ayanokouki the actor

by vamer

don't read

Starting in class B: Ayanokouji the actor.
Chaoszweihander15

Published: 2023
Source: https/

Prologue: commute

I opened my eyes. I looked over at my digital clock to see that it was exactly 5:59 AM, one minute before the alarm I had set would go off. Obviously, such an alarm wasn't needed for me. I always woke up at this time.

I got out of bed, and looked in the mirror. My hair was slightly messy, and my pyjamas were wrinkled from me turning in my sleep.

I tidied the bed, and took of my pyjamas. I caught a glimpse of my muscular figure in the mirror, and grimaced slightly. I had a body that most men would kill for, but at what cost?

I exercised, doing my usual routine, and then had a shower.

Coming out of the shower, I put on my new school uniform, and went downstairs. I was greeted by Matsuo, my butler.

"Good morning, Ayanokouji-sama. Did you sleep well?" He asked, setting the table with my breakfast.

Today, instead of traditional breakfast, he had decided to make western food: scrambled eggs on toast, with fried bacon and sausages (A/N the best breakfast imaginable)

"I slept very well, Matsuo. How about you?" I asked, taking a seat at the head of the table, where my plate was set.

"I also slept soundly, thank you for asking. What would you like to drink, Ayanokouji-sama? I made fresh orange juice this morning, or would you perhaps like tea? Or maybe coffee?" He asked.

"I'll just have water, thank you," I answered.

"Right away," he said, walking into the kitchen to get my drink.

I tucked into my breakfast. It was always good to eat in the morning, especially protein and carbohydrates. A healthy breakfast meant that you would be able to have more energy throughout the day. An unhealthy breakfast, or no breakfast for that matter, meant that you would likely feel tired, or even faint, before lunch.

And when breakfast tasted this good, there was no way you could turn it down.

I drank the water Matsuo had given me, thanked him for the meal, and went to the door.

"Ayanokouji-sama," Matsuo called.

"Yes?"

"Please, live a good life," he said, putting his arms around me.

I returned the hug, smiling at him.

"I will, Matsuo-san. Please, give my best to your son," I said.

"You can do that yourself. He is also attending ANHS alongside you. He, however, has been put in class A, unlike you."

That's right. Eiichirou had also passed the tests needed to attend ANHS. It was a shame that we weren't in the same class. I would have liked to have someone I already knew and could trust in my class.

I left the house, and waved to Matsuo as he saw me off.

I decided I would walk to school. It wasn't too far, and I would make it well enough in time, so long as I didn't get distracted.

I walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo: a bustling metropolis filled with blinding nights, people, and a constant deafening cacophony of noise.

It was beautiful. I loved being able to experience this.

As I was waiting to cross at a junction, I saw a girl wearing the same school uniform as me. She had black hair, with two braids trailing down to her waist. She was reading a book I had read before: crime and punishment.

As I looked at her, she turned her head, and our eyes met. I gave her a little wave, and she turned away, clicking her tongue and burying her nose back into the book.

I couldn't really blame her. It was a very good book.

We continued walking to school.

About halfway through the journey, I decided that the best way forward was to go through an alley.

Obviously, the girl next to me thought so too.

As we were walking through the alley, we came across a group of lowlifes who were smoking something. I sniffed the air, and identified the substance as cannabis sativa. Weed.

They were also, obviously, very drunk.

I could also see a large amount of other substances around them, too. All of them were highly illegal in most countries, including Japan.

As they saw the girl walk past, they began calling out to her.

"Hey, lady. Wanna drag? I'll give you some, if you show me something of yours," one man said.

"Who's that, your boyfriend?" Another asked.

They started to surround us.

"Uhm, please can you let us pass?" I asked, trying to calm the situation.

"Nuh uh, don't think so man."

"*whistle* your girlfriend is mighty sexy. Mind if I have a go on her?" One man mocked, drawing out laughter from his friends. This one was obviously the 'leader' of the group.

I stood back-to-back with my fellow classmate, wondering how to resolve the situation.

"Can you fight?" She asked, quietly.

"I'm ok," I lied.

Upon hearing that, she ducked low and aimed a kick at the face of the leader. He left the ground for a moment, and landed on his head. He was out cold.

The rest of the group closed in. I punched one in the face, and let another one kick me in the stomach. I clutched my stomach, pretending to be in pain.

Meanwhile, the girl had instantly beaten her half of the group, and judo-flipped the one who had kicked me before he went in to do further damage to me.

"Are you ok? Can you walk?" She asked.

"Yes *cough*" I replied.

"You're not a very good fighter, are you?" She asked.

"Obviously. I do piano and calligraphy, not karate, or whatever it was you do," I said.

"Well, I suppose not everyone is as good at fighting as me. Besides, your effort to sort the situation peacefully was admirable, in its own way. I can see you're a kind and caring person," she said.

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're exactly the type of person I can't get along with," she said, walking away.

Well that was quite rude.

I looked at the bodies on the floor. I rifled through their pockets.

120,000 yen in cash, and a lot of illegal substances, including marijuana, cocaine and heroine. There were also 2 unopened bottles of sake.

I put the drugs in the bin, and put the sake and money in my bag.

I could imagine it would come in very useful later down the line.

The drugs, also, could have come in useful. Teenagers like myself would happily pay a lot of money for a tiny fraction of what I had found here today.

I could imagine it now: a small army of drug dependant teenagers following my every whim, all for a little bit more of what they craved so very much. I could rule the entire school behind the scenes. I could even sell it to teachers. I'm sure a few of them would be stressed enough to give in to temptation.

Maybe I could even start an empire out of it. I could become the biggest drug dealer in Japan. It's citizens would be at my mercy.

But no. I didn't want the attention I would inevitably get from the police at this time. Besides, how would I get any more?

I would have to settle for selling the sake for now.

Arc 1 chapter 1: HorikitaIchinose

I caught up with the girl outside the gate made from naturally formed rock that lead to the school grounds.

"Wait," I said.

She turned to face me.

"You? What do you want?" She asked nonchalantly.

"I want to know your name," I said.

"And why would you want to know that?" She asked further, looking a little more annoyed.

"Well..." I started. Time to put my acting lessons to good use.

"It's not everyday a beautiful woman like you saves someone insignificant such as myself from such extreme danger. And in such style, too. You were like a warrior from an old tale," I complimented her.

I was taught that, by playing to someone's ego enough, and making them feel like they're better than you, often had the effect of them liking you.

She blushed, and averted her gaze.

"T-thank you," she muttered.

"May I know your name?" I asked again.

She regained her composure slightly, turned on her heel, and started to walk away.

"It's Horikita," she said, as she walked off.

Horikita, huh?

Nope. I don't think she'd be up for buying alcohol.

As I reached the class labelled 1-B, I put my bag at my desk, and instantly walked over to the large group of people talking near the middle of the classroom.

In order to become known and trusted quickly, it would be imperative that I start forming connections with as many people as soon as possible.

"Who's this? Are you in our class?" A girl with long, strawberry-blonde hair asked.

"Yes, I am. My name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I can't wait to hang out with you all," I said, flashing a smile.

A few of the girls blushed a little at my introduction.

It was no use denying it: I was pretty good looking. Saying otherwise would be false modesty. Simply put: I wasn't exactly a supermodel, but I was better than your average good-looking playboy.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun. My name is Ichinose Honami. I too, can't wait to be friends with you," the strawberry girl said.

I met quite a few people that day. Not many of them were really worthy of my attention, but I acted like I cared. The only people who looked like they would be lynchpins in the class hierarchy were Ichinose, a boy called Kanzaki Ryuuji, who was good at martial arts, and Shibata Sou, a pretty boy who was good at soccer.

I, too, had made an effort to stand out amongst my classmates, and I was now the centre of my own small group, comprising of mostly girls.

As of right now, everyone knew almost everyone else. If the school had planned it, a formal introduction ceremony would be pointless for us.

The structure of our class was fairly clear as of right now: Ichinose was the leader of the largest group within the class, which comprised of Kanzaki, Shibata and around 25 others. Next was me. My group was about 15 strong, but was comprised almost entirely of girls, unlike Ichinose's group, which was an even mix of the two.

So, I had rolled the dice. It seemed my role would be that of a pretty playboy. I made a mental note to invite my group to do something like go shopping or do karaoke later.

As I was talking to my group, the bell rang, and everyone took their seats.

A woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair tied in a ponytail entered the room. Her chest was large, and she wore a suit. She carried a clipboard and had a stern gaze.

"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for class B. My name is Chabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history. However, at this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three years, I will be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all of you. It's a pleasure to meet you. The entrance ceremony will be in the gymnasium one hour from now, but first, I will distribute written materials with information about this school's special rules. I will also hand out the admissions guide."

The students in the front seats passed back the familiar documents I'd received after being accepted.

This school differed from the multitude of other Japanese high schools in a few key ways. Here, all students were required to live in dormitories located on school premises. Also, except for special cases, such as studying abroad, students were forbidden to contact anyone outside the school. Even contact with your immediate family was forbidden without authorisation. Naturally, leaving school grounds without permission was also strictly forbidden.

However, the campus also came equipped with many excellent facilities. With it's own karaoke spot, theatre, café, boutique, and more, you could easily compare this school to a small city. The campus spread over more than 600,000 square metres.

This school boasted another unique feature: the S System.

"I will now hand out your student ID cards. By using your card, you can access any of the facilities on campus, purchase any goods from the store, and so on. It acts like a credit card. However, it is imperative that you pay attention to the points that you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase.

Our points, loaded onto our student ID cards, acted as a kind of currency. The lack of paper money would prevent many students' financial troubles. It was also very annoying for me, since I had more money in my bag than I did on my card.

Students would need to keep a watchful eye on their spending habits.

"Your student cards can be used simply by swiping them through the machine scanner. The method is simple, so you shouldn't get confused. Points are automatically deposited into your account on the first of every month. You should all have received 100,000 points already. Keep in mind that one point is worth one yen. No further explanation should be necessary."

In other words, we had received a 100,000-yen monthly allowance from the school upon admission. I'd expect nothing less from a massive institution run by the Japanese government. 100,000 yen is a rather large sum of money for a high schooler.

"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance examination, which itself speaks to your value and potential. The amount you've received reflects the evaluation of your worth. You can use your points without restraint. After graduation, however, all of your points return to the school. Because it's impossible to exchange your points for cash, there's no advantage to saving them."

My ears pricked up at this. That meant my cash wasn't completely useless. I could give it to someone to keep once they left the school, in exchange for private points.

"Once points have been deposited into your account, it's up to you how to spend them. Do as you like. In the event that you don't want to spend your points, you may transfer your points to someone else. However, extorting money from your peers is not allowed. This school monitors bullying very carefully."

As bewilderment spread among the students, Chabashira-sensei looked over the room.

"Well, it appears no one has any questions. I hope that you enjoy your time here as students."

The class started buzzing amongst itself.

I could see Ichinose rising from her seat. If she unified the unorganised rabble now, my chance to become the de facto leader of the class would slip away. I couldn't allow that. She would either work with me, or serve me. To be Frank, I didn't care which.

I stood up, and clapped my hands once to get everyone's attention.

Immediately, everyone turned to look at me.

"Hello everyone. I understand that some of you know each other, but I think it's best for everyone to introduce themselves formally, in front of the class," I announced

1343 words
Hey there. It's been a little while.
The true elites got updated for the first time in ages .

This isn't going to be like my previous class B fic (we don't talk about that one )

Going to be a lot less copying from the ln.

If you haven't read my class C fic, please go read it. It's not half bad (starting in class C: not completely defective)

Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 2: introductionsshopping and karaoke

"I'll go first. My name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I like all kinds of sports, and I practice quite a few martial arts. My hobbies are piano, calligraphy, tea ceremony and stuff like that. My goal is to be friends with as many people as possible, so please feel free to give me your contact information. I hope you'll all join me for karaoke after the entrance ceremony. The first round of drinks are on me," I said, smiling warmly.

Again, a few of the girls blushed when I looked at them. Ichinose, a little upset that I had taken the initiative before her, quietly sat down and listened to my introduction. No doubt she wanted to be the one who brought the class together under a single, unanimous organisation. Unfortunately for her, I had beaten her to the punch. Not that she thought it was a competition, I imagine.

A few others gave their introductions. Not that I really cared. The only person who's introduction I wanted to listen to was Ichinose's. I wanted to see how she'd try and regain control of the class.

Eventually, she stood up.

"My name is Ichinose Honami. It's so nice to meet all of you. There's not much to say about me, to be honest. I don't excel in academics or sports, but I love to talk with people, so feel free to call me if you want to chat. By the way, Ayanokouji-san, I can't wait for karaoke later. It'll be so much fun," she said, smiling.

So, she truly didn't care about being the leader of the class. But I could see that she didn't quite trust me yet, unlike everyone else. I would have to be very careful with her. She was quite observant.

If I'm not careful, she might topple me from the throne I had created for myself.

After introductions, I had the contact information of every single person in my class, including Ichinose.

The entrance ceremony was truly boring.

Afterwards, I led our class to the karaoke parlour. There were a few who didn't come with us, including a girl called Yuki Himeno. Unlike the rest of our class, she didn't seem to care about being friends with everyone. At least she wore her heart on her sleeve, unlike me. I would have to speak to her at some point. I'm sure she could become a useful asset.

I bought everyone a round of drinks, and I hired a booth for 1 hour. I instructed Shiranami Chihiro, a girl who had been shadowing me ever since we left the entrance ceremony, to purchase another booth, since our group was too big for 1 booth. She looked upset at having to leave me, but happy that she was able to help me.

We divided the class, and we each went into our separate rooms. I made sure that Ichinose was in the same room as me, so she couldn't undermine my influence while I wasn't with her. Luckily, she didn't realise this, and followed me into our booth.

About an hour later, voices were starting to get horse, and moods were starting to lighten up. It was truly a happy time.

Not that I felt any happiness in me.

After karaoke, many people, mainly girls, decided it would be a good idea to go shopping. I decided to join in.

When we got to the expensive-looking clothes shop, the girls went crazy over the selection of exquisite clothing.

A few minutes after we came in, another group came in, a little smaller than ours. Like our group, it was mainly girls. Not particularly strange, considering the store we were in only sold women's clothing.

Since there was now about 60 people in the store, it was quite crowded, and items were flying off the shelves.

Soon enough, an argument had broken out.

It was between one of the girls from the other group and Amikura Mako, a girl from my class.

Apparently, they had both seen a dress at the same time, and were fighting over who saw it first.

"Ayanokouji-kun, tell her it's mine," Amikura said.

"Hey, stay out of this," the other girl said to me.

I put their hands on both of their shoulders.

"Amikura-chan. To be honest, I don't think this dress is good enough for you to wear. I think you should go for something more like this," I said, pulling another dress off of the rack.

Amikura, surprised by how I addressed her, blushed and allowed me to direct her to a mirror. I put the dress up to her, and leaned in close to her.

"Yes. I think you'd look beautiful in this," I whispered.

Her blush deepened, and she took the dress from me and bought it straight away. It was lucky that I had taken her measurements into consideration, or else she would have had a dress that didn't fit.

Just then, someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around to see the boy who had come in with the other group of girls.

"You handled that really well," he said.

"Ah, it was nothing. I'm Ayanokouji, by the way. From class 1-B," I introduced myself, and stretched out my hand for him to shake.

"I'm Hirata Yousuke, from class 1-D. It's nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun," he said, shaking my hand.

"Likewise," I said.

Our groups automatically merged, and we kept going from store to store. The girl who had fought with Amikura apologised for her behaviour, and gave me her contact information. Her name was Kei Karuizawa.

In the next shop, Ichinose sidled up next to me.

"Hi, Ayanokouji-kun," she said.

"Hey, you're...Himeno-san, right?" I asked, pretending to forget her name.

"Haha, no...I'm Ichinose. Ichinose Honami. Goodness, you've been quite the social butterfly today, enough that you've started to mix names up," she laughed.

"Ah well, that's the way when starting a new school, isn't it. Don't worry, Ichinose-san, I won't forget again. Anyway, what is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked.

The interaction we just had was quite critical, especially to those who had overheard it. By showing other people that I had forgotten her name, it made her seem less important in the hierarchy of the class. Also, to her, a boy forgetting her name might put within her the desire to make me spend more time with her in order for me to remember her name.

"Oh, nothing really. How do you think these shoes would look on me?" She asked, holding up the shoes in question.

"I think you'd look great no matter what you wear, if I'm honest," I said.

She blushed, and curled her hair.

"Y-you think so?" She asked.

This wasn't the same type of blush that happened to Amikura. Whilst that was a blush drawn out of the joy of being complimented by a boy she liked, Ichinose was blushing because she was embarrassed. It was evident that Ichinose, unlike most of the other girls I had met so far, wasn't really interested in me.

But I didn't want her to be interested in me. Sure, she was attractive, but I wasn't interested in that, either.

I just wanted her to serve me.

1219 words
So tired -_-

This chapter really shows what Ayanokouji's goal is: to have everyone become reliant on him in some way, either to solve conflict, or perhaps, in Ichinose's case, to just become his servant.

Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 3: KeiSuzune

(A/N btw Chabashira is the homeroom teacher of class B on purpose. I just like her more than Hoshinomiya.)

It had been a long day. It was late evening by the time the last of our group walked to the dormitory, myself included.

I got my key and went to my room, number 305.

I laid on my bed, and looked at my phone.

I had so many notifications, and some were still coming through. I guess that came from being the most popular guy in class, and a popular figure to the girls of class D.

Speaking of class D, there was one text that stood out to me. It was from Karuizawa Kei, the girl who had fought with Amikura.

I need to talk to you. Now. Can I come to your room?

