COTE :  Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Riiiing...

The dismissal bell echoed urgently through the entire teaching building. With a single "Class dismissed" from the subject teacher, the students inside the Class A classroom tidied their desks and filed out one after another.

"Fuyuji-kun, are you sure you won't join us?" Katsuragi Kohei approached Fuyuji Mikage's desk and asked once more.

In preparation for the upcoming Sports Festival, Katsuragi had organized a temporary training group, planning to use their free time to help Class A's students familiarize themselves with the Sports Festival events in advance.

"Nah. I'm perfectly at ease leaving this side of things to you."

Fuyuji waved a hand, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and rose from his seat. With a solemn expression, he patted Katsuragi on the shoulder, once again delivering a round of KFC to him.

"This time, the test is on the class's collective strength. Even if I joined in, it wouldn't make much of a difference to the results. But without you organizing the class, the students' motivation would drop significantly."

"But—"

"No buts." A resolute light shone in Fuyuji's eyes. With righteous conviction, he declared, "I leave it to you. Our Class A isn't the kind of class that stops functioning just because one person is missing."

Katsuragi drew a deep breath and nodded heavily. In a deep voice, he said, "Leave it to me."

"Well then, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Having once again injected a shot of fighting spirit into Class A's leader, Fuyuji strode forward, kept his face taut, and turned toward the classroom door with brisk steps.

This was the renowned leader of Class A—Katsuragi Kohei.

No charging required. One hundred kilometers per gallon of talk therapy. Fully automatic. Time-saving and effort-free. Capable of self-iterative upgrades.

Ganbatte, Katsuragi-san...

You go ahead and train with the classmates. I'm off to get some one-on-one time with Senpai.

Bathed in the weighty gaze of Katsuragi, Fuyuji rubbed his palms together and stepped out of the teaching building with light, buoyant strides.

The sweltering heat of late summer had been diluted by the sea breeze. The afternoon sunlight slanted through the glass windows of the teaching building, dyeing the clouds in gradients of gold.

The air still carried the lingering warmth of the day, but the wind brushing past his ears already bore a hint of early autumn's coolness.

His backpack slung over his shoulder, Fuyuji strolled leisurely along the school path. The roadside trees overhead had already begun to yellow. Every so often, a leaf would detach from above, spinning through the air a few times before settling on the path.

He felt the muscles in his arm. A wave of soreness followed immediately and Fuyuji let out a rather helpless sigh.

As expected, it's not something that shows immediate results like mental strength. It still needs daily accumulation over time to have any effect.

He'd go ask Senpai about getting a gym membership later. Apparently, that sadistic teacher of his also liked working out there on holidays, so he could ask him too.

As for fitness equipment like dumbbells, he'd pass. That tiny bit of space in his room would probably turn into a drying rack before long—

Fuyuji's movements halted. His forward stride stopped abruptly.

A pair of slender calves, wrapped in pure white stockings, had entered his line of sight. Following the graceful lines of her legs upward brought him to the garter straps linked to the stocking cuffs. After a fleeting, tantalizing glimpse of pristine white where her skirt swayed, the view vanished regretfully into the fluttering pleats of her skirt, never to be seen again.

No other criteria were needed. This kind of pure yet faintly provocative attire—Fuyuji had only ever seen it on one person.

"Good day, Fuyuji-kun." A melodious voice emerged from Sakayanagi Arisu's delicate mouth.

"Sakayanagi-san."

After replying with a casual smile, Fuyuji sidestepped a full stride to the right, crab-style, clearing the path as he continued walking toward Keyaki Mall.

Unexpectedly, Sakayanagi likewise planted her cane and hurriedly shuffled to the right with a series of rapid thuds, blocking his path directly. She lifted her head and fixed him with an elegant smile.

"..."

Gazing at the amethyst-like eyes before him, Fuyuji flashed a confident grin. 'I see. So you want to play this game with me?'

With a single stride, he shifted a large step to the left.

Seeing this, Sakayanagi likewise planted her cane and shifted left.

In that flash of lightning, Fuyuji retracted his extended left leg, feinted, and returned to his original position, smoothly bypassing her on the school path.

'Too green. To think you'd try playing this kind of game with me. A mere Class D student, daring to block the path of a noble Class A member. Watch as I assert my dominance.'

In the span of a few breaths, Fuyuji had more or less figured out the reason Sakayanagi had come looking for him.

At this time of day, blocking his path with such persistence—chances were his alter ego was at risk of being exposed.

