"...I see. Do your best."
Saito said this, then patted the head of a downcast Sakayanagi twice. He then left without waiting for her reply.
After that, the wall of people who had gathered to watch began to disperse. Almost as soon as the last group left, a student spoke to Sakayanagi, who was still sitting alone with her head bowed.
"Sakayanagi."
"...Kamuro-san? What's wrong?"
The student's name was Kamuro. She was a student who had been assisting Sakayanagi since their enrollment.
"Everyone wants an explanation. I think it's okay for me to tell them, but wouldn't it be better if you did it yourself?"
"...Yes, you're right. I understand...oh."
Sakayanagi tried to stand up using her cane as she always did, but she swayed as if she had lost her balance.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. It wouldn't be good to keep them waiting, so let's get this over with quickly."
Kamuro instinctively supported her body and spoke to her. Sakayanagi said she was fine, but Kamuro couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't in her best condition.
"...Okay. If you say so."
Kamuro decided that pushing the matter further wouldn't lead to a good outcome. Sakayanagi, finding her concern endearing, made her way to the A-class lounge.
After walking for a few minutes, she arrived at her destination. Nearly 30 students were already waiting inside the lounge, and the noisy atmosphere could be heard even through the door.
"No one's going to blame you, okay? I just wanted to say that."
"Yes. Thank you, Kamuro-san."
Then, Kamuro opened the door, and Sakayanagi took a step into the room.
The noisy chatter immediately died down, and all eyes turned to Sakayanagi, who was likely the one behind the progression of this exam.
"...I apologize for calling you all here so suddenly. But everyone wants to know what's going on."
"Yes. I was planning to explain the exam results anyway, so this saves me the trouble."
The conversation between Katsuragi, who had been calming the room down, and Sakayanagi, who was the center of attention, immediately drew the class's focus.
Sakayanagi walked to the center of the room. She took a breath, made eye contact with each student, and began to speak.
"The responsibility for our inability to lead Class A to victory in this exam lies with me. ----I am truly sorry."
The students of Class A had been expecting a heavy, serious talk, but contrary to their expectations, Sakayanagi's first words were an apology.
It had been four months since they enrolled. In this short time, Sakayanagi had made a solid impression on her classmates. Her ability to always look ahead, her composure, and her intelligence, which were unbefitting of a high school first-year, had earned her many admirers.
Sometimes this strong trust led to conflicts with others, but Sakayanagi would even concede in those situations and resolve them peacefully.
"Everyone, be quiet. She's in the middle of her explanation."
The students of Class A were confused by Sakayanagi's deep bow right at the beginning, but they regained their composure when Katsuragi intervened.
Sakayanagi gave a small bow of thanks to Katsuragi and continued in a resolute tone, but with a somewhat shaky demeanor.
"The reason for our defeat in this exam is that I was unable to trust all of you in the class."
"Trust...how does that relate to this exam?"
One student asked this question. While "trust" sounded good, the student didn't think it was necessary for the exam.
"...I'm sorry. I'm not explaining this well. First, let me explain the sequence of events."
"It all started at 8 a.m. in the morning. I believe that's when everyone was having breakfast."
"...That's when we got the notification that five exams had ended simultaneously, right?"
"Yes. At that point, the following six groups had finished: the Monkey, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, and Horse groups. And the VIPs of all six of these groups were from Class C and Class D."
Sakayanagi's explanation was concise, and there was no one in the room who didn't understand its meaning.
"...I see. So Class C and Class D collaborated to get each other's VIPs wrong?"
"Why would they need to do that? Why would they throw away a chance to earn points?"
"By getting each other's VIPs wrong, they could eliminate the possibility of losing points in any way other than getting the VIP wrong. While the points they could earn would be reduced, the points would be split between them anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem."
Sakayanagi added that this was an idea you would only come up with if you had a detailed understanding of the rules.
"And when I received the notification, I immediately contacted those I could trust and headed to see Ichinose-san of Class B. It was to make the only deal that could end this exam, in which we were already at a disadvantage, in a draw."
"But how did you know that the collaborating classes were D and C? At that point, you couldn't have known which classes had teamed up."
A very valid question was asked. The student seemed to be wondering why she went to Ichinose instead of Saito, a student from Class D whom she was close to in private.
