"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce"
— Weird Haired German Communist
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
After dinner, Kiyotaka sat on the edge of his bed, watching the faint reflection of the night sky ripple inside the windowpane.
His mind replayed the moment inside the corridor again.
Everything about his reaction was illogical.
Why would he suddenly experience tightening in his chest and a haze in his mind? Why did a barrage of memories trigger when he met Ichinose?
He hadn't reacted that way when he encountered Karuizawa Kei in this life. She was his future self's first girlfriend. And even though he used her as more of a guidebook than someone he romantically cared about, logic dictated he should have reacted to her if he reacted to Ichinose.
And if the explanation were actual emotional ties, then why did he not experience such a strong reaction when he saw Horikita Suzune the day he received memories of the future?
After all, Horikita was his future self's girlfriend by the end of those memories.
But nothing happened.
Only Ichinose had caused it.
What made her special that she triggered within him an involuntary reaction neither of his future self's girlfriends were able to do?
This really was the first genuine irregularity in what had otherwise been a stable anomaly.
From everything he had observed over the past month, he had received only memories of the future. No auxiliary systems, no hidden functions, none of the implausible additions he had encountered in the handful of regression stories he forced himself to read over the month. No quests, no alternate branches of reality, no glitches rewriting the present.
... Yes, he actually took his time to read through works he normally wouldn't entertain. Since he was placed in an unexplainable situation, consulting works that ignored logic seemed marginally useful—if only to borrow frameworks and prepare contingency plans. Not that they were particularly helpful to him.
He exhaled slowly.
There were several ways to interpret the phenomenon earlier, but none of them led to a clean answer.
The first possibility was Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis.
Emotional experiences often left traces in the body separate from the facts held in the mind. A spike in adrenaline, a moment of fear, a surge of relief— those physiological states could bind themselves to the memories formed around them.
If his future self had stored memories of Ichinose during one of those heightened moments, then seeing her again might have pulled the state to the surface before his conscious mind could react. Body first, thought second.
It was a clean explanation.
However, somatic markers required lived experience. The body had to be present at the moment the imprint was made. But these future memories were someone else's life.
This body hadn't. It had never gone through those moments with Ichinose. It had nothing to return to.
...Unless the memories themselves carried enough weight to carve new responses into a body that had never lived them. But believing that was akin to grasping at straws.
So he set the idea aside.
The amygdala hijack hypothesis wasn't much better. The brain's shortcut. A threat-flagged stimulus compressing the usual route and forcing the body to react first, ask questions later.
If his future experiences had tagged Ichinose as a crisis point, his amygdala might have decided on its own that her presence demanded an immediate response.
But that didn't make sense. In both lifetimes, Ichinose wouldn't qualify as a trigger for anything of that degree.
There was also the flashbulb memory hypothesis.
Flashbulb memories formed during singular moments of extreme emotional intensity, like shock and fear, among others. They were encoded differently from normal memories. They were sharper and far harder to suppress.
If his future self had experienced something of that magnitude involving Ichinose, then seeing her now could have pulled the physiological imprint to the surface before he had time to think.
It would neatly explain why only one person caused this. Flashbulb events were rare by definition.
But when he reviewed the catalogue of his future memories, nothing of the sort appeared. There were complications with Ichinose, yes. Difficult circumstances. But nothing that rose to the level of a flashbulb event.
And even if such an event had existed, the hypothesis still ran into a problem.
Flashbulb encoding required a kind of emotional shock response his body rarely produced. He didn't imprint those easily; the White Room had seen to that.
Unless a memory had been withheld from him entirely... but that would contradict everything he'd observed about the transfer so far.
So the hypothesis failed.
But in the end, all of these ideas circled back to the same problem: even if the mechanisms could hypothetically apply, and even if he accepted the notion that Ichinose was simply unique in some way, he was still wired to not react like that at all.
His headache and temporary paralysis the day he had received his memories, although out of the ordinary, was a sensation he could explain.
The influx of information caused temporary paralysis until his brain managed to sift through what belonged to him and what came from the future.
That still added up. Earlier did not.
He stood up from the bed after a few minutes, exhaled again, and acknowledged the one possibility he had kept at the very back of his mind.
There was a chance—however small—that he had been mistaken with his assumption that he received only memories of the future.
He considered the minuscule chance that a remnant of his future self, perhaps an emotional or instinctive one, remained intertwined with those memories.
It was illogical and straight out of the regression stories he forced himself to read, but after everything that had happened today, it was the only theory that did not immediately contradict the observable results.
He carried those memories while still being, at his core, the Kiyotaka of the present—the one who was only a year removed from leaving the White Room.
Under that premise, he should not realistically react to seeing Ichinose at all, because he had no attachment to her in this life.
However, the presence of a raw, instinctive remnant intertwined with those memories could at least explain why his body produced such an out-of-character reaction.
Kiyotaka closed his eyes in thought.
He didn't fully buy into his hypothesis just yet, but the remnant hypothesis at least accounted for the selective nature of the reaction when nothing else did. And it was the only hypothesis that did not immediately collapse under examination.
Which meant it would be prudent for him to anticipate when the remnant would trigger once more so he wouldn't temporarily freeze like he did earlier.
That was the best course of action for now. It'd do him no good to overthink about what happened beyond what he had already hypothesized.
Still, as he looked back at his reflection in the dark window, he found he didn't quite like the idea of a variable he couldn't control living inside his own head.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
At around 5:30 the next day, Kiyotaka stepped out of his dorm room with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and began jogging toward the gym.
He had already informed Hirata he was going to join Sudō this morning, since he was unable to do so yesterday with Chabashira abruptly summoning him to the faculty office.
Not that Hirata would mind if he didn't send him a text. It was just the polite thing to do.
It worked out for the best, however. Because Hirata apparently had to meet with the Football club this morning.
After a few minutes, Kiyotaka made his way to the gym, where he found Sudō by the lockers.
"Yo."
It did not come across as enthusiastic as Kiyotaka would have liked. But Sudō heard him nonetheless.
