A Liquid Inspiration
Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)
One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.
That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.
For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.
It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:
"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."
This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.
Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks, and here's the chapter!
Vol. 1 Chapter 15 - The First Shot
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
The bell rang, marking the end of class.
Unsurprisingly, our classmates were still feeling uneasy after Chabashira-sensei announced the change in the Midterm Examinations' coverage. After all, despite the fact that we're now Class B and only trailing Class A by 20 points, the fact of the matter remains that the class still had more or less the same capabilities as they did when we had started.
This meant that for the academically limited students like Ike or Yamauchi, expulsion still was a possibility for them, which would also mean that their tutor, Kushida, was under pressure to ensure that they would pass.
That being said, Yuki did a great job leading everyone in continuing the review material that I had started. They apparently made good progress to the point that they agreed to proceed with the study group sessions as scheduled.
Well, since Yuki did a good job, I offered her praise for her efforts...
Which led us to this situation.
"Kiyotaka!" Yuki's voice rang out from the doorway, her voice carrying its usual mirth. "Since I did such a great job with the review material, you owe me a date, alright? And maybe two kisses!"
The blonde-haired girl did not even wait for a response as she left the classroom alongside her study group.
I shook my head in amusement. I should have expected Yuki to say something like that.
As for the four others in the room, Ken and Akito sported smirks, Haruka's eyes danced with glee, and Airi, true to her nature, hid her blushing face in embarrassment.
"And you're still trying to convince me she's not your girlfriend," Ken teased, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Not really effective, Kiyotaka."
"Wow! You were able to figure that out?" Haruka marveled, clapping her hands in mock astonishment. "You might not actually be a hopeless big idiot, after all, Kenchin!"
Ken's glare was met with Haruka's cheeky grin. "Bite me."
"Yuki isn't my girlfriend," I reiterated. "She's simply open about her feelings towards me."
"Then what are you waiting for, Kiyopon?" Haruka implored, her face alight with excitement. "Date Yukicchi already!"
Haruka seemed to come alive whenever love and romance were the topics at hand.
"I doubt Kiyotaka would be satisfied with just Tsubaki," Ken chimed in, his smirk returning. "He's still building up his harem."
"Hey, cut the nonsense, Kenchin!" Haruka scolded, wagging a finger at him. "While Kiyopon can be a bit harsh, he's not the kind of guy who'd toy with girls' feelings... or at least, that's what I think."
Though harems might be frowned upon by society, it's not exactly about toying with girls' hearts, Haruka. After all, for a harem to work, all the girls would need to agree to share their partner.
How would that make someone a bad person?
Not that I'd like to have a harem, of course.
"Haruka, don't take Ken's jokes too seriously," Akito interjected, sighing in exasperation. "Harems are just a thing in stories, anyway..."
"But then again..." Akito trailed off, turning his head to me and adopting a thoughtful expression. "Kiyotaka might be able to pull that off. He's already going to school with Tsubaki-san and Matsushita-san on each arm almost daily."
Et tu, Akito?
"You guys are idiots. Let's head out already," I said, shaking my head at the banter.
With that, I left the classroom with the rest of the "Ayanokōji Group" in tow... it feels weird to even think about that name, to be honest.
As we walked down the hallway and descended the stairs, the chatter amongst the group carried on. It wasn't until we had almost reached the ground floor that Haruka decided to speak up.
"Ne, ne, Kiyopon," Haruka called out.
I turned my head to the blue-haired girl and arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Can we not go to the library today? It's reaaaally reaaally tense there with so many students gathering around. Pleaaaase," she pleaded, her hands clasped together as if in prayer.
Since I no longer had to observe Kushida, I suppose it was time to change things up, and Haruka did have a point...
The library was getting too crowded.
"Sure," I replied, my tone calm and collected. "Why don't we try studying in Pallet?"
"Pallet? The cafe that a lot of the girls go to?" Haruka asked before a faux-disapproving look made its way to her face. "Are you trying to hit on girls there, Kiyopon?"
You still haven't learned your lesson about trying to tease me, have you, Haruka?
I turned my head to the blue-haired girl, my eyes betraying none of the amusement I felt.
"What if I am? Are you jealous, Haruka?"
"J-Jealous?! No, that's not it!" Haruka exclaimed, her face flushing red as she waved her hands frantically. "I'm simply making sure you stay loyal to Yukicchi. D-Don't turn things against me, Kiyopon!"
"Right, right," Akito chimed in. "You walked right into that one."
The magenta-haired boy got whacked on the back of his head for his efforts.
I appreciate your support, Akito. You're a true friend once again.
"Not that I'm judging, Kiyotaka," Ken said, a grin showing on his face. "But if you're going to expand your harem, there are a lot of better choices than Haruka."
Ken... you don't say things like that when you're within earshot of the girl that you're insulting.
Although, Ken did have a point there.
Going by anime archetypes, Haruka was more of that annoying sister you couldn't help but adore rather than someone you'd want to date, at least for a character like myself, since she does appear to be motherly towards Airi.
Different characters, different approaches, as they say.
"Hey! I don't like Kiyopon that way, but still... what's wrong with me, huh, baka Kenchin?" Haruka puffed up her cheeks indignantly, pointing a finger at Ken. "I'm a really cool girl! And there's so much more to me, like being..."
My eyes involuntarily moved down to her chest...
Thankfully, no one noticed.
"Annoying," Ken interjected, unable to hold back his laughter.
"A pest," Akito chimed in, not even looking at Haruka.
Haruka then glared at Akito and Ken, who interrupted her in the middle of her rambling.
"Hey, that's not nice!" Haruka pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "And why are you quiet, Kiyopon?"
I'd rather stay out of the crossfire, thank you very much.
"Am I supposed to say something?"
"Yes," Haruka replied, her eyes pleading with me to say something supporting her. "And it should be something nice about me! Like me being charming or whatever comes to mind."
I shook my head in amusement. "Whatever comes to mind? Probably boobs."
Haruka's eyes widened, and her face turned a deep shade of red. "K-Kiyopon! You pervert!"