"I was certain that Class C was involved. That's because he himself had made a similar proposal during the Dragon group's exam. As for the other class, it was honestly a gamble. I was certain it was Ichinose-san based on her reaction when I proposed the deal, but if I had taken this to Class D instead...Class A might have lost by now."
"So you used the exact same strategy that D and C used with Class B?"
"Yes, that's right...It was an urgent situation, so I acted without telling the rest of the class anything."
The classmates realized that this was what she was apologizing for, but it was different from what they had imagined.
"But Sakayanagi-san, you didn't do anything wrong, did you?"
"That's right. While acting alone might not be commendable, there was a good reason for it. It would have been pointless to take the time to confirm with everyone and end up being too late."
Such opinions were also raised in the class. After hearing the explanation, the majority of them had concluded that Sakayanagi was not at fault.
"...However, this exam might have had a different result if I had properly communicated how I planned to act to all of you from the beginning."
"That's just a hypothetical, isn't it? The actual result was a tie for second place. If you look at it another way, we were able to reduce one opportunity for points to fluctuate in the future."
Katsuragi offered words of comfort to the dejected-looking Sakayanagi. It could even be considered an ideal result if Katsuragi had been the leader of the exam.
The discussion was about to settle down, but one student muttered quietly.
"────In the end, you were betrayed by Saito, the guy you went on and on about being so close with."
"...Yahiko, stop it."
The student Katsuragi called Yahiko, Totsuka, continued as if to voice his dissatisfaction to the class, which was becoming more and more supportive of Sakayanagi.
"Everyone's thinking it, Katsuragi-san. Sakayanagi, you were eating happily with Saito after the fourth discussion, weren't you? During the exam period, no less."
"...If you have something to say, why don't you just say it clearly?"
The atmosphere had returned to a sense of ease, but their remarks created a sudden tension.
Totsuka said what everyone had noticed but chose not to point out.
"You're so quick to abandon Katsuragi-san when his results aren't great, so why are you forgiven for not being able to see through that guy's strategy? You call him your childhood friend, but maybe you're the only one who thinks you're close!"
"Tsk...!"
"Yahiko!"
What Totsuka was saying wasn't entirely wrong. It would be hard for anyone to completely agree that Sakayanagi, who had eaten with her enemy Saito during the exam period, was completely blameless.
However, pointing it out in this situation was just too cruel.
"Sakayanagi, I don't think you're in a position to say that. First of all, the deserted island exam, too, was a result of you rushing things."
"Huh!? That's irrelevant! And how many times do I have to say that the key card was stolen!"
"Unbelievable. Are you still sticking with that pathetic lie?"
Kamuro shot back coldly, with a look of contempt.
Not a single person in Class A believed Totsuka's side of the story anymore.
"...I'm not going to accept this. Katsuragi-san is the only leader of Class A."
After saying this like a parting shot, Totsuka ran away.
"I'll go after Yahiko...I'm sorry, Sakayanagi. I'm sure he didn't mean what he said...I won't tell you not to worry about it, but you should rest now."
"...Yes, you're right. Thank you..."
Sakayanagi sat on a bench, her head bowed and trembling. Had what Totsuka said affected her so much? Katsuragi, feeling uncomfortable, spoke to her, but her response was weak.
As Katsuragi left the room to follow after her, the commotion returned to fill the space.
"He's the worst. I can't believe it."
"Right. He's always been a loudmouth, but only when he's hiding behind Katsuragi-kun."
"Don't say that, lol. It'd be a pain if he ran away again."
"Funny. Katsuragi-kun should have been the leader for the deserted island exam too."
"Katsuragi's got it rough. Having to look after a guy like that."
"Hey...you guys, 'Kamuro-san'...Sakayanagi."
Kamuro was about to stop the group's venting and the insults that overflowed now that the target was gone.
However, Sakayanagi herself interrupted her. She was stilllookingdownandtrembling, but the emotion was not sadness from what Totsuka had said.
"Aren't you going to stop them?"
"No. That kind of evaluation is what people who say such terrible things deserve."
"!"...I see."
────At that moment, what Kamuro saw was Sakayanagi lookingdown, withhermouthpressedintoaline, tryingtoholdbackherlaughter.
