Given the timing of his appearance, Ryuuen clearly had no intention of leaving quietly.
Instead, he seemed to be here as the champion, eager to relish the sight of Class A's defeat.
"What kind of joke is this? How dare you show your face here?" Totsuka Yahiko protested indignantly.
"Tell us, did you steal our entry forms?"
Katsuragi face darkened.
He had been the one holding the entry forms—if Class C had managed to steal them from him, wouldn't that make him the prime suspect as a traitor?
"Oh? Entry forms?" Ryuuen raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"So you suspect there's a traitor in your own class? How pathetic. Not only are you fighting among yourselves, but you're even turning on your own people."
Totsuka Yahiko flushed red with anger, but Katsuragi responded calmly, "There are no traitors in Class A. We're all comrades. Please refrain from such remarks, Ryuuen."
"Oh, really?" Ryuuen looked between Katsuragi and Sakayanagi with amusement.
"If that's the case, what were you all discussing just now?"
"Nothing of concern to you. Just Class A's internal affairs," Hashimoto Masayoshi replied.
"No, Hashimoto, I can't let this slide. After all, wasn't it this student who accused us of stealing your entry forms?" Ryuuen crossed his arms.
"I swear on my honor that no one in Class C would do such a thing. If you don't apologize immediately, I won't let this go."
Totsuka Yahiko was stunned, and even Katsuragi frowned.
"Hah? You guys broke the rules during the competition too! I haven't even settled that with you yet, and now you're turning this around—"
"Yahiko!"
Katsuragi stopped the furious Totsuka Yahiko and addressed Ryuuen coolly.
"It was wrong to suspect you without evidence. For that, I can apologize. However, you shouldn't push things too far either."
Ryuuen chuckled and turned to Ishizaki beside him.
"Hmm, I seem to have forgotten—did we break any rules?"
"Definitely not!" Ishizaki immediately shook his head.
The followers behind him also shook their heads frantically, afraid of being beaten if they hesitated.
"Seems like a misunderstanding. How strange—the moment I arrive, you accuse me of stealing your entry forms, and now you're accusing me of cheating." Ryuuen clicked his tongue.
"So even Class A can't handle losing, huh?"
"You—!"
Not just Yahiko, but several other students were now visibly seething.
"Ryuuen-kun, you might be getting a little too carried away, don't you think?" Sakayanagi's tone was less a warning and more a reminder.
This wasn't Ryuuen's moment—it was hers.
Starting today, she would gradually seize control of Class A.
"Tch. It's rare to see Class A reduced to such a sorry state. What's wrong with indulging in a little gloating?" Ryuuen remained unfazed, even seeming pleased.
"Class C isn't welcome here!" Yahiko voiced his strong disapproval.
"Hehehe, only sore losers would care about something like a participation list. The truth is, you were simply crushed by me, nothing more." Ryuuen laughed, his expression brimming with arrogance.
"You bastard!"
"Yahiko!"
Katsuragi once again stopped Totsuka Yahiko, his mind racing at this moment.
"Hey, Mitoma, aren't you going to say anything?" Ryuuen seemed bored as he turned to Kaoru Mitoma, who had remained silent.
"What should I say?" Kaoru looked at him strangely.
"Congratulations to Class C for earning a measly 50 points?"
'Hmm, even if they gave their all in this sports festival, they'd only end up with around 50 points.'
Ryuuen's expression stiffened momentarily before returning to normal.
He snorted, "Such a tough talker. I hope you can keep that attitude in the future because, starting today, Class A is nothing special."
For a moment, he had been worried Kaoru might have some countermeasure, but in the end, there was nothing.
"It's you guys who are sneaky! You must have gotten hold of the participation list—that's why you targeted us today!"
Faced withYahiko's fury, Ryuuen remained unbothered, wearing a smile as if he were enjoying the spectacle.
"Looking for a fight?" Ishizaki stepped in front of Ryuuen.
"Who's afraid of you Class C thieves?!" Yahiko glared furiously.
"Who are you calling thieves?" Shiho Manabe, standing behind them, seemed unable to hold back.
"It's you Class A guys who are the arrogant ones, always complaining about practice in the café—I'm sick of you!"
In an instant, both Class A and Class C froze.
"Hah? Why would we ever leak information in a café?!"
"Then what? After practice, you guys whined about how hard it was, how Class D was dragging you down, and how miserable it was to be paired with them."
"W-wait, who said anything like that?"
Totsuka Yahiko finally realized something was off.
He turned around abruptly to see many students looking awkward.
"That's not it! We might have complained a little, but we never mentioned anything about the participation list!"
"Damn it, you traitors!"
No matter how they tried to explain, Totsuka Yahiko refused to believe them.
If they hadn't said anything, how would the other classes know?
At first, Ryuuen was annoyed by Shiho Manabe's interruption, but seeing Class A starting to turn on each other, he reconsidered—this excuse wasn't bad.
"Heh, what a shame. The truth is, we saw right through Class A—your expressions, your breathing, your movements, even the tone of your voices. Just as I expected, Class A is nothing special after all!"
With that, Ryuuen didn't give Class A a chance to respond, casually walking away with his entourage, leaving only his retreating back for Class A to stare at.
"I really want to punch him!" Totsuka Yahiko was seething—exactly the reaction Ryuuen had wanted.
However, Sakayanagi Arisu's expression was grave.
This was strange.
What did Shiho Manabe's words just now mean?
While she could understand Class C not wanting to reveal their source, why would they give such a reason?
"What the hell? So it's all your fault!"
"We really didn't say anything!"
"If you didn't say anything, then how did Class C find out what you were doing in the café?"
"W-we don't know!"
"..."
As Totsuka Yahiko berated a group of students, Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes flickered with irritation.
It was obvious—her plan to attack Katsuragi was about to fall apart once again.
Originally, the narrative had been that Katsuragi had made a wrong decision, leading everyone down the path of failure.
But now, Shiho Manabe had refuted that claim, splitting the responsibility into two parts.
Faced with accusations from their opponents—and worse, accusations that were factually true—some students, no matter how much they wanted to argue, couldn't guarantee they hadn't leaked information.
And so, Sakayanagi let out a sigh.
It was clear she wouldn't be able to continue her assault on Katsuragi today.
Her gaze shifted silently to Kaoru with a faint glimmer in her eyes.
Had he anticipated this outcome as well?