That was very odd. Although many other girls were trying to get my attention, none were so bold as to ask to come to my room right on the first day.

But Karuizawa didn't seem to be doing this for romantic reasons. She seemed quite serious, which made me curious.

Ok

2 minutes later, I heard a knock on my door.

"It's unlocked," I said.

The door opened, and the figure of Karuizawa Kei walked through.

"Hey, Karuizawa-san. Is everything alright?" I asked, faking concern.

"I'm fine, Ayanokouji-kun. I just...wanted your help with something," she said.

"Well, whatever it is, I'll be glad if I can be of any help," I offered.

"Thanks, Ayanokouji-kun. You're a really good guy."

Well, at least my nice guy act was convincing.

"Well, it all started in junior high. I wasn't...very popular. In fact, I was anything but. I was bullied a fair bit, by a lot of horrible people," she explained.

I nodded and looked concerned.

"And...I don't want that to happen here as well. I've decided that the best way to put myself on top of the social ladder...is to date the most popular guy in our year..." she continued.

A strange conclusion to come to. If you're dating someone that other girls want to date, you're more likely to be a target of bullying. But, I could see the direction she was coming from.

"So...will you...be my pretend boyfriend!?" She asked.

"What do you mean by 'pretend'?" I asked.

"Well, obviously we can't just be boyfriend and girlfriend on the first day of school. Stuff like that needs to be built up after at least a few months, even a year," she explained.

"So you want me to just act as your boyfriend, even though we wouldn't actually love each other?" I asked.

"Exactly," she confirmed.

I thought it over.

On the one hand, it would be beneficial to have someone to manipulate, and have a valid excuse for being seen with her all the time.

On the other hand, I really just didn't want to.

"I'm...sorry, Karuizawa-san, but I can't be the boyfriend you want," I apologised.

She nodded her head.

"But, I can be something else. Perhaps, say, I found my cousin who I haven't had contact with in years. It turns out we're both going to the same school," I offered.

She looked confused for a moment, but then nodded her head again.

"Oh, I see. This way, we don't have to deal with relationship stuff, but you can still offer me social protection. Ayanokouji-kun, you're a genius!" She squealed.

"Please, call me Kiyotaka. We're family, after all, Kei-san," I said.

"You got it...K-Kiyotaka-kun," she said, blushing.

We ironed out the details of the story. Her mother and my father were siblings, who hadn't had contact with each other for years due to a falling out. Kei and I hadn't recognised each other straight away, but we remembered each other's names.

And so, that is how I gained my first pawn.

Most of my night was spent answering messages. Being popular came with 1 fatal flaw: you always had to reply.

Many group chats had been made, and most of them were just completely ridiculous.

Ayanokouji's ice cream-chan.

Piano and calligraphy group.

I had even accidentally been added to "Ayanokouji fan club. I didn't post anything on here.

I got out of bed, and took a shower.

It was our first day of class today, so I made myself some breakfast and left the dorm.

As the elevator door opened, I was met with the stern face of a girl I had met before.

"Good morning, Horikita-san," I greeted, cheerfully.

"Oh, it's you. Good morning," she said, nonchalantly.

"Horikita-san, if you're any kinder, you'll soon become the most popular girl in the school," I joked.

An unexpected, short laugh made its way out of Horikita's mouth. As soon as the laugh started, it stopped. She looked at me, and then looked back at the elevator doors.

"Ahem. I don't need to be popular. I didn't come here to make friends, I came here to learn," she said.

"Fair enough. But, don't you think making a few friends would be beneficial? Perhaps you'd like to start with me?" I offered.

"I don't even know your name? Why would I be your friend?" She asked.

"Well, I'll make this a bit easier on you then. My name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, from class 1-B. It's nice to be your friend, Horikita..." I urged her to say her first name.

"Suzune. It's Horikita Suzune, from class 1-D," she said, shaking my hand.

"So you're the Ayanokouji-kun I've been hearing so much about?" She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Apparently, you're the most popular of the first-year boys so far," she said.

"Horikita-san, may I please have your contact information?" I asked.

"W-what!? Why would I give you my contact info?" She asked, defensively.

"Don't you think it would be beneficial to have the contact information of 'the most popular of the first-year boys'?" I reasoned.

She mulled it over for a minute.

"Fine. Here you go," she said, holding out her phone for me to input my number. I did so, and she took her phone back.

"Don't ever message me. I'll contact you if I need anything," she said.

In response, I immediately sent her a meme.

She looked at her phone, blushed slightly, and left.

I am the one who memes.

1075 words.
Ugh didn't know what to do after the Kei scene, so I just did some random bullshit.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 4: Kushidaclub fair

The bell rang to signal lunch. I stood up.

"Does anyone want to grab lunch with me in the cafeteria?" I asked the class.

Instantly, hands shot up around the room. Around half of the class wanted to eat lunch with me.

We went off in the direction of the cafeteria.

I had to be careful with how I spent my points now. After the karaoke yesterday, I had about 90,000 points left, not including the cash in my dorm.

As I was talking with my classmates, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a beautiful girl with short, beige hair and crimson eyes standing in front of me.

"May I help you?" I asked.

"Hey, you're Ayanokouji-kun, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's me. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, good. My name's Kushida Kikyou, from class 1-D. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, bowing slightly.

I returned the bow.

"So, what brings you to me, Kushida-san?" I asked.

"Well, I heard that your goal was to get along with everyone in school. As it happens, that's also MY goal. But, unfortunately, I've hit a bit of a snag in that regard," she said, looking a little forlorn.

That was strange. I couldn't see why normal people wouldn't want to be friends with this girl. She was charming, beautiful and cheerful. But...

I sensed something was a little bit...off with her.

"What kind of 'snag'?" I asked.

"Well...there's a girl in my class called Horikita. Horikita Suzune. When I asked everyone in my class for their contact information yesterday, she was the only person who didn't give me hers," she said.

Ah, yes. Horikita. Well, I had to congratulate myself a little. I had successfully outdone a girl who was actively trying to be popular.

"And, I noticed that you were walking to school with her this morning. Are you perhaps Horikita's friend?" She asked.

"I'm everyone's friend, Kushida-san, including Horikita's. Would you, perhaps, want her contact info?" I asked, taking out my phone, insinuating that I could give her what she sought.

"Oh, if it's not any trouble," she said.

"No trouble at all, Kushida-san. My only condition is that you wait for her to message you first," I said.

She nodded.

After gaining Kushida's contact info, I sent her Horikita's number.

"Thank you very much, Ayanokouji-kun. Please call me if you ever want to hang out," she said, walking away.

Kushida was exactly like me. She acted kind on the surface, but she actually hid something deep within her.

I suppose I should try and draw that something out.

"At 5 PM Japan Standard Time today, we will be holding a student club fair in Gymnasium No. 1. Students interested in joining a club, please gather in Gymnasium No. 1. I repeat, at—"

A girl with a sweet voice continued the announcement. Club activities, huh? Come to think of it, joining a club would be a great way to get in contact with senior's, and strengthen the bonds I had with my fellow first-years.

I turned to the girl next to me.

"Hey, Ichinose. Are you interested in joining a club?" I asked.

"Oh, me? No, not really. Not unless you count the student council as a club, in which case I might be interested," she replied.

The student council. That would be perfect. Not only would I be able to make contact with seniors who are upstanding leaders of their classes, I would be more easily able to exert my influence over the first-years. If I became a member of the student council, the role of class leader would all but be placed upon my shoulders.

"Would you like to come to the club fair with me, then? I also want to join the student council," I offered.

She looked a little crestfallen when I said I wanted to join the same club that she did, but she kept her composure.

"That's really great! I hope that we both get to join," she smiled.

After class had ended that day, myself, Ichinose and a few others from our class went to the club fair. It was absolutely packed, more than I had anticipated.

The clubs here operated on a high level. Many club members were actually nationally famous. The facilities were also excellent, really state of the art. Even professional's didn't have access to the equipment that some clubs had.

It soon became evident, after club leaders began taking the stage at the centre of the gymnasium to talk about their club, that the only reason they wanted new members was for budgetary increase. I mean, who thought that archery was a fun and rewarding sport, really?

Sure, I could hit 5 bullseyes in a row, but it didn't feel especially fun or rewarding.

All of the speeches were truly a waste of time. Completely and utterly boring. The only one that piqued my interest was the very last one.

He started off the speech by simply staring into the crowd, not saying a single word. A few jeers and heckles turned into complete and full blown laughter from the audience at his apparent nervousness.

But eventually, the laughter born from humour became silent, and a tense atmosphere filled the room, and the audience was silent. The man at the centre of the stage had the undivided attention of every single person in the room. After about 30 seconds of this silence, he started his speech.

"I'm the president of the student council. My name is Horikita Manabu," he said.

Horikita? Like Suzune? Perhaps they were related.

"The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among the first-year students to replace the graduating third-years. Although no special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those considering application not be involved in other club activities. We generally do not accept students involved elsewhere. Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone who possesses a naive outlook. It only would such a person not be elected, he or she would sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council's right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects far more than that. We gladly welcome those of you who understand this."

He didn't pause even once during his eloquent speech. After her left the stage, the student council secretary, Tachibana, took his place.

"Thank you all for coming. The club fair has ended. We will now open the reception area to anyone interested in signing up. Also, registration will be open to the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at a later date, we ask that you please bring the application form directly to the club you wish to join."

The third-year students who'd introduced their respective clubs starting taking applications. Ichinose and I went to the table where Horikita Manabu was seated.

"Good afternoon. I take it you are both interested in joining the student council?" He asked.

"Yes, Horikita-senpai," I confirmed.

"Then please, could you tell me your name's?" He asked, getting ready to write our names on an empty register.

"My name is Ichinose Honami from class B," said Ichinose.

He wrote down her name.

"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, also from class B," I said.

He paused a moment, looked me in the eye, and then wrote my name.

"Very good. I will contact you directly for a formal interview," he said.

We walked away, giving way to a boy with absolutely no hair, who also seemed to want to join the student council.

It was strange, they way Horikita Manabu reacted when I gave him my name.

Perhaps Suzune had told him about me. Or perhaps it was something else...

1311 words
Kushida introduced.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 5: student counciltrue nature

I was eating lunch with my usual entourage, and my phone suddenly buzzed.

I had notifications from almost everyone in my contacts, with a few exceptions, on banner only. Which meant that this was either important, or it was a new contact.

It seemed, to my surprise, that it was both.

Hello, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. This is Horikita Manabu, the student council president. With regards to your desire to join the student council, I would kindly ask that you come to an interview after class ends today.

I looked over to Ichinose, who also seems to have gotten the message.

That meant I wasn't out of the woods yet. I still had to prove my superiority to the student council president.

After class ended, I politely excused myself from going out with my 'friends' and headed with Ichinose to the student council room.

Along the way, we encountered the bald boy who had also signed up for the student council.

When we arrived there, I knocked on the door.

"Enter," said a muffled voice.

I opened the door, and saw Horikita Manabu at the head of a long table. Also in the room was secretary Akane Tachibana, who was rarely seen anywhere except beside the student council president, and a blond boy, who I surmised was a second or third-year, since I had never met him before.

"Well, at least our kouhai have manners," said the blond boy.

"Something that you clearly lack, Nagumo-kun," Horikita subtly scolded.

The blond boy, Nagumo, looked a little awkward at having been berated, but stood up and walked over to us.

"My name is Nagumo Miyabi. I'm the student council Vice President. It's...a pleasure," he said, extending a hand to Ichinose, who gladly took it.

"Hmmm...I can tell you have the right stuff. Horikita-senpai, I think we should appoint this girl. No need to look for any other applicants," Nagumo continued, after looking at Ichinose for a while.

"T-thank you, Nagumo-senpai, b-but..." Ichinose was about to say something, but Horikita cut her off.

"I am pleased to see that you can make quick decisions, Nagumo-kun. But, in matters such as this, we must be thorough. Please, take a seat you three," he said, gesturing for us to sit.

At this point, Nagumo left the room. He looked behind him, directly at Ichinose.

Jeez, dude. Could you make it any more obvious?

"Thank you for coming to see me. Today, I will offer one or more of you a seat on the student council. Your position will be negotiable, since you are the first applicants we have this year. I would like to start with you, Ichinose-san," he said, directing his attention to Ichinose, who sat up straight in response.

"Academic ability B, intelligence A, decision making B, physical ability C, cooperativeness A-. You gained a score of 89 on your entrance examination. Truly, one of the better students we've had in recent years. It says in the interview that you had many long absences in junior high school. Why did these absences occur?" Asked Horikita.

At this question, Ichinose froze. It seemed that Horikita already knew the answer, and was simply letting Ichinose know this. It seemed to me that she had already lost the position, but I couldn't say for certain.

I wonder what it was that she was so scared of. Perhaps I should look into this matter further.

"You don't know? I see. Well then, onto Kouhei Katsuragi," he said, turning to the bald boy.

"Academic ability A, intelligence A, decision making B, physical ability C, cooperativeness B-. You gained a score of 92 on your entrance examination. I certainly think you'd be a worthy candidate, like Ichinose-san," Horikita said.

"Thank you, president," said Katsuragi.

"And now, you. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," Horikita said, turning slowly towards me.

"Academic ability A, intelligence A, decision making A, physical ability A, cooperativeness A. You gained a perfect 100 on your entrance examination."

The other two looked over at me. Katsuragi looked a little stunned, but Ichinose looked downright flabbergasted. She didn't know the true extent of what I had shown to her this past week.

"Everyone except Ayanokouji-kun, I would kindly ask you to leave us alone," said Horikita.

Ichinose, Katsuragi and even Tachibana were directed to leave the room. After they had left, Horikita spoke.

"Who are you, Ayanokouji-kun?" He asked.

"I...don't understand..." I stuttered, feigning confusion.

"Please, do not insult me. While I may not have an evaluation quite as good as yours, I am above your classmates who you so easily manipulate. I ask you again: who. Are. You?"

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Hm. It seems there's no hiding it from you, is there?" I said, dropping my act.

I stood, and walked over to the window, looking out at the school, and the ocean beyond.

"Who am I, you ask? Simply put, I am the perfect human. More complicated, I am the result of years of training, indoctrination and borderline physical, mental and emotional torture. I was a prisoner, kept in a cage of white walls," I said.

Horikita nodded, urging me to continue.

"So, I decided to escape. To come here, and see the outside world for myself. Of course, my movement is rather limited within this school, but it will have to do for now. In the future, I would very much like to see further outside," I continued.

Horikita POV

This boy...wasn't entirely sane.

Part of the reason he hadn't been immediately put in class A was the fact that the school had no record of his past, but I think I just saw the rest of the reason.

Obviously, if he had shown all of his true self to the interviewer, he would have never been allowed into this school. Hell, he probably would have been referred to a psyche ward.

"So, president Horikita...do I have the job?" He asked.

He looked directly at me now. His gaze was...something else.

His expression could be seen as cheerful, but I knew otherwise.

I thought for a moment.

"I think you're the perfect candidate for the student council. I expect you to attend meetings every Tuesday after class ends," I stood up, walked over to him and extended my hand for him to shake.

"Ahaha. Don't worry. I shall be very invested in being a model student council member," he said, shaking my hand.

I got a feeling of deja vu. It was back when I appointed Nagumo as Vice President.

I hoped that Ayanokouji would not allow his true nature to corrupt the student council, and that he would pretend to be the model student everyone knows him as when it came down to it.

1149 words
Ayanokouji is now a member of the student council.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 6: oh, Alicesecond fiddle.

It was a peaceful day. A day where I wasn't bound to hanging out with others.

A day off from my career as an actor, if you would.

I was sitting outside on a bench, reading a new book I had gotten from the library. It was about a man who viewed the place he lived in as a cage, and the people of his world as his oppressors.

Obviously, I related to the man on some small level.

My time in the white room was hell. I hated every second of it, from the first moment I remember seeing it, to when I left.

I was glad to be free of it.

Clack!

I heard the sound off to my right, but I paid it no mind.

Clack!

Again I heard the sound.

Clack!

I looked over to where the sound was coming from.

I saw a small, white haired girl carrying a cane. From the looks of it, it wasn't simply a fashion statement. She was leaning quite heavily on it, but her legs seemed to be in perfectly working condition.

Judging by the way she carried it on her left side instead of her right, which I could tell was the hand she wrote with, I determined that it must be something related to her heart. Perhaps her heart was very weak?

I stopped looking, and returned to my book.

Clack!

The sound of her cane hitting the floor again.

...

I waited for her cane to drop again.

...

I looked up, to see her standing over me, smiling slightly.

I had hoped to not have to be nice today, but it seemed my wish would not be granted today.

"May I help you with something?" I asked, politely.

"May I sit beside you, Kiyotaka-kun?" The girl asked.

I was surprised she knew my name. I certainly didn't know hers.

"I suppose we have a mutual acquaintance, then, miss..." I asked, waiting for her to give me her name.

"Sakayanagi. Sakayanagi Arisu. And no, no one has told me your name. In fact, this is not our first time meeting, Kiyotaka-kun," she said.

"I see. I must have met you last weak. In fact, I do think I remember talking with you at some point," I lied.

I don't ever remember seeing this girl in my life. My memory must either be flawed, which is highly unlikely, or she was lying.

"Fufufu, no. In fact, the last time I saw you was 8 years 305 days ago," she said, still smiling.

"I think you must be mistaken. I never forget a face. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment," I said, standing up as if to leave.

When my back was turned to her, I asked her a question.

"Where...did you meet me?" I asked, quietly.

"Where else? The white roo-"

I looked around to see if there were any security cameras or witnesses. Within the span of the same second, I grabbed Sakayanagi by the throat, lifted her up and pinned her to the bench.

And now I stared at her, my hand still around her throat, tight enough to restrain her and cause discomfort, but not so tight as to block airflow.

