Ryuen's Tactics

Hoshida No sat in the classroom, flipping through Cognitive Psychology, which he had borrowed from the library last time.

Sudo Ken's distinctively rough voice came from the classroom doorway. "Class C is such a pain. If I weren't worried about losing Class Points, I'd have already laid into them."

His words opened the floodgates.

One student said someone had gone through their locker. Another complained that Class C students were always staring at them in the hallway. Someone else brought up how Class C students had deliberately tripped people during yesterday's PE class.

Hirata Yousuke's gentle voice still rang out from the front of the room, urging everyone to "calm down" and saying that "Kushida has already gone to the Student Council about this," but the murmuring below didn't stop.

Hoshida looked away and returned his gaze to the page, but his fingers no longer turned it.

He remembered how Karuizawa Kei had slumped over her desk yesterday and complained to him, jabbing her notebook with an angry finger. She'd said that Class C girls were always gathering outside their classroom during lunch, staring at them with uncomfortable, clingy looks.

"Ryuen Kakeru only knows how to use these lowlife tactics." Horikita's cool voice reached Hoshida's ears.

Hoshida turned and saw Horikita standing beside his desk with her arms crossed, her cool gaze sweeping over the restless students.

Intrigued, Hoshida asked, "Do you have a way to stop him?"

Horikita looked down at Hoshida. "Didn't Kushida go to the Student Council?"

Hoshida turned away, closed his book, and shook his head. "Even if the Student Council steps in, it'll only be a stopgap. It won't have much effect on their class."

Horikita said nothing. She simply watched Hoshida with her reddish-purple eyes, waiting for him to continue.

Hoshida looked up and met Horikita's gaze.

Silence.

When Horikita saw that he had no intention of continuing, she snorted and walked toward her seat.

Watching the girl's retreating back, Hoshida sighed and said slowly, "Whatever you do, you need evidence. That applies to the Student Council, too."

Horikita didn't pause. She just didn't return to her seat, heading instead toward Hirata, who was calming the students at the front.

The two of them talked about something, and then Hirata nodded in assurance, acting as if he would take responsibility for it.

Not long afterward, Kushida Kikyo returned to the classroom with a troubled expression. She reported that the Student Council had gotten involved, but had only given Class C a verbal warning.

The quiet murmuring in the classroom instantly turned into an angry uproar.

Sudo abruptly slammed his hand on the desk and stood up, shouting, "A verbal warning? You've got to be kidding me! Those bastards!"

A few boys even clamored to go settle the score with Class C.

Hirata Yousuke hurried over to calm them down, his voice more urgent than before. "Everyone, calm down! If we act rashly now, we'll be doing exactly what Class C wants!"

But the angry din had already drowned out his words. They were clearly bitterly disappointed with the Student Council's decision.

Just then, Hirata suddenly raised his voice. "Everyone, listen! Horikita and I have come up with a way to deal with this! We'll need everyone's cooperation—"

Before he could finish, someone suddenly pushed open the back door. Three Class C students poked their heads in. The boy in front whistled and taunted them, "Hey, everyone. Still making a fuss over such a little thing? How—" The rest of his words caught in his throat.

Horikita whipped around, her gaze sharp as a blade as she fixed the three students in the doorway. "Get out."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried such an air of pressure that the smiles on the Class C students' faces instantly froze.

Ayanokoji walked in behind the three just then, stopping Sudo as he was about to get up and start a fight. He closed and locked the door with a smooth, efficient motion.

With an innocent look, he pointed at Horikita and said, "That's what Horikita means." Then he deftly passed the conversation to Hirata. "It looks like Hirata has come up with a solution."

Everyone's attention shifted from Ayanokoji to Hirata.

Hirata took a deep breath and raised a hand to quiet the commotion. "Everyone, settle down first. Horikita and I have come up with a plan."

The moment he finished speaking, the classroom fell mostly silent. Even Sudo managed to rein in his anger for the moment, staring at Hirata and waiting for him to continue.

"First, from this moment on, everyone should clear their personal belongings out of their lockers and leave only textbooks and workbooks, so the Class C students have nothing left to rummage through."

Hirata's voice was clear and firm. "Second, I'll arrange several groups of observant students to take turns recording when and where the Class C students harass us, and who is involved."

Kushida Kikyo added at the right moment, "The Student Council's verbal warning may not have helped, but if we submit solid evidence with our complaint, the school won't have any reason to stand by and do nothing."

Horikita stepped forward as well, her cold gaze sweeping across everyone. "Third, and most important, everyone must keep their emotions in check. No matter how much they provoke you, no one is to get into a private confrontation with them. If you can't manage that and we lose Class Points, you'll be holding the whole class back."

Her words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last sparks of anger in a few of the boys.

Hoshida noticed Ayanokoji leaning against the door and looking at him. He shrugged helplessly, indicating that the plan had nothing to do with him.

The next day, Hirata and Horikita brought a thick stack of evidence to the Student Council. To their surprise, Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei from Class B also came forward to testify against Class C.

At last, the school did more than issue a verbal warning. It gave Class C a written warning and deducted 30 Class Points, as well as 500,000 Personal Points.

Ryuen Kakeru's harassment campaign had completely backfired, costing his class instead.

That day, Horikita returned to her seat and questioned Hoshida. "Are you close with Ichinose and Karuizawa from Class B?"

"Yeah, we're okay," Hoshida replied dismissively without looking up.

Over the next few days, Class C's students did indeed rein in their behavior. The people who had been lurking in the hallways disappeared, and no one went through the lockers again.

But Hoshida felt the gaze on him from his right growing more intense.

The last of May's oppressive heat was quietly swept away by the June breeze. The first-years received their latest Class Points and learned about the Special Exam.

A: 1076

B: 1013

C: 878

D: 870

The sunset's afterglow had yet to fade completely, but an unusual tension had already spread across the campus.

An emergency notice had been posted on the bulletin board, requiring all first-year students to report to the auditorium at 18:00 sharp.

When Hoshida received the message, he was discussing books with Shiina Hiyori.

Since the library book incident, Hoshida had noticed Shiina Hiyori becoming increasingly proactive. She would always find ways to engineer little accidents—reaching for a book she couldn't get, or accidentally bumping into him. In the end, Hoshida had confronted her directly.

"Shiina, are you doing this on purpose?"

"No, Hoshida. I'm just a little clumsy."

Only later did Hoshida learn that she wanted to find a reading companion. She also admitted what she really wanted.

"Hoshida, do you come to the library every day?"

"More or less. It's not like I have anything in particular to do."

"I see you here reading alone so often. Could I come and read with you?"

"Sure."

Back to the present.

After seeing the notice, he explained to Shiina, who was sitting across from him, that the school had told them to gather in the auditorium, and that this might be about the Special Exam.

By the time they arrived at the auditorium together, it was already packed with students.

After a brief farewell, Hoshida sat in the back row of Class D, by the aisle. From there, he had a clear view of the stage and could also watch the profiles of the key figures in the other classes.

At exactly 18:00, Chazhu Zuo Zhi and the other first-year homeroom teachers walked onto the stage.

Majima Tomoya, the homeroom teacher of Class A, stood at the front. Without any unnecessary small talk, he went straight to the point.

"Starting now and continuing until 18:00 next Sunday, the first-years will take part in a seven-day Special Exam called the 'Class War.'" His voice carried through the microphone to every corner of the auditorium.