Akito and Ken burst into laughter, and even Airi couldn't help but giggle behind her hand.
"Hey, you said 'whatever comes to mind,'" I reminded her, shrugging. "Yuki's always saying stuff about your boobs, so it stuck."
It was true.
Yuki did complain about having Airi and Haruka placed in my study group because they had bigger breasts than her.
Haruka pouted even more, her lower lip jutting out in a childish manner. "You're awful, Kiyopon. I thought we were friends!"
"We are, Haruka," I replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "That's why I'm teasing you."
Haruka let out a huff before crossing her arms over her chest once again. "Fine, whatever. From now on, Ai-chan will be my only friend here. You three boys are dead to me, especially you, Kiyopon," she said before catching Airi, who was trying her best not to get noticed, in a hug.
If I said something nice, you would have accused me of flirting with you, so the best answer would be to tease you.
I was simply avoiding a landmine there.
"Ha-Haruka-chan!" Airi stammered, clearly not expecting to be dragged into the situation.
Haruka then nuzzled her cheeks with Airi's own. "You're just so precious, Ai-chan!" Haruka cooed.
"W-We're in public, Haruka-chan," Airi squeaked out.
I arched an eyebrow at Airi's wording, as her words felt like the precursor to a lewd activity.
Iie Iie, that was rude of me.
I blame Eiichiro for this.
"Alright, alright," I said, trying to regain some semblance of order. "That's enough, Haruka. Airi's going to die out of embarrassment with your antics."
"Understood, Kiyopon-sama," Haruka replied, her tone mockingly obedient as she finally released Airi from her grip.
"Th...thank you, Kiyotaka-kun," Airi whispered, her cheeks still flushed from Haruka's sudden display of affection.
"Don't say Kiyopon-sama," I replied to Haruka, sighing. "The nickname is weird enough as it is."
"That nickname came from the heart, you know?"
If calling me Kiyopon came from the heart, then you must truly be merciless, Haruka.
15.1
With the banter slowly winding down, we finally made our way to Pallet. As we arrived, the atmosphere of the place was just as lively as the last time I was here with Tachibana-senpai and Horikita-senpai.
I felt bad for making Tachibana-senpai feel like a third wheel on that one.
That said, we found a large enough table to accommodate our group and took our seats. A friendly server came to take our orders, and we each chose our preferred dishes and drinks.
As we waited for our orders to arrive, I couldn't help but observe the various groups around us; each engrossed in their own studies or discussions.
"It's interesting how different the vibe here is compared to the library," I mused aloud.
"That's right. Heh, no annoying old bat is going to shush me here," Ken said, grinning.
I arched an eyebrow at Ken. "You do realize that studying is the main reason we're here, right?"
"Well, he's a baka Kenchin," Haruka chimed in, giggling. "He probably left the rest of his brain cells in the basketball he was dribbling."
"You might be onto something. That's probably why he spelled his own name wrong," Akito added, smirking as he turned his head to Ken.
"Oi, Akito, you bastard!" Ken protested. "It was just that one time, and that was only because I didn't get enough sleep since that dictator over there made me study a lot of stuff."
The redhead pointed a finger at me, blaming me for his lack of sleep that day.
Well, that's what you get for flunking a review test, Ken— more study materials.
"Dictator?" I asked in amusement, raising an eyebrow. "If you actually studied instead of goofing off, you wouldn't have to review that many materials."
"Kenchin does have a point, you know?" Haruka added, opening her bag to show everyone the stack of papers inside. "You're like the devil, Kiyopon!"
How the hell did 'dictator' turn into 'devil,' Haruka? I demand justice for this slander.
"W-Well... I think it worked out for the best," Airi chimed in, looking at Haruka. "Kiyotaka-kun's approach made it easier... for us to adjust to the... changes."
"Just for that, I will be reducing Airi's study load and adding some to Haruka's load," I said, taking in the indignant look on Haruka's face.
"K-Kiyopon! That's not fair!" Haruka whined, pouting.
"Well, that's the consequence of calling me a devil," I replied, shrugging. "Fifty pages of social studies and Japanese language reviewers for you."
"I take back what I said!" Haruka replied. "Pleeeaaaase, no more humanities reviewers!"
Haruka knew I was just joking, but the girl enjoyed overreacting.
Her personality when around us really was different compared to how she acted in class.
Not that I was complaining.
It was interesting to see the normally aloof girl being this lively when around people she was comfortable hanging out with.
"Alright, I won't add more reviewers to your load," I conceded, shaking my head at her reaction. "But only if you promise not to call me a devil anymore."
"Fine, deal!" Haruka agreed quickly, sticking out her hand for a handshake. I took it, shaking it firmly, sealing our little agreement.
As our food and drinks arrived, we began digging in, enjoying the casual atmosphere Pallet offered. Once we finished eating, it was time to get down to business.
"Alright, everyone," I announced, catching their attention. "Today's session will be shorter than usual since we'll just be tackling the new topics to be covered in the midterms. I'm pretty confident about your understanding of the other topics, so I'll just be keeping you guys up to speed with the new topics."
"W-Wait!" Haruka exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Is this really Kiyopon speaking? Where's the dictator we all know and... tolerate?"
She always has room for jokes, doesn't she?
"If you want to study for three hours, all you have to do is ask, Haruka."
"Wha-what?! No, that's not what I meant! You're being really mean, Kiyopon!"
"I was joking, Haruka. Anyway, we can't stay here for three hours because that would just be inconsiderate. Pallet isn't our personal study hall, after all," I replied, shaking my head in amusement. "That said, I'm shortening our session today because we'll focus on learning the new topics instead of our usual top-down coverage."
"Alright, alright," Haruka said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I get it. Let's get started then, Kiyopon."
Everyone settled into their study mode, notebooks and textbooks spread out on the table.
With everyone settling down, I began discussing with them some tricks to better understand the topics, giving them the mnemonics to remember the important stuff. It really was all they needed, to be honest.