Turning around, the redhead faced him with a wide grin. "Ayanokōji! Glad to see ya didn't chicken out."
"I asked you for help," Kiyotaka replied, setting his bag down. "Why would I chicken out?"
"Heh. Well, don't say I didn't warn ya. You're gonna be feeling wonderful pain tomorrow," the redhead gleefully warned him again.
"I expect nothing less. Muscle growth requires micro-tears. If it doesn't hurt, it isn't working."
Sudō blinked, surprised by the technical response. "You got that right. Read that out of a book or something?" he teased.
Kiyotaka didn't bother replying. Instead, he turned to his locker. He unzipped his track jacket and pulled it off, revealing a black compression tank top underneath.
And while he didn't turn around, he felt the weight of Sudō's gaze. He knew what the redhead was seeing.
In his uniform, Kiyotaka looked average—slender, unassuming. But without the blazer, the truth was visible. His deltoids were capped; his triceps were defined; his back possessed the kind of density that didn't just come from good genetics.
"Oi..." Sudō's voice lost its mocking edge. "Do you even need my help? You're ripped for your size!"
Kiyotaka turned, keeping his expression neutral. "Why are you surprised? I thought you already noticed during swim class."
Since he did better this timeline during swim class – having made it all the way to the final round – he thought Sudō should have already known about his physique.
Mildly embarrassed, Sudō rubbed the back of his head. "I-I mean... I really only paid attention to those damn bastards Kōenji and Hirata. They piss me off."
That made sense. It was easy to overlook him when the redhead wanted to prove his dominance over Kōenji, who surpassed him in body, and Hirata, whom the girls adored.
"I guess I should be glad you weren't pissed at me too," Kiyotaka dryly remarked.
Sudō snorted. "Why the hell would I be pissed at ya?"
"Who knows?"
"Anyway," Sudō continued, "I heard from Ike that you defended me when I left yesterday. Thanks for that..."
"I wouldn't say I was defending you, Sudō. You reacted without thinking. But I don't think it's fair for our classmates to bad mouth you for things they're also guilty of," Kiyotaka replied.
Sudō's grin faltered. Irritation flickered across his face, but it wasn't directed at Kiyotaka. "Well, why wouldn't I be pissed off when that bastard singled me out? What do you mean "especially you, Sudō"? I ain't the only idiot in our class."
Kiyotaka didn't argue. Sudō wasn't wrong. He thought Hirata shouldn't have singled him out as well.
Still, the redhead overreacted.
"That's some energy you got there," he decided to say. "We should probably channel that over there."
Kiyotaka pointed to the many state-of-the-art machines inside the gym.
Sudō temporarily forgot his anger. "You're damn right! Alright, let's get warmed-up, Ayanokōji."
Kiyotaka followed him onto the floor. Sudō dropped into a familiar routine—arm circles, overhead reaches, band pulls—and Kiyotaka mirrored each motion with clean precision.
After a few repetitions, Sudō glanced sideways. "You really don't mess around, huh? Most guys try to look cool during warm-ups. You're actually doing them right."
"I'd rather not hurt myself later."
They moved through the sequence in steady silence.
A few minutes later, the redhead stood straight. He already had his eyes on the benches.
"Alright," Sudō said, rolling his shoulders. "Let's start with bench. You ever benched before?"
"Once."
"Once?"
"Okay, twice," Kiyotaka replied.
Sudō stared at him like he had grown another head. "This shit would be funny if you didn't have that dead sounding voice."
"I'm surprised you caught that," he replied before positioning himself under the bar.
From his previous visits in the gym, he estimated the bar to weigh around ten kilos. Just enough for even a physically weak person to handle.
Sudō grabbed a pair of fifteen-kilogram plates and slid them onto the bar with a metallic thud. "I ain't completely stupid. Anyway, we'll start light."
"Shouldn't we start with twenty?" Kiyotaka asked.
The redhead scoffed. "That's for girls. You don't look like a shrimp, so I'm sure you can do forty easy. C'mon, I wanna see your form."
"Understood."
Kiyotaka unracked it with a smooth, controlled motion. The bar descended and rose again in one fluid path.
Sudō narrowed his eyes. "Okay... good form. Too good. Try it again."
Kiyotaka did. Same result.
"Tch." Sudō scratched his cheek. "Alright, let's add a little weight."
Kiyotaka didn't argue. He sat up, breathing naturally, watching Sudō slide on a pair of ten-kilogram plates with practiced movements. It wasn't heavy—not compared to what he could really handle—but Sudō probably expected him to struggle.
"Give me five reps," the redhead instructed.
He lay back down, gripped the bar, and lifted it five times before re-racking it.
Still smooth.
Sudō blinked. "You're stronger than you look."
"I never said I was weak," Kiyotaka replied.
"Damn smartass..." Sudō muttered, but he looked undeniably impressed.
He added another pair of five-kilogram plates. "Okay. This is around what one of the guys in the basketball team struggles with. Let's see where you fall."
Kiyotaka exhaled once, then pressed again.
The form remained clinical. He didn't stop at one; he pumped out three clean repetitions, the bar moving with a steady, hydraulic rhythm, before re-racking it.
The display made Sudō pause, clearly reassessing the boy on the bench.
Kiyotaka was lifting seventy kilos. In the grand scheme of powerlifting, it wasn't a big deal. But for a high school freshman with a swimmer's build to move that weight for reps—without a tremor of instability—it was praiseworthy.
"But I could only do so on a good day, of course," Kiyotaka added as he sat up.
He figured it was fine to demonstrate that much to the redhead since it'd help raise his opinion of him. Besides, if he continued to hide things from his classmates, he'd find himself distrusted once he'd show a few cards. Just like in the original timeline.
Sudō let out a short laugh as he moved to the side of the rack, stripping the five-kilogram plates off the bar. "Today must be a good day, then?"
"You can say that."
"If you start going to the gym regularly, every day is going to be a good day." Sudō walked to the weight tree, grabbed another pair of 10kg iron plates, and slid them onto the bar with a metallic clang.
