"A way for him to survive?" Ryuzaki asked, still with his head against the wall. This time his voice sounded a bit sadder. Tilting his head back, he continued, "Impossible. Everyone knows as soon as you hit F0 class, a collector is sent after you…?"
Sniffing and pulling his hand over his face, he finally turned toward us again. Crossing his arms, he tried to look serious while a teary eye gave him away.
"Of course I know that. What I'm saying is he'll never drop to F0~"
Ryuzaki's smile returned for a second as he heard it, then it quickly dropped again. "You mean!!?"
She nodded. "That's right, a—"
I forced myself to let go of her grip this time, stepping forward toward Ryuzaki to get between them. I yelled, "DON'T JOKE WITH ME! A WAY I CAN SURVIVE?"
Of course I should've known—they're messing with me. Why would they help? There is no reason for them to…
"EVEN if there is one… a way, why would either of you…—" Suddenly Ryuzaki hit me on the head. "Agh—"
"Relax, dork, and listen to her proposal first… Ahh, I can't believe I'm helping you. For God's sake." He glanced at Marianne, who smiled. "Looking forward to your help, Ryu~~" He closed his eyes and nodded. "Ahhh—whatever, whatever, do what you want."
Huh? Why is this already decided? Not even asking me?
I scratched my head, messing up my usually neatly pulled-to-the-right hair. "I don't get it..? What do you mean by that?"
Looking back at Marianne, she was completely red in the face; her eyes had turned from mocking to blissfully lustful, looking at me like a piece of prey.
Then my head dropped. I shook my head, realizing what they meant.
No, she means that?
So that's what—I'm just a toy, even in my last moments?
"A class battle where you wage your life itself. For someone like you it is a chance! — no offense, honey—"
"STOP CALLING HIM HONEY IF YOU WANT MY HELP!"
She ignored him and continued. While raising her arms, it is a PERFECT CHANCE! HONEY!!
"MARIANNE—" Ryuzaki yelled, clenching his fists.
She's just doing this on purpose now—
I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall as they looked at me, Marianne smiling while Ryuzaki crossed his arms and sighed. "So? Do you want help or no, dork?"
Toy? Not even able to play by my own will on the last day?
SO WHAT!!?
If there's a way for me to survive, YOU BET I'LL TAKE IT!
Pumped up, I smiled and opened my eyes. "YOU BET I DO, RYUZAKI, MARIANNE!"
She bumped me across my chest. "That's the spirit!"
Ryuzaki turned his head outside, noticing the grey clouds. "So, what's the plan? Who's the target?"
She looked toward the class door right beside me. "Of course… It is the biggest show-off at the 'Crows Under Academy,' the circusant, Dokuremi Konan!"
"Konan, huh?" Ryuzaki tilted his head downwards, slowly scratching his chin.
Meanwhile, I was flabbergasted. "Konan!? The B-class Dokuremi Konan? Impossible!"
"No," Ryuzaki started. "If anything, that's the slightest chance you've got of survival. Konan is the only one stupid enough to accept something like a rank battle out of nowhere."
"No, you've got it wrong, Ryu," Marianne started. "It's not that he's stupid. If anything, it's because he's a show-off. Especially in front of her."
Saying that, Marianne took her phone out and messaged someone.
"Right, Anastasia—Not only that, but his father is a famous circusant. I'd bet two dennars he'd boast how he won a rank battle."
"Leaving the part it was an F-rank."
"Yup… Ahahaha."
"Right then," Anastasia looked at me, "it's decided. I've called someone who'll help us move to phase one."
What?
"Phase one? Decided what is? Even if he MIRACULOUSLY accepts by chance, I'm an F-rank!"
They both nodded. "Why would we otherwise do this…?" Ryuzaki asked, truly curious, with his eyebrow raised at Marianne.
"No idea?" she answered.
Ahh—Nope. I'm dead. After all, I was right; these two just want to toy with my life! What could I expect from the 'Frozen Empress B-class Marianne the Bitchy' and 'Bombastic D-class Tyrant Ryuzaki Lee…'
"No… Nevermind, it was too much to ask anyway." I turned around and put my hand on the doorknob, when Marianne gently touched my arm.
"Well, relax. We were just messing with you. Of course, an F-class couldn't win against a C-class. But I've got a plan for that as well. Just trust me?"
Trust you? For all I know, this could be a trap… Do I even have a choice, though? I doubt it…
Suddenly, the doorknob shook open, releasing a masked girl who appeared in front of me. In her background, the chaotic class of 3/7 could be seen, from which barely I saw Dokuremi glancing at us.
"Ah, dead man—No, sorry, Sato."
I nodded. "Hello, Anastasia…"
She nodded and glanced back at Marianne, closing the doors behind her. "So, what's this fun you texted me about?"
Fun?
I also glanced at Marianne.
"Ahh—Anastasia… Ahahaa… So…" Anastasia proceeded to explain how they planned to help me. She quietly nodded her head a few times.
"Alright, I understand that Sato will challenge Dokuremi. So? How do I fall here?"
She fiddled with her hair. "This isn't on me to say… But, you know, Dokuremi has a crush on you?" She sheepishly asked, expecting Anastasia to be flabbergasted. She just plainly looked through her.
"Of course? It's obvious as day."
"YOU—YOU KNEW!?" Both Ryuzaki and Marianne asked simultaneously.
She nodded.
"AND YOU JUST IGNORE—no no.
"She's something different.." Ryuzaki muttered.
"Ahem," Marianne coughed, putting her palm against her mouth as elegantly as possible. "Then that fastens everything up. You'll go back to the class now and make sure Dokuremi somehow connects the two of you."
"Hm, I'm sure he already saw him when I opened the doors."
Ah, right—
"Yeah, I saw him glancing."
"Great. The second part starts as soon as Sato enters the class. Immediately throw him glances, looks. That's when you come to play, Sato."
"Me?"
"Dokuremi will most probably drop a small jab towards you. What you gotta do is embrace it and prepare for a counter. Instead of letting it go, respond as arrogantly as possible. When you do that, Anastasia, I want you to fire him up. Got me?"
She nodded. "More or less?"
"Great! That's more or less everything for step one."
I plainly blinked at her. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"SO WE ARE JUST RELYING ON PURE LU—" Suddenly, Ryuzaki threw his palm against my mouth.
"Shut up, idiot, the whole school will know we're scheming something if you yell like that…"
"Mmp—" He released his arm. "Sorry…"
Marianne raised her arms halfway and shrugged. "True, it's playing with luck. But isn't it better than doing nothing?"
She was right, and I knew that, so I nodded slowly.
Marianne looked at Anastasia "Of course, that's only if you accept to help.."
She shrugged "Well I'm sure if I refused you'd knock me out dead and take my ask, hoping to cosplay fool him into thinking you're me."
I smirked a bit thinking its a nice joke
"Your right."
EH SHES RIGHT!?
She closed her eyes and exhaled "AHhh sure, I accept." Looking towards me she raised her fist "Alright then Sato, I count on ya in there."
My chest burned up with action for the first time since forever, we are actually doing this. I thought to myself, there is actually a chance I see tomorrow morning.
Slowly raising my arm I fist bumped her "YOU GOT IT, SAME GOES FOR YOU!"