She hadn't sought him out at all during summer break, and yet here she was, just two days into the new semester. He had undoubtedly been exposed recently.

The only recent encounter with Sakayanagi was yesterday at the gymnasium with Bro. Perhaps she had inadvertently detected some clue from Bro's words and actions.

But fortunately, it was most likely just suspicion, as there was no concrete evidence.

In that case, he'd rile her up a bit here and throw her train of thought into disarray. Later, he'd play dumb and clear his own suspicion.

After being so easily toyed with by Fuyuji, Sakayanagi's eyes instantly narrowed. She gripped her cane, turned around, and walked leisurely toward Fuyuji. In a slow, deliberate tone, she spoke.

"Ara~ So the illustrious students of first-year Class A all enjoy playing such childish games—the kind only kindergarteners would play?"

His nearly lifted stride came to a halt. Fuyuji sighed and turned around with an air of reluctant helplessness.

"Sakayanagi-san, is there something you need from me?"

"Ever since last time, I've been wanting to have a chat with Fuyuji-kun." Sakayanagi's eyes shifted, fixed intently on Fuyuji's face.

This person had an extremely high probability of being the mastermind she had been searching for.

Judging from the details of her previous conversation with Kamuro Masumi, Kamuro undoubtedly held that person in very high regard—even far above herself.

But that could only serve as a reference. When it actually came to searching, she couldn't even find a single suspect.

Class A was different from the other classes. Any attempt to probe for internal class intelligence would immediately raise their vigilance, leaving her with no opening to exploit.

Until yesterday at the gymnasium.

Although the person herself refused to admit it no matter what, Kamuro Masumi was without a doubt a tsundere, fiercely protective girl.

This had been abundantly clear during the group discussions between Classes A and D yesterday.

When she herself had been mocked and ridiculed by the Class D students, Kamuro had actually been about to speak up before Katsuragi—only stopping because Katsuragi had already forcefully rebuked the Class D students.

With that in mind, her subsequent reaction became quite intriguing.

When asked to relay a message to the mastermind, Kamuro's response had been to casually agree, and then immediately call him petty!

One had to realize that her own words at the time had contained absolutely no resentment toward the mastermind, nor were they an apology. She had merely stated that she did not regret their confrontation. Yet Kamuro's reply had been that the mastermind was petty...

Following the context of that exchange, a subtle logical inconsistency emerged.

Had those words truly been meant for her to hear?

Reaching this point in her thoughts, Sakayanagi's doll-like, dreamy eyes reflected Fuyuji's silhouette.

So...

Let me confirm it—whether it really is you!

...

Outside Keyaki Mall, in the open-air seating area of the cafe.

The enormous parasol completely blocked the afternoon sun. The outdoor air cooler hummed steadily. Outside, the flow of people surged like a tide. Couples and groups of boys and girls strode past with light, brisk steps into Keyaki Mall, leaving trails of merry laughter in their wake.

Sakayanagi sat upright in her seat. With what appeared to be a hint of shy embarrassment, she raised her left hand and lightly brushed her hair upward, then pressed it over her chest, assuming a bashful, demure expression.

"Actually... I've been wanting to find a chance to... try being alone together, just the two of us."

"In fact, I've been thinking the same thing." An eager voice came rushing headlong toward Sakayanagi. A figure instantly dropped down and sat beside her.

So fast!

Sakayanagi's shy expression froze for a split second. This was completely different from what she had imagined!

Would a mastermind like that—someone who manipulated Class A, allied with Class B, and utterly defeated her in the VIP exam—really put on an act like this?

Just to conceal his existence?

Watching the grin spread across Fuyuji's face, Sakayanagi instinctively scooted two seats away. Her palms rested on her white-stocking-clad knees as she shook her head vigorously.

No, no, no. Calm down. This might just be the opponent's scheme to throw her thoughts into chaos and force her to retreat.

But...

She suddenly recalled Fuyuji's hysterical, resentful, utterly pathetic display after the VIP exam, and grew uncertain once more.

Had that really been an act?

Would anyone really cast aside all dignity to go that far?

She had to remember—the mastermind's attitude toward class points was even more detached than her own. He had practically gifted one hundred and fifty points to Class C, who had done nothing at all, as if it were all just a game.

If it really was him...

Gradually, the silhouette of the mastermind overlapped and merged within Sakayanagi's mind, finally resolving into the increasingly perverse, leering face before her.

Could this really be right?!

All these contradictory personality traits gathered within this single student before her. For a time, Sakayanagi's brain—trained through long hours of professional chess—began to short-circuit.

