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"Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine." ~Alan Turning
***Yosuke Hirata***
"Good job everyone; enjoy this break. If we keep this up, Team AD still has a strong fighting chance," I said in hopes of uplifting my classmates. It seemed to have some effect, especially on the girls, who offered faint but appreciative smiles. However, many of the males in the class still seemed to lack motivation, their spirits visibly worn down from the relentless pace of the events.
I guess it isn't that unexpected. Class B has Ryuen, after all. And our class has had to deal with his cheating strategies event after event. The last team competition was especially depressing—Ryuen somehow wormed his way out of a 3v1. Even now, the unfairness of it lingered like a bitter aftertaste.
"Hirata, would you like something to drink?" Matsushita asked as I took a seat on the bench, trying to cool down after the latest grueling competition.
"Yes… I guess a drink would be nice," I replied after a brief pause, taking a deep breath of air.
It didn't take Matsushita long to return with a cup of water. After handing it to me, she sat down beside me.
"Thank you," I said, greedily drowning myself in the water. I had participated in far too many events today, compensating for Class D's lack of athleticism. After each one, I grew more tired—and more thirsty.
"You must be spent," Matsushita said gently, watching me as I drank.
After a moment, I finished the entire cup and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. "I'm a bit tired, but… this much is too much for me."
Matsushita sighed and frowned, shaking her head in what seemed like disapproval. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard. Everyone's worried about you… and no one expects Class D to have some standout performance anyway."
"Maybe that's true…" I murmured, trailing off as my gaze shifted back to the empty cup in my hand. My fingers tightened slightly around it. "But I still feel inclined to put my all into this sports festival. It's the right thing to do."
My eyes began to scan the field again, watching the other students as they wandered about. Laughter and idle chatter filled the air, but it all felt distant—like I was underwater.
Matsushita just sighed again, softer this time, as if words had failed her.
"Anyways, where is Horikita? I haven't seen her since our break began," I asked, realizing her absence now that the adrenaline had begun to fade.
"Ah, probably because she was on the girls' side when it happened," Matsushita replied.
"It?" I echoed, confused.
"Chabashira-sensei randomly came right at the start of the break to talk to Horikita. After that, the two disappeared," she explained, her voice carrying a slight edge of curiosity.
"With Chabashira-sensei?" I muttered.
Behind me, I suddenly heard someone call out. "Hirata, can I talk to you?"
I turned and noticed it was Ayanokoji. "Of course, what's the matter?" I asked. Ayanokoji wasn't the type to strike up a conversation without purpose, so I instinctively gave him my full attention.
"Well, it's kind of a fragile topic," he said, his tone unusually cautious. "Truth is… I didn't know who else to talk to about this."
It was obvious this was something he preferred to keep between the two of us. With that in mind, I stood up from beside Matsushita and addressed Ayanokoji.
"I see. Would you like to talk elsewhere then?"
Ayanokoji gave me a brief nod. Without another word, I followed him.
He led me quietly up the stairs to the elevated observation deck overlooking the sports festival grounds. The voices of our classmates grew fainter the higher we climbed, until only the hum of distant cheering and the whistle of wind remained. From this vantage point, we could see everyone—smiling, laughing, resting. It was peaceful. Deceivingly peaceful.
Once all the students were far behind us, Ayanokoji stopped. He faced outward, his eyes locked onto the crowd below. But he didn't speak.
The silence dragged on, drawing tension around us.
"So… what was it, Ayanokoji?" I finally asked, trying to ease the atmosphere. "I can't lie—you're making me a bit anxious here." I chuckled lightly, forcing a smile, though a knot had already begun to form in my stomach.
"It's about Horikita," Ayanokoji said at last, exhaling slowly before turning to face me.
"The truth is, a few minutes ago… Horikita bid me farewell."
Those words landed with a heavy thud in my chest. Something about his tone, the finality of it, made the world around me blur slightly.
"Horikita did? I don't understand… why would Horikita do that?"