Examinations at the high school level relied more on memorization than intricate understanding. It was only with Math and Chemistry that you'd need to actually understand the topics so you wouldn't get lost when writing down the equations.
After discussing the new topics, I made them answer a small worksheet that covered parts of the new topics, which I made during the afternoon classes. Since I couldn't print them out, I took a photo and made the study group use their phones to access the photo I sent to our group chat.
That being said, I found myself pleased with the progress everyone had been making.
If I were to estimate how they'd perform on the exams, Akito and Haruka could easily get 85 on their strongest subjects and somewhere around 70 on their weaker subjects. Airi could hit the mid-60s on some subjects and score slightly lower on some subjects; she was as balanced as balanced could get.
Lastly, Ken. I believe Ken could pass the midterms, likely averaging around the mid-50s, if we'd use our mock tests as the basis. Considering how Ken started, that might as well be tantamount to him getting 100s all across the board.
Using Kayano as a way to make him focus on studying really was the right move to make.
The power of romance really was effective for Ken.
"Waaaah!" Haruka exclaimed, and upon closer observation, it seemed like she was already finished with the social studies part of her test. "I understand the new topics already. I love you, Kiyopon!"
Well, I did decide to be nicer to them and give them a test that was more or less the same difficulty as the actual exams. Since the difficulty level had been reduced, all of them should be able to answer this worksheet faster than they did in the previous ones.
That said... you sure do say interesting things, Haruka.
Should I tease her?
I think I should.
"I love you too, Haruka," I replied nonchalantly, maintaining a straight face.
Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. "W-Wha... K-Kiyopon, you... y-you can't say that so casually!"
Airi, Akito, and Ken couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange.
"Haruka, I was only joking," I replied, shrugging. "You should know by now that I get a kick out of teasing you."
She huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, I don't like it," Haruka pouted.
"If you like dishing it out, you should also be able to take it," Akito interjected, although his eyes were focusing on the paper that he was answering.
"Well, my teasing is different from Kiyopon's bullying!" Haruka protested. "Sometimes you can't tell if he's actually joking."
"I think you just don't want to admit that you secretly enjoy it," I retorted.
Haruka sputtered, her face turning even redder. "T-That's not true! I... I just don't like being picked on!"
"You're just proving me right, Haruka," Akito added.
Ken snickered. "Got what she deserved, right?" The redhead chimed in.
"Ken-kun, don't be mean," Airi scolded lightly. "Haruka-chan is just comfortable with everyone th... that's... why she's... this open with us."
"I didn't know if it was even possible to love you even more, Ai-chan!" Haruka gushed at the pink-haired girl, who blushed in embarrassment. "You're growing up every day. I'm so proud!"
Indeed, seeing Airi beginning to speak up more really was a pleasant surprise to everyone. During our first few sessions, while Airi did speak from time to time, she'd typically only do so when something was asked of her or if Haruka decided she wanted to have fun with her.
Now, while Airi was still incredibly shy, she had mustered up the courage to speak up unprompted and even take part in some of the jokes.
"Ah, my bad, Haruka," Ken said apologetically, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I just can't help but find things funny, you know?"
Haruka stared at Ken for a few seconds before nodding in understanding. "Well, I suppose I've been teasing you quite a bit today, Kenchin... so I guess it's only fair that you get to say something in return. But remember, you owe your mercy to Ai-chan!"
Airi let out a small gasp at the sudden attention directed toward her.
She was like a child that had just begun receiving praise, now that I thought about it.
"Let's get back on track now, shall we?" I interjected, interrupting the playful banter. "We still have some work to do." I directed everyone's attention back to their worksheets, signaling that it was time to focus on studying again.
15.2
"Are you sure you're not joining us today, Kiyopon?"
After about an hour or so, the study group managed to get a decent grasp of the new topics.
Satisfied with our progress, I suggested that we call it a day, which led to Haruka's invitation to explore Keyaki Mall together. Much to her delight, Ken and Akito actually decided to go along with the idea, but with my schedule, this left me as the odd one out.
"Kiyotaka's a busy guy, Haruka," Akito said, turning his head to the blue-haired girl. "I'm sure he'll join us if he has time."
I appreciated Akito's understanding, though I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for declining Haruka's invitation.
However, I had other responsibilities that required my attention.
"Yeah, Kiyotaka has a lot on his plate. We barely even get to hang out aside from study group sessions and that one time with Yōsuke," Ken added, nodding in agreement. "It's not like we can't hang out some other time, right?"
Ken then lightly nudged my sides, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Sorry, Haruka," I said apologetically. "I have some errands to run and other things I need to take care of today. But I promise I'll join you guys next time."
Haruka pouted but eventually nodded, understanding my situation. "Alright, Kiyopon. Take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself, okay? We'll hold you to that promise, though."
I offered her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Haruka. I'll definitely keep that in mind."
"And don't forget to chat us in the group chat once you're done with your stuff, alright?" Haruka asked, her smile warm and reassuring. "Anyway, we'll be heading off now. Take care, Kiyopon!"
"G-Goodbye, Kiyotaka-kun," Airi said, her voice soft and gentle.
Ken and Akito gave me small nods before waving me goodbye as well.
As the four of them left and headed towards Keyaki Mall, I turned and walked in the opposite direction.
My thoughts drifted to what I was planning to do— pulling the trigger on the first shot.
With everything that Chiaki, Yuki, and I had prepared, as well as the precautionary measure of getting Kiriyama-senpai involved, I'm pretty sure that this plan was going to go without a hitch.
"This feels almost too easy, though," I told no one in particular. "I wonder if things would actually end up the way I expected them to go."
Upon reaching my dorm room, I outlined the steps in my mind to ensure I didn't miss any crucial details. Well, it wasn't like I'd even be capable of forgetting what I had to do, but it was best to mentally lay out the plan before executing them.
These were the steps I had to execute on my end:
1. Log in to the ANHS Student Council Drive and navigate to the directory folder. From there, I'd obtain the phone numbers of Nakamura Takumi, Narita Ren, Naito Kota, and Kobashi Yuto—the four students we had targeted for expulsion.
