COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute Chapter 69: Welcome to the Classroom of the Recording Elite

The midday sun poured generously over the open campus of the Advanced Nurturing High School. Reflected by the pristine white walls of the teaching building, heat waves shimred and rose from the pavent, as if threatening to lt the bowing roadside trees into nothing.

"So, this is the strategy you've co up with after all these days? Using a recording pen to extract the truth from the other side?"

Inside a Western-style restaurant at Keyaki Mall, the air conditioning hissed softly. Condensation slid down the outside of the glass.

Fuyuji Mikage took a sip of his ice-cold drink. As his Adam's apple bobbed, the icy liquid scoured its way down his esophagus, a cooling breath seeping from his intestinal tract into his internal organs. He felt as if he had been reborn.

Beside him was Morishita Ai, burying her head as she plowed through her al, her cheeks stuffed round and bulging, exactly like a hamster hoarding provisions.

It couldn't be helped. After last ti, his pal seed to have developed sothing akin to PTSD regarding being in the sa room as Ichinose Honami, displaying extre resistance toward attending another such eting. Add to that Morishita's overwhelming displeasure at Fuyuji disappearing without a trace the mont school ended for the past several days. He had no choice but to hold his head and bring her along.

However, to prevent Morishita from barging in and derailing the entire conversation, Fuyuji had established ground rules with her: once inside, she was not permitted to open her mouth and speak at random. And thus, he had acquired one al-devouring Ai.

"Correct."

Horikita Suzune set down her silver cutlery with a clang and pinched the bridge of her nose. "At this stage, we truly cannot find any evidence that can overturn everything in a single stroke. The Student Council also seems to be leaning more toward Ryuen-kun's account. We can only think of a way to make them confess themselves."

"..."

How to put this... there was an ancient yet pristine sort of aesthetic to it.

This whole flurry of operations—gathering intelligence, enlisting help—and in the end, they still had to rely on the opponent making a mistake.

"Nom~ nom~ nom~"

Morishita quickly stuffed a mouthful of shaved ice into her mouth, chewed rapidly a few tis, and then, beneath the table, extended a small hand and latched onto Fuyuji's thigh. Her fingernails dug deep through the thin sumr trousers. Her urge to snark had nearly beco impossible to suppress.

Fuyuji's mouth twitched from the pain. He shot a glance over.

Couldn't you pinch your own thigh?

No!

Morishita glared back with her eyes, even twisting another half-turn as if in provocation.

"To be honest, since your class has no points to deduct anyway, isn't a stalemate like this also a decent option? At present, neither side has enough evidence to support their own testimony. Even if it's ultimately ruled that Hirata Yosuke really did assault soone, it's at most a suspension of a few weeks." Fuyuji spread his hands in a gesture of complete surrender, directly waving the white flag.

"Being attacked by an enemy at my own doorstep and not retaliating is not my style. And if we can obtain evidence that they filed a false accusation—expulsion might be hard to say, since it was indeed Hirata-kun who first tried to strike the other party—but Class C's class points will absolutely be deducted, at least in part."

Horikita swept her gaze across Fuyuji and Ichinose.

"In that case, it would be beneficial to your classes as well, wouldn't it?"

"That is indeed true." Ichinose propped her chin on one hand and spoke with a sowhat troubled air. "Ryuen-kun has frequently directed provocative behavior toward Class B students these past few days. We need to think of a way to put a stop to him."

"No." Fuyuji calmly forked a piece of steak and placed it in his mouth. "It has nothing to do with . I'm not particularly interested in class competition. Besides, with Class C's re two hundred or so class points, even if you gave him a full year, he might not catch up."

No matter the ti or place, one must maintain one's persona. This was the self-cultivation of the acting emperor, Fuyuji Mikage.

"No one was counting on you in the first place."

Horikita folded her arms and leaned back slightly against the chair, giving him an exasperated sidelong glance.

This ti, in gathering information, this person's contributions could not be described as pivotal—at best, they could be described as utterly nonexistent.

