After leaving the private room, Hoshida No walked along the deserted path. Clear moonlight spilled across the voice recorder in his palm, its metal casing reflecting the glow.
He rolled the recorder between his fingers and murmured, "Ryuen Kakeru's a pretty decent guy. Looks like I can make another quick buck."
The night wind stirred the shadows of the trees. A figure at the corner of the school building caught his eye.
Ayanokoji stood with his back to the moon, his slender frame seeming out of place against the surroundings.
Hoshida No quickened his step and walked over, giving him a casual pat on the shoulder. "Slacking off?"
Ayanokoji turned around without the slightest hint of surprise at being caught, as though he'd expected someone to show up.
He simply pointed toward the deeper shadows around the corner and said in a flat voice, "Horikita seems to be on a date with someone."
"Horikita Suzune?" Hoshida No raised an eyebrow, incredulous.
The usually cold girl was on a date with someone? At night, no less?
He followed Ayanokoji's finger and, sure enough, spotted two figures standing close together in the dim light.
The moonlight barely brushed Horikita's hair. The person facing her had her half-pinned against the wall, while her hands hung at her sides. She showed no sign of resisting.
He chuckled and looked away. Just as he was about to pat Ayanokoji on the shoulder and suggest they stay out of it, the conversation from deeper around the corner drifted over, clear enough to reach their ears.
"Suzune, I didn't expect you to follow me all the way here."
The boy's voice was cold and steady, yet carried an unquestionable air of authority.
Hoshida No's half-raised hand stopped in midair.
That voice... He narrowed his eyes and studied the boy standing with his back to them in the moonlight. The boy wore thin-framed glasses and had a straight, upright posture. The student council badge on his collar glimmered faintly in the dark.
"Isn't that the Student Council President—Horikita Manabu?"
Genuine surprise crept into Hoshida No's voice.
A thought flashed through his mind. Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune share the same last name... Could they be siblings?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, an even clearer line came from around the corner, confirming his guess.
"I'm not the person I used to be. I came here so I could catch up to you, my brother." Horikita Suzune's voice held a restrained stubbornness, the last syllable trembling slightly.
Horikita Manabu's voice grew even heavier. "Catch up to me...? You still haven't realized your own shortcomings. Choosing this school was a huge mistake."
Hoshida No caught sight of Horikita Suzune clenching her fist in the shadows. Her knuckles turned white, and her rigid back trembled slightly. "I'll catch up to Class A soon, and then I'll be able to..."
"Impossible." The cold word cut off her unfinished sentence without mercy.
"I can do it!" Horikita Suzune raised her voice, her tone filled with stubborn defiance.
Before the words had even faded, Horikita Manabu suddenly moved, pinning Horikita Suzune's arm hard against the wall. A flash of impatience gleamed behind his cold lenses. "Such a disobedient little sister. I don't have a sister in Class D. Drop out right now."
Horikita Suzune's face went deathly pale as she lowered her head. Her lips moved as if she wanted to explain, but Horikita Manabu had already raised his hand high, his palm forming a sharp arc aimed at her abdomen.
"You don't have the ability, and you have no right to aim for the top..."
Hoshida No's pupils contracted slightly. He could see it clearly: the tension in Horikita Manabu's arm was no feigned threat.
He turned to Ayanokoji beside him. The other boy shifted slightly, seeming to have no intention of stepping in.
"Jeez." Hoshida No sighed helplessly and moved quickly, stopping Horikita Manabu's arm with a firm grip. He could clearly feel the force behind it. "President Horikita, she's your sister. You weren't holding back that slap."
"Mr. Hoshida..." Horikita Suzune recognized him, but still lowered her head and spoke softly. "Please don't, Mr. Hoshida."
Hoshida No paused. He had never heard Horikita Suzune speak in that tone before. He released his grip on Horikita Manabu's arm.
The next moment, Horikita Manabu's arm whipped out with a gust of wind, grazing Hoshida No's ear. His fingertips nearly brushed Hoshida No's hair. Using the momentum of his backward lean, Hoshida No quickly stepped back half a pace, stopping at the edge of the shadows.
"Mind your own business." Horikita Manabu's voice was cold. He drew his arm back, and his gaze behind the lenses fixed on Hoshida No like a blade. The pressure radiating from him suddenly intensified. "I'm disciplining my own sister. It's not your place to interfere."
