Chapter 25 – Declaration After Defeat
The final bell rang.
Kotarō sat frozen.
The applause didn't explode. It just... settled. Like the final note of a funeral march. Uneven. Hesitant. But undeniable.
Across the stage, Class 3-C stood as one. And Ayumu Kurosawa—smiling, sleeves rolled, face calm—stepped forward to receive the plaque.
The announcer lifted the mic with a rehearsed voice.
"Winner of the English Debate Final:
Class 3-C — Opposition Side."
The room erupted. Students clapped, cheered, and whistled. A flashbulb went off.
Ayumu raised the trophy like he was reaching for something invisible above him. Calm. Controlled. And still grinning.
"There it is.
The weight of loss. It doesn't slam you. It just sits. And stays."
Haruka stood with her arms tightly crossed, not clapping. Watanabe sat hunched, fingers tapping the inside of his palm. Kotarō didn't move. Didn't breathe.
"We said everything.
But he still owned the silence after."
Ayumu approached.
He didn't glance at the crowd. Didn't acknowledge the applause.
He only looked at one person.
Haruka stepped slightly in front of Kotarō. "That's enough—"
Ayumu stared past her.
"You were clean, Haruka-chan.
But flat. Always were.
Your logic's tidy but soulless. You don't argue. You recite."
She clenched her jaw. Didn't speak.
Ayumu turned to Kotarō.
"And you. You looked like you were discovering language for the first time.
You sounded like someone trying to be brave.
That's cute. But courage doesn't build structure.
And your structure collapsed the second I walked on stage.
You didn't just lose, Nozomi. You followed."
Kotarō stood. No bow. No hesitation.
"Kurosawa."
Ayumu raised an eyebrow.
"No honorifics? How bold."
Kotarō stepped forward. Voice tight, raw.
"I'll join the English club.
And I'll beat you.
Not just compete. Not just keep up.
I'll bury you.
With your own script."
Ayumu leaned in slightly. Still grinning.
"Then hurry up. I'm getting bored up here. Welcome to the club, Nozomi-kun."
He turned and walked away.
Trophy in hand.
Kotarō stood alone. Fists clenched. Jaw locked. Still facing where Ayumu had stood.
Haruka didn't say a word. Just turned quietly and followed.
_"I lost.
I was dismantled. But I didn't break.
Next time...
He won't walk away smiling."_
Chapter End