"Ayanokouji-kun, are you ready?"
The clock struck 11:30 AM on Saturday, just thirty minutes before the scheduled meeting. In the dimly lit corridor of the special teaching building, three students gathered, making final preparations.
"Yeah, everything's set," Ayanokouji replied, nodding to Horikita. He then turned his gaze towards a surveillance camera mounted on the wall not far away. Another camera had been installed on the opposite side, adding an extra layer of scrutiny.
Ichinose Honami, a student from Class B, wiped the sweat from her forehead, her expression a mixture of surprise and concern.
"I didn't expect you to come up with this strategy when you asked to borrow points yesterday."
The building was oppressively hot and humid, making the task at hand even more uncomfortable.
"They're almost here," Horikita said, glancing at her phone.
"I'll go get Sudo-kun and the others and bring them to the front of the student council room. Let me know when you're ready."
"Okay, I'll go hide," Ichinose said, preparing to leave.
"Please do."
Just as Horikita was about to depart, Ayanokouji stopped her. "No, I'll take Sudo and the others with me."
"Why?" Horikita asked, surprised.
"They're three grown men. It's not appropriate for a girl like you to handle them, and I'm more familiar with them."
Horikita eyed him, astonished. "When did you become so considerate?"
"What? I've always been a gentleman!"
Though Horikita remained skeptical about Ayanokouji, there was no time for further deliberation. The confrontation was imminent, and she felt it was safer to stay behind.
"Fine, go ahead."
With a nod, Ayanokouji left swiftly.
Moments later, the individuals Horikita had been waiting for arrived.
"It's so hot. So hot," one of the boys complained, though their faces betrayed a hint of satisfaction.
When they spotted Horikita, their expressions froze in confusion and surprise.
"What's going on? Why are you here?"
"And where's Kushida-chan?"
Horikita's irritation was palpable. Despite her objections, Ayanokouji still went ahead and involved Kushida to lure the three boys out.
"Kushida-san isn't coming. That email was a trick," Horikita said firmly.
The boys seemed puzzled, their faces displaying a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"Are you kidding us? Why did you call us out then?"
"You're lying about the whole incident," Horikita asserted.
"I demand you retract your accusations immediately."
"What nonsense are you spouting? You're the ones lying!" Ishizaki retorted, dismissing Horikita with a wave.
"Let's go. Kushida-chan isn't here, and there's just this unpleasant girl."
The three boys began to turn away, but Ichinose stepped in their path.
"I think it would be better if you reconsider," Ichinose said.
"Ichi—Ichinose! Why are you here!?" Ishizaki's surprise was evident, bordering on panic.
"This has nothing to do with Class B, right? Move aside..."
Ishizaki's hostility toward Horikita was replaced with a weaker demeanor towards Ichinose, yet he still tried to push her away.
"It's true, it doesn't involve me," Ichinose said, her tone harsh. "But because you've lied and caused trouble for so many people, I can't just ignore it."
"We're not lying! We're the victims! Sudo started it!" Ishizaki repeated vehemently.
Ichinose took a deep breath, then pointed upwards. "Then it's time for you to face the consequences. Look up there!"
The boys looked up, their eyes widening at the sight of a surveillance camera swaying slightly.
"This, this is…"
"How is this possible?" They stammered, their faces showing increasing fear and confusion.
Ichinose smirked. "Now you see, the school has known about your deceit all along!"
Horikita joined in, sneering. "Your performance yesterday was quite entertaining. I'd be delighted if you were expelled."
"No, this can't be!" Ishizaki shouted, panic rising in his voice. "Why is there a surveillance camera? There weren't any on other floors. It's too strange!"
Desperately seeking reassurance, Ishizaki turned to his companions, who appeared equally perplexed.
"We, uh, we think it's confirmed," one of them said hesitantly.
"What do you mean by 'seemingly'?" Ishizaki snapped, frustration evident.
Then, suddenly, Ishizaki seemed to remember something. "You said the school already knew about this! If that's true, there's no need for a review!"
He felt triumphant for a moment, but Ichinose's next words quickly deflated him.
"The school wanted to give you a chance to reform. If it were just a fight, why would they take so long to investigate? The student council president personally verified your lies, waiting for you to come clean."
"Yeah, you might as well admit it now," Horikita added coldly.
The boys were visibly frightened, but Ichinose pressed on.
"This is a science classroom corridor. It's filled with chemicals, so there are many surveillance cameras here. Look behind you; there's another one."
The boys, led by Ichinose's words, turned around.
But before they could react further, a sudden noise interrupted them.
Bang—!
A stone flew from the side, smashing one of the surveillance cameras.
"Varied…"
Ichinose and Horikita were stunned, their eyes following the red-haired man who approached them with a predatory grin.
"Ryuen-san… Ugh?!"
Ishizaki and his companions rushed forward, relieved to see Ryuen, but were immediately kicked away.
"You pathetic fools, you fell for this so easily."
Ryuen's contempt was clear as he ignored the boys and focused on Ichinose and Horikita.
"I was only planning to deal with the minor players from Class D. I didn't expect to catch a big fish from Class B. This has been quite the payoff."
"You must be Ryuuen-kun, right? We from Class B are under your care," Ichinose said, her tone both firm and confrontational.
Ryuen's gaze hardened.
"So what if it's me?"
Ichinose didn't back down.
"I'm not interested in past grievances. But now that you've broken the school's surveillance cameras, aren't you afraid of being punished? Horikita and I are witnesses."
Ryuen's laughter was mocking.
"Punishment? Go ahead and report it to the teachers. I don't care. With two women like you who can't think on your feet, you won't be able to come up with anything to counter me."
The reality of the situation sets in for Ichinose and Horikita. Ryuen had seen through their plan, and they were outmaneuvered.
Horikita took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'll still report this to the school."
"How amusing," Ryuen sneered, then turned to Ishizaki, who had been watching from the sidelines.
"Eh? Ryuen-san?"
Ishizaki's surprise was palpable as Ryuen approached him.
To his shock, Ryuen tore open Ishizaki's uniform and pulled out a small recording device from his pocket.
"W-What?" Ishizaki stammered, completely taken aback.
Ryuuen ignored him, smugly holding up the recorder for Ichinose to see.
"Foolish girl, every word you just said is on tape. What do you think will happen if someone reports this to the school?"
"...No... I..."
Ichinose's face went pale with shock. She instinctively stepped back, as if considering fleeing the scene.
"Haha, and here I thought the leader of Class B was supposed to be so righteous," Ryuuen sneered, seizing the moment to press his advantage. "Turns out you're just a big liar, no better than me. I wonder how your precious Class B would react if they found out their beloved 'class representative' is nothing but a fraud."
Although ANHS doesn't have an official position like a class representative, Class B was assigned various committee roles to share responsibilities. Ichinose had always taken pride in being affectionately called that by her classmates, but now, the title felt like a cruel joke.
"No, please... don't do this..."
Ichinose's voice was barely a whisper, her desperation palpable. But Ryuuen had no intention of showing mercy.
"Relax. If the school finds out you've been cheating, you'll probably be expelled. Even if you just get suspended for a month, you'll miss the final exams and get kicked out anyway. By then, it won't matter what anyone thinks of you."
Turning to Horikita, Ryuuen's expression twisted into one of contempt.
"And you," he sneered, "how does it feel to drag innocent people down with you? If I were you, I'd be too ashamed to show my face at this school."