COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

Early the next morning, the cool, crisp morning light slanted through the windows and spilled across the floor of the Class A classroom.

Since the entire previous day had been consumed by the Sports Festival, the usual Monday homeroom session had been moved to this morning.

Still dressed in that same unchanging pressed suit, Mashima Tomonari stood at the lectern. His gaze swept across the sea of Class A students below, each wearing a different expression. Once again, he sank into his long-winded, rambling mode.

"I told you long ago—when it comes to teamwork and cooperation, you must not fixate too heavily on Class D as your sole enemy. You should prioritize defeating the strong opponent right before your eyes before considering other matters. Throughout history, there have been countless cases of failure caused by internal strife and infighting..."

"Stop, stop! Master Tomonari, please, stop!" Shimazaki Ikkei covered both ears with his hands and collapsed across his desk, letting out a muffled wail of agony. "If you keep going, my head's really going to explode..."

"Exactly." Shimizu Naoki propped his cheek against one hand with a strained expression and chimed in. "Who could have known Class D would produce such an outrageously... person? I think our class's plan itself wasn't the problem."

"Didn't we get first place?" Sanada Kosei, holding a paperback, offered gentle reassurance. "Aside from Class B, the gap between us and the other classes wasn't closed either. The initiative is still in our hands. On the contrary—they lost an opportunity to overtake us."

Seated in the front row, Katsuragi Kohei drew a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.

"I'm sorry. This time, the fault lies with me. It was my poor command that led to the current situation."

In the previous two exams, the major decisions had essentially all been made by Fuyuji Mikage. He himself had merely assisted at the side, managing logistics, and smoothly pulled Class A into a heaven-spanning gap ahead of the other classes.

Yet this time—the moment command was switched to himself—even though Class A still took first place in the grade, the fact remained that Class B had closed the class point gap.

"Exactly!"

Fuyuji leaped out from the side and bellowed.

"As the leader of our Class A, your physical ability is actually this feeble and frail! And besides—back when I wanted to screw over Class D—why didn't you warn me?! Where was your usual steadiness and prudence?!"

"Uh... well..." Katsuragi was momentarily at a loss for words.

"And you, Hashimoto."

"Eh? Me?" Hashimoto Masayoshi pointed at himself with a face full of bewilderment.

"You still haven't managed to patch things up with your old flame even now! If your social skills were just a little stronger, we wouldn't have needed to use Class D as bait in the first place, would we?!"

"And Shimizu, Yoshida, Sugio... you lot. You were so gleeful when you were steaming me back then. How could you be so feeble on the competition field?! Where was the oppressive presence of our mighty Class A?!"

"Uh... s-sorry..."

"And what about the girls' side?! Why were you being beaten down and suppressed by Class B?! Bro—where was that overwhelming momentum you always use to suppress me?!"

"Hmph!"

Kamuro Masumi folded her arms, crossed her legs, and turned her head away to stare out the window.

Next, Fuyuji went down the line, calling out names one by one. Even Mashima, who happened to be passing by, received a kick.

"Sadistic Teacher! I trusted you so much all this time! As the referee—to actually not give Class A any special treatment—I'm utterly disappointed in you!"

...

Gradually, the eyes of the entire Class A narrowed to half-slits.

You said all that—and yet, weren't you the same? Playing cards with such utter, blissful delight that you nearly forgot about the competition entirely.

Twenty minutes later, the dismissal bell rang out right on time.

After delivering in one breath a long, extended monologue, Fuyuji grabbed the drink on his desk and downed a massive gulp. Then, he cleared his throat.

"Alright. That's all for today, for now. I hope you can truly absorb the lessons and experience from this time and apply them to the next exam."

Mashima Tomonari: "..."

Hey, those were my lines.

Having spoken, Fuyuji strode out of the classroom with his trademark swagger that acknowledged neither kith nor kin, tossing out a single parting line.

"As punishment—tonight, everyone is to assemble at Keyaki Mall and collectively listen to Katsuragi's deep, resonant, heroic singing voice. Mm... myself excluded."

The Class A students present fell silent for a single beat. Then, in unified unison, they let out a single, gleeful cry.

"Tch~"

...

Pushing open the door of the Class B classroom, a faint, lingering scent of alcohol mingled with the early morning air and wafted outward.

"Nn, so stinky! Hoshinomiya-sensei, did you go drinking again?!" Shiranami Chihiro pinched her nose and furrowed her delicate brows, staring at their homeroom teacher—sprawled across the lectern, cheek plastered against the desk, thoroughly drunk and intoxicated.

"And this amount... is far more than usual..." Beside her, Kobashi Yume leaned back and supplemented.

Hoshinomiya let out a vague, indistinct mumble. Swaying and wobbling, she attempted to straighten her body—only to lurch sideways. With a sharp slap, her palm smacked heavily against the blackboard. Her entire being still wore the appearance of someone drifting through distant realms, her gaze bleary and unfocused as she swept it across the students below.

