COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Five-thirty in the morning. The entire Advanced Nurturing High School was shrouded in a deep, profound indigo. The street lamps along the school paths had yet to fully extinguish. Seen from above, they resembled clusters of tiny, leaping flames flickering amidst the thin mist.

First-year dormitory building. Inside a certain room, a pair of bloodshot eyes snapped open in the darkness.

Ryuen Kakeru slowly propped up his upper body, sitting against the wall on his bed. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he silently assessed the condition of his own body.

His body felt like a worn-out machine, repeatedly dismantled and hastily pieced back together. Every bone screamed in protest. Every inch of muscle was filled with lead. The edges of his vision were perpetually veiled in a blurry, watery haze. His throat felt as though it were stuffed with coarse sandpaper.

Excellent!

The corner of Ryuen's mouth split open into a satisfied grin.

Two days.

Two whole days!

To ensure the smooth execution of his plan, he had refused all medication, slept only three hours a day, bathed in cold water, eaten only two meals, and refused to turn on the air conditioning in the sweltering, thirty-plus-degree heat. (Good children, absolutely do not imitate this. This man is a lunatic.)

"Ha... ha..." Ryuen panted, forcibly straightening his back. Wiping the cold sweat seeping from his temples, he made his way to the bathroom.

The figure in the mirror—eyes bloodshot, face ashen and ghostly pale, lips cracked and peeling—was precisely his "Ultimate Evolution" form.

"Worth it..."

Ryuen bared his teeth, revealing a savage grin that was a grotesque mixture of agony and manic euphoria. The reflection in the mirror twisted along with it.

"As long as I can disable a few students... make that worthless bunch see that Class A isn't invincible—what's this small price to pay?!"

If not for that, he wouldn't even need those useless wastes. He could handle it all by himself.

Still, whether it was due to the influence of that steady, prudent Katsuragi or not, those bastards in Class A had a vigilance that was terrifyingly sharp.

The only window of opportunity right now was that daily, unwavering morning training session of Class A's core dozen or so combatants.

Without fail, every day before seven o'clock, they would appear on the sports field to conduct high-intensity training—drenched in sweat, breathing ragged and rapid. That was the moment their immune systems were at their weakest!

If just two or three of them caught it, combined with the Class D participation roster Kaneda had mentioned, the results of this Sports Festival could essentially be called in advance.

The wall clock gradually ticked its way to exactly six o'clock.

Ryuen drew a deep breath. Ignoring the sensation of air scraping like blades down his throat, he straightened his attire to make himself appear somewhat more normal. He twisted the door handle and, both hands shoved in his pockets, headed toward the elevator.

Ding—!

A crisp chime rang out. The elevator doors on the first floor slid open. Ryuen forced down his discomfort and strode out of the lobby with his trademark swagger that acknowledged neither kith nor kin.

At the very same moment, around the corner of the main entrance—

A silver-haired, hip-length-haired girl was strolling with measured steps, both hands clasped behind her back. A serene, gentle smile graced her face. Her head was tilted to the side, as if speaking to someone beside her.

Unfortunately, before Ryuen could identify her clearly, the silver-haired girl vanished around the corner along with her companion, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Hmph!

Ryuen let out a cold snort and furrowed his brow, gazing toward the corner of the main entrance.

Was that the Shiina woman? What a willful creature. He had clearly notified them to stay indoors as much as possible these past two days, and yet she still ran out at the crack of dawn to do that kind of tedious, boring thing with someone.

Still, he, Ryuen Kakeru, had little interest in what a woman who loved playing house wanted to do. Stepping out of the main entrance and gazing toward the far end of the school path, he found that there was already no sign of anyone there. He promptly tossed the matter into the trash heap.

Those bastards of Class A—they were the true objective of the man destined to rule over Advanced Nurturing High!

He passed through the silent, deserted tree-lined avenue, skirted the enormous shadow of the gymnasium, and the outline of the distant sports field entrance gradually sharpened through the thin morning mist.

Ryuen stood outside the sports field. His heart pounded violently—caught between the frailty of his sick body and the manic exhilaration of his plan.

The hour was still early. A while later, when seven o'clock arrived, that Class A bunch would come here for their morning training as usual. He would pretend to be running on the field himself.

Then, he would "accidentally" bump into a Class A student, provoke them with words, and ideally escalate it into a verbal altercation that turned into a shoving match of physical contact. In any case, he would use every method at his disposal to spend as much time as possible in close proximity with the Class A students.

After that, as long as two or three students showed symptoms within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, his strategic objective would be achieved.

His thoughts reaching this point, Ryuen grew increasingly exhilarated. He casually found a bench and sat down, pulled out his phone, and idly killed time until seven o'clock. Then, unable to wait a moment longer, he strode eagerly into the sports field.

Closer, ever closer... The red rubber track of the field was already in sight.

Ryuen adjusted his breathing, straightened his gym clothes, and slowly swung his legs toward the track. Without letting anything show, he cast a sidelong glance at the sports field—

Time itself seemed to freeze in that moment.