"What is it you want from me?" I asked.

"Hm...nothing, yet. I simply want to bury the masterpiece," she replied.

"And what's stopping me from burying you right now?" I asked, holding up a fist.

"Nothing. Go right ahead, if that is what you wish. But...please know that I would never spill your secret to anyone," she said.

I loosened my grip a little.

"Why?"

"Fufufu...I want our competition to last a little longer. It's only just begun, after all," she giggled.

From what I understood now, it seemed that she must think we're on an equal playing field, academically speaking. She must want to prove that 'the masterpiece' is nothing more than a facsimile of true talent. I could see that she was a calculating, smart individual.

I released my grip.

"Fufufu...it's good to see you again, Kiyotaka-kun!" Said Sakayanagi, waving as she left.

"Please, tell Katsuragi I was right. I knew you had congestive heart failure. He thought it was simple cardiovascular disease, but I suppose I was right," I said, smiling and waving back.

Her eyes widened a little as I said this.

Of course, I hadn't actually talked to Katsuragi yet, much less discussed Sakayanagi's condition with him, but by thinking I had someone keeping tabs on her, I would be able to wage psychological warfare with her.

And, since I didn't know who she was, she'll likely think I am playing other mind games with her too, making her think that I'm one step ahead (which I likely will be).

Today was an interesting day.

Unknown POV

It was our second week of school now, and class had just ended.

I went over to talk to a group of girls.

"Hey, does anyone want to come out with me this evening? I thought maybe we could do some karaoke?" I asked.

"Thanks, but...I've already made plans to hang out with Ayanokouji-kun this evening! He says he's booked 5 tables at pallet café. It's gonna be so awesome!" Said Karuizawa.

"Yeah. Who knew you'd find your estranged cousin here, Karuizawa-san! That's so cool! Even better, he's totally so hot!" Said Satou, blushing.

A few other girls nodded along with her.

"But, you can come with us if you'd like, Kushida-san," offered Karuizawa.

"Yeah, sure! All that matters is I'm hanging out with you guys," I complimented them.

For fuck's sake.

Why was I playing second to some playboy?

Damn, I wished he would just die already.

I would have to go to the rooftop later to relieve some stress.

Arc 1 chapter 7: dragon communionkindred spirit

I had organised 5 table bookings for pallet cafe today. Anyone was free to attend, but I hadn't exactly advertised the event. I simply relied on word of mouth to fill seats.

And, lo and behold, all 5 tables were full. These gossiping fools really knew how to make the most of an invitation.

In fact, our group was so large that we filled the entire cafe, not just the tables I booked. It was starting to get to the point where other students couldn't get a seat.

"Waddya mean, 'there's no more seats'? Where am I supposed to sit?" Said a girl with short, dyed blonde hair and a nasty temper.

If I remembered correctly, her name was Manabe Shiho, a prominent figure in class C. She was effectively her class' equivalent of Karuizawa: the central gyaru figure that the rest of the girls sort of rallied around.

I decided to go and see if I could resolve the problem peacefully.

"Ah, Manabe-san, it's good to see you again. What seems to be the problem?" I asked.

"Oh, h-hi Ayanokouji. Can you believe they ran out of space? What a shitty café." Manabe blushed and acted shy when I greeted her, but started ranting about how I had filled up the café. Not that she knew it was me.

"Oh, well if that's the problem, I'm sure I can help free up some space for you," I said, grabbing my bag.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. You shouldn't have to leave because these guys want to sit. You paid for these tables, after all," said one of the class D girls.

"Hey, who said this was anything to do with you?" Said Manabe, pointing at the girl who had spoken out.

The two started arguing with each other, and soon their friends started to join in.

I tried to calm the situation, but to no avail. It seemed I was powerless in this instance. If only I was able to act with a little more authority. But, alas, I couldn't. Not if I wanted to keep up my kind Ikemen persona.

Just then, the door of the café was opened with a loud noise, snapping everyone out of their previous argument.

In the doorway stood a muscular boy with shoulder length magenta hair. He wore a black shirt underneath his school jacket.

"What's with all this ruckus? I'm trying to enjoy a nice coffee out here, and you can hear your argument all the way back at the dorms," said the boy.

"R-Ryuuen-kun. These guys purposefully filled up the entire café, and now we can't..." Manabe started to explain, but the boy, apparently called Ryuuen, interrupted her.

"So, they came to the café before you, and are just minding their own business, so you decide to cause a scene because you can't sit down? Why not just order something to take out?" The boy reasoned.

"Well...that's..." Manabe started to protest, but Ryuuen cut her off again.

"Exactly. Order whatever you want, and then leave. Who organised this get together?" Ryuuen asked to the crowd. I put up my hand.

"Well then...I'm so, terribly sorry for the trouble my classmates caused you today," he said, holding out his hand for me to shake.

"It's no bother, really. To be entirely honest, it's our fault," I said, scratching my head and shaking his hand.

He started to increase his grip on my palm, so I matched his grip. He continued to increase until he could go no further. I could have pressed more, but it was unnecessary.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, from class 1-B. And you?"

"Kukuku, so you're the Ayanokouji I've heard so much about. I'm Ryuuen Kakeru, from class 1-C. Don't worry, I'll be sure to discipline my classmates appropriately for their transgressions today," he said, looking towards Manabe and her friends.

Upon receiving his gaze, the froze, and some of them started to tremble a little.

They left, and he followed.

Before he closed the door, Ryuuen spoke to me.

"I'll be meeting you soon, Ayanokouji-kun," he said, grinning.

That whole interaction felt a little...off. What did he mean by 'discipline'? Was he perhaps going to physically abuse them?

Well, it didn't really matter. We enjoyed the rest of the day in the café.

I was now on 70,000 points. I needed to find a way to get some more very soon. If I continued my current trajectory, I'll have spent all of them before the month ended.

Most people had now left the café. In fact, it was only me and one other person left, and they now stood up to leave.

"Well, it's been really great talking to you, Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida, brushing herself off.

"It really has, Kushida-san," I said, going to the bar to pay the bill for the tables.

She left the café, and I went back to my seat to grab my bag after paying.

I noticed something in the corner of my eye. It was Kushida's cell phone.

I rushed outside to give it to her.

Once outside, I looked around. I saw her walking...

In the direction of the school, in the total opposite direction of the dormitories.

Now that was strange. That was very strange indeed.

Why would she be going there at this hour?

I followed her into the school building, being careful not to be seen by her. It was late now, and quite dark, so it was easy for me to blend into the shadows.

She started going upstairs, up to the rooftop. She opened the door, and walked out into the clear night.

I decided not to go through, but I managed to keep the door ajar, enough so I could see and hear who she was meeting.

Perhaps she had a secret boyfriend. If so, that would be excellent leverage over someone like her, who relied on men thinking she was single to gain popularity so quickly.

She put down her bag, and stood for a moment.

"He's so fucking annoying," she said, quietly.

What was most surprising wasn't the fact that she swore, which didn't seem like her, but the fact that her whole persona had changed.

One minute, she was a kind and caring girl, and now she was a hateful woman.

"I wish he would just die," she continued, and began to repeatedly kick the fence.

"Die, die, die, die. Eat shit and die," she continued.

Had I really found one of my people? A kindred spirit?

"Stealing my thunder? I'M supposed to be the most popular, not you. You're just some guy," she said.

Oh. I didn't like where this was going.

"You're not even trying, yet you're more liked than me? Some of us have to earn our popularity, yanno...and yet you just waltz in here and effortlessly become the most popular first-year. Eat shit and die, Ayanokouji. Just die in a ditch," she continued.

Maybe this wasn't the best time to talk to her.

I tried to quietly close the door, but it made a loud noise as I tried to shut it.

As soon as she heard this noise, Kushida froze, then turned towards me.

Our eyes locked together.

1218 words
Dragon boi introduced
Kushida's true nature revealed, slightly earlier than in the ln.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 8: Kushida Kikyou

"Who's there?" She asked.

I couldn't simply slip away now. She knew I was here.

"Is that...Ayanokouji-kun?" She asked.

"Yes," I said, opening the door and stepping out onto the rooftop.

After a brief silence, Kushida coldly asked, "what...are you...doing here?"

"I just came to give you back your phone...you left it at the café," I said, holding the phone up.

Kushida looked straight at me. I'd never seen such an intense gaze before.

"Did you hear?" She asked.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't?" I replied.

"I see..."

Kushida briskly walked towards me. She snatched her phone, and the she placed her left forearm against the base of my throat, and pushed me against the wall. She wasn't very strong, but I decided to let the situation play out. Her tone of voice, her actions, everything about her was completely unlike the Kushida I knew. This new Kushida wore a terrifying expression, one that I could rival to my own.

"If you tell anyone what you just heard, I won't forgive you."

Her words were ice, and I didn't think they were an idle threat.

"Were you letting out some pent up feelings up here? At having to act so good all the time?" I asked.

She loosened her grip for a moment out of surprise, but then doubled the pressure on my throat.

"N-no...it's just been a long day, is all," she lied.

"Please, Kushida-san. I know all to well how you're feeling," I said, slowly grabbing her arm and removing it from my throat.

She looked startled at how easily I did this. I bent her arm backwards, and she winced in pain. After about 5 seconds of this, I let her go.

"Kushida-san...may I let out some stress, too?" I asked, looking out over the rooftop.

She didn't say anything, so I continued.

"It's so hard, trying to please everyone all the time. I've had to live off of free meals, and I've had to scrimp and save at home too, all because everyone else wants me to be the one to organise events and such. It's so annoying," I said.

"You...get it?" Kushida asked, a little frightened.

"Do I get it? Fuck yeah I get it. I may not have been doing this for as long as you, Kushida, but I've certainly worked a lot harder for this than you," I said, kicking the fence.

Kushida flinched and let out a little yelp because of the sound.

"Kushida...you and I are the same, aren't we?" I asked, turning towards her.

"I've gone through a lot worse than you have," she hissed.

Something within me snapped at that moment, and I kicked her in the stomach. I made sure to cover her mouth so no one would hear her scream.

There were tears coming out of Kushida's eyes now.

"Kushida...never compare our pasts again. No matter what's ever happened to you before, or what will ever happen to you in the future, it will never come close to what my life has been, or what my life will be again when I'm forced to go back to my home," I whispered.

Once she had stopped crying, I lifted my hand from her mouth.

"Then...why don't you tell me about it?" She asked.

"I didn't think you would care," I observed.

"I don't, but...if you've gone through shit in the past, it will make my day that bit better to hear someone's suffering," she said, smiling bitterly.

I sat down next to her. I could count on the fact that she wouldn't tell anyone what I was about to say, because I also had dirt on her. I also liked to think we had a sort of special connection.

"Well, from the moment I was born, I've been my fathers prisoner," I said.

"So what, your daddy didn't let you go out on your own?" She asked, spitefully.

I gave her a look, and she shut up.

"Worse than that. I, among other children, were used in an experimental educational facility known as 'the white room'. The goal of this institution was to manufacture 'geniuses'. People who could carry the future of Japan on their shoulders. There are currently around 14 generations of students, with a new generation being added each year. Training starts from the age of 4, and continues for the rest of your life, or until you fail," I continued.

Kushida's expression darkened a little.

"So, I was doing that for the past 11 years. Training my body and mind every day, until I became a 'genius'. But I didn't want that to continue. I wanted to be free. So I came here, to escape my father. At this school, he has no power over me. If I'd just gone on the run, he would have just found me and brought me back. So, here we are," I said.

"But...that doesn't explain you wanting to be popular and stuff," said Kushida.

I thought about it for a moment.

"I've tried to come up with a theory for that, too. Perhaps it's something like multiple or borderline personality disorder. Perhaps it's just because I long for the friends that I never had growing up. Perhaps it's just as simple as a 'phase', and I'll stop wanting to be like this next month. My mind is significantly more complex than what I've read and studied in psychology, so I can't find an answer for that right now. That's part of the reason I wanted to escape, to find why I feel this way," I said.

"That's...horrible," said Kushida.

"What about you. What's your story?" I asked.

"Well...ever since I was little, I've wanted to be the best. At spelling, at maths or English. At sports or at acting. And I was, when I was younger. But eventually, people started to overtake me in the areas they excelled. Of course, I've always been well balanced, but I couldn't keep up with people who specialised in these things. The only thing I could beat them at was..."

"Being the kindest person?" I asked.

"Exactly. I was the person everyone enjoyed to be around. Everyone knew who I was, and everyone always wanted to hang out with me. But keeping that up every single day...well, you know firsthand how hard it is," Kushida said.

I nodded.

"But I'm not like you. I'm just ordinary. The stress got so bad that my hair would fall out. It got so bad that I would sometimes throw up," she continued.

"That must have been hard for you," I said.

"Heh, it was...but now, instead of bottling up that stress, I let it out, like I was earlier, before..."

"I interrupted your Ayanokouji hate rant?" I interrupted her.

She blushed, and looked embarrassed.

"W-well, that's because...I..." she tried to find an excuse

"It's fine, really. I don't care," I said.

"So...you promise not to tell anyone about me?" She asked.

"I would be a fool if I did. You also have ammunition against me. It's mutually assured destruction if one of us blabs," I said.

"Heh...I suppose you're right," she said, standing up, clutching her stomach. I suppose it must still hurt where I kicked her.

"Kushida-san, I have a proposition for you," I said, also standing?

"What is it?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Instead of shouting here at night, how about you tell me what's bothering you, and relieve stress that way?" I asked.

"You mean, like...you're my therapist?"

"Sort of, I suppose," I said.

She thought it over for a moment.

"Hmm...maybe you're right. If I keep at it like this, I'm bound to get caught at some point," she said, extending her hand for me to shake.

"Excellent. Just message me whenever you want to talk," I said, switching back to playboy persona.

"Hee hee. I guess we now share a really cool secret, huh...Ayanokouji-kun," said Kushida, switching back to her kind persona too.

1357 words
I accidentally wrote the next chapter before this, before realising I had to write the Kushida scene.
Cool chap I guess.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 9: SudoukuKouenji

The time had finally come again for me to have some time to myself.

Between the balance of school, student council work, sleep and my social life, I had maybe 3 hours in a week to spend by myself.

To be honest, I almost felt less free than I was in the white room.

I wasn't really that free right now, anyway.

I was currently observing the world.

To be more precise, I was watching a game of basketball being played amongst first-years.

I'd thought it would be a good idea to observe this country's elite. The children at this school were viewed as the future elites of Japan, due to the schools prestige.

So why was it that almost everyone here felt so...mediocre?

In lessons, everyone was either playing on their phone, or talking during class. I'd learnt that as you got older, the rules were more heavily enforced upon you.

So why was it that the school was so lax?

It wasn't just that, either.

In the game I was watching, almost everyone was playing truly horribly, except a few individuals.

Now, when it came to school, physical ability wasn't that important, but you would think that everyone would be above average at a school of this calibre.

And I knew for a fact that some of those individuals weren't academically inclined, either. One boy with grey hair, Yamauchi Haruki, couldn't even calculate his bill for lunch the other day, even though he'd only bought 5 items for him and his 2 friends.

Speaking of his friend...

"Woo...yeah! No one can beat me!" Said a boy with red hair.

The current form of play was 5 v 1, with the 1 being a boy called Sudou Ken.

Sudou was by far one of the most athletic students I had seen at this school. The only other person I had seen who looked in better shape in the first-years was class C's Albert Yamada, an American/Japanese student possessed of a truly monstrous build.

Sudou was beating the opposing team all by himself with ease.

Clack!

I turned to my left, to see Sakayanagi standing there.

"Hello, Kiyotaka-kun. May I sit?" She asked.

"Sure, fine by me," I said, gesturing to the seat beside me.

She sat next to me.

"Truly strange, isn't it? How these mediocre students were accepted into an elite school," She remarked.

"Hm. Truly," I responded.

"Perhaps you should show them the true meaning of strength?" She asked, smirking.

The match had been won by Sudou, who was asking for new challengers.

"C'mon, anyone think they can take me? 10,000 points for anyone who can beat me," he shouted, raising his arms in challenge.

"Yes, over here, you have a challenger," said Sakayanagi, lifting up my arm.

I tried to put my hand down, but it was too late.

"Ahh, the pretty boy from class B, eh? C'mon down. Or are you scared?" Called Sudou.

I looked over to Sakayanagi.

"Fufufu...go on. You can't keep the challenger waiting," she taunted.

I got up, and walked over to the basketball court, until I was stood directly in front of Sudou.

"You gonna bring anyone else with you?" He asked.

"No, it's fine. I prefer to fight my battles alone," I said.

"Hm...at least you've got some honour in you. First to 10?" Sudou asked.

"That's fine," I agreed, and we shook hands.

"I'll let you go first," said Sudou, handing me the ball.

As soon as I received the ball, I threw it into the hoop on the opposite side of the court.

...

I decided to let Sudou win. The final score was 10-8.

"Woo...damn, Ayanokouji-kun. You're better than you look," he said.

"Well, I used to play a little, but you've put in far more effort than I have. Of course you'd win," I said, shaking his hand.

I looked over to where Sakayanagi had been sat, but she had left.

Perhaps I had upset her by not beating Sudou. She could probably tell I wasn't really trying though.

"Ho...I came here for a workout, but instead I find the place crawling with invalids. Please, could everyone leave?" Said a voice from behind.

I turned around to see a boy with flowing blond hair, crimson eyes and a muscular build.

"Piss off, Kouenji. I was here first," shouted Sudou.

The boy, Kouenji, laughed.

"Fuhahaha...Sudou-boy, I think you should be a little more polite in the way you speak," said Kouenji.

"Yeah? Well I think you should mind you goddam business," retorted Sudou.

Kouenji looked at the ball in Sudou's hands.

