Subaru left the cafeteria and walked straight to the agreed-upon location.
The meeting place was a small, empty activity room on the first floor of the school building, not far from the Class A classroom. When Subaru pushed the door open and entered, there were already people inside.
"Subaru-kun! You're here!"
The first to welcome him was Kikyo Kushida. Her face bore just the right amount of anxiety and concern as she walked quickly up to Subaru, her hands subconsciously clasped in front of her chest. She looked up at him, her tea-colored eyes filled with worry.
"Really, those people from Class C are too much! How could they do such a thing... Horikita-san, she..."
Her voice trembled slightly, with a lingering fear in the trailing notes. Anyone seeing this would think she was a kind-hearted girl genuinely angry and worried about the injustice her friend had suffered.
Subaru's gaze landed on her face, lingering for about a second. He could clearly see the light of joy and jubilation deep within her eyes, almost overflowing beneath that perfect acting.
"Yeah, I heard a bit about it." Subaru nodded, his tone calm. "What is the specific situation?"
"While Horikita-san was using the restroom alone, she was suddenly splashed with water by Manabe from Class C."
"And Horikita-san? How is she?"
"I just went to the dormitory to help her get a jacket. She's changed, so she should be here any moment."
As Kikyo Kushida spoke, she stepped sideways to let Subaru see inside the activity room. Yosuke Hirata was also there. This superficial core figure of Class D was frowning slightly, his expression looking extremely grave.
Seeing Subaru enter, he nodded, counting it as a greeting. "Natsuki-kun is here too. This matter... the impact is very bad. Class C went too far this time."
"Yes, Hirata-kun is right." Kikyo Kushida immediately chimed in, her tone full of righteous indignation. "This isn't just ordinary friction anymore! We have to think of a way. We can't let Horikita-san suffer this grievance for nothing, and who knows, maybe next time it will be another classmate's turn!"
As she spoke, her gaze quietly swept over Subaru, seeming to observe his reaction. Subaru merely walked to the window and leaned casually against the sill.
"What about Ichinose-san's side?" he asked.
"Contact has already been made. They are waiting in the Class A classroom right next door. Once Horikita-san arrives, we'll go over," Hirata replied. He looked at Subaru, hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Natsuki-kun, do you have any... opinion on Class C's action this time? It feels like they did it on purpose, and their target is very clear."
Subaru tilted his head slightly.
"Kakeru Ryuen is a man with strong objectives. Since he did this, he naturally has his intentions. Since our Class D carried out the previous actions, we naturally have to be prepared to face the opponent's counterattack. What Horikita is encountering now is just that."
He did not explicitly state that this intention was likely directed at himself, nor did he evaluate whether Horikita was merely a pawn dragged into it. Hirata's level was not yet sufficient to understand that kind of pure malice from Ryuen, nor the dangerous interaction akin to a "game" between himself and Ryuen.
Kikyo Kushida blinked. The worry remained on her face, but her heart held a different landscape.
As expected, Subaru-kun doesn't care about Horikita at all... That's great.
Seeing that self-righteous Horikita eat humble pie really makes one feel pleasant. However, Class C has thoroughly intensified the conflict this time; what follows will be even more interesting, right?
I wonder what Subaru-kun will do...
I must think of a way to get Horikita expelled.
While thinking this, she added with a worried tone, "In any case, Horikita-san must be feeling very terrible. We all have to support her properly later."
Subaru was naturally clear on what was in Kikyo Kushida's heart. She was absolutely taking pleasure in others' misfortune.
"Yes, that is true." Hirata nodded as well, turning his head to look at Subaru. "Natsuki-kun, do you have any plans for what comes next?"
"Plans? None," Subaru answered.
Regarding this matter, Subaru temporarily only wanted to be a spectator. Just then, the door to the activity room was pushed open. Horikita walked in, with Kiyotaka Ayanokoji following behind her.
She had already changed into a clean school uniform. Her hair seemed to have been simply tidied up, but there were still some traces of dampness at the tips. Her complexion was paler than usual, and her expression was as aloof as before.
"Horikita-san!" Kikyo Kushida immediately trotted over, her face full of heartache. "Are you okay? Are you injured? Do you want to go to the infirmary first..."
"I'm fine." Horikita cut off Kikyo Kushida's concern stiffly, her tone decisive.
Her gaze swept over the three people in the room, pausing briefly on Subaru's face. She seemed to want to see some different reaction from Subaru, considering Class C had taken the initiative to act this time. But Subaru merely nodded to her, his expression calm as always, even carrying a touch of routine indifference.
"To think such a thing happened..." Hirata pursed his lips, a strange look flashing through his eyes. Splashing water in the restroom—this was a common behavior in school bullying. Associating it with that, Hirata's fists involuntarily clenched. He absolutely could not accept such behavior occurring in the school.
"It's merely the lowest form of provocation, no different from our previous actions. If we get swayed by emotions and strike first, our class will suffer even greater losses." Even after encountering such an event, Horikita still appeared quite calm.
"Did Manabe and the others do anything else afterwards? Should we go report to the school?" Hirata continued to ask.
"No need. After they splashed the water, they apologized to me very sincerely—at least on the surface it looked sincere. They helped me wash my clothes and compensated me with points. Even if we go to the school authorities, they can claim it was an accident. Even if class points are deducted, the loss would be minimized."
"That couldn't possibly be an accident. How could such a thing happen in the restroom!" Kikyo Kushida revealed a worried expression.
"And in fact, we don't have evidence that they did it on purpose. If we report it to the school authorities, I won't gain any benefits either. An apology after the fact plus a little personal point compensation... I was merely splashed with water. No substantial loss was caused, and I even gained some points," Horikita stated immediately.
