AFTER THE UNANIMOUS special exam, the week ended on September 20th. I woke up around 6:30 a.m., turned on the TV, and started preparing breakfast.
It's a new day, and it's going to be very different from the previous week. I don't have to get too presumptuous to guess why that is the case.
There are two main factors that cast a dark shadow.
Kushida's revelations have caused a rift in the relationship between classmates. The fact that Horikita overturned the premise of limiting the expulsions to only those who betray the class, namely Kushida, has shaken peoples trust in Horikita. The choice was to expel or not to expel, and I got everyone to vote in favor of expulsion with the promise that only traitors would be expelled. Then, using all the resources I had built up so far, I put my plan into action to push Kushida into a corner, make her confess to being a traitor, and then expel her.
Even though she was protected by classmates who wanted to believe in her and those who liked her; when she finally revealed her true nature and started revealing secrets, she lost their trust. She was one step closer to being expelled from school, but then an unexpected event occurred.
Even after knowing everything, Suzune Horikita pushed the idea that Kushida is an essential member of the class. To top it all off, she even stated that she would never agree to expel Kushida. Originally, it was me who promised to expel only traitors, and Horikita only agreed to it, but I was shocked that she insisted on keeping Kushida. With so little time left, the only choices left were to keep Kushida and accept the penalty of the exam, or let someone else leave the school and pass the exam.
As I said, Horikita's change in policy and my classmates trust in me for accepting it and expelling another student was greatly shaken. Some of them were genuinely hurt by the revelation of my true ideals. Others have become suspicious of me due to rumours spread around.
Then there are those who lost their friend and resent me.
The list goes on and on of the severity of the situation in the class and the reasons for it. However, the effects related to the exposure are not a problem to be panic over, but something that was planned from the beginning. It was an unavoidable and necessary expense to bring down the trustworthy Kushida.
Some may see this as a mere disadvantage, but I don't see it that way. If you look at it that way, you won't be able to gain any experience. It's a missed opportunity to grow. We were the only one out of the four second year classes to have a student drop out of school. Even though the students were deeply hurt, in return, we gained class points.
That's still not the full picture. In order to grasp the entire picture, it is important to change the perspective of the situation. Don't just end with the pain, but look beyond it. We must assume that because we were hurt, we have the opportunity to strengthen our bond. In this way, Horikita's class can become even stronger. It is unclear how many students are aware of this, but we must face the problem and not run away from it.
The special exams for Horikita's class are still going on. The weight and preciousness of 100 class points. It's a good idea to look back and reflect on what we've accomplished to gain a sense of achievement.
Of course, we need to be careful because if we let it go on like this, we could get swamped. If left unattended, the wound could spread further.
I finished my breakfast and checked my phone with my toothbrush in hand. There seemed to be no new contact since I had seen her in the middle of the night.
"And yet..."
It was an ending that was not in the original plan, and I am still surprised that the special exam took an unexpected turn. From the standpoint of rationality, consistency, and objectivity, there was no other choice but to expel Kushida, who had persisted in taking down everyone and had thrown the class into chaos. I had decided that expelling her would do the least amount of damage to the class and allow us to shift our focus immediately to the sports festival.
In other words, from my point of view, Horikita's decision not to expel the traitor Kushida was irrational, unfounded, and a mistake. Even though I felt that it was a clear mistake, I supported Horikita's decision and steered her in the direction of expelling Airi. In other words, I chose to resign myself to an irrational failure.
At least, it's a choice I would never have made before coming to this school. So why did I accept it now?
It has become clear that Suzune Horikita had stronger feelings about Kushida. Something along the lines of a close friend, which might be an overstatement, but she was definitely a special person to Horikita. It was natural for her to want to protect someone who was special to her, but it would be unfair if she made judgments based on that criteria, especially when she had already established her position as a leader. It would be easier to understand if we take the point of view of Haruka, who was Airi's best friend.
From Haruka's point of view, Kusihda's insistence on the option of expelling students was evil and should be eliminated. Horikita and I were also proceeding on the premise of eliminating that evil.