"She explained to me that Ryuen was targeting her. That injury she sustained in the obstacle course race? It wasn't an accident. Apparently, it was a setup by Ryuen to frame her for purposely injuring a student. Horikita believes the odds are stacked against her, and Ryuen will likely be attempting to expel her from school."
Ayanokoji's words struck like daggers. The idea that Horikita—the very person who had become the pillar of Class D—was being targeted, and possibly cornered to the point of no return… it felt unreal.
"What do you mean? Expelling someone isn't that simple. There's no way Ryuen could—"
"I'm just informing you of what Horikita explained to me," Ayanokoji interrupted, his voice calm. "Whether you believe her or not is up to you. But Horikita seemed quite sincere. She looked like she was on the verge of tears when she spoke to me…"
"Of course, I believe Horikita!" I replied quickly, almost reflexively. This wasn't about logic or evidence—it was something else. Something deeper. I didn't know how to explain it, but I believed in Horikita. She had led our class through every hardship thrown at us. Even if she was harsh and confrontational in the beginning, she had always carried the burden. Horikita was kind… and she was honest.
"I see. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you," Ayanokoji said softly. "It is a tough situation to accept—I can see why you might begin to question things."
Tough situation?
Yes… Ayanokoji was right. We, the members of Class D, knew better than anyone how tough these situations could truly become.
In just the first half of the school year, we lost five classmates: Yamauchi, Sudou, Ike, Inogashira, and Sotomaru.
Each one of them—gone.
All of us in Class D had lost friends, allies, people we'd studied with, laughed with, argued with. Ryuen had stolen that from us. And now… it was on the verge of happening again.
I couldn't save anyone during the midterms. I stood by helplessly as students fell, one by one. I wasn't a leader anymore… I wasn't even a reliable classmate.
No—I had regressed. From someone who once stood as a pillar for this class, to someone barely holding it together. It was pathetic.
And now Horikita too?
The thought made my hands tremble slightly.
And all I can do is sit here and watch… as once again, Ryuen comes and expels another member of Class D.
Ayanokoji then shifted again as he prepared to speak, his eyes narrowing in a way that unsettled me.
"So, what will you do?"
"Huh?" I asked, caught off guard by Ayanokoji's question. The words hadn't even finished settling in my mind before their weight began pressing down on me.
"We can't just sit here and watch, can we?" Ayanokoji continued, voice flat but firm. "If it were one of us… Horikita would've helped."
"…"
I didn't know how to respond. He was right. Horikita wouldn't have sat still if she knew one of her classmates was facing expulsion. She wasn't like that. Beneath her cold exterior was someone who always carried the burden of the class, whether she admitted it or not.
But… how was I supposed to help her?
It was Ryuen, after all. A manipulator, a schemer. Someone who even managed to toy with Yagami early in the school year. Going up against him wasn't just reckless—it was like walking into a trap with your eyes open.
Yet could I really afford to do nothing?
Regret swirled in my chest like a storm cloud. I didn't want to repeat the mistakes I'd made so far this year. Maybe… if I had rebounded after Ryuen's assault on our class. Maybe if I had stood beside Horikita instead of distancing myself. If I hadn't handed off the class representative role to others like Kushida... perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess.
But the truth was… I didn't want to take on that responsibility again. I was scared. Responsibility on that level was a painful burden to bear when you failed—when you broke under it.
During this sports festival, I could give it my all. Because in the end, it was just a competition. Win or lose, the outcome didn't define us, and the consequences were small. But when it came to matters like this… with real stakes and lives on the line… I didn't know how far I could go.
"I want to save Horikita," I admitted quietly, "but… I'm not sure how to."
"I see," Ayanokoji said after a pause. "I'm not sure either. I'm just repeating what I know and what Horikita told me. But I thought… surely if it was you, Hirata—you could save her."
"Why?" I asked, the frustration creeping into my voice. "I don't understand. Why are these expectations placed on me? Isn't it obvious I'm not capable of meeting them? I can't be relied on. Just like I couldn't be relied on in the Deserted Island exam, or the Gambling exam. There's no point in trying to do something I'm incapable of."
My voice trembled slightly. I hated how bare it sounded.
