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. SS 3 - Horikita Manabu
Horikita Manabu
There are certain revelations that may surprise people—for instance, the fact that I didn't choose to attend this school driven by any fiery ambitions.
Throughout my life, I have always strived for excellence, albeit in an aimless manner. The true purpose of life eluded me.
I harbored no aspirations of becoming a politician, a doctor, a researcher, or anything else of the sort.
In a sense, I preferred to steer clear of drama. I went about my days diligently working, detached and indifferent, solely focused on accomplishing the tasks assigned to me.
To set an "example."
To be a "role model."
I was convinced that this was the righteous path.
However, I wasn't so naive as to believe that everyone would blindly adhere to the ideals I upheld.
Nagumo Miyabi.
An ambitious junior who wants to smash my ideals of keeping the rules and traditions of this school intact to replace it with what he called a "true meritocracy."
And ever since we had been inaugurated as Student Council President and Vice President, he had grown bold, deciding to attack me from all cylinders, garnering up the lower classes from my year level, and constantly proving himself to be an annoyance.
All for the sake of two things: a worthy challenge and to gain my recognition.
Unlike myself, who almost took the entire year to stabilize my hold over my year, Nagumo Miyabi had easily taken over his year, overtaking the original Class A in his batch after the first Special Exams that they had taken.
In that sense, he might actually be more impressive than me.
Nagumo also did not stop there, as he managed to secure sufficient clout to the point of almost becoming the first freshman to win the Student Council Presidency, having only lost to me by 80 votes.
To make the picture even clearer, he only lost to me by two whole classes— a testament to the charisma and appeal of Nagumo Miyabi.
I acknowledged this.
This was why, despite my grievances over his methods, I offered Nagumo Miyabi the chance to become my Vice President.
And that, in a way, began the one-sided war that Nagumo Miyabi had waged over me.
As the months passed by, the attacks started to pick up.
Nagumo, who had already gained control over the former first-years, began sinking his claws into the lower classes of the then-second year, securing their support and mobilizing them in subtle, or sometimes blatant attempts of challenging me.
I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh as I crushed an audio bug that he had just planted inside the Student Council office.
Thankfully, it hadn't gotten any sensitive information as Tachibana and I hadn't talked about certain sensitive issues when we arrived.
"He sure has been growing bolder," I muttered, my eyes gazing at the crushed audio bug in my hand. "What a way to send a message."
It was Nagumo's first attack in this new school year. An attack that simply said: "Keep on your toes, senpai!"
Quite cheeky, if not entertaining.
"What is it, Horikita-kun?"
I turned my eyes to my right and saw Tachibana Akane, whose peach-colored eyes showed concern.
"Nagumo," I replied before showing Tachibana the audio bug that I had just crushed.
Tachibana examined the crushed paraphernalia for a while, her lips pursed.
"I'm surprised it took him this long," Tachibana replied, putting down the clipboard she was holding to my table and taking a tissue paper.
Wordlessly, the purple-haired girl took away the audio bug, submerged it in water, and threw it in the trash.
"There! Now, it's back to where it belongs," she joked to herself before turning to face me, her face embarrassed upon the realization she said that a little too loud.
"S-Sorry, Horikita-kun."
"It's fine," I replied, taking a seat and leaning my back against the leather chair. "It wasn't like you were wrong. Although, I would have put it a little differently."
"So, it's time to orient the new council members, huh?" Tachibana asked, changing the topic. "I'm looking forward to how Ayanokōji-kun would react once he realizes what you're going to do."
Hmm, that's right.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
A student who, despite what the records suggested, was assigned to Class D— the gathering of the school's defects, fodders, if you may.
To this day, I still find myself surprised both by what I had found from the application he had submitted, as well as the answers he had given during the interview.
His cadence, his aura, and the way he carried himself... was not something you'd expect out of a Class D student.
But like I told Tachibana before, it might be because the school's administration had decided to administer a change to better balance out the classes.
In the case of both Nagumo and myself, we were already comfortably ahead of the other classes by the time we finished our first years. Considering how lopsided things had been, it wasn't outside the realm of possibilities for the school to experiment and decide to make the composition of the current first years more balanced.
"I know talent when I see it," I replied to Tachibana, who nodded non-committally. "But on the off-chance he's not as good as I think he is, there is still a place for him in the council."
Tachibana smiled reassuringly. "While I did voice out my concerns last time, it was more due to my shock that you're actually considering doing something like that, Horikita-kun. Making a first year, who had barely even established himself in school, into the Vice President... is not something out of your playbook."
"You're right," I replied, nodding my head to her. "But there are times when it is needed to make a move that nobody would expect."
"This... is one of those times."
"You sure are something, Horikita-kun."
