Your Turn

At 7:50 p.m., in a private booth in the school café.

Shiho Manabe had arrived early and ordered a caramel macchiato, sipping it in small mouthfuls. She wore light makeup and a knitted cardigan with a short skirt, looking like an ordinary high school girl.

But the wariness in her eyes gave her away.

The booth door opened, and Ayanokoji and Karuizawa walked in.

Manabe froze when she saw Karuizawa, then smiled. "Well, well. You brought a bodyguard?"

"She's not my bodyguard." Karuizawa sat down across from her and met her gaze. "She's here to settle the score."

"What score?" Manabe shrugged. "I didn't post anything on the forum."

"But you provided the information." Ayanokoji sat down beside her and pushed a folder across the table. "Do you recognize this?"

Manabe opened the folder. One glance was enough to drain the color from her face.

Inside were copies of police records documenting her younger brother's school bullying case, along with a medical report detailing his injuries.

"How... how did you get these?" Her voice tightened.

"That doesn't matter," Ayanokoji said. "What matters is what would happen if these records surfaced at school, with the police, or at your father's company."

Manabe's fingers trembled.

"Your family's mortgage is backed by your father's company, isn't it?" Ayanokoji continued. "If the company found out an employee's family member was involved in a criminal case, would it keep backing the loan? Would the bank demand early repayment?"

"Shut up!" Manabe sprang to her feet, knocking over her coffee cup. Brown liquid spilled across the table.

Karuizawa didn't move. She kept her eyes on Manabe. "Manabe, we don't want to ruin you. But the things you're holding could ruin a lot more people."

Manabe's chest heaved as she glared at them.

A few seconds later, she sank back into her chair and covered her face, laughing through her tears. "You win... Fine, I give up. I'll give you the USB drive and delete every backup. On one condition: these records never see the light of day."

"One more thing," Ayanokoji added. "Tell me what Ichinose's secret is."

Manabe raised her head, her expression conflicted. "You really want to know? That secret... it's uglier than you can imagine."

"Tell us."

Manabe took a deep breath, pulled another USB drive from her bag, and plugged it into her laptop. The screen lit up, showing an encrypted folder.

She entered the password and opened it.

There was only one document inside, titled:

Honami Ichinose: The Six Months She Was Missing

Karuizawa leaned in to read. After only a few lines, her face changed.

"Is... is this real?"

"I have hospital records and eyewitness testimony," Manabe said quietly. "When Ichinose was in ninth grade, she disappeared for six months. The official story was that she'd gone abroad for treatment, but the truth was..."

She paused, lowering her voice even further. "She was kidnapped. The kidnappers were business rivals of her father's. She was held captive for six months, until the police rescued her. No one knows what happened during that time. But her records from a mental health clinic say: PTSD, severe depression, and a tendency toward self-harm."

Karuizawa covered her mouth.

Ayanokoji furrowed his brow.

"If this information went public," Manabe said, "Ichinose's image would be shattered. The 'angel' of Class B is actually a traumatized victim with psychological problems... Do you think she could still maintain her leadership? Would Class B still trust her?"

She looked at Ayanokoji. "Do you still want to protect her now? Is it worth it for an ally who could fall apart at any moment?"

The booth fell silent.

Outside, the night was dark and impenetrable.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained silent for a long time. At last, he reached out and unplugged the USB drive.

"I'll buy these records," he said. "Name your price."

Manabe stared at him for a moment, then smiled. "You're a strange one. Fine. Fifty thousand points, paid in full. You can have every backup."

"Thirty thousand." Ayanokoji bargained. "And you'll sign a confidentiality agreement. If Ichinose's secret ever leaks from any source, I'll hold you responsible and make your brother's records public."

Manabe gritted her teeth. "Forty thousand."

"Thirty-five. Final offer."

"...Deal."

The transaction was completed in silence. The points were transferred, the USB drive handed over, and the confidentiality agreement signed.

As Manabe left, she looked back at Ayanokoji, her expression conflicted. "You protected everyone... but can you protect yourself? Ryuen won't let you off the hook. Neither will Kushida or Class A. You've become everyone's target."

"Then let them come," Ayanokoji said calmly.

Manabe shook her head and left.

Only Ayanokoji and Karuizawa remained in the booth.

Karuizawa looked at the USB drive in her hand and asked softly, "Why spend so many points for Ichinose? We're not... that close to her."

"Because she's an ally," Ayanokoji said. "And she deserves it."

He paused and looked out the window. "Everyone at this school is hurting each other. But if we don't even protect our allies, how are we any different from the people who hurt us?"

Karuizawa gazed at him, stunned.

After a long moment, she said quietly, "Thank you, Ayanokoji."

"For what?"

"For... not giving up on me." She lowered her head. "My past... I really regret it."

Ayanokoji said nothing. He only patted her on the shoulder.

His phone vibrated just then.

It was a message from Horikita:

"There's new activity on the forum. Someone posted anonymously, sharing screenshots that prove Ryuen of Class C ordered Manabe to poison someone. Public opinion has turned around, and everyone's criticizing Class C."

Hirata's message arrived right after:

"The class has calmed down. Everyone's united now, and they're saying we should settle the score with Class C."

A faint smile tugged at Ayanokoji's lips.

The wheels of the counterattack had begun to turn.

And the next round of this game...

He looked out toward the Class C dormitory buildings.

Ryuen, your turn.