[Horikita Suzune POV]

The familiar scent of the classroom greeted me as I entered the class.

Class 3-A.

Those stark letters etched on the door served as a testament to our hard-fought victory, a reminder of the battles waged and the sacrifices we made. The very sight of it stirred a deep sense of satisfaction within me, the cool, calculated rush of triumph that came with achieving a long-sought goal.

My gaze drifted across the room, taking in the faces of my classmates. Each one wore an expression of barely contained elation, a mirror of the pride and accomplishment that swelled within my own chest. In that moment, the usual barriers between us seemed to dissolve, replaced by a shared sense of camaraderie born from our collective struggle.

Yet, as the tens of minutes passed by, I couldn't help but note something – the absence of two familiar faces. Ayanokouji and Karuizawa were nowhere to be seen, their usual seats vacant.A flicker of curiosity danced across my mind. Ayanokouji, for all his vexing aloofness, was rarely one to be late. And Karuizawa, well, the two of them often arrived together at this hour, a pattern that had become as predictable as it was puzzling.

Perhaps they had been detained by some trivial matter, a last-minute errand or a delay born of the morning rush. I pushed the thought aside, my focus drawn back to the significance of the day itself.

The classroom door slid open, silencing the excited chatter. Chabashira sensei, our homeroom teacher, enter the class and stood at the threshold. All the students sat in their chairs. But somehow, her usual stoic demeanor was replaced by a look of somberness, her eyes reflecting a weight unseen before.I felt a bit of unease.

My gaze remained fixed on Chabashira-sensei as she surveyed the room, taking in the faces of her now third-year students. A ghost of a smile played on her lips, quickly fading into her usual stoic expression.

"First and foremost, congratulations on your promotion to Class A. Your efforts throughout the previous year, particularly during the final exams, have resulted in this achievement."A wave of satisfied murmurs and nods rippled throughout the classroom. The weight of our success, the culmination of countless hours of strategizing and sacrifice, settled upon my shoulders, a familiar yet strangely comforting burden. The faces around me, each etched with the elation of reaching the summit, reflected my own sense of accomplishment. We had achieved this together, as a class.

"As third-year students," Chabashira-sensei continued, her voice steady despite the subtle shift in her demeanor, "you now stand at the top of this year's school. The challenges you will face will be greater, the stakes higher, but I have no doubt that you will rise to meet them with the same determination and strategic prowess that has brought you to this point."

I detected a subtle shift in the atmosphere, a dissonance that wasn't immediately apparent to my classmates. Chabashira-sensei's words, while encouraging, lacked the usual spark of pride, the genuine warmth that had begun to emerge in the past year.

"Sensei, if you don't mind me asking..." Ike's voice, hesitant yet laced with genuine curiosity, cut through the quiet murmur. "You don't seem too happy about it."The question hung in the air, echoing the unspoken unease that had begun to creep into the celebratory atmosphere. My gaze sharpened, my intuition whispering that this seemingly innocuous question held the key to the shift in Chabashira-sensei's demeanor.

A fleeting flicker of surprise crossed Chabashira-sensei's face before she schooled her features back into their usual stoicism. Yet, the shadow in her eyes remained, betraying the turmoil within.

"While we have indeed achieved our goal of reaching Class A," she began, her voice heavy with unspoken emotions, "there is something that I should tell all of you..."A hush fell over the classroom as every eye turned toward Chabashira-sensei. A wave of quiet murmurs rippled through the room as the students absorbed her words, a sense of unease replacing the initial celebratory atmosphere.

My gaze darted across the room, meeting the eyes of my classmates. Confusion and curiosity were etched on their faces, a silent question hanging in the air.Chabashira-sensei's eyes, heavy with a burden she seemed reluctant to share, finally settled on me once more.

"Your classmate......Ayanokouji Kiyotaka...""He... has exercised his privilege to transfer to Class 3-D."A stunned silence followed the announcement, the weight of her words taking a moment to sink in to me and others. Then, a wave of murmurs erupted throughout the classroom, the initial shock giving way to a torrent of questions and disbelief.