That's why I voted to expel Airi. Nevertheless, Horikita's favoritism cost me one of my closest friends. It's hard to convince me that I should start working hard again next week. But let's not forget that Horikita's choice was not an easy one either. In that special exam where she had to make a difficult choice, Horikita came up with a clear answer for herself. She took the risk of being put in the line of fire herself, and declared that she would not leave Kushida behind.
This alone is an impossible decision for an ordinary student. Even though she was prepared to be pointed at as unfair, Horikita believed that keeping Kushida was in the best interest of the class.
"Of course, even so, it is difficult to say that the current valuation is the correct answer," was along the lines of something she had said. Before the unanimous special exam, Kushida was clearly more valuable to the class than Airi. Even after the revelation, Kushida still had the upper hand, but the gap that had been so large had definitely narrowed.
In addition to that, Kushida herself has not changed her mind and is expected to continue to be uncooperative with the class. In other words, there was no guarantee that keeping her would benefit the class. Horikita's idea might not ever evolve into what she had envisioned.
That conclusion alone remains unchanged. Still, I supported Horikita's idea for one reason only. In a blunt way, it's because I want to see Horikita's growth, direction, and results. What will happen at the end of her actions that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka could not have chosen?
I wanted to see the chemical reaction that would occur in the class as a result of not leaving Kushida behind.
Will we be able to grab Class A by the narrowest of margins and prove that her choice was right? Will the class disintegrate and learn of the oversight of their choices? Or will it bring about some other unexpected change?
I think it's more likely to create a negative chain of events... When I activated OAA from my phone, I found that Airi's name had already been deleted from the class list. It was as if such a student had never existed in the first place. I put my cell phone in the right pocket of my uniform, then grabbed my bag and headed for the door.
Apart from what was going on in the class, there were also some interesting developments in the other classes.
Ryūen and Sakayanagi wanted to fight each other in the final special exam. Ryūen wanted to strip points from Class A to minimize the gap, so his decision makes sense. But what about Sakayanagi? There is no advantage to nominating the lowest ranked class at that time. I'm not sure if it's because she's in a cooperative relationship with Ichinose or because she thinks it's better to crush Ryūen now.
I wonder if the "promise" made between Sakayanagi and Ryūen all the way back during the island exam is also involved.
I guess I had better pay attention to these events closely. Either way, we have the best situation for our class.
I left my room at the same time as usual and headed out of the dorm. When I got off the elevator, I saw a familiar Horikita sitting on the sofa in the lobby, waiting for someone. She took one look at me, but didn't show any signs of getting up. But perhaps because there was no one else around, she stood up a little later and approached me.
"Are you waiting for Kushida?"
I cut her off before she could speak, and she replies while stumbling over her words for a moment.
"You seem to know already... Yes, I am. I went to her room a few times over the weekend."
It seems like she tried to provide some mental support, but couldn't even make contact with her. For Kushida, it must have been the most humiliating thing ever experienced in her life. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to face Horikita right away. Either way, it was evident that Horikita had been waiting for Kushida to come down from a very early hour. What bothered me more was that I could easily see the lack of sleep under Horikita's eyes.
"You seem to be pretty troubled about Kushida."
"Huh? Oh, no. Lack of sleep is lack of sleep, but this is for a different reason. She didn't leave her room once. No matter how many times I visited her, she never answered. I practically had launched a siege. I'm still staking out every now and then to meet her."
"You mean you waited by her front door...?"
Even if it was only on Saturday and Sunday, it would be a big deal if she was staking it out from morning till night.
"Repeatedly pressing the chime and kept waiting. Still, she didn't make a single noise."
No wonder, there was probably enough food in her room for a two-or-three-day hideout.
"Anyways, we need to be aware of our surroundings, don't we? There's nothing to be gained if the rest of the class knows that Kushida is holed up."
Nervous, she waited in the hallway for her to come out. It was truly an exceptional dedication. An ordinary student would have been touched by Horikita's passion, but as expected, Kushida was one to show no sympathy.
"After what happened the other day, she can't be the same as before."
"Since you made the choice to save Kushida, it's only natural that you would certainly follow through."
Horikita nodded with a peek of determination, but she wouldn't be entirely without doubts.
"Ayanokōji, how was your... weekend?"
