The water bottle was stuck on Suzune Horikita's hand.
To be precise, it was a stainless steel thermos with a slender body and a narrow mouth. At this moment, it was firmly ensconced on her right hand, trapped between her wrist and the heel of her palm, unable to advance or retreat.
Subaru stood at the door, watching this scene with absolutely no change in expression.
He remained silent for about three seconds.
"...Is this the reason you called me here to help?"
Horikita's face flushed slightly—not from shyness, but more likely from embarrassment turning into anger. She tried to maintain her composure, but the hand stuck in the water bottle was simply too conspicuous, wiping away any trace of a serious atmosphere.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Her voice remained cold and hard, though it clearly lacked confidence. "I tried using dish soap, I tried expanding it with hot water, but nothing worked. You... you're strong. Pull it off for me."
Subaru walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
The room was tidy; several textbooks and notes were arranged on the desk, and the bed was made meticulously. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, likely the scent of some shampoo or body wash.
Horikita stood by the desk, trying hard not to look too bedraggled, but the hand encased in the water bottle remained suspended in mid-air like some bizarre decoration.
Subaru walked up to her and carefully observed the bottle.
"How did it get stuck in there?"
"That's not important."
"I think it's quite important."
Subaru's tone remained flat, but Horikita keenly sensed that something seemed to be flickering in those eyes—not mockery, but rather something like... interest? Curiosity?
"...My hand slipped while I was drinking water," Horikita turned her face away. "Then I tried to pull my hand out, but it just got tighter and tighter."
"Is that so."
Subaru chose not to ask further. He reached out and grasped the water bottle.
"This might hurt a little."
"I know, just do it."
Before the words had even faded, Subaru exerted force.
Horikita sucked in a breath of cold air—the pain of the metal rim digging into her skin was indeed unpleasant, but she grit her teeth and didn't make a sound.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The water bottle didn't budge an inch.
Subaru stopped what he was doing.
"You said you used dish soap earlier?"
"Yes."
"Hot water?"
"Yes."
"Soap?"
"...I haven't had time for that yet."
Subaru fell silent for a moment, then released his hand and walked to the sink in the corner of the room. He picked up a bar of soap, wet it in the basin, and lathered up a handful of foam.
"Let's try again."
This time, he first smeared a large amount of soap suds around Horikita's wrist and the rim of the bottle, then grasped the bottle once more.
"Ready?"
Horikita took a deep breath and nodded.
He pulled.
This time, the water bottle began to move slowly—the lubrication of the soap was working. Horikita clenched her jaw, cold sweat seeping from her forehead, but she made no sound.
Finally, after a few seconds of deadlock, the water bottle detached from her hand with a pop.
Horikita's wrist was red and swollen, but fortunately, there was no serious injury. She simply looked down at it, then shook her hand as if nothing had happened.
"...Thank you."
Horikita glanced at Subaru. "However, you must not tell anyone about this!"
"Understood," Subaru said. "Why did you call me to help?"
"Because you're probably the only one who wouldn't blab, and... you wouldn't laugh either."
Subaru didn't speak; he just set the water bottle aside, pulled a tissue from the desk, and handed it to her.
Horikita paused for a moment, took the tissue, and gently wiped the water stains from her wrist. Luckily, the skin wasn't broken.
A brief silence fell over the room.
The noise of training on the playground drifted in from outside, but separated by the glass, it sounded distant and blurred.
"You didn't seek me out just for this," Subaru said.
Horikita looked up at him, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
"Sit down and let's talk."
She pointed to the chair by the desk.
Subaru sat down. Horikita sat on the edge of the bed, leaving a distance of about a meter between them.
"You know about the Sports Festival," Horikita stated directly.
"Yes."
"Do you have any thoughts?"
"No thoughts."
Horikita frowned slightly. "Natsuki, this is different from the Uninhabited Island. The Sports Festival is a large-scale event for the whole school. The rules are transparent, the competition is public. We can't use those... unconventional methods again."
Subaru remained silent.
"Furthermore, our teammates on the Red Team are Class B," Horikita continued. "That person, Sakayanagi... I don't trust her. She is too smart and too dangerous. Cooperating with her means we must be on guard at all times."
"You're worried she'll drag us down?"
"I'm worried she'll scheme against us," Horikita corrected. "For us, this is the first time we are cooperating directly with Class B. If we appear too strong, she will study us as future rivals; if we appear too weak, she might sacrifice us at a critical moment to save herself."
Her analysis was calm and sharp.
"Therefore, we need to find a balance—neither stealing the spotlight too much nor dragging the team down. We need to make Class B feel we are valuable without treating us as their biggest threat."
Subaru listened quietly.
"Then, there is the internal issue within the class."
Horikita paused, lowering her voice slightly.
"Kikyo Kushida."
The moment this name was spoken, the air in the room seemed to grow a few degrees heavier.
"She didn't make a single move all summer vacation," Horikita said. "But that is precisely what's abnormal. Given her personality, after being exposed publicly like that, she wouldn't just let it go."
"She is waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"Waiting for a suitable stage."
Subaru's voice was flat. "The Sports Festival is the best stage."
Horikita fell silent. She knew Subaru was right.
The Sports Festival involved many people and wandering eyes; the competition was fierce, and everyone would be fully committed to the events. If someone wanted to pull some petty tricks, this was the perfect opportunity.
"So, someone needs to keep an eye on her," Horikita said. "The question is, who?"
She looked at Subaru.
Subaru didn't respond.
"I know you're not interested," Horikita said. "But if you would be willing—"
"I'm not willing."
Subaru's answer was crisp and decisive.
Horikita sighed, seemingly having anticipated this answer. "Then at least, if she does something during the Sports Festival, you... don't stop me from dealing with her."
