Kushida’s sudden and straightforward admission surprised Horikita. Based on Kushida’s attitude just monts ago, she had expected her to keep playing dumb.
"I only just realized that you actually want to drop out. You’re willing to take such a big risk for that—because you’re afraid I’ll reveal your past from middle school? Then you must understand that if I expose you now, you’re finished."
Horikita stared coldly at Kushida, but instead of seeing any panic, she saw a smile.
"Horikita, do you know? There was soone just as annoying as you who said the sa thing to before. Even if you expose now, so what? Who do you think people will believe—you or ?"
"I see. You’re pretty confident."
Horikita narrowed her eyes slightly. "But... if you’re so determined to get expelled, that ans you don’t actually want this to be exposed, right?"
Kushida fell silent. She was finally starting to realize how difficult Horikita was to deal with. She was just like that infuriating dead-fish-eyed guy!
"I don’t care about your middle school past, and I don’t care about your hostility toward . But if you want to beat , I hope you do it fair and square—not by using dirty tricks or betraying your own class."
Even though Horikita knew Kushida saw her as an enemy, it didn’t bother her. She had dealt with plenty of people who disliked her growing up. She was used to surviving in that kind of environnt. But that didn’t an she would just sit there and take it.
"Shut up!"
For so reason, Kushida’s expression suddenly changed. She looked agitated. "You’re just like him! That guy said the sa thing! Do you both look down on that much?!"
Horikita’s words had reminded Kushida of Hikigaya. He had told her almost the exact sa thing not long ago. That was why she was so angry.
"Look down on you?"
Horikita shook her head. "I’ve never looked down on you. In fact, I think you’re more capable than . I’ve realized my own shortcomings."
Horikita knew that in the past, she had been arrogant—just as Hikigaya had said. She had been like a frog in a well, thinking she saw the whole sky. But now, she had learned to acknowledge her weaknesses. She no longer looked down on others from above.
Kushida might not be exceptionally skilled in everything, but her ability to socialize and interact with people was far beyond Horikita’s reach. In the past, Horikita had dismissed that ability as unimportant. But now, she was beginning to see that relying on personal ability alone wasn’t enough. Teamwork and communication were just as necessary.
"You...!"
Kushida hadn’t expected Horikita—the always arrogant, cold, and standoffish Horikita—to say sothing like that. Even more shocking, Horikita had admitted that she wasn’t as good as her?
For so reason, Kushida felt a strange emotion rising in her chest. Was it because she had been acknowledged?
No. No way.
She couldn’t possibly feel happy about sothing like that.
This must be a trick—a smokescreen Horikita was using to make her lower her guard!
"Why do you look so angry? Did I say sothing wrong?"
Horikita noticed that Kushida seed unusually upset and asked in confusion.
Kushida opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words.
Yeah... why am I so angry?
"I won’t let you guys off the hook!"
Kushida stomped her foot in frustration.
"You guys?"
Horikita seed to notice sothing off. Kushida’s expression froze for a mont before she glared at Horikita. Then, she left in big strides after saying, "We’ll see about that."
...
On the third floor of the special teaching building, there were no other students around at this ti.
"You’re the one who wanted to see ?"
Ayanokouji looked at the silver-haired girl slowly walking out of the classroom. Just after the sports festival ended, a purple-haired girl had approached him, saying she had sothing to tell him. She then led him here.
The purple-haired girl had already left, which ant the real person behind this eting was the silver-haired girl in front of him, leaning on a cane.
Class A... No, now it should be Class B’s Sakayanagi Arisu.
But instead of answering his question, the girl just stared at him in silence.
Ayanokouji could tell that her gaze was different from how others usually looked at him. There was sothing... familiar about it?
"Have we t before?"
Ayanokouji asked. He was extrely confident in his mory—he was sure he had never seen this girl before. But she, on the other hand, seed to ’know’ him?
"As expected of Ayanokouji-kun, your sharp instincts are impressive."
Sakayanagi let out a soft laugh. "To be precise, it’s more like I’ve seen you before."
Ayanokouji’s face didn’t show any emotion, but the cold aura he gave off seed to express his inner thoughts.
"I see. So, what do you want from ?"
He didn’t follow up on her words and instead asked directly.
"I was watching your impressive running earlier, and I just couldn’t hold back anymore—I had to co et you."
Leaning on her cane, Sakayanagi slowly walked up to him. She bent slightly forward and said, "Ayanokouji-kun, long ti no see. Today marks exactly 3,163 days."
Ayanokouji was briefly stunned by her words. That number translated to over eight years. Back then, he was...
"Eight years ago? I don’t have any mories of you."
"That makes sense. After all, you never knew I existed."
A faint smile appeared on Sakayanagi’s face. Then, in a soft voice, she said, "The White Room."
In an instant, countless images and thoughts flashed through Ayanokouji’s mind.
"...You were about to make a move on , weren’t you?"
Sakayanagi suddenly spoke from where she stood.
Ayanokouji didn’t answer.
Because the mont he heard "White Room," he had indeed felt an instinctive urge to act. But even though he had restrained himself, his tensed muscles and the brief shift in his presence hadn’t escaped her notice.
"You must feel pretty uncomfortable right now, don’t you? A stranger knows all about you, but you know nothing about ."
Sakayanagi chuckled lightly.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Heh, it doesn’t matter. Even I never expected to et you again in this school. What a wonderful gift from fate."
She smiled.
"But don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone about you, Ayanokouji-kun."
"Why?"
"Because you belong to ."
Sakayanagi’s voice carried an undeniable confidence.
"A genius that I will personally bury. It would be such a waste if soone else interfered, don’t you think?"
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