What I wasn't telling Tachibana was the fact that there was another reason for my increased interest in Ayanokōji and his potential.
It wasn't because of his class but because of who was in his class.
As the presumed leader of Class D, I found myself curious how Ayanokōji Kiyotaka would handle and influence the students within that defective class.
More specifically, my interest in him lies in my curiosity if he could influence a certain student in his class, that being my little sister, Horikita Suzune.
The same little sister who had attempted to emulate me and become my equal in her foolish goal of standing by my side.
It had been two years since I had last seen her.
Our last meeting... didn't end well, as I took it upon myself to do everything in my power to make her loathe me... to make her re-evaluate her decision to idolize me and emulate everything that I represent.
It could easily be argued that I was too harsh and too cold on Suzune, but I simply saw what I did as a means to an end.
It didn't matter if Suzune would come to hate me.
Plenty of people have hated me before, some to the point of cursing me with death.
I can deal with Suzune coming to hate me.
If my methods would finally allow her to realize the latent potential that lay dormant within her, I would be happy with that.
But I suppose that was enough pondering about my estranged relationship with my little sister.
Coughing into my hand, I faced Tachibana and said, "That said, Tachibana. It's about time that we let them inside the office."
Tachibana wordlessly nodded and began making her way to the door, but before she could open it, I spoke once more.
"Wait, there's one thing you need to do."
Tachibana stopped in her tracks and turned her head in my direction. "What is it, Horikita-kun?"
"Pretend to be distressed and tell them about the audio bugs that we found in the office."
"What? Why?" Tachibana protested.
It was a reasonable response, all things considered, as theatrics was never my game.
"A test," I replied cryptically.
"A test?" Tachibana repeated, confusion marring her face. "I don't exactly understand what you will be testing them about, Horikita-kun."
"You'll find out later."
Tachibana sighed in exasperation before making her way outside the room, and as the purple-haired girl turned her back to me, I let out an amused chuckle.
"Now, she's going to be genuinely distressed," I muttered to myself in amusement.
Tachibana Akane, after all, disliked being kept in the dark.
SS 3 (Scene 2)
After about two minutes, Tachibana returned to the office with Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and Tsubaki Yuki—the two first-year members of the Student Council— following behind.
"Welcome, Ayanokōji-kun, Tsubaki-san," I greeted them and then extended my hand, pointing to the two cushioned chairs in front of my desk. "Please take a seat."
While I was not one to use honorifics, I decided to do so in this instance to acclimate them into the new setting they found themselves in.
As the two first-years sat in their chairs, I spoke once again. "I must apologize for keeping you both waiting. We had a bit of a security issue that we needed to address."
Now, let's see just how perspective you are, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
"Nagumo-senpai planted the bugs, didn't he?" Ayanokōji asked, not even hesitating in making his accusation.
Impressive, Ayanokōji.
To be able to tell that much with limited information was solid proof of Ayanokōji's claims of having dug out certain information on the key students of this school.
But, despite the inward approval of his deduction, I decided to test him.
"That's quite an accusation, Ayanokōji-kun. Nagumo is the Vice President of the Student Council, after all," I replied, my eyes fixed on his brown orbs.
And as expected, Ayanokōji did not back down.
"No one else is bold enough to challenge you, Horikita-senpai. Tachibana-senpai said that no significant information got caught by the audio bug, but I don't think Nagumo-senpai is that careless, so I think it was his way of telling you to keep on your toes," he replied matter-of-factly, not even bothered by the pressure I had exerted on him.
Praiseworthy behavior.
I couldn't even stop a smirk from reaching my face. "You could tell? Impressive, Ayanokōji-kun," I praised the brown-haired boy, who simply nodded at the praise he received.
"It's just a hunch, but it's a plausible one," he replied.
I leaned my back against my chair, my eyes flicking from Ayanokōji and then to Tachibana, who was pouring tea into my teacup. As Tachibana finished up, I thanked her before turning my attention back to Ayanokōji.
"You have a point there. Nagumo has been quite vocal about his dissatisfaction with the current state of the Student Council. He's been proposing changes left and right, even if they go against the principles held by this school," I said, involuntarily letting out a small sigh.
"But enough about that," I continued before taking a sip out of the tea Tachibana had brewed. "Let's talk about the reason why we called the two of you here. On behalf of the Student Council of ANHS, I welcome you into our ranks."
"We look forward to working with you," Tachibana said, a smile plastered on her face.
With that done, it was now time for me to transition this discussion into the topic I had wanted to discuss.
Let's see how you respond, Ayanokōji.
"Now then, Ayanokōji-kun. How much have you figured out?" I asked, referencing the answer he had provided in his application forms.