"Well...how about we play for it? If I beat you in a game of basketball, you, and everyone else, leaves. If you win, however, I will gladly postpone my exercise until you leave," said Kouenji.

Sudou smiled.

"Heh...get ready to eat your words, you smug asshole," said Sudou, dribbling the ball.

"But...how," said Sudou, falling to his hands and knees.

Kouenji had let Sudou score the first shot, and then proceeded to beat Sudou 10-1.

"Hahaha...Sudou-boy, you really need to learn when to back down. It was only natural that I, the perfect existence, would triumph," said Kouenji, brushing back his hair.

"Although, I did break a sweat during that game. Perhaps there's no need for any more workout today. Rejoice, Sudou-boy. You get to stay here," said Kouenji, walking away.

"That guy...he's unreal," grunted Sudou.

It's true. Kouenji was like a flash when he got his hands on the ball.

If I was to fight against Kouenji...I couldn't say with 100% certainty that I would win unscathed.

Unknown POV

I knocked on his door.

"It's open," he said.

I opened the door, slammed it shut behind me, and walked into his room.

"In this country, it's common courtesy to remove one's shoes before entering a building," he said, a little annoyed that I hadn't taken off my shoes.

"Don't care," I said.

When I looked at him, however, his gaze told me that if I didn't want to get kicked again, I should remove my shoes.

I kicked them off, and they landed clumsily on the carpet. This appeared to be good enough for Ayanokouji, however.

"Ugh, you wouldn't believe the day I've had," I said, sitting on his bed.

"Well, why don't you tell me about it," he said, pouring some tea.

"Ugh, that Karuizawa is so goddam annoying. I know she's your cousin and all, but she's still annoying," I said.

"I know, right? She's not even really my cousin," He laughed.

"Wait, what?" I asked.

He proceeded to tell me all about how Karuizawa was bullied in the past, and how she wanted to have a connection with him since he was popular, which helped her status. She and Hirata also started dating yesterday. Did she perhaps do that to protect her status, too?

We talked for a little while.

"Oh my god, I know right? Yamauchi is such a little dick," I laughed.

"Yeah, he's so annoying. I wish he'd just leave," he said, also laughing a little.

This was nice. We could just bitch about people together, without fearing any consequences.

I don't like anyone at this school.

Except maybe one person.

1225 words.
I literally finished writing the previous chapter 2 minutes ago, because I wrote this chapter before I realised how chapter 7 ended, and remembered I needed it to be about Kushida.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 10: testhypothesis

(Half of this chapter is pretty much copied from the ln)

For third period today, we had history class with Chabashira-sensei. When the bell rang, Chabashira-sensei walked into the noisy classroom. The class quietened down a little at her entrance.

"Quiet down a little, please. Today's lesson will be a little serious."

"What do you mean, Sae-chan-sensei?"

They already had a pet name for the teacher.

"It's the end of the month, so we're going to have a short test. Please pass these to the back."

She handed out the papers to the students in the front row. Eventually, the single-sheet test reached my desk. It contained questions in the five main subjects. With only a few questions per subject, it really was short.

"Huh? I wasn't listening, though. This is so unfair!" A student cried.

"Don't say that. This test is just for future reference. It won't be reflected in your report cards. There is no risk involved, so don't worry. Of course, cheating is prohibited."

Her phrasing struck me as odd. Normally, only general grades were reflected in your report card. But the way Chabashira-sensei said they wouldn't be reflected in our report cards made me think that the grade would be reflected in some other way. Well...perhaps I was worrying too much. If this had no effect on our report card, then there was no need to be so cautious.

As soon as the pop quiz began, I scanned the questions. There were four questions per subject, for a total of twenty. Each question was worth five points, for a total of one hundred points. Most of the questions were extraordinarily easy, to the point where it was almost a letdown. In fact, the questions seemed to be about two levels less difficult than the ones on the entrance examination. It appeared far too easy.

However, just as I thought that, I reached the end of the test. The final three questions were of an order of magnitude higher in terms of difficulty. The final math problem couldn't be solved without complex formulae.

"No way. These questions are seriously way too hard..."

These questions couldn't be geared toward a first-year high school student. The final three questions were clearly of a different quality than the others, so it was possible they'd been put on the test by mistake. Even though the results wouldn't be reflected in our grades, what in the hell were they evaluating with this?

Well, I guess I'd just have to solve these problems the same way I did on the exam.

Chabashira-sensei monitored us. As she slowly patrolled the classroom, she kept a watchful eye to dissuade us from cheating. I looked around the room.

From what I saw of my classmates, I was confident that none of them would actually fail the test.

I continued staring intently at my test until the bell rang.

"Ayanokouji-kun...you have a girlfriend, don't you?"

"What?"

After we'd finished eating lunch, I was chatting with a few people. The three idiots, Ike, Yamauchi and Sudou, had managed to come into the conversation.

"It's just that, you're always hanging around with girls. Like, you were at the basketball court with that loli chick from class A, right? And a few days ago, Ike got it from Sotomura, who heard from Hondou who was told by Miyake that Kushida went to your room the other night," said Sudou.

At this, everyone gave out an 'oh dayum' and looked to me for an explanation.

"Well, Arisu and I are what you call...childhood friends," I explained.

At this, everyone nodded.

"And what about Kushida-chan?" Asked Ike.

It seems Ike had a particular bee in his bonnet about me and Kushida. Perhaps he harboured feelings for her?

"Well, Kushida and I...we're just friends. I was helping her sort out some stuff the other day, is all." That technically wasn't a lie.

At this, everyone generally accepted my lie.

It would be bad if I got a girlfriend, or if Kushida got a boyfriend. Our popularity was slightly different to someone like Hirata, who had just started dating Karuizawa. Because of their relationship, both of their reputations skyrocketed. I and Kushida would start to lose followers who were only interested in our bodies if we ever entered into relationships.

I suppose, if Kushida and I dated each other, it wouldn't be so bad as us dating other people. At least it would make sense, since we were both the most popular people in the year.

Again, it was time for me to have some time by myself, without any distractions.

I decided this would be a good time to check out the library.

It was truly impressive, one of the largest libraries in the country. The fact that this was reserved only for high schoolers was truly astonishing.

I could spend hours in here.

Clack!

"Fufufu...hello, Kiyotaka-kun," said a voice.

"Arisu..." I said, before turning to see the short girl.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said, looking around the library.

"Indeed. It's almost as though you're following me," I said, browsing the shelves.

At this, Sakayanagi stiffened up a little.

"W-well...it's not like I followed you, actually," she muttered.

"So what do you make of that test earlier?" I asked.

"What? You...want to hear my opinion?" Asked Sakayanagi.

"Of course. Besides me, you easily have the greatest academic mind in the first-years that I've met so far. I've not met anyone who comes close to your level. I consider us to be almost equal, Arisu, so don't feel as though you need to prove yourself to me," I said.

"W-well then...I think that the test was meant to show the school what level we were at, academically speaking," she observed, blushing at my earlier words.

"I think the same. But why would we need to show them. What do you think happens if someone failed the test?" I asked.

"Well...perhaps they get expelled. This is supposed to be an elite school, after all. Perhaps the bare minimum for advancing in this school is to continually keep passing examinations," she theorised.

She was so close.

"Hmm...disappointing. I'd have thought you'd figured it out by now," I said, turning to walk away.

"W-wait...what do you mean? Where are you going?" She asked.

"To see if my theory is true," I said.

The only thing I needed now was concrete proof of my theory.

The classes...they descended in order of ability, with class A being the strongest, and class D being the weakest.

If you looked, it was all too obvious.

But for what purpose?

I finally arrived at my destination, and knocked on the door.

"Enter," said a voice inside.

I opened the door, and closed it behind me.

"Ayanokouji-kun...how can I help you?" Asked Chabashira-sensei.

1161 words
I revived my ancient computer from the dead yesterday. It was showing an orange stripy screen on startup, so I kicked it real hard, turned it off and on again. Lo and behold: it lives.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 11: Chabashira01/05

"Ayanokouji-kun. How may I help you?" Asked Chabashira.

I loudly coughed to cover up the sound of me locking the door.

"Well, Chabashira-sensei...I've come to ask you more about the school," I said.

"I see. If I'm able to answer, I will," she said, whilst writing.

"Well, I was just wondering why the school arranged our classes in order of ability," I said, keeping a light tone, and crossing my legs.

Chabashira froze for a moment, but regained her composure as quickly as it she had lost it.

"Ayanokouji-kun, I'm afraid I'm rather busy right now, could you please meet me at a better time?" She asked, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sensei...I would kindly ask that you not dismiss my question."

Chabashira-sensei stopped writing, and looked at me.

"Ayanokouji-kun...I have no idea what you're talking about," said Chabashira.

It was almost convincing. Her acting skills were great.

A pity they weren't good enough.

"Sensei...you of all people should know about my intelligence, since you've seen all my tests. I please ask that you not insult it," I said, smiling.

Chabashira deflated slightly.

"I would like to tell you what you want to know, Ayanokouji, but...you'll have to do something for me in return," she said, leaning forward.

"Of course. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours," I said, also leaning forward.

"Since you find out tomorrow anyway, I suppose I'll tell you. The 100% advancement rate to further education and employment is reserved only for those students who graduate at class A," said Chabashira.

"I see. The way you say 'graduate from class A'...does that perhaps mean that the class A we have right now will not necessarily be the class A at the end of our third year?" I asked.

"Correct. At the start of your first year, each class is given 1000 class points. Each class point your class possesses equals 100 private points deposited to your class each month. Class points are gained for merit, and deducted for poor behaviour," said Chabashira.

"And am I right in thinking that the class with the highest class points will be class A?" I asked.

"Again, you're correct. Unfortunately, you're too late to change your class ranking now, as points will be calculated later tonight. You COULD try and aggravate another student from class A into attacking you, but it would ultimately be a waste of time," said Chabashira.

"There is more I could tell you, but everything will be revealed tomorrow, anyway. All I advise now is to spend as few points as possible, as you're going to receive considerably less tomorrow than you did on the first day," she continued.

"I see. Thank you for your time, Chabashira-Sensei," I said, standing up and turning to leave.

"Wait, Ayanokouji-kun. You still have to do something for me, remember," she called.

I sighed.

"Let me hear your request then," I said.

"I would like you to do your best to turn class B into class A," said Chabashira.

I turned to look at her.

"Am I sensing...a personal grudge, sensei?" I asked.

"Will you do it, or not? If not, I will report you for extorting a member of staff for information," said Chabashira.

"Those are empty words, and we both know it. Besides, you don't have to worry. I'd planned on doing that very thing even before you asked me, sensei," I said, unlocking the door.

"Be sure you don't overstep your authority, Chabashira-sensei. I'm my own master, now. Not you, and not anyone else," I said, shutting the door behind me.

(OMG MGR reference COGGERS)

Lots of copying coming up :)

On May 1, the morning bell rang for our very first class. Soon afterward, Chabashira-sensei strode into the room, holding a rolled-up poster. Her expression today was even more stern than usual. I suppose it was because she wanted to give off an aura of gloominess. Very showy .

"All right, your morning homeroom is about to begin. Before we get started, does anyone have any questions? If so, now is the time to speak." Immediately, several students raised their hands.

"Um, I checked my point balance this morning, but I was only give 65,000 points today. Weren't we supposed to get 100,000 points every month?"

"I already explained this before, didn't I? All your points are deposited on the first day of each month. I've confirmed that points were wired this month without any issues."

"Can you explain why we didn't get 100,000 points this month, sensei?" I asked.

"Of course," said Chabashira.

"A total of 34 absences and late arrivals. 137 incidences of talking or using a cell phone in class. That is quite a few infractions over 1 month. In this school, your class's results are reflected in the points that you receive. As a result, you've lost 35,000 points that you should've received. That's what happened. I should have explained this all to you on the day of the entrance ceremony. This school measures its students' true abilities. This time, you were evaluated as being in second place, which is a loss in my books. That's all."

Chabashira-sensei spoke in a robotic fashion, devoid of any emotion. Now, it was time for me to do my part.

"Chabashira-sensei, is there any way to undo these results?" I asked.

"Let's say that you stop being late to class and have no more absences...even though zero points will be deducted from you this month, that doesn't mean that your points will increase, either. That means next month you will still receive 65,000 points. Be thankful. Those in class D aren't receiving any income this month at all; they wasted every single point they had," said Chabashira, smiling a little.

I now started to see hints of sadism in this woman.

The bell rang, signalling the end of homeroom.

"It looks like we spent too much time yammering. I hope that you understood the gist of it. Well, it's about time that we switch to our main topic."

From the tube she carried, she removed a white rolled-up poster and spread it out. She stuck the poster to the blackboard with some magnets. The still-confused students stared blankly at the poster.

"Are these...the results for each class?" Kanzaki tentatively took a guess. He was right.

Class 1-A: 0940
Class 1-B: 0650
Class 1-C: 0490
Class 1-D: 0000

"You've all been doing whatever you pleased this past month. The school has no intention of preventing you from doing what you want. Your actions, such as being late or talking during class, only affect the points you receive. The same goes for how you use your points. How you choose to spend is entirely up to you. We have not put any restrictions on point usage."

"But...why is there such a difference in our point values?" Ichinose seemed to have noticed that the numbers were too tidy.

"Do you finally understand now? Do you see why you were placed in class B?"

"Huh? But classes are normally divided up like this, right?"

Students exchanged glances.

"In this school, students are sorted by their level of excellence. The superior students are sorted into class A, the least capable in class D. It's the same system you'd find in the major cram schools. In other words, class B is akin to those who have promise, but ultimately don't make the cut. You're second to the superior students. You're second-rate. This is just the result of you not being good enough for class A."

The class felt uncomfortable at this barrage of insults.

"However...your class's points aren't just linked to the amount of money that you receive each month. They're also indicative of your class rank."

After explaining that, she showed our test scores, and drew a red line underneath our names. Apparently, on the upcoming midterm, anyone who failed would be expelled. The same went for all midterm and final papers.

Luckily, our class was fairly smart, and no one had failed the test yesterday.

The main thing that made the class majorly upset was the reveal that we had to overtake class A to receive the 100% advancement guarantee that the school advertised.

(You know the rest. It's 1 am and I'm tired -_-)

1399 words.
Sorry about the lack of updates, I've been on holiday .
Speaking of updates, the true elites is popping off again. Go check it out, it's pretty much the best fanfic I've ever read.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 12: the presidential election

"It looks like your bubbles have been burst. If you had simply understood the harsh reality of the situation from the start, then this long homeroom period might have meant something. Your midterm exams are in three weeks. Please think things over, and be careful not to drop out. I have confidence that your abilities will allow you not to fail, at the very least. If at all possible, challenge yourself to act in a way befitting a skilled individual."

Chabashira-sensei exited the room, closing the door with some force for added emphasis.

The class started to bubble over in anxiety.

"I carefully scheduled my months on the assumption I'd be getting 100,000 points. Now I'm gonna have to rethink everything."

"Yeah. They really should have told us this from the start."

The class was about to erupt into pandemonium. I had planned in advance, and decided to stand up, and clap my hands twice. Instantly, I had the attention of the room.

"All right, I know that some shocking things have been revealed to us today, but I think our plan of action is clear," I said.

Everyone looked at me expectantly.

"I've only known you all for a month. One short month. But that month has allowed me to get to know each and every single one of you, and we have forged strong bonds of friendship that the revelations of today can't simply break apart," I continued, really laying on the cringe.

But apparently, the cringe worked. Everyone seemed to calm down a little.

"So, in case any more unexpected events occur, I think we should form a class hierarchy. For today, I nominate myself to be class representative. If we ever need to talk to other classes, or any important decisions need to be made, I have the final say in any matters. Of course, we will hold a proper vote soon. Any objections?" I asked.

No one put their hand up.

"Ok. The positions I have in mind are as follows," I said, explaining each role and writing them on the board.

Class representative: will be the point of contact with other classes, has the final say in any major decision that could affect class points.

Class president: has the ability to call for a majority vote if they think the class representative is making a choice that will harm the class, and has the ability to hold an election for a new class representative if the current representative is deemed unworthy for the role.

Vice-president: given the powers of the class president of the class president is absent. If the class president is expelled, the vice-president will take charge until a new president is voted in.

Class secretary: must always take notes on everything discussed in meetings and classes for other students within the class to see. Also responsible for organising any study sessions.

Class tutors: the top 10 students will be responsible for tutoring anyone who requires it.

Everyone listed in the above categories, including the class tutors, will be members of the new class council.

"These are the roles I have in mind. I would like you to put a slip of paper with someone's name written on it in my bag," I said, emptying my bag.

"Of course, don't nominate 1 person for 2 different roles. Now, write down who you would like to be class representative. Ichinose-san, could you please come up to the front and double check the votes once I have counted them?" I asked, gesturing to Ichinose, who agreed.

After everyone had put their vote in, I counted through them. As I thought, I won. My social skills were excellent, and I had the largest social circle in the school. I was the obvious choice. In fact, only 3 people didn't vote for me: Kanzaki, Ichinose and Himeno. I recognised their handwriting. I would have to be careful of them.

For our class president, Kanzaki was chosen. This was a good choice, both for the class and for me. He was good for the class because he was a very diligent student, and quite trustworthy. Good for me because he was extremely easy to manipulate.

Shibata was our vice-president. The vice-presidents position was only useful when Kanzaki was absent.

Ichinose was our secretary. Luckily, she was in a position that couldn't do much damage to me if she ever turned against me.

2 of the 3 people who voted against me as class president had positions in the class council, and I judged that Himeno didn't vote for me simply because she didn't like me.

I had to be careful that those 3 didn't band together to usurp my authority. Ichinose and Kanzaki had a good friendship with each other that would be quite hard to break, but I was sure that Himeno wasn't great friends with them.

