him to hear his own footsteps.

But just as he headed toward the stairs, another set of footsteps approached from behind.

"Ayanokoji."

It was Suzune Horikita. She leaned on a makeshift cane, her steps slow but determined.

"You should be resting your foot," Ayanokoji said.

"I know." Horikita came up beside him and looked out the window as well. "But there's something I need to confirm. What do you think about it?"

"About what?"

Horikita turned to him. "My brother... Student Council President Horikita Manabu spoke to me after the events today. He said the Student Council had noticed several classes making 'point transactions' in private, and the amounts involved weren't small."

Point transactions. They were a gray area at Advanced Nurturing High School—not explicitly forbidden, but anyone caught using improper means to obtain points would be severely punished.

"What are they trading?"

"Information, help, even..." Horikita lowered her voice further. "Personal secrets."

Ayanokoji thought of Ibuki's warning: Ryuen was gathering private information about certain girls.

And Kushida Kikyo was precisely the sort of person who excelled at collecting "information."

"I understand," he said. "Thanks for telling me."

"I'm not doing it for you." Horikita turned her face away. "I'm doing it for the class. Class D can't afford to fall apart from within right now."

She was about to leave with her cane, but stopped. "Also, be careful about meeting Honami Ichinose tomorrow at noon. Class B is unstable internally right now. If she meets you alone, someone with ulterior motives might make something of it."

"How did you know—"

"Karuizawa told me." Horikita cut him off. "She said Ichinose looked hesitant when she sent the message. That's not like her."

With that, she slowly returned to the classroom.

Ayanokoji checked the time: 7:40 p.m.

There were twenty minutes until Shiho Manabe met "someone" at the warehouse.

He went downstairs, but instead of heading straight to the Third School Building, he took a detour to the library.

From a window seat on the third floor, he had a clear view of the warehouse entrance.

At 7:55, a figure appeared at the warehouse door.

It was Shiho Manabe. She was dressed in casual clothes, looking nervous as she repeatedly glanced around.

Who was she waiting for?

At exactly eight, another figure appeared.

It wasn't Kushida Kikyo.

It was someone who made Ayanokoji's pupils contract—

Hashimoto Masayoshi of Class A.

As soon as Manabe saw Hashimoto, she went to meet him. They spoke quietly for a few moments, then Hashimoto handed her a thick envelope. Manabe opened it, glanced inside, and nodded. Then she took something that looked like a USB drive out of her bag and handed it to Hashimoto.

The exchange was complete.

The whole thing took less than three minutes. The two quickly went their separate ways, disappearing into the night.

Ayanokoji leaned against a bookshelf, his mind racing.

Shiho Manabe, one of Ryuen's people in Class C, was secretly meeting with Hashimoto from Class A.

What had Hashimoto given her? Money? Points?

And what was on the USB drive Manabe had given him? Information on Class C? Or...

He remembered what Mio Ibuki had said: Manabe had once been humiliated by Ryuen in front of everyone. Was this her revenge? Or did she have a bigger plan?

His phone vibrated again.

This time, it was a system notification:

[Side Quest Triggered: Hidden Transaction]

[Quest Description: You accidentally witnessed a secret transaction between Shiho Manabe of Class C and Hashimoto Masayoshi of Class A. Uncover the contents of the transaction and the motives of both parties to influence the direction of the subsequent storyline.]

[Quest Rewards: Vary depending on the depth of your investigation. May include "Expanded Intelligence Network Access," "Class Points," or special items.]

[Warning: This quest involves multiple factions. Investigating may lead to danger.]

Ayanokoji dismissed the notification and took one last look toward the warehouse.

The night grew darker, the lights on campus like islands in the dark.

The laughter from the Sports Festival celebration still echoed in his ears, but beneath the surface, more complicated undercurrents were already beginning to swirl.

Ryuen's revenge, Sakayanagi's schemes, Kushida's plots, the rift in Class B, and the secret transaction between members of Class A and Class C that he had just discovered—

All the threads were spreading like a web, and in the end, they would converge on a single point.

At the center of that web, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knew that from this moment on, the game was entering its truly dangerous stage.

He turned and left the library.

Tomorrow, he had a talk with Ichinose, an internal class meeting, and a host of problems to deal with.

But before all that—

He needed to find out what was hidden on that USB drive.

And whether, at some crucial moment, it might become a poisoned blade aimed at the heart of Class D.