However, before Sakayanagi could sort out her thoughts, Fuyuji drew close once more, pressing up against her delicate, soft body, slowly breathing in the faint, subtle fragrance that lingered around her.

"Sakayanagi-chan, how about we go somewhere else and have some fun together later?"

Hmph hmph. To think that mere Sakayanagi Arisu would try to seduce me with that unremarkable figure of hers.

My assessment: no match for my Morishita-sama!

Just then, Sakayanagi's retreating motion came to an abrupt halt. Her pupils dilated. The threads of thought connected in an instant. A faint, subtle smile quietly curved at the corner of her lips.

It seems, in the end, this trial of wits is my victory...

Although Fuyuji's current behavior indeed presented an apparent contradiction with the image of the mastermind, a flaw had also been exposed in the process.

Namely, his performance before her was starkly, dramatically inconsistent with his performance before Kamuro Masumi!

Upon closer reflection, every time she had encountered Fuyuji, he had behaved completely differently from the previous occasions.

The first time they met, he had been a kind classmate who helped her take a bottle of shampoo down from the shelf.

The second time, during the VIP exam in the Rabbit Group room on the cruise ship, he had sat quietly beside Shiina Hiyori from Class C, peacefully turning the pages of a book.

The third time, after the VIP exam ended, he had displayed that disgraceful, defeated ugliness.

The fourth time—yesterday and now—he had become this current spectacle.

If she briefly sorted through the various factors surrounding these encounters in sequence, she would discover that the second and third times were during the VIP exam. That had been entirely to lure her into the trap. Now, he had likely sensed her objective and was putting on this display to confuse her.

Only the very first time they met—when he had so gentlemanly helped her with the shampoo—was the real him!

Heh heh. How cunning. To go to such lengths just to conceal his identity.

In that case...

The girl's calf silently lifted, revealing a full, slender leg. Her skirt hem rose with the motion, the snow-white skin of her thighs faintly visible. Finally, like a feather brushing past, it lightly grazed against Fuyuji's trouser leg.

Since you enjoy putting on an act so much, then please—prove it.

Without the slightest shred of hesitation, Fuyuji made the choice that sprang purely from bodily instinct. After confirming it wasn't a honey trap, one hand quietly came to rest upon that thigh—its fair, white complexion faintly visible through the stockings.

At the initial touch of his fingertips, there was the characteristic slight coolness and silky smoothness of the stockings. The delicate fibers produced an exceedingly faint, subtle rustling beneath his fingertips. With his movements, he could perceive the gentle elasticity of the fabric—slightly sinking under light pressure, silently rebounding when released. The sensation was both smooth and carried just the right amount of resistance, as if his fingertips were skimming across the surface of still water.

"Nn..."

The man's large hand was somewhat hot, gentle yet carrying a trace of roughness.

Sakayanagi instantly flushed red. Her eyes flew wide with utter disbelief as she stared at Fuyuji. A sound escaped uncontrollably from her throat.

How could this be?! Why would he just place his hand on a lady's thigh so directly, and with such force... This was nothing like what she had anticipated!

After a few brief seconds, realizing that her plan had completely failed, Sakayanagi grit her teeth and swiftly pulled her thigh away. She scooted another two seats over, snatched up her cane from beside her, and hurriedly shuffled out of the cafe with a series of rapid thuds.

"Fufu... Um... Fuyuji-kun, I have other matters to attend to. I'll be taking my leave first."

"Wait, won't you sit down and have a cup of coffee?" Fuyuji's voice rang out with an urgent plea for her to stay.

"Thank you for your kind offer. Perhaps next time."

Sakayanagi quickened her pace once more, panting.

A mastermind who strategized from behind the scenes and manipulated the entire grade—turned out to be a shameless Class A student?!

As if!

She had finally seen through it.

This guy was simply, purely lecherous. The reason he presented completely different faces was merely because the girl he was with at the time was different!

The second time, Shiina Hiyori was a quiet, gentle girl, so Fuyuji had acted calm and read books quietly with her.

With Kamuro Masumi, it was because Masumi was the type who only acted according to her own will. So he had always stayed behind her without speaking, silently following her lead.

The first time they met, he hadn't revealed this side of himself probably because they'd only just gotten acquainted and needed to be more familiar before making a move.

Today, she had been the one to initiate the flirtation, so he had exposed his true nature.

What do you mean, "he gets pulled along so easily so they must be a couple"!

Matsushita-san, you've led me terribly astray!

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50 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!