He had rely unearthed the fact that Ryuen Kakeru might be searching for the trail of a certain person, which was why he had sought out Hirata to probe him, resulting in severe mutual discord and a massive brawl.

Hirata had also candidly admitted this much to them—that Ryuen's initial purpose in finding him seed to have been to investigate a certain individual.

As for any clues about the person Ryuen was searching for, absolutely no information could be found whatsoever. An existence akin to a phantom.

Therefore, Horikita strongly suspected whether this person had simply overheard so rumor sowhere, casually jotted it down, and submitted it to her to fulfill his obligation.

"What do you intend to do?" Silently gripping Morishita's restless little hand, Fuyuji asked with keen interest.

Without the slightest hesitation, Horikita made the choice that ca purely from her instincts. She turned her head and looked toward Kushida Kikyo beside her.

"Kushida-san, you go and lure out one of those two students who follow Ryuen around. Try to get them to reveal the truth about this violent incident."

Kushida's sweet smile froze solid on the spot.

Fuyuji, too, was starting to lose his composure. Horikita-girl, were you operating on the principle of using sothing until it breaks just because it's useful?

He was beginning to suspect that Horikita had long known Cha-Cha was intentionally getting close to her, couldn't shake her off anyway, and had simply decided to turn the tables and make Cha-Cha labor diligently under her command.

"Um... that..." Such a direct, straight-ball remark had completely thrown Kushida for a loop.

Suppressing the urge to burst out laughing with all his might, Fuyuji could already clearly sense the suppressed fury beneath Kushida's rigid smile. The evidence was that the three toes on the right side of his left foot were being ruthlessly trampled by Kushida's small leather shoe.

"..."

Fuyuji silently tossed a look over.

[If you don't like it, step on her! Why are you stepping on ?! I wasn't the one who told you to do it!]

[Help ! I absolutely refuse to talk to those Class C monkeys! That lecherous look in their eyes makes sick just looking at them! And most importantly, the image I've painstakingly built will be destroyed in an instant!]

[Just refuse, then.]

[No.]

[Why?]

[In short, no! This is my personal privacy! Hurry up and help!]

The force on his foot intensified by several more degrees.

"..."

Never mind that my alt account knows about your inner Kushida side. Just looking at this scene right now—

Even if you don't tell , I already know. Horikita, huh. Love that you can't have, huh. Cha-Cha, has anyone ever told you that your acting skills plumt the mont Horikita-girl is involved?

But still, considering that the shots you've been sending these past few days have all been very pleasing to the eye...

Extracting his crushed toes, Fuyuji leaned back in his chair, escaping to a spot Cha-Cha could no longer reach.

"That approach probably won't work. Whichever of those two students it is, they've most likely been warned by Ryuen. The mont they run into soone broaching this kind of topic, they'll definitely beco extrely vigilant."

"Correct." Kanzaki Ryuji nodded. "Never mind how to get them to talk—the re fact of running into soone from Class D will make them exceptionally wary."

Horikita drew a deep breath and opened her sharp, piercing eyes.

"Then we'll do the opposite. Tell them we've already found decisive evidence and learned the truth about the incident. For instance, say that there was actually a hidden school surveillance cara in the stairwell, or that so student inadvertently fild the scene of them provoking him."

"Apply pressure to them through this. Once they're on the verge of emotional collapse, extract the truth and submit it to the Student Council."

"!"

The small hand beneath the table instantly twisted a full half-turn, causing Fuyuji to crunch down and shatter the ice cube in his mouth.

"Cough, cough... Horikita-san, this plan... was it sothing you ca up with yourself?" Fuyuji's mouth twitched wildly. At the sa ti, he was desperately pinning down Morishita's little hand to prevent her from exerting any more force.

"What of it?" Horikita furrowed her brow. "Is there a problem with this plan?"

"A problem there isn't... It does indeed sound like it has a certain degree of feasibility." Fuyuji picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth.

"In that case, it's decided."

