COTE :  Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Returning to the rear of Class A's ranks, with that upperclassman Fujimaki's words as the starting point, Katsuragi Kohei led his people swiftly toward Class D to convene.

Probably because Class A's first-semester class points were simply too overwhelming, the students of Class D huddled behind Hirata Yosuke, appearing somewhat timid and hesitant.

As expected, it really does come down to this Hirata Yosuke...

Neither Horikita Suzune, nor Sakayanagi Arisu—no hero, no bold figure—was as useful in Class D as this seemingly mild and gentle Hirata.

Even a mess like this could be patched and stitched together by him into something barely operational. Had it been the second-year Class D, they'd likely have surrendered to despair long ago.

"Um..." A cool, clear voice, like thin ice in early winter, lightly brushed past his ear.

Following the sound, a pair of slender, beautiful legs wrapped in black knee-high socks entered Fuyuji Mikage's field of vision. Past the absolute territory between the knee-highs and the pleated skirt, past a well-developed and perfectly proportioned figure, his gaze arrived at Horikita Suzune's cool, refined features.

Horikita seemed somewhat uncomfortable as she pursed her lips. Her hand—slender and elegant as a white jade—extended toward him. She turned her head aside, a few strands of jet-black hair cascading down her cheek, her fair face tinged with a faint blush.

"This time we're in the same group. Please take good care of me."

Fuyuji smiled and extended his hand. "Please take care of me."

The hand—with its distinct knuckles and graceful shape—was held in Fuyuji's grasp. It carried a faint warmth, and the touch was unexpectedly delicate and smooth.

After the briefest contact, Horikita pulled her hand back almost instantly, as quickly as if she'd been scalded. Her cool, clear eyes locked straight onto Fuyuji. "So what did my brother say to you just now?!"

"Hey, can't you be a little less direct? What happened to that bashful, awkward way you used to ask for favors?"

With that, Fuyuji pinched his throat and mimicked Horikita's former tone—the expression of someone who clearly wanted to ask but was too embarrassed.

"Um... um... hello, my name is Horikita Suzune, a first-year Class D student. Um... this afternoon's weather really is lovely..."

In a flash, Horikita's murderous gaze slashed over, cold air radiating from her, her entire being exuding an aura of "say one more word and you're dead."

"Cut the chatter!"

Horikita's icy eyes glared at him once more, her cheeks flushing redder from shame and indignation.

"Fine, fine." Fuyuji raised his hands in surrender with a grin. "The extra event at the Sports Festival—your brother will be participating. How about it? Want to compete on the same stage as your brother?"

"What are you saying?!"

Horikita shot him an icy sidelong glance, then her expression turned somewhat resigned, her shoulders sagging slightly. "That competition only has a reward for first place. The winner will definitely be my brother. There's no point in me participating."

"Not necessarily. I don't think he's guaranteed to win."

"He is."

At this moment, Horikita displayed an attitude completely different from how she treated others. Like a child, she stubbornly emphasized with absolute conviction.

"Not necessarily." Unmoved, Fuyuji repeated with the same faint smile.

This perfunctory attitude instantly ignited Horikita's temper. "Then tell me—what possible reason could my brother have to lose?"

"Obviously because..." Fuyuji slowly raised his hand and pointed a thumb at himself. "I'll be participating too!"

Then, his previously resolute tone relaxed all at once as he added with a chuckle.

"Five million points for a single race. With a payout like that, why wouldn't I join?"

"..."

Horikita stared at him speechlessly. "Are you serious, Fuyuji-kun? Do I need to remind you that this event is a campus cross-country race?"

For any other competition, Horikita wouldn't have said anything—as painful as it was to admit, this guy genuinely might have a chance of beating her brother. But when it came purely to physical ability...

Through their numerous interactions, she could sense that his physical strength had improved somewhat, but he was only marginally stronger than her at best.

"If it's me, there's no problem. If it's me, I can do it!"

Horikita Suzune: "..."

Where on earth did this overwhelming confidence come from?!

Forget it...

After a moment of thought, Horikita raised a hand and rubbed her shapely brow.

Her instincts told her not to dwell on this question too long. She and this person might simply not operate on the same wavelength.

Just then, a mild commotion stirred from the center of the gymnasium, drawing both of their attention.

The two leading boys from Class A and Class D seemed to have finished their discussions as well. Their hands clasped together.

"I think, if possible, it would be best for us partners to cooperate without competing against one another."

"I share the same sentiment, Katsuragi-kun. We'll be counting on your guidance. Oh, and—"

Hirata Yosuke seemed to recall something. His smile faltered slightly as he hurriedly released the handshake, stepped back half a pace, straightened his posture, and faced the Class A students. With the utmost solemnity, he bowed at nearly a ninety-degree angle.

"Our class's Sakayanagi-san, due to physical reasons, cannot engage in strenuous exercise. Our deepest apologies!"

Katsuragi's brow furrowed slightly.

