Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Solace

Vol. 6: Chapter 8.1 - Your Own Way

It was a sensitive time for us, Class A. With our loss during the sports festival, there's a high chance for Class B to overtake us in the Paper Shuffle. It was my job, as the class leader, to prevent that from happening.

The next day, I immediately made my move to confirm everything that Hondou-kun said. I wouldn't necessarily spill the beans to Miyamoto-kun, but I'll ask him a series of questions where I'd be able to discern some truths. 

"He's finally here," I muttered, approaching Miyamoto-kun as soon as he entered the classroom. "Good morning, Miyamoto-kun. May I take some of your time?"

"Horikita-san...? I see. I know you wanna talk to me about what Ryoutarou told you yesterday, but I won't recommend it..." he replied in a whisper.

What...? That was a completely unexpected reply. Our plan was supposed to be a secret from him, so how did he know about yesterday?

Before I could ask him anything, Hondou-kun also arrived at the classroom and approached us with a casual greeting.

"Yo, Soshi. Oh, Horikita-san, too. What's up?"

His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, but our classmates were busy talking among their friends. Only a handful of people shifted their attention to us.

Seeing both of our serious faces, Hondou-kun's expression stiffened as if he remembered something.

"O-Oh, right... You see, Horikita-san-" Hondou-kun nervously averted his eyes.

Miyamoto-kun interrupted him before he could finish.

"I haven't told Ryoutarou about this yet, so he didn't warn you, but you should avoid talking to me, even in the classroom."

"What...? What are you talking about?" Hondou-kun asked, looking confused.

"I'll tell you, so don't make a fuss right now," Miyamoto-kun said before turning to me. "I'll just message you, Horikita-san. Any more than this could be dangerous."

After thinking about it for a bit, I finally had an idea as to what Miyamoto-kun was trying to say. I nodded without saying a word and left the two of them.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Horikita-san!" He smilingly waved at me as I walked away.

His parting words and actions solidified my theory.

It didn't take long before my phone buzzed.

(7:45) [Ryuuen threatened me that he can watch my every move. If that's true, then he might have another spy inside the class. Even messaging you inside the classroom is a risky move, so I'll keep things brief for now.]

Miyamoto-kun skillfully typed his long message under the guise of showing something funny to Hondou-kun.

(7:46) [If you're wondering how I knew everything, I interrogated Ryoutarou last night and made him spill the beans. That said, forgetting to tell him about a potential spy was my own mistake. We can talk about this more through him at a later date, so for now, all you need to know is that I'm not against your plan.]
(7:46) [You don't have to reply.]

I see. So that was the reason, after all... I've already accounted for the possibility of multiple traitors, but now that I'm faced with it...

The situation has become a lot more troublesome...

For now, Hondou-kun will stay as our middleman. It was right to keep his involvement with us a secret. If Ryuuen-kun notices that he's working with us, he'll most likely connect the dots and deduce that we know about Miyamoto-kun's situation.