17 Chapter 6.2

Despite my absence, the Sports Festival ended almost ideally for us. The class was also fired up by the result, the likes of which we could not even have imagined in the year and half until now. The gap between us and Class A had shrunk, and Horikita's class had amassed no small amount of class points via the Uninhabited Island Test, the Unanimous Consent Test and now the Sports Festival.

A few days after that. We had passed the 15th of October.

The rankings in the sports festival were: Horikita's class in first place, Ryuuen's class in second place, Ichinose's class in third place and Sakayanagi's class in fourth place. It goes without saying that this was not due to just one person, but a result of the whole class's will and strength. Further, the Sudou-Onodera pair took first place in each individual ranking.

Kouenji also took first place in ten events, but because they were all individual events he finished second. He seemed satisfied with that and didn't stir up any trouble. And while Sudou and Onodera won the right to change classes, both of them picked private points without hesitation. We had shown some instability, but we were certainly rising up towards Class A.

Kei seemed to have plans with her friends, so I was going to head back from Keyaki mall. As I was about to head back home by myself, Horikita called out to me.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Is that alright?"

"It would be better if we could do it on the way back."

"That's good enough for me."

She had deliberately called out to me just when I was about to head back, so I presume she didn't want others overhearing what we would talk about.

"I have learned a very important lesson from the Unanimous Consent test."

"Let's hear it."

The Sports Festival had ended, but not all of our problems had been resolved yet, and while we were still unstable the class had started to move forward. But Horikita was still agonizing over it, and it seems like she had learned something from it.

"I did not make a mistake. I was able to recognize once again that I chose to keep Kushida-san, and that that choice was correct."

In this situation where we needed results, Kushida had contributed even in the Sports Festival by increasing our points. She had returned to being a model student in her daily school life, and while her Social Contribution score in the OAA had gone down in the beginning of October, it would probably only be a matter of time before she brings it back up. If I had to be merciless in comparing them, she was contributing to the class as a member far more than Airi would. Of course, it wasn't all roses and sunshine.

"I know. There are still reasons for us to be worried. Especially when it comes to Hasebe-san; honestly, I still don't know what I should do about her. But, if we face a similar test once again, I think I will be able to handle it much better next time."

"And why do you think so?"

"During that test, I made a poorly thought out promise so we could achieve unanimity. I said that we would expel the traitor, and I had to go back on my word. It was a good shortcut to achieving unanimity, but I didn't understand how risky it was. Deep down, I knew that Kushida-san was the traitor. And I made that decision before I was even clear on whether I wanted to expel her. That was a mistake."

"If it was possible to keep her, then it is true that making an unnecessary promise was equivalent to tying your own noose."

It would have been a desperate measure to avoid time running out, but if at that stage she could achieve unanimity while leaving it possible to cut off Airi or someone else who was about as weak as her, then it wouldn't have caused as many complications as we had now. It's all about tradeoffs, I suppose.

"We got class points. However, we had to pay dearly for it. That special test has taught me a lot. It showed me both victory and defeat."

"It's not certain that you haven't failed, however."

Horikita had closed her eyes. She exhaled slowly before opening them again.

"I'm just a second year high school student. I'm a child. Isn't it okay for me to mess up?"

"You're fighting back now, huh."

"It's not like me to waver about it forever. I am—I'm going to keep being as I am. Maybe I'm not as good as the other leaders. But we have Hirata-kun, Karuizawa-san, Sudou-san, Onodera-san, Kushida-san and Kouenji-san. I will move forward with their support. Class A waits for us. That is what I now believe."

"Oh."

"Of course, you are one of those people, too. I never know what you're thinking, and you can be uncooperative, but... you are, both to the class and to me, absolutely essential."

I am something like the training wheels on a bicycle. Even if they are absolutely essential when starting out, you mess up, you fall over, you waver again and again, and eventually you become able to ride with ease.

It's not just one person supporting you as you set off on your bicycle. Your classmates truly will support you.

After I've seen you grow a bit more——

I will leave your class.

I won't tell her now, but someday, Horikita, too, will know why.

And then——

She will definitely understand why.

Once you have a class that you trust will always win, you will have to face the reality that you cannot win.

I will teach you that.

Not for anyone else, but for my own sake.

I—If I keep winning, that's all that matters.

If I decide to face Horikita and defeat her, it will be as good as certain.

But- I wish to be defeated, and that is exactly why I am going to leave.

There is a future where I wish and hope that it will not be certain.

I know the answer, but paradoxically, I hope I am wrong.