"I am regularly in the gym. We just enter at different times," Kiyotaka corrected him.
He had actually made good on his plan to make it a habit to go to the gym. That was another deviation from the original timeline.
"Then, we should enter at the same time. Easy," the redhead replied, checking the collars before he lay down on the bench. "But seriously— we should train together more often. I'd like to see how far you could go."
Kiyotaka picked up his towel. "If you want to."
"Hell yeah I want to." Sudō pressed the weight twice. "Anyone who trains like you is worth keeping around."
They continued for a while after that, moving through different machines and exercises.
Sudō naturally showed off—forcing reps, grunting through sets, trying to look impressive—but Kiyotaka kept pace in quiet, steady increments. That alone was enough for the redhead to respect him.
There was one challenge for Kiyotaka, however...
Pretending he was fatigued.
He managed it well enough—slowing his breathing a little, loosening his posture between sets—but the truth was that he wasn't winded at all. His pulse was steady. His muscles warmed, but never reached the point of fatigue.
Fortunately, Sudō was too focused on his own workout to notice.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
By the end of the first week of May, the change in Class D was obvious.
Once the reality of the point system sank in, most students started adjusting—talking less during lessons, showing up on time, at least pretending to listen to the teachers.
Sudō was the exception.
But Kiyotaka didn't mind. It wasn't as if Sudō had brushed off his advice; he just didn't have the energy to stay awake in class.
Between sets in the gym and idle grumbling when they hung out last week, Sudō had admitted that he spent most of his time after club hours on the basketball court, running drills and trying to refine his skills.
It was information his future self didn't have. Mainly because that Sudō hadn't considered future Kiyotaka a close enough friend to talk about that kind of thing.
This time, however, Kiyotaka used his knowledge of Sudō's habits to tilt the conversation in his favor.
When Karuizawa complained at lunch that Sudō "just slept all day," Kiyotaka casually mentioned seeing him still on the basketball court past seven, drenched in sweat and barely able to stand. It didn't excuse everything, but it softened the accusation of laziness.
As a result, the redhead wasn't completely disliked by the class. Although, they were still wary of him due to his previous outbursts.
"Hey, Horikita, do you think they actually understood what Chabashira-sensei is saying," Kiyotaka spoke to his seatmate, who was jotting down notes.
"What's with the pointless question? You should focus on yourself rather than worry about others," the girl replied, eyes still on her notebook.
"I wouldn't say it's pointless. Midterms are coming up in a couple of weeks," Kiyotaka countered.
Horikita considered his words for a while. "Hmm... then it'd be up to Hirata-kun to make sure they understood."
She already knew about Hirata's idea. Last week, Kiyotaka had mentioned the boy's plan to organize a study group to help the class pass the midterms. Horikita saw the merit in it, but declined Kiyotaka's suggestion that she help Hirata out.
She didn't want the boy to assume she wanted to be friends with him. Which was a very Horikita thing to think.
Soon, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of class.
But as everyone prepared to leave, Hirata stood up and stepped on the teacher's podium.
"Chabashira-sensei mentioned that the midterm is coming up soon. Remember that if you fail, you'll be expelled. Therefore, I think it would be a good idea to form a study group," he began.
"If you neglect your studies, you'll get a failing grade and be expelled on the spot. I want to avoid that. However, studying won't just prevent expulsion; it may also help earn points. If we receive high marks, our class's assessment should improve as a result. I asked some of the students who scored high on the test to help prepare a study plan. So, I would like people who are anxious to come join our group. Everyone is welcome, of course."
Following Kiyotaka's advice last week, Hirata refrained from looking at Sudō, lest the boy felt he was being singled out again.
He still hoped that despite their rocky relationship, the redhead would attempt to cooperate with him.
Kiyotaka extinguished that hope, however. He pointed out how Sudō wouldn't bother cooperating out of principle. The threat of expulsion wouldn't budge the brash athlete.
So, over the weekend, he told Hirata of a plan he had in mind to ease his worries.
With that in mind...
"There will be people who wouldn't want to be part of his planned study group," Kiyotaka pointed out to Horikita. "Like Sudō, Ike, and Yamauchi."
"What are you getting at?" she asked.
He offered the same suggestion his future self gave her. "Perhaps we could hold a study group for those three."
"Sure. I wouldn't have any objections to that. You probably find that rather surprising, though, don't you?"
"Not really. I brought the idea up thinking you might consider it," Kiyotaka replied.
Horikita examined him for a bit. The boy had grown even bolder since their meeting with Chabashira.
"Then, since it's your idea... surely you wouldn't mind bringing these people together, would you?" she asked.
"That's fine by me. So long as you wouldn't mind my methods in bringing them together," Kiyotaka answered.
The girl's eyes narrowed at that. "What method is there other than simply asking them to participate?"
Kiyotaka had to consider his next words carefully.
His plan was to do what his future self did and ask Kushida for help. But, even if their relationship was better this time, Horikita would immediately reject his idea if it involved Kushida.
"Ask my friends to help recruit them," he revealed.
Horikita would probably interpret it as him asking girls like Satō or Matsushita to sell the boys on the idea of a study group. While they were no Kushida, they were cute enough for people like Yamauchi to consider hearing them out.
"Hmm... I wouldn't mind that. Well, so long as you get it done."
Horikita stood up from her seat and exited the room.
Kiyotaka remained on his desk for a while, before he stood up and joined Hirata and the others.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
After a quick lunch, Kiyotaka waited for Sudō outside the basketball court.
The boy emerged from the court a few moments later, sweating and slightly short of breath. He immediately spotted Kiyotaka's presence.
He waved at the brown-haired boy. "Yo, Ayanokōji! What are you doing here?"
"I finished lunch early so I thought I might as well watch some pick-up ball," he replied.
Sudō grinned. "So, how'd ya like me destroying those guys? I'm pretty great, huh?"
Although he was blatantly bragging, he also wasn't wrong. Sudō scored about 16 points when he was watching. The redhead probably scored a few more before he arrived.