"That Sakayanagi-san with the cane?"

He, too, recalled that Class D girl who had been maneuvered into a corner by Fuyuji on the cruise ship. Since he'd only heard of her before and hadn't paid much attention, she hadn't immediately factored into his considerations.

"Yes, our sincerest apologies!" Hirata closed his eyes once more and apologized in a deep voice, bowing even lower.

In this brief gap of silence, within the Class D crowd, suppressed discontent—like hidden currents beneath the water's surface—finally found an outlet.

A few hushed yet unmistakably resentful voices rapidly spread outward:

"Sakayanagi-san... sigh..."

"Why does Hirata-kun have to apologize? This is clearly Sakayanagi's problem. It was the same on the cruise ship—she lost all our class's points in one go!"

"Yeah, that cripple... Not only is she useless in exams, now she's dragging the class down too..."

...

Ah, this... Are you Class D guys really that bold?

Standing in the corner, Fuyuji's eyes twitched uncontrollably. His scalp prickled with numbness.

There was an eighty percent chance this girl was the daughter of the school's board chairman. If she were genuinely angered to the point of collapse, not a single one of you would escape unscathed.

A full-fledged school insider—actually being pressured by Class D's defective students?!

His thoughts reaching this point, Fuyuji's gaze slipped through the gaps in the crowd and settled on the figure seated alone in the corner.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat by herself on a chair, her gaze quietly lowered, her hands resting on her cane, appearing to pay absolutely no heed to the looks around her.

"Seems like after the cruise ship exam failure, her standing in your class has taken a sharp turn for the worse."

Gazing at Sakayanagi's predicament from afar, Fuyuji remarked with a sigh.

Standing shoulder to shoulder beside him, Horikita turned her head and silently stared at Fuyuji. "Indeed. Now whose doing was that, exactly?!"

Fuyuji scratched his head awkwardly and let out a sheepish laugh. "I may have accidentally gone a little overboard..."

Letting out a small sigh, Horikita raised a hand and pressed it to her forehead, looking somewhat pained.

"Can't be helped. That last special exam loss was far too severe. Anyone with eyes could see from the point distribution that she was utterly routed. After that, most of the people she'd gathered in class left. Only two or three classmates still follow her."

"That said, I think she knew there'd be consequences like this, which is why she's never said anything."

"Speaking of which," Fuyuji rubbed his chin with mild curiosity, "since Sakayanagi Arisu certainly can't serve as a leader for the time being, who's your class's leader now? Hirata Yosuke?"

Horikita slowly raised her head and fixed her cool, clear eyes on him, saying nothing.

"..."

Fuyuji tugged at the corner of his mouth, stepped back twice, and said in disbelief, "Don't tell me it's you?!"

"Am I that inadequate?" Horikita arched one of her shapely brows slightly and replied flatly.

"It's not a matter of adequacy, it's just—" Fuyuji's words came to an abrupt halt.

Wait, why did I assume Horikita-girl couldn't do it?

Come to think of it, from Class D's perspective, she had helped Hirata find the evidence of Class C's false accusation, successfully forcing Class C to pay a hefty sum, and allowing Class D to survive the most difficult weeks.

Then on the uninhabited island, though Class D placed last, that was the collective choice of the majority of Class D students. No matter how you assigned blame, it couldn't fall on Horikita. Moreover, the uninhabited island special exam was their one and only exam where they actually gained something—not only did they earn forty-two class points, they also signed a contract with Class C for a monthly transfer of ten thousand private points...

Fuyuji's gaze grew more and more astonished as he carefully sized Horikita up from head to toe, exclaiming in wonder:

"Suzune, I never imagined that someone like you—who doesn't even have friends—could actually become a class leader someday?"

"Why else do you think I came to find you?" Horikita shot him an exasperated glare.

After two special exams, she had finally figured it out. "Just an ordinary Class A student"? "No real authority"? All of it was nonsense this bastard had spun to fool people.

Fuyuji Mikage was the true existence controlling the entirety of Class A.

"It wasn't because you missed me and came looking for me?" Fuyuji feigned heartbreak.

"If your brain is too hyperactive to control, I can help cut it off for you. And besides..." Horikita coldly retorted, straightening her back. With a trace of seriousness, she once again dropped a bombshell. "Who said I don't have friends?"

"You've actually made a friend." Fuyuji inhaled sharply, shocked once more. "So this is the power of Advanced Nurturing High? It really can turn a person into a demon. Just which enlightened soul could possibly tolerate your temper—was it Cha—cough, Kushida-san, or someone else? Take me to meet them at once. Your brother and I will both be absolutely thrilled."

"Are you an idiot?" Horikita cut off his wild fantasies without the slightest courtesy.

"Ha? What's that supposed to mean?"

Horikita continued staring at him, arms folded. "Who else could it be besides you?"

"Me? I don't count."

"Why don't you count? Or are you saying you're not a person?"

