Not long after parting ways with Ishikura, Kamio Tatsuya left. As he returned to the second floor, he saw Nagumo at the top of the stairs.
"It seems this isn't a coincidence."
"Of course not. Senior Ishikura coming out alone was to meet with me. I didn't expect you to be here when I arrived, so I didn't go up to bother you."
"Thank you for that."
"No need for thanks," Nagumo smiled. "From your conversation with Senior Ishikura just now, you must have figured out my real target, right?"
"You mean Senior Tachibana?"
"That's right. As expected of someone so valued by Senior Horikita, you're truly different. You haven't disappointed me."
Nagumo said with emotion, his eyes full of joy.
"With this strategy, which I thought no one could see through, not even Senior Horikita Manabu, you've given me a surprise."
"So, what's the reason behind this?" Kamio Tatsuya still didn't understand. "You must have heard my conversation with Senior Ishikura. You're not just planning to use your twenty million to cancel out Senior Horikita Manabu's twenty million, are you?"
"Of course not. This is just the beginning. After I cancel out Senior Horikita Manabu's twenty million this time, next time, I'll continue to help Ishikura. I've never given up on my goal of defeating Senior Horikita Manabu."
So, this guy's goal is to pull Horikita Manabu down from the top spot in class A.
"So, what do you say, Junior Kamio? Are you going to stop me?"
Seeing Kamio Tatsuya's lack of reaction, Nagumo said with a smile.
"I'll give it a try," Kamio Tatsuya replied with a similar smile. "It's getting late, and it's time for lunch. I'll be going now."
Watching Kamio Tatsuya's retreating back, a mocking smile flickered on Nagumo's lips.
He can't even see his own desperate situation. Senior Horikita Manabu, your judgment is really not that great.
After parting with Nagumo, Kamio Tatsuya didn't immediately take his next step. Who knew if that guy would get suspicious and follow him? So, the best time wasn't now.
Besides, there were still three days until the exam. No need to rush.
During dinner, because of what happened with Sakayanagi earlier, Kamuro hadn't eaten with Kamio Tatsuya for several days.
So, the only person sitting next to him was Shiina.
"How have the exams been going these past few days?"
"Yeah, thanks to Ichinose," Shiina nodded, in a good mood. "But Ichinose isn't having an easy time either. Sakayanagi has been targeting her constantly."
"That's to be expected. Class B is just one step away from Class A. In this exam, the male group from Class A is almost wiped out."
"If Sakayanagi doesn't show results, Ichinose moving up is probably inevitable."
Even so, Sakayanagi's situation is really not optimistic.
Because on the last day of the exam, there will be Zen meditation, speech, road relay, and written exams.
Sakayanagi will certainly not be able to participate in Zen meditation and cross-country running.
She probably won't be able to get a perfect score in the speech either, because her heart condition doesn't allow her to speak loudly without getting breathless.
So, her group is effectively missing one person.
If this were based on individual group scores, Sakayanagi would have no chance against Class B's groups.
"That's not what I meant," Shiina said, a little helplessly. "It's Sakayanagi's attitude. She refused to let Ichinose join her group. She even said she didn't trust Ichinose. Didn't you know? Masumi brought that up first."
Hearing this, Kamio Tatsuya rubbed his forehead.
Then, he couldn't help but sigh, looking at Shiina with a helpless expression.
"Hiyori."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Masumi is a member of Class A. Even though we're close, she wouldn't betray the interests of Class A. Sakayanagi is doing this for a deep reason, so why would she tell me something like this?"
Hearing Kamio Tatsuya's explanation, Shiina's face turned red. Her interactions with Kamuro during the winter break had almost made her consider him a comrade.
Mainly, she didn't think there was anything to hide, so she hadn't mentioned it to Kamio Tatsuya.
"I... I'm sorry, it was my oversight."
"It's nothing. No matter what, Sakayanagi wouldn't make a move against Ichinose at this time, especially since, on the male side, Class B has practically been helping Class A."
Shiina nodded.
"I see. No wonder Sakayanagi hasn't targeted Ichinose since then."