---------
"Oh, it seems to have gone well."
Hello, it's the gigolo who, on the surface, has been given the worst title of 'cheating on a girl who fell for him to get points'.
I thought it was a bit much, but I had no choice since I was threatened that they would spread lies like, 'he's been sexually harassing me since the 4th grade' or 'he made me serve him in a cat-eared maid outfit'.
"Good job. How did it go?"
"According to plan."
And I just got a happy-go-lucky chat from her. Honestly, she's amazing. She doesn't miss a beat.
I thought she had finally gone crazy when she asked me to 'lose by a hair or at least get a draw'...but it was to gain complete control of her class. She really is something.
By the way, the explanation for Class D has been postponed until tomorrow. It's late at night, so it can't be helped, but Suzune-chan was angry about the lack of motivation.
---------
The next day, after having breakfast, the Class D group gathered in their lounge to talk.
"...Sigh. Class A and Class B have already talked..."
"It can't be helped. We got over 400 points in total from the deserted island exam and this one. It's understandable for them to be optimistic."
"That's true, but..."
Suzune-chan and Kiyotaka-kun were talking next to me. I'm a little worried about what people will think, but we've already let everyone know that we've made up, so it should be fine.
By the way, she was happy that she could finally have a normal conversation. She's so cute.
"Everyone probably wants to play now that the exam is over, so let's make this quick."
I raised my voice slightly to address the chattering classmates.
"Yeah, yeah! We only have a little time left in this paradise, so make it snappy!"
"What an easygoing guy..."
I heard a grumble aimed at Ike-kun, but his remark seemed to get everyone to listen.
"To put it extremely simply, it's like 'I was going to team up with Ryuuen-kun to beat A and B, but they took the same countermeasures, so it ended in a draw'."
"...You're skipping too many details, Saito. At least tell us what the plan to beat them was."
Yukimura-kun said with an exasperated look. I guess I was a bit too brief.
"My bad, my bad. So, it was like this──────"
I explained the plan, skipping the unnecessary parts but making sure the content was clear.
"────I see...Can I ask one thing?"
And the one who raised his hand again was Yukimura-kun. The three idiots, like Sudo-kun, were playing a mobile game in the corner, showing no interest in listening.
When I encouraged him to ask his question, Yukimura-kun put his hand on his chin and asked this.
"I heard that you only told Hirata about this plan. Is there a reason you didn't explain it to us?"
He asked just because he was curious, not because he was angry about not being told. I was happy that he trusted me, but I felt like it wasn't a very healthy thing.
"First, there's a big reason. I didn't want the Class C deal to be leaked by the reactions of the Class D kids. Everyone would be surprised by the sudden end of the exam, but wouldn't it seem unnatural if only Class D was relaxed? Yousuke-kun is perfect as a liaison for the group, and he's good at keeping secrets."
"I see. In that case, I have nothing to say. ...Still, I can't believe Koenji got the VIP right."
The topic shifted to Koenji-kun, who wasn't there. I did send him a chat, but I got an elegant reply that said, "I have no interest in such cheap tricks, my gigolo boy." ...What in the world is a "gigolo boy"?
"Thanks to him, we got 50 points and came in first place."
"So does that mean we got first place in both of the summer vacation exams? This is amazing!"
I replied with a wry smile, and Ike-kun, who had finished his mobile game, came over and put his arm around my shoulder happily.
"I also owe you for the deserted island exam, Ike-kun. It might be a cliché, but I think this is a victory we all won together."
"That's so good of you to say!"
Everyone smiled at Ike-kun's words.
There were a lot of things to worry about, but we're generally starting to come together, and it seems like we'll become a good class.
────And with that, the meeting was over, and only Kiyotaka-kun and Suzune-chan remained in the room.
"Man...I'm so tired."
Since I didn't have to pretend in front of these two, I slumped down onto the sofa.
"Good job, Tsugumi. Didn't you do the most work out of anyone in our year?"
"You're right. You had to bring the class together during the deserted island exam, get framed for being a panty thief, and deal with Karuizawa's case after the fight with Ryuuen-kun...It's been a lot of heavy lifting."
You're telling me. I don't feel like I've had any rest at all.
"Well, thanks to that, everyone's coming together nicely, so that's a good thing."