She was, of course, referring to the Ayanokōji group. Since we had expelled Airi, Horikita would have seen more problems erupting than just the issue of Kushida.
"I've had some casual contact with Keisei and Akito, but that's it."
That, too, did not include anything specifically about Airi in the conversation. Rather than saying that we didn't talk about her, it would be more accurate to say that we didn't know how to talk about her. I'm not an expert on how to use apps. I wouldn't be surprised if she had blocked us, even if Airi hadn't left the group.
"Have you spoken to Haruka at all?"
"I couldn't muster up the courage to get in touch with Hasebe-san." After showing an apologetic look, Horikita bowed her head.
For Horikita and Haruka, it would be incredibly difficult to open up to each other and meet face to face. Rather than trying to repair the relationship, it would be more practical to maintain the group relationship instead of letting it break down further.
In other words, the best choice would be to watch.
Even if Haruka still holds a grudge against me in the process, that will come in handy eventually. It would be easy for the class if that happened, but we have to be prepared for it if it doesn't. If she continued to hold a grudge against me, Horikita, and the class, there was a possibility that Haruka could potentially have a desire to harm the class for personal reasons. Her specs are not essential to the class, but it is of course a disadvantage to reduce the maximum value of the class by missing one piece that can be used in a reasonable way.
A concomitant chain of events, such as the loss of strength of Akito and Keisei, is also possible.
"No matter what I tell you right now, you won't be able to convey anything to her anyways. We'll just have to wait and see." I told her.
First of all, I'm sure that this is not the place to discuss this. Confirming the situation with me, Horikita gulped quietly.
"I've changed your relationship by forcing you to make the choice to keep Kushida-san."
I was the one who threw down the gauntlet on Airi, but that was a role I took upon myself. At least that part of it was my responsibility.
"There's no need to apologize twice for the same thing. If you thought it was the right thing to do, that's fine."
"But you covered for me. No, that's not all..." She spun the words carefully, as if trying to clear her head. "Even if I had induced Sakura-san to leave the school in that situation, I'm sure that Haruka-san would not have folded until the very end. In other words, the penalty for running out of time was unavoidable."
Thanks to this weekend giving us a time to relax, she's seen the situation clearly. How burdensome the role of pronouncing an expulsion is, and how difficult it is to carry out. The battle against a ticking clock is tougher than you can imagine. She was relieved to have avoided the worst-case scenario, but her eyes still looked somewhat anxious. More than a few were seeking salvation in the path where time ran out and no one left the school.
A world where 39 people were not missing. Horikita knows that this is the common coping method to avoid accepting reality. That's why she holds back the thought that threatens to eat her out from the inside.
"That test, it was as if you could see everything from the beginning."
"I didn't foresee the future. I just went into it with all kinds of assumptions."
"That's what's so amazing. You can make some images, but you can't read through them perfectly. What the question is, what kind of statement will make the other person do what you want. It was all based on calculations."
I've begun to notice more and more, albeit slowly, that there is a difference in the world I observe and the world I think about.
"It's fine to reflect and analyze, but right now, we need to solve the class problem first, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Right..."
"You can't expect the same environment to be waiting for you as it was the other day."
"Of course, I'm prepared for that. Hasebe-san definitely holds a grudge against me, and I'm sure Yukimura-kun and Miyake-kun feel the same way. Besides, there are students who aren't convinced that I made the right move to keep Kushida-san."
She said she was prepared for this, but it was still hard to say that she truly understood the severity of the situation. How long can you remain calm about the changes that the decisions you make lead to?
It would be fine if the changes were merely positive, but this time they are the complete opposite This is a negative change.
She won't be seen as a contributor to the increase in class points.
"You should go to school now."
Horikita is too busy dealing with Kushida right now, so there's no point in having a long conversation here. This isn't only a dormitory where Horikita's classmate's live. There are also students from other classes that are considered enemies, such as Sakayanagi and Ryūen. I don't believe that we can cover up what is really going on with Kushida, but that doesn't mean that we need to willingly expose ourselves.
The class certainly gained a lot of points. Whether or not they can face up to the cost will be decided by how our classmates handle things going forward.
But before that... I'm not sure what to do about the problems that the class is quickly discovering we need to solve.