While talking with Shiina and eating, Kamio Tatsuya also observed the people coming and going in the cafeteria.
Not far away, Horikita Manabu was eating with students from the same group. Tachibana Akane, whom he was paying more attention to, was hiding alone in a corner, weakly bringing food to her mouth.
Kamio Tatsuya understood Horikita Manabu's feelings. This guy wanted to avoid contact with the girls' side because it might cause Nagumo to go berserk, leading to more problems.
Constant vigilance is tiring. Focusing only on defense is exhausting.
Tachibana Akane's mealtime was short. Firstly, she ate little, and secondly, she was in low spirits. She quickly picked up her tray and left.
At this moment, Kamio Tatsuya also stood up.
"Hiyori, I'm leaving now. I'll leave the rest to you."
"Okay, don't worry."
Shiina nodded at Kamio Tatsuya.
Kamio Tatsuya followed Tachibana Akane out of the cafeteria. Whether it was his excellent tracking skills or Tachibana Akane's immense psychological stress, she completely failed to notice the tail behind her.
Walking alone, Tachibana Akane stopped in a secluded corner of the school buildings. She then squatted by the wall, hugged her knees, and buried her face in her arms.
Soon after, Kamio Tatsuya heard sobbing from around the corner.
"Crying here will get you discovered."
Kamio Tatsuya emerged from around the corner, reminding Tachibana Akane.
"I... I'm not crying!"
Tachibana Akane looked up. Upon seeing Kamio Tatsuya, she feigned defiance, wiping her reddened eyes with her tracksuit.
"You can lie to yourself about that. I can see for myself."
Kamio Tatsuya shrugged and walked to about a meter in front of Tachibana Akane.
"Wh-what do you want?"
Kamio Tatsuya was quite tall. Standing there, he blocked the light, casting Tachibana Akane into shadow.
Tachibana Akane inexplicably felt a sense of fear.
Looking at Tachibana Akane like this, Kamio Tatsuya found it amusing.
"What's wrong? Distracted. Did Horikita Manabu break up with you?"
"You were the one who got dumped! And it's not like that between me and Horikita-kun."
Mentioning this immediately made Tachibana Akane perk up, or rather, her anger flared. However, this burst of spirit lasted only a moment, and she quickly lowered her head dejectedly.
Kamio Tatsuya understood Tachibana Akane's thoughts very well. She probably felt she was about to be expelled.
And Horikita Manabu would still graduate from Class A, still have a bright future. Compared to Horikita Manabu, the gap between them would only grow wider, and they probably wouldn't see each other again.
Don't think Kamio Tatsuya is exaggerating. This is exactly what Tachibana Akane was thinking.
The thought of never seeing Horikita Manabu again made Tachibana Akane feel restless. That's why she secretly ran to this deserted corner to weep while everyone else was eating in the cafeteria.
And this annoying junior, Kamio, actually came over to mock her. How hateful!
Just then, Kamio Tatsuya spoke again.
"I say, Senior Tachibana, being ostracized doesn't feel good, does it?"
The moment Kamio Tatsuya suddenly pointed out the truth, Tachibana Akane couldn't hold back anymore. The look of panic on her face could no longer be concealed.
"How... how did you know?"
"Never mind that. I just think you should discuss this with Horikita Manabu." Kamio Tatsuya glanced at her.
Although Tachibana Akane's words were a bit sharp when she was in the student council, she was indeed a good person.
Except for the occasional jealous glances when Kamio Tatsuya went to the gym with Horikita Manabu, she had helped Kamio Tatsuya a lot with her work.
She was a good senior.
And Horikita Manabu really cared about her, so Kamio Tatsuya couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
However, to solve this matter, a large amount of private points would be needed, far more than Kamio Tatsuya could afford.
Therefore, Horikita Manabu had to step in.
Kamio Tatsuya had come up with a solution, and the cost naturally had to be borne by Horikita Manabu.
"No, I can't tell Horikita-kun. Horikita-kun has been fighting alone since his first year, and he's still fighting against the third-years and that annoying Nagumo. I can't let him get distracted!"
Tachibana Akane stood up from the ground, looking firmly at Kamio Tatsuya.
