By the time Kanda Shuichi and Miyake returned from Keyaki Mall, it waalready completely dark, and the time had passed 8 p.m. They were supposed to meet up with Hirata and give him the past exam papers, but instead, the two of them were hiding in the shadows behind the dorm building.
"Akito, what do you think Ayanokouji is up to, sneaking around like that?"
"I don't know what he's up to, but I'd say we're being just as sneaky right now," Miyake replied, sounding exasperated.
Just a moment ago, while they were buying drinks from the vending machine on the first floor, they happened to see Ayanokouji walk out from the shadows of the vending machine and head towards the back of the dorm building. Driven by curiosity and the sense of security with Miyake around, Kanda Shuichi decided to follow him.
Now, they could see Ayanokouji hiding around the corner, looking at something. Unfortunately, Kanda Shuichi and Miyake couldn't get close enough to see what he was up to. Just as they were getting bored and considering heading back, Ayanokouji suddenly darted out like a rabbit.
He's fast!
The two of them exchanged surprised glances.
Let's go!
With a simple exchange of looks, they quickly moved to where Ayanokouji had just been and finally saw what was happening.
Horikita Suzune was sitting on the ground, slumped against the wall. Kanda Shuichi had never seen her look so vulnerable before. In front of her stood Horikita Manabu, whose arm was being held by someone.
And, of course, the person holding his arm was none other than Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"That's enough, let go of his arm."
"I think that's my line."
The two locked eyes, and the tension between them built. But it was Horikita Suzune, still sitting on the ground, who finally broke the stalemate.
"Ayanokouji… stop…"
Ayanokouji frowned slightly before letting go of his grip.
The moment he released his grip, Horikita Manabu threw a punch toward Ayanokouji's face, but Ayanokouji narrowly dodged it. Then, he used his left hand to brush aside Horikita's reaching right hand, showing a remarkable ability to handle force with ease.
"Impressive!"
Watching the fight unfold, Kanda Shuichi and Miyake Akito couldn't help but feel amazed.
The student council president was one thing, but Ayanokouji also knew how to fight? As a former delinquent with a lot of fighting experience, Miyake Akito could see how skilled both of them were. Just from those moves, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance. If he jumped in, he might hold out for a while, but the outcome was already decided—assuming neither of them were holding back.
Miyake didn't have to worry about Horikita hiding his strength, though, since Horikita had attacked with full force, assuming Ayanokouji was just some guy bothering his beloved sister.
As for Ayanokouji, it was hard to tell. His body was almost in perfect alignment with physical and mechanical principles, something that required both training and natural talent. It was unclear if he was holding back.
"Not bad at all. You managed to dodge my attacks multiple times. Impressive."
Horikita Manabu dropped his fighting stance; those exchanges had already cooled his anger.
"Not only that, but you even predicted my next moves. Have you trained in something?"
"If piano and calligraphy count, then yes. I even won a national piano competition back in grade school."
I don't believe it—unless he shows proof, Kanda Shuichi thought to himself.
But the light-hearted moment didn't last long.
"You over there, aren't you going to come out?"
Were we discovered? Makes sense, since neither Akito nor I really tried to hide.
With that, Miyake Akito stepped out.
"You're…Miyake Akito, right?"
Clearly, Ayanokouji recognized Miyake, since they sat nearby in class and he often hung out with Kanda Shuichi.
Horikita Manabu frowned slightly; being seen fighting by a regular student wasn't exactly good for a student council president's image.
"That's right. I noticed you sneaking around doing something suspicious, so I followed."
Miyake explained calmly. They'd been caught spying, but he saw no need to get flustered—he had nothing to hide.
"I see. Then, could Kanda come out too?"
"Huh? Why bring up Shuichi?" Miyake looked surprised and a bit confused.
"If it were just you, you probably wouldn't have followed me. So, you're here with Kanda, aren't you?"
It made sense—an oversight on their part. Running now wouldn't help, so Kanda Shuichi stepped out from the shadows.
"Well deduced, Ayanokouji," Kanda Shuichi said with a sigh.
"Good evening, President Horikita."
Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses, feeling a bit down. After encountering Kanda Shuichi earlier in the day, he couldn't shake the feeling that the name sounded familiar.
In an effort to look out for his sister, he started gathering information on him and concluded that Kanda was not someone to deal with lightly—he was the kind of person who would push back just as hard as you did.
Most importantly, the one who would take the blame in Class D turned out to be him?
Placing someone like this in Class D made Horikita Manabu wonder if he should regret his decision.
"Oh, it's you. The transfer student at this school. Come to think of it, it was my decision to place you in Class D."
Horikita Manabu's words left Kanda Shuichi confused. What did he mean? You were the one who put me in Class D?
"It seems you're still unaware," Horikita Manabu said, looking at Kanda Shuichi. "Ten days before your year started, one student's admission was replaced, and the one who took that spot was you, Kanda Shuichi."
"I think I'm aware of that."
At that time, Kanda Shuichi had just woken up, and the Kanda family had already arranged everything.
Later, after entering this school, Kanda Shuichi learned that the written and interview tests had already concluded long before.
So, the admission list had been set, and if the Kanda family wanted to add someone, they had to make someone else give up their spot. The family handled that without a hitch.
However, once he was admitted, which class he would end up in wasn't something the Kanda family could decide, leaving it up to the school.
The school, in turn, handed that authority over to the student council, which meant it was Horikita Manabu who made the decision.
Faced with a student about whom he knew nothing except for their appearance, height, weight, and age, Horikita Manabu had simply assigned him to Class D, not expecting that this guy would turn out to be unexpectedly troublesome.
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