2. Set up a virtual private network (VPN) to mask my location, ensuring that my actions couldn't be traced back to me. With the VPN in place, I would begin infiltrating the school's server to establish a connection to the students' devices.
3. Once I have gained access to their phones, I'll then exploit a specific vulnerability that I had found in the ANHS-issued phone's operating system. With this, I will install a remote-control application on their phones, which would grant me prolonged remote access to their phones.
4. After doing this, I would begin planting fabricated messages that made it appear as if the students were conspiring together to blackmail Kushida using explicit photos. I'll ensure that the messages are seamlessly integrated into their existing conversations and trigger these messages to be sent at 6:30 PM.
5. After planting the incriminating messages, I'll be creating a temporary lock on their devices that prevents access to their message threads with each other between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM. Since this was the path that I was taking, I'll also have to ensure that this lock cannot be easily bypassed or removed and that it didn't raise any suspicion before the set time.
After laying out the plan in my mind, I glanced at the clock, which read 4:40 PM.
Since I probably wouldn't take that long to set everything up, I've decided to prepare an early dinner.
Heading down to my kitchen, I gathered the ingredients I needed to make a simple but nutritious meal: rice, chicken, and vegetables.
Cooking always helped me to clear my head and focus on the task at hand. Aside from that, I found it as a relaxing way to spend time.
As I chopped the vegetables and cooked the chicken, my thoughts drifted back to the plan.
To think I'd actually be able to use my skills for something like this...
The White Room truly was a treasure cove of knowledge, wasn't it?
"Iie... that's a ridiculous thought, Kiyotaka," I chided myself, shaking my head at the thought.
Once my meal was ready, I sat down at the small table in my dorm room and ate in silence, idly swiping through my phone and taking note of the daily news.
After finishing dinner and cleaning up, I glanced at the clock again. It was now 5:10 PM, which meant I had about eighty minutes to execute the plan before the trigger time at 6:30 PM.
Well, that was still plenty of time, I guess.
I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop, logging into the ANHS Student Council Drive. Locating the directory folder, I quickly obtained the phone numbers of the four students targeted for expulsion.
Next, I set up the VPN to mask my location and began infiltrating the school's server to establish a connection to the students' devices.
As I worked on establishing a connection to their phones, I made sure to keep an eye on the time. It didn't take long for me to exploit the vulnerability in the ANHS-issued phone's operating system and install the remote-control application. With the access and control that I needed, I moved on to the next step of the plan.
I carefully planted the fabricated messages, making it appear as if the students were conspiring together to blackmail Kushida using explicit photos, said photos which I had already transferred to their phones, and had already adjusted the modified date and time of the photo reaching their devices. I set the dates to (5/16/2015 at 8:35:10 PM), which would be the time that Kushida would give in her testimony later on.
Aside from that, I ensured that the messages were seamlessly integrated into their existing conversations. For the new messages, I set the trigger for these messages to be sent at 6:30 PM.
With the incriminating messages in place, I created the temporary lock on their devices, preventing them from accessing their message threads with each other between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM. I double-checked that the lock couldn't be easily bypassed or removed and that it wouldn't raise any suspicion before the set time.
Satisfied with my work, I glanced at the clock. It was 6:25 PM, just five minutes before the trigger time.
"This... was surprisingly easy."
After going gaining access to the phone of the four second-year students and going over their phone logs, I found out that they were already talking about Kushida in some way.
Although it wasn't exactly criminal, the fact that they had a prior interest in her would simply push things deeper into our favor.
Men... really were simple creatures.
That being said, since I still had some time to spare before watching things unfold, I decided to go to the kitchen and make myself a coffee. While consuming caffeine was not exactly good for my health, I liked the sensation it brought.
Soon, the clock struck 6:30 PM. I then watched as the messages I had planted began sending themselves one after another, with the last text being sent at 6:45 PM.
Why did we choose this time exactly?
That was because in the oral testimony that Kushida was going to give later, she would claim that the attempted assault on her happened around 6:50 PM, and framing the conversation to have the four students map out what they were going to do between 6:30 PM to 6:45 PM would give added credibility to Kushida's fabricated claims.
Now, the plan was in motion, and all there was left for me to do... was wait to see things unfold.
15.3
Kushida Kikyō
Lying... was almost second nature to me.
The relationships that I had forged, the way I acted towards them, and the personality that I had crafted... they were all born out of an intricate web of lies and deceit.
Which made it ironic how I immensely loathed what I was being forced to do, even if my task involved doing something that I had been accustomed to doing.
The reason, of course, was obvious...
Because I was not in control of the situation.
Adjusting my crumpled uniform, one that Matsushita-san had asked me to wear, I let out a deep sigh, and within moments, my indifferent face was replaced by that of a traumatized girl— a rather easy transition to make, which simply entailed me imagining everything that I had gone through last night.
My hand then reached down to my breast, wincing as the stinging sensation of my bruise reverberated through my body. I had accidentally squished the area while adjusting my uniform, and the pain was almost unbearable.
I took a deep breath and tried to push the pain aside.
It was time to get this over with.
With that, I finally knocked on the door in front of me. Within seconds, it opened, revealing Chabashira-sensei standing in the doorway.
"It's already late, Kushida. Students are supposed to get back to their dorms now. Why are you still..." Chabashira-sensei trailed off and stared at me for a while, her eyes examining me from top to bottom.
A few seconds later, she finally spoke again. "What... happened to you?"
"I...I..." I trailed off, not meeting Chabashira-sensei's eyes. "I got... assaulted by four second-years, sensei."
"Is that so? Come in, Kushida. I believe we'll have much to talk about," Chabashira-sensei said, letting me inside the office.
Once I got inside, Chabashira-sensei instructed me to sit on one of the couches. There was only one other teacher inside the faculty office, that being Mashima-sensei, the homeroom teacher of Class A.
Chabashira-sensei approached Mashima-sensei and engaged in a short conversation with him. After a while, Mashima-sensei sent her a nod and then stood up from his seat, leaving the office.