"Well, it seems our class is now very well organised. Also, I would like the top 10 students to stay here at break, as we need to discuss whether you're willing to tutor everyone else, and whether you want to be a part of the class council," I said.

Unknown POV

Zero points? Well that was shit.

I'd have to go and vent to Kiyotaka later.

"Ah, Kiyotaka...get ready for an earful," I said quietly, under my breath.

"Hm? Kiyotaka?" A voice behind me said.

I turned around, to see Horikita standing behind me.

"Ah, Horikita-san. It's nothing, just talking to myself is all," I lied.

"Kushida-san, do you know Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun from class B very well?" She asked.

"Y-yes...well, at least a little better than most people. We talk now and again," I said, scratching my cheek and looking away.

"So, you're dating him?" She asked.

"W-what? No, haha..." I blurted.

"Hmm...you seem rather defensive when I say that. Anyway, I need you to ask him something for me," she said.

"Huh? What do you need," I asked.

"I want to meet with him."

1010 words
Not a very exciting chapter, but a chapter is a chapter.
Btw, Kushida and Horikita didn't go to the same junior high school, so Kushida doesn't obsessively hate Horikita.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 13: counter proposal

"Are you free for lunch? Do you want to eat together?"

During break, Kushida came up and invited me out.

"It's unusual to get an invitation from you, Kushida-san. What's the occasion?" I asked.

"No occasion. What's so suspicious about me wanting to have lunch with you?" She asked.

Mine and Kushida's friendship wasn't one that had us eating lunch in public all that often, except when other people were around. Something was up.

"Fine then," I said, walking to the cafeteria.

"Great!" Said Kushida, walking beside me.

We walked in silence for a few minutes.

"So how is 0 points treating you?" I asked.

I could hear Kushida's teeth grind together when I said that. She must have not liked it one bit.

"Oh, you know...it's inconvenient, to be sure," she said.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, Kushida ordered the vegetable meal set, and I ordered the same.

Kushida was forced to buy it out of financial necessity, but I just felt like having vegetables today. Oh the freedom of choice.

I don't know why more people didn't order this. It was actually kinda nice.

"Well, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. It's been a while," said a familiar voice behind me.

"Horikita-san? So that's why you invited me here, Kushida-san," I said, turning around.

Sure enough, the girl who I had met on the first day, who had helped me fight those lowlifes at the start of term, was standing in front of me.

"W-well, I wasn't sure if you would have accepted if I'd simply asked you to meet her," said Kushida.

"Enough chitchat. Ayanokouji-kun, I want to make a deal with class B," said Horikita.

Well that was a little unexpected.

"A deal? You propose an alliance?" I asked.

"Correct. I've studied all 3 opposing classes, and I believe that class B and class D would work best together," said Horikita.

"Are you sure that you're in a suitable position to make such negotiations?" I asked.

This deal could potentially be good for class B, but it could also potentially backfire on me in multiple ways. If any deal were to be made, it would have to be very specific. So to speak, a deal that would benefit me.

"Maybe not, but she is," said Horikita, gesturing to Kushida.

I looked to Kushida.

"And you think your class is willing to make an arrangement with my class?" I asked Kushida, who nodded.

"Well then. Let me hear it."

"Class B will help class D overtake class C in terms of class points," said Horikita.

"And what makes you think I'd say yes to such a one sided agreement?" I asked.

"I asked Chabashira-sensei if students were able to change classes, and she said it was possible, for private points. In the event that class D ascends to class A, we will purchase you a spot in our class," said Horikita.

I laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Asked Horikita.

"Well, I was just surprised that you came to the table without a clue of what I'd want in return for helping you. If you really want my help, you'll have to offer me something I actually want. I can ascend my class to class A by myself, anyway, whether they want to or not," I said, coldly.

Horikita was a little stunned. She was probably surprised to hear that someone didn't want to be in class A.

"Is that everything you wanted to say? In that case, I'll take my leave," I said, standing up. I started walking away.

"Wait...if you help me, I'll...I'll..." Horikita followed me, and tried to think of a way to convince me.

"Suzune, listen...you have nothing that I want. Nothing can make you convince me," I said.

"If you don't help me, I'll bully you," said Horikita.

That took a surprising turn.

"Hm? And what makes you think that would work?" I asked.

"I've seen you fight, Ayanokouji-kun. You're pretty bad. Could you imagine being kicked in the balls every morning? Because that's what'll happen if you don't agree to help me," she threatened.

I almost laughed at that. I'd almost forgotten that I had played down my fighting abilities that time.

"You think that would get you somewhere? If anything, that will just put you back further. People will hate you for laying a single finger on me. You see, Suzune...people love me," I said, grinning.

Horikita froze for a moment.

"Y-you're...a fake?" She asked.

At this point, we were far away from any other people. It was just me, Horikita and Kushida.

"Kushida-san...could you please restrain Horikita for me?" I asked politely.

Behind me, I heard Kushida put her arms around Horikita's shoulders in an effort to stop her from moving. Horikita, however, quickly broke free from Kushida's relatively weak grasp. I turned to see Kushida on the floor, clutching a badly bruised shin, from where Horikita had kicked her.

"You bastard," said Horikita.

"Are you alright, Kikyou?" I asked Kushida.

"I-I'm fine..." she said, holding back tears.

I kneeled beside her, and inspected the bruise.

"Don't worry, it's not broken. Can you walk?" I asked.

"Tch...don't ignore me!" Said Horikita behind me.

I heard a noise behind me, and instinctively blocked to my left, and blocked the kick Horikita had sent towards my head.

"Suzune...could you please give me a moment to tend to the wound you caused to my friends leg?" I asked.

"H-how did you block it?" I asked.

"Perhaps I'm more skilled than you gave me credit for," I said, standing and turning toward Horikita.

"Stop calling me that!" Yelled Horikita, aiming another kick, this time at my chest. I blocked it, and grabbed her leg.

"Suzune, you should stop now," I said, throwing her across the room. She rolled to land on her knees.

"Guh...how are you so strong?" She asked, cradling her injured leg.

I pulled her upright, and slammed her against the wall.

"Suzune, I have a counter proposal to your offer earlier: you do as I say, or I kill you," I said, looking her straight in the eye.

1036 words
Wow, an update.
Been rewatching jojo. Binged part 3 in 2 days.
Felt bored, decided to do this.
I think this was a fairly good chapter.

Arc 1 chapter 14: evil spiritsfate/stay the night

It was that time of the week again.

Some time to myself.

I was walking around the Southwest section of campus, a section I had rarely visited. I looked over to my left to sea the sea spanning across the horizon, the setting sun glittering over the waves.

It was a strange time of day. 4:36 pm, to be exact. Some would call this time 'twilight', as at this time of year, it still got dark fairly early.

In Japanese folklore, and in many other mythologies and cultural beliefs, it's said that twilight was the time when evil spirits descended from their dwellings to interact with the mortal world. Truly a worrying thought...

If you believed that kind of thing, that is.

Clack!

A sharp clack awoke me from my pondering.

"Fancy meeting you here, Kiyotaka-kun," said a very familiar, smug voice.

"Arisu...please refrain from trying to act surprised. I saw you leave the dorms exactly 5 minutes after I left. If you're going to try and outsmart me, at least make it challenging," I said.

"Fufufu, I suppose my physical skills are somewhat lacking when I'm up against one as perceptive as you. Mind if I sit?" She asked, gesturing to the bench.

I nodded, and she sat, resting her cane horizontally on her lap.

"I notice that Horikita-san of class D is acting a little odd recently...you wouldn't know anything about that, Kiyotaka-kun?" She asked, giving me a knowing smile.

Sakayanagi tried her best to have her eyes and ears on me at all times, mainly through her servants, Hashimoto and Masumi.

Masumi I could always see, but Hashimoto was truly gifted in the art of stealth. Whenever he tailed me, I could often lose track of him. Obviously, the time that I had...talked to Horikita with Kushida didn't go unnoticed, but I doubted that he saw the actual event. I made sure that no one was there to see what happened.

So Hashimoto must have seen us leave, and Sakayanagi connected the dots herself.

Very clever.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I hope she's alright though," I said, looking worried.

Sakayanagi let out a small giggle at my acting.

"Fufufu, worry not...I didn't come here to talk about Horikita-san. I came here to tell you something important," said Sakayanagi.

"Oh, do tell," I said.

"Someone has apparently organised a competition of sorts. A fighting competition," said Sakayanagi.

"A fighting competition? What kind of fighting?" I asked.

"Apparently, anything goes. A student council member *cough* Nagumo *cough* has apparently organised it to be tomorrow evening at 7pm in gymnasium number 3. The judo club has moved the necessary equipment there under the pretence of a 'training excercise'," said Sakayanagi.

"And...you want me to join?" I asked.

"Exactly. You see, I want a few extra private points to spend, and this tournament is going to allow betting," she continued.

Gambling was illegal all over the world for minors, but gambling for all ages was illegal in Japan, so I was very surprised to learn that this event existed.

"Am I to assume that this is to be kept to myself?" I asked.

"Well, so long as information doesn't get to the faculty, you can invite whoever you want, I suppose. The only people who've been told are the organisers, who tell the people who they think will put on the best show, and people who have a high social standing within the school. Anyone else there will simply be the friends of those already invited," said Sakayanagi, standing up.

"If those with high social standing are told to attend by the organisers, then why wasn't I approached by said organisers?" I asked.

"Fufufu...you just were, silly," she giggled, walking away.

Clack! Clack!

Hm. That girl certainly knew how to get a large amount of points in a small amount of time.

————

"Man, it's just so stupid! Why are they all so fucking dumb!?"

I was in my room talking to Ayanokouji, and I couldn't help but vent my problems to him.

"Whenever I lean over to point out something, those two idiots have their eyes glued to my chest! It's so...yeuck!!" I continued.

Sudou was sensible enough to not try and sneak a peek, but Ike and Yamauchi just had no sense of shame.

"What about you? Anything come up that's annoyed you recently?" I asked, allowing Ayanokouji to let out some frustration.

"Hm...not really. Sure, my classmates are kind of stupid, but not as bad as yours. The only thing I can't stand is the constant need for everyone to be so...friendly all the time," he admitted.

"I KNOW RIGHT? Like, take a fucking hint and leave me alone, yanno?"

There was a few moments of silence after this.

"Well, I'd better get going, it's quite late," he said, getting up to leave.

"Wait," I said.

He turned to me.

"What is it?" He asked.

I can't believe I was actually doing this.

"Can you...stay here for the night?" I asked.

...

...

...

"Kushida, you really have to treat me to dinner first," he said.

I threw a pillow at him.

"I don't mean sex, creep...I just want...someone..." I said.

"Someone?" He urged me to continue.

"SOMEONE TO CUDDLE!" I yelled, throwing another pillow.

I'd never felt quite this embarrassed in my life.

"Sure. Can I use your shower though?" He asked.

Huh?

Even after all my embarrassing behaviour, he still wanted to stay?

I nodded, and he started walking over to the bathroom, and started taking off his shirt.

Just before the door to the bathroom closed, I saw his exposed back.

Aside from being exceedingly muscular for a high school honour student, there was something very concerning about his figure.

His back was covered in scars.

978 words
Slightly shorter chapter.
I decided to check in on my stories, and I can't believe they still get new reads, much less score high on rankings, even after weeks of not uploading.
Fight club next chapter.
Apparently Kushida's English dub VA was fired by Crunchyroll for doing a fandub of the chainsawman trailer. This chapter is dedicated to Kushida ️ (my best girl)
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 1 chapter 15: Mogul boxing

"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here this evening to celebrate an ancient tradition: beating the shit out of each other!"

The surprisingly sizeable crowd cheered at Nagumo's statement. I can't believe that they had managed to get this many people (around a hundred in total) in the gymnasium without alerting teachers or security.

They'd even managed to get a whole boxing ring in here, along with enough chairs to fit the entire crowd.

It was astonishing, really.

I was up to fight first, against a grey haired boy from class D.

"To start us off, we have Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from class 1-B. Even though he's been here for less than a whole term, he's already, arguably, the most popular of the first-year boys. He's even on the student council. Ayanokouji-kun, do you think you're going to win here tonight?" Asked Nagumo.

"Well, Nagumo-senpai. It's not about winning, it's about having a good time, right?" I asked, smiling.

"He's so handsome!"

"Wow! So inspirational!"

I was getting good comments from the girls outside the ring. I waved and smiled.

"And his opponent: Yamauchi Haruki!"

Silence.

"Yamauchi-kun, tell me a bit about yourself. To be honest, I don't think anyone here knows you," said Nagumo. Obviously, he was one of those people.

"Thank you, Nagumo-senpai. I've kept this quiet, but I actually used to do boxing when I was younger. I was pretty underground though, so that's probably why you haven't heard of me," said Yamauchi.

"Well well, colour me impressed. Without any further ado... let the match begin!"

(One punch KO for Yamagod /)

I had won all of my 3 matches so far. Right now, I was watching a huge guy, Albert, fight that guy Kouenji. Right now, they were fairly evenly matched, but I could tell that it was Kouenji who would take the win.

"You're Ayanokouji-kun from class B, right?" A sweet voice behind me asked.

I turned to see a girl who looked a little older than a first-year standing behind me. She had brown hair and vivid pink eyes. Quite unusual.

"Yes, that's me. I don't believe we've met before. Are you an upperclassman?" I asked, extending my hand.

"Teehee, do I really look that young. No, I'm a teacher here," she said, shaking my hand.

"I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, homeroom teacher of class 1-D."

I was a little confused.

"Why are you here Hoshinomiya-sensei? Isn't this fight against the rules? Shouldn't you shut it down?" I asked.

"Aw, but that would spoil the fun! Besides, I'm here for a show," she said, a mischievous glint showing in her eyes.

"Oh, you mean the fights? Yeah, they're really spectacular, especially between of opponents of such high skill," I agreed.

"Hm? Oh, of course, the fights. I totally agree!"

She looked a little surprised at what I'd said. She was watching the matches intently now, but her eyes weren't really paying attention. I could tell.

She was focused on the fighters. Muscular highschool boys wearing nothing but shorts.

The fight ended with Kouenji's victory, which meant I would soon be going up against him.

"Ayanokouji-kun, good luck! I've got money riding on you!" Exclaimed Hoshinomiya.

I went up to the ring, and took off my shirt, and Kouenji did the same.

As I was about to put on my gloves, Kouenji spoke up.

"Ayanokouji-boy. Don't you think we should make this match a little more exciting?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I suggest we try a little bit of bare-knuckle boxing. Much more...flamboyant, don't you think?" He laughed.

We looked over to Nagumo, who gave a nod.

"And now, the final event! Kouenji Rokusuke vs Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Odds are 3:1 in Kouenji's favour right now, so be sure to bet wisely. For this last match, both contestants will go gloveless, so we're sure to see a little bit of blood I imagine. If both contestants are ready...begin!"

Kouenji immediately leapt forward, and was about to deliver a right hook, the way he had started all his matches so far. I could just duck and deliver a jab to his ribs, but I couldn't be to careful.

I blocked the hook with my left hand.

Just as I thought, he now had a follow up: a jab with his left hand. This one I dodged, and delivered a jab of my own to his ribs.

We both retreated slightly.

"Ho, Ayanokouji-boy. You saw through my ploy. I suppose you're better than I gave you credit for," remarked Kouenji.

"You're not so bad yourself, Kouenji-kun," I said.

This time, I charged him, giving him a jab to the face, which he deflected.

I could see that I wouldn't get anywhere with one off punches, so I decided to go a little crazy.

I decided to punch Kouenji repeatedly, over and over again, across every inch of his upper body.

"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"

I was faster than Kouenji by a fair margin. He couldn't do anything except block my blows, but he still managed to keep up, just barely.

If I stopped now, he would find an opening. I had to finish this quick.

"TIME!" Shouted Nagumo.

The crowd exclaimed and booed, and I stopped my assault on Kouenji.

"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but that's all the time we have this evening. We have to scram before the cleaners I'm afraid. Since this fight ended in a draw, people who bet on Kouenji will get a 1:1 return, and people who bet on Ayanokouji will get a 2:1 return. Goodnight!"

With that, Nagumo and his crew started to put the ring and chairs away with haste. Everyone started to leave the venue. As I got outside...

Clack!

"Fufufu...you put on a good show tonight, Kiyotaka-kun. A pity you couldn't win your last fight."

Arisu was standing behind me, smiling.

"Although, I did manage to get over a million points out of your winnings, and the final draw," she continued.

"How much did you bet on the last fight?" I asked.

"Every single point I had, including those from all the previous matches," she said.

I was worried about how much confidence she had in me. What if I had thrown the fight or something.

"And of course, your half of the pot."

I felt my phone buzz, and saw that my point balance had gone up by about half a million.

"Thanks," I said.

"Think nothing of it. You earned it," she said, walking away.

Clack!

Clack!

It wasn't that much money, considering I'd bet all my money on myself during my fights as well. I looked at my point balance.

3,734,629

Now, I would be able to pay for everything without having to worry about my point balance.

Tomorrow would be my midterm exam. I had no doubt that I would pass. I didn't have as much confidence in my classmates though. There were still some who would often fail by a few marks.

Well. If they couldn't pass one easy midterm...

It would be a benefit to leave them behind.

1195 words
Wow. Bet you didn't expect to see me again.
Merry Christmas everyone!

I just saw that someone commented 'update plz' so, being in the christmas mood, I decided to do it.
Gotta get to sleep now, early start tomorrow.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you have a very merry Christmas, whatever your circumstances are :)

Arc 1 chapter 16: midterms

"There are no absences today. It appears everyone is present."

Chabashira-sensei strode through the classroom with a bold smile on her face.