Hoshida No raised an eyebrow, but had already shifted his weight into a steady stance. "Disciplining her? With that kind of force, President Horikita, you might cripple her. If word got out that the Student Council President laid hands on his sister in the middle of the night, it would cause quite a stir at school."
Before he'd finished speaking, Horikita Manabu moved. Without any flashy movements, he went straight for Hoshida No's chest with a vicious kick.
Hoshida No didn't dodge. Only when the kick was about to brush his clothes did he turn slightly and casually rest his right hand on Horikita Manabu's ankle, giving it a gentle tug and using his forward momentum against him.
Horikita Manabu's balance immediately shifted. He stumbled forward two steps before steadying himself. When he turned to look at Hoshida No, a hint of gravity had finally appeared in his eyes.
"You've got some skill." Horikita Manabu's voice was low as he charged in again, his fist hurtling toward Hoshida No's face with a rush of wind.
Hoshida No ducked, then caught Horikita Manabu's wrist, his fingertips precisely pressing a pressure point.
Horikita Manabu felt his arm go numb, and most of his strength vanished at once.
Frowning, he spun around sharply to break free. Hoshida No let go with the turn, stepped back half a pace, and leisurely dusted his palms.
"Your skills are impressive, President," Hoshida No said, sounding as relaxed as if they were chatting.
Horikita Manabu's expression darkened completely. He stopped wasting words and abruptly sped up his assault, throwing punches and kicks with all his strength.
Hoshida No remained completely at ease. His steps were light, and he dodged each attack with just the right amount of movement. Now and then, he raised a hand to block, using minimal force to deflect his opponent's strikes. He even had time to glance at Ayanokoji, who was still watching coldly from the corner.
Another heavy punch came at him. Hoshida No tilted his head slightly and raised an arm to block Horikita Manabu's. With a gentle twist of his wrist, he forced Horikita Manabu's arm behind his back.
Horikita Manabu grunted and struggled to resist, but Hoshida No held him firmly in place, leaving him unable to move.
"President," Hoshida No said calmly, leaning close to his ear. "That's enough."
The moment Hoshida No eased his hold, a powerful blow slammed into his chest. He staggered backward two steps before barely regaining his balance.
He hadn't expected Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President, to go back on his word and launch a sneak attack the instant he was released.
Before he could recover his stance, a sharp punch rushed straight toward his face. Hoshida No instinctively raised a hand to shield himself.
The expected punch never landed. A bony hand appeared in front of him, firmly blocking Horikita Manabu's fist. Their hands collided with a dull thud.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had stepped in front of him at some point. A trace of coldness edged his voice. "For the Student Council President to break his word like that... I've learned something new."
Horikita Manabu's fist was held fast. His pupils contracted slightly behind his glasses, clearly surprised that the boy who had been watching coldly from the sidelines would suddenly intervene.
He slowly pulled his arm back, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. His laughter was low. "Hahaha, excellent. Your name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, right?" His gaze then shifted to Hoshida No, who had just steadied himself. "And you're Hoshida No, correct?"
The two, hearing their full names, exchanged a discreet glance. Surprise flickered in both their eyes.
Hoshida No stepped forward to stand beside Ayanokoji, his expression still calm.
Horikita Manabu pushed his glasses up. The lenses reflected the cold moonlight, and he spoke with the composure of someone in a position of authority. "I've seen the score report from the end-of-month exams a few days ago. Across the entire first year, only one student got a perfect score in every subject, and that student came from Class D." His gaze settled on Hoshida No, openly scrutinizing him.
Hoshida No gave a noncommittal nod, openly acknowledging it.
Horikita Manabu then turned his gaze to Ayanokoji. "The other student got exactly fifty points in every subject on the entrance exam. This time, he got exactly fifty again in every subject on the end-of-month exams. He's from Class D, too."
Ayanokoji's gaze discreetly swept over Hoshida No beside him.
The other boy's eyes were calm, showing no surprise or alarm. It seemed his disguise had been seen through long ago.
Ayanokoji looked up at Horikita Manabu and gave a slight nod, tacitly confirming it.
"One got a perfect score, and the other got exactly fifty in every subject." Horikita Manabu paced slowly, his gaze moving between them, a hint of amusement in his voice. "They're at opposite extremes, yet both are hiding in the least conspicuous Class D... This year's Class D is certainly interesting."