"You keep that up, and you might be a regular soon," Kiyotaka encouraged him.
The redhead beamed at the praise. "Heh! That's the plan, alright."
As the two boys began to walk back to their homeroom, Kiyotaka shifted the topic.
"By the way, what are you gonna do about the midterms?"
"Oh that... well, I don't know. I've never really studied seriously before," he replied.
"We've been through this already. If you want to continue playing basketball here, you'll have to try studying a little," Kiyotaka said.
Sudō groaned, but did not completely protest. "I know man... but it's not like I have time. I got club to deal with. And you know I still practice after club, don't ya?"
"Don't the seniors in the Basketball Club take time off to study?" Kiyotaka countered.
"Nah. They're always at the club. That's why I have to always show up during club hours. I can't get left behind," he replied.
Kiyotaka remained silent for a while.
"What classes do your seniors belong to, by the way?" he asked.
Sudō had a thoughtful look. "Hmm... a lot of the regulars were either Class A or B, with some guys from Class C. There were some class D seniors too, but they're not regular members."
"Then, there you go. That's the reason why your seniors are always present in club. It's not just because they're crazy for basketball. They're probably smart enough to pass exams without extra studying," Kiyotaka replied.
"Hey man, are you calling me dumb?" Sudō asked in mock anger.
"You already admitted it yourself more than a few times," Kiyotaka replied.
Sudō sighed. "So what are you getting at here? I already know I'm bad at academics."
"I'm forming a study group with Horikita for students who didn't want to join Hirata's group. I thought I should ask if you wanted to join," he answered.
The redhead stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "You? Running a study group? Is this some kind of joke?"
"I didn't want you guys to fail and get expelled," Kiyotaka replied.
"But I have club..." Sudō reasoned.
"I know. But you also won't have club if you get expelled," Kiyotaka countered.
The redhead sighed. "Give me some time to think about it."
That was as good an answer as Kiyotaka was gonna get.
"Sure thing. I'll start the study group tomorrow after class, just so you know," Kiyotaka told him. "Anyway, I'm thinking about leg day tomorrow. What do you think?"
"Fuck... I hate leg days the most," Sudō groaned. "But I guess tomorrow should work. We did back the other day."
"Alright. Sounds good."
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
After class ended for the day, Horikita quickly departed the room. Just like his future self, Kiyotaka would use this chance to enact his plan to involve Kushida.
"Kushida, do you have a minute?" he called out to the beige-haired girl, who was about to leave herself.
"Oh, Ayanokōji-kun! Do you need something?" she asked.
"Yeah. If it's okay with you, could we talk outside?"
"Well... I was going to meet up with my friends, so I don't really have much time... but, okay!"
Smiling, the girl followed Kiyotaka outside their homeroom.
After turning around the hall's corner, he spoke.
"Sudō, Ike, and Yamauchi didn't join Hirata's study group, and I'm worried they might fail if left by themselves. I already talked to Sudō about the study group Horikita and I were forming, and while he heard me out... he'd probably decline if he was going to be tutored by himself."
Sighing, he added. "He'd probably entertain the idea if Yamauchi and Ike joined the group as well... but I don't think they'd be interested in something like that. I just know Ike would say 'I don't want to waste my free time studying,' or something."
Kushida let out an uneasy chuckle. "That... sounds like Ike-kun."
Kiyotaka nodded. "But, I'm thinking they would definitely show up to a study group if it was you who invited them."
The girl agreed with his logic. She was well aware of Ike and Yamauchi's attraction to her.
"Also, I thought that you could use this study group as a way to get closer to Horikita. What do you think?"
Kushida had a contemplative look. "Well, I do want to get closer to her, but... well, I won't worry about that now. Besides, it's only natural to help out a friend in need."
"Are you really okay with this? If not, I won't force you to join," Kiyotaka replied. On-script.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't hesitate because I disliked the idea. I hesitated because I was happy."
Kushida leaned against the wall, gently kicking it.
"It's cruel to expel someone for getting a bad grade. Isn't it awful to have to say goodbye after you've worked to become friends with everyone? When Hirata-kun told us that he was holding a study group, I greatly admired him. But you could say that both you and Horikita-san had been much more observant than I. You both noticed not everyone wanted to join Hirata-kun, after all."
Then, she took Kiyotaka's hand and smiled. "You've really been a good influence to her, Ayanokōji-kun! Without you, I think Horikita-san would just ignore them."
Kiyotaka fought the urge to raise a brow at the comment. It seemed that while he didn't change anything major thus far, the micro changes he created did affect how others perceived him.
"I don't think I'm capable of influencing someone like her, Kushida," he replied.
"Hmm... I wonder about that. You shouldn't underestimate yourself too much, Ayanokōji-kun," she replied as she let go of his hand.
"Anyway, I'm glad you agreed with my request. We could definitely use your help. If you're there, our chances will improve a hundred times over."
"Ah, but there's just one thing I want to ask you. I want to participate in the study group, too," Kushida said.
"Really?"
"Yes! I'd like to study with everyone," she replied.
Kiyotaka looked at her for a while, then nodded. "I guess that's the least I could do after I asked you for help."
The beige-haired girl beamed. "Great! So then, when do we start?"
"We plan on starting tomorrow," Kiyotaka replied.
"I see. Then I'll have to talk to everyone by the end of the day. I'll contact you later, okay?"
"You have their contact information already? That makes things easier," he remarked.
Kushida smiled. "I have almost everyone's contact information. Actually... the only people whose numbers I don't have is that of Horikita-san."
"Wait. You have my number?" Kiyotaka asked.
That was an actual surprise. He didn't remember Kushida personally asking him, nor did he initiate exchanging contacts with her.
"Matsushita-san gave it to me when I told her I didn't have your number," she revealed. "I didn't want to take it because I wanted to ask you personally, but she said you wouldn't mind."
Noticing Kiyotaka's contemplative gaze, she added, "I hope you won't be mad at her. I should have declined."