"...You're right. I can't just keep relying on you two. I need to work harder."
Suzune-chan renewed her determination. She's probably frustrated that she couldn't do anything in this exam.
"You're very motivated. Are you already thinking about the next exam?"
"It doesn't hurt to be prepared early, does it? ...Besides, if I cut back too much, you'll force me to go play with you anyway."
"What are you talking about? You're the one who enjoys it the most."
"Did you say something?" "...Nothing."
It seems their comedic duo act with Kiyotaka-kun is still going strong even after she's mellowed out. I'm happy because I like their surreal back-and-forth.
"Well, I should probably get going too. I need to go get Arisu-chan in a good mood."
"Did you and Sakayanagi plan that whole thing out?"
...You're as sharp as ever.
"That's right. It's going to be tough from now on, you know? With Katsuragi-kun in charge of internal affairs, Arisu-chan will be able to direct all her abilities outwards. It's best not to think of Class A as the same as before."
"I'm speechless. Do you know what the girls are saying about you after your exchange yesterday?"
"...What? I have no idea."
Suzune-chan folded her arms and sighed. I have a bad feeling about this.
"They're calling you a 'scumbag gigolo with no heart or tears'. Well, it's half a joke, though."
"For this, I'm grateful for my good reputation. If I had done the same thing, I'd be called a psychopath."
Kiyotaka-kun's follow-up wasn't very helpful.
"You are a psychopath, aren't you?"
"You got that right."
"...I'm gonna cry."
Kiyotaka-kun buried his face in the sofa, pretending to sob. Aww, now he's sulking.
"Jokes aside, what are you planning to do now? I'm thinking of having Horikita take the lead in bringing Class D together soon."
Don't recover so quickly. That's what you do.
"...It's still too early for me."
"I don't think so. Unlike right after we enrolled, I think Horikita is doing a good job now."
"Yeah, yeah. I think so too! So, let's try it out a bit after summer vacation ends."
I recommended it after Kiyotaka-kun. To be honest, it might still be too early to pit her against Arisu-chan, but she has enough potential to follow in her footsteps.
"Don't talk about it like it's some kind of part-time job training...Well, if you two say so, I'll do it."
After saying that, Suzune-chan turned away and twirled her hair. Seeing her, Kiyotaka-kun and I made eye contact and shrugged our shoulders.
"...She's warming up to you."
"She's warming up to us."
"...Be quiet."
Suzune-chan, with a red face, stomped on Kiyotaka-kun's foot.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...why me only!?"
"Hahaha!"
I couldn't help but laugh at their back-and-forth, which I've seen countless times. This is how we should be.
"Well, I'm heading back now. See you later, you two."
"Yeah...Horikita."
"...I know."
The two of them were whispering behind me.
Curious about what they were saying, I turned around and saw Suzune-chan with her hands clasped behind her back, fidgeting, and looking at me with her eyes turned upward.
"T-Tsugumi-kun."
Suzune-chan stuttered but clearly called my name.
Surprised, I turned around for a second and saw Kiyotaka-kun looking at me with a (゜▽゜) expression.
"...What is it, Suzune-chan?"
When I asked, she seemed to have made up her mind, and with a determined look, she said this.
"I thought you hadn't gotten your rewardfromthattime yet. Would you mind leaning down a little more?"
"Huh? Sure..."
I did as she said, leaning down to meet her eyes as she took a step closer.
"...You don't remember, do you? You idiot."
"Hm? Did you say...!? "
At that moment, Suzune-chan put both of her hands around my neck and stood on her tiptoes.
────The soft sensation I felt on my lips at that moment was certainly not an illusion.
"...Are you serious?"
It was over in an instant, but it was enough to make my mind go blank.
"...Well, well then. That's...that's what I meant, Tsugumi-kun."
Suzune-chan said this and ran away...no, what in the world did that mean?
"That was a good show. Horikita's getting pretty corrupted too."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I guess that's what itmeans. See you later, Tsugumi. Good luck."
Kiyotaka-kun said this with a smug (￣∀￣) expression. I kept asking him what he meant, but he never told me.
"...She was so cute."
────The fact that I had this thought a week after another girl had kissed me probably meant that I really was a "scumbag gigolo with no heart or tears."
============
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