Having spoken, Horikita turned her head, the ends of her hair slicing a crisp, clean arc through the air. Her gaze swept in the direction of Class B.

"Ichinose-san, may I ask for your assistance? With your Class B present, the pressure on him will intensify by a fair margin."

Ichinose lowered her head and pondered for a mont. A smile surfaced on her face as she nodded.

"If it's a request from Horikita-san, no problem."

"In that case, there's nothing left for to do here. That Class C student probably doesn't even know who I am." Fuyuji shrugged and decisively proposed his own exit. "Besides, Katsuragi has already stated that Class A will not participate in this matter. I can only follow his orders."

This kind of thankless, unprofitable task—Fuyuji would naturally never do it himself. And so, as was only to be expected, without anyone knowing any better, Katsuragi Kohei was once again hauled out and saddled with the black pot.

That's right. Everything was done under Katsuragi's orders. He, Fuyuji Mikage, was rely a perfectly ordinary, unremarkable Class A student. He didn't possess this much authority.

"No one was counting on you in the first place."

Kanzaki, standing off to the side, furrowed his brow. He probably wanted to remind Ichinose that Class B would do well not to ddle in the struggle between these two classes either. But after so deliberation, his wavering hand ultimately dropped back down.

"Then, may I entrust the task of calling that Yamawaki-kun out to you, Kushida-san?" Horikita once again looked toward Kushida.

In order to one day, sowhere in the future, be able to stab Horikita to death, even though this went against Cha-Cha's principle of cultivating her fish pond, she could only hold her nose and accept it.

"Mm. Leave it to . I'll do my best."

Kushida nodded her head emphatically. The smile that instantly blood across her face was so sweet it was utterly flawless. Beneath the table, the foot clad in those delicate little leather shoes stomped fiercely against the ground, venting her fury.

Horikita let out a breath of relief. This way, as long as all sides coordinated well, there was still a chance this plan could succeed.

In the ti that followed, the group finalized a few more details of the plan. Once they had reached a consensus, they gradually dispersed, one after another.

Left in his seat until the very end, Fuyuji watched Horikita's cool, aloof figure depart, deep in thought.

Though the plan was a bit direct... there was a saying that went, wasn't there—the simpler the plan, the easier it was to succeed.

Perhaps Horikita-girl unexpectedly possessed so leadership talent after all. As expected of the little sister of the Advanced Nurturing High School's most outstanding Student Council President?

But... such an inconsequential matter could be discussed another ti.

Fuyuji lowered his head. A fair, slender little hand, as if locked in place, was still firmly clamped onto his thigh.

"Morishita-san, human muscle tissue, when deprived of blood supply for an extended period, will undergo necrosis."

"Is that so?"

Morishita finally raised her head from her plate, the corner of her mouth still stained with a bit of sauce. She blinked, and then, doubling down, brought her other hand over and pinched down with both hands at once.

"It matters not, human trash Fuyuji Mikage. So this is what you've been up to these past few days. Cut it off. Cut the whole leg off. The bloodline of the divine healer flowing within stirs."

Fuyuji sighed helplessly. He slapped his phone down in front of Morishita with a crisp sound. "Go and order. Rember to order a portion for Yamamura to take back."

"You know your place."

Morishita imdiately released her demonic claws, raising her chin triumphantly, like a great white goose celebrating its victory.

"Let it be stated in advance: Morishita-sama did not force you."

"Yes, yes, Morishita-sama did not force . I am treating you entirely of my own volition. That good show the day after tomorrow—want to go watch together?"

"How could I miss such excitent? That's a fresh, piping-hot piece of drama."

...

anwhile.

Thick, heavy clouds drifted leisurely overhead, veiling the scorching blaze of midday. The air turned balmy and languid.

On the open-air terrace of a cafe at Keyaki Mall, beneath an enormous white parasol, a portable air cooler humd as it delivered crisp, refreshing air. Sakayanagi Arisu sat in a rattan chair, her cane set aside, her hands resting gracefully on her knees.

"No need to be so formal, Matsushita-san."