"I'd expect nothing less from such a well behaved class such as this."

"We've studied diligently these past few weeks. I don't think that anyone will fail."

"Oh my. You sound quite confident, Ichinose."

Everyone wore a confident look. The teacher promptly took up the test papers and passed them out. Our first period test was for social studies. Out of everything we'd studied, it was probably the easiest subject.

Before long, everyone had their test papers. On the teacher's signal, everyone began. I quickly filled in my answers as fast as possible.

The second and third period exams were for Japanese and chemistry, respectively. It was fortunate that I had correctly taught what was on these tests to my classmates, otherwise what happened next wouldn't be quite as fun.

Fourth period was mathematics. All of the hard questions from the mock test also appeared here. I had had a suspicion that they might appear again, so I decided to walk them through each problem carefully.

Then came the break.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Do you think you'll get a perfect score again, like on the mock test?"

"Well, you shouldn't really be focusing on how I do. As long as you focus on yourself, I have no doubt that you'll be able to pass. All of you," I said, giving a thumbs up.

"So awesome."

"And cute."

I had social science down to a T. Shy away from your own compliments and feed the ego of others, and they'll simply bow down for you.

"Ichinose-san, how about you?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not so sure about English, but I hope I can get a fairly good score," she said, smiling a little.

As of late, Ichinose had started to become extremely aware of me. But, she couldn't really tell anyone else, as it might be seen as slander by our classmates. We were, for now, locked in a stalemate.

She couldn't do anything to me, and I couldn't do anything to her.

Yet.

Around half an hour after the test, I walked to Chabashira's office, and knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

I opened the door, and Chabashira stiffened a little when she saw me.

"Ayanokouji. What can I do for you?"

"Good afternoon, sensei. I wonder if I might be able to purchase something from you?" I asked.

"What could you possibly want to purchase. I don't want to beat around the bush this time. There's no point in purchasing test points. You got full marks," she said, matter-of-factly.

I was surprised she just told me that, but I had gathered that such a thing might be possible.

"You're only half right, sensei. I would in fact like to deduct points," I said.

"But, what's the point in-...no, never mind. I suppose it's pointless to try and fathom your plan. Very well, how many points would you want to deduct from your score?" She asked, pen in hand.

"Oh, Chabashira-sensei. When did I ever say I wanted my score reduced?"

Chabashira-sensei strode into the classroom, looking around at the students in surprise. Everyone was clearly anxious, holding their breath in anticipation of the final results.

"Sensei. We were told that the results would be announced today, but when?"

"There's no need for you to get so worked up, Kanzaki. You should have passed quite easily."

"So, when will the results be released?"

"Well, if you'd like, now is as good a time as any. If we waited to do it after class, we wouldn't have enough time for other procedures."

Some of the students visibly reacted to the words 'other procedures.'

"What...do you mean by that?"

"Don't get flustered. I'll tell you now."

As usual, she revealed the details simultaneously and collectively. She stuck a large, white sheet of paper with everyone's names and test scores onto the blackboard.

"Honestly, I'm impressed. I didn't think that you'd score so well. Many students tied with perfect scores in mathematics, Japanese, and social studies. More than 10 of you, actually."

Some of the students shouted in joy and delight when they saw the 100s lined up on the results sheet. However, some weren't smiling.

I saw Ichinose's test score. She had scored 42 in English.

42 was half of the class average, which meant she passed.

"Yay! Ichinose, I'm so glad you didn't fail!"

"Me too. I honestly thought I'd score more though. I could have sworn..." Ichinose started to mutter a little.

"When we really try our best, we can do anything!"

"Yes, I recognise that. You all did very well. However..."

Chabashira-sensei held a red pen in her hand.

She drew a red line right above Ichinose's name.

"Huh? Wh-what is that? What does that mean?"

"You failed, Ichinose."

The class started to buzz in chaos.

"It's a real shame, Ichinose. Although your time here was short, you struggled valiantly. You'll be asked to fill out a withdrawal form after class, but you will need a legal guardian present when you do so. I'll contact them for you."

As we witnessed the scene unfold, the teacher rattling off the information as if she were filling in a report, the class finally realised what was actually happening.

"As for the rest of you, good work. You all passed without any issues. Work hard so that you can pass your final exam as well. Well then, next—"

"S-sensei. Is Ichinose-san really being expelled? Is there now way to save her?"

I was the first to show concern, even though I was the one who landed her in this predicament.

"She's being expelled. She got a failing grade."

"Could we possibly see Ichinose-san's answer sheet?"

"Even if you look it over, you won't find any grading mistakes. I was expecting that you'd protest."

She took out Ichinose's English answer sheet and handed it to me, and I immediately looked over every problem.

As I had instructed, Chabashira had erased some of Ichinose's original answers and put in others to bring her score down. Small one's, such as spelling and grammar errors that would get enough marks deducted to put her grade a margin of a point below half of the class average.

"There...are no mistakes." I said, putting on a dark expression.

"Well, if you're all in agreement, homeroom is over."

Chabashira-sensei had heartlessly announced Ichinose's expulsion without offering her a second chance or the faintest but of sympathy. Our classmates immediately rushed over to Ichinose, who had started to sob a little.

I slowly got up from my seat.

"Wh-where are you going, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Bathroom."

With that, I exited and quickly made my way to Chabashira's office. When I entered she had her head out of the window, and was smoking a cigarette.

"Mind if I have one?" I asked.

"No. Listen, I did everything you asked already, to the detriment of the class. What more could you possibly want?" She asked, throwing the cigarette out the window.

"Well, I'd like to make just one more purchase from you."

Chabashira sighed a little.

"What is it?"

"I would like to purchase a single test point to be added to Ichinose Honami's English score," I said.

Something in Chabashira snapped.

"But...I just..."

"Will you or won't you?" I asked, holding out my ID card to make the transaction.

Chabashira slumped in her chair after hearing my request.

"Fine. FINE!" She said, rather angrily, and made the transaction.

"Thank you, Chabashira-sensei. By the way, I wasn't joking when I said I'd like a cigarette," I said, standing up to leave.

"Well...fine, I suppose if you're intent on helping out the class. I'll give you one some time," she said.

"Y-you mean Ichinose-san isn't expelled?"

"How did you do it, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"I looked over the paper again, and found that there was indeed a marking error. I informed Chabashira, who quickly rectified her mistake," I lied.

"Yay! Go Ayanokouji!"

"He's so smart!"

As I was getting pats on the back from my classmates, I walked over to Ichinose, who was still a little confused.

"Aren't you glad, Ichinose-san?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm delighted, but..." she started.

"What is it? You can tell me anything, you know," I said, smiling.

"I thought that you were just putting up a façade before. I thought that you weren't really a kind person," she said.

I stayed silent.

"But, after you went out of your way to save me...no one like you could ever fake being that kind and helpful," she said, leaning in to hug me.

I put my arms around her, and we embraced.

Now, the entirety of class B was loyal to me. Not one other class was like ours.

Class A was split between Katsuragi and Sakayanagi.

Class C would turn on Ryuuen if someone stronger stood against him.

And class D...they were basically under my control now, anyway.

All the classes were, to a certain extent. I was the most popular first-year student, after all. Anyone would do anything that I wanted.

————

"What do you mean, you 'got beat up?'" I said over the phone.

"Yeah, some girl and a guy beat us up. The girl left afterwards, but the guy stole the merch!"

"Unacceptable. You'll face your punishment in time. Did you catch either of their names?" I asked.

"Uh, no...but, they were wearing the ANHS uniform. They must have been first-years."

"Describe them."

"Well, the girl had long, black hair with a braid, and the guy had brown hair with curtains."

The first one was obviously Horikita. There wasn't anyone else who matched her description, or her ability to fight 5 men at once.

But the boy. Brown hair and curtains...

That could only be Ayanokouji.

"Hey, Chiaki-san. You coming?" Asked Satou.

"Yeah, just a sec," I said, walking over to her.

He stole my product. He wouldn't get away with it.

1692 words
Longer chapter than usual, hope it was up to your standards.
Not much else to say really
I hope you're all doing well and I hope you had a good Christmas yesterday :)

Arc 1.5: smokeysteamy

"So, this is your first time smoking, right?" Asked Chabashira.

"Second, actually. I found one on the way to school when I first came here," I said, referencing the cigarettes I had stolen from those lowlifes.

"Well, I must say, you handle yourself well for someone who isn't used to nicotine, especially since you're only 15."

Chabashira had invited me to smoke in her apartment. I gladly took up the offer.

Nicotine allowed me to...let go of the anger that had built up within me over the past decade. I felt relaxed and...free, I suppose. Unburdened by the problems I faced and will continue to face.

"What about you, Chabashira-sensei. When did you start?" I asked.

"When we're outside of lesson, please just call me Sae," she said.

"I see. So, when did you start smoking, Sae?" I asked.

"Let's see...it must have been about 3 years before I came to this school," she said, taking another drag.

"You went here?" I asked.

"Yep. Class of 03. So did Chie and Tomonari—class D and A's homeroom teachers. So did that grouch Sakagami, but he was in his third year when I joined," she explained.

"Why did you start so young?"

"Well...I was raised up north, in Asahikawa, you know it?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Well then, you might know what a dump it is. Isn't much else to do their except drink and smoke. At least, that's what my father taught me," she continued.

"Was your father a drunk?" I asked.

"That's one way of putting it. He'd come home, a can of beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Every night, without fail."

"Must've been rough."

"Eh, it wasn't so bad. Besides, he'd always lose his fuel under the bed or behind the sofa somewhere. When I was 12, I decided to try some. From there, my wonderful addiction only grew. What about you, why did you start?" She asked.

"To ease the pain, I guess. I've been through...a lot," I said, exhaling smoke as I did so.

"What exactly...happened to you, Ayanokouji-kun?" Sae asked.

"I'd rather not get into it right now. All you need to know is that it was painful. Extremely painful," I said, inhaling some more nicotine.

Sae looked down at her feet.

"Would you like to...ease the pain a bit more?" She asked, standing up.

"What do you mean?"

She walked over to her cupboard and took out 2 glass's and a bottle of spirits.

"By drinking. You haven't got class tomorrow, so you should be fine," she said, pouring the deep gold liquid into the two glasses.

"Why are you offering me a drink? That's illegal, you know," I warned.

"I've already broken a few laws by telling you stuff that I shouldn't have earlier in the year, and some even longer ago," she said, bringing the glass's over to the sofa, placing one in my hand, and sitting beside me.

"To drowning away the pain," she said, raising her glass.

"To drowning the pain," I said, touching my glass against hers.

Clink!

The noise rang around the room, and we both necked our respective glass.

My throat burned with the sensation of the liquid traveling down to my body.

"How is it?" She asked.

"I've never tried alcohol before. It's...good," I said.

"Well. If you ever want any more, feel free to drop by some time. In the meantime, you should get back to your dorm. I've got to go to sleep now," she said, standing up.

"Very well. Good night, Sae-chan," I said, also standing.

"Good night, Kiyotaka-kun," she said.

She came up to me, put her hands on her head, and stood on her tiptoes, until we were eye to eye.

"What are you..."

"Shhh," she said, putting a finger to my lips.

She removed her finger, and put her lips to where it had been just a few moments ago.

I could feel her mouth opening, and I opened mine too. Soon, her tongue found its way into my mouth, and I returned the gesture in kind.

This continued for a good 10 seconds, until she pushed herself away from me, a single strand of saliva joining us together.

"That's for...making life so interesting. Thank you, Kiyotaka," she said, smiling.

"I...don't know what to say," I said.

"Then don't say anything. When you get to my age, this kind of thing is common between two friends who've been drinking," she said, ushering me out the door.

The door closed behind me, and I just stood there for a moment.

I had just had my first kiss. And I kind of liked it.

When I got back to my dorm, Kikyou was already here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I dunno. I saw you go out earlier, so I thought I'd surprise you, I guess," she said.

"Surprise me with what?" I asked.

"Well, we've been getting on really well lately, so I thought we could share a bed again," she said, smiling.

"Fine. Take a shower first, though," I said.

"Okey dokey!" She said, putting on her cheery persona and saluting. As she walked past me, she stopped.

"*sniff sniff*...have you been drinking?" She asked.

"Only one glass. I managed to get some from my homeroom teacher in exchange for helping her out with some personal issues." It technically wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth.

"Hm. Oki. I'll be in the shower if you need me," she said, walking over to the shower and taking off her jumper, then closing the door behind her.

I didn't hear the click of the bathroom door locking, though.

I then heard the bath taps running, not the shower head. It wasn't that strange, but she did say she was going for a shower, not a bath.

After about a minute, I decided to make some tea for after her bath.

"Kiyotaka...I can't find a towel. Could you get one for me?" She asked.

That's strange. I could've sworn my towel was still in the bathroom. I looked over to the bed to sea the towel on the bed, in a rather messy fashion.

I always folded my towel. Had she...thrown it out of the bathroom before I got here.

I picked up the towel and tentatively walked over to the bathroom door, and knocked.

"Are you decent, Kikyou?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

I opened the door, to see the bath full with bubbles, and Kushida was laying in the tub, smiling gently. Her hair was tied back so that not a single strand was touching the water.

"Close the door," she said.

If it wasn't for the bubbles, I would have seen a lot more than I did. As it was now though, only her head and legs were visible.

I closed the bathroom door.

1144 words
Now, I know what you're thinking: 'write the lemon'.
Well, no. For 2 reasons:
1: I don't want to rn
2: I want to keep this fic family friendly (ish). Softcore only I'm afraid.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 2 chapter 1; The families

Volume 0 minor spoilers. Nothing much just some lore.

Class A: 1094 points
Class B: 0712 points
Class C: 0533 points
Class D: 0087 points

We looked at the results of this months class points tally. Most were only interested in how much income they would receive this month. We earned an increase of 6,200 points this month, but we weren't the only class.

Once lunchtime came around, everyone went to eat. It was another day of acting for me. Allowing girls to feed me, and me feeding them in return.

If I was a regular guy, I would've been in heaven. As it was, however, I started to find it ever so tedious. Sometimes, I wish I could just eat in peace.

"Oh hey, Kiyotaka-kun!" Said a voice from behind.

It was Kikyou, with a group of girls from class D.

I had recently come to an agreement with her: I would try as best as possible to stay away from 1-D, so that she could have a social circle of her own.

And it worked. Nearly the entire class saw her as the centre of the group, with a few notable exceptions, such as Kouenji.

"I'd heard they started dating."

"What? No, they're just really good friends. I heard that they went to elementary school together."

"Nah, I definitely think they're dating, bro."

"Hey, shut up about my Kushida-chan!"

I could hear many whispers from people discussing the two of us. In a sense, the first guy wasn't wrong.

We were, secretly, dating.

We couldn't go public, since it would make both of us lose standing with the opposite sex.

I can't really speak on a girls behalf, but I know that if you're taken, most girls will lose interest in you, either because they don't want drama, or they're friends with the girl.

Obviously, some wouldn't stay away.

"What are you doing after school? Wanna come to karaoke with us? We can form a mega group!" She said, clenching her fists in mock determination.

"Yeah sure. We'll meet later :)" I replied.

Our respective groups began to buzz in excitement over tonight's engagement.

"Woohoo! I don't think I'll ever get tired of karaoke night every night!" Shouted a random girl.

I was sitting next to Kikyou, drinking and chatting with everyone.

"Is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka here?" Asked a familiar voice.

I turned to see Chabashira at the door, looking around for me.

"Here, sensei," I said, standing up and raising my hand.

"Could you come with me please? It's rather important," she said, crossing her arms.

I apologised and said goodbye to my friends, and walked alongside her out of the karaoke parlour.

"Sae...what is this about?" I asked.

"A man claiming to have important business with you has come to the school. He's also claiming to have come on behalf of a large corporation, so we couldn't really turn him down," explained Chabashira.

We walked under the warm amber sky towards the school.

After about a minute of brisk walking through the school's hallways, we came to a large set of wooden double doors, labelled 'director's office.'

Chabashira knocked twice, and an ageing man with pale silver hair tinged with lilac opened the door.

"Ah, Chabashira-san. And...Ayanokouji-kun..." said the man, who I assumed was the director. He addressed me with...caution, for some unknown reason.

"Well, Chabashira-san. We should leave them to it," said the director, encouraging me to go inside.

I walked through the doors, which abruptly closed behind me.

In an armchair towards the back of the room, a man sat smoking a cigar.

His hair was swept back, and I could see the edges of tattoo's inching upwards from his collar. He was wearing sunglasses, so his eyes were obscured, but a rather sizeable scar trailed from both the top and bottom of his left lens.

He appeared to look around 40 years old, but I couldn't be sure.

"You Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?" He asked. His voice was gruff, quite fitting for his appearance.

"Yes, sir. May I ask why you have come to see me. It's usually extremely difficult for someone on the outside to come in, so I imagine the reason is quite important," I said, smiling with mock concern.

"I'm gonna cut right to the chase: you stole...merchandise from me and my family. Such a thing can't be taken lightly in my line of work, you get me?" He asked.

"Stole? Sir, I don't..." I started to protest.

"April 1st, you and your beautiful friend beat up my workers. She left it at that, but you...you just couldn't keep your grubby little paws off of my merch, could ya?" He asked.

He was referencing the fight I had with those guys on the first day. So, they were gangsters, huh?

"So, ya got a fair multitude of options. Option 1; you pay for the drugs and my guys hospital bills. Option 2: you come work for me, and pay off your debt that way. Option 3: I get someone here to beat you up so bad that your hospital fees will equal what you owe. Option 4: I get you expelled, and then you die in a car crash somewhere." With each option he listed, he held up another finger.

"Or, option 5," I said.

"What's option 5?" He asked, smiling in amusement.