"Ehehe. Because I'm happy..." She let out a loud, resonant alcoholic burp. "Look, you guys—our class closed the gap with Class A for the very first time! Everyone, keep up the good work... urp... This year's Outstanding Teacher bonus is mine! I heard that Mashima bastard... actually took home a full two million, you know..."

Having spoken, her body went limp once more. With a resounding thud, she collapsed completely onto the lectern, utterly unable to rise again. Only faint, gentle snores drifted outward.

How utterly mercenary... this teacher...

This thought flashed through the minds of the Class B students in unspoken, wordless unison.

"Still," Shibata So folded his arms and muttered with puzzlement, "was Hoshinomiya-sensei really that happy just because we closed the gap with Class A? I recall—last time when Class A pulled even further ahead of us, she didn't seem all that dejected either?"

"No matter what, this is a good thing, isn't it?" Hamaguchi Tetsuya laughed heartily and clapped Shibata on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah!" Amikura Mako excitedly wrapped her arm around Ichinose Honami's beside her. Clenching her small fist, she pumped it vigorously in encouragement. "Let's ride this momentum and ascend to Class A!"

"Not at all. This time really was just sheer luck." Ichinose, jostled into stumbling slightly, hurriedly steadied herself. A faint, bashful flush rose on her cheeks. Habitually raising a hand and scratching her cheek, she let out an awkward, sheepish laugh. "And besides—our class didn't actually gain any points, right?"

"Indeed. We must not grow careless and drop our guard." Kanzaki Ryuji timely stepped in to pour cold water. "In truth—if not for a series of unexpected incidents and accidents—the ones who would have lost this time would have been our class."

The relaxed, easygoing atmosphere in the classroom congealed slightly at his words.

Kanzaki swept his gaze around the room. Then, shifting his tone, his voice softened by a fraction. "Still—a win is a win. That is a fact."

The very next second—a tidal wave of laughter and teasing, cursing and mockery, came surging toward him.

"Honestly. Kanzaki—why are you always like this? Smile a little, won't you?"

"Exactly. If it weren't for that deadpan face of yours—your ranking on the first-year hot guys leaderboard could go up by at least two spots."

"We won, after all. At least be a little happy about it."

...

"This is indeed something worth celebrating." A trace of a smile surfaced on Kanzaki's perpetually unchanging deadpan face.

"But, Ichinose." His gaze shifted toward Ichinose, and his expression subconsciously turned serious once more. "We need to prepare ourselves. Right now—our class is the only one that can truly be considered a threat to Class A. In the next exam—we may very well have to face Class A's focused, concentrated attention."

The smile on Ichinose's face receded. She pressed her lips together. A flicker of hesitation flashed through her eyes—but very quickly, it settled and sank.

"I understand, Kanzaki-kun."

...

The atmosphere in the Class C classroom was the polar opposite of Class B's.

With a resounding bang, the door of the Class C classroom was kicked wide open, revealing the figure of that legendary, mythic figure of Advanced Nurturing High.

The entirety of Class C fell silent for a single instant. The very next second—a chorus of utterly terrified, horrified screams detonated throughout the Class C classroom. Following right after—a chaotic, clattering clamor of chairs crashing and toppling to the ground.

The entire horde of Class C students crammed and squeezed themselves into the very back of the classroom. Backs pressed against the wall, they stared at the doorway with the vigilance of those facing a mortal enemy.

"Wh-what's going on?! Wasn't he supposed to be suspended for a whole week?!" Ishizaki Daichi's voice quivered as he whispered.

"Suspended he may be." Kaneda Satoru pushed up his glasses with a trembling hand. The gaze behind his lenses was saturated with terror. "But... the school never said he couldn't come to school..."

"Ryuen!"

Tokito Hiroya drew a deep breath. Putting on a bold front to mask his inner cowardice, he shouted toward the doorway from a distance.

"I-I'm warning you! Don't you dare come any closer!"

"Oh?" The corner of Ryuen Kakeru's mouth curled into a mocking, taunting arc. He stepped forward a single pace. "And what if I do?"

The Class C crowd retreated two steps in unified unison.

"Otherwise... otherwise..." Tokito muttered and mumbled to himself a few times. Then, gritting his teeth, he cast aside all dignity. "Otherwise—we'll go tell the teacher right now!"

"Yeah! Tell the teacher right now!" Several Class C students nodded repeatedly in fervent agreement.

"Tch. Worthless trash." Ryuen let out a scoff. Planting himself on the edge of the lectern, he gazed down upon the Class C crowd from above with haughty condescension.

"Well?" He spoke in slow, unhurried, deliberate tones. "I should have more than fulfilled my promise. Class C was not left behind by Class A. Now then—it's time to see your resolve."

"..."

The entire Class C sank into a deathly, silent stillness.