"D-Did you tell him about why I'm here, sensei?" I anxiously asked.
It wasn't faked, too. Because if another teacher was aware of what happened to me, there was the possibility that the teacher would share that information with their class.
As much as possible, I'd rather not have anyone else know what I had been forced to do.
To my relief, Chabashira-sensei shook her head. "I didn't. What you're going to tell me is a Class B issue. Mashima has no business knowing about it. I simply asked him to give us some privacy."
"He's a reasonable man, so don't worry about him," she continued.
"T-Thank you, sensei."
"Now, with that out of the way," Chabashira-sensei began, once again focusing her eyes on me. "Tell me a gist of what happened to you."
"Th...these four senpais had cornered me last night... attempted to have their way with me... but that night, they let me go... on one condition..."
"What would that be?"
"T...that I'll be sending them some... pictures of myself... inappropriate ones."
"If they let you go, why didn't you file a complaint right away?"
"I... I was scared... and unable to even gather my thoughts, sensei."
Chabashira-sensei kept her eyes on me as if scrutinizing if there were any mishaps in my story.
"And what about tonight?" She asked.
"I... thought last night would be the end of it all, but then Ko-Kobashi-senpai called me and said that they would spread those photos if I wouldn't come to a certain place by 6:50 PM."
"A call, huh?" Chabashira-sensei muttered. "That would make it difficult for you to mount up evidence."
I nodded my head. "Y-Yes... so I decided to come there. I guess... I should have expected what they wanted to do... but... d-did I even h-have a c-choice, sensei?"
Chabashira-sensei's eyes narrowed as she looked at me. "Kushida, are you sure you're telling the truth? This is a serious accusation, and if you're lying, it could have serious consequences for both you and the boys you're accusing."
"I'm not lying, sensei!" I exclaimed, tears starting to form in my eyes. "Please, you have to believe me! They... they hurt me! And... my immediate thought was to approach you, sensei. I'm... I'm so scared... They almost got me..."
Chabashira-sensei looked at me for a long moment before finally nodding. "Alright, I believe you. I don't think it would even be possible to fake what you're feeling right now," she sighed.
"I'll be calling school authorities so they can immediately handle your case."
"Ho... how long would it take them to finish that, sensei?" I asked, my voice still shaking.
"Hmm..." Chabashira-sensei had a thoughtful look on her face. "Everything would be settled by the end of the night. The school does not take things like assault lightly."
"Would they be expelled right away?"
"If the evidence leads to the conclusion that they did something to you, then yes, they would be expelled."
I let out a faux-sight of relief at her words. "Th-thank you, sensei."
Chabashira-sensei then handed me a glass of water, which I gratefully accepted, downing it in a few gulps.
"For now, simply relax and try not to think about what had just happened. I will not be asking you more questions for now because I do not want you to keep repeating the memories in your head," Chabashira-sensei said, taking a seat on her desk in the office. "Just prepare for the questioning later on. Don't worry. I will be there to support you as your homeroom teacher."
Chabashira-sensei had a surprisingly gentle side to her, didn't she?
But I suppose that was to be expected, considering the circumstance. After all, what she knew was that I was a victim of assault, one that was still fresh in my mind.
Naturally, Chabashira-sensei would attempt to be more understanding of the situation rather than remain indifferent.
"Mhm-mm," I mutedly agreed.
As I sat there in Chabashira-sensei's office, my mind began to wander, thinking about the events that had led me to this point.
To put it bluntly... I fucked up royally.
After the events of last night, the realization that I had been on Yuki's radar for quite some time had sunk in. After all, there was no reason for her to send Matsushita-san to trail me unless she had been suspicious of me.
I thought Horikita told her, but that was unlikely because, from our conversations before, Yuki disliked Horikita because she thought the girl was crushing on Ayanokōji-kun. So the safe assumption was that Yuki sensed that there was something amiss with the personality that I had shown in school.
Of course, you can only do so much with assumptions, so unless I did something stupid, there was no way for Yuki to even know what my real personality actually was.
That made me think, though...
Did Ayanokōji-kun intentionally put Yamauchi and Ike in my study group to see if I would reach my breaking point?
After all, the stress of handling a group that had those two perverts and that self-righteous skank, Shinohara, was the catalyst that led to me deciding to vent out my true feelings before the rooftop door.
Which, I now realized, was my biggest mistake, as I had given Yuki and Matsushita-san the opportunity to pile up dirty against me.
Fuck... why did that even have to happen?
Tears filled my eyes once again as memories of the demon's manipulations and everything she did flooded my mind. She had given me false hope and then crushed it, and then exploited my vulnerabilities for her own gain.
And now, I was nothing but a pawn in her game, a tool to be used as she pleased.
I couldn't help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had I not made the mistake of trying to threaten Ayanokōji-kun.
But dwelling on the past and the what-ifs was useless now.
All I could do was play the role I had been assigned in this twisted game.
15.4
After a while, Chabashira-sensei's phone rang. She answered it and started speaking with someone on the other end. I couldn't make out the details of the conversation, but it seemed like the school authorities were now making their way here.
Time seemed to crawl by, and I did my best to maintain the appearance of a distraught victim. Chabashira-sensei occasionally glanced at me, her eyes filled with both concern and quiet determination. It was obvious that she wanted me to get the "justice" that I deserved.
Eventually, there was a knock on the door. Chabashira-sensei opened it, revealing two stern-looking school officials. They exchanged a few words with Chabashira-sensei before turning their attention to me.
"Kushida Kikyō-san, we will now begin the questioning process," one of the officials said. "Please understand that we need to hear your side of the story in order to make a fair judgment. We'll try to make this as easy as possible for you, but it's important that you answer our questions as honestly and accurately as you can."
"I... understand."
"Let's begin," the same official said before nodding to the other official, who took out a recording device.
"Tell us, in summary, the complaint you wish to file."
"I... had been blackmailed into sending explicit photos to Nakamura Takumi, Narita Ren, Naito Kota, and Kobashi Yuto, all students of Class 2D. Then this evening... I had been called to go to a certain place on campus, bri... bring some of my underwear... or else they would release my... photos."