No figures pumping their shoulders in furious sprints;

No childish cheers and shouts of encouragement;

No clamorous, bickering sounds of mutual disdain;

Across the entire sports field, only the scattered, sparse dozen or so members of the athletic clubs were attending to their own business.

Empty.

Dead silent.

In the vast sports field, only the cool early-morning breeze swept up a few withered leaves, sending them spinning across the track with a monotonous rustle.

"..."

Ryuen stood frozen in place, still holding his running posture, like a stone statue instantly weathered by the elements.

Where are they?

Where the hell is my huge group of a dozen-some Class A students?!

A gentle breeze swept across his burning forehead and pierced through his thin gym clothes, making him shiver involuntarily.

"ACHOO!!"

The violent sneeze rang out with exceptional clarity in the quiet early morning, even carrying a faintly desolate echo. It shattered the dead silence of the field, yet only served to accentuate its emptiness all the more.

For a moment, an indescribable torrent of emotion—a chaotic mixture of absurdity, violent fury, and the sense of having been thoroughly played for a fool—surged up within Ryuen's heart like a flood.

However, this stifled, aggrieved feeling did not last long. A gleaming bald head abruptly appeared in the corner of his eye. Like a tiny flame in the pitch-black night, it ignited his hope in an instant.

Could it be... that those honors students were simply running late?

Before his feverish brain could fully process the thought, his legs had already subconsciously broken into motion. Pretending to be out for a casual stroll, he headed straight for Katsuragi Kohei.

"Yo... isn't this the illustrious leader of the first-year Class A?" A wild, unrestrained grin surfaced on Ryuen's face.

Katsuragi, in the midst of his jog, paused briefly. Continuing to run, he turned his head back, his face carrying a trace of surprise.

"Ryuen? What business do you have with me at this hour?"

"Come now~" Ryuen drawled out his syllables, as if speaking with helpless exasperation. "We did cooperate together on the uninhabited island, after all. There's no need to be so wary of me."

"When dealing with a cunning bastard like you, no amount of vigilance is too much." Katsuragi's expression remained perfectly unchanged as he continued running forward.

"I really can't do anything with a guy like you. I was actually thinking about whether our classes should cooperate for this Sports Festival."

"There's no need for you to trouble yourself with such matters."

"Don't be so resistant. We're tomodachi, after all~"

"On that subject, I don't consider you a friend."

"How utterly heartless, you bald bastard."

...

Back and forth they went, exchanging idle chatter. After using a series of probing questions to thoroughly confuse Katsuragi's train of thought, Ryuen finally, with feigned nonchalance, asked the question that was his ultimate objective.

"How come you're the only one today? Where's that little tagalong who's always trailing behind you, and that whole huge entourage of yours?"

At these words, Katsuragi's head seemed to droop a fraction lower. "It's none of your concern."

"Surely not. I heard that you honors students come here every day for morning training. And now you're the only one left. Baldy, don't tell me you can't even command your own classmates?" Ryuen spoke in a joking tone.

Katsuragi's originally tall, robust frame seemed to hunch and stoop. An utterly despondent voice drifted from up ahead.

"Yes. I requested that they come out together for morning training. They, however, told me that with the Sports Festival just around the corner, the last two days should be spent resting and conserving energy. They righteously and firmly refused me."

"Moreover, they felt that my physical ability seriously fails to meet their expectations of a Class A leader, and forcibly kicked me out to do morning training on my own..."

His running footsteps came to a powerless halt. Ryuen stood frozen in place, utterly stupefied. A faint breeze stirred the hair across his forehead. In that moment, his entire being appeared infinitely desolate and forlorn.

The last two days. The entire group, resting. Conserving energy...

The entire group, resting. Conserving energy...

Conserving energy...

Katsuragi's low, deep voice echoed and reverberated within Ryuen's mind, refusing to fade for a long, long time.

A long while passed.

Watching Katsuragi's figure recede into the distance, a mirthless puff of air squeezed out of Ryuen's throat.

"Heh..."

What kind of trash honors students were these?! Didn't they understand such simple, fundamental truths—that perseverance leads to victory; that the one who runs to the very end of the marathon is the true champion; that if you just keep digging, you'll eventually strike diamond?!

To actually rest for the final two days!

Shit! (A type of fertilizer.)

...

By twelve noon, the sun had fully climbed from the treetops to the very center of the sky.

Keyaki Mall. Beneath the open-air parasol of a certain cafe, Ryuen sat silently beside the outdoor air cooler, his gaze sweeping over the passing crowds like a searchlight.

The cold air and the blazing sun overlapped upon him simultaneously, making him feel alternating waves of chills and fever, his consciousness blurring in intermittent pulses.

Still, he, Ryuen Kakeru, was not like that trash heap of honors students. He would not give up so easily.

Until the very last moment, no one could say for certain who the final victor would be!

"Boyfriend-kun, hurry up, hurry up! We didn't get to eat it last time, so this time we absolutely have to go eat conveyor-belt sushi."

"Hold on. Let me state upfront—I'm not very hungry right now. Don't go stuffing sushi into my mouth later."