"Oh, don't worry about it. Matsushita was right. I don't really mind. You're a classmate, after all," Kiyotaka assuaged her worries.
"But since you have my number, I think it's fair if you gave me yours."
He mentally resisted the urge to pat himself on the back. That came out smoothly.
Kushida didn't look all that eager, though. "Wouldn't Horikita-san be mad if you took my number?"
Kiyotaka looked confused for a moment.
Then, the realization sunk in. Since Kushida in this timeline had seen the two of them head to the dorms together, the rumors about him and Horikita dating probably made more sense to her. Even more so than it did in the original timeline.
"Why would she be mad?" Kiyotaka asked.
"Aren't the two of you dating? It's a big rumor among the girls in our class. Matsushita-san started it. She said when you're not eating with them, you were probably eating with Horikita-san. And some of them noticed how she only really talks to you," she explained.
Of course, she didn't reveal how she actually saw the two of them heading to the dorms together. She didn't want Kiyotaka to be suspicious of why she's incredibly observant when it came to Horikita.
Not that it mattered.
"I'm sorry, but there's nothing like that going on. We're just seatmates," Kiyotaka denied.
Then, Kushida smiled. "Then, I guess exchanging numbers should be fine!"
And so, Kiyotaka finally got Kushida's number.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
That night, Kushida brought Kiyotaka plenty of good news. As expected, Yamauchi and Ike agreed to participate in the study group tomorrow.
And the good news continued.
Much to his surprise, Sudō had texted him that he'll show up tomorrow. He sent it just before Kushida's follow-up text that said she contacted the redhead.
While he was sure Sudō would eventually show up, he thought it would be Kushida that would close the deal. So, he considered it an incredible feat that he didn't need her persuasion to convince him.
After sending a text back Sudō's way, Kiyotaka messaged Horikita to report what happened.
Then, as expected, Horikita called.
"Hello?"
"I don't quite understand the message you just sent me," she replied.
"What's hard to understand? We have the study group. I wrote it all out plain as day."
"Not that part. About Kushida-san. I didn't know about that."
"I asked her a little while ago. Having someone like Kushida on our side increases the odds of getting everyone together. So I asked her, and now our problem is solved."
Then, he moved to block Horikita's next response. "Besides, didn't you say you wouldn't mind what method I'll use? I remember you saying 'Well, so long as you get it done,' if I'm not mistaken."
"You said you'll ask your friends to help recruit them. Are you friends with Kushida-san now?" she countered.
Although they weren't face-to-face, Kiyotaka could tell she was getting irritated.
"We're friends. That's on you for assuming we weren't friends. Anyway, by asking Kushida, who's spent more time networking, to help us, our chances of success have improved significantly. And we got what we want."
"... While you may have a point, I still don't like it. And you could probably tell how I feel about her, so you should have sought my approval first."
Kiyotaka continued to stand his ground. "Why? Didn't you agree when I told you I won't let you treat me like a pawn? That's the only reason I'm cooperating with you, Horikita."
He knew he was being a bit more confrontational than usual, but he wanted Horikita to understand the hierarchy between them. She wouldn't get it now, but eventually, she'd stop thinking she could do with him as she pleased.
He already had memories (although not lived) of a life where he allowed that to happen.
"... I understand," Horikita replied after a few seconds of silence. " I suppose anything worth doing requires sacrifice. However, Kushida-san may only help gather the students. She's not allowed to join the study group."
What an incredibly stubborn girl.
"You're being ridiculous. It's the least we could give her after helping us. Would either of us get all of those three to come? I don't think so," Kiyotaka reasoned.
In his message to Horikita, he didn't mention how it was him who convinced Sudō to join the study group. Had he mentioned that, she would have said 'if you could convince Sudō-kun, you could definitely convince the other two.' He'd lose all leverage in the conversation.
"I will not allow her into our study group. I refuse to budge on this," she stubbornly insisted.
"Alright, can you at least tell me why?"
"Don't you feel uncomfortable sitting next to someone you hate?" she countered.
"Huh?" Kiyotaka feigned ignorance. "Well... suppose the guys back out when Kushida doesn't show. What then?"
"Sorry, reviewing these test materials is taking longer than I expected. I'm ending the call here. Goodnight."
As expected, Horikita hung up on him.
Pouring himself a glass of orange juice, he idly wondered if he could have gotten Horikita to be more receptive to the idea of Kushida joining in had he caused more changes in the previous month.
... Probably not. It was hard to undo an identity someone had cultivated for over a decade. It'd take more than one month of conditioning.
Even he, despite being forcibly fed three years worth of foreign memories, still stuck by the dogma he had long embraced.
A few minutes later, he decided to call Kushida to give her the news she had already expected.
Once the call ended, he headed into the bathroom... just in time to receive a text from Horikita.
He sighed.
Just when he thought the night was over.
Although, he didn't mind this one. If only because it didn't happen in the original timeline.
Opening the text, he saw an attachment containing the coverage of their tutorial tomorrow.
So she was expecting me to teach as well... Kiyotaka thought before he downloaded the file. He'd probably jot everything down into an empty notebook later.
--𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙--
The next day, Horikita ignored Kiyotaka as expected.
Not that he minded. He knew the girl would speak to him again after class ended.
And true enough, as the final bell rang, she spoke to him.
"Have you gathered everyone in the study group?"
"Kushida's bringing them."
Kiyotaka noticed the girl's narrowed eyes. It looked as though she'd protest as she did in the original timeline, but she surprisingly held her tongue.
"Let's head to the library," she finally said.
Upon picking up her bag, Horikita left for the library. Kiyotaka followed, and saw the same wink Kushida sent his way like in the memories.
It felt quite odd to see something new, only to be reminded the next second of how some things didn't change. He shook the thought away.
After entering the library, Kiyotaka and Horikita found a long table at the far end of the library. They placed their things neatly as they waited for the others.
"I've brought everyone!"
Kushida came over to where they were seated. Behind her were Sudō, Ike, Yamauchi, and an unexpected addition in Okitani.