"This... led to... them repeatedly... tou... touching me until... they... were satisfied."
The man simply looked at me impassively before turning to the other official. "Suzuki, give me the school map," he ordered.
The other man, now named Suzuki, took out a map from his bag and unrolled it on the table that separated me from my interrogator.
"Can you show us where they asked you to meet up? While the school had multiple sets of cameras that would make it possible to track your steps, it would make our job easier if you could tell us where you went and at what time you went there."
He handed me a marker, and then I proceeded to mark a certain spot on the map.
It unnerved me how Yuki could concoct a story that was this detailed. Apparently, the four second-year students would go to a certain spot around 6:45 PM and would loiter around the area until 7:45 PM.
Yuki said that it was some sort of a private area for them, seeing as there were no CCTVs around there. However, it was still possible for investigators to piece up that they had met with me since the last CCTV camera before the blindspot would show that I was headed in the same direction as the four second-year students, albeit with a 10-minute difference.
It was... unnerving just how heavily planned out her scheme was.
Basically, all I had to do was play my role here, and that was it.
"I see," the unnamed official said, sighing as his eyes focused on the area that I had marked.
He must have realized that there was a blind spot in the specific area that I had marked.
"Now, tell me more about what happened. I would assume that this was not the first time you've seen them, correct?"
I nodded my head and repeated the story that I had told Chabashira-sensei, detailing how I was essentially a victim of blackmail that had no choice but to abide by the desires of my tormentor.
While I was in the middle of my recounting of events, my left hand once again trailed down to my chest, my mind drifting to last night's memory where someone had actually assaulted me under Yuki's orders.
"I... I felt like th...there was no escape... for me... I thought... I thought I would be..."
Tears began streaming down my face, and I was unable to continue what I was about to say.
"Suzuki, get her a glass of water," the official ordered.
Suzuki quickly complied, grabbing a glass of water and handing it over to me. I took a sip, grateful for the momentary relief it gave me.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice still shaky. "It's just... it's still fresh in my mind."
The official looked at me with sympathy. "I understand that this is a difficult situation for you, but please try to continue. We need to get as much information from you as possible."
I nodded, taking a deep breath to calm myself down. I continued my story, recounting every detail that Yuki had instructed me to say, including the fake assault that never actually happened.
After what felt like an eternity, the questioning was finally over. The two school officials thanked me for my cooperation and assured me that they would do everything they could to ensure that justice was served.
As they left, a bitter smile appeared on my face.
Ensuring that justice was served?
That would be impossible.
Achieving justice for me would simply mean shedding the skin that I had been wearing for years, and I will not let that happen.
I will continue to endure... for myself... and for what I had built.
My secrets are mine to keep.
15.5
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
At around 7:30 PM, Yuki and Chiaki both came to my dorm room, both of them coming with the same agenda: to get kissed.
I suppose they deserved it after the job they had done.
Yuki deserved it by controlling herself in front of Kushida, and leading the tutors in continuing the review material that I had drafted.
Chiaki also deserved it after skillfully working on Kushida to the point of mitigating a potential panic attack.
But... they really shouldn't just barge into my room without warning.
"I have half a mind to confiscate those keycards," I said to the girls, who both didn't care and elected to simply giggle.
Yuki rolled her eyes. "You're just grumpy because you got caught off guard, Kiyotaka."
Chiaki looked amused. "Don't be like that, Kiyotaka-kun. We're just here to collect our rewards for a job well done."
Both of them are getting too cheeky, aren't they? Perhaps I should mess with them.
I stared at the two girls for a few seconds before speaking. "Fine, I'll give you both a quick kiss on the cheek."
"What?! What do you mean cheeks?" Yuki protested, pouting. "I want it on the lips! The lips!"
Chiaki nodded along. "What Yuki-chan said! Kissing on the cheek? We're no longer 10 years old, Kiyotaka-kun."
I raised an eyebrow, amused by their antics. "You both really want a kiss on the lips that badly?"
They both nodded vigorously, eyes shining with anticipation.
Again, I was never one to decline such a generous offer.
I leaned forward and kissed Yuki on the lips first, her eyes closing in satisfaction. When I pulled away, she had a dreamy look on her face.
Chiaki was next, and I held her chin as I kissed her. When I pulled away, she was blushing, but she looked pleased.
"You're both happy now, right?" I asked, my lips still tingling from the kisses.
They both nodded again, still smiling.
"Good. Now, get out of my room."
"That's not happening. Chiaki-chan and I are sleeping here, and the three of us will be cuddling together," Yuki declared, plopping herself onto my bed.
For a girl who claimed to hate sharing, you sure do have quite the unique ideas, Yuki.
"At least change into your nightwear before diving onto my bed, Yuki," I replied, sighing. "You're such a child sometimes."
"It's still seven in the evening, Kiyotaka," Yuki pointed out, already rolling in my bed. "Stop acting like you're 50."
I turned my head to Chiaki, who found herself amused at Yuki's antics. Her childishness really made it hard to believe she was capable of doing the things she was capable of doing.
Behind her beautiful face and charming aura, Yuki was capable of malice that could even break down the most stubborn of people.
Kushida could attest to that.
"Have you girls eaten yet?" I asked Chiaki, who shook her head.
"We haven't. I've just finished planting the evidence on those four senpais, and Yuki spent the last hour or so talking with Ichinose-san," Chiaki answered. "How about you, Kiyotaka-kun? I'll cook for the three of us."
"I've eaten already. Made myself early dinner before I started hacking into the system," I replied. "But do feel free to cook for you and Yuki. I still got plenty of ingredients on the fridge."
Chiaki smiled. "Do you have some pork in there?" She asked.
I nodded my head. "I bought about two kilos three days ago. What are you thinking of making, Chiaki? You know what, make some for me too."
"Didn't you say you've eaten earlier?" Chiaki teased, pushing her index finger against my left cheek.
"I did. But I suddenly found myself in the mood for some meat. Can you make tonkatsu?"
