cote react to

part 18

"Okay...?"

The sports festival was playing out right in the open. Thus, there weren't many chances for subterfuge, like there had been on the island. It would be a Herculean task to pull the wool over the entire school's eyes.

Our two options were fighting fair, and taking opponents like Ichinose and Katsuragi head-on, or using cowardly tactics while taking dangerous risks.

"And Ryuuen-kun is the latter, I assume?" Sakayanagi said.

"You call it cowardly, but I name it as being a great, unique, tactics." Ryuuen grinned, "All strategies have dangerous risks, some are just worst than the others making it look mild."

Ryuuen was only committing these acts of foul play after careful rehearsal and lots of practice. Nearly all these results had been decided before the sports festival even started.

"What do you think of Horikita?"

"What? I don't like her. She's all high and mighty and full of herself," Karuizawa replied.

"Technically, you can't hold that words against me as it was said by future me." Karuizawa defended herself after she saw Horikita glared at her.

"Am I free to think that you, the present you, think of me highly?" Horikita said.

"Uh... Am I required to answer the question?" Karuizawa asked.

"Of course you are." Horikita tapped her foot impatient.

"You know what? I'll keep my mouth shut."

"But you're worried about her."

"Well...maybe I kinda understand what she's dealing with."

Karuizawa knew the bitterness and agony that came of being targeted by a bully. In that way, she could empathize with Horikita.

"Thanks, I guess?" Horikita looked unsure.

"Now you'll never feel that ever again." Shinohara assured Karuizawa.

"Yeah, I can only hope." Karuizawa replied back.

"Class D is in last place right now, yeah? Is there no way for us to win?" asked Karuizawa.

"Don't worry. Everything so far has been going according to plan," I told her.

"I knew it. You did think of something. Then how do we win this thing?"

"Win? I have no intention of winning. What's important right now is to do nothing," I replied.

"Huh?" Ryuuen eyed him.

"He have a plan but not for us to win?" Miyake asked.

"Our participation table was leak, maybe he's cornering the traitor?" Haruka suggested.

'Please do not let that be me.' Kushida look frustrated. 'Who am I kidding? It's probably me.'

"With their participation table leak, he can't really do anything about it." Hashimoto commented.

"Which makes me think how easy is for a class participation table be seen." Ichinose looked at her teacher.

Hoshinomiya shook her head teasing, "No can do, Honami-chan. You are already seeing the future exams, that's the only clue you will be getting."

"Okay." Ichinose pouted.

"That does mean that the traitor is in their class only?" Chihiro asked.

"I mean, the school letting outsider see a class participation table is out of the question, that only applies to the student in that class." Tachibana answered her.