"Kushida-chan told us about this study group. I don't want to be expelled after only just starting. Thanks!" Ike grinned at him.
After nodding at Ike, Kiyotaka turned his attention to the extra person in the group. "Okitani? Didn't you pass?"
Okitani Kyōsuke, an effeminate looking boy with blue hair and a slender build, was the person who surprisingly joined the study group in the original timeline. He passed the surprise test last April, but was worried of failing the midterms.
"Oh, n-no. Not exactly. I was just really close to failing, so I was worried... Is it not, er, okay for me to join you? It's a little difficult to join Hirata's group..." the boy looked up at Kiyotaka, puffing up his cheeks in worry.
"Is it okay if Okitani-kun joins us, too?" Kushida asked Horikita.
"As long as you're worried about failing, I don't mind. But you need to be serious," the snippy girl told Okitani.
"Oh, okay."
Okitani sat down, seemingly happy. Kushida tried to sit next to him, which Horikita certainly noticed.
"Kushida-san, what are you doing? Didn't you score well on the small test?" she asked.
But instead of the beige-haired girl, it was Kiyotaka who managed to speak first.
"That's right. Since that's the case, it'd probably be more convenient if she could help tutor as well."
Both girls stared at him with varying degrees of surprise.
"What? Does anyone have a problem with that? How about you, Ike?"
Ike looked almost offended that it was him that was asked the question. "What? Why would anyone have a problem with Kushida-chan joining in?"
"Yeah! I only joined because Kushida-chan said she'll join," Yamauchi added.
"Alright, that makes it easier for all of us, then," Kiyotaka said, nodding. "But before anything, is it okay for everyone if I made the assignments on who tutors who?"
"Sure thing, Ayanokōji-kun!" Kushida was quick to recover from her initial shock.
Kiyotaka knew that she had actually prepared a plan to force Horikita to allow her to join the study group. The key was Okitani. If Horikita had accepted him into the group, then all she had to do was say that she was worried about failing too.
But his unexpected initiative made her plan unnecessary.
That probably made her re-evaluate her opinion about him a little.
"Thanks, Kushida. Horikita?"
He was half-expecting Horikita to bolt right then and there, but surprisingly, she remained in her seat. She didn't even complain.
But that was because she knew there wasn't a way out. If she voiced her opposition, she risked having everyone — including Kiyotaka — leaving. That rendered everything useless. Especially since she had probably concluded that Kiyotaka wouldn't help her anymore had she decided to speak her mind. Not even calling in the favor he owed her would have worked.
Last night's call probably gave her the impression that he was completely serious.
"It's fine by me," she replied reluctantly.
Kiyotaka stood up, then began organizing the group. "Kushida, you'll tutor Yamauchi and Ike..."
"ALRIGHT! I'LL BE GIVING IT MY ALL," Ike exclaimed.
At that, the group noticed plenty of eyes glaring at their table.
Kiyotaka sighed. "Ike, keep it down. We're inside a library."
Then, he opened his bag and gave a notebook to Kushida, who received it.
The beige-haired girl was quick to scan the notebook.
"Anyway... Okitani is with me, and Sudō is with Horikita. I'll be on that end of the table, Horikita on the other end, and Kushida in the middle."
With that, Kiyotaka moved to the left-most edge of the table, and Okitani followed him there.
Figuring out it was finally fine to speak, Sudō took the chance to ask a question. "Scoring lower than thirty-two means failing. Do you fail if you get exactly thirty-two points?"
Kiyotaka returned to the center of the table after the question.
"No, you're safe if you score at least thirty-two points. Sudou, you can manage that, right?" Ike said.
Horikita, who remained largely silent since Kiyotaka took over the show, was the one to reply. "It doesn't really matter. Ideally, the goal is for everyone to score fifty."
"Gah, isn't that going to be too tough?" Ike's face blanched a little.
"Aiming to just skate by is dangerous. The fact that you can't easily reach that threshold troubles me," Horikita replied as she took out the notes she prepared.
"Aside from that, I'm not sure if thirty-two would still be the passing score," Kiyotaka added.
"Hah? What do you mean?" This time, it was Yamauchi who asked.
"I took a photo of our scores during the short test after Chabashira-sensei said the cut-off was 32. After calculating the results, I saw that the class average was 64.4. That meant, the formula the school used was the class average divided by two. So if the class average ended up being higher, like let's say 70, the passing score would be 35," Kiyotaka explained.
Horikita nodded her head at the deduction. "That's exactly why my goal is to score 50. It would be impossible for everyone to score 100, so it's most certainly a safe score to have."
"Well, if we aim high, we're definitely going to succeed. Isn't that right?" Kushida chimed in, expertly easing up the worried flunkers.
After the boys excitedly – but more quietly – expressed their support of Kushida, Horikita spoke.
"In the reviewer, I included most of what will be covered on this test. We only have about two weeks left, but since we have three tutors now, it should be easier to walk you through everything. If you don't understand something, you can ask the tutor assigned to you."
"You heard her," Kiyotaka added.
Horikita glared at him. She was likely still annoyed at the stunt he pulled earlier. "We've wasted enough time already. Let's start."
At that, Kiyotaka and Okitani returned to the left-most edge of the table. Sudō followed Horikita, while Ike and Yamauchi sat side-by-side in the middle, facing Kushida.
Once all the tutees sat across their tutor, Kiyotaka sat back down and took out another notebook containing what Horikita sent him.
"Hey, I don't understand the first question," Sudō said to Horikita, earning everyone's attention.
Although they were now separated by groups, the others heard Sudō well enough.
A, B, and C collectively have 2,150 yen. A has 120 yen more than B does. Also, after C gives B two-fifths of his money, B would have 220 yen more than A. How much yen did A originally start with?
That was the first question in the reviewer Horikita made. A problem with simultaneous equations. It should be easy enough for a middle schooler to answer, but it seemed that even the average middle schooler was academically superior than Sudō.