"I should be excluded either way."

"No. It can only be you."

...

In the corner of the gymnasium, the two bickered on and off, utterly out of place amidst the surrounding atmosphere of gravity and tension.

Elsewhere, near the center of the gymnasium.

Faced with the Class D students still voicing their discontent over Sakayanagi Arisu's earlier failure, Kamuro Masumi—who had been standing within the Class A crowd—felt her brow furrow tighter and tighter. Glaring at the Class D students with extreme displeasure, she opened her mouth.

"Oi—"

"Enough!" The moment her voice rang out, it was forcibly cut off by another.

Perhaps because Katsuragi Kohei also had a little sister, or perhaps because his own alopecia had often drawn strange, judgmental looks—he sternly silenced the whispered mutterings within the Class D crowd.

"Regardless of the reason, and no matter what mistakes the other party has made in the past, never use a person's physical disabilities to launch personal attacks. This is the most fundamental moral standard for any student. Do you not even understand these basic principles?"

In an instant, the entire Class D crowd was cowed into silence by the sudden, explosive authority of this upper-class leader. The students who had been chattering moments ago instantly shrank their necks, their eyes darting evasively. Like a flock of startled quails, they huddled behind Hirata Yosuke, not daring to let out so much as a breath.

Having spoken, Katsuragi drew a deep breath, steadying his emotions. His tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly as he once again directed his gaze toward Hirata, whose face still bore an apologetic expression.

"It's fine. Since it's due to physical factors, being unable to take the field is something beyond anyone's control. No one can fault that."

Seeing their own class leader take such a stance, the Class A students following behind Katsuragi said nothing further.

After all, their highest expectation of Class D to begin with had been simply to complete the events and not forfeit. One additional student unable to participate was hardly a major issue.

"Thank you. Thank you." Hirata expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

After that brief interlude, Katsuragi once again discussed the details of the Sports Festival groupings with Hirata.

Hirata maintained an exceedingly humble posture. Combined with the fact that Class A truly had no desire to meddle in Class D's internal affairs, once they confirmed Class D's attitude toward this special exam, they smoothly and amicably settled on the approach for this competition.

In short—each class would fight on its own.

As for events requiring teamwork, they would coordinate on the spot when the time came.

This outcome was, for both sides, a relief in terms of effort and energy.

However, just as the atmosphere on the Red group's side was settling into stability, from the opposing White group's direction came a clearly discordant disturbance.

"So, you're saying you refuse to discuss this?"

Having just concluded his conversation with Horikita and returned to the fringes of Class A's formation, Fuyuji raised an eyebrow at the sound and turned his gaze with keen interest toward the other side of the gymnasium.

In the White group's area, the atmosphere was drawn taut as a bowstring.

Facing Class B, which held nearly eight hundred points more than Class C, Ryuen Kakeru showed not the slightest courtesy. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he was just about to lead the crowd of Class C students—each wearing a different expression—straight out of the gymnasium.

"That's right. There's no point wasting time on this kind of thing. Even if we signed a contract, I don't believe you'd trust me because of it. Better to discard that option from the start."

Ryuen's footsteps showed no sign of pausing.

"How about it? I came up with this plan out of the goodness of my heart. Aren't you going to thank me?"

Ichinose Honami hurried forward several steps, trying one final effort. "But Ryuen-kun, do you really have the confidence to win this competition without any cooperation?"

"Who knows~"

With that, wild, unbridled laughter spilled from Ryuen's mouth and echoed throughout the vast gymnasium.

And then...

"Look, look! Is that him? That Crap-Eating King?!"

"That's him! I never expected to see the real deal today. But what's he laughing about?"

"Maybe something's wrong with his brain. I mean, after pulling stunts like that..."

"I heard he even likes eating raw goat heads and howls at the moon in the middle of the night. Uncontested number one in popularity on the Advanced Nurturing High forums."

"He's actually the leader of first-year Class C? Do first-year Class C students have some kind of special fetish?"

...

In an instant, a wave of whispered murmurs ten times more ferocious than the earlier discussion about Sakayanagi erupted from every corner of the gymnasium.

"Hahaha... haha... ha..."

The previously loud, arrogant laughter rapidly deflated like a leaking ball. It grew no longer unrestrained, but instead carried a thread of desolation. Gradually, it faded, and finally dwindled into nothing...

The entire cohort of Class C students collectively lowered their heads in unison.

At this moment, they wanted nothing more than to strangle the versions of themselves from an hour ago who had agreed to let Ryuen lead the team.

Ryuen curled his toes a few times and moved his lips as if wanting to defend his earlier behavior. But in the end, he clenched his fists, ground his teeth, and quickened his pace, storming off in seething resentment.

And then, for the umpteenth time, he inwardly spat out the same vicious oaths.

AAAAARGH! Damned mastermind! Miserable rat! Shameless trash! I will definitely drag you out!

Kill! Kill! Kill!

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50 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!