Tsubaki giggled upon hearing my words and then turned her head to Ayanokōji. "What did I say, Kiyotaka?" She asked in a smug tone. "You attempted to go incognito and ended up getting senpai's attention," she finished, still giggling.
Did that mean that Tsubaki Yuki's roundabout answer wasn't an attempt to emulate Ayanokōji but rather a blatant attempt at taunting me?
"I'm not a snobbish defect like Horikita-senpai's little sister."
I hope that Suzune has grown since then...
Turning his head away from Tsubaki, Ayanokōji met my gaze with an indifferent look on his face. "Let's just say we'll be moving up by next month," he cooly responded.
I'm impressed.
Judging by his words, not only does he know about the S-System, but he also knows about the hierarchy, the class battles, and the parameters used to evaluate students in their first month.
I couldn't sense a hint of misplaced arrogance from his words, so he must be fairly certain that he could lead Class D into an ascension as early as the first month.
"So you know that much already. Aside from that, you're even aware of what's going on between Nagumo and me. Impressive, Ayanokōji-kun," I replied, nodding my head in approval.
"Is it really? It's just common sense to try and know everything you can get your hands on in a school like this, Horikita-senpai," the brown-haired boy nonchalantly replied.
The words may be nonchalant and deflective, but I could see further than that.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka carries with him the pragmatism that would be needed to continue surviving in ANHS.
Knowing the nature of the school, rationalizing how the system worked, as well as gathering information about the numerous students in the school were intuitive moves that only brilliant students with his intuition and pragmatism could accomplish.
It seemed like my faith wasn't misplaced.
"One last question for you, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka-kun," I paused, a smirk forming on my face. "Are you interested in being the second Vice President of the Student Council?"
"That's a high amount of trust for someone you've just met, Horikita-senpai," he said, calling me out on my decision.
No, Ayanokōji.
My decision wasn't grounded on trust but, instead, on the certainty that you would live up to the lofty expectations that I had placed on you.
And the fact that you had called me out on it indicated that you had surmised the logic behind my decision.
"The fact that you've figured out my plan already solidifies that I made the right choice, Ayanokōji-kun," I pointed out.
"Haaah. Well, it's not like I have much to lose if I decide to be the Vice President," Ayanokōji said before letting out a sigh.
"Be happier that Horikita-kun's offering you such a prestigious position!" Tachibana chided him on the perceived disrespect.
While I do appreciate your loyalty, Tachibana, it is inappropriate for an upperclassman to lash out at a junior.
"Ah, apologies, Tachibana-senpai. It's just too much to take in at the moment," Ayanokōji reasoned.
"Liar," Tsubaki chimed in, scoffing and rolling her eyes.
Having seen enough, I coughed into my sleeves, gaining back the attention of the people inside the room.
"Well then, Ayanokōji-kun, your answer?"
"I accept, but under one condition," Ayanokōji replied.
The brown-haired boy paused in his words, fixing his gaze on me as if scrutinizing how I would react to his words.
"What is it?"
"I want access to the Student Council's information network."
That, admittedly, caught me off-guard, even though it wasn't impossible for him to make such demands.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, after all, had presented himself as a person who wanted to be constantly well-informed, and having the information network of the Student Council would help him tremendously, may it be in knowing certain profiles or in discerning possible allies or enemies.
But, this liberty could only be exercised by the Student Council President and Secretary, and I'd assume that Ayanokōji knew of this.
Interesting.
So not only did he anticipate that I wanted to make him Vice President, but he also picked up on the fact that it might be a possibility that I would endorse him as my successor.
Well then...
"Very well, Ayanokōji-kun. I agree to your condition."
"Thank you, Horikita-senpai," he said, bowing slightly.
Tsubaki looked at Ayanokōji with an expression of amusement mixed with admiration. "I didn't expect you to be such a shrewd negotiator, Kiyotaka," she said.
Ayanokōji shrugged. "It's just common sense to get everything you can out of any deal."
"Now that we've settled that, let's move on to the specifics of your duties as the Vice President as well as Tsubaki-san's role as the first-year representative," I said, pulling out a folder from his desk.
I then outlined their roles in the Student Council, the scope of their powers, and the various tasks they would be responsible for.
And as the orientation went on, I finally closed it with the clincher that I designed to see if Ayanokōji could see through what I had been planning all along.
"Veto power?" Ayanokōji asked, narrowing his eyes.
"It's just for checks and balances, a prerequisite to a working democratic state. Is there something you wish to say, Ayanokōji-kun?" I replied coyly, a smirk forming on my face.
"You mean, do I know what you wanted to hear from me, Horikita-senpai?"
I couldn't help myself.
For the first time in God knows how many years, I let out a round of laughter, one that was a byproduct of genuine amusement rather than condescension.
