Kanzaki and horikita

Kanzaki, who could no longer afford to be particular about appearances, took into account the high confidentiality of the situation and begged with all his pride cast aside. He bowed deeply in front of me to prove his sincerity.

"Just because you bow your head doesn’t mean I'll automatically agree. While it might be possible to negotiate such a thing between individuals, this is a battle between classes. Just as you are fighting for your class, I am fighting for mine."

"…Of course, I understand that."

"If you understand, then you shouldn't be making such an unfeasible request from the start."

"Even if I understand, I have no other choice. …Of course, I don't expect to win victory for nothing. I will make sure to compensate accordingly. I will support and assist Horikita’s class throughout the third-year battles… Normally, such promises might be unbelievable, but if it's from Ichinose, you should be able to trust it."

Kanzaki mentioned the name of his class leader as if it were a guarantee.

"It’s true that Ichinose might not easily betray. However, that’s only effective if she herself makes such a statement. It’s not something you can negotiate using her name arbitrarily. Have you even obtained her permission?"

"If Kanzaki-kun loses, Ichinose-san will inevitably come forward. It would be better to discuss this when that happens."

"While there might be a possibility of success in that case, the fact that you are not doing it means that what we are discussing now is entirely Kanzaki-kun’s unilateral decision, right?"

Faced with this clear and direct criticism, Kanzaki swallowed.

"It's absurd for someone who is not even a class leader to unilaterally guarantee full support for next year. That is a story that cannot be trusted."

"Ichinose... Leaving aside what she truly thinks, she is not the type to ask for a concession of victory. But even if she cannot say it out loud, she must have the same feelings as me. In the current situation with Ayanokoji coming up, there is no way we’ll have a chance at all...!"

If Kanzaki wanted to pursue victory, he would need to defeat Horikita by any means and cut reduce Ayanokoji’s life points as much as possible. However, he had not been able to inflict any damage on Horikita and was in a difficult position.

"You seem to have a very high opinion of Ayanokoji-kun," Horikita said.

"…Yes. Ayanokoji is formidable. Therefore, the outcome is pretty much obvious."

"I don’t like that."

"You don’t like it…? What do you mean? I am just stating the facts."

"I’m not saying it’s not a fact. But I don’t like it." Seeing Kanzaki already accepting defeat, Horikita felt both disappointment and anger.

It’s true that having strong allies behind oneself is a advantage . It’s also true that it’s generally appreciated if they instill fear. However, putting oneself in the position of the opposing side and considering it from the classmate’s perspective is different.

"You’re underestimating Ichinose-san, the leader of your class. From the moment the details of the special exam were announced, I believed more than anyone else that she would be a formidable opponent. Her connections and insight are not to be underestimated. She might be a more significant opponent than Sakayanagi-san, Ryuuen-kun, or Ayanokoji-kun."

Kanzaki, who occupies the role of the class strategist,. Surely, Ichinose must have trusted Kanzaki when assigning him a key role. That's why his attitude was disliked.

"If you ask me, the situation is still even."

"Even, huh... I wonder about that,"

Kanzaki’s attitude remains unchanged despite the explanation.

"...Let's end this. Continuing this conversation is unpleasant," she says, cutting off the discussion and gesturing for him to return to his seat.

But Kanzaki remains unmoved.

"It can't end like this... If we lose, it will truly be a disaster here...!"

"Are you going to keep whining about it?"