A slender, almost translucent hand reached out and gently grasped the cup handle. Sakayanagi spoke unhurriedly. "Order whatever you like. It's no trouble at all. It's my treat."

"Where exactly did your points co from?" Matsushita Chiaki, seated across from her, looked at Sakayanagi with a complex expression, unconsciously clutching the hem of the skirt resting over her knees.

"At the very start of the school year, a kind-hearted third-year senpai, moved by emotion, gave so to ." Sakayanagi smiled and covered her mouth.

"In other words... you knew the truth about this school from the very beginning?" Matsushita imdiately arrived at this possibility.

"I didn't know, actually. It was simply a precaution, just in case." Sakayanagi pushed the nu over with one hand. "I've told you before, haven't I? You obey my commands, and in exchange, I will lead you to rise to Class A. So there's no need to stand on ceremony with ."

"I'm sorry. Doing sothing like this to Hirata-kun... I can't accept it."

Matsushita shook her head vehently and pushed the nu back. It knocked against the coffee cup, causing the liquid within to gently sway.

"Please, do not bla yourself for your actions." Sakayanagi leisurely stirred her coffee. The silver spoon clinked crisply against the cup's wall with a clear, ringing sound. She took a light sip. "Because you are helping Hirata-kun."

"What do you an?"

Matsushita looked at the utterly self-assured Sakayanagi with confusion. It wasn't that she doubted Sakayanagi's judgnt—after all, the person before her was the very first in the entire class to see through the fact that she had been hiding her true abilities.

"Did you happen to notice? Hirata-kun's reaction after this midterm exam?"

Matsushita remained silent.

"It seems you did. Did you not find it strange? To be so forgiving toward soone who was planning to sneak a peek into the girls' changing room? Unwilling to let him be expelled, even so?"

Sakayanagi's words struck true, piercing the doubt shared by the vast majority of their classmates, including Matsushita.

"Though I do not know the specific reason he acted as he did, a single Ike-kun, who rely got what he deserved, was enough to make him crumble to that extent. In this ritocratic school, if, one day, an innocent classmate were to be expelled... he who continues to serve as the class leader, he who bears such an imnse sense of responsibility—into what state would he crumble then?" The lodious voice echoed beside Matsushita's ear.

It was true. What Sakayanagi said was fact.

Matsushita lowered her head, imdiately realizing this possibility.

"You can foresee it, can you not? This scenario will almost certainly occur, with one hundred percent probability. Up to this point, no lower class has ever managed to maintain a full, complete forty students all the way to graduation."

"In that case, it is far better to have him step down from the ranks of class managent early on, so that when that ti cos, he will not be quite so sel—"

Sakayanagi was about to continue speaking when, suddenly, a soft yet abrupt ringtone sounded from her pocket.

Taking out her mobile phone and casually sweeping her eyes over the na of the person who had sent the notification, Sakayanagi revealed a pleased, delighted smile.

She thodically transferred the points over. A mont later, she received the intelligence.

"Very excellent execution, Horikita-san. Though the thod is sowhat childish, feasibility does indeed exist. What a pity..."

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the screen. Another anonymous account was logged into on her phone. Tap. Send.

"It seems your efforts will be in vain."

Ryuen-kun, if you still cannot win even with this, I will have to consider switching to a different cooperation partner.

Returning her phone to her bag, Sakayanagi picked up her cane and rose from her seat. The cane produced a low, deep sound as it tapped against the floor.

"Now then... please give it your consideration. From this day forward, follow my directives, and handle affairs for . Naturally, this is not without compensation. From now on, your living expenses shall be taken care of by ."

She inclined her body slightly, precisely like the textbook definition of noble etiquette.

"That is all I have to say. I await your reply."

Having spoken, she turned and departed. Her cane produced a regular, distinct series of raps against the polished floor, gradually rging into the afternoon tide of students.

-----------------------------------------------------------

If you want to Support , you can Read 90 Advanced Chapters on : [email protected]/Yuni_TL

50 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!