Just then, there was a knock on Subaru's door.
"Come in."
As Subaru finished speaking, two figures appeared before the room. They were Suzune Horikita and Yosuke Hirata.
"Subaru, is this a convenient time?"
Although she asked, Horikita had already sat directly on the chair.
"What's the matter?"
"Did you anticipate everything that is happening now?"
Horikita frowned, staring at Subaru in front of her. The latter's reaction was simply too calm. It was as if... he had already experienced all of this before.
"Who knows."
Subaru merely wore a smile on his face, neither denying nor confirming it.
In fact, he had experienced these things. In a certain timeline, these rumors had indeed nearly caused the entire class to collapse. However, Subaru didn't know what happened after that. He hadn't traveled to a further future; after all, his return point might change by then. Moreover, the Ryuen of that future was preparing to drop out. There was no one interesting left in the school for the time being, so Subaru chose to return to this point.
Horikita looked at Subaru. She didn't know exactly how far into the future he had seen. But undoubtedly, this series of chain reactions was all because of Subaru. Or rather... because of herself.
It was precisely because she craved victory that she chose to let Subaru lead this class exam. And during the exam, Subaru had directly torn open Kikyo Kushida's true face, exposing it to everyone.
Horikita didn't even know how Subaru had managed to do it.
"I have some questions I want to ask you. How exactly did you know Kushida was the traitor within the class?" Horikita pursed her lips before asking.
"Kushida's behavior had been a bit off for a while. I guessed it after thinking about it a little," Subaru said lightly.
"Off?" Hirata, standing to the side, was very puzzled. "And I remember Subaru-kun said at the time that this matter... seemed to be related to Nagumo-senpai?"
"Wait, I remember now." Horikita's brows furrowed tightly.
She recalled an incident. That day, their group was just about to go negotiate with Honami Ichinose and the others. Afterwards, Miyabi Nagumo appeared. He first invited Subaru to join the Student Council, but was rejected. Subsequently, Nagumo even issued an invitation right in front of them, asking them to target Subaru. However, everyone present at the time refused.
Could it be... that Kushida agreed later?
"I'm afraid Kushida contacted Nagumo after that," Horikita said with a frown.
Subaru neither affirmed nor denied it, simply responding indifferently, "Perhaps."
"That is to say... Kushida-san not only betrayed the class but might also be working for the Student Council Vice President?" Hirata's voice was somewhat dry; this realization made him feel even heavier. This meant the problem wasn't just a mole; it might involve power struggles from the higher years. "But Nagumo-senpai... why on earth would he target Subaru-kun?"
"Who knows." Subaru shrugged.
In reality, this was all due to Miyabi Nagumo's perverted desire for control. However... in front of Subaru, Nagumo was ultimately just a jumping clown. Back when he was the Purge King, Subaru had killed countless people who had that same sense of self-righteousness.
Subaru had killed Miyabi Nagumo several times.
There was no fluctuation in his heart. It was just like crushing an ant.
"It's too early to draw conclusions now," Horikita said, though her eyes showed she believed it seventy or eighty percent. "But regardless, we must deal with the rumors. The act of anonymously spreading rumors is undoubtedly destroying the class further. Without a doubt, this is Kushida's doing. We must stop her. At the very least, we must make her understand that this behavior will not be tolerated."
"Stop her?" Subaru's tone carried a trace of imperceptible amusement. "How do you intend to do that? Question her to her face? She has a thousand ways to deny it, and could even turn it around to play the victim, accusing you of suspecting her because of the rumors, further intensifying the conflict."
"There is no doubt she did this, so are we supposed to just leave it alone?" Horikita asked in return. "Let those rumors, hard to distinguish between true and false, ferment and let the class disintegrate in suspicion? Subaru, even if you don't care about class cohesion, doesn't this chaos... cause interference for you?"
"Interference?"
"Don't you always wish to see interesting things? If the class falls into depravity, that wouldn't be interesting."
She keenly grasped a point Subaru might care about.
Subaru smiled faintly, his emotionless eyes looking at Horikita. "Interference... might also be a form of catalysis. In extreme chaos, it is actually possible to force out purer reactions."
He paused deliberately. "However, if you want to try, I don't object. Just don't hold your breath."
Yosuke Hirata took a deep breath, as if making up his mind. "Even so, I have to try. Communication and understanding are the first steps to solving problems. Maybe... maybe Kushida-san was just overwhelmed by anger for a moment. If she can realize that doing this benefits no one, including herself..."
Horikita glanced at Hirata. She didn't say anything, but her eyes indicated she wasn't optimistic.
"Then, without further delay. Since we've already deduced it's her, a direct confrontation is the fastest method. Subaru, are you coming together with us?" She looked at Subaru.
"I'll go." Subaru stood up, his movements casual. "Might as well go see if there's anything interesting."
The three left Subaru's room, passed through the slightly quiet corridor, and arrived at Kikyo Kushida's cabin door.
Hirata took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock.
It was quiet inside for a few seconds, and then came Kushida's voice—deliberately adjusted, carrying a trace of frailty and surprise. "...Who is it?"
"Kushida-san, it's me, Hirata, along with Horikita-san and Subaru-kun. We... want to talk to you."
Hirata tried to make his voice sound peaceful.
Again, a brief silence. With a soft click of the lock, the door opened a crack. Kikyo Kushida appeared behind the door. She had re-groomed herself, and her face wore that same sweet smile as usual.
"Hirata-kun, Horikita-san, Subaru-kun... Is something the matter?" she asked softly, her gaze sweeping over the three faces. especially when touching upon Subaru, the smile stiffened for a fraction of a second, but quickly returned to normal. "What business do you have with a traitor like me?"