"You probably have your reasons for believing what you do," Ayanokoji replied, not missing a beat. "Maybe the midterms incident was your final strike. Maybe you've already deemed yourself irredeemable, for whatever reason in your past."
He paused, then continued—his voice now edged with urgency.
"But I don't think that's true. And we don't have time to unpack your past right now. What matters is that at this moment—now—Horikita is out there on the verge of expulsion. And it's your fault."
"My fault?" I repeated, stunned. "How is it my fault? Why is it always my fault, no matter what choice I make?"
"Because Horikita had to take the full role as leader of Class D due to your inactivity after the five expulsions," Ayanokoji said, the accusation sharp and unforgiving. "Ryuen is targeting her because he knows she's alone. You left her alone."
The words hit harder than I expected. They cut deep because there was truth in them—truth I didn't want to face.
Ayanokoji didn't stop. His voice was relentless.
"If Horikita gets expelled, then I'll live with the burden of knowing I failed her. But I'll also remember that you did too, Hirata. That when I came to you—pleading for help to protect one of your so-called friends—you stood by and let her hang out to dry."
"T-That… isn't fair…" I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. "You can't just push these things onto me, Ayanokoji… This isn't fair…"
"You're right," he said coldly. "It isn't fair. But you're the one who claimed they'd help everyone from the moment you introduced yourself to the class. You offered to take on this burden. Now, it's your job to carry it."
He stepped closer, his eyes locking onto mine.
"If you did that—if you truly tried, if you genuinely gave everything to save and help everyone—then I could understand you. No matter what happened, no matter who got expelled, I could at least live with the knowledge that you did your best."
"That's why… if you give up halfway on this role you took on yourself…"
A pause. One breath.
"Well then, I could never forgive you. In my mind, you'd be greater scum than Ryuen—a shallow bastard passing along false hope. Making claims… with no intent to follow through."
His words—I hated them.
They weren't wrong. In fact, they only reaffirmed what I already knew deep down, what I'd been desperately trying to avoid. If it wasn't for me… then Class D wouldn't be in this position. Horikita wouldn't be in this position.
It's my fault.
A bitter taste lingered in my mouth as I looked away from him.
"So this is how you really are?" I whispered. "You can be quite cruel, Ayanokoji…"
"I don't think I'm cruel," he said, completely unfazed. "It's just that the truth is cruel. That fact has little to do with me."
I bit my lip, his words echoing through my mind. I understood what I had to do. I knew it. But knowing and acting were two different things. I still couldn't bring myself to do it. I wasn't strong enough to fully accept the truth, not yet.
But then, Ayanokoji spoke again.
"You don't have to do it all alone, you know?" he said, his tone suddenly softer—more human. "If you ever have trouble moving forward… we're all here for you. It's only fair. If I'm going to ask so much of you, then I should be willing to accept a part of your burden too."
I felt something shift inside me.
My eyes couldn't help but rise to meet his. His usual indifference remained, but there was something else beneath it now—conviction, perhaps.
"I see… Thank you, Ayanokoji," I said, my voice steadier than before.
Ayanokoji gave a subtle nod. "I guess I should ask you again… will you save Horikita?"
"Yes. I will," I answered firmly, though a trace of uncertainty still lingered in my chest. "Although I'm still not sure how. And we have to act quickly..."
"Well… " Ayanokoji replied. "We just need to delay Horikita's expulsion for now—or somehow find a way to convince those in Class B to recant their statements, although that's a lot harder."
"But how do we do that in just the next few minutes?" I asked, the task already seeming like a mountain looming over us. The more I thought about it, the more impossible it felt.
"I'm not sure… There aren't many who could pull something like this off," Ayanokoji admitted.
And then something clicked.
A spark ignited in the back of my mind, and my eyes lit up.
"Ayanokoji, I have a plan," I said after a moment, the idea forming rapidly in my mind. "But I'll need your help."
Ayanokoji glanced at me, then nodded his head slightly.
"Of course."
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Give me your thoughts on this chapter. I think it was enjoyable, but I'd love to hear your opinions. This is also the final chance to guess the strategy for this arc; I would love to see them.