"Is that so? It doesn't matter if you get expelled?"
"It doesn't matter if I get expelled!"
Tachibana Akane's words showed no wavering. So she really hadn't considered the possibility of Horikita Manabu sacrificing class and private points to save her.
"It doesn't matter if Horikita Manabu can't graduate from Class A?"
"Even if..." Tachibana Akane was about to say it didn't matter, then immediately realized, "What did you say?"
"I'm saying that if you get expelled at this time, Horikita Manabu will likely be devastated by such a blow and be overtaken by Class B led by Senior Ishikura."
"That, that's impossible!"
"There's nothing impossible. Even though you two still call each other by your surnames, you should be able to sense Horikita Manabu's feelings for you."
Tachibana Akane lowered her head in silence.
"Feelings are a peculiar thing. They can make people unleash unprecedented power, or they can strike someone down and turn them into a vegetable.
Can you bear... to turn Horikita Manabu into a vegetable?"
Kamio Tatsuya's tone was light, but this sentence seemed to touch Tachibana Akane's soul. Her mind raced through the possible consequences.
After a long pause, Tachibana Akane looked up at Kamio Tatsuya.
"Wh-what should I do?"
"You don't need to do anything." Kamio Tatsuya showed a reassuring smile. "You just need to tell me if you want to continue your path at this school."
"I... I don't want to be expelled. I want to graduate from this school with Horikita-kun!"
Tachibana Akane said this almost in tears.
"Did you hear that, Horikita Manabu?"
As soon as Kamio Tatsuya finished speaking, Horikita Manabu walked out from around the corner, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at Tachibana Akane.
"Horikita-kun..." Tachibana Akane's tears started to fall the moment she saw Horikita Manabu. All the grievances she had suffered these past few days burst forth, and she rushed into his arms. "Waaa~~"
Seeing this, Kamio Tatsuya discreetly left the scene, standing outside the corner, quietly keeping watch.
Heh, I didn't expect to be a good guy after all.
After a few minutes, Horikita Manabu came around the corner. Tachibana Akane had already left by another path back to the dormitory.
"Thank you, Kamio." Horikita Manabu's expression was serious. "I overlooked Tachibana's feelings."
"It was nothing, and Senior Horikita Manabu has also helped me a lot." Kamio Tatsuya waved his hand dismissively. "But what are you planning to do about this matter?"
"To be honest, I have no solution. The outcome was decided when the groups were formed. I lost to Nagumo."
Horikita Manabu admitted his defeat without any wavering.
"So, you plan to use three hundred class points and twenty million private points to save Senior Tachibana?"
"That's right. I will never give up on Tachibana!"
Horikita Manabu's face was also filled with determination.
Looking at Horikita Manabu, Kamio Tatsuya shook his head. Did this guy genuinely not realize, or did he know but not want to do it?
"Don't be so quick to admit defeat. It's not that bad yet."
"Do you have another way?"
Horikita Manabu's heart stirred.
"Since Nagumo wants to play dirty, we'll play dirty with him," Kamio Tatsuya's lips curled into a cold smile. "There's a saying, Senior Horikita Manabu, that you must have heard: no matter how strong anything is, it cannot withstand disintegration from within."
Hearing this, Horikita Manabu's heart moved: "You mean..."
"That's right. Not everyone in Senior Tachibana's group is from Class A. On the contrary, there are students from Class D who want to see Class A embarrassed. If we can successfully turn the Class D members, we will not only thwart Nagumo and Senior Ishikura's plan but also let them fail and lose everything."
"What do you plan to do? Is there anything I need to do?"
"Senior Horikita Manabu is being watched very closely by Nagumo right now, right? So, you don't need to do anything. Just get twenty million private points ready. I'll handle the rest."
Hearing this, Horikita Manabu immediately understood Kamio Tatsuya's idea.
After weighing the situation in his mind, he nodded and agreed to Kamio Tatsuya's plan.
After all, Ishikura and Nagumo acted unjustly first, so he couldn't be blamed for acting righteously.
Moreover, if Kamio Tatsuya's plan succeeded, Class A's victory would likely be secured.
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