Horikita's words left both Ayanokouji and Kanda in silence.
Kanda found it ridiculous and kind of funny, while Ayanokouji seemed a little surprised.
"Kushida? A traitor? That doesn't seem like her. She seems like a nice person… or do you have proof?"
That was Ayanokouji's impression of Kushida. Though he found it hard to believe someone like her could exist, he had already accepted that if Class B had an "angel" like Ichinose, then Class D could have one too.
Of course, that was just a thought. He knew Kushida had her own issues—otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up in Class D. He just didn't know what exactly her problem was.
But now, Horikita's words seemed to open up a new perspective for him.
"I don't think you'd make baseless accusations, so I'd like to hear your reason. You're not just saying this because she doesn't like you, are you?" Kanda followed up on Ayanokouji's question, giving the floor back to Horikita.
"Kushida really hates Horikita?"
This was the first time Ayanokouji had heard that, and it caught him off guard.
"That's right. She admitted it herself back on the cruise. Kanda was there too." Horikita nodded. "But I wouldn't accuse her just because of that. I have actual reasons for calling her a traitor."
Kanda nodded, signaling her to continue.
Go on, I'm listening. And secretly laughing at you. Seriously, even now, Class D never fails to entertain.
Besides, he was also curious about Kushida's past. Their relationship had improved recently, but she still hadn't told him anything.
Before that, though, Kanda felt he needed to remind Horikita of something.
"Alright, let's hear your reasoning. But are you sure you want to drag Ayanokouji into this?"
"I'm heading out."
Ayanokouji turned to leave, wanting nothing to do with this mess.
"Wait. I want to hear your thoughts on this too. Aren't you curious why Kushida ended up in Class D? Besides, you promised to help me lead Class D to Class A, didn't you?"
Ayanokouji, who had planned to walk away, stopped in his tracks after hearing what Horikita had to say. He was intrigued by how Kushida could be kind to everyone in class—except for Horikita.
So, you've made up your mind, Horikita Suzune. In that case, I can only say... what a shame.
"Kanda, Ayanokouji, you both met Kushida on the school bus at the beginning of the year, right?"
Kanda Shuichi nodded, though he hadn't realized Ayanokouji and Horikita had also been on the bus.
"You two were on the bus as well?"
"That's right. Ayanokouji was sitting across the aisle from me."
Horikita nodded. "Actually, Kushida and I went to the same middle school. But when I first saw her here, I didn't recognize her. Our school had over a thousand students, after all."
"That makes sense. Back then, you probably didn't pay much attention to other students, did you?"
Horikita hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
"I first started to recognize Kushida during last semester's study group. The way she was so kind to everyone reminded me of someone from my middle school days.
Back then, she was also friendly with everyone, had a great reputation, and was quite popular. She wasn't in the student council as far as I know, but she had a lot of influence."
Kanda could picture it. After all, this was exactly how Kushida was now. While her influence hadn't extended beyond the first-years yet, there were hardly any students in their grade who didn't know her.
So, Horikita, what makes you think Kushida is a traitor?
Kanda wanted to hear more.
"What made you suspect Kushida might be the traitor?"
Horikita took a deep breath, her expression turning serious.
"What I'm about to say is just a rumor—I can't guarantee it's true. Only Kushida herself knows the real story."
"It was late February, during my third year of middle school, right before graduation. One day, an entire class was absent."
"It wasn't just a flu outbreak, was it?"
"Ayanokouji, that joke isn't funny at all."
"I wasn't joking. Just pointing out a possibility."
"What kind of possibility is that? If there was a flu that could take out an entire class, the whole country would be in serious trouble."
…
"Will you two shut up?" Horikita was clearly frustrated, especially with Kanda.
"Alright, go on. I'm listening."
"The news spread quickly at school. Rumor had it that a girl was at the center of it, causing the entire class to collapse. That class never recovered, even up until graduation."
"So, that girl was Kushida?"
"That's right. If Kushida was the cause, then it makes sense why she was placed in Class D."