"Try thinking about it. If you give up right at the beginning, you won't get anywhere," Horikita snapped back.
"Look, I don't know how to study at all," Sudō defended himself.
"That's not an excuse. Everyone got into this school," she replied.
"I don't quite get it either," Ike said, scratching his head.
"How about you, Okitani?" Kiyotaka asked the boy in front of him.
"Let's see... A plus B plus C is 2,150 yen. So, A equals B plus 120. Then..." Okitani started writing out a series of equations.
"Right, you got equations one and two with that. So, you'll have to consider the next part of the problem: C gives away (2/5) yen to B, so C has (3/5) of its original yen left," Kiyotaka guided him. "How are you going to write that?"
"Uhh... b + (2/5)c = a + 220?"
"Right. And now that we have the equation of a = b+120, you're gonna substitute it there," Kiyotaka replied.
"Oh... right. I think I get it," Okitani muttered.
To his distant right side, Kiyotaka noticed Kushida look at him in mild awe.
Noticing his gaze, the girl smiled. "You're pretty good at teaching, Ayanokōji-kun!"
"Really? Okitani is probably just smart on his own," Kiyotaka replied.
The boy's face reddened at the praise. "Uh... you made it easier to understand..."
"See?" Kushida beamed. "Learn to take praise, Ayanokōji-kun!"
"What's with the fuss... Honestly, first- and second-year junior high school students could easily solve this problem. If you stumble here, it'll be impossible for you to continue," Horikita remarked.
She probably didn't appreciate the apparent friendliness between Kiyotaka and Kushida.
And as expected, Sudō took offense to that. "So, are you saying we're like elementary school kids?"
"Like Horikita-san said, it'll be bad if you get tripped up here. The math problems on the short test were about this difficult, but the last problems were really tough. I didn't understand how to solve them," Okitani said.
"Don't worry about it, Okitani-kun! We're here to make things easier to understand," Kushida reassured him.
"Listen up. This can be easily solved using a system of simultaneous equations. Just like what Ayanokōji-kun showed Okitani-kun," Horikita ignored the scene from the other groups and spoke directly to Sudō.
"What even are simultaneous equations?" Ike asked Kushida.
"Let me show you," she replied, smiling. Then, she wrote the solution on Ike's paper.
Both Yamauchi and Ike seemingly listened with rapt attention. But, as Kiyotaka glanced at them, it was clear they were just looking at her breasts.
And just as Kiyotaka thought things would actually work out, Sudō threw his mechanical pencil onto the desk.
He glared at Horikita. "Stop. I'm done. This isn't going to work."
Knowing Horikita had no de-escalation skills, Kushida spoke up as she did in the original timeline. "W-wait, everyone. Let's give it a shot. If you learn how to solve these problems, you can apply what you learn to the questions on the test. Okay? Okay?"
"Gee... Sudō... what's so hard to understand?" Yamauchi turned to the redhead with a grin. "We already know the answer! It's 710!"
He simply read the answer Kushida wrote on Ike's paper.
Sudō stood up and walked up to the middle part of the long table, examining Kushida's solution.
"Um... so you used this to get the answer? How?" he asked.
Kiyotaka intervened once more. "You should be asking Horikita, not Kushida. I'm pretty sure she has an answer key for you to look into."
"For what? So she could call me dumb again? You heard her earlier, didn't you?" Sudō growled.
Earlier, while things were relatively peaceful, Kiyotaka did hear the dark-haired girl insult the redhead when he couldn't follow along.
"I'm sorry, but that's because you're far too ignorant and incompetent," Horikita's snappy words immediately gained Sudō's attention. "If you can't solve this problem, I seriously shiver at the thought of what the future will bring."
Kiyotaka sighed. It seemed the more things change the more it stayed the same.
"Shut up. This has nothing to do with you." Sudō slammed the desk, understandably irritated by Horikita.
"You're right. This has nothing to do with me. Your suffering won't influence me at all. I just pity you. You must have spent your whole life running from anything that presented a challenge," Horikita bit back.
"Say whatever you want. Academics will be useless in the future, anyway."
"Academics will be useless in the future? That's an interesting argument. How do you justify that?"
Sudō briefly glanced at Kiyotaka.
Over the past week, the two had a few discussions about academics. He knew his friend made sense, but he lived most of his youth believing all he needed was to improve his game. Then, his dream would follow.
It was a civil conversation.
But Horikita?
The sharp-tongued girl, who didn't understand him, kept insulting him, belittling him. He couldn't stand it.
And so...
"I don't care if I can't solve this problem. If I have to rely on someone like you, then studying's useless. Aiming to become a pro basketball player will help me a lot more," he angrily replied.
Kiyotaka simply observed the conversation with an impassive face. Perhaps it'd be best to just let nature take its course for this one. He did enough, anyway.
"Incorrect. Once you learn to solve these kinds of problems, your entire life will change. In other words, studying increases the possibility that you'll solve the problems you face. It's the same principle as basketball. I wonder if, so far, you've been playing basketball by your own set of rules."
With each word, everyone in the table saw the redhead grow angrier. And yet, nobody did anything to stop Horikita's barrage.
And so, Horikita was able to land her coup de grace. "When you struggle in basketball, do you run away from it like you do from studying? I doubt you take basketball practice seriously. You're a natural troublemaker, someone who always causes a disruption. If I were your adviser, I wouldn't let you on the team."
But before Sudō could do anything rash, Kiyotaka was already behind him, holding back his arm.
The redhead faced him, glaring at his friend fiercely. "What? Are you defending her? Didn't you hear what she said about me?"
Sudō actually sounded a bit betrayed. Perhaps he was hoping that Kiyotaka would cut Horikita off and save him from a verbal beatdown.
But that didn't happen.
"I'm not defending her, Sudō. I'm defending you," Kiyotaka clarified, unfazed by the taller boy's glare. "What do you think would happen if you hit her? Horikita may not act, but the school will."
At his words, Sudō gritted his teeth in annoyance. He knew Kiyotaka was right, but at this moment, he didn't need the truth. He needed to let it out.