"I get my family to destroy your little empire and kill you, your wife and your kids," I said, plainly.

"Huh? You a mobster too? Who's your boss?" He asked.

"You ever heard of Jinnosuke Naoe?" I asked, sitting on the sofa.

"W-what? So you're Atsuomi's son?" He asked, taking off his glasses.

His right eye was a brilliant sky blue, while his left eye was pearly white, thanks to the scar he had.

"You wanna know how I got these scars?" He asked, leaning in towards me.

(Omg Dark Knight reference POGGERS)

"How?" I asked.

"Your old man gave this to me," he said, smiling, showing his dirty teeth, one of which was gold, and he had a small 'M' inscribed into it.

"So, I assume that the debt has gone up now?" I asked, bracing myself for a fight.

"Nah. You're dad and I finished up that business years ago," he said, getting up.

"Besides, I'd heard he was trying to create some kind of superhuman last time his name was brought up. Can't be sure if I'd win against you," he said, standing up.

He walked over to me, and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Listen. For old time's sake, consider your debt repaid. But, try not to antagonise my daughter, who attends this school. If you do that...well, a lot of people are gonna die," he said, lifting his hand from my shoulder.

"And who is your daughter?"

"Her name's Chiaki. Matsushita Chiaki. She might not know that you and I made peace, so please go easy on her," he said, walking to the door.

"I'll try my best, I suppose."

"Good lad. Hey, once you get out of here, if you're in need of work, I could use a strong and smart guy like you in my family," he offered, opening the doors and walking out the room.

Once he did, Chabashira and the director came back inside.

"Are you ok, Kiyotaka? Did he try anything?" She asked.

"No, no. It's fine. It was a job offer, is all," I said.

1240 words
Ok ish chap I suppose.
A little bit of volume 0 lore for you to munch on.
Mr Matsushita thinks he's the joker.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 2 chapter 2: recollection

Kikyou and I were in bed, our exposed body's touching under the sheet.

Kikyou had her arm across my chest, and her sizeable, soft breasts pushed against my arm. It was a pleasant feeling.

I was smoking a cigarette from a packet that Chabashira had given me. Usually, I'd roll my own, but it would be unnecessary hassle right now.

"Jeez, Kiyotaka...can you not smoke near me? It's bad for my lungs," she complained.

I put the cigarette out in the ash tray beside the bed.

"Kiyotaka, can I ask you a question?" Kikyou asked.

"Go ahead," I said.

"How did you get those?" She asked, pointing to my chest.

She was obviously referencing my scars.

"You wanna know how I got these scars?" I replied.

(2nd Dark Knight reference in 2 chapters POGGIES)

She nodded.

"Well, for that, we're gonna have to go back a bit..." I explained.

flashback VFX*

"So, you understand the mission?" Asked my father.

"Yes. Infiltrate the building via parachute, kill Akira Shikekazu, and bring the stolen money. Eliminate all witnesses," I confirmed.

"Yes. Do the name of Ayanokouji proud," he said.

The name of Ayanokouji was built on the white room, the place where I had lived for the past 10 years, where I was trained to be the perfect human, leader and assassin by my father and other great minds.

I didn't hate it, but I wish I could be allowed to do my own thing more often.

I was speaking to him through the earpiece and microphone from the helicopter. The pilot, a woman named Shimizu, flew towards the building where the Akira family made its base of operations.

They made even the Sicilian mafia looked tame. All of them were sick in the head, and would bankrupt entire family for even small crimes, such as slander.

And they wouldn't get someone to do their dirty work, like my father. They enjoyed the feeling of blood hit their skin. Apparently, the first grandson of Shikekazu had begun drinking the blood of his victims as of late.

But that was just a rumour.

The reason I was dropping down was because they had killed a prominent member and stolen the money that was supposed to be left to his children. Jinnosuke, head of the family, was outraged, and had my father send me in to enact his idea of 'justice.'

Not that this was really justice. This was simple revenge that no one else had the skills to do.

I put on my mask.

I opened the door of the helicopter, and the freezing wind swept inside the cockpit.

I looked over to Shimizu, who gave me the .

At her signal, I jumped from the helicopter, and soared through the air.

It was like I was flying.

After 3 seconds of airtime, I released the parachute, and my body jerked at the sudden wind resistance.

I guided my parachute to the building. I hit the side of the building with considerable force, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

I placed my feet on the extremely narrow ledge of the window frame, and got out my glass cutter.

I made the outline of a circle once, twice, and a third time, until I gently pushed the glass, and it landed on the carpet floor with a gentle poomf!

I released the parachute, and bundled it into my bag. I'd be needing it later.

Once I had entered the building, I followed for the sign that read 'president's office.'

When I reached the corridor, I saw two guards outside the door.

I pulled out my pistol, attached the silencer, and shot them both square in the forehead. They didn't even have enough time to react.

Before their bodies fell to the floor, I quickly grabbed one in each arm, and gently put them down.

I then opened the door.

Shikekazu was sat at his desk, filling out various documents. He looked up, and saw me with my blood-soaked arms.

"Hmm. You must be here for revenge, little assassin," he said, taking off his glasses.

I said nothing.

Why was he so calm. I was pointing a gun directly at his face.

"I knew they would send someone. I know I will die, and I have accepted that, but I sure as hell won't allow you to escape," he said, grinning and laughing.

I shot him, and he slumped over his desk. Blood spilled all over his desk, permanently ruining his paperwork.

I went over to the safe, which was locked tight.

I took out a stethoscope, and put it up to the metal box. I then started to slowly turn the handle.

Click!

47

Click!

73

Click!

8

Click!

31

Click!

26

Click!

37

Clack!

I opened the door of the safe, and took out all the money inside. There was over 50 million yen in here.

I stuffed it inside my bag, and hurriedly cut the window.

I had no idea if he was bluffing or not, but it was better to abandon the plan and make it back with the money and the successful assassination of Shikekazu than to get captured or killed.

I knew what these guys did to people who messed with them. I was worried what they would do to someone who killed the head of the family.

As I was about to go through the window, I was pulled by the scruff of my neck.

I landed on the floor, and aimed a kick into my attackers shin, which I got a loud scream for. I think I splintered their bone.

I got up, and shot the assailant. He was just a regular guy, nothing special.

What was more worrying was the fact that there was another 10 of them coming down the hallway, guns drawn.

If I tried to parachute now, these guys would end up shooting me.

I used the desk as cover, and fired at them. I had exactly 7 bullets left in the magazine. I'd need to make each shot count.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

I hit all my targets square in the heart.

I reloaded, and shot the other 3.

I could here more coming, so I decided that I would jump, and try and circle around the building to avoid there fire.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared behind me.

"We have you surrounded on both sides! Surrender or die!" Said a man from just outside the door as two helicopters, which I assumed carried snipers, appeared at the window.

It appeared that I was out of options.

I couldn't die just yet. I still had to get revenge on my oppressors. But I couldn't fight my way out of this one.

I dropped my weapon, and raised my hands.

"Get down on your knees!" The man said, as about 10 men swarmed into the room and aimed their guns at me.

"Huh, so my old man finally kicked the bucket. About damn time. He was too old for this work anyway. Restrain him," he said, addressing his men.

3 sets of zip ties were tied each around my arms, legs, and body. I could only move my body.

"Remember that, today, Akira Shigeo and his deceased father won against one of Jinnosuke Naoe's strongest assassins. You're in for a world of pain, boy," Shigeo said, grinning as he held me by my hair.

He then drove his knee into my face, and my blood spurted across the air and landed on the floor.

I was dragged into an elevator. It felt like we were travelling downwards for eternity. By my calculations, we were about 10 metres underground when the elevator doors finally opened.

We then went down a long, stone corridor bordered by pipes and wires.

Before long, we stopped at a door, which Shigeo opened. Then, my arms were freed, and my hands were bound in heavy iron chains.

That was the start of my year long torture session. I was only thirteen, but that didn't matter to them. They would beat me, and abuse me. Shigeo himself often came down personally to carve his knife into me. At first, I could stand the pain without screaming or crying, but it eventually became too much

He always stopped whenever I passed out though. He thought there was no sense in causing pain if I wasn't awake to feel it.

I was always fed fairly well, but only just so I wouldn't die. I was given good medical treatment, but only just so I wouldn't die.

I would always exercise whenever I could, with what limited ways I could. Squats and push-ups were possible, but they came with a fair amount of pain.

I knew exactly why this had happened.

It was my father's fault. It was the white rooms fault.

I could have lived a happy, normal life if it wasn't for the white room, or my father's criminal ways.

Within the last few weeks of my torture, I vowed that I would one day kill my father, and burn that place to the ground.

My previous, passive self died on that day, replaced with a deep rage and hatred.

Eventually, the Akira family was found guilty of the horrors they committed. The entire empire collapsed, and the police swarmed the building.

I was found there, and was returned to my father's mansion. I was permitted a year to recover, since the white room was undergoing improvements when I was released.

But I would never go back there. I never saw my father after that, and I haven't for over a year. He was always too busy to come and check up on his son, that had undergone horrific torture.

I told that to Matsuo, my butler. When I told him, he told me of a school where I could be free from my father's grasp.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.

flashback ends*

Kikyou listened to my story intently.

"You really went through all that? That's despicable!" She was tearing up a little hearing what had happened.

"Indeed. But if I ever see Shigeo Akira again, I'll kill him, too. I don't even care about the law. I'd prefer to hang him with his own intestines from the very cell he locked me in, after a very long and excruciating experience," I said.

I lit another cigarette, but Kikyou didn't really care. She must've thought it was understandable, reliving such a traumatic experience like that.

Unexpectedly, she hugged me tightly.

"Kiyotaka-kun...I know what you've been through, and even though both of our hearts are empty and hollow, I don't want to see you become a total monster like that," she said, crying into my chest.

"And this is coming from you, of all people?" I asked.

"I know, it sounds rich coming from a person as mean and spiteful as me, but please...I like you as you are. You're nice, but you're also naughty, like me," she said, sobbing still.

Kikyou and I were two peas in a pod, mentally. Even though she hadn't undergone physical torture like I had, she still went through psychological torture, almost worse than me. I had managed to retain my faculties through sheer force of will, but I was an exception among exceptions.

Between a broken body and a broken mind, I would pick a broken body.

I also sometimes feared for Kikyou's sanity. Often times, she flew into a rage when describing the events of her day, punching me out of confusion.

She wasn't in too much danger though, so long as no one interfered with her mind.

1945 words
Very long chapter for me.
Ayanokouji lore (non canon)
This is pretty much the backstory for the entire fic.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 2 chapter 3: Sae-chan-sensei

(A/N: I've decided not to do arc 2 traditionally because it's boring as hell ;)

"I heard they're going out."

"Yeah, but isn't that a bit more Hoshinomiya-sensei's style?"

"Yeah, I mean, but it would be really fun to date a woman like Chabashira-sensei, wouldn't it?"

"Quit being a milf hunter, they're right there, yanno?"

"Besides, isn't he like, dating a third-year?"

"Where the hell did you hear that?"

Sae couldn't hear them, but I could. It was strange to think that a woman like Sae had kissed me just last week. It was even stranger that, just because I decided to eat lunch with my teacher today, people automatically assumed that we were going out.

I looked over to Sae.

She really was beautiful, and mature too. The way she ate, only taking small bites, and her delicate fingers handling the chopsticks. It was almost like she was a work of art.

Her waist was slender, and her legs long. Her breasts weren't overly large or small. The perfect size.

The time she kissed me, she had pushed her chest into me, and it was extremely soft. Softer than Kikyou's.

She was, however, a very straightforward lady. If she didn't like you, she spoke to you as little as possible. She would do this to me, too, but she let down the icy façade when we were alone, becoming almost over relaxed, if you catch my drift.

"So, what was this about a cruise, Chabashira-sensei?" I asked.

"Mhm. Well, the school has, for first-years only, planned a trip to a tropical island to the southwest. You'll stay there for 10 days, and then you'll spend 2 more weeks cruising around the Pacific Ocean. Quite luxury, wouldn't you say," she said, smiling.

"Indeed. And what is the real reason we're going?" I asked.

I had a hunch.

Sae froze, and dropped a piece of food back onto her plate.

"What do you mean?" She asked, resuming.

"I mean, what is the school gonna do to us? I can't imagine that a school who expel's students for failing a test by a margin of a mark would suddenly just give us a vacation like that out of nowhere," I said, smiling.

People would have thought we were just chatting about other things, I hoped.

"Listen, I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to go to the rooftop to have a smoke," said Sae, and she winked slightly while giving a straight face.

She got up and left, on her way to the rooftop. I waited for 2 minutes, and said to my friends who had come over that I wasn't feeling well, and that I was going to the bathroom.

I made my way up to the rooftop, where Sae was smoking a cigarette, just like she said.

"Want one?" She asked, as she heard the door open, not even turning to see if it was me.

"Sure," I said, taking the cigarette from her hand that she offered to me.

She leaned in and lit my cigarette with the burning head of her own. From another angle, it might look like we were kissing.

"So, what's the truth about the vacation?" I asked.

Sae chuckled a little.

"Nothing gets past you, does it? Well, I would hate to see myself or one of my colleagues tortured for the information were I to withhold it from you. Fine, the truth then," she said, inhaling and exhaling a large cloud of smoke.

"It will be the first special exam of your high school life," she said.

"Special exam?" I asked.

"That's right. A special exam means a large influx of class points. The most class points you can gain from this exam are just over 1000, in the perfect scenario. That's never happened, however," she explained.

"So what are the details?" I asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. The exact details of this exam vary from year to year. Last year, the students were told to find the treasure buried somewhere on the island, with the only clue being 'where you started.' The winner would get 100,000 private points, and their class would receive 250 points. They weren't allowed to leave until they found it. The whole beach where they were dropped off was duh up in search for it. They were there for 2 whole weeks," she said.

"Where was the treasure?" I asked.

"Stuck on the side of the ship. Incredibly simple, really. I doubt that you'll have as easy a time, however; they like to change it every year, if possible. And, they cycle through 3 different islands, so that a student can't get information about the island from an upperclassman," she continued.

"Do you know which one it'll be?" I asked.

"Not yet. I'll know when we get there, however. All you need to know is, if we land on an island with a tower on the mountain, there's a fishing hut in a hidden cove on the north side of the island. It's the perfect place to hide out, if the situation calls for it. You can only access it from the water. Or you could make the climb down the cliff face, but it's not recommended. Inside the cabin, there should be a bed and some tinned food, as well as a fireplace. It's the perfect place," said Sae.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said.

"There's also a tunnel that goes up through the cliff face, with the tower at the end of it. It's well hidden, however, and can't be opened from the outside without the key, which is found in the hut," she finished.

"Thanks for the advice, Sae," I said.

"Don't think about it. So long as you manage to reach class A in the time that you're away, I'll consider this information free."

I was walking away from Sae, when she called out to me.

"Hey, Kiyotaka," she said.

"Yeah?" I said, stopping and turning towards her.

"Do you want to come over and watch a movie at my place some time?"

1014 words
HornyKouji at the start there.
Time for sleeps )
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 2 chapter 4: a fun night in

My film night with Sae went well. Nothing really interesting happened, but the film, an old classic about an American crime family, was extremely good to watch.

Between us, we'd eaten a bowl of popcorn and 2 bottles of wine.

I got up to leave, but Sae grabbed my hand.

"Don't you want to stay for a bit longer?" She asked.

"I suppose some coffee would be nice," I said, sitting back down on the sofa.

As Sae got up to make the coffee, I lit a cigarette.

"I don't mind you smoking, but at least open a window," said Sae.

I sighed, got up, and opened the window.

It was quite late now, and it was already dark. I exhaled the smoke out into the warm breeze.

"Coffee's ready," said Sae.

I sat back on the sofa, and drank the warm, black liquid.

"So, Kiyotaka...have you got a girlfriend?" She asked.

Why would she be asking that.

"Hmmm...not officially, no," I said.

She looked confused.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"Well, Kushida and I sometimes stay at each other's apartments," I explained.

"And, do you..."

"Sometimes, yes," I confirmed the rest of her statement.

Sae slumped a little at my answer. I suppose she must have been jealous of Kikyou.

"Do you love her?" She asked.

"Why?"

"Just answer the question," she demanded.

I didn't really like the tone she was taking, but I let it slide.

I thought for a long moment.

"Kikyou and I are...similar. We both have issues, and we both help each other relieve stress, in different ways," I said.

"That doesn't answer my question," she pressed further.

"If I'm being honest...I like her more than most girls, but I wouldn't exactly call it 'love,'" I admitted.

Sae looked down at her legs.

"Then, would you be willing to..." she started, gently grabbing my wrist.

She moved my wrist to caress her own cheek.

"Like me more than most girls, too?" She asked.

(One day I will write a dedicated lemon fic for all the ones I've skipped out on, I promise ;)

When I woke up, I saw Sae making breakfast.

She was wearing only a shirt and her underwear.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked, when she heard me stirring.

"Yes, thanks. Did you?" I asked.

"Fine, I guess. Listen, I have to be at school in about half an hour, so you're gonna have to get up quick if you want breakfast," she explained hurriedly.

I got up and sat at the table.

She had made us 2 slices of toast each, covered in butter, as well as some coffee.

I ate, and then got dressed.

"You're gonna have to stay in here a little while. We can't both be seen leaving together," she explained.

I nodded.

She hugged me, and kissed me on the lips.

"Bye, Kiyotaka," she said, opening the door, and rushing out.

Well that was an interesting night.

494 words
Just a little chapter ;)
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 3 chapter 1: The incidentpink hair

The air was still in class this morning. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary. It was quite hot, however, even for summer.

It was the usual grind. Smile, say hi to people, compliment them, and do my work.

