Horikita was deliberately trying to draw Ichinose’s attention toward her own classmates. She figured that if doing so might narrow Ichinose’s field of vision, even a little bit, then…
“Horikita-san. If what you’re saying is true, then that means you’re giving me a clue. Why would you so easily give me vital information that you gleaned first from engaging in this special exam before I started?” asked Ichinose.
Ichinose didn’t question whether what Horikita said was true or false, she was simply asking the reason Horikita was being so nice.
“You had guessed correctly twice in a row thanks to the fact that the position holders were your classmates,” Horikita shot back. “I simply wanted to let you know that the next ones won’t be so easy.”
That was a completely blatant lie, of course. It probably came out sounding like a pitiful lie made out of desperation, but Horikita didn’t care. Even if there was a 99 percent probability of being taken as a lie, she was fine with just that slim chance. While in truth, it was unclear exactly what criteria the school was using to select the position holders, it wasn’t necessarily wrong to speculate that the criteria wouldn’t lead to blatant inequities. Even if there was an extreme bias in a single discussion, the distribution should be close to 1:1 across all of the discussions as a whole.
“Well, then, I’d better get my head in the game and try my hardest!” replied Ichinose happily.
Ichinose, nodding once with a “Yeah,” shifted her gaze toward the monitor, her warm, kind smile never leaving her face the entire time. Horikita had made her attempt to fluster Ichinose for the third round. The third round ended quickly as well, like it was a race, and the time for nominations had come.
“Horikita-san identified Hattori-kun as a position holder, so Horikita-san gains one Life Point.”
Ichinose, who had correctly identified students twice consecutively so far, had chosen to pass. Horikita, relieved by this, had correctly identified a position holder. However, because the student she had nominated was an underclassman, Horikita couldn’t achieve her goal of dealing damage to Ichinose. What she knew at this point in time was that there were still two model students left, that three position holders had been nominated by the representatives, and that the remaining position holder may have already been removed from the room thanks to a model student. The denominator was steadily decreasing, and Horikita doubted whether she could hold back from attacking until the next round. There was currently one move that Horikita could make right now. If she was in a situation where she couldn’t care about what people might think of her, then she had no other choice but to bring up that topic.
“You know, when I fought against Kanzaki-kun earlier, it was a total victory for me. But it wasn’t just because of my ability. Rather, Kanzaki-kun went and lost on his own, so that I would win. Did you receive a report about that?” asked Horikita.
“No, Kanzaki-kun didn’t say anything,” replied Ichinose.
“I see. In that case, I wonder if you understand the meaning of what I said,” said Horikita.
Horikita tried to draw Ichinose’s interest, apportioning information that she would find curious in tiny amounts. Ichinose, however, answered without changing the expression on her face at all.
“I understand. Kanzaki-kun started feeling hopeless early on when he found out that Ayanokouji-kun was waiting in the wings after you, Horikita-san. ‘There’s no way we can win.’ He probably said something like that. He gave it his best shot as the center for our class, trying hard and trying to do something, but then you got the lead, Horikita-san, and his hopes faded away. So he must’ve lost the will to fight,” said Ichinose.
Horikita ended up being the one shocked by this, because of how accurate Ichinose had been. But while she was surprised, she dealt with Ichinose’s remark collectedly.
“I see you’re rather mean-spirited yourself. You got a report from Kanzaki-kun after all, didn’t you?” asked Horikita.
Otherwise, there was no explanation for how Ichinose could have known.
“I didn’t hear anything from him, no,” said Ichinose. “I mean, it’s not like I wasn’t anxious myself about the outcome for my class when I found out that Ayanokouji-kun was in the lineup. That’s why I can understand very well how Kanzaki-kun feels.”
Ichinose, after reiterating that she wasn’t lying, explained the reasoning behind how she made her deduction. Horikita thought to be suspicious of her at first, but if she couldn’t break Ichinose from that angle, she would just have to change her tactic.
“In that case, that means you don’t think you can beat him either,” said Horikita.
“To be honest, I certainly thought it would be tough, yes. But, when I started this exam as a representative like this, I became convinced. I thought, yeah, in this special exam, I’ll be okay,” said Ichinose.
“Meaning you don’t think you’ll lose, even to Ayanokouji-kun?” asked Horikita.
Before even twenty minutes had passed, Horikita and Ichinose’s positions had been completely defined. Ichinose was in her element here. They were both sure that this was a special exam where Ichinose would have an overwhelming advantage.
“I can beat Ayanokouji-kun,” declared Ichinose.
Ichinose’s confidence shined through. Horikita had tried to upset Ichinose and leave her feeling shaken, but she had ended up getting countered. Horikita struggled desperately to keep a calm expression on her face so as not to let her quickening heartbeat be noticed. Her sense of security in Ayanokouji being there was replaced by anxiety, a fear that Ichinose would actually defeat Ayanokouji. If Ichinose identified a model student in the next round, then Horikita’s Life Points would be reduced down to two.
Now, Horikita hoped to find definitive evidence that would help her determine who the model students were. At the very least, to be able to bring the round to a draw and start over with a new group. Horikita prayed as she stared at the monitor, but she found herself curious about a completely silent Ichinose, and her gaze flicked to the side for just an instant.
“Uh…”
Horikita’s eyes met with Ichinose’s. It was almost as though Ichinose had anticipated that Horikita would look at her and see how she was doing, like Ichinose had been waiting for it. Ichinose smiled softly and kindly, not averting her eyes. It was an important phase in the exam, a time when it would be strange to look anywhere other than the monitor, which was where she should have been looking.
“What do you think you’re doing…?” asked Horikita.
Horikita couldn’t pull her eyes away, as if she were enthralled, when she asked Ichinose that question.
“What do you mean?” asked Ichinose.
“Why aren’t you looking at the monitor? Don’t you…have to look for the model student?” asked Horikita.
“Oh! Yeah, I’m okay,” said Ichinose.
“I’m okay”? What does that mean, “I’m okay?” wondered Horikita. Horikita had tried to vocalize that question in response, but the words wouldn’t come. She instinctively did not want to hear what would come next. But, mercilessly, Ichinose naturally continued on to what she was about to say next.
“Because I’ve already figured everything out. About who the model students are, that is,” said Ichinose.
Horikita, going past having chills or feeling terror, simply started feeling her senses fading. Ichinose’s words had conviction, not a single thing she said was a lie. The monitor didn’t matter anymore. It didn’t matter how much time was left in the discussion. There was no longer any point. Horikita knew that her defeat was assured and outlined, like it was practically fated.
Even so…
Horikita looked away from Ichinose and slapped her own cheeks with a thwap. She couldn’t let herself be overwhelmed in such a disgraceful fashion any longer. Even if her defeat was probable, she couldn’t give up until the very end. If she didn’t give up, then she had a chance. There was still a chance that she could bring this round to a draw. For Ayanokouji’s sake, the next person in Horikita’s lineup, Horikita needed to reduce her opponent’s Life Points as much as possible. Horikita opened her heavy eyes and directed her gaze back at the monitor.
“My opponent isn’t a machine. Even Ichinose must make mistakes,” thought Horikita, trying to persuade herself.
7.3
AS FOR THE MATCH between Sakayanagi and Katsuragi, the first discussion had ended, and they were now entering the second discussion. Katsuragi had reduced Sakayanagi’s Life Points down to nine thanks to nominating a student as a position holder, but he continued to get beaten down one-sidedly after that, and before he knew it, Katsuragi was down to his last Life Point.