The logic was sound. Class C indeed had not been further distanced by Class A. But this price... wasn't it just a little too steep?

And to actually be led by the Crap-Eating King? Did they still want to have any face left at all?

The entire horde of Class C students inwardly griped in unified unison.

"In your dreams!"

Tokito suddenly surged forward a single step. Grinding his teeth, he spat out. "Ryuen! You bastard—do you even know what you've done?! Do you know what those bastards outside are calling our Class C now?! 'Class C, led by the Crap-Eating King'! It's all because of you!"

"So what?" Ryuen was utterly unconcerned. "Let them call it whatever they want. You worthless trash—haven't you been looked down upon by others plenty of times already? Since things are already like this—how much worse could Class C possibly get? I'll only ask you one thing—"

His gaze swept across every single face, each wearing a different expression. He tossed out that single question—both intensely tempting and crushingly oppressive:

"Do you want to graduate from Class A?"

...

At the very same time—within the Palette Cafe, saturated with the rich, mellow fragrance of roasted coffee, soothing, languid jazz drifted and flowed through the quiet, secluded corner.

Horikita Suzune sat upright upon the comfortable sofa chair and gazed at Sakayanagi Arisu across from her, who was gracefully stirring her coffee with a small silver spoon.

"Sakayanagi-san. What business do you have with me?" Horikita's voice was cool and clear, straight to the point.

Sakayanagi did not answer immediately. On the contrary—she turned the tables and took the initiative. Lifting the delicate, exquisite bone china teacup, she blew gently across its rim with practiced elegance. Wisps of billowing steam rose.

"What are your thoughts on the results of this Sports Festival?"

The hand resting upon her knee—wrapped in black knee-high socks—clenched tight. Her nails subconsciously dug into the soft, delicate fabric. Horikita lowered her eyes. "I suppose... it was a rather massive failure..."

"Indeed. A rather massive failure..."

Sakayanagi set down her teacup and let out a sigh. Raising her slender, graceful fingers slightly, she brushed aside the silver-white strands of hair that had slipped down beside her cheek.

"From my perspective—if things had been maneuvered properly—this Sports Festival might very well have seen Class D take first place. And yet, because of Yamauchi-kun..."

"I'm aware of that as well." Horikita pressed her fingertips against her temple with a headache. "But Hirata-kun's side..."

The current situation was, at its core, a dead end.

To make Class D continue climbing upward, the source of the disease had to be excised. Yet Hirata Yosuke—the very core and center of the class—was stubbornly, firmly obstructing her.

And Class D's current stability was entirely, barely maintained through Hirata's personal charisma and cohesive force. The moment something went wrong with him—the collapse of the entire Class D would not be far off.

"Actually... this problem is very simple..."

Sakayanagi leaned her body forward slightly. Both hands folded elegantly upon her thighs, wrapped in pure white stockings. "As long as the class achieves a single, pivotal, decisive victory—allowing the students to clearly see hope—they will naturally turn their eyes toward the person who led them to that victory." She paused briefly. Then, with deliberate, meaningful emphasis, she added. "No matter how well Hirata-kun usually treats them—the moment their own personal interests and futures are at stake—even the students of Class D can see clearly which person they ought to support."

"My previous plan was also along these lines. But regrettably," Sakayanagi let out a small, delicate sigh, "I suffered a crushing, catastrophic defeat. I didn't even have the leeway to turn things around."

Sakayanagi's current standing in Class D could indeed not be considered good. Aside from a sparse handful of students still willing to follow her orders—the rest were, behind her back, directing cold mockery and ridicule at her.

"However." Her tone shifted. Her violet, crystalline eyes reflected Horikita's cool, clear silhouette. "From my perspective—this problem is not entirely without a solution."

Horikita's expression shifted subtly. "You mean..."

"Do you remember—at the very beginning of the school year—" Sakayanagi's voice suddenly softened, carrying a trace of reminiscence and troubled vexation. "I told you about that person I had been searching for all along? It seems... I've finally found him now. And yet, I'm still just a little uncertain."

"I very much wish to compete against him one more time. However..." She raised her head. Her tone reverted to one of cool, composed analysis. "Although I am confident that I am not inferior to him in other areas—the resources he holds in his grasp—whether it be his control over his class, the points he can mobilize, or even his network of personal connections—are simply not on the same order of magnitude as mine. As a result—even attempting to engage him in a fair duel has proven exceptionally difficult."

Horikita listened quietly, without interrupting.

"Therefore..."

Sakayanagi suddenly unfurled a radiant smile. She extended a single palm—so fair and pale it seemed nearly translucent—turned upward, before Horikita.

"Although I am extremely reluctant—Horikita-san. Let us cooperate. I will help you unify and consolidate Class D, and resolve the obstacle that is Hirata-kun. The price, however..." Her violet eyes stared directly at Horikita. "When the time comes—during a certain future special exam—you will follow my orders. How about it?"

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