[A/N: Random chapter pop up]
Yuto looked at Kushida and grinned.
What he was doing was... wrong.
But he didn't care.
His eyes drifted to the screen of his phone, to the numbers glaring back at him like an insult.
[Balance: 1,149,358 points]
'1 million is too low...'
Way too low for someone like him. Alas, it was needed. Buying out a teacher for an hour and the payment he made to Ryuen was costly. Everyone looked at their phone, before looking at Yuto, who couldn't hold back his grin.
It was all a rouse.
Kushida was going to be expelled. That much was certain. He had only asked Chabashira to delay the process—to give him time.
Time to break her.
Because expulsion was far too kind.
Even if she was removed from this school, she would still have a life. After three years, she'd reconnect with friends, build new ones, and pretend nothing ever happened.
Not on his watch.
Yuto's gaze sharpened as he looked at her. No, she didn't get to walk away after what she did. Not with her reputation intact.
He wouldn't just expel her.
He would turn her friends against her, drag everything she built into the mud, and make her feel the same helplessness she once forced onto others.
A few audible gulps resounded across the room while Yuto put his feet on top of the table.
"You all should have seen the texts by now." He glanced around. Most looked at Yuto with a startled expression. Few had their expressions ashen. His eyes lasted a moment longer on a particular figure. Her long black hair swayed to the wind from the window. Here scarlet eyes looked at him with an unknown expression.
Yuto blinked, turning another direction.
"Those were your secrets. Every single one of them—things you told Kushida, believing she'd keep them safe."
All eyes turned to her.
Reactions rippled through the class—disgust, disbelief, dread.
Students began backing away slowly, as though Kushida carried something contagious.
Her expression cracked.
"W-Wait, guys. You don't actually believe him, right?" she stammered, voice trembling, eyes darting between the faces she once called friends.
"Guys...? Please, say something!"
Silence.
No one said anything, looks of hesitation exchanged by all.
Yuto tapped away on his phone, a faint smile dancing on his lips. Then, without a word, he placed the device on the table, brought his feet down, and straightened his posture.
A soft hum escaped his throat as he clicked something again.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the speaker.
["Betraying your own class and switching the question sheet while spilling all their secrets to me."]
It was Ryuen.
A few students flinched, their brains struggling to process what they had just heard.
Yuto kept humming, light and carefree.
["You're one scary chick."]
His hum turned into a lazy melody—la la la…
["I will do anything I have to in order to expel Horikita Suzune!"]
Kushida's voice, high-pitched and unmistakably cheerful, rang out.
Gasps rippled through the room.
Kushida instinctively stepped back, her eyes wide, her head slowly shaking in disbelief.
["By the way, do you have what I asked for?"]
Yuto tilted his head and kept humming.
A faint rustle followed—papers being exchanged.
["A copy of the question paper submitted by Class C."]
["Hum!"] came Kushida's bright reply, sounding like someone happily confirming an order at a café.
["And you'll protect me from Kazuki-kun in the meantime, right?"]
["Of course. That was the deal, wasn't it? Your class secrets in exchange for protection."]
["Hum, hum!"]
Click.
The audio cut off.
Yuto exhaled softly through his nose, the ghost of a tune still playing on his lips.
The entire classroom was frozen—no sound except his humming. Eyes flicked between each other. Nobody dared speak.
"Oh," Yuto said casually, turning to face them. "It's done playing. Any reactions?"
Silence.
Then—
Tap.
A single, trembling footstep.
"I—" Kushida's voice cracked. "That… That wasn't me."
Her hands were visibly shaking now.
"I-I didn't say that!" she stammered. But as the words left her mouth, panic twisted her face into something manic. "Y-Yes! That's right! It was probably AI! Deepfake or something! You guys believe me, right?! Why would I ever want to expel Horikita?!"
Her words tumbled out faster and faster, growing more hysterical by the second.
But no one looked convinced.
"Ha…"Hirata finally let out a trembling breath, slowly stepping forward.
"K-Kushida-san…" he called out, voice strained, eyes full of turmoil. "It… it was a mistake, right? You must've had a reason… someone forced you… didn't they?"
His hands gripped her shoulders, desperately searching her face for an answer that would make everything okay.
"You can still make it right," he whispered. "You can still fix this…"
He turned to the class, his voice rising with fragile hope."She can, can't she? We can forgive her… right?"
But no one responded.
One by one, eyes turned away.Some looked at the floor. Others stared at the wall. None met his gaze.
"Everyone…?" Hirata asked again, voice cracking.
Nothing.
Then—
"Bwahaha!"
A loud, mocking laugh rang through the silence. Heads turned toward the back, where Koenji was sitting, clearly entertained.
"Don't mind me," he said, rising with a grin. "I just find it amusing… how our little two-faced flower still has a defender." He dusted off his sleeves like the entire situation was beneath him.
"Koenji-kun—" Hirata began, but Koenji raised a hand dismissively.
"I've no interest in watching this pathetic display." He walked toward the door, laughter trailing behind. "Tata!"
The door clicked shut.
Yuto chuckled softly.
"Huh… Looks like even she doesn't have anything to say now."
Kushida stood frozen, lips parted—but no sound came.She couldn't speak. If she did, she'd lose whatever thread of dignity she had left.
Her eyes stung.
She turned toward the one person—the only person—who might still have power over the situation.
Yuto.
She yanked herself free from Hirata and ran to him.
"Kazuki-kun!"
She grabbed his shirt, eyes desperate.
"Please… stop. I-I won't interfere with you again! I swear! Just stop this!"
Yuto didn't respond. His expression was blank, unreadable.
"I made a mistake! I'll never do it again. Just… stop this here, please…"Her grip tightened on his shirt, trembling.
Everyone watched. No one intervened.
"Say something, Kazuki Yuto!" she cried. "I didn't even do anything that bad to you! So why?! Why are you doing this to me?!"
The room chilled.
Yuto let out a low, hollow laugh.
"You didn't do anything to me…?"He chuckled again, a dry sound that held no humor.
"In that case…"
His hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. Kushida flinched.
With deliberate slowness, he began twisting it. Her body tensed, a pained gasp escaping her lips.
"…I also didn't do anything to you."