"I don't know the exact details of what happened, though. The school covered up the incident as quickly as possible. If the full story got out, it would have caused a huge scandal—maybe even led to the school shutting down. But no matter how much they tried to keep it quiet, rumors still spread."
"After it happened, it was all anyone could talk about. From what I heard, the classroom was a complete mess—blackboards and desks were covered in insults and hateful graffiti."
At this point, the truth was becoming clear.
"I see, I understand now."
Kanda Shuichi nodded.
"What do you understand?" Horikita tilted her head in confusion.
"If Kikyo was really the one who caused the class to fall apart back then, isn't the reason obvious?"
Horikita and Ayanokouji both looked puzzled. Obvious? Why couldn't they figure it out?
Isn't it clear? Kushida must have been caught losing her temper, and her true personality was exposed.
The graffiti on the blackboard and desks were aimed at Kushida. As for why the class broke down, she must have fought back in some way. What exactly she did, Kanda Shuichi had no interest in guessing.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not going to tell you. If you really want to know, why not ask Kikyo yourself?"
Seeing Kanda Shuichi's expression, Horikita suddenly asked, "Did you already know Kushida isn't as she appears?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Then why did you still—"
"Why did I still what?"
Kanda Shuichi's response left Horikita momentarily speechless. Right, there was nothing wrong with that.
"No, never mind." Horikita shook her head. "So now you understand why Kushida hates me."
"Yeah. So you think Kikyo is against you because she dislikes you? And when Ryuuen declared he would crush you, she actively provided him with information?"
Horikita nodded. That was exactly what she believed.
"But this is just my guess. I can't say for sure that she really betrayed Class D."
That's not what your tone suggested just now.
After hearing all this, Kanda Shuichi lost any interest in just watching from the sidelines.
Kikyo, you weren't wrong about Horikita. She really did spill your secret—right in front of Ayanokouji, someone completely unrelated.
"But telling her secret to someone who has nothing to do with this… won't that just make her hate you even more?" Kanda Shuichi glanced at Ayanokouji.
He didn't approve of Horikita's approach.
I know you want to use Ayanokouji's help, but that's not a good enough reason to tell him Kikyo's secret.
Well, Kanda Shuichi wasn't really in a position to blame Horikita. After all, she had only shared a story from her middle school days. Most people wouldn't immediately connect it to Kushida.
But Ayanokouji was different. That guy wasn't just "most people."
Horikita stayed silent for a long time, then let out a sigh.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking carefully enough." She then looked at Ayanokouji. "Ayanokouji, please swear you won't tell anyone about this."
"In the end, this is just Horikita's guess, right? Even if I told someone, nobody would believe me."
"Yeah, but still, I promise I won't say anything. I swear."
Even though Kanda Shuichi wasn't happy with how Horikita handled things, part of him also felt that if Kushida could drop her act, it would be better for her. At least she wouldn't have to force a smile every day under so much pressure.
Not wanting people to know Kushida's secret while also hoping she wouldn't have to keep up the act anymore—it was contradictory.
Kanda Shuichi glanced at Ayanokouji, feeling speechless. Of all people, it had to be him.
That guy was too smart. He had probably already figured it out—the weapon Kushida used to bring down the class, something only she could control.
Lies don't hurt people. The truth is the real knife.
People hide all sorts of lies in their interactions. Even when they hate someone, they still have to smile at them.
People like Kushida aren't rare. Once you enter society, you'll realize that most people act one way in front of others and another behind their backs, especially subordinates in front of their bosses.
To their face, the boss is always right. Behind their back, the boss is an idiot.
But Kushida took lying to the extreme. She made herself the most trustworthy person while secretly learning everyone's true selves.
The reason she destroyed her class was simple—she exposed everything her classmates wanted to keep hidden.
That sudden explosion of truth shattered all relationships in an instant. Everyone was hit hard and chose to escape from reality, avoiding school altogether.
As a result, the entire class stopped showing up. Everyone was broken.
Well, they were only fifteen or sixteen. It's not surprising they couldn't handle that kind of pressure.
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