"Be careful not to catch a cold," Hirata said with some concern. "How about we tell Ichinose-san and talk a bit later?"
"No need. I have no problem. Moreover, the matter of contacting Class A is very important and cannot be delayed," Horikita said. "Class C's action is a good thing for us. It might better facilitate an alliance between our two classes. As long as we can temporarily ally with Class A, there won't be any pressure in dealing with other classes."
After speaking, she turned her head to look at Subaru at the side. "As for you, why are you here? You rejected me earlier, didn't you?"
"Even if I don't participate, watching the excitement is no problem, isn't it?"
Subaru's rhetorical question left Horikita unsure of what to say for a moment. In the end, she simply responded, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, there's no difference whether you are here or not."
"You seem quite confident about this negotiation, Horikita-san."
"It's not confidence, but rather that based on the current situation, uniting with Class A is the best choice for us. Presumably, they should know this too. Ichinose is a smart person; choosing cooperation is naturally a win-win outcome."
"Is that so? Then good luck to you," Subaru said with a smile.
Honami Ichinose, an existence like a little angel in front of everyone—warm-hearted, perfect. In a certain sense, she had a tiny bit of Emilia's shadow. Of course, just an inferior version without color.
But Subaru could be certain that Honami Ichinose was not someone Horikita could easily handle. The levels of the two people, at least for now, were not on the same plane.
Horikita believed this meeting was in the bag, but Subaru did not think so. Horikita had problems dealing with people and was not good at making contact; thus, at the negotiation table, she naturally couldn't win people over.
Perhaps she was a bit like his former self. However, there was a qualitative difference between Horikita and the former Subaru.
Subaru didn't need negotiations. He possessed absolute strength. If he encountered people who didn't obey, he would just destroy them. For those under him, he used fear to manipulate them. Possessing sufficient strength, Subaru could naturally do whatever he wanted.
And what Horikita lacked most was precisely this. A trump card to negotiate with others. Without a trump card, it was impossible for others to agree to cooperate. The benefits she could bring to Class A were too few.
At this moment, Horikita, who hadn't received an affirmative answer from Subaru, simply frowned and said, "Ichinose should already be waiting."
Horikita averted her gaze, her voice cold and hard. "Don't waste time. Let's go over directly."
"Is it really okay? Even if we delay for a few minutes, Ichinose-san definitely wouldn't say anything."
"I said, it's fine." Horikita repeated, her tone devoid of any emotion, and then took the lead to turn and walk out the door.
Kikyo Kushida hurriedly followed, speaking words of comfort in a whisper as she walked, her expression flawlessly sincere. Subaru, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at their backs.
Ryuen's action really couldn't be considered brilliant. If it were Subaru himself, he could completely crush the enemy.
There were no surveillance cameras in the restroom. Even if something happened inside, the school authorities wouldn't be able to produce substantial evidence when the time came. Splashing water, indeed, as Horikita said, was the most boring method.
However, Subaru was also clear that this was merely a probe by Ryuen. It wasn't directed at Horikita, but at himself. And for Horikita, this was indeed an insult.
Horikita could already be counted as a somewhat famous figure in the school. The matter of her being splashed with water spread quickly. It was normal for people to gossip behind her back.
However, it didn't matter. Horikita and the other students—those fellows without color—were not significantly different. Treating this as Ryuen's whetstone wasn't bad either.
Perhaps he wasn't qualified yet? Can Ryuen engage in some more interesting activities later?
And—
Subaru could be certain that other people wouldn't remain indifferent after this incident either. For example...
*
School, Student Council Conference Room.
Miyabi Nagumo revealed a smile on his face while looking at his terminal. "Say, Horikita-senpai, do you know what happened in the first year?"
He put down the terminal and walked to the side where Manabu Horikita was seriously processing documents. "Horikita-senpai, your sister seems to have been bullied~"
Miyabi Nagumo's voice was full of mockery. The instant he heard these words, Manabu Horikita's gaze did not shift in the slightest. He simply spoke slowly: "I am already aware of the relevant matters."
"I say, since the sister of the dignified Student Council President has been bullied, we can't just sit by and do nothing, right?" Miyabi Nagumo narrowed his eyes slightly, wanting to capture a trace of a ripple on Manabu Horikita's face.
But there was none. Under the glasses, Manabu Horikita's eyes did not show any wavering. "Unnecessary. This is just their own affair. No one has reported it to the school authorities, and we cannot judge the specific nature of this matter either."
"Eh~ As expected of the meticulous and responsible Student Council President. Even if your sister is bullied, you remain indifferent, huh~ Horikita-senpai—I just want to know, if something else happens to your sister later—"
Miyabi Nagumo was provoking Manabu Horikita.
"Nagumo, have you forgotten? The duel between us concerns only the two of us. Do not drag others into it." Manabu Horikita finally raised his head, and their gazes collided. "It doesn't matter what despicable means you use, but at least I think you still possess the virtue of keeping your word."
Manabu Horikita's gaze at this moment was incomparably sharp, like a blade.
"Got it, got it, Horikita-senpai. Don't worry, the duel between the two of us won't involve other people~ I have some things to do, so I'll leave first."
With a smile on his face, Miyabi Nagumo walked out of the conference room and into the corridor.
Keeping my word?
It's just for the time being.
Horikita-senpai, my duel with you indeed won't drag others in for now. After all, if I expose my true nature too early, the remaining half a year would be too boring.
However...
If, when I make a move on others, it just happens to accidentally affect your sister?
That can't be helped.
Before the formal duel, let me go meet that interesting junior first.
Just consider it an appetizer.
"Junior Natsuki, what are you doing right now?"
A smile like a jackal appeared on Miyabi Nagumo's face.
____
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