'Fourth place, fourth place.'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself as he overtook two more runners, securing fourth position.
But he soon realized something was off.
'Hmm, the student council president seems faster than the others.'
Saiki noticed that Horikita's speed was greater than he'd expected, and he'd reached fourth place too early.
All eyes turned to Saiki.
"Saiki's so fast!"
"At this rate, he might make the top three!"
"Go, Saiki!"
Class B cheered him on.
'Sorry, I didn't plan to rank this high,' Saiki thought, adjusting his speed to match Shibata's. The crowd's noise drowned out the thoughts of others.
Horikita had taken second place, overtaking Shibata.
*He's so fast!* Shibata thought, stunned by Horikita's speed. *There's no way I can overtake him now. I'll aim to keep third place.*
He glanced back, spotting Saiki in fourth.
*I need to distance myself from him to secure third place!*
Shibata pushed harder, but Saiki kept pace.
*How is this possible? Can he keep up with that speed?*
'What's he doing, keep looking back?' Saiki wondered, unaware of Shibata's thoughts.
The race ended, with Saiki finishing fourth as planned.
'What a tiring day,' he thought, turning to Shibata, who was exhausted.
*Did he push too hard earlier?* Saiki wondered.
Sudō Ken and Hirata Yōsuke approached, smiling.
Saiki sensed trouble.
"Great job, Saiki! Fourth place is impressive!" Hirata said.
"Are they from the track team too?" Saiki asked, expressionless.
"Yes."
"Figured."
Saiki sighed, realizing this cliché was repeating.
Meanwhile, Horikita left the track, heading to the stadium's other side.
Tachibana Akane, the student council secretary, approached.
"Did you record it?" Horikita asked.
"Yes! I got the entire relay. You were amazing, President!" Akane beamed.
"Let me see."
Horikita took Akane's phone, watching the race. His focus was on Saiki.
Saiki had matched his speed initially. From Akane's distance, the gap between them hadn't changed.
"Was he intentionally matching my speed?"
As Saiki took fourth, he slowed, keeping pace with Shibata.
"Interesting. He deliberately stayed in fourth place."
"Deliberately?" Akane asked, confused.
"This person is special... After this semester, we'll graduate. If Nanase controls the student council, weaker students might lose their voice. I rejected Ichinose and Katsuragi's applications—they're not ready to challenge Nanase."
"But Saiki might be."
After the relay, the sports festival ended. The school announced the results.
The red team won, but the white team's classes lost points.
Class B: 1st, +50 points.
Class C: 2nd, -100 points.
Class A: 3rd, -50 points.
Class D: -200 points.
Class B closed the gap with Class A, while Class D fell behind.
"Announcing top performers: Year One—"
"Class B, Sudō Ken!"
"Yes!" Sudō cheered, earning bonus points.
Class B congratulated him.
*Did our class truly triumph?* Ayanokōji wondered.
After the closing ceremony, exhausted students returned to class. Some rested, others celebrated. Class B's victory was significant, but the festival's turmoil wasn't over.
Horikita Suzune packed up, texted someone, and headed to the school's rear grounds.
"Horikita-san, what's this about?" Kushida Kikyō asked, smiling curiously.
"Stop pretending. You leaked our class list to Ryūen for this festival."
Suzune glared.
"That's not true! We won, didn't we?" Kikyō feigned innocence.
"Ryūen targeted our team, but failed due to unforeseen events. Without those, we'd have lost. Why did he give up?"
Suzune's expression remained unchanged.
"Who told you this? Hirata? Yamauchi?"
"No, I sensed it. Only you could erase those inconsistencies. On the bus, I saw you convince Kōenji to give up his seat. I remembered someone like you from middle school."
Kikyō's smile turned cunning.
"I was a problem child, but here, everyone trusts me. Stop bringing up the past."
"You want me gone, don't you? And others will suffer too."
Kikyō's eyes flashed with malice.
"If I expose the truth, you'll be in trouble. Even if no one believes me, they'll doubt you. I'll drag your brother into this."
Suzune's expression wavered—her brother, Horikita Manabu, was her priority.
"We'll see. I'll expose you and your manipulator. You're just a pawn, but I've found clues."
Kikyō left, leaving Suzune stunned.
"My manipulator?"
In the special building, Ayanokōji met Sakayanagi Arisu, invited by Kamuro Masumi.
"Thanks, Kamuro. Take care."
Ayanokōji turned to Arisu, who used a crutch.
"You called me?"
"Yes. It's been 8 years, 243 days. Long time, Ayanokōji-kun."
"You're joking. I don't know you."
"I know you, though."
Ayanokōji shook his head, turning to leave.
'Shirō."
He paused, recognizing the name.
"I didn't expect to meet you here. The island, the ship, Ryūen's class—it's all you, isn't it?"
Arisu smiled, studying him.
"No, those weren't me."
"You know my past. Pretending is pointless."
Arisu's smile faltered.
"I'm not lying."
Ayanokōji stated calmly.