Glancing at Tachibana, it seemed she was caught off-guard that I was capable of laughing.
And... was she flustered?
Was she perhaps in need of going to the restroom?
Shaking my head to remove the intrusive thoughts, I faced Ayanokōji, a smile appearing on my face. "You're even better than I expected. But please, do tell me what was on your mind."
"You're hoping I'd come to realize that I can utilize my veto power to overturn the rejection of Ichinose Honami's application to the Student Council," he replied accusingly, his eyes focusing on me.
"It's a strategic move, isn't it? With her immense popularity among the first years, having her as my direct subordinate would make it easier to consolidate my power over them while also putting an end to the possibility of Nagumo Miyabi getting a hold of her," Ayanokōji continued.
My smile widened as Ayanokōji finished up his spiel.
His answers were designed to exactly exhibit his words: telling me the words I had wanted to hear from him.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka blatantly told me that he could see through this scheme and even accurately recited the parameters that were on my mind.
To some, this might come across as arrogant, but at that instance, I could feel that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and I had reached a common understanding.
He had agreed to be in a cooperative relationship with me, but with a singular condition: for him to be seen as my equal.
I was interrupted in my thoughts as Tsubaki turned her head to Ayanokōji and joked about him showing off.
They seem pretty close, don't they?
"The two of you seem pretty close. Are you in a relationship?" I asked the two, an amused look evident on my face.
Tsubaki giggled. "Not yet, Horikita-senpai. But I'll make sure to let you know when we've made it official," she replied, hugging Ayanokōji's right arm.
Ayanokōji tried to break free of Tsubaki's hold to no avail. Seeing the futility of doing so, he turned his attention to me. "I'm more interested in your little sister, to be honest."
My eyes involuntarily widened upon hearing his words.
Was this... real?
Was the same boy who I've all but declared my successor... declaring interest in Suzune?
Well, considering his capabilities, I suppose he is a suitable partner for Suzune. But at the end of the day, it is up to Suzune if she would consider his advances.
Still, I do approve of the possibility.
I smiled at Ayanokōji and nodded my head in approval. "You have my blessing, Ayanokōji-kun. Suzune would be lucky to have you," I replied.
Yuki's eyes widened in shock at my words, her grip on Ayanokōji's arm tightening. "E-Excuse me?!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
"As an older brother, it is simply natural to root for my little sister. Seeing as you and Ayanokōji-kun aren't in a relationship, I think Suzune still has a chance," I replied, chuckling.
I found myself amused observing the dynamic between Ayanokōji and Tsubaki. It was clear that Tsubaki harbored romantic feelings for Ayanokōji, seeing as she had declared it, but Ayanokōji seemed like he didn't see her that way.
But despite that, Ayanokōji wasn't averse to Tsubaki's inclination towards physical touch.
The banter continued for a while before I ended it by telling Ayanokōji that I would approve if he somehow decided to pursue Suzune.
And before we knew it, the meeting was over, and the Student Council office was left with its two original occupants, myself and Tachibana.
"Horikita-kun," Tachibana said, smiling. "It seems like the future will be bright, isn't it?"
"What do you mean, Tachibana?" I asked, curious to see what was going on in the mind of the purple-haired girl.
"Ayanokōji-kun," Tachibana began, her eyes lingering on the door from where Ayanokōji and Tsubaki had just departed from. "Has exceeded the already high expectations that we had for him."
"Indeed. Even I found myself surprised at what we had just witnessed."
"And now that he had agreed... what's next, Horikita-kun?"
I leaned my back against my chair, letting out a relaxed sigh before facing Tachibana once more.
"We turn our hopes into reality."
The emergence of someone as talented as Ayanokōji Kiyotaka wasn't something that anyone could have anticipated.
And as the days and weeks went by, I realized that what I was facing... was a once-in-a-generation type of talent.
And this... has filled me with hope.
Metaphorically speaking, it was as if the Gods up above had sent Ayanokōji Kiyotaka to serve as some sort of a guardian angel that was there to help me fix the mess that I had created.
Not just with the future of the school, but most importantly...
My relationship with Suzune.
End of Short Story
A/N: Since I decided to push back the Student Council celebration to V2, I changed the Short Story focus from Nagumo to Manabu, with a direct focus on the scene in Chapter 9.
Here, we see how Manabu's thought process was not just about Kiyotaka but how he thought of Nagumo as well.
Seeing as we barely knew anything of 1st Year Nagumo and 2nd Year Manabu's relationship, I decided to add a logical tidbit to explain the relationship between the two.
Also, I wanted to showcase Manabu's intelligence throughout the SS, and I hope that his various inferences throughout the chapter helped showcase this.
This is the official end of Volume 1.
See you in the next Volume!