"Ah, ah— sl-slow down a little, Morishita-san. The sushi isn't going to run away."

Among the many students passing by, a blue-haired girl, pulling a boy with one hand and a girl with the other, swiftly darted past before Ryuen's eyes.

Hmph!

Ryuen sneered coldly as he watched the three figures vanish into the entrance of Keyaki Mall.

It seemed his brain had been well and truly addled by the fever. To actually think, even for a moment, that he'd seen that guy somewhere before.

This kind of naive fool—still so relaxed with the Sports Festival just around the corner, utterly oblivious to the cruelty of this school—wasn't even worthy of being remembered by him.

Cold sweat oozed continuously outward. Forcing his gradually blurring consciousness to hold on, Ryuen, having searched the entire morning without finding any other opportunities, pulled out his phone, casually propped up his legs, and dialed a number.

"Oi. Did you find anything?"

"No luck, Ryuen-aniki. Those Class A bastards are way too cautious. And on top of that, with these two days being a holiday, we haven't found a single opportunity where Class A gathered together." Komiya Kyogo's bitter voice came through the phone.

"Useless! You can't even handle something this simple!"

"Sumimasen!"

Just as Ryuen was about to continue his furious tirade, a deliberately hushed voice drifted into his ear from nearby.

"Oi, Professor, look, look! It's that Crap-Eating King from Class C..."

"Keep your voice down. That guy is still Class C's nominal leader. Their class ranking is still above ours."

"What's there to be afraid of? This great Lord Yamauchi is a taekwondo black belt, you know. A guy like that—I could take him down in one hit. And didn't you also frequently take that video of him and post it on the forums for fun? It's fine, it's fine."

"R-regarding that... I, I..."

Ryuen Kakeru: "..."

Several blue veins instantly bulged on his ashen face, then rapidly receded and vanished. He let out an exasperated, mocking laugh, shook his head, and rose to his feet, walking toward the two.

He had originally planned to leave you defectives alone, since he already had your class's participation roster. But since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep...

Kill one, kill two—it's all the same. You can just go die together!

This way, the White Team's chances of victory would grow by yet another margin.

...

Three o'clock in the afternoon. Twenty minutes until the movie started. Still roaming the campus, Ryuen gritted his teeth and staggered unsteadily into Keyaki Mall.

The backs of distant students began to appear in double, sometimes in triple. But this much was nothing more than a minor, negligible issue to Ryuen. The most important thing right now was still to follow the plan and go sit in the movie theater for a while.

As the escalator carried him slowly upward, he gradually arrived at the floor where the theater was located. His eyes swiveled silently as he began to search for his target.

A few myna-bird-like girls were noisily chattering about lipstick colors in front of some unnamed specialty store;

The boys were mostly lingering in the magazine section, flipping through the latest issues of manga weeklies;

There were also some students seated inside a cold drink shop, heads lowered, absorbed in their own phones;

...

His gaze briefly lingered on a couple.

Inside the cold drink shop, a pale golden-haired girl was cheerfully feeding a boy something that looked like takoyaki. Then, she turned her face aside, closed her eyes, and tapped her fingertip lightly against her own cheek, signaling the boy to hurry up and kiss her.

"Hmph!"

Sigma Male Ryuen Kakeru let out yet another cold snort.

Truly, morals were declining with each passing day. To actually engage in such sickeningly intimate behavior at Advanced Nurturing High, where the development of abnormal friendships was strictly prohibited! An eyesore of a pair!

But why did he once again feel as though he'd seen that boy's back somewhere before? Could it be that this type of male back was actually just a generic template?

No. The more likely explanation was that his body temperature was too high, and he was already struggling to make accurate judgments.

Just like that period some time ago, when he'd looked at everyone and seen the mastermind.

His thoughts reaching this point, Ryuen lowered his head and shook his burning, feverish head with force.

Fuck. It's all that damned mastermind's fault. Damn insect. Stinking rat in the gutter.

Just then, a chaotic flurry of footsteps sounded from behind Ryuen. The second-year Class A students, clustered around a blond figure, surged past him in a dark, noisy throng.

"Come to think of it, Nagumo-san—I heard that after this Sports Festival, Horikita-kaichou is planning to step down?"

"Oh, my, my. Shimazu, you bastard, your intel is really something. That is indeed the case. I was the one who proposed it to Horikita-senpai."

"Oh, oh! In that case, doesn't that mean we're one step closer to our goal of unifying the entire Advanced Nurturing High?"

"Don't say it like that. I, for one, actually have no interest in ruling over others."

"..."

Gazing at the already distant second-year Class A group, the corner of Ryuen's mouth swiftly split into a cold sneer.

Ho~

I seem to have just heard something quite interesting. Scum like you thinks you're worthy of ruling over Advanced Nurturing High?

In the very next instant, his originally teetering, swaying body was once again filled with power. His thighs detonated with explosive force as he bolted straight toward the entrance of the movie theater!

The true ruler of Advanced Nurturing High—is destined to be me, Ryuen Kakeru!

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