"Kusuo... Saiki?"
Hearing Horikita mention Kusuo, Akane was surprised.
*'Horikita wanted to recruit Kusuo into the student council. So he discovered Kusuo's hidden talent?'*
Akane realized she'd underestimated Kusuo.
Horikita also marveled at Kusuo's abilities.
*'Kusuo knows about the third-year intel and even predicted Nagumo's betrayal. His talent surpasses mine.'*
*'So this is how it turns out?'*
Kusuo sighed, hidden. Despite trying to stay unnoticed, his presence at school seemed stronger.
But this might help hide his psychic abilities, a silver lining.
*'It should be resolved now.'*
Kusuo thought, then left.
Nagumo's goal was to make Horikita think it was just a competitive match, ignoring his schemes. Nagumo planned to use the mechanism to expel Akane.
After Horikita Manabu learned of Nagumo Miyabi's plan, it's unlikely the scheme will succeed.
'The exam is in a few days. Finally, I'll be leaving this place soon.'
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the school building.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka leaned against a wall, expressionless, as he faced a girl with a cane.
Sakayanagi Arisu.
"I'm planning to target Class C and Ichinose. It should be interesting," Sakayanagi said with a smile.
"Oh," Ayanokōji replied casually.
After a few seconds of silence, Ayanokōji seemed to remember something. "By the way, Sakayanagi, have you heard any rumors about Ichinose?"
"What do you mean?"
"About Ichinose holding a large number of private points."
Ayanokōji spoke slowly. He'd overheard rumors about it earlier, and Ichinose Honami hadn't exactly kept it a secret.
Ayanokōji thought this could be useful to him.
*Saiki has turned many people into his tools. I need to cultivate my own tools too. Horikita is one, but her brother seems close to Saiki. If conflict arises, Saiki might use that to control her. So, Horikita isn't a fully reliable pawn.*
*I need more pawns, and Ichinose might be the perfect candidate.*
*But I don't interact with her enough. I need an opportunity to get closer, gain her trust—first destroy, then rebuild.*
That's why Ayanokōji chose to meet Sakayanagi now.
"Class C is united, thanks to Ichinose's efforts to earn her classmates' trust. But I wonder—what if they trust her too much?" Ayanokōji said slowly.
"That's an interesting thought. Go on," Sakayanagi said, clearly intrigued.
"The rumor I mentioned is related. She has a lot of points, yet she hasn't achieved anything notable in special exams. Honestly, it's surprising. How did she get so many points? Is she acting as a treasurer?"
"Who knows? Only Ichinose or her classmates would know. Are you trying to push me into action?" Sakayanagi asked with a smile.
"I'm wondering if trusting her with those points is wise. What if someone uses them to protect themselves in a crisis or to help a classmate? No one would blame them, since that's what a treasurer is for."
"True."
"But if she uses those points for personal pleasure, it could be seen as fraud. The school might act. No one suspects it yet, but once someone does, more will follow."
Ayanokōji spoke slowly.
"You mention this right after saying you'll target Class C and Ichinose. You're clearly pushing me to act," Sakayanagi said, her gaze fixed on Ayanokōji.
"I'm just sharing my thoughts."
Ayanokōji paused, then continued, "You said you want to destroy me."
"Yes, you're a fake genius."
"Prove it, then."
Ayanokōji tilted his chin slightly. The sun had set, and the wall's corner blocked the light, casting shadows on his face.
"After all, I believe only one person can truly challenge me."
"That 'X' in your class again? Are you really not X? We're alone, and I won't tell anyone."
"Yes."
Ayanokōji nodded.
*Sakayanagi knows my past but hasn't exposed me. She doesn't seem to want to.*
"I am X."
"I knew it. You admitted it."
"But I'm only one-third of X. The real X is someone else, and I act on their orders."
Sakayanagi remained silent, watching him.
*Could what Ayanokōji said be true?*
"That's all I'll say. What you do with it is up to you."
With that, Ayanokōji left.
...
Days passed.
A strange rumor spread among the girls.
"Ichinose Honami from Class C is illegally holding a large number of points for personal use."
The rumor started in first-year classes but soon reached upperclassmen.
"Did you hear? Ichinose is holding a lot of points illegally."
"Really? She doesn't seem like that. Maybe she's managing the class points?"
"Possible, but who wouldn't be tempted by so many points?"
The rumors about Ichinose spread, even within Class C.
The exam was one day away.
Everyone was in the cafeteria, enjoying their last dinner before the exam.
Saiki Kusuo carried his tray, looking for a seat. He spotted Ichinose Honami sitting alone in a corner, looking exhausted.
Saiki glanced around. Ichinose hadn't noticed him, and there were no nearby seats. The only available ones were across the cafeteria.
*I'll sit over there.*
As Saiki walked past Ichinose, she noticed him. "Saiki, there's no one here. Sit with me."
"Okay," Saiki said, with no other choice.
He noticed Ichinose's fatigue—dark circles under her eyes, unlike her usual self.
*Why are these strange rumors spreading? First about me and Nagumo… I just joined the student council and worked with her a few times. She's talented but feels off.*
*Then the class points… Everyone elected me as treasurer, but these rumors are spreading out of nowhere. The exam is tomorrow, and our group's performance is average.*
Ichinose sighed heavily.
"You look tired, Ichinose," Saiki said slowly.
He'd noticed the rumors and, combined with Sakayanagi's thoughts, knew she was involved.
"The exam's tomorrow. What do you think, Saiki?"
"That's a broad question."
"Tell me what you feel."
"It's different from past exams. Maybe stricter. The risk of expulsion feels higher. Since the last special exam, expulsion isn't just about individual performance."
Saiki gave a vague answer.
"True… But it's the third term. Higher difficulty is expected."
"Probably."
"What about the leader system? Becoming a group leader is risky but doubles the points."
"Even with expulsion risks, it feels uncertain. Honestly, many things are unclear. But what's truly scary isn't losing points—it's losing classmates."
Ichinose sighed again.
*That's the worst part.*
Saiki heard her thoughts but acted oblivious.
"What do you mean?"
"If a classmate faces expulsion, what would you do?"
*Probably nothing.*
Saiki thought, but then reconsidered.
What if someone close to him faced expulsion?
"Teachers say 20 million points can cancel expulsion."
"But we can't gather that many, can we?"
"True."
Saiki nodded.
"The best option is to avoid risks."
"But what if it's unavoidable?" Ichinose asked, then shook her head. "Sorry, strange question."
"It's fine."
"Talking to you helped, but I need to think alone. Sorry, I'll leave."
"Okay, see you."
Ichinose left the cafeteria.
Just then, Karuizawa Kei, carrying her tray, found Saiki and sat beside him. She glanced at Ichinose's empty seat.
"Saiki, what were you talking about? Ichinose looked tired."
"She's worried about her group's performance and fears her classmates might face expulsion."
Saiki answered while eating.
"Well..."
Karuizawa Kei leaned forward slightly, her expression serious as she looked at Saiki Kusuo.
"If one day I were to be expelled, what would you do, Kusuo?"