Chương 43: Hiyori's advice?

A strong breeze swept across the rooftop, making Horikita's long hair dance with the wind. She stood alone, her back to the railing, staring down at the campus below. From her vantage point, she could see students milling around, making their way back to the dorms. Yet, her solemn eyes weren't really seeing any of them; they were lost in some far-off place, somewhere even she couldn't quite reach.

A voice broke through the silence, pulling her back. "What do you make of this upcoming exam?" Ayanokoji's tone was flat, yet there was an edge to it, like he was probing for something deeper. Horikita turned to face him, really looking at him for the first time in weeks. He face was stilled a bit ragged, and his knuckles were scarred—remnants of battles she didn't ask about. But his eyes, which had always been cold and distant, carried a flicker of something... something she couldn't place. Anger? Regret? Happiness?? It wasn't much, but it was a change.

She narrowed her eyes and exhaled heavily, trying to shake off the emotions swirling within her. "I think I know how to win it."

She didn't ask him what had happened to make him this way; she had a pretty good idea already. The events of the sports festival two weeks ago had left scars on more than just skin. She turned back towards the door, her mind shifting back to strategy. "Call Hirata-kun and the others. We're holding a strategy meeting," she ordered firmly, her voice steady.

"Hey, Horikita, do you really think this is a good idea?" Ayanokoji's voice stopped her in her tracks. She paused, not turning around. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, the stuff with Yuto and all. You don't have to throw yourself into this meeting with your head clouded. Take a moment to breathe, to cool off." His words were oddly gentle, almost like he was trying to help her.

Horikita felt a bitter laugh rising in her chest. "That's a strange comment coming from you, Ayanokoji-kun," she replied, her voice carrying an edge she couldn't suppress. "Considering you're the reason all of this even happened."

Ayanokoji's expression remained stoic, but his eyes hardened. "I'll admit I played a part, but you're being childish if you think that everything between you and Yuto is my fault."

Before he could say more, Horikita's leg lashed out. Ayanokoji blocked her kick with a swift motion, barely flinching. "I'd prefer it if you shut up," she spat, her voice trembling.

Ayanokoji kept his guard up, sidestepping her next punch with infuriating calmness. "Avoiding the truth doesn't change anything, Horikita. Do you think your brother would approve of this behavior?"

His words cut deeper than any physical blow, and she froze, her eyes wide with the sudden sting of the truth. She quickly masked her expression and pulled back, turning sharply towards the door. "Don't worry, Ayanokoji-kun. As the class leader, I won't let my personal life interfere with my duties. I'll perform as expected." Her voice was cold, but it was clear she was speaking as much to herself as to him.

The door slammed behind her, the sound echoing in the empty air. Ayanokoji stood alone on the rooftop, letting out a quiet sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but for a moment, he didn't reach for it. He just stared at the spot where Horikita had been, feeling the tension settle back into the silence around him.

__________________________________________________________

Step. Step. Step.

Ryuen paced slowly among his classmates, each of his steps reverberating through the deathly silence of the classroom. The dim light barely reached the corners, casting shadows over the students, who kept their eyes glued to their desks, avoiding his gaze.

"Quite a lot went wrong during the sports festival, didn't it?" Ryuen's voice was low, but it carried a dangerous edge that made the hair on the back of their necks stand up. As he walked, he started slamming his fist onto desks, one by one, making each student flinch."And sure, Kazuki was involved in some of that... but that's not the only problem."

SMASH!

A desk shuddered under the force of his blow, and students huddled lower, desperate to avoid his gaze. Ryuen continued as if he hadn't noticed their fear, but the dark glint in his eyes said otherwise.

"First, there was the Island Exam. Class D won with 305 points, while Class A and Class C ended up with nothing. All because of that so-called 'ghost' messing with our plans."

He let his words hang in the air, then slammed another desk, louder this time. A few students visibly jumped, clutching their seats tighter.

"And then the Zodiac Exam. Sure, we managed to hold our own... if you ignore the 100 class points we lost to Class D. Funny enough, half of those points went to a group that Kazuki was part of."

SMASH!

This time, the impact left a crack in the wood, but Ryuen barely seemed to care. He leaned forward, his voice turning cold and cutting. "But all of that doesn't add up, does it?"

The silence was thick, the students' unease palpable as they exchanged nervous glances. He pounded another desk, his grin stretching wider with every flinch. "And you know what? I've concluded that we have traitors among us."

"Ryuen! That's absurd—!" Ibuki tried to cut in, her voice strained, but Ryuen's glare silenced her instantly. He brought his fist down on another desk, making the student sitting there shudder.

Hiyori, sitting nearby with a book in her hands, finally sighed, closing it with a faint snap. "Ryuen, that's the third time you've slammed my desk while I'm trying to read. Could you smash someone else's, please?"

Ryuen's twisted grin shifted toward her. "Why, of course, Hiyori," he sneered, though he moved on, turning his attention back to the cowering students.

"Now, to all the traitors in this room, I'm offering you a deal. Reveal yourselves, tell me who the mastermind is, and I'll let you walk away."

His voice dropped to a whisper, sinister and threatening. "Otherwise, I'll find you myself, and I'll make sure you regret it."

He began striking desks again, each blow punctuating the seconds that ticked by. Students shuddered at the sound, glancing nervously at each other, but no one dared to speak. Hiyori, finally having enough of Ryuen, slipped out of the classroom. "Ryuen, your grinning too much, stop it, it's creepy and childish." She said before slamming the door behind her. The class envied her nerve, but no one else had the guts to follow.

"Thanks for the advice Hiyori." Ryuen wanted to laugh. He turned back to the class, his grin widening before it becoming straight, remembering Hiyori's words. "I'll give you five seconds before I start picking you off, one by one."

He started counting, his voice slow and deliberate. "One…"

The students' eyes darted around the room, desperate, sweat beading on their foreheads.

"Two…"

Ryuen's footsteps echoed as he moved toward a particular student, his shadow looming over them like a predator closing in.

"Three…"

The pressure became too much. Ishizaki shot up from his seat, his voice breaking as he stammered, "It's Kazuki, Ryuen-san! I swear, he's behind everything!"

Beside him, Kondo and another classmate also stood up, their faces pale and drenched in sweat. "Yeah, it's him... He's the one we've been working with!"

Ryuen's grin spread into something menacing, and he gestured casually to Albert, who moved closer. Ishizaki and the others paled further, dread creeping into their eyes. "Well, that's three out of six." Ryuen's voice dripped with satisfaction. He turned his gaze toward a group of girls clustered together, who shrank back as he addressed them next.

"Four…"

"I'm sorry!" Manabe's voice rang out, her shoulders trembling. She practically crumpled under the weight of her confession, barely able to meet his gaze.

Ryuen chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down their spines. "Well, now that we're getting somewhere... I'll deal with you three later. For now, Manabe, why don't you tell me everything you know?"

__________________________________________________

[A/n: Hiyori's advice didn't help... sigh.. Anyway! I'm back! and I'll try to upload another chapter tommorrow so stay hyped! (if your wondering, I used ryuen as a kind of recap cuz y'all might find it hard to remember as ya know, I did take a lot of breaks :P).]