"Class D, you mean ichinose-san class?""But why?""By the way, I also noticed that Karuizawa-san is absent too. Could it be related?""Is that true?"

Amidst the chaos, my voice cut through, my tone a mix of disbelief and desperation. "Sensei, is this some sort of mistake?"Chabashira-sensei's gaze met mine, a flicker of sympathy passing across her features before she schooled her expression back into one of professional stoicism. "Unfortunately, Horikita, it's not a mistake. I had a conversation with Ayanokouji yesterday, and he confirmed that this is purely his choice. He didn't elaborate on his reasons, but he was resolute in his decision to transfer."

I felt as though the ground had shifted beneath my feet. Ayanokouji-kun, our classmate, the key player of our success, willingly choosing to transfer to the lower-ranked class, and by exercising a privilege that demanded an exorbitant sum of 20 million private points? It was incomprehensible, a decision that defied logic and reason.

A sense of disbelief, bordering on denial, washed over me. This had to be some sort of mistake, a misunderstanding. Ayanokouji, despite his aloofness, wouldn't abandon us, not after everything we had achieved together.

Confusion warred with a burgeoning sense of betrayal within me. What could possibly motivate such a choice? Was this some elaborate scheme, another calculated move in a game I was yet to understand? Or was it something more, a deeper motive that lay hidden beneath his usual mask of indifference? The questions swirled within me, unanswered and unsettling.

The classroom buzzed with a cacophony of speculation and disbelief. Ayanokouji's voluntary descent to Class D was something unreasonable. I remained silent, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Betrayal, confusion, and a gnawing sense of abandonment warred within me.

"Oh my, oh my, what a fascinating spectacle!"The flamboyant voice, dripping with amusement, cut through the noise. All eyes turned toward the source – Kōenji, lounging in his seat with his usual air of detached arrogance."To witness such bewilderment, such a delightful display of human folly," he continued, his gaze settling on me with a sarcastic glint, "A most unexpected development, to be sure. Though, for someone of my unparalleled intellect, nothing is truly surprising."

My eyes narrowed, annoyance flaring within me at his mocking tone. Yet, amidst the irritation, a spark of recognition ignited. Kōenji, despite his infuriating eccentricity, often possessed a weird insight into things.His words triggered a flashback, a memory of a conversation with Ayanokouji just before the end-of-year final exams.

"You should be ready, Horikita," he had said, his voice devoid of its usual indifference, a hint of genuine concern coloring his words. "The path ahead will be fraught with challenges, and you will need the support of your friends, of your classmates, to overcome them."

At the time, I had dismissed his words as another one of his usual conversations, his infuriating way of keeping me at arm's length. But now, in the wake of Ayanokouji's departure, his words resonated with a chilling clarity. He had known better. He had anticipated this. And he had prepared me, in his own enigmatic way, for the challenges that lay ahead.

My gaze met Kōenji's, a newfound understanding dawning in my eyes. The game was afoot, the rules had changed.My eyes scanned the faces of my classmates. We were Class A, and we would face this challenge, this betrayal, head-on.But....

He was gone. Someone that was like my mentor, the one who had subtly guided my growth both as a leader and as an individual, had chosen a path that diverged from us. His motives, shrouded in the usual veil of mystery, remained a frustrating enigma.

Suddenly, I felt the weight of my classmates' expectations, the collective gaze of my classmates, a tangible burden that pressed down on me with an intensity I had never experienced before. Before, I had shared this weight, this responsibility, with Ayanokouji. His presence, however infuriatingly distant at times, had been a source of comfort, a silent reassurance that we would navigate any challenge together.

Now, I stood alone. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that gnawed at me. The path ahead was shrouded in uncertainty, and for the first time since embarking on this journey, I faced the daunting prospect of tomorrow with a heart heavy with doubt.