Chapter 19 – Before the Bell
Kotarō sat alone in his room, lights low, lamp burning like a spotlight in an interrogation cell. His desk was buried in papers. Debate textbooks, open news articles, printed tournament briefs, pens scattered between instant ramen cups and half-finished canned coffee.
"Tomorrow. The final match. Ayumu again. And we don't get to lose twice."
On his laptop, a Google Doc glowed full of motion predictions. Every line had notes beside it:
"This House would implement a digital ID system."
Pros: security, fraud prevention. Cons: privacy concerns, government overreach.
"This House supports nationalized social media moderation."
Danger of censorship, central bias.
"This House would ban targeted algorithmic ads."
Haruka's line: emotional independence vs. economic manipulation.
He clicked tabs. Dozens. Some still loading. Open in the background:
A video of Ayumu's club showcase from last year.Round 2 footage of Haruka's opening speech.Round 1's summary transcript.Four articles on social cohesion policies.A Reddit thread titled: "Best framing tactics for policy debates (no POIs)."
"The motion could go emotional, structural, or legal.
Doesn't matter. I need entry points. Hooks that change the frame before he touches it."
He scribbled on paper:
If Gov: define first. Break predictability.If Opp: flip tone. Expose burden-shifting.Haruka starts steady. Ayumu waits to attack.
"He never starts the fire.
He makes sure we light it, then smothers it in logic."
He queued up Round 3 footage. Hit play. Watched himself speak. Cringed.
"Too defensive.
No recentering.
I countered his terms instead of redefining them."
Watched Watanabe's summary. Better than expected. But too reactive. Watched Haruka. Her cadence. How she moved her hands when emphasizing statistics. How she always slowed down just before transitioning into ethical ground.
"She has rhythm.
I have precision.
Ayumu has control."
1:03 a.m.
He opened Ayumu's middle school debate championship clip. Then the school final from last year. Then a blurry clip someone posted from a club practice. Same tone. Same posture. Always calm. Rarely raising his voice.
Ayumu in the clip:
"You can argue against the law. But you cannot argue against its intent."
"My opponent wishes to reframe. I invite you to check the lens they use."
"He doesn't ask questions.
He plants them.
And they grow inside your speech before you notice."
Kotarō took down notes. Patterns. Sentence structures. Emotional cadences. Pauses.
But the last note on the page said: How to beat Ayumu?
It stayed blank.
1:46 a.m.
He ran his hands through his hair. Papers crinkled under his elbow. The glow from the monitor cast shadows like rings under his eyes.
_"I know how he speaks.
I know what he says.
But it's like studying fire and still not knowing how to hold it."
"Maybe debate isn't about knowledge.
Maybe it's about gravity.
And right now, Ayumu has it."
He sat still. The silence in his room buzzed louder than any crowd.
"I don't know if I can win.
Even after this.
Even after everything."
2:04 a.m.
He dragged himself toward his bed. Didn't even change clothes. Just collapsed backward, body half-tensed, breathing sharp.
The ceiling stared back. Empty.
"I gave it everything.
And I still don't know if it's enough."
"But tomorrow... it has to be."
Morning.
The street buzzed. Laughter rang through alleys. Music played near the school gate. Students in costumes waved signs for food stalls.
The festival was alive.
Kotarō walked through the noise, alone in uniform. Bag on shoulder. Eyes sharp. Head low.
"They don't know.
But I do. This isn't a festival.
It's the final act."
Chapter End