cote react to

part 20

"No doubt in my mind. Someone set a trap for you."

"That's not possible. It's true that my blazer went to the cleaners, but I checked my pockets when I got it back. Besides, the clerk would've told me if there was something inside it!"

"That's not what Karuizawa was going for. Did someone want to know whether you had a spare uniform?"

"A spare? That's impossible," said Kushida.

"What makes you say that with such certainty?"

"Are you trying to say that everyone there set a trap for me, and I couldn't see right through it? I'm not an idiot. I observe everyone's behavior. If they were lying to me, I definitely would've noticed."

"I wouldn't noticed it." Yamauchi admitted.

"You're an idiot, of course you won't." Ike rolled his eyes.

"Please, don't talk like you're not an idiot either." Sudo said.

"What are those three talking about?" Shinohara furrowed her brows.

"Idiot things, I bet." Sato said.

"Well, you're probably right about that. However, only one or two people at most lied to you," said Ryuuen.

"Huh? How would—"

"If someone there read the situation perfectly, then it's likely that person deceived you. Someone who could figure out everyone's thought processes, behavioral tics, and habits. Someone who guessed what kind of remarks they'd make. Someone who could read all those things perfectly. Someone who wrote the script, so that you'd act your part in their play," said Ryuuen.

"Oh, Ayanokoji-kun?" Hiyori said.

"Ayanokoji." Sudo exclaimed.

"That idiot?" Ibuki frowned.

"You did something." Horikita said to Ayanokoji.

"Oh, him?" Hashimoto looked thoughtful.

"What a great way to describe Ayanokoji-kun." Sakayanagi applauded.

"I wasn't complimenting him." Ryuuen glared at her.

"Oh? With the way you describe him, it appears like that though." Sakayanagi said.

Kushida denied it, but then thought back on what had happened. Hirata was consistently a pacifist. He would worry about Kushida's blazer being stained, and would want to placate Karuizawa's unreasonable anger. And, because the meeting took place right before the test, he would definitely ask how many blazers Kushida had.

Once they learned that you had one blazer, the only thing left to do was plant the cheat sheet on you during gym class. The real question is, who came up with the idea? It wasn't Suzune or Karuizawa. They aren't the kind of girls who could do something like that," said Ryuuen.

"How would you know?" Horikita glared at him.

"Basic observation." Ryuuen smirked.

"So, you're saying I was tricked? By who?"

"Shortly before the test, a letter accusing Ichinose of doing something
illegal went out, right?"

"Yeah, the letter you tried to trap her with, Ryuuen. Why did you do that?"

"Huh?" Shibata let out a surprise sound.

"What the hell did you do, Ryuuen-kun?" Kanzaki glared at him.