Subaru looked at her. In those fox-like eyes, there was exhaustion, determination, and a trace of something even she hadn't realized—hesitation.
"How do you plan to deal with her?" he asked.
"...I don't know," Horikita admitted. "But if we leave her alone, the class will be torn apart from the inside sooner or later. Rising to Class C is just the beginning, not the end. If we stop here, all our previous efforts will be in vain."
She paused, her voice dropping lower. "I... don't want to go back to Class D again."
"Why?"
"My pride won't accept falling back to the bottom... and, I absolutely must rise to Class A."
Subaru didn't speak. He remembered the words Hiyori Shiina had said during the summer vacation.
People are not one-way mirrors.
Everyone has many sides.
At this moment, Horikita was showing a side he had never seen before—not the eternal calm, rational 'strategist,' but an ordinary student, a girl who didn't want her class to regress, who was somewhat stubborn and somewhat weary.
What color was that?
He didn't know.
But it was something real.
"Did you call me here just to say this?" Subaru asked.
Horikita was silent for a few seconds.
"There is one more thing," she said. "For this exam, what event do you plan to participate in? The events haven't been finalized yet, but every student must sign up."
"Haven't decided yet."
"I feel your physical fitness should be quite good. I want you to participate in the final relay race."
"The relay race. Aren't you worried I'll deliberately lose the match?"
"You won't."
Horikita was very certain. "Although you don't care about the class, you aren't the type of person who loses on purpose."
Subaru didn't answer.
Horikita was right.
He indeed wouldn't lose on purpose. Not for the class, not for anyone—it was simply meaningless.
"The relay race is the final event, and also one of the team events with the highest points," Horikita continued when she saw his silence. "If we can get a good ranking in the relay, it will be a huge help to the class's overall standing."
"Which leg do you plan to let me run?"
"The last leg."
Horikita answered without hesitation. "Your explosive power and reaction speed are far beyond the norm. The last leg is the position most suited for you."
Subaru raised an eyebrow slightly.
The last leg meant bearing the greatest pressure—you needed to make up for any gap from the front, and shake off any pursuers from behind. All eyes would be focused on you.
"However, it's not confirmed yet. It's just my rough idea. I'll have to negotiate with the other members based on the situation later."
Horikita narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Subaru.
To successfully clear the Sports Festival, Horikita naturally hoped Subaru would actively participate. However, she couldn't guarantee in her heart that Subaru would agree. Horikita even thought there was a possibility the other party would reject it outright.
But this time, Subaru actually agreed directly.
It clearly differed somewhat from his previous mode of action.
"Okay," Subaru finally said.
"You agree?"
Horikita was somewhat surprised. She had previously thought that hearing the words "I'll consider it" from Subaru's mouth would have been the best outcome.
"Yes."
"No other additional conditions?!"
"Not needed."
"..."
"Mn, what's wrong?"
"No, nothing. It just... doesn't feel quite like the old you."
"Is there anything else?" Subaru stood up.
"No." Horikita stood up as well. "About today... thank you. And about the water bottle..."
"I won't tell anyone."
Subaru's tone remained flat, but Horikita knew that coming from him, this sentence was more reliable than any oath.
"Mn."
She responded softly.
Subaru walked toward the door.
When his hand rested on the doorknob, he paused for an instant.
"Horikita."
"...What?"
"You said just now that you didn't want to go back to Class D."
Horikita didn't answer, simply looking at him.
"That reason," Subaru said without looking back, "is more real than most people's reasons."
After speaking, he opened the door and walked out.
The door closed behind him.
In the room, Horikita stood in place, staring at the tightly closed door. She recalled the sentence Subaru had just spoken.
'That reason, is more real than most people's reasons.'
Was that... a compliment?
Or just a statement?
She didn't know.
But she knew that the sentence made a certain corner of her heart move slightly. Not warmth, not emotion, but a subtler feeling—like being seen.
Seen by the person who was always indifferent, always distant, always seeming to be separated by a layer of glass.
Horikita lowered her head and looked at her red and swollen wrist. Yet that stinging pain actually made her feel it was real.
Something indescribable seemed to have changed in Subaru.
What was it?
Horikita wasn't clear either.
There were still two days until the Sports Festival. She had many things to do. Discuss the relay lineup with Sudo and Hirata. Coordinate with Class B to prevent Sakayanagi from pulling any tricks. Watch Kikyo Kushida's every move. Organize the enrollment for the whole class to ensure everyone could play their biggest role.
And—
Subaru.
He agreed to participate in the relay race.
This was something she hadn't expected at all. Based on her understanding of Subaru, he should have responded with his usual "it doesn't matter" or "it has nothing to do with me." Even if he didn't refuse directly, it would have been at most "I'll consider it"—just as she had initially expected.
But he directly said "Okay."
Without any hesitation, without any additional conditions.
He simply agreed, just like that.
Why?
Was it because of what he said about "not losing on purpose"?
Or was it because—
He was also changing?
Like the surface of a frozen lake beginning to show its first crack. Although tiny, although hard to detect, it definitely existed.
"...Natsuki Subaru."
She whispered the name softly.
Outside the window, the night breeze blew in, fluttering strands of her hair. She soon lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
The scene from just now replayed repeatedly in her mind.
The way Subaru stood at the door.
The flat tone when he said "Understood."
The action of handing her the tissue, so natural it seemed like a matter of course.
That sentence before he left: "More real than most people's reasons."
And—
The instant he paused without looking back at the end.
What was he thinking in that instant?
Truly a person impossible to understand.
Right at this moment, Horikita's terminal rang.
It was a text message.
The sender was Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
[I want to participate in the relay race too.]
____
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