"Good morning class," said Chabashira, walking into the room.

"Before we get started, you should know that an incident occurred earlier today: a fight broke out between Sudou Ken of class D and Ishizaki Daichi, Kyogo Komiya and Reo Kondou of class C," she explained.

The class started muttering and whispering.

"I'm not finished!" She raised her voice.

In an instant, the class turned back to her. You had to hand it to her, she certainly knew how to handle a room.

"As a result, next months points will be affected. Since this class was not involved in the conflict in any way, class A and class B will not receive any point deductions. However, if the issue has no clear conclusion by the beginning of next month, Sudou Ken will face, at best, suspension," she continued.

"But how do you know it was Sudou-kun who started the fight?" Asked Shibata.

Shibata had a fairly good relationship with Sudou, but even Sudou's friends would be grasping at straws trying to prove his innocence.

Since Sae didn't outright say Sudou assaulted the class C boys, it meant there was no evidence pointing to an instigator. And, since it was Sudou, I'm guessing the other boys were probably sent to the infirmary.

In conclusion: worst injuries = telling the truth, at least to the school.

"I must attend a meeting about this matter now. Ayanokouji-kun, could I speak to you outside for a moment?" Sae asked.

I got up out of my seat and followed her out the door.

Once in the hallway, she relaxed a little bit.

"So, who started it?" I asked.

"How should I know, fool? Why do you think I dragged you out here?" She asked.

"I dunno. To ask me to become the teacher to give you a day off?" I asked, joking.

"Hmm. That's actually not a bad idea. Better than self-study, anyway. Listen, we're doing English literature today, page 67-69 (nice). Anyway, that isn't what I wanted to talk about," she continued, casually dumping teaching responsibilities onto me.

"Right...then, what is it?" I asked.

"I need you to look in to the matter. As a teacher, my hands are tied. I need YOU to find out the truth," she told me.

"And...why should I do that?"

"Ugh...because this is going to upset the balance between classes to early on. Also, you should be careful of class C. They're a nasty bunch," she explained.

"Right. So you want me to prove class C was the instigator?" I asked.

"Precisely. Because if you don't, class C will come after us next."

"'Us?' You seem to be taking this pretty personally, Sae," I mocked.

"It's none of your business. Anyway, teach the class, please, I have to get going." After planting a kiss on my cheek, she walked away, her heels clacking on the floor with every step.

I sighed. What a pain.

————

Teaching class was actually pretty easy. I was just heading out to town, when suddenly...

"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have a moment?" A cold voice behind me asks.

"Ah, Horikita-san...how nice of you to stop by," I said, turning and grinning.

It was, in fact, Horkita the younger.

"Mm. Well, can I talk to you?" She asked.

"It depends, really? Are you brave enough?" I asked again, trying my best to look really creepy.

"I'm not scared of you, not out here. I know you wouldn't do anything in broad daylight," she responded, unfazed.

"True. What can I do for you, Horikita-san?" I said, going back to my cheerful self.

"I take it you've heard about the situation with Sudou and class C?"

I nodded.

"And I also take it that you're willing to help?" She asked.

This girl. She had some real guts talking to me like this. But I just had to grin and bear it.

"Well of course! I don't want there to be a miscarriage of justice," I responded.

"Good. Then we should start where it happened, in the special annex building. Let's go," she said, briskly walking away.

"You realise that there will be no one else in the special annex building, Horikita? I might get ideas, you know?" I said, grinning again.

"Exactly, which is why we won't be alone," she retorted.

"What..."

"Yoohoo! Sorry to keep you waiting, Horikita-san!"

I turned to see Ichinose running towards us.

I couldn't really touch Ichinose at all. Besides me, she was the most trusted person in our class, if not the entire first year. If she were to tell the class that I wasn't who they thought I was, at best it would cause a split amongst the entire school. At worst, I could be ostracised completely.

And it seems that Horikita understood this. Perhaps she was smarter than the school, and I, gave her credit for.

"Good, we're all here. Let's go!" Said Ichinose.

With that, we headed for the special annex building.

————

"Jeez, it's so hot in here," whined Ichinose, unbuttoning the top 2 buttons of her shirt, and fanning her chest with her hands.

"You're right. How do we expect to do anything in this heat!" I complained as well.

I was actually fine, but it was a good idea to put on an act.

"Come on, you two, focus. Look for anything amiss," Horikita ordered.

Damn, I'd love to just rip out every hair on her scalp.

We started acting useful.

"Well, one things for certain: Sudou's judgement was definitely impaired by this heat. If they wanted to agitate him, they couldn't have picked a better place," Ichinose pointed out.

I crouched down on the ground, looking at a small object of interest.

I took a pen out of my pocket, and picked up the object, holding it up to the light.

"Pink, huh?"

"Hm? Did you find something, Ayanokouji-kun?" Asked Ichinose, walking over to me.

Horikita also walked over.

"Is there anyone in class C or D who has long, pink hair?" I asked, holding up the strand of hair I had found.

"Hmm. Sakura..." muttered Horikita.

"Sakura? Who's that?" I asked.

I knew everyone worth knowing in this school, and I hadn't met a 'Sakura' yet.

The hair almost reminded me of my friend Ichika's, but it was a bit to bright to be her's.

"Sakura Airi is a girl in my class who doesn't hang out with anyone, and hardly ever socialises. She barely passed the midterm, and she's not very good at physical activity. She's fairly good looking, however..." Horikita explained.

"So, we have a lead?" Ichinose asked.

"It seems so. Tomorrow, we should confront Sakura after class," Horikita said.

1156 words
I've returned. I even updated starting in class C as well. I've not been writing as much as I should've.
It's 2 in the morning and it feels like I'm in a sauna.
Just been watching one piece and shit ig. Finished Stone ocean anime (finally). Absolutely loved the ending, really reminds me of the good old days of reading the manga.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 3 chapter 2: Sakura Airi Class C

"What do you mean, 'you don't know?' I'm pretty confident I found your hair at the scene."

As we were walking to class D, it seemed that Horikita had already started her interrogation. The girl, who I assumed was Sakura Airi, was shaking at Horikita's sudden verbal assault. It seemed that she really hated talking to people.

"C'mon, Horikita-san. That's enough, you're clearly making her uncomfortable," I said, placing a hand on Horikita's shoulder from behind.

She whipped her head around to look at me, and scowled.

"You wanna play good cop? Fine, have it your way, I'm done here anyway," she muttered, storming off.

I watched her walk away, and turned to face Sakura.

"You're Sakura Airi, right?" I asked.

She nodded her head.

"Well, my name is..."

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, right?" She asked.

"Ho, so you know me?" I asked, feigning surprise.

"O-of course. There isn't a girl on campus who doesn't know who you are," she said, awkwardly brushing her hair over her ear.

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," I said, smiling.

"I guess you already know why I'm here, right?" I asked.

She nodded her head again.

"Now, we found your hair at the scene, and—"

"It's not mine."

Her monotone voice was contrasted by the suddenness of her interruption.

"Sakura-san, it's in your best interest not to lie to me, you know."

"I'm not lying. I wasn't there," she continued, getting increasingly nervous.

"You know, this hair has quite a nice scent to it. Smells slightly like...cherries, I think," I said, holding up the hair.

"What are you-"

I slowly put my hand on the wall, and pushed my head close to Sakura's.

"This, Sakura Airi, is the scent of a liar. And cherries," I said.

At this point, Sakura had reached boiling point, and slumped down on the ground.

I couldn't tell if she had fainted or passed out, but she definitely seemed to have been overloaded somehow. I could practically see the steam rising from her red face.

I decided to go and buy her an ice pack.

———

A little while later, she came to.

"W-where am I?" She asked.

"Still in the school building. It's about time we get back to the dormitories. Want to walk back together?" I asked, offering her a hand to pull herself up.

Sakura reluctantly took my hand, and pulled herself to her feet.

As we were walking, I decided to press further about the Sudou incident.

"So, I've already established that you've were at the scene of the crime. Question is, did you see the fight, and, more importantly, who started it?" I asked.

Sakura seemed to realise that lying wasn't going to get her anywhere, and I would go away faster if she answered my questions.

"I saw everything."

"So, who started the fight?" I asked.

"It was the class C boys," she confirmed.

That's good. This girl just made my job a whole lot easier.

"Thank you, Sakura-san! You've been a great help to me," I said, grasping her hands.

She blushed and looked away.

"It's n-no problem, Ayanokouji-kun..." she said, looking away.

"By the way, could I please have your contact information? I'd really like to hang out with you again some time," I said, smiling.

She gasped a little.

"W-well, I don't think I really know you well enough for that..." she nervously muttered.

"Ah, so what? We're friends, aren't we? Isn't that reason enough?"

Her eyes widened at this.

"F-friends?" She asked.

"Of course! You helped me, so that makes us friends.

She looked down, and took out her phone.

"F-fine then. I'll give you my number," she said, showing me the digits on her phone

I took out my own phone, and copied the number on her screen.

"Thank you, Sakura-san. I'll be in touch with you some time!" I said, waving goodbye as I walked away.

She just stood there for a little while, and then walked very hurriedly back to her dorm.

"Hmm. I suppose it's time I pay Ryuuen a visit then," I muttered.

"Yo, Angelo!" I said, walking past the rock.

(Is that a mf jojo reference?)

"What did you say?" Asked Kushida.

"Nothing. Anyway, are you good on the plan?" I asked.

Kushida nodded.

"Mhm. But are you sure this is going to work?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. Right now, I just want to cause a little chaos," I admitted.

"Really? So it doesn't matter if it doesn't go to plan?" She asked, confused.

"Yes. The plan is just to go into the room. Everything else is just up to chance," I said.

"I see. I don't understand, but I guess I trust your decisions," she muttered.

We continued walking, into the school building, until we reached our destination: a door marked 'class 1-C'.

"Wait here," I ordered, and then opened the door.

"Um, hello. Is Ryuuen-kun here at all?" I asked, acting slightly shy.

"Not yet. What's it to you, Ayanokouji?" A guy asked.

"Well, it was just that I wanted to find out more about the incident with Sudou from class D, and I heard that Ryuuen was the one who set it up," I explained.

"W-what? Where did you hear that?" The guy asked.

"Well, from no one in particular. Perhaps it was just my intuition, yanno. Anyway, I just wanted to speak to Ryuuen, so I guess I'll wait until he gets here," I said, taking a seat at the desk I knew was Ryuuen's.

"No, you need to leave. Now." The guy ordered.

"Why is that? Scared something will happen to me?" I asked.

"N-no, it's just that..."

"You seem short for words? Something you don't want me to find out?"

"No, I just-"

"So, are you part of the scheme as well? Should I go ahead and report you to the faculty?"

"NO, it wasn't me, it was-"

"Quiet!"

Everyone turned to the speaker, a boy who had just entered the room.

Ryuuen Kakeru.

1015 words
It's been quite a while since I last updated lol.
My life is sooo busy right now, and I'm writing this at 2 in the morning.
I have 2.5 million power in Rise of Kingdoms after 56 days of playing.
So, I have a practical exam in less than a week that I haven't prepared for, and it's worth 70% of my entire grade, which is fun.
Some band in my area wants me to compose a piece of music for them by July, but at least I get paid for it I guess.
I've been working a LOT of hours recently, and I'm starting to feel it in my feet (every day is arm day for me :)
My friend got arrested for beating up a pervert, but he's been released, but expelled from college. He's gone to join the army.
My other friend who was there didn't get arrested, but he's been expelled as well.
I have a new girlfriend as well. She's Italian, but she's SOOO high maintenance. She won't eat anywhere unless it's super duper expensive. But she's fit though so I'll let it slide (anything for my queen)
I've not had a cigarette since October/November. I've had to use vapes instead. They're not as good as a real cigarette, but at least they're a little bit healthier, and my coughing has gone down quite a bit, which is good.
Don't expect frequent updates, I might write one chapter a week, maybe, if I have time.
Thanks for listening to my lore dump lol.
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed

Arc 3 chapter 2: confrontationwhistleblower

"What are you doing here, Ayanokouji?" Asked Ryuuen.

"What do you mean? Aren't I allowed to come and see my fellow classmates once in a while?"

"Tch...I don't know what your game is, but you need to leave."

"Well, I would like to, but I'd really like to get to the bottom of why you ordered your friends to attack Sudou. Moreover, why you deliberately told them to get beat up as badly as possible," I explained.

Ryuuen tutted again.

"Like I said at the time of the incident: Sudou attacked first. My classmates simply wanted to talk to Sudou, and he went crazy and started to beat them up. They didn't even have time to defend themselves," he said, pointing to a green haired student, Ishizaki.

"Y-yeah, I got beat up real bad...but if I was really trying, I could've won by myself!" Ishizaki said, trying to defend his honour.

"Oh, so then you admit that you weren't trying to defend yourself? You wanted to get beat up?" I asked, trying to be as annoying as possible.

Ishizaki froze, and Ryuuen slowly turned to look at him. His gaze said 'never speak again'.

"Of course Ishizaki was trying to defend himself, as were the others, but Sudou's stronger than almost all of us. They had no chance," Ryuuen said, trying to cover up his subordinates mistake.

"But earlier you said that they didn't even have time to defend themselves? Which is it, Ryuuen-kun? I just want the facts, that's all," I said smugly.

This time it was Ryuuen's turn to freeze.

I could see the gears whirring in his head.

"You did pretty well in that boxing match, didn't you?" He asked.

I was slightly taken aback by the change of subject.

"Mmm, yeah, I suppose so. To be honest, though, I don't think I'm really anything special. I drew on time anyway, so it's not like I actually one. Besides, most of the other guys competing were complete amateurs like me, so it was all down to luck," I said, pretending to think hard.

"That's right. You DID get lucky, but you won't get lucky again!"

Ryuuen immediately leapt up from the table he was perched on, grabbed my collar, and pulled me off of my seat.

The plan had turned out well, then.

I put on a face of terror.

"You see? You're nothing. Just a scared little boy," said Ryuuen, smirking.

"Woah! What's going on!"

All heads turned to the doorway, where Kushida was standing, eyes wide and legs shaking.

"W-why are you guys fighting? You need to stop, or I'll get the teacher!" She shouted.

Ryuuen and I locked eyes, and he let go of my collar.

"So, why do you think that I set this up?" Asked Ryuuen, glossing over the incident that just occurred.

"Why? Oh, because there was a witness," I said, smiling.

This time, everyone froze.

"A w-witness?"

"Ryuuen-san, maybe we should-"

"Shut up!"

Everyone was silent.

"Ayanokouji...it's almost time for lessons to start. I suggest you go back to your classroom," Ryuuen muttered.

"Hmm...okay, I guess I got what I needed from this little visit," I said, walking to the door.

Before I got there, however, Ryuuen put his hand on my shoulder, and leaned in close to me.

"I don't know what your deal is with class D, but you'd be better off siding with us, Ayanokouji," he whispered.

I thought for a moment.

"Hmmm...you're probably right. But you're only saying that because the walls are closing in around you, right? If you hadn't broken the rules like this, I would've considered picking you as Class B's allies. As it stands, however, I can't be friends with you right now," I muttered, and walked away.

When we got out of the classroom, Kushida walked quickly to match my pace.

"So the plan succeeded?" She asked.

"Indeed. Now all we need to do is wait."

"Wait for what?" She asked.

"For the trial. Sakura is going to be invaluable to Sudou, especially since she has photo evidence," I said, typing into my phone.

"Really? Let me see."

I showed her the words that I typed on my phone.

Don't look behind you, but we're being tailed by a class C member.

"Hmm...well, she SAYS she has it, but you don't really know if it's true," she said.

Props to Kushida, she was a great actor. She knew exactly what to do when I wanted her to do it.

"Yeah, she has them saved on her camera in her dorm, so they're pretty much 100% safe. Only Sakura herself can get into her dorm," I said.

At this point, Ishizaki stopped following us.

"He's gone," I said.

"Phew, thank fuck for that. Come on, we'd better get back to class," said Kushida, gesturing for me to follow her.

"Umm, Kushida."

"?"

"I'm already at my classroom," I said, pointing up at the sign that said 1-B.

"Oh, I forgot that we're not in the same class. We spend so much time together that it doesn't feel like we CAN'T be classmates," she said.

"I get it," I said.

"Anyways, I'll see you later, Ayanokouji-kun!" She said, waving and jogging away, in fear of being late.

I smiled. My first genuine smile in a little while. Something about her just made me laugh.

————————

It had been a long day.

Two people had spoken to me today, it was way too much social interaction for me in 24 little hours.

Anyway, I shouldn't get bogged down in the bad. I had helped Ayanokouji and Sudou, so at least I did my good deed for the day.

It was going to be a long day when I got back. The camera I had bought for taking pictures had broken only a few days after I bought it, and I only managed to take 14 pictures on it before it broke. I really needed to take it to be fixed at some point. I couldn't really get by with just my phone camera.

When I opened the door to my apartment, I heard a noise behind me.

I turned, but didn't see anyone. Must've been the wind.

As I was walking in, though, I felt a sudden motion from behind.

This time, however, I didn't get the chance to turn.

An arm grabbed around my waist.

When I tried to scream, a hand covered my mouth.

I was carried into my apartment, and the door closed behind me.

I turned around to see 2 masked people staring at me.

One was a girl, judging by the build, and the other was a fairly plump, but muscular boy.

Beneath the boys mask, I saw a hint of green hair.

Could this be class C? Did they find out that I snitched?

The boy brought his foot backwards, and I was a little confused as to what he was doing.

The next second, his foot sped to the side of my head. It was so fast I couldn't even see it.

1186 words.
Woah, 2 uploads in one week? Unheard of .
Not much else to say really
Hope you're all doing well and I hope you enjoyed :)