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Horikita entered the elevator with Ayanokoji.

As the elevator slowly rose, Horikita gradually regained her composure.

Ayanokoji suddenly spoke. "It's great that the operation succeeded."

His tone was still as lifeless as during morning reading.

Horikita did not respond and remained silent for a moment.

"You used me, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You pointed out that there were no surveillance cameras in the alley and led me into fabricating false evidence.

No.

You had been guiding me even earlier."

"You're overthinking it."

Ayanokoji's calm tone made him impossible to read.

"You promised me, didn't you? You would help me rise to Class A."

Rather than continue pressing him, Horikita changed the subject. This was related to their conversation that afternoon.

That afternoon, Chabashira had called Horikita over and asked who had come up with the plan to make Class C withdraw their complaint.

"Why do you care so much about this?" Horikita had asked Chabashira in return.

"You want to rise to Class A, don't you? Then let me give you some advice." Chabashira did not answer directly.

"Get as much of a grasp on Ayanokoji as you can while you still have the chance. Otherwise, it'll be too late."

Chabashira continued speaking, and Horikita listened seriously.

"Why is Ayanokoji so capable, yet refuses to show it?

To this school, Class D is a gathering place for inferior products.

This is just my personal opinion, but the two worst elements in Class D are Ayanokoji and Shinomiya.

But there's no way you can control Shinomiya. So win Ayanokoji over."

Back to the present.

"You promised me, didn't you? You would help me rise to Class A."

"I was practically forced into it."

Ayanokoji answered casually. Back then, Horikita had basically dragged him into doing it.

Ding—!

Ayanokoji's floor had arrived. The moment he stepped out, Horikita grabbed him.

"Wait, I'm not done talking."

"I want to know what you're thinking."

"I just want to live a peaceful life. That's all," Ayanokoji said blandly.

"If you really didn't want to, you wouldn't have helped."

"I probably just wanted to help a friend. Maybe."

Ayanokoji continued brushing her off.

"Liar! You've never cared about friends."

"Just who are you?"

Horikita's relentless questioning and intense curiosity reminded Ayanokoji of his days in the White Room.

At that moment, he only wanted to put an end to Horikita's curiosity.

His tone turned cold, but it was no longer dismissive.

"I will help you rise to Class A."

"But..."

Ayanokoji turned around and looked down at Horikita. The overhead light cast the upper half of his face into shadow.

"Don't pry any further into my affairs."

Ayanokoji's gaze was icy, carrying an unmistakable warning.

Ayanokoji walked out of the elevator, leaving Horikita alone inside.

Horikita watched his retreating back gradually vanish as the elevator doors closed.

By evening, rain was pouring down.

Ryuuen stood with his subordinates under umbrellas, while the three students who had withdrawn their complaint knelt before him.

"Who withdrew the complaint without my permission?" Ryuuen asked coldly.

"W-We did. The three of us."

Ryuuen intended to teach them a lesson.

"Albert."

The massive Black man stepped forward, speaking in English as he beat all three of them up.

"So the plan to get Shinomiya expelled and test the limits of the school rules has gone down the drain.

Useless trash. This much pain is the least you deserve."

Ryuuen crouched beside one of them and asked in a low voice.

"Tell me the name of the person who tricked you."

The student answered tremblingly.

"Horikita Suzune."

Poor Horikita. Without knowing it, she had been saddled with the blame again.

Sakayanagi Arisu strolled through the rain. Kamuro held two umbrellas, one over herself and the other above Sakayanagi's head, while several followers trailed behind them.

They ran into Ryuuen, who had just finished his interrogation.

"Sakayanagi?"

"You seem to be from Class C."

Upon seeing Ryuuen, Sakayanagi's followers stepped forward warily.

Seeing that, Ryuuen immediately mocked them.

"Did you start treating yourself like a queen the moment you enrolled? You sure have it easy."

"I never intended to," Sakayanagi replied softly.

Ryuuen launched into another declaration of war.

"I'll crush Class D first, then Class B, and finally Class A. I'll crush you!"

"Do you really think you can?"

"There only needs to be one king."

"That's right."

After their leaders exchanged words, the two groups went their separate ways.

Sakayanagi looked at Yamamura Miki behind her with some regret.

Yamamura had an innately faint presence. She had witnessed the entire incident that night without anyone noticing her.

Out of curiosity about Shinomiya, Sakayanagi had intended to involve herself in the matter today. She had not expected Class C to withdraw the complaint.

"Was this your doing, Shiomiya Yo?"

Class B.

Ichinose was also greatly surprised when she learned that Class C had withdrawn the complaint.

She knew a little about Ryuuen and did not think he would let Shiomiya and the others off so easily.

"It seems Class D used some special method." Kanzaki pushed up his glasses as he analyzed the situation.

"Whatever happened, it's a good thing no one in Class D was punished. Thank goodness!" Ichinose sincerely breathed a sigh of relief for Shinomiya.

"You're too kind," Kanzaki said helplessly.

"What's wrong with that? Class D is our ally now, too."

The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows by the balcony.

Kushida woke up and found herself lying on Shinomiya's bed.

Shinomiya was nowhere to be seen in the room.

Kushida sat up.

She felt that something had changed.

It was a dramatic change.

She could feel it clearly.

"Shiomiya Yo..." Kushida murmured unconsciously.

He's a bastard who doesn't care about anyone else.

But that really is what he's like.

I suffered because of him in middle school, too.

But in the end, he was the only one who helped me.

Why did I agree to Horikita's request for his sake yesterday?

Could it be that, without realizing it, I've developed feelings for Yōha...

Kushida's hand resting on the bed involuntarily clenched the sheets.

No.

No, no, no...

That can't be possible!

Kushida's muddled mind instantly cleared.

At that moment, Shinomiya returned carrying breakfast.

The moment he opened the door, he saw Kushida sitting on the bed in a daze.

"You're awake? Go wash up first, then we can eat breakfast!"

Shinomiya set the breakfast on the computer desk.

Kushida became flustered when she saw Shinomiya and hurriedly got out of bed to wash up.

Seeing how rushed she was, Shinomiya secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had thought Kushida would interrogate him first thing in the morning.

"There are new toiletries under the sink," Shinomiya called out to Kushida.

Looking at the tidy dorm room, Shinomiya remembered the filthy mess on the floor last night. It had taken him two hours to clean it all up.

Why doesn't this school have housekeeping services?