Chiaki chuckled. "Sure thing, Kiyotaka-kun. I'll make you some delicious tonkatsu."
As Chiaki went to the kitchen to start cooking, Yuki got out of bed and walked in my direction.
She stood in front of me, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I hope you didn't forget what I asked for earlier," she said and then leaned forward. "Since you promised to kiss Chiaki-chan... and you did, you owe me another kiss."
Yuki didn't even wait for my reply as she grabbed both my cheeks with her palms and captured my lips in a searing kiss.
As Yuki pulled away, a satisfied smile graced her lips. "Mmm, that was nice," she murmured, leaning her forehead against mine. "You're so good at this, Kiyotaka."
"I am?"
"Mhm-mm!"
With that, Yuki once again pressed her lips against mine, her tongue playfully teasing mine as she kissed me deeply. I couldn't help but reciprocate, my hands finding their way to her waist as I pulled her closer to me.
As we broke the kiss, Yuki's face was flushed, and her breathing was ragged. "You know, Kiyotaka," she said breathlessly. "I think I wouldn't survive a day without your kiss."
While I wouldn't necessarily say that I was in the same boat, getting to kiss beautiful girls like Yuki and Chiaki did make me want to do it with them more frequently.
I blame Kōenji for the virus that he had implanted inside my mind...
Well, his words weren't necessarily wrong, but they did encourage me to act the way I wanted to act... to the point that they'd probably be out of character for me to do so.
"Be the Ayanokōji Kiyotaka that you want to become."
I suppose this was part of the Ayanokōji Kiyotaka that I had wanted to become... as unconventional as it was.
As I let out a sigh, Yuki's eyes sparkled with mischief once again. "What's wrong, Kiyotaka? Did I kiss you too hard?"
I shook my head, amused by her playful teasing. "No, Yuki. If you did, you would have already been stripped naked by now," I joked.
Yuki's eyes widened. "W-Wait?! You mean all I had to do for you to undress me was kiss you hard enough? You should have told me!"
"I'm just joking, Yuki. You know I wouldn't do that without your consent."
Yuki pouted, crossing her arms. "Well, it's not like I would have minded," she muttered under her breath.
"Pervert."
"Hey!"
Chiaki came out of the kitchen with a plate of tonkatsu, interrupting our banter. "Stop teasing Yuki-chan, Kiyotaka-kun," she said with a smile. "Dinner is ready. Let's eat."
We all gathered around the small dining table, Yuki sitting next to me and Chiaki on the other side. The aroma of the tonkatsu wafted through the air, and my stomach grumbled in anticipation.
Chiaki served the three of us, placing the crispy tonkatsu on our plates. I took a bite, and the tender pork melted in my mouth.
"This is amazing, Chiaki," I complimented her.
"Thank you, Kiyotaka-kun. It's nothing special, really," Chiaki replied, blushing slightly.
Yuki grinned. "It's not nothing special, Chiaki-chan! It's really delicious. I wish I could cook like you."
"You can, Yuki. Just keep practicing," Chiaki encouraged her.
No... don't encourage her, Chiaki.
The last time Yuki tried to cook something, the pan she cooked on was burnt beyond recognition, and the fire alarm went off.
But I decided to keep that to myself and just enjoyed the meal with them.
Unlike Ken, I do value being alive, and the key to being alive... was to not intentionally piss off women.
"You're thinking of something mean, Kiyotaka! I just know it," Yuki suddenly said, looking at me and pouting.
"Was it that obvious?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yuki nodded. "You have that look on your face whenever you're hiding something from us."
I let out a sigh, knowing that Yuki was more perceptive than I had given her credit for. "Fine, I'll admit it. I was just thinking about the last time you tried to cook something."
Chiaki giggled. "The poor pan... got destroyed over a botched attempt to cook hotdogs," she chimed in.
Yuki pouted. "Hey, it was my first time cooking! You guys should have been more supportive," she complained.
"It's okay, Yuki," I said with an understanding look on my face. "There are just things that you'll never be good at, and one of them is cooking."
"That may be true... but I'm still good at other things," she shot back, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "More important things!"
I doubt you have a skill that was more important than culinary skills, Yuki.
Culinary skills were survival skills, after all.
"Oh? Like what?" I challenge the blonde-haired girl.
Yuki leaned closer to me, her lips dangerously close to my ear. "I'm good at making you feel good, Kiyotaka," she whispered, pressing her breasts against my arm.
Chiaki, who was listening in, followed her lead, hugging my arm, and then leaned closer to me. "And if Yuki-chan fails to do that, I'll take over," she added, her breath tickling my neck.
Hm... I wouldn't say no to that. Two beautiful girls being willing to do those things to me?
I'd be a coward to say no.
But they're obviously not ready for it, so I'd rather not take them seriously.
Yuki clicked her tongue in annoyance. "What do you mean 'I'll take over,' Chiaki-chan? No one's taking over aside from me. I can handle him just fine!"
Chiaki chuckled. "I don't think you can handle Kiyotaka-kun all by yourself. You know what Eiichiro said about... the Pride of Japan, right?"
It had been a while since I last heard my penis being referred to as the "Pride of Japan," but I suppose it was a fitting title.
That said, I missed Eiichiro's antics, even if the guy liked to have fun at my expense.
"You're both perverts," I said, shaking my head as I took a bite out of the tonkatsu, trying to focus on the food instead of the two girls who were currently flirting with me.
But then again, it wasn't like I wasn't enjoying their company.
"Us? Perverts? Like you're not having morning wood whenever the three of us slept together," Chiaki pointed out, her eyes swimming in mirth. "Hmm! Maybe I should take care of that first thing in the morning tomorrow?"
I raised an eyebrow, amused by Chiaki's boldness. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Of course, I can, Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki replied confidently. "I'll make sure you start the day right."
Yuki scoffed. "No way, Chiaki-chan! That's my job! I'm letting you kiss Kiyotaka, but that's as far as you can go!"
"No one's handling my morning problems, you perverts," I said, shaking my head in amusement. "I'll handle it myself."