"Regarding the anonymous messages in the class group, Kushida-san." Horikita got straight to the point, looking directly at her with a sharp gaze. "We believe it is necessary for you to explain."
Kushida revealed just the right amount of confusion and grievance on her face. "Anonymous messages? Horikita-san, what do you mean? I saw those messy rumors too; they are very troubling... Are you suspecting me?"
Her voice rose slightly, carrying a sense of injustice. "Just because of... the misunderstandings about me before? I'm already a target of public criticism, why do you still suspect me of doing such things?"
As she spoke, the rims of her eyes even turned slightly red. Her acting skills were nothing short of exquisite.
"Misunderstanding? Betraying the class is a misunderstanding—"
Horikita was preparing to continue, but Hirata gave her a look, so she didn't go on.
Hirata nodded to Horikita, then looked at Kushida, his tone softening a few degrees. "Kushida-san, we didn't mean that... It's just that the messages involve a lot of personal privacy. Some... are even things only people in intimate relationships would know. And erupting at this point in time, we had to consider various possibilities."
"Intimate relationships?"
A tear slid down Kushida's face at the perfect moment. "Hirata-kun, are you implying I leaked everyone's secrets? Yes, I listened to many classmates' troubles before, but that was because everyone trusted me! I never thought about using these to do bad things! Now... now everyone hates me, alienates me. I'm hiding in my room feeling sad, yet I still have to be suspected by you like this..."
She began to choke with sobs, her shoulders trembling slightly, acting out the image of a misunderstood, isolated, pitiful girl to the fullest.
Horikita remained unmoved, pointing out calmly, "The timing of the anonymous account sending messages, the selectivity of the content, and the familiarity with the internal situation of the class all point to someone with a deep understanding of the class. Kushida, you just withdrew from the exam, your emotions are unstable, and you have a motive—resentment towards the class and certain individuals. These are all reasonable grounds for suspicion."
"Motive? Resentment?"
Kushida suddenly raised her head. Tears still hung on her eyelashes, but her eyes revealed an indignation of being wronged. "Yes! I am very sad, very aggrieved! Being looked at like that by everyone, anyone would feel terrible! But that doesn't mean I would use such despicable means to retaliate! Horikita-san, you've always found me an eyesore, I know! But please don't pin crimes on me based on subjective speculation! Do you have evidence? Is there anything that can prove I sent those messages?!"
Her words were resounding, crafting an impeccable image of a victim driven into a corner and fighting back.
Hirata was infected by her emotions and was momentarily at a loss for words, starting to suspect if his judgment was too arbitrary.
Undoubtedly, these things were definitely Kikyo Kushida's doing. Even Hirata believed this matter was almost set in stone. But in the end, this was just their speculation. Even if the probability was ninety-nine percent, there was no real evidence.
"Besides, maybe there are people with ulterior motives who just want to use my name to create chaos."
While speaking, Kushida's gaze glanced to the side.
Subaru had been leaning against the nearby wall from beginning to end, quietly watching this confrontation. His gaze fell on Kushida's face, written with grievance and anger. There was not the slightest ripple in his eyes, only a pure observer's focus.
He could see that beneath that exquisite acting, Kushida's heartbeat had accelerated slightly due to nervousness and excitement. Her fingertips curled slightly at her side, leaking a trace of hate she was trying her best to control.
Subaru's lips curled up slightly.
The current Kikyo Kushida was still disguising herself. But disguise was, by nature, Kushida's true self. It wasn't for her interpersonal relationships, but out of the purest hatred for herself and for the class.
This is what makes it interesting.
"Evidence, currently there is none," Horikita admitted, but she stared tightly into Kushida's eyes. "But your denial is equally unconvincing. Kushida, I just want to remind you that continuing this behavior, whether for the class or for yourself, will only bring worse results. If you still have a shred of consideration for your classmates, or for your own future, stop immediately."
Kushida wiped away her tears, a sorrowful yet stubborn smile appearing on her face. "I haven't done it, so why should I admit it? And why should I 'stop' something that doesn't exist? Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, if you came just to voice these baseless suspicions, then please go back. I'm very tired and want to rest."
She made a gesture to see them out, her eyes firm and flawless.
"Moreover—"
In an instant, the expression on Kushida's face changed. It was an incomparably cold expression, one that was even chilling to behold.
"Moreover, what does the future of this class have to do with me? After all, the current me is an existence like a rat crossing the street, right?"
Hirata opened his mouth, but it eventually turned into a sigh. "Kushida-san, we... really hope you can be well. Whether it's you or not, please don't let things get any worse."
His words were full of powerlessness.
"Kushida, we need your strength. Isn't it a better choice to let the class move forward? To rise to Class A together," Horikita said.
"Rise to Class A? If you, and..."
Kushida's gaze projected in front of Subaru again.
"If Subaru-kun dropped out together with you, I would definitely give it my all~ But now that all of you know my true face, I have no intention of doing so."
Horikita knew that asking further would yield no results. She gave Kushida a deep look. "Look out for yourself."
Having said that, she turned and left.
Subaru was the last to move.
He straightened up. As he walked past Kikyo Kushida, his footsteps paused slightly. He didn't look at her, simply speaking a sentence extremely softly, at a volume only the two of them could hear:
"Acting, has improved."
Then, he followed Horikita and Hirata, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
The door closed behind him.
Leaning her back against the door panel, all the grievance, anger, and stubbornness on Kikyo Kushida's face vanished without a trace in an instant, leaving only cold indifference and a nearly insane hatred surging in the depths of her eyes.
She raised her hand, looking at her fingertips which were slightly white from the force of her restraint, and recalled Subaru's light, yet heart-piercing "evaluation."
"Natsuki Subaru... Suzune Horikita... Yosuke Hirata..."
She whispered these names, every word soaked in venom.
"Just you wait... It has only just begun."
____
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