But still, he decided to listen to Kiyotaka. He loosened his arm, and took a deep breath.
"Hmph. What would a simpleton like you amount to if you are that easy to anger?" Horikita couldn't resist the chance at another pot shot. "You want to play professional basketball? Do you honestly believe you can make such a childish dream come true in this world? Someone like you who gives up right away could never hope to go pro."
And just like that, all of Kiyotaka's efforts went to waste.
"You!"
The redhead's renewed anger seemed to act like fuel to Horikita. "So, you're just going to immediately give up on studying or on school in general? Then discard your dreams of playing basketball and spend your days toiling away at a pitiful part-time job."
"Hmph. That's just fine. I'll quit, but it's not because it's difficult. I took a day off from my club activities for this, and it ended up being a complete waste of time. Later!"
"What an odd thing to say. Studying is difficult," Horikita remarked.
If not for Kiyotaka and Kushida, Sudō probably would have hit Horikita already. Instead, he stuffed his textbooks into his bag, not even hiding his irritation.
Then, without speaking another word, the redhead left.
"I guess that's the end of our session today," Kiyotaka said.
Kushida stared at him with unease, but he knew the girl agreed with him.
After the scene they witnessed, the other boys have definitely lost the motivation to continue.
"Today? Nah... I'm quitting," Ike declared. "Sorry, Kushida-chan... but if we have to do this with Horikita-san around, I might just lose it."
He actually looked apologetic as he addressed the beige-haired girl.
Ike then turned to Horikita. "You might be smart, Horikita-san, but that doesn't mean you can act like you're better than us."
"I don't care if you get expelled. Do what you want," Horikita fired back.
"Well, I'll just pull an all-nighter!"
"Interesting. Didn't you come here because you can't study?"
"Stop that, Horikita," Kiyotaka spoke up.
Horikita leveled Kiyotaka's gaze with an icy glare, but didn't speak.
The remaining boys have already packed their bags, but they stopped for a moment to look at Kiyotaka. The brown-haired boy had been an unexpected ally to them, and it seemed to them like he also have had enough with Horikita.
"You guys can leave. Sorry for today," he spoke to them.
With Kiyotaka's blessing, Ike, Yamauchi, and Okitani made their way out of the library.
"Horikita-san, we're not going to be able to study with anyone if things continue like this..." Kushida murmured.
"I was certainly mistaken. Even if I'd helped them avoid failure this time, we would've faced a similar dilemma soon after. We'd have to go through this irritation all over again. Eventually, they'll fail. I finally understand how unproductive this was. I don't have the time for it."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Kushida asked.
"I mean that it's better to get rid of the dead weight."
That was Horikita's ultimate conclusion. If the failing students were expelled, then the class's average test scores would go up, and things would be easier to manage. Kiyotaka, by principle, actually agreed with her.
"But that's..." Kushida turned her gaze to Kiyotaka, silently asking for support.
"If that's what she thinks, we cannot do anything about it," he replied. "But I'm not giving up on them just yet."
The beige-haired girl looked relieved at his words. "Well then... I guess I'll have to do something quickly. Well, I'll try. I definitely don't want everything to fall apart so quickly."
"Kushida-san. Do you really feel that way?" Horikita asked her.
It was clear to Kiyotaka that Horikita didn't buy her words. He knew trouble was coming. Still, he decided to let the conversation happen.
"Is it wrong? I don't want to abandon Sudō-kun, Ike-kun, and Yamauchi-kun."
Horikita coldly rejected her reasoning. "Even if that was how you truly felt, I wouldn't particularly care. But I don't think that you actually want to save them."
"What? I don't understand. Why do you say things like that, Horikita-san? Why do you try to antagonize people? That's... very sad."
Kushida hung her head briefly, then looked back up at both Kiyotaka and Horikita.
"Well then. I'll see you two tomorrow," she whispered.
With that, Kushida left.
It was just Kiyotaka and Horikita once again. Just as how it started.
However, a tense atmosphere steadily engulfed the room.
"Ayanokōji-kun," Horikita called out to him. "It's incredibly hard to understand you. You say one thing, and you do another."
"I don't understand where you're getting at, Horikita," he replied.
"It's getting glaringly obvious to me how you don't actually need my help. Everything about this study group was your doing. You came up with the idea. You specified the targets. You mobilized them through Kushida-san, despite knowing I don't want to work with her. And earlier, you took over the study group when I assumed you would allow me to take the lead," she said.
"What's the point of working together when you won't even consult me nor listen to me? I just don't understand. And now that I think of it, this study group idea of yours definitely would have worked if it was just you and Kushida-san," she continued.
Everything she said could be summed up into: why even involve me when it's clear you knew what would happen?
Kiyotaka let a moment pass before answering.
"...You're right about one thing," he finally said. "I didn't consult you enough."
Horikita blinked, surprised he acknowledged it so easily.
"But you're wrong about the rest," he continued, looking at her steadily. "If I didn't need you, I wouldn't have involved you at all. You know that much about me by now."
Kiyotaka arranged his things, then left Horikita to ponder over his words.
This entire scene had been quite useful to him. It seemed like there were some things that were meant to unfold despite subtle interference.
Of course, he already knew that the disastrous first study group discussion from the original timeline had an incredibly high chance of repeating itself.
Because, while he is capable of influencing certain situations, the personalities of the people involved stayed roughly the same.
That meant it would only take a singular trigger for the same thing to happen all over again.
But at least, not everything stayed the same.
End of Chapter
Closing Note: You guys already know what scenes are coming next. But I felt like if I added them in this chapter, it'd feel overstuffed.
I think we reached a breakthrough with this chapter. We're finally seeing Kiyotaka do things differently, and yet... some outcomes still happened as they did in the original timeline.
Before you reach up your pitchforks, I'd like to believe the outcomes were guided by logic. And Kiyotaka definitely knew these things were going to happen based on what he decided to do.
As for why? Well... you guys will figure it out before the end of the volume, if it hadn't sunk in already.