"Didn't you say last month things would be more efficient if you used my mouth?" Yuki asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
"And yet, when I asked for your assistance, you hesitated," I remarked, watching with amusement as a blush crept across Yuki's face. "All bark and no bite, it seems."
Yuki pouted. "I am not! I just wasn't ready at the time."
Chiaki giggled. "Well, I'm always ready for you, Kiyotaka-kun," she said, winking at me. "I've read plenty of books about it, you know?"
Chiaki then picked up a drinking glass and began to sensually run her tongue over its rim, her piercing blue eyes locked onto me, as if showing me a glimpse of the future.
...
I didn't know I was capable of blushing until tonight.
Making me go to ANHS truly was the best decision my father had ever made.
15.6
Nagumo Miyabi
"Someone's trying to fuck with me, huh?"
My eyes focused on my phone, scrolling through the many messages that I had received from my followers in Class D.
Apparently, Nakamura, Narita, Naito, and Kobashi had been expelled last night. With how this school operated and how students of this institution played the game, there was one simple conclusion: They had been set up.
I let out a sigh as my mind drifted to the now-expelled students.
Nakamura, Narita, Naito, and Kobashi were amongst my most loyal followers from Class 2-D. They had been involved in some of my schemes before and had proven to be valuable assets, even if they were nothing more than pawns.
That said, I did not particularly care about them at all. It wasn't like their expulsion would have any profound impact on me. After all, they were just fodders.
However, the expulsion carried an underlying message that infuriated me—an open and direct challenge to my authority.
And the thought of someone being daring enough to challenge me made my fists clench involuntarily.
You'd think that with everything that I had done thus far, and the inevitability of my ascension as Student Council President, no one would be foolish enough to try and challenge my rule.
Now that I thought about it, there were three possible suspects in my mind, those being Horikita Manabu, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, and Kiriyama Ikuto.
However, with what I knew about these people, from their personalities and present circumstances, I doubt any of them were the culprit in this attack.
Let's start with Horikita-senpai.
While Horikita-senpai had been growing a spine lately, one that was boosted with the addition of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka into the Student Council, it wasn't his style to utilize underhanded tactics. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Horikita Manabu was an idealistic leader who seemed too rooted in his beliefs to even adapt.
Next, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
While Ayanokōji had shown himself in the few conversations we had to be brilliant and cunning, it was unlikely for him to launch an attack against me.
To put things into perspective, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka singlehandedly raised Class D to Class B within a month, but with the premise of the midterm examinations, Ayanokōji's efforts would be focusing more on ensuring everyone from his class passes.
After all, Class D was the gathering of the defects, and even if they were only trailing the present Class A by 20 points, it was unlikely for them to immediately improve their abilities in a month.
To put it simply, their luck would run out unless Ayanokōji managed to raise their academic levels or figure out a certain clue the school had left for the midterm examinations.
Aside from that, I do not think he was that bold to attempt to attack me when he barely had any influence on his own.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka struck me as a man of caution, after all.
I do respect that, though. After all, the results spoke for themselves. as he managed to raise a group of defects to a higher class.
At least he seemed to be fun, a direct contrast to the last candidate...
The Class Leader of Class 2-B, Kiriyama Ikuto.
Kiriyama had despised me ever since our first year, a byproduct of constant defeats, inability to counter my attacks, and the eventual demotion of their Class that had led to his Class becoming Class B and my Class becoming the new Class A.
While he does fit the conventional profile of a person attacking out of revenge, Kiriyama was a gun-shy individual who wouldn't even dare launch an attack that had uncertainties to them.
That meant that an aggressive play like the one that had been done to me wasn't something Kiriyama could ever hope to conceptualize or even attempt to do.
Heh... that woman was right when she called Kiriyama a neutered dog.
"Things sure are getting interesting, aren't they, Miyabi? I thought everyone had given up now."
I turned my head and was met by the smirking and amused face of a certain chocolate-brown-haired girl— Asahina Nazuna.
"Seems that way," I replied nonchalantly. "It seems like some people haven't learned their lesson."
"Do you even know where to start?" Nazuna inquired. "You've made your fair share of enemies, after all. Who knows? It might even be someone from the other years."
And who exactly would be brave enough to attack me, Nazuna? There was no incentive from people hailing from another year to try to attack me.
The only two people outside my year who had any incentive to launch an attack either had a conflicting philosophy with the attacker or had another thing to deal with.
"I'll find out who's behind this soon enough," I said confidently. "And they'll regret ever trying to provoke me."
Nazuna shrugged. "Well, I hope they give you a challenge, at least. Who knows? You might even lose."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "That'll never happen. Now, stop pestering me, Nazuna."
"Alright, alright!"
Nazuna offered a mock salute before returning to her seat and chatting with the other girls in the class.
With Nazuna out of the way, I let out a deep sigh and began rationalizing the situation.
Losing four defects won't exactly change how second-year students would perceive me. People would simply assume that they got caught up in the wrong web and were eliminated. It wasn't like these students were from Class B, which would make some of the students lose faith in me for being unable to protect otherwise competent students had that happened.
That being said, the choice of targets made the attack look incredibly odd.
If the attacker had the capacity to execute an attack that led to the expulsion of four students at the same time... why did they pick people from the lowest class?
This led me to the conclusion that this attack was just a warning shot, one that I could easily mitigate.
And whoever orchestrated this attack was probably well aware of that.
All this person wanted to do, was to send a message... a declaration of war.
How interestingly chaotic of them.
I let a smirk grace my face as my anger slowly faded away from my system, my mind beginning to register the idea that an interesting person had managed to keep themselves under the radar.
Whoever you are... enjoy your moment of triumph while it lasts.
I'll be coming for you soon enough.
End of Chapter
A/N: This chapter... felt like a drag to write. I don't even know if the quality was even decent or acceptable. I simply wanted to be over this chapter, tbh.
I'd probably edit it once I stop brainfarting and actually generate good ideas in my mind, but for now... I think this chapter would suffice, and I probably would have a hard time improving the raw ideas shown in this chapter.